Stargate: SG-1 9.12: "Collateral Damage"

Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
Directed by William Waring

In which a visit off-world turns into trouble for Mitchell when he is accused of the murder of a brilliant scientist, and his own memories of the night support the charge…


Well, I wanted more character exploration, and I got it. Sort of. I’ve actually been looking forward to an episode devoted to Mitchell since the beginning of the season, since his character needs to get the same level of development as the rest of the cast. Plot concerns overwhelmed the beginning of the season for just about everyone, so this is pretty much the first chance to explore Mitchell’s past. So why was I a bit disappointed with the final product?

Well, part of it was the familiarity. I don’t recall “SG-1” doing this kind of thing before, but I definitely remember a similar plot device used on “Star Trek: Voyager”. (I believe the character in question was Harry Kim, but I can honestly say I don’t have a detailed memory of anything from that series.) There were some interesting questions about the nature of memory and how it might be manipulated with the right technology, but was it enough? I’m not sure.

For me, this was like listening to a live recording of a song that I’ve heard dozens and dozens of times. There are minor variations within the performance, but the song remains the same, and sometimes I’m just not in the mood for it. I can understand why the writers went for a stand-alone episode, after a big chunk of Ori mythology, but this just didn’t strike me as interesting or revelatory.

So Mitchell is working out Daddy issues. (Yeah, that won’t remind anyone of Crichton!) He’s also dealing with guilt from activities during wartime, it seems, which is somewhat more interesting. But given the current success of “Lost”, a series that excels at exploring a character’s past with a flair for good pacing and plenty of surprises, I couldn’t help but compare the manner in which Mitchell’s past experiences were detailed.

The point is that I didn’t feel as though the revelation of Mitchell’s record and his feelings of guilt were properly paced. The key to his own confusion was the underlying guilt of his past association with a lethal mistake. While there was some emotional fallout, particularly in terms of his relationship to his father, the final act concerned the memory-altering technology and the ethics thereof.

I think the story would have had more impact if the revelation about Mitchell didn’t come until the end, and the situation was less clear cut. In many respects, this episode shows a Mitchell with doubts about himself and a crushing sense of responsibility, which he clearly masks with humor. That works for me, but why not darken the character a bit by making his choice to release the bomb his own, rather than an order given on bad intel?

I’m not saying that I want “SG-1” to stop being what it is. It’s not exactly a series devoted to deep character development or characters with crushing psychological issues. Even O’Neill only had his issues dredged up when it was convenient; most of the time, that side of his character was well-concealed. But this is a case where the writers had the perfect motive, means, and opportunity for a “Lost”-esque episode: questions about the reality of memory, the need to give a new character some definition and history, and a stand-alone chance at something out of the typical format. The main issue is that it wasn’t taken as far as the writers seem to think it was.

Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 6/10