Stargate?

[The Lone Ranger]

I've been told on a few occasions that "You should really watch Stargate; you'd like it". I've never actually seen the show (actually, I understand that there's more than one), though I vaguely recall seeing the original movie many years ago.

I can probably rent it through Blockbuster, and may do so, but one annoying thing I've discovered about trying to watch television series through Blockbuster Express is that they don't always send you the dvds in order.

For instance, I had some curiosity about a show called Farscape. So I signed up with Blockbuster Express for Season 1 dvds. The first dvd they sent me was Episodes 9, 10 & 11, I think. So I tried watching a few episodes, and had very little idea what was going on, and eventually gave up. I might have enjoyed the show if I'd seen the first few episodes, but as it was, I gave up on it.


So, any thoughts on Stargate? Worth checking out? If so, maybe I should make a point of seeking out a physical store and making sure I get the dvds in order ...

[thedoc]

If Stargate were an actual fictional exchange between different cultures on different planets it might have been interesting, but is is basically a spaghetti western set on different planets that all look like different locations on Earth. Of course the assumption is that the team will only be able to travel to Earth like planets.

[Ari]

Stargate: Certainly different from the movie. It takes itself much less seriously and knows it's sometimes a corny sci-fi show. They do a number of common sci-fi themes and elements through out their run, but also have a slowly evolving storyline. A few stand out aspects of the show is often siding with science over religious dogma (even if it's technobabble) and developing a pretty rich and complex universe.

Farscape: I highly recommend Farscape, it's strange action sci-fi that is quite entertaining. It has an arc where stories have lasting consequences so it's best watched in order. I also always give people the warning that season 1 can be a bit shaky in comparison to season 2. You should give this a retry from episode 1.

[thedoc]

I was able to watch a few episodes of Farscape on broadcast TV, but it went away and I don't have the recordings now. It was an interesting scenario, it was basicly a one-joke-show, but fun. I think I saw some of the early shows where John kept getting his butt kicked by Aeryn, that was fun to watch.

Now that I think about it, it was mostly a 'Wizard of Oz' plot, Dorothy wanted to go home, John wants to go home, the crew of Voyager wants to go home. They should all have stayed in Kansas.

[curses]

My husband adores Stargate-SG1 (he named our newest cat after one of the characters) It is a bit silly and sci-fi by numbers but it seems enjoyable from what I've seen.

[Gonzo]

Am I the only one who thought this thread would be about Beyonce's lip syncing at the inauguration?

I am disappointed.

[BrotherMan]

Stargate SG1 is definitely worth watching eventually. By that I mean there are certainly quite a few filler episodes where the show tries to find or keep its voice. But even building from the first season there are seasonal arcs and they build to overarching storylines that play throughout the run of the show.

According to wiki, there are ten seasons plus two movies. Stargate survived on two networks (first five seasons were on Showtime and the final five were on SciFi). It also had two spin off shows, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.

All in all, I have a positive opinion of the series even though it's not always great. Knowing you, you'll have problems while watching but nothing more difficult or problematic than with any Star Trek episode. (I do have one friend who refuses to watch Stargate because it supplanted Farscape.)

Now then. Farscape is something I have no reservations about recommending to anyone who likes science fiction shows. It definitely has its share of cheese and camp and maybe some missteps, the storyline and the characters are the real reason you're watching. I can't imagine you not liking this show as completely as the next fan.

[Ari]

Originally Posted by BrotherMan

All in all, I have a positive opinion of the series even though it's not always great. Knowing you, you'll have problems while watching but nothing more difficult or problematic than with any Star Trek episode.

Matter of fact you might find yourself thinking "I remember this Star Trek Episode" especially in the early seasons. However they do eventually end up with their own multiple arcs. In some cases thanks to making a series finally and then getting picked up for another season, and then another and another.