Gatecast 241 SGA Progeny

 Episodes  No Responses »
Sep 272014
 

avatar Atlantis is surprised when they make contact with a world which is obviously advanced and the people are using Ancient technologies, initial doubts are repressed when they are invited to visit if their intentions are friendly so Elizabeth gears up hoping for a productive first contact with a people who could truly aid Atlantis. On arrival they find a duplicate of the gate room but behind the Stargate the building goes on into the distance, an inspiring example of Ancient design and construction made more significant by the friendly greeting of Niam and his companions. He confirms that they build their own ZPM units and that they are or at least were part of the Ancient civilisation before the fall and the dominance of the Wraith but they had removed themselves from that conflict and have been at peace. The leader of these Asurans doesn’t seem overly friendly despite being polite but it’s obvious things are not quite as they seem and when Weir confirms they are from the city of Atlantis they are taken prisoner and mentally interrogated using highly advanced technology which when revealed explains quite a bit.

Progeny (22)

Progeny is a pivotal episode of the third season, it not only adds to the overall Wraith arc which may at this point be getting a little stale even with the addition of Michael but also ties in some elements from SG1 despite there not being a direct link but we know a lot about how this type of lifeform operates but this time the Stargate personnel are dealing with a very centralised and goal orientated society. It’s curious that the aggression built into the replicators was never removed, it’s a stretch to believe the creators of the machines were never in a position to remove the threat of violence although we know the Ancients were arrogant so perhaps they never questioned the strength of the code which prevented the machines from attacking them. That arrogance also explains why they chose to bombard the replicator city despite the extreme odds of destroying every piece of technology but from that perspective you can understand the attitude of Oberoth ( David Ogden Stiers ). It was also a nice touch to have some of the replicators looking at the Ancients and Ascension as a goal for themselves, yes a lot more of their creators it seems was passed over then was intended and that level of desire and hope is why Niam and his friends help the team and why it is such a betrayal and manipulation even before the Asurans fight back.

Overall Progeny is every bit as good as it has to be being used as the first piece of a new arc within the third season of Atlantis, excellent guest stars and some very good use of existing sets, CGI and matt extensions to bring the huge city of the Asurans alive. This weeks promo is for The Warp Ten Podcast and next week we return to SG1 for the episode 200 which will feature Alan along with Thomas and Adriana, hope you join us for that and don’t forget if you have a minute leave us an itunes or stitcher review and rating and as always we would love to know what you think of our show and Stargate in general so feedback is most welcome.

Promo…

Links…

 

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Gatecast 185 SG1 Reckoning Part 2

 Episodes  No Responses »
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.

Promo…

Links…

Polls

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Gatecast 183 SG1 Reckoning Part 1

 Episodes  3 Responses »
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.

Promo…

Links…

 

 

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Episode 155 SG1 New Order Part 2

 Episodes  No Responses »
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.

Promo…

Links…

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Episode 154 SG1 New Order Part 1

 Episodes  No Responses »
Nov 032012
 

 Stargate SG1 season 8 kicks off in the aftermath of the attack on Earth by Anubis. Jack is still a popsicle buried deep in the Ancient outpost under Antarctica and the SGC operations are suspended as Elizabeth Weir overseas operations while conducting multi-national negotiations for the purpose of clarifying the use and ownership of the technology. SG1 are lobbying for use of the gate but a compromise is reached which allows Sam and Teal’c to take the cargo ship and search out the Asgard at the last battle site with the replicators leaving Daniel and Weir to deal with three visiting System Lords.

This is a welcome return to television for Stargate SG1, there was a brief period of time when season 7 was to be the last and the story concluding with a dvd/tv feature film but it’s continued popularity and profitability won out and it returns to Scifi hand in hand with it’s spin off series Stargate Atlantis.

Halloween all the time.

New Order picks up in the chaos surrounding the SGC, America and the nations who have been let in on the secret of the Stargate when a twist in the tale is presented as three System Lords come to negotiate and deal with an Earth capable of defeating Anubis and thus kicking their collective asses as well. As Daniel and Weir play ping pong with a bunch of arrogant and condescending aliens Sam and Teal’c reach out to Thor and discover the Replicators are now free and the war has once again erupted, everything is in flux.

Surprise!

Part 1 of New Order is chock full of goodness but lacks that little spark despite some great dialogue with the System Lords and action with the Asgard and Replicators, the events will and do ratchet up in the second part of the premiere as pressure is applied to both the SGA and the new Asgard homeworld which is now under serious threat. It may have been a better option to make this a feature release as with the DVD as our take on the first part is a little dry but it’s done now but as always let us know what you think, the plan is to release the SGA premiere as an extended release rather than chop it up but if you prefer two sub 1 hour releases that is an option.

This weeks promo is for The Roundtable Podcast which is co-hosted by last weeks guest Dave Robison and next week we will be discussing part 2 of New Order, feedback and general comments always welcome. We are still on the look out for more itunes reviews so make us proud but by all means be honest, all reviews get put into the draw for the Ronon figure signed by Jason Momoa. A big thankyou for the feedback on twitter and facebook this last week, very gratifying and we are looking into doing more episodes in 2013 with a third host so if you are interested let us know via email, twitter, facebook, google+ or the contact forms.
Promo…

Links…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Episode 121 Unnatural Selection

 Episodes  No Responses »
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:)

Promo…

Links…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Episode 120 Prometheus

 Episodes  No Responses »
Feb 182012
 

 Ambushed by a journalist Sam has to fend off questions about a top secret military project named Prometheus and when faced with disclosure a deal is done to allow the reporter access to the base with all materials held unto it goes public and they would have the exclusive. Of course it’s going to be a double cross by the US Air Force but they get double crossed first as elements of the NID take possession of the Prometheus and then demand the release of two very significant players. The SGC capitulate and then the bad guys steal the ship which came as a surprise since it really wasn’t ready to fly but it’s flaws help to save the day.

Lets make a deal

Prometheus sees the return of Frank Simmons and Adrian Conrad both under arrest for treason although Conrad being a Goa’uld is really a whole different ball game yet surprisingly the impetus behind the investigation into the project is from a true journalist perspective with it only be co-opted at a later date when not doubt the NID heard about the camera crews visit. The weakness in the narrative is of course the NID are not known for their ethical or moral core and thus would not be the type to die for the beliefs so suicide via a power core blast really didn’t make sense. Of course capitulating to terrorist or hostage takers demands is the norm in our society so perhaps even the .1% chance of losing Nevada was enough to risk losing the most powerful vessel created by the US.

All the grace of a brick

Of course when SG1 is involved the bad guys plans rarely work out and stealing an unfinished ship (which they did only as the opportunity arose) meant Jack and Teal’c could get on board rather easily but that surprise allowed them to take over a little too easily. That said Sam kicked ass both physically and intellectually and was probably the star of this episode despite John De Lancie delivering a wonderfully smarmy and moustache twirling performance. Prometheus is the first part of a two parter as made obvious with the final scene and the arrival of an Asgard starship commanded by the newly bodied Thor who saves the day yet than asks for some series help.

Not pretty but has potential

This weeks promo is from Tyrions Landing as we are getting close to the return of Game of Thrones and next week we watch and discuss “Unnatural Selection”. This weeks episode was constructed from 4 recording sessions spread over an evening punctuated by power cuts, it was not pretty.

Promo…

Links…

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Episode 106 Menace

 Episodes  No Responses »
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!

Promo…

Links…

 

 

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Episode 66 Small Victories

 Episodes  No Responses »
Jan 082011
 

Thor’s ship has been destroyed but a lone replicator has survived and boards a Russian submarine.
The US capture the ship and the only way to make sure this replicator is destroyed is to
do in person so Jack and Teal’c with a couple of red shirts board the vessel and discover
they are indeed replicating, the machine not Jack and Co. Meanwhile Sam is on a distant Asgard world working with Thor to create a strategy to defeat 3 replicator controlled Asgard ships which are inbound.

Small Victories kicks off the fourth season beautifully, we have two story lines with Sam going it alone and proving her worth as an out of the box thinker (not her usual role) but also offers up a lighter side to this episode with her interaction with Thor. Daniel is still basically on the side lines thanks to Michael Shanks recent operation leaving Jack and Teal’c to go close quarter combats on board the the submarine which was a genuine vessel and looked gorgeous thanks to the show moving to 35mm filming.

The O’Neill

Links…

Promo…

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS

Episode 65 Nemesis

 Episodes  No Responses »
Dec 042010
 

SG1 are on vacation but before Jack can go fishing he his transported away into orbit by Thor who has a rather pressing problem on board his flagship and if it’s not solved then the Earth itself could be in peril. Hammond doesn’t listen and sends Tealc and Sam (Daniel was recovering from surgery) upto the ship with a plan to save the day but the results open up a whole new can of worms on Earth.

Nemesis was an excellent season finale, yes it’s cliffhanger time but it’s a cracker with the fate of SG1, Thor and even the Earth in the balance. The episode features some very good special effects and CGI work as well good puppeteering for Thor when he is required to be there rather than as CGI. The introduction of Russian involvement or more to the point not being able to pull the wool over everyones eyes has ramifications further into the series.

Promo..

Links..

Podcast: Play in new window | Download | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS