Review of Stargate SG1: Volume 26

Introduction

I`ve got volumes 1-10, 13, 18, 19 and 25 of Stargate SG1 on DVD - and this soon to be released Volume 26 contains the first four episodes from Series 6 (the episode descriptions below contain spoilers, so be warned if you haven`t seen them already!)

Redemption (Part 1) - tragedy reunites Teal`c with his son Rya`c, who blames Teal`c for his mother`s death. O`Neill and Carter launch a risky plan with untested technology when Earth is attacked by the Goa`uld, while Jonas Quinn tries to prove to O`Neill that he is worthy of being a member of SG-1.

Redemption (Part 2) - Carter must find a way to save Earth from total destruction at the hands of the Goa`uld, who have turned the stargate into a doomsday bomb. Rya`c joins Teal`c and Bra`tac on a dangerous mission to destroy the Goa`uld weapon. Meanwhile, O`Neill carries out a plan devised by Quinn.

Descent - an abandoned Goa`uld mothership has mysteriously arrived near Earth. The SG-1 team, with the assistance of Jacob Carter, embark on a mission to board the ship and find out its origin. Things quickly go wrong, and they must escape the doomed vessel when it crashes into the ocean.

Frozen - a team of scientists, working in the ice where the second Stargate was discovered in Antarctica (back in Season 1`s Solitudes), uncover a woman frozen in the ice. The SG-1 team travels to Antarctica to aid in the investigation, but they are soon infected with a mysterious disease.

Video

The video comes in 16:9 anamorphic widescreen and like the rest of the Stargate SG1 releases is of an exceptionally high standard throughout all four episodes programs. Stargate SG1 has always had high production values, this quality is reflected in an image that is exceptionally sharp, with no grain and no dirt and a wonderfully vibrant image.

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 and atmospheric sounds, but then as this is a made-for-TV series, this is perhaps only to be expected. 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 the other releases in the series, there are plenty of extras for Stargate SG1 fans to get their teeth into. There are two instalments of the "SG1 Director`s Series", entitled "Nightwalkers" and "Abyss", both running for around ten minutes and looking at the two episodes in question were made.

Next up is the "Season 6 Stills Gallery 2", which is followed by audio commentaries on all four episodes, each one featuring the respective director and other cast members, all giving the usual factual, technical and background information.

Finally there are previews of Volume 27.

Conclusion

As with others in the series, it`s highly unlikely that anyone will just buy the 26th 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.

The disc contains another four good episodes, all well presented, with an excellent range of extras that comprises two featurettes and four commentary tracks.

Once again, the Stargate discs are a recommended release.