Overall Rating: 6.0
Standard action fare for the Gate fans out there - though it does formally introduce us to the most important ally we'll ever win (the Asgard). There are a few quibbles that need to be addressed, however.
Plot Synopsis:
When Stargate Command receives an unknown incoming travelor who delivers something radioactive, Daniel recognizes it as coming from the Sagan Institute box they left on Cimmeria. They send a probe through and learn from Gairwyn that the Goa'uld have arrived on the planet and begun slaughtering the population. It takes little convincing for Hammond to authorize a rescue mission, but somehow, he sends SG-1 in alone and with minimal arms (!)...and they uickly realize they are badly outgunned.
Gairwyn leads them to Kendra's former home (for those who don't remember, she was the former Goa'uld who led SG-1 to Thor's Hammer in the episode of the same name)...she was killed in the first round of attacks but Sam realizes now that she can use Goa'uld technology including the ribbon device and the healing stone. then, they are led to the caves in which the Cimmerian people have taken refuge. Olaf resists their arrival, blaming them for this invasion, but is quickly convinced that they're his only hope of defeating the Goa'uld invaders. He leads Teal'c and O'Neill on a scouting mission where we meet Heru-Ur for the first time. The son of Ra and Hathor (there's a lovely image), he has taken possession of Cimmeria. Meanwhile Sam and Daniel talk to Gairwyn and learn of a possible weapon hidden on the planet in "the Hall of Thor's Might."
When O'Neill, Teal'c and Olaf (barely) escape from Heru-Ur's forces and return to the cave, a plan is made to send Daniel and Sam out with Gairwyn to find Thor's Hall while the rest remain behind to plant explosives and prepare for attack. Sam, Daniel, and Gairwyn quickly find themselves being tested for wisdom, bravery and selflessness to gain access to the Asgard through the real Thor while O'Neill and Teal'c prove their worth to Olaf through superior battle strategy. Eventually, the team does succeed in contacting Thor and warning him that the Hammer device has been destroyed, whereupon he scoops up Gairwyn and throws Sam and Daniel back to the planet. They meet up with the rest of SG-1 and the situation seems dire - the cave has been located by Heru-Ur's forces and they're surrounded. Given no alternative, they surrendor to Heru-Ur's Jaffa, but while en route to his encampment, Thor arrives in an Asgard mothership and beams the Goa'uld away en masse. SG-1 is told they're too young to meet with the Asgard directly but maybe some day, they will.
Writing: 6.0
Ehh...there are some cute moments (highlighted below) and some rather convenient plot-holes that need explaining, not to mention a mild annoyance of mine with how stupid the locals on all of these planets seem to be. Modern Hollywood writers seem to conflate lack of worldly knowledge with lack of common sense and intellectual capacity. There's no doubt that we, in our less advnaced forms of the past, lacked worldly knowledge...but I don't think we were demonstrably stupider than we are today. Gairwyn, after being told they must prove their worth to Thor, asks again "drrrrrrr...are we being tested?" And then, after being told that the image of Thor is not really there...it's a hologram...she asks "drrrr...why does he foresake me?" Meanwhile, Olaf, seeing us charge in with our obviously superior weaponry is all too ready to charge headlong into suicide raids rather than thinking about things more rationally. Plot holes will be discussed in the quibbles below.
Acting: 5.0
Gairwyn and Olaf are definitely not impressive to me...both lacking in three-dimensions or in subtlety...the rest of the cast does its usual solid job with the acting, but nothing stands out in this episode. I have nothing groundbreakingly intelligent to say on this matter, so I won't waste your time.
Message: 7.0
I have one negative comment and one positive comment. On the negative side, my comment takes the form of a question. Gairwyn says it's forbidden to touch the stone that activates the transporter to the Hall of Thor's Might. Forbidden by who? If the answer is Thor...then the Stargate writers appear to be suggesting that to be mature enough to be worthy of advanced diplomatic relationships, a society must question its religion. Now I'm not one to suggest that questioning your faith is bad...in fact, I think it is absolutely NECESSARY...but it feeds into my general concern that the Gate writers think all of our faiths are based on some advanced alien race (the ancients, the Asgard, the Goa'uld, the Nox, etc) rather than by something more meaningful.
On the positive side, I do enjoy that the message is once again hammered home that the path to freedom, enlightenment and truth is paved with self-reliance and personal responsibility. "Thor teaches us to stand with him as equals!" - says Olaf. So it's not all bad.
Highlights:
TEAL'C: The stargate is now heavily guarded. The Goa'uld are aware of our presence here.
SAM: Which means we can't evacuate the Cimmerians.
DANIEL: I guess we'll have to hold up in here for awhile until things calm down.
TEAL'C: Things will not calm down, Daniel Jackson. They will in fact calm up. (LOL!)
Really the only laugh-worthy moment, I fear.
Quibbles:
1) Why did Hammon'd "devil's advocate" argument center on something we know he'd NEVER say..."why should we care about some other world?" Really??? Sorry, but no. Hammond might have objected on the grounds that taking on a Goa'uld invasion force was beyond their capabilities...but he wouldn't have abandoned people who were clearly in danger because of our own actions.
2) Why did he send in SG-1 alone? Knowing how armed the Goa'uld tend to be, why the heck did they go in without a massive stash of weapons and marines?
3) If the tests in Thor's Hall were designed to check for the maturity and intelligence of the Cimmerians before he revealed his true form, why were they simple enough for some mathematician from Rome to defeat?? Pi? That's the best test the writers could think of?
4) Gairwyn got to meet Thor, but not O'Neill? G'bwwaahh??
The script seems very haphazard indeed.
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