Stargate SG-1

Avalon (1)

Season 9, Episode 1, Aired 7/15/05

Episode Summary

Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell comes to the SGC to be the newest member of SG-1, but he soon learns from General Hank Landry, O'Neill's successor, that the team has disbanded. Carter is at Area 51, Daniel is about to go to Atlantis, and Teal'c has left the program to be with his people. However, after Vala arrives on Earth with a tablet that supposedly tells the location of an Ancient treasure, Mitchell decides that finding it would be the perfect way to reunite SG-1.moreless

8.8

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Cast & Crew

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Christopher Judge

Teal'c
Ben Browder

Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell (Season 9+)
Beau Bridges

General Henry "Hank" Landry (Seasons 9+)

Fan Episode Reviews (55)

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A new "Classification" is needed: Why I Stopped Watching This Series.

1.0

"Abysmal"

By SamTherra, Aug 27, 2011 Report Abuse

But "Jump the Shark" will have to do. Although "Painful to watch" and "Bottom of the barrel" also fit here.

My main beef is with the choice of Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell taking over as head of SG-1. He is a totally wooden character who makes Joe Friday of Dragnet look like a Party Animal!

If a four member team was really needed, Stargate SG-1 had a ready made character to take Jack O'Neill's place as the new leader of SG-1. Colonel Dave Dixon (Adam Baldwin) from "Heroes Part 1" proved to be a very O'Neillish character type who would have meshed well with the rest of the team.

I also found it conniving, if not insulting, to conveniently "rewrite" events to suddenly make Mitchell a hero who led a squadron in engaging Anubis's forces and protecting SG-1 in the battle over Antarctica, losing his co-pilot, being shot down, but successfully destroyed an Al'kesh that helped SG-1 succeed with their mission.

This was in actuality done by Master Bra'tac and General Hammond in the Prometheus. Sure a squadron of F-302s did help (shades of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back) but Mitchell (who does he think he is, Luke Skywalker?) was never acknowledged.

To me the only redeeming quality of this episode was the return of Vala. She's always good for a few laughs.moreless

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6 8
There's a new leader of SG-1 and he wants to get the original SG-1 back together.

9.8

"Superb"

By FaithMiller, Jan 16, 2011 Report Abuse

I thought Mitchell was a great choice to take over for SG-1. He's got a similar attitude that O'Neill had. I was pretty show that everyone would get back together, but I was sorry to see that Carter wasn't there with them.

I think Vala's character was a good idea. She brings a lot of laughter to the show. Not only that, but her and Daniel make a great looking couple.

I don't know about General Landry though. I don't mind his character that much, but for some reason I don't think he acts enough like a General. I'm comparing him to General Hammond and O'Neill. Landry wasn't a bad choice, but I think they could've done better.moreless

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1 1
Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell, a new addition to Stargate Command, arrives in hopes of joining SG-1. He soon finds out that SG-1 ain't what it used to be.

7.8

"Good"

By Scorptilicus, Jan 16, 2011 Report Abuse

Avalon is the first in a trilogy of episodes that set up not only the season the come but the direction of the show for the next two seasons and probably the two movies to follow. In many ways, and it's not easy for me to admit this, it really is a new show. Jack is nowhere to be seen, Sam barely has a cameo, Teal'c has moved on, and Daniel is trying to do the same. The SGC has a new leader in General Landry, a bit of a hardass, a new leader for SG-1 with Colonel Mitchell, and even a new doctor. The new cast members (along with Daniel's beard) certainly give the show a different feel, a point hammered home with the return of one-time guest star Vala Mal Doran. I will admit that with Vala I'm a bit biased being a huge Claudia Black fan and getting to see her in a role that's so different from any I've viewed before. Vala brings an entirely new and in my opinion fun energy to the team and the show in general. Her chemistry and interaction with Daniel are fantastic and lead to some of the best moments in the episode. She also provides the means for the beginning of the show's next story arc and works as a sufficient stand in for Carter's absence early in the year. With the Goa'uld all but eliminated and the Replicators wiped out, we get an entirely new story. Keeping in the theme of alien races inspiring Earth mythology, Daniel discovers that the Merlin the wizard of King Arthur fame was an Ancient and our new story is begun. Personally, I find the fact of Merlin being an Ancient to be fascinating so I enjoy that part of the storyline. Other high points in the episode involve Mitchell's fruitless attempts to bring the old SG-1 back together and his even more frustrating attempts to recruit new members. The end of the episode brings about a new adventure, another cave, and lots of good ol' fashioned peril.

The episode's not without its flaws, though. The scenes involving the Free Jaffa and the rise of the ambitious Gerak aren't all that interesting, though having Lou Gossett Jr. on the show is kind of fun. The episode overall gets off to a pretty slow start until they board the Prometheus toward the end. Understandable for an episode that is in essence a reboot for the series. It takes a little while to set something like that up. In the end, a solid start to a new season and new team.moreless

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2 0
Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchel becomes the new team leader of SG-1. He's determined to get Carter, Teal'c and Jackson back together on the team as they've all gone their separate ways.moreless

9.5

"Superb"

By THEICEFIRE, Jan 16, 2011 Report Abuse

Cameron Mitchel is an awesome addition to Stargate SG-1. Here we have a guy who's a little like a younger version of O'Neill. Same snappy attitude like O'Neill that made the early episodes of Stargate SG-1 so great. That's one of the reasons this episode really works. We also get a glimpse into Mitchel's past which reveals he was one of the X-302 fighter pilots who was defending SG-1 as they discovered the Ancients' weapon in Antarctica while Anubis' fleet was attacking. My only real criticism of this episode is the fact that O'Neill is suddenly no longer the head of the SGC. If the producers of Stargate SG-1 had seriously tried to get Richard Dean Anderson who plays O'Neill to stay as part of the main cast instead replacing him with Beau Bridges who plays General Landry this episode in my books would be a ten. In my opinion Beau Bridges is a less than average actor who got lucky landing a role on Stargate SG-1. Stargate SG-1 lost some of its brilliance by adding Beau Bridges to the cast. Seasons nine and ten would have been so much better had they kept O'Neill as the head of the SGC. Richard Dean Anderson was one of the main contributing factors that led the show to its long run. And the show's run could have been longer with Richard Dean Anderson still around as a main cast member instead of only guest starring once in a blue moon. Richard Dean Anderson is recognizable and therefore O'Neill is likable. Who is Beau Bridges really? Otherwise the story arc that starts in this episode builds to an incredible adventure which I'm sure most people would agree.moreless

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it was almost like a pilot for a new show...

8.0

"Great"

By Fwirrel, Jan 16, 2011 Report Abuse

This episode had a lot of character development because it introduced so many new characters. Beau Bridges playing the new general, Ben Browder playing the new colonel Mitchell, and Claudia Black coming in to play Vala reguarly. That's a lot for one episode. I really wish they changed around the show bit by bit throughout the 8 years instead of just drastically changing it in the 9th season. It was like an entirely new show, and I almost wish they made it a new show. I love stargate, I just wish they'd change things up more and, when they did change things, not to change it so drastically. Oh well, back to this episode. Colonel Mitchell comes in and is supposed to pick a new team, but he wants to old sg-1. Vala comes in and puts a braclet on herself and Daniel. I loved that part of the story. I really didn't like the whole part of the story where Mitchell was trying to get the team back. It was boring, in my opinion. It was a bit interesting seeing Merlin and that story line. Overall, good episode, a bit boring, but had many funny moments, espcially with Vala.moreless

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Trivia, Notes, Quotes and Allusions

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Trivia
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- Trivia: During the flashback sequence when Mitchell is in the hospital bed, Sam appears to have the gold oak leaves of the rank of Major while Jack clearly is a one-star Brigadier General. Edit
- Colonel Mitchell was the only one to try to remove the sword. For some reason no one else tries. Edit
- Daniel says that what was believed to be King Arthur's tomb was exhumed by the order of Henry II in 1278. However, Henry II died in 1189, 89 years earlier. Edit
Notes
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- Mitchell mentions reading the files of the case where the team first encountered the transmission stones. This was a continuous gag throughout the season about Mitchell reading all the SG-1 files is actually a reference to Ben Browder. He wanted to see all previous episodes of the show before the new season started. He watched around 180 episodes in a row. Edit
- Ben Browder was originally in the running for the role of Stargate Atlantis's John Sheppard, but had to pull out due to filming commitments for Farscape: The Peacekeeper Wars. Joe Flanigan got the part and Browder was kept in mind when the role of Cameron Mitchell was formed. Edit
- Louis Gossett Jr. was considered for the role of General Hank Landry. He ended up on the show anyway as he was cast as a Jaffa leader named Gerak. Edit
Quotes
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- Daniel: (To Vala) I'm sure if there is a monster down here, it's gonna be much more scared of you than you are of it. Especially once it gets to know you. Edit
- Vala: (to Daniel) Isn't this where I beat you up? Edit
- Mitchell: (to Daniel) Or you can marry this chick. Vala: Yeah! Let's make babies! Edit
Allusions
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- The devices Vala tricks Daniel into wearing are very similar to the I-Yensch bracelets from Farscape, which also linked the two wearers together. Edit
- Mitchell: Did I mention I'm on a mission from God? Referencing the movie The Blues Brothers, where when trying to put their old band back together, Elwood (Dan Aykroyd) says, "You see, we're on a mission from God." Edit
- Mitchell: You ever get a bad feeling about something? Alluding to the Star Wars movies, where "I've got a bad feeling about this" is uttered by several of the lead characters (Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia, young Obi Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker). Edit