DVD
Review | Stargate SG-1 (Season 4)
Written by: Kage
Alan
Boy, this series just keeps getting better and
better! I remember when it first aired on Showtime and thinking how
awful it was that somebody in Hollywood went and cheapened an
extremely fun film event by dumbing it down for television. I
mean…the nerve of some people, but how was I supposed to know it was
going to be one of the most entertaining Sci-Fi shows just under “Farscape”?
Honestly, I didn’t think the show would last. Exactly how many
adventures can a group of people have going from one world to another
before it all blends together and starts looking the same?
Fortunately, plenty.
As last we left our intergalactic travelers, Jack
O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson, “MacGyver”), Daniel Jackson (Michael
Shanks), Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping, “The Void”) and Teal’c
(Christopher Judge) were attempting to help their alien comrade, Thor,
get rid of a deadly mechanical spider army of Replicators on his ship.
Unfortunately, the plan to destroy them leaves one alive and threatening
Earth. Oops. Once that little problem is solved, the season kicks into
high gear and we’re treated to plenty of continuing storylines (like
those involving the friendly, yet snobby, Tok’ra) as well as fun little
one off episodes.
Some of the more entertaining shows involve a
wristband that gives SG-1 advanced strength and speed as well as
attitude problems, a day that keeps occurring over and over again with
hysterical results, an episode that takes place in 2010 with a
civilization we wouldn’t recognize and wouldn’t want to become and an
entity (ala “Virus”) that tries to destroy humanity when a probe damages
its home world. Expanded roles in some shows for actors Don Davis and
Teryl Rothery round things out quite nicely
One of the best parts about watching “Stargate
SG-1” is its attention to humor. The writers understand that some of
the dialogue is pretty cliché and cheesy, so instead of hoping we won’t
notice, they draw attention to it and allow us all a good laugh.
Chemistry between the cast and a general sense of fun help as well. The
stories tend to be well written, the special effects compliment the
action without becoming the entire reason to watch the show and the
overall story arcs rival that of several of the “Star Trek” series.
MGM has released “Stargate SG-1 Season 4” in very
solid looking Widescreen transfers. Video quality is quite good with
just a minimum of grain while audio shines nicely. Now, as for
extras…you’ll find this rather amusing. I complained when I wrote my
review of Season 3 that MGM hadn’t embraced audio commentaries on some
of their episodes. Almost as if to put me in my place, MGM has included
audio commentaries on every single episode in this season. They usually
consist of the director and special effects supervisor and while some
are better than others, the participants did a heck of a job here and
I’m overwhelmed at the effort that must have gone into this venture.
Other extras include “Secret Files of the SGC—Enhance Visual Effects”
(16min), “Alien Species: Friend & Foe (17min) and “Stargate SG-1:
Timeline to the Future—Legacy of the Gate” (25min).
Considering the lovely little cliffhanger that the
show delivered during it’s final episode, I once again find myself
rather…well, antsy to see what happens next. For some reason, “Stargate
SG-1” feels very much like an underrated show. Obviously it has a large
following and fan base, but I don’t see it having as much visibility as
I do other Sci-Fi shows and that’s a damn shame. This is a wonderful
show and I admit to being hooked!
Film Rating:
A-
DVD Special Features: A
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