Sunday, January 8, 2012

Stargate SG-1, Season 5, Episode 12


"Wormhole X-treme!"
images used above are courtesy of Gateworld and MGM

Overall Rating:  Excellent

Commentary by:
Peter DeLuise -- Director
Joseph Mallozzi -- co-Writer
James Tichenor -- Visual Effects Producer

More than just a commentary, this is an essential companion to the episode.  The three gentlemen point out various aspects of the story, and explain the inspiration for many of the events in the episode.  They are very informative, and interesting.  I highly recommend listening to this commentary after watching the episode.  Lots of behind the scene information.  The commentary stays on point with what is on screen.

Review:
An alien spaceship is detected, currently located near Mars.  The ship’s course will bring it to Earth.  Energy readings from the spaceship are the same as those given off by the alien scout ship discovered on Earth in “Point of No Return.”  Martin Lloyd, the alien who involved SGC in the discovery of the scout ship remained on Earth after the events in that episode.  SGC sends O’Neill to talk to Martin, and see if he knows anything about the oncoming spaceship.  Martin is found, working on a television series called Wormhole X-treme!, which he created.  The show is about a team of four people who travel through space via a wormhole generated by alien technology.  The series’ team members bear a striking resemblance to the members of SG-1.  Martin apparently exploited his experience with the super secret SG team, revealing their existence to the world.  Or, has he?

O’Neill discovers that Martin is back on a cocktail of medications that suppress some of his memories.  Martin does not remember being an alien, and thinks that Wormhole X-treme! is pure fiction, not at all based on actual events.  Martin's amnesia, and the controlled chaos of the television show's production, interfere with O’Neill’s attempts to uncover information about the possible threat of the approaching spaceship.

With a wink, and a nod, to many aspects of actually producing a science fiction adventure television series, this episode takes the viewer on an incredibly entertaining journey.  The television series within a television series ploy is handled perfectly.  It is rife with laugh out loud humor, and many cameos by actual Stargate SG-1 behind the scenes staff.  All without losing sight of the need for a solid plot, and looming danger to the planet.  “Wormhole X-treme!” is a thoughtfully penned, expertly crafted, love letter to Stargate SG-1 fans.  This is a wonderful episode.

Willie Garson returns as Martin Lloyd, and is still charming as the nebbish who is trying to fit in, even while not remembering aspects about his life.  The cameos of the real people working behind the scenes on many Stargate SG-1 episodes are delightful.  All of the regular cast performs x-tremely well.

Failures:
None.

This episode is supremely entertaining.  Only one episode of Stargate SG-1 was released on disc as a stand-alone, director’s cut, edition -- “Children of the Gods.”  My understanding of the primary motivation for releasing a director’s cut edition of that episode -- removing the nude scene -- is not enough to get me to purchase it.

I would dearly love it if there were an extended director’s cut edition of “Wormhole X-treme!” complete with any deleted scenes, bloopers, and additional commentary.  That would be a single episode disc that I would definitely purchase, and cherish.

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