Review of Stargate SG1: Volume 25

Introduction

I`ve got volumes 1-10, 13, 18 and 19 of Stargate SG1 on DVD - and this soon to be released Volume 25 contains the last two episodes from Series 5 (the episode descriptions below contain spoilers, so be warned if you haven`t seen them already!)

Meridian - Whilst visiting a world at war called Callonia SG-1 learn that an ancient Goa`uld temple has been discovered along with a new radioactive form of Naquadah (Naquadria) and the Callonians have begun experimenting with. However the experiment goes wrong and the whole world is threatened with annihilation but Daniel decides to step in and save the whole civilization at the expense of his own life. He is rushed back to Earth immediately having been exposed to a deadly dose of radiation. When O`Neill returns to the planet he finds that the Collonians are actually blaming Daniel for the accident instead of thanking him for saving their lives so he sets out to set the record straight. In the meantime Daniel is getting worse and its appears that Dr Fraiser can`t do anything for him. Carter attempts to use the Goa`uld healing device on him but it just makes matters worse. It appears that Daniel is dying painfully but as he drifts in and out of conciousness he sees Oma Desala who informs him that he can get Ascension but to achieve it he has to believe in himself and die physically so that he can move to a higher place of existence outside the human body. Meanwhile Jonas has decided to tell the truth about Daniels heroism much to the displeasure of his leaders and informs O`Neill that he had warned them of the dangers of their experiments but they had chosen to ignore him. Jonas comes to Earth with some Naquadria so that Carter can make some defence shields etc for him to take back to his world. Jacob arrives and tries to save Daniel using the healing device but he doesn`t think he can heal him completely. Daniel has the chance to make a decision stay and live on Earth or go with Oma Desala - he chooses to die and have Ascension.

Revelations - O`Neill, Carter and Teal`c are all still mourning the departure of their friend when an Asgard named Freya comes through the gate and informs them of Thor`s death and to ask them for help. Apparently the planet Thor was protecting has got an underground laboratory which if discovered by the Goa`ulds would lead to the complete extinction of the Asgard as a race. It turns out that the Asgard reproduce by cloning and that they are experiencing genetic degredation. Locating one of the few original ancestors left and keeping their location secret is the only way to ensure the survival of the Asgard. O`Neill discovers that Thor is still alive and onboard Anabuis` ship so he and Teal`c set off on a rescue mission leaving Carter with Heindall. Unfortunately O`Neill and Teal`c are captured but Thor manages to free them but they`re still stuck on the ship and need to free Thor. Meanwhile Osiris has discovered the location of the laboratory and is heading there. Carter needs to leave the laboratory to ensure her own safety but she won`t leave without the others. Can they re-unite and get away in time?

Video

The video comes in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen and is of an exceptionally high standard throughout both programs. Stargate SG1 has always had high production values, and this quality is reflected in an image that is exceptionally sharp, with no grain and no dirt and wonderfully vibrant colours.

As ever, the effects are quite good, with good set design and construction combined with CGI helping to give a quality feel to the production. All in all, there can be no complaints about the visuals.

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 only used occasionally for effects, but then as this is a made-for-TV series, this is perhaps only to be accepted. 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

As with Volume 19 which closed out Season 4, this disc makes up for just carrying two episodes by cramming in lots of extras - very impressive for a TV series.

There`s a tribute to Daniel Jackson, which runs for about six minutes, three "SG1 Director`s Series" featurettes about the past episodes "Redemption", "Descent" and "Frozen", which take a look behind the scenes and run for 20, 15 and 10 minutes respectively. These are pretty interesting.

In addition, there is an audio commentary for each episode on the disc, featuring input from the directors and other members of the crew. These are both interesting and give the usual insight into events.

There`s also a stills gallery from Season 6.

Conclusion

As with others in the series, it`s highly unlikely that anyone will just buy the 25th 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.

On first glance, the inclusion of just two episodes is a little annoying, but the excellent range of extra features more than makes up for this, in fact most movies that are released on DVDs are put to shame by the Stargate SG1 series. I do like Stargate SG1, but I didn`t think a great deal of either of these episodes to be honest. The first is very poignant, and important in SG1, but it`s a little slow. The second is better, but again, not quite as interesting as many of the episodes that I`ve seen before.

The video is utterly superb, and the disc also carries good sound. Combined with the excellent extras, again this is a recommended release.