Stargate

Inside the theatre you're welcome to discuss your favorite television shows, musical artists, video games, books, movies, or anything popular culture!
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Stargate

Post by bookworm »

Who else is a fan of anything or everything in the Stargate series?

I used to catch episodes of SG-1 and Atlantis years ago on tv now and then and really enjoyed them. After they stopped airing I would occasionally remember them and think that I definitely needed to look into the shows more some time but for some reason never got around to it. A while ago I finally did and they were just as great as I remembered and it led me to watch everything else Stargate.

This is one of the greatest science fiction franchises ever created. It’s remarkable to have the core show go for ten years, and have three spin-off series that combined for another eight seasons, plus three feature films.

My favorite component is Stargate Atlantis, but I am crazy about absolutely everything else as well. There is nothing I don’t like.

If you have stuff to say about the franchise as a whole, or any part of it in particular, discuss here with other fans! I know there are at least a handful around here.

Also, I’ve made a bunch of super cool (if I say so myself) Stargate avs and sigs available in my gallery.
Image
User avatar
Woody
Set blasters to rapid-fire
Posts: 5152
Joined: January 2012
Location: Whenever and wherever I want to be

Post by Woody »

I've thought about watching it before, if only for Richard Dean Anderson starring in SG-1(MacGyver FTW! \:D/ ). The only thing that's really kept me from checking it out is some stuff I've read about the pilot episode having inappropriate content. Is there a way that I could avoid that part?
I have been robbed of my rightful secret moderator powers! Vote here to help me get them back!
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

Yes, it’s important to be aware that the SG-1 pilot (which is actually episodes one and two) contains a couple of scenes with nudity. Not in a sexual context though. There isn’t anything substantial missed by skipping those scenes I don’t think, so you could fast forward them if you want.
The pilot was also remade into a stand alone sort of movie with the nudity cropped out, so that is another option. However be advised that there were also several changes made to the scenes, and some scenes were removed and other scenes were added, so it’s sort of a different story. Not really, it’s essentially the same, but some things are missing. Most notably the final scene of the original pilot is removed from the new cut, which is strange because it leads directly into the third episode. So if you only watch the new cut you won’t fully understand where the third episode starts from.
Image
User avatar
Knight Fisher
I fish in the darkness
I fish in the darkness
Posts: 5322
Joined: May 2011

Post by Knight Fisher »

The version on Amazon Prime is cut and I really didn't notice any problems when I saw episode 3. Though those first few episodes are painfully serious the show just keeps getting better.

*more later*
To LGBT ToOers: The world is so much wider than your family and church. There are accepting people out there.
Image
User avatar
EvangelineWalker
I'm a teapot
Posts: 421
Joined: January 2006
Location: Normal

Post by EvangelineWalker »

oooh, I love Stargate. My dad showed us the movie and then I used to catch the show on TV occasionally, then was hooked and had to get all the seasons from the library.
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

The reason I like Atlantis most is probably just nostalgia as it’s the first show I encountered all those years ago. From the first episode I caught I could instantly tell the show was for me, I loved the characters and the style. When I later saw some SG-1 episodes, it was totally different and I didn’t like them nearly as much. Now that I’ve seen everything, in order, and know how all the elements piece together, I think the main issue was the complexity of SG-1 compared to Atlantis.

What makes SG-1 so great is the incredible job they did creating their mythology, but that’s what also makes it so daunting. I love it now, but at first I just randomly came across this on tv, so I was jumping in from the middle. As such it was impossible to figure out what was going on. SG-1’s plot was built very progressively, you really had to follow how it developed. On your own you’d never be able to sort out information about the Goa'uld, Asgard, and the rest. But Atlantis I could piece together with minimal information, it wasn’t that deep. They were connected to the story in SG-1, yet a completely separate situation. They had their own adventures in their galaxy and occasionally had run-ins with Wraith. That was essentially all you had to know.

Oh, and Rodney McKay is one of the greatest characters in anything ever!
Image
User avatar
Knight Fisher
I fish in the darkness
I fish in the darkness
Posts: 5322
Joined: May 2011

Post by Knight Fisher »

So they're making the new movies but they wont have anything to do with the show. :/ Just a straight reboot to do the Trilogy.
To LGBT ToOers: The world is so much wider than your family and church. There are accepting people out there.
Image
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

I am very excited about this! Usually I'm opposed to reboots because I hate to get rid of canon material, but this is a special case. Stargate has established the existence of alternate timelines and even interacted with them a few times, so I'm going to treat this new series as one of those timelines. That way we get to have new adventures, but the established universe and its events remain intact. So it's too bad we aren't expanding the original story, but at least we don't have to throw it out.
Image
User avatar
Knight Fisher
I fish in the darkness
I fish in the darkness
Posts: 5322
Joined: May 2011

Post by Knight Fisher »

Eh, I always thought the movie was the weakest part of the franchise. Richard Dean Anderson is what carried the show for those first 4+ seasons. The Kurt Russell vision of O'Neil just didn't have the same depth. And as much as I loved Dean Devlin's work on Leverage and the Librarians I really just don't see the need for a reset. The part that scares me the most is that they don't like the direction the show went. And... the show is so perfect.
To LGBT ToOers: The world is so much wider than your family and church. There are accepting people out there.
Image
User avatar
Autumnal
I'm fifteen, mom!
Posts: 15
Joined: October 2016
Location: My mother's basement, probably

Post by Autumnal »

I think Amanda Tapping and Anderson did an interview about the reboot. Tapping said she would agree to do a cameo about it if asked, and Anderson wanted the characters to remain timeless but it would be difficult to do that since he and the rest of SG-1 have aged a lot. I believe Michael Shanks also said something about it but I'm not sure.

That aside, I actually didn't like the movie very much but I'm generally looking forward to the reboot. I'm curious if they'll take the Stargate in the direction the show did, i.e. let it go to other planets and not just Abydos. If I remember correctly, the show was the thing that introduced that element.
Image
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

Since the thread has been revived I want to try getting more discussion going because I really love this franchise.
I'll run through my thoughts on each element if anyone wants to compare notes.


The original movie isn't the strongest part because of how great the shows became, but it is good. And as the inspiration for those great shows it deserves respect for its place in the franchise. It can also stand alone as just a fun scifi film without leading someone into the television shows.

SG-1 was discouraging at my first encounter, as noted before, but coming at it from the basis of the movie and this time starting the series at the beginning I was able to figure out what was going on and now I really like it. It's such a well done show, really great. The two movies were good as well.

Atlantis is my favorite, as I said. I love all of the characters and how they interact, and I like the arc of the plot. The setting is good too, they're distanced from earth so they're their own situation, but not entirely cut off so there can be some crossover both ways.

Universe took me a few episodes to get into, but it won me over. Very different style and stories, but just as well made as the other shows.

And I even like Infinity which is apparently not officially canon. But it's a fun little show.
Image
User avatar
Autumnal
I'm fifteen, mom!
Posts: 15
Joined: October 2016
Location: My mother's basement, probably

Post by Autumnal »

I could never get into SGU and have been on the fourth(?) episode for the past year. The camera angles in the show are also terrible and don't make watching it easier. When does it start picking up? Could I go ahead and skip to that episode or would I miss too much important information?
Image
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

I would definitely not recommend skipping episodes. While I don't remember offhand how interconnected each is I do recall there being a lot of story and character development throughout, so you would likely miss something. And I couldn't tell you where to skip to anyway, it wasn't a particular episode or moment that made it finally work for me, it just gradually happened. I stuck with it because I love the rest of the franchise and wanted to at least see everything in it, even if I wasn't going to like this piece, and eventually I just suddenly found myself getting it. It's a very different type and style of show, but once I saw it for what it was it worked. You might not get to that point yourself, but I really would recommend 'forcing' yourself through it if you're a big SG fan because even if by the end you don't come around on the show, at least you'll have seen it. That was my thinking going into it, I'm fortunate that it grew on me in the process.
Image
User avatar
Autumnal
I'm fifteen, mom!
Posts: 15
Joined: October 2016
Location: My mother's basement, probably

Post by Autumnal »

Hm, I'll give it another shot, then. I'll probably end up liking it eventually but I'm not big on the process of the "coming around" part, ahaha. And if not, at least I'll know more about the Stargate canon.
Image
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

That's really what you should go into it trying to get out of it. Because like I said you might not come around. If you do like it by the end that's a great bonus, but either way the purpose of going through it, even if it remains less enjoyable than the rest of the shows, is to see that part of the SG story.
Image
User avatar
Knight Fisher
I fish in the darkness
I fish in the darkness
Posts: 5322
Joined: May 2011

Post by Knight Fisher »

Reboot has been cancelled. :/
To LGBT ToOers: The world is so much wider than your family and church. There are accepting people out there.
Image
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

:o I never even thought about that possibility. I thought movies only got cancelled while they were just potential to be made, not once they were 'Yes we're doing this one.' That comes as a real shock to me, but I may just be unfamiliar with how Hollywood works. If this kind of thing does happen regularly it's just not been with anything I paid attention to that early in production.
Image
User avatar
Autumnal
I'm fifteen, mom!
Posts: 15
Joined: October 2016
Location: My mother's basement, probably

Post by Autumnal »

Huh. I have pretty mixed feelings about it. On one hand, we're not going to get our Stargate canon written in two separate timelines that has a 50/50 chance of being horrible but on the other, no new Stargate content.
Image
User avatar
bookworm
ToO Historian
ToO Historian
Posts: 16248
Joined: July 2006
Contact:

Post by bookworm »

That's exactly my reaction. This solves the issue of the canons not meshing, but at least we were going to get additional content even if not in an ideal manner. Now we just don't get anything at all which is sad.
Image
User avatar
Knight Fisher
I fish in the darkness
I fish in the darkness
Posts: 5322
Joined: May 2011

Post by Knight Fisher »

I think it ended up falling through because of how horribly Independence Day Resurgence did.
To LGBT ToOers: The world is so much wider than your family and church. There are accepting people out there.
Image
Post Reply