Overall Rating: 8.6
Teal'c is awesome - the show's writers avoid the dreck that many sci-fi canons fall victim to regarding combating evil with simple dialogue - and oh yes...Teal'c is friggin' AWESOME! Oh I said that already? Well it's TRUE!
Plot Synopsis:
A full recap may be found at the Stargate Wiki.
The Skinny:
Jack O'Neill has more sense about him even than Teal'c. Teal'c major weakness is that he's a bit of an idealist. More than once through the course of this canon, Teal'c is suckered into a cause that Jack finds highly dubious by promises that - without the sacrifice of conflict with his fellow Jaffa - someone has found a way to free Jaffa from Goa'uld oppression. In a later episode, Teal'c is easily hoodwinked by a Goa'uld impersonating a free Jaffa through the use of standard Jaffa codes of honor. In this way, Teal'c confirms a single part of Shan'auc's claims regarding her ability to convert a larval Goa'uld to Tok'ra-ism (yes, communication with your symbiote is possible), and is sold, hook line and sinker, on the rest of the story. Jack knows better. His role in questioning the veracity of Shan'auc's claims is critical. He's the first, for example, to call attention to the fact that the Goa'uld Tanith jumped to his waiting Tok'ra host without any preamble (usually the behavior of a Goa'uld, not a Tok'ra). He's also the first to realize that Tanith is not forthcoming regarding Goa'uld genetic knowledge - a major part of the bargain for Earth's role in this negotiation with the Tok'ra. For this reason, we love Jack.
HOWEVER, despite Teal'c idealistic gullibility, we love him too. His very idealism and the honor with which he conducts himself is also one of his most attractive features and will imbue him with natural leadership potential as more Jaffa rebel. There's a reason we are so pleased by his "vengeance kick." The fact that, when he realizes Tanith has betrayed Shan'auc (to her death), it takes five Tok'ra, Jack O'Neill and later ENORMOUS restraint, to keep him from disemboweling the impostor is a sign of how purely he feels his emotions and how deeply his loyalty and personal sense of honor run. We like that Teal'c is a true believer in the cause of his people's freedom. His greatest weakness is also the very source of strength which allows him to avoid hopelessness at the sight of long...looooonng odds of success and survive torture, separation from family, and years of combat against his fellow men until his people are eventually freed.
Not to be overlooked in all of this, we like that Shan'auc's attempt to talk the Goa'uld out of being evil failed miserably. We really appreciate it when sci-fi writers don't give into the idealistic temptation to resolve conflicts between good and evil with a lovely turn of phrase and a warm handshake. The real world does not work that way and neither should the stories we tell. The Goa'uld are evil because they have an inherently evil philosophy that runs deeper than something that can be cured with talk therapy (essentially what Shan'auc offers). You're not going to talk the bad guy into playing nice by asking politely. In short, evil must be confronted with force and confidence...true love, not idiot compassion (that phrase, BTW, is stolen from Plato and refers to compassion without reason - many in this country express a belief that Islamofascists, for example, would put down their backpack bombs if we just understood their anger and forgave them...that's idiot compassion...to actually love your terrorist neighbor, you must punish his evil acts and correct his corrupt philosophy with the force of your convictions).
At any rate, a thoroughly enjoyable episode with a bit of hammy acting (especially the romantic bits between Teal'c and Shau'nac that seem to come from nowhere) and a solid moral foundation. This 4th season of SG1 is, IMHO its' finest hour in terms of consistent quality, though the over-arching plot involving the Ori is perhaps more interesting.
Writing: 9.3
Lots of things to like about the plot, the characterization, and the dialogue some choice moments in the highlights) in this one.
Acting: 7.5
Chris Judge delivers a bit of a range in performance quality in this one. He and Musetta Vander (Shan'auc) didn't have the chemistry you'd want to sell the romantic angle, but when he goes on his revenge kick, Judge's performance skyrockets in quality. The final confrontation between he and Peter Wingfield (Tanith) is awesome from both sides.
Message: 9.0
Evil is very rarely persuaded to desist its' attack on freedom and decency with a kind word and a rational debate. While it is romantic to imagine such things as possible, we must always keep our heads in the game and be ready to spot deception and evil amongst those who claim to have been reformed, and not fear to use force when other methods fail to produce results (as they so often do). As well, Teal'c honorable way of life - although vulnerable to the right ideological camouflage - is held up as a fine example of what makes a leader...his focus on the people in his life gives him strength that other Jaffa who may have tried to rebel in the past have lacked.
Highlights:
SHAUN'AUC: Bra'tac has told me much of the Tau'ri, you are O'Neill... Teal'c's apprentice.
O'NEILL: Yea-... Apprentice?
SHAUN'AUC: Also a warrior of great skill and cunning.
O'NEILL: Apprentice? (LOL!)
SHAUN'AUC: I have convinced it that the Goa'uld are evil. That its own desires for power and domination are wrong. It is willing to join the Tok'ra and reveal all Goa'uld secrets to them.
O'NEILL: I know I'm just the apprentice at this table, but…
TEAL'C: Why then not instruct this symbiote to deliver these secrets directly?
O'NEILL: Exactly. (indeed...even with the host explanation, why go to the Tok'ra...why not seek out an unblended Jaffa on your own?)
ANISE: The great Queen Egeria, she broke from the Goa'uld over 2000 years ago, her offspring became the Tok'ra.
DANIEL: Egeria, Roman godess of fountains?
O'NEILL: Fountains?
DANIEL: Also childbirth.
O'NEILL: How do those two go together? (LOL)
HEBRON: Tanith wants you to know that we will submit to any test you may wish to perform to assure you that I am speaking freely as host. Rest assured Tanith is pure of heart. Shaun'auc was indeed a great teacher.
O'NEILL: Good, then maybe Tanith wouldn't mind sharing some of that fine Goa'uld knowledge.
TANITH: Of course.
ANISE: When the time is appropriate.
O'NEILL: I think now is appropriate. (so do we all)
ANISE: I disagree.
O'NEILL: Oh, here we go, here we go!
ANISE: Tanith has asked to join the Tok'ra, not the SGC.
O'NEILL: Are you kidding me!
ANISE: We will gladly share what knowledge we feel is useful to the furthering of our alliance with Earth. (UGH!!)
CARTER: Does my father go along with this?
ANISE: I am sure he will.
O'NEILL: How do I hang up with Anise and talk to Freya? (heh)
ANISE: Why?
O'NEILL: I like Freya! (LOL)
ANISE: She and I are in complete agreement.
O'NEILL: How do I know that?
ANISE: I have told you.
O'NEILL: And I'm supposed to trust you…You know this whole talking to two people in one body thing really sucks! (indeed it does...)
O'NEILL: I guess we'll just mosey on back to Earth. Tell General Hammond how the Tok'ra boned us again. (grrr...I feel your pain, Jack)
ANISE: Colonel! Please take no offense.
O'NEILL: Hey, we're getting used to it. Teal'c, you can come back and visit Shaun'auc after we've debriefed. (to Anise sarcastically) That is if it's all right with our good friends and allies.
ANISE: He is welcome, of course.
O'NEILL: Swell…Let's go.
TANITH: Hello, Teal'c. You must feel the pain of Shaun'auc's death as deeply as I do. It is a terrible loss to both of us and has been difficult…Why have you come to see me?
TEAL'C: To look upon you and know that Shaun'auc's sacrifice will not be in vain.
TANITH: You have my promise. I hope one day we will meet again, Teal'c, and together remember she who meant so much to both of us.
TEAL'C: We will meet again. (He bows his head) You have my promise. (heh...awesome)
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