STARGATE SG-1 - "Redemption"

By: Chris Wyatt
Review Date: Friday, June 07, 2002

Season six brings a lot of changes to the popular STARGATE SG-1 series. First off, it's on a new network. The SCIFI Channel has picked up the cult hit from SHOWTIME. The move is a bold one. While older seasons have been aired in repeat syndication, only paying subscribers have been able to follow the most recent exploits of Colonel Jack O'Neal and his team. This means that the vast majority of viewers who tune in to tonight's season premiere, generically entitled "Redemption," may feel lost in the short but significant gap between what they've seen on their local affiliates and what's showing up now.

The second important change is the meaningful loss of Dr. Daniel Jackson, an important character whose recent demise has caused a flurry of negative fan attention. Protesting callers are wearying receptionists at MGM and a rather makeshift web site (www.savedanieljackson.com) has arisen, with few nice things to say about MGM Television's president of production.

The big question: Can the show's producers deliver competent episodes while being hit with the double-whammy of adjusting to a new distribution outlet and fighting off fan unrest?

The answer: Yes.

While tonight's episode might be far from perfect, solid ensemble character work and an interesting premise prove that there will be life after Daniel Jackson, and that it will be a good life to boot.

The episode opens with the SG-1 squad seeking a replacement member. In the wake of Jackson's death several would-be Stargaters have been given a shot at the position, with each of them failing to meet the high standards necessary. O'Neal believes that his team could operate without needing a fourth member; but he explains to Teal'c that General Hammond insists there be a "socio-political nerd to compensate for our overwhelming coolness."

While the debate continues, Teal'c is alerted to family problems and must take an emergency trip through the gate. General Hammond must deal with an uppity Russian general who is pushing for more Russian military involvement in the gate program; and Dr. Samantha Carter brings the alien refugee Jonas Quinn to Area 51 to help test the first human-made interstellar space craft.


Sound confusing? If you've never seen the show before then it might very well be. This is the first episode being aired to a whole new potential pool of viewers, and yet the producers chose to tell a tale deeply mired in mythology. One wonders if that was a wise decision.

Also, STARGATE SG-1 is usually a very intelligent action show, but, intellectuality aside, it should still be an action show. This episode, however, sacrifices action for seemingly endless scenes of spoken exposition. It's possible that the writers are hoping that weighty explanations will help introduce new viewers to the Stargate world, but if that's their theory they've missed the mark. The endless lists of alien names and past events are only likely to intimidate newcomers.

Still, the episode's story gets heated up when the Stargate mysteriously opens, but nothing comes through. Dr. Carter discovers that the open wormhole is causing an energy build up that, if not diffused, will result in a literally Earth shattering explosion. Teal'c, unable to pass through Earth's occupied Stargate, can't get back to lend assistance and the only hope seems to be using the newly created Area 51 ship to contact help.

It might take a while, but eventually the episode does get into gear, and it winds up setting a strong tone for the season to follow. Hopefully future episodes will be able to launch more quickly, now that the expositional groundwork has been placed.

Despite the heavy marketing emphasis SCIFI is putting on Richard Dean Anderson as the fabulously cynical O'Neal, STARGATE SG-1 sports a truly ensemble cast, most of whom offer excellent performances in tonight's episode. Special kudos to the fabulous genre TV veteran Don S. Davis who, after six seasons, still brings an unassumingly bulldogged charm to the role of General Hammond. It will be interesting to see where Davis and the rest of the cast choose to take their characters in the coming season.

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