Review of Stargate SG1: Volume 40

Introduction

Another three episodes are featured on this, the third disc in Season 8.

Sacrifices

This episode features Ishta (Jolene Blalock) the rebel warrior who leads her army of women and children against the G`uald. Now under threat it looks like they will have to relocate which means that SG base is temporarily converted into home and stabling(!) for them all.

Meanwhile Teal`c refuses to approve his son`s marriage to one of the female warriors.

A so-so episode enlivened mostly by appearances by Richard Dean Anderson who has made the quizzical look an art form.
6/10


Endgame

Things get a little complicated when the Stargate disappears leaving some of the team stranded offworld. It looks like somebody has decided to run their own little interstellar conflict.

Quite bad things happen in this episode that will have consequences in terms of the war with the G`uald.

On the fun side Gary Jones gets some lines and presumably a bonus in his paypacket.

6/10

Prometheus Unbound

Daniel Jackson embarks on a search for the lost Atlantis crew aboard the starship Prometheus. An old friend is in command but the arrival of a deadly Super Soldier means that Jackson has to fight alone and this soldier has some unusual methods…

Features Claudia Black from Farscape.

A funny and strange episode that introduces a character that may well be reoccurring.

7/10

Video

Once again there are no problems with picture quality and once again it looks better than it ever manages on the TV.

Audio

The sound continues to be top notch and the scripts are reasonably tight. My only problem is that T`ealc says " indeed " too many times in many episodes.

Features

DVD extras

The Super Soldier

This 15 minute film looks in detail at the creation of the new more invincible enemy for SG 1.

Beyond the gate: Amanda Tapping and Michael Shanks

These two featurettes are interviews with the two stars abou their experiences at fan conventions. There is also some footage of the Q & A of both Tapping and Shanks. They have a quite different experience and expectation and having the two interviewed offers a quite revealing portrait if different personas.

Photo Gallery/Production Design Gallery.

Oh goody...

Conclusion

This series has managed to maintain its continuity and sense of humour. There is no sense of running out of ideas and its just as happy making an episode that only features one or two of the main cast as a full blown blow-the-budget space fest. It`s quite disappointing that Richard Dean Anderson plays a fairly back seat role in the plots and the action these days. Much of the fun and interest comes from the team`s interaction and it is the show`s loss when this is not utilized. On the plus side the introduction of new characters and the extension of previously background characters is probably extending the life of Stargate.

On the minus side this is the third disc from Season 8 and still no audio commentaries-they must be saving them up. There are only three episodes on this disc and for the same price as the last two, very cheeky.

Overall it`s still got some legs and is entertaining to watch. I can`t help feeling that the budget is going on `Atlantis` these days though.