Talion - Review

[rachel500]

Talion is the 17th episode in Season Ten of Stargate SG1.

Review

An old school Jaffa episode, Talion resonates with echoes of the show’s past as Teal’c’s history and character are explored in depth. It is all at once a homage to the Jaffa storyline and a fascinating insight into Teal’c. The issues with the episode are not minor though; it fails in the examination of Teal’c’s relationship with the rest of SG1, with the characterisations of General Landry and guest Jaffa villain, and with a small plotting/pacing issue right up front.

The opening of the story at night to a devastated Jaffa planet is atmospheric and intriguing; it captures the attention and sets-up the reason why Teal’c goes into Jaffa revenge mode very well. Unfortunately, the initial attack jumps to a severely injured Teal’c waking up to his sitting with a gravely ill Bra’tac to his request to Landry to go after Arkad. All of this action is meant to have taken place over a significant period of time given the severity of Teal’c’s injuries yet it is crammed into the first act and the result is that it feels jumpy and awkward.

With such a bad start, the episode doesn’t begin its recovery very well in the second act either as SG1 watch Teal’c depart on his Jaffa revenge. While it was good to see the team discuss stopping him or even leaving with him, it would have been ten times better for the audience to have seen them express those feelings to Teal’c directly. Additionally, the placement of the team in the control room and Teal’c in the gate room gives the impression that they are uncaring about his departure.

The reactions of the team also seem muted when ordered to stop Teal’c from killing Arkad at all costs, and when they are trying to prevent him from getting to Arkad. Although the team look mildly disgusted with the order and in carrying it out, there is no immediate protest from his team-mates nor any real attempt to appeal to Teal’c as a team-mate, a friend or a brother even when at Arkad’s base. Equally, Teal’c’s shock beating of Mitchell sits oddly with Mitchell then apparently happy to forget it and fabricate an official report to rewrite Teal’c’s actions into something acceptable later. The team and how they react to Teal’c, how Teal’c reacts to them, just seems vaguely off the whole way through with only the early scene of them with Teal’c when he awakes in the infirmary offering any real sense of how much they care for him.

If the team’s relationship with Teal’c doesn’t seem portrayed well neither is General Landry. The character comes across as unsympathetic in early scenes before Teal’c’s departure and later, appears weak as he springs up like a demented chicken and hides behind his chair when he gets a little heated with Arkad; I presume this wasn’t the intention but that’s the overall impression. His character is also weakened by so many of the orders and actions being mandated by the IOA. The characterisation seems at odds with the general who hates politicians, fights for his people and was calling Teal’c part of the family back in S9’s Stronghold.

The guest villain of the week is also badly portrayed. Previously unknown and unheard of, the sudden appearance of Teal’c’s arch-nemesis is a little jolting. Further, there seems to be a schism between how the character is written and portrayed through the dialogue and plot, and how the character is acted. The former suggests an intelligent, cunning if cowardly strategist, the latter that he is no more than a thug in a Jaffa uniform. Craig Fairbrass does give a good performance in the beautifully choreographed fight, and he has a real physical presence that adds credibility to the idea that he is a match for Teal’c, but he really doesn’t sell the idea of an intelligent Arkad to me at all.

The main saving grace of the entire episode is Teal’c himself. The story provides a wonderful focus on the character, taking him back to his roots as First Prime, as a Jaffa warrior, and as an avenging Jaffa with the full gamut of character nuances that evokes. His dark past surfaces in his torture and sadistic killing of the terrorist and weapons trader directly responsible for the initial attack; a reminder that Teal’c once held the position of a Goa’uld’s most trusted Jaffa and had to do a lot of nasty stuff to get that position. His past pain at his mother’s murder is revealed and the established character trait of his determination for revenge cancelling out all reason revisited. Teal’c’s character gets put under the spotlight revealing the uneasy mix of ugly violence and noble honour that make up this complex Jaffa warrior. Chris Judge pulls out all the stops and delivers an outstanding performance.

The story itself is a wonderful revisit to the Jaffa; the staff weapons, the uniforms, the rich culture of the fragmented Jaffa nation and of course, the much loved Bra’tac (kudos for the originality in not killing him off). As the series draws to a close, there is a sentimental nostalgia in seeing what has been an integral element of the show’s history and storyline for so many years. The musical underscore tugs at the heart-strings at every opportunity as does the direction but especially in the final scene with Teal’c and Bra’tac where one outstanding character moment between the two Jaffa sweeps all the episode flaws aside as Bra’tac tells Teal’c he is the son he never had.

Talion has its fair share of issues and flaws yet it also delivers a fantastic examination of one of SG1’s most loved characters. Chris Judge deserves praise for carrying the episode and for selling this look at the darker, murkier side of Teal’c so well. Jaffa episodes are an acquired taste and this is no exception; I can’t in all honesty say I loved it but that last scene was pure gold.