STARGATE SG-1: VOLUME 36 DVD Review:

Colonel Jack O’Neil (Dean Anderson) and the SG-1 team continue their fight to save Earth from the forces of Anubis and the remaining Goa’uld System Lords…

Heroes (Part 1)
The Air Force sends a documentary crew to capture the historical importance of the Stargate programme. Members of the Stargate Command greet the crew with resistance. Tensions rise when an off world emergency forces General Hammond to restrict the crews access to SGC.

Heroes (part 2)
The documentary crew is given a true look at the heroic nature and bond between the soldiers of SGC when a key member of the Stargate Crew is killed in action.

Resurrection
The team are sent to investigate the murder of a group of rogue NID scientists. Whilst piecing together the events of the crime SG-1 discover the scientists may have experimented and combined DNA to create the ultimate evil: a human being that possesses the conscience of a Goa'uld.

Inauguration
On his first day in office, the newly elected President of the United States is told about the Stargate programme and must be brought up to speed on the past seven years of it's existence.

Stargate SG-1 continues with its seventh season and the episodes continue the very high calibre of the show.

While this is a science fiction show, Stargate SG-1 has always prided itself plot and character development. This is most evident in the two-parter Heroes. What was at first supposed to be a small show set around Stargate Command as a military film crew documented SG teams, this episode then became pivotal in the season. Mirroring the conflict in Iraq, the show concentrates on the effects of war and the people who are fighting it. Everything is covered from the sense of duty felt by the personal, their reasons for been in the programme and enthusiasm for discovery and exploration. This all changes when an off world SG team comes under attack and the casualties start mounting. This is so similar to the news footage of troops heading out to the Gulf, full of confidence and wonder only to come face to face with the grim realities of war. The writing is excellent throughout and the cast, especially the guest stars Saul Rubinek, Adam Baldwin and Robert Picardo, all give first performances as they come to terms with the death of a major character.

Amanda Tapping (Samantha Carter) makes her directorial debut with Resurrection. This is a Daniel Jackson oriented show that highlights what a great actor Michael Shanks really is. When you take into account he also wrote the episode, you realise this even more. Again the show takes a modern topic, this time genetic research, and puts a Stargate spin on it. The plot advances the NID storyline as their scientific research into the connection between the human host and the Goa’uld symbiote. There is also a good subplot about a Goa’uld bomb and Teal’c and Dr. Lee’s (the ever brilliant Bill Dow) struggle to disarm it.

Inauguration is another flashback show which Stargate does have a terrible tendency of doing. This one isn’t too bad however because of the excellent supporting cast that introduce the scenes. It all takes place as the new President of the United States takes office in the Whitehouse and he is told about the Stargate programme for the first time. William Devane is outstanding as President Hayes, bringing humour and humility to the role. Ronny Cox is as good as ever as the power mad Robert Kinsey, who is now the Vice-President and Robert Picardo returns as Agent Woolsey.

Stargate SG-1 continues to go from strength to strength. Heroes is an excellent example of how good the show actually is and Resurrection showcases the talents of Michael Shanks and Amanda Tapping. While Inauguration isn’t the best of the season, it does introduce a new key character to the Stargate universe making it very relevant. This is exceptional science fiction television.

Star Rating = * * * *

Presented in anamorphic 16:9 widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, the transfer is very good. The picture quality is sharp throughout and you can really see this during Heroes as the episode switches between film and video. The sound is also good throughout, especially during the battle scenes, which really get your surround sound speakers going.

Heroes Part 1: Commentary by director Andy Mikita and director of photography Andrew D. Wilson
This is a technical look at the making of the episode. The pair discusses using new cameras and the challenge of intermixing film and video to show the difference between the film crew footage and the normal filming process. The director remarks that this is a really strong episode for Don S. Davis (General Hammond) and that he works well with guest star Saul Rubinek.

Heroes Part 2: Commentary by director Andy Mikita, executive producer Robert C. Cooper and director of photography Andrew D. Wilson

This fun and chatty commentary concentrates on story behind the two-parter. They reveal that 150th show was only supposed to be a single episode but the final cut was sixty-four minutes long, so they decided to shoot extra material to make it into a two-part special. Robert C. Cooper outlines the fact that there is only one real action scene and the show is all about the consequences of that. He also reflects on how the show is a commentary on the war in Iraq and how much of a wrench it was to kill off a major character.

Resurrection: Commentary by director and actor Amanda Tapping and camera operator William Waring

A very proud Amanda Tapping talks passionately about her directorial debut on the show. She discusses the technical elements of the shoot and the pair chat about the different camera positions and techniques used while filming the episode. They also talk about the importance of establishing story and creating a sense of urgency during the bomb sequences.

Inauguration: Commentary by director/director of photography Peter F Woeste and executive producer Michael Greenburg

This informative commentary has the pair trying to justify a flashback episode. They discuss using a pre-made Whitehouse set (which was the same one used on X Men 2). They also talk about the quality of the supporting cast, especially William Devane and Robert Picardo. They also reveal how many of the shots they used where shock shots of famous Washington buildings.

SG-1 Director’s series: Heroes with Andy Mikita (6.47 mins)

Director Andy Mikita takes you behind the scenes of Stargate’s 150th episode. With filming and actual footage comparison, the featurette looks at the special effects and stunts involved in bringing the show’s pivotal action sequence to the screen.

SG-1 Director’s Series: Resurrection with Amanda Tapping (8.55 mins)

An extremely proud Amanda Tapping takes you behind the scenes of her directorial debut on the series. She talks about how bizarre it was mixing the roles of actor and director and the cast and crew talk about working with her behind the camera.

SG-1 Beyond the Gate: Amanda Tapping (11.56 mins)

Actor and now director Amanda Tapping talks about her seven year journey on Stargate SG-1. She reveals how well the cast and crew get on and they are almost like family to her. She also discusses her directorial debut and what she does outside of the show.

Production design and photo gallery

A montage of behind the scenes and promotional images.

WWW (0.31 mins)

A short trailer for the Stargate fan club and its website.

The exceptional seventh series continues and MGM’s high standard for the Stargate releases carries on. The quality of the extras is very high, with the commentary tracks been first rate and the behind the scenes featurette complementing them perfectly. While is would have been better if the whole series was released in one presentation box set, this is still good value for Stargate SG-1 fans.

DVD Star Rating = * * * *

Jamie Kelwick

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