| The Showtime cable series Stargate SG-1 turns the premise of Stargate into a surprisingly viable formula, with former MacGyver star Richard Dean Anderson assuming Kurt Russell's role as Air Force hero Jack O'Neill. Michael Shanks inherits James Spader's role as archeologist Daniel Jackson, and the series' 1997 pilot, "Children of the Gods," reunites the adventurers when the Air Force's Stargate facility on Earth is attacked by sentries from Abydos, the distant planet on the other side of the space-warping Stargate. Faced with a new nemesis from Abydos, O'Neill and the fresh recruits of Unit SG-1 must return to the planet and close off the Stargate to prevent further attacks on Earth. It's a pretty standard adventure, with brief, gratuitous R-rated nudity not seen in the original cablecast, but Anderson's an appealing leader of the well-chosen cast (including Alexis Cruz, reprising his role from the film), and the show's production values are consistently high. Taking logical steps from Stargate, series developers Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner have managed an admirable feat, creating a spin-off that doesn't feel like a rip-off. Episode One, "The Enemy Within," continues the SG-1 pilot, with the discovery that officer Kawalsky (Jay Acavone) is now the enslaved host of a Goa'uld larvae--a snakelike parasite from Abydos that has seized control of Kawalski's nervous system. Only an elaborate surgical procedure can save Kawalski's life, and the SG-1 loyalty of Teal'c (Christopher Judge)--a former enemy from Abydos who is also a Goa'uld host--is put to the test. Episode Two, "Emancipation," guest-stars Soon-Tek Oh as the leader of the Shavadai, a Mongolian-like tribe on the planet Simarka, where the SG-1 Unit has arrived via the Stargate to begin their first expedition. The Shavadai view women as subservient and submissive, so the presence of SG-1 Captain Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) causes an instant--and, for Carter, potentially deadly--uproar. This episode offers an enjoyable balance of humor and suspense, and establishes Tapping as a witty sparring partner for Anderson. --Jeff Shannon |
