Holiday

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S2 (Holiday)

Far from leaving me sad at Machello's death this unexpected story left me grinning thanks to the body-swapping escapades of Teal'c and O'Neill! Early on I thought I could see where the episode was going - they re-use the same sealed room seen a few episodes ago (it may not have been sealed this time, but it was the same set, I'm sure), and they give us a new perspective from the top of a gate as it opens, but as soon as I saw the old man I questioned the quality of the makeup as I could tell it was a younger man. In true Corporal Jones of 'Dad's Army' style I suspected this old man was going to get up to more physical exertions than a real old man would be capable of, and I was only half-wrong.

When it quickly became a body-swap story part of me groaned inwardly (the symbiont perhaps?), and part of me held out hope for an entertaining tale. Body-swapping may be a cliche in sci-fi, but more often than not it creates enjoyable scenes for the characters involved and I was not disappointed. Michael Shanks does a good 'confused, of alien world', but the plaudits must surely rain down on Christopher Judge who got to prove what an actor he is with such hilarious mimicry of Richard Dean Anderson's mannerisms. Anderson had the easier job of restraining all emotion, something his character tends towards anyway, except in outbursts of irritation or sarcasm that Judge got down pat. It must have been a joy to exercise their acting chops in different ways and it's only a shame Carter and Hammond didn't get in on the action (can you imagine?).

The title had already given away that this was likely to be a less serious type of installment, but there were good scenes throughout and the body-swapping wasn't over-used, indeed it left me wanting to see more of the Teal'c/O'Neill exchange for pure comedy's sake. I didn't buy the sudden illness of Teal'c and that avenue of 'suspense' didn't last long thankfully. Are we supposed to believe that if the big guy goes without sleep for a few hours he could die of any illness he happens to contract? We also didn't get to hear why he wanted a shaved head (I may have forgotten an earlier explanation).

Melodrama and poignancy were attempted, but it was the pure fun of the acting that made the episode. I suspected it was Shanks playing the role of Machello when he was lying on the hospital bed, talking to Carter, and from being critical of the makeup I took a U-turn and realised how successful it had been - although I had suspicions of the truth I wasn't really sure until right at the end when 'Daniel' talks to the old man and there's a slight change in the look of the shot that denotes a visual effect. I was glad of the credit at the end just to confirm it, even so.

I wondered if there was going to be a twist at the end that the 'new' Daniel would escape, but they could rejuvenate the real Daniel in that machine on the planet and it would turn him back into the Daniel we know with some techy explanation that the mind imprints the physical identity onto the technology, or something. But all around a jolly enjoyable episode and one worth seeing again when you know who's who! Twice in a row Dr. Frasier's medical rooms have played host to a dying victim on her beds - she might begin to get a bad reputation...

***

Pariah

DVD, Smallville S4 (Pariah)

One of a few that could be called two-parters, and that's because the episodes tend to be serialised with ongoing plots overlapping, but this was a direct continuation complete with 'previously' montage which hardly ever happens, except for season openers. My worst fears were realised in that Alicia is back again, and the story falls down in that she's a completely unsympathetic character so the conceit of the episode doesn't have a leg to stand on. The early scenes are marred by soapy-ness and it appears that the only note of interest to be sounded is Alicia's suggestion that Clark turn himself in, or at least reveal to Sheriff Adams (yes, she's back to get under everyone's skin again!) his powers.

That was a sufficiently thought-provoking idea, though it were impossible - why should she be the one to have all superpower blame laid at her door, and if Clark were to be revealed would people become more accepting of her? It seems more likely that Clark would have become an object of contempt (more than he already is with some people, such as Jason), and become a target for crazies more than usual. So, I was thinking, at least there's some root of an idea among the teenage moaning, but then a dramatic turn comes with Chloe being told of and witnessing Clark's powers at last!

It's happened before, but this time the unexpected result was that nothing occurred to dislodge this world-bending notion from her brain. She didn't hit her head and forget, she wasn't under the influence of Kryptonite and she wasn't going mad at the time: she genuinely learns of Clark's powers and accepts it pretty well, I'd say. You'd think she'd be going over every odd incident that she'd collected, witnessed or been a part of over the years and slot in the new information to make sense of it. In some ways she shouldn't have been all that surprised as she practically suspected there was something special about him already. Perhaps that was why she took it so well, and in an act of ultimate friendship doesn't intrude on his privacy or ask him questions, but lets him know she's around. What a good mate!

The tragedy is that Clark can never know she knows as it was Alicia who told him, and inevitably, she had to die. For someone that can teleport anywhere at a moment's thought I don't see how the sand boy, or dust boy, or whatever, was able to hold her long enough to drug her. Internal consistency has never been a strongly adhered to policy of the series and she was either going to be around forever or knocked off, so sandy-dusty-boy was merely the mechanism for bringing things back to a kind of normality. On the subject of consistency I was a little confused about Lex' dealings with Mrs. Teague. He claims the enemy of my enemy is my friend, but Jason doesn't ask why he considers his Mum to be an enemy, which would be the first question you'd expect him to ask!

The slimy woman convinces Lana that it wasn't by her doing that she and Jason met, so that trail is cold for the moment, but it's very strange the way she goes to Lex and why she should be so intent on pulling the couple apart or why she could imagine Lex would help her I don't know. Yes, she dangles the carrot of having some information on how Lionel got out of prison, but so what... The CGI was used well, especially for dusty-sand-boy, but as has become usual we don't get any history on him, how he got his powers, so he's only a vague moral vigilante who's got things twisted in his head a bit. To make an enemy worth having they've got to have a deeper imprint on the series or they end up seeming like a maguffin there to set the real story up.

I feel that the episode is one of those 'nearly there, but not quite'. With such a massively important development  as one of the regulars seeing Clark perform his extraterrestrial stunts and remembering it, it has an underwhelming sum total. I would have wished for such a brilliant moment to be a part of a brilliant episode rather than propping up a less than brilliant one, but as often this season it leaves you with a desire to see how things will transpire and how Chloe's knowledge will affect life. It didn't do Pete much good - he was written out a year after becoming the first man on the inside. Chloe will be around for a good while, I know, but it remains to be seen whether it will enrich or hinder her character. My bet's on a shouting match some time in the future where Clark moans she should understand and then she belts out that knows all about him, and then they'll be grumpy for an episode and then things will be fine. That's how things usually pan out, anyway.

Maybe Chloe took the revelations about Clark so well because she's a bit of a fan of heroes - she mentions both TJ Hooker and Captain Kirk in the same conversation... maybe Lois was wrong and she does have a secret - she's a lifelong fan of William Shatner?

**

Serpent's Song

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S2 (Serpent's Song)

Who would have guessed that we would feel compassion for the villain of the piece, the creature that stole Daniel's wife and has terrorised them on more than one occasion. Now we see him reduced to a weak, dying form, afraid and with only the prospect of eternal torture from Sokar to look forward to. And so Apophis passes from the series - I assume he's not coming back as I never saw his demise and he doesn't appear in later seasons. If it was the end for him it's a piece of the series that has been a recurrent theme throughout. But perhaps it's time to move on, and it's this Sokar, talked about, but not yet seen, who could prove a deadlier foe, especially if what is hinted at - that he may be another Unas - is true. Heruer is also mentioned in passing and the System Lords are beginning to be revealed at last.

A change of fortunes for Apophis, thanks to O'Neill and the team, means a change in the balance of power also, and changes for the Stargate teams too, perhaps. The style of the episode shows an assured hand in control and we're treated to some epic CGI work and an exciting teaser with something we've never seen before - a backwards gate journey when O'Neill enters in that way while still firing. There was also an especially fluid and impressive shot when the soldiers race to the gate room and the camera tracks them smoothly all the way!

The episode has more than the tangible excitement of action to recommend it, as the theme is about how you treat your enemy when he's in your power. Each member of SG-1 gets their time with Apophis, and each reacts to him in different ways, but by the end they've all come to realise that the suffering of another, no matter how much he deserves is not satisfying and doesn't get them anything - O'Neill doesn't learn Apophis' secrets, Daniel doesn't find out where Sharray is, and Teal'c gains no pleasure in his former master's death when the frightened host is revealed beneath the symbiont's grasp.

The aging makeup was very good, and the actor's gaunt, expressionless face provides much horror as pain wracks through it, the bones standing out like a skull. The Tok'ra too, make another appearance, though sadly not Jacob Carter, and Martufe's symbiont comes across as a harsh type, confused that his enemies should treat Apophis with such care and attention. O'Neill would tend to agree, but the results don't exactly go their way and things look to becoming more complicated, not less, with Apophis' death.

***

The Spider Woman

DVD, The Spider Woman (1944) film

By far the best film to this point in the Sherlock Holmes series, this may not be the most Holmesian tale, but it has enough familiar artistry among the visual humour, exciting exchanges and unfolding puzzle to successfully straddle both the original stories and this film series which is far from being a set of adaptations and more an of-the-time reinvention to appeal to the war audiences, which it succeeded in doing. There are elements of various stories such as the pygmy from 'The Sign of Four', the venomous means of death similar to 'The Speckled Band' and even a nod to Holmes' death at the Riechenbach Falls.

Every aspect of the production seems imbued with a freshness and dynamism that some of the previous films in the series lacked. The back-projection of the rushing river in Scotland that Holmes falls into looks especially real, the emotion of losing Holmes is played intelligently by Watson, Mrs. Hudson and Inspector Lestrade (Dennis Hoey back again in the role), so that his inevitable reappearance means more than a little sleight of hand, even if we knew he wasn't dead. There's visual continuity (the shots fired against the wall in a previous film are visible), Holmes gets to indulge his penchant for disguises as successfully as ever (and Rathbone his mannerisms), and even the way the suicides are presented in shocking montage denotes a pace not expected of such an old production.

There are no dull moments or hokey sets, and the tale is full of the kind of touches the stories were famous for - undercover, Holmes tricks the villainess into giving him her fingerprints, while she has her own ways of exposing his false identity. Not only are the production values at a peak, but the boldness of the action is stronger than before - a deadly shootout atop the city's rooftops, the crazy-looking imposter at the spider expert's house (his grimace as he slices open a gas tank and flings the axe at Holmes leaves a stronger impression of malignant enmity in that brief moment than a long scene could have evoked), and even the James Bond-type escape from a dastardly fairground shooting gallery shows Holmes logical brain in full flow as he uses the gears of the machinery to loosen his bonds.

The spider woman herself is a worthy adversary, a smiling, self-satisfied evil, half-concealed beneath a veil. The veil of death! Maybe they should have called it that. The scene when she openly visits Baker Street, both she and her enemy double-talking their way through the conversation, probing and playing their cards is the perfect example of her character. It's all a deception, with the strange little lad and his fly-catching tendencies, to leave a nasty taste in their mouths. All in all a jolly good watch, even though a couple of the villainess' accomplices were in it before (Vernon Downing as Norman was the posh, stuttering fellow in the previous film, and I think the guy with the case who got shot by Holmes was in another one too) and I haven't even mentioned the hilarious case of mistaken identity by Watson!

***

Peak Performance

DVD, TNG S2 (Peak Performance)

I found this to be a bit confused as a story and lacking in some way. It may be the punchlines which were telegraphed a sector away - Riker would prove himself to Kolrami, forcing the pompous Zakdorn to eat his words, and Data would beat the alien at his own game. Like the training situation there was nothing to be gained and nothing to be lost as Mr. Worf succinctly put it. The premise of a tactical battle was sound, especially in the light of the Borg threat, as mentioned by Picard, but I wasn't clear on who was being tested and how they would be judged.

How was the Hathaway (a re-use of the Stargazer model and set) taken to the rendezvous point and why have a battle in any old space when more controlled conditions could be achieved in Federation territory, then a safer and more internal exercise could have been carried out without danger of interference as happened in this case? Why was this Zakdorn involved - beyond his race's reputation as supposedly the best tactical minds he didn't appear to be a member of Starfleet, yet he was going to report to them. How did he get there? There must have been another starship which both brought him to the Enterprise and towed the Hathaway which leaves a question: wouldn't it have made more sense for Kolrami to have followed the battle from a neutral ship? It would also make sense to have another starship around to see that interference didn't happen and warn other ships in the area that a training exercise was taking place.

The challenge for Riker is as much about getting his ship together as actually fighting the battle, which leads me to wonder if this was all a ploy. Starfleet really want Riker to be captain and he keeps turning them down, so maybe this whole exercise was designed to invoke his pride and give him a taste of captaincy so that he'd accept next time they asked? It's a theory. Relations with the Ferengi seemed to be, if not cordial, certainly non-combative, but it appears there is no actual peace treaty between them and the Federation by their actions here, as they are free to swoop in and attack at any opportunity.

Their method of intervention was rather pitiful, I suppose in continuation of their previous erratic behaviour, but to warp in, firing, then stop dead right next to your enemy and wait for them to speak was the kind of example Kolrami should have been denigrating! Craziness! I didn't buy their interest in the old ship either. Daimon Bok may have searched out the same type but that was for an unprofitable personal vendetta against Picard. Once again the Ferengi aren't used in the best way. They've changed quite a lot from previous appearances now, having lost all signs of their jittery, ape-like crouching and waving arms. This time they had a menace to them that might have worked had it been adhered to from their first episode. We can thank Armin Shimerman for any positive Ferengi attributes and it's telling that even before his regular role as ambassador of the species in Trekdom he did what he could to redeem the species. I didn't remember the Ferengi were in this until I saw Shimerman's name in the opening credits which gave the game away.

There are other confused parts of the whole - Burke, the guy standing in for Worf is set up as someone who might be important, but apart from popping up all over the place (one minute he's on the bridge, the next he's escorting Wesley, then he's in Ten Forward watching Data and Kolrami's match!), he isn't important at all though he seems good mates with Data - after the Android wins by default he grabs him by the shoulders in praise of it.

Although the re-use of the Stargazer showed their lack of funds at this stage of the season it was good to see a different bridge to the one we see every week and fun to have Riker's fantasy crew (Mr. Worf as first officer was especially good value). We knew that he'd pull through though and we knew Data would get over his 'sulk' so the episode is a bit of a slow grind. I'm left with the thought that Pulaski has been seriously underused for a new character and has sort of blended into the background much like, but not as bad, Dr. Crusher did in Season One.

**

The Emissary

DVD, TNG S2 (The Emissary)

Having watched the 'Voyager' episode 'Prophecy' only recently I see it 'borrowed' quite a lot in its premise from this one. Strange then, that that should be a slightly better experience. It comes down to pacing and this series' predilection for taking its time over things. At first the teaser scene appears to be a fun, but pointless opening, and only at the end do we understand the importance of Worf's poker face, and that was an example of the episode working well. Unfortunately too many scenes don't have a twin that will later expose their necessity, and much of the first half is little more than an attempt to build anticipation for something that whimpers rather than bangs.

An argument could be made for Worf's personal experiences taking precedence, and so leaving any other denouement unimportant, but though his scenes with K'Ehleyr bring to the fore Klingon traditions and idiosyncracies, they don't lead anywhere very interesting, at least not at this stage of the series. If it were not for later events you would almost say this episode wasn't worth watching. Introducing a Klingon female onto the ship was a worthwhile plot to explore, and adding the subtlety of a connection with Worf and the half human, half Klingon angle was bold. The status of the episode isn't increased because of these things however, because we've seen so many strong Klingon episodes that were much more exciting than this, and B'Elanna Torres clearly explored every avenue of being a half-breed with a foot in two cultures (even forgetting Spock, Odo and assorted others!), so eclipsing the episode's USP.

The story isn't completely without merit, and marks the first proper female Klingon role on the series. The Holodeck fight sequence is surprisingly brutal for the time, but nonetheless enjoyable, and the fairly chaste references to mating don't bring down the tone of the episode, and indeed show Klingons to be more committed than humans. Once again, as with 'Prophecy' I was left with the hollow feeling that a ship full of Klingons from another era, back when the Federation was at war with them, should have provided the excuse for the series to go into full throttle. We've seen Klingons used intelligently in a contemplative, but also belligerent mode already in the series with Season One's 'Heart of Glory', so a quiet clash of cultures wasn't going to set the screen alight. On a side note, K'Ehleyr states Worf doesn't like people with a sense of humour. He responds grimly that he did not say that. His side of it would be proved very true in his interactions with Jadzia on DS9, who possessed the most flippant and playful sense of humour in all Trek!

**

The Fifth Race

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S2 (The Fifth Race)

It's difficult to appreciate the magnitude of much that happens in this one since it potentially changes quite a lot and introduces more of the familiar pieces that would make up the series as it progressed. To begin with there are some nice references to 'The Torment of Tantalus', with the knowledge found on Ernest's world and that Daniel had to abandon, finally rediscovered. So good job he didn't sacrifice all to stay behind! As O'Neill takes on the database of the ancients (I remember the wall devices that grab your head) there's a bit of comedy gold, but it soon turns into a bit of a plodder. Not to say the revelations aren't interesting, they are, but it's getting there that seems to take a long time. I actually wondered if this was a special, longer episode which doesn't say much for the pace of the story.

The main thing is that they discover how to unlock gates outside the Goa'uld system which could lead to further developments (and I assume is what led to the spinoff TV series'). Or do they? The Asgaard representatives note that humanity isn't ready for the level of information Jack unlocked, so I'm not sure if that means the 8th chevron will be coming into play or not. I guess if it did it would just mean non-human worlds since they would be places the Goa'uld hadn't been to and taken their human slaves. In a way it's a little sad that so many questions have been answered as I love the fact that in the first season they're flying blind, stumbling round the galaxy without a proper inkling of what it means, and now we discover that humans may be the 'fifth race' that the good old aliens will want to join them as guardians of the galaxy eventually.

Of course more information is better than none and it puts things on Earth in perspective, with governments and wars, while this incredible gateway to untold knowledge is kept secretly guarded. I suppose it was clever to tie the typical grey aliens into 'real' life where people think they've been abducted, etc (even if it is craziness), and I'm sure people thought it was wonderful that these aliens are here to rescue us from ourselves, etc (even if it is craziness), but I always felt they looked rather awkward and immobile, much too puppet-like. Sure, the translucent skin and glassy eyes were nice, but they couldn't be real enough compared with a human prosthetic. Then again, they mention the Nox (sweetly ironic that they turn out to be one of the four important races!), who looked a bit silly too. I'm not sure what the Furlings are, the other race mentioned with the Nox, Asgaard and ancients, but they bring to mind Ewoks!

The new, expanded effect of the wormhole journey brought back memories, and I had the impression of seeing this episode before. I recognised many parts of it such as the ancients head device and someone meeting a whole collection of Asgaard, but I'm not sure if those memories come from this or other episodes (I'm sure it was Daniel who got his head stuck in a head grabber for example). Regardless, it leaves the series wide open, which it must have been designed to do, answers a few questions (except 'where is the guy with glasses who used to operate the gate computer?'!), and encourages further viewing, even if it's not that good an episode in and of itself.

**