Overall Rating: 7.0
We've got a mixed bag here...some portions of the story that interest me, and some that I could do without, although at least in those instances we're getting a message that finally makes a bit of sense.
Plot Synopsis:
The full plot summary can be found at the SyFy website.
The Skinny:
On the plus side of the ledger:
It's about time we heard more about Eli's poor Mom. That story was very touching and anyone with family who've spent long stretches away on a dangerous military operation ought to be very moved by this plot in particular. I love that we've had many opportunities to see the loving, caring side of Eli of late as well. His character is still the most sympathetic...the one you root for the hardest. I must say, I also notably enjoyed watching Greer lay the emotional smack-down on Simeon (who was always kind of a prick and deserves whatever he gets from Greer...who is easily my favorite hardass in all of Gate lore).
But most importantly, I am so relieved to see that romantic encounters via ancient communication stone are falling by the wayside as people (including the show's writers, I suspect) are realizing more and more than romantic love is not just a spiritual connection...that our physical bodies are a part of who we are and we become accustomed to those physical bodies in our lives. Dualism is a trap...a philosophy long since debunked by common sense. The spirit is not distinct from the body...they are one...how else do you explain (a) the placebo affect (b) the effectiveness of physical/behavioral therapy (c) the soul-sucking spiral of drug addiction etc? Even if we suspend our disbelief and assume that you could transfer your consciousness into another body, we must still realize that the union of that new body and your mind would be a different person.
On the minus side:
The writers have not invested enough effort making Camille a remotely likable character...when she does something selfless for another person the way she did for Eli here, we just cannot bring ourselves to feel any joy in it other than the relief it brings to Eli. We also don't give a flying crap about what happens to her and her lover. Neither of them seem particularly worth my attention...I'm actually kind of hoping the next time we see Sharon, it'll be in the arms of some long-haired ex-hippie. It's a bad sign that I am rooting for Camille to experience pain. That I don't like her THAT much is a testament to just how screwed up her philosophy and attendant decision making process has been all along. She's nothing but a burden to Destiny...I need to see her either (a) get smacked or (b) realize her place in this society and get some humility.
I also still think the writers forced the Chloe/Matt relationship from the outset to create UST for Eli and I therefore don't feel anything for Matt as he watches Chloe slowly losing her humanity. In fact, although I used to like Chloe, I really don't feel all that attached to her character anymore either. She seems kind of self-involved and this new alien pathogen concept isn't helping matters as far as her maturation.
Writing: 7.5
The Eli plot was well written...I just wish someone other than Wray had been chosen to save his mother from her depression and loneliness. The pathogen story developed awfully slowly...although I do enjoy watching Rush's dialogues with the ship...or his own mind...or whatever those apparitions are.
Acting: 6.5
Unfortunately, I don't think we saw enough emotion from Eli's mother...that was a bit of a flat performance that kept the lid on my enthusiasm for the show as a whole. David Blue was outstanding, but he was about the only one who was. The rest were forgettable performances, especially Elyse Levesque's wooden portrayal of the girl losing her humanity (I feel like I'm slipping away, bit by bit..." (said in this dire monotone...ugh))
Message: 7.0
Perhaps, at long last, the on-screen rapes will stop and we won't have to put up with so much ancient communication stone booty calling. Perhaps at long last, the message is sinking in that a person is both a spirit and a body.
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