If SG-1 has any episode formula of its own that is cliche, it's these episodes where they do everything as right as they can, find out new stuff, and STILL lose the fight at the end of the day. It's frustrating when you watch these episodes, but if you think about it, it's MEANT to be that way. As we sympathize with our heroes, we also feel a little pissed off too when the bad guys win this particular battle. So it is here, in a frustrating, yet remarkably executed episode on the technical side.
-Everyone replying to this thread is encouraged to make as many Baal puns as possible.
-Following on the two planets that Morgan fessed up to last week, Castiana has a toxic atmosphere, and Zahal seems to have been completely abandoned long before Merlin was around to make his weapon. Daniel is offworld on Camelot this week to look in Merlin's library for more clues - I guess they've become used to Earthers coming in and NOT disappearing in a flash of light when they're getting tossed out.
-How did SG-1 get home from last week? They could have easily just stepped through the Atlantis stargate, which is what I'm guessing happened considering the priority placed on finding Merlin's weapon. The Odyssey isn't seen or mentioned this week, so it could be in transit from Pegasus.
-Baal shows up in an Alkesh, which is shot down by a couple F-16s out of Petersen AFB. The fighters reported directly to the SGC without prompting, so it seems that Petersen knows about the stargate and various alien threats. Would this be the same of USAF personel around the globe? It's been a secret, need-to-know program for a decade now, but given the number of alien ships coming and going these days, just who needs to know?
-Baal knows and refers to Vala by her previous Goa'uld's name, Kotesh. Apparently, Baal's Big Plan over the last year was to gain control over the Jaffa Council and thus the Ancients' reboot device at Daraka. He'd then use it to wipe everyone out except those at the little "Off the Grid" empire he was trying to set up. Thus, with everyone in the galaxy dead, the Ori would lose interest and move on, unable to access Baal's gates.
-Baal's clones were not part of this galactic slam dunk, so they turned on him. He offers information that would narrow down the search from the list of Ancient gate addresses (not on the original Abydos cartouche) in exchange for the SGC exterminating all the clones for him.
-Anubis spent a lot of time looking for Merlin's weapon, but never found it. This jives with his looking for various Ancient weapons over the years. Anyway, Baal corners SG-1 by saying that all his clones know that the location to Merlin's weapon is in the SGC computer; thus, if any of them were captured by a Prior, they would stop at nothing to invade Earth for it.
-Thus begins a blackmailing romp through the galaxy with SG-1 and other teams hunting for Baals through the tracking implants they all share, starting with a world once ruled by Camulus (whom Baal deposed two years ago, absorbing his territory). The Baal kicker here is that each of the captured clones claims to be the real McCoy...
-Tests run on the various clones and the original claimant show both the host bodies AND the symbiotes within (thus answering another question) to be genetically indistinguishable. Thus, either Baal's clones are perfect, or they're ALL clones.
-Vala gets her standard green SGC field uniform here, although like the black one she wore last year, it's tailored to her slim frame and has a smaller velcro patch for her SGC badge. Would Carter, whom we see is almost as slim, be offended that she doesn't get a more form-fitting uniform? And if not Carter, then Tapping?
-The first Baal that SG-1 goes long for is sitting in a chamber with several Jaffa, all staring at... Nothing? Whatever it is they were looking at, it was distracting enough that no one notices the stun grenade rolling in.
-Soon enough, at least twenty-two Baals are bouncing around the SGC. This raises the eyebrows of lots of people, including the NID, who would like a Baal or two to help them in fighting the Trust (who have yet to show up this year). Landry's refusal to let Agent Barret roll a Baal off the base make him pretty darn antsy.
-Vala can't beat Teal'c at arm wrestling.
-During the inevitable "Baal's out" portion of the episode, they conclude using the Goa'uld symbiote poison is the best way to go. Good thing we concluded in just this episode that they all do in fact have symbiotes.
-CARTER drops the Baal here, accessing the computers for the addresses when the Baals theaten to kill Barrett. However, the download takes a lot longer than expected..? The delaying tactic is for naught though, when they find the SGC forces closing in on them. Cue gunfight, with Teal'c, Vala and Mitchell pinning several Baals to the wall with gunfire. The poison gets another couple.
-In any case, it turns out Carter gives up the code as she figures none of them would ever be allowed to leave the base. Unfortunately, the enhanced locator signal of so many Baals close together is strong enough that a Goa'uld cargo ship under their control can beam them up with Asgard tech (which I guess is small enough to be mounted in a cargo ship).
-Through the second half of the episode, most of the nefariousness is spoken through the first Baal they found; he's also the Baal that orders the cargo ship to leave. So WAS that the real Baal? We'll never know...
-Oh, Barrett was brainwashed and all that.
Mark
Posted by RLF (Member # 1396) on :
A few things I noticed:
-The team took the time to change from their blue garrison uniforms to the green field uniforms before going to check out the Alkesh crash site.
-I can't imagine that Arthur's quest went very well if one of the two planets he ended up on had a toxic atmosphere.
-We finally see exactly why attacking Goa'uld favor orbital bombardment.
-Everyone on the team is back to using P90s.
-Teal'c looks like he gave up duel wielding his firearms. He still uses his P90 one handed, though.
-Vala is seen leading a group of soldiers. Which strikes me a kind of odd, given her status.
-With 20+ Goa'uld locked up in the SGC, nobody thought to look into some more security? Or ask why they've been so darn lucky to catch all the Ba'als?
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
- I completely forgot that Vala used to be a Goa'uld host. That made for an interesting scene where she almost got to grab Baal's balls...
- So the symbiote was cloned as well. No wonder Baal's backup Baals were causing trouble... they have just as big an ego as he does.
- Just how many of the Baals got away? We saw at least two dead Baals that got hit by the gas.
- It seemed like each of the Baals got a number tag on their front shirt pocket. It seemed that the first Baal (who crashed in the Alkesh) was the real one after all.
- Too bad there wasn't an NID agent named Wilson. Wilson with a bunch of Baals would've been strangely appropriate.
- Obviously the whole thing was a setup anyway, but I was surprised how easily the SG teams managed to grab the Baals. Someone should've realized that the Baals were getting ready to punt.
Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
After Barrett's acting strange in the cafeteria, I'm really suprised that Carter didn't think that something was wrong. She did think it was odd, but didn't go any further. Which of course ends up with her in a room face to face with a lot of Baals.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
I'm betting she's going to go back to her bunk where she Baals her eyes out...
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
I figured that Barrett WAS acting a little wierd. He should KNOW by now that no one at the SGC was going to so simply roll over and let him have a Baal.
Mark
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
And yet just like Cinderella, he went to the Baal anyway.
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
Midnight came early for him though.
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Good thing Anubis wasn't around and still in charge when Baal made his clones. If Baal was still in his service, Anubis may have had to cut his Baals off to teach 'em a lesson.
Mark
Posted by TSN (Member # 31) on :
Poor Barrett. He only wanted to take his Baal and go home.
*shame*
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
OK, you all got to play a little Baal, now kindly knock it the fuck off, kthxbye.
*groan*
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
I like Baals when they'er held for pleasure, not for charity or for fancy dress.
TSNs post concerns me though, posted about baals and talks of tubes in his sig. Although baals are pretty useless without tubes near them.
Posted by WizArtist II (Member # 1425) on :
I felt that this episode was slow and the whole security thing was beyond ridiculous. You've got 22 Baals and one prick agent and you have TWO whole security guards in the area? Which of course let to the seminal moment of the Goa'uld version of "The Great Escape"......(couldn't help it)
Posted by Ritten (Member # 417) on :
See, had they let the prick agent at the baals he could have made it 20.
Posted by Lee (Member # 393) on :
You'd think they'd have at least kept them restrained. Or did they just say "Never mind the Baal locks. . ?"
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Are we choked enough with all the Baal gags? I think not. Keep 'em coming.
Mark
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
quote:Originally posted by Lee: You'd think they'd have at least kept them restrained. Or did they just say "Never mind the Baal locks. . ?"
Yeah, they could've locked 'em each to a Baal and chain.
Posted by Omega (Member # 91) on :
I was honestly a little disappointed with Vala's attempt to play Ba'al. And with positional and numerical superiority, you'd think the SGC would have had a chance to pin Ba'al. Shoot, they could have kept at least one. Then they'd have their very own base Ba'al.
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Razz]](tongue.gif)