Overall Rating: 9.0
Most of the featured television and literature we cover here will have broad, resounding messages that we react very positively to along with a well-written script and good acting on which we can comment. This is a horse of a different color. This is a stand-alone Stargate episode that sneaks up on you from the reeds and stabs you through the heart with an "aaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwww" knife. It's one of only three episodes in the ten-year history of Stargate that made me cry - it is just so overwhelmingly positive and touching on a personal level that it's earned itself a corner of my soul in perpetuity. We enjoy all forms of art here... from the gigantic stakes of the Dominion/Federation war to father and son communing in the vastness of open space in a ship powered by the solar wind; from deeply effective social commentary about the role of the free press (Heroes - SG1) to this low key little ditty about the unique wonder of seeing the world through the eyes of a child.
Plot Synopsis:
On this rare occasion, SG-1 has made contact with a fairly advanced civilization that is (a) willing to trade information and technology with us (holy hannah!), and (b) friendly and basically not threatened by the Goa'uld. Even more remarkably, the Orbanians claim to have made much of their recent progress toward advancement in the space of roughly fifty years...an order of magnitude faster than we on Earth progressed from the Renaissance to the Industrial Revolution! Daniel is fascinated by their archeological history, Teal'c bonds with a child named Tomin that the Orbanians assigned as their intermediary to acquire knowledge about the Goa'uld and Jack and Sam are drooling over a naquadah enhanced power generator that could eventually be the answer to Earth's need for renewable energy. Everyone remarks on the apparent strangeness of the Orbanian social structure. Children called Urrone - whom the Orbanians claim are specially chosen and gifted with incredible learning power - acquire all of their knowledge.
When Sam and Jack return to Earth, an Orbanian liaison (Kalan) and another Urrone child (Merrin) join them and present the naquadah generator. Sam is unable to make heads or tails of the technology, so Merrin is asked to work with her - a process involving Sam teaching Merrin the concept of schematic drawing and Merrin spending hours delicately crafting sketches of the generator's interior. When Doctor Fraiser discovers nanites throughout Merrin's bloodwork and brain scans, she calls an emergency meeting with General Hammond, Sam and Jack and Merrin must explain that the nanites are harmless, and used for the purposes of gathering knowledge quickly in urrone children. She (partially) explains that at a certain point, all Urrone children undergo a procedure called the "Averium" where each Orbanian citizen is given one of their nanites, thus communicating everything they've learned to the whole planet. Hammond is satisfied enough to allow Merrin to continue working with Sam unrestricted.
It's not until Tomin suddenly disappears and Teal'c is asked to continue his work with a new child that the unfortunate reality on this planet comes to light. When information needs to be disseminated to everyone else, the Urrone nanite extraction is total (in essence, killing the personality of that child) and one is given to each Orbanian. The process prevents Urrone children from being capable of ever receiving nanites again, so they are simply cared for like farm animals.
When Teal'c (hopping mad) reports what he has learned to the SGC, Fraiser realizes that the process of removing the nanites would leave an Urrone child in a state of infancy (having lost all of the neural connections that defined them as children) and Jack very angrily protests news that Merrin will undergo the Averium when she returns to Orban. Kalan is adamant that Merrin be allowed to return home immediately (no longer trusting that the SGC will honor Orbanian customs) and Jack tries to convince Merrin to accept amnesty from the U.S. government so he can gain the authority to keep her personality intact. She rejects his offer, saying she feels a duty to her people.
At this point, Jack decides it is absolutely critical that Merrin have some kind of life outside the base and takes her on a little unauthorized field trip to Cassandra's school in Colorado Springs. He learns from her teacher that they're about to have art class after recess and he thinks that's just about perfect, so he sits Merrin down and encourages her to learn a little childhood creativity by getting her to paint some strangely-colored flowers and some stick-figure people (heh). She thanks him for showing her this aspect of human culture but, much to Jack's dismay, insists that she must go back to Orban so that her people can benefit from all that she's learned. Heartbroken, Jack returns to the base (and faces a very angry Kalan and Hammond), and sees Merrin off through the gate.
What seems like a bittersweet end to this story is turned on its head, however, when Kalan contacts the SGC the next day and begs them to send SG-1 back to Orban, insisting that something wondrous has happened and they needed to see it for themselves. When Jack and the others step through the gate, they find hundreds of Orbanian children jumping rope, playing hopscotch, and scrawling stick figures and flowers on the walls and streets with the crayons Jack gave Merrin when she left. What's more, Kalan thanks Jack for teaching the Orbanians about human education, saying that from now on, all Urrone children will be taught in the same way after the Averium. Jack finds Merrin and, although she doesn't recognize him, he picks up a crayon and starts drawing on the walls with her - picking up where they left off in a manner of speaking.
Ratings and Highlights below the cut.
SABR Matt's Ratings:
Writing: 9.5
OK, so it's a bit saccharine, but darn it if I'm not a sucker for pathos, and this episode is practically dripping with it. Although the script lacks the potency of erudite literature (one thing about Gate writers...they tend to communicate messages far more simply than what occurs on Deep Space Nine or House before it jumped the shark spectacularly into irrelevance...this can sometimes be a hindrance, but this is an example of when a simple script is better for the viewer), there are, nonetheless, several moments that will be with me forever (highlighted below - particularly Jack's field trip with Merrin and his subsequent moment with General Hammond). That is really all I ask from my entertainment...that it leaves me with a legacy I can enjoy.
I've seen criticisms of the plot concept. Some in fandom have, for example, suggested that it is difficult to believe a human civilization could have evolved to this level of sophistication without ever understanding the concepts of old fashioned education or artistic expression. I'll certainly grant that, objectively speaking, I have to suspend disbelief a bit to imagine a human culture like the Orbanians. Here, however, I invoke the "rule of cool." High concept sci-fi is loaded with practically impossible situations that are crafted to give us a story that highlights some aspect of our collective humanity that is difficult to capture any other way. It's perfectly fine by me to let the mind wander and ask - what if we didn't take the time to appreciate the native creativity and enthusiasm of youth?
Acting: 8.5
RDA puts in another unseen Emmy-worthy performance (I hate that the academy never notices science fiction - pompous assholes)...the explosively humane and loving side of O'Neill's personality is, I think, where Anderson is at his best, and this episode is no exception. Amanda Tapping is equally adorable - in her softer moments, she makes me remember why I had a "thing" for her for years! :) The guest cast was only "eh"...and I can't ignore that. But on the whole, it doesn't distract from the quality of the production.
Message: 9.5
There are actually two messages here - the direct message and the subliminal one. On the direct (read: literal) front, science fiction is famous for calling attention to the powerfully positive influence on our lives that our imagination, curiosity, and artistic expression bring, so it's not a new idea. The fact that we humans are at our most creative and open minded during childhood is also very commonly explored, so I can't give Stargate bonus points for originality of message, but it doesn't need to be an original message to be a good one and well worth the viewing. We do sometimes take our childhoods for granted - even if we've been blessed to have happy, fulfilling ones before entering maturity. It feels good to take a step back sometimes and view the world once more through the eyes of the child we used to be.
The subliminal message is what puts this episode over the top for me. The pop culture representation of a U.S. military officer is frequently filled with adjectives like "tough, resourceful, bold, loyal, brash, careless...look no further than the movie "Team America: World Police" for the (admittedly hilarious) view many Americans have on our military. Stargate has CONSISTENTLY begged to differ. Perhaps it is the influence of the military advisers on the show's production staff (injecting a bit of reality into how the show portrays the USAF), or perhaps the writers hold a higher regard for these men in Vancouver than they do in Hollywood, I don't know. But having spent my life amongst military men and women as the son of a Navy man...I can assure you, the Stargate perspective is much closer to the truth. Most of the men and women who join our armed forces care DEEPLY about people and their rights to life and freedom. They're just good, hard working people who want to make a difference and protect their loved ones from dangerous people who want to see our free way of life destroyed. We don't see O'Neill's battlefield training in this episode...we see his determination to fight for the rights of an innocent child. He loves his fellow men and women and will go to extraordinary lengths to protect them and make their lives a little better. This is not the only Gate episode to show this side of Jack...but I think it's be one of the best.
Stephanie S's Ratings:
Writing: 9.0
As SABR Matt notes, the premise of this episode is rather far-fetched anthropologically. However, I appreciate the very realistic way in which this story handles cultural conflict. The Orbanians' worldview is fundamentally different from the average American's; they value the good of the collective over the value of the individual. They have lived this way for years, and as far as they know, they have lost nothing in organizing their society in this fashion. Then along comes SG1 to challenge their long standing traditions. The Orbanians recognize that these others are angered by the treatment of the Urrone, but SG1's notions seem tantamount to declaring that the grass is pink. When Daniel tries to verbally convince Kalan to see things differently, he utterly fails; indeed, Daniel and Kalan end up speaking at cross-purposes. This is pretty much how it usually works; contrary to the modern liberal Westerner's claim that all cultures can co-exist in a happy - and diverse! - salad bowl, a meeting of two different societies usually involves the collision of incompatible ideas. It is pretty impressive that the writer of this script has recognized this difficult reality; more impressive still is the fact that Jack and the others are allowed to react in a perfectly natural fashion when they encounter something that flies against their basic moral assumptions without losing their status as sympathetic characters in the process. Ash risks being criticized for portraying Jack in particular as a "cultural chauvinist" in order to stick with a characterization that is entirely organic - and completely relatable.
Acting: 8.0
While my enthusiasm for Anderson's performance here doesn't quite rise to the level of SABR Matt's, I do think it is very sweet and very competent. Other than that, I have very little to add to my co-author's comments.
Message: 9.5
Although SABR Matt is of course correct when he points out the ways in which this episode softens the usual image of the U.S. Armed Forces, what stands out for me is this episode's defense of play. Why? Because as a society, I think we've actively discouraged unstructured play. From my vantage point as a private tutor, I see countless kids being shuttled from my center to team sports to music lessons to camps of various types with nary a break between; no time, it seems, is allotted for running around outside and being a kid. Meanwhile, the public schools are cutting recess, dropping the arts, and toying with the idea that the school year should be even longer. Now, I'm not so quick to blame the so-called "testing culture" on these troubling developments; I believe standardized tests are still the most practical and the most fair way to measure the academic progress of large numbers of our children. No - what has brought us to this pass are poorly structured curriculums, silly pedagogies, and an inordinate focus on college admissions. Given that our teachers are told to stand back and allow our kids to "construct their own knowledge" - and meanwhile are given textbooks that poorly present the material they are supposed to teach - is it any wonder that, come test time, when it is discovered that their students haven't retained very much, teachers panic and start talking about cutting recess? Given that our culture tells young people that they must go to college to be successful and considered worthy of respect, is it any wonder that parents panic and sign their kids up for a billion structured activities to puff up their kids' resumes? But I digress. Suffice it to say that I agree with Jack - kids shouldn't be hot-housed. They should be allowed to swim in dirty ponds and climb rocks and ride their bikes down hills at ridiculous speeds. They should be given the opportunity to be creative and rambunctious and naturally curious. Some structure is always necessary, but free time should also be part of the equation.
Highlights:
KALAN: Colonel O'Neill, you are most punctual.
JACK: Thank you...I try.
KALAN: Merrin and I are eager to participate in this information exchange.
JACK: I'm looking forward to it. Major Carter's eager too...she's really looking forward to this. So's Teal'c!
TEAL'C: (stoically) I will share my knowledge of the Goa'uld freely.
JACK: Teal'c's eager on the inside. (LOL)
JACK: So Merrin...I understand you're a reactor expert.
MERRIN: Yes.
JACK: How old are you?
MERRIN: I am eleven. How old are you?
JACK: (pause - more tartly) So Merrin...I understand you're a reactor expert. (LOL!)
MERRIN: Please explain...what is school?
CARTER: Uh...school...it's a place where people go to learn. A teacher gives you information and you take different classes to learn different subjects.
MERRIN: So this is how you and Doctor Fraiser became scientists?
CARTER: Mhmm.
MERRIN: (To Jack) You are not a scientist.
JACK: No. (smirking)
MERRIN: Then you are not as smart as Major Carter or Doctor Fraiser.
JACK: (looks slightly insulted...pause) Well, it depends on what you mean by...(beat)...OK no. But while they were stuck in school, I was out doing other things. Like having fun. (poor Jack. :) )
CARTER: Why don't you start by sketching your reactor core.
MERRIN: What?
CARTER: You know...draw the reactor's core so I can study it.
MERRIN: I don't draw.
CARTER: What do you mean? You don't draw? Everybody draws.
MERRIN: No...it is not something I've ever needed to do.
CARTER: OK...well it's pretty easy. (draws a ridiculous looking stick figure of herself) See?
MERRIN: What is that?
CARTER: It's a...picture of me! (smiles for a minute) Well, OK...it doesn't exactly look like me. It's just a basic representation. That's all I need from you.
KALAN: Teal'c - you will please tell Solen of weapons and defense strategies effective in fighting the Goa'uld. Also, anything you learned as First Prime of Apophis that might be useful.
SOLEN: I am honored to accept your knowledge, Teal'c.
TEAL'C: Perhaps it would be best for Tomin to return.
KALAN: Tomin is unavailable. Please continue with Solen.
TEAL'C: Tomin is already familiar with the subject.
KALAN: I am sorry, Teal'c, but Tomin is unavailable.
DANIEL: Well, Teal'c has a point here...if Tomin and he already have a rapport...
KALAN: I have already told you, Tomin is unavailable. He has gone through the Averium!
TEAL'C: (realizing something is rotten) I would like to see Tomin immediately. (Teal'c = awesome)
HAMMOND: So when Merrin returns to Orban, she will undergo this Averium and her nanites will be removed.
FRAISER: Yes, I believe so.
JACK: Well then maybe Merrin won't return to Orban.
HAMMOND: Colonel...
JACK: General! She's going home to get her brain sucked out! And I dare anyone to phrase it more delicately (cutting right to the chase...I like it!).
CARTER: Sir, I agree...but we can't just keep her here.
JACK: Why not? We'd be saving her life.
JACK: General, you...(sees Kalan and Daniel with Hammond in the briefing room)...you wanted to see me, sir?
HAMMOND: Kalan is here to escort Merrin back to Orban. Before you say anything, you should know that I've already granted his request.
JACK: Sir?
DANIEL: I don't like it either, Jack...but you don't know the effect this is having on the Orbanians.
JACK: What about the effect this is having on Merrin?
KALAN: Doctor Jackson has come to realize Merrin's importance to her people.
JACK: Her importance as...a vegetable?
KALAN: Colonel, if you would try to understand...
JACK: No! I won't. The way you Orbanians treat you children is absurd. You don't deserve them.
HAMMOND: Colonel...
JACK: (as he's walking out) Request permission to be excused, sir.
MERRIN: This brush is too wide to accurately render the wires.
JACK (mildly annoyed): Let's try this again. Paint something you love. Something that isn't a machine. (Merrin appears lost) Those flowers in Major Carter's lab? Paint me one of those. (Merrin starts to pain a tiny flower in the corner of her enormous sheet of paper - Jack pokes his head around the corner) Bigger! Make it big! (some time later, she's very carefully painted the leaves but doesn't have the right color for the flower).
MERRIN: There's no purple.
JACK: Paint it red.
MERRIN: If I had another cup, I could mix the blue and red paint...
JACK: Just make it red!
MERRIN: The flowers were purple! You ask me to paint a flower, but you don't give me the necessary tools to make it accurate!
JACK: Merrin...listen to me very carefully. It doesn't have to be exact. Just paint me a flower. I don't care what it looks like. Use this brush (hands her a comically fat brush that couldn't possibly be used for detail work)...and don't stop with one...paint me a whole garden.
MERRIN: But...
JACK: Aahh...just...paint me a garden. (time passes - Merrin finishes a very child-like painting of a garden and goes to Jack's side) Nice. (Jack notices the stick figure in the corner) Who's that?
MERRIN: It's a representation of Major Carter.
JACK: Of course it is.
MERRIN: Is it right?
JACK: Oh yeah. It's way right. (Awww...:) )
MERRIN: You are mad at me for not staying with you.
JACK: No...not at all.
MERRIN: Then you understand.
JACK: No.
(and later)
HAMMOND: You've already given me more than enough grounds for a court-martial.
JACK: General, for a few hours today, I got to show that little girl how to be a kid. If you want to punish me...go ahead.
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