Stargate SG-1: Season 8 [2004] - DVD (Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Christopher Judge, Steve Bacic - Dir: )

For a science-fiction show in its eight season, Stargate SG-1 clearly still has a lot of gas left in the tank. It's especially surprising, considering that this is a season that effectively was never meant to be, as spin-off series Stargate: Atlantis was due to take the reigns. Yet someone in power relented, and the further adventures of Jack O'Neill and his team are the result.

Accepting that there are one or two bumps across the season, the standard though remains steadfastly high for the bulk of the episodes here. You'll find no spoilers here, short of to say that some of Stargate SG-1's long-running narratives are developed satisfyingly well.

What's also pleasing is that there's a nice cocktail going on here. A gentle, welcome sprinkling of laugh-out loud moments compete with a good mystery or two, and some terrific action. Granted, sometimes you feel you've seen bits before, and it's a shame that the series ends on arguably some of its weaker episodes. But this is countered nonetheless by some terrific individual programmes, with plenty you'll find yourself rewinding back to once you've reach the end.

What's most pleasing though is that for a mature show of any genre, it's tricky to keep producing good quality TV. In the sci-fi genre in particular, there's a veritable graveyard of shows that never made it this far. Thus, to see Stargate SG-1 is such confident form is much to its credit. --Jon Foster

Customer Reviews of Stargate SG-1: Season 8 [2004]

T. R. Alexander
East Anglia, UK
26th February 2008

SG-1 gets better and better
When a series has gone on for as long as Stargate SG-1 has it generally starts to loose its way and devolve into mediocrity but thankfully it appears that this series has bucked this trend. The twenty-one episodes in this eighth series of the Stargate are, if anything, better than the vast majority of the episodes from the previous seasons. Season eight sees the return of the Replicators, O'Neill's promotion, the continuing search for Ancient technology, the Jaffa rebellion reaches its climax and much more.

This season of Stargate SG-1 has been one of my favourite to date with the only real bad episode being the clip-show `Citizen Joe' but even that is a cut above some other clip-shows I have seen. The writing is competent throughout and the performances by the cast are good and you do feel that they are comfortable with their characters now. My favourite episode from this season has to be `Prometheus Unbound' a truly entertaining and funny episode guest staring Claudia Black from the cult show Farscape.

One thing that I am worried about with this season is that it does appear to tie up many of the ongoing plotlines that have been ongoing throughout the shows run and introducing new plotlines this late in the day rarely works well. Despite this I am still looking forward to watching the continued adventures of SG-1 in the future.

irishmoll
Dublin
24th July 2007

Stargate-SG 1 Season 8
I love Stargate but have to say this is the weakest of all the series so far - it is still good - but it seems to have lost the plot a little. Maybe there was a cutback in the budget so we have episodes taking place in just one or two locations. It is the 8 series and still delivers but not quite with the same sparkle - if you have the other 7 series well buy it, and the storyline will be important for series 9. Wish they had left "Jack" in the field - running the base does not suit this character -

Pickle
London, UK
12th January 2007

A shaky start but all in all quality stuff!
I love Stargate and was so excited when season 8 arrived as a Christmas present. the feature length opener was great but after that it all seemed to go downhill a little. The plots were shaky, predictable and the dialogue hackneyed, (with the odd exception, Avatar was a great episode!) I was VERY UPSET and quite disappointed.

HOWEVER!!!!

Do not fear! For the episode "Promethius Unbound" came to my rescue. After the formulaic blandness of some of the other episodes this was just an absolute gust of fresh air! Exciting, hilarious and question provoking it now rates as one of my favourite episodes to date!

The dynamic of the show feels different with O'Neill featuring less but the show still works SPOILER (tho O'Neill in command of the base is questiionable!!!) END OF SPOILER


Therefore to conclude, I would recommend this but I would warn buyers that while the first few episodes may leave you a little disappointed, hang on cause it gets better!

Temascos

20th November 2006

The Milky Way goes into conflict...
SG1 was set to end the year before, and move over to Stargate Atlantis, however (And thankfully) the show got an eigth series which is just so damn cool.

Last time we saw the team Jack was in a box under Antartica, and the first eps "New Order" deal with that problem, as well as consolidating the fact that the Ancient weapons caught the attention of the dominant powers in the Galaxy. These eps also geust star Torri Higginson as Dr. Weir, who would move onto Atlantis. From this episode onwards a growing problem builds up as the Replicators and the Goa'uld are headed towards a full-scale conflict that has been building up since Season 4, as well as Anubis returning and seemingly indesturtable, although his rep is damaged having been defeated in the Season 7 finale. But he's back, and he's badder than ever.

In spite of this there are more humourous episodes than ever before, such as "Prometheus Unbound" and "Citizen Joe" (Guest starring Hank Castella, better known as the voice of Homer Simpson to you and me!).

But don't worry, the tension and excellent drama is still in place, particularly the big 3 episode story arc "Reckoning" and "Threads", which cumilates all that has been building up ever since "Children Of The Gods" SG1 pilot, will the Goa'uld ever be defeated?

Even though the season finale is good, it sadly does not shine compared to the Atlantis season 1 finale, and you can't help but think that "Threads" would be a better suited finale. But that passes, and dont let it bother you!

So, get your money in, and buy this set, you won't regret it!

Vger
Norfolk, Great Britain
15th July 2006

This is where it all started to go downhill
When actor Michael Shanks first 'ascended' and was replaced, I didn't have a problem with that. I had no problem when he returned except for thinking that they should also have kept his replacement. However that return preceeded bringing his real-life girlfriend into the latest two series of Stargate SG-1, a refugee from the series Andromeda. If you now add on two refugees from the series Farscape, and a General with the weakest chin ever seen then all I can say is "Enjoy this last series of Stargate SG-1, and then move on to Stargate Atlantis". It's all downhill from here on.