Stargate: SG-1 9.18: "Arthur's Mantle"
Written by Alan McCullough
Directed by Peter DeLuise
In which activation of an artifact attributed to Merlin sends Mitchell and Carter into an alternate dimension, while Teal’c investigates a problem with the Sodan…
Despite the fact that this is not advertised or officially designated as the first part of a three-part arc ending the season, this is an episode with number of lingering plot threads. The ending is especially annoying, because the episode doesn’t so much end as stop because it was time to stop. Granted, one doesn’t expect a secret weapon that could be used against ascended beings to come into play until the season finale.
Actually, I have to wonder if the writers would take things in a very different direction. After all, the Priors are supposed to be in the Milky Way for the purposes of wiping out the Ancients so the Ori can step in and take control. Finding the weapon that Merlin created to take down the Ancients himself would be useful against the Ori, but it would also be useful to the Priors.
One nice touch is the tie-in to the first few episodes of the season. Previously, the allusions to Arthurian mythology seemed out of place and somewhat gratuitous. It still feels that way, frankly, but at least it’s going somewhere. I didn’t catch any explanation for how Arthurian mythology fit into the story as it stands, but perhaps that will be pulled together before long.
While the “alternate universe” plot thread was mostly a means of slipping in the exposition regarding the Merlin/Arthur’s Mantle concept, I liked that it was interwoven into the Sodan plot thread. Unfortunately, the Sodan plot thread annoyed me to no end. The Sodan were a nice way to riff on the Jaffa while tying them directly into the Ori arc. Now, that’s not possible, because the Sodan are dead. And they were killed by a Sodan warrior turned into an Ori Zombie, which was just a bit lame.
That’s not to say that the episode was lacking in redeeming qualities. The interplay between Mitchell and Teal’c is becoming one of the best features of the show, which will serve as a nice complement, I’m sure, to future Daniel/Vala banter. And though Sam is often the odd one out in such cases, she has a great rapport with Daniel in this episode. I was also amused by Dr. Lee and his usual antics, which could have been a lot more tiresome.
This episode continues to bring the season back in the direction of the arc that dominated the first half of the ninth season, and presumably, the seeds for the tenth season are also being planted. While the producers and writers still talk about loosening the arc structure even more (thus returning to a format that I found tiresome by the fifth season), there’s still enough question about the future of the series to force plot threads to be more prominent and connective.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
Directed by Peter DeLuise
In which activation of an artifact attributed to Merlin sends Mitchell and Carter into an alternate dimension, while Teal’c investigates a problem with the Sodan…
Despite the fact that this is not advertised or officially designated as the first part of a three-part arc ending the season, this is an episode with number of lingering plot threads. The ending is especially annoying, because the episode doesn’t so much end as stop because it was time to stop. Granted, one doesn’t expect a secret weapon that could be used against ascended beings to come into play until the season finale.
Actually, I have to wonder if the writers would take things in a very different direction. After all, the Priors are supposed to be in the Milky Way for the purposes of wiping out the Ancients so the Ori can step in and take control. Finding the weapon that Merlin created to take down the Ancients himself would be useful against the Ori, but it would also be useful to the Priors.
One nice touch is the tie-in to the first few episodes of the season. Previously, the allusions to Arthurian mythology seemed out of place and somewhat gratuitous. It still feels that way, frankly, but at least it’s going somewhere. I didn’t catch any explanation for how Arthurian mythology fit into the story as it stands, but perhaps that will be pulled together before long.
While the “alternate universe” plot thread was mostly a means of slipping in the exposition regarding the Merlin/Arthur’s Mantle concept, I liked that it was interwoven into the Sodan plot thread. Unfortunately, the Sodan plot thread annoyed me to no end. The Sodan were a nice way to riff on the Jaffa while tying them directly into the Ori arc. Now, that’s not possible, because the Sodan are dead. And they were killed by a Sodan warrior turned into an Ori Zombie, which was just a bit lame.
That’s not to say that the episode was lacking in redeeming qualities. The interplay between Mitchell and Teal’c is becoming one of the best features of the show, which will serve as a nice complement, I’m sure, to future Daniel/Vala banter. And though Sam is often the odd one out in such cases, she has a great rapport with Daniel in this episode. I was also amused by Dr. Lee and his usual antics, which could have been a lot more tiresome.
This episode continues to bring the season back in the direction of the arc that dominated the first half of the ninth season, and presumably, the seeds for the tenth season are also being planted. While the producers and writers still talk about loosening the arc structure even more (thus returning to a format that I found tiresome by the fifth season), there’s still enough question about the future of the series to force plot threads to be more prominent and connective.
Writing: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4
Final Rating: 6/10
posted by John Keegan | 12:09
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