Hi, I'm considering getting into Stargate. I only know it's based on a movie and the franchise consists of 3 tv shows. I don't know anything about the setting / plot.
I'm a massive Star Trek and Babylon 5 geek. I don't know if Stargate is for me, though and I don't want to invest many hours before I might find it's not for me.
Maybe you people here can provide some info about the plot, pros & cons of the franchise and explain to me what got you hooked.
Looking forward to your replies.
PS: I don't live under a rock, but
somehow I managed to dodge everything about the franchise.
PSS: would I start with the movie and then SG-1? Are there other critical things to know?
The movie can be a little dated, and it has a fairly different tone from the sequel series. It's arguably not the greatest introduction to the franchise, but it does set the stage with the premise.
Once you get into the sg-1 series, it gets closer to the Deep Space 9 formula. Episodic, but there's long running story arcs for each season.
I liked it a lot because it was a more modern setting for the sci fi, which was a fun way to tell the story. Like Star Trek, it's very much the ensemble that makes it work well.
Some people didn't enjoy when there were cast changes, particularly Richard Dean Anderson's departure in season 9. He is certainly missed, but I thought they did a good job creating a similar tone without making a carbon copy of his character.
Atlantis was also quite good. Universe was a very strong tonal shift, and the transition wasn't easy for fans at the time, but I think the show benefits from binge watching. Sadly, it feels like just as it finds it's footing in season 2, it gets cancelled instead
Honestly, I think Atlantis was peak Stargate. Great stories, visuals and characters that got you really invested, though one certain arc felt a bit slow / drawn out. But I also never got warm with the replacement for O'Neil, so that was a bit of a weaker era of SG-1.