Okay. Now that things are a little more relaxed, I finally have time to finish up my reminiscing on SG-1’s final season. Although work on the franchise continued with Atlantis and, later, Universe, SG-1 will always hold a special place in my heart – especially those last two seasons. The show’s 9th and 10th year were the most fun I’ve had writing – ever – partly owing to the talent in front of and behind the camera, and partly owing to the upbeat and positive mood that resonated throughout the entire production. Making things all that more gratifying was the input we received from the studio in the form of Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Charlie Cohen, and from SciFi in the form of the late Nora O’Brien, both incredibly gifted and kind individuals whose support helped ensure Stargate: SG-1 went out on a creative high.
THE PEGASUS PROJECT (1003)
A crossover fan favorite that I constantly get confused with Beachhead, another crossover fan favorite. THIS was the episode in which Mitchell threatens McKay with a lemon – an adlib on the day that seemed altogether weird in dailies but, ultimately, ended up making the final cut. McKay’s citrus allergy was apparently inspired by a staff writer in the show’s early days (before my time anyway) who would always make it a point to proclaim his unique hypersensitivity to anyone who would listen. Whenever they’d go out for lunch, said writer would be very careful to clear all menu items with the server. “I’m very allergic to citrus,”he would inform them. “A single drop and I could die!” It wasn’t until the end of the season that they discovered the rib sauce their afflicted co-worker had so enjoyed on his bi-weekly lunches at a local rotisserie joint was, in fact, mostly molasses and lemon juice. And Rodney McKay’s citrus allergy was born.
It was also great to FINALLY get Daniel Jackson to Atlantis. In fact, following SGA’s fourth season, there had even been some talk of having Daniel join the Atlantis crew for its fifth season, an idea we unfortunately had to abandon for financial reasons.
INSIDERS (1005)
Of all the enemies SG-1 faced over the course of their many adventures, Baal remains my favorite. I appreciated his sense of style, his sense of humor, and a megalomania that was at terms outrageous and endearing. Cloning him was probably one of the best ideas we’ve ever had – and by “we” I mean Robert Cooper who pitched out the final clone reveal in an earlier episode. Suddenly, we had the luxury of multiple Baals, a host of new storylines and, in the case of Brad and Robert, endless pun possibilities. Cliff Simon, who played the conniving goa’uld system lord, was always a pleasure to talk with. He’d swing by the writers’ room after his costume fittings and thank us for the work – or, on one occasion, chortle over the “corny lines”. So delighted was he by his character’s comfortable position on Earth that he often pitched out the merits of a possible spin-off centered on – who else? – Baal.
UNINVITED (1005)
Sadly, this episode will be remembered not for the fun dialogue between host Landry and his unwilling cabin guest Mitchell, or the off-world op involving the rest of the team, but the unintentionally hilarious creature that is revealed at episode’s end. Ooof. As far as CG monsters go, it doesn’t get much goofier than the things that comes staggering out of the woods after being shot and expires in spectacular “Ugh, ya got me!” fashion. Without a doubt, the hammiest performance by a computer-generated alien in Stargate history.
I was going to roll right into 200 (not coincidentally, our 200th episode) when I realized I had a lot to say on that particular entry and decided it deserves it’s own dedicated post. So, my memories of that episode will have to wait.
Swung by my local comic shop today and picked up this –
…this –
…and this –
Will be jumping on them once I’ve finished the immensely enjoyable Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand.
So, what are you all reading (beside this blog)?
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