If you have any comments on this review, please email me at the address at the bottom.
When Jonas first saw the extra-dimensional creature, it was gratifying that Hammond took him seriously immediately and called a "red alert". However, when the creature could not be found, I thought that Hammond and the rest of SG-1 were too quick to dismiss it as delusions from Jonas being too tired or stressed. After all, they have encountered numerous aliens with invisibility technology (the Re'tu from Season 2's "Show and Tell"), alien technology that can make things visible only to them (Season 3's "Urgo"), and out-of-phase beings (Season 3's "Crystal Skull"). Fortunately, Carter realized that they should trust Jonas more, and told him that outright later in the show.
The biggest problem I had with the episode was the premise behind the technology. I could accept the explanation that the ancient device emitted energy that attracted the creatures so they could be studied. However, the explanation of how the ability to see the creature was "transmitted" was just silly.
The idea was the Jonas originally touched the machine and so was able to see the creatures. When he touched Teal'c, he transmitted this ability to Teal'c. OK, since everyone in the SGC was a blank slate, possibly this kind of "charge" (how it was described in the episode) could be transmitted. However, when the device was altered so that if you touched it, you STOPPED seeing the creatures, things got bad. Jonas touched the device and stopped seeing the creatures. Then he touched Carter. Why did his "charge" transmit to Carter, instead of Carter's "charge" transmitting to him? Are we supposed to believe one charge is more powerful than another?
What is the "charge" anyway? It really strains credibility, even for science fiction, to imagine that some type of ability to see another dimension could be transmitted painlessly and instantly. How are the eyes or the brain altered to do this? How can it happen so fast? Why can't the doctor find any evidence of any changes? This lack of plausibility really pulls the show down in my opinion.
The effects for the extra-dimensional creatures range from OK to laughable. I guess it's supposed to be funny when a huge, sucking creature appears on your windshield and makes you crash a truck. Why not stop the vehicle?
The plot involving the "infected" Gulf War veteran is also mostly a loss, in my opinion. The high point was when Carter and Jonas visited his grandmother for information and ended up posing as a couple. Jonas clearly had fun carrying on the ruse, even though he obviously doesn't think of Carter as more than a friend and team member (witness in the episode "Metamorphosis" later in the season where he tries to get Carter to ask a nurse out for him).
avondale@astro.umd.edu