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Stargate SG-1
Episode 6.03, "Descent"
Original Air-Date: 6/21/02
Directed by Peter DeLuise
Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
The episode starts out in regular SG-1 fashion -- we jump straight into a storyline with no clue what's going on. I think it's meant to simulate a 'battle-situation' for the audience but sometimes it's just very confusing. SG-1 is onboard a cargo-ship piloted by Jacob. Apparently there's been a Goa'uld mothership in orbit around the Earth for awhile. So we reach my first major plot-point gripe. How come nobody picks up this ship? The mothership isn't cloaked. You'd think somebody on the planet would look through a telescope and notice the stupid thing. So Jack, Sam, Jacob, and two techies ring over to the Goa'uld ship and leave Jonas and Teal'c back on the cargo-ship.
The Goa'uld ship looks dead in space and there are no life signs on board. Jacob accesses the computer and finds out that a self-destruct sequence is frozen halfway through and that all escape pods have been jettisoned. So Sam & Major Davis head to the computer core to try to restore the ship, while Jack and red-shirt techie see to other systems. Of course, redshirt techie wonders off and is killed by ninja jaffa. Don't you hate it when that happens?
Jonas and Teal'c go through some bonding on the cargo-ship and there's a very funny sequence where Jonas says, "After all, us Aliens need to stick together right?" and Teal'c, with that deadpan statement of his says, "Are you suggesting an alien conspiracy, Jonas Quinn?".. LOL, go big guy! The ninja jaffa ring over to the cargo-ship and get taken out by Teal'c, but not before shooting the cargo-ship's ring controls which leaves SG-1 over on the ship.
Oh yea, the mothership is now heading into the Earth's atmosphere and will crash into the Pacific Ocean. Sam & Major Davis continue to work on the computer but nobody can regain control of the ship before it smashes into the ocean and sinks. Now here's my grip and plot-hole number two. They mention before the ship crashes that it will cause massive tidal waves on the coasts of the Pacific from the impact but we never get that resolved later in the show. Is Nevada now beach-front property?
Lucky for the team, Jacob was able to engage the shields so the ship held together, more or less. It's now got a few leaks and is filling up with water. Jack and Sam head back to the computer core to see what can be done, but they get trapped in a sealed off corridor that's rapidly filling up with water. Jack/Sam shippers are yelling "kiss her Jack, before you die!" but alas, there are no smoochies or last minute confessions of love as the water overtakes them both. A nicely emotional scene is when Jacob has to resound himself to the fact he can't save his daughter and tells her he's sorry. Of course, we know they're not going to die and the doors magically open.
Turns out that since this is the same mothership from the season 5 finale, it has a little friend on it. Anubis had downloaded Thor's memory into the ship and Thor used the ship's computer to free Teal'c and Jack then. Well, a part of Thor is stuck in the system and they decide to get it out since Thor is still in a coma with the Asgard. So now we're approaching a scene which looks very cool, but unfortunately has a major plot-hole.
Jonas, in an effort to prove himself to the team, stays behind on the mothership even thought Jacob, Major Davis and Teal'c are on the rescue submersion vehicle that arrived. He uses his knowledge of the Goa'uld schematics to re-enable the shuttle bay force fields. See, SG-1 plans on leaving on gliders through the ocean. My problem here is, #1) Why even bother with the force field? The gliders are going into the ocean anyway! and #2) Jonas 'rings' himself from the deck he was on to the deck that the cargo bay is on. Why the heck didn't SG-1 just ring from the cargo bay to where Jonas was and then leave on the stupid sub!!!!?
Well, I'll try not to be too upset since it's a very cool sequence with Jonas ringing while underwater and re-appearing on another deck with all the water dropping to the floor around him from the transport. It definitely looks cool, although it annoys me because of that plot-hole. Jonas joins up with SG-1 in the shuttle bay and they escape the ship, with Thor's memory on a hard-drive.
It wasn't a "bad" episode, it just didn't live up to the normal high quality of an SG-1 episode. It felt more like filler , but next week's episode looks strong. Rumor is that the plot of it could affect the next SG-1 spin-off and a future SG-1 motion picture.
Episode Rating: 6.5 out of 10
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