Children of the Gods (101)

[Krisz]

Wow, can't remember when I last saw COTGs! It was good in a way as there were scenes I'd actually forgotten!

Watching both versions back to back was interesting. There's so many cut scenes, but quite a few added in the remastered that weren't used originally in the original version.

So, don't know if any one is playing spot the differences but, here's what I noticed.

New introduction panning from Earth's orbit through the clouds to the card table in the gateroom instead of the cross eyed Egyptian statue! The card scene was shortened.

When they were discussing what the bodies of the dead Jaffa were in the infirmary there was no mention of a female Jaffa in the original version. The scene with the female Jaffa's body was filmed and never used until the remaster.

I was surprised when they cut out the discussion Jack had in the holding room with Kawalsky about his son and Kawalsky never knowing that Jack had a son that they had in the original version.

The discussion in the control room with Hammond and Samuels about sending the tissue box instead of a note. Jack adding anyone could send a note, shooting Samuels' suggestion down. They added an extra scene as well withWalter holding down the wandering coffee cup from the vibrations of the dialing gate that wasn't in the original.

The introduction of Sam to the rest of the team scene! Oh yes, totally different! Gone was the discussion about GI Joe or Matt Mason doll played with as a child!! Of course the infamous 'reproductive organs' discussion was gone, leaving only what seemed like a really out of the blue comment by Jack about not having a problem with women, only scientists. Taking this scene out in the remaster version will make references to it in two future episodes in Seasons 8 and 10 totally confusing to those that will never see the original uncut scene.

Sam marveling about the event horizon before she steps through for the fist time was cut quite a bit for the newer version.

They took out the 'MacGyvered' reference Sam made on seeing the DHD on Abydos, when telling everyone how long it took them to create a dialling program for the Earth gate. Just left 'Jerry rigged' in.

I liked the extra CGI'd Abydonian scenes they added in the remastered version. Also added some scenes when they were eating with the Abydonian's, some food they rescued from the banged up probe that was sent through earlier before they'd unburied the gate completely.I was happy to find that the annoying laughing old woman of the original cut was taken out in the new one!!!

The choosing of the Airforce Sergeant and Shauri from the selection of women in the harem before they were brought to Apophis were cut.

The Doctor/Captain conversation in the map cartouche room with Daniel and Sam was cut as it was cut from the briefing room discussion along with much of the other dialogue already mentioned!

The added scene back in the SGC briefing room where Hammond orders them to get Daniel new clothes and that "he stinks." was funny!

The 'Nudity' scene and the Goa'uld symbiote entering Share. Even though it has been said the nude scene was put in because Showtime who commissioned the series wanted it in there, I personally think it was used appropriately to tell the story. Here was a vulnerable woman taken against her will and stripped literally and figuratively of her humanity and violated by this parasite. All the images of the gory scene of the Goa'uld actually beginning to burrow into her neck along with her piercing screams were cut; her scream remastered too oddly enough to make it sound as if she was suffering less in the remastered version and made the scene less harrowing. I felt much was lost from the scene in the remastered version. This grim reality Stargate began with only returned in SGU twelve years later!

There's a few more changes I could mention but phew, there's more than I thought! Biggest remaining ones. Extra dialogue about Teal'c and his symbiote being the twelfth he's carried as they escape to the gate on Chulak. Liked the extra scene with the cave man looking guy throwing stones at the attacking Jaffa and Jack being impressed when he downs one.

Then there's the ending, cutting out the scene altogether with Kawalsky's fate. Guess it leaves us with more of a surprise we find out in the next episode!!! Good for those who've never seen the original version I guess!!!

All in all, I preferred the original version, the newer one was remastered too much to reflect the way the Stargate story was being told in a lighter tone by 2009 when it was released. Not that I have any problem with it, I love SG-1!!!

[another scientist]

Well, I'm definitely glad I have the unedited version and can watch this episode with all it's cheesyness.
Children of the gods is one of my favorites.
We are getting to know charachters that will be part of the series for more than a decade, the technology is a bit less smooth and shiny, Daniel is so dorky, Sam has to proof she is as much a man as Jack, Jack uses an astoundingly low amount of sarcasm and we see more facial expressions on Teal'c here than in entire seasons.
A great start for a great season!

[muziqaz]

Just started to rewatch season 1 (this is my 9th time) and to me it's just as good as ever. Boy I've missed O'neill and Daniel. Also amanda was so darn cute. I remember I was like 10 yo old when SG-1 first aired and i kind of got a crush on her. Ah, the good times...

You are not alone with crush on Sam

[lookupwardsnshare]

I dont know if this was answered elsewhere, but why did they re-edit the original ep and remove/change so much on the newer final cut version that was re-released? I'm glad i have the original.

[JDB85]

Just finished the first episode, so happy to see the beginning again. Cant wait to watch the next one tonight

[Calluna]

It's surprising how COTG holds up after so many years, I really enjoyed rewatching (original version) it recently. I think it manages to work as a sequel to the movie and a pilot for the show pretty well.

I'd forgotten how everything used to shake and the gate clucked about so much and everyone got sick and I like that, gives it a real feeling of earth hotwiring alien tech they still have very little idea about. Though I can see why they decided to make it easier as the series went on.

I dont know if this was answered elsewhere, but why did they re-edit the original ep and remove/change so much on the newer final cut version that was re-released? I'm glad i have the original.

BW wanted to change some scenes he didn't like but Showtime insisted on and especially from MGMs POV it's a good way to make some extra cash out of a fanbase.

[Noxbait]

ok...so I've totally got to hit Amazon and get this new version of CotG. I have the original with my box set. I'm curious about the changes and want to check it out. I'm glad i have the original though. Of course i can't abide by not having everything associated with SG on my shelf. : )

I love this episode, despite occasional cheesiness, or oddities. I just watched it with my mom right after watching the movie. She remarked on how much more sense it all made having watched the movie first this time. I think they did a great job taking the show in their own slightly different direction without destroying what the movie had laid out. This was a great opening to the series and a nice match to the movie.

[NowIWillDestroyAbydos]

Just finished the Final Cut. I haven't watched the original cut in a while (Probably do that this weekend).

Thought it was a good start to the series. Glad the nudity is gone.

Tomorrow, I get to use my newly bought SG-1 Season 1 Slim DVD (I didn't buy the crappy white ones).

[fems]

Watching both versions back to back was interesting. There's so many cut scenes, but quite a few added in the remastered that weren't used originally in the original version.

So, don't know if any one is playing spot the differences but, here's what I noticed.

The card scene was shortened.

Yes, as was the shooting scene apparently. They felt it went on too long, everyone just shooting at each other.

When they were discussing what the bodies of the dead Jaffa were in the infirmary there was no mention of a female Jaffa in the original version. The scene with the female Jaffa's body was filmed and never used until the remaster.

They said they'd left it out initially because female Jaffa hadn't been heard of. But later added it since we met the Hak'tyl and thus there were female Jaffa. Obviously the entire aspect of the Hak'tyl's uniqueness was lost to them.

I was surprised when they cut out the discussion Jack had in the holding room with Kawalsky about his son and Kawalsky never knowing that Jack had a son that they had in the original version.

Actually, that makes more sense than leaving it in; the idea is that Jack named his son after (Charlie) Kawalsky. The two of them had served together since '82 (if I'm not mistaken) so it would be very weird for Jack to name his son after him while Kawalsky didn't even know Jack had a son.

The introduction of Sam to the rest of the team scene! Oh yes, totally different! Gone was the discussion about GI Joe or Matt Mason doll played with as a child!! Of course the infamous 'reproductive organs' discussion was gone, leaving only what seemed like a really out of the blue comment by Jack about not having a problem with women, only scientists. Taking this scene out in the remaster version will make references to it in two future episodes in Seasons 8 and 10 totally confusing to those that will never see the original uncut scene.

I felt it didn't flow well either, you could tell things had been cut out. Oh and Ferretti's "naked"-comment (about going through a blizzard) was cut as well. Prudes

Sam marveling about the event horizon before she steps through for the fist time was cut quite a bit for the newer version.

Yep. I'm not sure, but wasn't the "I adore you already"-line also cut? I only watched it once a couple of weeks ago with the commentary on...

They took out the 'MacGyvered' reference Sam made on seeing the DHD on Abydos, when telling everyone how long it took them to create a dialling program for the Earth gate. Just left 'Jerry rigged' in.

Yeah that was part of the lines AT and MS came back to do again. Such a shame.

I liked the extra CGI'd Abydonian scenes they added in the remastered version. Also added some scenes when they were eating with the Abydonian's, some food they rescued from the banged up probe that was sent through earlier before they'd unburied the gate completely.I was happy to find that the annoying laughing old woman of the original cut was taken out in the new one!!!

Yes, they were nice; and suddenly it made sense that Ferretti (I think?) had been holding a camera after the attack.

The choosing of the Airforce Sergeant and Shauri from the selection of women in the harem before they were brought to Apophis were cut.

Yeah, the entire harem scene was gone and they changed the order/sequence of the scenes too.

The Doctor/Captain conversation in the map cartouche room with Daniel and Sam was cut as it was cut from the briefing room discussion along with much of the other dialogue already mentioned!

I also didn't like how they changed the discussion between Sam and Daniel about Doppler shift. It sounded like they had tried to simplify it, which seems odd since they are two intelligent scientists practically rambling in their excitement about the possibilities of the cartouche.

The 'Nudity' scene and the Goa'uld symbiote entering Share. Even though it has been said the nude scene was put in because Showtime who commissioned the series wanted it in there, I personally think it was used appropriately to tell the story. Here was a vulnerable woman taken against her will and stripped literally and figuratively of her humanity and violated by this parasite. All the images of the gory scene of the Goa'uld actually beginning to burrow into her neck along with her piercing screams were cut; her scream remastered too oddly enough to make it sound as if she was suffering less in the remastered version and made the scene less harrowing. I felt much was lost from the scene in the remastered version. This grim reality Stargate began with only returned in SGU twelve years later!

Yes, that was because they wanted to make the pilot a standalone movie that could be watched with the entire family, so it had to be "children friendly". Which is ridiculous as I saw the pilot when I was eight or nine, including that scene, and I wasn't traumatized in the slightest. Prudish American public

There's a few more changes I could mention but phew, there's more than I thought! Biggest remaining ones. Extra dialogue about Teal'c and his symbiote being the twelfth he's carried as they escape to the gate on Chulak. Liked the extra scene with the cave man looking guy throwing stones at the attacking Jaffa and Jack being impressed when he downs one.

Agreed, the Teal'c scenes were good. Did you also notice his disdain during the Rite of Transference? They had put those in as well to explain his change of heart better (by showing his disgust earlier on).

All in all, I preferred the original version, the newer one was remastered too much to reflect the way the Stargate story was being told in a lighter tone by 2009 when it was released. Not that I have any problem with it, I love SG-1!!!

I agree and I really think it's a shame, because to me the original is still better. Although the added scene with Apophis in the gate room (shouting to his Jaffa to manually redial) was better for the plot holes.

<Deleted reply to deleted post/quote.Bagpuss.>

[LeftHandedGuitarist]

I have seen COTG many times before, but this was the first time I had viewed the newer Final Cut. I think it is a considerable improvement over the original, despite a few things.

I find it very hard to look back on COTG obejctively. With 10 years of SG-1 all in my mind, and the way the show evolved, this is quite a difficult watch. It's not a great episode in comparison to so much of what came after, but taken by itself it works quite well as an introduction. There's a nice continuity from the film, and the writers clearly put a lot of effort into that aspect.

When the episode first aired, I must have been 16 years old, which was a pretty perfect age to watch it. I was also a big Trek fan back then. Over the years with repeat viewings, my enjoyment for COTG has decreased dramatically. The problem is it's just so utterly cheesy. There is some terrible dialogue and very poor acting all the way through the episode. Clearly, this is because it was a new show with new actors and everyone needs time to find their feet, but the episode has become a real struggle for me to watch and enjoy.

The Final Cut goes quite a long way towards fixing this when it can. It removes a lot of the weaker dialogue, notably some of General Hammond's terrible lines, but many bad parts are still in there by necessity because they are intergral to the plot ("this is Teal'c, and if you accept my recommendation he'll join SG-1". Jesus, that's ridiculous, you just met him and he's an enemy soldier).

It also uses MUCH better takes in a lot of places, where the dialogue is delivered in a far more relaxed and natural fashion. This was a revelation to me.

Christopher Judge re-dubbed his lines, which was desperately needed. The new editing of the episode also makes it tighter, and it flows a bit better. There's some additional lines throughout which just go to adding a little bit extra detail where needed - there's also quite a bit missing as I mentioned before, and 90% of the time the removals are a good thing (getting rid of Sam's "I think I'm gonna throw up" which weakened her character considerably and always bugged me), but there were some parts which I missed.

I really dislike that they removed the ending shots of Kawalsky getting taken by the Goa'uld - that's one of the best moments of the entire episode and sets up the next one, so it's quite an important moment. A really stupid idea to remove it.

But when it comes down to it, I just don't really like the episode all that much. The Final Cut does it's best but there are so many silly moments throughout:

- Why does Apophis speak English?
- Since Apophis and the Jaffa speak English, why don't the Jaffa worshippers on Chulak understand Daniel?
- Daniel has to figure out the worshipper's language and says it's based on Arabic, but Skaara seems to understand it fine ("he says they are going to choose who will be the children of the gods"), which suggests it's the same language they speak on Abydos - Daniel should know it!
- The snake head helmets for the Jaffa are just TERRIBLE
- The choreographing of the fight where Teal'c switches sides is appalling - the Jaffa just stand there and get shot without reacting properly
- There's an annoying caveman guy who somehow gets in every damn camera shot towards the end
- Figuring out Stargate addresses is never really explained properly. How does Daniel "account for stellar drift" and know the address back home from Chulak 1 minute after arriving?

I know there's more which I've forgotten already. I knew this was going to be a tough episode to get through, fortunately seeing the Final Cut helped quite a bit. Phew.

[Matt G]

Circa '97-'98 I started hearing about this spinoff show based on Stargate(which I'd seen twice by then). Back then I was still hanging around on Babylon 5 forums and using a dialup connection. Either I didn't have Sky or there were just two many other shows I was trying to follow.

Fastforward to '99 I think I had just finished my GCSEs...and with B5 now Scifi history I see Channel 4 airing "Stargate SG1" in the TV guide. Sunday afternoon...I decide to check it out...and am very impressed with what I see. Even now I consider COTG to be a textbook way to do a pilot up.

Fastforward a few years and I get COTG on DVD as part of a two-disc pack. The 18 rating raised my eyebrows and it then became obvious why that rating was given. Not that I complained!

Since then I've rewatched it several times, most recently pre-rewatch as part of an effort to convert an RL mate to Gaterdom.

So...

1. Hammond is not yet the guy we went on to know.

2. "200" reference

Spoiler:

Jack probably 'was' tired, can't see where he'd have gotten any sleep!

3. Can't remember my first impressions of Teal'c, but Hammond's line at the end pretty much summed things up.

4. Remember having to explain to my mate how AT didn't like the reproductive organs line.

5. Don't remember seeing the Goa'uld entering Kawalsky first time round so the eye-glowing moment was a bit of a WTF! Interesting way to end a pilot ep and pretty much garunteed I'd be back for more.

[hermantheowl]

Rewatched Children of the Gods. Good to see the pilot again. I have the original. Why did they have to cut out the "MacGyvered" line in the final cut? I liked that part. I read in the forum that they simplified the part with Sam and Daniel talking all scientific-like in the cartouche room. Why did they have to take that one out? I like those parts with Sam that make you go "IN ENGLISH!" (or whatever you language is), especially because O'Neill's reactions. The original is full of them. (ie: Jack: What does that mean? Hammond: It means she's smarter than you!" )
Sam driving O'Neill crazy with her sceintificness is brillaint. (pun intended) I read they shortened Sam's reaction to the wormhole as well. ( "You can actaully see the the ripples in the event horizon!" -Sam just stands there examining the "event horizon"- -O'Neill goes crazy-) I like those parts. It shows why O'Neill "has a little problem with scientists". The Final cut is still good but it is missing a couple Sam moments. Those moments showed off Sam's "brilliant scientist" side and showed how technobabble on sci fi shows can drive some people crazy (O'neill's reactions") I prefer the origional because of that.

[juggernaut975]

Just wrapped the original, in a bit we're going to watch the Final Cut.

Just a few brief thoughts on the original, much better than I had remembered. I think that I once described the pilot as 'clunky' but after a few years I remember why I loved this premier so much. I think, too, that I've grown accustomed to the Final Cut so I seldom get a chance to go back and watch the original version of the pilot.

Lots of little things jumped out at me right off the bat, like Daniel walking out of the Pyramid early on and putting on his sunglasses, addressing Sam as 'Captain Doctor', seeing the two of them rattle on and on as they realize that, with a bit of adjustment, the Stargate could take them to hundreds of other worlds and seeing Jack and Kawalsky stare on in disbelief.


I loved seeing Apophis and the Jaffa again as legitimate bad-asses, for a long time they have been sort of de-clawed and their threat has been minimal, it's fun to see them in their full glory again.

I realized for the first time the significance of the refugee's clothing, the wildly different costumes of the rescued prisoners tell us visually what they determined back on Abydos. We see first hand that there amongst the prisoners are a dozen different cultures who have been snatched from a dozen different worlds, it was a nice touch that gave us a taste of things to come.


Just great fun all around

[mathpiglet]

I watched COTG today (despite being in the middle of a kitchen reno), the Final Cut, with commentary.

I think the changes they made were good ones. It's tighter and taking out Sam's cringe-worthy line about reproductive organs was brilliant.

They explained the removal of the McGyver line as done since many new viewers (twelve years later) might not know who McGyver was.

[Flak]

Love the premiere. Lots of action, and a good cliffhanger about kawalski to get people to keep watching.

some things that stood out for me:

The gate sure did take a while dialing in during the poker game.

How did they know the kleenex would get through? Didnt they say they try sending a MALP or something before and it didnt make it? did I miss something here?

I want one of those computer keyboards with the gate symbols on it!

The long haired guy throwing rocks or something at the jaffa on the escape from Chulak. lol

I really like the quick shot at the end with all four of our team members standing together. SG1!

Always wondered how the jaffa could effectively see in combat with the serpent helmets over them. Are we supposed to assume that they have some sort of heads up dislpay. It would make sense, being that the helmet knows when the body dies, because the red eyes go dark.

and last, the terminology in the gate room is not quite flushed out. "Incoming traveller" instead of "Offworld activation" ETC

getting ready to watch episode 2!