Gatecast 301 SGA The Lost Tribe

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Feb 202016
 

The Lost Tribe

The Lost Tribe is the second part of the mid-season two parter and the episode continues with Daniel and Rodney captives of this mysterious alien race whose reveal is rather surprising, yes we’ve met these guys before and in a twist the only thing that is missing is the goatee. The Vanir are an off shoot from the Asgard who fled to Pegasus to allow them to pursue lines of research which were banned by their brothers and sisters more ethical guidelines, it’s hard to deny that the Vanir had a point, they are under no immediate threat of total degeneration thanks to the experiments on other species. Meanwhile the Stargate in Atlantis when it blew left an awful lot of damage but the use of the cities shield mitigated probably 99.99% of the blast meaning no critical damage, a new gate is quickly sourced and the rebuilding process commences. However other gates have also exploded one in particular on one of the few Traveller world’s killing thousands, Katana Labrea a Traveller commander approaches Atlantis and Sheppard in particular and offers her ship since the Daedalus is currently running amok with Todd in command although Keller and Ronon and flies in the ointment. John gives Todd the location of the Ancient outpost where Daniel and Rodney are being detained and the chase is on to get to that world and destroy the device responsible for destroying stargates and denying the Wraith ships access to hyperspace.

TheLostTribe (24)

Ronon did a number on the Daedalus weapons system so before leaving the ship the Wraith pre-programme the computer with commands to turn the ship into a ballistic missile and while John and Katana battle the Vanir they have to find a solution to save the Daedalus and it’s crew as the ship slams into the atmosphere on course to vaporise the ancient complex. Unbeknown to everyone else at the time Rodney and Daniel have donned the alien armoured suits (very Ironman) and entered into the chamber to cripple the system, Daniel is hurt badly before Rodney can pull the plug. It’s a not a surprise that we get resolution which allows all the main characters to return the following week but to be fair the idea to use one ships hyperspace window to draw in a second was clever and obviously occurred to John after he had gone head to head with the Vanir. We also got a good closing scene with the two boys trading barbs and pudding and a rather awkward moment as Ronon learns that Jennifer’s interest in romance are focused on someone else.

The Lost Tribe was another excellent fifth season of Atlantis, we got more of the Daniel and Rodney dynamic, the return of the Travellers, Todd being well Todd and oodles of action and wonderful visual effects. Far fewer technical issues with this second recorded episode (not using bluetooth) but no denying we were all happy to wrap that night up so as always many thanks to Thomas for joining on the show. Thanks to Brad for the comment over on Facebook and this week podcast promo is for Flash Pulp an audio show which offers short stories and special movie features, I can heartly recommend their shows for pure creativity, production value and entertainment. Next week we will return with the Atlantis episode Outsiders, hope you join us and let us know what you think, we’d love to hear from you.

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Gatecast 269 SG1 Unending

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May 162015
 

avatar The Odyssey with General Landry and SG1 onboard travel to the Asgard homeworld where Thor informs them that as a race they are no longer able to resist the ravages of time, their cloning technology has hit a critical juncture and with no future capability to sustain their forms and no way to ascend they as a species have decided to remove their world and themselves from existence. Their final parting gift to the humans who for the most part they accept as the Fifth race is the fruits of their technology, every scrap of data is incorporated into a core piece of tech which they retrofit to the Odyssey and for the first time a human ship has the full resources of the Asgard military. As it turns out pretty sweet timing as ORI starships jump into the system and as the Asgard world is vaporised the Odyssey engages the ORI and proves victorious and jumps into hyperspace for the return to Earth.

Little did they know but that was just the beginning of their problems, the ORI continue to harass the Odyssey and they come to the conclusion that the Asgard tech itself is somehow being detected within hyperspace but it can not be removed or powered down without a time consuming procedure which leaves then open to attack but something has to change. The next time the ORI attack the Odyssey has time to beam most of her crew to a nearby world which has a Stargate and then she retaliates but as the end looks to be drawing near and weapons fire approaches the ship Sam throws the dice and engages the time dilation field and to those on board time outside the ship seems to have stopped with the energy beam frozen just off the starboard bow. Sam continues to seek a solution to avoiding their fate if and when the time dilation field is turned off but she can not find a solution as the years and decades flow by and
they all grow old and then maybe just maybe…

Unending (26)

Well what do you know a very different type of story to wrap up the Stargate SG1 series, the writers knew they had to conclude some elements of the show and perhaps the Asgard leaving the picture was unexpected especially given the limitations that become apparent before the SGC even got to exploit the windfall. However Unending is an out and out character piece with the members of SG1 and their General, we watch them grow older and deal with the isolation and depression that comes with their circumstance and how they interact with each other, sometimes with surprising and emotive results. I’m still not quite sure if the finale is satisfying, it certainly has some very interesting scenes and no question the CGI as always blew your socks off but I think the fact that these characters return in The Ark of Truth gives the finale a much needed positive slant and for fans the warm embrace they were probably hoping for. A huge thankyou to Thomas who once again made talking about Stargate lots more fun, always a great guest and if you fancy joining us then get in touch and we’ll see what episode of Atlantis is open and sort out a time to chat over skype while watching the episode. Oh, I also included my short review of the Stargate SG1 novel “Murder at the SGC” written by Amy Griswold entitled , spoiler free:)

This weeks promo was for the SciFi Diner podcast an excellent show with lots of interviews and features, well worth a listen and thanks for all the support for our coverage of Stargate SG1, the two movies will be covered in due time and in the short term we have the Stargate Atlantis S3 finale next week and then the two wrap up shows. After that we jump into the fourth season of Atlantis and there are still episodes open if you fancy joining us on the show, check the schedule and get in touch.

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Gatecast 195 SGA The Intruder

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Sep 212013
 

avatar2 The Daedalus is returning to Atlantis without the ZPM so it is well into the third week and the passengers are a little bored despite the events which led to their return to Earth and renewal of their charter to continue the exploration of Atlantis and the Pegasus galaxy. A body is discovered which at first looks to have been an accidental death but things don’t add up and during the investigation another crewman dies at the hands of the ships technology. McKay discovers a Wraith sourced virus infecting the ships core systems which has the ability to adapt and survive numerous attempts to remove it,  it calls for help and denies the ship the use of it’s hyperdrive engines leaving them stuck in the middle of nowhere.

The Intruder is a good bottle type show making full use of the new Daedalus standing set which is a modification of the original Prometheus set. This isn’t a cheap show though, there is extensive CGI work use to create the space shots and combat scenes plus some top notch matt work to show us the large landing bays complete with ships and forcefields in play. We also have the lead guest star ( Mitch Pileggi ) being made full use of and Beau Bridges appearing in flashbacks so the episode was making the most of the resources available to the producers at the time. In story terms they don’t try to hide the similarity to the SG1 episode Entity and it’s discussed at length within the shows commentary track but there are enough changes to make a much better story and overall a better episodes.

Humans, who needs 'em.

Humans, who needs ’em.

The Intruder is an episode which maintains the pacing of the second season as defined by The Siege trilogy but allows for a breather with it’s use of flashbacks all of which lays down some solid groundwork for the changes that are coming to the story. The flashbacks were also a nice addition and spell out how they affected Elizabeth both in her success job wise and the failure of her relationship, in both cases they were strong scenes for Torri.

Note to designers, polarised glass.

Note to designers, polarised glass.

This weeks promo is from The Anomaly Podcast, an excellent show which is hosted by Angela and Jen and has it’s own supplemental show, both of which are worth checking out. Brad joined me for this weeks show as Alan was in the middle of his move to Finland and sorting out his classes and his new home, next week Brad will be back with the SG1 episode Origin. We appreciate all the activity on the media portals especially the Facebook group which is generating some good discussion and Twitter which is always fun when talking to the Stargate community.

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Gatecast 193 SGA The Siege Part 3

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Sep 072013
 

avatar2 The second season of Stargate Atlantis kicks off with the arrival of the Daedalus just in time to rescue John from his suicide run on a Wraith Hive ship, the nuke detonates and removes the hive from orbit and then the Daedalus zeroes in on the second hive and once that is destroyed the cruisers make a run for it but the Darts make a beeline for the city. McKay with the ZPM struggles to power up the city shields as the darts get closer and yep he saves the day. Colonel Caldwell says hello and Ford is found in the water with a dead Wraith attached to his chest, it seems the venom used to prolong a victims life for feeding kept him alive but there have been consequences.

Long range sensors detect another twelve hive ships heading for the planet and John convinces Weir and Caldwell that with the tactical advantage of the nukes and beaming technology thanks to the Asgard and more importantly Hermiod the fight should be taken to the Wraith. The Daedalus lies in wait and as the Wraith fleet emerges from hyperspace, two hives are nuked but the others respond with new countermeasures forcing the Daedalus to retreat and once again the city has to defend itself. The remaining ten hives take position in orbit above Atlantis and open up with their main weapons, the shield protects the city but with only one ZPM it will not last long and a crazy idea is formulated.

We have visitors

We have visitors

Rodney and Radak remove a cloaking system from a jumper and splice it into the cities systems and with Teyla broadcasting the intent to destroy the city to protect Earth a nuke is detonated, the shields protects the city from the initial blast (which also disrupts sensors) and then the cloak is engaged to make it appear as if the city has been destroyed. The Wraith scan the planet but can not find any sign of the city and begin to move away but Ford now changed by the venom in his system raids the infirmary, threatens Carson and John before stealing a jumper and fleeing the city.

Phew, The Siege Part 3 for an episode that isn’t as big on action as the season one finale certainly packed in a lot of story and character elements and not only wraps up existing story lines but begins to lay down those that will work their way through the second season and beyond. There was a very good moment between John and Landey, respect shown by both men and resolves any doubts over John’s decision to put Colonel Sumner out of his misery which always hung over his command, it pays off in the next episode and as the character grows.

The CGI in this episode is stunning more so because three separate groups were responsible including the newly minted inhouse group who will be taking over much of the very expensive effects work any self respecting scifi show requires to make it shine. It was also great to see Hermiod back again in full puppet mode  which really allows for good interaction with the actors and one or two fun moments, an irritable Asgard is fun:)

What did he say?

What did he say?

All in all the season opener was a great start to the second year of Atlantis, the show is moving on and now both Carson and Radak will grow as characters, Ford is taking a step backwards but will return and exploration free of the immediate Wraith threat will allow for stories that couldn’t be told at the close of the first season.

Thanks to everyone who posted via twitter, facebook and google+ and we would sure like to hear from anyone with comments on our show and Stargate in general. This weeks promo is from Colin’s Trek News & Views podcast and next week we are back with Avalon Part 2, hope you can join us.

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Gatecast 185 SG1 Reckoning Part 2

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Jun 292013
 

avatar2 Sam and Jacob study the Ancient superweapon on Dakara and discover that it is capable of rearranging elements on a galactic scale and by using the Stargate network the modified energy pulse could be used to target only the Replicators in the Milky Way galaxy. Baal who has been sent by Anubis to retake the planet is roped into programming the weapon to meet the specifics of the Replicators and to enable the gate Network into dialing every gate at the same time, it’s an all or nothing play.
Daniel meanwhile is aboard Replicarters ship and is still being interrogated while the replicators assault the Gou’ald fleet in orbit around Dakara and they hit the SGC at the same time, as their total victory approaches Daniel is able to gain control of the machines and give Sam, Jacob and Ba’al just enough time to trigger the superweapon and in a matter of seconds the galaxy is purged of replicators.

They don't do anything small.

They don’t do anything small.

Bra’tac boards Ba’als flagship and attempts to capture the System Lord but he flees and that action as well as the taking and keeping of Dakara proves to enough Jaffa that freedom is within reach and the age of the Goa’ald is almost at an end.

Reckoning Part 2 continues with the action and suspense provided by the first part of the double header, Jack does his thing in the SGC as the Replicators run wild and we have the usual action and humour SG1 was known for. The epic space battle (more implied than seen) is wonderful with more than a nod to Star Wars which via the episode commentary seems to have been a Robert C Cooper sort of thing. We also get the politics and self interest which turns Ba’al away from Anubis which could seal his doom but as we find out in episodes and seasons to come Ba’al is a little harder to kill than the average Gou’ald.

I laughed at your rebellion!

I laughed at your rebellion!

Reckoning is simply one of the best episodes of Stargate SG1, more so because it’s a double episode and both parts are strong enough to stand alone let alone in tandem. The production value is off the charts with live action on large sets, matt and composite backdrops, great CGI and top notch acting and writing. It’ll be interesting to see how it fares in the season 8 poll but the votes may be split leaving some other strong episode to win the day.
Many thanks to Brad for joining us this week and for his voicemail regarding Letters From Pegasus and we got some Facebook feedback and a little twitter action during the recording of the show. I also checked the US itunes store and we got a couple of five star reviews so a big thank you to qapla_be’Hom and Lost In The Gate. We would love to hear from anyone about anything Stargate not just our own view of the franchise and you can contact us via this website or via Twitter, Facebook, Google+ or Email. This weeks promo is from Trek News & Views an excellent Star Trek podcast and next week we are covering the unofficial third part of this trilogy with Threads,  Jeff  joins us for that show.

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  • Have Closed, results in the respective wrap up shows.

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Gatecast 183 SG1 Reckoning Part 1

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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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Gatecast 173 – SG1 Gemini

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Apr 062013
 

avatar2 The Stargate activates and an old and void IDC code is received, it used to belong to Sam Carter who is obviously mystified but things become a little clearer when the MALP reveals a human form replicator at the other end of the wormhole and she was created in Sam’s image. She requests death at the hands of the SGC using the Asgard/Ancient created weapon but with such a valuable resource within reach Jack with a lot of prompting from Sam agrees to let her interrogate the replicator in the hopes of ultimately defeating this menace to the galaxy.

Damn, always wanted to be a Ginger.

Damn, always wanted to be a Ginger.

Gemini is from a production point of view a highlight of the season, some excellent camera and post-production work to get Amanda looking right when there are two of her on screen using a variety of techniques to make it work. Her own performance is outstanding as well providing two sides to the Sam Carter personality as is the subtle makeup which certainly sets the two women apart. Teal’c has a strong role in this story as well being the counter to Sam’s headlong rush and total belief in repli-carters word, of course knowing oneself makes it easier to deceive by providing all the right answers even to questions not directly asked.
It all goes pear shaped of course more so for the put upon Fifth whose only really two “relationships” both turn around a bite him, few men or man like beings get shafted twice by Sam Carter.

Wireless Samantha.

Wireless Samantha.

We were joined by Brad for this episode, he was up in the wee hours to record with us in our late afternoon, huge appreciation and once again we are always looking for a guest on the show, it works better with three voices at least I think it does.
This weeks promo is from The Saturday B Movie Reel a podcast which reviews and chats about the scifi/creature and disaster features which turn up so often on the Syfy channel, lots of fun if like me you love these sorts of movies:)
We’d love to hear from you so please get in touch, we can be found well here, on Facebook, Google +, Twitter, Stitcher and of course itunes which if you would like to leave us a rating/review would be most appreciated.
Next week we are going to discuss the Stargate Atlantis episode The Defiant One, please join us and spread the word.

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Episode 167 SG1 Covenant

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Feb 232013
 

avatar2 A surprise announcement from the head of Colson Industries who claims to have proof of alien interference with mankind and various governments collusion to cover it up. This shocking press conference has the US state department and the SGC attempting to put out the fire but with Alec Colson having his own fleet of satellites and his companies access to relabelled recovered alien tech he is certainly in a position to see the big picture. The SGC may be willing to play nice but the Trust made up of former NID operatives and backers are more decisive shall we say and if an accident can’t be arranged then there are
other means to remove a threat.

Covenant is a very well cast episode, both Charles and Tom play their roles exceptionally
well as the idealist and the realist clashing over what they should do with information that
could change the world. It’s great to see both Daniel and Sam working together out in the
real world and a call back to the Prometheus episode with the reporter being used to
glue everything together.

On or Off the record?

On or Off the record?

Thor of course is always a pleasure more so because they really have got the puppets
interaction down pat even to simple reaction shots and close in work with the actors.
I’m seriously impressed with the SGC’s creation of the base on the new Alpha site, that
would have taken a lot of work or maybe they had access to some Tok’ra crystals but
it looked man made. In hindsight it looks a lot like the Icarus base from Stargate Universe.

Don't forget the door remote!

Don’t forget the door remote!

This weeks promo is from the Scifi Diner hosted by Scott and Miles, they talk about genre
tv and movies and gather countless excellent interviews from their many convention trips, well
worth a listen. Next week we return to Pegasus and meet for the first time the Genii in the
SGA epsiode “Underground” which stars Colm Meany and Erin Chambers.

We got some feedback from Colin our friend over at Trek News & Views as well as a little
bit of facebook feedback on last weeks episode but we always need more so if you fancy dropping
us a line then you can do so via Facebook, Google+, Twitter and this sites contact form. You can
also find us on Stitcher Internet Radio and on itunes.

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Episode 155 SG1 New Order Part 2

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Nov 102012
 

 Thor returns to Earth and picks up the frozen Jack and the cool Tealc and heads to the new Asgard homeworld in the hopes that the Ancient knowledge held in Jacks head will help devise a defence once and for all. Meanwhile Fifth is playing mind games with Sam both to punish her betrayal but also venting his own immature rage against the one that spurned him. A showdown is imminent and armed with technology created by Jack who once revived has no real idea what it is or how it works the defence of the Asgard begins even if it means sacrificing Sam.

New Order Part 2 was aired as a separate episode in the UK but was part of the feature presentation of the season opener in the states. We have three stories ongoing all of which get a decent amount of screen time both to develop and for the characters to play their part, the Asgard find a solution to their long term problem with the replicators, Sam is saved although released is perhaps a more accurate term and the system lords and by extension Ba’al are put aside for another day. The request for asylum by Camulus comes out of the blue and of course Goa’uld rarely do anything that doesn’t serve a purpose, we’ll find out that purpose in due time.

It’s like looking in a mirror

New Order Part 2 is a very satisfying conclusion to the season premiere, we get solutions to the problems which make some sense while setting up potential problems in the future. The changes in the SGC and SG1 are significant but again they make a lot of sense especially given RDA’s limited time on set during the last season and saving the planet is a young persons game:)

The SG spin off – Pete & Sam by a Farm

Thanks for the continued support of the podcast especially via twitter and facebook, always good to see the discussions going on in those arenas but we would love here from you directly via email especially a voice recording. Lets hope as we embrace all that is Atlantis in next weeks episode it’ll encourage more interaction and speaking of which we’re just about to wrap up the itunes promotion so get those reviews in and the draw for the Ronon signed figure will be done maybe next week. This weeks promo is from Trek News & Views a Star Trek podcast, well worth listening to if you have any interest in the excellent scifi franchise.

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Episode 134 Fragile Balance

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Jun 022012
 

  Jack O’Neil returns to the SGC after spending some time at home but things are a little different, he is a little shorter for a start and more squeaky voiced. Overnight the Colonel has reverted to a 15 year old boy complete with the knowledge and experienced of his older self and the tests prove he is who he claims to be. Daniel and Tealc investigate the reports of alien abduction after Jack recalls seeing an Asgard face and the exploits of the greys revert to cultural stereotype, there is a reason mankind fears the arrival of the greys and being probed.

You might feel a slight pinch..

Fragile Balance is a good standalone episode well standalone in so far as there is a sort of pay off many seasons hence when events can be coupled with a story from Stargate Atlantis. This episode was shot with RDA off set for most of the time but with the resources given to Michael Welch he crafted his portrayal of Jack to perfection but with some nervousness but still backbone. There was some very nice location work and amazingly not everyone spoke English:)

Yes it’s Minnie Me

Next week we are covering the episode Orpheus a Jaffa centric story with the usual suspects so good times. As always thanks for the feedback and a special mention to Colin for three for three so far this season and the promo this week is from the Nutty Bites podcast. Join us next week, visit our Facebook and G+ pages and join in the conversations.

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Episode 121 Unnatural Selection

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Feb 252012
 

 SG1 onboard the now recaptured Prometheus agree to help Thor and his people to investigate the failure of the device they created to contain and control the Replicators. Upon arrival on the now lifeless former Asgard world they land and discover an intact structure which is now the residence of 5 individuals who turn out to be something entirely new to the galaxy. Faced with being totally at the mercy of this new life an olive branch appears thanks to what is considered to be flaws in the “programming” of Reese the creator of the replicators.

Just a little favour…

Unnatural Selection is the conclusion to the two parter and as the Prometheus story is wrapped we move onto the mission the Asgard present to SG1 in the hopes of finally winning their war against the Replicators in their galaxy. Of course nothing is ever straight forward and despite getting the ship into orbit and landing on the planet it was patently obvious they were allowed to find the structure and be used by the new variant of replicator that was housed there. The small plot holes aside the casting for “first” (Ian Buchanan) was inspired as a long term Soap actor he had the skills and the well smarm and slickness to play an over the top villian with style. A young Tahmoh Penikett also makes an appearance as “third” a year before making the BSG mini-series.

Pretty ain’t it?

The episode while delivering a successful mission for SG1 on behalf of the Asgard does so without a bit of a sour taste left in the mouth in terms of Jack betraying what was a genuine ally (in that place at that time). That said experience showed a single replicator of any style was always going to be a problem especially if under similar programming as the deceased Reese. It would have been interesting if Daniel had been in the episode rather than Jonas whose character still doesn’t have the depth to argue moralirt and ethics with Jack when it comes to making the hard decisions. As the belief goes if the beginning is corrupted then eventually the journey and destination will eventually fail and this seed which has been sown will come back to bite them.

Starship Eye Candy

The promo this week is Nutty Bites from our friend Nuchtchas and next weeks episode is “Sight Unseen” and as usual any feedback in any form is most welcome so thanks to John and Colin for the email and voicemail:)

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Episode 109 Revelations

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Nov 122011
 

  Life without Daniel is tough on SG1, while Sam deals with the loss aimlessly walking around Daniels old lab an unexpected visitor arrives and in time honoured fashion circumvents all the safe guards in place to protect the SGC. Yes Freya from the Asgard is paying them a visit with news that Thor has been killed by the Goauld but assistance is required to protect a secret lab on the planet Thor had been protecting and it’s vital to the Asgard. Jack jumps at the chance knowing that the best way to get over the loss of Daniel is to throw themselves back into the job so off they go in a captured cargo ship and on arrival are ringed into the secret lab. It’s there the experiment into the genetic manipulation of the Asgard race is being done by Heimdall a younger Asgard and a 100% CGI creation which allows some wonderful shots to be produced for this episode. The tension escalates when Anubis arrives to take over the interrogation from Osiris of the captured Asgard while SG1 put together a rescue plan whilst knowing they will eventually be discovered.

Osiris faces down Thor

Revelations the season 5 finale is epic on many counts, the first win for the Goa’uld against the Asgard in open battle must send shockwaves through both camps for different reasons and the loss of Thor even more so but even worse Anubis captures Thor and is able to pretty much drain the knowledge out of his brain opening up even more possibilities. The CGI in this episode from the wonderful Heimdall (Voiced by Teryl Rothery) to the beautiful starships in orbit around the planet is top notch and the skill required to merge CGI and live action in the lab is a major achievement on a TV budget, there are truly some beautiful and clever shots.

Assume the position!

Puppets, CGI, Green screen, Real people

 

 

 

 

 

In hindsight the lack of an uber cliffhanger makes a lot of sense as the show was leaving Showtime and moving to the Scifi channel (as it was then) and while at times show runners/studios seem to delight in sticking it to their fans this time Showtime viewers got a good send off. I’m not sure in this day and age if a show moved then they wouldn’t try to maximise the impact of a finale but they would certainly not miss the opportunity to make sure the viewers knew a former much loved character always had a chance to return.

Everything will be just fine, trust me:)

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Episode 106 Menace

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Oct 222011
 

Menace  The last survivor of a long gone race of people is found in some form of stasis in a very sleeping beauty pose but her true being is soon discovered upon returning to the SGC and when she regains consciousness the questions are asked and mysteries revealed. Faced once again with a conflict between extreme power and a lack of awareness and restraint the relationship between Reese and the SGC in particular Daniel who works point quickly collapses and all hell breaks loose, the result is inevitable despite the heartfelt pleas of Daniel for a humane resolution.

Menace is another one of the episodes which could be taken as a standalone episode but they weave in long standing arc elements especially in terms of the nemesis of the Asgard whose influence in the Human/Goa’uld sphere has always been restricted by events in their home galaxy. It’s probably convenient that a solution appears just as the Asgard are facing a critical time in their war and to add fuel to the fire the rise of Anubis is ramping up the threat level.

Beauty and the Beast?

One thing that may be surprising is that even though the basic plot is fairly simple and straight forward the episode packs in an awful lot of character interaction and action. The General and Janet get some good screen time and the dynamic between Reese and SG1 is strong with Daniel being the strongest and it’s their relationship which first builds trust and empathy and could have held it all together but eventually Reese’s lack of err maturity and the ease she can react to perceived slights brings down the house of cards. Danielle Nicolet who plays Reese carries off the innocence and then fury easily and developed strong chemistry with Michael Shanks which made the episode work, without that “warmth” the coldness that came later would have less impact and her fate less devastating.

Storm Troopers have nothing on this army!

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Episode 104 Fail Safe

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Oct 082011
 

  The Earth is doomed yet again as a rogue asteroid hurtles towards the planet and we have days left to live, not even Bruce could swing this one unless Dean Devlin decided to use this plot for a theatrical remake. The Tokra are in no position to help us having been more or less wiped out last week and surprisingly the Asgard refuse due to the protected planets treaty and no proof this is not a natural disaster. As luck would have it the crashed Teltak on Revanna is flyable with a little work from the tech guys from Area 51 and the SGC and armed with a Naquadah enhanced nuke SG1 make their way back to Earth to destroy the asteroid before it’s too late. Then the fun begins as the ship is crippled leaving SG1 stranded on the asteroid along with the nuke and a 2 hour countdown then the discovery of the composition of the rock proves the Goauld are responsible and the explosion will take out the solar system. They’re doomed:)

Fail Safe is a stand alone episode but ties in at least in terms of consequence from the events in Last Stand as Anubis promised the System Lords he could remove the Earth from the galactic equation. The lack of help also reflects the demise of the Tok’ra as a power and casts a question over the Asgard who are bound by the treaty but again without Thor may not be as enamoured with us.

Things to do today, Die!

Fail Safe comes along with some very tasty CGI and matt/green screen work, yes the scenes with Jack and Teal’c in suits (very good suits) walking in slow mo on the asteroid are difficult to make realistic on a TV budget but the rest looks fantastic. I assume the lack of significant guest stars and no location shooting meant more of the budget could be put towards the CGI work required to make this episode work despite splurging cash on the last episode especially. While it is a standalone episode there are certainly threads worth following in terms of the Asgard, Tok’ra and Anubis which shows the writers are on their game so close to the season finale.

I can see my house.

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Episode 92 Red Sky

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Jul 162011
 

  Perhaps there are some things you should not tamper with without the complete specs or instruction manuals but the lack there of does not stop the SGC from over riding lock out protocols on the gate and dialing. The results don’t seem too bad until minutes after arriving on Ktau the sun turns red casting the world into shadow and pretty much heralding the end times to the inhabitants who honour the Asgard created mythology.

Red Sky is a standalone episode which draws on the existing canon in regards to the gate system and the Asgard and certainly echos the season 1 episode “Thors Hammer” which is never a bad thing. We get to meet some more of Thor’s people and the Asgard puppets are getting really good with some top notch facial expressions most of which anyone who talks to Jack for any length of time would recognise.

Tough Crowd

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