Stargate SG-1, Season 6, Episode 5

"Nightwalkers"

images used above are courtesy of Gateworld and MGM

Overall Rating:  Very Good

Commentary by:
Peter DeLuise – Director
Peter F. Woeste – Director of Photography

The commentary is very informative, and interesting.  Lots of behind the scene information.  The commentary stays on point with what is on screen.

Review:
It is a dark and stormy night. No, really. A man runs to a parked car, gets in it, and drives off. He calls Carter from the car, and claims to know about what happened to her in “Desperate Measures.” Frightened, the caller states that the project is still going on, and asks for protection. Then, there’s a crash, and the call cuts off before Carter can get more information.

Mysterious caller, mysteriously knowing about classified events, with his call being mysteriously cut off by a mysterious accident. I think this episode is going to be a mystery.

Despite the “Mysteries 101” start, this is a very good episode, and well worth viewing.

Three quarters of SG-1 heads to the town where the mystery caller, named Dr. Fleming, lived. O’Neill is still with the Tok’ra (“Frozen”). Dr. Fleming lived in the small town of Steveston, Oregon, and worked at the town’s main employer, Immunitech Research, a company with ties to Adrian Conrad. Fleming’s crashed car is found by local authorities, but not his body. Carter speaks with the town’s cooperative sheriff, named Knox, but there’s nothing of major note about Fleming or Immunitech.

SG-1 uncovers a few facts about Dr. Fleming, but the information they learn can easily be interpreted as mundane. Still, the question remains: how did Fleming know about what happened to Carter in “Desperate Measures?”

Steveston is a nice town. Everyday folks going about their everyday business. There is one man in the town who is suspiciously skulking, peeking around corners at SG-1 at times. A new layer to the mystery, or possibly a not so mysterious perv.

The town’s sidewalks roll up when the sun sets. Teal’c and Quinn head out after dark for a bite to eat, and the town folk in the bar greet the pair with silence, and hostility. Just as things are about to get violent, Sheriff Knox enters the restaurant, and calms things down. That Sheriff Knox is such a nice man. After Quinn and Teal’c leave the establishment, Knox threatens to kill the town folk instigators if they ruin the plan. Wait … what? In another area, a large group of town folks, their expressions blank, shuffle off into the darkness. They are also willing to kill to protect the mysterious plan, including killing SG-1. The creepy meter is being dialed up.

This episode begins with one mission: to find how Stevenson knew about the events in “Desperate Measures.” The puzzling situation deepens and expands as SG-1 investigates. Are the creepy town folk part of the mystery, or something else? The viewer experiences the unraveling of the mystery as the episode progresses. Unaware of the danger, SG-1 uncovers exactly what is happening in Steveston.

This episode is a fascinating mystery, well done in all aspects. The writers ably keep most of the mystery hidden until the last 15 minutes. The lighting and sets are amazing, giving off a vibe of being normal, but with an edge of potential menace. The music is phenomenal, as usual, this time being a perfect partner for the strange going ons. The regular cast provide solid performances, and the guest stars shine. Blu Mankuma is wonderful as Sheriff Knox, both when being kindly, and also when being quietly threatening. Kudos to everyone involved in this episode.

Failures:
None.