Gatecast 257 SG1 The Shroud

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Feb 212015
 

avatar Daniel was captured by Adria and now makes his return to the galaxy but he has been converted to a Prior of the ORI and is preaching Origin to a small community, SG1 are aware of this new non violent approach to gathering new worshippers but they are shocked to see that it is Daniel who is leading this new wave of spreading the gospel. They act quickly and beam him onto the Odyssey and immediately stun him and with the anti-prior device and begin to question him about his time with Adria and what exactly are his plans given only he has the specs to the device Merlin created to fight the ORI. Daniel claims this is all part of his plan and by convincing Adria that he has embraced Origin she would indeed change him into a Prior and the abilities that would give him would in turn be used to build and deliver Merlin’s weapon into the ORI galaxy but with the whole Milky Way at stake the SGC and the IOA are sceptical to say the least. A compromise is given with Daniel giving the location of the ORI starship and SG1 launch a raid to capture the weapon and finish it’s construction but as they battle for their lives it’s Daniel who escapes, kidnaps Jack, steals the Odyssey and rushes to meet up with Adria and the final act of his plan.

You can trust this face.

You can trust this face.

The Shroud is an excellent episode of Stargate SG1 with it’s action and drama all tied together with a number of what are talking head scenes but that’s all great character interaction and dialogue, if nothing else Richard Dean Anderson’s final episode of SG1 pays off big time as we get the old Daniel and Jack dynamic back as if the previous two years absence had never happened. In many ways it’s a gift to the fans, each member of SG1 at least those that spent most of the time with Daniel get to well interrogate and come to their own conclusions and while it seems very much like Daniel is Daniel the powers that be have certainly left enough of a hint that there is more going on. Of course as it turns out Daniel was not providing the whole story and we got the WTF moment when he finally met up again with Adria who then not quite got what she was expecting. The final scenes with the incursion of multiple ORI starships fit very well into the style of the later seasons of SG1 and the ORI arc, it’s a partial win at best and while the power of the ORI has a question mark against it the power of their believers is very real and here right now.

This weeks promo is for The Rusted Robot Podcast a show hosted by Shawn and Brigitte which has news, interviews, reviews and just a lot of entertaining chat about all things that entertain fans of science fiction and geeky things in general, you’ll enjoy it. Next week we are going to be looking at the Atlantis episode The Tao of Rodney you know the one where Rodney gets super powers and then looks like his brain will blow up, good times good times as Lucius would have said, hope you join us for that. As always we would love to hear from you, feedback wise it’s a little quiet but Facebook and Google+ are ticking over and the twitter feed is a madhouse for all things Stargate.

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Gatecast 255 SG1 The Road Not Taken

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Feb 072015
 

avatar2 While Sam is doing an experiment in phasing technology as derived from the technology Merlin left behind and unexpected event occurs and she wakes in an empty lab only to find that things are not as they were, Major Lorne is the leader of SG1 and General Hammond is back in command of the SGC. After interrogation she convinces the General she is there by mistake and while their Sam has been lost they agree to help our Sam return if she in turn helps to prevent an imminent attack on Earth by the ORI by solving the energy generation problem they were working on. Alas that proved impossible so Sam expanded the phasing device to blanket the entire planet and fed with the energy output of the entire United States the planet vanishes and survives the ORI attack but now as a media darling and political pawn Sam is going nowhere.

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The Road Not Taken is another example of the alternate timeline/reality plot often used in Stargate and it has to be said it’s used a lot because it tends to work very well given the technology and characters we know and love in the series. It’s no surprise that the ORI like the System Lords are front and center for a divergent story line and in this one the Earth has pulled back from the galaxy as a whole and stands alone having missed the opportunities for exploring Pegasus and other revelations that came from ongoing galaxy wide exploration. Of course the reveal of the Stargate during their conflict with Anubis certainly shook things up and that perhaps shows while the disclosure has to be done sooner or later it also has to be handled in a controlled and delicate matter to avoid the panic and civil unrest. Of course the twisting of democracy to give the US president almost limitless power has corrupted things and the use of alien derived tech to crush opposition only shows how broken this Earth is. On the upside we did find out that McKay married Sam and he does seem to be a far more balanced and straight forward individual and of course Hammond remains the military man with his feet firmly in the camp of serving the people not controlling them. Overall a good solid episode if you can ignore how some of the events came to pass, the explanation for the transfer of Sam to the other Earth is a little sketchy and they totally gloss over how she returned but hey still fun and Amanda got to play dress up and boy did she look good.

Thanks to Brad for joining us for the show and this weeks promo is for Nutty Bites, next week we are going to be looking at the Stargate Atlantis episode Irresponsible which sees the return of two fan favourite (or maybe not) characters for their final appearances in the franchise, hope you join us for that. In the meantime we would love to hear what you think about the show and maybe if you have the time a review/rating over on itunes or stitcher would be very welcome, Stargate Forever.

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Gatecast 253 SG1 Line In The Sand

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Jan 242015
 

avatar2 Sam has been experimenting with phasing technology based on the device Merlin has left behind and with the imminent threat to the people of P9C-882 SG1 are ordered to take the new technology and use it to protect the native population from the ORI. Alas nothing really goes to plan and the assault on the settlement begins and in desperation Sam and Cameron phase a single dwelling and have to watch as the ORI take their wrath out on the locals. Meanwhile Tomin has Vala onboard the ORI mothership in orbit and has been tasked with the process of converting her to Origin, assumption being that Adria has decreed her mother is not to be killed at least not by anyone but herself but the Prior much to Tomin’s displeasure interrupts the word of Origin to support the destruction of the settlement despite some now willing to bow down to Origin.

Plenty to go around boys...

Pointy!

Line In The Sand expands upon some of the Ancient technology the SGC have discovered and given that Merlin was designing such tech to face the threat of the ORI it seems only right and proper thousands of years later it comes to the rescue but while overall the victory went to SG1 the consequences did perhaps tip the balance back to a draw, lives were saved but many lost. That said as many suspected Vala does have influence with Tomin and perhaps her calm and controlled delivery of what is right and proper or more to the point unacceptable no matter the belief system provokes Tomin to confront himself and the Prior when the locals are targeted for destruction. A small victory perhaps but the seeds have been sown and maybe if Tomin can be swayed then so can many more and the united front the ORI appear to offer may start to crumble.

A good action packed episode countered with some great acting from Claudia and Tim, their scenes with quite intense and in a way balanced out the more casual dynamic between a wounded Sam and Cameron as they all watched and waited to see the fate of the local population and an excellent guest appearance by Aisha Hinds as Thilana. This weeks promo was for The Batcave Podcast and next week we’ll be taking a look at the Atlantis episode Echoes and we’d like to thank Brad for joining us this week and sending in the voicemail, very much appreciated. We’d love to hear from you if you have some thoughts on this or other episode of Stargate and of course we are always looking for a guest to come watch and comment on an upcoming episode of SG1 or Atlantis.

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Gatecast 251 SG1 The Quest Part 2

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Dec 062014
 

avatar2 The dragon roars and SG1 along with Baal and Adria run away, very quickly but what do you know the dragon bursts forth from the lonely mountain and strafes them with fire before they gain cover in the tree line then it’s time for Cameron to try the man of action approach even though Teal’c is the one that goes on a suicide run but it’s up to Daniel to solve the final puzzle even if again someone else takes the first risk, this time Vala. I think there is a general sacrificial element to some of these characters in this story. The Sangraal is recovered and SG1 along with Ba’al are transported to another location and they find Merlin embedded in a stasis chamber, he’s released but is near death and when the situation is explained to him he reveals his part in the early battle against the potential Ori threat and provides Daniel with the knowledge to build a new weapon but before it can be completed Adria discovers their location within the Stargate / Transporter closed loop and her men launch an attack. Daniel saves the day but is then too weak to protect himself from Adria and is taken aboard an ORI starship, a new pet for the Orici.

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The Quest Part 2 is a pretty epic conclusion to this two part story and kicks off the second half of the final season with revelations, action, some humour and a surprising turn of events as SG1 are forced to flee while Daniel uses the inherent ability given to him by the Ancient memory device, alas he is not strong enough or experienced enough to hold Adria for more than a few seconds and well what is she planning on doing with him, we’ll find out next year when the Gatecast has finished with it’s seasonal bonus shows. I’ve got to admit that once again Ba’al played by Cliff Simon is an excellent character to stir things up as even when faced with Adria and her army on their tale he still can not seem to lose the arrogance and joy he taked from needling humans this time Sam who it has to be said responds wonderfully. Of course he then steals the scene once again when he “goes for help” and gets himself killed (again) so no doubt not the original Ba’al  who has a little more sense of self preservation it’s been proven time and time again.

A big thank you to Thomas for sticking with us for the whole evening (midday for him) when we recording both parts of The Quest and Thomas will return as a guest in the new year for an Atlantis episode. This weeks promo was for the The Rusted Robot podcast and next week we’ll be beginning the seasonal bonus shows starting with an episode of RL Stines The Haunting Hour called “Fear Never Knocks” and Brad will be joining me for that show, hope you join us. As always thank you to everyone that has talked to use and left feedback, always appreciated even though we would love to get more including a review over on itunes, haven’t had one of them for a good while but not to worry. We hope you keep listening to the show but for now keep watching and talking about Stargate, always more to discover within the movie, novels and live action series.

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Gatecast 250 SG1 The Quest Part 1

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Nov 292014
 

avatar2 After a wonderful insight and some Daniel detective work SG1 are away to discover the location of Merlin’s weapon the Sangraal. They arrive at a village and are greeted by the locals who aware of the quest, SG1 are not the first to undertake it but it seems not long before Ba’al had passed through, maybe they are too late. During some research the ORI invade and SG1 are forced to fight and then flee with the local librarian and head towards the lonely mountain and the dragon that protects the Sangraal, fun and games commence.

Quest1 (31)

Well here we are at the first part of a mid-season two parter, the quest for the weapon is nearing conclusion with not only Ba’al sniffing around but the ORI hot on their heels, lets not forget the dragon of lore which is said to protect the treasures left by Merlin but alas the visual effects artists were not firing on all cylinders or maybe the budget was simply stretched too tight just this once. To eb fair it may be the case that the representation of Dragons in particular has come a long way in the last few years but this is perhaps this dragon was expected to deliver and ultimately failed, better in the second part of the episode but in part 1 just a spindly legged lizard. Of course lots more to praise in the episode, Rod Loomis as Osric was exceptional and having Ba’al and Adria on screen at the same time with what  amounted to pretty much bickering foreplay was a riot to watch and we also get classic puzzle solving Daniel. As a mid-season finale The Quest Part 1 works very well, maybe a little slow in places but the puzzle solving works well within the story and the character interaction is the icing on the episode and who didn’t smile as Vala pulled the hair dryer out of her backpack, a little trite perhaps but funny.

Thomas joined us for this episode and will also be with us for part two which is going to be released next week, then we are going to do some bonus episodes and return with new Stargate specific episodes in January with The Return Part 1 and Miles will be a guest on that show which I am planning to present as a feature length show. Many thanks for the comments from Mack over on Google + for Phantoms and the ongoing chat on twitter and facebook. This weeks promo is for The Sci-Fi Movie Podcast a very entertaining look at some of the recent and not so recent scifi movies, well worth having a listen too as they cover movies from all across the genre and as always we’d love to hear from you and as a bonus a review/rating over on itunes or Stitcher would be really appreciated but for now keep enjoying Stargate, it binds us all together:)

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Stargate SG1 Top Ten Quotes

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Nov 232014
 

Stargate SG1 Top Ten Quotes thanks to Jessica for tweeting the link and Mark for it’s youtube presence.

Gatecast 248 SG1 Company Of Thieves

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Nov 152014
 

avatar2 The Odyssey arrives at the coordinates of a reported ORI supergate but they only discover a neutron star which affects the ships shields and sensors and then they come under attack by three alien starships, they evade but run into a minefield, a mayday is sent to the SGC who then lose contact. Onboard Anateo and his men murder Colonel Emerson to force Carter to remove the transponder and repair the damage to the ship and as the transponder broadcasts the position of the Odyssey  it allows Vala to use her contacts and secure a less than space worthy cargo vessel but before they make contact the Odyssey as indicated by the transponder moves and they follow, it leads them to a “chop shop” for spacecraft and Vala along with Daniel get captured leaving Teal’c and Cameron to devise a drastic plan to infiltrate the Lucian Alliance who were behind the ambush of the Odyssey. Cameron using the Reol chemical which when injected into a target makes them see who you want them to see plays the part of the major Lucian operative Kefflin who is a friend of Netan the current leader. When Teal’c is captured he is only saved from torture thanks to the intervention of “Kefflin” aka Cameron and things continue to go wrong when the bounty hunter/dodgy dude Tenat arrives and provides the location of the Odyssey but having seen Cameron before he confronts him and for a price agrees to go along with whatever deal Mitchell has got going. Meanwhile Sam has freed some of the captive crew and the retake the ship and Vala takes a risk in beaming Anateo off the bridge and out into space when the plan was to beam Sam to safety, it works but before they can get underway Netan arrives but again the Reol chemical comes in handy and the two Ha’tak begin firing on each other and the Odyssey beams Teal’c and Cameron aboard and jumps into hyperspace.

Oh, the Earth is now at war with the Lucian Alliance…

COT (8)

Company of Thieves is another of the Lucian Alliance episodes but has a lot more meat on it’s bones, this is perhaps the first time we see them as a strong force with some very intelligent people in positions of power but without the communal self interest this “organised” crime syndicate are more interested in their own power bases and that provides the chink required for the SGC to pull their proverbial out of the fire. It’s a pity Anateo played by Rudolf Martin wouldn’t be returning, he played quite an entertaining villain and was perhaps more dangerous than Netan in the big picture but that was the problem, the tenth season had become an ORI arc and the alliance were really only a side show so they always have to be played down or a way found to negate their impact on the Milky Way while the fight for the galaxy continues.

Overall this was a fun and exciting episode, some good call backs and excellent guest and recurring actors, Teal’c got captured and tortured again and they even acknowledgment his issues with his role in these plans and of course the murder of Anateo was quite cold for a scifi show with a firm family audience, quite unexpected but probably deserved after he ordered the death of Emerson. We are going to see more of the Lucian Alliance in the years to come but they never really made their mark on SG1 and this was perhaps their best episode in terms of dramatic effect.

Dan LaRock joined us for the first time for Company of Thieves, he said he was nervous but came through the recording session with everything intact and I believe he will be very happy with the result, hopefully he’ll return at a later date and in that respect if anyone out there wants to join us for an episode then by all means get in touch, we’d love to have you on and we’ve proved timezones and locations can all be worked around. This weeks promo is for The Babylon Project and next week we will be watching the Stargate Atlantis episode Phantoms, we hope you join us for that and feel free to get in touch just as a few of you did by leaving comments on Facebook and Google+ for the last couple of shows, let us know what you think about the show and/or Stargate and if you spot any news we’d love to help pass it amongst the Stargate family of fans.

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Far Horizons Review

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Nov 062014
 

Far Horizons is a compilation of ten short stories set within the Stargate SG1 and Atlantis worlds from authors well known within the genre, the book was published by Fandemonium / Stargate Novels with the ebook released on the 23rd of October and the paperback on November the 8th. This review is just going to brush the surface of the the ten stories since I don’t want to spoil anything and while many people are not interested in sitting down and reading a full novel these ten stories are an ideal length in terms of content to equate to episodes and we’re all happy to watch an episode.

Far-Horizons-cover-368x600

Draw Down the Moon by Suzanne Wood

In Draw Down the Moon SG1 are assigned for a follow up mission to the planet designated P3X-228, they return to the world to take up an open invitation from one of the communities elders to return for their festival but they are also seeking out a source of some energy readings which indicate the use of high technology. As the energy source continues to elude SG1 their conversations with the locals and the purpose of the festival raise some questions, enigmatic meetings with a number of women add to the increase in tension as the festival nears, are these people in danger, are they more than they seem and are SG1 all alone on this world facing the unknown yet again…

Who doesn’t love a mystery and the conversations that mystify SG1 yet open their minds to possibilities.

Bone Music by Peter J. Evans

The planet M3T-211 is a nightmare, a world shrouded with a particle field which will block sensors making it an ideal off world facility IF the members of the teams could actually operate under a sky which provokes nausea and illness. Sheppard and his team along with a science contingent are surprised to find a young girl on the island which holds the Stargate and then a small community who are aware of the “portal” but seem to have a healthy fear/nervousness about mainlanders and sea folk and indications of Wraith presence are found on the island. A festival is approaching and while the locals seem friendly it’s evident they are hiding something but should the people from Atlantis interfere without knowing all the facts.

A dark story which highlights the pitfalls of interfering with a society.

When On Earth by Sabine C. Bauer

The first Jaffa to visit the SGC in peace, his name is Teal’c and he’s thrown away everything he has achieved in his time as a warrior of the System Lord Apophis to follow a single man whose words gave him hope that maybe his people and his brothers across the galaxy may one day be free. Take a look at the SGC and it’s air force personnel through the eyes of an alien as he has to adjust and accept a new reality, potential friendships, allies and maybe a renewed determination that his choice was the right one.

What would it be like to be alone amongst aliens, Teal’c the man the legend.

Close Quarters by Melissa Scott

A salvage mission of an Ancient warship is ongoing and Ronon has been volunterred if for no other reason than to keep him busy and not brooding over a failed potential romance with Dr Keeler, the fact she seems to like Dr McKay isn’t helping but work will take his mind off it his friends are sure. A distress call from a Traveller ship has the puddle jumper fly off leaving Zelenka and Ronon to continue their work but structural stresses in the hull of the ship being to tear it apart and with time running out they search for away to escape the dying ship with no help at hand.

Zelenka is a great character and teaming him up with Ronon well that’s a winner.

Time Keeps on Slippin’ by Keith R. DeCandido

After a narrow escape from the dying Asgard starship Biliskner Jack, Sam and Teal’c with Thor in statis arrive on a world formerly surveyed by the SGC but it’s not quite as reported, the landscape is changed but with no recourse they set out to find Thor’s pod which had arrived a little earlier than the humans but then Teal’c vanishes. Sam finds his weapons and when turns back finds O’Neill frozen in place with some sort of energy field between them, alone she sets out to find her missing friends knowing she can no do anything for Jack and the consequences of her decisions and actions were reverberate around this world for generations to come.

The mystery of the Soul Patch and a tale untold.

Consort by Amy Griswold

The majority of the Ancients have died or fled the Pegasus galaxy but their progeny known as the Asurans are still fighting against the dominant life form in the galaxy known as the Wraith. Onboard one hive ship the political and social power play amongst the males for the favour of their queen results in an audacious plan to strike at the heart of the Asurans and turn the tide of the battle, this is the story of this hive and one wraith in particular.

An insight into the Wraith, not just a generic bad guy.

Perceptions by Diana Dru Botsford

SG1 still suffering from the loss of their close friend and colleague Janet Fraiser undertake a mission to strike a super soldier facility but they become pinned down and flee the planet in a stolen cargo ship controlled by a symbiote who claims to be a captured Tok’ra whose host has fallen. As each member of SG1 deals with their grief over Janet and failure to gel as the team they once were they are forced to confront themselves and their feelings with each other, the imprisoned Tok’ra Penthos adds an extra dimension to the dynamic especially with Jack with his existing issues with both symbiotes and the Tok’ra.

Crosswords and character interaction with a depth which was missing despite the excellent Heroes which dealt with Janet’s loss.

Pleasure Cruise by Geonn Cannon

Colonel Samantha Carter commanding officer of the Daedalus class starship the George Hammond once again runs across the mysterious starship they waylaid the Prometheus so many years before. This time with no head wound to confuse the issue these projections/entities or figments of her imagination can be more directly questioned revealing much more of this enigmatic but so very powerful starship which despite being aggressive had dealt honourably with her when she had saved both ships during their previous encounter. Who are they and what do they want?

Good ol’ George and Samantha front and center proving what we already know.

Off Balance by Sally Malcolm

Jack O’Neill is recruited by agents acting for the Air Force and the SGC to help in the rescue attempt of SG1 thanks to his genetic gift of the ancient gene, his mission will be to activate a piece of alien technology on an off world compound where SG1 are being detained but not everything is as it seems and once the excitement is over the consequences have to be addressed and decisions made.

Things that were left unsaid, artfully done continuation of a character that should have been addressed in the series.

A Blade of Atlantis by Jo Graham

Atlantis rocks under the initial onslaught from the Wraith as they are softened up before the hive ships arrive which gives the expedition time to get the Ancient chair and drones working but time is of an essence and Wraith are loose in the city. Zelenka with an armed escort is making his way to the chair room via a very round about path as the transporters are down but when they are ambushed Zelenka faces death until help from a very unexpected place arrives and changes everything for Radek.

A seamless addition to what was an outstanding trilogy of episodes.

 

So there you go, more than enough to wet your appetite and like I said these are not long time consuming stories but snippets of time amongst the SGC and Atlantis which in some cases make use of existing gaps within the narrative to slip in and enhance the televised stories and others which standalone. Now I have my favourites and to be honest which I prefer is not that important since they all have merit, some are a little funnier than others some quite dark but for the price I don’t think any Stargate fan would feel let down by either the paperback or ebook of Far Horizons.

Far Horizons

 

Gatecast 246 SG1 Memento Mori

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Nov 012014
 

avatar Daniel takes Vala on a date or as he puts it two friends sharing a meal but it’s a fancy looking restaurant and they both look like they have put a little effort into their appearance so I think it’s safe to say Vala definitely sees it as a romantic possibility and well Daniel is just deluding himself. When Vala takes a trip to the ladies she is accosted by a guy who injects her and then carries out to a car which then speeds away, the helpful waiter who witnessed the “abduction” informs Daniel and the game is on. It turns out elements of the Trust now led by the Goa’uld Athena (former confident of Ba’al) is looking to unlock some information in Vala’s brain from her time as Qetesh using alien technology. The SGC investigate known Trust safe houses and come up with five possible locations and raid all five, it does not go well and in the warehouse where Vala is being kept the SG team are all killed and an injured Vala escapes but the alien tech has damaged her memories and she finds herself wandering aimlessly and finally being drawn to Sol’s Diner where through very good luck she finds employment. After she foils a robbery the police put her photo on the wire and the Trust and the SGC race to find her but the bad guys get her first leading to a car/bike chase which results in Vala capturing an injured Cameron and thanks to her memories still not sure who she can trust.

MM (8)

Vala retraces her steps and returns to the warehouse with the Trust and SGC right on her heels, a fire fight breaks out and eventually she and Daniel are face to face and with a heart felt plea he breaks through her memory blocks and overwhelmed with memories of her friends and new family she embraces Daniel with tears streaming down her face, oh Cameron has put his pants back on for the raid on the warehouse 🙂

Memento Mori is a very good episode for Vala (Claudia Black) and also solidifies her position in Stargate Command, it’s clear despite her lone wolf and mercenary attitude she has found a place she is happy to be and with people she likes and respects. It was a great moment to see her presented with the SG1 patches and of course lots of people seemed to like Cameron hand cuffed to the motel bed as Vala got the low down on her “alien abduction” scenario, lots of fun. The set piece bike and car stunt was very well done, looked very nice and Teal’c interrogating the Trust operative was fantastic. Overall Memento Mori was an entertaining episode, some laughs and lots of action and drama, lets not forget The Usual Suspects homage when Vala was talking to Detective Ryan (Adrian Holmes).

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Gatecast 244 SG1 Counterstrike

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Oct 182014
 

avatar2 SG1 are undercover on an alien world recently taken by the ORI and a now fully grown Adria makes an appearance, after a rousing speech which has the locals aka survivors cheering an energy wave is detected by the Odyssey in orbit, they beam SG1 onboard and watch helplessly as every living thing on the planet is vaporised. Meanwhile back at the SGC Bra’tac arrives to bring news of a new offensive against ORI held planets using the Ancient weapon at Dakara, the current Jaffa council have decided that sacrificing whole worlds to kill the ORI armies is a worthy trade off and with an ORI starship now abandoned the race is on to take control of it. As SG1 investigate the ship they find the bridge and the robes of a Prior which indicates they control the ship which negates the whole premise of the Jaffa believing they can take the ship and use it to fight the ORI but there is no trust and the two groups spend more time fighting each other. The surprise for both of them is that Adria thanks to her connection with Celestis is still very much alive and is perhaps the most advanced being in the galaxy at this time and she takes control of the ship and with the information gained from the “dead” Jaffa she sets course for Dakara to destroy the weapon. Bra’tac and Landry are being held by the Council and their leader Se’tak who is a little paranoid holds up in the bunker and activates the weapon when the ORI ship is in orbit, it kills his men but Adria is again untouched and she fires on the planet ripping apart the ancient technology while Landry and Bra’tac flee through the Stargate.

Counterstrike (33)

Counterstrike is a well written episode and delves into the use of a device the Ancients meant as a tool for creation (think the Genesis device from Star Trek 2) but to create it has to manipulate raw material so when used as a weapon the need to create is a by product and the destruction of in this case life forms becomes it’s sole purpose. Of course the moral and ethical dilemma is exposed when every the decision to sacrifice innocents and non-combatants to strike at actual military targets and we get plenty of opportunity to explore that. That said we don’t get a lot of insight into the limitations of the Jaffa decision, piece meal strikes will simply be giving the ORI enough time to eventually discover the technology and source of the weapon and the foolish belief the Jaffa could make use of an ORI ship given that we know the Prior are the key to their technology beyond hand weapons etc. Ultimately the strike against this planet was misguided and achieved little and does kinda indicate that conventional means will not defeat the ORI and even some out of the blue almost mystical technology may not even be a total solution, I guess even Daniel may be wishing on a star in his hope for Merlin’s weapon.

Thanks for the feedback for last weeks episode The Real World and thanks to those that voted in the poll, the results seems to indicate a very pro Elizabeth (Torri) camp within the Stargate Atlantis fanbase and like the character or not she really should have been given more to do or sidelined even more in the way of General Hammond, this middle ground didn’t seem to work for anyone. This weeks promo is for The BatCave Podcast and next week we are going to be covering the Atlantis episode Common Ground where John has a close encounter with an old enemy and gets even closer to a potential friend or at least respected enemy, should be fun. Thanks to Brad for joining us on this episode and given the hoops we were jumping through it didn’t turn out to bad but overall came in a few minutes shorter than normally, could have done with a bit of extra content (reviews, comments etc) yep that’s a hint:)

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Gatecast 242 SG1 200

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Oct 042014
 

avatar2 Cameron is all set to celebrate his 200th crossing of the event horizon but before he can gather the team to help him celebrate this mild achievement Martin Lloyd makes an appearance requesting some help with his proposed scifi feature film and as before the Pentagon believes leaking some information in the guise of a piece of media fiction will aid in the protection of the Stargate program and in the long term ease the idea into the public consciousness for when the time was right to reveal all. SG1 start to provide Martin with some ideas but none of them seem to satisfy him and ultimately he gets the dreaded phone call that the production has been cancelled but it’s not all doom and gloom as eventually after a minor glitch the team along with Walter, Landry and Martin use the Stargate and celebrate with Cameron offworld. The episode wraps with a quick ten year jump into the future as Martin and his television shows celebrates their tenth year, cast and crew interviews are presented skewed from what we know of the “real” SGC and the cherry is that Martin gets a call and the movie is back on.

The 200th episode of Stargate SG1 follows on from the 100th episode and expands upon the character of Martin Lloyd the alien who came to Earth and stayed after finding himself a niche in the media world so in what amounts to a series of clips we get to see the various show ideas the members of SG1 came up with and skewed a little towards their personality traits. It was great to see Farscape spoofed both in words and pictures and it didn’t half look good but then again so did their version of Star Trek, we also had fun with a hard boiled almost noir PI show starring Teal’c and of course Vala pimping ideas from shows she had seen although who would be surprised to hear she crash landed her ship on a alien and was revered a local population now freed from tyranny. The CW version of the show was terrifying but then again have you seen The 100 or Star Crossed, if so then you get the idea but the pièce de résistance was surely the puppet sketch which was just too funny for words and underlines the effort the studio and producers put into this milestone episode. Oh and see if you can spot both the credited and uncredited cameos that were included in the episode, there are quite a few.

Alan hosted this episode along with guests Thomas and Adrianna and they had a blast and we hope you have fun when you listen to the podcast and let us know what you think. This weeks promo is for The Babylon Project Podcast and next week we’re back on Atlantis for the Elizabeth centric episode The Real World so join us for that and above all else keep watching and enjoying Stargate.

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An Opinionated Review – Bloodlines

 News & Media  No Responses »
Sep 242014
 

A new Opinionated Review from SF Debris, this time around it’s the Stargate SG1 episode Bloodlines.

Gatecast 240 SG1 Uninvited

 Episodes  No Responses »
Sep 202014
 

avatar Well the plan was to get SG1 and Vala to take a break with General Landry who was borrowing Jack’s cabin in the woods but an offworld incident has delayed Colonel Reynolds and complicated the arrangements leaving Cameron all alone with the General and his bird watching and duck calling interests. A beast it seems is terrorising the natives of an alien world and soon attacks and injuries on SG personnel cause concern but when a creature is killed by Teal’c it’s autopsy reveals a parasite of sorts which turns out to be from another dimension drawn into this one by using a tweaked version of the Sodan cloaking device. While there is relief that the ORI are not behind the attacks on the alien worlds things get complicated when some hunters are ripped apart in the vicinity of the cabin, while a bear is used as a smoke screen for the local police the General calls in the air force to secure the area and Cameron uncovers a Trust agent using a Sodan device to spy on the General.

A Cabin in the Woods

A Cabin in the Woods

Uninvited is maybe not the best of season ten and it is pretty much standalone drawing upon elements of existing alien technology and the known infiltration of the Trust by elements of the Goa’uld but offering up a story that has no direct impact on the juggernaut that is the ORI arc in this final season. However there is some very nice location work and when you listen to the episode commentary it shows how clever and talented the DP and his crews are at working with and emulating real world conditions far from the comfort of the main studio infrastructure. We also get introduced to Doctor Redden played by Keegan Connor Tracy who alas only appears on this single episode of the show, perhaps a side effect of filling the shoes of Lexa who recently gave birth and wasn’t available for filming and by extension no Daniel again in this episode. The CGI for the beasts were nothing to brag about either but they armourer and direction for the fire fights more than made up for the less than stellar alien enhanced creature terrorising the woods.

This weeks promo is for The Sci-Fi Movie podcast a show that covers a scifi themed movie each week, lots of humour and well worth listening too. Many thanks to Jeff for joining us for Uninvited and hopefully he’ll be back soon, next week we are going to be covering the Atlantis episode Progeny a rather significant episode for that show so we hope you join us for that and let us know what you think, we often repeat this but hearing what you think of Stargate and our show makes all this worthwhile even if it’s not all positive feedback:)

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Gatecast 238 SG1 Insiders

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Sep 062014
 

avatar An alien ship is detected approaching Earth and once in the atmosphere an F-16 is sent from Peterson to intercept, with no communications the ship is fired upon and is brought down close to the SGC and it’s lone pilot is revealed. It’s not every day a system lord visits the planet especially unarmed and with a proposal to server the best interests of the Milky Way galaxy but as the interrogation goes on it’s obvious that little old Ba’al even with all the good intentions is still working an angle but perhaps his immediate help is too tempting when faced with the threat of the ORI. So the SGC agree to make use of the tracking information he supplies to capture his clones with the belief that when done Ba’al will actively support the search for the Sangraal the weapon created by Merlin to fight the ORI and by extension any ascended being. Agent Barrett is on base representing the NID and in a strange turn of events “aids” in the escape of Ba’al who with his clones go on a rampage and finally manipulate Carter into providing the database of gates in the galaxy and with this information is master plan for the SGC is complete and he and his clones are beamed on a ship in orbit and escape.

You know you can't trust him

You know you can’t trust him

Insiders is an epic production making use of all the tricks of the trade to emulate multiple versions of the same character on screen at the same time, at times it’s obvious the simple body double is being used but they keep that at a distance so it works very well with the more technical solutions making the episode shine. I don’t think it was any surprise the Atlantis team did a similar thing with multiple McKay’s and maybe with just two versions the look of their show just edges out the SG1 episode although truth be told SG1 has always been a little grittier than the more polished SGA. Cliff Simon has always been an interesting and menacing system lord and with the clone story it at the very least means we get to see a lot of him and his character fits into a post Jaffa rebellion galaxy and while he can certainly aid in the ORI war effort he does nothing unless it ultimately serves his own purpose so can never be trusted. Insiders is also a good episode for Vala allowing her to make use of some her knowledge and experience, she smiles a lot and really lights up the scene and it’s clear she is having a lot of fun but Claudia was uncomfortable with the one on one with her character and Ba’al, there was a hint of menace which was well conveyed.

The Sangraal story arc continues at a pace although the writers will have to make a tweak in the future to explain how the SGC play catch up since Ba’al seems to be well ahead in understanding and finding the device Merlin has created and hid somewhere in the galaxy but that’s for another episode which we will get to eventually and who knows our first time guest this week Misa may well return for more Ba’al episodes, she is a bit of a fan of Cliff Simon after all:) This weeks promo is for the audio drama with a pulp twist Flash Pulp and next week we return to Atlantis for the episode Sateda a very Ronon centric tale, almost an origin story so please join us for that and let us know what you think of the seasons and show so far, we would love to hear from you and if you have a minute a rating/review on itunes and/or Stitcher would be most appreciated.

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Gatecast 236 SG1 The Pegasus Project

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Aug 232014
 

avatar The Pegasus Project is a Stargate SG1 and Atlantis crossover under the SG1 banner and finally Daniel Jackson gets to visit Atlantis and the rest of the gang come along for the ride apart from a certain Jaffa who has another mission to perform in the milky way. Daniel and Vala make use of the the holographic database and surprisingly get the answer they are looking for which is puzzling to Daniel since there should be no way that the database would have records of planets named after the fall of the city. While they puzzle this out Sam and Cameron on board the Odyssey fly to a black hole and seed a gate close to the event horizon and they hope by detonating a nuke it will cause the destination gate to jump it’s wormhole to the nearby Super Stargate created by the ORI, yes this is where Teal’c has gone too in a cargo ship.

TPP (21)

Big, Bigger and Freaking Huge!

The experiment fails but shows potential so they all stick around and try again but on long range sensors an ORI ship is detected and unbeknown to the Odyssey a Wraith ship is closing on them but so close to the black hole they can not see it coming so when it opens up they get caught by surprise. So Teal’c is playing hide and seek from an ORI ship and the Odyssey is running from a Wraith ship but as it closes in on the Black hole it’s systems start to fail and they are able to beam a nuke on board, it detonates and the energy also hits the gate and transfers through the wormhole and jumps to the Super Stargate whose kerwoosh destroys the ORI ship, two for one:)

The Pegasus Project is an excellent episode not only for combining the two shows but also ramping up the CGI and action to really keep the pace high and even when it’s talking heads the dialogue is sharp and witty making the most of the new dynamic between the two character groups, it’s hilarious as Rodney gets talked about, talked over and basically made fun of by well almost everyone. It was also interesting to meet another ascended being who is once again constrained within the limitations imposed by her people, we mention the Q but they seem to have a lot more leeway but more of the ascended when the ORI really come close to achieving their goals.

Thanks to Brad for joining us for this show, we had skype issues so we may have lost some of the discussion but I think I was able to fill in the gaps and keep everyone entertained, let us know if you disagree:)
Also check out Futura Memoratia by Jennifer Foehner Wells, I’ve been meaning to review the novel length piece of Stargate Atlantis fan fiction for a while and since they show ran short it was a perfect time.
Thank you to Mack for the feedback over on Google + and Brad over on Facebook, continued amazement how busy twitter is, lots of Stargate chat and news and well worth keeping an eye on, some great people making use of twitter to share all manner of things about Stargate. This weeks promo is for the Star Trek original series podcast Two To Beam Up and next week we are back with just the Atlantis crew in the episode “Irresistible” we hope you join us.

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