Stargate SG-1 (TV Series) Learning Curve (1999) User Reviews

One of the Best Episodes

[claudio_carvalho · 9/10 · 6 December 2015]

The SG-1 is exchanging experience with the inhabitants of the scientifically developed planet Orban. The representative Kalan gives a naquadah reactor to Sam to study and she requests someone to couch her. Kalan does not understand the request but the girl Merrin offers to train Sam. Meanwhile Kalan's son Tomin learns from Teal'c the danger of the Goa'uld. Merrin is submitted to medical examination by Dr. Fraiser and she finds that she has nanites implanted in her brain. Soon Merrin explains that when they reach twelve years old, they have a ceremony called Averium when all their knowledge is removed together with the nanites to be implanted in the scientists to bring progress to their people. Further, the children become slow with the removal of the nanites. Jack has become attached to Merrin and does not accept the explanation. However Daniel understands the explanation of Kalan and tries to explain Jack that Merrin must return to her planet. But Jack abducts Merrin to show her something on the surface and outside of the SGC. What will Jack do with Merrin?

"The Learning Curve" is one of the best episodes of "Stargate SG-1" with a beautiful story. Jack O'Neill has one of his best roles in this series and the plot is sentimental but never melodramatic. The conclusion is simply wonderful. My vote is nine.

Title (Brazil): "The Learning Curve"

Really good episode

[fig-75275 · 9/10 · 5 July 2020]

Learning curve is a slow episode with no action. But you can't stop watching because each moment tells you a little bit more about what is going on.

It is an episode that deals with how different cultures may see things differently. Sometimes they get it very wrong, but just don't see it. I won't say any more because I think that would spoil it. It's best if you watch this episode without knowing anything about the story. Don't read any of the reivews or even the description of the episode on IMDB!

Hopscotch is where its at

[Calicodreamin · 7/10 · 31 January 2022]

This reads very much like a SG-1 saviors of the universe, but it kind of works out in an unexpected way. The storyline was interesting and the acting decent from the whole cast. Costumes were a bit goofy even by outer space standards.

My main problem with the episode

[shag4fun-1 · 6/10 · 4 September 2018]

The Orbanians are supposedly the descendants of a Central American civilization that was destroyed by the Goa'uld. That isn't the problem however, it's that so many of them are blonde. I've never met a Central American with blonde hair.

White Mesoamerican Descendants? Xenophobic Episode?

[jacknlowe · 6/10 · 2 February 2022]

I kind of ignored the Stargate series when it first came out, found it on Prime Video recently and started watching it.

It's been pretty good mostly, though the language issue bugs me (everybody can communicate with everybody no matter what planet they visit! No mention of translator devices or anything, bupkiss! Lol).

Anway this episode, while interesting, bothered me for 2 reasons. The Orban are depicted as descendants of the pre-hispanic Teotihuacan civilization (which is in South America). But.... THEY ARE ALL WHITE!!!! I don't think there were blond Mesoamericans before the Spanish came and started interbreeding with the locals.

Secondly, the episodes presents the Orbans as a civilization who have a unique method of learning or absorbing / transferring information (specifically with kids), and presents the western way of doing things as completely superior and tries to impose this on the Orban.

So xenophobic! Just coz something is different don't mean it's all wrong and the western way isn't the best/better way either. Schools vs nanites for kids education/learning? Yeah school can be good, but there are many drawbacks as well. Kids are forced to learn useless subjects and facts that they will never ever use as grown ups. Not to mention all the pressure, bullying, etc that goes on. What Jack did is presented as totally OK, but if it was the Orban that took an Earth kid (without permission or authorization) and exposed that kid to their ways -- the SG1 team would have sent an assault team in!

Disappointed in the way this episode was handled/written.

A very good episode until you spot the flaw in the premise

[search53-1 · 4/10 · 15 June 2016]

The flaw is that the characters we meet act as if there is no understanding of the concept of learning by going to school and being taught by an instructor (and also not comprehending the idea of "fun"). This is a flaw because it is explained that the current method of learning began less than 50 years ago. This then begs the questions, "What did they do 51 years ago?" and "Why aren't they aware of this?"

To maintain continuity, either the answer to the first would have to be "nothing," or the answer to the second would have to be "their lifespan is so short that no one alive remembers what happened 51 years ago."

While all the characters portrayed are significantly under 55 (what I consider to be the minimum age necessary to be able to remember 51 years ago), there is no indication that their lifespan is any shorter than ours. If true, then the answer to the first question must be that they had no form of education 51 years ago.

However, it is also explained that the nanites do not spread on their own - they must be implanted in the brain. This means that in order to make use of the technology 50 years ago requires at the very least a rudimentary level of education. If they received none, then the entire premise of the episode could never have happened.

This realization as a spoiler for me ranks up there with the observation Amy Farrah Fowler made on The Big Bang Theory (S07 E04) concerning the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark.

One of the weaker episodes

[gergle-1 · 4/10 · 16 March 2021]

As Searcher pointed out, the technology was developed 49 years prior to the episode. The children are drained of their nanites (every last one of them. Why? No one ever asked, no one offered the information. ) when they are 12. Allow a few years for testing, the first batch is ready to be implanted in the adult population just over 30 years ago. These people act like no one older is alive. Who taught the "in between" people? If our child reactor expert doesn't pass on her knowledge, it will be lost, until their replacement grows up. So no one on this planet knows how these things work. Who built the ones they use now? Who taught our child reactor expert? Who would teach her replacement?

Far too many questions were never asked. I suspect because the writers had no answers.

Darker than any "Black Mirror" episode?

[anesstezia · 8 July 2023]

It.is an nice and complete piece of art & thought.

The most horrendous & vile bit is - the "happy kids" automatically "having fun" in the end. This plot line starts and ends here, it is local, but... An Air Force colonel trying to revive a soul in a kid. We do have an episode, reaching beyond the science fiction frame, do we?

A random thing. There was an extraneous video about bicycle helmets - how they became obligatory for kids, right at the same time kids stopped riding the bikes almost universally.

Sci-Fi is not about science or fiction in any way, of course u know this... It's on the level of Replicators or. Ori invasion, really.