“Stargate: SG-1” builds upon “Stargate,” the 1994 film by Roland Emmerich loosely inspired by Erich von Däniken’s “Chariots of the Gods,” which argued that aliens built the pyramids. In the series, Richard Dean Anderson replaces Kurt Russell as Colonel Jack O’Neill and Michael Shanks replaces James Spader as Dr. Daniel Jackson. Where in the film the two traveled to the planet Abydos and defeated an alien masquerading as the Egyptian god Ra, the series explains that the Stargate can offer travel to many different planets and that Ra was but one of many aliens, called Goa’uld, who visited Earth in the past and took on the personalities of the ancient gods and goddesses.
In addition to Colonel O’Neill and Dr. Jackson, the series introduces Christopher Judge as Teal’c, an alien once in service to the Goa’uld Apophis who decided to fight for his peoples’ freedom from false gods, and Captain Samantha Carter, a military scientist who worked on figuring out how the Stargate functions. Together, the four are members of SG-1, the flagship team of Stargate Command that engages in reconnaissance missions to explore different worlds and make allies in the fight against the Goa’uld. Stargate Command is led by General George Hammond, portrayed by Don S. Davis. These characters, and the actors portraying them, helped make the show the success it was and attracted fans around the world. While the television series includes several characters from the film, such as Catherine Langford, Kawalsky, Ferretti, and Sha’uri/Sha’re, only Erick Avari and Alexis Cruz reprise their roles as Kasuf and Skaara, respectively.
This first season establishes the main characters, the primary antagonist, and does an extensive amount of world-building. Episodes like “The Broca Divide,” “The Nox,” “Thor’s Hammer,” and “Enigma” help to introduce different aliens and cultures that recur throughout the series. “The First Commandment,” “Cold Lazarus,” and “Cor-ai” tell classic science fiction stories exploring the meaning of humanity, morality, and justice. “The Torment of Tantalus” and “There But for the Grace of God” explore alien technology and how it shifts humans’ perspective on the universe. For a first season of a television series, the show has a great many excellent episodes that not only laid the groundwork for what comes later but that still hold up well on their own. The only two weak episodes are “Emancipation,” which is full of cultural stereotypes in an effort to tell a story about gender roles (not unlike “Code of Honor” from the first season of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” both of which were written by Katharyn Powers), and “Politics,” which inexplicably follows a clip-show format for the season’s penultimate episode. New viewers may find some elements dated, as the show was set in the years it aired with the first season taking place in 1997-1998, but the early reliance on Earth technology helps the audience ease into the more sci-fi aspects as the series develops.
This DVD set includes bonus features like a Cast and Crew Featurette Profiles on General Hammond and Captain Carter, Behind the Scenes with the Producers, and a Costume Design Featurette. It also includes the original pilot episode, as opposed to the 2009 “Final Cut,” which altered some of the visual effects and re-cut scenes. While much of the show is intended for all audiences with mild action violence, the pilot features nudity that parents may not want to watch with their children.
