Chimera…

The things that stands out for me about this episode was the title which, over the course of prep, production, and post, was pronounced anyone of about a half dozen ways: Ki-mera, Kee-mera, Kee-meera, Chi-mera, Chy-mera, Chy-meera – and variations thereof.  Damian Kindler was the king of the obtuse episode titles and, after following Ethon with Talion, I decided to call my next script Futtock (One of the curved timbers that forms a rib in the frame of a ship.) but was overruled by my writing partner, Paul, since he’d be sharing onscreen credit with me on this one.  Anyway, Damian did a great job on an episode that provides a rarity – actual closure to a storyline!  Daniel saves Sarah and, with the help of the Tok’ra, restore her to her former self.

This episode also continues the Sam’s romantic arc with a fellow fandom coined “Stalker Pete”.  The role was played by David DeLuise, brother of Peter DeLuise.  His appearance marked the fourth appearance by a member of the DeLuise family (Dom guested in Urgo, Michael guested in Wormhole Xtreme, David guested in several episodes as Stalker Pete, and, of course, fan favorite Peter DeLuise wrote, directed, produced and had cameos in episodes too numerous to mention).

Death Knell…

No concept art 🙁

Bit of a nitpick, but if the Alpha site had been wiped out by the self-destruct, it would have been one massive blast crater instead of a clearing littered with spot fires.  Realistically, however, a massive blast crater would have been a huge expense that wouldn’t have added much to the episode.  The Jaffa, M’Zel, was a tip of the hat to Stargate long time AD Bill Mizel who provided us with many an entertaining concept meeting with his spirited renditions of the scripts – and also showed off some killer dance moves during the shooting of SGU’s Earth.

Heroes, Part 1…

This one wasn’t planned as a two-parter but, after going through all the footage and assembling his first producer edit, Robert Cooper decided he would need more time to tell the story.  And so, additional scenes were written and additional footage shot.  No padding here, however, but some fantastic action sequences on the planet’s surface.  Many guest stars of note in this episode: Adam Baldwin as Colonel Dave Dixon, Saul Rubinek as Bregman, and, of course, Robert Picardo as the pencil-pushing Richard Woolsey who makes his first Stargate appearance in this episode.  What a run for Bob who goes from pain-in-the-ass bureaucrat in Heroes I to the lovable commander of the Atlantis expedition in SGA’s fifth season.  And speaking of SGA and its cast connections to this episode, Adam Baldwin was another actor who so impressed that his name was at the top of our list for possible lead role on Atlantis.

Heroes, Part II…

No concept art 🙁

The hearbreaking conclusion to the Heroes two-parter sees Stargate Command suffer a huge loss.  The writers’ room was divided on the death of Janet Fraiser, the SGC’s long-time CMO, but, after much heated debate, it was decided that since this was going to be the final season anyway (!), it was the perfect time to tell this story – a salute to our armed forces, those who fought, and those who’ve lost their lives in the service of their country.

Resurrection…

Written by Michael Shanks and directed by Amanda Tapping, this one was all sorts of fun at almost every stage – pre, prep, production, and post.  The episode finds the N.I.D. screwing up yet another experiment, leaving Stargate Command to pick up the pieces (and dispose of the bodies).  Fans have long speculated on the full name of the nefarious organization and I’ve read some pretty good guesses: National Intelligence Directorate, National Intelligence Division, Next In Defense.  All great.  All wrong.  What it actually stands for is Not a Real Department.  N.I.D.  Simple, no?  Oh, right.  Well, it WAS originally N.R.D. but we changed into N.I.D. because it sounded better.

Inauguration…

No concept art 🙁

When Paul and I learned the show was going to be doing another clip show, we lobbied hard for the opportunity…Oh, you’ve heard this one before.  Never mind. Actually, as far as clip shows go, this one was a lot of fun, mainly because it afforded us the opportunity to throw in a twist at episode’s end by having company man Richard Woolsey actually demonstrates surprising strength of character by turning his back on the conniving Senator Kinsey and doing the right thing.  It’s the first step in the rehabilitation of a character who would eventually become one of my favorites to write for.  Terrific performances all around by Robert Picardo, Ronny Cox, and William Devane who had the gals in the production office all a-flutter after taking the time to autograph some pictures for them between scenes.

Lost City I and II…

The plan (actually “plans” since it was fast becoming a habit) was to wrap up the show and then cap it with a movie.  Lost City was going to be that movie – until we got the eighth season pick-up, at which point it was rewritten and turned into our two-parter season finale.  This episode saw the introduction of Dr. Elizabeth Weir.  Blonde in Lost City I and II, she goes brunette by the time the Atlantis expedition gets underway in Rising I and II (In case you failed to notice).

One of my favorite moments of this season comes when all of SG-1 gathers for what they think may be the last time.  With Jack facing an uncertain future, Sam unexpectedly drops by for a visit.  As they sit down for a beer, there’s a knock.  O’Neill opens the door to discover Daniel at his front door.  Not long after, Teal’c comes a-calling.  As much as I enjoyed the show’s high-adventure, I especially enjoyed these scenes – moments that brought the team together, demonstrating that they weren’t just teammates but good friends as well.

A great series-ender that sets the stage for game-changing events, particularly with regard to Anubis’ destruction of an aircraft carrier.  I mean, holy smokes! How the heck is the government going to cover something like that up?!  Great, great question.  Guess we’ll find out next season!

Or not.

Making a special appearance in this episode is General John P. Jumper, former Chief of Staff of the United States Airforce.  I remember running into him in the production office the day before he was to shoot his episode and asking whether he had any plans to explore further acting opportunities in the near future.  He chuckled and assured me his Stargate appearance was a one-time-only thing.  “You sure?”I asked.   “Next week, I better not turn on the t.v. and catch you on Moesha.”