Stargate SG-1: The New Season [Spoilers]

[Recoil]

OK, I'll admit it. I never got into SG-1. I watched some episodes here and there because my roommate is an SG-1 fanatic, and you can't help but see and hear them in the background. But none of the characters really interested me that much. The dialogue just didn't seem right. Richard Dean Anderson was so wooden that he resembled a totem pole.

But with this new season, they sort of hit the RESET button as a few of the main stars like RDA have moved on to other things. Ben Browder was brought in to run things, and as I was a huge fan of him ni Farscape I figured I would give things a try since they are trying to start the show over (new leader, new enemies, etc). Also, I watch Stargate Atlantis, and Battlestar Galactica, so why not watch SG-1 right before it?

Well here are my thoughts on this season thus far:

Ben Browder. I think hes doing decent. He does still have that John Crichton persona, but thats why I tuned in. He oviously isn't featured much as he is still the new guy, but they are starting to deal with him more and more. I give him a thumbs up.

Props to them having Claudia Black in the first few episodes. Her character was entertaining, and it was neat seeing her and Browder together on camera again. Fun little trip they left open ended.

The new baddies "Aouri" or however you spell it. So far I give that whole story a thumbs down. Too religious cultish for me. I also don't like the way they tried to tie them in with those "Ancients" who I dont know exactly how they fit into things in SG-1 but Im sure it was explained in a prior season. Either way I think they are annoying and I dont like the whole religious cult conflict stuff --- which is also what is annoying me about the next point.

The Jaffa (is that how you spell it?) Textbook case of people getitng free then turning into their former oppressors. I'm sure there is more and better stuff coming there, but for now they are struggling with that plotline.

The overall stories. So far the writing has been pretty weak. Basically this weeks episode was "The Last Samuari" except with Browder and that dude that played the Candyman (and Anderson from A Call to Arms) instead of Tom Cruise. They also put a nice tear-out plot from Star Trek TOS "Amok Time" although they covered this by having Browder make a joke about "Bones."

Overall, I think the storytelling isn't sharp. Its clear the series is tired. I appreciate they are trying to rejuvinate it with new blood, but the story arcs (if you can call them that in this show, its pretty much made up as you go) and the plots have to get better if this is going to last. I'm still watching it, but only because of Atlantis and BSG on afterwards.

Atlantis is a FAR better show at this point IMO.

What do you guys think about this new season so far?

 

[admiraldave]

The new baddies "Aouri" or however you spell it. So far I give that whole story a thumbs down. Too religious cultish for me.

Orii, I think. The villians have always been SG1's weakness, I never found the Replicators or Goa'uld or now the Orii particularly compelling or interesting villians. That and RDA were the main reasons I never got hooked on SG-1.

I think one of the problems with this season is Samantha Carter. The earlier episodes with Vala had some energy and fun, but Sam's return really seems to have sucked the life from the show.

 

[Mike G]

I think its actually spelt Ori.

SG1 I guess has been a little slower this year, but mainly, I think that Atlantis has been way better.

I don't know, I guess I can't really disagree with what anyone said, except that I think that the Goa'uld were great bad guys most of the time.

 

[Ninja_Squirrel]

In most places, I've seen it spelled Ori, but I've seen a magazine article where it was consistently spelled with two i's. I don't know.

I think one of the problems with this season is Samantha Carter. The earlier episodes with Vala had some energy and fun, but Sam's return really seems to have sucked the life from the show.

I hate to admit it, but you're right. I've never been a huge Claudia Black fan, and that new blond streak in the front of her hair is really annoying. However, her character had a really compelling, witty, and humorous personality. It was so fun to have her around, I found myself not wanting Carter to return. I knew from reading magazines and internet news that Black's stint was temporary, but when Carter returned, I couldn't help but wish that the show would make room for both of them. I guess that's not meant to be (so far). I like Carter. She just doesn't have the spunk and freshness that Vala does.

I'm not sold on the Ori either. They seem too powerful to have not been heard from until now. Also, they just seem *too powerful*. I hope they explain later what it is that powers their bag of tricks because I don't want them to be an all-powerful race like the Q Continuum.

Luckily this season isn't about the Ori exclusively. They still haven't given up on the Goa'uld yet but just gave them a different way of hassling Earth. Since they do look human and can turn off the echoey voice, it makes sense that they could take shelter on Earth and fold themsleves into a different kind of power structure--corporate America. Baal's ideas to clone himself and then lace an entire skyscraper with naquada as an insurance policy were pretty clever. I'm assuming Asgard teleporters work differently from Star Trek transporters or else that building would never fit in a pattern buffer.

Speaking of Asgard, it'd be nice to see more of them. I know that Jacob died last season (without truly getting a final death scene), but whatever happened to Breytec? I can't remember. Was he killed, or is he still around? I'm glad we're rid of Anubis and the replicators, and I could do without the Tok'ra. I do like the independent Jaffa, but they do seem to be too stupidly falling under Gerak's influence. It may be more interesting if there was more than just one dominant opinion among the Jaffa council. Teal'c, so far, isn't it. With him being among the Tauri, he's beginning to look more and more like Worf on ST:TNG.

I wonder if they'll explore more of the Arthurian legend. That might be their opporunity to introduce another aspect and a more interesting villain that the Ori.

The new character of General Landry really doesn't have much to do. So, I'm glad they gave him an emotional backstory in the form of a past relationship with the new medical chief Dr. Lam. I'm assuming they were married and are now divorced. It's interesting to see Lam being the one person who can treat Landry like he's not a general and get away with it. It's also neat that Dr. Lam is being played by Lexa Doig, the Andromeda veteran (okay, we may have to forgive her for that), who I think is married to Michael Shanks (Dr. Daniel Jackson) in real life.

And speaking of relationships, Sam seems to imply to the agent in the van during the Baal episode that she's moved on since her old fiance and may already be involved with someone else. That may be a storyline being kept in reserve for later too.

Sure, it's not perfect, and it's never been as spectacular as Babylon 5. But despite it's various changes in the last few years, SG-1 still remains more consistently good (if not great) compared to other shows that were radically hit and miss (like Star Trek shows, X-Files, and several short-lived series that don't even make it).

 

[Recoil]

So, I'm glad they gave him an emotional backstory in the form of a past relationship with the new medical chief Dr. Lam. I'm assuming they were married and are now divorced.

Actually the doctor is his daughter. They finally up and said it a couple episodes ago.

I also knew that Claudia Black's role was going to be temporary, but they did leave it open-ended when she left so its possible for her to be dropping in for a few episodes here and there. Either way I agree, it was lot more fun an entertaining with her around.

I guess my problem with what I am seeing so far with SG-1 is that there is no clear direction on where things are going. They are trying to establish so many new lines and new fronts (G'ould invading corporate America, the Ori, Garak taking over the Jaffa of sorts) that I'm not sure where things are going.

Also, and I made this comment to my roommate after watching the episode with the building being transported away. Has any long time fan of SG-1 really noticed how much SG-1 has been "borrowing" from other shows? Namely Star Trek and Babylon 5?

I remember watching the movie when it came out. The concept was so cool. Science Fiction, but due to a star gate portal. There was higher technology, but not so much incredibly so. As I understand it, when SG-1 started, it picked up with that same premise and ran with it. But now look at what you have:

Transporters (Star Trek)
Hyperspace Jumps (Babylon 5)

Both of those items sort of change the whole point of the Star Gate system. Hell, the Daedylous can travel from our galaxy to the Pegasus galaxy in WEEKS!!! Even Star Trek never had warp drive or technology THAT advanced. With that ability, who needs star gates? Its like they over developed themselves so much they made the whole point of the show obsolete.

Just what I have been noticing as someone who hasn't seen much of the show...

 

[Ninja_Squirrel]

Has any long time fan of SG-1 really noticed how much SG-1 has been "borrowing" from other shows? Namely Star Trek and Babylon 5?

Oh yeah, I definitely picked up on it.

Transporters (Star Trek)
Hyperspace Jumps (Babylon 5)

Don't forget zat guns & cloaking devices. If I remember correctly, zat guns work the following way: 1 single shot = stun; 2 consecutive shots = kill; 3 consecutive shots = vaporize. In this way, they are similar to phasers from Star Trek. Cloaking devices are present on Puddle Jumpers, and if I remember correctly, they are also on some Goa'uld ships. They don't even bother giving it a different name. They're called cloaking devices just like they are on Star Trek. There have also been references to subspace.

Hyperspace in the SG universe looks more like it does in Star Wars than it does in B5. And, the SG jump points look more like clouds than vorexes (vortices?) as in B5. However, in both SG & B5, ships rapidly accelerate entering a jump point and rapidly decelerate exiting a jump point. Maybe there's some exaggerated real-life theoretical science that makes this more realistic than a matter of copying an idea, but the special effect still looks similar.

The weird thing is... I don't seem to mind so much. Star Trek tends to depend too much on their technology as if the tech is what the show is all about. How many stories have come out of transporter accidents, shuttle disasters, and holodeck malfunctions? And how many ways can a tricorder be used to save the day? On Stargate, the technology is really nothing more than a set of tools. Sometimes they may break down or get temporarily enhanced, but they don't drive the story. They're just there. Even when technology saves the day in SG, it doesn't feel overly convenient, is explained with a minimum of technobabble, and isn't the center of the story.

For instance, in Star Trek, they would have a meeting around a conference table to discuss the idea of using the transporter to move the skyscraper. There would have been a complication that would require an enhancement, and the chief engineer would describe in incomprehensible detail what the enhancement would entail. In the middle of the urgent engineering work, there would be a slow-paced discussion between a human and a non-human about the merits of human ingenuity. Then there would be a whole scene with everyone suspensefully waiting to see if the enhancement worked, which of course it would, or else everyone would die. In Stargate, the technology is already there, it already works, it makes total sense why it's in the right place at the right time, and they don't waste a lot of time talking about it. All it takes is someone smart enough and clear-headed enough to think of using it in the last possible seconds. And boom, problem solved, and you had plenty of lead-in time to talk about Baal, Gerak, Sam's possible secret love life, etc.

It's almost like the makers of SG are saying, "Hey, just because you have a teleportation device doesn't mean at least one episode per season has to be *about* the teleportation device. Here's what happens when the technology aids the story, but you don't have to make a story to justify the technology."

Both of those items sort of change the whole point of the Star Gate system. Hell, the Daedylous can travel from our galaxy to the Pegasus galaxy in WEEKS!!! Even Star Trek never had warp drive or technology THAT advanced. With that ability, who needs star gates? Its like they over developed themselves so much they made the whole point of the show obsolete.

That's crossed my mind too. But, I see it as flexibility in storytelling rather than making the foundation of the show obsolete. Yes, the Asgard can more easily use their ships, and Goa'uld use both. However, Humans still need the gates.

For one thing, Earth only has two starships, the Prometheus and the Daedalus, and right now, they're split up between Earth & Atlantis. Plus, the starships are primarily for defense, more so than for transportation. Right now, their weapons & special features (teleporters) are more important than their engines. Plus, the SG universe pays attention to power & money. It would cost a lot of money to build a fleet of starships big enough to make the gates obsolete. And, I'm guessing that each gate has its own self-contained power source (does each one have a ZPM?) and are relatively easy to maintain and operate. It's probably far more time, trouble, and money to build a starship, man it, fuel it, repair it, etc. Despite being older and getting more use, the gates were made more durable, get damaged less, and don't require fossil fuels to operate (sublight engines still seem to based on explosive propulsion).

 

[Recoil]

Speaking of SG1 blantantly adopting things from other shows...

My roommate was just watching one of the re-runs of SG1, and there was some race of beings called "retoo" or something like that. They existed in some out-of-phase state so we couldn't see them.

The SG-1 team went to scout out a "rebel" group of these aliens on a plant with some special device that would let them see them. As they moved over the area where they were guess what I saw?

SHADOWS!

They were 4 legged and spidery just like them, and their trait of being invisible....it was just to similar for me.

 

[Kyehlar]

Eventually, every Sci-Fi show starts to borrow what works from other Sci-Fi shows. I think it's in the contract somewhere.

Rommie ^_^