teacake does Stargate: punch it

[DWF]

^^Is there an SG1 script book now? Where did you get that excerpt from?

 

[gturner]

I just made that up.

I rewatched SG-1 episodes so many times that I think I internalized the dynamics.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Also, Carter's father is a dick.

Whoa, whoa, whoa...let's not go making hasty judgments! You might find that you grow to like him. He is pretty annoying in his first appearance, though, I'll give you that.

Well, don't forget that he's dying and just wants to get closer to his estranged daughter again...

I am dying! Fulfill my dreams damnit!!

Hey at least he didn't expect a grandchild.

 

[DWF]

I just made that up.

I rewatched SG-1 episodes so many times that I think I internalized the dynamics.

LOL!!! Nicely done, I could see Jack having that conversation with Teal'c with just a touch more sarcasm.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Bane: Teal'c has a great Hulk moment punching his way out of a military truck. A child with a negligent parent appears to be eating a pollywaffle which confused me, but perhaps there is another long round chocolate bar that looks like a turd out there. Very Dramatic moments when Teal'c pulls the worm from his gut and abandons it on the floor.

A fast, tight, interesting episode chock full of content and twists.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Spirits: GILLS on their faces!!! Where their noses should be!

Each one moistly flicking open in turn..

Hope they won some award for that make up, it was very impressive.

I enjoyed this episode because the benevolent faux god aliens actually kicked ass and were ready to blow up Stargate Command as it was a threat to their pets. I'm thinking there must be some unspoken symbiosis between them and the Indians because it didn't seem in their nature to just hover around helping out for the duration of the Indians' evolution.

 

[gturner]

I liked and didn't like that episode, because while presenting new aliens in a new role, it portrayed Indians as simple-minded, perhaps semi-retarded, and utterly peaceful. The revisionist stereotypes were glaring, which is unfortunate because the series usually portrays tribal leaders from Egyptian or early European cultures as intelligent, cunning, sharp-witted allies and adversaries who simply lacked our knowledge base.

I'm not sure what the writer was aiming at with a tribe who belonged in a special ed class, except perhaps to show what happens to a culture that has actual benevolent gods whose protection keeps them in an infantile state.

I picked up hints at that in the episode, in their discussions about the "natural evolution" and whether the tribe was ready to see the real forms of their protectors, but perhaps the writer's original point got lost in edits and story meetings because it was too close to current stereotypes for someone not to seize on the "We're the evili defilers of harmonious natives" angle, an angle used throughout the series but without portraying a particular ethnic group as descendents of short yellow bus riders.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Other than an elder saying a few words all the interaction with the Indians was with Tonane. We can't really judge the whole tribe on one dude who was probably following the SG team around because he was a bit of an oddball, though obviously trusted by the elders to go through the stargate and check stuff out.

 

[gturner]

That's probably true. I think I might've had some kind of adverse "OMG Jar Jar Binks!" reaction to his character. But thank goodness the same writing team never had SG-1 visit a Southern slave plantation planet with the same lack of self-awareness, because Christopher Judge would've smashed them over the head with the watermelons and flung the fried chicken at them, greatly upsetting the prop department who had spent so much time setting up the obligatory welcoming feast scene.

ETA: Yeah, pretty obviously that episode still grates on me, even though the aliens were extremely well done in all respects.

 

[AJ86]

I liked and didn't like that episode, because while presenting new aliens in a new role, it portrayed Indians as simple-minded, perhaps semi-retarded, and utterly peaceful.

My interpretation was that the reason they were so trusting and naive is because they've had the Spirits watching over them for their entire lives. Deception in general would almost be a foreign concept to them, or at least certainly not something they would assume of visitors. For them, "other people" would likely have much more positive connotations than it would for other societies.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

The Tokra, pt 1 and 2: Well this was a cracker of a double ep!

Extremely interesting about the mutual symbiosis. So many questions raised which hopefully we get answers to.. such as how this mutuality came about.

Garshaw was another "interesting face", a freaky headmistress Tokra woman.

Fantastic sets, the tunnels were awesome.

I am now a fan of Carter's dad, he is a hoot! His story was quite inspiring, ready to take such a leap within hours of first hearing about the stargate. Yes he had little choice if he didn't want to die but he it did it bravely and with curiosity and good humor. It makes me wonder, if I were that age and offered a chance to radically depart from every bit of normal life I had known would I do it?

 

[gturner]

Yes, that was a great double-ep.

I also was pleased that they showed his initial skepticism and continued surprise instead of just showing the start of the conversation and then just cutting to "sometime later." I've been reading David Weber's "Safehold" series and everytime they let someone new in on their big secret, he sets up the start of the conversation and then cuts directly to "six hours later" completely skipping the wonderment of the reveal. In many ways, the reveal is the big payoff for the fans because they can easily imagine their reaction to being let in on the big secret, or letting someone else in on it.

Oh, and the eerie soundtrack they used becomes the Tok'ra background music throughout the rest of the series, if I recall correctly. Unfortunately they never do explain why the Goa'uld have so much outrageous, edgy fashion sense and the Tok'ra all dress like they' buy their clothes from page 58 of the Dickey's industrial workwear catalog, with a minor exception where they went for the Wilma Flintstone look.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Yes yes that really impressed me how they actually showed him being told the facts and they continued that through the episode! I was waiting for him to say "what's she doing then?" and there to be the cut and him looking shocked. He was still asking questions through the whole thing and in a lot of shows people seem to magically adjust to the wonderment just revealed

I meant to say re the indians, I do agree with you that the presentation was eye rolling, I was certainly darkly muttering about Chakotay at the beginning of that ep. But then my inner apologist kicked in and found reasons for it.

 

[gturner]

Yes yes that really impressed me how they actually showed him being told the facts and they continued that through the episode! I was waiting for him to say "what's she doing then?" and there to be the cut and him looking shocked. He was still asking questions through the whole thing and in a lot of shows people seem to magically adjust to the wonderment just revealed

Yeah, that's one of the critical things science-fiction offers that regular dramas don't. The Terminator series and the Matrix crucially depended on it, and it's fun to watch the character's struggle with new, unbelievable realities.

I meant to say re the indians, I do agree with you that the presentation was eye rolling, I was certainly darkly muttering about Chakotay at the beginning of that ep. But then my inner apologist kicked in and found reasons for it.

Yeah, it irritated me a little at the beginning but I surpressed it. It was on subsequent viewings, after I had absorbed the aliens and the storyline, that I really started to have trouble overlooking it.

I wonder if they tossed around the idea of writing the benevelont alien storyline (supporting a false but good religion that leaves the inhabitants dependent) with a Christian theme, with archangels answering prayers and the like, or whether that would've veered far too close to declaring Christianity to be worshipping a false god, too, upsetting too much of the fanbase.

Of course, if one of the Goa'uld system lords was named Muhammed, half the cast would probably be in hiding now.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Thing is that whole naive and possibly retarded because of the advanced alien caretakers theme is recurrent in Trek. I think we react because it's Indians (or Native PXY-887'ers) as it ties in with dumbass stereotypes we are familiar with. But we already had the same theme in Return of the Archons, Who Mourns for Adonis and others I can't recall. We don't really blink at such a simple people unless it's a simple people we are supposed to be defending from stereotypes.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Touchstone: There is a very beautiful woman in this episode. Imagine my surprise to learn she also played the Hybrid on Battlestar Galactica.



I love corrupt military and government, something Trek only dabbled in as it muddied the idealism. Stolen the stargate?! Yes it's shocking but it makes a whole lot of sense. There's a billions of dollars in that pool and wasn't it cool to see those guys dive into it as if it were a pool?

I'm really enjoying the serial element of this show, not having everything neatly tied up at the end of the episode. They don't just drop stuff never to be mentioned again either, or so it seems so far.

I hate Maybourne, I wish his ugly chipmunk pumpkin face would explode. What a creepy, sweaty little man. I picture him as having a woman at home in a white cashmere sweater fussing over place settings and oblivious to him other than his paycheck.

Hammond's connection amused me, he's usually so blustery but it seems he can play at the game as well.

Great episode, chock full of events and promises for the future.

 

[The Wormhole]

Maybourne's another character that takes some getting used to. Or maybe you have to wait until the later years when they start using him for comic relief.

 

[lurok]

Touchstone: There is a very beautiful woman in this episode. Imagine my surprise to learn she also played the Hybrid on Battlestar Galactica.

I love the various nuBSG crossovers. I'm sure there's a later Tokra episode that uses the same quadrangle building as BSG opener.

Maybourne's another character that takes some getting used to. Or maybe you have to wait until the later years when they start using him for comic relief.

I thought the actor was great from get go, but only grew to love the character later when he was funnier.

 

[Sindatur]

Maybourne's another character that takes some getting used to. Or maybe you have to wait until the later years when they start using him for comic relief.

Teacake's beloved Rodney was like that too. His first appearance, I pretty much wanted to see him nuetered in the most painful way possble, but, he mellowed and became a great character.

Truth be told, I can't recall off off hand, any recurring characters that I disliked for more than one or two appearances

 

[Lindley]

Maybourne is much more fun as a rogue than as a suit.