Description:
This is the fourth instalment of the ninth season of Stargate SG-1. The episodes on this disk provide some nice character growth for Cameron Mitchell in Collateral Damage and Stronghold, while Ripple Effect brings back some characters who were killed in previous seasons.
9.12: Collateral Damage
SG-1 investigate a race who have the technology to implant memories, which would have great consequences when training people, as the knowledge can be put directly into their memories. However while they are there a leading scientist is found murdered and Mitchell is also discovered at the scene of the crime. SG-1 believes Mitchell to be innocent, but Mitchell has memories of murdering the scientist and believes himself to be responsible. SG-1 believe the memories to be implanted and work to find who was responsible for murdering the scientist and framing Mitchell
9.13: Ripple Effect
When SG-1 arrives back from a mission earlier than planned Landry discovers that they are a different SG-1 to the ones he originally sent out. Originally believed to be clones they discover that there is something else going on when more SG-1 teams begin to arrive apparently from multiple alternate realities. The various SG-1s must work together to try and discover what happened and how to set things right.
9.14: Stronghold
Teal’c becomes alarmed when members of the Jaffa Council suddenly reverse their opinions about a democratic Jaffa nation. He discovers that they are being brainwashed and when he is kidnapped he learns it is Baal who is responsible. Baal wishes to use the Jaffa as a weapon against the Ori. Meanwhile Mitchell is away visiting a friend dying in hospital, a friend he was competing directly with on the path that brought him to SG-1.
Review:
These episodes provide some great character moments, chiefly for Mitchell in Collateral Damage and Stronghold and for the rest of SG-1 in Ripple Effect. In both Mitchell parts he has to deal with hard moments in his past and has to work to come to terms with them. In Collateral Damage he is forced to relive memories of his father and a dark moment from his earlier service in the air force. Meanwhile, in Stronghold he has to come to terms with feeling responsible for what is causing his friends death. In Ripple Effect you have the welcome return of Teryl Rothery and JR Bourne as Janet Frasier and Martouf respectively. The chief interplay between the characters is with Daniel and Teal’c with Frasier and Carter with Martouf. Both deal with the respective characters interacting with a character they cared for and lost only to find them alive again even if it isn’t the same person as the one they knew.
Collateral Damage and Ripple Effect do bring in some interesting concepts in their respective stories. In Collateral Damage you have the ethical implications of memory implications and how they can be used for good or bad. While in Ripple Effect you have ideas about what would happen if you could see someone you lost one more time or possibly meeting yourself from some alternative reality and see how things were different.
The episodes are shown in the now standard format of 1.78:1 more commonly known as 16:9 Anamorphic Widescreen. The episodes are shot in High Definition so they are of a really high quality with no noticeable grain or contrast problems, especially with CGI effects. There isn’t that much CGI usage in these episodes as in some others but what there is is amazing. The most realistic being the Mitchell flashback where he is flying his fighter jet as all of the exterior shots were CGI.
The sound is recorded in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround and is of really high quality. The main dialogue is played through the centre speaker while music and other sound effects are played through the other speakers. The subwoofer is left for the harder sound effects to give a more kinetic feel for the action, but there isn’t much call for it in these episodes.
Extras:
The extras on offer are pretty standard fair the Stargate DVDs, featuring audio commentaries on each episode, the Production and Photo slideshow gallery and some unrelated trailers. The only featurette on this disk is ‘An Introduction to Ben Browder’ which is pretty interesting.
The audio commentaries are mainly for those interested in knowing what goes into making each episode and the occasional piece of trivia. In the commentary for Collateral Damage you have a more technical overview of the filming and how they set up each scene. Meanwhile with Ripple Effect the commentary has a lighter tone discussing some aspects of the show and the way they got multiple copies of the same character to show on the screen. Stronghold is another Peter DeLuise/Gary Jones pairing so tends to get a bit slapstick and off-track at times.
Stargate SG-1: An Introduction to Ben Browder (21mins): This is a series of informative interviews about the character Cameron Mitchell and the actor who plays him: Ben Browder. The discussions range from how they developed the character of Mitchell to a behind the scenes look at how Browder performed and some of his experiences.
Overall:
This disk contains some of the best episodes from season 9 especially in the area of character episodes. I’d recommend this to SG-1 fans and those with a passing interest in Stargate but enjoy character episodes. The extras are a bit light but informative making this a good solid volume in the series.