What makes Stargate work for you?

[CEMartin2]

Been lurking this site for years--love Stargate, in movie, TV show and paperback formats.

I'm wondering what fellow fans find works for them about SG; I'm an author working on a project I realized had developed some similarities to SG. At first, I thought about not going through with it, but after seeing the reboot was dead in the water again, I pressed on.

Here's what I think makes SG work:

1. The exploration aspect; adventures take place in new worlds, new places, totally alien to us. We can be surprised just by the environment.

2. Heroes vs Villains; from the Goauld to the Wraith, SG has always had some pretty clearly-defined bad guys. While some good guys may not have always been one-hundred percent good, it still sets up a simple battle between good and evil.

3. Military action; Clearly the concept of the military running things was popular, as the shows lasted so long.

4. Superhuman; Tealc is a favorite, as was Ronon Dex. I was always hoping for more superhuman--especially from the human side.



All in all, I think SG had everything... except magic. Gunfights, fistfights, building gadgets, exploring remote corners of the universe. And being set in our modern day, it was easier to do than creating a futuristic setting.

What do you like best about the show? What was missing? What should have been missing?

[Falcon Horus]

All of the above, with an addendum to point 3. While the military aspect was appealing, I loved the civilian aspect of SGA as well -- even if it didn't last long enough.

And then I'll add a number 5: the characters. Most of them well-rounded and some fabulous female characters to look up to.

[Gatefan1976]

Naquada??

[Falcon Horus]

Naquada??

And a good toaster.

[pookey]

The humour, the characters, everything really, the only thing i ever truly hated about it was when they killed off the Asgard, i loved those lil fellas

[thekillman]

A contemporary show, successfully fusing aliens, magic, technology and mythology. Themes that are easily recognizable yet surprisingly deep. A show that can switch between goofy and serious without suffering from an identity crisis.

(and yes: magic. There's quite a bit of stuff that's essentially magic, like the healing devices or the concept of ascension. And fortunately, Stargate never bothered to explain them: they work better as "it's magic!")

[maneth]

The humor definitely works for me. SG-1 in particular also got the politics right, there was just enough to show that they were still in the real world, dealing with real world issues like funding, but it never got overpowering.

The bad guys pretending to be gods worked with the Goa'uld, but I got a bit tired of the concept being reused over and over, with the Wraith worshippers and the Ori in particular. The introduction of Vala was okay, but I thought she was more trouble than she was worth to be honest. I did like Cam though, but the Ori bored me to tears.

I guess I'm also in the minority who likes SGU, despite its darker tone.

What really made SG work for me was the chemistry between the characters, especially the original four.

[LightofXion]

1. It's a realistic sci-fi show that I could envision going on in real life. (Going to different worlds while still relating to earth, hidden from public)
2. Endless possibilities (time travel, gravitational anomilies, 'gods' previous time and interaction with earth linked with real life archealogical findings)
3. The real-life people as characters (Strict but not over strict, occasional humor, while still professional)

[thekillman]

The bad guys pretending to be gods worked with the Goa'uld, but I got a bit tired of the concept being reused over and over, with the Wraith worshippers and the Ori in particular.

For the wraith it at least made a bit sense (they toy with humans all the time).

For the Ori though? I didn't understand what their point was. I can't help but feel that their efforts to have followers weren't worth it.

I guess I'm also in the minority who likes SGU, despite its darker tone.

Some of it was really bad, but when it was good, it was really good.

[Peterking72]

SG-1: O'Neill...
SGA: Shepard&Co. plus a few minor characters...

[StargateMillennium]

Biggest thing for me was characters. They weren't just roles. It wasn't just the scientist, military leader, alien warrior and archaeologist. It felt like they were people who just so happened to fill those roles. Same with SGA. Even though Ford wasn't given a chance to be flushed out i still felt like he was a person I could learn more about.

[Novus]

What makes Stargate work for me:

SG1: The military aspect and the Egyptian god mythology come to life (along with various other mythologies) The introduction of ascension.

SGA: The science aspect and further knowledge regarding the Ancients, plus the Wraith and their link to vampire lore and that unlike the Goa'uld they aren't "evil" in the traditional sense, that's what sets Atlantis apart from SG1

SGU: While just as mysterious as the other two series, SGU's hook is the fear of the unknown and while the crew initially don't get along they are almost as good as SG1 or the Atlantis Expedition in their own right, the absolute mind screw of this TV series is what sets it apart from the others.

[shaunchattey]

Its a ridiculous subject; ancient aliens-the series.
But it works.
I think thats the true charm, its well written enough to be believable.
Personally I was drawn in initially by the mythological aspects as I love mythology.

[Denisa]

First thing that caught my interest were good, interesting scifi stories. Exploring different cultures, alien civilisations, the possibilities are endless.

Second thing, but very close to first one were characters. SG-1 has very well developed and defined characters with layers and depth who care for each other and work well with each other. Every one is unique. And that apply on secondary characters too.

Humor. They also can blend serious monents with humorous in the same episode very well.

Music. I love the shows with great music and this one certainly has it. I just wish they`d released one more soundtrack late on. There are so many great pieces in later seasons.

Great variety in episodes. I was often watching three episodes in row and many times each episode was different. One was focused on character, one was action driven, one was about moral issue or team focused. It makes the series rich.

Good writing. When the show makes me laugh, makes me feel and care for characters, interested in stories, then then it`s a success and I can forgive an inconsistency or a mistake once in a while. And then the show will be worth watching in 20 years from now on too.

Another thing I like about SG-1 and is not common in many shows is that they incorporated a whole mythology into our world. After a while it really feels like Stargate was actually found in Gize in 1928 and there are secret teams exploring and fighting against Goauld.

[Krisz]

Just about everything!

Great characters that you got to know and relate to pretty quickly as they faced the unknown. Every time they stepped through that event horizon I loved watching what they were faced with and how they dealt with alien cultures from the point of view of every day life we can relate to. The characters were also people with lives in our real world, same worries but the extra danger of facing an unknown others on Earth couldn't imagine! The camaraderie between the characters was consistently enjoyable to watch.

I love the mystery too, how Earth history is related to what the SG teams were faced with in the galaxy. Everything was interconnected in ways they discovered gradually and that's what really made Stargate work for me. The humour was a big draw too, it always seemed to fit in seamlessly, even lightening some darker moments.

For the budget the production values were pretty good, I was always impressed by the incredible sets, Atlantis and Destiny were beautifully designed sets. The CGI was generally good and only got better and better as new technologies came along.

In what other show would I care about a spaceship being destroyed, (the Prometheus)?! Shows how every aspect of the show drew you in as a viewer with the way certain aspects of the story were developed. You watched the Prometheus being developed, an example of trial and error with developing ships and weapons that meshed alien and modern Earth technology. Watched as the 'low tech' ship was deemed useful by the Asgard as something the Replicators wouldn't be interested in so could help them. This is why it was so sad when it was destroyed in such a pointless way too. It's these types of story lines and the way they were developed that made Stargate so enjoyable and how it became my favourite show of all time.