As their battle with the Ori continues, the SG-1 team struggles
to reunite and formulate a plan to defeat their enemy. Vala
gives birth to a young girl who is of Ori decent and ages
years in a matter of hours. As the Ori invade Chulak, Teal'c
and the SGC have some serious decisions to make...
Flesh
and Blood is a pretty interesting way of kicking off
Season 10. It resolves all the problems that the script
writers had forced the show into at the end of Season 9,
without looking like a cop-out. All the regular SG-1 team
members managed to survive (unsurprisingly), Vala gives birth
to an Ori child and the Ori decide to attack Chulak.
This
episode also sees Jodelle Ferland (Tideland)
appear as Adria (Age 7) one of the three versions of the character
in this episode. Other notable guest stars include Tony Amendola
(Bra'tac) and Robert Picardo (Richard Woolsey).
One
thing that lets this episode down is the Asgard Krasit - they
really should do away with these lame puppets. There is a
particularly bad scene which really should not have been left
in the finished cut. I could almost imagine Keith Harris stood
behind him with his hand up his backside - that should give
you some kind of indication of how poor it is.
Robert
C. Cooper (executive producer), Willliam Waring (director)
and Jim Menard (director of photography) provide an insightful
commentary. They reveal that they secretly uses the term IOA
(which in the show stands for the International Oversight
Advisory organisation that Woolsey works for) behind the scenes
to refer to the people higher up the food chain who oversee
the show. They also reveal their issues with Chris Judge's
hair in the opening episodes of this season.
On a mission to find a weapon that will defeat the Ori,
SG-1 travel to a planet whose inhabitants were killed by a
mysterious illness, and unwittingly fall victim to the virus
themselves. Meanwhile, Vala is given a psychiatric test to
determine if she can be trusted to remain at the SGC...
Morpheus
is an entertaining enough episode. While the planet virus
idea has been done before (and better) it's Vala's b-plot
that really raises this episode up a notch or two. She over
prepares for her psychiatric evaluation - to the point where
she is just spouting clichéd rubbish in a vain attempt
that she will appear "normal". Some of these scenes
are incredibly funny and it was interesting to hear, on the
audio commentary, that some of the funniest moments were down
to Claudia Black improvising.
Joseph
Mallozzi (executive producer) and Andy Mikita (director) provide
the audio commentary for this episode. It was interesting
to hear that the Blade Runner homage (which was scripted)
had an improvised ending provided by Black. It was also interesting
to learn how they don't always get on with their guest stars
and it's always a joy to work with considerate actors like
Robert Picardo.
SG-1 travels to the Pegasus Galaxy and the city of Atlantis
in hopes to find a clue to a weapon that can destroy the Ori.
Daniel and Vala use the Atlantis's database to search for
the location of the planet where the weapon has been hidden,
while Sam and Mitchell join forces with Dr. McKay in an effort
to prevent the Ori from using their supergate...
The
Pegasus Project is
an Atlantis crossover episode which is obviously designed
to ease unconverted SG-1 fans over to Atlantis.
With Season 10 being the final season for SG-1
(with production switching over to TV movies) this makes perfect
sense. However, more use should have been made of John Sheppard
and Elizabeth Weir (not to mention the other main cast members
who don't even get to appear) as SG-1 fans are already
familiar with Rodney McKay.
There
are plenty of great moments here, including the revelation
that McKay is allergic to citrus fruits (which is why Sheppard
always carries a lemon around with him) and Vala's argument
with Daniel about what to ask the interactive database for
while looking for the planets. Daniel has convinced himself
it will be a long and arduous process, whereas Vala has one
simple suggest that might work.
William
Waring (director) and Peter F. Woeste (director) provide the
worst commentary on this DVD. Firstly they rather thoughtlessly
provide a needless spoiler about the future fate of a recurring
character, and secondly there are a few too many quiet sections
where they can't think of anything to say.
A Goa'uld Alkesh ship is shot down as it approaches the SGC.
Inside the crashed ship is the old System Lord Ba'al, who
has a serious proposition for the SGC. In return for hunting
down his clones, the captured Ba'al will tell the SGC where
Merlin's weapon is located...
Insiders
is a great episode. Cliff Simon's Ba'al has to be one the
greatest Stargate villains of all time - and this episode
sees at least 20 versions of him gathered together. The visual
effects shots are pretty impressive in this episode. Despite
the fact that a lot of effects work has had to be engineered
in order to have Ba'al and his clones in the same location,
at no point does the director show this off (with the possible
slight exception of when two captured Ba'als are brought through
the Stargate). Instead the story, not the effects, take centre
stage. This means that instead of being distracting, whole
scenes can go by without you thinking: "Oh look, another
visual effect". Which is a refreshing change.
The
only scene I found a little confusing was where Carter tends
to an injured colleague (I won't spoil the plot by giving
any more away). She checks them and then looks at another
guard and shakes her head in dismay (in much the same way
as clichéd sequences indicate to the audience that
the person she is checking is about to breathe their last
breath). She then helps this person to their feet and they
walk away. I was glad that I wasn't the only one who was confused
by this, as on the audio commentary the writer and director
are also unclear as to what this sequence meant. It transpires
that Carter was shaking her head because the other guard (who
is off camera) has just informed her that yet another guard
in the same room is dead.
Alan
Mccullough (writer) and Peter F. Woeste (director) provide
an interesting audio commentary (although in one short section
the volume levels between the audio commentary and the episode
sound is pitched at the same level - making it hard to hear
what is being said). Their reflection on the studio's insistence
that no Ba'al jokes were to be cracked in the episode obviously
(thankfully) fell on deaf ears. Yes, they are corny, but they
are still very funny.
Extras include the four audio commentaries mentioned previously;
SG-1 Director's Series: Insiders - Featuring Peter F. Woeste
(12 mins behind the scenes look at the episode Insiders);
The Ori: A New Enemy (18 min featurette that looks
at the Ori. Why they are billed as a "new" enemy
is anyone's guess - they've been around for a year now, but
still an interesting extra); and Photo Galleries (split
into Photo and Production segments).
Disc
2:
General
Landry has arranged for SG-1 to spend the weekend relaxing
in a log cabin in the middle of nowhere. However, Doctor Jackson
is busy studying some ancient Egyptian artefacts, while Teal'c,
Carter and Vala are investigating a mysterious beast that
seems to be killing the inhabitants of another planet. Unfortunately
this means that Mitchell is stuck on his own with Landry.
When a beast starts roaming the woods near their position,
it appears that a similar creature to the one that Teal'c,
Carter and Vala has encountered is alive on Earth...
Uninvited
is a bit of a poor episode. The basic plot revolves around
a race of slug creatures that can alter the DNA of any creatures
they come into contact with. The resulting beasts (which we
don't see for ages) are pretty silly looking - they look like
they've walked straight out of a poor man's Resident Evil
game.
There
is an attempt to create suspense - we don't see the creature
in full until late in the episode. I have to admit that this
did work, as the first time it appears in full it made me
jump out of my chair.
Their
are some very funny scenes between Ben Browder and Beau
Bridges. If Bridges duck call fails to make you laugh
then you really need to seek professional help for depression.
Sadly
though the end result is a bit of a mess. Sloppy monsters
and clichéd plot twists make this a rather unsatisfying
offering.
William
Waring (director) and Jim Menard (director of photography)
provide the audio commentary. I loved the way they described
the monster as an "evil piece of bubblegum". It
was also interesting to hear that the various locations they
generally use to shoot sequences in woods and forests are
becoming rarer and rarer as they are being levelled for building.
The
next off-world mission will be Mitchell's 200th trip through
the Stargate. However, before he reaches that milestone Martin
Lloyd returns to the SGC looking for help with his new Wormhole
X-Treme! movie plot. General Landry is in no position to
refuse to help as the Pentagon has ordered SG-1 to provide
as much assistance as possible, believing that the project
will provide an excellent cover story for the Stargate program...
200
is Stargate: SG-1's 200th episode, and what a treat
the writers and producers have cooked up for fans. This is
an episode that die-hard fans will love.
The
show pokes fun at just about everyone - from the actors, producers,
and directors, through to the heads of the studio and network.
There are so many homages paid here to other shows that it's
one episode you'll want to watch at least twice. It's also
worth keeping the remote control close to hand, as you're
sure to be hitting that pause button and rewinding to rewatch
segments.
I
won't spoil any of the major plot points, but it
was a shame that Corin Nemec (who played Jonas Quinn) didn't
make an appearance. It's also a pity that Don S. Davis (General
Hammond) only makes a vocal appearance.
There
are two audio commentaries for this episode. One is provided
by executive producers Brad Wright and Robert C Cooper, while
the second is provided by Martin Wood (director). Interesting
revelations on the commentaries include the fact that for
the invisible O'Neill scenes Richard Dean Anderson did indeed
get suited up in a green costume - amazing when you consider
that he really didn't have to; and that those scenes were
originally written because the producers didn't know if Anderson
would return to play O'Neill. Also of interest is Martin Wood's
explanation of what "Donkey Face" means.
While on an away mission, SG-1 are quickly beamed away from
the planet when some form of weapon is discharged - killing
all of the inhabitants. Amongst the missing is Adria, Vala's
daughter - who is now a young woman. At first the SGC think
that the Ori are responsible for the deaths, until a familiar
visitor arrives through Earth's Stargate to ask for SG-1's
help...
Counterstrike
is an interesting episode that shakes things up a bit. It
looks like the Ori threat is intensifying as they lay waste
to those civilisations that can't be converted, and another
race has plans of its own for the Ori. Fans of Serenity/Firefly
will be pleased to see that Morena Baccarin stars as Adria
the Orici.
The
relationship between Daniel and Vala is starting to be cemented
a little more - as Daniel confides to Vala that he knows what
it is like to lose a loved one.
Joseph
Mallozzi (executive producer) and Andy Mikita (director) provide
the audio commentary on this episode. There is an interesting
discussion about the fact that Nathan
Fillion (Serenity/Firefly) was originally
discussed for playing the role of Mitchell - although apparently
he was never approached as he'd already made it clear that
he wanted to get away from the whole sci-fi captain role.
However, be warned there is a spoiler in this audio commentary
too - there is a discussion about something that happens to
Daniel in a future episode.
Vala finds herself waiting tables in a diner after she
loses her memory. As Vala was kidnapped prior to losing her
memory, SG-1 follow up a number of leads in their attempts
to rescue her...
Memento
Mori opens with Vala working in a diner and thwarting
two armed robbers. The rest of the episode is told in flashback
as we discover how she managed to end up as a waitress. The
relationship between Vala and Daniel also gets a little more
interesting.
Executive
producers Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie provide the audio
commentary. Their story about Goa'uld and Orici pronunciation
problems is about the only really noteworthy comment. That's
not to say that it's not an interesting commentary.
Extras on the disc include the aforementioned five audio commentaries;
SG-1 Director's Series: Memento Mori Featuring Peter Deluise
(12 mins a look behind the episode with the director. This
is pretty impressive - mainly because there were quite a few
stunts that we got to see being made); Stargate: SG-1:
Behind the 200th (18 mins behind the scenes on the 200th
episode. The highlight for me was the fact that you actually
got to see what "Donkey Face" actually looked like);
Photo Gallery; and Production Design Gallery.
Disc
3:
The
Odyssey disappears while on a mission, and the SGC
is convinced that the ship and its crew has been hijacked
by the Lucian Alliance. Carter was onboard and so the rest
of SG-1 go undercover to track down the Odyssey and
save their team-mate...
Company
of Thieves sees the return of the Lucian Alliance as well
as one half of an alien double act that fans will remember
from last season. There is a bit of a shock in this episode
for fans of the show, as the Lucian Alliance show from an
early point that they are not to be messed with.
The
audio commentary by William Waring (director) and Alan McCullough
(writer) reveals some interesting nuggets of information.
It was a surprise to hear that they were jokingly thinking
of calling this Vashin's Bad Day, due to the amount
of problems that poor Vashin has to deal with. The commentary
also reveals that two extras didn't make the cut because it
was their first day on set and they didn't look natural holding
the weapons.
SG-1 discover the planet where they believe Merlin's weapon,
the Sangraal, is located. Forced to forge temporary alliances
with two of their enemies, Adria and Baal, they must
use many different skills in order to complete their quest
and claim the Sangraal...
The
Quest - Part I finds our heroes on the right planet, at
last, in their long search for Merlin's secret weapon - the
Sangraal. However Ba'al is already days ahead of them and
looks certain to reach the Sangraal before them. But, once
they start on their quest, SG-1 soon realise it's not just
going to be a simple case of tracking down the weapon and
then heading home - Merlin has put in place a number of puzzles
and traps to ensure that only the most honourable, intelligent
and worthy explorer will be able to navigate their way to
the prize.
This
episode seemed to be inspired quite heavily by the ending
to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade - not that that
is a bad thing.
Joseph
Mallozzi (executive producer) and Andy Mikita (director) provide
the audio commentary for this episode. They explain how originally
each of the members of SG-1 were going to have to solve one
of the puzzles - making it more of a team effort. They also
point out that an easier way to negotiate their way through
the time dilation maze would have been for Carter to throw
sand instead of stones in front of her - that way they would
easily be able to see exactly where the field started and
stopped. However the CGI effects would have been quite expensive,
so that plan was scrapped.
Discovering the frozen body of Merlin, SG-1 works to help
him build the Sangraal before Adria and her Ori army can track
them down...
The
Quest - Part II continues where Part I left off.
SG-1 finally come face to face with the real Merlin - not
a hologram, as they were expecting, but an Ancient who has
been in suspended animation for centuries. However, poor old
Merlin is getting on a little bit and is really on his last
legs. Can he help SG-1 by giving them the Sangraal before
he expires? Yes, it's cliché time, but who cares, this
is executed well enough for you to overlook the well used
plot devices.
Paul Mullie (executive producer) and Andy Mikita (director)
provide arguable the most enjoyable audio commentary on the
disc. They joke about the "legendary nose of Bozo".
Apparently the reason why the false Sangraal looks so naff
(a small red sphere) is because somewhere along the way communication
on what was wanted got garbled, and the end result is what
the props department presented.
Hoping to use Merlins phasing device to hide a village
from the Ori army, something goes wrong forcing Mitchell and
a critically injured Carter to hide themselves from an occupation
of Ori soldiers...
The
opening to Line in the Sand is a little confusing as
there is no real explanation as to what on earth is going
on. SG-1 (minus Daniel, obviously) return to the SGC after
being off world. It's not made clear, but it's pretty obvious
that SG-1 have been testing the Sangraal on another planet.
An emergency means that they are going to have to use it for
real in a risky test to help save the occupants of another
world.
Alan
McCullough (writer) and Amanda Tapping (who plays Carter)
provide the audio commentary. McCullough explains about the
cut opening scene that was originally written that would have
set the episode up a little better. They also discuss the
reused stunt (where the stunt man does a fall onto a table)
that was originally used (although the stunt was obviously
redressed for this episode - it's not the same footage) earlier
in the season.
Extras on this disc include the four audio commentaries mentioned
previously; SG-1 Directors' Series: Company Of Thieves
Featuring William Waring (10 mins look behind that episode.
In truth it repeats most of the information already revealed
in the audio commentary for that episode);
Setting the Mood with Jim Menard (23 mins look at how
Jim Menard manages to make the show look good on camera);
Photo Gallery and Production Design Gallery.
Disc
4:
An
experiment goes wrong leaving Lt. Col. Carter trapped in a
parallel reality where martial law has been enforced and Earth
is under attack from the Ori...
The
Road Not Taken sees Carter transported to a parallel universe
after a cloaking experiment goes wrong. However, the alternate
Earth that she end up in contains a few surprises. George
Hammond still heads up the SGC, Hank Landry is President of
America and Carter discovers that she was once married to
a familiar character whom she knows well from her reality.
Possibly
the most political episode of SG-1 to date, the story
examines how, if things were very slightly different, our
heroes might act in order to save their planet. While the
build up to the conclusion promises much, the end result doesn't
really work as well as it could have.
Andy
Mikita (director), Alan McCullough (writer) and Amanda Tapping
(Carter) provide the audio commentary on this episode. Highlights
include the issues with Tapping's hair; pointing out how bleak
the Internet is in the other reality; and Tapping's story
about a woman coming up to her during filming to ask her if
she would be so kind as to point out who the actors were on
the show.
When Daniel Jackson turns up as a Prior asking SG-1 to
aid him in a plan that might very well be a trap, it's up
to the SGC to not only save Jackson's life, but possibly end
the war with the Ori once and for all...
The
Shroud
sees some great on screen chemistry between Michael Shanks
and Richard Dean Anderson. It reminded me of the chemistry
the two used to have when Anderson was a regular on the show
and it was great, considering that this is the penultimate
disc in the series, that the show revisited that.
The
reveal that the Prior, that visits the planet, is in fact
Daniel is no great surprise. It's obvious from the first shot.
Whenever you see a mystery character from the back only, it's
an almost certain guarantee that it's going to be someone
you know. And, for viewers with the memory of a goldfish,
as the opening recap showed Daniel being captured by the Ori
it was pretty obvious who the prior was.
The
whole "Is he? Isn't he?" aspect of this episode
was also well handled. You spend almost the entire episode
being buffeted about not knowing whether Daniel is on the
level, or playing SG-1 in order to bring numerous Ori ships
to Earth. And the icing on the cake is that no matter what
you believe, the ending will still have a surprise for you.
I
also loved the way that Anderson was introduced in this episode.
There's no big entrance scene, he's simply sat in the briefing
room with everyone else.
Robert
C. Cooper (executive producer) and Andy Mikita (director)
provide the audio commentary. They point out that they were
painfully aware that revealing Daniel as the Prior was always
going to be difficult to do believably; the problems they
had getting Daniel to remove his hood because he was carrying
the Book of Origin; and Mikita beating himself, almost
embarrassingly, because he missed the continuity error of
Anderson's general stars.
After Netan and the Lucian Alliance, are undermined by
SG-1 yet again, a bounty is put on their heads. But, with
the team all off doing their own things how can they individually
hope to survive against some of the galaxy's most ruthless
bounty hunters...?
Bounty
is an interesting episode as Cameron Mitchell takes Vala Mal
Doran back to Kansas for his high school reunion. There's
plenty of embarrassing moments, as Vala still hasn't quite
gotten the hang of social etiquette. Meanwhile Daniel is nosing
around a library. It's not long before the bounty hunters
head for Earth to kill each member of SG-1.
The
episode is resolved rather neatly and there's even a great
Scooby-Doo gag in the closing scene.
John
G. Lenic (producer) and Jim Menard (director of photography)
provide the audio commentary. Here they discuss that one of
the stunts was cut for budgetary reasons; and the problems
they had with street lights that were turned off half way
through filming.
Mistaken for rebels on an alien planet, SG-1 must play
the part of hostage takers in hope of buying themselves enough
time to be rescued before they're executed...
Bad
Guys is an episode that was written by Ben Browder and
Martin Gero. Personally, I found it to be the most entertaining
on this disc. The plot is an interesting look at a disastrous
first contact situation.
There
are some great Vala moments here - including her trying to
prove what a master thief she is. The only things I really
didn't care for were the annoying screaming woman and the
rather quick resolution.
For
reasons unknown, there is no audio commentary on this episode.
Extras include the three audio commentaries already mentioned;
Stargate: SG-1 Directors Series: The Shroud featuring Andy
Mikita (11 mins look behind the scenes on The Shroud);
Life As a Tech with Gary Jones (20 mins tongue firmly
in cheek interview with actor Gary Jones who plays Walter
Harriman. This is possibly the funniest featurette I've seen
on any of the SG-1 discs to date. Jones wanders around
the set asking cast and crew what their favourite Harriman
moments are, as well as bragging about things he's never really
done. It was while watching this I wondered why they'd never
produced a Harriman centred episode - Jones is the King of
Comedy!); Photo Gallery and Production Design Gallery.
Disc
5:
Barely
surviving the bombing massacre of a peaceful Jaffa summit,
Tealc must go rogue to track down and stop a Jaffa leader
named Arkad who plans to take control of the Jaffa nation
and deliver them to the Ori...
Talion
is a Teal'c episode that sees him go all Terminator
as he sets out to avenge the needless death of so many of
his kind. It
also includes possibly the best Teal'c line in the history
of Stargate: "I am leaving. You are about to explode".
This
episode also sees the return of Dr. Carolyn Lam, as well as
the appearance of British actor Craig
Fairbrass (who Eastenders fans will remember as Dan)
as Arkad. I'm still not sure he was the best choice for a
Jaffa leader. A cockney alien stretches the bounds of believability
to the point of breaking. He's also not overly believable
when it comes to delivering his big scene at the SGC and he
seems to have discovered yet another way of pronouncing "Goa'uld
(as "Go-Old"). What next? A Prior with the accent
of a New York cabbie?
Fans
that like to nit-pick about continuity will also be pleased
to see a very obvious mistake in the editing process. As Teal'c
leaves the tent we see a slow motion shot of him and people
are running in front of the camera. The next shot shows the
first explosion, but just before it goes off we see villagers
walking, but none of them are running. As there were subsequent
explosions it's obvious that the scene with Teal'c was supposed
to follow the first explosion, with the villagers running
in confusion and panic.
This
episode gets bonus points for showing Teal'c as the warrior
that he once was; uncompromising and brutal when he needs
to be. There are some great action sequences too that really
help to sell this episode.
Andy
Mikita (director) and Christopher Judge (Teal'c) provide the
audio commentary on this episode. Highlights include the fact
that Mikita was, at first, uncertain about Fairbass's accent;
and the fact that executive producer, Robert Cooper's daughter
has a brief speaking role.
Valas
father, Jasec, contacts Stargate Command wishing to trade
information about a series of planned attacks on Earth in
exchange for sanctuary on the planet. Vala hasn't spoken to
Jasec for years and is not overly happy that SGC don't heed
her warnings that he is a manipulative con man...
Family
Ties stars Fred Willard as Vala's father, Jasec, in this
story about family and what they mean to us. To be honest,
if Fred Willard hadn't pulled out all the stops, this episode
would have fallen flat on its face. The episode really rests
on his shoulders - if we don't warm to him as a charming rogue,
a man who is just trying to make money any way he can, then
the story is pointless. This episode also sees General Landry
making an effort to get back in touch with his estranged wife.
There
is also a great dig at the network for cancelling the show:
Carter:
"The Stargate program just doesn't get the support
it used to from the people in charge."
Jasec:
"Why not?"
Dr.
Lee (in the background having solved a problem): "Eureka!"
Jasec:
"That's too bad, because after all your Stargate program
has accomplished for this network of planets I would think
that the decision-makers would show it the respect it deserves."
While
most of the above is pretty obvious, I wasn't aware (until
I listened to the audio commentary) that Eureka is
the name of the show that replaced SG-1 on the network.
Incidentally Lexa Doig, who plays Dr. Lam, guest stars in
an episode of Eureka.
Joseph
Mallozzi (executive producer) and Paul Mullie (executive producer)
provide the audio commentary. Here they point out that this
episode was shot a few weeks after they knew the show had
been cancelled; the fact that they had to redress Jasec's
apartment after the set dresser went a little crazy; and the
fact that Teal'c had to have a line overdubbed when he said
"two" instead of "three" in the line:
"Three words... 'be less annoying'" - apparently
no one noticed it until it got to the editing stage.
In an elaborate plan using Vala as bait to capture Adria,
SG-1 themselves are surprised when Baal intercepts Adria
from under them to use in his own evil plan...
Dominion
really would have worked a little better if it had been a
two-part episode, possibly even rounding off the season. There's
too much here to cram into a 40 minute episode. We have Ba'al
and Adria; Ba'al's plot to take control of Adria's army; and
Adria's plan which makes little sense if her Ori army is still
intact.
There's
(I'm assuming) an unintentional Carry On moment as
Landry asks: "Ba'al's in Adria?" There's
also a couple of jokes that revolve around Vala dreaming that
she was on a Strictly Come Dancing style show. Now,
whether Claudia Black was actually on a show in America that
was similar to this, or another member of the SG-1
cast was, is uncertain. It's never discussed in the commentary,
and it could just be the writers poking fun at such a lame
show.
Alan
McCullough (writer) and William Waring (director) provide
the audio commentary where they discuss the Comic Con auction
winner who appears in the episode; a funny line that Ba'al
actor Cliff Simon ad-libbed but was cut from the final edit;
and the fact that Dan Shea was knocked out during a stunt.
With extinction imminent, the Asgard hand over all their knowledge
and technology to SG-1, but not before the Ori launch an attack
trying to intercede...
Unending
is SG-1's final episode, in 40 minute form anyway. In all
honesty I thought it was a bit of a disappointment really.
I suppose it's a neat way of saying goodbye (for now) to the
characters we've come to know and love, but after eleven years
I was expecting a little more.
It's certainly not the conclusion that many would have hoped
for. Now, episode 200 was something special, this just feels
just like a normal (albeit cheap) episode, but with a heart-warming
final scene (which frankly could have been tacked on to the
end of any other story the writers had come up with).
There
were a few too many elements taken from Star
Trek: The Next Generation's final episode All
Good Things. Stick with me on this. There's the whole
time rift thing that needs to be tackled in order for them
to go back to their own time; the fact that we get to see
our heroes as old and wrinkly versions of their selves; and
the fact that we get to see alternate futures that span into
the characters' old age.
I
was also a little unsure as to how I felt about the fate of
the Asgard. It just felt so forced, and very unnecessary,
to have this included in the final episode - but then I never
particularly liked these Muppet rejects anyway. And what were
the Ori doing anyway after losing their leader? Would they
still carry on as normal?
Robert
C. Cooper (executive producer / writer / director), Jim Menard
(director of photography) and Amanda Tapping (Carter) provide
the audio commentary and, sadly, yet again I was unimpressed.
While this wasn't a bad commentary, there were only really
two moments that I though were noteworthy. These included
Tapping revealing that she and Chris Judge subtly attempted
to imply that Carter and Teal'c also have a relationship;
and the fact that Judge, Tapping and Michael Shanks all managed
to - after wrapping the final shot and having an onset party
- head on up to the observation room overlooking the gateroom
and steal a private moment looking at the gate in the same
way they did when they fist saw the gateroom on the very first
day the went onto the set.
As
I mentioned earlier, if this had been it for SG-1 I
would have been sorely disappointed, but as the show will
continue to live on through a number of TV movies it's not
such an issue.
Extras include the previously mentioned audio commentaries;
Stargate SG-1 Directors Series: Unending, featuring Robert
C. Cooper (15 minute behind the scenes look at the final
episode); Deleted Scenes with Introduction and Commentary
by Joseph Mallozzi (23 minute look at deleted scene (with
optional commentary on the episodes Morpheus; The Quest
and Memento Mori; Photo Gallery; and Production
Design Gallery.
Again,
sorry to harp on about it, but even the extras lack any real
acknowledgement that the America's longest running sci-fi
TV series has come to a close. It's such a shame that it went
out with a bit of a whimper.
Darren
Rea
Buy
this item online
We
compare prices online so you get the cheapest
deal!
Click on the logo of the desired store below
to purchase this item.
|
|
£42.98
(Amazon.co.uk) |
|
|
|
£54.99
(HMV.co.uk) |
|
|
|
£50.99
(Tesco.com) |
|
|
|
£39.93
(Asda.co.uk) |
|
|
|
£42.83
(Thehut.com) |
All prices correct at time of going to press.
|
|