Netflix Minute: Stargate SG-1

Netflix Minute is a weekly feature highlighting a title from Netflix's catalog of instant view films. If you want to spend a night snuggled up with a bag of popcorn and don't want to drive to the video store, this is for you.

Serial science fiction television shows are a dime a dozen. Of course, the quintessential series that pops into most people's minds is Star Trek, whether in its original form or its many variants. The list goes on, including titles like Babylon 5, Sliders, Lost, The X-Files, V, Quantum Leap, The Outer Limits... I've made my point. Few manage to survive past several seasons, with most losing too many primary actors to be viable, retreading the same ground too many times, or simply just not retaining the spark that made them popular in the first place. One true survivor managed to catch my attention recently, lasting an entire ten seasons and holding the mantle as longest-running sci-fi series for quite some time. That television show is, of course, Stargate SG-1.

SG-1 tells the story of a team of explorers from Earth who make their way throughout their galaxy (and later, through other galaxies) by way of a wormhole-producing device called the Stargate. As the followup to the 1994 Roland Emmerich film Stargate, SG-1 takes many of the original characters and reignites their fight with the Goa'uld.

It's difficult to give some kind of overview to the series as a whole, considering the fact that it ran so long. Suffice it to say that SG-1 faces a wide range of people from world to world, many of which praise the Goa'uld as Gods from several different Earth mythologies. They meet several different races of aliens, some of which resemble the humans they know and love and the rest who... don't.

Stargate SG-1 isn't as good as it is because of these familiar science fiction tropes, however. From the vantage point of an outward observer, this Canadian-American television franchise might not look too different from Star Trek. The characters, acting, and outside support it received ultimately propelled it to ten seasons of play. Specifically, the central team has featured an ensemble cast of note from the very beginning.

Unlike the portrayal of Jack O'Neil in the original film, Jack O'Neill (two 'L's, in the show) is clearly the touchstone character of the series. Richard Dean Anderson manages to perfectly mix together the seriousness you might expect from a superior officer, the crankiness of a man pulled from retirement, the humor of a lighthearted individual, and the hidden intelligence of an overly proud tough guy. Michael Shanks plays O'Neill's perfect foil, Daniel Jackson, never failing to point out the moral high ground and historical context of any issue at hand.

Amanda Tapping plays the surprisingly brilliant astrophysicist turned gun-toting airman Samantha Carter and Christopher Judge fills the last slot of the four-man team as Teal'c, a former right-hand to the Goa'uld Apophis. These core characters (and even the ones who fill in the blanks later in the series) define the human element of SG-1. When it gets a little dusty in the room as one of your long-time friends apparently dies, you know something is working.

Due to the syndication of later seasons, SG-1 isn't too difficult to swallow. Don't consider the series a lightweight, however, as its inception on the Showtime network and the participation of the United States Air Force injects plenty of gravity to the ongoing plot. Due to the unique intersection of these factors, Stargate SG-1 keeps a multitude of plotlines going from beginning to end, constantly reviving characters thought long forgotten or planets previously abandoned while maintaining a baseline for newcomers.

It's these things that make Stargate SG-1 a formidable force on Netflix Instant View. While it's difficult to recommend such extended affairs, this show is perfect for both the person who wants to burn through seasons at a time or the person who sneaks a peek once or twice a week. Beyond its relevance on Netflix, SG-1 is worth watching for the characters who worked together for ten years to keep Earth safe and keep us entertained.

Score: 5 out of 5
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