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"Dominion" and "Vengeance"
Just my thoughts on the two most recent episodes. Spoilers for SG-1's "Dominion" and Atlantis's "Vengeance". Take a guess as to which one I liked more. Also, some minor speculation on future events/episodes is included under the cut.
SG-1: Dominion
What I liked:
- It was old school SG-1 with an actually rather quick moving plot and this odd thing called “Character Development”.
- Given the set up of most of the episodes so far this season, you would have expected this to be drawn out into two episodes. I loved that it was one. The timing was so much better and you got more of a sense of the urgency of the team just trying to get a head up on this thing.
- I loved Vala in this, all the way.
o Her feelings of abandonment when she thinks her team left her high and dry. How many times has she been abandoned in her life? By how many people? You have her father, her village, the Tok’ra after ‘freeing’ her, the Lucian Alliance, her husband… The only person not to abandon her so far is her daughter, who she would rather would actually just go away.
o When she goes with Adria because being with her is better than being alone.
o When you find out the whole plan was hers in the first place – she took a risk and it (almost) paid off.
o Her being pissed at being ‘captured’ after she got away fair and square.
- I love the team trying to reassure her and be there for her.
- I love Vala saying all the right words about not caring about Adria again and again as if she can convince herself of it, and none of her friends believing her, but letting her believe they do.
- I loved some of the subtle things that relate back to show history, without being blatant and saying, “Oh yeah, remember…”
o Vala walking away from the surgery while rubbing her neck was a wonderful reminder of the fact she has been through this before and knows full well what to expect, not to mention a hint at all the memories that have to be floating around in her head at that point.
o The Tok’ra calling Vala Qetesh and her team realizing these were the same people who both helped her, and then abandoned her to be tortured by her own people after they removed the symbiote. Sam, Daniel, and Mitchell all look like they would slap the Tok’ra doctor if they did not need his help.
- Vala being the one to decide the fate of her daughter – nice touch.
- I loved the team tearing up the ship to try to get to Daniel and Vala before Adria could do anything to them.
- Adria’s ascending and pretty much all of the SGC going, “Oh, fuck.”
Things I did not like/Issues I had with the episode:
- If Vala really is supposed to be this galaxy-class thief, don’t you think she would be better at hustling that cargo ship away from the idiots without being caught?
- Could Adria, with the knowledge of the ascended Ori, really be fooled by the use of technology created by the lesser humans?
- Ba’al’s nefarious plan was to put himself in a more powerful being while she couldn’t fight back. Um, what about when she overcame the anti-Prior device and had control again? Did he really think he could control that powerful of a mind? Then again, if there’s one thing the System Lords do not lack, it’s hubris.
- They never explained if it was actually Ba’al or a Ba’al clone put in Adria.
- Do you really think SG-1 would just leave Ba’al on his ship with his
Randomness:
- I’m not sure if everyone is going to get some of the more subtle stuff they allowed in this episode. Far too many episodes for far too long have been banging people over the head with things to stress their importance. Not that I’m complaining. I rather like the assumption the viewer is not an idiot and can remember the important stuff from the past.
- Just what does Adria have against Daniel? From the beginning she’s pretty much either wanted to control him or wanted him dead. Could it be that there is more left in him from his time with the Ancients than he is letting on? Are they going to expand on this, or will we have to resort to fan fic?
~~~~~~~~~~
Atlantis: Vengeance
Let’s get this out in the open first: I do not like bugs. I do not like creepy crawly things of any size. This strongly plays a role in my review of this episode.
Things I liked:
- They actually referenced one of the past cultures from previous episodes. Too bad they killed them all.
- Ronon actually standing up to John. You have to wonder how long he was keeping that inside.
- Rodney ignoring his own injuries when there was more important things going on.
-
Things I did not like/Issues I had with the episode:
- Bugs.
- They never explained how Michael got so far so fast other than, “Oh, I guess he’s smart.”
- How the hell did Michael eradicate an entire village without being stopped? One Wraith (kinda) versus an entire technologically advanced society.
- Teyla being the damsel in distress. In her defense, it really does not happen that often, but seriously, did we need to see it strongly implied she could be raped at any moment by Michael or the Super Bug?
- Enough with the flashbacks in every fricken episode!
- So, while I will grudgingly admit the special effects with the close ups of the Super Bug’s hands and pinchers were neat, the far away shots really reminded me of the costuming for the super villains on Power Rangers (my mother had a day care, so sue me). There was a reason you only really saw them when they were lit by the explosions. It made me giggle. Also, it made me fear the possibility they will continue to use these things with their hideous costumes as the big bad for upcoming seasons.
- Did I mention the bugs?
Randomness:
- One of the things I fear is that with Weir taking so much responsibility over the Wraith retro-virus fiasco, they are hinting she is not capable of command, leaving it open for Super!Sam (spoiler, but pretty well known) to come sweeping in next season.
- So Michael has hundreds of these things on dozens of planets? Great. Go-Go Power Rangers!