First, I've got to say that any episode which has Vala in it has my vote. She has a way of shaking things up that is absolutely thrilling. After her dramatic disappearance months ago, she waltzes in, makes Daniel look like a fool, sits down and literally flattens SGC with a series of bombshells which even SG1 has trouble stomaching. You've got to give it to the girl: she puts spice in your everyday life.
Most of the episode is taken up by Vala's story, with a few interruptions by SG1 in just the right places. I don't know where the plot is going with that mysterious baby thing. The Harcesis arc a few years ago completely petered out, so that one had better be solid, especially considering the obvious connections it makes. Here I'll just say that the episode superbly avoids looking too closely at those connections, and Teal'c remark about Darth Vader had me choking with laughter (I actually had to rewind, I had missed a whole minute).
Considering the sheer weight of Vala's news, I almost forgot about the subplot involving Landry and the IOA delegation --mostly because, let's face it, we've already gone down that road several too many times. Politics, SGC closing despite imminent threat, blackmail, negotiations, etc. It would all be rather boring it not for two facts: one, for once there was some buildup to this (remember Scourge?); two, the Russians getting their own ship will have consequences very soon. And on a personal aside, I like it that the show periodically remembers that, no matter how skillful and well-meaning, the de facto appropriation of the Stargate by the US is completely illegitimate.
Most of the episode is taken up by Vala's story, with a few interruptions by SG1 in just the right places. I don't know where the plot is going with that mysterious baby thing. The Harcesis arc a few years ago completely petered out, so that one had better be solid, especially considering the obvious connections it makes. Here I'll just say that the episode superbly avoids looking too closely at those connections, and Teal'c remark about Darth Vader had me choking with laughter (I actually had to rewind, I had missed a whole minute).
Considering the sheer weight of Vala's news, I almost forgot about the subplot involving Landry and the IOA delegation --mostly because, let's face it, we've already gone down that road several too many times. Politics, SGC closing despite imminent threat, blackmail, negotiations, etc. It would all be rather boring it not for two facts: one, for once there was some buildup to this (remember Scourge?); two, the Russians getting their own ship will have consequences very soon. And on a personal aside, I like it that the show periodically remembers that, no matter how skillful and well-meaning, the de facto appropriation of the Stargate by the US is completely illegitimate.
