Homecoming

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S7 (Homecoming)

There's not a lot to write about this episode, not because it was bad, but it's really just stuff happening rather than a real story. I suppose that's the criticism you could level at most 'Stargate' episodes, but what pulls it through and makes it watchable, even on occasion more than enjoyable, are the characters, and this one is no exception. While the creeping around in the bowels of Anubis' ship is okay, it's Daniel and Jonas having a conversation that sticks in the memory after watching it. It's good to see the old Daniel continuing to return, where he at first seems surprised that they carry out these kinds of missions on a regular basis, but by the time he's finished that thought he's realising it's actually what he likes. It was also pleasing to see the team effort at the end, as O'Neill and Carter show why they're soldiers, Teal'c why he's a warrior, and Jonas gets his chance to pay back Daniel for sacrificing his life, by pushing him out of the way of a staff weapon's deadly blast. I'm glad it was only a moderate wound that Jonas suffered, rather than heroically being sacrificed in what is his last episode, as it gives him the opportunity to return. And I really like Corin Nemec and his performance as Jonas Quinn, the alien who sees the galaxy for the first time, proves himself to his fellow SG-1 team members, and returns to Kelowna a respected mediator, needed for all the experience he gained on his year out.

I think the reason he works is what Daniel says: he's 'up.' He's an optimistic character in the best 'Star Trek' tradition, interested and excited to explore, useful in a fight, but someone who thinks, and it would have been a cruel irony indeed had Anubis ended up destroying his home planet after using the mind probe alerted him to their use of naquadria, considering he left so he could help his people by gaining the knowledge of the wider universe. So it all ends happily with a touching farewell in which he isn't rushed off the series, but, like Daniel's reintroduction in the preceding episode, is allowed time with each character. And because we've seen him come and grow, and become a likeable member of the team over the course of Season 6, it's really quite sad to see the back of him. It's impressive that they managed to create another main character who could replace a much-loved staple since the beginning, in Dr. Jackson, making him similar, but so different, and all without upsetting the team dynamic. I'd have happily let Jonas stay on the series - as Jack said, he earned it. But I suppose budgetary constraints ruled the day. At least I assume that was the reason they didn't have more than five main cast members. Perhaps when one or two of the others left they should have brought him back permanently, but instead they were to raid the 'Farscape' store cupboard of discarded actors. But that's all in the future, in seasons I've never seen, so I'm hopeful that he'll at least show up again sometime.

As for the bulk of the episode it's all a bit pulp sci-fi, with the usual 'evil villains' saying the usual 'evil villain pitches' (even some 'Star Wars' moments: Anubis getting Jonas to look out at his home planet, which you could equate with either Leia at Alderaan, or Luke watching the fleet during the battle of the final Death Star; as well as the crooked Commander, who says he's made another arrangement, like Lando Calrissian before he sells out his allies!), and even the interesting political discussions such as those between Teal'c and Yu's servant, were fairly brief. I suppose this is the beginning of Baal's paltry reign, though why they picked him out of the selection I don't know. He certainly had fun rushing in and pulverising Anubis' great vessel (which looked like the alien ship hovering over an American city in 'Independence Day'). There could be some mileage in the Yu thing: that he's the oldest and so his symbiont is basically going senile, regardless of what host it could be in. It shows that the System Lords have their limits, if you don't mind waiting a few thousand years.

What could happen with the situation of their alliance may have potential, though if past history is anything to go by they'd quickly be at each other's throats. The political situation on Kelowna was also ripe for more stories, though it sounds like they got their problems sorted out, and are ready to move forward. I couldn't really remember how much the general populace knew about aliens and the outside galaxy, but the other leaders didn't know about the Stargate, so it's easy to assume they were new to everything, so again, that could be interesting to see, since having your planet invaded would be a talking point, and there would certainly be no hiding the facts. But I suppose with Jonas requested (in fact a condition of the three countries meeting), their problems were going to be talked through and as they're not that important to the series, it's unlikely we'd see how events unfolded, it being enough to have an upbeat ending of hope, and a good reason for Jonas to return home for a new mission.

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