Avalon Part 2

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S9 (Avalon Part 2)

For a moment there I really thought the series had crossed a line into something much less innocent, quite a step for a series made for a general audience rather than the modern urge to go more 'adult' in content. It was very effective, but it was soon made right and the cloud fell away from the sun again. I'm referring to Vala's public burning in a pit of liquid fire, and all the time I'm expecting Daniel's words to change the alien people's minds, or some other outside force to prevent Vala burning to death, but it never happens and she is literally consumed by flame in a shocking development. Now I knew Vala herself wouldn't die because I know she becomes a regular at some point, but I was still aghast at the apparent violent destruction of the woman whose body she was inhabiting, and even though we don't know her, it was still a raw experience seeing an innocent treated so horrifically. But whether you come down on them, on the side of 'not having the courage of their convictions,' or on the side of relief that such a horror could be undone, it can't be denied how effective it portrays the power of the Orai, assuming the Emperor Palpatine-like figure who reverses her death, returning life to the burnt up corpse, is one of these.

As so often used to be the case in 'SG-1,' there's a ton of information, alien names, and lore to take in, and it continues to take me back to the earlier seasons when it was necessary to concentrate to keep track of all the races, friends, villains and planets that were established and returned to on multiple occasions, again making the start of this season feel like the beginning of a whole new series in some respects. The last couple of seasons had perhaps become slightly comfortable (though no less dramatic), relying on the long established lore to draw their stories from, but that pretty much got resolved as if the series had concluded, and pastures new had already been opened up for the spinoff, 'Atlantis,' so now they seem to be taking the idea of expanding the mythos on board the parent show, something they'd continue with 'Stargate Universe' as well. Speaking of that series, this episode marks the debut of a most important technology of The Ancients, used to great effect there: the communication stones that can allow people to Quantum Leap into the bodies of others vast distances away, while the consciousness of the host is 'leaped' to theirs. It was a fascinating device for 'Universe' as the only means they had of maintaining contact with Earth and Stargate Command, so if not a shock to see it implemented for the first time, it's still a pleasure, and yet another indication of the season's desire to explore in other ways than we've seen - I don't think we've even witnessed anyone go through a 'gate yet so far!

It's standard 'SG-1' fare all the way, as Daniel and Vala (still linked by the bracelets of doom, if you're keeping track), take a little trip within their minds to a far-off realm, inhabiting the bodies of some simple peasants in a basic agrarian community that happens to be ruled by fear of aliens known as the Orai. We haven't seen a trip quite like it in the manner of the execution (probably not the best word considering what happens to Vala…), but it's essentially the same visit to a backwards planet ruled by so-called 'gods' that have abused their power to lord it over the human population. So it still feels comforting and familiar, even without O'Neill or Carter (I'm not sure why she hasn't been in it yet, maybe Amanda Tapping had another job that kept her from starting the season in the same manner as everyone else, or perhaps Vala took her spot?), helped by the fact that the two main plots are Daniel or Teal'c centred. Teal'c's is slight in comparison, the political turmoil quickly turning to bad news on Takara, Rak'nor reporting what's going on. At first it appears to be about conflicted loyalties because Teal'c is spending too much time with his ol' buddies when he should be overseeing the direction of the Jaffa government system, but it becomes more about some guy called Garok (sounded like Garak!), who's used his position or Teal'c's absence to make short work of his brethren and rise to power. It's all said and not shown, and I imagine it would have been more effective had we been privy to the machinations as they transpired, but it makes me interested to see where it's going to go after this whirlwind rise to authority for someone Teal'c clearly doesn't esteem, and what else they'll do with it when they've so far sidestepped the drama there.

Bra'tac and Rayac score mentions, but aren't seen, and you can tell they're still operating on a TV budget in spite of such grandiose plotting. But I also wonder whether serialisation is going to be much more apparent as the story doesn't end with this second part, and while the next episode isn't named 'Part 3,' it must continue directly by the way it was left. The series has always tended its running threads through many episodes, but they've leaned towards the episodic format in general, so I will wait to see how far they go in the serialised direction, having already observed its use in 'Universe,' and to a lesser extent 'Atlantis.' The cliffhanger from Part 1 was quickly dealt with in traditional style and moved on from (I'm sure the mention of 'long ago and far, far away' was a 'Star Wars' reference), with Mitchell getting to be the action hero in an innovative semi-holographic sword fight with a knight in which only Cameron can use the sword as he pulled it from the stone, and the twist that it too is holographic was a good one. There are new developments in the form of General Landry and his connection to a new, presumably recurring, character, Dr. Lam. Dr. Lee is as useless as ever, and Daniel gets to spout a whole load of lore about The Ancients being known as the 'Al-Terra' or some such monicker which I didn't follow entirely, but the Orai appear to be a nasty version of them. Where Jackson and Vala have gone to, and what the result of their meddling will be I await in the next part of the story, but so far the series has looked good, felt 'Stargate,' yet new, and has shocked, so it's doing well so far.

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