Carentan (a.k.a. Stargate: Sanctuary)
Carentan is both a quality installment in the Sanctuary series and a rather unusual one. The reason for the oddness I allude to in the review title: this installment felt a lot like a classic episode of Stargate SG-1. I will dig more into this oddness first then look at the other elements in the episode.
Sanctuary does Stargate
While a lot of fans of this show know that Amanda Tapping has deep roots in Stargate (Samantha Carter after all), not as many realize that key principals in the production team likewise possess Stargate roots (Damian Kindler) as well as the guest starring roles of Stargate cast members (Michael Shanks, Paul McGillon) over the run of the show.
One other effect of this is that every now and then Tapping and Kindler seem to want to go back to their "roots" and create a Sanctuary installment that has a Stargate tone and feel . In Season 2 the episode "Pavor Nocturnus" hearkened back to SG-1's "Absolute Power" in its dystopian future, feel and tone. This appears to be the one in Season 3.
And it really does feel like Stargate. Will and Helen are our SG team equivalent, with an old friend from the Kali storyline coming back as a missing person they are seeking. The time bubble universe is complete with a village that feels very Stargate, and in fact the bubble itself hearkens back to the Stargate Atlantis episode "Epiphany".
Sanctuary does SciFi instead of Fantasy
Even more interesting is that this episode is good old fashioned hard Science Fiction. No Abnormals to speak of and really no fantasy elements in the story either. It is a good, solid sci-fi story with excellent attention to detail (I especially liked the idea of the LONG nights and the resultant famines - a real world implication of the time bubble that other shows that did this concept missed). Another good detail was Will bringing up to Magnus the difference between them - she is immortal and he is not - and how being in this bubble is much worse for him as a result.
Acting this episode was also good all around. In fact, this was possibly the best Will we've seen since the midseason break. Also different for this episode was the absence of the usual little jokes and slight snark Sanctuary usually features. And that absence works here, as they would have taken the episode out of its designed "gate" atmosphere.
All in all, this is a novel installment of the show and also well worth watching.
Carentan is both a quality installment in the Sanctuary series and a rather unusual one. The reason for the oddness I allude to in the review title: this installment felt a lot like a classic episode of Stargate SG-1. I will dig more into this oddness first then look at the other elements in the episode.
Sanctuary does Stargate
While a lot of fans of this show know that Amanda Tapping has deep roots in Stargate (Samantha Carter after all), not as many realize that key principals in the production team likewise possess Stargate roots (Damian Kindler) as well as the guest starring roles of Stargate cast members (Michael Shanks, Paul McGillon) over the run of the show.
One other effect of this is that every now and then Tapping and Kindler seem to want to go back to their "roots" and create a Sanctuary installment that has a Stargate tone and feel . In Season 2 the episode "Pavor Nocturnus" hearkened back to SG-1's "Absolute Power" in its dystopian future, feel and tone. This appears to be the one in Season 3.
And it really does feel like Stargate. Will and Helen are our SG team equivalent, with an old friend from the Kali storyline coming back as a missing person they are seeking. The time bubble universe is complete with a village that feels very Stargate, and in fact the bubble itself hearkens back to the Stargate Atlantis episode "Epiphany".
Sanctuary does SciFi instead of Fantasy
Even more interesting is that this episode is good old fashioned hard Science Fiction. No Abnormals to speak of and really no fantasy elements in the story either. It is a good, solid sci-fi story with excellent attention to detail (I especially liked the idea of the LONG nights and the resultant famines - a real world implication of the time bubble that other shows that did this concept missed). Another good detail was Will bringing up to Magnus the difference between them - she is immortal and he is not - and how being in this bubble is much worse for him as a result.
Acting this episode was also good all around. In fact, this was possibly the best Will we've seen since the midseason break. Also different for this episode was the absence of the usual little jokes and slight snark Sanctuary usually features. And that absence works here, as they would have taken the episode out of its designed "gate" atmosphere.
All in all, this is a novel installment of the show and also well worth watching.
