Thought of the Day for TPTB
Abyss Review by SueP
This gave the fans of the "old" SG-1 what they wanted. And showcased exactly what made this show the hit it became. Although TPTB believe Stargate is purely a sci-fi action show, they haven't, over the many years, gotten the hint that maybe, many of their fans are watching the show for more than the special effects.
Abyss managed to give us what has been missing for some time. The main focus of the show was Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson's journeys. Two very different men, with two sometimes opposing points of view, thrown into the same circumstances, and the conflicts and discoveries that arose. Jack is the action hero, Daniel the one always trying to find "another way". But they both learned from each other through their years together. Abyss let us see that connection.
Jack would have really liked for Daniel to throw some lightning bolts around and get him the heck out of there, but he, albeit reluctantly, understood that Daniel's principles wouldn't allow that. They may have never understood or agreed with each other's reasoning, but they respected it. Jack trusts Daniel enough to know if he could help, he would do whatever he could. Daniel's ideals still frustrate Jack, who would much rather take the direct-kick-butt approach, but he obviously still believes Daniel is a better person than he is. "I'm not you."
The banter between the two was welcome. They've been trying to get the same lightness between Sam and Jonas, but it's not working. Jack and Daniel have always had the chemistry to not say exactly what they mean and get that meaning across. Daniel still sees the good in Jack, but Jack doesn't seem to see the same thing in himself.
Daniel: "Do you think the Asgard named a ship after you because they thought it was a cool name?"The plot was well thought out, leaving a lot to the viewer's imagination. Did Daniel give Sam and Teal'c a little nudge in the right direction? Or did they just come up with their plans out of the blue? If so, they seemed awfully convinced of something they had absolutely no proof of. And did Daniel "do" anything to save Jack? Even if he didn't "nudge" SG-1 in the right direction, he was there for Jack to keep his mind occupied. A big part of torture is the psychological factor and his presence and interaction with Jack kept him grounded.
The effects in this episode were cool. The shifting gravity jail cell was pretty original. Jack kept seeing the image of the girl the Tok'ra symbiote had come back for - although it was pretty obvious the way she dissipated that she was actually a hallucination. The balance between Daniel really being there but not being there, and her not being there but being there, was one of the subtle nuances that made the story all the more dramatic.
All in all, Abyss is probably the best episode of the season. With it, we get back the chemistry, the emotion, the good vs. evil premise that Stargate was built on. Nice to see there are still some evil Goa'uld out there who don't know who SG-1 is! We all knew Jack would be saved, but it was finding out that Daniel would still find "another way" - and that Jack trusted him to find it -- that brought it all home.
By SueP
22nd July 2002
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