The Other Guys

This was the script that earned Damian Kindler a spot on the writing staff and it was one of my favorites.  The episode was tons of fun and ur guest stars, John Billingsley and Patrick McKenna, were terrific.

One memory I have connected to this episode doesn’t have anything to do with this episode at all.  While prepping The Other Guys, a couple of guys from the VFX department came by the office.  One was wearing the greatest Stargate t-shirt I’ve ever seen.  It had a finger pointing off to the right and, below it, the text: “I’M WITH SHOL’VA”.

Early in the episode, O’Neill asks Teal’c who he likes for the cup.  Teal’c responds: “I believe the Canucks of Vancouver are superior warriors.” During the Vancouver Canucks playoff run of that year, that clip was played several times on the jumbotron.

Allegiance

Hmmm.  This one’s a bit of a blur but for two things: 1. The Rambo-esque sequence of O’Neill’s 360 degree machinegun turn that, believe it or not, was at least three times as long in the director’s cut, and 2.The hokey ending: “This single blade did what we could not. It has brought us together.”  Ouch.

Cure

The thing that drove me nuts about this episode was the big Egeria reveal near episode’s end that comes about as a result of Jonas FINALLY and conveniently coming across the text in the underground chamber.  Whenever I watched that scene in dailies, all I could think was: “Man, if you could’ve just started with that particular section instead of saving it for later, things would’ve gone a whole lot easier

Prometheus

Richard Dean Anderson was an Executive Producer on the show and liked to read and provide notes on all of the scripts.  I remember getting a script back from him once and Paul being delighted by how much Rick obviously liked it.  “Look at all the check marks!”he pointed out.  “Check marks are bad,”Rob informed him.  Oh.

Well, let’s just say this script got A LOT of check marks.  Rick greatly objected to the basic premise – that a group could actually steal an Earth ship.   As a result and to spare his character any potential blame, the script was rewritten so that O’Neill wasn’t anywhere near the Prometheus when it was taken.  So passionate was his opinion that, in the scene in which he dresses someone down for allowing the ship to get grabbed, I swore he was actually channeling himself.

Unnatural Selection

Although I liked the replicators when they were first introduced, I felt a little of them went a long way – which was why I loved their evolution into human form.  Same villain but new, improved, and far more dangerous.  What made this very good episode great was O’Neill’s double-cross of the all-too-trusting Fifth.  Was he right to do it?  Sure, an argue could be made for the fact that his actions do contain the replicator threat.  Of course, the double-cross comes back to bite us in the ass down the line when Fifth escapes the time dilation bubble.  So, would we have been better served taking him with us.  Again, hard to say.  And that’s one of the things I loved about SG-1.  Sometimes, amid the high adventure and humor, there were situations that offered no easy answers.

Sight Unseen

Boy, did I NOT like this episode, this despite actor Jodi Racicot’s brilliant turn as the beleaguered Vernon Sharpe.  My note at the script stage was: So what?. I mean, okay, people started glimpsing interdimensional creatures that caused them to “Freak out, man!” but, when it came down to it, those alien centipedes really weren’t much of a threat.

Smoke and Mirrors

No concept art 🙁

See if you can spot Peter Kelamis (SGU’s Adam Brody) in one of his first guest spots on the franchise.  Yep, that young little guy who gets clotheslined by Teal’c.  That’s him!  This episode also marked the return of one of my favorite characters you love to hate: Senator Kinsey played by the brilliant Ronny Cox.  It was always a pleasure to have him on the show.

The hotel at the beginning of the episode where Kinsey gets shot is actually located right across from The Bridge Studios where the show’s production offices are located.  Apparently, back in SG-1’s early days, a new writer joined the staff and was offered accommodations in town.  Instead, the writer elected to move into The Accent Inn!  I mean, sure, it was convenient in that all you had to do was walk across the street to get to work but there is nothing of interest in the neighborhood outside of the ABC Country Restaurant.  Sorry.  Strike that.  Nothing of interest in the neighborhood.