DVD, Stargate SG-1 S5 (Ascension)
I thought this might be the one where Daniel Jackson leaves the series because of the episode title, although I wasn't ready for it to happen so early in the season and was glad to discover it wasn't about that at all. It was actually a pleasant Carter episode that's very quiet, but has some little moments of note and a return to stories set on the base or in their homes, one of those strands the series sometimes uses, while also doing the alien planet thing. They really love their alien pillars on this series and the weapon that was so central to the story looked suspiciously similar to other alien devices we've seen before, such as the one where which mesmerised them with light which made them stand around inside the dome for hours not realising how much time had passed. It may not have been seen before, but on a television budget it's often necessary for props and sets to be reused in that way.
The story isn't very exciting and it's not particularly clever, but at least it gives us some time with Sam, seeing into her civilian life a little as they've done with some of the other main characters. Not that we learn much about her, it's purely a visual tour of her house, and I was expecting O'Neill to come up with his offer of a fishing trip again when she admitted she had nothing to do, so that didn't quite ring true, especially as Jack had been sent on leave too. There was something else that didn't make a lot of sense, and that was the disbelief of Sam's colleagues. It's not until the Pentagon gets involved and bugs her house that anyone believes her story of an alien that followed her through the Stargate. How many times has this kind of thing happened, that one person experiences something which the others don't, but for the benefit of creating some tension or making the character solve their problem alone, the others simply don't believe it? It doesn't make any sense. I understand that Jack was headed to the loo, but it was still a bit hard to accept that he'd act that way. I did buy Dr. Fraiser's explanation of why Sam blacked out, because she references several events that Sam's brain has been through and I agree, it would take a toll. Maybe they should have played with that a bit more, but I suppose mental health wasn't the kind of issue covered by this series generally.
As much as I was intrigued by the scenes with Orlan (and I felt the initial strangeness of the alien swooping about as a disembodied POV was well done and created a bit of atmosphere), I didn't really see where it could go, so when he eventually died and then sacrificed himself to save Sam it wasn't as affecting as it could have been. It felt very much like a one-shot alien of the week that needed to be dealt with. Sam was never going to live with this alien guy hanging around her house even if he did turn himself human, although perhaps they should have tried something like that for a few episodes. It would have been much more sensible for him to ask her first before committing to human form. There are some magical moments with a sensitively performed score as he tells her about himself, and there's a touch of humour at other times in the way he talks or stands (or the way Carter walks round her house eyeing up the security cameras that are watching her), but there was no future in him being there.
He was likeable enough and I appreciated that he was of the same race as the Mother Nature creature (I can't remember her name!), which gives us a little more detail on them, and it was very cool to have a mini Stargate in your basement - mind you she's got such a huge basement it would be pretty cool to just have the basement! But how did he make the 'gate? How did he make the emerald? Through alien 'magic' we're supposed to assume, I suppose. It's a bit farfetched and they try and get away with it by having him say it will only work once, but even so, if the Pentagon had the list of ingredients as they did they might be able to recreate one of their own. They also get around explaining it too much by saying he 'mostly' used Earth materials so there must have been a vital component that only he had access too.
The big thing of the episode is Q's first appearance, or Pentagon Man, whatever his name was: John De Lancie, joining the roster of former Trek actors to show up and cementing the idea that 'old Trek actors never die, they just appear on 'Stargate.'' He seems to be set up as the next Mayborn, a troublemaker who puts his department's desires above any SGC qualms. I remembered him being in the series (mainly for his last appearance), but I didn't recall much of this episode. I think the only bit that jumped out at me was when Jack and Teal'c show up at Carter's place with pizza and a video of 'Star Wars' - yes, we were still using videos in those days, can you believe it? It wasn't until about 2002 that videos began to be phased out and DVDs began to come down from their lofty £19.99 price tag. It's great fun to imagine Teal'c watching 'Star Wars' (nine times!), and is a really crazy universe thing where they're in a sci-fi series talking about how Jack doesn't like sci-fi!
As much fun as it is, and as crisp and beautifully as it's shot, it didn't quite do it for me. They were going for a bit of romance I suppose, which didn't really work, and at the same time the story of an alien popping up on Earth to experience humanity for a bit is hardly the most inventive idea. It didn't go anywhere different and so even though it's a comfortable episode to watch, it doesn't go beyond that to get somewhere interesting or exciting, unlike the Teal'c episode that preceded this.
**
Monday, 13 February 2012
Regeneration
DVD, Enterprise S2 (Regeneration)
Doing the Borg is as essential a component of any Trek series as the Klingons, Vulcans and Romulans, but I doubt many people thought 'Enterprise' would bother. For a start the fearsome cybernetic race never appeared in Kirk's time, and for good reason - they hadn't been invented then. It's possible to forget they were an early creation of 'TNG' thanks to their ubiquity in subsequent Trek lore. Another thing against the likelihood was the series tended to be more concerned with creating its own races such as the Suliban or any minor aliens of the week and they'd only dipped into the vast well of Trek potential that, for a prequel series might be surprising. Still, they'd shown they were serious about dealing with familiar races when they wanted to, with the Klingons and Vulcans getting plenty of attention and even the hard-to-justify Romulans making an entrance this season so perhaps the Borg weren't as farfetched a topic to be explored as on first appearances.
Many people, myself included, felt the Borg were defanged through their multiple defeats at the hands of Voyager and the redoubtable Captain Janeway, but unlike some I always wanted them to return, if only a way could be made to return them to their rightful place as an unstoppable force. It seemed we'd never see the Borg again after their ignominious exit at the end of 'Voyager,' but falling ratings influenced 'Enterprise' to bring them out of the bag almost in a last resort kind of way. That could have been a recipe for disaster as claims were thrown around that they'd run out of ideas and were wheeling out the Borg as they did with 'Voyager' to stir up some interest. That was true, but regardless of what side people took, it certainly stirred up interest, and for someone like me who was already avidly following the series, I became very excited at the prospect of Archer and his crew facing arguably the deadliest enemy of all Trek.
Anyone that felt it was wrong to use the Borg is missing the point. It doesn't matter what elements you choose as long as you do it well - another case for 'Star Trek XI.' As much as I hated some of what they did in that it was still an enjoyable experience and kind of legitimised itself because of that. 'Regeneration' did the same thing, creating the tense mood that was often lacking from the series, particularly in Season 2. It works on every level, whether that be to please lovers of continuity, those who just want an exciting 'Enterprise' story, or those that love the Borg.
It begins with the title. By choosing one that spoke of the Borg, but was also a deft nod to the original title of the film 'Star Trek: First Contact,' the film which is the single biggest influence on the series, they showed they were taking what they were doing seriously. They weren't just going to chuck the Borg in flippantly, they meant business. And what business! This is my favourite episode of the season, it's a standout and one of the few 'Enterprise' episodes I can truly call a classic. I love the teaser in the Arctic Circle, and that it's quite a few minutes into the episode before we even see the NX-01 and the main characters, it's all played out by research scientists that don't know what they've discovered. The audience is shouting "watch out behind you" and it has that tension of a horror film where you know something is going to happen, it's the inevitability of it. And the way these Borg build up their forces from a single reactivated drone, to the scientists, to a ship of innocent Tarkaleans and then on with a threat to the Enterprise, shows expertly that these are the Borg as they once were: an implacable foe that cannot be stopped.
The defanging happened as early as 'TNG' when they introduced Hugh and the idea Borg could be rescued and returned to individuality. And later when Lore had his group of Borg. It wasn't until 'Voyager' first brought them back in Season 3 that we saw them as a deadly threat again and then they became over-used. In this, the 24th Century Borg were facing 22nd Century minds and weapons, and rather than saying this is ridiculous and questioning how Archer and his inferior ship could beat something that 24th Century technology barely coped with, it justifies their success: they use different methods, they don't rely on the age-old rotating phaser frequencies, they're using inferior weapons that the Borg have to learn to adapt to again, or hand to hand combat when Archer and Reed go two against one in a fight with a drone. Obviously this wouldn't have worked if there had been more than one, but it shows they were doing different things to what the Borg were used to from humanity. It also helped that there was a severe shortage of Borg - this wasn't a cube with thousands aboard, the most they had were twenty-nine, I think.
Captain Archer seemed to instinctively realise that he couldn't deal with these beings the same as others, which is why he reluctantly blows the hatch to get rid of the Tarkalean two as they try to sabotage the ship from inside. Even then he hopes to rescue the humans and Tarkaleans still aboard the enemy vessel, but his adventure with Reed soon changes his mind. The people are gone, and the paranoia about the point at which they are no longer human is well played out through Dr. Phlox who gets infected by nano-probes. There's time for a nice little scene when Hoshi visits him to try and cheer his spirits that reminds us of their friendship, but most of the episode is a steady heartbeat that increases the closer danger comes. There's a unique situation in that the Borg are attempting to return home and possibly resume their mission from 'First Contact' by alerting the Borg of the 22nd Century about Earth, retreating rather than attacking. It may seem odd that they don't simply try to assimilate Earth instead of heading home, but you have to remember that they've just lost their Queen from their perspective and aren't connected to the hive mind so it's likely their programming reverts to returning home or to get back in touch with the others.
It makes for a thrilling series of meetings that the Borg generally get the upper hand in and really shows how terrifying they can be. They are assisted in this by some excellent direction from David Livingston and the music which is more pacy and menacing than usual. According to the commentary by the episode writers it was scored by Brian Tyler who apparently didn't do many score that season. If this was anything to go by I'd get him in every other week! The shots where the camera rolls down a corridor at approaching Borg suggests their nature is intent on one purpose, they cannot be halted. The claustrophobic nature of many of the shots when they're tracking the Tarkaleans also heightens the feeling of danger, especially in the Jefferies tubes (are they called that yet, I'm not sure?), although it's a bit easier to run away when you only have to bend double instead of crawling on hands and knees! There's noticeably less gore than their other recent appearances - in 'Voyager' I always think of heads on spikes which the Queen has in chamber. I don't know if they meant to scale back, but it could be to do with suggestion being more powerful than seeing something. During the episode I thought it might have been better if one or two Enterprise crewmen were assimilated horribly before our eyes, but looking back I realise having Phlox be the only 'infected' person worked perfectly (adding danger hovering in sickbay that he could succumb at any moment), and gave him the chance to reveal the chilling fact that the cybernetic creatures were able to get off a message of the coordinates of Earth. It will take about two hundred years to get there, the 24th Century…
Did Q know about this? Is that why he threw the Enterprise-D into the path of the Borg? Not only to teach them a lesson, but to warn them of the inevitable? It's absolutely superb the way they tidy up a lot of continuity with this story and exactly the kind of thing the series should have done much more of. To recap: there were records or rumours about the Borg even before Picard and his crew first met them leading Annika Hansen (Seven of Nine)'s parents to go off and research them. Now we know what information they might have been inspired by. But even Archer has some heads up about the race thanks to a speech given by Zefram Cochrane telling about the real events of first contact with the Vulcans, though as T'Pol neatly points out, he was frequently accused of telling tall tales and being a drinker so why should people take what he said seriously?
Amid the adventure, excitement and danger there's still a little room for references to other things. Phlox mentions meeting the Bynars who have similar cybernetic implants, a clever, but true observation that I don't believe had ever been pointed out onscreen until this point. It's also the first time we ever see the Tarkaleans, famous for their Tarkalean tea on 'DS9,' a regular beverage on the series. They aren't incredibly memorable, but they're better than the Idanians of that series, another race that had been known for their food or drink and popped up in an episode. I like that they did that, as it adds to the universe instead of simply making up another alien of the week and is another example of the care they took.
I think the episode stands out as working so well because it uses every cast member. Although Travis is still underused he does share a look with Hoshi and everyone else has essential parts to play. Actually he does too as he's flying the ship, but that tends to get taken for granted. The CG is generally very good with the arctic base looking nice, a strong contrast to space with its snowy whiteness, although if you look too closely the tiny people running towards the hut don't move naturally, though this is a small nitpick, as is the unreality of the snow - it really behaves more like cotton wool, but you can't have everything! The explosion of the Borg ship at the end also doesn't look quite solid enough, but it's fine and certainly isn't enough to detract from such a great episode.
There is added interest in the casting as we get the return of Admiral Forrest, Commander William returns from the pilot (who I think was originally named as a tribute for William Shatner), and John Billingsley's wife, Bonita Friedericy is one of the scientists, though sadly she doesn't share any scenes with Phlox! And finally, the Borg do pretty much everything we want them to, even down to saying their catchphrase 'properly' again. If you're wondering what I mean listen to the way the Borg said "Resistance is futile" in their later appearances. It becomes "Resistance is few-tal" which doesn't have the same menace as "Resistance is few-tyal," so I'm glad they brought that back! It was probably because Patrick Stewart got the ball rolling in his English accent, and maybe they didn't mind a more American style later on. The point is that not only does this do the little things correctly, it does the big things too and everything went so right. For the naysayers out there the antidote is to watch the episode and bask in its Borg blockbusting. The best episode in a long time.
****
Doing the Borg is as essential a component of any Trek series as the Klingons, Vulcans and Romulans, but I doubt many people thought 'Enterprise' would bother. For a start the fearsome cybernetic race never appeared in Kirk's time, and for good reason - they hadn't been invented then. It's possible to forget they were an early creation of 'TNG' thanks to their ubiquity in subsequent Trek lore. Another thing against the likelihood was the series tended to be more concerned with creating its own races such as the Suliban or any minor aliens of the week and they'd only dipped into the vast well of Trek potential that, for a prequel series might be surprising. Still, they'd shown they were serious about dealing with familiar races when they wanted to, with the Klingons and Vulcans getting plenty of attention and even the hard-to-justify Romulans making an entrance this season so perhaps the Borg weren't as farfetched a topic to be explored as on first appearances.
Many people, myself included, felt the Borg were defanged through their multiple defeats at the hands of Voyager and the redoubtable Captain Janeway, but unlike some I always wanted them to return, if only a way could be made to return them to their rightful place as an unstoppable force. It seemed we'd never see the Borg again after their ignominious exit at the end of 'Voyager,' but falling ratings influenced 'Enterprise' to bring them out of the bag almost in a last resort kind of way. That could have been a recipe for disaster as claims were thrown around that they'd run out of ideas and were wheeling out the Borg as they did with 'Voyager' to stir up some interest. That was true, but regardless of what side people took, it certainly stirred up interest, and for someone like me who was already avidly following the series, I became very excited at the prospect of Archer and his crew facing arguably the deadliest enemy of all Trek.
Anyone that felt it was wrong to use the Borg is missing the point. It doesn't matter what elements you choose as long as you do it well - another case for 'Star Trek XI.' As much as I hated some of what they did in that it was still an enjoyable experience and kind of legitimised itself because of that. 'Regeneration' did the same thing, creating the tense mood that was often lacking from the series, particularly in Season 2. It works on every level, whether that be to please lovers of continuity, those who just want an exciting 'Enterprise' story, or those that love the Borg.
It begins with the title. By choosing one that spoke of the Borg, but was also a deft nod to the original title of the film 'Star Trek: First Contact,' the film which is the single biggest influence on the series, they showed they were taking what they were doing seriously. They weren't just going to chuck the Borg in flippantly, they meant business. And what business! This is my favourite episode of the season, it's a standout and one of the few 'Enterprise' episodes I can truly call a classic. I love the teaser in the Arctic Circle, and that it's quite a few minutes into the episode before we even see the NX-01 and the main characters, it's all played out by research scientists that don't know what they've discovered. The audience is shouting "watch out behind you" and it has that tension of a horror film where you know something is going to happen, it's the inevitability of it. And the way these Borg build up their forces from a single reactivated drone, to the scientists, to a ship of innocent Tarkaleans and then on with a threat to the Enterprise, shows expertly that these are the Borg as they once were: an implacable foe that cannot be stopped.
The defanging happened as early as 'TNG' when they introduced Hugh and the idea Borg could be rescued and returned to individuality. And later when Lore had his group of Borg. It wasn't until 'Voyager' first brought them back in Season 3 that we saw them as a deadly threat again and then they became over-used. In this, the 24th Century Borg were facing 22nd Century minds and weapons, and rather than saying this is ridiculous and questioning how Archer and his inferior ship could beat something that 24th Century technology barely coped with, it justifies their success: they use different methods, they don't rely on the age-old rotating phaser frequencies, they're using inferior weapons that the Borg have to learn to adapt to again, or hand to hand combat when Archer and Reed go two against one in a fight with a drone. Obviously this wouldn't have worked if there had been more than one, but it shows they were doing different things to what the Borg were used to from humanity. It also helped that there was a severe shortage of Borg - this wasn't a cube with thousands aboard, the most they had were twenty-nine, I think.
Captain Archer seemed to instinctively realise that he couldn't deal with these beings the same as others, which is why he reluctantly blows the hatch to get rid of the Tarkalean two as they try to sabotage the ship from inside. Even then he hopes to rescue the humans and Tarkaleans still aboard the enemy vessel, but his adventure with Reed soon changes his mind. The people are gone, and the paranoia about the point at which they are no longer human is well played out through Dr. Phlox who gets infected by nano-probes. There's time for a nice little scene when Hoshi visits him to try and cheer his spirits that reminds us of their friendship, but most of the episode is a steady heartbeat that increases the closer danger comes. There's a unique situation in that the Borg are attempting to return home and possibly resume their mission from 'First Contact' by alerting the Borg of the 22nd Century about Earth, retreating rather than attacking. It may seem odd that they don't simply try to assimilate Earth instead of heading home, but you have to remember that they've just lost their Queen from their perspective and aren't connected to the hive mind so it's likely their programming reverts to returning home or to get back in touch with the others.
It makes for a thrilling series of meetings that the Borg generally get the upper hand in and really shows how terrifying they can be. They are assisted in this by some excellent direction from David Livingston and the music which is more pacy and menacing than usual. According to the commentary by the episode writers it was scored by Brian Tyler who apparently didn't do many score that season. If this was anything to go by I'd get him in every other week! The shots where the camera rolls down a corridor at approaching Borg suggests their nature is intent on one purpose, they cannot be halted. The claustrophobic nature of many of the shots when they're tracking the Tarkaleans also heightens the feeling of danger, especially in the Jefferies tubes (are they called that yet, I'm not sure?), although it's a bit easier to run away when you only have to bend double instead of crawling on hands and knees! There's noticeably less gore than their other recent appearances - in 'Voyager' I always think of heads on spikes which the Queen has in chamber. I don't know if they meant to scale back, but it could be to do with suggestion being more powerful than seeing something. During the episode I thought it might have been better if one or two Enterprise crewmen were assimilated horribly before our eyes, but looking back I realise having Phlox be the only 'infected' person worked perfectly (adding danger hovering in sickbay that he could succumb at any moment), and gave him the chance to reveal the chilling fact that the cybernetic creatures were able to get off a message of the coordinates of Earth. It will take about two hundred years to get there, the 24th Century…
Did Q know about this? Is that why he threw the Enterprise-D into the path of the Borg? Not only to teach them a lesson, but to warn them of the inevitable? It's absolutely superb the way they tidy up a lot of continuity with this story and exactly the kind of thing the series should have done much more of. To recap: there were records or rumours about the Borg even before Picard and his crew first met them leading Annika Hansen (Seven of Nine)'s parents to go off and research them. Now we know what information they might have been inspired by. But even Archer has some heads up about the race thanks to a speech given by Zefram Cochrane telling about the real events of first contact with the Vulcans, though as T'Pol neatly points out, he was frequently accused of telling tall tales and being a drinker so why should people take what he said seriously?
Amid the adventure, excitement and danger there's still a little room for references to other things. Phlox mentions meeting the Bynars who have similar cybernetic implants, a clever, but true observation that I don't believe had ever been pointed out onscreen until this point. It's also the first time we ever see the Tarkaleans, famous for their Tarkalean tea on 'DS9,' a regular beverage on the series. They aren't incredibly memorable, but they're better than the Idanians of that series, another race that had been known for their food or drink and popped up in an episode. I like that they did that, as it adds to the universe instead of simply making up another alien of the week and is another example of the care they took.
I think the episode stands out as working so well because it uses every cast member. Although Travis is still underused he does share a look with Hoshi and everyone else has essential parts to play. Actually he does too as he's flying the ship, but that tends to get taken for granted. The CG is generally very good with the arctic base looking nice, a strong contrast to space with its snowy whiteness, although if you look too closely the tiny people running towards the hut don't move naturally, though this is a small nitpick, as is the unreality of the snow - it really behaves more like cotton wool, but you can't have everything! The explosion of the Borg ship at the end also doesn't look quite solid enough, but it's fine and certainly isn't enough to detract from such a great episode.
There is added interest in the casting as we get the return of Admiral Forrest, Commander William returns from the pilot (who I think was originally named as a tribute for William Shatner), and John Billingsley's wife, Bonita Friedericy is one of the scientists, though sadly she doesn't share any scenes with Phlox! And finally, the Borg do pretty much everything we want them to, even down to saying their catchphrase 'properly' again. If you're wondering what I mean listen to the way the Borg said "Resistance is futile" in their later appearances. It becomes "Resistance is few-tal" which doesn't have the same menace as "Resistance is few-tyal," so I'm glad they brought that back! It was probably because Patrick Stewart got the ball rolling in his English accent, and maybe they didn't mind a more American style later on. The point is that not only does this do the little things correctly, it does the big things too and everything went so right. For the naysayers out there the antidote is to watch the episode and bask in its Borg blockbusting. The best episode in a long time.
****
Threshold
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S5 (Threshold)
This is just the kind of thing I was hoping for! All that was wrong or weak with the season opener is put right with this battle for the heart and mind of Teal'c. It's a credit to Christopher Judge that his performance in the teaser, a Teal'c still under the dominion of Apophis, but pretending to renounce him, is both sinister, yet only a little off of his usual character. I didn't trust him for more than a couple of seconds, but I must admit that for a moment I really believed they were going to sweep this under the carpet as a mental aberration. Then I thought maybe they were going to play it out over the course of the episode, or several episodes, with Teal'c really being what he had professed to be: a double agent. Perhaps he'd compromise a mission or something like that, but no it was resolved in the course of the episode as I had feared at the end of the preceding story, but in a good way and one worthy of an entire episode.
This could have been a disaster. When I realised it was going to be the SG-1 team sitting by their afflicted friend's bedside and trying to convince him to remember his time with them I thought they might go down the clips show route. It didn't make much sense this early in the season, but maybe they were going to save money and work out the problem in one go. I'm so glad it went a completely different way, though technically it is the episode with the most clips of previous episodes ever: a montage of Teal'c's roles that flash past in seconds near the end - I like the way they even included the hippie Teal'c from '1969'! No, this became an opportunity for some glorious retconning and a clever segue into the first episode, which always impresses me. It's something that pretty much all sci-fi series' do in some way, going back to the start, and it's always a pleasure. I suppose it's the sign of a middle-aged series, maybe even one coming to an end, though that wasn't true by a long chalk in this case.
You can almost guarantee that when Master Bre'tak shows up you're in for a good one, and this was no exception to the rule. Tony Amendola steals the scenes and I don't think we've ever seen him at the base so much (if at all, I forget), so his medieval presence, sweeping fur robes and etched armour amid our present day technology makes him stand out far more than his advanced age (137!), and Shakespearean way of talking. Only he knows for sure that Teal'c is fooling them over his true beliefs, and only he knows of a way to wrestle his former apprentice back to the truth. That's what the episode is about, it has a strong core about the fight between choosing good and evil, a choice that we all must make. It's also about the conflict certain characters find themselves in, most notably Dr. Fraiser who must stand by and allow Teal'c to suffer even to the point of death, totally against her ethical and medical code.
Even with such a serious subject the double-act of Jack and Daniel make for some funny moments: "Did he just call me a woman?" "Yes, I believe he did." But it's in the way the flashbacks or memories are segued into that really impresses, as Teal'c's mind returns to his past and the evidence that slowly changed his mind from worshipping Apophis to realising he was a false god. From his struggles with Apophis (we can seemingly never escape the guy - he supposedly died last episode and right away he's back!), right from the start when he first meets him, standing by his assertion that his Father was not at fault when he was killed, to the internal conflict over his treatment of his friend Velar, saving his life and then eventually killing him to prevent his guilt from becoming known - Apophis proves he isn't a god by not being all-knowing as Teal'c spares Velar's life after failing a battle against Ra's forces (oh, all this backstory and referencing past continuity is great!), and yet isn't punished. Even so, his own fear gets the better of him, and helped by his wife's dedication to the status quo and the approaching birth of his son, he continues to rise up the ranks.
Not only is the story well written and a fascinating insight into Teal'c, but it also answers questions about why he finally turned to the SG-1 team and what led to that decision. I don't think we knew that Bre'tak had been the First Prime of Apophis before Teal'c, but even if we did, we see it for the first time. The explanation of how two such intelligent and defiant spirits as he and his pupil could continue believing in Apophis is perfectly thought out - they didn't really believe any more, but accepted his control as the only way to have the best life for themselves and to save their fellow Jafar where possible. It's also beautifully shot, whether in the dark barracks of the soldiers, the dark bedchamber of Teal'c and his wife, or the snowy hilltops, the production value is practically filmic! All the characters have some nice little moments, but this is Teal'c story, literally, and I bet people were thrilled that the series had lasted long enough that they could do stories like this. The ending is moving, if inevitable, but if the season can produce more like this it could be the best season so far.
***
This is just the kind of thing I was hoping for! All that was wrong or weak with the season opener is put right with this battle for the heart and mind of Teal'c. It's a credit to Christopher Judge that his performance in the teaser, a Teal'c still under the dominion of Apophis, but pretending to renounce him, is both sinister, yet only a little off of his usual character. I didn't trust him for more than a couple of seconds, but I must admit that for a moment I really believed they were going to sweep this under the carpet as a mental aberration. Then I thought maybe they were going to play it out over the course of the episode, or several episodes, with Teal'c really being what he had professed to be: a double agent. Perhaps he'd compromise a mission or something like that, but no it was resolved in the course of the episode as I had feared at the end of the preceding story, but in a good way and one worthy of an entire episode.
This could have been a disaster. When I realised it was going to be the SG-1 team sitting by their afflicted friend's bedside and trying to convince him to remember his time with them I thought they might go down the clips show route. It didn't make much sense this early in the season, but maybe they were going to save money and work out the problem in one go. I'm so glad it went a completely different way, though technically it is the episode with the most clips of previous episodes ever: a montage of Teal'c's roles that flash past in seconds near the end - I like the way they even included the hippie Teal'c from '1969'! No, this became an opportunity for some glorious retconning and a clever segue into the first episode, which always impresses me. It's something that pretty much all sci-fi series' do in some way, going back to the start, and it's always a pleasure. I suppose it's the sign of a middle-aged series, maybe even one coming to an end, though that wasn't true by a long chalk in this case.
You can almost guarantee that when Master Bre'tak shows up you're in for a good one, and this was no exception to the rule. Tony Amendola steals the scenes and I don't think we've ever seen him at the base so much (if at all, I forget), so his medieval presence, sweeping fur robes and etched armour amid our present day technology makes him stand out far more than his advanced age (137!), and Shakespearean way of talking. Only he knows for sure that Teal'c is fooling them over his true beliefs, and only he knows of a way to wrestle his former apprentice back to the truth. That's what the episode is about, it has a strong core about the fight between choosing good and evil, a choice that we all must make. It's also about the conflict certain characters find themselves in, most notably Dr. Fraiser who must stand by and allow Teal'c to suffer even to the point of death, totally against her ethical and medical code.
Even with such a serious subject the double-act of Jack and Daniel make for some funny moments: "Did he just call me a woman?" "Yes, I believe he did." But it's in the way the flashbacks or memories are segued into that really impresses, as Teal'c's mind returns to his past and the evidence that slowly changed his mind from worshipping Apophis to realising he was a false god. From his struggles with Apophis (we can seemingly never escape the guy - he supposedly died last episode and right away he's back!), right from the start when he first meets him, standing by his assertion that his Father was not at fault when he was killed, to the internal conflict over his treatment of his friend Velar, saving his life and then eventually killing him to prevent his guilt from becoming known - Apophis proves he isn't a god by not being all-knowing as Teal'c spares Velar's life after failing a battle against Ra's forces (oh, all this backstory and referencing past continuity is great!), and yet isn't punished. Even so, his own fear gets the better of him, and helped by his wife's dedication to the status quo and the approaching birth of his son, he continues to rise up the ranks.
Not only is the story well written and a fascinating insight into Teal'c, but it also answers questions about why he finally turned to the SG-1 team and what led to that decision. I don't think we knew that Bre'tak had been the First Prime of Apophis before Teal'c, but even if we did, we see it for the first time. The explanation of how two such intelligent and defiant spirits as he and his pupil could continue believing in Apophis is perfectly thought out - they didn't really believe any more, but accepted his control as the only way to have the best life for themselves and to save their fellow Jafar where possible. It's also beautifully shot, whether in the dark barracks of the soldiers, the dark bedchamber of Teal'c and his wife, or the snowy hilltops, the production value is practically filmic! All the characters have some nice little moments, but this is Teal'c story, literally, and I bet people were thrilled that the series had lasted long enough that they could do stories like this. The ending is moving, if inevitable, but if the season can produce more like this it could be the best season so far.
***
Enemies
DVD, Stargate SG-1 S5 (Enemies)
Personally, I wouldn't have started the season opener so slowly as they do in this season. I was glad of the recap as I'd forgotten exactly how Season 4 ended even though it wasn't that long ago that I watched it. It may have been the logical way for the cliffhanger to be resolved, but I just felt they needed to get on and do something instead of huddling round the ship's control console talking about stuff. I also didn't feel the situation was used to its full potential: they've been knocked into an unknown part of space, another galaxy in fact, and it's going to take them centuries to get home even at maximum speed, yet by the end they've been whisked back to a familiar landmark (Sokar's planet), and the feeling of isolation and completely being at the mercy of the unknown that seemed to be the promise of the episode degenerates into a bug-blasting exercise and one that is rarely surprising.
I was surprised that Teal'c really had been brainwashed into becoming Apophis' First Prime again and waited for him to reveal his double-bluff and apologise for punching Jack on the nose, so I'll give them that one. The CGI Replicators still look like they're actually there which is great. Pretty much everything else was by the numbers sci-fi adventure with very little of the necessary flair as if it was enough that the series was back. Maybe I'm being unfair and they had budgetary issues, but the same ship sets being run around didn't help present the scale they were trying to achieve. It's strange to think this was contemporary with 'Enterprise' as that was so much more exciting in its first year. Maybe it had more money to throw around and it is unfair to compare the first year of one series to the fifth of another, but the distance between the two is immense. I've come to expect an underwhelming beginning or ending to a 'Stargate' season and usually there are more interesting episodes once they've got back into the rhythm of it, so I wasn't really surprised that my engagement by the episode was low.
There were things I enjoyed about it, and although I say it degenerated into bug-blasting, I've got nothing against that part of the story, I just meant it didn't go anywhere. Apophis showing up could have been interesting as he has them at his mercy, and I was intrigued by this mystery ship that comes in and attacks him giving SG-1 the chance to escape. At first it seemed like it might go in an interesting direction - the thought of this little Goa'uld cargo ship alone in a new galaxy trying to survive from week to week, appealed to me. I wouldn't have expected it to last more than a few episodes, but I was hoping they'd have to live off their skills, scavenging and living off the 'land' as it were, of that region, never knowing what aliens might be around the next corner. But it didn't go like that and I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything less than the resolution of the situation by end of episode.
Another moment that began to capture my imagination was when they return to Apophis' ship to see how the battle went and find it eerily empty of life signs. I was looking forward to a series of scenes where they creep around the deserted hulk and uncover the answer to its emptiness, but that too was soon scuppered by the quick reintroduction of everyone's 'favourite' alien race, the Borg. Sorry, the Replicators! I don't hate them, and actually the scenes where the team let rip as they have to escape the buggy hoard are some of the best moments of the episode, with O'Neill dramatically sliding into the Ring Transporter (the visual effects of which look fantastic and are easily overlooked), as he shoots, and later when he, Carter and Daniel have to methodically cover each other as they retreat to Jacob's escape ship. Exciting stuff in an episode which is mainly exposition.
I love the characters, but I didn't feel the sense that they'd really accepted the death of Teal'c from last season, so when he returned they weren't that shocked. It seemed like the banter and the interaction was all running at half speed as if they needed to wind the dynamo a bit more before they really got going. I didn't remember when Apophis was written out of the series so I wouldn't be surprised if this was his last appearance, his personal forcefield smothered by Replicators as his ship burns up on impact. Then again, he's had so many 'last' appearances that he can never be discounted, but they did mention the political situation of the Goa'uld was turmoil and I certainly remember all those episodes where the various factions vie for control so perhaps we're getting to that period this season.
No doubt Teal'c's mind will be the subject of the next episode and it will all be resolved quickly, but wouldn't it be interesting if it was explored and used instead of being a way of bringing him back in to resolve last season's cliffhanger. My biggest problem with the episode is how easily they returned to 'home' space. The deus ex machina of the Replicators somehow being able to modify the engines of Apophis' ship to go hundreds of times faster than it could before was atrocious, real head in hands stuff. If they could make that one ship reach such speeds why aren't they spread all over our galaxy? Why haven't they sped in and devoured all? It was the same problem they had with the Borg on 'Star Trek' - how do you make an unstoppable enemy beatable, especially once you find out they can travel so fast they can zap to anywhere in seconds! If you're going to do the Replicators at least make them a real threat, don't destroy them easily as they did here. What I'm saying is that all similar sci-fi ideas have the same problems, and it's how you deal with these things that sets your series apart from the others. I hope 'Stargate' tries to set itself apart in a good way this season.
**
Personally, I wouldn't have started the season opener so slowly as they do in this season. I was glad of the recap as I'd forgotten exactly how Season 4 ended even though it wasn't that long ago that I watched it. It may have been the logical way for the cliffhanger to be resolved, but I just felt they needed to get on and do something instead of huddling round the ship's control console talking about stuff. I also didn't feel the situation was used to its full potential: they've been knocked into an unknown part of space, another galaxy in fact, and it's going to take them centuries to get home even at maximum speed, yet by the end they've been whisked back to a familiar landmark (Sokar's planet), and the feeling of isolation and completely being at the mercy of the unknown that seemed to be the promise of the episode degenerates into a bug-blasting exercise and one that is rarely surprising.
I was surprised that Teal'c really had been brainwashed into becoming Apophis' First Prime again and waited for him to reveal his double-bluff and apologise for punching Jack on the nose, so I'll give them that one. The CGI Replicators still look like they're actually there which is great. Pretty much everything else was by the numbers sci-fi adventure with very little of the necessary flair as if it was enough that the series was back. Maybe I'm being unfair and they had budgetary issues, but the same ship sets being run around didn't help present the scale they were trying to achieve. It's strange to think this was contemporary with 'Enterprise' as that was so much more exciting in its first year. Maybe it had more money to throw around and it is unfair to compare the first year of one series to the fifth of another, but the distance between the two is immense. I've come to expect an underwhelming beginning or ending to a 'Stargate' season and usually there are more interesting episodes once they've got back into the rhythm of it, so I wasn't really surprised that my engagement by the episode was low.
There were things I enjoyed about it, and although I say it degenerated into bug-blasting, I've got nothing against that part of the story, I just meant it didn't go anywhere. Apophis showing up could have been interesting as he has them at his mercy, and I was intrigued by this mystery ship that comes in and attacks him giving SG-1 the chance to escape. At first it seemed like it might go in an interesting direction - the thought of this little Goa'uld cargo ship alone in a new galaxy trying to survive from week to week, appealed to me. I wouldn't have expected it to last more than a few episodes, but I was hoping they'd have to live off their skills, scavenging and living off the 'land' as it were, of that region, never knowing what aliens might be around the next corner. But it didn't go like that and I suppose I shouldn't have expected anything less than the resolution of the situation by end of episode.
Another moment that began to capture my imagination was when they return to Apophis' ship to see how the battle went and find it eerily empty of life signs. I was looking forward to a series of scenes where they creep around the deserted hulk and uncover the answer to its emptiness, but that too was soon scuppered by the quick reintroduction of everyone's 'favourite' alien race, the Borg. Sorry, the Replicators! I don't hate them, and actually the scenes where the team let rip as they have to escape the buggy hoard are some of the best moments of the episode, with O'Neill dramatically sliding into the Ring Transporter (the visual effects of which look fantastic and are easily overlooked), as he shoots, and later when he, Carter and Daniel have to methodically cover each other as they retreat to Jacob's escape ship. Exciting stuff in an episode which is mainly exposition.
I love the characters, but I didn't feel the sense that they'd really accepted the death of Teal'c from last season, so when he returned they weren't that shocked. It seemed like the banter and the interaction was all running at half speed as if they needed to wind the dynamo a bit more before they really got going. I didn't remember when Apophis was written out of the series so I wouldn't be surprised if this was his last appearance, his personal forcefield smothered by Replicators as his ship burns up on impact. Then again, he's had so many 'last' appearances that he can never be discounted, but they did mention the political situation of the Goa'uld was turmoil and I certainly remember all those episodes where the various factions vie for control so perhaps we're getting to that period this season.
No doubt Teal'c's mind will be the subject of the next episode and it will all be resolved quickly, but wouldn't it be interesting if it was explored and used instead of being a way of bringing him back in to resolve last season's cliffhanger. My biggest problem with the episode is how easily they returned to 'home' space. The deus ex machina of the Replicators somehow being able to modify the engines of Apophis' ship to go hundreds of times faster than it could before was atrocious, real head in hands stuff. If they could make that one ship reach such speeds why aren't they spread all over our galaxy? Why haven't they sped in and devoured all? It was the same problem they had with the Borg on 'Star Trek' - how do you make an unstoppable enemy beatable, especially once you find out they can travel so fast they can zap to anywhere in seconds! If you're going to do the Replicators at least make them a real threat, don't destroy them easily as they did here. What I'm saying is that all similar sci-fi ideas have the same problems, and it's how you deal with these things that sets your series apart from the others. I hope 'Stargate' tries to set itself apart in a good way this season.
**
Cogenitor
DVD, Enterprise S2 (Cogenitor)
It may be that I hadn't seen the series for a while, it may be that I had low expectations of the episode, but for whatever reason it was better than I expected. 'Enterprise' didn't often have consequences or emotional engagement in the story like the other series' did, but this one felt very 'Star Trek' and even had a Captain Janeway-style dressing down from Archer. The other captains would be disappointed in crewmembers and have a stern talk with them, but somehow I always think of Janeway first in that context. The sting in the tail at the end was a real surprise and rammed home the message of the episode. What that message is could be debated. Is it about America interfering in other cultures they don't approve of, ones that don't match their views of freedom and individual rights? Is it about slavery and treating people as though they are in a lower class? Probably so, but at heart it's a Prime Directive story, and one that couldn't have been done so easily on the other series'.
It does bring to mind 'Voyager' story 'Prime Factors' and 'TNG' story 'The Outcast' for similar points, but in this one Trip never shows any doubt that what he's doing is good for 'Charles,' (as she decides to call herself after Trip's real name), until that terrible final moment. I call her a she, but of course she was actually of a third gender which only made up 3% of the Vissian's population, though Captain Archer called her a she for convenience and for want of a better word than 'it' so if it was good enough for him, it's good enough for me. Also she was played by a female due to the shortage of third gender actor's at the time. If there was a third gender actor just waiting for the opportunity to get their first role, or even a Vissian who had travelled to Earth secretly, they would have been very disappointed not to get the role!
The story is the kind of thing that 'Enterprise' didn't deal with nearly enough, preferring simpler, more generic plots (if you go by this season), or ones that had a definite answer. This one isn't clear cut at all - Archer is angry with Trip for not using his common sense and leaving well alone with an alien culture (something he's had problems with before, e.g: 'Unexpected'), but he can't ignore where events have led. His friendship with the Vissian Captain (played by Andreas Katsulas, better known from 'TNG' as the recurring Romulan Tomalak), was quite enjoyable with two similarly-minded people getting along so well, so it had even more meaning when Archer became stiffer towards the end, very formally wishing him well on his journey. He clearly has the burden of what has happened upon him coupled with his knowledge that Trip was right and that the condition of 'Charles' was pretty bad by human standards. He also knows he can't do anything about it, coming a long way from Season 1 when he would leap in with both feet to right wrongs. He can't be open and friendly with the Vissians any more, but at the same time has to respect their ways, and playing that role against Trip must have been painful for him.
The C-story (if you can call it that), of Reed being attracted to a Vissian woman was rather pointless and unnecessary and I wish there had been more exploration of slavery and the issues at hand instead of this lighthearted romantic comedy stuff. There were some funny scenes with Phlox during Trip's initial confusion of tri-gender mating, and that didn't detract from the story, but Reed's moments did feel tacked on as if there hadn't been enough time to fully realise or round the story neatly. I preferred the B-story of Archer's little adventure with the Vissian Captain and the occasional exhilaration of the wonders of space, something not often seen, and compliments the actors as they accomplished it inside that tiny stratopod. The visuals were beautiful, the ships looked smooth, (even though on first seeing it I thought the Vissian ship was of Tholian design!), and the golden lighting of the phenomenon also gave the internal scenes an added sparkle.
F.J. Rio completes the set of post 'TNG' Trek series' as the Vissian engineer, after appearing as a criminal in 'Voyager,' but being best known for his small recurring role of Muniz in 'DS9.' I don't know why they always get him in for minimal makeup roles as he just looks like Muniz with odd appliances on his face! To be fair, he was suitably unlikeable, quite different to Muniz' character. There are some nice little references such as when they talk about one hundred years hence and how T'Pol would still be alive (the campaign to get her in 'Star Trek XII' starts here!), and we get to see the inside of the armoury with its nooks and crannies, including the phaser cannon (I think). I wasn't very impressed with Vissians as alien creations - they fell into the 'beige uniform/ minimal facial adjustment' camp, and while the makeup wasn't bad, as a race they weren't very strongly realised. This is the sort of race that it would have been interesting to explore, flesh out, and face the issues their culture poses to Starfleet, but because the NX-01 is always moving right along they don't have the luxury of such development.
Hoshi and Mayweather barely figure at all, but that's to be expected and at least Phlox had his moments. Trip is certainly the engaging central pillar of the story and we want him to succeed in bringing this person to a realisation of her rights. It would have been fascinating if they had agreed to asylum for her and have Trip become a friend that introduced her to life in Starfleet for a few episodes, maybe she could even have joined the organisation (an alternative way to get rid of her when they wanted to), but there wasn't much of that kind of experimentation with the series and she wouldn't have fitted into the next episode. I think the way she does go out gives Trip a real shake, and while I wouldn't want him to lose his idealism and passion for helping others, perhaps it could lead him towards the path that Archer has already begun walking, one that would eventually result in the Prime Directive.
***
It may be that I hadn't seen the series for a while, it may be that I had low expectations of the episode, but for whatever reason it was better than I expected. 'Enterprise' didn't often have consequences or emotional engagement in the story like the other series' did, but this one felt very 'Star Trek' and even had a Captain Janeway-style dressing down from Archer. The other captains would be disappointed in crewmembers and have a stern talk with them, but somehow I always think of Janeway first in that context. The sting in the tail at the end was a real surprise and rammed home the message of the episode. What that message is could be debated. Is it about America interfering in other cultures they don't approve of, ones that don't match their views of freedom and individual rights? Is it about slavery and treating people as though they are in a lower class? Probably so, but at heart it's a Prime Directive story, and one that couldn't have been done so easily on the other series'.
It does bring to mind 'Voyager' story 'Prime Factors' and 'TNG' story 'The Outcast' for similar points, but in this one Trip never shows any doubt that what he's doing is good for 'Charles,' (as she decides to call herself after Trip's real name), until that terrible final moment. I call her a she, but of course she was actually of a third gender which only made up 3% of the Vissian's population, though Captain Archer called her a she for convenience and for want of a better word than 'it' so if it was good enough for him, it's good enough for me. Also she was played by a female due to the shortage of third gender actor's at the time. If there was a third gender actor just waiting for the opportunity to get their first role, or even a Vissian who had travelled to Earth secretly, they would have been very disappointed not to get the role!
The story is the kind of thing that 'Enterprise' didn't deal with nearly enough, preferring simpler, more generic plots (if you go by this season), or ones that had a definite answer. This one isn't clear cut at all - Archer is angry with Trip for not using his common sense and leaving well alone with an alien culture (something he's had problems with before, e.g: 'Unexpected'), but he can't ignore where events have led. His friendship with the Vissian Captain (played by Andreas Katsulas, better known from 'TNG' as the recurring Romulan Tomalak), was quite enjoyable with two similarly-minded people getting along so well, so it had even more meaning when Archer became stiffer towards the end, very formally wishing him well on his journey. He clearly has the burden of what has happened upon him coupled with his knowledge that Trip was right and that the condition of 'Charles' was pretty bad by human standards. He also knows he can't do anything about it, coming a long way from Season 1 when he would leap in with both feet to right wrongs. He can't be open and friendly with the Vissians any more, but at the same time has to respect their ways, and playing that role against Trip must have been painful for him.
The C-story (if you can call it that), of Reed being attracted to a Vissian woman was rather pointless and unnecessary and I wish there had been more exploration of slavery and the issues at hand instead of this lighthearted romantic comedy stuff. There were some funny scenes with Phlox during Trip's initial confusion of tri-gender mating, and that didn't detract from the story, but Reed's moments did feel tacked on as if there hadn't been enough time to fully realise or round the story neatly. I preferred the B-story of Archer's little adventure with the Vissian Captain and the occasional exhilaration of the wonders of space, something not often seen, and compliments the actors as they accomplished it inside that tiny stratopod. The visuals were beautiful, the ships looked smooth, (even though on first seeing it I thought the Vissian ship was of Tholian design!), and the golden lighting of the phenomenon also gave the internal scenes an added sparkle.
F.J. Rio completes the set of post 'TNG' Trek series' as the Vissian engineer, after appearing as a criminal in 'Voyager,' but being best known for his small recurring role of Muniz in 'DS9.' I don't know why they always get him in for minimal makeup roles as he just looks like Muniz with odd appliances on his face! To be fair, he was suitably unlikeable, quite different to Muniz' character. There are some nice little references such as when they talk about one hundred years hence and how T'Pol would still be alive (the campaign to get her in 'Star Trek XII' starts here!), and we get to see the inside of the armoury with its nooks and crannies, including the phaser cannon (I think). I wasn't very impressed with Vissians as alien creations - they fell into the 'beige uniform/ minimal facial adjustment' camp, and while the makeup wasn't bad, as a race they weren't very strongly realised. This is the sort of race that it would have been interesting to explore, flesh out, and face the issues their culture poses to Starfleet, but because the NX-01 is always moving right along they don't have the luxury of such development.
Hoshi and Mayweather barely figure at all, but that's to be expected and at least Phlox had his moments. Trip is certainly the engaging central pillar of the story and we want him to succeed in bringing this person to a realisation of her rights. It would have been fascinating if they had agreed to asylum for her and have Trip become a friend that introduced her to life in Starfleet for a few episodes, maybe she could even have joined the organisation (an alternative way to get rid of her when they wanted to), but there wasn't much of that kind of experimentation with the series and she wouldn't have fitted into the next episode. I think the way she does go out gives Trip a real shake, and while I wouldn't want him to lose his idealism and passion for helping others, perhaps it could lead him towards the path that Archer has already begun walking, one that would eventually result in the Prime Directive.
***
Monday, 23 January 2012
Phantom
DVD, Smallville S6 (Phantom)
You can never say their season cliffhangers are boring, and this time it also has a lot of interesting developments beyond the usual question of who will survive and how they'll escape the situations they're put in by the end. There's the return of Phil Morris as Kal-el's protector, the leaving of Martha for her new post as senator in Washington, the apparent death of Lana Luthor, nee Lang, Clark having that conversation about who he is with her (before she died, obviously), Lionel turning out to be Kryptonian-influenced for the good - all this and the revelation of Chloe's meteor power too! There's a lot to go at here, and I've probably forgotten other things, but I'll do my best to get down what works, what doesn't, and where this leaves the series.
The teaser and other parts of the episode are brutal even for 'Smallville' standards with a horror film style, from the quivering priest, the cramped wooden cabin and the old man with black eyeballs. It's not necessarily a criticism because through many episodes I haven't felt that chill of anticipation of something bad, so at least when the Zoner launched out of the old man's body it had some build up that gave it a slight shock and you don't see much detail. Even so, there is a lot of blood and gore for a TV episode, with the Zoner going round ripping people's innards out, which I didn't really understand the significance of since it needed a new body to exist in. Fortunately the violence didn't take away from a few nice scenes and that so much is let loose in terms of secrets and developments that have been awaited, if not eagerly then certainly needing a bit of closure.
I almost felt that all the characters were used well with a good balance of the story for each, but Chloe drew the short straw with only a small contribution to the episode. She gets to tell Lois to give up on the fight against Lex, then stupidly believes that her few words of wisdom have changed her cousin's mind enough for her to drop her crusade! Then she gets to listen to a tentative Clark who admits he's told Lana everything and she didn't mind about him being an alien. And finally she saves Lois' life. Why Lois didn't call an ambulance, police, etc, is, I suppose, a testament to her high regard for Chloe, and as it turned out saved her life. For not only is Chloe a great friend, she also has the power to save lives by… ahem, crying on people. Yes, not the best as superpowers go, but it could be useful. Not that she's the crying sort, but she did think her cousin was dead so it's not farfetched. I fully expect her to wake up in Season 7 (since I know she'll be around a while longer).
The knowledge of cast changes that seeps through, even though you're not watching this at the time it came out, does undermine the drama a little, but sometimes it can also be a bit indistinct in my mind. I knew Chloe would be around, but when it comes to Martha Kent and Lana, I'm not so sure. I don't know if they're coming back and that gave their scenes a finality that didn't exist in previous seasons. Martha's talk with Clark before she leaves the farm for a new life did feel quite sad and the way it was played seemed like she was being written out. I liked that she said Clark needn't stay on the farm and could get someone else to run it, and it does make sense that Martha wouldn't want to spend the rest of her life on a farm that was worked with Jonathan. A nice touch was the photo of Jonathan with Clark as a child, and though her story may have concluded at least it doesn't preclude the possibility of cameos. It's a shame there was no leaving do for her and a fuss made, but the characters are so fragmented and the community non-existent any more so it would have been difficult to seem real, unlike, say, the engagement party Clark and Lana have in the alternate reality last season.
Lana is the one I'm much more uncertain about, but one thing I was pretty sure of was that she wasn't dead. Sure she wants out of the marriage, and sure I could see her going off to Europe or somewhere (as she did in Season 4), but never for an instant did I believe she'd really died. Lionel was shocked, Lex was shocked, it only added to my belief that Lana staged the whole thing. She's not stupid and she would have known that blame and counter-blame would have circled the Luthors like flies and the only way to truly break her ties was to fake her own death. It's also something that was done before at the end of Season 3, where Chloe and Dad Gabe were apparently killed in an explosion only for us to find out it was staged for their protection (although the number of times Mr. Sullivan's been in the series since then he may as well have been dead!). So no, Lana's not dead - we didn't even see her get into the car. Whether she'll be back for Season 7 is another matter, but I could certainly see her making a cameo in future. Perhaps the writers deliberately left it a little open so they could resort to her again, but I await the outcome with interest.
Another scene I liked, though with slight reservations, was the one in which Clark super-speeds past her and all pretence or misdirection was dropped between them. It was a visual reminder of all those old episodes where she'd come to the barn with the sun streaming in, a nice remembrance of happier times. Lana did know for sure about his powers, and now he lets her in on the equally big secret of his extra-terrestrial parentage. I was pleased that this had been definitively addressed at last, but there was the glaring omission of Clark's issues of guilt over the death of Lana's parents, something that was an important motive for keeping his secret right from the early days. I can see that it wasn't really an appropriate time for such a discussion, but I hope Lana does make a comeback so the issue can be brought up. As it stands, Lana just smiles and kisses Clark without seeming that surprised, but with all she's been through, seen, and heard, few things would probably shock her at this stage. Even though Lex seems so evil now I couldn't help feeling sorry for him for once in the way she announces their parting.
It's been a long time since I've felt Lex might be misjudged, (perhaps a little in 'Nemesis' when he comes back to help Clark), but this episode came the closest in reviving sympathy for him. Yes, he's got a clone army, he wants to experiment on the Zoner and doesn't care who gets killed in the process, but I did get a sense that he was doing this because he wanted to protect the Earth from these threats. An odd thought after all that's gone on this season, but maybe it was his lack of control and surprise at things that happened to him in this episode that made him seem less the evil genius and more like the old Lex.
I almost believed him when he professed no knowledge of Lana's artificial pregnancy, and I still can't recall exact evidence that says it was his plot, though I'm pretty sure there was dialogue to confirm that. Is he a really good liar or has he convinced himself? He does hit Lana which was surprising and uncalled for, but he truly seemed shocked at Lana's death and his arrest. He let those assistants die to effect his escape from the Zoner but we already knew he doesn't care about his minions. The truth is he was manipulated by Lionel, or at least his marriage was a false one crafted by his Dad for his own benefit or the benefit of humanity by keeping track of his plans and I always felt that when he realised Lana was playing him that it would be the turning point which shoved him over the edge where good motives became nonexistent and he hated everyone. Ironic that it didn't seem to happen and that he seemed more real than he has done for quite a while.
I'm still not sure whether Lionel is trustworthy, despite finding out he's been influenced by Jor-el for the good of Clark, but it would be interesting to watch the season again with that knowledge. Jor-el has often been portrayed as bad, and it's hard to accept the retcon of Phil Morris' character of the Kryptonian who has always been watching out for Clark from a distance, without feeling a tiny bit suspicious of him, especially as the only Kryptonians that survived so far have been criminals. The explanation that Lionel somehow called him in at last because he drew the Kryptonian word for power was a very weak way to explain away Lionel's drawings over the season as if they never really knew where they were going with him and only just decided 'okay, well actually he was drawing those things to call this other guy.' Yeah, whatever. I did like Morris' character (didn't catch a name for him), even though, as Clark says, where's he been all his life? There are plenty of times Clark needed protecting!
There was always going to be something big happening in this episode, but actually the story feels much smaller than some of the other season-ending episodes. I think this works to the good of the series because its size and scope can be stretched rather thinly sometimes. This was about giving us answers to so many things that have been waiting to be resolved and doesn't leave us in quite the same way as most cliffhangers do. There are the usual difficult spots for various characters: Lionel's unconscious in the broken dam with water pouring in on him, Lois is healed (I really thought the creature was going to take over he body and Clark would have to fight her!), but Chloe's stricken down from the effort, Lana's dead, Lex has been arrested for it, and Clark now has to contend with an evil double of himself. They don't like Clark flying so I suppose that was the reason they took the opportunity at the end with evil Clark flying at the camera, because it was something they only do when he's not the real Clark (like when he was 'Kal,' infected by red Kryptonite, or fighting Zod).
I liked the reference to 'Superman III' (which I consider the most underrated of the series), by having Clark fight his double, but with all those superpowers why does it always have to come down to one person throwing the other across a room to smash into something? Why can there not be more variety? It was interesting that Dark Clark or Mirror Clark or Evil Clark or whatever you want to call him was able to absorb Kryptonite as if he was the opposite of our Clark. I thought Lionel had the rock to use against Clark in case he was going to kill Lex, but I wasn't sure after seeing him thrust it into Dark Clark's chest. For me, apart from being reminiscent of 'Superman III' this was the least interesting part of the episode, but I would say that Season 6 has, if not rejuvenated my interest in the series, then certainly been improvement enough as a whole to warrant continuation to the end of the series, though I've been warned Season 7 isn't very good. That will remain to be seen. I'd like them to bring back Green Arrow and get more of the compelling story lines back into it as they've done for the most part this season and then there's always a chance it could keep improving.
***
You can never say their season cliffhangers are boring, and this time it also has a lot of interesting developments beyond the usual question of who will survive and how they'll escape the situations they're put in by the end. There's the return of Phil Morris as Kal-el's protector, the leaving of Martha for her new post as senator in Washington, the apparent death of Lana Luthor, nee Lang, Clark having that conversation about who he is with her (before she died, obviously), Lionel turning out to be Kryptonian-influenced for the good - all this and the revelation of Chloe's meteor power too! There's a lot to go at here, and I've probably forgotten other things, but I'll do my best to get down what works, what doesn't, and where this leaves the series.
The teaser and other parts of the episode are brutal even for 'Smallville' standards with a horror film style, from the quivering priest, the cramped wooden cabin and the old man with black eyeballs. It's not necessarily a criticism because through many episodes I haven't felt that chill of anticipation of something bad, so at least when the Zoner launched out of the old man's body it had some build up that gave it a slight shock and you don't see much detail. Even so, there is a lot of blood and gore for a TV episode, with the Zoner going round ripping people's innards out, which I didn't really understand the significance of since it needed a new body to exist in. Fortunately the violence didn't take away from a few nice scenes and that so much is let loose in terms of secrets and developments that have been awaited, if not eagerly then certainly needing a bit of closure.
I almost felt that all the characters were used well with a good balance of the story for each, but Chloe drew the short straw with only a small contribution to the episode. She gets to tell Lois to give up on the fight against Lex, then stupidly believes that her few words of wisdom have changed her cousin's mind enough for her to drop her crusade! Then she gets to listen to a tentative Clark who admits he's told Lana everything and she didn't mind about him being an alien. And finally she saves Lois' life. Why Lois didn't call an ambulance, police, etc, is, I suppose, a testament to her high regard for Chloe, and as it turned out saved her life. For not only is Chloe a great friend, she also has the power to save lives by… ahem, crying on people. Yes, not the best as superpowers go, but it could be useful. Not that she's the crying sort, but she did think her cousin was dead so it's not farfetched. I fully expect her to wake up in Season 7 (since I know she'll be around a while longer).
The knowledge of cast changes that seeps through, even though you're not watching this at the time it came out, does undermine the drama a little, but sometimes it can also be a bit indistinct in my mind. I knew Chloe would be around, but when it comes to Martha Kent and Lana, I'm not so sure. I don't know if they're coming back and that gave their scenes a finality that didn't exist in previous seasons. Martha's talk with Clark before she leaves the farm for a new life did feel quite sad and the way it was played seemed like she was being written out. I liked that she said Clark needn't stay on the farm and could get someone else to run it, and it does make sense that Martha wouldn't want to spend the rest of her life on a farm that was worked with Jonathan. A nice touch was the photo of Jonathan with Clark as a child, and though her story may have concluded at least it doesn't preclude the possibility of cameos. It's a shame there was no leaving do for her and a fuss made, but the characters are so fragmented and the community non-existent any more so it would have been difficult to seem real, unlike, say, the engagement party Clark and Lana have in the alternate reality last season.
Lana is the one I'm much more uncertain about, but one thing I was pretty sure of was that she wasn't dead. Sure she wants out of the marriage, and sure I could see her going off to Europe or somewhere (as she did in Season 4), but never for an instant did I believe she'd really died. Lionel was shocked, Lex was shocked, it only added to my belief that Lana staged the whole thing. She's not stupid and she would have known that blame and counter-blame would have circled the Luthors like flies and the only way to truly break her ties was to fake her own death. It's also something that was done before at the end of Season 3, where Chloe and Dad Gabe were apparently killed in an explosion only for us to find out it was staged for their protection (although the number of times Mr. Sullivan's been in the series since then he may as well have been dead!). So no, Lana's not dead - we didn't even see her get into the car. Whether she'll be back for Season 7 is another matter, but I could certainly see her making a cameo in future. Perhaps the writers deliberately left it a little open so they could resort to her again, but I await the outcome with interest.
Another scene I liked, though with slight reservations, was the one in which Clark super-speeds past her and all pretence or misdirection was dropped between them. It was a visual reminder of all those old episodes where she'd come to the barn with the sun streaming in, a nice remembrance of happier times. Lana did know for sure about his powers, and now he lets her in on the equally big secret of his extra-terrestrial parentage. I was pleased that this had been definitively addressed at last, but there was the glaring omission of Clark's issues of guilt over the death of Lana's parents, something that was an important motive for keeping his secret right from the early days. I can see that it wasn't really an appropriate time for such a discussion, but I hope Lana does make a comeback so the issue can be brought up. As it stands, Lana just smiles and kisses Clark without seeming that surprised, but with all she's been through, seen, and heard, few things would probably shock her at this stage. Even though Lex seems so evil now I couldn't help feeling sorry for him for once in the way she announces their parting.
It's been a long time since I've felt Lex might be misjudged, (perhaps a little in 'Nemesis' when he comes back to help Clark), but this episode came the closest in reviving sympathy for him. Yes, he's got a clone army, he wants to experiment on the Zoner and doesn't care who gets killed in the process, but I did get a sense that he was doing this because he wanted to protect the Earth from these threats. An odd thought after all that's gone on this season, but maybe it was his lack of control and surprise at things that happened to him in this episode that made him seem less the evil genius and more like the old Lex.
I almost believed him when he professed no knowledge of Lana's artificial pregnancy, and I still can't recall exact evidence that says it was his plot, though I'm pretty sure there was dialogue to confirm that. Is he a really good liar or has he convinced himself? He does hit Lana which was surprising and uncalled for, but he truly seemed shocked at Lana's death and his arrest. He let those assistants die to effect his escape from the Zoner but we already knew he doesn't care about his minions. The truth is he was manipulated by Lionel, or at least his marriage was a false one crafted by his Dad for his own benefit or the benefit of humanity by keeping track of his plans and I always felt that when he realised Lana was playing him that it would be the turning point which shoved him over the edge where good motives became nonexistent and he hated everyone. Ironic that it didn't seem to happen and that he seemed more real than he has done for quite a while.
I'm still not sure whether Lionel is trustworthy, despite finding out he's been influenced by Jor-el for the good of Clark, but it would be interesting to watch the season again with that knowledge. Jor-el has often been portrayed as bad, and it's hard to accept the retcon of Phil Morris' character of the Kryptonian who has always been watching out for Clark from a distance, without feeling a tiny bit suspicious of him, especially as the only Kryptonians that survived so far have been criminals. The explanation that Lionel somehow called him in at last because he drew the Kryptonian word for power was a very weak way to explain away Lionel's drawings over the season as if they never really knew where they were going with him and only just decided 'okay, well actually he was drawing those things to call this other guy.' Yeah, whatever. I did like Morris' character (didn't catch a name for him), even though, as Clark says, where's he been all his life? There are plenty of times Clark needed protecting!
There was always going to be something big happening in this episode, but actually the story feels much smaller than some of the other season-ending episodes. I think this works to the good of the series because its size and scope can be stretched rather thinly sometimes. This was about giving us answers to so many things that have been waiting to be resolved and doesn't leave us in quite the same way as most cliffhangers do. There are the usual difficult spots for various characters: Lionel's unconscious in the broken dam with water pouring in on him, Lois is healed (I really thought the creature was going to take over he body and Clark would have to fight her!), but Chloe's stricken down from the effort, Lana's dead, Lex has been arrested for it, and Clark now has to contend with an evil double of himself. They don't like Clark flying so I suppose that was the reason they took the opportunity at the end with evil Clark flying at the camera, because it was something they only do when he's not the real Clark (like when he was 'Kal,' infected by red Kryptonite, or fighting Zod).
I liked the reference to 'Superman III' (which I consider the most underrated of the series), by having Clark fight his double, but with all those superpowers why does it always have to come down to one person throwing the other across a room to smash into something? Why can there not be more variety? It was interesting that Dark Clark or Mirror Clark or Evil Clark or whatever you want to call him was able to absorb Kryptonite as if he was the opposite of our Clark. I thought Lionel had the rock to use against Clark in case he was going to kill Lex, but I wasn't sure after seeing him thrust it into Dark Clark's chest. For me, apart from being reminiscent of 'Superman III' this was the least interesting part of the episode, but I would say that Season 6 has, if not rejuvenated my interest in the series, then certainly been improvement enough as a whole to warrant continuation to the end of the series, though I've been warned Season 7 isn't very good. That will remain to be seen. I'd like them to bring back Green Arrow and get more of the compelling story lines back into it as they've done for the most part this season and then there's always a chance it could keep improving.
***
Prototype
DVD, Smallville S6 (Prototype)
Project Aries comes to fruition with Wes Keenan, the husband of that woman who kidnapped Lex a few episodes back, tested and found to be a useful super-soldier thanks to the Titan material used in his creation. But there's still some humanity left in him, enough that instead of killing Lois in the back alley when he assassinates the crooked Senator (foolish enough to threaten Lex and plan to shut down the project), he kidnaps her to the place they met years ago - amazing that there should be a connection between them which leads to a showdown where Clark gets walloped across a room, then beats the 'baddie' because Wes is no match for the Man of Steel - he was only a real danger to normal humans. But this wasn't really Clark's story as such, he was just a part of it, there to save Lois after she conveniently and predictably became unconscious - I'd love to see a bit more invention in how Clark handles things in front of people that don't know his secret instead of them just getting knocked out. I think back to that Season 1 episode where he arrives at a building in time to see the bad guy shove Chloe (or whoever) over a balcony, superspeeds up there to punch out the villain, then pushes a sofa under her to cushion her fall, rushes out and runs in at normal speed!
There are a lot more people that know Clark's secret than don't these days, and one more is 'officially' added to the list in Clark's eyes: Lana gets to tell him she knows, though I suppose that could have been interpreted differently, that she knows something, unfortunately there's no time for a definitive chat on the subject because Lex enters, but I certainly got the impression this was the big moment and that she has now admitted her knowledge to Clark. It wasn't the amazing scene it should have been, but it does leave us wanting more: will she and Clark ever get to sit down and talk about it? Will Lana be in grave danger when Lex inevitably finds her spying for his Dad? Is Lionel the one really pulling the strings? Take Martha for instance: the murder of Senator Burke leaves a slot open for her to fill, move to Washington and become a real force in politics. That's all very nice, but I sense a conspiracy both from the writers and Lionel. It feels like she's being set up to be written out as a regular, something I'm not surprised about because she hasn't been well used in recent seasons. Lionel on the other hand, whom both Clark and Martha have admitted they don't trust, fully endorses this, so it can't be good.
Clark even goes as far as threatening Lionel that if he finds out he had anything to do with forcing Lana to marry Lex, the gloves will be off, whatever that means. Lex himself seems to have no redeeming features with his army of super-soldiers waiting in the wings, although even now he spouts rationale about this being necessary to counter the increasing levels of criminals with special powers in the world. It was a rather weak argument in the face of a lack of proof for his claims and he seems to be aping Emperor Palpatine of 'Star Wars' in his plots. It will be difficult for Lana to innocently collect information on his secrets now that she's promised not to eavesdrop, but really, what does Lex expect her to do with her time? She's got this huge mansion to wander around in and that's it, she doesn't have much of a purpose any more, and when that happens it often heralds the beginning of the end for a character.
There's a much broader canvas to the story, but that's not necessarily a good thing. We keep hearing about Oliver and his team taking out 33.1 franchises throughout the globe, but what is it they're actually defeating if the super-soldiers aren't actually up to much? Are they just tearing up research establishments and causing headaches for LuthorCorp? We see the footage of the Phantom Zone creature attacking the couple again, only this time it's Lionel who's watching it, and continuing to draw Kryptonian symbols. What is it with him? I guess we'll find out in the last episode of the season, but I do feel the promise shown in the first half has dropped off to become like other recent seasons. In other words not very good character development and same-ey storytelling with a constant bid to suggest great things could be around the corner without showing them. Jimmy wasn't in it, he was off on his assignment, I assume, which means Chloe is reduced to melancholy and not much else. I did enjoy her little comedic moment when Clark dashes off once again while she and Martha are in mid-sentence and they both look a bit put out. "Do you ever get used to that?" How rude.
I just felt this episode didn't really achieve much. It tells us that Lex is willing to have people killed, that he has a host of super-soldiers (the CGI was very good in that shot that shows a huge chamber full of them ling in rows). Lana continues to spy on him for Lionel, Clark continues to dash hither and thither trying to do good. Lois keeps up with her reporting gig, and there's a nice scene where she recalls Wes to the time they met and that that's the reason he brought her to the abandoned base, but the death scene was standard fare. We don't know him well enough to care, even if Lois does. So the episode had that scene, the moment when Clark knows Lana knows, and the end scene where the farm side of the story seems to be sadly coming to an end with the possibility of Martha going to Washington. All the rest was so-so, and even some of the CGI which I would praise in terms of the invisibility and the clone room, didn't look real when it came to the satellite or the LuthorCorp building looming over the Daily Planet.
It was good to have a few references thrown in when Wes is compared to Alicia (who could teleport), or Graham Garrett (who could be invisible), and Titan is mentioned too. There's also the idea of Lois getting so worked up by her former friend's death in the experiments of Lex that she's vows to take him down and stop these things. And there may have been an attempt at some kind of message at the end when Clark talks about how soldiers who just want to serve their country end up as pawns, but it was very brief passing thought. When you have to rely on super-soldiers to advance your story perhaps it's a sign your series has had its day?
**
Project Aries comes to fruition with Wes Keenan, the husband of that woman who kidnapped Lex a few episodes back, tested and found to be a useful super-soldier thanks to the Titan material used in his creation. But there's still some humanity left in him, enough that instead of killing Lois in the back alley when he assassinates the crooked Senator (foolish enough to threaten Lex and plan to shut down the project), he kidnaps her to the place they met years ago - amazing that there should be a connection between them which leads to a showdown where Clark gets walloped across a room, then beats the 'baddie' because Wes is no match for the Man of Steel - he was only a real danger to normal humans. But this wasn't really Clark's story as such, he was just a part of it, there to save Lois after she conveniently and predictably became unconscious - I'd love to see a bit more invention in how Clark handles things in front of people that don't know his secret instead of them just getting knocked out. I think back to that Season 1 episode where he arrives at a building in time to see the bad guy shove Chloe (or whoever) over a balcony, superspeeds up there to punch out the villain, then pushes a sofa under her to cushion her fall, rushes out and runs in at normal speed!
There are a lot more people that know Clark's secret than don't these days, and one more is 'officially' added to the list in Clark's eyes: Lana gets to tell him she knows, though I suppose that could have been interpreted differently, that she knows something, unfortunately there's no time for a definitive chat on the subject because Lex enters, but I certainly got the impression this was the big moment and that she has now admitted her knowledge to Clark. It wasn't the amazing scene it should have been, but it does leave us wanting more: will she and Clark ever get to sit down and talk about it? Will Lana be in grave danger when Lex inevitably finds her spying for his Dad? Is Lionel the one really pulling the strings? Take Martha for instance: the murder of Senator Burke leaves a slot open for her to fill, move to Washington and become a real force in politics. That's all very nice, but I sense a conspiracy both from the writers and Lionel. It feels like she's being set up to be written out as a regular, something I'm not surprised about because she hasn't been well used in recent seasons. Lionel on the other hand, whom both Clark and Martha have admitted they don't trust, fully endorses this, so it can't be good.
Clark even goes as far as threatening Lionel that if he finds out he had anything to do with forcing Lana to marry Lex, the gloves will be off, whatever that means. Lex himself seems to have no redeeming features with his army of super-soldiers waiting in the wings, although even now he spouts rationale about this being necessary to counter the increasing levels of criminals with special powers in the world. It was a rather weak argument in the face of a lack of proof for his claims and he seems to be aping Emperor Palpatine of 'Star Wars' in his plots. It will be difficult for Lana to innocently collect information on his secrets now that she's promised not to eavesdrop, but really, what does Lex expect her to do with her time? She's got this huge mansion to wander around in and that's it, she doesn't have much of a purpose any more, and when that happens it often heralds the beginning of the end for a character.
There's a much broader canvas to the story, but that's not necessarily a good thing. We keep hearing about Oliver and his team taking out 33.1 franchises throughout the globe, but what is it they're actually defeating if the super-soldiers aren't actually up to much? Are they just tearing up research establishments and causing headaches for LuthorCorp? We see the footage of the Phantom Zone creature attacking the couple again, only this time it's Lionel who's watching it, and continuing to draw Kryptonian symbols. What is it with him? I guess we'll find out in the last episode of the season, but I do feel the promise shown in the first half has dropped off to become like other recent seasons. In other words not very good character development and same-ey storytelling with a constant bid to suggest great things could be around the corner without showing them. Jimmy wasn't in it, he was off on his assignment, I assume, which means Chloe is reduced to melancholy and not much else. I did enjoy her little comedic moment when Clark dashes off once again while she and Martha are in mid-sentence and they both look a bit put out. "Do you ever get used to that?" How rude.
I just felt this episode didn't really achieve much. It tells us that Lex is willing to have people killed, that he has a host of super-soldiers (the CGI was very good in that shot that shows a huge chamber full of them ling in rows). Lana continues to spy on him for Lionel, Clark continues to dash hither and thither trying to do good. Lois keeps up with her reporting gig, and there's a nice scene where she recalls Wes to the time they met and that that's the reason he brought her to the abandoned base, but the death scene was standard fare. We don't know him well enough to care, even if Lois does. So the episode had that scene, the moment when Clark knows Lana knows, and the end scene where the farm side of the story seems to be sadly coming to an end with the possibility of Martha going to Washington. All the rest was so-so, and even some of the CGI which I would praise in terms of the invisibility and the clone room, didn't look real when it came to the satellite or the LuthorCorp building looming over the Daily Planet.
It was good to have a few references thrown in when Wes is compared to Alicia (who could teleport), or Graham Garrett (who could be invisible), and Titan is mentioned too. There's also the idea of Lois getting so worked up by her former friend's death in the experiments of Lex that she's vows to take him down and stop these things. And there may have been an attempt at some kind of message at the end when Clark talks about how soldiers who just want to serve their country end up as pawns, but it was very brief passing thought. When you have to rely on super-soldiers to advance your story perhaps it's a sign your series has had its day?
**
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