Where it all began - Stargate the film

It started in 1994 with the film Stargate starring James Spader and Kurt Russell (as Dr. Daniel Jackson and Colonel Jack O'Neil respectively) which revolves around a stone ring that had been discovered in the 1920s in Giza, Egypt. After years of trying to discover its purpose the USAF recruit maverick archaeologist Daniel Jackson to translate the symbols, which he does.

Using 6 symbols as triangulation points, and a 7th as a point of origin, the Stargate establishes a stable wormhole to another stargate on another planet.

The first mission reveals that the pyramids were built by aliens, and that those aliens had removed humans from earth to use as slaves. The alien encountered in the film had taken the identity of the Egyptian god Ra and inhabited the body of a human and, of course, our heroes defeat him and free the slaves. The team returns back to Earth, minus Jackson who has married a native woman.

It's not all as simple as it sounds, however, otherwise it would have been a boring film, and the scenario upon which the series is based would be pretty flat and flimsy.

The film also sets the tone of the relationship between Jackson and O'Neil: Jackson wants to know everything about everything, and bluffs his way sometimes, which leads to conflict with O'Neil who (as a good military man) likes everything planned to the last minute detail.

	Stargate SG-1 - The TV series

In 1997 MGM brought us Stargate SG-1, the TV series that follows on from the film. Sort of. There are some minor differences: the name of O'Neill's son changes, the planet to which the team in the film gated miraculously moves to our galaxy, the Colonel's name mysteriously acquires a second ‘l’ - little things like that. Some are major: all the actors are different (with the exception of those who played Skaara and Kassuf), the location of the SGC moves to Cheyenne Mountain). Oh there is also the addition of a female character, Captain Samantha Carter, and the alien Teal'c... but apart from that... oh and a different General. But apart from that it carries on seamlessly!

The pilot is set one year after the return of O'Neill and his team and begins with the disused stargate being ‘guarded’ by bored, poker playing USAF personnel. The gate activates, and a female member of the ensemble is taken through by aliens in full armour. Colonel O'Neill is called out of retirement to head up the team to investigate. The investigation will start with their return to the planet where they left Daniel Jackson. It then becomes clear that O'Neil(l) falsified Jackson's death in order to avoid complications and, because of this his relationship with the new CO doesn't start well. There follows reconnaisance, capture, daring escape... which nicely sets up the action adventure series.

And there we have the basic idea. The SGC is resurrected to investigate the threat of aliens to the planet Earth. - which comes mainly in the form of humans taken over by Goa'uld parasites. They are easy to spot, having mostly taken their names from ancient (usually Egyptian) gods, and have a penchant for flashy clothing.

Which brings us neatly to...

	The Characters

The SGC

The Flagship Team - SG-1

Colonel Jack O'Neill USAF(Richard Dean Anderson) - shortly before the events of the film, Jack's small son accidentally killed himself with the Colonel's pistol. His reaction to this, including an inablity to communicate with his wife, lead to their separation. Over the course of the film, and the subsequent series, Jack comes to terms with this but it does come back to haunt him. He is revealed to be a sarcastic career ‘soldier’, who does not always follow conventional methods, and is at times insubordinate almost to the point of having disciplinary action taken against him. As the CO of SG-1 O’Neill feels it is his duty to ensure that everyone under his command returns to the SGC, disobeying orders to do so at times. One criticism by fans of the show is that he is portrayed as ‘dumb’ - indeed he does get left behind by Carter and Jackson when they spout technobabble, but he's not alone in this - whereas the reality is that he can think very well on his feet and displays much more common sense than the so-called clever members of his team. Anderson plays the Colonel's character very differently from the way Russell played him in the film. Indeed Richard Dean Anderson has said in the past that he would not have been able to do the film version because the character has no humour.

Captain (after the beginning of season 3, Major) Samantha Carter USAF(Amanda Tapping) - introduced in the pilot episode of the series Captain Carter has a doctorate in Theoretical Astrophysics and flying experience during the Gulf War. Carter is more clever than almost anyone. Having missed out on being selected for the original Abydos mission, when we first meet her she is aggressive and confrontational, but her character mellows a little and settles down. A strong female role, many fans are relieved that she's more than just ‘eye candy’.

In one episode, that had repurcussions for the rest of the series, Carter was taken as a host by a Goa’uld during a mission. The symbiote, Jolinar, later revealed itself to be a member of a resistance movement: the Tok’ra. Wanted by the Goa'uld as a terrorist, Jolinar was being hunted by an Ashrak - a Goa'uld assassin - and after they were attacked, it allowed itself to die in order to save Carter's life. This event left a protein marker in Carter’s blood, and Jolinar’s memories in her mind, which pop up now and again to help the team out of (and into) trouble. Another side effect of the blending is that her blood also contains trace quantities of the Stargate element (Naquadah), giving her the ability to detect the presence of a Goa’uld, and to operate Goa'uld technology. Later, when SG-1 meet the Tok’ra Martouf-Lantash, a further piquancy is added when it is revealed that he and Jolinar had been lovers, and Sam experiences some of Jolinar’s feelings for him.

Doctor Daniel Jackson(Michael Shanks) - at the beginning of the film it becomes clear that his theories about the pyramids (that they are far older than we have hitherto supspected – leading more than one of his peers to ask if he thought they were built by aliens) have ... ahem... alienated him from the academic community. When the USAF make him an offer he can't refuse he seizes it with both hands. He is a quick thinker, and often has difficulty communicationg his current thinking to his teammates, often taking action in the expectation that they will trust him and follow. Jackson is often described as childlike in his quest for knowledge. His primary reason for being at the SGC is to search for his wife who was taken as a Goa'uld host in the first episode. In the pilot episode it is remarkable to watch how Shanks plays Spader playing Jackson. Gradually the Jackson character changes and evolves, but at the beginning he is a very good link to the film.

Teal'c (Christopher Judge) - is a Jaffa; that is, he carries a larval Goa'uld in a pouch in his stomach. Not just any Jaffa, Teal'c was the First Prime - the head of the army - of the Goa'uld Apophis. In the pilot episode Teal'c deserts Apophis and joins the SGC in their fight against the Goa'uld. A man of few words but great wisdom, he manages to convey his thoughts and feelings with the use of body language and facial expression. He is revealed to have a wife and son, whom he was forced to leave behind on his home world of Chulak, and who became outcasts as the family of a shol'va - a traitor. He is also over ninety years old, and has been kicking butt and taking names in the service of Apophis for much of that time. Consequently, he has many enemies, both among the Goa'uld and those they have oppressed.

Other members of the SGC:

General Hammond(Don S. Davis) - the Commanding Officer of the SGC, replaced General West (from the film). Hammond has a good relationship with the President - which he calls on from time to time to pull the facility and his teams out of scrapes. He is a widower, with two daughters, granddaughters and is nearing retirement.

Doctor Janet Frasier(Teryl Rothery) - the SGC Chief Medical Officer and Air Force Major is introduced in the first season. She ocassionally goes through the Stargate when there is a medical emergency, but generally stays on base. Her appearances on screen have increased from the occasional sighting in the first season, to regular input in more recent times.

Sergeant Walter Harriman Davis(Gary Jones) - one of the support staff who operate the computer system that works the Stargate. He is, for some bizzare reason, often seen wearing a cardigan.

Sergeant Siler(Dan Shea) - another of the regular peripheral characters, he seems to be a Jack-of-all-trades and is regularly injured. The actor is also Richard Dean Anderson's stunt double.

Major Davis(Colin Cunningham) - the liaison officer between the Pentagon and the SGC, often the bearer of bad news.

Senator Kinsey(Ronny Cox) - the archetypal slimy politician, who doesn't trust the military one inch, and prefers to have everything under the control of the democratically elected government, ie. slimy politicians.

The people of Abydos:

Sha're(Vaitiare Bandera)- Daniel Jackson's wife was given to him as a present for saving the people of Abydos from Ra. In the pilot episode she is chosen by Apophis to become the host for his Queen Ammonet, thus setting up the reason for Jackson’s involvment in the programme.

Kassuf(Erik Averi) - Sha’re’s father.

Skaara(Alexis Cruz) - Sha’re’s brother. He is chosen by Apophis to become his son, Klorel’s host. It seems unlikely that Klorel really is Apophis’ son, since the Goa’uld appear to spawn.

Not forgetting…

Master Bra’tac(Tony Amendola) - Teal’s predecessor as First Prime of Apophis, he was also Teal’c’s mentor, making regular appearances in the programme.

The ‘Baddies’

The Goa'uld - The Goa'uld are snake-like life-forms which require a human host to join with. Once joined, they suppress the human personality, but it is possible for the two to co-exist as in the case of the Tok'ra.

The Goa'uld have delusions of grandeur, they enslave whole worlds and impersonate Gods. (as an example: on Earth they took on the personalities of ancient Egyption gods and demanded that the native population worship them) They are totally ruthless and possess great technology, far more advanced than the human race. However, this technology is stolen from other races, although there is some evidence that they research and improve on some things.

One of the biggest differences between the Goa'uld and the Tok'ra (see under Allies below) is that the former are totally evil, interested only in the acquisition of power and influence. Unlike the Tok'ra they do not change hosts unless it is necessary, regenerating themselves in a sarcophagus – a highly advanced device, closely resembling an Egyptian funerary sarcophagus. This enables them to live for thousands of years (at one point Apophis' host states that he was a simple scribe in ancient Egypt). During an early Season 1 episode it becomes clear that a sarcophagus can heal injuries and revive people from death. However, when they are used by healthy individuals they make that person evil. Repeated use of the sarcophagus has an addictive, narcotic effect, suppressing the conscience of the user and removing their ability to empathise. The Tok'ra refer to this effect as 'draining the good' from the user.

The Goa'uld are blessed with a genetic memory. This is useful in that all information acquired about enemies and technology is passed down the generations without having to go through the tedious teaching/learning process. However since they also have long memories and are power hungry feudal types, this leads to some pretty spectacularly long feuds. It is forbidden for two joined Goa'uld to procreate and produce a human child as this child would possess all of the knowledge of the Goa'uld. Such a child was born to Sha're and Apophis. Daniel was able to converse with his wife while she was pregnant as the Goa'uld have to remain dormant during a pregnancy.

Replicators - the Asgard mentioned during one of their early meetings with the humans, that they were fighing an enemy far worse than the Goa'uld. These beings originate from another galaxy and are, basically, techno bugs. Formed from individual 'smart' blocks of metal, they resemble insects which feed on technology. They are like locusts in nature, consuming everything in their path. In the case of ships in space they consume as much as possible before the vessel becomes unstable, then use it to travel somewhere else. They can not be destroyed by the Asgard's technologically advanced weapons, but the simple Earth projectile weapons (machine guns to you and I) are very effective. It does, however, take two blasts to destroy a replicator, after the first blast the small pieces simply slither together and re-form. They can join in an infinite number of combinations - and sizes - to perform whatever function is necessary for their survival. They may look familiar since it seems that these days no self-respecting sci-fi film or TV programme is complete without some kind of techno bug.

A brief word about Jaffa - The Goa’uld Queens can spawn their young by the dozen and have a rather odd way of caring for them until they are mature enough to take a host for themselves. For a short while it appears that they are tended in tanks (rather like fish tanks) by priestesses. The older larval Goa’uld are nurtured by the Jaffa, humans altered by the Goa’uld's technology so that they have a pouch in their stomach. When strong enough, the Prim’ta – the word for both the young larva, and the ceremony of implantation - is placed in the pouch of a Jaffa and stays there until it is fully grown. This process takes eight years, at which point the Jaffa receives a new Prim’ta (if he is lucky) and the mature Goa'uld takes a host (if one is available). So, the Goa’uld get efficient incubators for their young, but what do the Jaffa get out of the deal? The Prim’ta becomes the Jaffa’s immune system. The Goa’uld heal their hosts, and the larvae keep their Jaffa incubators in perfect health. The downside is that once the Prim'ta ceremony is completed, the Jaffa has no immune system except the larva, and should the Jaffa somehow lose his Goa’uld he will become ill and die in a very short time.

The Jaffa are a warrior race, who provide the Goa’uld with their armies. Each soldier has a tattoo on his forhead showing the device of the ‘God’ whom he serves. The First Prime is the leader of the army and has a gold tattoo. The Jaffa can reach a great age: When O’Neill meets Bra’tac it is revealed that Teal’c’s mentor is over one hundred and thirty years old. Later on, during a search for the harcesis child, Bra’tac mentions that he is getting too old to receive another Prim’ta and will die. He hopes that his spirit will be accepted into Kheb, the Jaffa heaven. It is one of the little niggles of continuity that in one episode some stranded Jaffa are worried that after their Prim’ta mature they – the soldiers – will die unless they obtain antoher. Yet when Teal’c is questioned about his larval Goa’uld during a mission he states that upon maturity, if no host is available, it will take him as a host.

It is also worth noting that when a Jaffa is killed no attempt is ever made to see if the larva has survived and to rescue it. In fact, when a Jaffa is executed, the larva is presented to the Goa’uld who has ordered the execution as proof of his death. Finally, the most severe punishment a Jaffa can face is to have the Prim'ta crushed within his body, allowing the Goa'uld's highly toxic blood to mix with the Jaffa's own, bringing a most excruciatingly painful death.

The NID

Alright. The NID aren’t really ‘baddies’. But they’re not exactly ‘goodies’ either. They are a highly shadowy, secretive organisation who may or may not be affiliated to the CIA. Or some other such agency. The initials NID do not actually stand for anything, but many of the online lists and boards spend many happy hours, weeks… months discussing what those letters might mean.

The most loved/reviled (depending on the viewer’s … ahem… viewpoint) of the NID is Colonel Harry Mayborne(Tom McBeath) with whom Jack O’Neill has to work for the common good on a few memorable occasions.

The Allies

The Tok'ra - during the second Season we are introduced to a renegade bunch of Goa'uld: The Tok'ra. They are a resistance movement, who also have the symbiote/host relationship, but one does not dominate the other. They only take volunteer hosts - which is their biggest problem, since willing hosts do not grow on trees. The hosts generally live twice as long as normal humans and often volunteer because they are close to death (due to injury or illness). They are arrogant in their belief that they are superior to normal humans and do not like to share their information with the SGC, a matter which causes Colonel O'Neill much ire.

The Tok'ra have the ability to remove a symbiote from a host. This procedure is, apparently, very painful for the symbiote.

The more well-known (to viewers, at least) are:

Jacob Carter/Selmak(Carmen Argenziano) - an Air Force General, and old friend of George Hammond, Jacob Carter – Sam’s father - is introduced in Season 2. Shortly after SG-1encounter the Tok’ra (which literally means ‘against Ra’) Sam discovers that her father is dying of cancer. He is persuaded to become a host to Selmak, one of the oldest and most experienced of the Tok’ra, whose current host is reaching the end of her lifespan. Jacob agrees and becomes the main liaison between the Earth and the resistance.

Martouf/Lantesh(J. R. Bourne) - without wanting to give too much away to anyone who hasn’t yet had the viewing pleasure that is Stargate SG-1, Martouf/Lantesh was very close friends with the Tok’ra Jolinar who briefly used Sam as a host.

Freya/Anise(Vanessa Angel) - worried that viewing figures amongst the young male demographic was falling, the Stargate Powers That Be introduced a character that became quickly known, among the female fans at least, as Tok’ra Spice. Freya/Anise is a scientist with a penchant for ridiculously skimpy leather outfits and using SG-1 as guinea pigs. She appeared in a few episodes at the beginning of the fourth season and then disappeared.

Aldwin(William deVry) - A member of the Tok’ra High Council, Aldwin makes a few small appearances.

The Asgard - a race of aliens, with the appearance we traditionally associate with Roswell-type aliens: large heads with huge slow-blinking black eyes, skinny bodies with long arms and hands. The Asgard are more powerful than the Goa'uld and have reached agreement with them to give protected status to some planets. This status, which is not without conditions, is eventually extended to the Earth. This protection does not extend to SG teams caught by Goa'uld System Lords off world.

The Nox - a peaceful people who appear to grow grass and moss in their hair. Their planet is used by the Goa'uld as a hunting resort, and the Nox use their strange powers of illusion to hide themselves. It is not made clear if the Goa'uld can use them as hosts or not, but given the Goa'uldish penchant for flashy clothing, together with the Nox' abilities, it seems unlikely. Another race who consider the Tau'ri (humans from Earth) to be very young, they do not share their technology - such as it is - with us, although they do appear to have a soft spot for the SG people. They can revive living beings from the dead, when SG-1 first encounter the Nox it is after they have been revived from being killed by Apophis' henchmen. The Nox also revived one of his Jaffa. There is some discussion in the Stargate fandom that the Nox might actually be fairies. Bearing in mind that the makers of Stargate SG-1 borrow freely from Earth mythology, not just Egyptian, it is worth pointing out that a lot of the ideas connected with the Nox tie in rather well with the pre-christian religion about the green man.

The Tollan - are highly developed technologically, they have no need of personal weapons, and possess the technology to defend their planet from the Goa'uld. They refuse to share this technology with less developed peoples. Their reasoning for this is that they once gave some weapons to a planet to help defend themselves, but they eventually destroyed themselves. Since then the Tollan refuse to share their weapons. Despite the fact that SG-1 save them from destruction by the Goa'uld, they stick to this line. One of the roles the Tollan adopt is that of arbitrator of justice for other races. Thus when a host manages to get to Tollana they can appeal to have their Goa'uld symbiote removed. The Tollan work with the Tok'ra for this if their courts find in favour of the host.

	Further Information:

Websites

For more information take a look at the official MGM Stargate SG-1 website.

As of 7th June 2002, in the United States, the Sci-Fi channel has taken over from showtime in broadcasting the latest season.

Of course, a programme with such dedicated viewers is bound to bring forth a slew of websites. These are great if you're looking for episode summaries and reviews, as well as images, general information about the actors and discussion fora. Among others:

GateWorld

Stargatefan

some sites are just plain quirky:

Daniel in the Lion Pit

Good Morning Campers

Simply enter Stargate SG-1 in your favourite search engine to pull up plenty more.

Fan Fiction

Our own The Prophet wrote a fairly comprehensive entry: Fan Fiction - A User's Guide, so there is no need to repeat that information here. Instead here are some links to a few good places to start if you want to read fan fiction about Stargate SG-1:

The biggest archive is at Heliopolis.

But you could do worse than try Belle's Place.

If time is a factor, try one of the completely off-the-wall Five Minute Stargate scripts.

Conventions

Septembers past have seen fans heading in droves to Vancouver (where the programme is filmed) for the Gatecon. This is held very close to the studios and members of the cast and production team attend. Richard Dean Anderson, however, never attends such events after a bad experience at a MacGuyver convention. But Don S. Davis, Teryl Rothery, Amanda Tapping and Peter Williams (Apophis) are regular attendees.

In the UK Wolf Events have organised conventions, stunning attendees in February 2002 by snagging not only Amanda Tapping but also the fan-shy Michael Shanks.

And finally...

There may be a film (filming to begin sometime in 2002) after the end of the final season. Although a recent interview with Richard Dean Anderson - not only the main actor but Executive Producer to boot - seems to put the kybosh on this. The actors were more in favour of a film than a sixth season but the studio said that they would only consider a film after another year of the series. At the moment everything is still up in the air, although recent information received from one of the writers (Joe Malozzi) indicate that the sixth and final season will lead to both the new spinoff series (Atlantis and Infinity - the latter of which is to be an animated programme) and set up the scenario for a film, if there is to be one. Currently the writing and production team - the main driving force being Brad Wright and Jonathon Glassner - are keen for the film as well as the spin off series.