Warhead

DVD, Voyager S5 (Warhead)

The EMH makes friends with a WMD. The Doctor tends to be an advocate for any artificial sentience he encounters - you wonder what he'd have done with Moriarty or the Exocomps on the Enterprise-D. Probably would have gotten the ship into trouble as he does here. But it's not just his fault, there seems to be a general naivety on display. Granted, Harry Kim isn't the most experienced officer, though he's no longer green thanks to his variety of experiences aboard Voyager. Still, a device that looks like a torpedo lodged in a rocky wall does appear suspicious without even having to think too hard about it, and while it may be hindsight, knowing what the episode was about, it's not like the crew haven't dealt with this sort of thing before! 'Warhead' is one of those episodes difficult to pin down as a Season 5 story simply because it has the feel of late Season 4 (Seven's involved), and could just as easily have taken place in an early season (she's not in it that much) - it's actually an amalgamation of various previous stories, which is why it seems so out of place here in The Best Season of 'Voyager' as I'm calling it (though Season 4 can be argued for). The way I came to think of it was in the same vein as the 'DS9' episode 'In The Cards,' a delightful nostalgia romp for Jake and Nog, revisiting the style of adventures they used to have in Season 1, thoroughly and unashamedly a throwback. Weirdly, 'Warhead' is in exactly the same position: the penultimate episode of Season 5.

It could be that this stage of the season and series meant the writers wanted to kick back a little and reminisce about the old days, it could be complete coincidence, or it could simply be a budget-saving initiative (after all, you have to have the 'Transfigurations' to get 'The Best of Both Worlds'!). The latter is most likely because this isn't really a nostalgia trip like 'In The Cards,' it just happens to share many elements of Seasons 2 and 3: 'Darkling' is an obvious link since in that the Doc was taken over by the evil sides of various holo-characters. 'Dreadnought' is the most strongly associated story for me, where B'Elanna was dealing with a sentient bomb, only on a larger scale. Even the title is similar! 'Prototype' is yet another early episode where we can see connections, in which an alien war that is now over is being continued by the robot weapons they built... There's also the sight of Kim and Torres working together, something you just don't see so much these days, but was a common pairing early on (beginning with 'Caretaker'). Then there's 'Lifesigns' in which a living consciousness is housed in a holographic body. Not to mention 'Drone,' which pretty much gave them the ending, and which, while not remembering anything about this episode, I guessed would end the same way, the character of the week sacrificing itself against the enemy. Perhaps my imagining of this being a latter Season 4 episode is because it uses the same cave set with glowing yellow lighting as the location of the weapon as that seen as the planet in 'Demon.'

All told then, this isn't the most original story and smacks of trying to knock one more out before the season finale rather than being especially memorable in its own right. And yet, this mashup of so many things that had gone before does have that nostalgic element to it. At the same time it does have some problems - why would you beam up a torpedo-shaped device and put it right next to the Warp Core! That was the single most dunderheaded move of the whole thing - perhaps because all these modern Treks have such vast sets, endless rooms of empty space, that more realistic Trek of old looks comparatively claustrophobic, but even without ginormo-sets there must be a Science Lab free where they could house this thing which wouldn't make it a direct threat to the Core! Of course if it had blown itself up it wouldn't have mattered where, it would still have taken out the ship in its entirety. Another big issue is how these warheads can travel at warp. It's certainly a sight to see thirty-plus of them warp off into space, but don't you need at least a couple of nacelles to create a warp field? Unless these are miniature ones housed within the casing like the USS Defiant? I enjoyed Neelix getting yet another role as Chief Cosmetic Surgeon, but could a Dermal Regenerator really be used to make someone's skin looked burned as he does to Seven? Surely it's a healing device, and though I don't think it's ever been explained exactly how it works, you'd think applying prosthetics would be outside of its capabilities from what we've seen.

While I'm pointing out the flaws, there's also the big issue of the weapon being a little too easy to talk down. It's not like Captain Kirk exploiting the logic of a machine to make it blow steam out of its 'ears,' Harry isn't really the kind of guy to have that ability. Tuvok, yes, but Harry's much more of an emotional young man whose passion is his strength, not robot-turning argument. He has shown to be argumentative at times in the past, whether with Janeway or Tuvok, or maybe Chakotay or Paris. He's learned to go for it when he thinks he's right, but that also means he can push for things when he's wrong. Somehow this machine is swayed by that nature into accepting the reality of the situation. It goes a big step further by coming up with the idea of a suicide run to take out its mistaken brethren and I didn't see how it would go from staunchly defending its mission and purpose, to standing down, and then proactively forcing the others to do so, too. It was a bit of a turnaround not entirely earned. Still, it was a better ending than that of 'Drone,' since instead of a guest character it's our Doc who voices the confusion and concerns, and that was the best scene where he's trying to come to terms with the likelihood that he's going against the wishes of those who sent him, for all the lack of especially well constructed argument it's very well played.

It's not a BIG story, it's pretty much the Doc/Warhead, Harry and B'Elanna in Sickbay while the whole ship is held hostage, and it's whether they can trick this thing into releasing control or do something drastic to stop it. But it's not a team episode, it's really down to Kim to keep bashing away at it, and from his perspective it is a good episode since we see he's risen to being in command of the night shift, gains the respect of the lower deckers, and even leads his own Away Mission. These are all important parts of the Ensign's growth, and while other characters in modern Trek go from even lower ranks to higher in a much shorter time (Cadet Sylvia Tilly and Kelvin Timeline Kirk from Cadet to command are two obvious examples, and Michael Burnham and probably others, too), giving those series' a lack of believability for Starfleet's strict protocols and progression, Kim's very gradual progression is pleasant to watch. He probably should have advanced in rank in the following season, but they really lost momentum after this season, as I recall, and though he had his moments (captaining a ship in Season 7's 'Nightingale'), he still ended the series as he began. Voyager's case is a little different in that they don't have much room for ranking up (aside from Paris being demoted and the occasional loss of a crew-member), so Kim is probably doing as much as he could in that regard and it was nice to see some fulfilment, though that kind of continuity needed to be seen more often and worked at.

Kim's overseeing of these lower deckers, represented by Ensign Jenkins at helm (played by Makeup Head Michael Westmore's own daughter, McKenzie Westmore! She'd had minor roles as far back as 'TNG' Season 1 ('When The Bough Breaks'), 'Insurrection' as one of the Ba'ku women, and even recently in 'Picard,' though uncredited), was quite nice since he was in much the same position when he started so it shows he has some ambition to stand out from this crowd. I would have liked a little more of that, perhaps scenes with Jenkins or introducing other lower deckers so that there could be a little core of recurring characters, but the series was very bad at doing this sort of thing after the first two or three seasons and it really took away from so much potential in the series that they were too scared to take time away from main cast or to define more of the crew - it's not like the cast got a fair shake every episode anyway. I think Tuvok had about one line in this one when he's Head of Security and should be seen at the forefront of dealing with this internal threat to the ship. B'Elanna's engineering expertise is again sidelined, as although she's alongside Harry in Sickbay there doesn't seem to be anything much she can do so she doesn't have a compelling contribution as has happened occasionally this season (though I liked her story about leading her first mission and getting stuck in a cave. I thought she probably meant in the Maquis rather than Starfleet, and it made me think of Kira and the kind of scrapes she got into in the resistance). It wouldn't have hurt if Jenkins had been the one with Harry and maybe they could have developed a friendship there, anything to add to the drama rather than merely having characters there because they should be used.

Other than Jenkins there weren't many guest characters (another money-saver), but the one alien they had, Onquanii, was played by Steve Dennis who had also been the night alien at the start of this season, in 'Night' and would appear as a crew-member in the following episode. I don't know if this is the same actor credited as 'Steven' Dennis, who also played a role this season (Fennim in 'Think Tank,' though uncredited), and would go on to be the Andorian Tholos in two episodes of 'Enterprise.' They could be the same guy, but it's difficult to tell as he's usually under so much makeup, so I'll have to look out for him in 'Equinox' to see if he resembles Tholos... Onquanii was another reason this felt like an early season episode since Neelix makes the introductions and he proves not to be very helpful to our crew! Even more obscure was another uncredited guy, David Keith Anderson, who played 'Ashmore,' apparently - he'd had uncredited roles in various Trek films but would appear in an episode the following season, too ('Memorial').

The concept of the night shift was interesting because I hadn't really thought of what happened after the main shift was over. Obviously we know there are different shift rotations and we've seen the crew interact outside of working hours, but it's not something to think about much when it comes to the less important part of the 'day.' There isn't really a day anyway since they're travelling through space and so they're only going by their own internal clock (and Stardates). There have to be times when the main cast are sleeping and the ship carries on under other people. Again, they could have really done something with this concept and built up the Voyager B-team that we could have seen occasionally over time, but they didn't care enough to do that. As it is, the episode isn't one of the most substantial, but somehow, like plenty of episodes of predecessors 'TNG' and 'DS9' sometimes it's enough to merely be on the ship with these characters, it doesn't have to be big, bold and brassy. It could have been a Kim episode, then it could have been a Doctor episode, but in the end it curls round to being a Kim story since the Doc isn't even conscious of all that happened when his holomatrix was being used. They still managed to get some nice attention to detail in there, as old Trek was good at: the Doc says the warhead is speaking in Duotronics, which is the type of computers Starfleet uses in its ships, or did do (there was the whole thing about Multitronics in 'The Ultimate Computer' on 'TOS'), so that was an obscure but appreciated reference. And I was wondering why the Doc asked for the containment field to be deactivated so he could get closer to the machine in Engineering as he usually walks right through, but then I saw he was wearing his holo-emitter which obviously can't phase its matter as the Doc can. Well done!

***

Relativity

 DVD, Voyager S5 (Relativity)

Amid watching the new Treks it's so comforting to go back to the old, there's a reassurance there, a familiarity that has been lost from the tone and style of what's made now. Relatively, this episode is one of the best of the season - time travel stories can almost do no wrong. It takes you back to when anything shown beyond the 24th Century was a view of hope: hope that Trek would continue beyond this season, beyond this series, beyond further series' and films. That the story wouldn't end with this segment of history. Now, of course, we don't have that pleasure thanks to 'DSC' Season 3 travelling further than anyone had ever been before to show what the Federation was like in the 32nd Century. Turns out it was very different, but humans were the same as those depicted as far back as the 23rd Century (their version) - lack of discipline, lack of sense, lack, lack, lack... At least at this time in the 'Voyager' history going outward in time could still excite. Now they have time Transporters that can pinpoint place you in any time and place with accuracy! They have a ship that looks very different, but on the inside is still recognisably Starfleet. It was a glimpse of what things could be like five hundred years later. But before we got all that we were treated to what things were like in the past, the none too distant past: Janeway's first tour of her ship, beaming aboard, stepping out onto the Bridge, sitting in the Captan's Chair, walking through the Ready Room and Briefing Room... It's a slice of bliss for those who care about the reality of this world and its characters.

It was so good they'd do it again in 'Fury' (when Kes travels back to an earlier time on the ship), and to some degree in 'Shattered' (the ship's divided into various time periods), so it shows what a great idea it was that they could continue to mine it for the last two seasons to come. Not only that, this is also a direct sequel to one of the exciting early-ish two-parters, 'Future's End,' the same character they dealt with in that, reappearing. It's a shame they couldn't get the original actor back to reprise Captain Braxton as that would have been better, but the guy here does a fine job. It's not like recasting a major character so it's not essential, but it would have been better if they could have got him. But still, we do see old faces on the crew, mostly the main characters as they were back then, but also Lieutenant Carey who would go on to have difficulties accepting B'Elanna in the role he should have had, and it was great to have him meet Seven since we'd never seen them interact as Carey's role was fairly redundant once B'Elanna took over, but he was one of those faces that came back now and again, ultimately being killed off right near the end of the series, a cruel fate to mete out. Just as I'd have preferred them bringing back original Braxton, I'd have liked to see some of the other minor characters established in 'Caretaker,' like Rollins or Cavit, maybe Stadi, though I suppose most viewers wouldn't remember these bit parts well enough for it to be worth it.

Still, they cram in all kinds of wonderful nostalgia moments, from the attack by the Kazon (did they reuse footage of the ships or was it new - I'm guessing they probably saved the money!), to the EMH first being activated and meeting Janeway, the old bun hairstyle, mention of the Maquis and Tuvok's role on Chakotay's ship, as well as the Badlands, the first mission the ship went on (not to mention a fun exchange where it's suggested the Federation owes its existence to the Borg thanks to the events of 'First Contact'!). So it's full of delights, but not in the way modern Trek shovels in as many references and characters as they can get just to try and appear authentic. 'Voyager' didn't need to try, it was authentic, it didn't rely on past glories to sell itself as Trek, yet also managed to boldly go into its own legendary status, true to the tone and ethos of its forebears. When they did choose to look back it had all the more resonance and while I can nitpick that characters didn't quite look and sound as they should to be convincing as their past selves from a few years before (in other words, why doesn't Chakotay have any grey in his hair?), there was enough of a similarity to note the difference - the EMH isn't quite as brusque and deadpan as I'd have liked, but it's still a thrill to witness him meet his Captain for the first time. I loved the little moment in the corridor when Janeway of now runs into B'Elanna of then during the Kazon attack, and just in general the conceit was lovingly played out. Wasn't the Doctor first activated in 'Caretaker'? I don't remember, and either way it would have only been hours' or days' difference.

It makes it more fun that it should be someone who wasn't around on the ship at that time who carries out the missions initially - seeing Seven in a Starfleet uniform was great (as it was when T'Pol did the same on rare occasions in 'Enterprise'), and interacting with the environment. There did seem to be a point when things didn't quite hang together, however: namely when Janeway goes back in time to finish Seven's task. Earlier, she remembered seeing the chroniton readings on her first day on Voyager, recognising them, but doesn't mention it happening again during the Kazon attack, but when she goes back we see the version of her at that time remembers the readings from her first day, so surely our current Janeway would have remembered both instances, or she shouldn't remember any instances, from Drydock or Kazon attack. It's not a flaw, maybe the second memory was less distinct amid more pressing matters, while her first day on the ship would be more solidified in her mind. Or it could simply be put down to the vagaries of time travel and it hadn't happened originally. (I can also say carrying around a 29th Century Phaser wouldn't help one to blend in...).

There were so many things that were a delight to see or hear about Janeway's first boarding of Voyager. For one thing we get to see Utopia Planitia Shipyards, and it's all happening in space, there's none of that later stupidity of ships being built within gravity on the ground! Just as we'd seen before with a holoprogram of the Enterprise-D being constructed, it adds so much weight to the history and sense of place, one of those things that remind you of the days when Trek took itself seriously where it mattered, true to its history. And the Admiral reminding Janeway she's a scientist first, then a Captain since it can be easy to forget that aspect of the character. Or Janeway setting up the release of Tom Paris from detention, saying everyone deserves a second chance. It's all so nicely put together. It's not merely dry nostalgia fodder either, there's real drama from the fact that Seven has only limited jumps before she's damaged or killed, and most importantly, the sense of finality and sober defeat when the order to abandon ship is given. It doesn't matter what series or film it occurs in, it's always one of those dramatic moments that resonates so deeply because the ship is also a home, it's the vehicle that takes us to these adventures, and to go to that last resort is always spine-tingling and chilling in equal measure (even the ugly Kelvin Timeline Enterprise's evacuation and destruction was a high, and point of connection in 'Beyond' generally missing from that film series).

Again, I can wish for other things to improve the drama, such as seeing the internal destruction of various parts of the ship happening on screen, but it doesn't hurt the episode and it's one of those rare times you see the ship explode (last season's 'Year of Hell' was the previous time). Braxton mentions Janeway's made three temporal incursions he had to fix, but I'm not sure which ones he'd have been referring to, other than 'Future's End.' Maybe 'Year of Hell,' possibly 'Time and Again' or 'Timeless,' but I'm not sure. You'd think he'd have cited a few more, too, especially considering how the series ended with a direct temporal violation from Janeway! But since it isn't real time travel the writers didn't know they were going to do that then! One factor in the episode that could have added a whole other dimension to the story and might have made it more compelling in a different way is only touched on briefly: the idea that your past self could be held accountable for your future self's actions. That opens up a whole thorny issue of whether we're the same person throughout our life (in spite of changing all the cells in the body every seven years I think it is), and if we did have the ability to see the future would that be enough to hold someone in order to prevent the crime. And if the crime therefore never takes place, why are you holding the person... There's also the issue that we see different Braxtons (and I don't mean the actor who played him). At the end of 'Future's End' he claims he never experienced the timeline of being stuck on Earth for thirty years, in which case he'd have less of a reason to wish Janeway harm.

One other big problem is why Braxton runs around the ship with his bomb when he could have simply set it off anywhere. I suppose he was trying to find a location where it wouldn't be detected and he wasn't suicidal, he wasn't going to set it off wherever he was. There was some hope for him since he did plead for leniency by giving them the point at which he could be stopped, but it's all very confusing over what version of Braxton there is at any one time. If he's later contrite does that mean that his criminal past self should be treated better because he went on to change his mind. Or was he simply playing the system and knew the jig was up, he could do nothing so may as well do what he could for himself. I must say I loved his uniform with the same logo Chronowerx appropriated in the 20th Century, and we obviously get a chunk more of life in the 29th Century (though I'd love to know more about the alien we see), compared with the tiny timeship and single character of Braxton in the earlier story, even if it it's still minimal since they always wanted to leave as much speculation and room for manoeuvre for future stories as they could. Unfortunately that means lesser minds have come along with their own agendas and corrupted Trek or muddled it and because not enough was tied down had free rein, so it's a two-edged sword. All we can do is be grateful Trek lasted at the top or near the top of its game for so long and we can always time travel back via those old episodes. It doesn't stop it from being tainted by newer visions (I struggle to get through most current Trek, forcing myself week by week), but it can still be loved and enjoyed, even without the hope of more great Trek in the future.

****

Light

DVD, Stargate Universe S1 (Light)

Doesn't end quite as triumphantly as I was expecting, in fact it ends on a note of suspicion and distrust: did Dr. Rush know Destiny would survive her entry into a star, or not...? If he knew then he was playing some weird game with the people, perhaps to see how they'd react, or to see how well Young's authority would survive. I don't remember the answer, but Rush is a complicated man. It plants a seed of uncertainty where the animosity and strained relations had previously thawed. I don't think he knew, I think he really would have preferred to die than live out whatever remaining years he might have on an unknown planet with 'strangers,' as he calls them. That was the fascinating thing about this life and death situation: seeing how individuals react. Young comes up with a very equitable way to decide who will go on the escape shuttle with Scott and Johansen, we see some threaten, some plead, others just accept his decision, but everyone has a stake. I was coming to the episode knowing how Destiny recharges itself in a star's corona in a majestic, incredible display of power and engineering, so I knew they'd survive, but I really wasn't in any more privileged position than when I first watched since it is a TV show set on this ship, clearly they aren't going to destroy it or it'd all be over. What I did like was that the stakes change from the fate of Destiny to the fate of the shuttle and all those aboard.

I like that the situation from the start is treated with gravity and dignity. The only public display of insubordination comes from wildcard Spencer (did Young call him Telford when he was later discussing what happened with Greer, or did I imagine that?), who we've seen is a boiling pot that's due to overheat any time now, but this time he comes up against his volatile mirror in Greer who's quick to knock him down (and out), when he tries to stir up the crowd in his fear and anger. Otherwise the idea of a lottery and people sombrely taking their places, one by one, was all very real and horrible from both groups' perspectives: for those left behind they have no hope, but for those given hope it's an uncertain one with a harvest of survivor guilt to confront. Young easily could have agonised over fifteen people best qualified to survive, as Camille wanted, and narrowed down the list that way, but he is a just man, he made a decision, as any commanding officer should do, based on how he believes things should be, then stuck with it despite any argument to the contrary. The only thing missing was input from Earth as you'd think Young would be checking in with them before they lost contact forever. This above all things should highlight that it isn't really going to be game over.

It crossed my mind what if they could select a group of people, say those on death row or who don't wish to live - could they have exchanged all the people aboard Destiny through those communication stones so they could live out their lives back on Earth in someone else's body? It's a chilling thought, and extremely immoral from every angle, and I don't even know if the stones would work like that, but it wasn't anything anyone ever even brought up. Amid all this serious stuff Eli's feeling a little disappointed when Chloe goes off with Scott - clearly he's not her kind of material, and as for Scott he once again makes me wonder what form of Christianity he practices because he's still happy to be quite loose with women. I know it was a tough moment, but even so you'd think that would make him call a halt to any untoward behaviour, or maybe he doesn't really believe in the sacrament of marriage? Either way, Chloe really isn't worth it, Eli, always happy to run off, then of course when she's got no one else she gets all touchy-feely with Eli! We see those left behind deal with their impending doom in different ways: some settle down for a card game, others prefer solitude, some attend a service in which they recite The Lord's Prayer as a group, and others just sit and watch the glowing fireball they're heading for. One point that could sway towards Colonel Young's suspicion of Rush's foreknowledge is that he's content to wait it out alone with a book, but more than that, that's he's very calm and not frustrated at all, in worryingly good humour, accepting of his doom.

One thing I had never thought of was that our intrepid gang had never actually seen the beauty of Destiny from the outside. This is achieved thanks to Eli's idea to turn the documentary he'd been recording of various people saying who they are and what they do, into a message in a bottle, hopeful that one day this infinitesimally small device will be found in the vastness of space - not just our Galaxy, remember, but the entire Universe itself (hey, that would make a great title!). My concern would be that it's most likely going to be dragged into the star since they're so close, and was consequently a pointless exercise, but then it did give them their sight of the ship, so perhaps it was all worth it for that? As ever, the visuals are a feast, the orange glow permeating most indoor scenes, and the external graphics are stunningly realised. The ship powering up all systems is a high point, lights coming up all over these gloomy interiors as if to emphasise the success they've had, bringing light into every dark place. That the situation becomes about rescuing the shuttle adds danger and tension because they don't 'need' that for the series to continue (but there were so many main cast members aboard that they weren't going to destroy that either, let's be honest!), and there's some great thinking to retrieve the shuttle just in time - teamwork, skill, stakes... this is what Trek should be (and used to be), so good work 'Stargate,' showing us how it should be done, this is the first I could truly say was a strong episode.

***

11:59

 DVD, Voyager S5 (11:59)

There's something very affecting about a group photograph, and the way this episode ends going into that moment of the past and injecting life back into it as we see Janeway's ancestor, Shannon O'Donnell, now Janeway, and her offspring, a happy snapshot of the latter end of life, it's especially moving. It's a beautiful end to a unique episode, one of the most atypical of the series, if not the whole of Trek. It's not a sci-fi story, there's no time travel, other than for us, the audience, as we 'go back' and see the real story of what Janeway's ancestor did and how the Captain's line was formed - the moment Shannon almost walks out of the bookshop the first time, before she's really made a connection, was the moment you realise if she hadn't turned back Kathryn Janeway would never have existed. Time is a constant series of results from decisions and choices - well, maybe not constant, but turning left instead of right, accepting that job, walking into that building, any of it could have far-reaching implications and perhaps that is what the story is about? I say perhaps because I don't know what the story is about. For the Captain it's about delving into her own genealogy and finding disappointing answers: this ancestor who had inspired her to aspire to a career in space for being one of the first woman astronauts, turns out not to be what the family story told, but the fact she did inspire her was what mattered. For Trek it's about a kind of dawning of its own era, well before first contact with the Vulcans, another step on the trajectory towards space exploration.

In some ways it does appear to be a decrying of those 'backward' people who love history and wish they lived in the past 'when lives were worth living,' as Henry Janeway puts it, while the Trek future requires explorers and adventurers and those who are going to push towards the future envisioned by Trek. But it's not done in a cliched, simplistic delineation between past and future - the very story is about celebrating a past that got them to the future the series exists in. Trek has always (well, used to always), had a strong foot in the past, an acknowledgement of history, a reverence for the old. Yes, they have Holodecks, Transporters and sundry technological wonders, yet plenty of Starfleet people we've met, from Kirk to Picard, find pleasure in old books, in recounting historical events or knowing the genealogies of their past. Trek has had a nuanced connection with the past, it didn't throw it all out and ignore it as irrelevant, it's a part of this future, and that's satisfying to see - they understand the importance of knowing what happened and learning from it, not dismissing it, disbelieving the evidence or failing to have an interest in exploring and unearthing the facts. Janeway is dismayed that the facts don't fit her picture, but the lovely thing about the story is her friends, her crew, rally round to remind her that her ancestry was important: it brought her into the world, for one! I can't help imagining how current Trek would tell the same kind of story and it would be that Shannon was more important than was thought, she achieved more, we owe her more, it would be all about her, her, her to the exclusion of all else!

The scenes with other characters on Voyager are quite sparse, more like inserts amid the real story, but they are also carefully laid crumbs on a trail that leads to a fantastic melding of the two stories as we see the connection of family for both Shannon and Janeway in their respective positions and times, a beautiful commonality they share. I've always liked it when the A- and B-stories in an episode find a way to come together at the end in artistic meeting. In this case both stories were connected from the start by the fact of them being about what Janeway thinks happened and what actually happened, but it was still pleasurable to see them intertwine so much and in such a personal way for her and the crew. At first it does simply seem like they couldn't justify setting an episode entirely in the past with only one member of the cast acting in it - I suppose they could have used the approach of other stories where the setting is mainly off the home ship or station and bring the cast in to play other contemporary characters of the time, but that could have distracted from the story in this case which is really about the connection between two very opposite people. But as the story progresses the little scenes peppered here and there build to an affirmation of friendship and family that crown the episode very neatly and make it important that it was a 'Voyager' episode instead of something that could have been done on any old series.

I remember finding it somewhat of a disappointment when I first saw it as it was in the days when I was getting advanced notice of upcoming episodes thanks to Star Trek Monthly, the magazine still going today (in its third guise after Star Trek Magazine, now Star Trek Explorer), and so I had been primed for some kind of 'Future's End'-type adventure about the past, or our present as viewers (hmm, wonder why Janeway never thought to look Shannon up when she was on Earth in 1996!), and not some adult exploration of loyalty and progress (adult in the true sense of the word, not the modern Trek view of gratuitous violence, swearing, etc!), that wasn't particularly interesting to a teenager. But the episode has aged very nicely so that each time I enjoy it a little more. It wasn't about some exciting thing called the Millennium Gate, which sounded ripe for weird alien plots or something, but is in fact about the meeting of past and future, two people who are 'stuck' in each non-present finding common ground. It is strange, because it subverts the traditional idea that big business, commercial interests come in and rip up an old town, force out any resisters who only care about the place's heritage, and usually it's a victory for tradition versus so-called progress by those who only want to exploit the place. Instead it's about someone coming around to accept modernity for the sake of this woman - Henry has the power, but Shannon has the key to everything, and she's the one that wants it all: both Henry, setting in motion Janeway's family line, but also getting the job that she needs, so it's about compromise, not dismissing one view or another.

On the face of it is about opposing views, but it's less about that than it is about discovering your place in the world - Shannon claims she's in a transitional stage, Henry asks from what to what. There's a lot of that talking around things, like when she returns to the bookshop at the end and he says it's closed and she replies that's not what the sign says. They're beating the air with words, it's not that they really mean much, they're simply sallies to reach a point of contact and that was fascinating to see and hear. It is very strange seeing the 'evil' businessman, bald, besuited, trying to get Shannon to appeal to Henry's nature and manipulate him around, but she's never less than honest: she'll think about the offer and she goes back and tells Henry, almost like she's putting the offer to him. It helps both characters are enjoyable to watch and there's a good sense of warmth and joy to the story to the extent it very much feels like Christmas in the best Trek tradition, complete with actual Christmas decorations and lights because of the time of year in which it's set, with the snow falling at the end as Henry makes his decision to emerge and grant permission for the development to go ahead. It's not even explicit that he's abandoned modern life because his wife died, but you can get that message from the way he's so intent on living through books, the story having a very similar message to 'Generations' about cherishing time and not living in fiction, an apt warning for those of us who love the Trek world and want to exist there as much as possible.

As much as I had suspicions about the theme of abandoning the past to live in the present with all its preparation for the future, I couldn't help but be buoyed by the charm of it all and the fact it isn't rabidly one view. Clearly, and fitting with Trek's use of technology and a future that is quite different, the 'progress' nature of movement towards this ideal is the predominant view, but it also allows space for the past, not dismissing it. It's surreal to see Kate Mulgrew driving around in an old banger on icy Earth streets at the turn of the millennium and they get their references in to the Y2K bug and the fact that the Millennium was celebrated a year earlier than it actually was since it was actually the turn of 2000 to 2001, not 1999 to 2000, which was fun, and also prophetic considering this came out in 1999 so they couldn't have been certain these things were as they predicted! There was concern over what it would mean to cross over into a new millennium, people didn't know what to expect, even though it's really only our own measure of time. But above all it is that warmth, the 'Star Trek IV' joy - it's not that it's hilarious or exciting or even profound, but there is something poetic about it all, simple messages of family and a reassuringly old-fashioned approach and message about familiar things of society instead of some new order, dangerous ideologies, changing of fundamental behaviours and beliefs that is upsetting society as the fashion of the now, while at the same time this story is about development. And it's great fun Shannon calls her car her rocket ship and records what are basically ship's logs on tape recorder as she goes.

What helps the episode is a lack of distraction. The scenes on Voyager are few and link directly in to the story, and there are no familiar guest actors for once (though the passerby who isn't much help was played by James Greene who'd had other roles in both 'TNG' and 'DS9,' but he's not a name I'd know), and no aliens. Janeway did mention different alien races' historical views of humanity, like the Vulcans dealing with savages, the Ferengi drawn to Wall Street and Bolians disgusted with our plumbing, but it's the central pillars of Henry and Shannon upon which the story-building takes place. It doesn't rely on a lot of Trek history and references, nor is it an action story of defending this or that. The Millennium Gate itself isn't even that important, it sounds grander than it really is, described as either a self-sustaining civic building that laid the groundwork for bio-domes on Mars, or a glorified shopping centre (I must admit I prefer more open air centres than closed-in and artificial, personally!), but it's really there as a symbol of modernity which can either be fought or embraced. I thought there was a mistake in Kim's story of an ancestor in 2210 putting the crew into stasis for a six-month journey (whereas in 'Enterprise' they had warp 5 ships long before then so wouldn't need to travel like that, and also in that series they were laying out relay stations for messages, too!), but then I realised his ancestor stayed awake as pilot so it's not that they didn't have warp, it was just a long trip and there was no need to be awake for it. I liked the message that books can take you anywhere, anytime, even if that isn't what you're supposed to take away, but if you expand it to Trek, which can do the same, it has more relevance, and they fully succeeded in that here.

***

Darkness

 DVD, Stargate Universe S1 (Darkness)

Either the first proper episode of the series or the fourth, depending on whether you count the pilot as one or the three parts as individual. Let's call it the first standard-length episode. Last time it was air they were short of, this time it's power, hence the title (all making sense so far). At this stage it remains difficult to judge the series, either on its merits or its story, but certainly its sense of place is working and there's an attempt to solidify who these people are in our minds thanks to the device of having many of them record their name, age and job, plus what they think of the situation on the floating camera orbs Eli dubbed kinos. It was helpful because there are so many characters, but at least we now know most of them in small part: there's Volker, the astrophysicist ordered to work with Dr. Rush, Riley, Brody the engineer guy, Spencer the soldier, the science lady (who didn't give her name), TJ the medic, James another soldier... Curious that in Scott's moment he says a prayer since you don't often see specific beliefs given time in TV (especially Christian), and after his behaviour in 'Air' where he was not exactly holding true to such a faith in certain moral ways, leading you to assume his faith had lapsed, or maybe that's the point and this position has brought it back into focus for him? I'm not sure you could say there was a strong story holding things together so far, perhaps due to the serialised nature of this most experimental (yet also following the herd in terms of what was popular at that time and since: serialisation, the shaky cam, the images of the ship that look as if they're being captured for real by documentary meaning they aren't the perfect space shots...), entry in the franchise, so it comes across as quite bitty.

Multiple character arcs are being set up while under the overall plot of the latest survival situation: in this case whether it was all for nothing because the ship isn't doing anything. They should trust the ship, that's all I'm saying. I have the advantage of knowing what's going to happen, and it does look dire, but it usually ends in some beautiful turnaround so no need to worry. The real trouble comes from the humans aboard Destiny for the most part as we see friendships forming (Eli and Chloe), rivalries more evident (Rush and authority), and even the hints of potential mutiny when Eli is brought before a group of people that think he knows what's going on and demand he tell them. As would often be the case, it's Rush's story that is most interesting as he goes from his standard level of irritation, to cranky, to violently angry, shoving Riley against a wall and later collapsing as he feels the pressure and rants as the only one who can really comprehend all the systems, leading to a physical breakdown. It made a lot of sense that it wasn't stemming from conscience: we ultimately find out from Johansen he's going through caffeine (and nicotine), withdrawal, which was a very realistic and believable problem that people would have if they suddenly went cold turkey after the evacuation of Icarus Base - just like the science experiments in 'Air' where you see beakers and chemicals there's a real world style that is often missing from much modern sci-fi, making it no better than fantasy. It's good to see 'Stargate' doing things differently (not that they never used fantasy elements, but it was usually science fiction more than anything else), and makes their predicament much more real.

We also have the fleeting images of the ship in space that continue to be majestic and beautiful so that the only complaint is they don't linger on them long enough. The people problems are apparently the main focus of the series, in opposition to the usual 'Stargate' manner of telling stories, so there is much conflict, much uncertainty and seeds of trouble planted all over. Time is allowed for Young to make a communication stones trip back to Earth which gives Colonel Telford another chance to sow dissent and try to stir up trouble as he believes Young is a problem (Director and actor Peter DeLuise gets a cameo as the guy Telford comes to relieve just in time to make the stones' swap - he must have a sixth sense!), while we see a little of Young's life as he takes the opportunity after reporting in to visit his lady whom we saw in flashback last time accusing him of putting his job first above her and she can't accept the sci-fi explanation of him showing up in Telford's body. I'm assuming he wasn't supposed to have told her what was going on as it would be all top secret so maybe there'll be ramifications if that gets out, but it shows a little bit of where he's coming from. And he does a good job of keeping things together in a difficult position, dealing with this mix of civilians and soldiers in various stages of obedience - while Rush may give the impression of seeing the crew as children compared to his great intellect, he is also quite childish and Young deals with him in a very mature way.

I don't know why they insist on presenting Earth-based scenes in such a washed-out tone, almost moving towards the sepia, but perhaps it's meant to emphasise the unreality of it compared to the real business of life on Destiny? As is common with early episodes of more serialised series' the story is taking its time to get going as multiple payoffs and storylines are set in motion for the future which leads to individual episodes not being quite as satisfying an experience in themselves - the series remains nice to look at, it has all kinds of avenues of promise, and it's enjoyable to be on this ship with all its potential for story and drama, this breathtakingly vast concept of travel beyond what we can really understand, but that inability to quite grasp the magnitude of the situation also means it is yet to be fully compelling storytelling. So far it is merely events and opinion, argument and setup. Once the characters are fully laid out it will improve, not to say it isn't a positive viewing experience, just not enough to rate strongly at this point in the development of the series. And when I first saw it I was disappointed we didn't get an opening credits sequence, the modern way of having a brief logo flash up, then cast names over the opening scenes to squeeze more time in the hour for adverts, a despicable practice, but just one more example of it edging away from the traditional 'Stargate' towards more mainstream popular drama. Shame it didn't work out for them...

**

Someone To Watch Over Me

 DVD, Voyager S5 (Someone To Watch Over Me)

Seven of Nine is described by the Doctor as charming and efficient and he could just as well have been talking of this episode as it is a quite charming experience, but as can sometimes be the case with the better episodes of a series, it's not one that allows much for the reviewer to write about. It's a pretty simple tale of two halves: in the one we have the Doctor continuing his efforts to school Seven in the social graces of human society, while in the other we have Neelix acting in his capacity as Ambassador and trying to stem the tide of exuberant excess which a visiting monk is set on enjoying, both plots being entertaining and delightful. It suits Neelix to be selected for such a task because ambassadorial duties have long been among his roles in the crew, and it suits the dramatic potential, too, since he's out of his depth as someone desperately trying to curb his guest's appetites while at the same time allowing him the latitude to explore this other culture, and walking that line between control and freedom, something that other members of the crew would be better suited to: if it had been Tuvok or Chakotay, for example, they'd have been better able to keep Tomin in check, but Neelix is constantly being flustered because he hasn't had much of this one-to-one experience before and doesn't want to let down his Captain in what appears an austere and delicate trade. As it turns out, Tomin's superior, the Abbot (I wasn't sure if that was his name or title, it could be either, or even both), expected him to take advantage of the opportunity, so either way, no harm is done.

Abbot himself reminded me oddly of a mix between the Talosians (thanks to the bulbous-headed look given to him by his large grey hood), with the face of Commodore Mendez (an actor that had also appeared in then-modern Trek as a villainous Romulan in 'TNG'), but sadly it wasn't Malachi Throne at all. The actual actor was Ian Abercrombie in his first role in Trek, but who they liked enough to bring back for another holo-centred story in 'Spirit Folk' during the following season. Tomin was played by Scott Thompson as opposed to Scottie Thompson (seen briefly as Nero's wife in 'Star Trek XI'), and he did a fine job, even if it paints the monastic type as secretly longing for a worldly life of pleasure. Not the best example of showing other ways of living in the best light, but in fairness we have seen plenty of similar orders and characters that have been very serious about their beliefs, and this was quite a comedic episode. The comedy is contrasted by the tragedy, if we can use such a term for the Doctor's predicament: that of falling for his pupil. They do have a good friendship, the Doctor and Seven both finding satisfaction in each other's company and he's certainly one of the people most trusted by her. The real tragedy may be that he almost threw it away by turning her social success into a bet - even the most difficult to offend would be horrified to be used in such a way, and Seven is no different. Fortunately, this isn't a soap, nor a serial so we don't need to drag it out over multiple episodes and she's quick to forgive him for his misdemeanour, one of the simplest, but best moments for its complete lack of drama, or even worse, melodrama!

Tom Paris (whom we're reminded is an Ensign these days after his punishment in 'Thirty Days' - at first I thought Tomin had made a mistake, then remembered he'd been demoted), was shown to be completely insensitive for someone that's so quick to pick up on what's going on with the Doctor, blurting out about the bet in front of Seven, but then perhaps that shows what he believes about her: that she doesn't have feelings which can be offended. In comparison to B'Elanna (once again losing her temper - she seems to have regressed since being with Tom, though I assume it's more to do with her Maquis-related crisis earlier in the season!), she seems entirely composed and unruffled by most things, but I'm sure if he'd stopped to think he would have held his tongue even in Seven's presence. It's a real joy to see the Seven that we knew after going through the gruelling, distressing 'Picard' series in which she's reduced to an uninteresting action babe - it may have been 'Voyager' in which she wore the skintight suits, but she was far more nuanced and developed than she is now. It's like the worst parts of her were magnified in 'Picard' and to go back to the real Seven, the one with potential and a bright future as a member of Voyager's crew is real balm on the wounds of those of us who forced our way through 'Picard' Seasons 1 and 2 (whether they succeed with her in 3 is yet to be seen for me, though I very much doubt it).

Out of the small pool of guest characters for this episode I'd say Lieutenant Chapman was the most interesting for his brave acceptance of this difficult woman inviting him to dinner in the Holodeck. It was completely out of the blue, it's not like he's a character that had been seen before, and he would likewise never be seen again (judging by his experience with Seven I wonder if he transferred off the ship, perhaps to join that monastic order!), which is a shame because in the early seasons the series did a great job of using a few recurring crew-members that they could bring in for whatever purpose they saw fit, be it Carey and his disagreements and competitiveness with B'Elanna, Hogan with his ultimate role as 'redshirt,' Jonas as a Maquis spy, or Suder for the intriguing ethical situation in which he placed the Captain, not to mention others even more visible like Seska, Wildman, or later, Vorik. One of the things they lost in the middle years was that sense of a crew that doesn't change because they can't: there are no other humans out this far, no starships from which to transfer to or from (though that'd change at the end of the season...), and so it makes sense that we'd be seeing the same faces more and more. But that also threw up potential production pitfalls of retaining an extending recurring cast, giving them things to do which could take away from the main cast, and not having enough people to draw from for any new potential drama that can come from a crew-member we didn't know (like Suder).

I can see why they did that, and partly it must have been in deliberate opposition to the 'DS9' way thanks to the rivalry between productions, but there's no question the series was only enhanced by its sense of place and familiarity that was being eroded or sometimes ignored in these later seasons. Chapman was an example of that. He could have been set up a few episodes prior, but then again they may not have thought about this episode or formed the character, the series preferred to remain almost entirely episodic at this stage, which as I pointed out earlier can be a boon when it comes to not dragging out misery over multiple stories, but also loses some dramatic potential in some cases. But Chapman was fun and Seven's scenes with him entertaining - I must say I wondered if he knew about her social exercises: he can't have failed to notice the Doctor attending their holoprogram in the guise of a piano player since he didn't show any surprise when he hurries over after Seven's injured the poor man while dancing. When you think the Holodeck is such a small location, unless it was a bustling group evening where various couples from the crew were attending for their own little candlelit dinners, you'd think Chapman would find it odd that another crew-member would be in there with them! Maybe he just didn't know what was going on and was just so focused on the most impressive woman aboard asking him to dinner that he never thought about it!

Privacy didn't seem to be much in evidence during the episode as Tom walks in on an earlier attempt by the Doctor for a lesson. Don't they lock people out or was he there by arrangement? It didn't seem so. And does everyone know about the Doc teaching Seven how to interact, or just Tom? Is there a rule that at certain times the Holodeck is open to anyone and private programs aren't allowed? Or is it simply that because Tom was the designer of the 'Chez Sandrine' program he has access to it whenever he wants? (Or that Robert Duncan McNeill was directing his third episode, so he should have access to every area whenever he wanted!). It was lovely to return to a familiar haunt that had been superseded by other holoprograms over the years, but sad they didn't include any of the characters that went with it, like the hustler or Sandrine herself (although I was surprised to find Judy Geeson only played the role in a measly two episodes!). When you think of it as a computer program, just like computer games, everything should be stored as it was when it was last used, so I don't know why they didn't go further in the recreation except that other characters weren't needed. The program could have been modified at any time, so it's not a problem, but if you're going to bring back an element from earlier in the series surely you'd want to make get maximum nostalgia effect? It's not the most original story idea, either, bringing to mind a mixture of the Odo/Kira story 'His Way' (just as good in its own way, or in his own way!), in the sense of trying out scenarios holographically you're not ready for in the real world (it is after all primarily a training tool), and that 'TNG' episode where ambassadors are hosted and don't behave in the expected way ('Liaisons'). Even 'Real Life' when the Doctor had a holo-family has similarities, though nothing so tragic happens here.

It's really not the originality that matters, though - I've said this many times in reviews: you can do almost exactly the same story and as long as you show a different character archetype going through it then you can have an equally fascinating exploration of that story and character from an entirely different perspective. It's not the same for Seven as it is for Odo, or would be for the Doctor, or Tuvok, or Tom, or..., etc. That was one of the qualities of Trek when they were mainly concerned with exploring a small corner of the Trek world or an individual character rather than attempting to create vast impersonal stakes on a galactic scale, or all the other failings of current Trek's storytelling (leaving aside those which I have yet to see, but judging on the seven combined seasons of 'DSC,' 'Picard' and 'Lower Decks'). The richness of the world these characters inhabit used to be enough, and there are further examples of that depth and breadth here: we see the old faithful dress uniforms brought out again. 'Course: Oblivion' was the last time we saw them, though in that case they weren't real. We see a Bolian and what appears to be a purple-haired Boslic called Tria, a very underused species that I believe had only been played by one actress in the past (a friend of Quark's called Rionoj who was in three episodes), so that was nice to see. Oddly, there appears to be some uncertainty over who played Tria as Memory Alpha has Dene Doucette listed, while the latest 'Star Trek Encyclopedia' says Monika Kusley so they can't both be right (although the web page was saved in 2013 and the book came out in 2016, but on the other hand it also has many mistakes in it!).

I was wrong, there was plenty to say about this episode, it wasn't merely a fun and poignant exercise for the Doctor and Seven to engage in. And I haven't even mentioned the singing! As a rule I don't like singing in films and TV series, it can too often take you out of the drama, pausing everything for the sake of some musical expression, which is why I can't stand musicals (they've talked about doing a musical episode for years, especially in the current era, which I hope never happens, stretching credibility too far, though they've already done that anyway...), but Trek has always used music and singing tastefully (even if some can't stand the hippies in 'The Way To Eden,' I really enjoyed all that!), or entertainingly, and most importantly, sparingly! Having the Doctor and Seven duet was delightful and we'd already heard they were accomplished singers individually as the Doc's always had an interest in opera, while Seven played a nightclub singer in occupied France during World War II in 'The Killing Game.' Typical of her, she brings down such abilities and advantages to mere Borg vocal processor efficiency, but the beauty can't be hidden behind dry technical terms. Whenever they sing in the episode it's a lovely moment, just as it has been in every Trek series at one time or another (though I'm not sure I remember any singing in 'Enterprise' - I have a feeling that's where the idea of a musical episode may have first been brought up since Scott Bakula was also an accomplished performer in that regard). As an episode it may not have any far-reaching ramifications, but as another slice in the lives of these people we enjoy seeing, it stands as another highlight of the season.

****

Air

 DVD, Stargate Universe S1 (Air)

Where to begin? It was a much longer opening episode than I ever remembered, essentially three parts in one, so there's a lot to keep track of. Fortunately I watched this a few years ago when I bought all the 'Stargate' sets instead of waiting to view it in its proper place in chronological sequence. That makes it a little easier to digest this vast episode than if I were coming to it brand new, I know the characters, broadly where they go, and where the series ended (too soon), but I came to it originally without any prior knowledge of either this (other than its ignominiously early demise), or its prequel, 'Atlantis,' if you can call it that when there's no connection between the two other than both being in the same universe! I hadn't even watched all of 'SG-1' at that time so I was truly venturing into the unknown much like the characters. It's slightly disappointing there was no character in the continuing cast that had featured in the previous series', though we have plenty of faces from past 'Stargate,' not the least being three of the original four cast members of the original series. But I was hoping some minor recurring character from 'Atlantis' would be in the main cast, not quite remembering who all the characters were. There are a lot of them, one of the signs this was charting new territory for the franchise which had tried to stay as close in style, tone and format to its parent show when 'Atlantis' came long. You can see the influence of such Noughties TV as 'Lost,' setting up a big ongoing adventure story for a large cast to solve, no one safe, and filming it in a much more prestige drama style than the more traditional formula the other series' had followed.

We have a lot of shaky-cam, something that was becoming more and more common and which is a little irritating, and gone is the usual opening title sequence, though at least for this episode we do have a beautiful, majestic fly-by of the Ancient ship, Destiny, as the cast names appear. The premise seems to be a lot more about interpersonal conflict than the tight band of four or five characters of yore, so we have all kinds of threads hanging loose, upon which the writers had set up potential to be pulled from: there's the fresh-faced, good if flawed, Scott, there's the volatile bad boy with a temper Greer, the genius boy Eli and most importantly main scientist boffin Dr. Rush. There's a blonde medic, Colonel Young whom we don't really get beyond typical heroic leading man, and Chloe, daughter of a Senator who dies saving the ship. And there are others: James, another soldier, Camille, a representative of the IOA, and no doubt various others I'm forgetting. It's all a bit messy and you're really unsure of what the series is going to be from all this setup - if I'd seen 'Atlantis' beforehand I'd have noticed the parallels that it's another vast alien 'city' to explore within the bowels of which anything of story potential could come, as it did in that series. It's a little clumsy as to why there could be this ship out so far beyond not just our Milky Way Galaxy, but the Pegasus and many more, way away from any petty little alien worries like Lucian Alliance or Wraith forces, it's mind-blowingly vast in concept. And yet we hear this isn't the first ship that went out so far, other 'gate-building and seeding ships went first to prepare a route so this ship could follow, but wasn't this ship meant to be unmanned too?

They speculate that perhaps the Ancients ascended before they got around to boarding it, but then why would it have been sent out at all if they could already get Stargates out there? You see the logic problems, but they had to come up with some way to have Stargates still be part of the series otherwise they couldn't really call it that! Though clumsy, the setup was still pretty good and it both begins and ends well, from the moment people are being hurled out of the Stargate into this dark hall, to the mad scramble to bring the necessary sediment or whatever it was, back to the ship, there was a great sense of first confusion, and later jeopardy. It can't help but be (probably deliberately so), compared with a genre (though not one of mine), favourite: 'Battlestar Galactica,' in the sense that they start in disarray, escaping from a foe that means they can never go back, and then they're simply trying to survive. Another influence must be 'Voyager' since they're out in a distant space far beyond all else that had been encountered in past series'. This both frees them and makes them captive at the same time, because how do you do aliens beyond all known galaxies, not just our 'small' region of space. They would tend to avoid them as much as possible, though the episode ends with a tantalising hint of things to come when a tiny craft detaches from the Destiny and flies off. But as much as they had the possibility of newness to explore, they were also mostly cut off from the lore and continuity of 'Stargate' as a whole, something that may have hurt the series overall.

They weren't entirely trapped on this dark vessel away from everything they'd ever known, they had the communications stones which would enable trips back to Earth, mentally at least, and also the appearance of other characters (like Dr. Lee or Walter). This gave an added benefit of being able to do all kinds of stories not restricted to the ship, wisely. If they weren't too restricted they did trap themselves a little bit by losing the lightness and neatness of those well depicted archetypes. Not to say they aren't there, the series is still well rooted in the military versus scientific mentality, with a side order of civilian interference that has always been there, it's just more spread out amongst various characters. One thing that did appeal, especially after the more fantasy bent of modern Trek and other sci-fi, is that procedures were followed and things made sense: they get sunburnt because they don't come with sunscreen, and they're doing little experiments to locate what they need on the desert planet, it doesn't just happen with technology or magic. Not to say that hierarchy is always followed, the chain of command is confused by Young being incapacitated for most of the story, there's a mass of frightened people, both soldiers and civilians, and various strong-minded individuals with their own ideas as to what should be done. What is interesting is seeing how things come together, with some characters making the wrong decision that gets them killed.

There's also a good sense of there being more to most of these people than we're used to, we're not sure if they're good or bad, they have their own agendas: is Rush their only hope or is he a troublemaker intent on achieving his own ends at the expense of others? Eli is the one we're supposed to warm to as the outsider being shown or explained to about all the various 'Stargate' lore, though he is a little annoying, this podgy young guy who only got there through solving a puzzle in a computer game that had been designed to find someone suitable for the mission. He's easily walked over by the others, as he should be, I didn't understand why you'd put him in charge of one of the teams on the desert when he has no leadership training at all, other than for dramatic purpose. Chloe, similarly was a bit of a disgrace, having an emotional meltdown as her Father gives up his life to save the ship, and making his last moments torturous as he must be able to hear her selfish wailing for him to come back instead of bravely accepting his decision and being strong for him (but we see where she got it from as her Mother is also extremely emotional!). That's not to say we don't see bravery in action, whether that be Scott taking the plunge to see where the Ninth Chevron has led the 'gate, or Young being the last to evacuate the doomed Icarus Base, to Greer going back for Scott when he's out of contact in the desert with time running out before the ship jumps again.

I liked the direction for the most part, the way the flashbacks to how this all came about aren't 'One Day Previously' as we've seen so many times before, but were woven into the story more organically, and when they had montages or moments of danger it was well done and shot nicely, other than the overuse of shaky-cam. The desert portion of the story took me all the way back to Season 1 of 'SG-1' when they encountered these intelligent crystals on another desert planet, only in this case it's intelligent, benevolent sand. The effects were very good, and that goes for the ship and the Faster-Than-Light aurora borealis light shows as well, it's just a shame the interiors are so dark and dingy, though I can see why it has to be that way so they can be creepy about it all and you never know if that's a shadow in the corner or a hatch into some little crevice, providing ever more dramatic potential. I liked the music which suitably evoked the alienness and scale of the ship and the situation these people find themselves in, so Joel Goldsmith was still going strong, just a shame they couldn't have had an opening theme along with the closing theme. It was somewhat refreshing to see some of the attitudes from characters, made before PC took over completely, so there's still a rough reality about people that I appreciated, even if it wasn't always complimentary. It was sad the series never lasted beyond two seasons, but I'm certainly looking forward to seeing it with new eyes as the last bit of 'Stargate' (not counting 'Origins' as it's only a short, is a prequel, and has never been released on DVD). This particular 'episode,' if you can call it that as it's more like a full film, had its moments, but also felt a little drawn out (much like modern serialised sci-fi), but I know they did better as the series progressed.

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