Stargate: SG-1 10.12: "Line in the Sand"

Written by Alan McCullough
Directed by Peter DeLuise

The episode starts with the SGC making strides in hiding troops and materiel from the advancing Ori forces using a device from Merlin, setting the stage for a confrontation. An entire village is under the gun, and a device that can make things disappear into a different dimension sounds like a great idea. It’s a bit annoying for Daniel’s situation to be completely ignored, but with the conflict against the Ori taking center stage, at least it’s relevant to the season arc.

Of course, it doesn’t take long for things to go wrong, and SG-1 is forced into a defensive position when the village chooses to stand their ground. The actual battle begins very quickly, which is a nice touch, and the village falls remarkably fast. It’s a nice touch for Tobin to be the commander of the Ori force, especially once he orders the execution of the village’s defenders.

It’s unusual for one of the team to be injured badly, so Carter’s wound is a nice touch. It gives Mitchell another chance to display his field experience. It’s a bit odd that Carter would give up so easily, but they have dealt with the Ori enough to know how overwhelming their forces can be. Mitchell’s campaign to keep Carter’s faith going is a nice bit of characterization.

Considering Vala’s initial characterization, it’s always great to see her interact with Tobin and struggle with her role as the mother of the Orisi. Vala’s argument with Tobin is a strong depiction of resistance to religion gone horribly wrong. Tobin’s reaction does much to prove Vala’s point. Tobin’s subsequent argument with the Prior is also reflective of those who preach violence through perversion of traditional interpretation of religious parable. Holy words become a pretext for abomination. As always, the nature of Origin has interesting analogues to fundamentalist movements in the real world.

The villagers are left to choose submission to another set of false gods or perish by the sword (or really odd-looking spear), and that speaks well to T’ealc’s character. It’s not surprising that some of the villagers would come to the conclusion that giving up is the only means of survival. But that begs the question: is survival enough, if it means giving up everything that makes survival meaningful?

The ending is somewhat predictable, right down to Tobin’s sacrifice for Vala’s survival and the last-minute deliverance of the village. Even so, as with many of the episodes that deal with the allegorical aspects of the Ori crusade, this delves into the kind of material that helps the episode rise above the simplicity of the typical stand-alone episode.

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

Final Rating: 8/10