Stargate SG-1, Season 2, Episode 19

"One False Step"

images used above are courtesy of Gateworld and MGM

Overall Rating:  Fair

Stargate Command launches a U. A. V (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), loaded with new technology, through the stargate to check out a planet.  During the test flight, SGC loses control of the radio-operated U. A. V., and it crashes on the planet.  A humanoid crosses in front of the vehicle’s camera, and drags the U. A. V. away.  SG-1 heads to the planet to recover technology from the vehicle, and investigate the indigenous life form.  The team encounters the humanoids.  The humanoids are bald, naked (no, they are not actually naked), and live near giant mushroom-ish things.  Let’s call them mushroom people.

After interacting with SG-1, the mushroom people become very ill.  SG-1 thinks it is possible that they have brought a contaminant, or illness, which is striking down the mushroom people.  The team tries to determine the cause of the illness before all the mushroom people drop dead.  Yup.  That’s it.

The humanoids are short on speech, and long on cutesy antics.  I think they are supposed to be adorable, charming, and engaging.  I think they are ecru, bland, and tiresome.  I think the entire episode is ecru, bland, and tiresome.  I did not give this episode a lower rating because although it is boring, just like the mushroom people it is basically inoffensive.

Failures:
The episode is determined to convey a gentle message of conservation and care, even if the message has to be jammed down your throat until you choke on it.