cast: Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Christopher Judge, Don S. Davis

Our rating: 4 out of 5

Rated: TV14

reviewed by Charity Bishop
 

Most long-running television shows start to crumble in their later years, but SG-1 was one franchise that kept on going. This season set up the story arc for the spin-off series Atlantis, but continued in the trend fans had come to expect of adventure in the skies.... err, Stargate.

Having recently emerged from yet another close call in saving the world as we know it, the SG-1 team are astounded to discover the unexpected return of Daniel Jackson (Shanks) from the netherworld. Devoid of his memory and with no comprehension of his former life or experience in the program, Daniel has made a home among a tribe of local nomads on a distant planet but agrees to return to the base to explore his past. Gradually, he comes to remember various aspects of his former life as the team rallies around him. The team has discovered that their greatest enemy among the Gou'ald system lords is Anubis. Ruthless and with vast armies at his disposal, he threatens not only the safety of Earth but the other planets as well. Fortunately, he is in constant conflict with his fellow Goul'ald and this allows them to evade and sabotague forces where they can, but it is only a matter of time before Anubis strikes their home planet.

Daniel's team members are experiencing their own troubles... Jack O'Neill (Anderson) turns up at the base in a fourteen year old body, Teal'c (Judge) takes a staff blast to the stomach, and Sam contends with her inner doubts and demons when stranded alone on a spaceship. The seventh season has the distinction of being one of the few in which Stargate travel is somewhat limited, as it explores other plot lines and character arcs at home. There is the departure and subsequent re-emerging of Jonas Quinn and the development of Daniel as he approaches a new and different state of being, but for the most part the season doesn't travel through the Stargate as much as explore the world around it. This doesn't make it any less entertaining and there are some truly magnificent episodes -- such as "Fragile Balance," in which a talented young actor depicts a much-younger, pimpled Jack O'Neill. Christopher Judge wrote the next episode, about Teal'c, in which a lot of soul-searching transpires. It also introduces us to the most terrifying villain yet -- Anubis' army of virtually unstoppable warriors. Not even a warhead can take these things down.

Admittedly, there were a few less interesting contributions to the season. I wasn't very fond of "Grace" since Sam had almost no interaction with other cast members, and found the first half of "Heroes" rather tedious, but its second installment removes another beloved character from the series and is likely to leave you in tears. Late in the season, we are introduced to a new president and administration, which means some changes to the leadership within Stargate Command. It also introduces us to Dr. Weir, a character that is vital in the sequel. She is a blonde this time around and her replacement is much more likable. Normally, the series attempts to avoid anything that pulls it out of our modern times, but I thought it was a neat twist to take us into the Oval Office and establish a presidential force. One thing I really did not like was the introduction of a boyfriend for Sam. It seemed contrived and underlined the fact that her relationship with Jack, while not allowed by their ranks to progress, is still there. Her temporary boyfriend therefore seems annoying and out of place, one plot arc that pretty much blew up in the writers' faces.

As far as content goes, there is a little more this season but nothing too damning. The opening shot of the pilot is of a naked Daniel Jackson laying unconscious in the dirt. You see most of his bare side. In a rare departure from the norm, "Chimera" explores Sam's personal life -- including her sexual relationship with a police officer. We see them passionately making out before the scene fades into a "morning after" scene. I thought it was a bit out of character for Sam -- and to be brutally honest, I hated her boyfriend. The usual quota of mild profanities and fair amounts of violence (staff blasts, gun shot wounds, explosions, etc) fill out the rest of the season. I was glad to see the return of Daniel but somewhat missed Jonas. The humor is still there and there are some downright hilarious moments. I enjoyed the closure to some storylines and the continuation of others. The cast by this point were so accustomed to one another that it requires little effort to show the affection between the team members, but there are still those moments that touch our hearts and make it impossible to forget the faces of SG-1.