7.03: Fragile Balance

This episode was great! I was skeptical about it at first, but everything was pulled off well.

The actor they got to play Jack's younger self was perfect! He really got all of the timing and characteristics down. The script was was pretty good in this ep, too.

I loved the real Jack's line in the end there, "Go forth young man," or something to that effect. I was laughing my head off. :D
 
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I liked this episode. A lot of good Jackisms (although RDA isn't in it untill the final 10 mins) and a lot of humor. The part where Jack tried to ge into the F-303 breifing was great. I liked that they FINALLY explained alien abductions, and I liked that they had it be a rogue within the Asgard community, since a lot of abductees report horrible things, and SG-1 couldn't just brush that off. The whole thing was explained pretty good. The kid who played Jack was also very good. He got down his mannerisms and stuff hands-down. It was also good to see Jackson back in full form.

What I did NOT like was the ending. The stupid song and putting Mini-Jack in High School??? I thought they would put him off-world or something! Like he could have become an Asgard consultant or they could have solved his celluar degneration problem the same way they did with Charlie in "Show and Tell" (although he wouldn't have gone for it...maybe they could have talked him into it). I just think putting him in High School and having him stay on Earth was cheesy and not very practical. If there is a season 8 though, I'd like to see him return for an ep.
 
I'd definitely like to see him return. The scenes between clone Jack and original Jack were great. :D

Having him go to high school was a little disappointing. I would have preferred if he had been given a decent role in the SGC or some other brach of the government. After all, two Jack O'Neills is better than one.
 
Mmmmmm, two Jack O'Neills. Imagine the fun.... ;)

*bad shelby, bad shelby*
 
Yeah, and now it's okay for you to lust after him because he's not twice your age...;)

Raptor
 
It was a great eps. Really loved it.

Sending the young Jack back to high school is the only logical thing to do. Since he is still 15 years old.

Sending him to another alien world would not help or sticking him in the airforce...because he is still 15 years old. Doesn't matter if he has all that knowledge...

The line where young jack said something like..."this is where you and me are different" which has indicated the writers has thought about the idea letting him joining the SD-C...but where against it at the end...

I don't know if anyone has thought about this....but i think it provides a possibility where in the future...maybe 10-15 years where they can bring back Jack and start another stargate series ;)

something like stargate: the next generation :p
 
He can't survive in High School...he is a cynical adult. The school will think he has all kinds of mental disorders. And let's not forget the alcohalism. He tried to score beer the entire episode, he's obviously in need of AA. Mini-Jack is going to end up a burnt-out street bum, ranting about aliens and the fact that he is a 45-year old stuck in a 15-year old's body..

If he was off-world it wouldn't matter as much. If he was with the Tok'Ra, he could continue the fight. Remember his Tin Man? Mini-Jack will prolly try something like that, and the Air Force should know. Jack should know.
 
I agree with beckmen. Just because he looks 15 doesn't mean he is. He has all of Jack's memories and experiences stored in his brain, he's not some kid 'from the MTV generation'. :)
 
A bit of a squick...

Okay... we have a 40-something year old man in a 15 year old body with all the memories, behaviours, etc of said 40 year old. And what does the end of the episode show us? Him checking out 15 year old girls.

I have a bit of a problem with that becasue I like to think Jack is enough of an officer and a gentleman - no matter how he may act out at times - to not 'chase underage tail', if I may put it that way.

The show has now put me in a quandry. What's this 40/15 year old gonna do in High School? Other than some of the stuff new to this generation, he already knows most of what they're going to teach and has a level of 'significant life experiences' 'way beyond anything the 'kids' have. In many ways, he's now gonna mimic a lot of the rpoblems Daniel had: a 'way too smart kid in amound those not as smart. His is just from a different reason.

I thought for awhile last night what I would do if it happened to me. The first through my mind would have been for the Air Force to tuck me off to college somewhere: either civ or the academy. yeah... it might be nice to be around my own age group ... for about an hour, but after that, frankly my interests are no longer theirs and I'd go nuts. I'd *need* the mental stimulation of the older environment.

I'm sorry, but I can see 'Mini-Jack' surviving this situation for more than a week before the he and the Air Force come to a new 'agreement' and he's outta there.

Just My Opinion - Your Milage May Vary. ;)

Rowan
 
it is odd. i mean look at his frustration in the beginning at not being taken seriously. and jack is not the kind of man to just sit back and let things happen, he'll try to help or do things...and he won't be taken seriously because of his physical appearance/age.

it's gonna drive him nuts.
 
I loved 99% of this ep; even the beer scenes didn't bother me, as they were played for comic relief and I can understand why Jack, after such a traumatic experience, would want a cold brewski.

I loved MiniJack; the young actor was perfect, and I'd like to see more of him. I loved the Daniel-Teal'c exchange: "Name one" "Well, the time he got really old, the time he turned into a caveman, the time we all swapped bodies".

However, I have to agree with the posters who didn't like the last scene. I agree that MiniJack wouldn't last too long in high school, subject to the restrictions of a schoolboy.

I also didn't like the implication that now he was going to date 14-15 year old girls. He may look 15 but he's not, and the thought of MiniJack chasing after girls who are both completely inexperienced and too young to get birth control on their own creeped me out a bit. It would be different if he were 19-20 and going off to college again, meeting women old enough to vote.

Anyway, aside from that it was a very enjoyable episode, with all the team members getting to play a part.
 
Well, I think for a lot of people 15-year-olds are taboo. If I was transferred into a 15-year-old body I'd be "chasing tail" and not have any problem with it (although I am only 21 now). Maybe I am a sicko.

Anyway, I don think they should have put him in college becuase they would have had to say he is a genius to get over the age issue, and although Jack is not stupid, he's not exactly gifted either (I'd say his IQ is 110-120, slightly above average). They could have forged documents that he is an emancipated senoir and put him into High School. Becuase another problem is that he doesn't have any parants, or a house or anything, and DCFS would catch on quick. The Air Force could circumvent that by setting him up on his own with a little pension and stuff.
 
I really like this episode! And as others have mentioned, the young Jack was PERFECT! He really acted the wame way that RDA does. And he even looked like a younger version, I wondered half way through if he wasn't related to RDA. I got a lot of laughs out of this ep. Well done!
 
Ok - all the 'griping' about putting mini-Jack in High School --

two words - "PLOT DEVICE" -- all the stuff about him not being able to 'deal' with it and handle it --- just a way to go back to that storyline later --

Remember RDA isn't gonna be the big focus in a lot of these eps (this is public knowledge right?) -- so, using mini-Jack would be a good way to still have Jack in the episode, but w/o using RDA so much ---

Mini-Jack can have another episode later in the season where he *is* having problems adjusting to being in High School again - the "I thought it would be different this time around" scenario -- or he could get into trouble or something - anything - maybe there's something 'SGC-ish' going on at the High School and he has to figure it out ---

Sending him to High School may have further implications down the road.

Though, I would like to know who are listed as his parents --

I did like this episode and that actor had Jack nailed! It was amazing - the body language, the mannerisms, the voice intonation - it was just too good! :)
 
I liked this ep, though it would have been better if I didn't know about who mini-me really was. wonderful acting on the kids part! I had more of a problem with Daniel suddenly having his memories back where as in the last episode he was still calling Jack Jim or what ever. & that bit Rowan mentioned about our Jack no matter how puny he is now, still being the mentality of a 45 yr old going after 15 year old girls! I don't think so.:(
 
I do like how they used this plot to give RDA some time off, but still have Jack in the episode. I doubt we'll be seeing him agin this season though, since they have 19 episode synopsis and none of them deal with the cloned Jack.
 
RDA

If this was an example of how they're working about RDA's schedule, I have a lot less trepidation that I started this season with. Even thought RDA may be shooting less the episode this ep still included the character well [even if we got Mini-Jack for most of the epi and Maxi-Jack for about 1/3].

Looking forward to how they do the rest of the season.

Rowan
 
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