Stargate SG-1: Season 7 - DVD (Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Michael Shanks, Don S. Davis - Dir: )

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 complete 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

Customer Reviews of Stargate SG-1: Season 7

ninja_chick
uk
2nd November 2008

errm...not the best- (stargate sg1 season 7)
errm...as i said, i dont think this is one of the best. season 7,
its not rubbish, its just they have done better.

T. R. Alexander
East Anglia, UK
15th March 2007

Search for the Lost City
Season seven of Stargate SG-1 sees the return of Daniel Jackson to the team after having his memory erased and returned to human form, as well as the leaving of Jonas Quinn and a somewhat reduced role for Jack O'Neill. The season itself is somewhat random in its episode quality with some terrible episodes, such as Avenger 2.0, but the season finally makes up for all the bad episodes with a greatly cinematic and exciting episode. Although altogether season seven is not the greatest Stargate season ever but the many good episodes outweigh the dire ones.

squishy143
UK
12th September 2005

Excellent!
This is easily one of the best seasons of Stargate SG-1. It sees the return of Danny Boy in the opening two-parter. A fun episode follows with a young boy claiming to be Jack O'neill. Season 7 also contains the fantastic episode 'Orpheous' in which SG-1 lead a rescue on a Goa'uld slave camp, freeing Bra'tac and Teal'c's son, Rya'c. This is one of the best episodes in the season. Michael Shanks (Dr Daniel Jackson) has some excellent acting in the episode'Lifeboat'. He is a very skilled actor. 'Evolution' is the second two-parter in season 7, and a brilliant one at that! We're introduced to Anubis' new foot soldiers; the Drones. 'Heros', the next two-parter, is very emotional as a main character is killed in action. The last two-parter, 'Lost City', which i suppose could be counted as a movie because of the scale, is FANTASTIC!!!

2nd June 2005

Hummmm
I own all the Stargate box sets becaus ei absolutelt love them although this season has let me down; it jumps about and the episodes just dont link. Still well worth watching, although hoping the next season will be back up to usual standards

J. Burling
London, UK
29th April 2005

7 Years On, and Still AMAZING
Season 7 of Stargate SG-1 is nothing short of phenomenal in every way - the breadth of the stories, the acting, the production values, and the good old fashioned explosions.
The departure of Jonas Quinn, and the return of Daniel Jackson is dealt with early in the season, paving the way for much bigger storylines and plot developments (Atlantis, anyone?).
This season has quite a few stand-alone episodes that do not contribute to the overall story arc, but this gives each character more of a chance to shine.
Teal'c, Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter all have episodes that delve more into their lives and personalities - but unfortunately O'Neill fans may be slightly disappointed with most of this season. There's never a point where he's just "not there", but his reduced presence is often felt. However, it's all made up for in the last couple of episodes.
Along with the all of Season 7, there are some great commentaries, and some hilarious "Beyond the Gate" featurettes with the cast.
If you're an SG-1 fan, there's no reason not to buy this DVD.