Are there any stargate franchise fans on here? Didn’t watch the series’ first time round but been watching reruns on UK TV for the last couple of years. I have been totally sucked into the Stargate world I’m watching it more that Trek 
Stargate
- Thread starter bajorangirl
- Start date
Yeah. I came to the franchise late, but by the time I did (SG1 season 7), they had the lore down wonderfully. I got the DVDs (when that was still a thing) and went back and watched all of it (both SG1 and Atlantis). I think they had such an enjoyable concept and such an enjoyable core cast, that they were able to weather several cast changes, several different storylines and multiple series pretty easily. And even when they phoned it in, we didn't care much because usually it was just fun to watch, and who cares if you saw the same Vancouver forest 300 times?
What really "dialed me in" was Atlantis. I loved Atlantis. By that point they had expanded the lore and the backstory so much that it was just fun to imagine all the possibilities. But then, of course, they started to drop the ball. The last two seasons of Atlantis are still a sore point for me, and it felt too rushed. I was thankful for the series of continuation novels that followed, even if they weren't "official."
Universe was a mixed bag. On the one hand I felt robbed after just 2 seasons and ending on a cliffhanger....on the other hand, the whole "LostGate: Galactica" feel of the show never sat quite right with me. I didn't DISLIKE Universe...but I missed Atlantis.
Then of course we never got the planned Atlantis film and the 3rd SG1 film, and they sat on the scripts for years, resisting the opportunity to turn them into comics. I don't know if that has changed and indeed there have been novelizations or comics of those scripts. The planned reboot of the 1994 film never happened either. I heard about the recent web series, but the trailer was so shockingly bad that I didn't watch it.
It's a bit of a shame that the franchise petered out, especially since I think they probably could relaunch it in this era of serialized storytelling. But as it is, it's like a little time capsule to an era of SciFi TV that doesn't exist anymore. Back when you watched the Sci-Fi channel on Friday nights and went to other worlds.
What really "dialed me in" was Atlantis. I loved Atlantis. By that point they had expanded the lore and the backstory so much that it was just fun to imagine all the possibilities. But then, of course, they started to drop the ball. The last two seasons of Atlantis are still a sore point for me, and it felt too rushed. I was thankful for the series of continuation novels that followed, even if they weren't "official."
Universe was a mixed bag. On the one hand I felt robbed after just 2 seasons and ending on a cliffhanger....on the other hand, the whole "LostGate: Galactica" feel of the show never sat quite right with me. I didn't DISLIKE Universe...but I missed Atlantis.
Then of course we never got the planned Atlantis film and the 3rd SG1 film, and they sat on the scripts for years, resisting the opportunity to turn them into comics. I don't know if that has changed and indeed there have been novelizations or comics of those scripts. The planned reboot of the 1994 film never happened either. I heard about the recent web series, but the trailer was so shockingly bad that I didn't watch it.
It's a bit of a shame that the franchise petered out, especially since I think they probably could relaunch it in this era of serialized storytelling. But as it is, it's like a little time capsule to an era of SciFi TV that doesn't exist anymore. Back when you watched the Sci-Fi channel on Friday nights and went to other worlds.
I tried watching SG-1, but it never really "grabbed" me; Atlantis, though, was amazing, even rhoufh I've never gotten around to finishing the series.
I really enjoyed the majority of Seasons 3-8 of SG-1. Atlantis and Universe? *sighs* I loved the series concepts, casts and most of the characters, but the stories themselves never lived up to their full potential. They're frustrating because both of those series are this close to being truly great, but they're merely adequate instead.
Also, Rodney McKay deserved to star in a better series, and David Hewlett should be more successful than "that guy with a minor supporting role in Rise of the Planet of the Apes".
Also, Rodney McKay deserved to star in a better series, and David Hewlett should be more successful than "that guy with a minor supporting role in Rise of the Planet of the Apes".
Original show was incredible between the last few eps of season 1 and the end of season 7. When O'Neall left main team it lost a lot. I only watch season 8 because it closes the major narratives.
After the repilot, hey, the Farscape guys tried, but they never formed chemistry and by that time all sides were so overpowered every arc was about going on a hunt for the next ancient weapon.
And they reeaaallly should have done better than just rehashing the premise of the original pilot but with a bigger bad. "Hey, cool we can travel to this new other place! OOPS, we pissed off a powerful evil alien, guess Earth is screwed. Hey, deja vu."
After the repilot, hey, the Farscape guys tried, but they never formed chemistry and by that time all sides were so overpowered every arc was about going on a hunt for the next ancient weapon.
And they reeaaallly should have done better than just rehashing the premise of the original pilot but with a bigger bad. "Hey, cool we can travel to this new other place! OOPS, we pissed off a powerful evil alien, guess Earth is screwed. Hey, deja vu."
I love SG1. I have the serie and tv movies on dvd.
Are there good SG1 novels set after the series?
Are there good SG1 novels set after the series?
I think most of the decent SG1 novels I've read were set in series. (Atlantis did have some good post ones though). I may have missed the SG1 ones though as I don't have all of them.
As for the various series, started early and have all (except the animated ones) on dvd, so I guess I'm moderately fannish.
Tragically, Stargate Universe is MADE for binge watching. I suspect it would have done much better today as a streaming series than as a weekly with looooonnngg breaks between seasons and half-seasons. You binge it now and it's a significantly more cohesive show than it was first-run. nuBSG is much the same.
I have watched every episode of all the stargates.
But I'm a SGA girl at heart and i'm still pissed off that I never got my ending.
But I'm a SGA girl at heart and i'm still pissed off that I never got my ending.
The "Legacy" books continue the story. Worth reading....not bad at all.
I have't read them so I don't know if they're any good, but there are also Atlantis and Universe comics that pick up after their series finales.
I haven't seen all of the episodes of SG-1 or Universe, but I have seen all of Atlantis. I've seen enough to consider myself a huge fan of the franchise, I'd put it right up there with Star Trek ad Star Wars.
I haven't seen all of the episodes of SG-1 or Universe, but I have seen all of Atlantis. I've seen enough to consider myself a huge fan of the franchise, I'd put it right up there with Star Trek ad Star Wars.
I haven't seen all the episodes of any of the series, but I did really enjoy SG-1 for a long time. It had the perfect mix of premise and characters and was just a lot of fun (until they changed it way too much).
I tried Atlantis when it first came out and I thought it was a good idea, theoretically, and there were some good cast members too. But I never liked the Wraith as the overarching villains and the cast never gelled for me as a whole.
Universe was quite similar in that regard: great idea, not too amazing execution. Though I think in the end Universe could've developed into a much better show than Atlantis had it not ended so fast.
I tried Atlantis when it first came out and I thought it was a good idea, theoretically, and there were some good cast members too. But I never liked the Wraith as the overarching villains and the cast never gelled for me as a whole.
Universe was quite similar in that regard: great idea, not too amazing execution. Though I think in the end Universe could've developed into a much better show than Atlantis had it not ended so fast.
I've read them all apart from pride of the genii, I don't like what they have done to Mckay.
I enjoyed Universe a lot in the first season, it lost me early in the second.
I loved the idea of the mysterious ancient ship being explored, and having a secretive self interested Baltar type heading the search. They just made some very strange creative decisions. Like, one episode the group is dramatically racing to get back to the ship before it gets out of range. At the end of the episode, they FAIL. You think, okay, start of a bigger arc for them to be stranded somewhere else for a while and get picked up by some other force, this could be interesting.
Start of next episode, they immediately found a different way to get back. Okay, then what was the point of them failing to get back in the first place? That's some serious story arc blue balls.
Also too many of the characters were acerbic complainy types.
I loved the idea of the mysterious ancient ship being explored, and having a secretive self interested Baltar type heading the search. They just made some very strange creative decisions. Like, one episode the group is dramatically racing to get back to the ship before it gets out of range. At the end of the episode, they FAIL. You think, okay, start of a bigger arc for them to be stranded somewhere else for a while and get picked up by some other force, this could be interesting.
Start of next episode, they immediately found a different way to get back. Okay, then what was the point of them failing to get back in the first place? That's some serious story arc blue balls.
Also too many of the characters were acerbic complainy types.
I've picked up a little from the Stargate wiki, IIRC they sort of did something like Daniel's Prior arc, and also all the Wraith have names from those old really gothy Harry Potter fanfics.
My favourite of them all is Atlantis, and it's a tough call between SG1 and Universe. I got sick of Jacksons condescending babbling although I liked his relationship with Vala Mal Doran. The first couple and the last couple of series were the best in my opinion. You could see Richard Dean Anderson just didn't want to be there any more you could see that from his cameos on Atlantis and Universe too. As I said Atlantis was my favourite but the Wraith as an enemy got a little boring, I remember being terrified at first but it just got silly toward the end. We were robbed of more series of both Atlantis and Universe as someone said above in this streaming day and age they would have done a lot better than they did.
One thing I would liked to have seen on Atlantis was another cross over episode with Col. Mitchell.
One thing I would liked to have seen on Atlantis was another cross over episode with Col. Mitchell.
I think SG1's original team is textbook "How to build a perfectly balanced team with perfect chemistry". Everyone balances everyone else somehow.
A problem I had with Atlantis was lack of compelling villains. The Wraithe were just not very interesting, just as 'Eville' as the gu'ald but less stylized.
Then when they added a different version of the replicators, that's what made me stop watching.
A problem I had with Atlantis was lack of compelling villains. The Wraithe were just not very interesting, just as 'Eville' as the gu'ald but less stylized.
Then when they added a different version of the replicators, that's what made me stop watching.
Huge amount of affection for SG-1 and (to a lesser extent) SGA.
SGU...I'm somewhat ambivalent about. On the one hand I love the tone of what they were going for. It made space seem huge, empty and dangerous in a way none of previous shows did. On the other hand it spent *way* too much time and energy on interpersonal drama, particularly leaning on the body-swap gimmick to such a degree that it started to trivialise the crew's supposed isolation. I re-watched the show a year or two back and even on a binge watch, the first season was (despite a handful of stand-out episodes) still painfully slow and meandering overall. Though unsurprised that it was cancelled when it was, I'm still disappointed it's gone and distantly hopeful that one day Netflix or some other streaming service will bring the show back out of stasis.
SGU...I'm somewhat ambivalent about. On the one hand I love the tone of what they were going for. It made space seem huge, empty and dangerous in a way none of previous shows did. On the other hand it spent *way* too much time and energy on interpersonal drama, particularly leaning on the body-swap gimmick to such a degree that it started to trivialise the crew's supposed isolation. I re-watched the show a year or two back and even on a binge watch, the first season was (despite a handful of stand-out episodes) still painfully slow and meandering overall. Though unsurprised that it was cancelled when it was, I'm still disappointed it's gone and distantly hopeful that one day Netflix or some other streaming service will bring the show back out of stasis.
