Stargate SG-1 - Season 4 [DVD]

It wasn't until the beginning of Stargate SG-1's fourth season that fans knew to take the Replicator threat seriously. The spidery nasties had only seemed like one of many new enemies introduced in previous years. But when the one seemingly omnipotent backbone of the galaxy was asking Earth for help, clearly we were in real trouble! In fact, the team's list of enemies expanded and got far more complicated this year. Proving without a shadow of a doubt that this is science fiction, the Russians reveal they have their own Stargate program and ask the Americans for help. This twist allows for exploration of all the political machinations occurring behind the scenes of the SG-C, all of which appear to stem from the embittered Senator Kinsey (Ronny Cox).

There were quite a few Earth-based stories in the year, but not all the new enemies were originally local. Willie Garson comically guest-starred as Martin, a geekily suspicious guy with too much knowledge of the Stargate. More sinister was an old flame of Daniel's turning into something far more painful than an old wound (thanks to an ancient Egyptian curse). Thankfully, the writers hadn't forgotten the importance of one-off storylines too. In "Upgrades" the team learns a lesson in abuse of power. In "The Other Side" (featuring DS9's Rene Auberjonois) they learn about blind trust. In "Scorched Earth" a dangerous claim for a planet's ownership means they learn to value Daniel's contribution to the group dynamic. If only this last lesson were learned better, season 5 might not have ended up as muddled as it did. --Paul Tonks

The complete fourth season of the popular sci-fi series. In 'Small Victories' the Stargate team find themselves back on Earth tackling a replicating bug on a Russian submarine. 'The Other Side' has the SG-1 crew help the war-devastated planet of Euronda. 'Upgrades' finds O'Neill, Carter and Daniel volunteering to try out a Tok'ra device that gives the wearer superhuman powers. 'Crossroads' sees Teal'c meet up with a lost-love who has a novel communication method that may help defeat the Goa'uld. In 'Divide and Conquer' the team get caught in a time loop and experience the same events over and over again. 'Window of Opportunity' has various SG-1 members sent beserk by Goa'uld mind control techniques. 'Watergate' finds the SG-1 team helping out some Russian colleagues who have attempted to bring some special water through a Stargate. 'The First Ones' sees O'Neill take charge of a rescue mission which aims to help the imperilled SG-11 team. In 'Scorched Earth' the team find themselves caught between two opposing sides, both seeking to control the same planet. 'Beneath the Surface' has an amnesiac SG-1 crew attempting to work out exactly how they all began working in an alien power station. 'Point of No Return' sees O'Neill meet a strange man with a surprisingly detailed knowledge about the Stargate programme. 'Tangent' finds Teal'c and O'Neill taking part in a test flight of some new experimental aircraft. In 'Serpent's Venom' the team are sent on a mission to prevent a potentially dangerous alliance between Apophis and Heru'ur. 'The Curse' has Daniel investigate when his old professor dies in mysterious circumstances. 'Chain Reaction' sees O'Neill take on the bureaucrats when SG-1 are threatened with dissolution. '2010' finds the team attempting to save the human race from the Aschen. In 'Absolute Power' SG-1 encounter a young boy who carries the genetic memory of the Goa'uld. 'The Light' has the team come under the power of a strange temple. 'Prodigy' sees Carter and a rebellious new recruit come into danger when they pass through the Stargate and encounter an alien composed purely of energy. 'Entity' finds Carter in trouble again when her body is taken over by an alien probe. 'Double Jeopardy' has the SG-1 team return to a planet which they once helped free from the shackles of Goa'uld enslavement and set about helping them in another revolt, this time against Cronos. Finally, in 'Exodus', SG-1 decide to put an end to Apophis aggression by making the sun go nova, but just as they are putting the plan into action their ship takes a crippling hit, thus preventing them from fleeing the scene of the imminent solar meltdown.