STARGATE: SG-1

REVIEWED BY CARISSA HORTON

Our rating: 3 out of 5

Because of: nudity, violence, thematic elements

Rated:

I have friends who are absolutely crazy about this series, so I thought to myself, "I might just give it a try." Im generally up on current Sci-Fi flicks or TV shows, but I never could bring myself to watch this series. Perhaps I thought the magic of Macgyver would be lost in this new endeavor by Richard Dean Anderson. Its a pleasure to say that my fears were mostly off base.

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to visit other worlds through a magic portal? Something that can transport you instantly to practically anywhere in the galaxy? Well, it so happens that a US military camp near Cheyenne Mountain, Colorado has such a device. This "Stargate" is left over from the ancient civilization of the Egyptians, but obviously was not designed by them. In fact, it is an alien invention, meant for traveling to other planets in exploration. The number one team of this most remarkable mission consists of four members. Colonel Jack ONeil (Richard Dean Anderson) was dragged out of retirement to take his place in history. Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) is recalled from a planet in which hes resided, happily married, for about a year. Captain Samantha "Sam" Carter (Amanda Tapping) is reassigned and ready to sink her teeth into her new position. And last but not least, Tealc (Christopher Judge). Tealc is no ordinary member of SG1, but is in fact an alien from a planet known as Chulak. And there began their first journey in this series.

At first, only two numbers for planets are known. One for Earth, and another for a planet called Abydos, on which Daniel Jackson resides. When an unexpected alien invasion occurs through Earths Stargate, it is imperative that Daniel be notified immediately. After sending an all-clear signal to Daniel, Jack and Sam arrive safely on Abydos through the Stargate. Unwilling at first, Daniel leads his two companions to a room on which is engraved thousands if not millions of Stargate addresses. The Stargate chain obviously involves more than merely two planets, which is further proved through an attack through the Abydos Stargate. Daniels wife of a year, Share (Vaitiare Bandera) and her brother Skaara (Alexis Cruz) are the only two taken captive. Daniel now has no choice but to return to Earth, hoping they can uncover the location of the unwilling victims.

Only it is too late. Both Share and Skaara have become hosts to a parasitic race known as the Goa'uld, ruthless conquerors. Daniel, Jack, and Sam, almost immediately upon their discovery of the appropriate planet, known as Chulak, are also taken captive. In spite of Daniels horror at what has transpired, he is already aware of this threats name. A leader among the Goa'uld, Apophis (Peter Williams) has taken Share to be his wife host and will not lightly give her up. After hosts are chosen for the appropriate parasites, Apophis orders that all other prisoners are to be executed. If not for the assistance of a guard by the name of Tealc, SG1 would have been destroyed before it even began exploring the galaxy. A tragedy has occurred, but that doesnt mean giving up is an option. Share is still alive, as is Skaara, and if SG1 has anything to say about it, theyll do their best to retrieve them.

I wish I could mention every episode, but that is not humanly possible. So lets just say that the adventures stay on a fairly even keel throughout the season. Whether the mission is discovering a cure to a disease which renders the infected person almost entirely primitive in their behavior to uncovering a form of crystalline life, SG1 is always ready and willing. Their interference is not always welcome, as on a planet where women are merely viewed as chattel, but they always have others best interests at heart. And slowly they learn more about the Goauld and discover just what a viable threat this species poses to the very survival of Earth and its inhabitants.

With the end of the first season, I was completely exhausted. Id seen almost everything imaginable in Sci-Fi probability. And whats more, there is quite a fascinating tie to Earth history as well. The Goauld posed as gods during the time of the Egyptians. And through them, we have Ra, Apophis, Hathor, and many others. I wont deny that it was confusing at first, but after awhile, you begin to catch on. Any form of violent content, without being gratuitous, can be readily expected, including a lot of gunplay. Alien weapons also make an appearance. One is capable of either rendering a victim unconscious, killing him, or disintegrating him, though the last is used only as a final resort by the good guys. Some of the machines involved can cause a great amount of pain. Absolute agony and torment for the victim. What is even more disturbing are the Goauld. Ive never been partial to a parasitic anything, let alone something that crawls inside peoples heads, and resides in a particular races bellies. Or should I say pouches, for this entire people have been converted into incubators. The appearance of many aliens are sickening, Goauld definitely included. But others are almost human in appearance, and you will discover why, should you endeavor to watch the series.

Language is restricted occasional profanities and obscenities. Anything stronger is fairly rare and hardly worth mentioning. For the first few episodes, innuendo was more crude than I prefer, but that faded almost entirely and left the remainder of the season with a sarcastic sense of humor and timing that always had me laughing. What I hated the most involves the very first episode. Complete and total female frontal nudity has no place in a series such as this, yet there it was, plain as day. So parents, the second time Share is removed from the holding place for prisoners, skip ahead to the next scene. This is one you do NOT want the kiddies watching. The Torment of Tantalus has several silhouette images of an old man nude, but it does avoid detail. The Broca Divide, Brief Candle, and Hathor involve sexual tension and situations, but no nudity. The closest they come is in Brief Candle with Jack, but he swiftly pulls a blanket around his waist. Overall, the majority of the episodes are kept entirely clean of such content, which pleasantly surprised me. But that first episode should definitely be avoided if at all possible, which is why I gave such a detailed summary.

Spiritually, the series wavers between being Christianity friendly and evolution friendly. The two cannot combine on even the smallest level, but it is still attempted. A senator speaks of Gods will and yet goes completely contrary to Gods laws, which definitely makes him a hypocrite. A certain species of aliens have a severe god-complex, which comes into play quite often. But when it comes down to treatment of ones fellow human beings, the show is in a positive light. Daniel is a very understanding young man, with a heart for those in need and a yearning to help whenever possible. Tealc, while formidable, loves his family and would willingly sacrifice himself to save them. Jack struggles with the memory of his sons accidental suicide, and the divorce which swiftly followed. And Sam, well Sam learns the meaning of working together for a goal entirely outside of herself. Apart from defeating the Goauld, the SG teams are learning to assist those on other planets when needed. Even to evacuate them when situations call for such action. Theyre caring for others as much as they care for themselves.

There is no question that the acting is absolutely stellar. This cast brings command performances from each and every member. My personal favorite is Richard Dean Anderson, but that is to be expected because I remember him in the starring role of Macgyver. Amanda Tapping has a sparkling personality that really shines on the screen. She brings the intelligence, the know-how to SG1, and for a while, she keeps Jack and Daniel from doing each other damage. What can I say of Michael Shanks except that he is one amazing actor. I wasnt entirely sure if I liked him at first, but by the end, he personified Daniel Jackson and became my second favorite character. But I think that Christopher Judge had the most difficult job. Tealc is an imposing, solid, silent type, and it took a special type of man to ever play such a role convincingly. Im pleased to say that Christopher succeeded entirely. And than you have Teryl Rothery in portrayal of Dr. Frasier, Don S. Davis as General Hammond, and numerous other supporting cast. I would not have changed one actor for the world.

I cannot deny the difficulties in making a parallel between reality and what could exist beyond our knowledge of the galaxy. I personally do not believe that life exists outside Earth, and that stems from my Christian beliefs. The people of Egypt were drawn into false beliefs, but there were no actual creatures there to convince them. We are what we are, and one show isnt going to change history. But it certainly makes for an excellent tv series that draws you in until youre completely captivated. This series is not for the faint of heart, and definitely not for young children. Parents, I caution you to give this season a once over before letting your kids watch it. There are some problems that could be far more troubling to you than to me. I for one am hooked, and hope that the second season proves equally as enjoyable, but perhaps with less questionable content.