Overall Rating: 7.0
MUCH better than the first part of this split two-part episode - Into the Fire winds up being genuinely fun in places (YEEEEEEHHAAAWW!!!!! - Gate fans know what I mean. :) ), though it certainly isn't up there amongst the feature-worthy episodes from this franchise. Just a solid good time.
Plot Synopsis:
Sg-1 (minus Teal'c) are prisoners of Hathor and she's got a hankering for some intel and a mature Goa'uld to implant. She lets the snake choose for itself - it doesn't like Carter, considers Daniel, but eventually selects O'Neill (much to Jack's overwhelming joy...heh) - and, despite a brief delay caused by an apparently unwise zat blast issued by a woman who turns out to be a Tok'ra spy, he and his cohorts are subdued and the implantation is made. It takes some time for a Goa'uld to completely control its new host, so for the time being, Jack must fight it. The spy sneaks Jack into cryogenic suspension and promises that the Goa'uld within him won't survive the deep freeze.
Meanwhile, at the SGC, Colonel Makepeace scurries into General Hammond's office and reports that the Tok'ra have knowledge of the location of SG-1. They review blueprints of Hathor's mock SGC and Hammond orders every available SG team to prepare to deploy on a search and rescue mission over the objection of Major Davis from the Pentagon. And on Chu'lak, Bra'tac and Teal'c are reunited - Bra'tac is in bad shape...beaten half to death by a mob loyal to Apophis who mistakenly believe Chlorel will return to claim his father's inheritance. Teal'c hopes to raise an army to search for his friends from SG-1, but Bra'tac warns that it will not be easy to find any takers.
The SG assault on Hathor's base is going well until Hathor manages to raise a defense shield trapping many of the airmen inside the structure. Those on the other side return to the SGC to report on this new development and Hammond asks for heavy armor to try to take the base by force. Davis and the Pentagon refuse, saying he's already committed way too much to one rescue. Angry, Hammond heads to Chu'lak to see if he can get Teal'c's help (and any other Jaffa assistance he can muster). He manages to grab Bra'tac, Teal'c and one other volunteer after Teal'c makes a rousing speech that falls on deaf ears re: Apophis' death and the Jaffa's right to freedom. They take a couple of gate-jumping ships for a test-flight and decide to use them to attack Hathor's base, but first they need the all clear from their teams inside the bubble shield that the barrier is down.
Carter and Makepeace discover a series of Tok'ra tunnels under the base and hide out in there, while outside powerful turrets prevent any ground assault. Carter realizes the power source to the shield must be inside the base. She heads back to locate and destroy it. Jaffa begin swarming the tunnels looking for the humans and a pitched battle ensues to buy time, eventually ending in the capture of all of the surviving SG team members other than Jack and Sam. When O'Neill regains consciousness, he manages to dispatch Hathor quite nicely and he and Carter locate the power source for the shield. They neutalize it just in time to let Hammond and Teal'c cut the enemy turrets to shreds and everyone makes it home in one piece.
Writing: 6.5
The script gets a few bonus points for Teal'c's big speech (highlighted below) and for keeping the plot moving forward quite nicely for the whole hour (no boredom here). However, about 20 of the 44 minutes of TV in this episode were dialogue free battle sequences (LOL), so we can't be TOO generous with the scoring. Outside of the start of Teal'c's rise into a leadership role amongst his people, the rest of the words are ordinary banter and sci-fi/action babble. Not that there's anything particularly wrong with that - it just isn't going to earn the show a big score compared to others.
Acting: 7.5
I must confess...as much fun as it was to watch Hammond howling like an old cowpoke, I can't say it was a terribly well-acted howl. It rather reminded me of someone pretending to be surprised by an impromptu party in that the big emotional outburst came with a significant delay between turret destruction and howl...it was very odd. I must also say that Samantha Ferris (Tok'ra Doc Raully) and Suanne Braun (Hathor) both rather sucked in their guest roles. Hathor sucked the first time too, so I shouldn't be surprised about that. On the other hand, Chris Judge finally gets to stretch a bit and do more than cock his eyebrow knowingly or say "indeed"...and he proves he's got game. :)
Message: 7.0
Message #1 has been done a dozen times in Gate already, and because it's a military show, it'll be done a hundred more times before the series concludes. We don't leave our people behind if there is any way to help them. That's how to get men to do incredible things that few of us could stomach. You trade their willingness to take huge risks for your trustworthiness (they must believe you have their back or they're not going to be able to do their jobs). You see the same thing in the world of sports. If your baseball team is lead by a manager who undermines players to make a point, who is emotional to the point of irrationality, or who makes spectacularly unsound decisions in your name, that team is not going to play up to its potential I've observed all three of those things happen on MLB clubs and I'm sure there are any number of military men out there who've seen a C.O. fail to live up to his responsibilities as well, causing more deaths and losing more battles than he should as a result. Politicians who've never served in the military just don't get this. That's why I prefer to vote for candidates who have a significant military record (and who are loved by comrades in the armed forces). Major Davis is this week's "damned politico" stand-in...representing the disconnect between Big Government bureaucracy and our boys on the ground.
Message #2 is a little ahead of its time on Chu'lak, but is one of the big reasons I got interested in Stargate in the first place. Teal'c howling into the crowd that a slave is only a slave until he chooses to fight and die rather than accept his "fate"...that freedom is universal and that the Goa'uld are just as mortal as the rest of them and just as afraid of what will happen after they die...this is stuff I wish got more air time once the Jaffa rebellion started - they kind of glossed over it until the 9th season when the Jaffa had to choose between fighting and dying or submitting to the Ori.
Highlights:
MAKEPEACE: Sir, unlike our own facility, the perimeter of the base is unguarded. We shouldn't encounter resistance until we're inside and even there it will be light.
HAMMOND: Can we trust that information, Colonel?
MAKEPEACE: Their operative on the inside took a big risk just to get us this information, sir. I think so.
DAVIS: If they have someone on the inside, why can't they do something to free our people?
HAMMOND: They already have. They gave us the information we needed.
MAKEPEACE: Sir, my men and I are ready to deploy.
HAMMOND: And you will, Colonel - but you're not going alone. Sergeant, get me the President on the phone. Colonel, order all available SG teams to report to embarkation room immediately.
MAKEPEACE: Yes, sir.
DAVIS: Sir...do you really intend to commit all of the resources of this command?
HAMMOND: I only wish I could, Major. Nearly half of our teams are off world on other missions right now.
DAVIS: That's not what I mean, sir. SG-1 is...a valuable asset...but they're still only one team!
HAMMOND: Son, you've got a lot to learn about how we do things around here. (Indeed! :) )
TEAL'C: The Goa'uld are not gods!
WOMAN: Shol'va!
TEAL'C: It is a lie we live each day! Only when he takes a host does a Goa'uld become strong. Even then, only as strong as the Jaffa who serve him.
WOMAN: Lies...
TEAL'C: We are their strength! We are their power! Until we choose to serve them no more. I was witness to the last breath of the false God Apophis. I watched him tremble with fear at what lay beyond. I believed it would be a day forever celebrated on Chu'lak. Instead...I see Jaffa taking up arms against one another. I see cowardice. And I am ashamed. This is our time. It will not come again. But first we must grow strong - like the Tauri have done. I call for warriors to walk with me through the chappa'ai. To gather weapons - forge alliances with other Jaffa who seek freedom! To show the Goa'uld that we will do battle with them wherever they may be. Who will join me. (Natural born leader!)
HAMMOND: (after the entire crowd but two lonely Jaffa disperses) Not what I'd call an army...but it's a start.
BRA'TAC: Hammond...of Texas!
HAMMOND: Master Bra'tac - gentlemen...I need your help. (awesome!)
HATHOR: We will destroy you for this!
O'NEILL: We! Just want you! To GO AWAY!! (thus passes Hathor - good riddance)
TROSKY: I will give you one minute to surrender!
CARTER: The reinforcements should come through the gate in a couple of minutes. We could blow the C4.
JACK: Trosky's gonna start shooting anything that moves if anything goes down. We just need to buy a minute, right? Then the cavalry shows up?
CARTER: What if they don't?
JACK: What if they don't??
CARTER: They will, sir! Sorry.
JACK: Yeah. (Jack makes to leave and head for the Jaffa holding the rest of the SG teams including Daniel hostage)
CARTER: What are you gonna do, sir?
JACK: (waves Carter off and heads down the hill) Jaffa, kree!!
TROSKY: Tel mak, Goa'uld.
JACK: You heard me! I said kree! (LOL!)
DANIEL: Jack?
JACK: Daniel! How ya doin'! Makepeace (gives the "a.o.k" symbol), Nice rescue! Good job! (LOL!)
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