Reflections on SG1

[Dac]

I'm a sucker for almost all Stargate on TV. Sure, they each had highs and lows, but I enjoyed SG-1, Atlantis and even Universe for what they were.

I think folks have covered what made SG-1 tick and I don't really disagree with any of those points.

SG:U on the other hand WAS trying way too hard in the first season. There were good episodes there, but it was very one good one bad for the duration of the season.

Season 2 on the other hand after the first few eps I fell in love with. It felt like they were on the other side of the universe. It felt "real" in a way Stargate never did prior.

Going back to Season 1, there was an episode with Daniel Jackson investigating some Lucian Alliance crap on Earth - I don't think the episode was all that memorable, but seeing Daniel doing stuff with SG:U's styling and camera work was really an eye opener for me. The show looked gorgeous.

As for the ending of the show, I loved the series finale, both on a technical and thematic level. If by some miracle the show were to be picked up even years and years down the line, they left it on a thread that is entirely plausible to be continued. Thematically, it ended on a note that is one of the purest expressions of wonder in science fiction I think i've ever seen. It was an ending to a rocky show that really resonated with me - not unlike Caprica's ending. Rocky beginnings which gave way to a fulfilled premise way too late. Because SGU was able to achieve that however briefly, I can't hate it.

I enjoy SG-1 and Atlantis for fun, action packed fluff thats occasionally deep. I enjoyed SGU because after all the emotional drama with who slept with who was finally discarded, it was a show about exploration in a way Star Trek never even attempted.

 

[ATimson]

It really hurt the show, when they replaced DR Weir with Sam Carter, and killed Dr Beckett. I don't know what to believe: if Higginson left because of that, or if Amanda Tapping was merely brought in to fill the void left by Higginson (I have heard both stories). I love Sam Carter as a character, but she seemed shoe horned in a bit in some episodes, but I could have lived with it all if they had brought Weir back.

Higginson was definitely ousted, let there be no mistake about that. They just couldn't work out what to do with her character, then started tinkering with other leaders. I recall that I found Sam shoehorned,b but Walsey (spl) actually worked better and felt more normal even if I did miss Weir.

Sam may have been tinkering. But the producers would have kept Amanda Tapping for season 5 if she hadn't left to go do Sanctuary. Woolsey was their fallback after they lost her.

 

[DWF]

Amanda Tapping had another year on her contract, because of her pregancy in season eight, once her contract was up, she was replaced by Robert Picardo.

 

[sttngfan1701d]

Amanda Tapping had another year on her contract, because of her pregancy in season eight, once her contract was up, she was replaced by Robert Picardo.

That's the version I always heard. That Higginson was definitely written out, and Tapping came in simply because she had an extra year on her Stargate contract.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I enjoyed Atlantis in the first season. The two parter with the hurricane was riveting. My interest kind of dwindled after that as they never convinced me the Rayth were a credible threat to Earth. Like, doesn't Earth now have defenses beyond their observed strength? I quit the show when they introduced their own version of replicators. Like, come on! You already did that! New ideas people!

 

[lurok]

Currently on a third rewatch of SG-1 (up to S6), first time on Netflix (good quality).

Every rewatch brings more appreciation for RDA's droll, minimalist performance . And enjoyment of Corin Nemec's interregnum.

 

[Tim Walker]

One thing SG-1 did well was to revisit an earlier episode. For example, Thor's Hammer was in season 1, and Thor's Chariot was in season 2.

 

[MacLeod]

Well SG-1 did build up it's own mythology. And even it's clip episodes for the most part did a decent job of expanding the ongoging story arcs

 

[Saga]

one of the few things i disliked about SG 1 was the multiple clip episodes.

 

[ATimson]

one of the few things i disliked about SG 1 was the multiple clip episodes.

Some ("Politics") were definitely better than others ("Citizen Joe", "Hathor", "Inauguration").

 

[Phantom]

The one option I kept hoping they'd do right up until Continuum basically made it not workable was the idea that the Germans actually used the gate first and were out there with their own Empire.

 

[The Wormhole]

one of the few things i disliked about SG 1 was the multiple clip episodes.

They did 5 clip shows out of 214 total episodes, that's not very much. And for the most part, they all contributed to the larger story arc in some way. Politics set up the arc for the next three episodes and introduced Senator Kinsey. Out of Mind was part 1 of a two part story which a key story arc of early season 3 expanded on. Disclosure led into the creation of the IOA. Inauguration set up the story for Lost City, expanded the character of Woolsey and set things up for the introduction of Dr. Weir. Citizen Joe introduced the Ancient communication stones, which quickly became a staple of the Stargate franchise.

one of the few things i disliked about SG 1 was the multiple clip episodes.

Some ("Politics") were definitely better than others ("Citizen Joe", "Hathor", "Inauguration").

Hathor wasn't a clip show. I think you're thinking of Out of Mind, the season 2 finale which was a clip show featuring the character Hathor.

 

[Saga]

one clip show is too many.

 

[The Wormhole]

Ordinarily, I'm not too crazy about clip shows myself, but with SG-1 the plots were usually relevant to the show's story arcs. Plus, most of the time there are budgetary or deadline related reasons necessitating clip shows. Although, I imagine in seasons 6, 7, and 8 RDA's availability was likely the deciding factor there.

 

[fireproof78]

one of the few things i disliked about SG 1 was the multiple clip episodes.

They did 5 clip shows out of 214 total episodes, that's not very much. And for the most part, they all contributed to the larger story arc in some way. Politics set up the arc for the next three episodes and introduced Senator Kinsey. Out of Mind was part 1 of a two part story which a key story arc of early season 3 expanded on. Disclosure led into the creation of the IOA. Inauguration set up the story for Lost City, expanded the character of Woolsey and set things up for the introduction of Dr. Weir. Citizen Joe introduced the Ancient communication stones, which quickly became a staple of the Stargate franchise.

one of the few things i disliked about SG 1 was the multiple clip episodes.

Some ("Politics") were definitely better than others ("Citizen Joe", "Hathor", "Inauguration").

Hathor wasn't a clip show. I think you're thinking of Out of Mind, the season 2 finale which was a clip show featuring the character Hathor.

I'm inclined to agree regarding clip shows. SG-1 always used clip shows to advance the current plot arc or character development (Kinsey and the new president, Hathor fishing for information, etc). If you have to do a clip show, and they are often done for budget reasons, SG-1 at least took it with the attitude of continuing the story and not as a throwaway episode.

Few productions can say that.

Also, I love the mythology that SG-1 did in building different alien races (only ones that were referenced but not really seen were the Furlings) and presenting consequences for SG-1's actions. They often boasted about how many System Lords they killed but then the question comes up with Earth and the rest of the galaxy is really safer because of it. The title characters are not always right.

Always interesting stuff, even if it isn't the best episode ever.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I'm not a fan of clip shows but SG1 did a better job than most in making them relevant to the story. Politics, for example, served as a link between two of the shows best episodes.

I wasn't a fan of Citizen Joe. It was kind of a cool idea but it didn't quite work.

 

[DonIago]

I didn't mind "Politics" at all. It's probably one of the best uses of the clip show format that I've seen, it introduces a character who will be pivotal in future episodes as well as story elements that will continue throughout the series, and it's a reasonable bridge between the prior episode and the season finale.

Yeah, it probably could have been handled in a non-clippy manner, but I really don't think it's at all bad for what it is.

 

[auntiehill]

I'm not a fan of clip shows but SG1 did a better job than most in making them relevant to the story. Politics, for example, served as a link between two of the shows best episodes.

I wasn't a fan of Citizen Joe. It was kind of a cool idea but it didn't quite work.

Oh, I LIKED Citizen Joe. Yes, it was a clip show, something I usually detest, but I thought it was very cleverly handled and actually, rather funny. I like how it poked a bit of fun at the fandom in general. What can I say? It made me laugh.

 

[Tracy Trek]

I discovered SG1 shortly after Voyager went off the air. I was aware of it before then, but I think it was on Showtime at first and we didn't get that. It quickly became my new favorite sci-fi show. Oh and I had also seen the movie Stargate before that as well. I like Stargate because it combines 2 things I like, sci-fi and mythology.

I think Atlantis was OK, but I disliked how many characters got killed off. First Ford (they never completely resolved things about him did they), I can't remember if Weir or Beckett was axed next. Beckett* was my favorite character in Atlantis. I did not know Tori Higgenson was let go until I read this thread.

I couldn't stand SGU. I tried twice to watch it. But I got about half way through the first season and couldn't stand it.

*The actor that played Beckett, Paul Gillion was in a season 1 episode of SG1, he played the young version of Ernest Littlefield in The Torment of Tantalus. I believe he also had a bit (like maybe 1 or 2 lines) part in the 2009 Star Trek. I wonder if he was ever considered for the role of Scotty.

 

[The Wormhole]

I think Atlantis was OK, but I disliked how many characters got killed off. First Ford (they never completely resolved things about him did they),

Seems resolved enough to me, Ford was likely killed when the Hive Ship blew up. The only thing to suggest otherwise was Sheppard's "you never know..." at the end of the episode. But the series never picked up on that and given Ford's only other appearance was in a dream, I feel there's enough evidence to declare him dead.

*The actor that played Beckett, Paul Gillion was in a season 1 episode of SG1, he played the young version of Ernest Littlefield in The Torment of Tantalus. I believe he also had a bit (like maybe 1 or 2 lines) part in the 2009 Star Trek. I wonder if he was ever considered for the role of Scotty.

Paul McGillion in fact auditioned for Scotty in Trek XI. Though he didn't get the part, he made enough of an impression on Abrams that he got the role of a Starfleet Academy supervisor in the movie. He's the guy Kirk questions about not being assigned to a starship in the scene where the cadets are being deployed.