Thought of the Day for TPTB
Abyss Review by GateAngel
(and I was even nice enought to watch the first 10 minutes of Farscape just to show Bonnie Hammer what having Daniel back could do for it's ratings:)
!!!WOW!!!!
OMG it was like someone turned on the lights, switched on the power and charged up the batteries cause life and energy went rushing back into Stargate:SG1 again! It was the show I remember back in the begining when I couldn't wait to sit down every friday evening and watch it!
This episode rocked and it I have to admit a lot of it was mostly due to Richard Dean Anderson's stunning performance in this episode and the return of Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson {who apparently doesn't need glasses on the ascended plane...but that's okay, cause it's all the better to see those utterly, awesomely gorgeous blue eyes}.
Now THAT was the Jack O'Neill I remember from seasons 1 thru 3 and a few good moments in season 4. The one I couldn't wait to watch every friday as well. The Jack O'Neill that was an amazingly perfect mix of strength, feistiness and sarcasm. The one that I believed a team would follow to purgatory and back. It was so good to see him again...I thought he had gotten lost forever! The one the Asgard named a ship after not because they thought it was cool name LOL!
I'm not going to say that all of this had to do with Michael Shanks being back..cause I think a lot of it had to do with RDA's conscious choice to breathe life back into Jack O'Neill to make him the incredibly complex and realistic character he started out as under RDA's talents and skills as an actor way back when. Thought I have a feeling that having a actor he trusts as much as he trusts Michael played a part in it. You could really see what RDA was talking about in his recent interview discussing Abyss.
And talk about breathing life back into something...Michael Shanks return as Daniel Jackson was like...well like pure energy flooding back into the show! The spark and chemistry between Michael and RDA as two talented actors who work well off of each other is undeniable. The Jack/Daniel friendship was at it's most compelling in this episode. The two them together was like watching a masterpiece being created. IMHO these two have a way of working together.
I have watched RDA over the years, and he is a strong screen presence, so much so, that sometimes without meaning to, he overwhelms the actors working opposite him. I always loved seeing the Murdoc episodes on MacGyver because Michael Des Barres was one of the few actors who held his ground equally with Anderson and created magic. Michael Shanks is one of those actors too. Able to hold equal ground with RDA's charismatic screen presence and create magic.
The only thing that was kinda jarring was how hefty RDA looked in that earthtoned outfit even though earth tones are great on him. I realise that it wasn't RDA who had gained weight, but rather it was the bulky harness they had to put on him under his clothing to make him hang on the *spider web* thing and the bulky padding for the trick knives to go into. At times you could actually see the full outline of the rig and padding. But it still didn't spoil the effect of the torture and the kewlness of the set up.
I liked this episode for other things as well..I liked what it revealed to us about Jack and about where Daniel is now. I think Daniel has been taking a page out of the Asgard book of tactics. He couldn't overtly help Jack cause the other *ascended* would know, but as soon as he realized that Jack wouldn't accept being ascended (and can you blame him..Carter promised that being Tok'ra'd wouldn't hurt him and look what happened) each time Ba'al took Jack away to torture him, Daniel went off and whispered in the ears of the others at the SGC, subtly guiding them to the answers they needed to find to help Jack.
At first I thought Sam pausing as if she were listening in the work room was her accessing Jolinar's memories again, but it was Daniel she was listening to. And the meditation scene with Teal'c...the slight bit of breeze just before his eyes opened and he had the answer. And Daniel's oh so little boy mischevious in the cell with Jack when he told him there was another chance for him...as usual, Daniel found *another way*.
I liked Hammond alot in this one LOL! He stood tough against the Tok'ra and he wasn't afraid to take the risk of angering them if it meant getting Jack back. And Teal'c LOL.
I really liked Ba'al in this episode...he was way more realistic and threatening as an enemy than the cartoonish version of him back in Summit/Last Stand. His wardrobe was better and he was very interesting looking..except he reminded me a lot of Kevin Richardson of The Back Street Boys LOL!
Thanks to Brad Wright for penning this script. Many of my favorite episodes of SG1 have been written by Brad and he certainly didn't let me down this time either. Even more thanks to RDA for turning in such a tour de force performance and for ..at least this one last time..bringing back the Jack O'Neill I love and alway found so amazing to watch.
And thanks to Michael Shanks for knowing what Daniel should be and caring enough to make sure we always get a quality character out of him:)
Just a few minor questions though..I was puzzled that Ba'al's Lotow (sp) was now a woman..and not the young man we saw back in Summit/Last Stand. I wonder if taking the risk of warning Yu about his servant cost the man his life if Ba'al got angry at him for it. Or since Jacob told us that they like to have human hosts nearby as a back up...does this mean that Ba'al wants to next be a female system lord?
And why the mention of Zippy? I thought he got killed back in Last Stand when Elliot/Lantash released the poison. Or did he not come down from his ship?
Also, is Kanan dead or did he get away? I wasn't quite clear on that. Plus this whole thing with the Tok'ra accepting sacrifice life as the norm. I mean my impression of the Tok'ra was created back in the episode In The Line Of Duty where Jolinar made a conscience choice to die to save Sam. Was that because Jolinar was influenced by blending with Sam and taking on her characteristics? That kinda confused me too.
GateAngel
20th July 2002
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