Stargate SG-1--"Foothold"

“Foothold” serves as an action oriented bottle show breather after the previous couple big episodes. We have an alien invasion exclusive to the SGC, evil twins, and no guest stars that are not extras in costume with zero dialogue. “Foothold” is what it is--an action yarn meant to mindlessly entertain. It does, thankfully.

The SG-1 team arrives back at the SGC after a mission only to fine themselves hurried to the infirmary because of a chemical spill on an upper level. All four wind up sedated, but Teal’c and Sam recover quickly. Teal’c’s symbiote helps the effects of the drug wear off quickly. It is left up to the imagination why Sam is up and running so quickly. The audience has to assume her connection with Jolinar does the trick, but that does not make a whole lot of sense. Regardless, there needs to be two heroes active, so just run with it. This is where the whole “mindless” part comes in.

Teal’c awakens first, but feigns unconsciousness when he witnesses Hammond and Frasier talking to a alien about an impending invasion of Earth. Teal’c believes the entire facility has been compromised, so he helps Sam escape to get help from the outside. She makes it to Washington, DC in far too short a time in order to recruit Maybourne. Aw, Geez. Not him!

Sam is intercepted by Jack and Daniel. They inform her she has been effected by the chemical spill and is suffering a paranoid delusion. She buys into the explanation enough to travel back to Colorado with them, but the sound frequency of the plane’s engines--just go with it--disrupt “Jack”’s disguise. He is an alien whom Sam shoots and kills. Sam uses the device which projects the image of someone else to pose as Daniel, breaks into the SGC order to expose the other aliens by duplicating the engine frequency, rescues Jack from hanging from some kind of goo from the ceiling, and a big shoot out ensues with the trapped aliens committing mass suicide.

In the end, it is revealed the aliens posed as SG-6 to gain access to SGC. The planet they are from is now offlimits. Our heroes know the proper frequency to expose them, so there is no big deal there. They have gained a new respect for Maybourne, too. I hope that will make him a less unpleasant character in the feature.

“Foothold" suffers some major plotholes. How did sam get from Colorado to Washington and back in only a few hours? It could not have been too long or families would be suspicious no one from the SGC ever came home. How did the faux jack and daniel make it to Washington themselves/ They had to fly, so why did the engine noise not disrupt their disguises before the return trip? Again I ask, how did sam resist the sedative when Jack and Daniel could not? Lots of issues there, but if you just accept them and watch the episode, it is not all that bad. They cannot all be masterpieces, no?

Rating: *** (out of 5)