Archive for August, 2005
New Opening Credits Debut in January
Aug 31st 2005
The return of the full opening credits is announced
Joseph Mallozzi was one of the first to admit that the new shortened opening credit sequences for both Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis were not a good idea. Fan reaction on the various forums indicate that many see the opening credits adding to the shows and building the excitement. Today, in his Q&A thread at GateWorld, Mallozzi announced this exciting news: “Good news. Brand new (long version) opening credit sequences for both shows will be airing with the back half of both series in January. Watch for ‘em.”
The decision to cut the opening credits to 10 seconds each was made by the SciFi Channel in order to add more time for advertising. The actual length of each episode did not change. Ironically, right after the announcement was made that the opening credits had been reduced, it was announced that Joel Goldsmith’s sweeping theme for Stargate Atlantis was nominated for an Emmy!
[Thanks to Aurora for the tip — DeeKayP]
S9 SPOILERS: "Arthur's Mantle"
Aug 31st 2005
9.18 ARTHUR’S MANTLE
Summary
Mitchell and Carter are sent into another dimension after activating a personal cloaking device. While Daniel leads an investigation to find his missing teammates, Mitchell and Carter decide to use the technology to their advantage by pursuing a similarly cloaked assassin on the Sodan homeworld. It just so happens that Teal’c is trapped on the same planet after the assassin’s attack and has also decided to pursue the assassin with his own personal cloak.
Details
Mitchell and Carter disappear! The security cameras at the base recorded their last location, then, suddenly, they were gone.
Teal’c and Major Hadden’s team, SG-9, have gone to the Sodan homeworld and encountered a massacre at the Stargate. They transport to the Sodan’s hideaway using the codes given to Col. Mitchell after he gained their trust (“Babylon”). When they arrive, they are shocked and stunned to find that someone has burnt the village to the ground and killed several Jaffa there. Someone who knew the codes to the transporter had to have done this.
Teal’c examines some of the dead Jaffa and realizes that whoever did the deed knew the best way to kill a Jaffa — targeting the symbiote. They discover Haikon still alive, but his symbiote is dead. Quickly, they decide to administer tretonin to save his life.
Back at the SGC, Mitchell and Carter realize that they are phased out similar to the way that Daniel was several years ago after the process of looking into the Crystal Skull was interrupted (“Crystal Skull”). While Mitchell tries to get over the shock of what has happened to him, Daniel leads the investigation to find them.
Maj. Hadden and Teal’c realize that they have become stranded on Sodan because the obelisk housing the transporter has been damaged. Unable to get back to the Stargate, Hadden becomes uneasy and grows fatalistic. They’ve discovered that it was Volnek (“Babylon”) who attacked the village. Teal’c decides to use one of the Sodan personal cloaking devices to track down Volnek, who is also using one. They will be able to see each other when their cloaks are activated.
Mitchell and Carter watch as Daniel makes progress in his investigation and soon they learn about what Volnek has done. Convinced that they are invincible, Mitchell decides to go after Volnek while still invisible…
Guest Characters
SGC: Major Hadden of SG-9; SG-9 members Lt. McKenzie, Conway, Stevens; Dr. Bill Lee.
Sodan: Volnek, Haikon.
Production
Written by: Alan McCullough
Directed by: Peter DeLuise
Before Cameras: September 15-23
Spoilers are subject to change as the episode is still in production.
“Arthur’s Mantle” Episode Guide
S9 SPOILERS: "Crusade" and "Camelot"
Aug 29th 2005
“That Character” Returns
Executive Producer Joseph Mallozzi has been teasing fans on his Q&A thread and blog at GateWorld that Robert C. Cooper’s “Crusade” will see the return of “THAT CHARACTER”. Speculation ran high that this character was Vala Mal Doran. Those attending the convention in Chicago this past weekend said that Michael Shanks said that Vala would return in the nineteenth episode. Now, Matt Roush, TV critic at TV Guide, has done the rest of the investigation for us and, based on all of this information, we may expect that Vala will appear in the two-part cliffhanger, “Crusade” and “Camelot”:
Question: I love your column! Is the character of Vala on Stargate SG-1 now a permanent cast member? I think she is a great addition to the cast, and I hope she isn’t gone forever (after last week’s episode). I think she adds more fun to SG-1 and would love to see her again. — Niki
Matt Roush: As I asked around about this, I dug up a little scoop that Claudia Black, who plays Vala, will return for two episodes in the back half of SG-1’s season, to air in the winter. I agree that she’s a blast, even if some of the show’s longtime fans seem disgruntled that other characters were marginalized during the Vala-Daniel Jackson arc, including new cast member Ben Browder. (For all those Farscape fans who’ve been writing in to grouse that Browder has been underutilized, I’ve been assured that he’ll be more prominent in upcoming episodes.) As for Vala’s becoming a permanent fixture, that would have to wait for next season, if then, and there’s not even a deal in place yet for a 10th season (although I have no reason to doubt there will be one).
Filming for Season Nine will end October 17. Producers are hoping that they’ll be announcing a record-breaking tenth season soon since they’ll be leaving their audience with a cliffhanger at the end of this season.
Ask Matt at TV Guide
Solutions Season Nine Episode Guides
[Thanks to Eliza Cat for the tip — DeeKayP]
Cinescape Grades "Beachhead"
Aug 24th 2005
“No such thing as too big…”
Columnist Jason Davis gave "Beachhead" a grade of "B". He praised the building up of the Ori story over the first few episodes: “Surely, the display of power offered in this installment presented some idea of the scope that things will take as the series continues. The Ori are clearly a formidable opponent for Stargate Command and their existence creates many unanswered questions to explore as the series progresses.”
Davis enjoyed the character moments given to Vala, Mitchell, Landry, and Nerus, and made special mention of the music of Joel Goldsmith: “Though Vala’s innuendo-laden humor is gone, the growing power of the Ori seems fit to take the season into darker territory and the score for "Beachhead," particularly the teaser, proves that the composer is up for the challenge.”
Davis, however, erroneously concludes that the reduced opening credits are meant to give the program more time to tell the story (Joseph Mallozzi has stated that the episodes are not longer with the reduction of the opening credits to 10 seconds): “Speaking of music, now might be a good moment to consider the abbreviation of the opening titles. A bold alteration of format, it suggests that the show is a well-known commodity no longer needing a weekly introduction while simultaneously salvaging a few extra minutes in which to tell the week’s story.”
Read the whole review at Cinescape.com
Solutions Episode Guide for “Beachhead”
[Thanks to SueB45 for the tip — DeeKayP]
Completing Season Nine
Aug 24th 2005
All 20 Episode Names Revealed
Stargate SG-1 Executive Producer and Writer, Joseph Mallozzi, has revealed the names for all of the Season Nine episodes in the latest entry (August 23) in his GateWorld Blog. Our Season Nine Episode Guide has the latest.
The first half of the season is already half over on the SciFi Channel, but here’s the list of episodes, anyway:
- 9.01 “Avalon Part 1″
- 9.02 “Avalon Part 2″
- 9.03 “Origin Part 3″
- 9.04 “The Ties That Bind”
- 9.05 “The Powers That Be”
- 9.06 “Beachhead”
- 9.07 “Ex Deus Machina”
- 9.08 “Babylon”
- 9.09 “Prototype”
- 9.10 “The Fourth Horseman Part 1″
The airing of “Prototype” and “The Fourth Horseman” will be combined to make the summer’s half of the season end in a two-hour finale at 8PM Eastern on September 16. About a month later, on October 18, the UK will start the season’s viewing on Sky One.
Kicking off sometime in January, 2006, the second half of Season Nine will include:
- 9.11 “The Fourth Horseman Part 2″
- 9.12 “Collateral Damage”
- 9.13 “Ripple Effect”
- 9.14 “Stronghold”
- 9.15 “Ethon”
- 9.16 “Off the Grid”
- 9.17 “The Scourge”
- 9.18 “Arthur’s Mantle”
- 9.19 “Crusade Part 1″
- 9.20 “Camelot Part 2″
For the first time in his Stargate SG-1 career, Executive Producer and Writer, Robert C. Cooper, will be directing an episode which he will also write and produce (“Crusade”). In his Blog, Mallozzi announced, “I’ve already told him I expect nothing less than the greatest episode of Stargate SG-1 EVER! Anything less will be a disappointment. No pressure.”
Whether or not there will be a record-breaking tenth season has not yet been announced, but, thinking positive, the production staff has decided to end Season Nine in a cliffhanger.
Please note that since the season is still in production, the names of the episodes may change, as well as the broadcast order.
Atlantis S2 2.18 "Coup D'État"
Aug 23rd 2005
2.18 COUP D’ÉTAT
Summary
The Genii have decided that the best way to destroy Wraith hive ships is to use Atlantis’ Puddle Jumpers to deliver their nuclear weapons directly onto the ships through suicide missions.
Details
Cowan, the Genii leader, has decided that the best way to defeat the Wraith hive ships is to obtain Atlantis’ supply of Puddle Jumpers to deliver their nuclear weapons as close to the ships as possible. Sheppard had decided to use this very same tactic when Atlantis was under siege by the Wraith just recently. (1.20 “The Siege Part 2″).
On an off-world mission, Major Lorne’s team has gone missing, their last whereabouts incinerated. Dr. Peel, an Atlantis scientist, was being escorted by the team on a planet where she had been helping the villagers produce abundant crops. While she was downstairs, the team was attacked upstairs, apparently by someone using Wraith weapons. Maj. Lorne ordered her to get to the Stargate and she called for help.
Ladon, a Genii, and a small group of his friends, including his sister, Dahlia Radim, are staging a rebellion. All of them, however, appear to have an illness which will eventually lead to their deaths. Dr. Beckett attempts to discover a way to cure them. Ladon, however, is not the leader he appears to be as Sheppard soon finds out…
Guest Characters
Genii: Ladon, Dahlia Radim, Cowan; Atlantis: Maj. Lorne, Dr. Peel
This episode is still in production at this time, and information is incomplete. Be aware that things can, and do, change at times in the actual filming.
Solutions poll booth is now open
Aug 21st 2005
We’re delighted to bring you a fun new interactive feature for the Stargate SG-1 Solutions site: our Poll Booth. Hosted right here on the Solutions site, our polls are secure, anonymous, private, permanently open and don’t require any kind of registration.
No ads, no spam and no pop-ups involved!
A poll for the latest episode will appear each week on the Solutions homepage, with previous polls stored on our Poll Booth page. As well as Season 9 episode polls, you’ll also have a chance to vote on burning issues like your favourite character, season or relationship on the show 
We hope you’ll enjoy the polls and join us in placing your votes.
UK's Sky confirms premiere dates
Aug 20th 2005
Sky One in the UK has confirmed to Solutions the following premiere dates and times for the 9th season of Stargate: SG-1 and the 2nd season of Stargate: Atlantis:
Stargate: SG-1 commences at 8 pm on Tuesday, 18 October 2005
Stargate: Atlantis commences at 8 pm on Wednesday, 19 October 2005
Thanks to Helen and to Angela Hart of Sky for confirming this; we’re sure UK fans will be happy to hear it!
S9 Spoilers: "The Scourge"
Aug 18th 2005
9.17 THE SCOURGE
Summary
During what was thought to be a routine mission to escort international diplomats to the Gamma Site, SG-1 and their party come up against something totally unexpected and deadly.
Details
International representatives of the I.O.A. (International Oversight) are going on a little field trip with SG-1 to the Gamma Site. They include representatives from Britain (Russel Chapman), France (Jean LaPierre), and China (Shen Xiaoyi). The group is excited at seeing the Stargate for the first time and at the prospect of going through it.
Richard Woolsey begins his introductions of the members of SG-1 and the Chinese ambassador interrupts him, knowing fully well the person of Dr. Daniel Jackson. She recites his background: “PhD in Archaeology, Anthropology, and Philology. The man who solved the riddle of the Stargate.” Daniel, in turn, recognizes her and recites her background: “Graduate of Beijing Foreign Studies University, and the London School of Economics and Political Science. Former attache to the Chinese Mission in the United States.” They then exchange words in her native tongue, but Mitchell feels like he’s the topic of their conversation and laughs uncomfortably.
The party goes through the Stargate, with Woolsey quite uncomfortable about the prospect of being molecularly deconstructed.
Once at the Gamma Site, the members of the party are introduced to the various personnel and their projects. There are forty scientists working on more than thirty ongoing projects at any given time. The Site has a complement of F-302s as well.
They have an R&D Department which is coordinated with Area 51 and keep in touch on a daily basis. Dr. Myers, entomologist, is studying an asexual, fast-producing insect responsible for the devastation of numerous off-world crops. Dr. Myers has made the study of these bugs top priority because they have only appeared on planets visited by the Priors of the Ori. But, they have a very short life cycle of only three days and they are sensitive to light.
Mitchell and Daniel have a difference in opinion concerning the promises made three years to the Chinese government. Mitchell doesn’t think that the Chinese government should be given access to military intelligence, while Daniel reminds him that the original agreement (Gate Alliance Treaty) didn’t stipulate any form of restrictions.
While everyone stops to have lunch, some in the cafeteria, others in their labs, Dr. Myers discovers that the bugs have an appetite for meatloaf and all of a sudden, they grow and multiply so rapidly that they burst out of their containment box. Myers and Pullman close them off, but one of the bugs actually bites Myers. The bugs are now carnivorous!
They attempt to take Myers through the Stargate to the SGC because they don’t have the proper medical facilities, but he dies in the transport pod. Unfortunately, his death throws cause the medics to lose their grip on the pod and it falls and opens. Myers has a host of bugs inside his body and they get loose! The Gamma Site is under lockdown — no one is permitted to leave!
The Gamma Site goes into chaos. Power failures ensue as Colonel Mason tries to defend his base against these deadly bugs — most assuredly sent by the Priors as a follow-up to the virus. They lose the gateroom and Mitchell volunteers his team to help them retake it, but Woolsey wants SG-1 to stay with the delegation because they were assigned to ensure the safety of the group. They evacuate to the planet’s surface, headed toward the research station. But, to their shock, the bugs have escaped the Site and are on their way. As they flee, they find safety in a cave.
Mitchell and Teal’c decide that they must go after the F-302s in order to make their escape after they lose contact with the base.
Shen and Daniel discuss the Stargate Program and the U.S. military. Shen wants to know where he stands in his loyalties concerning the U.S. military. She asks if it had been her country instead of the U.S. military that offered him the chance to travel to the stars, and he answers, “As long as the priority was off-world exploration that could help this planet, I’d have gladly accepted the offer.”
But, in the meantime, one-by-one, the people in SG-1’s party start to go missing…
Guest Characters
Richard Woolsey, Russel Chapman, Jean LaPierre, Shen Xiaoyi, Colonel Mason (base commander, Gamma Site), Dr. Myers (entomologist), Dr. Pullman (Dr. Myers’ assistant), Dr. Sharma (lead botanist), Airman Walkers
Solutions Season Nine Episode Guides
Index to Discussion Threads on our Solutions Forum
SciFi’s Summer Season Finales
Aug 18th 2005
Mid-Season Cliffhangers await both shows
Sci Fi Gears Up for Big Summer Finales
By Brian Ford Sullivan
LOS ANGELES (thefutoncritic.com) — Just as the broadcast networks are prepping for their fall premieres, Sci Fi Channel is gearing up for the summer finales of its various original series.
It all begins on Friday, September 16 at 8:00/7:00c with the two-hour summer finale to “Stargate SG-1’s” ninth season (“Prototype”/”The Fourth Horseman, Part 1″). The following week on September 23 at 8:00/7:00c look for spin-off “Stargate Atlantis’s” two-hour summer swan song to its second season (“Aurora”/”The Lost Boys”). And that same night, “Battlestar Galactica” closes the first half of its sophomore season at 10:00/9:00c (“Pegasus”).
Look for all three series to return in January for the latter half of their respective 20-episode seasons.
Read the rest of The Futon Critic Article
Solutions Season Nine Episode Guides
Solutions Forum Index for Season Nine Episode Discussion Threads
[Thanks to Sueb45 and SG1 Spoilme for the tip — DeeKayP]