Stargate SG-1--"The Ties That Bind"

Anyone else get the impression Stargate SG-1 is treading water until Amanda tapping is back from maternity leave? We certainly need a frivolous bather after the intense trilogy that began the ninth season. It is also a good idea to explore the status quo after the fall of the Goa’uld. Putting it all together in a Firefly homage centered around Vala would be a bit much if Claudia Black did not prominently cavort about in her underwear in one scene.

The emphasis is on the absurd comedy, the fred and Ethel relationship between Daniel and Vala, and loads of sexual innuendo, so the plot is straight ford--it is quest to recover items stolen by Vala from various individuals in order for the scientist she stole the connecting bracelets from to break the lingering bond between Daniel and Vala. Among those our heroes meet along the way are a ex-Jaffa soldier struggling as a salesman, a former smuggler hiding out as a monk, and the two pirates Daniel eencountered in “Prometheus Unbound.” other than a slight detour before the senate Appropriations Committee where Vala implies the chairman wants to build weapons to compensate for his shortcomings, the adventure is done Firefly style complete with brown coats and side arms.

Scapers claim the weapon Vala was packing is a of the same design her character used on Farscape. I can neither confirm nor deny, but considering Cam, Daniel, and Teal’c allowed her to carry a weapon at all implies there must have been something special about it. Assuming it is a Farscape reference for the audience to catch makes more sense than out heroes sudden lapse in judgment of allowing someone like Vala to have a gun on her. Unless she swiped it from someone while they were not looking. If so, I did not catch that being the case.

“The Ties That Bind” is the type o fun, off world adventure I had expressed desire to see this season. It is mostly devoid of any overall story arc bogging down the action. The story has its plot holes. Why was Vala armed or allowed into the Senate Committee meeting? Given her reputation, neither of tjose should happen. There is also the feeling the show it dragging its feet until the real story starts. Cam has not yet chosen his team. We know he is eventually going to get the band back together, but we are getting tired of waiting. there are plenty of scenes in which our heroes are together, but they are not really a team. It is becoming frustrating. Nevertheless, “The Ties That Bind” is funny enough to overcome these issues, as well as offer an enjoyable breather after the hellfire and brimstone introduction of the Ori. But they really, really, need to get the show on the road.

Rating: *** (out of 5)