Stargate: SG-1 10.6: "200"
Written by Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi, Paul Mullie, Damien Kindler, Martin Gero, and Alan McCullough
Directed by Martin Wood
This is the kind of episode that is quite impossible to review, because the plot is merely a device for celebration of an unusual and amazing accomplishment. Considering how close the series has come to cancellation over the years (essentially, every season since the fifth season), who could have predicted that 200 episodes would be a possibility? And really, how else to celebrate, if not by tongue-in-cheek self-mockery?
Inevitably, there will be complaints. Some will complain that Jack should have been around more, or that Mitchell and Vala were still prominently in the episode. Those would be the fans who would have rather seen the series end than continue on with new characters. Of course, the writers and producers manage to make light of their own decision to keep going. Relatively few targets are left untouched, from the cast, writers, producers, and network. Even so, I’ve seen some who feel deeply insulted by the episode. It’s hard to understand why, and I would have to wonder if those fans missed the point.
A lot of the sketches are hit-or-miss, as one would expect when nearly every writer on the staff gets to play. For my part, I loved the “Thunderbirds/Team America” version of the team, complete with the biting mockery of the dialogue. By the time Daniel was scribbling all over the computer screen, I was laughing hysterically. The Star Trek and Farscape vignettes were also highly appreciated, and I loved the end of the episode, with the writers really giving it to the cast (and from what I hear, it was all taken in good fun).
If anything, I was sad to see it all come to an end. Some of the sketches could have been longer; I’d love to see the outtakes from this episode! From my perspective, the only way to make something so off-format work is to ground it heavily in the continuity (the excellent “Buffy” extravaganza “Once More, With Feeling”) or make it something completely stand-alone (the banner “X-Files” episode “Jose Chung’s ‘From Outer Space’”). “200” definitely falls into the latter category, and it does a nice job of it.
With this celebration out of the way, there’s every reason to believe that the season arc will return with a vengeance in the next episode. I look forward to it, since this has been one of the most consistent seasons of the series, in terms of plot arc progression, since the series began. When the episodes have strayed, the results have been mixed. This is the rare exception: a stand-alone that tries to be nothing but entertaining and celebratory. I feel that it more than met that goal, and I congratulate the cast, crew, and production staff on a banner achievement.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Recent episodes cover the “Stargate SG-1”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
Directed by Martin Wood
This is the kind of episode that is quite impossible to review, because the plot is merely a device for celebration of an unusual and amazing accomplishment. Considering how close the series has come to cancellation over the years (essentially, every season since the fifth season), who could have predicted that 200 episodes would be a possibility? And really, how else to celebrate, if not by tongue-in-cheek self-mockery?
Inevitably, there will be complaints. Some will complain that Jack should have been around more, or that Mitchell and Vala were still prominently in the episode. Those would be the fans who would have rather seen the series end than continue on with new characters. Of course, the writers and producers manage to make light of their own decision to keep going. Relatively few targets are left untouched, from the cast, writers, producers, and network. Even so, I’ve seen some who feel deeply insulted by the episode. It’s hard to understand why, and I would have to wonder if those fans missed the point.
A lot of the sketches are hit-or-miss, as one would expect when nearly every writer on the staff gets to play. For my part, I loved the “Thunderbirds/Team America” version of the team, complete with the biting mockery of the dialogue. By the time Daniel was scribbling all over the computer screen, I was laughing hysterically. The Star Trek and Farscape vignettes were also highly appreciated, and I loved the end of the episode, with the writers really giving it to the cast (and from what I hear, it was all taken in good fun).
If anything, I was sad to see it all come to an end. Some of the sketches could have been longer; I’d love to see the outtakes from this episode! From my perspective, the only way to make something so off-format work is to ground it heavily in the continuity (the excellent “Buffy” extravaganza “Once More, With Feeling”) or make it something completely stand-alone (the banner “X-Files” episode “Jose Chung’s ‘From Outer Space’”). “200” definitely falls into the latter category, and it does a nice job of it.
With this celebration out of the way, there’s every reason to believe that the season arc will return with a vengeance in the next episode. I look forward to it, since this has been one of the most consistent seasons of the series, in terms of plot arc progression, since the series began. When the episodes have strayed, the results have been mixed. This is the rare exception: a stand-alone that tries to be nothing but entertaining and celebratory. I feel that it more than met that goal, and I congratulate the cast, crew, and production staff on a banner achievement.
(As a sidenote: I also have a podcast associated with my various reviews called “Dispatches from Tuzenor”. Recent episodes cover the “Stargate SG-1”, so it might be something of interest. Go to http://entil2001.libsyn.com if you want to listen!)
Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 8/10
posted by John Keegan | 11:03
1 Comments:
I am a very big SG-1 fan, I enjoy your reviews, I am not as big a Fan of SGA as I am of SG-1, What you say about SGA is very true, but I still enjoy the reviews of it. Just wondering where the SGA review is. Keep up the good work.
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