Stargate: SG-1 9.17: "The Scourge"
Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
Directed by Ken Girotti
In which SG-1 is assigned to give representatives from the IOA a tour of the off-world Gamma Site, but things go wrong when a weapon of the Ori is unleashed on the planet…
I found the premise behind this episode to be interesting, especially in terms of how it adds to the methods of the Priory of the Ori. Considering how they’ve used genetically engineered viruses to punish worlds that defy Origin, it makes sense that they would have some other genetically engineered tricks up their sleeve.
Conceptually, I like the bugs. I like that they spread quickly and eradicate a world’s food supply, and then rapidly attack the weakened and helpless population. It has a certain brutal elegance to it, taking Biblical-style plagues and rendering them unto reality. The fact that the bugs even look like scarabs is conceptually fitting.
I’m also pleased that the IOA is getting involved, and that they are becoming as much of a hassle as earlier episodes in the season promised they would be. Once the genie was out of the proverbial bottle, it was just a matter of time before the Stargate Program came under excessive scrutiny. And when it comes in the form of Tamlyn Tomita, well, that’s all the better!
Unfortunately, the episode itself didn’t quite live up to its potential. I was a little disappointed to learn that the IOA representatives were ultimately rather positive in their assessment of the program. Frankly, as annoying as it can be, it’s better when the SGC is under political siege, and Woolsey is a nice link between the latter days of the NID and the current IOA criticisms.
The biggest problem, however, was the eventual treatment of the bug infestation on the planet. It was fine when the bugs were overwhelming the Gamma Site, but once the action turned to the planet itself, it became clear that budgetary restrictions were getting in the way. I can only assume that it cost too much to have the bugs in every scene where they would have worked, but there had to be a better solution than having the cast shoot at the ground.
The writers did what they could with those limitations, but it led to a number of inconsistencies. I was especially impressed when the carnivorous bugs completely ignored Mitchell and Teal’c, even though they were exposed and inches away. And then there’s the fact that sometimes the bugs tracked them underfoot and ate them, tracked them and didn’t eat them, ignored them during miles of hiking, etc. Even taking situational logic into account, it was awfully convenient plotting.
This is one of those episodes, at least for me, which would have been failed utterly without the connections to the overarching plot elements of the season. If it wasn’t for the implications of more success for the Ori and trouble with the IOA (though less than I was hoping for), this would have been a lot more disappointing.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
Directed by Ken Girotti
In which SG-1 is assigned to give representatives from the IOA a tour of the off-world Gamma Site, but things go wrong when a weapon of the Ori is unleashed on the planet…
I found the premise behind this episode to be interesting, especially in terms of how it adds to the methods of the Priory of the Ori. Considering how they’ve used genetically engineered viruses to punish worlds that defy Origin, it makes sense that they would have some other genetically engineered tricks up their sleeve.
Conceptually, I like the bugs. I like that they spread quickly and eradicate a world’s food supply, and then rapidly attack the weakened and helpless population. It has a certain brutal elegance to it, taking Biblical-style plagues and rendering them unto reality. The fact that the bugs even look like scarabs is conceptually fitting.
I’m also pleased that the IOA is getting involved, and that they are becoming as much of a hassle as earlier episodes in the season promised they would be. Once the genie was out of the proverbial bottle, it was just a matter of time before the Stargate Program came under excessive scrutiny. And when it comes in the form of Tamlyn Tomita, well, that’s all the better!
Unfortunately, the episode itself didn’t quite live up to its potential. I was a little disappointed to learn that the IOA representatives were ultimately rather positive in their assessment of the program. Frankly, as annoying as it can be, it’s better when the SGC is under political siege, and Woolsey is a nice link between the latter days of the NID and the current IOA criticisms.
The biggest problem, however, was the eventual treatment of the bug infestation on the planet. It was fine when the bugs were overwhelming the Gamma Site, but once the action turned to the planet itself, it became clear that budgetary restrictions were getting in the way. I can only assume that it cost too much to have the bugs in every scene where they would have worked, but there had to be a better solution than having the cast shoot at the ground.
The writers did what they could with those limitations, but it led to a number of inconsistencies. I was especially impressed when the carnivorous bugs completely ignored Mitchell and Teal’c, even though they were exposed and inches away. And then there’s the fact that sometimes the bugs tracked them underfoot and ate them, tracked them and didn’t eat them, ignored them during miles of hiking, etc. Even taking situational logic into account, it was awfully convenient plotting.
This is one of those episodes, at least for me, which would have been failed utterly without the connections to the overarching plot elements of the season. If it wasn’t for the implications of more success for the Ori and trouble with the IOA (though less than I was hoping for), this would have been a lot more disappointing.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
posted by John Keegan | 12:34
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