First, the positive feedback: Hurray for the return of Peter DeLuise to the universe of Stargate (both as director of the episode, and in one of his Hitchcock inspired cameos... a speaking role, no less). The non-CGI visual elements were noticeably different, less jarring, and more in keeping with how Stargate has looked in the past. He also managed to draw out some humor, mostly visual cues and stuff I'd suspect wasn't found in the written script. Having listened to DeLuise in DVD commentaries, he tends to inject his bizarre sense of humor where other directors might have simply shot the page as-is.
Colonel Young actually became a developed character with this episode, distinguishing himself from the other SG commanders. But he did so not by visiting his ex (which was a page straight out of Weir's failed relationship on Atlantis). Rather, by doing something in the leadership role, and proving he knew how to motivate those serving under him. Nice that we didn't have a music-video montage like the end of "Air." That sort of cheese needs to stay on the CW. Second, the constructive-criticisms: We didn't need to know the names of all the red shirts, particularly when the writers are foreshadowing more deaths in future episodes. I may be wrong, but I think I can not only predict which of the minor characters will die, but I see two of the central characters not long for the series, too. The primary reason this was bad move was that it further cluttered the minds of viewers. You want the leads on a series to be memorable, but tossing 20 people onto the screen makes them all sort of blend together in a mess... I'm not good with names in general, so it makes it tough to get drawn into a show when I have to keep track of so many. Onto the central characters, someone took a page from Padme Amidala when they fashioned Chloe. Even with the death of her father in the three-parter, she handled herself with strength, but in "Darkness," she became a whiny, scared little brat (a la Amidala in SW: III). Clearly this series is written by guys... from the old school. Seriously, a grown woman scared of the dark? And, while I generally applaud gratuitous nudity (or near-nudity) of attractive women, the shower scenes (technically two, one before the lights went out and one after) were contrived. The small ship/probe/whatever that flew off of the Destiny at the end of "Air" wasn't referenced in this episode. Looking ahead at future episode descriptions, I see where they're going, but not even a "Hey, I thought Bob (or whomever) made it through the gate with us... huh, wonder what happened to him?" I'm hoping they take a cue from "Babylon 5" and have a well-thought story arc, as opposed to making it up on the fly with whichever writer is on salary. It makes me nervous. There has to come a point when we accept the fact the ship is their new home and we set about discovering what this strange and potentially exciting new universe has to offer. As stated previously, the ship will survive, and we know that, so we don't need to be inundated with storylines about whether the ship will be destroyed: It won't. Move on. Last but not least, don't be like JJ Abrams. Don't feel compelled to end every episode with a cliffhanger. Don't be that guy. Nobody likes that guy. -- Kevin M. (RPCV) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
