Mar 152014
 

avatar2 The team discover a portal on a remote ancient world and with no sign of danger John attempts to pass through but is dragged in and lost to the group. McKay discovers the mechanism and the consequences of using the portal and realises that if they don’t find a way to bypass the portal’s effects within a few hours they will never see John again. Meanwhile John is making new friends and battling a beast that has the capability to become invisible and seems to be immune to physical weapons and he’s emotionally hurt as well, he doesn’t understand why his friends have seemed to have abandoned him. The silver lining is that there is a particularly attractive woman who shall we say has designs on him and a much younger one with healing hands, a little meditation and a lack of a razor hardly seems a great trial.

MALP on a Stick

MALP on a Stick

Epiphany is an enjoyable episode of Atlantis, it really is an episode that benefits from a superb location and all the benefits of modern television production can bring. The CGI and wire/stunt work give some good action set pieces and also allows for the more quiet moments between John and the inhabitants of this Ancient world to really leave their mark. The desperation amongst the Atlantis personnel works well, it’s difficult for them to understand fully the consequences which I guess also allows for the key points to be explained to them and by extension the audience who are picking it up as the story unfolds.

She knows what happens next.

She knows what happens next.

The only real problem with the story is why Teer would even consider John as being ready for Ascension, yes we know he is a lot more intelligent than he lets on and has the courage and belief to face down his fears but I don’t we’ve had any indication ascended beings have anything like a normal life once risen. Lets not forget John is still a material guy, his living in the now one reason why the meditation aspects of the lifestyle proved to be a little more taxing for him:)

We got some feedback via Facebook and Google+ so thanks for that and as always lots of Stargate chat thanks to Twitter. This weeks podcast promo is from The Rusted Robot and next weeks show is the Stargate SG1 episode Ripple Effect and Thomas joins us for that, hope you tune in:)

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Feb 222014
 

avatar As Gerak serves the will of the Ori it is left to the remaining Jaffa who see the threat to their hard won freedom to rally against their leaders. In a desperate all or nothing move they offer Gerak and the council a simple choice, reject Origin or slaughter thousands even millions of free Jaffa who are offering no direct resistance. As trouble is approaching over Chu’lak the SGC have deployed their anti-prior device and captured a servant of the Ori and taken a blood sample with the hope it will lead to a cure for the plague sweeping across the globe. However Orlin who is rapidly losing his mental capability fails in his task but when asked by Gen Landry for one last effort he travels to the Sodan world and faces down the Prior who reveals the intentions of the Ori in the Milky Way, convert the peoples and then strike directly at their former brothers and sisters now known as the  Ancients.

Together they are Strong

Together they are Strong

The Fourth Horseman Part 2 is an excellent conclusion to this two parter, both of the main stories are wrapped up well with suspense and a significant emotional aspect which is one area where Stargate always does well. The sacrifice of Gerak after his face to face with Teal’c was an exception scene for both actors and huge praise to the simple yet oh so effective locations and props which helped to set the scene. Orlin played by Cameron again worked well within the story, his grand gesture in return to human form ultimately paid off but not in the way he intended, it was perhaps a little cop out to have the boy surviving and shades of the episode Learning Curve but The Fourth Horseman is at the end of the day about the hope that can now be drawn for a minor victory in this grade endeavour.

He used to smoke 4 packs a day!

He used to smoke 4 packs a day!

We’ve included some feedback for last weeks show and of course a few of the more notable Stargate related birthdays for the upcoming week and also a book review of the novel Houdini & Lovecraft, The Ghost Writer written by Ron Wilkerson. This weeks promo is from our friend Nuchtchas with her show Nutty Bites and next week we are looking at the Atlantis episode The Hive which is it’s conclusion to their mid-season two parter. We’d love to hear from you about anything Stargate and/or Gatecast related including the opportunity to join us for an upcoming episode, let us know if you are interested and we’ll see what can be arranged:)

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Feb 082014
 

avatar2 A recon unit return from an undercover mission on a planet which is being visited by a Prior of the Ori, the men soon become ill and reveal one of them was touched by the Prior during a religious service and in hindsight it was easy to see the Ori knew who they were and used them to carry a plague back to Earth to decimate the heart of the potential resistance in the Milky Way.  As Sam investigates the possibility of developing an anti-prior weapon based on the knowledge they gained from the scans of Khalek back on Dakara a Prior is working his magic on Gerak who is embracing the concept of enlightenment which is worrying Bra’tac and Teal’c. Orlin returns to the corporeal world as a young boy, his explanation being the younger brain would be more adept at retaining the knowledge required to cure the plague but it’s a one way trip, for Sam and her world he is willing to sacrifice everything. Gerak is showing some resistance to the demands of the Prior but is then taken to Celestis and when he returns it seems the Ori now have a key player for the invasion of the galaxy.

TFH1 (44)

That can’t be good.

The Fourth Horseman Part 1 is an excellent episode in it’s own right let alone the first half of a two parter, with a restricted tv budget and resources the producers manage to convey the potential disaster of a global pandemic and the galaxy wide ramifications as the Jaffa nation could become a de facto army for the Ori.  It’s almost brutal watching Gerak a man driven by the desire for power see the Ori as both a means to an end but also maybe some sort of personal fulfillment in the spiritual sense, you do believe that he believes in their message despite knowing what the Ori are willing to do to anyone that does not bow down to them. There is hope of course, Sam and Dr Lee have come up with a way to disrupt the energy being channeled to and by a Prior but it has to be tested so a visit to the Sodan is called for and they may not be an easy challenge in itself.

The Brains Trust

The Brains Trust

The return of Orlin was a bit of a surprise and his new look took some getting use too, there was some logic behind it but as we learned in the commentary the idea was to have Sean Patrick Flanery return as the character but he was unavailable and the writers earned their money with young Orlin and making it work with the acting talents of Cameron playing  a big part.  Oh and lets not forget the return of the late Don S. Davis as General Hammond who filled in at the last minute when General Jumper was unable to film his cameo, it was great to see Don who appears again in part 2.

Thank you everyone for the feedback on last weeks show and continued support via Facebook, Google+ and especially Twitter. There’s a little news and birthdays included in this weeks show and next week we return to Atlantis for the first part of their two parter “The Lost Boys” which sees the return of a season 1 regular. This weeks promo is for the excellent Tuning Into Scifi TV and as always feel free to get in touch with us for any reason, we’re all family within the shadow of the gate.

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Sep 282013
 

avatar2 Daniel and Vala are still in the bodies of Sallis and Harrid and are faced with the heart of Origin in the city of Celestis. Daniel is able to divine some of the underlying teachings of the culture and uses the information to gain an audience with the leader in physical world called the Doci. He verbally duels with the Doci and eventually the Ori themselves inhabit their vessel and talk directly to Daniel, they now know that their old enemy who fled to the Milky Way are hiding trillions of souls ready to be exposed to Origin. Back in the Milky Way a Prior emerges from a Stargate and begins to preach Origin to the local population, Cameron invites the Prior to the SGC where along with the new Jaffa leader Gerak the Prior offers the inhabitants of the galaxy guidance and a path to enlightenment. Daniel and Vala now returned to the village are visited by Fannis who reveals the Ancient communication stone control device and Daniel is able to warn the SGC about the threat just before a Prior descends upon them and once again the fire pit is a flame but no escape for Sallis and Harried or Frannis, the first victims in the war between the Milky Way and the Ori.

The Doci and a Prior

The Doci and a Prior

Origin as with the first two parts of the trilogy was written by Rob C Cooper and seals the foundations of the main story that will drive the final two seasons of Stargate SG1. A stellar cast of guest stars taking key positions adds so much depth to the story which certainly helps to smooth over the miss steps as SG1 is reshaped. Julian Sands gives a very dry performance as the Doci but is perfect for the role and Louis Gossett Jr steals every scene he is in which is no mean accomplishment alongside Beau Bridges. It was certainly a little dark to lose the three natives of the Ori galaxy but underlines how black and white the view of the Ori is, worship or die but you do have the choice.

Some choice

Some choice

A busy time on Facebook, lots of feedback for last weeks show which was very pleasing and twitter as always was awash with chatter, the Stargate community over there is really great to read and interact with. Brad was stellar in this show, once again making time to fill in the gap with Alan settling into his new life in Finland and since we’re coming up to our 200th show there is a little competition information in the show, every listener invited to enter including any guest and co-hosts:)

This weeks promo is from Hexed The Sisterhood of the Supernatural and next week we are back in Pegasus with the episode Runner and the introduction of one Ronon Dex, the ladies go wild:)

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Sep 142013
 

avatar2 Mitchell having finally convinced a few of the gang to join him on an adventure is deep within the earth below Glastonbury battling trials of intelligence, honour and courage left by the Ancients, success brings rewards and Vala is all for rolling around in the gold but an ancient text reveals the truth about the Alterans and everything changes.
An Ancient communication device using the stones (as seen in Citizen Joe) is activated by Daniel and Vala and they go elsewhere and occupy the bodies of a couple in a far away galaxy where the Ori are gods and the people live according to the tenants laid down in the Book of Origin. The intrepid duo are unable to keep from being discovered and with their unfamiliarity fall foul of scripture but the brutal consequences are mitigated when a Prior of the Ori visits the village in response it seems to their statements about being from another galaxy.

Avalon is very much a feature length episode, splitting it into two takes away some of the impact but jumping straight back into the action and peril does get things going quickly in the second half of the story, you could also say that with Origin to come we are still only two thirds of the way through the introduction of Ori and other new SG characters.
The writers have taken risks in making the religious aspect the focal point of the Ori storyline, it’s far more pronounced and important than with the Gou’ald but as they say ultimately the show is simply taking the stance than you should seek the truth and revealing the false gods serves that purpose. Of course as we see the Ori through their Priors certainly make a very definite statement as to their capabilities, god like even.
Another aspect of the story which is stirring things up is the emergence of Garek and his power play for control of the Jaffa which becomes a major concern not only for Teal’c but the SGC and the rest of the Milky Way.

One happy camper

One happy camper

Avalon Part 2 is an excellent episode, we get some good time with Dr Lam as well as seeing the village standing set which will serve both SG1 and SGA in the next season and beyond. This is also perhaps one of the best episodes for Vala, we see her at her most devious and playful but also more vulnerable, it’s very revealing for her character so early into her time on the show and also proves Daniel does have some feelings for her beyond just normal compassion.

Toasty

Toasty

Many thanks to Thomas for staying with us to record the second part of this story and he’ll be back for a bonus show later in the year and a couple of shows a bit further into the future. This weeks promo is for Tuning Into Scifi TV and next week we take a trip on the Daedalus as it journeys to Pegasus with an unwanted passenger on board in “The Intruder” and Brad will be joining me for that show while Alan is busy moving home. Thanks for the discussions on Facebook and Twitter, the shares and plus ones on G+ are appreciated and as always we really like to hear from you about our show and Stargate and if you have the time a Itunes rating and review would be icing on the cake:)

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Jun 152013
 

avatar2 The last remaining independent System Lords are offered a deal, in exchange for their surrender they will be allowed to continue to govern their regions of space in the name of Anubis however when Sam is dragged into their meeting accusations start to be thrown. The resulting massacre at the hands of the now very very aggressive replicators throws the balance of power of the galaxy into a spiral as they go on the rampage taking over ship after ship and opening up an opportunity for the free Jaffa.

Reckoning is the first episode in a named two parter but could be considered the opening of a trilogy of episodes, make no mistake this is part of a big budget story with numerous high quality guest stars and some wonderful CGI and set design. The story is geared towards bringing together the major players of not only the recent seasons but right from the start when the Jaffa rebellion was first born, it does this with incredible style and flare. A free Jaffa ship with Carter, Daniel, Teal’c, Aron and Bra’tac onboard gets ambushed which leads to the abduction of Daniel as the knowledge of the ascended Ancients is of interest to replicarter. This single act pretty much sets in motion the convergence of Anubis via his proxy Ba’al, the replicators, the jaffa and the humans of Earth. In this first episode we see Daniel dealing with replicarter pretending to be Oma Desala and learning of the weapon on the planet Dakara and in a stunning coincidence it’s Darkara that’s the ceremonial birth place of the Jaffa nation and taking that world back would prove the “gods” were indeed false.

All hail Selkhet

All hail Selkhet

The twist in the tale is Ba’al himself wants the SGC to destroy the weapon as Anubis could use it to wipe out all life in the galaxy and then create everything to his own design, Ba’al is if nothing else a realist and totally self serving to boot which makes him an ideal ally at least for now.

Our lord and saviour (in his own mind)

Our lord and saviour (in his own mind)

Reckoning Part 1 is a standout episode in an excellent season of scifi story telling, the second part is in it’s own right every bit as good but together they are something special. The guest stars many of whom rarely worked together on the show add real weight to the story and the production side is exceptionally good, some stunning effects work and matt paintings. That said the weakest part of the whole is the very poor looking Asgard ship, not quite sure what went wrong there but that’s a minor bug bear of mine:)
We had some feedback on the facebook page and twitter was pretty active this week but I don’t think last weeks show/episode is any ones favourite. This week could very well be different and to that effect we have a new promo from our friend Nuchtchas and her podcast Nutty Bites, have a listen and let her and us know what you think.
Next week we return to Atlantis for the excellent Letters From Pegasus and Jeff will be joining us for that discussion, cya then.

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May 252013
 

avatar2 It’s Elizabeths birthday something she kept quiet about but John has his methods and presents her with a hand made piece of pottery. Meanwhile the search for premium quarters in the city goes on with Rodney really looking for a balcony but they do find a lab with a stasis chamber intact but with an occupant. The woman looks very old and upon investigation it seems she has been asleep for around ten thousand years, infact since Atlantis was first abandoned and sunk beneath the waves.

They revive her and she is both aware and comprehending of the situation in fact she seems to know a lot more than she should including the personnel of the base and specifically Dr Weir herself but that is reasonable when they discover she is Elizabeth transported back in time and from another timeline and then set in motion the events as they transpired when this expedition arrived on the city.

Did you make it John?

Did you make it John?

Before I Sleep is an excellent episode of Atlantis and rivals some of the best of the whole
franchise, it has depth and emotion combined with a solid scifi story element and some top
notch make up and body double work. The use of footage from the pilot to add weight to
the story was well done and it was interesting to see those that would become the Ancients
during their darkest hour as the Wraith were coming close to victory. The introduction of the
time ship in this series also pays off with the similar ship seen in SG1 which is pivotal in it’s
season finale.

Where Am I ?

Where Am I ?

We got plenty of feedback for last weeks episode on Facebook and Brad sent us a nice long
voicemail for this weeks so the episode was a little long, I dropped the news and birthdays to
keep the show under an hour so enjoy and please let us know what you think. We’d love any
feedback especially audio and itunes reviews/ratings but no pressure:)

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Oct 132012
 

 The discovery of a second location that houses an Ancient Repository of Knowledge has SG1 with support units travelling off world but they discover the device just as a Jaffa force from Anubis shows up and with few options Jack absorbs the knowledge and then fight their way back through the gate. Meanwhile the President has suspended SGC operations and replaced Hammond with Elizabeth Weir a civilian who has been responsible for high level international negotiations, she’s his choice for a public face if and when the secret is revealed to the world.

Bra’tac plays the SGC a visit and brings bad news, Anubis is marshalling his fleet and will arrive in three days to once and for all remove the Earth and the humans from the equation. The only possible solution is for Jack to provide the location of the Ancients Lost City from the data he now has in his brain before it kills him and much to Vice President Kinsey’s dismay Weir sides with SG1 and allows them to continue the search.

Lost only had a foot!

Lost City is a two part season finale and with the highest budget since the pilot we have significant expectations which the first part puts a very healthy down payment on. We get some very good off planet action with the attack on the Ancient world as well as some good character interplay from everyone involved. Weir played by Jessica Steen (only for these two episodes) proves she is a good choice putting aside possible political posturing to make the right call which Kinsey seems incapable of doing, great to see Ronny Cox once again chewing the scenery.

Pretty Woman on a budget

This double episode was packaged on the DVD as a feature episode, for our purposes we chopped it in half and wrapped up as Bra’tac and Teal’c take their leave with the goal to gather support for Earth from the free Jaffa. As we know the writers have systematically pushed away all of the Earth’s allies to make the planet stand alone, maybe one of the steps required to fulfil our potential as a galactic power and the fifth race.

This weeks promo is from Tyrion’s Landing a Game of Thrones podcast, they are currently going through some movies during the off season but well worth dipping into their back catalogue or just listening to their discussions on Harry Potter, 300, True Romance etc. Next weeks episode is Lost City Part 2 (no surprise there) and then it’s the season 7 wrap up show the week after so any feedback on the season finale or the season taken as a whole is most welcome. We are now on itunes would love to get some reviews and ratings, damn shame we lost the dozen or so we had before but they were a victim of an inconsiderate hosting company.

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May 052012
 

 Daniel Jackson the ascended one once again makes a surprise visit to Jack and brings a warning about Anubis and his interest in Abydos. Anubis plans to attack the planet which was once under the control of Ra and search for a mystical piece of technology called the Eye of Ra which he believes is hidden on that world. Jack admits to General Hammond and the rest of SG1 he has now met and talked to the ascended Daniel on two occasions which kinda makes Tealc feel better and not so crazy and surprisingly the General doesn’t bat an eye and once more the mission is a go.
On arriving on Abydos the team splits with two goals in mind and while Tealc leads the defence of the Great Pyramid with some of Abydonians the rest of SG1 along with Skaara search the many rooms deep within the structure in the hopes of finding the Eye and ultimately denying it to Anubis.

Energy saving bulbs my *%”*

Full Circle was intended to be final tv episode of the series with the story continuing in movie form but that was not meant to be (at for the time being) and the seventh season was ordered allowing the consequences of Anubis and Daniel’s actions to play out over 22 episodes. The events which lead to their confrontation and the fallout are built slowly in the episode and even when you know that is the endgame it’s still takes a surprising turn.

Fish in a barrel

As always the desert world Abydos is wonderfully created using the famed sand pit location and matt paintings including the daddy which is the great pyramid, the show really has got this world down to perfection and we even have two uber special effects sequences that will knock your socks off. The first is a pure CGI feast for the eyes as Anubis and the System Lords do battle and the second is a traditional practical effect with some icing as a $100,000 model pyramid is blown up. The visuals aside the key elements of the story revolve around the revelation of Anubis and the who the Ascended beings are which along with a tablet found in the pyramid lay the ground work which eventually leads to a treasure trove of technology and possibilites.

The world biggest candle.

This weeks promo is from The Scaper Chronicles and next week we will be presenting our Season 6 wrap up show. Season 7 of Stargate SG1 is nearly upon us so get the feedback ready, it’s going to be a wild and fun ride especially if you lean towards the spaceship side of scifi.

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Mar 032012
 

 On returning from a standard recon of an alien world SG1 have a piece of Ancient technology which at this point they have no idea what it actually does, probably one of the more stupid decisions made by the team. Immediately on return Jonas sees some sort of flying creture in the gate room but no one else can see it and the concern is that he has succumbed to the effects of long term Naquadria exposure. Of course with no sign of a foothold the SGC goes on as normal and Jack leaves to go fishing but then he too sees something that shouldn’t be there and the effect begins to spread within the mountain and beyond.

We come baring gifts.

Sight Unseen is not a good story, it’s a little too simplistic lacking the drive and potential threat of so many other alien encounter episodes from the series. Ultimately while the effect of seeing these creatures will drastically change the way everyone lives their lives there is no direct threat and thus you are left with a feeling of so what. That said the production design and location work is right up there with any episode produced before or since and the guest stars Jody Racicot and Betty Linde are a hell of a lot of fun on screen.

Wipers just won’t cut it

This weeks promo is from Flash Pulp a themed story cast which has been responsible for one new listener thanks to playing our promo and there is also a spot for Following the Nerd who were invloved with the recent Con that Alan attended.

Next weeks episode is Smoke & Mirrors which features the return of one of the classic human villians.

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Dec 172011
 

  At the Antarctica facility a discovery is made in the ice near the location where the gate and DHD were found. A body is revealed embedded in ice which is close to 50million years old, the surprising bit is that there are signs of life and who would has been around that long ago and surrounded by technology that is linked to the gate system?

SG1 arrive at the base after all who else but our heroes could handle a pure science mission, yeah I know it really doesn’t make sense at the point, after the woman is revived and her heritage identified then yes it makes more sense to have SG1 on hand. That said I love this style of episode even more so when it’s in an icy wasteland, The Thing and ICE (X-Files) all exploited the huge scale yet paralysing confinement at the top and bottom of the world, oh lets not forget that episode of House either:)

Are we there yet?

Things start to go wrong when SG1 and the scientists fall ill, no co-incidence I guess and as we know the Ancients had to deal with a plague on Earth and this could be it and now the clock is ticking and not everyone can be saved.

Doesn’t say a lot but speaks volumes.

Praise must be given to Ona Grauer who played Ayiana and if you watch some of the behind the scenes extras on the DVD you see how she had to put up with the body moulded plastic required to put her into the ice cube rather than a dummy. It really does pay off in the episode, no question Ayiana is real and in the ice and you do get the feeling she is helpless when lifted from the ice. Shooting on the same stage as the season 1 episode “Solitudes” extra ice-conditioning is fitted to shoot in -2 degree temperatures which allows the cast to work in warm gear and not cook, it all adds to the atmosphere of the episode.

Ok, I just like the scene:)

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Nov 262011
 

  Life without Daniel is tough on SG1, while Sam deals with Jonas setting up residence in Daniels old office Jack has to deal with finding a replacement and is going through candidates with wild abandon until such time as Hammond drops the Russian demand for one of their people to take the vacant place. Faced with doing the improbable and with Tealcs encouragment he finally considers Jonas Quinn as the fourth member of SG1 but first there is the apparant attack on the SGC by Anubis using the Stargates ability to deliever energy into the system eventually leading to a catastophic explosion.
As luck would have it Teal’c is offworld dealing with his families own issues and is in a postition to aid the SGC at a time when gate travel is denied them and their only unproven interstellar vehicle is in dire need of field testing and incapable of transporting them off world.

Just a snack

Redemption (Part 1) is the season six premiere and the first episode of SG1 to debut on the US Syfy channel. While their are not any obvious signs of a change in production style or intent the show does feel different thanks to the loss of Michael Shanks and all the things he and his character Daniel brought to the party. Ultimately the episode hits the ball out of the park by being an excellent season opener and a kickstarter to the new team dynamic and the prospect of facing a uber system lord but without may of the crutches the SGC has relied to survive this far.
Corin Nemec now a regular cast member with credit carries own the almost happy go lucky approach with Jonas whose is a friendly and outgoing express delight at of all things the weather channel and despite some reservations his intelligence and reasoning gets him out of the base much quicker than Teal’c was able to achieve.
So we have an excellent season opener with drama, comedy and suspense not to mention a fair amount of out and out action combined with some top notch CGI, what more could you want.

Trust me I’m an alien

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May 082010
 

SG1 gate into a enclosed room with nothing but a gate and a dhd. On walking over a circle on the floor a device emerges from a wall and Jack looks inside and promptly collapses. Upon waking he seems fine but slowly starts substituting latin sounding words for english and bit by bit his mind is over taken by the alien devices effects.

The rest you have to watch because it’s a great series arc cornerstone episode and my personal favourite of this season and pretty darn close to the best of the series.

Stephen sent us feedback, groovy (getting ready for watching 1969).

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