This was okay... At least when they re-tread an earlier episode, they go nuts letting us know. In any case, it IS a different kind of episode that simply deals with similar circumstances - folks becoming out of phase. Once they figure that out, they went on with a wholly different story.
-Still didn't address why no one was phasing though the ground, though. However, they sure can phases through trees...
-Tell you what, Merlin WAS one smart cookie to create a laptop you can use, but only see if you're using it. I guess polarized screen filters weren't cool enough.
-Teal'c has kept up with his dual-wielding skills, and now hefts twin P-90s. What a guy. Meanwhile the G-36 is becoming more prolific, with whole teams now being equipped.
-The "guest" SG teams this time out are all combat units. SG-3 has been a Marine unit since season 1 under Colonel Makepeace, and SG-12's appearances over the years have been similarly combat-oriented. SG-22 has already showed up twice this year supporting SG-1 on the Sodan world, which makes you wonder why they weren't back here in the first place given their familiarity with the terrain. As always, the Marine SG teams (3 and 12) wear the new digital camo, while the standard ones (22) wear the SGC's custom field uniforms.
-The Ori's latest trick is the equivalent of the "28 Days" zombie rage disease, without the transmissibility. Poor Volnek! Going from relatively cool guest star to immortal homicidal maniac, killing his own brother and everyone in the village. Good reference to the whatsit Anubis used to create the Kull warriors, which had a similar effect.
-Merlin discovered a way to kill the ascended, and went so far as to create a weapon to do so. He hid it, but left behind an address, thus beginning another "let's search for the Ancient weapon" arc.
-Admittedly, it's a neat glitch for a cloaked person to be able to see a phased person... But having the laptop UN-phase people even zillions of light years away is really pushing it.
Mark
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
Yep. Stargate is four seasons past it's expiration date.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Not falling through the floor is one thing. It doesn't make sense, but everyone who does this kind of story kinda has to do it that way.
But, people using cloaks can see people out of phase, but can't touch them? How does that work?
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
They didn't explain it - which makes sense, since Carter wasn't around. I do like how on this show, the non-eggheads tend to simply accept that something wierd is happening and just go with it. O'Neill did it all the time, when Sam or Daniel weren't there to add exposition.
Anyway, to explain why Teal'c could see Daniel, one would think that the Sodan cloak doesn't work by bending light around the user, as much as turning the molecular structure of the user slightly out of phase to allow visible light to pass through, probably by subspace field. Thus, when the user flips the on switch, he becomes enough out of phase not to be seen, but still exists.
This is how they explained the Reetou cloak way back in the second season. The Tok'ra invented the Transphase Eradication Rod to detect and destroy the Reetou, and the weapon's name alone suggests that cloak = phased in this universe. Thus, it shouldn't be TOO much of a stretch to figure that being cloaked would allow a user to at least see objects that were MORE phased.
And I'm not gonna bother explaining the floor thing. The writers didn't, even in "Wormhole X-treme!".
Mark
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
You know, having one of those cloaking devices may mean they can still access the data in that computer. They could probably see the screen while cloaked.
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
True, but how much of the interaction depends upon touching the "screen"? Because, they wouldn't be able to do that.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
I've got a blindingly obvious explanation for why Teal'c could see Mitchell: Because the Sodan technology was built by the Ancients. Remember the now-familiar writing on the sides of the transporter obelisks? Merlin's computer/phase-shifter probably works on the same technology. Heck, maybe the Sodan "cloak" units are also capable of phase shifting, but they were never able to figure out how to activate that feature. Or maybe they did, and decided not to use it, because phase shifting isn't as useful as being able to shoot enemies while you're invisible. Or whatever.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Maybe. But I think I'd have a really crappy time wearing my VCR the same way I wear my T-shirt, and both were made in Taiwan...
Mark
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
What I'm saying is, I think it's reasonable to assume that the advanced physics principles for invisibility are effectively the same as the principles for phase-shifting � that is, since invisibility is part of phase-shifting, it's possible to have one without the other, like the Sodan.
I've actually thought of an even bigger possible plot hole, though: How Merlin could hide his Ori-killer weapon on another planet, if the Stargates of the time were buried in Egypt and Antarctica? I suppose he could've had a ship, but wouldn't that have been rather difficult to hide from the natives?
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
I'm sure a teleporter to the ice cave where the Antarctic gate was hidden wouldn't be too hard to arrange. Shoot, if he was still capable of building full-on ancient tech without any sort of industrial support base, he could probably build his own temporary gates, just like Orlin. Stonehenge, anyone?
I wonder if Merlin ever came across Ma'el...
Posted by AndrewR (Member # 44) on :
quote:Originally posted by Jason Abbadon: Yep. Stargate is four seasons past it's expiration date.
That's crap and you know it. Just because someone doesn't phase through the GROUND!?! I mean why didn't Geordi and Ro Laren go through the floor in "Out of Phase"?
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Not that I agree with him, but I think he may have been taking issue with more than the floor problem. I also think he may have been suggesting this episode was more of a single symptom of many, rather than a solitary justification of his opinion.
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
Personally, I like the little touches they put into the episodes that make it that much more enjoyable. Like Mitchell and Carter pushing each other (and later Daniel) to see if they could touch each other, and almost escalating to punching. I also like Daniel's "Oh crap. Not again." reaction by just dropping his head to his chest. He seems to be doing that a lot recently. It's stuff like that, you know, *HUMAN* reactions that you hardly ever saw in Star Trek.
B.J.
Posted by Jason Abbadon (Member # 882) on :
quote:Originally posted by AndrewR:
quote:Originally posted by Jason Abbadon: Yep. Stargate is four seasons past it's expiration date.
That's crap and you know it. Just because someone doesn't phase through the GROUND!?! I mean why didn't Geordi and Ro Laren go through the floor in "Out of Phase"?
Not because of any technical issue, but rather because it's all stuff blatantly ripped of other sci fi episodes we've seen or it's a blatant re-hash of their own old episodes... Yes, it's fun to watch the "human reactions", but those are only bcause it's been done soo many times before. Stargate has become the Groundhog Day of sci-fi.
...and yes, I know they did a Groundhog Day rif. It's only a matter of time before they do another one.
It's gotten to the point where the fans want to see their favorite characters so bad that they're willing to overlook any lack of story or plot to see their beloved SG-1 team each week.
Each episode is a clip show that somehow uses 100% new footage.
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
I completely disagree. I don't tire of seeing the old episodes or groan at the plots of the new ones. Even if they are revisiting various themes, they do so in such a way that it's not a rehash. IMO, of course.
And to be seemingly completely contrary to my own argument, I liked Mitchell's reference of the "SG-1 Trifecta": Alternate universe, alternate reality, and time travel. While watching a season one episode last night, I figure that coming back from the dead has to be up there, too.
B.J.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
I agree with B.J.. When Voyager re-did the time-loop concept (and for that matter, ANYTHING that TNG did), it was horrible. SG-1 and Atlantis are re-visiting old themes, but with new twists on the concept AND strong enough writing that it's still enjoyable enough to watch. And as mentioned, when they re-visit something, they're usually smart enough to SAY so, build on it, and as demonstrated here have some fun with it in the process.
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