Review of Stargate SG1: Volume 19

Introduction

I`ve got volumes 1-10, 13 and 18 of Stargate SG1 on DVD - and this soon to be released Volume 19 rounds off Season 4 with two more episodes (the episode descriptions below contain spoilers, so be warned if you haven`t seen them already!)

Double Jeopardy - SG-1 returns to a planet they helped free from Goa`uld enslavement. Once, with the assistance of SG-1, the people of this world were able to rebel against the forces of Heru`ur and win their freedom. Now, they face a vengeful Cronos determined to make them pay for their insolence. SG-1 is prepared to lead them once again, but it turns out their former allies are not so eager to answer the call to arms. After all, they were promised that if they buried their gate, they would be safe. Instead, the Goa`uld returned in ships - and the planet`s inhabitants paid a terrible price. O`Neill and his team must win their confidence before they can win the battle against Cronos. Fortunately, they have help in the form of their robot duplicates, eager to assist them on this doubly-difficult mission.

Exodus - SG-1 pays a visit to the Tok`ra homeworld. They arrive at Vorash on Cronos`s mother ship, one of the spoils they claimed following the events of "Double Jeopardy". At a meeting with the High Council, it is revealed that SG-1 intends to lend the Tok`ra the enormous ship in order to help facilitate their move to a new planet. Tanith is beside himself. Why wasn`t he made aware of this plan? Teal`c informs him that he could not be trusted because he is, after all, a spy for Apophis. The Tok`ra have known all along. An enraged Tanith is taken away. The Tok`ra begin to move items up to the mother ship. Preparations are underway for the extraction ceremony that will remove Tanith from his host. But amidst all the activity, Tanith escapes his cell and flees up to the planet`s desert surface. A search operation is mounted, but no trace of the Goa`uld is found. Then, the Tok`ra receive word. Tanith must have gotten a message out to Apophis. The System Lord has assembled his fleet and is headed for Vorash. Carter and Jacob come up with a plan that, if successful, could deal Apophis a crippling blow. They will gate the Tok`ra to another planet, then load the stargate onto the ship and leave Vorash. Once in position, they will dial the address of the black hole planet, then jettison the gate into the sun. Given proper timing, this will cause the sun to go nova and destroy Apophis`s fleet. Everything goes according to plan. They launch the gate and prepare to flee. Suddenly, a Goa`uld ship decloaks and fires, crippling them. Their weapons systems are down. Their hyperdrive is inoperative. And Apophis is closing fast. But, perhaps more importantly, the countdown has already begun on a blast that will take out the entire solar system.

Video

The video comes in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen and is of fairly good quality, as it should be given the high production values and that the series is still in production. There is no dirt in sight, but there is a hint of grain at times - although less than on the earlier discs in the series. The image is stable at all times, and quite crisp.

Visually, the effects are quite good, and don`t look quite as cheap as some scenes on Volume 18. Good sets and CGI help to give a quality feel to the production.

Audio

The soundtrack is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1, which, as usual, is well presented but for the most part concentrates on the front three speakers. The rear channels are used occasionally for effects, for example when travelling between the Stargates. The series also features quite a good score, which helps build tension at key moments.

The dialogue is clear and understandable throughout each of the episodes.

Features

There are quite a few extras on Volume 19 - it would appear that this is to make up for there only being two episodes on the disc instead of the usual four - this brings Season Four to a close, and Volume 20 will start off the presentation of Season 5.

In this case we`ve a preview of Season 5 hosted by Amanda Tapping which runs for about 20 minutes and features numerous clips of the new season plus interviews with cast and crew. There`s a video diary which runs for about 8 minutes and is the usual handycam on the set sort of thing - quite interesting though. Both episodes also have commentary tracks from numerous members of the crew - these are up to the standard of those found on other discs. There`s also a preview of the four episodes from Volume 20 and a 100th Episode featurette that runs for 8 minutes.

Conclusion

As with others in the series, it`s highly unlikely that anyone will just buy the 19th volume of a series without having seen any of the previous episodes, so you`re likely to know what to expect from the content of this disc.

At first I was livid to discover that my usual helping of four episodes had decreased to two, but on the other hand, there are two forty-five minute episodes, both with commentary plus numerous featurettes and other extras, so compared to many film releases, the disc still offers good value. Plus, Volume 20 will contain four episodes so it`s not a permanent change of tactics from the distributor.

Both episodes here are strong, and the video and sound are both above average, but not earth-shatteringly exciting. The extras are excellent, so the disc is a worthy addition to my ever-growing Stargate SG-1 collection.