New Order

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S8 (New Order)

It's always very pleasant to return to the comfortable and familiar world of 'SG-1,' and the beginning of Season 8 is no exception, although it does suffer from the usual explosion of exposition and the usual TV season position of having the burden of the previous season's cliffhanger or hanging plot threads to deal with, while also setting up the new season and attempting to create a worthwhile story in itself. I originally saw this broadcast as two individual parts back in 2005 and it was edited by two different people for each part, so I'm not sure what the reasoning was behind making it a feature-length instalment on the DVD. Mind you, it may have worked slightly better as one story since Part I is a lot of discussion and Part II feels better balanced and has the advantage of a satisfying ending, though I didn't notice the delineation between episodes while watching. I felt Dr. Elizabeth Weir (was that a slight Irish lilt in her voice?), made a good impression, appearing both human and personable, yet also steadfast and strong in sticking to her decision not to allow them to rescue Colonel Jack O'Neill - until Carter was able to change her mind, her and Teal'c borrowing the Goa'uld ship with modded engine to search for, and petition the Asgard to assist him, since he was left encased in ice after using The Ancients' weapon to defend Earth at the end of Season 7. I didn't realise, and didn't recall, that Weir didn't remain boss of the SGC, though it dawned on me her face was one of the 'Stargate Atlantis' cast, a shrewd move in the setup for that series.

I'd have been happy for her to remain the top brass paper pusher at SGC, but equally, it was a good move to promote O'Neill (to Brigadier General), at least in part for saving Earth (again), but also in recognition of his many years of sterling service, and the fact that people do get promoted in the military and nothing stays the same forever, as much as I'd love it to. And in his first act as Base Commander, he in turn promotes Carter to Lieutenant Colonel, which is a touch nepotistic, but understandable, and hardly one of the most difficult developments to accept on the series considering its sci-fi nature! I don't remember how his tenure plays out, or whether he still goes along on missions, but he only took the post because Daniel points out that he'd be able to do whatever he wanted, at which point his eyes take on a faraway look and you can already see him planning things! That last scene where the four main characters are sitting round discussing the pros and cons is the best of the episode, and it's a great joy to see these four people that have gone through thick and thin, survived death and real world cast changes, once again relaxing with each other, having provided another valuable service. I don't care that it's not realistic that a military team would remain the same for so many years, it's a TV show, and those four are what matters.

Getting there was a circuitous journey in which, for much of the running time, they were split up, Carter and Teal'c taking the Goa'uld ship off, then Teal'c and Thor trying to save Carter, who in turn is counterpoint to the human-like Fifth of the Replicators, the mechanical race that somehow track down the Asgard's new home planet, Orilla, and taint it with their presence until O'Neill, still with the knowledge of The Ancients in his brain, is able to instruct the Daniel Jackson (Thor's ship, and an amusing aside for Daniel!), to construct a weapon capable of dismantling the critters. Meanwhile, Daniel's back at base assisting Weir in negotiations with representatives of the System Lords (including old and senile favourite, Lord Yu The Great), who want a treaty with Earth having seen Anubis taken out by their weapon, Baal the new big bully opposing them. Some good negotiating takes place with Weir showing her mettle, despite the Goa'uld holding the trump cards (they either don't believe Earth can use the weapon again and so they'd come and take it, or they 'leak' info to Baal that they 'can't' use it and he'll come and be destroyed), with the big bluff (they really don't know how to use The Ancients' weapon again!), working out - Weir demanding all Baal's territory if Earth defeats him! Camulus, one of the delegation, requests asylum, though it's probably a trick in the long run, as all dealings with System Lords invariably are, so in the end much of the episode was treading water to move other things into place while giving us a chance to see what Weir can do, though she could have been put under a lot more pressure if they wanted it dramatic.

Except this series isn't the most dramatic - it's very much like a less intelligent version of 'TNG,' concentrating on recurring characters and likeable main cast to keep us coming back, along with an almost impenetrable lore for those that haven't kept up to speed. I often feel like I'm having to do mental somersaults to keep up, not because things are so complex, but simply that the series expects you to remember all the characters and events that have taken place. To people that love it, no doubt that's an easy task, but for me, who merely enjoys it, but then wants to write about it, it requires concentration (not to mention a glossary!). In fairness, they do give us flashbacks or refreshers, such as the pre-credits montage reminding us of Fifth, the humanoid Replicator SG-1 were forced to leave behind back in Season 6's 'Unnatural Selection,' cruelly using his own humanity against him so he'd trust them. Understandably, he's peeved, especially at Carter who he believes he loves, though he doesn't understand her concept of free will, thinking that if he keeps her captive she'll reciprocate, even torturing her in anger, then placing her into a fantasy where she's living her ideal life, a year after having left the Stargate Programme, on a farm in Montana with Pete, her boyfriend. It's a tired trope if done without any twist, and it's not done with any twist - she knows right away that it's false, wanders around in wonder for a bit, then aggressively points out she's not going to go along with it. Again, it was like treading water, having the extra time, but not doing anything substantial with it.

Carter's mainly captive (and in the final scene we see Fifth has created a Replicator version of her to be with him, another well worn concept), though she and Teal'c do a bit of running and gunning, T giving his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impression, though he doesn't have a lot else to do - he now has a head of hair, which I don't recall him having last season, and O'Neill asks him twice why, not receiving an answer, but if I recall correctly, I don't think he has a symbiote any more, so it may be something to do with that. I assume: though it could just as easily be that Chris Judge requested the change. It would be nice if deeper change was to affect the characters than a new hairstyle, and it is to be hoped that will be the case this season: I suppose promotions are a good start, and yet there's that ever-present desire to keep things as they are so that the series can keep to formula, as almost all series' do. That's one of the reasons why this and 'TNG' are so relaxing to watch, because you know what you're going to get, whereas something like 'DS9' or 'Battlestar Galactica' is full of wrenching changes, thrives on them in fact (again, the series wishes it were 'Star Trek,' having the Prometheus (I think), hovering above Earth with lots of Trek dialogue, although it doesn't make sense the Captain requesting a translation of his message into Goa'uld as that's what Daniel does, isn't it? Surely if a computer program could do that he'd be redundant?).

The usual wry, offbeat humour is in place, sometimes in the very production itself, such as Dr. Jackson conversing with Thor, effectively talking to himself since he played both roles - I'm sure we've seen it before, but it's always amusing from a real world perspective, though wisely they don't play on it within that universe. Most often it's O'Neill's relaxed and disrespectful attitude that gets the humour going (such as when Weir informs of an invitation to dinner at the White House and he asks what they're having!), and as I believe this is his final season on the series, it's good to see him doing his stuff. But it's always nicer to see them all doing their stuff together, which brings me full circle to the problems season openers have, and why they can sometimes be less satisfying than a 'normal' episode: we have to juggle the pieces around to get things where they need to be on an ongoing basis, and naturally a season ender likes to mess things up big time so people come back to find out what happens next. But the political situation with the System Lords and Camulus should make things interesting; Fifth and fake Sam will be sure to return to cause more havoc; and whatever happens, I'm back in that familiar universe again, so even though this wasn't the epic kickstart to the season I thought it would be, to compete with the approaching 'Atlantis' (which I'm informed can be comfortably begun after this season, rather than jumping between series'), that's not the point, it served its function and now the season proper starts.

**