Stargate SG-1: Season 8

Some significant changes are apparent in Season 8. Jack O'Neill (series star Richard Dean Anderson) has been promoted to Brigadier General and is now top dog (as he puts it, the guy who "spent my whole life stickin' it to the man" now is the man). The existence of the stargate, an artificially created "wormhole" through which one can instantly travel to different worlds light years away from Earth, is no longer a well-guarded secret. And Stargate Command itself now exists primarily to "develop new weapons and technologies to defend the planet" from our various alien antagonists--principally the "Replicators," relentless little bug-machines poised to take over not only Earth but the entire galaxy.

The rest of the SG-1 core cast (Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, and Michael Shanks) is intact. But whereas Anderson, who has steadily reduced his role in the show, wasn't much missed in Season 7, one wishes there were more of him this time around; O'Neill's general insouciance and aversion to techno-speak are a welcome antidote to the kind of sci-fi gobbledygook (discussions about "a time dilation field on the planet Hala" and such) that now threatens to take precedence over the action and fine special effects that distinguished earlier seasons. Most of all, while there are still all manner of villains (Anubis, Ba'al, the ever-present Goa'uld) to contend with, as well as a few good guys (the Asgard, the rebel Jaffa) to help our heroes fight the good fight, Stargate SG-1's writers and creators may be running out of steam. Hence we get an episode like the very peculiar "Citizen Joe," featuring Dan Castellaneta as an average guy who sees "visions" (i.e., clips from past episodes) of the SG-1 team in action and becomes obsessed with proving that the whole stargate project really exists; an uneasy combination of self-parody and self-congratulation, this episode, while not unamusing, sticks out like a sore thumb.

Bonus features include audio commentary (mostly by the various directors) on 19 of the 20 episodes, along with photo galleries and one featurette per disc. --Sam Graham

STARGATE SG-1 DVD:8TH SSN V2: Episode #8.5: Icon - SG-1's sudden appearance sparks a civil war on the planet Tegalus, whose inhabitants were unaware of the Stargate's true nature. Intent on easing the situation, Jackson stays behind as the team returns to Earth, but finds himself pitted against a tyrannical religious leader with no tolerance for those who don't share his beliefs! Episode #8.6: Avatar - A virtual reality training scenario goes terribly wrong when the simulation begins to learn from Teal'c, trapping him and endangering his life. Jackson volunteers to enter the simulation on a rescue mission. But will he be able to rescue Teal'c or become a victim himself? Episode #8.8: Affinity - Given clearance to live off-base, Teal'c tries in vain to blend in as an ordinary civilian. But when his unwavering ethical code compels him to help ordinary people in trouble, specifically, a neighbor with an abusive boyfriend, he soon finds himself thrust into the spotlight as the prime suspect in the boyfriend's murder! Episode #8.7: Covenant - When a billionaire industrialist threatens to reveal the existence of alien life at a press conference, SG-1 is charged with the job of keeping him quiet. Carter, who has worked with him in the past, tries to explain that the information will cause panic, but ultimately she must decide how far she is willing to go to stop this threat to national security.

STARGATE SG-1 DVD:8TH SSN V3: Episode #8.9: Sacrifices - During a meeting with Ishta's rebel Jaffa faction on planet Haktyl, Teal'c receives some distressing news: his son, Ryac, intends to marry one of Ishta's warriors. Refusing to give his blessing to the marriage puts Teal'c at odds with Ishta even as they are ambushed by enemy forces! Episode #8.10: Endgame - When the Stargate disappears in a flash of light, Carter and Jackson's investigation leads them to an industrial warehouse storing VX rockets and vials filled with what appears to be nerve gas. Meanwhile, Teal'c discovers the mass deaths of Jaffa, spread across four planets. Could this horrifying event be connected to the gas? Episode #8.12: Gemini - The team receives a message from a Replicator that looks exactly like Carter. Created by another Replicator called Fifth, Replicator Carter was meant to serve by Fifth's side. However, possessing Carter's personality, she resisted Fifth, and escaped. Now on the run, she informs SG-1 that Fifth and his entire armada are headed their way, and that she wishes to be destroyed! Episode #8.11: Prometheus Unbound - Jackson embarks on a mission to search for the lost Atlantis team aboard the starship Prometheus. But when an unseen Super Soldier boards the Prometheus and incapacitates the crew, only Daniel is able to escape. And if he is to save the Prometheus, he must now face the Super Soldier alone!

STARGATE SG-1 DVD:8TH SSN V4: Episode #8.13: It's Good to Be King - Hoping to warn Harry Maybourne of Goa'uld attacks, SG-1 arrives at his last known whereabouts to find that he has been appointed king of a primitive people and that he believes he possesses writings by a time-traveling Ancient predicting these events. The team is skeptical until they discover what appears to be a time machine. Episode #8.14: Full Alert - When O'Neill finds the door to his home forced open and former Vice President Robert Kinsey waiting for him inside, his first instinct is to call the police. But he changes his mind - and allies himself with his Kinsey - when he learns that the rogue organization known as The Trust plan to ally themselves with the Russian government! Episode #8.18: Citizen Joe - At a tag sale, civilian Joe Spencer comes across a small stone that gives him visions of SG-1 in action. Delighted, he shares the stories with anyone who will listen. But when he inadvertently learns that SG-1 really exists, his excitement turns into obsession. As he slowly alienates everyone around him, Joe resolves to expose the truth about SG-1, no matter the cost! Episode #8.15: Reckoning Part 1 - Teal'c and Bratac believe the time is right to lead their people in an uprising against their Goa'uld masters. However, their plan suffers a setback when an army of Replicators begins to systematically take control of Goa'uld ships and Jackson is taken prisoner. Meanwhile, O'Neill consults with an old alien ally about the decimation of the Goa'uld by another, more powerful enemy.

STARGATE SG-1 DVD:8TH SSN V5: Episode #8.16: Reckoning Part 2 - Goa'uld system lord Baal reveals to O'Neill that he has been taking orders from Anubis, long thought to be dead. In the face of a losing battle with the Replicators, Anubis seeks a powerful weapon that could destroy all life in the galaxy. Afraid of the consequences of such an event, Baal pleads with O'Neill to persuade Teal'c and the rebel Jaffa to destroy the temple where the weapon is buried. Episode #8.17: Threads - With a climactic battle behind them, the team turns towards personal matters. But unbeknownst to them, Anubis prepares one final attempt to take power! Meanwhile, Jackson awakens in a way station between the living world and the world of beings that have "ascended." When he learns of Anubis' campaign, will he ascend himself or try to find a way back to save his friends? Episode #8.19: Moebius Part 1 - Jackson receives documents that point to the location of a ZPM in ancient Egypt. Hoping that the energy source could be used to power Earth's defenses and open a wormhole to Atlantis, SG-1 uses an Ancient time machine to travel back to 3000 BC. But after the team locates the ZPM, Egyptians discover the time machine, and SG-1 must find a way to retake it without altering the timeline! Episode #8.20: Moebius Part 2 - SG-1's attempt to recover a ZPM from 3000 BC has altered the timeline, leading to a present in which the Stargate was never discovered! The alternate-reality Carter and Jackson convince a reluctant O'Neill to take them on their first mission through the Stargate. But when the team is captured by Teal'c, once again the First Prime of Apophis, can they convince him to join their side?