Amazon.com essential video

If a top-level spy decided he didn't want to be a spy anymore, could he just walk into HQ and hand in his resignation? With all that classified knowledge in his head, would he be allowed to become a civilian again, free to go about his life? The answer, according to the stylish, brilliantly conceived 1960s British TV series The Prisoner, is a resounding no. In fact, instead of receiving a gold watch for his years of faithful service, our hero (played by Patrick McGoohan) is followed home to his London flat and knocked unconscious. When he awakens, he finds himself in a picturesque village where everyone is known by a number. Where is it? Why was he brought here? And, most important, how does he leave?

As we learn in Episode 1, Number 6 can't leave. The Village's "citizens" might dress colorfully and stroll around its manicured gardens while a band plays bouncy Strauss marches, but the place is actually a prison. Surveillance is near total, and if all else fails, there's always the large, mysterious white ball that subdues potential escapees by temporarily smothering them. Who runs the Village? An ever-changing Number 2, who wants to know why Number 6 resigned. If he'd only cooperate, he's told, life can be made very pleasant. "I've resigned," he fumes. "I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered. My life is my own." So sets the stage for the ultimate battle of wills: Number 6's struggle to retain his privacy, sanity, and individuality against the array of psychological and physical methods the Village uses to break him.

So does he ever escape? And does he ever find out who Number 1 is? "Questions are a burden to others," the Village saying goes. "Answers, a prison for oneself." Within this complete 17-episode set (which contains the entire series), all is revealed. Or is it? --Steve Landau ... Read more

Reviews (39)

I AM NOT A NUMBER, I AM A BOX SET OF DVDs
Well not exactly Patrick McGoohan's opening from The Prisoner, but it did catch your attention :-). Seriously here they are, all 17 episodes plus the Prisoner Video Companion originally offered on MCI Home Video now on DVD compliments of our good friends at A&E. What's nicer is the episodes are arranged in what the fans believe to be the chronological order of the episodes in terms of Number 6's time in the Village rather than order of original airdate (although some of them are in airdate order). As a hint at this look carefully at "The General" and "A, B and C". Both star Colin Gordon as Number 2, but in the opening for "A, B and C" he says "I am number 2" rather than "The new number 2". Also this set contains something released on video previously but only in England, a special edition of the 5th episode of the series, "The Chimes of Big Ben". Definitely the best of McGoohan's 3 British Secret Agent types series, but also the quintessential scifi series as well. By the way, a special debt of gratitude to A&E Homevideo. When this series first came out on VHS on MPI Homevideo in 1990, they made a muff in the episode "Checkmate". In the "Where am I" segment of the opening sequence it started with McGoohan doing it with the fore mentioned Colin Gordon even though Peter Wyngarde played Number 2 in this episode. By the third line "That would be telling" the tape was ok. I can't speak for the new A&E VHS copy, but on these DVDs the muff has NOT recurred. Which means either A&E acquired a better copy of the episode to restore on DVD or someone told them about the flub from 11 years ago. So kudos to A&E Video for to repairing this decade old "blooper". This 10 pack is much better buy than the 5 sets of 2 DVDs individually. Get it now, return to the Village and escape at your own pace.

For die-hard fans only, but for us, it's a treasure
Honestly, if you're not a true fan of the series, I can't imagine why you would want to shell out this kind of money to own the whole set. But as a former member of The Prisoner Appreciation Society, I think it's a great collector's item, and is good for introducing the series to friends who have never seen it before or who only saw it in passing. The series is as addictive and thought-provoking as ever, though having the whole collection to watch back-to-back lets you find lots of continuity errors that you were likely to miss the first time around... and the three or four really BAD episodes stand out all the more when you're watching them all in sequence and are focused on them.

As for the DVDs themselves, the audio quality of the episodes is what you might expect from a 1967 TV series (the difference between the audio of the shows and the modern-day interview is pronounced), the menu screens are attractive and in a style which fits the series well. The bonus features are a little scant. The "alternate version" of Chimes is so barely different it isn't that interesting, the Trivia Quiz was lifted right off the Appreciation Society's website, the trailers would make you NOT want to watch the episodes, but the couple of extra interviews are pretty cool.

A must for Prisoner fans
I myself did not think the transfer was all that bad. In fact I think it looks good on my 61" Sony and Sony DVD.
I started watching the Prisoner when it first released in the US as summer replacement. I have been hooked ever since.
Yes it is about a spy or "Secret Agent" who resigns in obvious disgust and is kidnapped, taken to a very mysterious, secret and very secure place known as "The Village". It is also about his attempts at escape and other intrigues. Leading edge spy stuff for its time.
To appreciate The Prisoner you must go beneath the surface at what The Prisoner really means. The series is full of symbolism and social commentary while The Vilage is referred to as "The model for a new world order" by one of the constantly changing #2's.
The series blew everyones mind in the late 60's when it aired. I knew many people who could not get it and never watched more than one or two episodes. The die-hard fans hung in there and got our own minds blown in "Fall Out" the final episode.
After years and careful noticeof the world and politics and social upheavals The Prisoner now makes sense immediately to people who are just now seeing it for the first time - like my 22 year old daughter. she had it figured out (correctly) by the 3rd DVD.
Anyway, this is an important series and TV's first true masterpiece. It is a work or art, it is a social commentary and it is very prophetic and more relevant than ever.
I love this set. I enjoyed the bonus tracks. To those who think the bonus tracks are lacking, remember this is a TV show produced in 1967. This is a veritable gold mine of bonus material.
After seeing all 17 episodes again in order, sharing them with my daughter had brought me to even new revelations about the series and the genius behind them.
My daughter thinks the special effects and action sequences are not realistic - BUT be reminded again, this is a TV series from 1967.
Could The Prisoner be remade and updated? Perhaps, but I would have a fear of losing the message. This series was created in an era of relative innocence when most people trusted the government. This is one of the things thsat made the series so remarkable.
Here we are 37 years after production and we are STILL discussing it;s significance. While I might agree with my daughter that modern production values and updated special effects woulc be a good spice to the series I would fear destroying the essence and the uniqueness.
Mc Goohan had a degree of freedom when producing the series. Any newer production would most likely be polluted by attempts to make it more mass-market acceptable.
The Prisoner is a sensitive work and a work of genius. Buy the DVD set and enjoy.

all-time great series, box set lacking...
i want to say first off that i'm a huge prisoner fan. i loved the series from beginning to end for all that it is. this review will be only of the dvd box set.
ok, the audio and video quality are fantastic. but here's my gripe: 10 discs for a 17 episode series? talk about being greedy! they could have easily had 4 episodes to a disc. even if it were 3 episodes per disc leaving the final disc chock full of extras that would nearly cut this set's size in half. speaking of which the extras in this set are nothing special. theres not even an interview with patrick mcgoohan!
i'm lucky i got mine at a bargain or else i never would have bothered.

The Archetype Prevails
There are no greater television shows than "The Prisoner". Not ever. Perhaps shows such as "MASH" or "Twin Peaks" rise high enough to catch a glimpse of Patrick McGoohan's Big Idea racing off into the distance but they will never catch up. "The Prisoner" is one of the few works of art in the twentieth century that actually deserve to be called revolutionary. But, Patrick McGoohan, the show's creator and star, has no time whatsoever to rebel against things that lesser figures and would-be rebels wish to rebel against -stoking up the fires of their tiny egos. McGoohan means business and his series, "The Prisoner" rushes up to all of the Big Questions and grabs them by the neck. "The Prisoner" is a declared war against tyranny in all of its forms: sexual attraction, the lure of comfort, the facade of democratic politics, science, fundamentalist anti-science, conservatism, cheap liberal progressivism, group-think in any form at all including "individualism" (which is just another form of group-think),the ultimate prison which is one's self, and more. Number Six, played by Patrick McGoohan himself, is absolutely relentless on his assault upon the Village which would keep him there against his will. And he desires to leave no matter what wholesome blandishments are offered to him. In that way, Number Six is a greater human being than most of us. He is more than a common human individual living out his life. He is an archetype. He can never quite escape but the octopoidal snares of the Village can never quite hold him. In that way, his story resembles the myth of Sisyphus. And yet Number Six is more than Sisyphus. I will not give the end of the series away but I will say that at the end Number Six comes to a true understanding of himself. The only good true understanding of one's self is if that understanding destroys the cycles. The strangest idea at the base of "The Prisoner" is the idea that morality itself, at its most secret heart, is the ultimate form of rebellion. Number Six has a devotion to pure justice, profound freedom, actual compassion ( as opposed to its sentimental counterfeits), and rigorous truth telling that is so extreme - more extreme even than the great Jewish prophets in the Bible - that he actually is an archetype, and not merely a single human being. Number One is the secret Archon that rules the Village. The Village is, of course, demon possessed, though the demons mostly reveal themselves as Angels of Light. Under Number One is paraded a grand series of Number Two's. They come and they go. Each one of them is yet one more attempt to seduce or brutalize Number Six into giving up his freedom. One of the strangest things about this series is that Patrick McGoohan's idea of freedom rejects both the dionysian and the apollonian as categories of human thought and endeavour. McGoohan believes there is a third way that carves its own path, disdainful of the sharp and controlled, fascist geometries of the apollonian and compassionately rejectfull of the oblivion and disintegration offered by the dionysian. No better show exists. I don't think the fifth grade schoolboy bullies who dominate Hollywood or the television studios could allow such a great work to be made or shown on television today. But that is both their fault and their impotence. The Number Two's come and go but the Archetype prevails. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It now seems clear that season 5 of Stargate SG-1 will be remembered as the one in which something went awry with Daniel Jackson. Lots of behind-the-scenes rumors fueled the idea of cast tension, but whatever the problem, his sudden departure from the show was obviously through a quickly contrived scenario. In retrospect, there must have been a problem for some while before the weird penultimate episode ("Meridian"). Michael Shanks looks frequently bored in his rare moments of individual screen time as he infiltrates a Goa'uld meeting and even when making friends with a creature everyone else wants dead. In fact, there's only one point when everyone really seems to be having fun, and that's in the spoof 100th episode "Wormhole X-treme!"

Most shows go through a run-around, skin-of-their-teeth period awaiting renewal, and it certainly seems to have affected storylines this year. For example, a next generation of younger SG teams is introduced. Replacements? The most unfortunate aspect of things, however, was that not a single episode managed to stand alone on its own merits. Every single story was dependent on a part of the greater interwoven warring-species threads. Some of the one-off tales were terrific in and of themselves, but it was as if the writers fell into the trap of having to refer to as much backstory as possible, perhaps to ensure loose ends could be easily wrapped up? Ultimately none of this mattered since the show went on for quite a while. --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (23)

One of my personal favorite seasons
I know this isn't everyone's opinion, but for me, each season gets better and better. Writers and actors get to know the characters and a story more when they've made over 100 episodes with them. (Episode 100 is included in this set, an episode where the writers just decide to mess around and have a good time)

Season 5 introduces some very key characters and situations:
--Colonol Frank Simmons
--Explanation of the ascended being ("Ascention" and "Meridian")
--The jaffa rebellion ("The Warrior")
--Further Russian entanglements including the fate of the Earth DHD ("48 Hours")
--The introduction of Anubis ("Last Stand," "Revelations")
--The fate of the Tollan ("Between Two Fires")
--The temperary departure of Michael Shanks ("Meridian")
--The method of Asguard reproduction ("Revelations")
--Jonas Quinn ("Meridian")

All of these situations play key in the epic saga of the Stargate universe, providing for plot variations and new ideas in later seasons. The new ideas are still there. The humor is still there. Over 100 episodes in, Stargate is still going strong in this collection.

I am looking forward to adding this 5th boxed set to my other four boxed sets.

I enjoyed Season 6 even better. Season 7 is still blowing my mind. Let's have those as boxed sets soon as well.

Good sci-fi, moderate Stargate SG-1
While there were several gems, I find most of this season lacking the flair and style seen in previous seasons. The cast seems rather tired in this season, almost defeated. They go through the paces, but seem to be grudgingly doing so. Episodes such as "48 Hours" and "Failsafe" only served to humiliate the cast and writers who, up to this season, seemed to pride themselves on original storylines.

Daniel's departure is handled adequately for his character in terms of how he is retired, but the story feels quite too sudden and contrived. His storyline is almost entirely forgotten by the next episode, especially in terms of the civilization he saved.

The remaining story lines depend too heavily on previous stories from as far back as season one. It was rumored that this would be the last season of the show, and the writers wanted to tie up the loose ends of the series. Fortunately (or unfortunately), the show wasn't canceled, leaving the cast with few allies or enemies. Because of this, the season finale feels weak and ultimately ends up being the worst yet.

Collectors should purchase this item to complete their set. Newcomers to the show may feel best skipping this season.

Rewatch the first 3 seasons instead
I've watched all seven seasons of stargate, and season 5 was abysmal. Michael Shanks(Daniel) and Christopher Judge(Teal'c) were completely underused, which is tragic because these two men are such good actors. Forcing Carter and Jack into a relationship just feels awkward - both from the 'it's against regulations' aspect, and the 'no chemistry' aspect. Yes, there were a few good episodes - menace, threshold, 2001, between two fires. but you had to wade through some boring shows to get there. The fact that so many old characters keep getting killed off is annoying. (spoiler) killing daniel off in the end felt rushed, ruined season 6, and didn't allow everyone to mourn him as fully as they should have (jack was just too stoic. his previous reactions to Daniel's 'death' in Fire and Water or Serpent's Lair show how he should have reacted.)
Your best bet is to buy one of the first 3 seasons(two's my favorite) and watch it again. At least the storylines are good, everyone's in character, and daniel and teal'c have more than 1 line per episode.

Relapse
Sadly, the fifth season of Stargate: SG-1 broke the streak of progressively better seasons that had been going on ever since the first season. The year began with a cool premiere, "Enemies", but the next couple episodes sucked. For example, the episode "Beast of Burden", which deals with Daniel Jackson's (Michael Shanks) Unas friend, Chaka, was terrible. Personally, I also hated the episode "The First Ones" from last year which began the Chaka thread. I mean, I haven't seen episodes this bad since Season 1 (many of the Season 1 episodes, while good, are far inferior to the episodes of Seasons 2-4). Once you reach the third disc, beginning with the episode "Between Two Fires", the episodes become good again. However, the bad episodes weren't the only problems that this season faced. Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) seemed to regress a little bit because he seemed a lot less tolerent of Daniel than he had been in the last two years (he does, however, reveal his true feelings about Jackson in the episode "Meridian"). Teal'c (Christopher Judge) and Dr. Janet Frasier (Teryl Rothery) were underused, as were the Asgard, who seem to have put politics ahead of real problems.
However, when this season was good, it was REALLY good. There were some amazing story developments this year, beginning with the final demise of Apophis (Peter Williams), the Goa'uld System Lord who has been making life difficult for the SGC ever since the first season. Next, the Tollan, an extremely advanced race of humans who are allied with Earth, begin acting suspiciously, the SGC begins recruiting new officers, the motives of the Aschen from last season are revealed, the Tok'Ra are nearly destroyed, and the Jaffa rebellion begins to truly become a problem for the System Lords. And then, Daniel is brought to a System Lord summit where he has the chance to wipe out the Goa'uld threat forever, that is until he learns of the return of Anubis, an ancient System Lord who was banished for his horrific crimes. Also, we finally learn the origins of the Replicators. Finally, SG-1 must endure a change that they never thought would happen in the episode "Meridian", and then, Anubis and Osirus (Anna-Louise Plowman) reveal plans to attack the Asgard. But the most pivotal plot twist involves the new series-within-a-series, WORMHOLE X-TREME!!! Just kidding.
This is a very important season, so despite its poor opening, I still reccomend it. Just be ready to be underwhelmed by the first few episodes. But after you get past those, enjoy! Some good episodes include: "Enemies", "Threshold", "Between Two Fires", "2001", "Wormhole X-Treme", "Proving Ground", "Summit", "Last Stand", "The Warrior", "Menace", "Meridian", and "Revelations".

Makes me PROUD to be an Air Force vet!!!!
Y'know, this show is probably the most positive view of the Air Force that you will ever see in entertainment. Military personnel are treated as what they are in real life: real people with faults and weaknesses, but with a lot of professionalism, skill and determination to do the best job they can and do the right thing at the same time.

Ironic to find this in a sci-fi show of all places, but I have to thank the producers for the care they put into the characters! Not that there's really a Stargate, a Prometheus or even a Samantha Carter, who can solve any threat with five minutes to do calculations in her head, but at least these Air Force men and women aren't cynical hardcases out to rape and pillage the worlds across the stargate for the "military industrial machine". That's what you would get from MOST of Hollywood if they were doing this show. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Hollywood's film archives overflow with the carcasses of dismal movies based on lame '60s and '70s television shows, a syndrome that shows no sign of abating. But here's evidence that the reverse effect, turning a movie into a TV series, can have surprisingly positive results. Indeed, based on the 21 episodes produced for the first season of Stargate SG-1, it could be argued that this show is significantly better than the 1994 feature it's derived from.

The central conceit of the original Stargate--the existence of an artificially created "wormhole" through which one can travel to different worlds light years away from Earth--was an intriguing one. In seizing on the obvious possibilities for expanding on that premise, series executive producers-writers Jonathan Glassner and Brad Wright have smartly retained some of the film's basic elements (its amalgam of myth and theoretical hokum, or the ongoing clash of wills between scientists and soldiers), while adding a variety of fresh ideas (including new characters, new locations, and a welcome dose of humor, much of it supplied by Richard Dean Anderson, MacGyver himself, who replaces Kurt Russell in the central role of Colonel Jack O'Neill). The result is a show with multidimensional heroes and villains and consistently compelling story lines (many of them introduced in the pilot and carried forward through subsequent episodes) balancing excellent special effects and production values. All this and full frontal nudity, too (at least in the aforementioned pilot). Who can resist?

The first season is spread out over five DVDs; the 100-minute pilot shares the first volume with two other episodes, while discs 2 to 5 contain anywhere from three to five shows each. Sound and visuals (in widescreen format) alike will take full advantage of any home system's capabilities. But aside from language and subtitle options, bonus features are limited to brief featurettes that play like commercials and provide little in the way of background information or insight (there are no features at all on the first disc). Then again, if you really want to know what that symbol on Teal'c's forehead means, or why the nasty, parasitic Goa'ulds look a lot like the fledgling stomach monsters in the Alien series, there is no doubt a Web site out there just for you. --Sam Graham ... Read more

Reviews (235)

A Great Start...
The Stargate SG-1 Season 1 Box Set is a great introduction to this excellent sci-fi series. Although the first season had its share of clunkers (as is only normal with any new series trying to find its footing), SG-1 succeeded in quickly establishing its characters and unique plotlines, and definitely had a much better first year than most series.
While I do feel that the few aforementioned bad episodes were among the series' all-time worst (most notably, "Emancipation" and "Brief Candle"), these are easily excused since the high quality of most of the rest of the season more than makes up for it.

Among my personal favorites of the first season:

Children Of The Gods: A great follow-up to the movie, introducing us to characters both old and new. Lots of action and great special effects. My only complaint with the pilot episode is the inclusion of gratuitous and unnecessary nudity in the scene in which Sha're is possessed by the Goa'uld Amonet.

Thor's Hammer: The series' first mention of the Asgard, who will become a major ally for Earth in later seasons. Also introduces the first ones, the Unas.

The Torment Of Tantalus: A moving and awe-inspiring episode dealing with loneliness and the thirst for new scientific discoveries.

Enigma: SG-1 rescues a few members of the Tollan race, who are vastly technologically superior to Earth but refuse to share their knowledge. Also introduces SG-1's NID nemesis, Colonel Maybourne.

There But For The Grace Of God: Still one of my all-time favorite SG-1 episodes, this outing finds Daniel Jackson transported to a frightening alternate universe in which Earth is under attack from a devastating Goa'uld onslaught!

Within The Serpent's Grasp: One of the show's best season-ending cliffhangers, in which SG-1 defy orders and risk all to prevent a vicious attack on Earth by Apophis.

All in all, Stargate SG-1's first season did a great job in setting the tone and groundwork for the incredible years to follow. This box set is a great primer for this awesome science fiction series!

Yeah, it's really THAT da##ed good.
Having watched only a few episodes prior to getting the first season box set, I wasn't entirely sure that I would enjoy the show. But I tend to make big jumps based on intuition, and Stargate: SG1 looked very promising.
What I found: The shows themselves are entertaining, although the first few episodes have some rough moments. Mostly, those are linked to Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) trying to "correct" the behavior of a given society. Colonel O'Neill (Richard Anderson) is a good balance-point for the scientists, giving a more pragmatic view of things. His sarcastic comments lighten a lot of tension, and create a pretty enjoyable humor thread that Jackson (Shanks) can play off of. Teal'c (Christopher Judge), an honored warrior for the enemy Guaould (spelling?), is impressive. For a guy wearing mascara, he does a remarkable job of being both formidable and remote when appropriate. When called upon to play an emotional scene, however, Christopher Judge is amazingly convincing. And few people have played the warrior character as well. General Hammond (Don. S. Davis) is a fantastic counter-balance to the maverick attitudes of O'Neill and the rest of SG1. His observations about orders and duty are the reminders of what the goal of SG1 is supposed to be, and still he maintains a commander's loyalty to his teams. He's a great character, and vastly under-used, in my opinion.
The stories: Variations on a theme, of course. Star Trek well-explored the elements of contacting alien races, and Stargate: SG1 has not much room left to play that angle. I must note that their tones and moods are usually quite different than Star Trek (any of them) tended to be, and that's interesting (there are times, however, where either you or your co-watchers will want to scream at the SG-1team, and sit them in front of a Trek marathon. Should be a part of their training...). The distinction is in how the show relates to Earth and it's various pantheons. In the first season, the writers touch upon Greek, Norse (Asatru) and, of course, Egyptian pantheons in what I thought were some interesting ways.
The DVDs: Well, the first one of the series was damaged on the last episode, and I can't return the one without sending the whole lot back. But the rest have been fine, and the sound and visual clarity are excellent. Of course. We as consumers expect no less these days. But I thought I'd mention it.
Warning: Box set ends with the season, and that's a cliff-hangar. If waiting makes your stomach tense, your knuckles ache and your eyes melt, wait until they release season two (Hurry up! Hurry... up!!). Otherwise, grab your sci-fi friends and/or your significant other, curl up, and prepare to be entertained.

Okay, it's not bad.
Well the Stargate idea works a bit better as a TV show then it does a movie. The casting, writing, visual effects, production design, cinematograpghy, and types of stories that they do is not bad. In fact it works better then most any other science fiction Tv show I ever seen. Better then Alien Nation, X-Files, Galactica, V, Buck Rogers, Quantum Leap, the 70's Hulk TV show, the Six Million Dollar Man, and the more recent Outer Limits Tv show. Stargate is better then all of them.

stargate sg-1 season 1 review
Stargate Sg-1 is one of the few shows I'll watch over and over again. It is one of my all time favorite shows, up there on my list with the Simpsons.

Episode 1: Children of the Gods 5/5 This is the very first episode of the series and it picks up where the movie left off. Colonel O'Neill is called back to duty to find out what is attacking the Earth stargate. He and his team are eventually captured on the planet Chu'lac where they must find a way to escape. A great start to the series.

Episode 2: The Enemy Within 4.5/5 On their last mission, Kowalsky, the leader of Sg-2, was taken over by a Goa'uld larva. Desperate to find a way to save him, they try a surgery and ask Teal'c, a former Jaffa, for advice. Meanwhile, Teal'c's loyalty is being tested by the U.S. government who want to know what information he has to offer.

Episode 3: Emancipation 4.5/5 Sg-1 visit a planet where the women are treated poorly, and Carter gets kidnapped. Carter is determined to change the quality of life for the women of the village, who, in her opinion, are treated as property. The rest of Sg-1 sides with her, and they embark on a quest to help a young couple face old traditions.

Episode 4: The Broca Divide 5/5 Sg-1 visit a planet with both a primitive side and a civilized side. The team quickly learns that there is some kind of illness going around, making some of the villagers "touched" and others "untouched" But they spread this disease to the base, where the SGC is nearly shut down, until the newly introduced Dr. Frasier finds a way to solve the problem.

Episode 5: The First Commandment 4/5 One of the more lackluster episodes on season one, where Sg-1 is sent to bring back another Sg group, only to find that they have taken advantage of the residents of that planet.

Episode 6: Brief Candle 5/5 Sg-1 encounters a planet where the people age at a rapid pace. Colonel O'Neill is infected with whatever it is that causes the villagers to age fast, and Sg-1 must find a way to save both O'Neill and the Argosians. One of the better episodes on this season.

Episode 7: Cold Lazarus 4.5/5 This episode brings out more information about Colonel O'Neill and his family. The orginal O'Neill is knocked out by what appears to be a large crystal structure, and the SGC meets another race taken advantage of by the Goa'uld.

Episode 8: Thor's Hammer 5/5 On a quest for weapons, Sg-1 encounters the people of Cimmeria, where they find out how the planet has escaped being taken over by the Gau'uld. But they destroy the device the Cimmerians use, and have no means to contact the race that built the weapon.

Episode 9: The Torment of Tantalus 5/5 Wile researching the old SGC archives, Dr. Daniel Jackson learns that they opened the Stargate and sent a man through in 1945. He also learns that the man who went through worked for Katherine's father, and Sg-1 goes on through the gate to rescue the fallen hero who never made it home. This episode delves more into the character of Dr. Daniel Jackson.

Episode 10: Bloodlines 4.5/5 Teal'c confesses that he has family on Chu'lac, and determines to save his son from becoming a Jaffa. Introduces Teal'c's family and friends, and goes more into the character of Teal'c.

Episode 11: Fire and Water 4/5 Daniel Jackson is taken prisoner by the sole survivor of an aquatic race who wants to learn more about what happened to his mate.

Episode 12: The Nox 5/5 Sg-1 encounters the Nox on a planet known for animals that can become invisible. The only trouble is, Apophis is there as well, and Sg-1 fears for the quiet, peace loving race of people who are not what they seem.

Episode 13: Hathor 4.5/5 Release from her prison, the Gau'uld queen Hathor makes her way to the base, where she plans to take over the world. The only problem is that she seems to have power over the men on the base, and it's up to Samantha Carter and her fellow female colleagues to save the day.

Episode 14: Cor-ai 4/5 Teal'c returns to a planet he visited while first prime of Apophis, and is faced with murder charges. Now its up to Sg-1 to prove how he's changed.

Episode 15: Singularity 5/5 Sg-1 saves a girl from a planetary plague, only to learn that the Gua'uld Nirrti let her survive to destroy the Tauri, via a bomb implanted in the girl's chest.

Episode 16: Enigma 5/5 Sg-1 rescues the Tollan, whose home world was destroyed. Only problem is, the Tollan need a new home world, and consider themselves too advanced for the worlds the SGC has to offer.

Episode 17: Tin Man 5/5 The only survivor of a planet turns Sg-1 into robots to serve him, but there's more than their seems on this planet.

Episode 18: Solitudes 5/5 O'Neill and Carter find themselves stranded on an ice planet while the SGC attempts to find them.

Episode 19: There But For the Grace of God 5/5 Dr. Jackson encounters a mirror that transports him to an alternate dimension where the SGC is under attack.

Episode 20: Politics 4/5 The government decides to close the SGC instead of taken Dr. Jackson's advice that the Gua'uld are on their way.

Episode 21: Within the Serpent's Grasp 5/5 First of a two-part adventure. Sg-1 disobeys orders and goes to the address Dr. Jackson got, and learns that Dr. Jackson was right: Apophis is on his way to destroy Earth.

A great start to an even greater series. 5/5 overall.

Stargate SG1: Really, it's a show for everyone
So, this is how I discovered the beauty that is "Stargate". Only the first season has made its way to the network channels here in Sweden and that was a couple of years ago. I remember tuning into the first 6-7 episodes, but there wasn't really that much that held my interest. I remember seeing "The Nox" (or as I referred to them at the time - "the Cirque the Soleil people"), "Brief Candle" (or "the one where O'Neill gets really old, really quick") and "Tin Man" ("Hey, there's two of them!"). Like I said, I didn't feel like this was a show that had much to say, it didn't feel interesting enough.

How wrong was I? Well, I feel really bad that I let it go so quickly because I stumbled across it again lately and what can I say...? I love it. I really do. Actually, I'm *in* love with it, and *very* few tv-shows make me feel this way ("Firefly" is one of them). So, on the plus side I now have a whole sea of seasons worth of catching up to do.

So, what made me change my mind? Well, the first answer to that question would be the character of Daniel Jackson and Michael Shanks' portrayal of him. The character is passionate, caring, curious, intelligent and so much more. And, let's face it, in my eyes that makes him damn attractive, too. (And it gets even better in the seasons to come). I actually watched the movie "Stargate" and thought that Jackson (then played by James Spader) was my absolute favorite aspect of that movie. Same with the series, I adore the character.

Then there's the wonderful wit and charisma of Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) who thankfully took a different direction with the character than Kurt Russell did in the movie. Not that Russell was bad, but RDA's many, *many* one-liners are part of what makes the show so enjoyable to watch. That, and the interaction between the "core four" (Jack, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c). Oh, the witty and wonderful dialogue. Oh, the sarcastic comments. Oh, the hilarious banter between Jack and Daniel.

The only reason this does not get the highest rating is because the first season is still a work in progress, but the chemistry between all the characters is definetely there and that's what makes the show so entertaining to watch. ... Read more

Amazon.com

The 1994 movie Stargate was originally intended as the start of a franchise, but creators Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin were distracted with Independence Day. Episodic TV treatment was the natural next step. Replacing the roles of Colonel Jack O'Neill (Kurt Russell) and Dr. Daniel Jackson (James Spader) are, respectively, Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks. They're joined by Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and former alien baddie Teal'c (Christopher Judge) to form the primary unit SG-1. With a seemingly endless network of Stargates found to exist on planets all across the known universe, their mission is to make first contact with as many friendly races as possible. Chasing their heels at almost every turn are the "overlord" pharaonic Goa'uld--the ancient Egyptian gods from the original film. The welcome notion of a continued plot thread sees offshoots that follow the reincarnation of Daniel's wife, Sam's father literally joining a renegade faction of the Goa'uld, and Jack in an unending quest to out-sarcasm everyone. Amid a plethora of derivative look-alikes, Stargate SG-1 has held its own with stories that put the science fiction back into TV sci-fi.

Among the second season's 22 episodes, "The Serpent's Lair" concludes the cliffhanger from the end of the first season in a rollercoaster of wit, plot twists, and cutting-edge special effects as the SG-1 team resign themselves to a suicide mission. In the two-parter "The Tok'ra," Sam's estranged father is dying of cancer, but her obligations sway her toward saving a member of the Goa'uld renegade Tok'ra who is also dying. In "Show and Tell," the central story arc takes a dramatic turn when a child arrives to warn that some survivors of a Goa'uld attack are determined to eliminate anyone who might host their enemy--which means Earth as a whole. There's great fun to be had in "1969," with a time-travel plot that loops many aspects of the show's story lines together, and the cliffhanger finale, "Out of Mind," has Jack experience an Aliens-style awakening 79 years into his future. --Paul Tonks ... Read more

Reviews (81)

Finally...
SG-1 is crazy good, and Season 2 was arguably the best season so far. As with many TV adaptations, the sophomore year is when a series tends to truly expand its horizons from the original, and this is certainly true with Stargate SG-1. Season Two lays the groundwork for many of the key storylines of the series, so it is a must for any viewer. I've been awaiting this since the first box set, especially with the Region 2 DVD's being up to Season Four.

I cannot stress to anyone enough who has not watched the TV series that it is superb. If you would have asked me over a year ago about SG-1, I would have dismissed it easily as a cheesy Made-In-Canada (don't fret, I'm Canadian) Sci-Fi series. True, a lot of that would have been from my bias from the movie, and that it starred Patty and Selma's hero MacGyver ;-), but after only seeing a few shows, I became quickly hooked. I was blown away by the unbelievable chemistry of the cast, the great story writing, and the quality of the special effects. We truly need more advocates for the series, as good TV is often hard to find. I'm about to preorder my copy now...

A must have for all Stargate fans
Although it has taken a long time for them to be released, these DVD's have definitely been worth the wait. Stargate SG-1 is one of the best sci-fi shows that has been around in years, taking an original and interesting premise (originally introduced in the Stargate movie, although expanded and changed a little) and weaving it into a detailed and complex storyline that continues to entertain.
The second season sees Stargate SG-1 really come into it's own, finding it's feet after a mostly hit-and-miss first year. Among other things, we see the introduction of some new characters (both good and bad) this season, which adds a whole new dimension to the show and sets up some brilliant story arcs. The mythology behind the Stargate is explored a little deeper as well, allowing for some interesting discoveries and character development.
Featuring such memorable episodes as The Serpent's Lair, A Matter Of Time, Holiday, 1969 and The Fifth Race, this is a collection that I will be re-watching and enjoying for a long time to come.

great show
I'll save the same for every single season... richard dean anderson is the life of the show. Love it.

Best of the Series
I love every season of SG1, but season 2 was hands down the best. The thing that makes SG1 better than all other SciFi is continuity. The story lines are far reaching and many of the best story lines started in Season. In fact, I am looking at the episodes of season 2 and I believe every single on is contunued or refered to in future episodes. What an amazing series from just an OK movie.

The Series Takes Off
The first season of Stargate: SG-1 was very good. It had good stories, but it also had great potential to become something better. Season 2 has begun to realize said potential. Many of the episodes this season expanded on ideas and arcs from the first season, as well as introducing new ideas, characters, and locations. For example, we meet Thor (in his true form), as well as some of the other Asguard, a powerful alliance with the Tok'Ra is formed, the NID storyline is taken in new directions, and we learn about the builders of the Stargate system as well as the origins of the intergalactic U.N. from the first season episode, "The Torment of Tantalus". We also meet some new Goa'uld system lords, as well as see the destruction of an old enemy.
The actors (Richard Dean Anderson, Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Don S. Davis, and Teryl Rohtery) all grew in their roles as Col. Jack O'Neill, Dr. Daniel Jackson, Capt. Sam Carter, Teal'c, Gen. George Hammond, and Dr. Janet Frasier. Not only did they prove their worth as their own characters, some of them got the chance to play others as well in the episode, "Holdiay". I'm sure that Judge liked that one because he got to play O'Neill, who is Teal'c's polar opposite.
The storylines were improved this year (not that they were bad last year), with some great examples being: "The Serpent's Lair", "In the Line of Duty", "Prisoners", "Thor's Chariot", "Secrets", "The Tok'Ra, Pts. 1 and 2", "Spirits", "Touchstone", "A Matter of Time", "The Fifth Race", "Serpent's Song", "Holiday", "1969", and "Out of Mind". There were a few groaners, such as "One False Step", but overall, this was an awesome season. ... Read more

Amazon.com essential video

A benchmark series in the history of anime, Hideaki Anno's Neon Genesis Evangelion is one of the most widely discussed in anime. It's not the first series to combine mecha (futuristic machines, especially robots) with theology and a character-driven story, but it does so exceptionally well. The designs of the robots by Ikuto Yamashita are strikingly original; the questions raised about the future of the human race stimulate viewers' imaginations and the characters show a depth of personality rare in anime. The story is set in 2015, 15 years after a cataclysmic explosion in Antarctica that caused the ice cap to melt, killing a large portion of the Earth's population. Although it was reported as a meteor impact, the explosion was caused by human interaction with Adam, the first of a series of powerful, sentient creatures known as "Angels" to appear on Earth. To defend against their depredations, humans rely on NERV, a secret agency dedicated to destroying the Angels with their gargantuan robot suits called Evas. Only teenagers with special psychic powers can pilot the Evas, and the best pilot is the repressed 14-year-old Shinji Ikari, who is a more interesting, believable character than standard mecha pilots. The two final chapters of the Evangelion series (which originally ran in 1995-96) are highly philosophical ruminations that satisfied neither Anno nor the viewers. The episodes were remade as the theatrical features; however, only the original 26 episodes appear in this set. Not rated; suitable for ages 14 and up: Brief nudity, violence, sexual humor, and complex adult themes. --Charles Solomon ... Read more

Reviews (246)

Simply breathtaking...
For the record, I am not a huge fan of Anime. Maybe I am looking in the wrong places, but everytime I start to watch a series it ends up as mindless action or mindless comedy. I've only seen 2 that can truly be called intellectual. Serial Experiment: Lain was one. Neon Genesis Evangelion is the other.
I cannot say enough good about this series. It it quite simply the best piece of work to ever have been broadcast. Anywhere. Nothing to come out of America, nothing to come out of Japan, nothing anywhere can meet the sheer brilliance of the 26 episodes of this most disturbing, heartwarming, and beautiful anime.
Evangelion starts out simply enough. Ikari Shinji is a 14-year old boy who gets called upon to pilot a giant mecha, called an Evangelion. He, Rei, and Asuka are the three children that have the ability to pilot these machines. Simple enough, right? The first 3/4's of the series deals with the relationship between these 3 and the various leaders of NERV, the organization they work with. It is highly entertaining, beautifully drawn, and very engaging. Alot of the middle episodes are very light hearted, and nothing too fantastic, but enjoyable in their own right.
It is in the last quater of the series that it becomes brilliant. Shinji, Asuka, Rei, and Misato (one of the leaders of NERV) become very introspective. By this point their back stories and personalities are developed beyond any rational expectation. I don't want to spoil the moving experience of this anime, but let me just say that it is incredibly philosophical, psychological, and depressing.
Oh, and for the love of all that is holy, DO NOT listen to anyone who tells you not to watch the last 2 episodes. They are, simply put, fools. The last 2 episodes are jarring, disturbing and very hard to watch. They do not give perfect closer to the whole series (don't worry Plot [enthusiasts], End of Evangelion, due out in September ties up all the loose ends). But they made the series for me. You have to see it to believe it and I am not going to spoil it by saying anything more. Just trust that it is simply breathtaking...

A Groundbreaking Masterpiece
It's difficult to describe Evangelion. There's much to be praised, much to be explained, and much left to the imagination. Now, I read reviews and see how people claim that this series lacked too much to be considered a classic, how the characters were too flawed, and how the story itself was too confusing and difficult to follow. Let me clarify a few of these misconceptions; 1) Evangelion is one of the greatest series ever created, whether or not it lacked the mindless action you craved. If that really is the case, go back to DBZ. 2) The characters were not flawed, they were unique. So Shinji was a whiner? So Asuka was a brat? So Misato was slightly irresponsible? So what? The characters personality broke free from the shackles of your conventional anime (1 main charcter who was perfect in every aspect). What you call flaws, I call realism, because the truth is, nobody's perfect. 3) The story wasn't supposed to be some repetitive drek that could be resolved in 2 episodes. The story had enough allusion to make it throughly complex. Sorry that you had to think when you watch TV, but God knows you probably don't do it enough anyway. Now, I can understand some people being displeased with the comic relief, but in this kind of story, it's neccesary so that the viewer doesn't lose themself in depression or thought. You see, the series is not your typical anime where there's happiness and flowers and sunshine and skipping and the whole world joining hands in song. The series is a dark epic into both the relationship between man and God and the interior of the human personality itself. The character development is superbly done in Shinji, and Asuka's is done well also, even though her development is rather negative. There is a very good amount of action in this series, but be warned: there is much blood, and some of the scenes can be disturbing depending on your constitution. The artwork is very nice (at least until the later episodes when Gainax's budget was cut. The animation is still good, but there is a slightly noticable decline in quality to the trained eye). The story is well done, though I would have preferred the series to go on longer, because not only were there a couple unresolved conflicts, but the Human Instrumentality Project could have used a bit more explaining. The music was excellent as well, especially the opening theme (A Cruel Angel's Bloody Thesis). If your looking for a dark, well done robot anime with a perplexing plot that makes you think, then Evangelion is for you! But if your not in to something so depressing, I recommend two other nearly perfect giant robot animes: Gundam Wing and Escaflowne.

The Greatest Anime Series of All Time
Not necessarily the most enjoyable or the best, but certainly the greatest.
I first picked this series up when I was just getting into anime. Browsing through various titles at the library, I found the first volume. It looked interesting, so I borrowed it.
Cool, interesting, but nothing special.
That's what I thought, anyways...
I was interested enough to pick up the next volume, but trailed off after that.
Months later, I stumbled upon the next tape in the series and figured, "Eh, why not."
I took it home and watched it, and from that moment on, I was devoted. I reserved the next volumes so that I could borrow them as soon as they arrived, sometimes on lists with over 100 people preceding me. Slowly, surely, I finished the series.
Admittedly, I was a bit irritated at the last two episodes, but that was okay, because the movie takes care of that. More on that later.
This is, in case you don't know already, the story of a future where Antarctica has been melted by a massive explosion governments claim was a meteor. I'm not sure about the rest of the world, but at least in Japan, where the story takes place (of course), there are no longer any seasons. There is only summer, with occasional rain.
Over two decades after the explosion in 2001, strange, massive aliens called Angels come down from space and attack the HQ of NERV, the organization created to battle the Angels. NERV has built a few giant robots called Evangelions, the only things capable of truly fighting the Angels. In the first episode, you see the true invulnerability of Angels to conventional weapons as one is bombarded by a barrage of missiles, bombs, and, eventually, nuclear mines.
Shinji Ikari is a boy whose mother is dead and father is distant. His father, Gendou Ikari, is the head of NERV and summons him one day to pilot an Evangelion (Eva Unit 01). From here, we meet a whole cast of deeply messed up characters:
Rei Ayanami - The mostly emotionless pilot of Unit 00. She's the blue-haired one.
Misato Katsuragi - An alcoholic and sex fiend by night, powerful commander of the Evas by day! One of the few truly good people in the series.
Ritsuko Akagi - Daughter of the designer of the MAGI, the NERV mainframe. A bit heartless and screwed up in her own way.
Asuka Langley Sohryu - An attention-grubbing, mean-spirited redhead with more than enough attitude for the whole cast. We find that she has an EXTREMELY troubled past, however...

That's just a few, but there is an immense cast of realistic characters, and the plot is insane, weaving all of their stories and motives together into one hell of a tapestry.
One tip of advice, however, before I go any further: by the sixth DVD, you should be watching the series in its original Japanese with subtitles. There is a very specific episode where the English dubbed version pales in comparison to the original haunting screams of the Japanese voice actors.
This series is not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach. It seems tame enough "giant robot" battle at first, but later in the series, things just keep getting darker and harsher. The characters are forced to endure horrific mental and physical tests, and there are points in the series when blood is literally gushing everywhere.
The characters are neurally connected to their Evas, and hence feel everything that happens to the Unit they are piloting. They cut neural connections or fade them to dull the pain, but this results in some pretty heavy material. I'll never forget when an Angel begins infecting an Evas arm and Ikari orders it severed. The operator insists that the neural connections need to be cut first, but he sternly tells her that they have no time. The film cuts to the Eva's shoulder as the arm blows off. You are then taken to a shot of the pilot inside, in shock and clutching at a shoulder that her mind is convinced is nothing more than a stump.
And that's minor for this show, kids!
In any case, it's very well made in terms of plot and action, and has more than its share of disturbing moments. However, the main merit of this series is its psychological aspect.
Each character, as mentioned before, has their own personal issues. There are entire ten minute spans devoted to analyzation of a character's problems, and there's such a diverse cast with such a diverse set of problems that there's no way that anyone with any issues can't relate.
This comes into play in the movie, but more on that later.
Now, about the last two episodes. Extremely controversial, simply because the people in charge of the series basically said, "Hmmm... You know what? Viewers don't need to know how the plot turns out! Let's just look at Shinji's issues in philosophical discussion for the last two episodes!"
That's right. The plot is abandoned for the sake of some deep discussion time.
However, that's okay.
The series was intended to end with the movie, "End of Evangelion."
That's where the true payoff lies. However incredible the series is, the movie is exponentially greater.
But I'll save that for the movie review.

Very good, but not perfect
Everyone seems to love this series. My fellow anime-luvin buddies kept telling me that I absolutely *HAD* to watch the series if I were to ever call myself an anime fan again. So I watched the whole thing once, and this is what I have to say...:

Pros:
-Great animation; vibrant colors and scenery
-Plot is deep and original (a big plus with me. You are literally sucked into the plot.
-Character design and look overall is great, but...
-I like to opening theme ^^ hehe
-Good voice acting

-Battle scenes are fun to watch

Cons:
-Sometimes plot is too complicated; either my mind can't comprehend some of this stuff or they really didnt explain well what was going on
-Sometimes reuse previous clips to fit in dialogue (true for eng version not sure bout jap....) This got on my nerves SO BAD at the end, cuz they pretty much used the same scene for the whole last 2 friggin episodes.
-Ending SUCKS...made me so mad that I had to rack my brain to get to this
-The characters personalities are somewhat boring. Rei with her monotone voice, shinji with his always-on-the-brink-of-insanity personality, etc.

Overall:
I like it okay. I enjoyed it enough to say this, but not enough to declare myself obsessed with it like most people are. If you want a nice, deep story, then give this a try. If big plots scare you but you like pretty colors, this one's a maybe. Or you can just watch it under peer pressure like I did. Your choice ^_^

Breathtaking! One of the Legends!
One name that is recurring throughout the world of anime is "Evangelion." I never knew why, but I wanted to find out. So I bought the box set and watched the entire series. And now, I understand. Neon Genesis Evangelion has fantastic action, unforgettable drama, and a wonderful cast of characters that would impress even the most hardcore anime fan. It explores the human mind and heart, and questions man's existence and purpose in a way no other anime has.

This series combines mecha-action, beautiful animation and designs (even by today's standards), a riviting story, and believable, diverse characters who actually have emotions and lives of their own. The story revolves around the main characters, particularly that of young Shinji Ikari, the pilot of the awesome Evangelion Unit-01. Some of the other main characters include hot-headed Askua Langley Soryu (pilot of Evangelion Unit-02), cool-as-ice Rei Ayanami (pilot of Evangelion Unit-00), lovely, unconventional Misato Katsuragi (Shinji's guardian, among other things) and Gendo Ikari (Shinji's mysterious father).

One of the reasons why Evangelion is such a fine piece of anime, is because it focuses on the charaters of the story. What the characters feel and think, and how they respond to the world around them has more importance than the action. Although, the action involving the evangelions is immensely impressive.

The final two original episodes (25 & 26) were disappointing, which is why "The End of Evangelion" was created to offer a much more satisfying ending to the benchmark series. It is sold seperately from the box-set unfortunately.

Neon Genesis Evangelion is truly a beautiful, thought-provoking, sometimes heart-wrenching work of art. It is, quite possibly the best anime series ever made. The box-set is well worth the money. And whether you are a fan of anime or not, it is a welcome addition to anyone's dvd collection. ... Read more

Amazon.com

It's clear right from the opening episodes of its third season that Farscape has finally developed into a grown-up show. There's a new self-confidence and a new maturity here that's entirely welcome after the often wildly erratic tone of the second season. The production design and high-quality effects work remain true to the show's original quirky style, although both the look and the more adult-themed scripts have become progressively darker.

Season 3 is the year when the Wormhole story arc takes precedence, as the interactions between John Crichton and his nemesis Scorpius become ever more complicated (involving various different clones, real or "neural", of both antagonists). It's also the year that some major characters die, new ones are introduced, and Crichton (well, one version of him anyway) and Aeryn finally consummate their relationship. Moya's crew endures a vertiginous emotional roller-coaster ride when powerful issues of love, loyalty, and sacrifice loom large. They must also face their sternest challenge yet as the series' biggest story arc reaches an explosive climax aboard Scorpius's Command Carrier. Anyone who has not followed Farscape extremely closely from the very beginning of season 1 will be utterly baffled by the convoluted plotting and complex character interactions. But for fans, this is the show's most rewarding year. --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (2)

One of the best seasons of ANY tv series
It just doesn't get better than this. Farscape is easily one of the best series to ever grace the tv screen. Even if you're not a regular sci-fi fan, I guarantee you will enjoy the intelligence, wit, superb acting, and sheer beauty of each episode. Farscape has it all: adventure, drama, suspense, and a romance unlike any other. It's an unforgetable roller coaster ride, and this dvd edition is exceptionally high quality with numerous special features.

You will NOT regret buying this! Welcome to crack tv. :)

Another Great Season!
Season three was easily my favorite season, right in front of the fourth. So many things made me fall in love with the way the writing crew handled everything going on with the characters. The "Two John's" idea was probably the coolest thing the series did up to that point, and how it was eventually solved was another great episode.

The final four episodes of the season were probably my favorites, simply because the writers and actors put in everything they had, and even Guy Gross (the series composer) went the extra length to implement some awesome music. While the cliffhanger at the end on the season is my least favorite of the four (it seemed like last-minute writing) the season was 99% great. It was sad to see Lani Tupu leave the show on sreen; I always loved his character.

I strongly recommend the set to any fan of the show, because it showcases everything great about Farscape. Hopefully ADV releases the fourth season sometime early next year.

(Wouldn't it be great if they released it before the mini-series in October? Wishful thinking....) ... Read more

Amazon.com

A gradual shift in overall style, character homecomings and departures, and evolving on- and off-screen roles for the major players are among the attractions of the seventh season of Stargate SG-1. Spread out over five discs, these 21 episodes are ample indication that changes notwithstanding--and admittedly, not all of them are for the better--the series remains arguably the best-made, most compelling sci-fi program on television.

Perhaps most noticeable is the reduced role of star Richard Dean Anderson, who opted to limit his number of trips to Vancouver, where Stargate SG-1 is filmed. But that's not a bad thing. The show's ability to poke fun at itself has always been a strong suit, and while Anderson still brings a welcome sense of humor to his portrayal of wiseacre and loose cannon Col. Jack O'Neill, his act is getting a little smug by now. What's more, the other principal cast members have taken up the slack, both behind and in front of the camera: Michael Shanks (Daniel Jackson, who rejoins the cast in episode 1) wrote one episode and co-wrote another; Christopher Judge (Teal'c) wrote one as well; Amanda Tapping (Lt. Col. Samatha Carter) directed episode 19, "Resurrection"; and even Corin Nemec (Jonas Quinn, who appears in just a few episodes) contributed one story.

The seventh season also finds the series somewhat more earthbound than in the past; indeed, there are episodes in which the Stargate (the "wormhole" our heroes use to travel to different worlds) doesn't appear at all. On balance, the stories are more personal, and more political--especially the final two, with the newly elected U.S. President (William Devane) struggling to decide the fate of the Stargate program (and, of course, the fate of the entire known universe as well!). And then there's the ultimate villain, Anubis, who makes perennial nemeses the Goa'uld (of which Anubis is one... sort of) look tame. He's a combination of Star Wars' Darth Vader and evil Emperor, but hey, at least these guys borrow from the best.

Stargate SG-1's production values remain first-rate. The bonus DVD features are also much better than they once were, with audio commentary (mainly by directors and writers) for every episode, as well as director profiles and "Beyond the Gate" featurettes focusing on individual characters.--Sam Graham ... Read more

Reviews (4)

More SG-1!
Stargate SG-1 is simply amazing: after seven seasons it still is the best show on TV. I am writing this having watched both the two-part season-8 premiere and the Atlantis pilot. The season 8 premiere was a very good conclusion to the season 7 cliffhanger. I am more dubious about Atlantis: the concept of SG-1 is that you go to another solar system, and then you are back home for dinner. With a completely off-world based plot, Atlantis will be much harder to sustain. Still, while not totally convincing, the pilot was entertaining enough. I'll keep watching. And so should you. This is one of the reasons why you really need this DVD set: the plot of the SG-1 series is so complicated that you really need to watch all episodes to keep up. Several times.

The other reason to own the season 7 set is that, while it might not be up to the very best seasons, it still has a number of unforgettable episodes. The late two-part episodes "Heroes" and "Lost city" are among the best of the entire series, but I liked "Evolution", "Grace" and even "Chimera" a lot. These three episodes show the diversity of the plots of SG-1: "Chimera" is an entirely Earth-based episode, "Grace" is almost entirely based on the spaceship Prometheus and "Evolution" has action going on both in the jungle of Nicaragua and on Anubis' planetary base.

"Lost city" was originally planned as a feature movie, a la "X-Files Fight the Future". I am happy that the movie route was not taken: while the special effect budget would have been bigger, the movie would have broken the continuity of the series. As it is, "Lost City" is both a spectacular episode on its own and a great introduction to SG-1 season 8 and to Atlantis.

Another great season
After 6 great seasons of Stargate, season 7 doesn't disappoint. While any of the episodes are better than the average television show, a few are simply spectacular. The season opener is decent and the ending is absolutely wonderful. However, I found the most powerful episode to be "Grace." It is simply amazing. "Heroes" is also an amazing two-parter that any Stargate fan will want to own. These episodes are the reason this DVD collection deserves five stars, though it is a little overpriced. This is also a good season to watch if your a fan of Carter, Teal'c or Daniel. O'Neill spent less time in the spotlight this season and it appears that this will also be the case for season 8, the last of the series. Even if you are a fan of Anderson you will still like both seasons 7 and 8 along with the new Stargate Atlantis where he will make several appearances. Overall this is the most amazing television series I have ever seen and this season continues the legacy.

My Second favorite season!
What more would make this set worth the money than the 2-parters "Heroes" and "The Lost City"? IMO, all the other episodes a good (maybe except Space Race) but these four episodes here make me almost want to call this my favorite season. Daniel's back, which most fans might take as a positive note, and Anubis is brought up front and center as the baddest guy in the series' history.

The Lost City, as I said before, is want shines the most in this set. Originaly planned as a feature film movie after season six, it was slightly transformed into a series finale after the renewal. But then StarGate got renewed again, so again they tweaked it once more, making it a cliffhanger. Many other episodes make the set worth the money, especially the two-part opener, Heroes, Orpheus, and Birthright.

I would recommend this set to anyone who liked any of the first six seasons. This is definitely a departure from the previous seasons, with far less team based episodes, but the overall experience is just as great as the others.

Daniels Back
I never saw a problem with daniel coming back. He was always one of my favorite characters. This season starts with fire, goes dull for a couple of episodes, then gears back up for a grand finale. After seeing the season premiere for season 8, I cant wait to get my hands on season 7 to enjoy all over again. Season 8 looks to be amazing as well as Atlantis... Thank god for stargate! ... Read more

Amazon.com

Farscape is genre television at its most ambitious, inspired both by the cult appeal of Babylon 5 and the continuing success of the Star Trek franchise, but taking a visual and conceptual leap beyond those shows. Making extensive use of CGI, prosthetics, and state-of-the-art puppetry, courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop, the Farscape concept has a freshness that makes it look and feel completely original. Among the first season's 22 episodes, "Premiere" introduces the characters and the basic premise: American astronaut John Crichton (Ben Browder) is flung through a wormhole and comes out in the midst of an interstellar prison escape on the other side of the universe. When the galactic cops (called "Peacekeepers") mark him as the new public enemy number one, Crichton is forced to ally himself with the convicts: hulking warrior D'Argo (Anthony Simcoe), blue-skinned priest Zhaan (Virginia Hey), fugitive peacekeeper Aeryn (Claudia Black), exiled king Rygel (Jonathan Hardy), and Pilot, the giant insectlike nerve center of their living ship, Moya.

In the action-packed and stylishly directed "Throne for a Loss," a race of mercenary criminals called the Tavleks kidnap the imperious Rygel. "PK Tech Girl" and "That Old Black Magic" feature a peek into the pasts of Rygel and Zhaan as they hide from the fleets of Peacekeeper soldiers in the galactic frontier known as the Uncharted Territories. Leading toward the climax of the show's first season, "Nerve" and "The Hidden Memory" make for a bold two-parter that reunites Crichton with his Peacekeeper Tech girlfriend, Gilina, and introduces the dreaded Scorpius, who uses his Aurora Chair torture device to extract what he mistakenly believes is vital knowledge from Crichton. The final episode, "Family Ties," ends with a cliffhanger guaranteed to bring viewers back for more, as the duplicitous Rygel plans to turn traitor, which eventually leaves the fates of Crichton and D'Argo up for grabs and Moya's young offspring under the control of the conflicted villain Crais, among other developments. ... Read more

Reviews (88)

The Creative World of FarScape Deserves a Fifth Season
A fascinating universe with many races and plots centered around a human that happened be pulled away from Earth in a worm hole. He ends up in a new complex world of aliens. The world is very well put together with much creativity and flare for the unusual. At times (especially when you first start watching the show) it may appear silly or corny. However, the characters and the world they are in really grows on you. I am now approaching the very final two episodes of season one and feel a little bit sad to leave this little fictional universe. I am looking forward to the second season. It is a great show and if you love Sci-Fi I cannot see how you would not be drawn to this creative work. The only drawback with the series is that it is difficult to jump into (i.e. it is helpful to have followed the series). Even though many episodes are self-contained there are several story lines that connect the episodes. I personally first saw episodes from season 3 and was thoroughly confused. When I bought season one I got the opportunity to follow the buildup of the characters and the plot. I love this show and highly recommend it! FarScape deserves to get a fifth season on the Sci-Fi channel. You will not be disappointed by the FarScape universe.

22 HOURS OF MOVIE QUALITY ENTERTAINMENT
Farscape is doing for TV, what the original Star Wars did for movies back in 1977. Only it has an advantage over the movie, it is not limited to the 3 hour time constraint movies have. Believe me, Farscape uses every second for plot development and adding a richness to the characters rarely seen in both movies and TV.

Like Star Wars, Farscape combines humor, action, & drama with state of the art F/X and creatures (two of which are regular characters). The characterizations are so strong you will forget that Zhann is blue, D'Argo has tentacles, & Rygel is a puppet. Farscape's tends to leave you with a feeling that you just peaked into the characters' lives, as opposed to have just watched a scripted TV show.

While watching this box set, you will notice there is something right about Farscape. Over the course of the season, the characters grow from distrustful individuals to a functional team/family of sorts. Don't get me wrong, everyone on board the living ship has their own agenda, and one betrays the group at the beginning of the last episode "Family Ties." Season 1 slowly builds momentum then kicks into overdrive with episode 18 "A Bug's Life." The last five episodes will be difficult not to watch in one sitting. Whatever the creative forces behind Farscape tried to do, they definitely accomplished it!

If you never have seen Farscape and are hesitant by the price of this box set, I suggest getting the Best of Season 1 set (type B000067IVT in the search box) first. It contains 6 amazing episodes which are a great introduction to the series...you can always lend it out to friends later. Once you've experienced these episodes, you'll need the rest of the season & can order this box set then. Also keep in mind, Farscape is known for its cliffhanger season finales, & season 1 began this tradition in an explosive way. So it would be a good idea to keep Season 2, Vol. 1 (type B000068TOM in the search box) ready to order in your shopping cart.

Fantastic!
I do not watch that much TV. But I would gladly buy premium cable if need be, just to watch this series. It is much more than an addiction, well ok its an addiction. Don't miss out, I have all their DVD's and have not regreted the buy or more over the hours spent watching and watching again.

' Peacekeeper Wars'(season 5)-October,2004
You heard it,'Farscape'(season 5) returns to t.v.,'new episodes' on October,2004. I guess the public demand was high for this sci-fi series,the producers have decided to bring back 'Farscape'. Season 5,will be called 'Peacekeeper Wars'. If there bringing back 'Farscape',maybe they'll bring back the 'X-Files' as well! Hope the story lines for 'season 5' is as good as the past previous 4 seasons.......

Wow!
It just doesn't get better than this. Farscape is easily one of the best series to ever grace the tv screen. Even if you're not a regular sci-fi fan, I guarantee you will enjoy the intelligence, wit, superb acting, and sheer beauty of each episode. Farscape has it all: adventure, drama, suspense, and a romance unlike any other. It's an unforgetable roller coaster ride, and this dvd edition is exceptionally high quality with numerous special features.

You will NOT regret buying this! Welcome to crack tv. :) ... Read more

Amazon.com

The second season of Farscape expands upon and develops the characters introduced in the ambitious first season. John Crichton's new nemesis is the deadly Scorpius, replacing Crais, who has taken the living ship Moya's offspring on a voyage into the unknown. Moya's regular crew--Aeryn, Zhaan, Chiana, D'Argo and Rygel--remain as divided and suspicious of each other as ever, yet somehow manage to pull together at times of crisis. The writers continue to exploit the show's gift for surprising as well as emotionally convincing character development, while the CGI effects, prosthetics and state-of-the-art puppetry--courtesy of Jim Henson's Creature Shop--continue to make Farscape the most original-looking sci-fi show on TV. The witty scripts, peppered with post-modern pop culture references and movie in-jokes, are also a breath of fresh air. Despite some wildly erratic shifts in tone, this is exceptional TV science-fiction that continually pushes the accepted boundaries of the genre. --Mark Walker ... Read more

Reviews (23)

Finally? It makes sense...
So many people are saying "finally they released a boxed set". In the forums it's "ADV told us they wouldn't release a box set, so I'll just buy the individuals".

Okay people... ADV wants to make money. They know all the hardcore fans of Farscape want the episodes, especially since the cancellation. So they released one volume at a time and everyone bought them. Now they release a box set hoping that the same people will buy it. Every movie company does this... can you say "highly anticipated DVD release of Lord of the Rings"? and then a month later the same movie with bonus footage... It's [something] that they pull all the time to make money.

I bought all of season one, one DVD at a time. Then the boxed set was released. I figure I spent about $200 for the individuals and then a nice compact boxed set is out for around $125. I decided to wait for the season 2 boxed set. Here it is... now please, everyone, save your money and WAIT for the season 3 boxed set. It WILL come out.

ADV rips everyone off again
OK, here's my complaint. ADV released all of these individually for fans to buy. Everyone paid $30.00 for these already. NOW they are releasing them as a boxed set. So fans that purchased the second season already basically got ripped off by about $35.00 when all is said and done.

That doesn't effect the quality of the series nor the DVD transfers or extras. This is a great boxed set but ADV needs to get their stuff together and do right by fans of the show. You tick them off and they will stop buying your product. Personally, I'd tape the rest of the seasons at this stage I'm THAT FED UP WITH ADV.

This was the best science fiction show on television. It was among the best written and wittiest. Sure, it could have gross out episodes and mundane ones as well but the best episodes stand up to Trek, B5, DS9, SG-1, etc. I'm just annoyed that, yet again, a company has chosen to take advantage of the fan base that supports their product. Maybe this type of stuff is why pirated CDs and DVDs have taken off. It's not that fans feel they shouldn't pay, it's that they feel they've paid again, and again and again and again and again as companies keep repackaging stuff.

Love the show, hate the DVD production.
As a loyal SciFi fan, I believe Farscape to be among the best and the most imaginative shows to ever grace the screen and would give it 6 stars if I could. But the production of DVDs by ADV films of which I own both Farscape seasons, Andromeda & Beastmaster, leaves much to be desired (as usual). They are slow to release the shows in box set so they can milk the individual sets. The transfer is at times terrible. The packaging is as cheap as they come (compare that to Babylon5, Hercules, Xena or even Stargate's packaging and you'll see what I'm talking about.) No extras to speak of. And they want way too much for the individual DVDs and the box sets. I for one will not waste any more money on ADV film's slow, half hearted and less than adequate productions.

New viewers are in for a huge treat
It just doesn't get better than this. Farscape is easily one of the best series to ever grace the tv screen. Even if you're not a regular sci-fi fan, I guarantee you will enjoy the intelligence, wit, superb acting, and sheer beauty of each episode. Farscape has it all: adventure, drama, suspense, and a romance unlike any other. It's an unforgetable roller coaster ride, and this dvd edition is exceptionally high quality with numerous special features.

You will NOT regret buying this! Welcome to crack tv. :)

The foundation is set.
With the first season it blew us away with the style and originality that the crew behind farscape had. Now they are given a budget and start to get serious with the addition of a bigger budget and a more defined plot that they started at the end of season one. Plus they added a new regular character and each member of the crew has their own agenda that they start to explore.

Crichton has information in his head he wasn't aware of, now Scorpius is dead set on finding him. An enigmatic creature that is a deadly adversary. About all that is revealed about him in season 1 is that he is a high ranking member of the Peacekeepers, which in itself is odd. The Peacekeepers are a group of totalitarian fanatics and believe in the purity of their species. You find out that he is crossbred with a species that is considered the biggest threat to the Peackeepers. John is justly terrified of him as he will do anything to achieve his goals and has horrid memories of the Aurora Chair.

D'argo is searching for his son and revenge. He had a child with a Sebacian, something they frown on, and his wife was murdered by her brother for it, he was placed with the blame.

Chiana is escaping her people, a group that believes in enforcing appropriate behavoir through mind cleansing. Why they are so interested in her is the question.

Aeryn shows how unstable she is emotionally. She has never dealt with emotions before always relying on duty. She is an outcast from her people and no longer has her duty to rely on.

Moya's child Talyn shows to be more than they expected and forms an unusual bond with the recently outcast Crais, who becomes the ships advisor.

Some of the best episodes are as follows.

Taking the Stone: Chiana discovers the "lost children", except they are a strange group that pops mushrooms and drinks all the time. They also have a strange ritual called taking the stone, that makes certain they never get "worn out".

Crackers Don't Matter: They pick up a strange alien that offers to help them. But they all start acting strangely and get increasingly paranoid.

Out of Their Minds: Funny episode where bodies are swapped.

A Look at the Princess 1-3: This was my personal favorite. A breakaway sebacian colony that is a monarchy, ruled by an empiress. They visit during coronation where people kiss with a special fluid that tells if they are genetically compatible to have healthy children. All goes well until Chriton kisses the princess and next in line to the throne and finds he is the only male compatible with her, and is pulled into a power struggle.

Liars Guns and Money 1-3: Aptly named, the crew finds where D'argo's sun is and resort to thievery, hiring mercenaries from past episodes, and use outright force to get him back. Nothing seems to go right and they have some great sets and bring back some characters from past episodes.

Die Me Dichtomy: They find that something was put in John that can control him to a degree. They find someone that can help him, but not before a member of the crew is killed. One of the best cliffhanger episodes in sci fi. ... Read more