Stargate SG-1 (TV Series) Between Two Fires (2001) User Reviews

Conspiracy

[claudio_carvalho · 8/10 · 20 December 2016]

The SG-1 is invited to the intimate funeral of the Tollan Omoc that died of heart attack. In the end of the ceremony, High Chancellor Travel invites Colonel Jack to return to discuss the trade of technology. However Narim secretly delivers a message to Samantha telling that Earth is in danger. They return and Travel proposes the trade of one Tollan cannon per the mineral Trinium that is exhausted in Tollana. Samantha concludes that it is necessary thirty-eight cannons to protect Earth from the Goa'uld. On the next day, the SG-1 returns to Tollana and Narim discloses that he suspects that Omac was murdered in a huge conspiracy from Travel and the Curia. The SG-1 together with Narim decide to investigate and they have a huge surprise.

"Between Two Fires" is a highly entertaining episode of Stargate SG- 1 with a story with many plot points. The fate of the Tollans seems to be wipe out since they have no defense against the Goa'uld ship and it was clear to Tanith that the Tollans would not cooperate with them. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "Between Two Fires"

In league

[Calicodreamin · 7/10 · 25 February 2022]

The ending of this episode definitely had me in my feels. Well developed storyline and some seriously good twists. Effects felt authentic and acting was decent.

Big flaw in this episode

[scarecrow72 · 5/10 · 9 December 2022]

Were all of the Goa-uld, the Tollan people and SG1 stupid? I thought that when it was revealed that the Tollan people were being made to make a bomb combined with their technology that could penetrate anything, that they would use it on the Goa'uld mother ship.

Were the Goa-uld so stupid that when they demanded a demonstration by having the Tollan people send one of their penetrating bombs through the Stargate and Earth's iris to destroy Earth, that they didn't think that the Tollans would just use the bomb on the Goa'uld mother ship?

Were the Tolland and SG1 so stupid they didn't think of that?

Big writing flaw, that apparently the writers, producers, director, and actors, and anyone else on the set didn't point out.

Spolers Galore and semi rant

[AngelGG · 1/10 · 2 September 2017]

Sometimes, something so stupid happens in a show, that it is incomprehensible.

Tanith is now working for a new secret Goa'uld leader that suddenly has a mothership with technology more advanced than the Tollans, that can withstand their ion cannons. LOL. OK that's semi plausible.

But this is where it falls apart. He threatens to wipe them all out if they don't build HIM a new weapon that is capable of penetrating absolutely any shield by using tollan phasing technology, so he can of course use it against Earth's Iris and the other Goa'uld motherships.

The Tollans make him such weapons. Stargate team with help of Narim blows them up, so the Goa'uld can never get a hold of them. Tanith then destroys and kills all Tollans. The end.

There are other parts to the story where SG-1 team is offered a trade of Tollan tech for trinium so they can make Tanith's weapons. This of course leads to the discovery that the tech they are willing to give to Earth (ion cannons) are useless now anyway, and so forth.

Has anyone reading this caught on yet? I am trying to work out whether the writers wanted to try and make some sort of "profound" point here that the Tollans, through all their constant boasting of superior advancement and intellect, were ultimately too stupid to actually save themselves.

Or were the writers simply THAT dumb themselves that they totally missed the massive plot hole they created that made the entire episode completely pointless? Yes people, the Tollans have just built weapons that can penetrate absolutely anything, yet don't simply turn one of those ready to fire weapons that are still in their control, not Tanith's, on Tanith's mothership themselves. Not even one person in the SG1 team thought to try it. No, they just blow all the weapons up instead, and the Tollan race ceases to be.

Honestly, I could never adequately describe in words just how poor this episode was. But i've given it a shot anyway. Worst episode of the season for me by far, although season 5 is pretty bad overall anyway.. I am currently watching the entire series for the first time from the very start, and i have enjoyed the show overall don't get me wrong, but episodes like this are both inexplicable and inexcusable. Lowest rating possible.

Inexplicable Episode

[melvalynn-82784 · 1/10 · 10 January 2024]

I did not catch this show in its first run, but I am watching the entire series now. Most episodes are interesting or enjoyable to watch. This one is the exception.

The Tollans have appeared previously, and they have a beautiful, technically advanced world. They are allies of Earth, and where previously believed that Earth would misuse their tech, they now want to share it. Narim, who would like nothing more than to run off with Samantha and his cat, thinks that a leader has been murdered, and that Earth is in danger. Turns out, he is right.

Tanith, who SG-1 unwittingly enabled becoming a system lord a few eps back, has forced the Tollans to create a weapon that will destroy anything or anyone in its path. Their weapons that they refused to share before are now ineffective against the Goa'uld. Why didn't they just use the weapon that they built for Tanith against him? Why just give their allies (Earth) weapons that they knew would not work any longer?

At the end, Narim destroys the new weapons warehouse before Tanith can acquire them, and so Tanith destroys the Tallons. SG-1, who has pulled off some astounding acts of defense and offense against the Goa'uld, just saunters off towards the gate after wishing them good luck. Why weren't they taking as many civilians with them as possible? There was no way they could win. They asked Narim to come and he declined saying that he caused this war by destroying the weapons, so he would stay to fight, but what about all the panicked citizens running about the city? Back on Earth, SG-1 sits in the briefing room talking about the entire incident like it was nothing more than finding a new plant species on some remote planet. They later get a garbled goodbye message from Narim, basically confirming the worst.

We have seen SG-1 save and bring back people from various planets. They knew Narim as he was once one of those rescued people. Even the average Tollan on the street was more intellectually advanced than any prominent Earth scientist and would have much to contribute, in addition to Earth being a friend and saving them. In this episode though, it was like, "Thanks for saving Earth, but we're going to leave you to it," as SG-1 sauntered off into the sunset.

It is a confusing episode, even in the context of the series not being based in reality, and did nothing to advance the storyline. It presented no evidence of remorse for losing an entire planet of allies either, with the exception of Amanda trying to look sorrowful while listening to Narim's farewell. This episode is not one of their better efforts.