Entertainment
Netflix Has The Only Space Franchise That Hasn’t Been Ruined, Binge It Now
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Stargate SG-1 is back on Netflix, and there’s never been a better time to binge one of the best sci-fi series of all time. It’s always a good time to experience the adventures of Stargate Command (SGC), which has aged like a fine wine since the series first debuted in 1997.
Compared to Star Wars and Star Trek, the series lacked decades of lore and had to build a fanbase while also crafting its own sci-fi universe. It quickly proved itself with a colorful cast of characters, embracing the light-hearted adventure side of sci-fi, and slowly unfolding a wide universe so rich with mystery and excitement that three series and three decades later, it feels like there’s more to explore.
The SGC Team Is Among Sci-Fi’s Best
When Roland Emmerich’s Stargate film hit theaters in 1994, no one could have imagined it would lay the foundation for a 30-year sci-fi franchise, and no one could have guessed that Richard Dean Anderson would eclipse his fame as MacGyver, playing Colonel Jack O’Neill, the SGC field leader. The mega-sized pilot episode “Children of the Gods” was a Showtime original movie, and no one cared who Michael Shanks, Amanda Tapping, or Christopher Judge were at the time; it was MacGyver in Space that drew in those first 4 million viewers. Only a few episodes later, fans realized that Stargate SG-1 was going to be an ensemble series, and every single member of the team had something to add.
Michael Shanks takes over the role of Dr. Daniel Jackson, played by James Spader in the movie, and he knocks it out of the park, going from the new guy, woefully unprepared for being part of a military unit, to unlocking the secrets of the universe. Amanda Tapping’s Samantha Carter is both an astrophysicist and an accomplished pilot. As Stargate SG-1 goes on, she gets to demonstrate both sides of her diverse skillset and hasn’t met a piece of technology or scientific theory she can’t babble about, but if she’s not your favorite character during Season 1, don’t worry, she will be later.
Rounding out the main team is Christopher Judge, now the voice of Kratos in Sony’s God of War, as Teal’c, the alien member of the team, he’s a Jaffa, a host of a Goa’uld parasite, on a mission to save his people. It’s disingenuous to say he’s the “Worf” of SGC, but that’s how he starts. As with the rest of the cast, it’s not where he ends up. Everyone gets to grow and develop over the course of 10 seasons, where the only constant is the Stargate itself, bringing them to new worlds, new adventures, and new cultures.
Stargate Remembers Sci-Fi Is Fun
A large part of Stargate SG-1’s initial charm is that after the movie-level pilot, the budget was cut to the point that every alien world looks a lot like Vancouver. A few episodes in, and you won’t care about the production budget because the aliens of the Stargate universe are allowed to be truly alien, and the adventure of the week usually results in another piece of the larger cosmic puzzle coming into focus.
For example, the Asgardians, who, as the name implies, were the Norse gods, as the Goa’uld were the Egyptians, also bear a striking resemblance to the alien “Greys.” There’s a lot of “Forehead aliens” to be found, but Stargate isn’t afraid to get weird.
Throughout it all, even as the war against the Goa’uld heats up and the robotic Replicators arrive to torment SGC, Stargate SG-1 doesn’t lose its sense of humor. Different episodes include Teal’c knocking out a man with an avocado, O’Neil playing golf through a Stargate, and Carter getting way into space racing, and that’s not including the side characters you’ll love to hate. Star Trek Voyager’s Robert Picardo brings to life Richard Woolsey, the bureaucrat from hell, and Star Trek: The Next Generation’s Ronny Cox (he played Captain Jellico in “Chain of Command”) is Senator Kinsey, the man you’ll hate more than a guy named Baal.
Stargate SG-1 has never received the respect it deserves, despite kicking off a franchise still going today with a new entry on the way, thanks to Amazon. Even without the two sequel series or the DVD movies, the series is one of the best sci-fi shows on Netflix. If you’ve been longing for the days of fun sci-fi with a colorful cast of characters allowed to grow and change over time as they explore a universe filled with possibilities, it’s a must-watch.
