Stargate: SG-1 10.10: "The Quest: Part I"
Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
Directed by Andy Mikita
So, here we are, the mid-season break, and it’s time to sit back and take a look at how “SG-1” is holding up under the strain. All in all, this season started off strong, but there have been some stumbles along the way. Generally, anything that has involved Ba’al or the Lucian Alliance has been less than inspiring. Considering that this particular episode featured Ba’al (or one of them, anyway), it had a lot going against it from the beginning.
I fully acknowledge that the decision to incorporate Arthurian elements into the show included certain storytelling conventions. They play up the whole “quest” idea on a regular basis, so it’s not a huge surprise. However, while they’ve flirted with conventional fantasy elements, I don’t remember them stepping so far over that line as they have in this particular case. I suppose the title fits the bill perfectly.
This felt like “SG-1 Does D&D”, which I suppose will appeal to a number of fans. Truth be told, I don’t have a problem with the conventions, so long as they are used in a consistent and entertaining manner. This must have looked great on the page during the breakdown sessions, because it had all the clichéd bits: the enemies forced into working together, the “clever” challenges, each team member bringing something vital to the table, etc. And Adria’s wonderful outfit pretty much sealed the deal (Morena wears corset so well!).
The problem with using such a familiar standard is that the audience doesn’t really have to pay attention to the plot. The story will progress in the expected fashion and there will be few surprises. As such, it’s a lot easier to see where the writers fumbled. Who didn’t think that tossing the ubiquitous sand around in the little “time distortion maze” would have been smarter than tossing one rock at a time? Sand would have meant “instant walls”.
Such a solution might have also covered up the other problem with several sequences: poor pacing. The “time maze” took an enormous amount of time, and it looked fairly ridiculous. There’s a certain amount of self-awareness involved, and everything is asking us to laugh along, but there’s a big difference between inspired self-parody and spotty production.
I wish I had more to say about this episode, but it didn’t inspire much thought or consideration. At least with the Ori-heavy episodes, I can latch on to the philosophical concepts at play. There was precious little of that in this episode, and so I didn’t find it particularly memorable or thrilling (Morena notwithstanding). As I measure it, Season 10 is averaging about 6.9, which translates to an average show: solid enough, but nothing distinctive. Considering how well the season started out, that’s not what I had been expecting. Hopefully the final 10 episodes will be less uneven.
(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: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 1/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 7/10
Directed by Andy Mikita
So, here we are, the mid-season break, and it’s time to sit back and take a look at how “SG-1” is holding up under the strain. All in all, this season started off strong, but there have been some stumbles along the way. Generally, anything that has involved Ba’al or the Lucian Alliance has been less than inspiring. Considering that this particular episode featured Ba’al (or one of them, anyway), it had a lot going against it from the beginning.
I fully acknowledge that the decision to incorporate Arthurian elements into the show included certain storytelling conventions. They play up the whole “quest” idea on a regular basis, so it’s not a huge surprise. However, while they’ve flirted with conventional fantasy elements, I don’t remember them stepping so far over that line as they have in this particular case. I suppose the title fits the bill perfectly.
This felt like “SG-1 Does D&D”, which I suppose will appeal to a number of fans. Truth be told, I don’t have a problem with the conventions, so long as they are used in a consistent and entertaining manner. This must have looked great on the page during the breakdown sessions, because it had all the clichéd bits: the enemies forced into working together, the “clever” challenges, each team member bringing something vital to the table, etc. And Adria’s wonderful outfit pretty much sealed the deal (Morena wears corset so well!).
The problem with using such a familiar standard is that the audience doesn’t really have to pay attention to the plot. The story will progress in the expected fashion and there will be few surprises. As such, it’s a lot easier to see where the writers fumbled. Who didn’t think that tossing the ubiquitous sand around in the little “time distortion maze” would have been smarter than tossing one rock at a time? Sand would have meant “instant walls”.
Such a solution might have also covered up the other problem with several sequences: poor pacing. The “time maze” took an enormous amount of time, and it looked fairly ridiculous. There’s a certain amount of self-awareness involved, and everything is asking us to laugh along, but there’s a big difference between inspired self-parody and spotty production.
I wish I had more to say about this episode, but it didn’t inspire much thought or consideration. At least with the Ori-heavy episodes, I can latch on to the philosophical concepts at play. There was precious little of that in this episode, and so I didn’t find it particularly memorable or thrilling (Morena notwithstanding). As I measure it, Season 10 is averaging about 6.9, which translates to an average show: solid enough, but nothing distinctive. Considering how well the season started out, that’s not what I had been expecting. Hopefully the final 10 episodes will be less uneven.
(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: 1/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 1/2
Style: 2/4
Final Rating: 7/10
posted by John Keegan | 16:53
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