The Gatecast Podcast - Episode by Episode » Episodes

Episode 118 Allegiance

jarrak — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 10:57:33 +0000

The Tokra are attacked and take refuge at the Alpha site unaware of the large group of rebel Jaffa are based there themselves refuges from an attack on their world. Almost immediately conflict arises and suspicions aired and then despite the deaths from the attack a Tokra is murdered and a Jaffa suspected but complications arise when that Jaffa is then found murdered.
Has the Alpha site been infiltrated by a Goauld or are the SGC simply dealing with the millenia old greivances that are being brought to the surface by such close proximity?

Nothing to see here.

This is the first look at this Alpha site and the first episode in which both Bra’tac and Jacob come face to face, two excellent characters and actors who have graced the series with their presence over the last few years. An interesing titbit is that the majority of the extras in Allegiance were also featured in the early episode “Warrior” whose Jaffa rebels were driven from their home to the Alpha Site, a nice touch.

The gym must have been full

Alligeance is an ok episode, it works more due to it’s production value (Location, stunt work and guest stars) then as an overall story but it is more than the sum of it’s parts and adds a lot of depth to the relationship between the two shaky allies and the humans who stand between them. It also has RDA shooting a really big gun in slow-mo so props to the steadicam operator.

Say hello to my little friend

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Scifi Diner

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Episode 117 The Other Guys

jarrak — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 09:29:28 +0000

On a babysitting mission SG1 are captured by the Jaffa of the system lord Khonsu but two members of the science team decided to play hero and ring up to the orbiting Ha’tak and discover that SG1 do not want to be rescued, they are on a mission which requires an unorthodox means of communication. It turns out a Tok’ra undercover agent buried deep is searching out the source of Anubis’s technology and has information to pass on but who is playing who and have SG1 walked into a trap.

Way to defy gravity.

The Other Guys is an out and out comedic episode yet still has time to provide it with firm footing in the overall season arc. The two scientists (Felger and Coomb) played by Patrick McKenna and John Billingsley are wonderful comedy actors who not only excelled with the script they were given but we’re able to expand on the limits writers by design impose on their characters. While Abyss holds the lead in terms of drama there is no doubt this episode has the laughs and even though the events spin around the two scientists it doesn’t preclude SG1 from playing the “straight” men in the performance.

Act casual

The Other Guys is an episode that you can cherry pick for someone new to the show and looking for a way in, it’s not typical but the humour fits right into the series as a whole, highly recommended episode and looks fantastic to boot and if you have the time have a listen to the DVD commentary with Peter DeLuise and Chris Judge.

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Trek News & Views

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Episode 116 Shadow Play

jarrak — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 09:28:04 +0000

A delegation from Kelownan arrives to discuss the possibility of an alliance despite the events which led to the death of Daniel Jackson, Jonas Quinn stealing some Naquadria and then turning his back on his home world. The three visitors a scientist, soldier and diplomat ask the SGC for military aid in exchange for more of the Naquadria as their nation is now the target of a new alliance between the two other states on their world and war is imminent. With technology similar to our 1940′s they face overwhelming odds in terms of man power and strategic aircraft and their only ace in the hole is a Naquadria bomb whose power rivals any of the SGC’s most modern enhanced nukes. Jonas enters into discussions with his former mentor Dr Kiernan who claims an internal resistance is looking to overthrow the current government and with similar movements with the Andari and Tiranian nations with the goal of peace and prosperity.

Let the party begin.

The SGC have a big decision to make, they know that giving the Kelownan’s even some basic military technology aimed at defence will eventually be used in an offensive manner and they show some mature restraint given our worlds oft used policy of arming societies with weapons well beyond their means and suffering the consequences.

Shadow Play is a merging of two proposals/stories aimed at given Jonas more background as well a homage to the movie “A Beautiful Mind” and it does that but falls a little flat despite a stellar guest performance from Dean Stockwell as Dr Kiernan. You could even argue it’s very much in the vein of a Trek morality tale and in many ways that would be correct, it’s a little more subtle but the message is certainly relevant when you look at the state of our world.

Love the classic Laboratory.

The episode is also interesting as Jack seems to be channelling Daniel at times, granted he has an aversion to the Kelownan’s due to their betrayal of Daniel so he’s never going to be waving the flag in support but he seems well into sync with the Tollan/Nox attitude of limited or no technical assistance beyond basic humanitarian. Overall an interesting episode with some some top notch casting but more of a drama than an action piece with some wonderfully moody lighting.

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The Scaper Chronicles

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Episode 115 Abyss

jarrak — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 13:52:37 +0000

Jack now blended with the Tokra Kanan is innjured and captured whilst attempting to escape for a system lords secret research facility. The Tokra consider Kanan and by default Jack as being lost in action but the SGC are not prepared to give up so easily and demand access to all the mission data from Kanan’s spying. Meanwhile Jack is being systematically tortured and then murdered by Baal who uses the sarcophagus to revive him and then a miracle happens. Daniel in his ascended form visits Jack to offer comfort and solace with an offer to help him ascend as that is the only direct help he can offer as the Ascended are not allowed to interfere. The search for Jack continues but time is running out, there is only so much of Jack that can survive the multiple visits to the life giving sarcophagus.

Time to wake up Jack

Abyss is a fan favourite and easily demonstrates how well Jack and Daniel have evolved their close and rewarding friendship, it’s made more evident because we have been denied this interaction after Michael Shanks left the show and as of yet Jonas’s character is still under development. The Tok’ra back story once again highlights the divisions between the SGC and their weakening resistance against the System Lords but it’s a nice idea to have Jack’s ethics and personality drastically effect the reasoning of Kanan who probably was a very direct and decisive operative willing to sacrifice anyone regardless of any personal feelings.

Pure evil but with style

The production of this episode is once again top notch, some clever movie making is used to create the visuals and tight writing and direction required to make the most of the intense dialogue between Jack and Daniel and Jack and Ba’al.

To put it simply Abyss is the highlight of the season so far.

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ScifiDig

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Episode 114 Nightwalkers

jarrak — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 09:34:33 +0000

A desperate call for help has Sam leading an investigation into the death of Dr Richard Flemming a former employee of Immunitech a concern with links to Adrian Conrad and may have had access to Goa’uld research. Finding evidence of a conspiracy a more indepth look into the town reveals some strange behaviour by the inhabitants and a startling discovery and double cross.

Studying, Jack is notably absent.

Nightwalkers is an unusal SG1 episode, it’s style is different to the bulk of the series and it’s also the first episode Richard Dean Anderson does not appear in which may have been the impetus to try something new. The direction and photography is reminiscent of the X-Files and includes homages to a number of offbeat shows and noir features and boasts some nice costuming and a strong guest cast.

This can't be good, pretend we're not in.

The episode does offer up a fine supporting cast and ultimately it is rewarding even though it’s not high on any viewer popularity list but it starts the ball rolling on one of the pivotal events of the series which we will be covering at the appropriate time.

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Flash Pulp

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Bonus Episode December 2011

jarrak — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 01:34:05 +0000

Well I said I might come up with a little something for the holidays and while this small edition of The Gatecast doesn’t include the review I had intended to do (Big Finish Audio Story) it does have the review for a Stargate SG1 novel. Sometime in 2012 I would like to do an indepth review of some of the audio books out there for the franchise assuming funds and time allow it because I think along with the novels they are all we’ll have for years to come. So we present a review of Ashley McConnell’s Stargate SG1 novelisation and the favourite episode entries to the 100th ep competition we had earlier this year.

Ashley McConnell Website

Fandemonium Stargate Portal

Have a great New Year

♥ Stargate Forever ♥

Episode 113 Frozen

jarrak — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 09:40:02 +0000

At the Antarctica facility a discovery is made in the ice near the location where the gate and DHD were found. A body is revealed embedded in ice which is close to 50million years old, the surprising bit is that there are signs of life and who would has been around that long ago and surrounded by technology that is linked to the gate system?

SG1 arrive at the base after all who else but our heroes could handle a pure science mission, yeah I know it really doesn’t make sense at the point, after the woman is revived and her heritage identified then yes it makes more sense to have SG1 on hand. That said I love this style of episode even more so when it’s in an icy wasteland, The Thing and ICE (X-Files) all exploited the huge scale yet paralysing confinement at the top and bottom of the world, oh lets not forget that episode of House either:)

Are we there yet?

Things start to go wrong when SG1 and the scientists fall ill, no co-incidence I guess and as we know the Ancients had to deal with a plague on Earth and this could be it and now the clock is ticking and not everyone can be saved.

Doesn't say a lot but speaks volumes.

Praise must be given to Ona Grauer who played Ayiana and if you watch some of the behind the scenes extras on the DVD you see how she had to put up with the body moulded plastic required to put her into the ice cube rather than a dummy. It really does pay off in the episode, no question Ayiana is real and in the ice and you do get the feeling she is helpless when lifted from the ice. Shooting on the same stage as the season 1 episode “Solitudes” extra ice-conditioning is fitted to shoot in -2 degree temperatures which allows the cast to work in warm gear and not cook, it all adds to the atmosphere of the episode.

Ok, I just like the scene:)

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Tuning Into Scifi TV

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Episode 112 Descent

jarrak — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 10:01:41 +0000

A Goauld Hatak appears in the solar system but makes no move to attack the Earth. Jacob along with SG1 and Major Davis investigate and find the ship deserted with no signs of battle damage except for one sealed doorway. Whilst exploring they come across a nasty surprise and then everything falls apart and they end up on the ocean floor slowly but surely flooding and the clock is ticking as the ship is set to self destruct. So much for Jack slapping a US flag on the hull and flying it to Area 51.

Death from above.

Descent continues a number of plot points from the season opener in terms of Anubis and Thor it also builds upon the baby steps Jonas is having to take to be accepted as part of SG1 mainly it has to be said from Jack. As we’ve seen already the production side of the show continues to set an amazing standard with some excellent CGI and real water/submersion tank work with the actors. This also adds to the feel and texture of the episode and worth every penny it cost especially when you watch some of the behind the scenes coverage of the shooting of the water scenes.

Swim Forrest Swim

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Treks In Scifi

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Episode 111 Redemption 2

jarrak — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 10:03:41 +0000

Anubis has made his intentions known to the SGC and they are desperately looking for options to defeat the use of his energy based wormhole weapon, meanwhile Tealc and company are engaging the enemy on his own soil not knowing if it’s already too late to save the SGC and their friends.

The conclusion to the season opener two parter is every bit as good as the first, expansive lineup of guest actors, excellent CGI and lots and lots of action. We see Teal’c, Bra’tac and young Rya’c showing us what special forces Jaffa are truly capable of which makes you wonder once again if the arrogance of the generic system lord blinds them to what a powerful and precise weapon they had. Too many times we’ve seen old style line ‘em up and rush the enemy tactics employed which with throw away troops is maybe not too much of an issue but when you see these three kicking ass then run for the hills.

Yes we always need grenades.

What is also evident once again is that Anubis himself seems to set a standard for his Jackal tattooed Jaffa which is much higher than that of other System Lords, his men seem more intelligent and capable but of course for purposes of the show our heroes have to keep surviving but we can get them into some dire straits at times:)

The natives are not friendly!

Once again it was great to see the early days of the Rodney McKay we came to know and love, his interactions with authority and the few people who were his peers ( he may refuse to admit that) is always fun to watch and of course this is where Jonas finally gets his chance.

Next week we’ll be watching and discussing episode 3 of the season “Descent”.

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Nutty Bites

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Episode 110 Redemption I

jarrak — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:05:01 +0000

Life without Daniel is tough on SG1, while Sam deals with Jonas setting up residence in Daniels old office Jack has to deal with finding a replacement and is going through candidates with wild abandon until such time as Hammond drops the Russian demand for one of their people to take the vacant place. Faced with doing the improbable and with Tealcs encouragment he finally considers Jonas Quinn as the fourth member of SG1 but first there is the apparant attack on the SGC by Anubis using the Stargates ability to deliever energy into the system eventually leading to a catastophic explosion.
As luck would have it Teal’c is offworld dealing with his families own issues and is in a postition to aid the SGC at a time when gate travel is denied them and their only unproven interstellar vehicle is in dire need of field testing and incapable of transporting them off world.

Just a snack

Redemption (Part 1) is the season six premiere and the first episode of SG1 to debut on the US Syfy channel. While their are not any obvious signs of a change in production style or intent the show does feel different thanks to the loss of Michael Shanks and all the things he and his character Daniel brought to the party. Ultimately the episode hits the ball out of the park by being an excellent season opener and a kickstarter to the new team dynamic and the prospect of facing a uber system lord but without may of the crutches the SGC has relied to survive this far.
Corin Nemec now a regular cast member with credit carries own the almost happy go lucky approach with Jonas whose is a friendly and outgoing express delight at of all things the weather channel and despite some reservations his intelligence and reasoning gets him out of the base much quicker than Teal’c was able to achieve.
So we have an excellent season opener with drama, comedy and suspense not to mention a fair amount of out and out action combined with some top notch CGI, what more could you want.

Trust me I'm an alien

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The Scifi Diner

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Redemption I Wiki

Season 5 Wrap Up Show

jarrak — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 11:23:32 +0000

Welcome to the season 5 wrap up show with guest host Adriana as we gossip about the fifth and final season of SG1 on Showtime and have a brief chat about each episode and our thoughts on other aspects of the show. We also have a season overview on Tealc and his use of the word “Indeed” both as a statement and in sentences as well as a few laughs which were not always related to the show.

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The Indeed Count…

Statement

Rite Of Passage
Beast Of Burden
The Tomb
2001
48 Hours
Failsafe
The Warrior

Sentence

The Tomb x2
2001
Proving Ground
Summit
Failsafe
The Sentinel

We’ll be back next week with Season 6, for those interested we’ll be switching to the Region2 PAL DVD versions of the show so runtime will be a little shorter.

Many thanks to young Mr Waller for this weeks itunes cover art.

Episode 109 Revelations

jarrak — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 11:05:53 +0000

Life without Daniel is tough on SG1, while Sam deals with the loss aimlessly walking around Daniels old lab an unexpected visitor arrives and in time honoured fashion circumvents all the safe guards in place to protect the SGC. Yes Freya from the Asgard is paying them a visit with news that Thor has been killed by the Goauld but assistance is required to protect a secret lab on the planet Thor had been protecting and it’s vital to the Asgard. Jack jumps at the chance knowing that the best way to get over the loss of Daniel is to throw themselves back into the job so off they go in a captured cargo ship and on arrival are ringed into the secret lab. It’s there the experiment into the genetic manipulation of the Asgard race is being done by Heimdall a younger Asgard and a 100% CGI creation which allows some wonderful shots to be produced for this episode. The tension escalates when Anubis arrives to take over the interrogation from Osiris of the captured Asgard while SG1 put together a rescue plan whilst knowing they will eventually be discovered.

Osiris faces down Thor

Revelations the season 5 finale is epic on many counts, the first win for the Goa’uld against the Asgard in open battle must send shockwaves through both camps for different reasons and the loss of Thor even more so but even worse Anubis captures Thor and is able to pretty much drain the knowledge out of his brain opening up even more possibilities. The CGI in this episode from the wonderful Heimdall (Voiced by Teryl Rothery) to the beautiful starships in orbit around the planet is top notch and the skill required to merge CGI and live action in the lab is a major achievement on a TV budget, there are truly some beautiful and clever shots.

Assume the position!

Puppets, CGI, Green screen, Real people

In hindsight the lack of an uber cliffhanger makes a lot of sense as the show was leaving Showtime and moving to the Scifi channel (as it was then) and while at times show runners/studios seem to delight in sticking it to their fans this time Showtime viewers got a good send off. I’m not sure in this day and age if a show moved then they wouldn’t try to maximise the impact of a finale but they would certainly not miss the opportunity to make sure the viewers knew a former much loved character always had a chance to return.

Everything will be just fine, trust me:)

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Saturday B Movie Reel

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Episode 108 Meridian

jarrak — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 10:37:17 +0000

Disaster strikes on the planet Kelownan and to the Langaran people who have recently discovered a treasure trove of Goauld technology in a long lost and ruined temple believed to have been part of a former civilisation from a few thousands years ago. There discovery of the Stargate allows a visit from SG1 who find a culture whose technology and political status echos the 1950′s as states face eachother down and a belief the bigger bomb will solve everything. Whilst experimenting with a new mineral translated as Naquadria shown to be hugely more powerful than Naquadah an accident floods the lab with radiation and threatens the entire facility if not the entire region and Daniel leaps into the fire to disengage the run away reaction and pays the ultimate price.

Never a safe work place when suits are required

The collapse of the Langaran experiment and deaths of the scientists is blamed on Daniel who at this time is simply decaying as the radiation blast ruins his body but Jack despite the logic of taking the political compromise to get access to the Naquadria refuses to have his friends name dragged into the mud. With his life hanging by a thread Daniel once again meets the enigmatic Oma Desala who appears to him in human form and offers the possibility of accession and tries to convince him that despite his own doubts and specific failures he has been a force for good in the universe and deserves to take the next step.

Oma & Daniel take life, the Universe and Everything

Whilst Daniel has his out of body experience and listens to the words of Oma and his friends Jack continues to push the only real witness to the event a guy named Jonas Quinn who thinks very much like Daniel. Jonas is forced to face the realisation that his people are doing the wrong thing and his future and that of his people could be tied to what the Humans can do with this new mineral and chooses the only viable option to abandon his world and offer the mineral to Earth in the return for access to the defence tech it will power.

Not quite a light at the end of the tunnel but it'll do

Accession, the evolutionary step an advanced mind can take to move on from the physical plane and inhabit the ethereal as pure intellect and intelligence, an ideal way to have Daniel leave the narrative but always have him just hovering in the background if required:)

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The Scaper Chronicles

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Episode 107 The Sentinel

jarrak — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 08:27:26 +0000

The fall out from the NID clandestine off world missions continues with the failure of the Latona planetary defence system after it was compromised by NID personnel. The SGC pull two members of the NID from death row who were part of the original mission and for co-operating their sentences are reduced to life in imprisonment. The SGC has to engage Jaffa forces surrounding the gate and once on planet Jack along with members of SG3 visit the leader of the Latonan people while Sam, Daniel, Teal’c and the NID people head towards The Sentinel and attempt to fix the weapon before the Goa’uld escalate their invasion of the planet.

HOT hot hot hot hot!

The Sentinel is another standalone episode in the fifth season but has a lot more depth that you would think by weaving in the NID off world missions which we may have considered to be done and dusted after Shades Of Grey. Christina Cox makes her second guest appearance in SG1 but not her last for the franchise as a whole and that’s always a bonus. The big guest star for this episode is the late great Henry Gibson, the guy has a style and look that is unique and allowed him to do both out and out comedy and a lot more subtle comedy and drama.

Beautifully lit scene

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Nutty Bites

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Episode 106 Menace

jarrak — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 08:55:43 +0000

The last survivor of a long gone race of people is found in some form of stasis in a very sleeping beauty pose but her true being is soon discovered upon returning to the SGC and when she regains conciousness the questions are asked and mysteries revealed. Faced once again with a conflict between extreme power and a lack of awareness and restraint the relationship between Reese and the SGC in particular Daniel who works point quickly collapses and all hell breaks loose, the result is inevitable despite the heart felt pleas of Daniel for a humane resolution.

Menace is another one of the episodes which could be taken as a standalone episode but they weave in long standing arc elements especially in terms of the nemesis of the Asgard whose influence in the Human/Goa’uld sphere has always been restricted by events in their home galaxy. It’s probably convenient that a solution appears just as the Asgard are facing a critical time in their war and to add fuel to the fire the rise of Anubis is ramping up the threat level.

Beauty and the Beast?

One thing that may be surprising is that even though the basic plot is fairly simple and straight forward the episode packs in an awful lot of character interaction and action. The General and Janet get some good screen time and the dynamic between Reese and SG1 is strong with Daniel being the strongest and it’s their relationship which first builds trust and empathy and could have held it all together but eventually Reese’s lack of err maturity and the ease she can react to perceived slights brings down the house of cards. Danielle Nicolet who plays Reese carries off the innocence and then fury easily and developed strong chemistry with Michael Shanks which made the episode work, without that “warmth” the coldness that came later would have less impact and her fate less devastating.

Storm Troopers have nothing on this army!

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Tuning In To Scifi TV

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Episode 105 The Warrior

jarrak — Sat, 15 Oct 2011 08:19:44 +0000

A Jaffa rebellion led by a charismatic former first prime of a fallen system lord (Imhotep) has taken shape and drawn the interest of Bratac and Tealc who in turn jockey for the SGC to recognise and aid the rebellion with weapons and other logistical support. SG1 visit the world with a sampling of weapons and aid to meet the man who has bought together remnants of various Jaffa factions including families and while the initial talks go well it soon becomes apparent that all is not well within this community.

The Warrior is standalone episode although naturally sits in the current arc describing the fall of many of the system lords and the fracturing of their Jaffa followers/armies as the power shift continues. On the face of it K’tano is everything you would want in a rebel leader being a strong orator able to give impressive speeches on the fly as well as work within a volatile audience as shown early on when his followers demand weapons and other resources. The fact that Bra’tac and Teal’c are enamoured with K’tano speaks volumes although that may be the case they have been waiting so for long for this step to be taken they were not even willing to admit to themselves the tactics and reality of this rebellion may not be what they would have championed.

Brothers in Arms

The Warrior was written by Peter DeLuise but based on a story created by Christopher Judge himself and why not write an episode which not only features your own character but his own story arc, it’s good for an actor to be looking to expand his characters narrative especially as too often Teal’s can just be “background”. What is surprising is how fast our favourite Jaffa fall under the “spell” of K’tano (Rick Worthy) even when he employs tactics which are boarding on insane given his resources in men and hardware but the promise of freedom blinds even the most wise. That said when the truth is revealed via a system lord no less which was a nice twist we see Teal’c at his avenging beast but ultimately it’s the usual Goa’uld arrogance that leads to the downfall of this rebellion (for now).

K'tano, watch me mommy I can fly..

The Warrior does have some positives in terms of production, they location is pretty and exploited to it’s full extent and rare for the show they have real interior shots with actual views of the outside of the tents rather then green screen it which has been the traditional way. The interaction of the real world and more controlled interiors adds a lot of texture to the scenes something which would be quite normal in a feature but stands out on a TV budget and while this show didn’t go overboard with CGI the location gate looked stunning as did the Tel’tak surrounded by mist.

The other very spectacular element of this episode is the integration of the unarmed combat discipline Mastaba which was based on the Brazilian art form Capoeira which combines agility, grace and flexibility something which may not be exactly native to the bulked up Jaffa but it does look spectacular.

Damn Sat Nav, where the hell are we?

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SciFiDig

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Episode 104 Fail Safe

jarrak — Sat, 08 Oct 2011 07:30:01 +0000

The Earth is doomed yet again as a rogue asteroid hurtles towards the planet and we have days left to live, not even Bruce could swing this one unless Dean Devlin decided to use this plot for a theatrical remake. The Tokra are in no position to help us having been more or less wiped out last week and surprisingly the Asgard refuse due to the protected planets treaty and no proof this is not a natural disaster. As luck would have it the crashed Teltak on Revanna is flyable with a little work from the tech guys from Area 51 and the SGC and armed with a Naquadah enhanced nuke SG1 make their way back to Earth to destroy the asteroid before it’s too late. Then the fun begins as the ship is crippled leaving SG1 stranded on the asteroid along with the nuke and a 2 hour countdown then the discovery of the composition of the rock proves the Goauld are responsible and the explosion will take out the solar system. They’re doomed:)

Fail Safe is a stand alone episode but ties in at least in terms of consequence from the events in Last Stand as Anubis promised the System Lords he could remove the Earth from the galactic equation. The lack of help also reflects the demise of the Tok’ra as a power and casts a question over the Asgard who are bound by the treaty but again without Thor may not be as enamoured with us.

Things to do today, Die!

Fail Safe comes along with some very tasty CGI and matt/green screen work, yes the scenes with Jack and Teal’c in suits (very good suits) walking in slow mo on the asteroid are difficult to make realistic on a TV budget but the rest looks fantastic. I assume the lack of significant guest stars and no location shooting meant more of the budget could be put towards the CGI work required to make this episode work despite splurging cash on the last episode especially. While it is a standalone episode there are certainly threads worth following in terms of the Asgard, Tok’ra and Anubis which shows the writers are on their game so close to the season finale.

I can see my house.

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Flash Pulp

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Episode 103 Last Stand

jarrak — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 08:49:33 +0000

Trapped in the rubble of the Tokra base the last few survivors flee the invading army intent on denying them access to the chemical/biological weapon which could cause the downfall of the Jaffa armies the System Lords rely on. Meanwhile Daniel continues his undercover role within the System Lord Summit but he’s getting careless and surrounded by enemies one mistake could be his last. Last Stand is the conclusion to the double header which deals with the fate of the Tok’ra or at least the majority of them and there ability to be a significant threat to the Goa’uld who themselves may not realise the mistake they are making be not banding together to resist the return of one their number.

Business first

Daniel is playing a very dangerous game by delaying the release of the poison but he always had a soft spot for women and especially those he had or does care for so can’t really kill Osiris without the option of first releasing Sarah from it’s grasp. It doesn’t help that in Danny mode he talks too much raising the suspicions of another Lo’taur who in a quite independent act goes to Yu can informs him of his concerns. Of course it all falls apart but this is plotonium as it drives Daniel and Jacob towards Revanna in an effort to help SG1 and the Tok’ra. SG1 along with Elliot are escaping the Jaffa and heading towards a communications device and fortunately evade capture and eventually meet up with the returning Daniel and together trapped with no help for escape Elliot offers up a solution.

Might have said the wrong thing!

Last Stand is an excellent episode, Michael Shanks and Anna-Louise Plowman get to show their chemistry together and it’s this story which does kinda dominate the episode although the remaining SG1 with Elliot plays well with some angst and a logical and fitting act by Elliot. Some interesting choices made in what not to show and you can really see where all the money was spent and being Rob C Cooper has it’s uses when pushing through your own vision of a sequence:)

Bandits on your Six

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The Scifi Diner

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Episode 102 Summit

jarrak — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 08:39:06 +0000

The Tokra have been busy developing a new weapon and delivery system just in time for a major conference of the remaining System Lords. Using the drug which is derived from the substance the Reol people use to influence the minds of other (Fifth Man) Daniel is volunteered to go undercover as Lord Yu’s personal servant and at the appropriate time use the weapon wipe out the ruling class of the Goauld. Meanwhile the location of the Tokra base on the planet Revanna has been discovered and a huge Jaffa force besieges the base and block the gate forcing SG1 and the last survivors of the Tok’ra to fight for their lives. All that aside both SG1 and Daniel get a few surprises on their respective missions which are left unresolved and leads into the second part of this double header.

Summit is the first part of a two parter, it’s written by Joseph and Paul but the second part of the story was written by Rob indicating that major arc implications are in play and yes the seeds of a new main arc are sown as the Systems Lords and the SGC face some stark realities. The episode is jam packed with good stuff, every cent spent is clearly evident on screen from the top notch CGI to the beautiful sets and costuming it really is a feast for the eyes.

Home from Home

With two significant stories being played out it would be easy for both to suffer but surprisingly they both hold their own although it had to be a two parter as so much happens from both perspectives and then of course the stories do overlap and the implications continue to appear for the rest of the season and the next. It was good to see Elliot so soon even though his character was a last minute substitution for Martouf when JR Bourne was not available but keeping Lantash the Tok’ra was inspired allowing Sam to have some solid screen time and act above the tech nerd or soldier. The loss of the Tok’ra as major players came as a surprise especially with the rise of Anubis but just as we lost Apophis there will be those that come along to fill the gaps.

Dude looks like a Lady

Yu's behind you!

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Pulp Audio Weekly

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My ass is toasty!

Episode 101 48 Hours

jarrak — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 08:11:15 +0000

A running firefight against Jaffa forces and a narrow escape from their aerial fire opens the show but then Tealc disobeys an order and turns to fight and the delay in entering the gate results in him not returning to the SGC. Unable to risk redialing the planet due to the computer throwing up some error reports leads to the discovery of what exactly happened to the wayward SG1 member and then the NID and Russians get involved thus over complicating everything.

Over compensating much?

The episode opens with a bang well a lot of very big bangs and you can tell the sequence costs a ton of cash and it pays off, few episodes of any show opens this well and then we get the small surprise we causes Teal’c to turn and fight. A disappointing end to Tanith it has to be said but we do have quite a few Goa’ulds running around the place so losing one who may have been a busy actor at the time is not that critical as we find out in the next few episodes. It was quite surprising Simmons pretty much put his cards on the table knowing the bind the SGC were in and the introduction of McKay was most welcome, easy to forget how young Rodney was on his first appearance and how soul grating his persona was:)

Overall the episode does suffer for being very talkie with a lot of exposition and tech talk with Sam and Rodney, Simmons and Hammond, Jack and Maybourne, Daniel/Davies with Chekov and it really does suffer for it. Yes some of the conversations are very interesting and Jack and Harry have good chemistry but for the most part the lack of actions knocks points off this episode even though we do get jello.

A choice of flavours

48 Hours looks an expensive episode and has a lot of solid guest stars so certainly not a filler episode for budget reasons and it has some pivotal arc aspects embedded into it perhaps due to Rob Cooper being the writer but it’s hard to get over the slower pacing and information overload.

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The Scaper Chronicles

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Episode 100 Proving Ground

jarrak — Sat, 10 Sep 2011 09:59:53 +0000

Jack is supervising the training of some new recruits in mock battles and tactics and isn’t too happy with their performance even taking into account they are not combat veterans being straight from the academy. Complications arise when a foothold situation occurs and Jack is forced to kill a number of men and gets wounded himself and with only the four cadets he has to infiltrate the SGC and save the day. Proving Ground is a rip roaring fast paced episode, there is simply no let up in the action and suspense as we are drip fed the information along with the recruits which maintains the suspense and mystery. Twists and more twists add depth and flavour to the episode along with the bonus of recurring characters which always pays off.

Evil Sam, hmmm could be interesting.

Hailey and Elliot are two well developed characters but it’s a shame that Scattergood and Grogan were marginalised a little but with only 44 minutes to play with there was only so much that could be done especially as they still had to fold the regular cast into the story which they balanced out very well. It has to be said for Sam and Daniel in particular their roles while small yet full of humour and even Teal’c who had even less screentime had at least one laugh out loud moment.

Duck! Too Late...

The best acting and writing of the episode was certainly RDA doing both the disciplinarian and fatherly figure role and managing to inject the humour of who gets shot and how hard it will hurt, lots of fun but then when required very very dark especially near the end. To lighten things up the episode ends on a scene that has you smiling which pretty much makes you wonder what Elliot’s future is and we don’t have to wait long to find out.

Ok this was our 100th episode and while an episode a week (more or less) has meant it’s taken a while to get here it’s been a lot of fun and to celebrate that we’ve run a email competition for the listeners and we had 8 entries (not bad but should have been more) and the winner was Daniel Waller. Thanks to those that entered (Abby, Thomas, Adriana, Luke, Miles, Stephen and John) and I’m sure we’ll do this again and no doubt inflation will require a higher price tag prize:)

Great framing of a deep Jack

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Tuning Into Scifi

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Episode 99 Wormhole X-Treme!

jarrak — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 09:54:00 +0000

Wormhole X-Treme! is a television show in production which tells the story of 4 intrepid explorers who travel through a circular device which houses a wormhole, show creator is one Martin Lloyd aka Marty who the SGC met a year or so back and discovered he was an alien along with others of his race living on the Earth. The SGC are willing to let this show be made as a double bluff, it automatically debunks many potential claims that the Stargate program is real but then a ship is tracked moving in the solar system and identified as being Martin’s mothership so Jack goes undercover at the tv studio to make contact.

Sweet Ride

This of course is the 100th episode of Stargate SG1 hence spoofing themselves in truly a cheesy manner and for the longest time I really wasn’t over impressed with this celebration of all things Stargate but truth be told I’ve taken a lot more from it this time around. The antics on set with the 4 actors playing parodies of SG1 along with all the cameos from the production staff and yes the basic story which concludes the Martin Lloyd story arc (for now).

Anyhow not only do we get all the in-jokes and spot the crew games but the filming using the real studios and back lots adds much to the flavour of the episode and again building on previous characters/stories tends to work more often than not. We also get an expansion of the NID in relation to how they co-exist with the SGC, lots of interesting stuff to come there with Agent Barrett.

Mind the Dead Bodies

Is Wormhole X-Treme! a fitting celebration of the 100th episode of Stargate? Well yes it is but maybe the blend of the spoof and the main story wasn’t as neat as it could have been and maybe that was why I wasn’t keen on this episode for so many years but it does pay off if you commit fully to getting every reference and homage out of it.

Thanks to Adriana and Thomas for joining us for this cast, it was a lot of fun.

Emote to the tennis ball people!

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Flash Pulp

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Episode 98 Desperate Measures

jarrak — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 07:27:07 +0000

An assault on a Russian convoy and the capture of a Jaffa gets the ball rolling and leads to the kidnapping of Sam while she is off duty. Jack does his own investigation working around the limitations of his status in law enforcement but being more open to the unusual he takes as gospel the eye witness who claimed to have seen “ninjas”. They rope in Maybourne who as it turned out may not be involved with Sam but certainly played a part in the whole situation but can Jack trust him or even put any faith in Simmons another aspect of the NID who have proven to be dodgy to say the least. Finally the truth is revealed and in essence it’s an old tale of those with power and influence plus a ton of cash willing to do anything to survive but with this case some good intentions which went out the window when others started making the choices.

Stargate kills Russians.. a lot!

Desperate Measures is a pretty good addition to the NID/Political arc of the show which is beginning to make it’s presence felt. As the series goes on we get a lot more of this sort of complexity between competing factions on Earth (human and maybe not so much) and in the case Conrad while not really being a bad guy puts the pieces in place so when his direct influence is removed the desires of others (the doctor, girlfriend, NID) take over and well it doesn’t end well.

Danny is the MAN

It’s always good to see Harry Maybourne and of course Colonel Simmons is as greasy as always and a seriously creepy Doctor almost overloads the episodes with potential bad ‘uns even before we get the girlfriend who puts common sense to one side or the humans willing to kill for money. When you think about it then it’s pretty much a good example of how corrupt and depraved elements of out world are and how easy it could be for the Goa’uld and others to insert themselves.

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ScifiDig

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Episode 97 2001

jarrak — Sat, 20 Aug 2011 08:25:34 +0000

A visit to the world of Volia (P3A-194) gives SG1 the opportunity to meet a highly advanced race known as the Aschen who control a confederation of worlds who share resources and technology and are very open to having Earth involved. Thanks to the vagaries of time travel/alternate reality the SGC are unaware that they have had dealings with the Aschen before and the cost of dealing with a race who were manipulating the Earth into ultimately culling 99% of her population. Overjoyed with the prospect of gaining access to weapons and defence technologies plus medical tech in exchange for our gate databases and experience there is not a descenting voice but caution first and once the layers are peeled back things begin not to make complete sense.

SG1 with Ambassador Faxon

2001 is the sequel of sorts to the earlier 2010 although I guess again with time travel it may be the prequel but either way once again the expansion of existing characters and situations pays off and we get an interesting and fun episode with humour, some angst and fun bad dudes who themselves do a passable Laurel & Hardy:)

In many ways the Aschen show us what is possible when you think long term and have a decided technological advantage over another people. The cause of the “plague” which wrecked the Volian people is left cloudy but from what we know of the Aschen it’s not unlikely they seeded the world and then came to the rescue, you have to be impressed because without losing a single Aschen life they eventually took over a world and turned it into a bad basket to feed their own people not the few thousand farmers left on the planet.

Feed the world, well not this one...

It was good to have Joseph Flaxon return to the show as the character when married to Sam in 2010 seemed to have been doing all the right things as a partner (allowing for the global conspiracy of silence) and we see the chemistry straight away. Surprisingly it’s also obvious that he gets on well with Jack who is not always welcoming to people fostered onto him let alone someone who take a shine to Sam but I guess the face Sam seemed to like him tempered Jack’s interaction. Mind you Jack once again was the first to voice doubts over the prospect of an alliance and it didn’t help that Kinsey got himself involved and Jack tends to oppose anything that Kinsey supports.

That's the Jack you don't mess with.

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Nutty Bites

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Episode 96 Between Two Fires

jarrak — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 07:38:52 +0000

Whilst paying respects at the funeral of Omac a leader of the Tollan people SG1 are invited to return to Tollana and discuss the acquisition of advanced technology something which has always been denied them before. Narim the doomed guy who quite fancies Sam (and the feeling is returned to a certain degree) is concerned as the change in his worlds policy feels wrong even more so when it is said Omac’s death was the catalyst.

You know Jack is thinking "mines bigger"

As it turns out the council offers the Earth a big honking space gun capable of orbital firing and taking out ships but one wouldn’t be enough we would need at least 38 plus redundancy but surprisingly in return for the mineral Trinium that’s what they will give them. As all the alarms bells start ringing the investigation into the death of Omac indicates he may have been murdered and a widespread cover up is under way but the ultimate purpose is still unclear until the discovery of what the Trinium is being used for and who is responsible for the change in policy.

Rather nice work place

I’ve said it before but I personally enjoy episodes which build on previous outings as it’s a pay off for not only being a long term fan but it all adds depth to a series, everything can become important or explored. Narim of course has been circling Sam on and off since “Enigma” with Garwin Sanford playing the role to perfection so it’s was mildly disappointing the episode ended how it did. Of course this episode isn’t just a call back to the Tollan but the Goa’uld make their presence known and mix in the effects of the protected planets treaty with the Asgard we get a fairly deep episode. All in all it was very good, some nice character work, good mix of plot points and excellent CGI/Matt work not only for a TV show but for a production period.

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Saturday B Movie Reel

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Episode 95 The Tomb

jarrak — Sat, 06 Aug 2011 06:26:57 +0000

The Russians are coming or at least their equivalent of a SG team after SG1 discover evidence that a previous Russian expedition (pre Watergate) had visited a world. As it turns out that team never returned and the spirit of co-operation they travel to the planet and attempt to enter the sealed pyramid (sorry Ziggurat) and reveal it’s mysteries. It comes as no surprise that the previous Russian mission came to a grizzly fate after discovering the truth behind this tomb but both SG1 and 3B1 are unprepared when they to get trapped and becoming the prey for a being millennia old with all the guile and hatred that goes with it.

We're on a Snipe hunt!

The Tomb obviously starts to build on the events from the episode Watergate (S4E7) and the agreement with the Russians to acquire the gate lost in the ocean and begins a fairly long semi-regular arc as the secret of the Stargate spreads outwards. This eventually becomes a major part of the series leading to the multi-national Pegasus expedition we see in SGA and the IOA, lots more to come you see:)

The Tomb has all the feel of a good scifi flick where our gallant heroes are brought crashing to their knees when faced with an opponent they should be able to handle but location, conditions and plain ignorance gives them a decidedly visiting team disadvantage. That said the episode kinda sits in the middle, not quite the uber bug hunt it could have been or the internal conflict drama that it may have been shaped to be and thus is suffers a little. It’s still a fun episode and beautifully shot and has rewatchability.

Sam lets loose once again.

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The SciFi Diner

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Episode 94 Beast Of Burden

jarrak — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 08:01:23 +0000

Daniel has been keeping a close eye on the Unas Chaka and his voyeurism pays off when his “friend” is kidnapped by humans with staff weapons. It takes some convincing but SG1 finally investigate and follow the men to their world an early industrialised culture that still uses slavery in the form of “wild” Unas. Playing the roles of traders they attempt to procure Chaka but are discovered and a clash of customs/beliefs occurs leading to the capture of Jack and Daniel. It’s time for the revolution when the slaves will fight for their freedoms led by a charismatic outsider, I’m talking about Chaka. We are joined this week by Adriana a fan of the series and of my co-host, I think we had a good time:)

Viva La Revolution

Once again the franchise exploits characters and stories from earlier episodes which I personally think is a bit of a no-brainer as it pays off for long term viewers and if written well can standalone for people new to the show. In this the Unas Chaka previously Daniels kidnapper now leader of his tribe is taken as a slave by other worlders and we get more or less a morality tale on the use of sentient beings and the vengeance factor by a people once themselves under the thumb of a system lord. The so called “bad guy” Burrock is played well be Larry Drake and we see a man hard by nature but true to his culture turn into a murderer which then allows the final resolution to play out without alienating the viewer.

Sam finally releases some tension

The Painsticks get around

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Flash Pulp

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Episode 93 Rite Of Passage

jarrak — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 19:07:44 +0000

Dr Fraisers adopted daughter the “alien” Cassandra is celebrating her birthday but has adapted to human female teen traits and wants to spend more time with her friends and her fella. That special kiss on the front porch however goes awry and she ends up unconscious along with exploding light bulbs, mighty fine kisser that boy will become. Anyhow back at the SGC the team explore the possibility that her planet holds the key and they do indeed find a mysterious and hidden lab in the forest which leads to a discovery that becomes a minor part of the mythology of the Goauld.

Ikea's new range

It’s always tricky to have a teenager in this type of show and balance an interesting character with all the stereotypes you may expect from such a person and they just about pull it off. The big plus point for this episode is the callback of Cassie and her continued life with Janet so that strengthens the appeal of the Doctor as a series regular. The second benefit is to tie together another System Lords antics with the long term goals of the SGC which opens up more extensions to this storyline, always a good thing.

All in all Rite Of Passage is a fairly good episode, it lacks a little in the script department and has a lot of scenes which rely purely on the onscreen action (or even lack thereof) with just the soundtrack but it did go by quickly which speaks volumes.

That's a big one!

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Treks In Scifi

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Episode 92 Red Sky

jarrak — Sat, 16 Jul 2011 09:05:02 +0000

Perhaps there are some things you should not tamper with without the complete specs or instruction manuals but the lack there of does not stop the SGC from over riding lock out protocols on the gate and dialing. The results don’t seem too bad until minutes after arriving on Ktau the sun turns red casting the world into shadow and pretty much heralding the end times to the inhabitants who honour the Asgard created mythology.

Red Sky is a standalone episode which draws on the existing canon in regards to the gate system and the Asgard and certainly echos the season 1 episode “Thors Hammer” which is never a bad thing. We get to meet some more of Thor’s people and the Asgard puppets are getting really good with some top notch facial expressions most of which anyone who talks to Jack for any length of time would recognise.

Tough Crowd

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Tuning Into Scif (Top Genre Themes)

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Episode 91 The Fifth Man

jarrak — Sat, 09 Jul 2011 07:23:53 +0000

Engaged in all out fire fight with some Jaffa SG1 beat a hasty retreat but Jack and Tyler are left behind unable to reach the gate. The rest of SG1 are desperate to return with more men but no one in the SGC admits to knowing who this Lt Tyler is and the question becomes who or what is going on. Until the truth can be discovered Jack is on his own which when you think about it is probably something he is well equipped to handle considering his background.

The Pyro guys had lots of fun

The Fifth Man follows a style that has been used often in Stargate with a very definite two story theme but with a strong link which keeps all the main cast members busy. Jack is in all out military mode which the rest of SG1 along with the SGC face the new political reality which comes from the character of Simmons who straddles military and civilian aspects. While both stories are strong it’s when the two merge we get an uber pyrotechnic and stunt filled episode which is a joy to behold whilst retaining some of the character and depth we are used to when SG1 meets new people. John De Lancie again is great as Simmons while Dion Johnstone usually seen under heavy prosthetics shines as Tyler proving once again Stargate does know how to cast it’s guest and supporting roles.

I'm sure I left SG1 around here somewhere..

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Tyrions Landing

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