Re-watch: Season 6 - Let's Watch the Weather Channel

[theredhead77]

Starting this thread to give this re-watch a kick in the pants. Let the re-watch begin start again!

[theredhead77]

Episode 1: Redemption pt 1

 

From Stargate Wiki http://stargate.wikia.com/wiki/SG-1_Season_6

While struggling to find a missing fourth member of SG-1, the Russians push Colonel Jack O'Neill to have a Russian as the fourth member of the team. Jonas Quinn makes himself at home in the SGC. Major Samantha Carter works on the new X-302 hyperspace fighter, and Teal'c has an unhappy reunion with Rya'c. Also, Anubis plans to use a weapon to destroy Earth's Stargate, along with the planet itself.

 

[theredhead77]

For some reason I can't edit my post to include my thoughts below my quote.

 

I assume everyone has seen it.... but I'm not a jerk so spoilers ahead.

 

First thoughts on my [umtheenth viewing] I don't hate Jonas but I see why others do. I love that one of the first things he asks is about knowing what color to wear. I hate that he's so unaware why O'Neill doesn't want him to be on SG1.

 

Teal'c seems extra gold and this is the episode where he burns Darth Vader. I mean Drey'auc. I don't have the commentary handy but was the score during the funeral also supposed to be an homage to Jedi?

 

Anyone have an orange?

 

Jack's hole digging calling Sam an egghead then trying to dig himself out always makes me smile. As does his "oh please" when Anubis shows up.

[blueray]

First thoughts on my [umtheenth viewing] I don't hate Jonas but I see why others do. I love that one of the first things he asks is about knowing what color to wear. I hate that he's so unaware why O'Neill doesn't want him to be on SG1.

I don't think he was unaware of why O'Neill doesn't want him on the team, he knows that he should have been the one to save his people not Daniel and feels guilty about it. He spends this episode and the rest of the season trying to show he's worthy.

 

Teal'c just rocks in general.

[theredhead77]

I don't think he was unaware of why O'Neill doesn't want him on the team, he knows that he should have been the one to save his people not Daniel and feels guilty about it. He spends this episode and the rest of the season trying to show he's worthy.

 

Teal'c just rocks in general.

In episode 1 he comes across, to me, oblivious. But in episode 2 it changes. Could just be an acting choice.

 

I'm all the way up to Prometheus and for the first time ever I'm digging Jonas. I'm so far removed from my original viewing which was long after the series went off the air, that I can look at it with a fresh perspective. Yea, he basically killed Daniel but since I skipped right over Meridian I'm not so heartbroken and bitter this time.

[DittyDotDot]

Okay, I just had to jump in here to talk a little about The Changeling. I love these kind of stories, I think this is when genre TV is at it's best. It was really quite nice to see Christopher Judge get to stretch beyond typical controlled alien and eyebrow raising. Also really enjoyed the dream versions of O'Neill, Jonas and Carter and a brilliant way to get Daniel organically into the episode. Pretty good all around, if you ask me.

Backing up a bit, S6 has so far worked better for me this go-around. There's a few clunkers, like every season, but mostly I'm enjoying getting to know Jonas this time. Not that I ever had a problem with Jonas, I just don't remember him having much of an impression on me previously. One thing that's stuck out to me this go-around is they really seem to be dealing more with Earth matters more this season. Not sure if it always worked for them or me.

Anyway, quick rundown of thinky thoughts:

• Redemption: parts 1 & 2 didn't do much for me. I mean, there wasn't anything wrong with them, per se, but I'm just not all that interested in Teal'c's family issues. However, I did appreciate it being palatable in comparison to the earlier ones where Teal'c is stomping around like a petulant child.
• Descent - Aww, Jonas get his first ride in space. ;)
• Frozen is an episode I was really looking forward to since, as I remembered, it really set the stage for the Ancient mythology to come. I wouldn't say I was let down by it, but was surprised it didn't hold my interest as much as I thought it would. Expectations aren't always good things. ;)
• Nightwalkers - Nope. Best to forget this one again.
• Abyss - O'Neill and Daniel locked in a "gravity" cell? That can only result in goodness, if you ask me. 
• Shadow Play surprised me in that I remembered thinking it was a pointless episode the first time around; this time I didn't care if it was pointless, I got sucked right into the mystery of it all. And the ending was very bittersweet.
• The Other Guys - Even though the plotting is a bit convoluted, I love these one-off fun episodes almost as much as the serious alternate universe/dream episodes. I think this show did a marvelous job of having a cast of quirky and interesting minor characters it could continually draw from. Plus, Red Green's nephew is never a bad thing, right? ;)
• Allegiance - This little murder mystery episode works for me. Master Bra'tac is all sorts of awesomeness! 
• Cure - Not a huge fan of the Tok'ra, in general, but it does set the stage for Teal'c to become free of Junior, so I'll take it.
• Prometheus - Eh, barely paid attention throughout most of it. Glad Q has left this show's universe now. ;)
• Unnatural Selection - Does set the stage for things to come, but the episode itself didn't do much for me. Did find O'Neill and Thor's back and forth rather amusing though.
• Sight Unseen - another one I think is best forgotten.
• Smoke & Mirrors - Too bad Senator Kinsey's death was all a hoax. 
• Paradise Lost - Anytime they give something quiet and internal to RDA, I know it'll turn out gold. My only criticism is that it feels like it gets wrapped up to quick and too easy. Mayborn and his grenade fishing was hilarious as was O'Neill's "Never do that again." 
• Metamorphosis - eh, I might classify this one as one of their "goofy" ones.
• Disclosure - even thought I think the show really needed to bring in the international community, I don't really care much for these sorts of clip shows. And, again, it seems like it's wrapped up too easily in the end. All these ambassadors can just commit their governments without talking to them first? Okie dokie.
• Forsaken - I had no real recollection of this episode, but knew the humans were bad guys from the jump. They came on too strong and all sorts of shady. O'Neill's gut is always a good guide to follow.

[LadyAmalthea]

Watching season six was interesting because I'm the least familiar with it - some episodes I could remember well and others I'm not sure I'd ever seen before at all.  It certainly sticks out in the Stargate canon with Jonas replacing Daniel, particularly when he makes a few appearances (as does Thor) then he's back the very next season, and then the show goes out of its way to pretend Jonas never happened.

That being said, I don't think Jonas is a bad character, he just comes across as a bad fit, because while I can suspend my disbelief for pretty much all the silly aspects of this show, the fact that Jonas' main skill is "fast reader" and that somehow suddenly makes him able to provide all the knowledge Daniel was able to is just a bridge too far.  To see him sprouting off about ancient Earth cultures and doing translations from "notes" without having any understanding of the context is too unbelievable and I wonder why in the world they decided to bring in another alien to fill a role rather than, say, Grace Park's character from Proving Ground, still baffles me.  

But Jonas is fine - they did some halfway decent stuff with him and I guess we'll never know what he could have done with time to grow into the role (or better setup) - but I think that's the biggest problem.  You have a fine character replacing a great character, trying to keep pace with three other great characters, and in those circumstances fine doesn't cut it.  That said Shadow Play was a pretty good episode.

Binge watching the series has made me realise that while I love Sam, I'm hard pressed to include many Sam-centric episodes in my favourites, particularly in these later seasons.  Part of that is preference, since I prefer the mythology and culture stuff to the science and conspiracy stuff but watching the episodes in bulk it seems that Sam-centrics usually include either (a) some dopey love interest, (b) blowing stuff up/running and hiding/technobabble, (c) Sam/Jack nonsense which seems to want to be character-diving for Sam but is just shallow.  For this reason I actually really enjoy when McKay shows up in Redemption - he is such a good foil for Sam, actually challenges her and we really get to see her come to life in response.  It's too bad they had to throw in that creepy attraction thing on McKay's part, because apparently it's impossible for any guest male character *not* to be attracted to Carter (we get it writers, she's very beautiful).  And then there's Fifth in Unnatural Selection, an episode I otherwise really enjoy because the human form replicators work so much better as villains than bugform replicators, and we get so see Sam struggle with making the right decision from a "we need to get out of here" point of view rather than a morally "right" decision - although they mitigate it somewhat with it being in essence an order from Jack rather then her own choice.

Poor Sam, she sure attracts the creeps!

I do think Abyss is one of the better episodes in a season, allowing RDA and MS in a room together and just letting them act - it works really well for both characters, and sets up a long-term antagonist for Jack in Ba'al.  Paradise Lost is another good Jack episode, and I do find Sam's rare snark ("where's Colonel O'Neill, did you find him while I was gone?") rather amusing.  Changeling gives CJ the first chance to stretch his acting (and face) muscles since Holiday, although there is the sour note of Shauy'nac appearing as Teal'c's true love rather than Drey'auc who in he claimed to mourn so deeply in Redemption...but it's an important step in Teal'c character arc.  Allegiance is also an episode I rather enjoy - the powerplay between the Tau'ri, Jaffa, and Tok'ra is interesting stuff and shows just how fragile the alliance is.  

Full Circle I have mixed feelings about - I never really liked Anubis as a big bad, and I was sad to lose Abydos and Skarra.

The less said about Nightwalkers and Sight Unseen the better.  

[supposebly]

I'm doing a little rewatch starting with season 6 until, well, I don't really know. Anyway, I finished season 6 and I think it has quite a few very good standalones in there.

So, let me get to the really bad ones first.

I find Frozen to be boring and predictable and I absolutely hate The other guys, especially Felger. He's the type of character TV writers think of when they think of smart people. Unless they look like Amanda Tapping, they are creepy and ridiculous. And that includes McKay. Although I do like Sam with him. He challenges her like no one else does, which takes off some of her Mary Sue-ishness, which is something she tends to become, especially in the later seasons. I still like how Amanda Tapping played her and she is adorable but she would have benefitted from some edges. No redeeming elements in that one for me.

Nightwalkers. Did they forget that they weren't the X-files? Although I like the developing friendship Sam has with Agent Barrett. I'm so glad they kept it in the friend zone. I'm sure they would have made a creepy thing out of it. These people had no idea how to write romantic relationships that didn't make the guys look terrible and the women look like fools to even consider them.

I did like Vernon in Sight Unseen. The episode made little sense but I liked his character. And the reminder that them messing about with stuff might have some repercussions somewhere else on the planet. Overall, more goofy than outright disagreeable.

The good:

I love Full Circle. Bittersweet ending. I really liked it. And even if I didn't, Daniel and Jack's conversation in the elevator is just hilarious. Which is mostly what Abyss is, just more serious. With the addition of Jack and Baal. Love those two together. And Jack has one more reason not to trust the Tok'ra. So, that makes it less annoying when he keeps bitching about them.

I don't mind Jonas, I think Corin Nemec did a good job with him and except for some of the oddities that I find mostly due to the writing, they came up with a few interesting tidbits for him. Not sure why the whole 'special' properties he had according to Nirti and Anubis never amounted to anything. Or maybe that's why he could read really fast. *sarcasm.

I liked Redemption, especially since this was the first time I could deal with Rya'c and his issues. He just lost his mother. Bra'tac continues to be awesome and I cheer every time he appears on my screen. He might just be my favorite except for O'Neill.

Allegiance is great. Put the Tau'ri, Tok'ra and Jaffa in a pressure cooker and let's see what explodes first. Alliances do not automatically generate trust, especially in such a situation. And because it can't be said enough, Bra'tac is pure awesome.

I think this is the first time that I liked Changeling. Before, I always found "T" to be so jarringly not-Teal'c, I kept skipping those parts. This time, I paid more attention, and it is actually quite wonderful how it goes back and forth and how it informs us about Teal'c's fears of not being able to save Bra'tac and himself while we don't really know what's going on for a while.

I cried a little in Cure. There were no real bad guys, just misinformed, negligent, desperate, and somewhat arrogant ones. I felt the Tokra's plight and their terribly long struggle against the Goa'uld, the queen's pride in her offspring was touching. O'Neill might have good reasons to not like them, but they've been in this a lot longer than he has.

Unnatural Selection. I'm not a fan of making the replicators human-like. Just one more pompous alien race who speechifies a lot. I preferred the non-evilness of the insect-type replicator thingies. An ironic plague on the Asgard and others, not an enemy. Still, Sam lying to Fifth was cool because I'm always happy when Sam is somewhat gray. Thor really knows that O'Neill won't say no despite him bitching about things. He knows him quite well by now. So, that was amusing. And O'Neill and Teal'c fighting over ice-cream. And: We can't call it The Enterprise.

I liked how Forsaken tricked me the first time. I guess the episode was supposed to say something about my preconceptions but I think it also says something about TV and movies in general. The good-looking ones tend to be the good guys. See Lord of the Rings, for a blatant example. Bad guys with bad teeth, bad skin, terrible fashion sense, good guys look like Viggo Mortensen.

Paradise Lost is good, I always like when they have RDA do some acting. And I am endlessly amused with Mayborne.

Ok, this post is getting long. I'll stop now.

Edited September 4, 2017 by supposebly
Even though I hate Felger, I should spell his name right.

[LadyAmalthea]

The Other Guys is a neat concept but the execution is pretty dire, although saved by one exchange: "What would Colonel O'Neill do?"/"You want me to shoot you?"