Season: Five
Episode: Meridian
Written by: Robert C. Cooper
Directed by: William Waring
Review by: Nike
Storyline: Daniel sacrifices himself to save a race of aliens from
radiation poisoning, and Ascends with Oma Desala.
Shippy moments: ("I'm gonna miss you guys....")
First things first...this has to be one of the most emotional
episodes of Stargate ever aired. There was a lot of concern
that 'Meridian' wouldn't be a fitting exit for our Danny, but it was
a truly poignant goodbye to a character I'm sure we're all going to
miss.Michael Shanks gives us some of his best acting to date, in an
episode that's simply filled with moving performances, and had
D/J 'shippers everywhere reaching for HappyFic.
That said, infuriatingly there wasn't a lot of 'ship involved
in 'Meridian'.
I know we all wanted a huge death-bed declaration, or at least a
defining 'shippy scene, but unfortunatley it wasn't to be. However,
Janet's last scene is one of the most affecting in the episode.
Throughout, she maintains a rather too-professional air - although at
one point she shakily tells Sam that, though it goes against all her
professional judgement, she thinks Daniel would be better off he she
just let him die; and her angst is clearly conveyed. Additionally,
when Daniel's friends come down one-by-one to tell him how they feel
about him, Janet's nowhere to be seen. After five years, it just
seems a little unlikley that this would be the case.
During the one of the final scenes though, it's Janet who really
causes one of the biggest emotional imapacts of the show. As Jacob
stops the healing device, and Daniel flatlines, she simple cries
out 'Colonel'. It's the most anguished, desperate, heart-breaking
sound in the episode. She's pleading for them to continue trying to
save him, and it really does the best job of bringing home the
sadness of this episode; even more than the teary expressions of all
at the end.
Though the Ascension of Daniel effectivley kills off the chances of
there being any future canon Daniel/Janet 'ship, the way is still
left open for him to return if he wishes...since he doesn't actually
*die* at the end of the episode. What Michael Shanks sees as a cop-
out, I choose to see as an opportunity. They left us a little hope in
the end, and if there's one thing we D/J 'shippers know how to do,
it's how to pull together and make a little go a long, long way.
