The 22nd year of being Ryan Hartley, documented.

Stargate SG-1, Season 1, Liverpool 0

Following on from the hit movie of (basically) the same name, Stargate SG-1 is the story of a group of US Air Force Officers whose mission it is to visit alien worlds through a giant portal dug up in Egypt, the titular Stargate. The movie was your usual summer blockbuster fare starring Kurt Russell (Snake!) and James Spader (Alan!). It followed a competent storyline, not bothering to stray into anything overly innovative. There were aliens (who you only see once or twice because they reside within a human host, which probably saves a lot of money in the prosthetic nose and ear department), there were serious military guys, there was a nerdy scientist, a native love interest, a big nuclear bomb with a big, red countdown timer and there was the giant wormhole making ring that is the Stargate (which, to be honest, is pretty cool). Anyway, a good movie, a lot of fun, but hardly groundbreaking stuff.

And then came the series. The big budget stars are out, but the basic premise and that intergalactic hula-hoop remain.   Only this team we find out that the Stargate can travel to more than just one world; instead of just Ancient Egypt World, we can now experience Ancient Greek World or Ancient Minoan World or even Ancient Mongolian World. Halfway across the galaxy and all we have get are human cultures who haven’t taken too much of an interest in technological advancement. To make it easier for everyone to follow the action, the military team of the movie is replaced with a four man team. The scientist (okay anthropologist) is still there with the same glasses, but a different face as is Colonel Jack O’Neill no longer played by Kurt, but instead allowing the glorious return to fame for Richard Dean Anderson. That’s right, MacGyver is back in action. RDA’s O’Neill is a different animal from Mr Russell’s; instead of a hard-smoking, straight-talking, career military man we have a non-smoking, smart-mouthing, career military man. The change is a good one. RDA’s interpretation is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the Stargate series, bringing both levity and likeability. Not that I didn’t like Kurt Russell’s movie version, but the Silver Screen and the Small Screen often require different touches to keep the audience involved. One of the little sparks of genius in the first Stargate incarnation was the heartbreaking little backstory of the Colonel’s son who shoots himself with O’Neill’s handgun. This tragedy gives him the requisite suicidal tendency to lead a one-way mission to an alien planet with a nuclear bomb in tow. The series O’Neill continues to deal with the loss of his son and his wife (who leaves him) in the process delivering some truly touching moments.   

“After a while she forgave me, but she could never forget. I’m the opposite. I’ll never forgive myself, but sometimes…sometimes I’ll forget”

The main cast is rounded out with inclusion of astrophysicist/obligatory girl one Captain Samantha (Sam) Carter and alien-enforcer turned good-guy Teal’c

Season One is pretty match standard Sci-Fi fare with the majority of episodes degenerating into the formula 1) Travel through Stargate 2) Find Ancient Earth Culture 3) Face some problem 4) Resolve said problem and 5) Go home. Moderately entertaining and hardly innovative Season One has very little to commend it above any other Sci-Fi show, except that it has McGyver. Things, however, were set to change. After more than 10 years Stargate SG-1 has become the longest running Sci-Fi series of all time, spawning a spin-off and two made for TV movies. A phenomenon in a world which seemed to grow increasingly more obsessed with reality (think CSI and any number of reality-TV shows) Stargate managed to maintain and reward a loyal audience. Season 1 was the start of a very long journey through the Stargate.

Worst Episodes

Politics is a season recap featuring more “hey, remember this footage” than anyone should be expected to sit through. I’ll do you a favour: in the end, the government decides the Stargate Project is too big an expenditure and shuts it down. There, now you don’t have to watch it. There should be a law against these types of fluff episodes.

Emancipation is also a pretty terrible episode. Carter is captured by a Mongolian prince to trade for a girl he loves. In the end the SG-1 team bring the joys of equal rights to the Outer Mongolians. Hurrah for them, yawns for us.

Best Episodes

Solitudes in which Carter and O’Neill are stranded on an ice planet after the Stargate malfunctions. A clever idea which opens up a lot of possibilities and explains away a few things as well.

There but for the Grace of God. The Apothis –arc kicks into high-gear as Dr Jackson takes a trip to an alternate dimension in which the aliens are laying waste to Earth. Firefights! Floating pyramids! General O’Neill!

Feel free to post your favourite Season One moments.