Stargate SG-1 - First time viewing of whole series

[gturner]

Oops! Total brain freeze on that one. Of course the Sec's are civilian, and I wish Stargate SG-1 was still in production because Mark Welsh, the current AF Chief of Staff, could've been a regular, perhaps replacing RDA. He's both inspiring and hilarious.

Gen. Welsh speech

 

[The Wormhole]

It's funny, according to the DVD commentary, when John Jumper became the Chief of Staff, the first question he asked was "when do I get my Stargate cameo?"

 

[Captain Craig]

2x10-Bane: Giant mosquito/scorpion bugs have overrun the city(if not planet) that SG-1 lands. Teal'c gets stung and we discover that the venom is actually more of a reproduction method. Teal'c is having his DNA overwritten and will "birth" many more bugs. His Gou'ald is not protecting him. Average episode.

2x11-Tok'Ra pt.1:Had a feeling we'd be revisiting this rebellion group of Gou'ald(who don't like to be called Gou'ald by the way) sooner than later. Not sure this had to be a two parter

2x12-Tok'Ra pt.2: There is a traitor/spy in the midst and Sam's dad who we learned is dying of cancer agrees to be a host to one of the Tok'ra for at the least a chance to live but the duality is now there is US/Earthen representation among this rebel group with which we share a common foe. While good it was predictable and not perhaps needing of a two parter. Felt it dragged a bit.

2x13-Spirits: I just couldn't help but feel the overtones with Native American Indians as seen in TNG's Journey's End. Clearly the plot's differ but my mind went there instantly. Tonane, the Indian leader was an interesting character. This bottle show, felt like one, was decent. Bit of a comedy episode all things being equal.

2x14-Touchstone: Been wondering about the second Stargate. This episode had very little to do with the Touchstone(McGuffin) than it did to further flesh out how we have two factions with growing ideas that differ on how to be involved with a larger universe. Liked this episode, really curious about this growing faction where Colonel Mayborn(that guy we love to hate) plays a big role.

 

[gturner]

I liked Sam's dad (Jacob). The odd music in Tok'ra pts 1 and 2 become the Tok'ra sound they always use to tell the audience "Tok'ra on screen!" or is it "Tok'ra Kree!"?

I liked Touchstone, and the nefarious goings on continue.

Star Trek had much more difficulty with that sort of plot.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I liked Touchstone, and the nefarious goings on continue.

Star Trek had much more difficulty with that sort of plot.

Yes because they were constantly up against the evolved humans bullshit. You need eugenics or alien possession to be truly nefarious. That's why I do love Section 31 so much, though some decry it as being some kind of blight in Trek.

 

[The Wormhole]

Regardless of if the Tok'ra needed to be a two parter or not, it was the beginning of a Stargate tradition of having a mid-season two parter. With rare exceptions, this continues for the rest of the series as well as Atlantis and SGU.

 

[Captain Craig]

Teacake I also am a fan of Section 31. I don't buy into the idea it's a somehow a blight on the Federation/Trek. Anything that big is going to have secrets. Things some rank and file can't handle or can be trusted to, things that would take a hardened type.

So SG will have midseason two-parters instead of Trek's tradition of season ending/starting ones.

I did like what was being told in the Tok'ra two parter, don't get me wrong. It just felt a bit decompressed. Out of that grouping on disc 3 I liked Touchstone the best.

 

[gturner]

SG has mid-season two-parters and usually end of season two-parters, and I think BSG followed that pattern as well. It might be something SciFi came up with.

 

[The Wormhole]

So SG will have midseason two-parters instead of Trek's tradition of season ending/starting ones.

More accurately, they do both. And to be honest, The Tok'ra is a story that works better when you go back to it after being familiar with the series and you realize its importance. But I'll agree, out of the ones you just reviewed in your last post, Touchstone is the best.

 

[Captain Craig]

2x15-A Matter of Time: I liked this episode. It felt like a bottle episode which sometimes those can be hit/miss. This one was hit as I enjoyed the affect of how the Black Hole on the other world was having it's event horizon expanded through the Gate to affect the SGC and mountainside area. They tried to add in a little bit of character growth with the inclusion of Cromwell. A fellow soldier that served with O'Neill and apparently left him(unknowingly cause he thought he was dead). Cromwell want's forgiveness and dies helping O'Neill close the Gate. Good episode, I liked this.

2x16-The Fifth Race: I should've guessed that after a bottle episode one with more series weight was coming. This episode feels vitally important. It goes back to the "Alien UN" (I know a term not quite right now) but still, even the episode refers back to it as Earnest's Planet. We meet more representatives of the Asgardians (why didn't Thor tell them about what happened with the Gou'ald in the ep. Thors Chariot? These Asgardians seemed suprised to see Jack(altered with Ancients knowledge) when they saw a human. We got all 4 races now named for the "Alien UN": Asgardians, Nox, Ancients and something that started with an F I think? Anyway they were named and I expect maybe they will be seen sooner than later? The reveal here by the title is that Humanity has great potential. One could say it's why the Asgardians have been nurturing our planet for so long as based on the show's lore. So even though the knowledge is gone from Jack's head we still learned alot and it's stored via Jackson and the revelation of what an 8th Chevron can do. Apparently that takes you out side your galaxy. I'm curious where an 8th Chevron came from though? Our device only has 7 right? Or did one just dial twice? Also where would the new symbols come from? With so much else being new my thought was why would this series of symbols be on our device? That would be taking up lots of space plus we've gone to so many places already with our existing symbols. Is the device now not as important since the DHD is essentially a computer. It isn't relying strictly on what's etched onto the Gate.

 

[gturner]

The Chevrons just punch a number, in essence, so dialing an eighth on is just like dialing an extra digit on your phone.

The other race they mentioned is the Furlings.

Another feature of the episode is that Jack downloaded tons of new gate addresses into the dialing computer, ones the Goa'uld didn't know about, giving the SGC a list of non-Goa'uld planets to explore. Great episode.

 

[The Wormhole]

A Stargate has nine chevrons. Dialling seven chevrons gets you to another planet, eight chevrons to another galaxy.

Your going to have to wait to find out what happens when all nine chevrons are dialled.

 

[Captain Craig]

2x17-Serpent's Song: This episode is a good follow-up for no other reason than to show just how weakened Apophis has become since his defeat at the start of the season. I do want to see more system lords. I also do not believe Apophis is dead. I'm wondering though if he might become the Gul Dukat of the show now?

2x18-Holiday: The "Freaky Friday" episode. Kinda bored during this episode honestly.

2x19-One False Step: This episode only slightly improved upon Holiday. If I were Dr.Frasier I'd like to know how these humans developed a symbiotic relationship with the plants? What was the benefit of the plants? I don't recall that being covered nor the benefit to the humans? I assumed the plants emitted that "dog whistle" noise that was shown to agitate O'Neill and Daniel. Prolonged exposure then might shut the body down, thus it benefitted them to evolve and adapt. But this served the plants how?

2x20-Show & Tell: Finally!! A kick ass episode again. I felt like these "insect alien terrorists"(blanking on their name right now) reminded me of Species 8472 from Voyager in some way. That aside their attack brought the Tok'ra back with Sam's dad in tow. Didn't really think we'd see him again so soon honestly. SGC needs to mount those special wavelength emitters all over the GateRoom now. It felt very wrong for the kid to take the name Charlie....then die in Jack's arms. Did anyone else feel that was just wrong when you first saw it?

2x21-1969: Standard time travel episode that is required of a sci-fi series. This one was good though and held my attention for a filler episode. Nothing here happens that furthers any ongoing sub-plot or main plot with the system lords that I could tell.

2x22-Out of Mind: Hathor is back! So she's seeking to reclaim her status among the system lords but needs to know the "lay of the land" before really moving forward. What this episode fails to do is tell us just how SG-1 got captured by her in the first place. I'm guessing the s3 opener will fill in that blank. In an interesting twist it now seems that having been once exposed to her "charms" and freed the team is immune. Nice way to bypass that issue going forward. Makes me think that should she not die we may see more of her down the road? Nice cliff hanger.

Two seasons down. A fifth of the way done. So far so good!

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

2x20-Show & Tell: It felt very wrong for the kid to take the name Charlie....then die in Jack's arms. Did anyone else feel that was just wrong when you first saw it?

This is his second fake Charlie.

TERRIBLE.

 

[The Wormhole]

It felt very wrong for the kid to take the name Charlie....then die in Jack's arms. Did anyone else feel that was just wrong when you first saw it?

He didn't die, he's walking with the Tok'ra through the gate in the final scene.

 

[gturner]

2x19-One False Step: This episode only slightly improved upon Holiday. If I were Dr.Frasier I'd like to know how these humans developed a symbiotic relationship with the plants?

I'm figuring that maybe the humanoids <voice="Triumph the Wonder Dog">poop on them.</voice>

2x20-Show & Tell: Finally!! A kick ass episode again. I felt like these "insect alien terrorists"(blanking on their name right now)

Reetou or Re'Tu, as I recall.

 

[Captain Craig]

^^^
That was it. Spelling looks good enough for me for now.

It felt very wrong for the kid to take the name Charlie....then die in Jack's arms. Did anyone else feel that was just wrong when you first saw it?

He didn't die, he's walking with the Tok'ra through the gate in the final scene.

True but for a moment in that scene it's the emotional impact that he's dead....before he's not.

It's the additional emotional grief that by attrition seems wrong from a script perspective.

 

[Captain Craig]

Season 3 is underway

3x1-Into the Fire: Hathor that crafty vixen gets her apparent comeuppance in the season opener picking up where the cliffhanger left off. Just like Apophis the Tok'ra have a plant within her group. I do like that the plant isn't just easily killed as often happens. Hey, thanks for the sacrifice any dying last words? No, she lays there wounded, badly, and says her symbiote may yet heal her but that they should go during the break out attempt. On Chulak Teal'c gets to have a very "Braveheart" moment as he rallies those who would mock him to "do the right thing". Hammond in action was a nice twist as they 'thread the needle'. I'd been wondering for the whole time if any type of ship was going to attempt to fly through the gate.

3x2-Seth: So the Gou'ald Seth has stayed on Earth this whole time? Hiding in plain sight if you will. His modern version takes on a very WACO compound or Heaven's Gate type cult. Pretty good episode and one that shows perhaps just how easily beat the Gou'ald can be when their resources are limited. In this episode, whether intentional or not, I could see how their rise in the intergalactic community is largely due to theft of other technologies then imposing power through fear. Cause hear Seth has limited amounts of Gou'ald resources. Translation, limited power as himself. I did wonder why he might not have tried to access the Antarctica Gate then realized it was mentioned the Gou'ald didn't know if it either. It was proof the Gou'ald hadn't created Gate technology.

3x3-Fair Game: An Asian Gou'ald!! I wonder why he's still all FuManch'd out? Were the PC police in overdrive for such a portrayal or was it alright due to historical context? The return of Thor as nothing more than mediator was a bit bland but he did essentially reinforce that the Asgardians are dealing with a much bigger threat. They are essentially just bluffing the Gou'ald and are in a much weaker state than we've been led to believe. So who is the enemy giving the Asgardians such trouble? I have to believe with 8 seasons to go we'll find out. This is also the first episode that I recall catching a bit of at some point.

3x4-Legacy: A rather bland bottle show but one that plays into the "boggey trapped" tomb I suppose, which is big for Egyptian tombs. With three pretty good episodes on this disc I suppose it was time to breath a bit out of the gate on season 3.

 

[The Wormhole]

So who is the enemy giving the Asgardians such trouble?

Oh, you'll find out soon enough.

 

[gturner]

Season 3 expands on a lot of elements.

I really like the way Carter absolutely glowed with devotion toward Seth when she was under the influence of his mind-control chemical. I also liked the worried father, and kind of wish he and his son could've been given recurring roles.