Revised! Reach for the stars with SG1 (Stargate S.G. 1)

Member Name: wyrdsister

Product:	Stargate S.G. 1
Date:	30/12/01 (66 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: great special effects, excellent acting, good scripts

Disadvantages: can't think of any

Is Stargate SG1 the best Sci-Fi show of the moment? Well I think so.
Stargate SG1 is the spin off from a movie of the same title that hit the cinemas in 1994. The premise is simple yet very imaginative. At the beginning of the last century, archaeologists discover an ancient artefact buried deep in the sands of Egypt: a massive ring with unknown symbols made from an unearthly metal. Years later, scientists and astrophysicists speculate about the possible use of this alien device until a young archaeologist Daniel Jackson (James Spader) discovers how to activate the mysterious ring: the Stargate. The Stargate creates a stable wormhole to another world: Abidos, where a US team lead by Jack O’Neill (Kurt Russell) and Daniel Jackson are sent out to investigate the possible threats to Earth and destroy the gate. They discover a civilisation reminiscent to that of Ancient Egypt, ruled by a powerful alien named Ra, the Egyptian Sun God. O’Neill and his team manage to defeat Ra and free the enslaved people of Abidos. They return to Earth, leaving Daniel Jackson behind to bury the Stargate.

When the series starts, the Stargate has been inactive for months and the facilities guarded only by a few soldiers as everyone assumed that the other gate had been destroyed. When it activates and a group of hostile alien lead by a man looking like Ra attack the base, questions start to be asked and the truth about the Abidos mission is uncovered: the other gate is still intact. Soon it is revealed that there are hundred of Stargates and that Ra wasn’t after all the last of his race. The military decides to fund a new program to find technology or allies to help Earth fight against this new threat. On the front line of this project is SG1, a team made up of Jack O'Neill, a rather cynical air force Colonel played by Richard Dean Anderson, Major Samantha Carter, a brilliant scientist and Stargate expert (Amanda Tapping), Dr Daniel Jackson, the earnest a
rchaeologist who unlocked the secrets of the gate (Michael Shanks) and Teal'k (Christopher Judge) a renegade Jaffa now in the service of Earth against the System Lords or Go’auld (alien parasites using Human hosts to impersonate gods).

Most episodes are self-contained, so you can watch and follow any of them, even if you have missed the previous ones. As the series advance, the team meet with various races and civilisations, some of which are descended from Earth cultures, some as ancient as the Go’auld. They make allies, some more helpful than others and enemies along he way, not all of them from outer space. And with the last season just ending on Sky 1, it seems that with the arrival of Anubis and the defeat of one of Earth’s better allies, the Tok’ra, the universe is a more dangerous place than ever before.

After nearly six years, you would think that Stargate SG1 would have become stale, well it hasn’t. The acting is superb all the way through and the camaraderie between the characters adds to the show’s appeal. Stargate SG1 also benefits from having very literate writing and innovative storylines. If anything, I'd say that the show has become more interesting over the years and is definitely a rewarding viewing experience. I am eagerly awaiting the next season, although I am not sure how Michael Shanks’ departure will affect the series.
I was a little disappointed when I went to see the movie: I thought the concept was fantastic but I really felt they did not quite hit the mark. This is where the TV show excels: the potential of the Stargate concept is being explored to the full and the writers have come up with imaginative and original ideas to expand on it.

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