The Stargate Franchise - A First Timer's Watchthrough

This is kind of a spin off of the "I miss Stargate" thread, but I figured if I'm going to be stuck in quarantine for a long time, might as well start another franchise like I did last year with Buffy and Angel. On Sunday Night I decided to dive into Stargate. I had seen the movie a few times but hearing how good SG-1 was (And I'm actually really looking forward to diving into Atlantis) I figured it was time to give it a go.

I've seen the first 5 episodes so far, and so far I think the character chemistry is better than the plots. I don't mind the episodic approach, as I find that mix episodic/arc approach to be the best kind of storytelling (See Farscape, B5, or DS9). Still, my favorite episode so far has probably been The Enemy Within (Kalawsky's death was sad) and I might be in a minority, but Emancipation actually was a decent episode to show what kind of character Carter can be. Yes it was misogynistic, and yes there were shades of Code of Honor in there, but Amanda Tapping did such a great job that I think it was easier to overlook it's short comings.

I'm looking forward to getting into these series and I'm actually listening to a podcast that is giving me an episode watch order so when I do get to Atlantis I might switch back and forth. I'm not sure if I will review every episode, but this thread will give me an outlet to show my excitement or frustrations as I go through the series. Also, if people miss Stargate and want to talk about it (With no spoilers for future episodes, unfortunately, unless you put it under the spoiler tag) this could be your outlet too.

I think if I don't talk about each episode, I'm going to constantly update this post with my last episode seen and current season to let you all know where I am at in the series.

Finished: SG-1, Ark of Truth, Continuum, Atlantis, Universe

 

Thanks for starting this thread.

Children of the Gods has two versions. There was a more R rated version with gratuitous nudity that I think aired on Showtime and then there was the more PG version that edited out the nude scenes. SG1 did jump to different networks which affected the show's direction. I am guessing Showtime wanted to be more edgy like HBO whereas other networks wanted a more family friendly show.

I agree the cast chemistry was a huge strength in the show that did carry the show even when the initial eps were nothing really to write home about. But the plot does get a lot better in future seasons.

Broca Divide is basically SG1's version of TOS' The Naked Time where some disease causes the main characters to act out of character. So we get scenes like Carter in a tank top in the men's locker room coming on to O'Neill.

And yes, the main criticism of Emancipation is the mysogynism, putting Carter in a dress where she has to pretend to be a damsel in distress and owned by the male leader, while the male characters gawk at her. But like you said, Amanda Tapping and the rest of the cast are so likeable and do a great job with what they are given, that it is still fun to watch.

But the show gets a lot better in latter seasons. Stick with it.

Watch for episode 7 "The Nox" and episode 10 "The Torment of Tantalus", two fantastic episodes that do a lot of important world building for the show.

 

I'm watching them on Amazon, and so far I think it's the clean version. I was actually surprised on how clean it was for a Showtime show, especially in the 90s. I don't need the gratuitous nudity so I'm fine with this version.

 

It was only ever in the pilot. The rest of the Showtime seasons are about as clean as any 90s Star Trek.

 

Just checked, and the version on Prime is the re-edit that was made after the show ended. I think it's generally superior to the original cut in all respects, though there are a couple places where the improvements actually make it fit less with the series as a whole. The one that actually bothers me is that they cut out a couple shots that set up the next episode of the show so it would work better as a stand-alone movie (did it seem like the thing with Kowalski came out of nowhere? Because originally, it didn't), and a truly, infamously awful line where Carter stands up to O'Neill's perceived sexism that is mercilessly mocked as an in-joke a couple times later on in the show. There's a couple other bits that I can take or leave (they changed around a spaceship in the closing action sequence to put an end to some fan-whining that I didn't think really held up), but the major improvement is that the re-edit actually uses the score that was written for it. For bizarre network reasons, the original release of the pilot was almost entirely scored with music reused from the original movie, no matter how badly it fit the mood or timing of the scene (which also doesn't make sense because Joel Goldsmith does a really good pastiche of David Arnold; the entire show sounds the most like the source movie of any TV spin-off I've seen). They kept mixing in cues from the movie for a while, but I don't think it was ever as bad as it was in the original pilot.

Oh, yeah, and the pointless full-frontal nudity being removed was a definite plus.

 

Though from the daytime syndicated reruns I've wondered if the Showtime years might have had a little profanity sprinkled in here and there. After all, it would explain the one time O'Neill refers to Apophis as a "mother (noticeable pause) Goa'uld."

 

Maybe I will have to start watching this. Been putting it off for too long.

 

I've never heard anything about that, but I suppose it could be true.

If you like sci-fi with great characters and a humorous, upbeat feel, SG-1 is pretty unbeatable.

 

Cold Lazarus

This was an episode where the episodic approach to storytelling really works wonders. It's your sci fi doppelganger storyline, but we learn so much more about Jack's past and his pain of losing his son, Charlie. I think this is my favorite episode so far mainly because it's pure character development and it has a wonderful musical score. We also learn a little bit more about the Goua'lds and the connection of the Crystal and Jack's past. Basically this episode was rather touching.

 

Yes. The way this episode dealt with the tragic backstory of O"Neill and his dead son was very touching. This is an example of how SG1 handled character moments really well.

 

I was going to say, technically there's three versions of the first episode. I got bothered by the edits re Kowalski as well, especially since...is anyone really going to buy it as a standalone film? I feel the same way about the re-edits made to BoBW and the other Trek two-parters when they were shown on the big screen and put out on Blu ray.

 

The Nox

This is basically Stargate's version of Star Trek's Errand of Mercy. It was nice to see Armin Shimmerman though. He was busy in the 90s with this, DS9, and Buffy. I do hope the Nox returns.

 

Thor's Hammer

One thing I'm appreciating even if these episodes feel like a bit of a slog to get through is the world building this season is doing. In 9 episodes we've learned so much about the Goa'uld, and that there are other powerful forces in the galaxy that can become allys. I also loved what this episode revealed to Jackson, about the possibility of removing the Goa'uld parasite without killing the host. This first season is doing exactly what any first season should do, build up the universe so by the time the great stuff happens, we will have awesome context for it.

By the way, I will be updating my first post with my current last seen episode and the current season so you don't have to use spoiler tags for the first 9 episodes of the season now.

 

The 90s had that odd period of trying to put nudity into shows that didn't really want it. Like Forever Knight had "European Versions" with nudity until the main cast balked (at the whole thing, they were themselves exempt) so I've heard. Similarly The Lost World, Highlander and others. The Showtime versions were pretty clean after the pilot which it seems the showrunners always resented.

 

"The Nox" is one of my favorite episodes. Yes, it is very much reminiscent of "Errand of Mercy". The reversal from thinking the Nox are a primitive, defenseless race, to learning that they are actually quite powerful and advanced, is done really well in the episode. And I really like the quote "the young don't always do as they are told".

And The Nox do factor in to the world building too in a way that I won't spoil for you.

The Nox do have a couple of recurring appearances later in the series but they are used sparingly since they are an advanced secretive race. Stargate did a good job with the Nox of using them the right way so they maintain that sense of awe about them. They never become banal.

 

Season 1 is good, but when I think the series really picks up and enters its stride starts with There But For The Grace Of God and the ensuing arc that ends the first season.

I don't think the nudity was gratuitous, it made sense in the story and was very brief.

 

I think I read somewhere that the reason for the nudity was to show how the Goauld view humans as inferior, as slaves, animals and property. The nudity was the scene where Apophis is inspecting the woman to see if she will make a suitable host for the Queen snake. So the nudity was meant to show how Apohis is just inspecting this woman like we might inspect an animal. So it kinda makes sense I think. It is meant to make the audience dislike the Goauld even more too.

 

I've never actually seen the version with the nudity, but it always seemed kind of weird to me that it was there at all, since literally every episode of the show other than the pilot never really goes beyond a TV-PG level. If this was Game of Thrones, or Altered Carbon, it would be fine.
I'm a big fan of the franchise, although I have to confess there are still quite a few episodes in the middle seasons of SG-1 I've never seen, and I only saw about half of the first season of SG-U. I always think about going through them from start to finish, but it seems like every time I come close, they end up getting pulled from whatever streaming service they're on at the time.

 

I find It a little bit weird, when we see naked woman It is special.
But when Kawalski/Goa'uld loses half his head It is normal

 

There are some instances where I think the Violence has gotten out of hand. See, for example, a recent episode of Picard called "Stardust City Rag". That whole first scene came across to me as vindictive and almost giddy. I still haven't watched that episode a second time because it turned me off of Star Trek for a few days.