Overall Rating: ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ-point-ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
(no really...I'll give this one a 5.0)
How many episodes of Stargate can we really get a kick out of that center on the odl sci-fi trope about us encountering something too advanced to understand, frakkin' it all up because we want to acquire it and then fixing it only by our own willingness to give of ourselves, rather than taking. It's been done to death.
Plot Synopsis:
The scintillating coverage of this episode can be found at the Stargate Wiki.
The (very skinny) Skinny:
To borrow a line from the very witty sitcom "Frasier":
"At Cambridge University, there is a fascinating piece of equipment known as the tunneling electron microscope. Now with this scientific marvel, physicists are able to look inside the very essence of matter - seeing not only the atom, but the subatomic particles that make up our universe. If I were to use that microscope right now, sir...I still wouldn't be able to locate my interest in [this episode]."
We've covered this before...but...the NID is flippin' BORING. And do you why they're boring? Because they're predictable. Why is it that whenever you need humans to screw up (minus one or two stand-out episodes) due to over-ambition, you have to write the NID into the plot...and it's always SG-1 that either sways the bad guys to the light side of the force, or bags the bad guy and saves the day? I am not a fan of writing all of your characters as if they have no true virtue to them...but the story-telling should be a BIT more complicated than it is regarding the NID. Just once, I'd like to see the NID be RIGHT about something (maybe for the wrong reason or maybe their reaction to some correct intelligence is bad...but they are at least one step up on SG-1...they can't all be short-sighted idiots!). Just once, I'd like to see the good guys screw something up while trying to be heroic.
At any rate, there is a mild twist in this one when the bad guy (Grieves) saves the day...but it falls flat because the script just doesn't call attention to it...it's an uncreative execution of a potentially good idea.
Writing: 4.0
The plot is slow to advance, and much of the dialogue is annoyingly repetitive (not to mention a basic story concept that's been done to death.
Acting: 5.0
The guest cast is also VERY wooden, IMHO.
Message: 6.0
The significance of the final message (that our quest for greater defensive power to aid in our fight with the Goa'uld may only progress when we open our minds to new ideas and to technology that requires a selfless commitment to a cause, rather than simply being a slave to our desires) is lost by the uninspired delivery and the technobabble, I'm afraid. Most people are going to read this is a very "high concept" nifty little science-y-sounding techno-whosit and a riddle to be solved...not as a life lesson.
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