Well, it takes time to find one's own path. This is officially SG1's first mission off-world, but the dangerous, exotic feeling that had been prominent so far is completely gone. Obviously there cannot be Goa'uld and blaster fights in every single episode, but despite the rather unusual Mongolian setting, *nothing* even remotely alien takes place during those 40mn! (Even Teal'c seems a bit out of place for most of it).
Honestly, there is not much to save from the plot. The romance is heavily clichéed: you get your damsel in distress, your tyrannical father, even the lovestruck saviour coming to the rescue on his white horse. The major twist is supposed to be Carter's involvement --as a modern, emancipated woman who can (and will) kick butt-- but this is not handled very well either. After Carter's introductory speech in Children of the Gods, why does the series need to insist once again on how hard it is to be a woman in a man's world? While I approve of a SF series tackling real-life issues, Emancipation lays it on so thick that it actually gets annoying, and finally conveys the opposite message -that the series still has issues with gender. Besides, while Amanda Tapping certainly is an excellent, good-looking actress, it's hard to believe that her mere appearance would cause such an uproar --even more so once they get her in that horrendous, gaudy outfit! And to cap it all, the happy-ending (suddenly the men realise their mistake and everybody will be equal now) feels completely contrived, worthy of an old-school series.
I've been harsh, but there are still some good moments (and forgive me, but I always grin when Carter wins that fight), and it also serves to show that there will be more to the overall story than just the fight against the Goa'uld. But as far as I am concerned, the series is still toddling around before really kicking off. The funny thing, really, is that if it had gone on with the same kind of storyline, Stargate SG-1 might still have been successful, only different; it's only because we know it can be so much better that the episode pales by comparison.
Honestly, there is not much to save from the plot. The romance is heavily clichéed: you get your damsel in distress, your tyrannical father, even the lovestruck saviour coming to the rescue on his white horse. The major twist is supposed to be Carter's involvement --as a modern, emancipated woman who can (and will) kick butt-- but this is not handled very well either. After Carter's introductory speech in Children of the Gods, why does the series need to insist once again on how hard it is to be a woman in a man's world? While I approve of a SF series tackling real-life issues, Emancipation lays it on so thick that it actually gets annoying, and finally conveys the opposite message -that the series still has issues with gender. Besides, while Amanda Tapping certainly is an excellent, good-looking actress, it's hard to believe that her mere appearance would cause such an uproar --even more so once they get her in that horrendous, gaudy outfit! And to cap it all, the happy-ending (suddenly the men realise their mistake and everybody will be equal now) feels completely contrived, worthy of an old-school series.
I've been harsh, but there are still some good moments (and forgive me, but I always grin when Carter wins that fight), and it also serves to show that there will be more to the overall story than just the fight against the Goa'uld. But as far as I am concerned, the series is still toddling around before really kicking off. The funny thing, really, is that if it had gone on with the same kind of storyline, Stargate SG-1 might still have been successful, only different; it's only because we know it can be so much better that the episode pales by comparison.