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I missed a lot of Redial over this last month, including some really excellent eps. I'll have to go back and add several links to the fanworks! :) For now, a bit of meandering meta...
Pretense
It depresses me to contrast the moral courage of the Tollan in Enigma - Omac might not have been particularly likeable, but he was solidly bound by ethics - and the class act that is Travell in Pretense, and compare that to the utter assassination of a truly admirable race, in all senses of the word, in S5's Between Two Fires. Except some rather ranty meta when the time comes. :) In the meantime, though, I really love the Tollan in this episode. As annoying as it may be for the Tau'ri, the Tollan are actually right. They lost their planet because they gave advanced technology to a world that wasn't ready for it. Burned once, twice shy... at least until that character assassination thing turns up in B2F, of course.
And yet, and yet... Do the Tollan truly have the right to be neutral? Do the Nox? If a people or planet is safe, does that really mean they are entitled to retreat to that safety and abandon those that are still being victimized? The Nox and the Tollan could have saved countless lives if they'd taken the battle to the Goa'uld. The Tollan only did so when they themselves were threatened; the Nox stood by their staunch pacifism. The latter is slightly more understandable than the former, perhaps; but the Nox have their superior technology that allows them to be pacifists, even as they ignore whatever deaths and wars take place outside their jurisdictions. But while Anateus and Opher would no doubt cluck their tongues and call Lya's actions very young, I for one am very glad that Lya chose to walk that narrow line.
And anyway, Lya is adorable beyond words, and she always makes me smile. :)
Back to the Tollan. As I said, they have the right to refuse to supply weapons technology to those they might fear abuse it. And I suppose no one has the right to demand that they help police the universe. But I do think it shows a lack of moral standing on their part, that they are quite happy to kill any Goa'uld that might threaten them, but prefer to ignore any carnage in the world outside their own.
(And no, I DO NOT WANT to draw any parallels or discussions about current events. I almost never police the comments, but I will screen and/or delete any references to RL, so please don't make any.)
So, I have to put all that frustration aside, and marvel at the calm power of the Tollan, that they have the nerve and standing to follow their own beliefs here - to grant both Klorel and Skaara (and what is Skaara to their perspective when they first meet him, but the most primitive of creatures?) their moment of justice. And as I said before, I adore Travell in this episode, for her class and her grace and, most particularly, the way she thanked Teal'c.
Some more things to love: Sam's honesty with Narim. Jack and Daniel, tag-teaming. Teal'c and Lya, the most delightful partners ever. Skaara, dear Skaara, with his courage and his determination and the agony when he describes nearly killing Daniel.
I've mentioned before that I think the show did both Daniel and Skaara a disservice in that Skaara seems to be more connected to Jack than he is to Daniel. Skaara played a major role in bringing Jack back to himself in the movie, yes. And Daniel had Sha're as his focus, true. But Daniel and Skaara had an entire year together as "good brothers," and it saddens me that we never get to see that properly. There's so little of it here: Skaara's pain when he talks about Klorel forcing him to ribbon Daniel, and the joyful slap on the shoulder as Skaara bounces down the steps to greet Jack. Honestly, Teal'c got more emotion than Daniel!
Thankfully, there is fic to fix these things. :) Like Rigel's absolutely delightful moonshine-on-Abydos story, for instance... :)
Urgo
Ah, Urgo. Forty minutes of sheer romping fun, with that extra SG-1 fillip of some thoughtful consideration on the meaning of life (and the universe and everything)!
Favorite moments: the pile-up of guards when the team jumps up from their table at the commissary, then Jack backtracks to snag one last dessert. The amazingly straight faces from Janet and Hammond and all the extras at the absolutely insane antics. So much snark!
Best line ever: "I wanna live, I wanna experience the universe, and I wanna eat pie." SG-1, summed up in one pithy line of dialogue!
I would like to point out that while many ship authors use Urgo as a springboard for the OTP of their choice, it's actually canonical that Urgo can't influence feelings. Impulsive actions, yes. Inducing passion, no. Proof: Urgo couldn't make them like himself. Sorry, writers. :)
However, as a bone to any Daniel/Janet shippers that might be out there, I would like to repeat the very silly observation I made in the past:
100 Days
To be honest, I've only watched the entire thing once. I've rewatched bits and pieces of it, but that's all. The story never gripped me, except for the amazing team determination to get Jack back.
Sam trying and trying and doing the impossible. Daniel coping with the refugees and never giving up. Teal'c risking his life. Oh, team.
I liked Daniel doing archeology. I liked the unexpectedness of Jack fitting in, when we think of Daniel as the anthropologist. I like Janet giving Sam support. There is lots to like, yes - but I did find it kind of blah. Not sure why.
I also get rather irritated at the many people who despise Laira. She's a leader of her people, she's intelligent, she's overcome adversity, she has the courage and foresight to keep going... and apparently, the absolute chutzpah to fall for Jack. Mary Sue! Evil woman! How dare she!
Sigh.
Shades of Grey
Oh, team. With a slightly different inflection than that phrasing in my comments on 100 Days, mind you...
I like the flow of this ep coming directly after 100 Days, actually. Are the ongoing thefts the reason why the Asgard can't help get Jack, and why the Tollan claim it'll take a year to send a ship to get him? Did the Curia and Thor choose Jack as their agent, because his three-month absence proved that he wasn't involved with whatever was going on at that time?
But oh, this hurts. Jack coming back after three months, and being told he has to essentially destroy the team that worked so hard to get him back. The slap in the face to Jack, in asking him to do this to his people; to Teal'c, who betrayed his people out of loyalty to Jack and what he stood for; to Sam, who has served with Jack for nearly three years, and has built up a strong respect for him, and now has it thrown in her face; and to Daniel (oh, Daniel), who is treated as a pawn by the Tollan, the SGC, and Jack himself. Oh, ow.
One of the things I admire about this ep is how layered and layered it can be. I can read meta and fic that posit that Daniel knew, that Daniel didn't know, that they always suspected Makepeace, that Makepeace came out of left field for them, that Sam and Teal'c and Daniel drew straws, that they didn't, that the team figured it out, that they didn't... and it all works. Amazing.
One particular argument that comes down strongly in the "Daniel didn't know"column for me: of everyone in the SGC, Daniel is the only one has ever seen Jack at his worst, when it was real: on Abydos, when he was ready to suicide and take an entire planet of people with him. Teal'c and Sam had the luxury of finding Jack's turnaround too bizarre to believe. But Daniel met the Jack O'Neill who faced him down in his living room four years ago, when it wasn't an act at all. I think those memories would have shaken Daniel very badly, and yes - made him question the very foundations of their friendship.
There are a few things I strongly dislike about this ep:
Makepeace. He does not deserve the sheer vilification he gets from the fandom on a regular basis, while Maybourne gets retconned into a loveable rogue (gag). Yes, I've ranted about this before. :) Makepeace did the wrong things, but for the right reasons - unlike Maybourne, who was slime from Day One and even in It's Good to be King takes shameless advantage to gain multiple wives for himself.
Jack and Daniel. This is one case where I actually prefer the popular fanon to canon: that Jack had to keep the act up, because if Daniel had let on that he knew, Jack was afraid Maybourne et al would either abduct him to use as a bargaining chip for Jack's good behavior or have him killed outright. Because otherwise? I don't care if the house was bugged - those two know each other so well that they can have entire conversations just by saying one another's names. Are we really expected to believe that Jack couldn't have put on the act, and yet at the same time warn Daniel that something was up, and to play along?
I also dislike the upcoming Sam/Jack ship, so soon after this episode. Sam's faith and respect for Jack were badly shaken here, and even after they learn the truth, the crack in trust isn't so easily repaired. If there was going to be the suggestion ship at all (and yes, this gen girl wishes there wasn't, but that's another story), then shortly after this incident was not the time to do it.
I welcome everyone else's thoughts. And sorry this is so long. :)
Pretense
It depresses me to contrast the moral courage of the Tollan in Enigma - Omac might not have been particularly likeable, but he was solidly bound by ethics - and the class act that is Travell in Pretense, and compare that to the utter assassination of a truly admirable race, in all senses of the word, in S5's Between Two Fires. Except some rather ranty meta when the time comes. :) In the meantime, though, I really love the Tollan in this episode. As annoying as it may be for the Tau'ri, the Tollan are actually right. They lost their planet because they gave advanced technology to a world that wasn't ready for it. Burned once, twice shy... at least until that character assassination thing turns up in B2F, of course.
And yet, and yet... Do the Tollan truly have the right to be neutral? Do the Nox? If a people or planet is safe, does that really mean they are entitled to retreat to that safety and abandon those that are still being victimized? The Nox and the Tollan could have saved countless lives if they'd taken the battle to the Goa'uld. The Tollan only did so when they themselves were threatened; the Nox stood by their staunch pacifism. The latter is slightly more understandable than the former, perhaps; but the Nox have their superior technology that allows them to be pacifists, even as they ignore whatever deaths and wars take place outside their jurisdictions. But while Anateus and Opher would no doubt cluck their tongues and call Lya's actions very young, I for one am very glad that Lya chose to walk that narrow line.
And anyway, Lya is adorable beyond words, and she always makes me smile. :)
Back to the Tollan. As I said, they have the right to refuse to supply weapons technology to those they might fear abuse it. And I suppose no one has the right to demand that they help police the universe. But I do think it shows a lack of moral standing on their part, that they are quite happy to kill any Goa'uld that might threaten them, but prefer to ignore any carnage in the world outside their own.
(And no, I DO NOT WANT to draw any parallels or discussions about current events. I almost never police the comments, but I will screen and/or delete any references to RL, so please don't make any.)
So, I have to put all that frustration aside, and marvel at the calm power of the Tollan, that they have the nerve and standing to follow their own beliefs here - to grant both Klorel and Skaara (and what is Skaara to their perspective when they first meet him, but the most primitive of creatures?) their moment of justice. And as I said before, I adore Travell in this episode, for her class and her grace and, most particularly, the way she thanked Teal'c.
Some more things to love: Sam's honesty with Narim. Jack and Daniel, tag-teaming. Teal'c and Lya, the most delightful partners ever. Skaara, dear Skaara, with his courage and his determination and the agony when he describes nearly killing Daniel.
I've mentioned before that I think the show did both Daniel and Skaara a disservice in that Skaara seems to be more connected to Jack than he is to Daniel. Skaara played a major role in bringing Jack back to himself in the movie, yes. And Daniel had Sha're as his focus, true. But Daniel and Skaara had an entire year together as "good brothers," and it saddens me that we never get to see that properly. There's so little of it here: Skaara's pain when he talks about Klorel forcing him to ribbon Daniel, and the joyful slap on the shoulder as Skaara bounces down the steps to greet Jack. Honestly, Teal'c got more emotion than Daniel!
Thankfully, there is fic to fix these things. :) Like Rigel's absolutely delightful moonshine-on-Abydos story, for instance... :)
Urgo
Ah, Urgo. Forty minutes of sheer romping fun, with that extra SG-1 fillip of some thoughtful consideration on the meaning of life (and the universe and everything)!
Favorite moments: the pile-up of guards when the team jumps up from their table at the commissary, then Jack backtracks to snag one last dessert. The amazingly straight faces from Janet and Hammond and all the extras at the absolutely insane antics. So much snark!
Best line ever: "I wanna live, I wanna experience the universe, and I wanna eat pie." SG-1, summed up in one pithy line of dialogue!
I would like to point out that while many ship authors use Urgo as a springboard for the OTP of their choice, it's actually canonical that Urgo can't influence feelings. Impulsive actions, yes. Inducing passion, no. Proof: Urgo couldn't make them like himself. Sorry, writers. :)
However, as a bone to any Daniel/Janet shippers that might be out there, I would like to repeat the very silly observation I made in the past:
I noticed something during the scene in the infirmary, after Urgo first reveals himself and they're trying to explain him to Janet. It's after Teal'c has turned on the defribillator, so there's already the charm of seeing tiny Janet next to towering Teal'c (and knowing that Teal'c is utterly cowed by her, as is everyone on base). Daniel is explaining how Urgo seems to work: "He also seems to be able to enhance our enjoyment of certain experiences in order to motivate us." As Daniel is speaking, it cuts to Urgo, standing next to Janet, staring at her very intently. Not, however, at her face...
This is the ultimate Gen Girl speaking here, and it still screamed at me! Heh. My own take on Daniel/Janet is that over the years, they became quite close, even affectionate; but I have never really shipped them. Urgo, apparently, thought overwise. :)
100 Days
To be honest, I've only watched the entire thing once. I've rewatched bits and pieces of it, but that's all. The story never gripped me, except for the amazing team determination to get Jack back.
Sam trying and trying and doing the impossible. Daniel coping with the refugees and never giving up. Teal'c risking his life. Oh, team.
I liked Daniel doing archeology. I liked the unexpectedness of Jack fitting in, when we think of Daniel as the anthropologist. I like Janet giving Sam support. There is lots to like, yes - but I did find it kind of blah. Not sure why.
I also get rather irritated at the many people who despise Laira. She's a leader of her people, she's intelligent, she's overcome adversity, she has the courage and foresight to keep going... and apparently, the absolute chutzpah to fall for Jack. Mary Sue! Evil woman! How dare she!
Sigh.
Shades of Grey
Oh, team. With a slightly different inflection than that phrasing in my comments on 100 Days, mind you...
I like the flow of this ep coming directly after 100 Days, actually. Are the ongoing thefts the reason why the Asgard can't help get Jack, and why the Tollan claim it'll take a year to send a ship to get him? Did the Curia and Thor choose Jack as their agent, because his three-month absence proved that he wasn't involved with whatever was going on at that time?
But oh, this hurts. Jack coming back after three months, and being told he has to essentially destroy the team that worked so hard to get him back. The slap in the face to Jack, in asking him to do this to his people; to Teal'c, who betrayed his people out of loyalty to Jack and what he stood for; to Sam, who has served with Jack for nearly three years, and has built up a strong respect for him, and now has it thrown in her face; and to Daniel (oh, Daniel), who is treated as a pawn by the Tollan, the SGC, and Jack himself. Oh, ow.
One of the things I admire about this ep is how layered and layered it can be. I can read meta and fic that posit that Daniel knew, that Daniel didn't know, that they always suspected Makepeace, that Makepeace came out of left field for them, that Sam and Teal'c and Daniel drew straws, that they didn't, that the team figured it out, that they didn't... and it all works. Amazing.
One particular argument that comes down strongly in the "Daniel didn't know"column for me: of everyone in the SGC, Daniel is the only one has ever seen Jack at his worst, when it was real: on Abydos, when he was ready to suicide and take an entire planet of people with him. Teal'c and Sam had the luxury of finding Jack's turnaround too bizarre to believe. But Daniel met the Jack O'Neill who faced him down in his living room four years ago, when it wasn't an act at all. I think those memories would have shaken Daniel very badly, and yes - made him question the very foundations of their friendship.
There are a few things I strongly dislike about this ep:
Makepeace. He does not deserve the sheer vilification he gets from the fandom on a regular basis, while Maybourne gets retconned into a loveable rogue (gag). Yes, I've ranted about this before. :) Makepeace did the wrong things, but for the right reasons - unlike Maybourne, who was slime from Day One and even in It's Good to be King takes shameless advantage to gain multiple wives for himself.
Jack and Daniel. This is one case where I actually prefer the popular fanon to canon: that Jack had to keep the act up, because if Daniel had let on that he knew, Jack was afraid Maybourne et al would either abduct him to use as a bargaining chip for Jack's good behavior or have him killed outright. Because otherwise? I don't care if the house was bugged - those two know each other so well that they can have entire conversations just by saying one another's names. Are we really expected to believe that Jack couldn't have put on the act, and yet at the same time warn Daniel that something was up, and to play along?
I also dislike the upcoming Sam/Jack ship, so soon after this episode. Sam's faith and respect for Jack were badly shaken here, and even after they learn the truth, the crack in trust isn't so easily repaired. If there was going to be the suggestion ship at all (and yes, this gen girl wishes there wasn't, but that's another story), then shortly after this incident was not the time to do it.
I welcome everyone else's thoughts. And sorry this is so long. :)
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Plus, he was living under her roof for three months before she really moved in on him. A case can be made that she showed remarkable restraint. ;)
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