STARGATE SG-1: Moebius, Part 2

By: Jason Davis
Review Date: Monday, March 28, 2005

Two-part stories are many things to a television series: a chance to amortize sets across two episodes, an opportunity to capture viewers eager for part two's resolution, and they offer a larger canvass upon which to build a more involved story than the typical hour allows. Unfortunately, the resolution too often fails to meet the promise of its prologue, and a rushed finale dulls the impact of the whole epic affair. Such is the case with "Moebius, Part 2." The episode is filled with great moments and pretty much ties up the story launched in the foregoing episode, but the finesse of a finely honed part two just seems to elude the story, which ends rather abruptly. The dramatic tension is diffused like a balloon allowed to slowly bleed off its contents, and what appeared to be a cleverly constructed time-travel story becomes "just another time travel story."

After a rather complicated recap of the events that led to an alternate Jack O'Neill, Samantha Carter, and Daniel Jackson being briefed by General Hammond, the episode picks up with the two annoyed scientists explaining why they are vital to the mission. Hammond's objections are eventually overturned when O'Neill signs on at the behest of Major Charles Kowalski, who makes his first appearance since season three's "Point of View." An expedition to retrieve Teal'c and test the Stargate leads to an excellent and tragic turn of events, allowing for a fun revelation when the alternate SG-1 team arrives in ancient Egypt to set right the timeline.

Though the plot itself is satisfyingly resolved, the emotional and logical consequences of the story seem like they've been swept under the rug in order to have the story all clean and tidy for the start of season nine. The moebius loop set up in part one is not followed around to its full extent, leaving the tale of the alternate characters unsatisfactorily resolved before returning to an (almost) normal reality. The final scene seems like an abrupt conclusion to a narrative that would have more comfortably fit across three episodes. Granted, the three-part story is a difficult animal to structure and often ends up with more padding than substance. Here, it would have allowed the writers more time to deal with the alternate characters and their fates, along with a few emotional beats to explore the ramifications of Catherine Langford's death and its effect on Dr. Jackson, which is forgotten entirely in the second episode.

While the narrative comes up short, the characterization does anything but disappoint. The comedic by-play between the alternate O'Neill and Carter is a masterpiece of dialogue and allows the actors greater latitude in portraying their onscreen relationship while treating fans to an offbeat take on characters they've lived with for eight seasons. Michael Shanks turns in a nuanced performance that really delineates the differences between the two Daniel Jacksons, while guest appearances by STARGATE ATLANTIS' Rodney McKay and the long-lost Major Kowalski add some lovely continuity to the proceedings.