SG-1 "Morpheus"

[lyore]

Once again, I liked this episode. To start at the begining - I guess it's a measure of how defensive I am when the fact that everyone apart from Daniel was in the opening scene, I started worrying. Said worry disappeared when Daniel ran up - I loved that scene, and the following briefing, it was old-school Daniel in full-on research mode. I also liked Sam's aside to Mitchell - it was a bit snarky, but at least it showed the team developing some sort of camaraderie. Mitchell gets points for the Monty Python reference.

I liked the fact that Landry was not going to let Vala on off-world missions, but I have mixed feelings about Daniel going in to bat for her. It was a very Daniel-esque thing to do, and it's nice to see Daniel arguing for things he believes in again, but I'm not sure I really want to see Daniel as her advocate every time something comes up.

As far as Vala herself goes - she's definitely growing on me. She's gone more for the sister-vibe than the aggressive sexual vibe she had last season, but I think that could be a deliberate ploy to try and keep Daniel, and hence the other members of the SGC, on-side. The scenes with the psychiatrist were good, especially the lie detector. I picked Woolsey as part of the test from the beginning - it would have been a lot more convincing to the audience to use one of the international members of the IOC, since they are the ones with the continual complaint about excluded from important information. I didn't really like the end of the episode - she was acting very much like a child, threatening to leave. OTOH, that's not particularly OOC for her - she's never really struck me as someone who would prefer to work on an unsatisfactory situation and try to improve it when she had the option of walking away. The 'sexual advances', however, was very in-character, as was the responses from the other character's.

Since I've already jumped to the end of the episode, I think the interaction Vala and Mitchell will be interesting to watch, now she is the 'new guy' on the team (something I would have preferred not to happen, but I'm not surprised). I wonder how much of his warning to Vala was effected by his own awareness of what it means to be the new guy on the team. I think one of the reason's I'm not reacting as badly to Vala being on the team as I thought I would is that the new SG-1 still hasn't really gelled for me. If they tried to insert her into a pre-season 9 team, I would have hated it, but I think I'll be OK with her in this new version. I guess I just haven't had so much time to get protective off it yet.

A general note on the introductions of Vala and Mitchell - I think whenever the writers bring in a new character, they tend to overcompensate for their lack of development, focus on them too much, and try to emphasise their 'special skill' too early and too often. I felt they did that with Mitchell in Season 9 (OK, not so much over-focused, but his characterisation jumped all over the shop), Jonas way back in season 6, and I think they may do it again here. I just hope we don't have any Vala-centric episodes for a while.

Speaking of Mitchell, while he seems to have a good rapport with Sam and Teal'c, he still seems to be a bit more ... conciliatory to Daniel? Like he wants to impress him/get on his good side. OTOH, I can't really think of a good reason (or rather, a non-biased reason) for this to be so, so perhaps I am just reading to much into it. I liked the Mitchell/Teal'c interaction, right up until the point where Teal'c left him. Um, no. Sorry, but no. I did like the Sam and Daniel interaction - about time we got to see them together!

I'm also surprised how well the Arthurian mythology is working for me at the moment. It was one of things I was dubious about, after they introduced it in Season 9 and then ignored it for most of the season, but so far, so good. Or maybe I'm just happy that there have been no Jaffa-centric episodes so far :)



Still on a Stargate note, what do people think about the possible continuation of the movie-verse? It would be interesting to see where they went with it, especially as Devlin has said he didn't want to invalidate any of the SG-1 storylines.

Comments

[redbyrd-sgfic.livejournal.com]

I was unimpressed by they way they handled Mitchell in Morpheus. This is the guy who came back from an injury that should have crippled him for life? Just lying down and saying to T, go on without me? I think that sold him short- I wanted to see more struggle. And *no way* do I see Teal'c leaving him behind.

I was quite dissatisfied at the way that plot resolved. Too much time with the icky bug when they needed one more scene- a lab scene at the SGC- to sell the rescue.

Totally agree that Mitchell is conciliatory toward Daniel- but I think it works. I see Mitchell as feeling that Daniel and Jack are the heart of the old SG-1, and having a serious case of hero-worship. Jack's not around anymore, but Mitchell is supposed to be in charge of Daniel? Also, he's not military, so Mitchell lacks the formally defined means of relating to him that he has with Jack (and Carter). I think Daniel actually intimidates him a bit- not intentionally, but Mitchell really feels that he needs Daniel's approval. With Teal'c, I think Mitchell learned more about how to relate to him since his experience with the Sodan.

I totally agree that the writers are all over the map when introducing new characters. They really need *one* person who looks at each script and tweaks them for ongoing character development. I feel like they had that early in the series, but lost it somewhere along the way.

Whenever I see the commercials for the contest to visit the SG-1 set, I say. 'Huh, that would be interesting...but what I'd really like is the chance to sit in on a story development session or two and make suggestions!'. If I lived in Vancouver, I would *so* seriously be trying to write for the show!

[aizjanika.livejournal.com]

Totally agree that Mitchell is conciliatory toward Daniel- but I think it works. I see Mitchell as feeling that Daniel and Jack are the heart of the old SG-1, and having a serious case of hero-worship. Jack's not around anymore, but Mitchell is supposed to be in charge of Daniel? Also, he's not military, so Mitchell lacks the formally defined means of relating to him that he has with Jack (and Carter). I think Daniel actually intimidates him a bit- not intentionally, but Mitchell really feels that he needs Daniel's approval. With Teal'c, I think Mitchell learned more about how to relate to him since his experience with the Sodan.

I like this.

I'd like to see more of this, without the sort of thing we saw towards the end of season 9: Daniel being either affectionately amused/condescending towards Mitchell or alternately irritated with him. I don't mind them having some conflict, but not the way it played out in season 9 with Mitchell as the puppy dog. *g* I like it more subtle the way it was in the first half of season 9 and also in Morpheus.

[lyore.livejournal.com]

But you have to admit, Puppy!Mitchell is kinda cute. Just not really the sort of person you want leading your flagship team across the galaxy.

Daniel being either affectionately amused/condescending towards Mitchell or alternately irritated with him

This didn't bother me too much - given his relationship with the military, and his experiences with SG-1, I can see why the enthusiastic new guy may rub him the wrong way. But I like to see at least part of it as resentment on Sam's behalf.

[lyore.livejournal.com]

I was unimpressed by they way they handled Mitchell in Morpheus.

I dunno, I kinda liked it. Perhaps because I am just a bit over the ultra-machoness that showed up a few times last season. OK, he's tough, but so are Carter and Daniel and Teal'c, and I liked they way they all went down at about the same time. But I agree that Teal'c would not have left him - or at least not without more of a fight.

I feel like they had that early in the series, but lost it somewhere along the way.

Jonathon Glassner! OK, I'm just biased because he was involved in The Invisible Man :)

If I lived in Vancouver, I would *so* seriously be trying to write for the show!

If I lived in Vancouver, I'd probably ... lurking around the set stalking the stars? Perhaps not. But seriously, I suspect I'd prefer to see your episodes than most of the ones they've come up with. Any chance of you moving to Vancouver?