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Warning! Season Finale details below! Possible spoilers for readers outside the USA or Canada

Stargate SG-1 – Season Five
06 • Rite of Passage Reviewed by Paul Spragg

Cassandra, the girl brought back from an alien world with a bomb inside her three years ago, has been living happily with Dr Fraiser. But when she demonstrates signs of a strange ailment, it seems she will die unless the SGC enlists the aid of the Goa'uld who murdered everyone on Cassandra's planet.

Once again we get to see the private life of one of the main characters explored, in this case Janet Fraiser. Her bond with Cassandra as a surrogate mother is superbly drawn and Carter's input makes for a 'My Two Mums' happy family that works well. There's some superb acting on show here, from the young woman playing Cassandra who alternates beautifully between wanting to die and wanting comfort from her mother and from Teryl Rothery, who gives an impassioned and painfully emotional performance as she tries to save her daughter from dying, knowing she may not be able to help. Although more in the background here, Michael Shanks and Richard Dean Anderson also have some strong scenes as they try to help both Janet and Cassandra through what is happening.

The threat from the Goa'uld is a neat twist to keep things moving along, with the only real issue being just what this System Lord was trying to accomplish and how she fixed the problem. Although the way things are left, we may yet see her again and get some answers...

The Immortal - Season One
22 • Kiyomi Reviewed by Grant Kempster

Also in this issue: • cover feature with Smallville

At the close of the previous episode, the plot for Kiyomi was blatantly spoilt as we see Raphael finally reunited with his long-lost daughter on a beach. The rest of this finale is taken up with questions about Kiyomi's authenticity, the recurring question of just how far The Immortal will go to keep her, and witnessing the welcome return of Mallos and his sassy sidekick Vashista. Let the scenery-munching pantomime commence.

The introduction of another possible recurring character into the fold is a most welcome if far-too-delayed one, which immediately alters the dynamic and makes things (prepare yourselves) interesting. The teenage Kiyomi (yes, inexplicably she has returned as a young woman) displays some sassy attitude and is a welcome plus in the looks department too. Her flirting with Goodwin also shows promise, as does the revelation that the gang has decided to settle down and stop living on the bus.

The Mallos world-falling-into-darkness Armageddon plot is a tired and overused one, serving only to furnish us with a few cool-looking, almost Matrix-style, fight sequences, and a resolution to the singular plot arc of this eclectic season.

If and when The Immortal returns later in the year, this past season should help the new producers divine what worked (there are elements hidden deep within) and what most certainly didn't, which sadly boils down to the acting, directing and overall plot. Get out of that one!

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