Morpheus - Review
23/10/2008 04:59 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
rachel500Morpheus is the 2nd episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.
Review
Review
Morpheus combines a return to Stargate’s classic formula while addressing Vala’s continued presence at the SGC. While the story flounders, the episode retains an enjoyable quality thanks to the excellent characterisations of the individual characters and the SG1 team as a whole, buoyed by the performances of the actors.
The main plot has the ingredients for a classic SG1 tale; Daniel finds an obscure reference in mythology leading to an off-world mission where the team get into trouble. Ultimately it trips up on the issues thrown out by the nature of the ‘trouble’; the fatal sleeping sickness caused by an alien parasite. These issues are never satisfactorily addressed.
Issue one is that none of the regular characters can be killed. Cue the arrival of extraneous characters on the pretext of finding out why the village is full of dead people. It does beg the question why they don’t turn up in hazmat suits given the likelihood that some kind of plague had killed the village en masse and as a side-note, the casting of an actor who has already appeared in SG1 is an irritation.
Issue two is why the supplementary characters succumb first. Cue tale of the two soldiers pulling an extra duty shift which begs the question why Landry has sent these men. Doesn’t the SGC have guidelines governing the health of its soldiers? The snarkiness to Mitchell by the soldiers is disconcerting; are they the same rank as Mitchell because otherwise it’s inappropriate that junior officers, even sleep deprived ones, speak to a senior officer that way.
The explanation for the sleeping sickness is issue three. While medical terms such as serotonin, melatonin and delta waves are used to give the impression of a credible explanation, too much time is spent on explaining the sleeping sickness to the audience. While it is realistic the team would spend time finding out what was wrong, it doesn’t make for exciting drama; examining the fears and regrets of the characters as they face imminent death would have been much more interesting.
The resolution is issue four. The discovery of the lizard is a convenience without any explanation provided for how the lizard had managed to survive in the cave without any obvious food source for so long. While the hazmat team may have been intended as a way to do something original with the classic formula (usually the heroes save themselves), with their arrival and the sudden ability of the SGC to create a serum which cures our heroes in an extremely speedy way, the story feels like it ultimately had no where to go and ran out of answers.
Setting aside the plot issues, there are parts that work extremely well. The detail given to the desolate planet; the washed out colours; the haunting air of lifelessness is well done and lends an eerie quality. The overall Ori arc feels naturally woven into the story, and it does move the arc forward setting up a trip to Atlantis and the introduction of Morgan Le Fey with ease. Additionally, all the SG1 characters are used to good effect and the actors make the most of what they are given. It’s great to see a return of classic Daniel, the enthusiastic academic and explorer, and even better to see Teal’c well-utilised and getting to be the hero. Neither Sam nor Mitchell are ignored or pushed into the background with Sam being used primarily to provide scientific answers and Mitchell to provide much-needed levity on the planet.
Indeed, the plotline is successful in evoking a sense of SG1 as a working team that cares for one another. It is packed with little moments; Sam and Teal’c’s pride in Daniel’s discovery, Teal’c’s belief in Daniel about the cave, Teal’c’s offer to carry Mitchell, Sam and Daniel supporting each other, all hanging out with each other afterwards. SG1 teaminess seeps from the screen.
The sub-plot focuses on the continued introduction of Vala. A combination of the writing and direction makes it feels like it competes as a main plot given the time devoted to it but the questions of why Vala would choose to stay on Earth and why the SGC would have her are important and need answering. The latter is answered in Daniel’s championing of Vala to Landry while the psych exam is a clever mechanism for providing further justification for the SGC in allowing Vala to stay and providing an opportunity to answer why Vala would want to.
It is a good character study from her initial reaction in reverting to the behaviour that has served her well in the past (lying and cheating) to her impassioned honest speech about someone finally having faith in her, and her heartfelt response to the result – all acted outstandingly by Claudia Black. The sub-plot also makes good use of other characters; Woolsey works well for the loyalty test; Hutchinson does a good job as the beleaguered psychiatrist and Landry excels as he apparently wins the battle of wits that Vala had in some ways rightly declared it was.
There are two problems; firstly, the sub-plot is played mostly for comedy and misses an opportunity to delve deeper into Vala’s psyche. Given her reaction to the polygraph test, it would have been interesting to have seen her being asked the questions she felt humiliated her rather than the playful scene shown. Secondly, Vala’s temper tantrum in the gate room begs the question why Landry doesn't change his mind. At least, Mitchell’s warning confirms her acceptance is conditional and serves notice that she has work to do with the rest of SG1.
It seems the entire story calls for a suspension of disbelief above and beyond the call of duty. It relies heavily on the charm of the characters, and the performance of the actors, to carry it through. Vala’s antics and SG1’s team spirit do evoke a warm fuzziness that glosses over the gaping plot holes and Morpheus is enjoyable if insubstantial.
The main plot has the ingredients for a classic SG1 tale; Daniel finds an obscure reference in mythology leading to an off-world mission where the team get into trouble. Ultimately it trips up on the issues thrown out by the nature of the ‘trouble’; the fatal sleeping sickness caused by an alien parasite. These issues are never satisfactorily addressed.
Issue one is that none of the regular characters can be killed. Cue the arrival of extraneous characters on the pretext of finding out why the village is full of dead people. It does beg the question why they don’t turn up in hazmat suits given the likelihood that some kind of plague had killed the village en masse and as a side-note, the casting of an actor who has already appeared in SG1 is an irritation.
Issue two is why the supplementary characters succumb first. Cue tale of the two soldiers pulling an extra duty shift which begs the question why Landry has sent these men. Doesn’t the SGC have guidelines governing the health of its soldiers? The snarkiness to Mitchell by the soldiers is disconcerting; are they the same rank as Mitchell because otherwise it’s inappropriate that junior officers, even sleep deprived ones, speak to a senior officer that way.
The explanation for the sleeping sickness is issue three. While medical terms such as serotonin, melatonin and delta waves are used to give the impression of a credible explanation, too much time is spent on explaining the sleeping sickness to the audience. While it is realistic the team would spend time finding out what was wrong, it doesn’t make for exciting drama; examining the fears and regrets of the characters as they face imminent death would have been much more interesting.
The resolution is issue four. The discovery of the lizard is a convenience without any explanation provided for how the lizard had managed to survive in the cave without any obvious food source for so long. While the hazmat team may have been intended as a way to do something original with the classic formula (usually the heroes save themselves), with their arrival and the sudden ability of the SGC to create a serum which cures our heroes in an extremely speedy way, the story feels like it ultimately had no where to go and ran out of answers.
Setting aside the plot issues, there are parts that work extremely well. The detail given to the desolate planet; the washed out colours; the haunting air of lifelessness is well done and lends an eerie quality. The overall Ori arc feels naturally woven into the story, and it does move the arc forward setting up a trip to Atlantis and the introduction of Morgan Le Fey with ease. Additionally, all the SG1 characters are used to good effect and the actors make the most of what they are given. It’s great to see a return of classic Daniel, the enthusiastic academic and explorer, and even better to see Teal’c well-utilised and getting to be the hero. Neither Sam nor Mitchell are ignored or pushed into the background with Sam being used primarily to provide scientific answers and Mitchell to provide much-needed levity on the planet.
Indeed, the plotline is successful in evoking a sense of SG1 as a working team that cares for one another. It is packed with little moments; Sam and Teal’c’s pride in Daniel’s discovery, Teal’c’s belief in Daniel about the cave, Teal’c’s offer to carry Mitchell, Sam and Daniel supporting each other, all hanging out with each other afterwards. SG1 teaminess seeps from the screen.
The sub-plot focuses on the continued introduction of Vala. A combination of the writing and direction makes it feels like it competes as a main plot given the time devoted to it but the questions of why Vala would choose to stay on Earth and why the SGC would have her are important and need answering. The latter is answered in Daniel’s championing of Vala to Landry while the psych exam is a clever mechanism for providing further justification for the SGC in allowing Vala to stay and providing an opportunity to answer why Vala would want to.
It is a good character study from her initial reaction in reverting to the behaviour that has served her well in the past (lying and cheating) to her impassioned honest speech about someone finally having faith in her, and her heartfelt response to the result – all acted outstandingly by Claudia Black. The sub-plot also makes good use of other characters; Woolsey works well for the loyalty test; Hutchinson does a good job as the beleaguered psychiatrist and Landry excels as he apparently wins the battle of wits that Vala had in some ways rightly declared it was.
There are two problems; firstly, the sub-plot is played mostly for comedy and misses an opportunity to delve deeper into Vala’s psyche. Given her reaction to the polygraph test, it would have been interesting to have seen her being asked the questions she felt humiliated her rather than the playful scene shown. Secondly, Vala’s temper tantrum in the gate room begs the question why Landry doesn't change his mind. At least, Mitchell’s warning confirms her acceptance is conditional and serves notice that she has work to do with the rest of SG1.
It seems the entire story calls for a suspension of disbelief above and beyond the call of duty. It relies heavily on the charm of the characters, and the performance of the actors, to carry it through. Vala’s antics and SG1’s team spirit do evoke a warm fuzziness that glosses over the gaping plot holes and Morpheus is enjoyable if insubstantial.
