Podcast: Download

SSG260: The Asgard chose to end their civilization rather than let the Ori claim their technology. They gave SG-1 everything they knew, then blew up their planet and themselves. That’s the opening of the Stargate SG-1 series finale, “Unending,” and it sets the tone for what follows.

Trapped inside a time dilation field aboard the Odyssey, SG-1 and General Landry have more time than anyone should want: nearly fifty years of it. Lisa Jones, Jeff Haecker, and Victor Lams break down the emotional farewell to ten seasons of television. The Asgard’s controversial exit. The Daniel/Vala confrontation, and what to make of a scene where he’s cruel, she cries, and then they get together. Cameron Mitchell’s slow unraveling. Teal’c’s quiet sacrifice to go back in time aged, and why it’s the right choice for the character.

The panelists dig into Robert C. Cooper’s director commentary: the misplaced gray streak in Teal’c’s hair (always on the wrong side of the shot), the old-age makeup that made Cameron Mitchell look like something out of Evil Dead, and how Sam ended up learning the cello in space. Also: why Credence Clearwater Revival’s “Have You Ever Seen the Rain?” sounds like an odd choice for Stargate but somehow works.

The episode ends where it should: a full Stargate dialing sequence, SG-1 together, and one last “indeed” from Teal’c before they walk through the gate for the final time on television. It’s not a perfect goodbye. But it’s theirs.

Also in this episode: listener feedback, foreign titles, and a debate about which alien races they’d have been fine blowing up instead of the Asgard.

Get all new episodes automatically and for free:

Follow by Email | Listen to this episode and subscribe on YouTube.

Help us continue to offer the Secrets of Stargate. Won’t you make a pledge at SQPN.com/give today?

Links for this episode:

• Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts!
• You can watch all of the Stargate series on Amazon Prime.
• Get the official Secrets of Stargate t-shirt at sqpn.com/merch.
• Join the conversation at the SQPN Facebook page.
• Be part of the StarQuest Discord community at SQPN.com/discord
• Send your feedback or comments to [email protected]

Want to Sponsor A Show?
Support StarQuest’s mission to explore the intersection of faith and pop culture by becoming a named sponsor of the show of your choice on the StarQuest network. Click to get started or find out more.