Yes and I despise both equally.
The Stargate Franchise - A First Timer's Watchthrough
- Thread starter tomalak301
- Start date
I agree. But at least the Borg on Star Trek were never fully defeated in a way that makes sense and was satisfying. The replicators should have never came back after season8. Not in the movie, not on Atlantis. Never.
I didn't mind them on Atlantis but definitely in the movie.
Just found out Fred Willard passed away. That sucks. 
https://www.usatoday.com/story/ente...or-and-modern-family-star-dies-86/5206637002/
https://www.usatoday.com/story/ente...or-and-modern-family-star-dies-86/5206637002/
In my head, I'm drawing comparisons between "Ark of Truth" and DS9's "In the Pale Moonlight", in that both feature Our Heroes doing things I'd like to think they wouldn't do under normal circumstances, that perhaps damage our views of them, and that are done for "the greater good".
The difference is that DS9 gives us an episode that spends a lot more time examining the morality of the choices and the ensuing personal torment, while SG-1 notes it and then steamrolls over it. Sigh. Maybe this really should have been done as a season and there should have been time spent on these issues. Hell, if they wanted to be radical, since it was the final season anyway, maybe have Daniel and Vala leave SG-1 because they can't deal with what they've done and want to start a life together outside of military supervision.
That said, since this also hasn't been talked about yet: I thought the music for "Ark of Truth" was amazing, and picked up the soundtrack CD as soon as it was available. In particular I liked the evolved opening theme, and the swelling music when the Ark is opened is superb.
Someone said something about how there may have been thoughts about having SG-1 visibly destroy the Ark at the end, and that leaves me with amusing thoughts of SG-1 arguing that it belongs in a museum, while we're shown the Ark being packed into a crate and stored in a warehouse filled with other tech from prior (no pun intended) adventures.
The difference is that DS9 gives us an episode that spends a lot more time examining the morality of the choices and the ensuing personal torment, while SG-1 notes it and then steamrolls over it. Sigh. Maybe this really should have been done as a season and there should have been time spent on these issues. Hell, if they wanted to be radical, since it was the final season anyway, maybe have Daniel and Vala leave SG-1 because they can't deal with what they've done and want to start a life together outside of military supervision.
That said, since this also hasn't been talked about yet: I thought the music for "Ark of Truth" was amazing, and picked up the soundtrack CD as soon as it was available. In particular I liked the evolved opening theme, and the swelling music when the Ark is opened is superb.
Someone said something about how there may have been thoughts about having SG-1 visibly destroy the Ark at the end, and that leaves me with amusing thoughts of SG-1 arguing that it belongs in a museum, while we're shown the Ark being packed into a crate and stored in a warehouse filled with other tech from prior (no pun intended) adventures.
Just found out Fred Willard passed away. That sucks.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/ente...or-and-modern-family-star-dies-86/5206637002/
I'm like 'He can't be that old. He was 86! Damn.
Another things this rewatch has done is deepen my disappointment at how few soundtrack releases SG-1 got. Maybe if MGM actually manages to restart the franchise at some point, La La Land or someone can do a big compliation or retrospective (I did see there was one release more recently, but just from one composer who mostly worked on the first couple seasons). We got two releases of "Children of the Gods," one for the initial score, which was mostly recut cues from the movie, and one for the Final Cut, which was the actual original music recorded for the episode originally, a "Best of Season 1" release with suites from about ten episodes, both SG-1 movies, and the Atlantis pilot. Joel Goldsmith put up two or three recent tracks on his website before he passed, but unless they're on the Internet Archive (and the answer seems to be... sort of. Getting to the files is an exercise for the reader), they aren't available now. That leaves a ton of music that's never been released. The Sam & Jack Love Theme, the Fifth Race Theme, the Window of Opportunity montage, nothing at all from Universe, with it's fun Blade-Runner-Meets-Battlestar music style...
I vaguely seem to remember Mitchell followed up on the joke from Company of Thieves where Star Trek style bridge dialogue seems to irritate Major Marks. Like this bit in Company of Thieves:
Daniel: "You should probably prepare to return fire."
Marks: "For the record, I'm always prepared. I just need to press this button."
Daniel: "Sorry, I just thought that was what I was supposed to say."
Marks: "I know."
Speaking of people much older than I thought they were, Danny Trejo is 76! In fact, today's his birthday.
Yes, you are correct. That was a good scene too.
Can't find it now but there is a great video of all the times Commodore Oh says "prepare to..." in the Picard season finale. The SG1 jokes reminds me of that. It seems like a common trope to build suspense.
Huh. Do you think, now that I am a Star Trek fan and have more insight into all the tropes etc., I might enjoy this part - ships and bridges and beaming - of Stargate more than I did back then? I never considered this. Only one way to find out!
I keep comparing the two all the time. I can see where they got their inspiration, but for me it's the other way around!
Like, yesterday I watched the Voyager episode where the asteroids were not natural but had been sent on purpose.
Or of course I compare Kirk going native for months on a planet with Jack doing the same. Or, same episode, where Spock wants to do a lengthy explanation about how the obelisk works, while Kirk just asks which button to press. Sooo Sam / Jack!
Or, the episode with the Horta, where Kirk wants to shoot the thing and Spock says we can't. That one is like Jack and Daniel. I could totally see this having been a Stargate episode as well. It's one of my favorite episodes for that reason.
Or, back to Voyager, that episode where Harry and Tom were imprisioned and sled down a tube. The SG-team was thrown out of a gate but the underground prison where they met Linea looked much the same to me.
I keep comparing the two all the time. I can see where they got their inspiration, but for me it's the other way around!
Like, yesterday I watched the Voyager episode where the asteroids were not natural but had been sent on purpose.
Or of course I compare Kirk going native for months on a planet with Jack doing the same. Or, same episode, where Spock wants to do a lengthy explanation about how the obelisk works, while Kirk just asks which button to press. Sooo Sam / Jack!
Or, the episode with the Horta, where Kirk wants to shoot the thing and Spock says we can't. That one is like Jack and Daniel. I could totally see this having been a Stargate episode as well. It's one of my favorite episodes for that reason.
Or, back to Voyager, that episode where Harry and Tom were imprisioned and sled down a tube. The SG-team was thrown out of a gate but the underground prison where they met Linea looked much the same to me.
On the other side of the equation, Tony "Bra'tac" Amendola is one year younger than Richard Dean Anderson.
Irresponsible
Why did they have to bring Lucius back? He was bad in his last episode and he was somewhat better here but he was still annoying. I mean this is a pretty big episode, with Sheppard killing Kolya and all, but I wish it had been framed better than bringing Lucius back in a village full of gullible people. Also, they retconned the ancient shield. In Hide and Seek, McKay could not eat with the thing activated. Here, Lucius could.
Why did they have to bring Lucius back? He was bad in his last episode and he was somewhat better here but he was still annoying. I mean this is a pretty big episode, with Sheppard killing Kolya and all, but I wish it had been framed better than bringing Lucius back in a village full of gullible people. Also, they retconned the ancient shield. In Hide and Seek, McKay could not eat with the thing activated. Here, Lucius could.
Tao of Rodney
Oh look, another McKay episode. I'm noticing a trend with Atlantis that I'm not sure if I like or not. It's this trend of focusing too much on McKay or Sheppard to the point where I wonder if the other cast members are pretty much ignored. It does seem like McKay is this series' Vala or Seven of Nine because he really does get a bulk of the episodes. As someone who is lukewarm on him to begin with, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. However, David Hewlett is really good as McKay that even if I'm tired of the character being the center of attention, these episodes are never boring. This one, which is kinda like Nth Degree (TNG) on Steroids has McKay being zapped with an ancient device and he gets superpowers, leading to the possibility of him actually ascending. It's fun watching McKay fret about the possibility of dying, or at the beginning where he and Ronon are talking about McKay ponders Ronon as a sidekick and Ronon says that with all of McKay's eating, he's Fatman. I also loved him going to various members of advice, and his scenes with Teyla and Weir are actually pretty sweet. I still think Teyla is criminally underused, but this episode was pretty entertaining.
Oh look, another McKay episode. I'm noticing a trend with Atlantis that I'm not sure if I like or not. It's this trend of focusing too much on McKay or Sheppard to the point where I wonder if the other cast members are pretty much ignored. It does seem like McKay is this series' Vala or Seven of Nine because he really does get a bulk of the episodes. As someone who is lukewarm on him to begin with, I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not. However, David Hewlett is really good as McKay that even if I'm tired of the character being the center of attention, these episodes are never boring. This one, which is kinda like Nth Degree (TNG) on Steroids has McKay being zapped with an ancient device and he gets superpowers, leading to the possibility of him actually ascending. It's fun watching McKay fret about the possibility of dying, or at the beginning where he and Ronon are talking about McKay ponders Ronon as a sidekick and Ronon says that with all of McKay's eating, he's Fatman. I also loved him going to various members of advice, and his scenes with Teyla and Weir are actually pretty sweet. I still think Teyla is criminally underused, but this episode was pretty entertaining.
The Game
This was a very interesting episode. This was basically commentary on RPGs, with a hint of reality tossed in. It was a great set up too, how the game of two villages was actually real hooked up through an ancient satellite network and it almost escalates into a real war. I loved the banter between Shep and McKay, and I actually laughed at the scene between Zalenka and Lorne. I loved the ending with McKay and Shep playing chess too.
This was a very interesting episode. This was basically commentary on RPGs, with a hint of reality tossed in. It was a great set up too, how the game of two villages was actually real hooked up through an ancient satellite network and it almost escalates into a real war. I loved the banter between Shep and McKay, and I actually laughed at the scene between Zalenka and Lorne. I loved the ending with McKay and Shep playing chess too.
Sunday
I've come to a point in Atlantis where I'm not sure I want to talk about every episode. It's not that episodes are bad, but it's just there are some that I find are hard to talk about. The Ark was actually one of those episodes, where all I really had to say was I'm glad Teyla got a key role in it, but overall, it was a bit mundane.
I do want to talk about Sunday though, and holy hell they killed Carson. This episode was incredibly sad. Just a typical Sunday and an off day and no one wanted to go fishing with the guy. Where was Jack O'Neill when you need him. Anyway, I liked how they did this episode, where they showed important events with every member and we got to even see other residents of Atlantis. I liked the Shep/Ronon stuff with the golfing and the capture the flag MMA. I even liked Rodney and Katie, but then the bomb went off and the tension rose. You think you have the situation under control and then a minute later another bomb goes off and it was just an incredibly shocking (And almost out of the blue) scene.
Now I can reveal that I knew that Carson was going to be killed, but I didn't know the episode or why. Watching this episode it was just incredibly sad and I actually felt for Rodney at the end. Also, since I'm revealing things that I know, I do know that Carter is going to join Atlantis in Season 4 (The Gateworld Recommendation guide spoiled that one) and Weir is leaving. I'm looking forward to seeing how that works, but if you want to comment on anything, just know that I do know Sam is coming next season. I like Sam a lot so I'm fine with this. I just hope it works.
I've come to a point in Atlantis where I'm not sure I want to talk about every episode. It's not that episodes are bad, but it's just there are some that I find are hard to talk about. The Ark was actually one of those episodes, where all I really had to say was I'm glad Teyla got a key role in it, but overall, it was a bit mundane.
I do want to talk about Sunday though, and holy hell they killed Carson. This episode was incredibly sad. Just a typical Sunday and an off day and no one wanted to go fishing with the guy. Where was Jack O'Neill when you need him. Anyway, I liked how they did this episode, where they showed important events with every member and we got to even see other residents of Atlantis. I liked the Shep/Ronon stuff with the golfing and the capture the flag MMA. I even liked Rodney and Katie, but then the bomb went off and the tension rose. You think you have the situation under control and then a minute later another bomb goes off and it was just an incredibly shocking (And almost out of the blue) scene.
Now I can reveal that I knew that Carson was going to be killed, but I didn't know the episode or why. Watching this episode it was just incredibly sad and I actually felt for Rodney at the end. Also, since I'm revealing things that I know, I do know that Carter is going to join Atlantis in Season 4 (The Gateworld Recommendation guide spoiled that one) and Weir is leaving. I'm looking forward to seeing how that works, but if you want to comment on anything, just know that I do know Sam is coming next season. I like Sam a lot so I'm fine with this. I just hope it works.
And we never got an action figure of him! Neither did we get of Janet. Being a doctor on Stargate is hazardous for your health. That should come in the job description.
The new doctor was not very much liked by fans.
I have two stories about Paul McGillion.
At a German convention, we did the usual photoshoot with him in jeans and t-shirt, and then he was to go on his stage panel. He arrived late as he had donned his full Scottish outfit including kilt (and then had trouble sitting down without giving us a peek LOL). The audience was beyond themselves and we demanded for another (unplanned) photosesson in this outfit. And we actually got it!
The other happened in Vancouver at Gatecon. Gary Jones and Dean Haglund did a play in the evening, where they had recruited some stars, and some fans were included as well. Everyone was playing their role, and then someone lay in front of the gate, dying. So they said, we need a doctor! And through the gate stepped Paul McGillion. I swear, I've never ever heard a louder scream. It was deafening. He was not a regular guest at the con, so it came totally unexpected.
I never was as much a fan of him as others, but he truly was loved and his death was taken as bad as Janet's.
The new doctor was not very much liked by fans.
I have two stories about Paul McGillion.
At a German convention, we did the usual photoshoot with him in jeans and t-shirt, and then he was to go on his stage panel. He arrived late as he had donned his full Scottish outfit including kilt (and then had trouble sitting down without giving us a peek LOL). The audience was beyond themselves and we demanded for another (unplanned) photosesson in this outfit. And we actually got it!
The other happened in Vancouver at Gatecon. Gary Jones and Dean Haglund did a play in the evening, where they had recruited some stars, and some fans were included as well. Everyone was playing their role, and then someone lay in front of the gate, dying. So they said, we need a doctor! And through the gate stepped Paul McGillion. I swear, I've never ever heard a louder scream. It was deafening. He was not a regular guest at the con, so it came totally unexpected.
I never was as much a fan of him as others, but he truly was loved and his death was taken as bad as Janet's.
The episode reminded of the strategy game Civilization. It felt like Civilization but with real people.
I have been truly enjoying the takes on SG-1 and SGA. It brings back a lot of fond memories and why I live the franchise.
Now, you can read my spoiler on my theory about why the Ancients didn't directly fight the Ori.
Also, regarding the back to back McKay episodes, seasons 3 and 4 of SGA were shown out of production sequence, particularly season 4. I have the production order list, but I can't copy it onto here at the moment.
It's something to keep in mind when seeing certain characters get back to back focus.
Now, you can read my spoiler on my theory about why the Ancients didn't directly fight the Ori.
Also, regarding the back to back McKay episodes, seasons 3 and 4 of SGA were shown out of production sequence, particularly season 4. I have the production order list, but I can't copy it onto here at the moment.
It's something to keep in mind when seeing certain characters get back to back focus.
Ah, yes. We're at That Stage of Atlantis. Carson's death, and Weir's upcoming departure were done for no reason other than the writers wanted to shake up the status quo on Atlantis, and they figured the best way to do that is to start ditching people from the main cast. Killing Carson was stated to be specifically because he was such a well-loved character among the fans and they figured the fans would be gut-punched emotionally by that. However, I wonder if they just didn't know what to do with the character. Carson worked best, IMO in the first season when he was just recurring and they only used him as needed. Which, granted ended up being a majority of the season anyway, I think there's only something like four or five episodes in the first season he doesn't appear in. Then in seasons 2 and 3 he was in the main cast and as a result they ended up needing to write him into episodes, which they seemed to struggle with, until ultimately, they killed him off.
The episode Sunday originally started off with writer Martin Gero spitballing on his blog about an episode he'd really like to do is one about everyone just chilling on their day off, though he wasn't sure there was much story there. Fan response was overwhelmingly supportive of the idea, saying it would make a great character piece, and so Gero went and pitched it to the other writers, who latched onto the idea as a means of killing off Carson.
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