Showing posts with label SG-1. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SG-1. Show all posts

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Stargate SG-1 Episode 103 "Enemy Within"

(This does contain spoilers, but considering it aired 15 years ago you should have had time...)
OVERVIEW:

The weeks following SG-1's intense adventure keep the SGC busy as wave after wave of their new found enemy attempt to penetrate the Stargate's shield. Little does the team know, but someone has already gotten through.

REVIEW:
Personally I liked Enemy Withing, I thought that for beginning Stargate is was a good episode showing how the Gou'ld can infiltrate almost anywhere, no matter how many weapns you point at the Stargate, and also gave more light to how when it is required, Teal'c will do anything necissary to protect the one people who actually showed him trust and support. This reappears several more times throughout the series.

It was a little annoying that the infiltrator turned out to be Kawalski but only because he (Other than Daniel and Jack) was the last Alumni character from the original movie.

All in all, this episode is just another reason why Stargate SG-1 is a really great piece of work, from the writers room, to the actors. When it comes to O'Neill's humor or the serious but caring Teal'c everyone keeps the fun going and suspsense up.

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Stargate SG-1 - Episode 102 "Children of The Gods (Part 2)"

Episode Synopsis (From GateWorld):

When powerful aliens come through Earth's Stargate, Colonel Jack O'Neill returns to Abydos to retrieve Daniel Jackson, who has discovered that the alien transit system includes much more than the two planets.

Episode Summary:

As the episode starts, the Earth gate is dialing. The team comes out of the gate, and a metal barrier closes over the gate behind them. normal_sg1_101_0722While Ferretti, gets taken to the infirmary, Jack asks what it is. Hammond informs him it is an “iris”, made of pure titanium. Hammond wants to know what happened on the planet, and Jack tells him base camp was attacked while they were off looking around.normal_sg1_101_0736

On a random planet, we see a group of people locked up. The attackers that came through the Earth gate enter the room and take Sha're, leaving a frustrated Skaara behind them. normal_sg1_101_0743Back on Earth, Jack checks on Ferretti, then takes Daniel home. normal_sg1_101_0760They discuss Abydos, Sha’re and Jack’s son, who died right before the first movie. A little later, we see a group of women waiting, including the female Airman from the beginning of the episode. normal_sg1_101_0803She’s taken to see the Ra look-a- like, who says that she could be the vessel for his queen. But the “queen” rejects her, and she is unfortunately killed. normal_sg1_101_0842

Back on Earth, the President gives authorization to go form 9 teams whose sole mission will be to gather intel on threats to Earth. Jack is given command of the flagship team, SG-1, with Sam as his second-in-command and Daniel accompanying them. normal_sg1_101_0869A doctor comes in a informs them that Ferretti is awake. He manages to remember the symbols dialed by the aliens and types them on the computer. normal_sg1_101_0885

The teams gear up and get ready to move out. They have 24 hours to find what they are looking for and return, or their codes will be locked out and the iris will be permanently sealed. normal_sg1_101_0892They head through the gate, arriving at an unknown planet on the other side. They set up camp, making it a defensible position in case they are attacked. Back in the unknown complex, Sha’re is taken next. Like the Airman, she is taken to meet the “queen”. normal_sg1_101_0964But unlike last time, Sha’re is acceptable to her. The “queen” burrows into the back of Sha’re’s neck, taking her body as her own. normal_sg1_101_0992

SG-1 meets a group of the indigenous people. Jackson approaches them, telling them they had come through the Chapp’ai (Goa’uld for Stargate). normal_sg1_101_1019They take SG-1 to the town, called Chulak. normal_sg1_101_1041There, they are treated to a feast, which is interrupted when “Ra” and Sha’re, now possessed, enter the room. normal_sg1_101_1061Daniel jumps up and attempts to communicate with her, but is knocked back by “Ra”. Jack raises his weapon, but when Sha’re jumps in front of Apophis, he lowers it in surprise and is knocked unconscious. normal_sg1_101_1066

Daniel wakes up in the prison room, along with Carter and Jack. Jack says he hasn’t found a way out, and the gate is going to be sealed in just over 90 minutes. The leader of the soldiers, confronts Jack, asking him where he’s from. Daniel draws the symbol for Earth in the dirt. The leader scratches it out and walks away. normal_sg1_101_1098Daniel figures out that it isn’t Ra that they are fighting against, it’s Apophis, Ra’s rival. Right after he does this, the soldiers return and the “gods” enter, looking for who is going to be the “Children of the Gods”. Making their rounds, Daniel tries to sacrifice himself to be close to Sha’re in some form. normal_sg1_101_1174But instead, Skaara is chosen. As they leave, Apophis says “Kill the rest.”

Preparing to execute all the prisoners, Jack yells to the leader, “I can save these people. Help me?”normal_sg1_101_1211 The leader replies, “Many have said that…but you are the first I have believed can do it.” He turns and fires on his own men. Jack grabs a staff weapon and blows a hole in the wall. The prisoners escape out the hole, and Jack convinces the leader to come with him.normal_sg1_101_1248 Jack asks him his name, and he find out his name is Teal’c.

As they head to the gate, SG-1 find out about the Jaffa, the soldiers of the Gou’ald. They discover that all Jaffa carry an larval Goa’uld, in exchange for perfect health.normal_sg1_101_1286 They and the prisoners arrive at the gate at the same time as Apophis and the other Goa’uld. The ship drops them off, then proceeds to strafe the escaping prisoners.normal_sg1_101_1403 The situation is extremely dire, until SG-2 pops up with a rocket launcher and shoots it down.normal_sg1_101_1407

SG-1 make their way to the gate, and when Jack sees Skaara, he runs down the hill to meet him. When he calls Skaara’s name, he turns around and his eyes glow.normal_sg1_101_1451 He knocks Jack back with a Goa’uld hand device and then proceeds through the gate. normal_sg1_101_1453Jack is visibly crushed, but there is no time to be concerned about that. They are almost out of time. They are surrounded by Jaffa, who are closing fast.normal_sg1_101_1492 On Earth, General Hammond finally gives the order to seal the gate and lock out their transmitters. Back on Chulak, Daniel finally dials the gate.normal_sg1_101_1521 As soon as Hammond hears that, he retracts his last order. normal_sg1_101_1523

Carter sends her transmitter code and they begin sending people through the gate. Once everyone is through, the last SGC defenders make their way through the gate. One of SG-2’s members is grazed and Jack and Kawalsky have to pick him up.normal_sg1_101_1598 On the gate pedestal, they trip and in that moment, a larval Goa’uld burrows in the back of his neck. normal_sg1_101_1620He shakes it off, not quite realizing what happened. They jump through the gate and the gate is locked down behind them. Everyone is happy to be home and leaves the gate room after a minute or so. Kawalsky stays behind for a minute longer…and his eyes glow. normal_sg1_101_1686

Episode Review:

The second part of “Children of The Gods” is just as good as the first part. Michael Shanks gets to showcase his acting chops more in the second part, where he has a bigger role. This part also sets the stage well for the rest of the series. It gives a foreshadowing of the scope of the Goa’uld Empire, as well as a inkling of the quest to find both Sha’re and Skaara. But personally, the best part was watching the larval Goa’uld burrow in to Kawalsky. You know that it’s probably not going to end well later, and you want to jump up and scream at SG-1 to check him out, just to avoid the inevitable take-over. All in all, a great episode!

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Stargate SG-1 - Episode 101 "Children of The Gods (Part 1)"

Episode Synopsis:
When powerful aliens come through Earth's Stargate, Colonel Jack O'Neill returns to Abydos to retrieve Daniel Jackson, who has discovered that the alien transit system includes much more than two planets.

Episode Summary:
The episode starts off with a few Air Force enlisted folks playing poker in the lower levels of Cheyenne Mountain. normal_sg1_101_0007.JPGWhile they're sitting there, a tarp falls off the Stargate and someone starts dialing in. As the wormhole opens, they draw their weapons. One female Airman moves up close to the gate, curious. She's grabbed, and a firefight ensues. normal_sg1_101_0069.JPGThe Airmen take out a few of the assailants, but in the end are no match for them. One manages to sound the alarm and the base goes into lock down. By the time the strike team gets to the gate room, the gate's already been dialed and the remaining attackers leave, taking the female Airman with them.

The Air Force sends some men to retrieve Col. (ret) Jack O'Neill, telling him it has to do with the Stargate. Back at the base, General Hammond, the new general in charge of Cheyenne Mountain, talks to Jack, questioning him about the mission and asks him if he had indeed detonated the nuke on Abydos. When he answers that he did, Hammond reveals that they are going to send another nuke through. Jack is forced to admit that while his team did detonate the weapon, they detonated it aboard Ra's ship and they faked that gate on the other side had been buried.normal_sg1_101_0251.JPG
Hammond decides to send the bomb through anyway, and locks Jack in the brig. After sitting for a while, Hammond comes back and tells Jack he's considering any other options. Jack asks to take a team through the gate, which Hammond agrees to. He sends a message to Daniel and after he receives a reply, they put a team together. normal_sg1_101_0322.JPGIn addition to Kawalsky and Ferretti, Captain Samantha Carter, an astrophysicist, also joins the team. normal_sg1_101_0378.JPGWhen they leave, they're told that they have 24 hours to return or send a message.

  normal_sg1_101_0463.JPG
When they arrive on Abydos, some kids pop up around them, ready for battle. But immediately Daniel Jackson calms them, telling them to lower their weapons. Everyone is reunited, and introductions are gotten out the way. When Daniel asks why they returned, Jack reveals the attack on Earth. Daniel tells Jack that they couldn't have come from Abydos, but they thinks he might have an idea where they may have come from. They have to wait for a sandstorm to pass.

While they wait, Daniel tells Jack that they attackers must have come through another gate. Jack and Sam are surprised. normal_sg1_101_0535.JPGThey had run hundreds of other addresses through the computers without finding another address. But according to Daniel, they didn't have a critical component. He takes them to a room with a ton of writing on the walls. It turns out that map of a huge Stargate network. normal_sg1_101_0573.JPGSam initially says that it couldn't be possible, until Daniel suggests that the gates could've drifted apart. She realized that would account for the addresses not working, and says that, using the map as a basis, she could set up an equation that could account for the shift. While staring around the room at the huge amount of addresses, she remarks "The aliens could've come from anywhere..."normal_sg1_101_0601.JPG
While they are off looking at the map, the gate activates, and the same attackers from before come though. normal_sg1_101_0618.JPGThey take Sha're and Skaara and leave just before Jack and the rest of the team show up. normal_sg1_101_0651.JPGnormal_sg1_101_0662.JPGWhen Jack and the team go back to Earth, they bring Daniel with him. Before he leaves, he tells Kasuf to bury the gate for 1 year after they leave. normal_sg1_101_0698.JPGIf, on that day, he didn't return an check in, they were to rebury the gate forever, cutting themselves off from the Stargate network. After the emotional good-bye, SG-1 steps through the gate. normal_sg1_101_0708.JPG

Episode Review:
All great shows have to start somewhere, and for Stargate SG-1, this episode was a great start. For those who has watched the movie Stargate, the change from Kurt Russell to Richard Dean Anderson and from James Spader to Michael Shanks might have thrown a few people off. Personally, I prefer Richard Dean Anderson's more sarcastic nature to Kurt Russell's very rough and tough persona. And Michael Shanks does an amazing job of giving off the vibe of Daniel Jackson. All in all, this was a good episode, and a great start for an amazing series.

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Monday, January 31, 2011

Stargate SG-1: The Basics (Part 3)

The technology in the Stargate universe is vastly diverse. It ranges from incredibly primitive to unbelievably advanced. Today, let's take a look at some of the more common technology from Stargate SG-1. We'll start with the most well known piece of technology, the Stargate.


486px-Stargate.JPGStargate


The Stargate is a ring-shaped device that can create an artificial wormhole linking two points in space, specifically two Stargates. The wormhole allows for near-instantaneous travel between the points. The Ancients, who created the gates, are often called the Gate Builders, because the Stargates are often considered their greatest creation. It's the central piece of technology to the entire series, like an always looming protector.


Tau'ri Technology


The technology of the Tau'ri, or the Earthlings, is at the level of 20th century Earth. Everything that is designed and built on Earth reflects the technological level of the late '90s. As the series advanced, Earth obtained more advanced technology, but within "realistic" limits.While some of the technology the Tau'ri obtain comes from good ole human ingenuity, a good deal comes from upgrades performed by the Asgard and from information gleaned from the Ancient database and from outposts around the galaxy.


Ancient Technology


Ancient technology is the most advanced in the universe, as far as anyone can determine. In their379433-zero_point_module_large.jpg travels, SG-1 has not found anyone with technology that surpasses the Ancients in every facet. At their civilization's height, they were unmatched in science, technology and military might. While some civilizations have come close to their level of advancement (The Asgard), no one has yet surpassed them. In fact, due to the fact that the Ancients ascended to another plane of existence, no one even knows the full extent of their capabilities and research.


Goa'uld Technology


While more advanced than the Tau'ri, it is considerably inferior to both the Ancients and the Asgard. Goa'uld technology is mostly an amalgamation of technology from the various species and worlds they have conquered over the centuries.


Those are the three main technological groups present in Stargate SG-1. There are a few more, such as the Asgard and the Nox, but they will be talked about as they appear in the show. Since this is the last installment of "Stargate SG-1: The Basics", we will be starting the reviews of the series shortly. Look forward to that soon!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Stargate SG-1: The Basics (Part 2) - [Updated 2-5-2011]

Today in Part 2, I'm going to outline the three main factions that SG-1 encounters and is forced to fight throughout the series. The series starts with the fight against the Goa'uld System Lords and their slaves, the Jaffa. Toward the end of the System Loads reign, they encounter the Replicators that have been fighting against the Asgard for years. Last, the Ori enter the picture, attempting to use their advanced technology and knowledge to trick the galaxy into worshiping them.

Goa'uld


The Goa'uld are a serpent-shaped parasitet_sokor.jpg that possesses a human host to survive. The resulting combination is an exceptionally strong creature with enhanced strength and extreme longevity (when paired with their resurrection device, the Sarcophagus). They use this and their advanced technology to set themselves up as gods. Taking humans from Earth thousands of years ago, they spread them throughout the galaxy and began to rule over them as various gods from human mythology. Notable Goa'uld System Lords include Apophis, Anubis, Hathor, and Sokar.

Jaffa


t_jaffa.jpgThe Jaffa are the slaves of the Goa'uld. They are descendants of humans that have been modified to that they have to serve as an living incubator for larval Goa'uld. Without a larval Goa'uld, the Jaffa will die soon after hitting puberty due to a failing immune system. In fact, if the symbiote is removed from an adult Jaffa, they will die a slow, painful death within a matter of hours. They must either acquire a new symbiote, or they require regular injections of a drug developed by the Tok'ra, called tretonin. The Jaffa often where armor with a helmet resembling the a specific animal. For instance, all of Apophis' Jaffa wore helmets resembling serpents.


Because of the reappearance of SG-1 and the Tau'ri in the galaxy, may Jaffa are realizing that the Goa'uld are not the gods they thought them to be and are rebelling against them. These actions aid SG-1 and the people of Earth as they try to bring down the System Lords.

Replicators


t_replicator.jpgThe Replicators are mechanical beings composed of nanotechnology. Their main goal is to increase their numbers and spread across the universe by assimilating the advanced technology of other species. For this reason, the Replicators are opposed to all other life-forms. They started out as an arachnid-type androids, but in "Unnatural Selection", they developed human-form Replicators. Normal Replicators are resistant to energy weapons, like the Jaffa staff weapon, but can be broken apart and destroyed by projectile weapons. However, human Replicators are resistant to both types of weapons because they're make up of smaller blocks that resemble cells. They were eventually completely destroyed by the Dakara Superweapon in Season 8.

Ori


ori-stargate-Islam.jpgThe Ori are a group of Ascending beings who are incredibly similar to the Ancients. They use their ascended powers and infinite knowledge of the universe to force other lesser beings to worship them. The Ori differ from the Ancients in one key way, their life view. The Ancients value science while the Ori value religion. They created a fake religion known as "Origin" to sway beings to worshipping them. Origin is designed to channel the energy created by the human worshippers to the Ori. So, while they promise Ascension to their followers, they won't acually help other Ascend because they would have to share the energy they sap.

All their technology is designed and targeted to help get more followers to sap more energy from. Since the Ori are Ascended, they don't directly interfere on the physical plane. They instead recruit humans called Priors to spread their word. They artifically evolve the Priors to be one step from Ascension in order to give them special powers. Because of the number of followers the Ori have, they are nearly unstoppable.

Stargate SG-1 has had the perfect villians since it was concieved. Starting with Ra, the writers continued to come up with great storylines and great enemies that kept SG-1 on their toes, and us on the edge of our seats. That's it for part 2, part 3 on the basic technology of Stargate will be posted tomorrow afternoon. Soon after, we'll be starting on the reviews of the series, starting with the extended cut of "Children of the Gods". Till next time, stay classy!

[UPDATE]

We'll be starting with the original 1994 movie "Stargate", which kicked the franchise off. Coming Soon!