Overall Rating:9.0
Sometimes, clarity comes from the reaction of the uninitiated. A friend of mine watched this episode with me as I prepared to review it, and those untrained reactions convinced me that this episode was a marginal feature.
Plot Synopsis:
Get the description at the Stargate Wiki...or, if you're smart, watch the show first, because the spoiler might take some of the sting out of it for you.
The Skinny:
SPOILER ALERT
My commentary cannot possibly avoid the big twist at the end, but if you don't want your virgin experience wrecked, you should stop reading here and just watch the episode. My apologies in advance for those of you who do not heed my warning.
This episode works as an important character piece for Teal'c, for O'Neill, and for Bra'tac...part of Teal'c's journey from idealistic dreamer with a warrior's heart to true leader and philosopher is the necessary shedding of his romanticism for old-world Jaffa traditions in the face of a changing reality. The Jaffa seem to want an end to Goa'uld oppression without a compensatory end to the Goa'uld-instituted Jaffa religion and all of its' excessive focus on warrior pride, death worship, and loyalty as the only necessary virtues. Teal'c needed this painful lesson to teach him that the values he holds dear were taught to him by a race bent on using propaganda to keep him subservient.
Like all good propaganda, there is great wisdom and truth in what the Goa'uld (through their high priestesses) have taught Jaffa for centuries. Loyalty is a wonderful virtue and can give a group of men incredible power to do the seemingly impossible. Warrior pride and trust is absolutely essential in any combat unit. And fearing death can and will destroy a man's ability to fight in times when death seems likely. But these things cannot form the basis of an entire civilization...or even an army. The Jaffa need to embrace something bigger than a thirst for revenge, a brotherly trust earned by nothing but a shared glance and a vow of loyalty, and a desire to die free. They need to envision a set of guiding principles that will motivate their future. Until that happens, they will always be susceptible to the likes of Immo'tep - they will be all too eager to embrace hope without the application of reason, far too swayed by promises that change won't come with a price, and far too ready to die without a good cause.
The thing is...we humans have mastered that concept because we are free...Jack is the perfect counterpoint for Teal'c here...a street-wise CO with a general distrust for big promises...and for death wishes. The one thing I don't understand about this episode...the only reason I don't give it a higher mark...is the decision by Lord Yew to release Teal'c. If the System Lords know that Immo'tep is working to crush the Jaffa rebellion in its' infancy, then why give Teal'c the information he needs to unmask the pretender and rescue the rebel Jaffa...why not execute Teal'c and allow all those rebels to die...and then kill Immo'tep for his trouble. That would seem more like the System-Lord thing to do. But the writers needed Teal'c to learn the truth and they needed him to survive somehow. There had to be a better way to accomplish this. Other than that plot hole...this episode is necessary and well-done and it definitely surprised my friend (to her great satisfaction, I might add).
Writing: 8.0
The power of Deus Ex Machina! to the rescue!! No seriously, apart from the bit with Yew, this is a well-written story, and the twist is just twisty enough to surprise most viewers.
Acting: 9.5
I do think Rick Worthy hammed it up a bit as K'tano, but other than a few bombastic bellows of bigness from the guest star, the acting is phenomenal - especially RDA and Chris Judge.
Message: 9.5
Faith is crucial to the success of freedom and happiness...but faith in a set of principles that are insufficient upon which to build a civilization can be ruinous. Teal'c's transformation into a great leader of a new, free Jaffa nation begins here.
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