Stargate SG-1 Season 1, Volume 4 - Season 1 - Volume 4

Action, Sci-Fi

Director

Martin Wood; Mario Azzopardi

Scattered through the five episodes contained on this fourth DVD from Stargate SG-1's first season are echoes of such science fiction classics as The Terminator (the cyborgs in "Tin Man"), Aliens (Carter's maternal instincts in "Singularity"), and Planet of the Apes (the story twist in "Solitudes"), along with such popular themes as cloning ("Tin Man" again) and the might-makes-right preoccupation of the military ("Enigma"). So the show is derivative. Stargate SG-1 still does a better job than most of creating engaging stories--such as "Cor-ai," which deals with issues of retribution and forgiveness when Teal'c (Christopher Judge) is put on trial for his actions when he was still a Goa'uld henchman. And let's face it: the effect of going into and through the gate itself never gets old. What is lacking are superior DVD bonus materials; here they include a featurette spotlighting Carter (Amanda Tapping) and an overview of the show that provides more promo than the promised behind-the-scenes insights. --Sam Graham