Stargate

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[00:00:39] Stay tuned to this channel for the next audio transmission Hello and welcome back to another episode of the big sci-fi podcast where we have really fun discussions about all things Sci-fi but before we begin

[00:00:54] We are part of the Trek Geeks Network where you can find other really cool sci-fi podcasts mostly about Star Trek such as The great show sci-fi sisters Today I want to talk about one of my favorite sci-fi series of all time that isn't Star Trek

[00:01:11] Stargate and see if I can convert the big sci-fi Podcast into that show or into fans of that show so to help me overanalyze Stargate and The movie and the first episode of Stargate SG1 are two of my usual hosts Adina Magnona. Hello everybody Steve Merkin

[00:01:29] Hey, howdy. Hey folks and Normally Brian would be here But he was sent on a mission to P 15876 to where he is dealing with a restless group of folks who are not pleased

[00:01:41] So we'll have to like check with it check in on him a little bit later now Let's talk about Stargate so this discussion I sent out the questions earlier as we always do and I think

[00:01:56] First it makes sense to talk about the Stargate movie and then we can shift our gears into The TV series and then we'll we'll do some comparisons But first what were your overall thoughts on the on the Stargate film? Oh, I loved the film

[00:02:11] I remember when it came out. I saw it in the theater I remember loving it at the time at the time and then I remember when a couple years later when DVDs started to become popular and I

[00:02:23] Definitely was into having like a really cool surround sound setup. This was one of my go-to movies to watch Well, I saw when it first came out and what was that 1994 1994 yeah, and now looking back comparing it to Independence Day also made by Emmerich and Devlin it

[00:02:47] It seemed like a movie that their collaboration efforts came up right when I saw it And and it's not a disagreeable movie You know, it was built on the premise of who made the pyramids and the opening was a bit strange

[00:03:04] That you know the the main character of Jackson well, he's in a You know this conference meeting that he called and as soon as he starts to talk about the pyramids are like yeah, right?

[00:03:17] They're out the door and it just seemed like a funny way of starting the movie What do you mean by a funny way? It seemed like that. He was already destined for failure But then he gets picked up by the military and hauled back to

[00:03:34] You know wherever it is Cheyenne Mountain retreat and and he's the only one the only one you can figure out what the seventh Symbol is everybody else can't but he can so it always seems like you know, that's the kind of way these things

[00:03:48] They just throw in the main character Right away boom. He's there and he solves the problem And yeah, I thought that was good because I mean that was really that was just really the initial thing to get where they were

[00:04:00] We're going, you know, this isn't this isn't solving the big problem. This is solving the the first little problem to establish What's gonna happen next? I don't know. I I liked it. I always liked me too. I love that's what I'll say

[00:04:13] So I enjoy the movie. I think there's a lot of great aspects. I don't think it's a bad movie I just personally find a little slow and I don't like the characters as much because I'm so familiar with the TV characters

[00:04:26] But I love like the first like up until they go to the actual up up until they actually get to Abados I Love the movie and I think the opening for me is very strong as I it does the cool thing where it's like

[00:04:39] 1928 you see the you see the Stargate for the first time They're kind of wondering what it is, but I think with the whole Jackson scene I think that's like so perfect in that it's like we know because you're going to see the movie

[00:04:51] We know he's right, but he's just one of those guys who's like ahead of his time He knows the truth, but everyone else thinks he's kooky, but I just right the

[00:05:00] The way they frame him as a loser who's actually right so he have the conference people are leaving and then the fact that he doesn't have an umbrella I think just adds to the to all this guys a loser would he's coming right right out of the thing

[00:05:13] But it's like I'm a sucker for persons a loser or Considered to even though he's not a loser considered to be and They're out of luck and then all of a sudden somebody gives them the opportunity and I love the scene where it's just like well

[00:05:26] You like here's the chance for you You don't have any other options. You're evicted from your apartment. You have to come here So I love that and then I'm always a sucker for Yeah, the scenes where somebody does some stuff on a whiteboard and figures out the problem

[00:05:41] Everybody's like wait it was right there the whole time So yeah, I love that opening. I love the The Stargate activation scene I'll watch that a lot Just randomly But we'll get into the rest of the video, but yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah rest of the movie

[00:05:59] I'm not as I don't love as much even though I enjoy it. Yeah, I mean I remember, you know seeing it and you know as I said And it just it's it seemed like it's a nice little film. It really is it's a nice little You know again

[00:06:15] Everyone has their favorites and and I think you know independence day is a much better film But then again, they built on from this to making independence day

[00:06:24] So you learn from your prior films to make the next one even better and again the same thing, you know in Independence day David is the you know the outcast character who knows more than everybody else and solves the problem in the end No, yeah

[00:06:41] So another question. What did you think of the actual alien land? Did it feel alien enough? I think that's where I ran into some Problems or not problems, but I just I don't think I loved it as much

[00:06:55] No, it didn't feel alien, but I feel like that was intentional It was meant to feel like Egypt is meant to feel like the desert So and I thought that was really cool like I'm glad

[00:07:08] I thought that was really cool because that was kind of what they were truly trying to do was establish like the tie So the fact that it didn't feel like quite alien and felt like these are really humans

[00:07:20] And this is you know a similar place to where they existed Thousands of years ago on earth again. I thought that was all good and done intentionally and at good Yeah, I think you're right. I'm actually maybe being a little too unfair

[00:07:36] It's like it's like I'm so used to like the other planets in this series feeling well I mean not all of them, but I don't know I just found like it was harder for me just knowing where it's going to like be as invested in

[00:07:48] This first planet, but I'm not sure see the television show before you ever saw the movie Is that what I think that's probably what it was because I had seen the show a little bit when I was growing up

[00:07:59] and then I got really into and then I got into Atlantis and like when I was in high school and then Really started watching the series Like about in 2011 got really hooked in like spent that summer

[00:08:13] Where it just I come from from summer school that I was like teaching at the time and then just put on Stargate For the afternoon. So I think that's a wholly different experience and this is true I've always maintained that Ideally anyone should watch

[00:08:29] Anything in the order it was released No matter what this because that's kind of like to me the truest experience of it because for people like for there There are definitely a group of people who couldn't have done it another way, you know like

[00:08:46] If you if you watched the movie when the movie came out that was the only option So I feel like that that's always the right not them Yeah, because but and it's not to say that it's wrong to do it the other way

[00:09:00] But you you get a very different experience Doing it the other way Right. Yes, no, I think you're right. I'm trying to remember when I did see the movie I'm sure I must have seen the movie because I remember watching in the like 2007 or 2006

[00:09:15] And that was way before I got into like actually watching SG1 even though I had been aware of it So yeah, it's one of those things. It's hard because it's like

[00:09:25] Like at the TV series builds on so much of what the movie did and then made it stronger. Yeah So I think that's yeah, but I think you're right I think ideally for listening to this and you haven't seen either of them

[00:09:37] I think you should watch the movie first the movie first and also ties directly. Yeah, it also ties directly into The show well, yeah The show that first that first episode of the show takes place a year or so after and it

[00:09:50] Presumes you have the knowledge of the movie Like right exactly it presumes you know, what happens? They don't really do any of that explaining Backs you're like explaining a city. They're assuming you'll watch the movie and I kind of feel like in

[00:10:06] 1997 there was a good chance that if you're gonna about to watch this television So you probably had seen the movie or went out and made it a point to see the movie

[00:10:14] Yeah, right. No, that's definitely I definitely agree like regardless of what this with the series is if you can try and watch the Like try and watch it in release order just because then that way you put yourself in the experience of

[00:10:27] But what's it like like audiences at that time? Will have only seen the movie and then jump into the show and then they might not even want to because they like the movie so much

[00:10:36] Well, yes, you know as far as the aliens go, you know, I took it from that raw transported people from earth to this place and That was the language that they spoke because you know, it seemed like that Jackson's character

[00:10:56] spoke Aramaic or some version of it or understood what The spoken word of the Egyptians would have been and so he was able to communicate And I like the fact that they they had a hard time communicating with each other or trying to figure out

[00:11:09] You know what everything meant you know, he pulls out the Fifth Avenue bar and hands it to to what was his name? Kassaf and you know, it's like what's this he sniffs it and he tries it. No, this is okay

[00:11:22] And they build a relationship that goes from there So it and even the one that who was the true alien was raw And except for the glowing eyes that was about it so I Don't think he was alien enough. I think he should have been a little

[00:11:43] More advanced maybe he could even have been one of the jackal creatures that hit that he would have been a jackal creature And that's why the you know They're they clearly explained it in the movie that he had taken a human body

[00:11:59] Right. Yeah, that's kind of their whole shtick is that they take him by that makes it easy that they don't have to come up with any character You know outfit for him or you know, I don't know if that was but that's the thing is like again

[00:12:12] Look at the look at the quality of the movie with all the CGI and all the things I feel like that's I feel like they that was not why they made that choice like it was

[00:12:22] Necessarily like look at everything else about the movie. The rest of the movie is gorgeous Right it was more the no this is Part of the they that really was part of the world building of the situation Yeah, you know

[00:12:38] Now going into the TV show budgeting is gonna be a different thing and so this kind of happened to work out But in the movie and the actor I remember the

[00:12:48] Because it was a big deal this this actor and of course now I'm blanking on his name, but I remember at the time They were like a you know kind of a either trans non-binary something and it was a very

[00:13:02] New big deal to have this actor in that that's kind of what I my memory Time okay, and they're gorgeous You know like their features were perfect and it was gorgeous So it really worked so well in this story of you know the story of the alien

[00:13:19] Wants his perfect human body and to preserve themselves in this perfect human body And it wasn't just the eyes. It was the voice also. Oh, yeah, so I do a good job with the voice. Yeah

[00:13:30] Yeah, he was the loudest person in the room. Yes, but in this kind of creepy surreal other way, you know and and and Presumption of you would think that the people would react to someone like that because he's supposed to be a god

[00:13:47] And he would have the booming voice and he would have the features and so on and that the people would but what would what were they What were they were just running a Mining operation is that what all the people there were doing what they were building? Yeah

[00:14:03] They weren't building pyramids. They weren't the Israelites But they were hauling out that or that yeah made the nuclear bomb ten times or a hundred times more power was it It was an aqua. Yeah, I mean, I don't remember the name of it

[00:14:17] but it seemed like that was also kind of I Don't know a little secondary as to you know freeing the people the again They're freeing the oppressed these are the you know Moses showing up and freeing the Israelites from the oppressive Pharaoh

[00:14:31] You know, which is what they ended up doing in the end. Yeah Hmm, so one question I want to go to and this obviously it's for all of us, but a dean of being the scientist

[00:14:43] What how did you feel about the start? I am not an Egyptologist Egypt? Egypt Egyptologist right although I've been in Egypt. I've been in Cairo. Oh wow I

[00:14:55] Have not in real life. I've been to the Luxor in Las Vegas, but that's about it. So I was in Cairo in 2005 as part of like this kind of round the world trip I did and The two things that struck me about Cairo

[00:15:09] Well, oh gosh actually now that I think about now that I just opened up my brain floodgates There were a lot of things that struck me, but the couple of them is like the pyramids. I didn't go to Giza

[00:15:19] In some ways are not as big as I thought they would be in real life Oh, really, right? They're right on the edge of Cairo. So it's like you look one direction

[00:15:28] You see pyramids you just all you do is turn around you see the city and I really thought there was more separation So it felt that was a little like disorienting That was number one number two at least at the time

[00:15:41] Cairo is like was like the dirtiest city I've ever been to in my life. Wow. I remember I grew up outside New York City And and actually when I was a kid when I was really little for a little while

[00:15:54] We lived outside Pittsburgh in the 70s when Pittsburgh was not so Pittsburgh is great now But it was not back then and then number three if anyone ever gets there. There's the Egyptian Museum

[00:16:05] Yes, which was the most amazing museum because growing up, you know every now and then there'd be like a War in one of our museums were like you see like a sarcophagus

[00:16:14] They bring one around and they bring something from King Tut around and it makes it seem like ultra rare so we go to this museum and it's like sarcophagus piled on top of sarcophagus piled on top of sarcophagus and

[00:16:30] Everything has Egyptian hieroglyphics on it. It's like nothing about any of this stuff is rare There's it's like you're swimming in this stuff, which was also weird So anyway, that's all that's all the Egyptology stuff. I know so back to I think the question

[00:16:45] Chris is gonna have is from a this is this point of view. What did you think of? Sorry, the Stargate device and how everything worked It's just as hokey as you know warp drive or anything else

[00:16:59] It really doesn't have any kind of bases in reality, but it's fine again nothing though. I always look for Consistency within whatever I'm watching and so okay sure yep

[00:17:12] There's a gate on one of the other there's a there's a technology device that is well beyond our understanding or ability That basically enables you to travel Rube space time. Okay, sure. I like again as long as it's self consistent Now watching the first episode of SG-1

[00:17:32] they actually The language that the physicist used about like like they you know use the word event horizon and stuff like that No, no, no, no, but I feel like that was not the right line of dialogue right there

[00:17:48] But it did sound cool. So yeah, even though it's like supposed to be like an artificial wormhole I think that's what they like event horizon very specifically is Related, you know, we use that terminology when we talk about black holes not wormholes

[00:18:04] That's why that was like the wrong word to say but again other than that like I said, so I look for a self-consistency Within a thing and that so it's fine. It's fine. I have no problem with the Stargate

[00:18:16] I think it's and I think I love the stargate I think it's cool And I think and this is something that you like if you watch the show you'll they do a really good job of

[00:18:24] They're very good at being self-consistent in a way that if Star Trek brings up it like a science or a tech And then they bring up something say 10 episodes later. That's contradictory. They just won't elaborate

[00:18:36] They'll never even talk about it, but Stargate does a very good job of here's the new thing Well, how come then when this happened in this episode didn't work? Oh, that's because blah blah blah blah blah

[00:18:46] So even if it's a BS answer, it's like the writers are still very good at tracking How things work and explaining why certain things are doing something different than they did in the previous episode so I love I love the

[00:19:00] The self-consistency and just I like to in my head I feel like it works like a transporter where it's going through a wormhole, but they're still being Demo right deep being dematerialized and then being rematerialized right, so I do get that vibe

[00:19:15] It just seemed interesting again in now I think more of it first I was little you know after watching movies like well Why does he have a giant pyramid shaped spacecraft? If he has these Stargates to take them from here they are in everywhere, but then again

[00:19:30] How did the Stargate end up on earth? Well, they use his Pyramid shaped spacecraft to drop one off there and then in the TV series. They say oh There may be an infinite number of Stargates out there

[00:19:45] So you know that he's whoever these this race of creatures are they've been dumping them all over the galaxy I guess if well Ten years and 213 episodes I got a lot of time to to fish out all these things that you know

[00:19:59] You can't solve in a the first two part of an opening episode or opening series Right, but it just it now in looking back. I think yeah It seems like okay He would have some type of a starship to get around to drop these little puppies off well

[00:20:15] And I'm sorry go ahead and also if you want to like those Stargates are only the size of they can You know transport a handful of people on some equipment if you actually want to move something bigger around

[00:20:28] Yeah, you need something bigger. So right right and that's all I mean and they didn't really get into you know how the military was able to

[00:20:37] Set it up and get it to power up and do even know where the plug is if it's a see or DC or 240 volt or 480 or whatever it is that doesn't matter because again It's just all fun science fiction the same thing applies on the other end

[00:20:52] What was generating the power was it in the pyramid? They didn't explain that but you know what? It's a movie. It's a fictional movie and you can do what you want and that's okay As long as the story is interesting and the characters are likable

[00:21:08] You let them go you let it go and they explain quite like I don't know when they explain But they do good like throughout the series they get you get some like no more lore about how it works and like I even forgot that thing

[00:21:20] Like I forgot that that Sam Carter had been researching and working with the Stargate years before Jackson Finished it and solved it. So I forgot about that so I like that but that's explained in the series, right?

[00:21:34] That's explain in this series. Yeah, she was not a character in the movie She was a character. Yeah, but that's okay because you want to introduce new characters Into the storyline

[00:21:45] Because this is the TV series and not the movie you did have the two main characters from the movie Represented in the TV series and that was okay as well Yeah, so I have a little oh go ahead. Oh, yeah After the question you're about to ask

[00:22:01] I was gonna ask about the characters and if you had like a standout from the from the film and Then we can go into the TV series, but okay. Yeah, that was not the way I was I thought the question I thought you're gonna cuz I

[00:22:14] Just struggle with and again, I understand the reasons why things are done Well, maybe I don't understand the reasons why things are done But like you have certain actors playing these characters in the movie and then you have different actors playing in the TV show

[00:22:27] And that always bums me out Like I really want it, you know now that that's not to say that the folks in the TV show weren't good But you know, I liked the movie actors and I get some dysphoria or whatever the right word is

[00:22:43] Then when I'm trying to remember who these people are when I'm watching the TV show. Mm-hmm. Yeah Yeah, yeah, it does yeah, I mean if we want to talk like we can just jump right into that Oh, yeah

[00:22:55] Sense yeah, I think maybe it's good to compare and contrast as we go along and that's that's fine with me If that's okay with you Chris Yeah, no, I think that's a way the better way. Yeah, I think that's probably a better way to do it because yeah

[00:23:09] I'm curious to see how people feel about Kurt Russell O'Neill versus Richard D. Danerson or Neil and James Spader Daniel versus Michael shanks Daniel. Mm-hmm Well, I will say this I like Dean what's the name Richard Dean? Anderson Richard Dean Anderson I liked him as that version

[00:23:34] More than Kurt Russell because Kurt Russell starts off as Moody Unhappy I'm gonna commit suicide life's not worth living blah blah blah then he becomes super ultra lean cut Shaved you know a flat top military man ready to take command and do what has to be done

[00:23:53] And then the end of the movie he's all nice and kind of guy, you know, it's okay. Yeah, like you guys We're all fine. I'm not gonna die. I don't want to die. I want to go home

[00:24:02] I'm okay. So kind of wishy washy whereas Richard Dean Anderson's character in those two episodes seemed to be Very consistent in the way he acted but again, that's this is after Yeah, something has happened in the last year in his life. We don't know about

[00:24:19] Yeah, well, I don't think that this is wish you know, I didn't find the movie wishy washy at all again, you know compressed timeline Versus what a real person is gonna go through but like he lost his son. He's grieving

[00:24:33] You know and now then he's given basically a new purpose And so he's an again as a military person He's addressing that purpose and then he just kind of starts to basically learn how to deal with it or incorporate

[00:24:45] He's a grief into his life by the end of it. So I thought it was perfectly fine and then now you have in SG one It's a year later. So he's had just more time to deal in process

[00:24:56] Right. So like I didn't I didn't have any issue with the care. I mean the character in the movie It made sense to I mean it made sense to me. Okay. Okay. Yeah

[00:25:05] Yeah, I feel like I don't enjoy watching Kurt Russell in the movie because I find he's very bland Compared to I just love O'Neill and like or Richard in Anderson and like his humor But I see what you're saying though

[00:25:17] I did like the fact that it's one of those again It's one of I shouldn't say it's my favorite movie trope But it's one of the characters going through a really tough time

[00:25:24] He's dealing with a loss or they're dealing with a loss and then they get called into action Then they find the new their new purpose in whatever the story is. So I always enjoy that part but I just find because it's it's hard for me to

[00:25:40] Like I'm trying to separate like I find watching Michael shanks versus James Spader a lot easier than Kurt Russell versus Richard Anderson where it's like Anderson's character is almost a completely different one to the point where even in one of the episodes one of the early episodes

[00:25:56] There's even a joke where he says something like oh, yeah There was this other guy named O'Neill But he had like two wells and he wasn't didn't have any humor No, I didn't have a sense of humor so they sort of joke about that

[00:26:07] Yeah, I think I'm so used to The series that I like that character more right right it was also interesting It seemed like again the headliner in the movie was Kurt Russell Right, but James Spader really was the star of the story

[00:26:22] He was the star of the movie and it kind of worked in that and his character was very likeable I liked him a lot and he was very consistent the way he acted with the sneezing and the glasses and and

[00:26:34] Being tripping and falling getting yanked by the intergalactic yak or whatever that creature was that dragged him along and He's the one who gets the girl. He's the you know He's a lucky one and he's the one who stays behind to

[00:26:50] Help these people which I thought that that was very noble of his character as well So I think they spent more time Making him the the likeable Character even though he wasn't the I don't think he was the official

[00:27:03] Star of the movie. I think that Kurt Russell was more of established actor in this That's what's interesting is Kurt Russell would be the headliner But the way they showed Jackson almost feels like yeah, he is the main character the fact that

[00:27:16] Do we see everybody else go through the Stargate and then when he goes through the Stargate We get to see the like him poking his head through the portal or whatever you want to call it and the

[00:27:25] Dematerialization as if like he is the point of view like he is the main character that you're focusing on right and Kurt Russell Just happens to be the bigger name, but he's a supporting character. Yeah, I I had always assumed You know when I'd originally watched the film

[00:27:38] I'd always assumed the James Spader's character was you know the main character even though at the time You know James Sater was a he was not as as big as Kurt Russell, but he was not he was a known actor I

[00:27:50] Wasn't that familiar with him, but to me it was clear that that character was intended to be the The prime like the kind of primary character and and to be honest I love French French Stuart. He's one of my favorite actors

[00:28:06] Especially is Harry and third rock from the Sun and to see him in a serious role Well, not a you know, not a real super serious role, but you know more of drama drama was was enjoyable to see him there He's he's a favorite

[00:28:20] Which one was French Stuart because I'm trying to remember like He was one of the when the soldiers on the mission and He does yeah, but he doesn't he I mean if you watch the third rock and you see how he acts as Harry

[00:28:34] There's no relationship to this whatsoever But you know because of the series I became a big fan of French Stuart whenever he whenever he's in any type of movie so it was nice to see him in this role So the funniest thing is Kowalski

[00:28:49] So to me, you know, here's the thing is again that was a character I did not remember from the original series or from the original movie because he was just one of the you know He was one of the yeah But then I

[00:29:02] rewatched the movie maybe like a year or two ago in the intervening time I became a humongous fan of the penguins of Madagascar. Oh Now the character there and in the penguins there is a character Kowalski it's spelled differently

[00:29:19] One is KOWAL one is KAWAL, but it sounds exactly you know when you're hearing it sounds exactly the same And so now I cannot watch Kowalski and Stargate without thinking of Kowalski in Penguins and if anyone knows the penguins of Madagascar and

[00:29:37] Maddo you know where they came from in the Madagascar films and then they had their own little It's hilarious. Just just smile just smile and wave boys. Just smile and wave Yeah Hey guys, it's Brian again from the Big Sci-Fi here at Trek Long Island

[00:30:00] 2024 and I have a new friend Molly Magdalena who owns stemball arts And I'm standing here with her at her table in the vendor room and just in awe of The art that I'm looking at it's so fantastic

[00:30:14] I've seen a lot of people come through with their mouths open just just looking at it's amazing artwork I'm gonna let Molly talk to you about about what her artwork is and where you can find her online And all that good stuff so

[00:30:30] Thank you for that great intro I make art using resin And I mostly make deep space art and a ton of Star Trek art because that is where my heart is and my fandom

[00:30:41] I've been watching Star Trek since I was a kid and I've loved all the new trek as well So I make everything from little mini stem bolts to large pieces And pretty much everything in between I've been working on making planets lately

[00:30:56] And I love to make stuff that blows in the dark So a lot of what I make is well glow for a pretty long time in the dark I started making art as a Therapy a way to heal from PTSD

[00:31:11] I was a nurse at the very start of the pandemic Yeah, and I only had six months experience at that point and my facility took really heavy losses And afterwards the therapist recommend that I focus on making art and making art that would really inspire me and

[00:31:28] Star Trek was what got me through a lot of the roughest days of The beginning of the pandemic when I was working There was a scene in discovery where Captain Pike Encounters a time crystal and he sees his future and He repeats to himself his values

[00:31:48] Why he does what he does service and I would watch that over and over again in order to Have the fortitude to go in and face the next day at work So Star Trek is really been a part of my life

[00:32:02] Since I can remember and it has really carried me through the last years and making all this alright for me as a way to Connect with other Star Trek people, but also just to express my gratitude for what it's done for me

[00:32:15] So if you're interested in checking out my art, please take a look at my website. It's stembolterts.com And I'm also on Tiktok and threads and Instagram and you can find me there on most places as M. Magdalena

[00:32:32] And I would love to see you online or hopefully see you in person Yeah, so how did you so overall like how did you feel about Kurt Russell versus Richard Dean because then I can't wait to talk about panel Jackson

[00:32:50] I think that's so close it again. I have like this before which is to me in some ways. It's like a different character Yeah

[00:32:58] Yes, yeah, I agree and again in the year that followed from or the period of time from when they came back from the mission and when The Stargate reopened After you know, I thought it was dormant and it was all done with and you have the

[00:33:14] new characters go through it and abduct us the the FEMA military member You know something happened in his life and again 10 seasons 213 episodes they can have a lot of time to develop and go back and say hey during this that ensuing period of time

[00:33:35] This changed my life whatever but you having watched the series all the way through Chris would know if they fleshed out That or not and even if I kind of thought that you know Carter and

[00:33:50] O'Neill might have some type of a relationship that they might develop because they feed off each he's shaking his head Yeah, I mean there is nothing ever official, but it's always been hinted at

[00:34:02] Actually comes of it from the series. I again, I took it straight as a year had passed. He's dealt with his grief more And so he's just retired living his life And just moving on I didn't really think anything. I

[00:34:15] Don't know. I didn't think anything nothing actually had to happen. Nothing major had to happen that year. He just Has been processing everything he went through and processing his grief, right?

[00:34:26] And it's just the job. Yeah, if you think of it you have 200 and well not 200 hours in television To develop the character. Sure. Whereas in the movie we only have

[00:34:38] 90 120 minutes to do it right and I think they're you know for a movie. I think they did a great job I mean those care especially, you know, you know James Spader Dan, you know the character of Dr. Jackson and

[00:34:52] Kurt Russell's character. I felt they were very well around like well developed characters Like you understood a lot about both of them within the first few minutes of meeting the character Which that's a hard thing to do. I know and I thought they did that just really well

[00:35:08] You really got to understand them And I don't I don't disagree with you D and I agree I agree with the on that as well It's just that the series had more time to even flesh it out even more Then yeah, it's interesting like I think yeah

[00:35:22] It's interesting point that you make where it's like on one hand You could look at it like a completely different character just separate the two but also Yeah, there's the time the fact that when we meet him in the movie

[00:35:32] He's just right like he's dealing with the grief. It's very fresh and then by the time he gets to SG one It's like he's had a year to process it and Go ahead Chris. I'm sorry. I was gonna say go ahead go ahead

[00:35:46] Just that they had that had time to process it So I that actually kind of makes it make more sense Even though of course I love like in terms of which one would I rather watch?

[00:35:55] It's O'Neill just for Richard D. Anderson because I think I love the way he acts and Is comedy and the way he works with everybody else But yeah, I see a dean his point that it's you also have to just separate and just like they're not the same

[00:36:09] characters, but I did like was there's a line in The early part of the the TV series where I believe Carter says well He can MacGyver these kind of things that was fine

[00:36:20] Yeah, and that was like, okay. Let's let's just do a little hey remember what show you were on before this Considered a fourth wall break it might be it might be yeah We like that's what I love too is target. I love their humor

[00:36:35] They have that all throughout the series of just making fun references to other shows and there's even one scene where they're like Where Carter and O'Neill are on a planet and the trap they have no way to get back and O'Neill is doing like

[00:36:51] D. Anderson is like having a really like emotional scene and then it's one of the outtakes Sam Carter a man of tapping just freaks out and is like why can't you just figure this out?

[00:37:01] He's a bubble gum just bill us a bomb and get out of here and you're useless MacGyver So it's it's fine. They do have a good sense of humor good, but how did you feel about?

[00:37:11] James Spader versus Michael or comparing him to Michael shanks or Michael shanks compared to James Spader as Jackson I Like James. I like James Spader better, but what Michael shanks did it felt like he mimicked you know James Spader's performance well enough that I

[00:37:33] Believed a little bit more continuity that this is the same character than I had with Kurt Russell's character. Yeah The way he looked at things and the way he like reacted to things I

[00:37:46] I did oh I did owe you on that one a dean exactly how I felt I thought that Shanks did a really good job of mimicking the actions and the way that Spader played the character

[00:38:00] Even the way that maybe it was like even the camera angles they shot the way he was looking you could really The transition was easy to accept. Yeah Yeah, and they even like talked about like a link behind the zine stuff that in the first episode

[00:38:14] maybe even the first season not sure How long it is I have to rewatch the series to see if I could tell but they say yeah starting off Michael shanks Did a really good impression of James Spader and really mimicked it

[00:38:26] And then as he got more episode then he started to morph it into his own character and make it more unique But like for me even watching this as a kid like I had to I

[00:38:36] Had to like either Google it or someone told me that oh they're actually not the same actor because for me They just felt like they did they were so similar that it felt like okay

[00:38:47] It was always Michael shanks to me or always James Spader. Yeah, but but yeah He does get it. Oh, I'm sorry. I was gonna say you know, I just had one more thing I wanted to say about the Kurt Russell So

[00:39:02] The one that bothers me I guess the thing that they're with there is I can picture Kurt Russell Continuing on and playing it in the series But I can't picture it the other way around

[00:39:16] Because I can picture Kurt Russell who in the movie started out really hard like he was really a hardened Military dealing with the grief Swallowing it in and being like very

[00:39:28] You know at everything I can picture him softening up and that's probably because I've seen Kurt Russell and so many other things laughing and having fun but Richard Dean Anderson the other way around I have a hard time picturing him being as Stone cold

[00:39:45] As the character was at the beginning of the movie Yeah, I think you're right. I think he could but yeah It would be a lot harder to make actor but but yeah, no, I see what you're saying though

[00:39:57] I think I agree like I don't think it would have worked like the movie Yeah, it would like it would have been a different character. You wouldn't get the same like oh this man's really recovering from his loss

[00:40:06] Yeah, kind of vibe that you're supposed to get from the first movie like Russell was able to portray this kind of like Like don't come within 10 feet of me or I'm going to murder you like he had that kind like that kind of like really

[00:40:22] That vibe going on that I don't believe like Richard Dean Anderson could have pulled off and I feel like that was that was true to the character of Again, he's military and he's dealing with this grief and he doesn't had a process it yet. Yeah

[00:40:38] Sorry, I had to jump back to I was I was not Think about I've never really actually thought about going the other way like oh could the could the like could Kurt Russell Or sorry Richard Dean Anderson play the character in the movie

[00:40:53] Yeah, I think you're right. I don't think it would have worked It would have been a different movie might have been more fun But it would have missed what what they were trying to create with that character and and really Kurt Russell had established himself as a

[00:41:06] Action actor from escape from New York and other films So for him to come in and be the hero character that you know saves a day yeah

[00:41:17] He's he's had that he had the chops to do that type of movie Moody character as opposed to when he was in the computer war Ten issues, but that's Disney so that's a long time ago

[00:41:29] So out of out of the two which ones did you like what did you find you enjoyed more? Watching like to start get the movie or the first episode All right the movie movie Yeah

[00:41:45] You know I think we said this before already like the first episode you need the movie to know what was happening Right. Yeah, not asking about it. Yeah, but I'm saying is like like so to me like

[00:41:59] It doesn't stand on its own really and so and then there is also some of the cheesiness and it was just the time So 1997 ish And I kept having throughout the feeling like The I guess the way it was shot

[00:42:16] You know some I guess standard at the time or something. I kept thinking this feels like I'm watching Xena warrior princess Because of the forest settings Like that force does come up a lot in Stargate and it comes up an arrow and the flash it like

[00:42:32] Yeah, once you start to see a lot of those productions that are filmed in Vancouver You'll see the same forest all the time But it was just I don't know if it was just specifically the forest

[00:42:41] Which is kind of like the feeling and maybe just the the way the effects in the clothing Especially the clothing every time I looked at the clothing. It just had

[00:42:51] To me in terms of the quality and just how it was made and stuff like that. It's just everything about it to me was like Screams Xena warrior princess, which I love at the time. I loved so

[00:43:01] Don't get your eye. I mean, I think like I mean I I agree kind of I understand what you're saying Even though for me, I've got like I did find I will say this that initially like even when I would see See Stargate on TV sg1

[00:43:15] Before I got into I was like that's kind of cheesy like it just didn't feel good But once they got into it then I got past the cheesiness and they're like it didn't bother me

[00:43:24] But they are working on a very limited budget and there is a cheesiness to the film or to them to the series No cheesiness of the film. Yeah, I mean The film was pretty state-of-the-art and I remember being very impressed at the time

[00:43:40] Yeah, and yeah, and and the TV series relied upon using Reusing aspects from the movie shots, you know when the transporter those rings come down It's the same shot exactly from the movie

[00:43:55] Yeah, and but then again, it doesn't have that scope of the film because like you know, you had these really beautiful Headdresses from the movie and then they go to the TV show and it's like You can see that the budget was there, you know

[00:44:11] And but that's again that doesn't fault if the story is good The acting is good and you enjoy it. You can get past that and move forward Yeah, I mean, you know, you're also dealing with pilot I even know what you want to call it

[00:44:26] But I think just generally speaking pilots always struggle because you're not really you're not you don't find you haven't found the characters Yet and they're still setting up the story. Yeah, and you're right like it doesn't stand on its own

[00:44:40] I just for me personally like if I'm gonna have to watch one or the other I'm gonna watch the series just because like I know the series and I like the characters more Yeah But yeah, I see what you're saying that it's hard to like separate that if

[00:44:54] It's not a standalone where you have to watch the first one to understand what's going on and going forward again from this episode I mean how many and again you watched it Chris, but how many other places?

[00:45:07] Can you guess they went to where there were different stargates there so they could have different encounters with different aliens and Different societies and different situations and like you said when you know, they're stuck in a place in their trapped and they can't get out

[00:45:24] How do they get out? You know, so they had a lot more Ability to work with that than they did in the movie, which was just one story Yeah, it was just one story whereas like this one sets up the fact that it's like yeah every like

[00:45:36] Month or so they're gonna go there's gonna be a new planet. They can go to though Just works out that every week. Oh, we have a new destination. We're gonna go go to that planet. We're gonna get into trouble

[00:45:46] We're gonna do stuff. We're gonna come back and then maybe it'll tie back to the overarching storyline. Maybe it won't But yeah, it's a lot more options I think yeah It's it's definitely one of those things where I feel like if you if you're into the series

[00:46:00] And if you watch it more and you start to get used to it you feels like you can work past the cheesiness Right other compared to the film Let's let's compare the quality of the original Star Trek series versus any of the other ones you go

[00:46:16] Oh, yes, that's right cardboard cutouts sets and simple lights and things like that They had a budget they could only they only had so much of a budget So like the series only had so much of a budget

[00:46:29] Versus the movie which had a much bigger budget and they could have a lot greater effects But again if if the story was good you liked it Chris you you really like the characters You want to see the adventure and where they were going?

[00:46:41] I can see why you love the series so much because it just kept expanding as opposed to being just a two hour movie Period. Yeah, we got a lot more lore you find out how the Stargates work and there's for me

[00:46:56] There's just a lot of great lore and I was hoping I was like, okay This is my master plan get you guys to watch the first episode You know, let me just watch the second episode and keep going but

[00:47:05] Based on the reality of time. I don't think yeah, yeah, of course of time. Yeah, I could I could see myself Going and watching more But yet no this was just again just a time this last week in

[00:47:19] If the investment to do it the investment to do it to be you know hanging it for another 44 minutes of SG1 And to be honest chris, I never really watched it when it came on tv in 1997

[00:47:35] Elaine I was just talking about that when I showed her the notes and she goes. What were we watching back in 1997 and You know, yeah, there was Voyager was on and there were other tv shows x files were on as I recall and there was you know

[00:47:49] This didn't in this didn't pique the interest of my family members because the all four of us were living together My two daughters and my wife and that was just wasn't something that

[00:48:00] They were going to watch and then also I don't recall if it was on network television. I don't believe so I Was it on network television? Was it a syndicated channel? I can't remember

[00:48:11] When I think it was syndicated because it was owned by mgm was the sister like was the parent company and then Yeah, I'm not sure I have to look that up and see like where was it where could you actually watch it?

[00:48:23] I'm sure you could watch it on sci-fi but Well, whatever that yeah, right. Well, so that's a thing I know for me was in that time So 1997 was the year that I graduated from college and was broke So I only had over the air television

[00:48:37] And I think that was one of the reasons why I did not watch this when it was originally on was because Yeah, I don't think it was on network television because I did go I was thinking, you know

[00:48:46] Like I'm trying to picture like what was I watching on tv because I can picture my old apartment that I lived in And I can picture like talking to co-workers about some stuff that we watched And the number one thing that we were talking about was ali mcbill

[00:49:00] Ah, yes, okay. Oh, okay. You know and that's and then I was thinking like yeah, I don't think I had You know, I'm pretty sure I didn't have cable At the time so I was limited in what I would you know limited in what I was watching

[00:49:14] So for so for all these reasons, you know, I didn't watch it at the time And now here it is a bazillion years later and It looks like it's just so many other shows. Yeah, there's so many other shows right now that are also

[00:49:26] Right now. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. It's like it's one of the worst I love it, but it's one of the hardest times to be To want to watch other stuff because there's so many other things to watch

[00:49:36] But it's just hard to pick and choose and now we have all these services and things like What's the show that's so that you always say we got to watch for all of mankind on apple tv

[00:49:48] And the other thing is and it was really hard to go back and watch this because so okay, so you have a show like Allie McBeal, which was just amazing at the time and Go so going back and watching something from 1997 one of the

[00:50:02] Things that made me I guess it was Cringes might be the right word But in one of the first scenes where we met and tapings Oh, yeah, man. Yeah character I mean, yeah, did I did I just say that name wrong?

[00:50:17] Oh, yeah, it meant a time for yeah When we first like met her character and she's got to like prove herself You know, she's having that conversation like you know, like look I fly fighter jets and you know having to kind of prove that

[00:50:29] She's you know the character of Carter. Yes. Yeah, right. I mean like I just was like, oh my god like reliving That time period because again that was when I was starting that was when I just graduated from college and was starting in my career And luckily

[00:50:47] I did not have that exact conversation with others But I have female friends who did and I remember Always kind of like having this feeling of being on guard whenever I met new men in the workplace Are they gonna treat me like that?

[00:51:05] Right. Are they gonna treat me like I don't belong and I remember kind of like having this constantly being on guard Feeling that followed me around maybe the first 10 years of my career

[00:51:18] Until eventually that that went away and like these days these days. I don't have that feeling But like that scene brought that whole feeling back and I did not like it one bit Yeah, I mean that is one of the criticisms of that

[00:51:31] Of that episode is that it's 1997 They're saying a lot of sexist stuff where she has to prove herself and yeah, it's definitely like It's one of the things that I don't think I mean like it was real that that stuff really happened in the real world

[00:51:44] So on one hand it's kind of good in not it's not good, but it's like kind of it's almost proof Like that's how things were Like so it's it's it's good to remember that that's how things were

[00:52:00] I think there are still people out there that are still experiencing stuff like that I'm glad that I am not one of them But and I'm glad that I didn't have to do that kind of proving myself

[00:52:10] But like I said, I had that feeling constantly for the first decade of my career that that was the conversation I was going to have to have with people And I have the colleagues who did have that conversation I don't mean to switch gears

[00:52:23] But the reason why we didn't watch it when it first aired Because it aired on the showtime network. Yeah, we had to pay for that And it didn't switch to the sci-fi channel until 2002 So about halfway through the 10 years. It's when it went to something

[00:52:41] But even that case you had to have cable or you couldn't just watch it on You know the cw at the time or upm or you couldn't watch it on, you know Whatever, you know, I just had over the air tv I didn't have yeah

[00:52:55] And so you would never been able to see it because it wasn't all over the air tv So that explains the reason why we didn't watch it either because we didn't have Showtime and by the time it was switched over to sci-fi channel

[00:53:08] There was other things to watch That you weren't already committed to Nah, that makes sense But I want to go back to what you're saying, adina because what I don't know Maybe this isn't good

[00:53:18] But like from watching the rest of the series like they don't ever mention that again It's like they get out of the way. They like yeah I think like hopefully that's a good thing that they just like is never ever bought up again

[00:53:29] Anybody that she deals with just knows that she's brilliant and she's strong Yeah, um never gets questioned and what I think is so interesting. Oh, yeah, go ahead No, no, no, I was gonna say like and for the rest of the episode

[00:53:41] I liked I liked her character, you know at any Throughout the whole episode. I really did like her character And yes, she came across as Yes, this really really smart capable, you know confident person. So it was awesome

[00:53:57] So they they did a good so they did a good job with that It's just the fact that that she had to basically Prove she shouldn't have had to prove herself like that right the fact that she was in the room

[00:54:09] With the rank she was had that should have been proof enough just physically being you know In fact, she was brought in The fact that she has rank That should have been enough and there should have been no no questions, you know

[00:54:19] And and at the same time this was airing you could have turned on and watched voyager and seen a female captain of a starship Who didn't have to prove herself? She was she was the boss. Yep Yep, and I remember again

[00:54:34] I remember when that aired and just being a big deal Which is just it's kind of it's sad that it was a big deal, but at some point, you know, it was a big deal

[00:54:44] But what I love too about the character is that again like you could argue that captain jane way is the same way She's obviously she's she's a scientist first, but she's also very like Millet like strategically mind. I can't even think of the right word. No, no, yes

[00:54:58] that you have um Carter who is an amazing scientist. She's brilliant, but she's also really really competent soldier Like o'Neal he's the he's the soldier of the group, but she's just as good as him Plus she has all of the science to back her up

[00:55:14] But that's cool. You don't usually get like usually in a tv show You don't get that arc you don't get that in in one character Usually you have the You'd have the strong person and you'd have the scientist and even in like atlantis

[00:55:27] That's how they they do it. They have the strong military guy They have the competent leader and then they have the scientist But it's like a man of tapping you have like sort of all three because she does lead the team

[00:55:38] Later in the series and that's just a different episode later in the series They had time to develop her character Major or more assertive, but when you watch the very first episode as adina saying you're left with the She's got to prove herself

[00:55:54] Is this what it's going to be like for the rest of the series is she going to constantly be doing that? No, I didn't know it wasn't that wasn't the feeling I got

[00:56:01] No, no, no, no, it was like she has to prove herself in that one scene, but it's just the fact that Any one of us had to do like just that was what people had to do that was what women had to do

[00:56:11] They could not be taken like, you know They could not be taken at face value like any of the other men are just taken at face value Like she had to be questioned and prove You know that she belonged there

[00:56:22] No, I didn't have the feeling that that was going to be necessarily consistent And of course again, it was the one scene But like I said, it just brought all those feelings back of how cruddy that was Yeah

[00:56:34] Because you've had that but it's like, yeah, I always get the feeling by the end of that scene It's like she's she said her thing. I don't know like okay cool and then From there on out it from there that was fine

[00:56:44] But the fact that she even had to do it had to even do that even though she's a captain As you say she has the rank She wouldn't be invited. She has degrees. She wouldn't have been invited all that stuff Right. Yeah, right, right Yeah

[00:56:59] And it's one of those things where it's like, yeah, it's interesting talking to you because like I've never like Obviously, I know if it in theory but because I've never had to deal with it

[00:57:08] Like I would never know what that feeling is actually like so to hear that. Yeah, it brought you right back to that time Yeah, like again walking into a room and like looking around be like, okay

[00:57:17] Are these guys going to know that I'm a software engineer or are they going to think that I'm You know the person to bring them coffee like I've had that feeling now again I am very fortunate

[00:57:27] That I didn't really face the reality like no one like said stuff like that to me But I had the feeling walking into any new room needing any new

[00:57:38] Co-workers or people in the workplace that is this is this going to be the day where I'm going to have to defend myself Where I'm going to have to like prove myself before I can actually get down and do my work

[00:57:46] Like that feeling was there the whole like I said about first 10 years of my career And how long ago was that adena a long time ago a long time ago We we hope that and now I think the morals have changed and it's been approved upon

[00:58:02] But it's still always in the back of your mind It's always it's still there just because I've had I've had some much more fortunate experiences than other women I know So, you know while I I'm pretty fortunate like these things are still are still there

[00:58:16] I don't think it's as bad as it was at least not in certain area in certain places, but you know But it's still something that's happening. Yeah We still have a lot of work to do with that

[00:58:30] That's why I love my younger sister judy because she had always proven herself to be The toughest person around and she's only 411. So she has to really she really does it well Very proud of anyway now for my sister. Okay, go ahead gris

[00:58:48] I'm just gonna say any final thoughts on the on the series on the on the movie Uh before we go Well now if I am going to continue watching it, especially after this part of the discussion that we just have

[00:59:01] I think I'm watching it to see her character to see the samantha carder character and how That develops Yeah, yep, and if you don't well this is not spoilery but here's here's your character in essence They get into a crisis

[00:59:17] They have to come up with some crazy science sam figures it out. She gets the team home Like at the end of the day, she's like probably the biggest hero of the of the team Well her and jackson are really good

[00:59:30] They do a lot of good back and forth in terms of he figures out a lot of like the ancient history stuff They need to find solve she solves the science and then onyll comes up with a good plan

[00:59:40] But like at the end of the day, I think carter saves the day a lot Probably more than the other characters. So I think I think you'll be happy with her and how she develops

[00:59:49] She was a likable character. I liked her fright from the very moment I saw her and on but um to be honest chris, I don't know if I could commit myself to another 20

[01:00:02] Oh my god, how many episodes is that there's 20 20 a season and tens of a lot. Yeah, there's 200 episodes 13 episodes Then there's all the movies and you have atlantis which I'd say you're gonna if you're gonna go that far Do with lantis for sure Don't do universe universe

[01:00:20] How many episodes how many different versions of the show was there? Yeah, so there's there's sg1 that has like 10 seasons then there are some movies Like outside of that that can that where the sg1 is

[01:00:36] They they have their own movies so that all connects and then there's atlantis which ran for five seasons And then there was stargate universe, which was really good But another cliffhanger. So I I wouldn't recommend going to that now and that one ran for three seasons

[01:00:51] So there's a lot of stargate that you can There's a lot of stargates out there kids for them to explore You know stargates lots of universes Like I always feel like if you if this is how I would describe it to all for all of us Trekkies

[01:01:07] SG1 feels like the tng of the series and then atlantis is like the voyager That's what I would say even though s Universe is more like voyager in a way, but the characters and like the the way they deal deal with things

[01:01:22] Atlantis, I feel like is more like voyager. Was atlantis an underwater series Uh starts off underwater, but then the city of rise from there. Okay. The first episode of atlantis is called rising So I I love it. I think it's so good

[01:01:37] But yeah, I just want to say thank you all for that really great discussion Even though I was hoping for a more enthusiastic. Oh my gosh. I can't wait to go watch the other episodes

[01:01:48] Sorry, but I totally get it between the the cheesiness and the fact that there is just we only have so much time Yeah, and you guys are also very adulting because you have other responsibilities That yeah, maybe can't necessarily include 200 episodes of stargate sg1

[01:02:06] But uh, but yeah, thank you for that discussion. Um, remember everyone stay safe Be kind watch some sci-fi and if you can watch some stargate because it really is a great series So that's all for this week and we'll see you next time