“Learning Curve” ( 3 x 05 )

Learning Curve… I have no idea. So let’s just watch, huh?

We start off in some kind of archaeological site, and there’s a Stargate in the room. Jackson is working with some kids on deciphering some symbols (or something) and THEY’RE SO CUTE!! This world is called Orban, and apparently there’s all kinds of cool artifacts here. Two citizens of this world, Merrin and a man, Kalan, are going back to Earth with a naquadah reactor as part of an exchange between their worlds. O’Neill goes back with them, leaving Teal’c and Jackson.

Back on Earth, Merrin agrees to teach Carter how to use the naquadah reactor, but she seems a little puzzled at first by the concept of teaching. Hm…

She’s eleven, and apparently an expert when it comes to these reactors. That’s a little odd, but okay.

On Orban, Jackson busies himself with what looks like a mosaic floor while a boy, Tomin, is brought in to talk to Teal’c about the Goa’uld – how to defend against them, and the like. There’s a little funny scene where Teal’c catches the boy eyeing him, and we have this:

Teal’c: “What is your purpose?”

Tomin: “I’m making an observation of your physical characteristics. Dr. Jackson tells us you were once a warrior the service of the Goa’uld.”

Teal’c: “…That is correct.”

Tomin: “I think I understand now why the Goa’uld are so feared.”

Awww! Be nice, now! Poor Teal’c, haha.

Merrin doesn’t really understand the concept of school, either. There’s something fishy about the way she knows all that she does… And she doesn’t understand what “fun” means, either.

(“F is for Friends who do stuff together;

U is for you and me;

N is for anywhere and any-” Oh wait nevermind WRONG SHOW.)

My God, she’s a freaking Vulcan without the ears!

Nonetheless, they’re ready to get down to business.

They get down to business… but Carter seems incredibly lost. Fraiser takes Merrin into the infirmary again, and finds nanites in her system (whoa!) and they’re all in her brain. The girl explains that all Orbanians have these, so they’re really no threat.

On Orban, Tomin requests to “undergo the ovarium” (their kind of graduation) immediately. His father refuses, but the boy insists, saying that what Teal’c has told him is too important to be held onto much longer.

(Of course. Anything Teal’c says is important. He’s an important kind of guy. You can’t dismiss anything he says. He’s just important.)

Why do I not like where this is going?

Carter wants Merrin to draw her the reactor core, and explains what she means by drawing a stick figure of herself, saying it’s a representation. She gets right to work.

It takes so long that Carter falls asleep, and O’Neill wakes her up, telling the two they seriously need a break. (No kidding.) He tries to get Merrin to break as well, but she refuses, and continues her drawings.

 Kalan now brings a girl, Solen, to Teal’c, telling him that he should now tell her about the Goa’uld. Teal’c doesn’t understand, since Tomin already has learned this, and, concerned, insists he see the boy right away.

Oh man. I see his fatherly side emerging already. They better watch out. Don’t get between Teal’c and an innocent child because he will go bra’tac on you!

He and Jackson go to see Tomin, but he doesn’t recognize Teal’c. In fact, he doesn’t say anything at all. Kalan enters and explains that, in the ovarium ceremony, a student’s nanites (containing all the knowledge) are removed and one is given to each citizen, so they may have some of that knowledge as well. It’s a workable system, but it’s gotta be hell for the kids.

When Teal’c returns and tells them about the procedure, O’Neill wants to keep Merrin from having to undergo it. Of course, Kalan refuses to listen, and even Merrin doesn’t get why they want to keep her from the procedure. She and Carter finish up the reactor, and it works!

In a conference room (not the Hangout, mind you) O’Neill vehemently refuses to see Kalan’s side of things and he takes Merrin to… the surface.

Oh, ha ha, I see where this is going.

He takes her to a schoolyard, where recess has just started. He leaves her with some other kids (aw!) while he goes to talk to one of Cassandra’s old teachers. The teacher agrees to let her sit in on an art class.

O’Neill encourages her to “paint something you love” like the flowers on Carter’s desk, and that it doesn’t have to be exact. He wants her to use her imagination.

It’s really very cute when she finishes, and she’s drawn a stick figure in the corner… “Major Carter”. Heehee! When she asks if it’s “right”, O’Neill responds,

“Oh yeah. It’s way more than right.”

Nonetheless, he hasn’t convinced her to refuse the ovarium, so they return. Back on base, he gives her a huge box of crayons and bids her farewell. He’s sad to see her go, but was happy he had the opportunity to show her “how to be a kid”.

Aaahhh JAAACK you break my heart..!

Later, SG-1 goes back through the ‘Gate to Orban, and Kalan excitedly encourages them to follow him. There are a bunch of kids! And they’re playing! Games! And drawing! And it’s so cute!! It turns out that all the kids who had had their nanites removed could still learn – only just in the old-fashioned way. So, everything that Merrin learned in the playground, she was able to teach the others.

The scene ends with O’Neill and Merrin scribbling excitedly all over the wall with her crayons.

SO CUTE SO CUTE SO CUTE.

(And the writer melts into a pile of CUTE.)

Final thoughts… SMALL CHILDREN! WHY MUST THEY BE SO ADORABLE!?

Once again the writers have strange children who are really just kids as a major part of the plot and it just makes me so happy. Time and again and again and again we have this recurring theme of O’Neill and Teal’c, respectively, having generally odd encounters with those under the age of 18. Why? Easy. They’re both dads. (Yes, I realize I sound like a broken record.)

In terms of how interesting this was, I suppose it wasn’t terribly exciting, but again, I liked a lot of the concepts brought up. (Yay for different civilizations and societies!) Loved the whole part about “learning” versus just having knowledge implanted into one’s mind. The best part was the ending, with Kalan saying how all the children would now learn in the “traditional manner”. (And, of course, the cute little glance between Teal’c and Tomin… aww!)

However, a good ol’ Jack concept is back into play: His general refuse to see things as other civilizations do. While it was noble that he was willing to take a court-martial just to show Merrin the joys of childhood, he’s so stubborn it’s almost ridiculous. I still wonder when his mindset is going to bite him in the backside in the middle of an interplanetary crisis…

PREDICTION/REFLECTION THINGY:

(Marie makes her big announcement thing.)

Marie: Hey! Hey you guys! This is really important! Listen up!

Carter: What could possibly be more important than what we do?

O’Neill: Uh, yeah, we kind of save the world pretty much every day.

Marie: Well… not necessarily important for you guys, but for everyone else…

Jackson: Then spit it out!

Teal’c: Daniel Jackson, why would she need to spit-?

Marie: Okay, fine! All right, everyone, I’m doing NATIONAL NOVEL WRITING MONTH (AKA NaNoWriMo) this November, which means I will be extremely preoccupied for much of the month! I have to write 50,000 words in the next thirty days, and no, I can’t start early. What does that mean? Well, it means I may not have a lot of time for blogging. I know, I know, I’ve been slacking off kind of anyways (what with Halloween keeping me uber-busy) but I’ll try to do at least a couple times a week. Wish me luck and maybe you’ll see the finished product someday.