Stargate SG-1 Season 8 and Stargate Atlantis

The premiere episode of Stargate Atlantis (SGA) was first broadcast in July, 2004.  The season eight premiere of Stargate SG-1 was also first broadcast in July, 2004.  Both shows occur in the same timeline, during the same time period.  While SGA is a freestanding series, the characters in one series are aware of the characters and events in the other series.  There are even appearances by Stargate SG-1 characters on SGA.  The first mention that references something related to Stargate Atlantis is in Stargate SG-1 season 8’s episode 2.   

I intend to do a re-watch of SGA.  There are times when something that happens on SGA is mentioned on Stargate SG-1 and vice-versa.  I thought about doing simultaneous re-watches of the two series starting with Stargate SG-1 season 8.  For now, I’m going to fully re-watch Stargate SG-1, and then re-watch SGA, rather than juggle re-watching both series at the same time.

SG-1 Season Eight DVD Set -- Content

I will rate each season’s DVD set before reviewing the season’s individual episodes.  My rating in this post solely reflects the DVD content, options, & extras (or lack thereof), not episodes.

Overall Rating for the Set:  Good

No audio commentary on episode 18,  “Threads.”
Audio commentary on the rest of the episodes.

There is not a “play all” option.

English and French audio.

Subtitles: English, French, and Spanish.

The episodes are close captioned.

This is a five-disc set, with 20 episodes.
Each episode is approximately 44 minutes long.

All episodes are anamorphic widescreen 1.78:1.

Sound:

English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
French: Stereo Surround

The special features are not rated.

The special features are neither closed-captioned nor subtitled.

Special Features:

SG-1 Beyond the Gate: An Air Force Experience with Richard Dean Anderson
SG-1 Beyond the Gate: A Convention Experience with Christopher Judge
SG-1 Directors Series: “Avatar”
SG-1 Directors Series: “Covenant”
SG-1 Directors Series: “Reckoning”
Super Soldier: The Making of a Monster featurette
Photo and Production Design Galleries

All episodes in their entirety, some featurettes, and there are audio commentaries for all episodes except one.  Episodes finally have subtitles, and in three languages.  Audio is available in English and French.  Slim cases, and nice artwork.

With TV series on DVD, there are two quality of life options (meaning non-essential perks) that I enjoy.  First, a “play all” option for the episodes on a disk.  Main menu to episode menu to “play episode,” and then from the episode menu to the main menu to the next episode menu to “play episode” gets old, fast.  Second, putting a scene break on the DVD at the end of every episode's opening credit, where the theme music plays.  I love Stargate SG-1's opening credit theme music (I love all of Stargate SG-1's music), but sometimes I want to get straight to the episode after the opening scene.  In this season 8 DVD set, neither of those two quality of life options are available.

By having subtitles on episodes, and more than just English as a language option, this DVD set is a step up from previous seasons DVD sets.  On the flip side, there are fewer special features in this season’s DVD set, and for the first time since commentary was added there is an episode without commentary.

I rate this season’s DVD set as  a solid Good.

SG-1 Season 7 At a Glance

My rating for each episode in season seven.

Episode 1: Fallen -- Very Good
Episode 2: Homecoming -- Excellent
Episode 3: Fragile Balance -- Very Good
Episode 4: Orpheus -- Very Good
Episode 5: Revisions -- Very Good
Episode 6: Lifeboat -- Very Good
Episode 7: Enemy Mine -- Good
Episode 8: Space Race -- Fair
Episode 9: Avenger 2.0 -- Excellent
Episode 10: Birthright -- Fair
Episode 11: Evolution: Part 1 -- Excellent
Episode 12: Evolution: Part 2 -- Excellent
Episode 13: Grace -- Very Good
Episode 14: Fallout -- Very Good
Episode 15: Chimera -- Very Good
Episode 16: Death Knell -- Excellent
Episode 17: Heroes: Part 1 -- Good
Episode 18: Heroes: Part 2 -- Good
Episode 19: Resurrection -- Very Good
Episode 20: Inauguration -- Very Good
Episode 21: Lost City: Parts 1 and 2 -- Excellent

The season has an exciting start, and a spectacular finish.

Overall, a strong season with few missteps, one that I enjoy re-watching.  While many episodes have some sort of direct Goa’uld involvement, I’m hard pressed to discern a story thread that unifies this season.  The majority of the episodes are stand alone stories that make sense as part of Stargate SG-1, but are otherwise unconnected.  I mean that if the stand alone episodes were whittled out, Stargate SG-1’s story would still make sense.  I am not saying to skip those episodes.  I highly recommend watching all of this seasons’ episodes.

The over-arching story of the Goa’uld Sytem Lords versus everyone else in the galaxy (including other System Lords) doesn’t progress much this season.  The Goa’uld have their hands full dealing with Anubis, and little time to spare on harassing others.  The machinations of Anubis — who is the biggest bad of the big bads — mostly occur off-screen.  We often learn what he has been up to as backstory in an episode, like the events in “Evolution: Parts 1 and 2.”

The new cannon introduced this season are the Kull warriors and the weapon to them take down.

We do learn that rogue N.I.D. elements are still active.  And that the animosities between SGC, the Tok’ra, and the Free Jaffa highlighted in “Allegiance” were not resolved, and instead have been smoldering in the background.  I like this aspect of the SGC - Tok’ra - Free Jaffa alliance being addressed.  M’zel, a Free Jaffa in “Alliegiance,” brings up a salient point.  Are the Free Jaffa truly free, or have they switched masters from the Goa’uld to the Tau’ri.  The Free Jaffa want to truly be free and rule themselves, meaning they don’t have to answer to SGC.  That the Tok’ra have a “you’re not the boss of me” attitude towards SGC didn’t surprise me.  Many Tok’ra have come across as barely tolerating the Tau’ri.  Dalek, a Tok’ra in “Allegiance,” mentions that the Tau’ri are unlike most humans strewn across the galaxy by the Goa’uld because they don’t have subservience ground into their core by generations of Goa’uld atrocities and oppression.  And, he acts like that is a detriment, not an advantage, for the Tok’ra.  There’s still no love lost between the Free Jaffa and the Tok’ra.

No new, far more advanced society than Earth’s is introduced this season.  Except for possibly the mystery ship in “Grace” which is never explained.  The Asgard are still in the picture and helpful (at times), however they have their hands full with the Replicators and the no longer pushovers they once were Goa’ulds.  While no societies that are significantly more advanced than Earth are introduced, there are a couple of planets with societies whose techno-know how is comparable to Stargate SG-1’s Earth.  The Hebridans, the residents of P3X-289, and near the end of season 6, the Tagreans.  The Goa’uld have seemingly been slacking off when it comes to making certain that no other society advances their tech to the point where they become a viable threat.

Richard Dean Anderson’s Jack O’Neill has less of a presence this season.  My understanding is that Mr. Anderson wanted to spend more time with his family.  I miss O’Neill when he doesn’t appear in an episode, but no way am I mad about the reason why.

The final episodes of the season bring major changes to Stargate SG-1.  O’Neill is in stasis.  SGC is under civilian command.  General Hammond now commands the Prometheus.  Anubis’ fleet is defeated, but there are still plenty of Goa’ulds out there who aren’t fond of the Tau’ri.  As we head into season 8, there is also the newly discovered Ancient outpost under Antarctica, and the knowledge that Atlantis exists, somewhere, and is likely the actual lost city of the Ancients.

Season 7 is fun, at times touching, and often exciting.