So, I was going through my LiveJournal, deleting posts that I no longer want, and came across this review of the SG-1 movie Continuum. I figured I might as well move it over here, so here it is. Hope you enjoy.

We start with a shot of a starry sky and pan down into the gateroom where SG-9 is just returning from a mission. They are greeted by Walter who tells them that Landry will be there in a moment to debrief them. We then get a ‘behind the scenes’ look at Stargate Command. Walter is telling some unknown airman how it’s taken ten years and ‘about a thousand emails’ to get his own parking spot! I love it!

Paul! We find out that after ten years Paul Davis is still a lowly Major. Poor guy. And in comes our heroes: SG-1! One of my favorite scenes; Siler is having Cam sign something and when Cam asks what it is Siler says ‘Nothing, Sir. Just wanted your autograph.’ Cam invites Landry to come along for the ride but he declines saying that one general looking over their shoulder is more than enough.

I love Teal’c’s hair here. Much better than that long oily…thing…he had on his head in the SGA ep ‘Midway’. Vala enters carrying a big ass gun. I love it when she calls Teal’c ‘Muscles’. Cam won’t let her take the gun. And we all find out that this will be Cam’s first extraction. And Vala has a moment where she reflects on when her Goa’uld was extracted.

I love how Landry sends SG-1 off: ‘Go to it, SG-1. I’ll leave the light on.’ As the team enters the wormhole we see that Vala is the only one who doesn’t tuck her camo pants into her boots. Not a big deal just something I noticed. (please forgive me if I point out things like this but I tend to notice when there’s something ‘off’ in a scene) We then get the really cool wormhole effect. And step out onto a desert planet. There’s a pyramid in the foreground with a very futuristic city right behind it. But then again this is the Tok’Ra home world. We hear some odd chanting and see a row of robed figures before seeing Ba’al in a stasis chamber. And a very funny shot of SG-1 trying to stay awake! Daniel and Jack both yawned. And we get another of my favorite lines: Jack to Sam ‘Never in the history of boredom has anyone been more bored than I am right now.’ Sam attempts to tell Jack how long it’s been but obviously she doesn’t want to really say how many hours they’ve been standing there. Daniel tells them it’s almost over because the list of crimes is starting to sound familiar and I remember that Ba’al is centuries old or older. Jack didn’t know that they were listing his crimes and he tells us it’s been three hours. Vala says it’s not fair to the host, which I totally agree with. Vala thinks Ba’al will try to escape. Daniel says he doubts it with all the extra security and when he turns back…she’s gone! Our first hint that something is amiss. But Danny-boy doesn’t appear that worried.

Ba’al is given a chance for last words to which he says he has nothing to say to the Tok’Ra. As Ba’al is escorted to the extraction machine he notices our heroes standing there and greets them. His voice is not that of a Goa’uld so I’m not sure if it’s the host or if Ba’al is still speaking. Hard to know now that we know they don’t have to have those booming voices. (this was discovered in an ep from season 9 or 10, people who are bigger fans of the show than me will know the title)

Jack and Ba’al have a moment to reminisce about when Jack was his prisoner. Jack calls him ‘B’. *snicker* I love RDA to pieces! Jack asks for his last words and he says that he regrets that Teal’c never became his First Prime and then notices that Vala is missing, but he calls her Qetesh, the name of her Goa’uld. Daniel reminds him she’s free and Jack says she’s probably in the bathroom, which he is next in line for, btw. Jack then demands they get on with the extraction. Ba’al says ‘Wait! There’s more!’ and goes on to predict dire consequences. Taunting that he’s not the last of the system lords but that he is the last of the Ba’al clones. Cam informs Ba’al that they were able to use the tracking device that Ba’al put in each of his clones, and even himself, to make sure they got every last one. Sam pipes up with some more info about the devices. We find out that the one in the ‘real’ Ba’al is the only one that’s removable. This info causes Danny to give us one of his ‘Oh, crap!’ faces. We’re told that there’s a failsafe device that is to be used in this very circumstance. Teal’c approaches him and we get yet another of my favorite exchanges: Teal’c ‘[Ba’al] lies.’ Jack ‘He does that, ya know.’ Teal’c ‘*low growl*’

The scene shifts to the Atlantic Ocean – 1939. There’s an ocean liner crossing with very few lights. The ship is old and beat up, but still able to carry out her duty. A sailor enters the bridge and a man with Cam’s voice gives a course change order. The helmsman agrees and changes course. The captain (the man with Cam’s voice) is questioned by the new arrival, who I’m guessing is the first officer. We see that the captain not only sounds like Cam he even looks likes him. Could this be a relative? The captain tells the new arrival to quit worrying. There’s a rumble from below decks and the captain tells New Arrival (since they never do say his name) to go check out the cargo. He says ‘You’re never going to tell me what it is, are you?’ to which Captain Mitchell replies ‘If I knew myself’. The look on his face tells me he has an idea, or maybe he saw it but doesn’t have any context for it. New Arrival has his doubts about the captain’s ignorance as well but does as ordered.

In the hold we see a box that’s the size of the Stargate. And New Arrival gets offed by the kawoosh of a forming wormhole. The captain calls for ‘all hands, emergency stations’ and takes a gun out of the first aid box. I coulda sworn that the Red Cross wasn’t created until WWII which hasn’t taken place yet, and yet the box has a big red cross on it. Captain Mitchell heads to the hold where Jaffa and Ba’al have exited the gate.

Back to the present Daniel is now worrying about Vala. Jack snarks ‘Hey, have you ever tried to find a bathroom in a pyramid?’ Teal’c tries to respond but he disappears into thin air. Ba’al, who’s strapped to this post with a cross beam sticking out of the front on which is a glass jar like thing with a long pointed thing that is probably a needle, chuckles. Danny suggests they get the hell outta Dodge just as the guys in robes and several Tok’Ra begin to disappear. Jack runs up to Ba’al and demands to know what’s going on. Ba’al takes the needle that is to be used to extract the Goa’uld and stabs Jack in the left side of his chest with it. When he crumples to the ground Cam shoots him dead. Daniel and Sam rush to Jack’s side. He orders them to leave and Sam says ‘Not without you.’ All the Sam/Jack shippers are weeping that she just lost the love of her life. Gag me. I teared up but only because Jack died! Ba’al disappears just like the others did. Cam grabs Danny’s shoulder and force marches everyone back to the gate.

Back to the ship. The Jaffa are killing everyone they encounter. Captain Mitchell takes a staff blast to the lower back/side area. I must have somehow missed that the first time around but this time it makes sense that as soon as that happens we see Cam stumble. If the guy I’ve been calling Captain Mitchell is indeed Cam’s grandfather it makes sense. Remember Back to the Future? Captain Mitchell is the last one still alive except for the guy in the telegraph office who is trying his best to send an ‘S.O.S’. He gets killed for his effort. Once the ship is ‘secure’ Ba’al sets a bomb and has his Jaffa dial the gate. Mitchell is flummoxed as to what he’s just seen but has enough presence of mind to push the bomb over board. The brave ship continues to sail into the night with a wormhole sized hole in her hull and we get a really neat effect of the bomb exploding under water. Or rather we see the water being expelled upwards as the bomb explodes.

Back on the Tok’Ra home world we see the city disappearing and the last three of our heroes running for the DHD. They get there and Daniel begins to dial for home. The gate engages and they step through. The wormhole is pink and purple instead of shades of blue/grey or green.

They step out into what on first glance could be taken for a freezer. Cam says ‘Okay, not Earth’ and when the wormhole disengages they’re in pitch black. They turn on the lights on their P90’s and look around. Daniel is positive he dialed Earth. Carter is still reeling over Jack being killed. Cam tells her to move past it and all the Jack/Sam shippers are overjoyed at this show that their OTP is canon. I personally don’t see it. Jack/Daniel, yes; Jack/Sam, no. Sam pulls some device out of her bag and says the wormhole warmed things up a bit. Daniel says ‘Warmed things up?’ Sam says ‘Yeah because the temperature is falling again. It’s just gone past -20.’ Cam steps into his leader boots and sets the team the task of finding out where they are. Sam thinks whatever is going on must be connected to what happened on the Tok’Ra home world. Daniel finds a life vest from the ship. And we find out that her name is Achilles. It rings a bell in Cam’s mind. Daniel tells him it’s the ship that carried the gate to America. Cam says that’s not why it’s ringing a bell.

Sam informs them that the temperature has just fallen to below -40. Daniel asks if that Celsius or Fahrenheit. Cam says that at that temperature they’re the same. Danny and I both learned something today. And now we know that at that temp you have about three minutes before frostbite sets in and hypothermia, five minutes after that.

Next we learn that Teal’c was carrying all their emergency rations which includes the stove so they can’t get warm. Cam decides to blow something up, I’m guessing it’ll be the nice wormhole shaped sheet of ice. Oops, my bad. Cam tries to shoot through the sheet of ice. Then he decides to blow it up. Sam tells him that if it’s not successful the blast will cook them alive and Daniel asks what will happen if the ice is holding back sea water. Cam says they need to get out of there because it is now -43 and they’re on the verge of freezing to death. The blast has dislodged the ship from the ice. They now have to hurry and leave the ship and yet they’re not really moving all that fast.

Daniel tries to go up a ladder and ends up putting his foot through the floor and into freezing cold water. Cam finds the foul weather gear and everyone gears up for a hike across the frozen tundra.

Once they’re safe Sam notices Danny’s wet foot. Sam offers to help him walk but he tells them to go get help. Sam and Cam reluctantly leave him. For some reason Daniel thinks the sun will come up. He's above the North Pole. It’s dark. That means it’s most likely winter time. Ah, I see the sun has risen.

As Cam and Sam walk they discuss what must have happened. They figure out that Ba’al has gone back in time and kept the gate from reaching America thereby making sure the Stargate Program never gets created. Cam says that if all that’s true then why is the titanium pin in his hip killing him? Because if Ba’al really did succeed, which it appears he did, then Cam would never have crashed his F302. Sam agrees that it’s a paradox.

They keep walking with Cam calling on his radio every so often. Just as they’re both ready to drop, they see two men approaching. It’s Jack! Sam says they have to go back for Daniel and Jack says that what they have to do is get them off the ice. He turns to the guy with him and commands him to ‘mark the ‘X’ and drop the buoy’. Jack gives them their first clue that things are not as they should be by saying that Sam’s a dead astronaut. Sam asks what they’re looking for and up pops a nuclear sub. I know it’s a real US nuclear sub but what I want to know is if they used real submariners?

Jack obviously doesn’t know they’ve picked up Daniel because when the captain tells him he has three to debrief he’s like ‘What?’

Daniel’s fine but he might lose his leg. Jack comes in and Cam tries to explain but Jack talks right over him. He shows them a satellite picture of the gate creating a wormhole under the ice. And now we get Sam trying to explain what the gate is. Jack, of course doesn’t believe her. Daniel tells him that they’re best friends. Jack of course doesn’t believe that either. Daniel then tells him that 11 years ago Jack’s son killed himself with a loaded 9 mm he found in the closet. Jack gets angry and says that Charlie’s just fine, thank you very much.

We then get a montage of the three of them being debriefed. Nobody believes them. They’ve been cut off from everyone in the military. Landry then shows up saying he believes them. He takes them to a hanger so he only has to tell them what he has to say once. We find out that Cam doesn’t exist. And he then becomes a Grandfather paradox. Back to the Future anyone? Sam wants to set things right. Landry won’t let her because of all the people in this timeline who will either cease to exist or have very different lives.

The team is being split up with different identities and lives. The higher ups won’t let them go through the gate ever again or repair the timeline. Sam is not allowed to work in science. Daniel is not allowed to write about his experiences. Daniel did lose his leg.

One year later…

Cam’s fixing his car in the driveway when his pretty neighbor comes over with her son asking for a ride. Cam brushes her off knowing that getting involved with her will be trouble. Daniel goes to a bookstore where he finds a copy of a book written by ‘Daniel Jackson’ called The Truth about the Pyramids. He’s proud of his other self and decides to buy the book. Sam is grocery shopping and you can tell she’s bored with her life. Cam drives up to a farm; I think it’s his grandparents’ place in the ‘real’ timeline. Maybe it was his great grandparents’?

Daniel decides to give his other self some positive feedback. But Jackson doesn’t believe him and hangs up.

While Sam’s loading her groceries into her car an Al’kesh does a fly-by.

It makes the news and Cam watches it with the older guy who lives at the farm.

Sam calls Daniel to tell him that Ba’al has arrived. Qetesh is his queen and Teal’c is his First Prime. Teal’c has brought Apophis to Ba’al. Ba’al kills Apophis by cutting off the top of his head. I could have sworn the Goa’uld lived at the base of the skull.

Qetesh is suspicious. (and I want to take a moment to say that I hate the dress Claudia’s wearing here. It makes her breasts look smaller than they are and there is too much skin between her cleavage and her collarbones. Just saying.)

Hammond is an advisor to the president. Cam tells Hayes about the Al’kesh in orbit and Sam says they’re nothing compared to what’s coming next. Hayes asks ‘And that is…what, exactly?’ Daniel says ‘Death. Slavery. Uh… More slavery, more death.[Did I mention the slavery and death?]’ Then looks at Cam and Sam as if to say ‘is that all?’ Ya know for someone who just a few days ago needed a cane while walking with his fake leg, he sure is getting around with nary a limp.

Daniel’s all for leaving these people to try and figure out how to defeat Ba’al but Sam and Cam won’t let him. Hayes tells us that the new SGC is at McMurdo AFB. Daniel wants to know why they weren’t told. Hayes says ‘I’m the president; I don’t have to ask your permission.’

As they discuss how to go about saving the planet, the team starts planning their next heist. Hayes is loving it. He sends them off with some Marines. Daniel asks what they’re gonna do if Ba’al shows up before SG-1 returns. Hayes asks if there is anything they can do. Daniel says ‘Well, I wouldn’t mention us.’ Hayes replies ‘Already thought of that, thanks.’

Ba’al’s fleet appears in orbit over Earth. Qetesh wants to kill off most of the population but Ba’al says he has a better idea. He wants to kill them with kindness.

Hammond tells Hayes that Ba’al has arrived. SG-1 is rushed into some F-16’s. Cam tells Daniel to settle in and catch some shut eye because it’ll be a long boring trip.

Oooo. Ba’al has a cell phone! The man who hands the phone to Hayes, Alex, looks like Rory Cochrane from the side. Ba’al pokes fun at how other Goa’uld have made contact with the president, most notably Anubis who appeared to Hayes in the original timeline as a hologram. While Ba’al’s making arrangements to meet with Hayes Qetesh stabs him in the back, literally. She wants to know how he knows so much about Earth since he hasn’t let her out of his sight in 50 years. When Teal’c enters the throne room it appears that Ba’al and his queen are in a romantic embrace. He tells Ba’al that the gate isn’t where Ba’al said it would be. Qetesh tells Teal’c to begin firing on Earth.

Back on Earth we have another of my favorite exchanges. Sam says that Ba’al won’t let them within 1,000 miles of McMurdo to which Cam replies ‘He thinks we’re dead, remember?’ and Daniel pipes up with ‘Oh, we have him now.’ in a monotone that tells me he’s being very sarcastic.

Teal’c tells the fleet to fire when ready.

Hayes proves he’s a very smart man. He’s talking to the Russian president about how much he doesn’t trust Ba’al. Hammond comes in to tell him that Ba’al has attacked McMurdo and the drilling site over the Ancient weapons platform.

Teal’c interrupts Qetesh trying to get info outta Ba’al and shows he’s kinda dumb in this timeline. He can see that his ‘god’ is being tortured and yet he asks ‘My lord, shall I enact your final instructions?’ Ba’al of course tells him to save him. Qetesh says ‘do it and he dies.’ Teal’c knows she’ll kill Ba’al anyway and says so. Ba’al tries to talk his way outta this but Qetesh kills him and then goes after Teal’c. Teal’c beams away and Qetesh is pissed.

Our heroes are told that McMurdo has been destroyed and that they are to return to their previous position to await further instructions. Sam wonders what further instructions there could be.

Teal’c steals an Al’kesh. Qetesh then acts on her own plan telling Cronus that Ba’al has ‘seen the light’ and agrees that Earth should be destroyed. And that Teal’c is to be killed on sight. Qetesh takes the flagship and leaves. And we find out that there are three gates on Earth. Or maybe Teal’c knows the one on the ship wasn’t destroyed?

While refueling our heroes are attacked by Goa’uld. SG-1 is sent to Russia. And they are attacked by gliders. Good thing they’re in fighter jets, huh? Daniel snarks about how Cam told him to catch a nap because the ride will be long and boring and it hasn’t been. When the Russians appear Daniel tells them ‘We’re Americans, please shoot the people chasing us!’ They do and SG-1 makes it safely to their new destination.

We see the Goa’uld attacking a Russian city. Cam asks where everyone is when they arrive at the warehouse where the gate is. We’re told that everyone, except for our guide, is at home with their family, which is where he wants to be. Sam asks to speak to the lead scientist and is told they haven’t been in for weeks. They had no idea what the gate was and so when Ba’al (Qetesh) started attacking… The Russians named it ‘Anchor’ because it was found on the bottom of the ocean. Daniel asks if there are any grown-ups around because our guide is quite young looking. He’s not happy about being called a child and says something in Russian. Daniel replies in kind and Sam tells them to behave.

Teal’c lands his stolen Al’kesh on top of the building and spreads the force shield to protect it as well as the ship. Then him and two guards ring down. Now I thought you couldn't just use the rings any old place. I coulda sworn that you could only ring between ring platforms. But what do I know? I’m just a fan and not one of the writers who like to make up canon as they see fit never mind what’s already been established in previous episodes.

Cam tries to get Teal’c on our side again. Teal’c tells them that Qetesh killed Ba’al and he has a mission to complete and needs to go through the gate.

And we get yet another of my favorite exchanges. Cam says ‘Well, that sounds great. We’ll help out, right guys?’ Sam says ‘Sure why not?’ Daniel chimes in with ‘I’m not busy.’ Cam completes the round with ‘Let’s do it.’ Teal’c does not want their help. They are, after all, the enemy.

Cronus is attacking Teal’c’s ship and the building with the gate, and our heroes. Teal’c has a pocket DHD which he places on the side of the gate and dials a wormhole. Everyone gets through just as the building is destroyed.

On the other side Teal’c reverts to First Prime mode and demands to know why he shouldn’t kill our heroes. Cam tells him he’s a good man and that deep down Teal’c knows they’re supposed to be allies.

Sam realizes that they’re in Ba’al’s failsafe super secret hideout.

Daniel tells Teal’c about what Ba’al did. Sam says if Teal’c allows them to use the device then the Jaffa will truly get their freedom.

Sam does her science thing and tries to figure out Ba’al’s machine. Cam does a Jack and tells her she’s wasting her breath by trying to explain it to him. Qetesh’s Jaffa have arrived. There’s a fire fight while Sam tries to get them where they need to be. She ends up sending them back to 1929 but not before Daniel, Teal’c and herself are shot and killed by Qetesh’s Jaffa. Cam is the only survivor. But then again, there only needs to be one. (and man did I just have a Highlander flashback) Qetesh arrives to watch Teal’c take his last breath. But he does more than just die, he sets off a Jaffa grenade and kills Qetesh while destroying the failsafe device.

Back to 1939. We get a repeat of what happened earlier in the movie. This time I’m pretty sure that Captain Mitchell knows what’s in his hold. Cam is in the hold waiting for just this moment. He hands a gun to New Arrival and tells him to not shoot until he does. When the guy stands in front of the box, Cam tells him to back up. The wormhole forms and out drops a board and a Jaffa. Cam and New Arrival begin to shoot, killing all the Jaffas as they exit the gate. Then Ba’al smugly steps forward. Cam proves what a good shot he is by shooting him right above his right eye. When the gate disengages we see Captain Mitchell pointing his gun in every direction. He’s not happy about the hole in the hull of his ship. He wants to know who Cam is so he just says a friend of the family.

Back to present day and back to the extraction of Ba’al. The canister moves slowly toward Ba’al and his host. When the needle makes contact with the human’s forehead it pushes inside and somehow sucks the parasite out. It is apparently very painful. Vala is wincing is remembered pain. Once the Goa’uld is extracted the canister is then thrown on the ground and it dies.

Cam is not impressed. Of course neither is Jack. Jack offers to buy everyone lunch and Vala offers to stay and help Ba’al’s former host to adjust.

In the locker room, Cam, Teal’c and Daniel are wondering what Ba’al meant when he said they were making a terrible mistake. Daniel thinks he might not be the last one. Cam is positive Ba’al was the last one. They all go off to have lunch and Cam slams his locker shut but it doesn’t close and in fact swings back open to reveal a picture of ‘alternate’ Cam and Captain Mitchell in Boston Harbor in front of the ship.

And so what have we learned today? A lot so we won’t rehash it. The main point is, all’s well that ends well.

This one was much more enjoyable than Ark of Truth