Unending

Last updated
"Unending"
Stargate SG-1 episode
Episode no.Season 10
Episode 20
Directed by Robert C. Cooper
Written by Robert C. Cooper
Production code1020
Original air dateMarch 13, 2007 (2007-03-13)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Dominion"		Next →
"The Ark of Truth"
Stargate SG-1 (season 10)
List of episodes

"Unending" is the tenth season finale and series finale of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 , and the show's 214th episode overall. Written and directed by Robert C. Cooper, the episode originally premiered in the United Kingdom on Sky One on March 13, 2007, and in the United States on June 22, 2007, on the Sci Fi Channel. The episode attracted approximately 2.2 million viewers on its American broadcast, a ratings success for the Sci Fi Channel. [1]

Contents

The episode begins with the mass suicide of the Asgard race, who try to preserve their legacy by giving all of their accumulated knowledge and technology to the SG-1 team and the crew of the Earth ship Odyssey. When the ship is attacked by Ori warships, Lieutenant-Colonel Samantha Carter creates a time dilation field. The field was programmed so while only fractions of a second had passed outside of the field, It takes fifty years inside the field until a defense against the Ori weapons can be found.

Plot

The members of SG-1 and General Hank Landry (Beau Bridges) are travelling on the Earth ship Odyssey to the Asgard home world, Orilla, when Thor beams aboard. He reveals that after millennia of genetic manipulation, a disease has brought his race very close to extinction, and SG-1 accepts his offer to upload the sum of all Asgard's knowledge into Odyssey as a way to preserve the Asgard legacy after their mass suicide. However, Orilla and Odyssey are soon attacked by Ori warships. Orilla erupts with huge explosions, eventually blowing up completely, bringing about the extinction of the Asgard race. After Odyssey escapes to the next planet with a Stargate and beams the bulk of its crew down, the Ori fire a final energy beam upon the ship. Lieutenant-Colonel Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) activates a localized time dilation field that makes time look frozen outside the field to give SG-1 and Landry time to find a defense.

During the initial months on board, Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black) repeatedly tries to seduce Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks). Daniel finally confronts Vala for what he believes to be her insincerity, teasing, and mocking of him. Vala's upset reaction makes Daniel realize the honesty of her feelings, and they share a passionate embrace. As the years pass, each team member attempts to deal with the isolation. General Landry develops a gardening hobby; Carter learns how to play the cello; Daniel continues the translation of Asgard information in the database and develops his relationship with Vala; and Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder) and Teal'c (Christopher Judge) exercise and train while Mitchell is growing more frustrated and angry. After many years, General Landry succumbs to old age and dies.

After fifty years Carter has devised a way to reverse time within a localized field, however the Odyssey's power source (ZPM) is almost completely depleted from maintaining the time dilation field for fifty years. Mitchell hypothesizes that the power of the Ori energy beam could provide the required energy to reverse the time. But to accomplish the operation, one person has to exist outside of the time reversal; this person will remain at their advanced age while everyone else would revert to how they were 50 years prior (thus having no memories of those 50 years). Teal'c, who as a Jaffa has a much longer lifespan than the other team members, volunteers to remain behind and perform the rescue, protected within a separate field. As the group prepares their plan, Vala and Daniel exchange a last embrace, assuring each other of their love. When everything is in place, they deactivate the time dilation field and, after the normal timeline is restored, Teal'c prevents Colonel Carter from activating the time dilation field, with the crystal he carries from the (then future) Carter programmed to both re-activate the hyper-drive and prevent future tracking of Ori ships. Odyssey leaves before it is destroyed, saving SG-1 and the Asgard legacy.

Back at the SGC (Stargate Command), Teal'c refuses to reveal any of the events on the ship, much to Vala's disappointment. As the episode, the season and the series come to a close, SG-1 contemplates Teal'c's joking words of wisdom in the gateroom and says "indeed" all at once. General Landry wishes the team God-speed, and SG-1 steps through the gate on their next mission.

Production

"Unending" is the fiftieth Stargate SG-1 episode written by Robert C. Cooper, and the second episode of the series directed by Cooper. Being the series' tenth-season finale, "Unending" was the fifth season-finale to potentially serve as Stargate SG-1's last episode, although the writers originally anticipated another renewal of the series and planned to end the season with a cliffhanger. However, the Sci-Fi Channel announced the series' cancellation in August 2006, approximately one month before "Unending" was written. The network opposed the idea of a cliffhanger leading up to a possible movie, [2] and since the producers never intended "to blow up the SGC and kill everyone", the episode's theme and name were chosen to give "a sense of ending without it being an ending". [3] The option to end the series with a two-parter was considered but rejected, as Cooper felt this would have made the ending less special. [4] The buildup of the Ori arc in Seasons 9 and 10 would eventually get a pay-off in Stargate: The Ark of Truth , a film produced after the end of the show. [3] The cast and crew knew by the end of the episode's filming on October 5, 2006, that more films would be produced. [5] [6] There had been early discussions for Richard Dean Anderson to return as Jack O'Neill. However, the show was over-budget, and with the series already cancelled the studio wouldn't be willing to cover his salary. [7]

Robert C. Cooper, who wrote and directed "Unending", locked the SG-1 team together for fifty years to accommodate the fan wish of an ultimate team episode. Robertcooper.jpg
Robert C. Cooper, who wrote and directed "Unending", locked the SG-1 team together for fifty years to accommodate the fan wish of an ultimate team episode.

Robert C. Cooper intended the episode as "an emotional tribute to the ten seasons that [had] come before" and "the last chapter in the book – but not necessarily in the series of books. It was a chance [...], using science fiction, to show people one version of what the future might be like for these characters that they've spent so much time with and loved so much." [8] By killing off the Asgard race, Cooper gave the episode an element of tragedy that reflected his feelings at the time. [4] Producer Brad Wright wanted all of the characters to get a last shot in the spotlight instead of focusing on only one character. [9] Because of fan vocality about team episodes, Cooper decided to put the characters through several decades of life [8] and see their relationships develop and evolve. [3] The references in "Unending" to the events of season 2's "The Fifth Race", another Cooper-penned episode often named as a fan favorite, were intended, [8] [10] as were the callbacks to season 9's "The Ties That Bind" (the Daniel-Vala argument, see below) and season 10's "Line In The Sand" (the solution of using the Ori beam). [4] The period aboard the ship was originally significantly less than fifty years, but the actors' last-stage makeup, which Cooper only saw minutes before filming, looked so old that Cooper was forced to increase the number of years in the script. [2]

Cooper originally wrote the developing romance between Daniel and Vala in "Unending" by having them have sex without a confrontation. Claudia Black and Michael Shanks protested against this intended story, as Shanks felt that "[t]here's always been this underlining, keeping [Vala] at arms length because of the fear of getting too close." Cooper rewrote the scene to show Vala's vulnerability to Daniel, and have Daniel share his true feelings of a relationship. The actors decided to play the confrontation scene as genuinely as possible, with both characters being neither completely in-character nor totally out-of-character. [11] The scene was rehearsed a lot and was filmed over the course of six hours. Cooper was nevertheless concerned that Daniel appeared too edgy and mean, although his feelings were motivated by the two years of torment with Vala, and losing his wife nearly ten years before. Daniel's line, "You better not be messing with me", was only said in one take by Michael Shanks. Since Cooper prefers to follow up on such emotional scenes with a laugh, the immediate next scene shows Vala coming out of Daniel's room, where she encounters a disbelieving Mitchell jogging by. In Cooper's mind, Daniel held a crying Vala in another scene because she had gotten pregnant and had lost the baby. [4] To contrast the obvious relationship between Daniel and Vala, Amanda Tapping and Christopher Judge subtly played their scenes as if their characters also had a romantic relationship. [12]

To give the Odyssey an unnatural ghostship feeling of solitude, many wide angle shots and VisFX matte extension were used with no additional music. Robert C. Cooper often listened to the CCR song "Have You Ever Seen the Rain?" during the making of the episode and decided to play it over the first montage, showing the passage of time. The tone of the second montage was set with a cello. Stargate composer Joel Goldsmith later accompanied the hand movements of the hired cellist with different music during post-production. A third montage was filmed but not included in the final cut of the episode since the last table scene already supplied the needed sentiment. [4] Each time period included the same shots to help the audience focus on the differences that characters have gone through. [2] The last scene at Stargate Command was the last filmed Stargate SG-1 scene, shot at two o'clock in the morning, for which every member of the crew came back. [4]

Reception

The broadcast of "Unending" on the British channel Sky One on March 13, 2007, pulled in around 518,000 viewers, making Stargate SG-1 the third most-watched program for Sky One during that week. [13] "Unending" attracted approximately 2.2 million viewers on its first American broadcast on the Sci Fi Channel on June 22, 2007, the best performance for SG-1 since the September 22, 2006 mid-season finale. [1] Writer and producer Joseph Mallozzi acknowledged that some fans were unhappy with the end of the Asgard, the absence of Jack O’Neill and Daniel and Vala getting together. [14]

Reviewers were generally satisfied with the conclusion, and some like Bill Keveney of the USA Today felt the episode does not stray far from "the series formula – a mix of sci-fi adventure, relationships and humor". [15] Jason Van Horn of IGN enjoyed the humor, "the amount of heart and pure emotion running rampant this episode", which he thought served as a symbol for the entire show that will stay in the public mind through re-runs and DVDs. Two scenes that stood out for him as "powerful", "heart-wrenching" and "the icing on the cake", were Mitchell's breakdown and Vala's seduction of Daniel signaling "the beginning of a very long lasting and loving relationship". [16] Vala's emotional response to Daniel was interpreted as an example of her character growth, [17] while another reviewer felt the "Vala/Daniel argument [was] a tad overwrought [although] the motivation is clear". [10] The emotional death of Landry appealed to several reviewers, [16] [18] as did the resolution via Teal'c's heroic sacrifice. [16] [17] [19]

The "clever, ground-breaking", "fitting" and "hugely satisfying" episode reminded hdtvuk.tv's Ian Calcutt of Star Trek: The Next Generation 's finale "All Good Things...", [19] while TV Squad's Richard Keller noted strong similarities to a two-part episode of Star Trek: Voyager named "Year of Hell". He was "extremely sad to see [the series] go", but could not overlook the mediocrity, predictability and lack of originality of the series finale. [17] TV Zone 's Anthony Brown, who considered the episode "curious[ly] low-key", regretted the planned direct-to-DVD films, as "the whole thing inevitably loses its punch as the reset button's pressed [...], rather than providing the genuine emotion of an actual ending". [18] Maureen Ryan of The Chicago Tribune thought that the episode went out on "a strange note" with a disappointing last "string of banal clichés" dialogue exchange, although the cast and the established goodwill of their characters could partly make up for it. [20] Mary McNamara of Multichannel News lauded Cooper's direction, lighting, costuming, the "haunting" music and sound, the production values and special effects. She acknowledged the SG-1 finale as a "true ensemble/team piece" with "a poignant and satisfying conclusion", and despite not making it into the top ten of series finales, the episode was "very good" and "respects and rewards the ten year commitment viewers have made to the series". [10] David Bianculli from the New York Daily Times gave the episode two and a half out of five and saying the franchise stopped "Without warning" thanks to this episode. [21]

Related Research Articles

Stargate SG-1 is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 science fiction film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. The television series was filmed in and around the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The series premiered on Showtime on July 27, 1997, and moved to the Sci Fi Channel on June 7, 2002; the series finale aired on Sky1 on March 13, 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack O'Neill</span> Fictional character from the Stargate universe

Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the MGM's military science fiction franchise Stargate, primarily as one of the main characters of the television series Stargate SG-1. Richard Dean Anderson played O'Neill in all the Stargate media since 1997, when he took over the role from actor Kurt Russell, who portrayed the character in the original Stargate film in 1994. O'Neill and Daniel Jackson are the only two characters to appear in both the original film and all three live-action Stargate television series.

Daniel Jackson (<i>Stargate</i>) Fictional character from the Stargate universe

Daniel Jackson, PhD, is a fictional character in the military science fiction franchise Stargate, and one of the main characters of the 1997 series Stargate SG-1. He is portrayed by James Spader in the 1994 film Stargate, and by Michael Shanks in Stargate SG-1 and other SG-1 derived media. Jackson is the only Stargate character to appear in all films and series in the franchise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Teal'c</span> Fictional character in "Stargate"

Teal'c of Chulak is a fictional character in the 1997 military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Portrayed by Christopher Judge, Teal'c is a Jaffa warrior from the planet Chulak. As a Jaffa, Teal'c is a genetically modified human with an abdominal pouch that serves as an incubator for a larval Goa'uld. The larval symbiote grants enhanced strength, health, healing, and longevity; Teal'c is around 100 years old during the show's run and ages an additional 50 years in the final SG-1 episode. Teal'c's most notable feature is a golden tattoo found on his forehead, a sign that he once served the System Lord Apophis as First Prime, the most senior Jaffa rank.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jonas Quinn</span> Fictional character from the Stargate franchise

Jonas Quinn is a fictional character in the Canadian-American television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by Corin Nemec, Jonas is introduced in the season 5 episode "Meridian." Jonas fills Daniel Jackson's empty spot on the SG-1 team in season 6 and the beginning of season 7, and last appears in the mid-season 7 episode "Fallout".

Cameron Mitchell (<i>Stargate</i>) Stargate character

Colonel Cameron "Cam" Mitchell, USAF is a fictional character in the 1997 American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by Ben Browder, Cameron Mitchell is introduced as a main character in the season 9 premiere "Avalon", holding the military rank of lieutenant colonel in the United States Air Force. Learning of the SG-1 team's off-screen separation after the previous season, Mitchell is assigned as new commanding officer of SG-1, which he remains throughout season 10 (2006–2007) and the direct-to-DVD films Stargate: The Ark of Truth, ending at the rank of colonel for Stargate: Continuum (2008).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vala Mal Doran</span> Fiction character from the Stargate franchise

Vala Mal Doran is a fictional character in the American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by former Farscape actress Claudia Black, Vala was created by Damian Kindler and Robert C. Cooper as a guest character for the season 8 episode "Prometheus Unbound" (2004). Because of the on-screen chemistry between Black's Vala and Michael Shanks' character Daniel Jackson and the character's popularity with the producers and the audience, Claudia Black became a recurring guest star in season 9 (2005–2006) and joined the main cast in season 10 (2006–2007).

Mythology of <i>Stargate</i> Mythology in the Stargate franchise

The mythology of the Stargate franchise is a complex and eclectic fictional backstory, which is presented as being historical, of the Stargate premise. A "rich mythology and world-building" are used to establish "a vast cosmology and an interesting alternate take on the history of Earth"; a defining feature is "its use of ancient mythology, with stories that take inspiration from multiple places around the globe". Narratives center around xeno-mythology as experienced by humans during episodic contact with alien races. Audiences across a variety of platforms - including TV series, novels, comics and movies - witness the people of Earth exploring a fictional universe using the Stargate. Species established early on in the franchise recur throughout, with one adversary often dominating a particular story arc, which can continue across several seasons.

"Avalon" are the Season 9 premiere episodes of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. They marked the beginning of a "new" Stargate SG-1 that continued after the ending of the previous season. Despite seeing the departure of Richard Dean Anderson's Jack O'Neill, it sees the introduction of Ben Browder as Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell, Beau Bridges as Major General Hank Landry, and Lexa Doig as Dr. Carolyn Lam. They also bring in Claudia Black's character Vala Mal Doran as a recurring character, later to become a regular in Season 10, and introduce entire new storylines including further information about the Ancients, their links to Arthurian legends, and their origins.

"Redemption" is the two-part season 6 premiere of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Airing on June 7 and June 14, 2002, it was the first all-new SG-1 episode to be broadcast by SCI FI, the new home of SG-1 after the series' move from Showtime. The episode was written by producer Robert C. Cooper, and directed by Martin Wood. "Redemption" is the first episode where actor Corin Nemec had main cast status, his character Jonas Quinn replacing Daniel Jackson who died at the end of season 5. The episode also marks the second appearance of David Hewlett's character Rodney McKay, who later became a main character on Stargate Atlantis. "Redemption Part 2" was nominated for a Gemini Award in the category "Best Visual Effects".

"Fallen" is the 1st episode of the seventh season of science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. The episode was first broadcast on June 13, 2003, on the Sci-Fi Channel and was immediately followed by the 2nd episode and conclusion to the two-part story, "Homecoming". A behind the scenes documentary and look ahead at the upcoming seventh season called "Stargate: The Lowdown" preceded the episode. Executive producer Robert C. Cooper wrote the episode, with Martin Wood directing. The episode is the 133rd overall.

"Nemesis" is the last episode from season 3 of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Written by Robert C. Cooper and directed by Martin Wood, the episode first aired in the United Kingdom on Sky One on February 11, 2000, and had its American premiere on Showtime on March 8, 2000. The episode sets up the Replicators as a new major enemy, ending in a cliffhanger that is resumed in the season 4 premiere "Small Victories".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small Victories</span> 1st episode of the 4th season of Stargate SG-1

"Small Victories" is the first episode from season four of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1. Penned by Robert C. Cooper and directed by Martin Wood, the episode first aired on the American subscription channel Showtime on June 30, 2000. "Small Victories" resumes the story of the season 3 finale, "Nemesis", in which the SG-1 team encountered the Replicators for the first time. As the Replicators threaten Earth and the Asgard home galaxy, the team must split to master their job.

"200" is the sixth episode of the science fiction television series Stargate SG-1's tenth season, and the 200th episode of the series overall. Unlike the more serious nature of the season's story arc, "200" is a light-hearted parody of both Stargate SG-1 and other sci-fi shows, as well as popular culture like The Wizard of Oz.

<i>Stargate: The Ark of Truth</i> 2008 adventure science fiction film by Robert C. Cooper

Stargate: The Ark of Truth is a 2008 American military science fiction film written and directed by Robert C. Cooper. It serves as a sequel to the television series Stargate SG-1 and stars its regular cast. The film picks up after the SG-1 series finale, but happens before the Stargate Atlantis third season finale.

<i>Stargate: Continuum</i> 2008 American military science fiction film by Martin Wood

Stargate: Continuum is a 2008 American military science fiction film directed by Martin Wood and written by Brad Wright. It is the second sequel to the television series Stargate SG-1, following The Ark of Truth (2008). The film stars the main cast of the series' last season, with the return of Richard Dean Anderson as Jack O'Neill.

<i>Stargate SG-1</i> season 9 Season of television series

The ninth season of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on July 15, 2005, on SCI FI. The ninth season concluded on March 10, 2006, after 20 episodes on the same channel. The series was originally developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, and Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie served as executive producers. The season arc centers on the new threat of the Ori, a race who Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran unleash in an unknown galaxy, and who are threatening to prepare for a crusade into the Milky Way galaxy to convert the beings to their religion called Origin.

<i>Stargate SG-1</i> season 10 Season of television series

The tenth and final season of Stargate SG-1, an American-Canadian television series, began airing on July 14, 2006 on Sci Fi Channel. It concluded after 20 episodes on March 13, 2007 on Sky 1, which overtook the Sci-Fi Channel in mid-season. The series was developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner. Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi, and Paul Mullie served as executive producers. Season ten regular cast members include Ben Browder, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Claudia Black, Beau Bridges, and Michael Shanks.

References

  1. 1 2 "Stargate SG-1's series finale triumphs". NBC Universal. June 26, 2007. Retrieved 2008-07-22.[ dead link ]
  2. 1 2 3 Cooper, Robert C (2007). SG-1 Directors Series: "Unending" featuring Robert C. Cooper (DVD). MGM.
  3. 1 2 3 Sumner, Darren (January 15, 2007). "Producers discuss SG-1 series finale". GateWorld . Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Cooper, Robert C. (2007). Audio Commentary for "Unending" (DVD). MGM.
  5. ↑ Spelling, Ian (July 2, 2007). "SG-1's Shanks Looks Ahead". scifi.com (Sci Fi Channel). Archived from the original on June 22, 2008. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  6. ↑ Bartok, Ivon (October 5, 2006). "Last day of shooting... Wow!". GateWorld. Archived from the original on March 2, 2007. Retrieved 2007-03-18.
  7. ↑ Robert C. Cooper; Joseph Mallozzi (27 July 2008). "Writer, Director, Executive Producer Robert C. Cooper Answers Your Ark of Truth Questions and then some". josephmallozzi.com. Archived from the original on 29 May 2020. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 Sumner, Darren & Read, David (June 2007). "New Directions – Interview with Robert C. Cooper". GateWorld . Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  9. ↑ Eberson, Sharon (June 21, 2007). "'Stargate: SG-1' signs off, but we haven't seen the last of it". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette . Retrieved 2008-01-03.
  10. 1 2 3 McNamara, Mary (June 20, 2007). "Stargate SG-1 Series Finale: Poignant End to a Cable Record Breaker". Multichannel News. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  11. ↑ Read, David (June 22, 2007). "Turn Of The Page – GateWorld talks with Michael Shanks". GateWorld . Retrieved 2008-01-08.
  12. ↑ Tapping, Amanda (2007). Audio Commentary for "Unending" (DVD). MGM.
  13. ↑ "BARB's multichannel top 10 programmes (Go on w/e 18/03/07, and scroll down to Sky 1)". barb.co.uk. Archived from the original on October 5, 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  14. ↑ Mallozzi, Joseph (9 November 2011). "UNENDING (1020)". josephmallozzi.com. Retrieved 30 June 2020.
  15. ↑ Keveney, Bill (June 21, 2007). "'Stargate SG-1' ends its TV odyssey tonight". USA Today . Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  16. 1 2 3 Van Horn, Jason (June 25, 2007). "Stargate SG-1: "Unending" Review". IGN . Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  17. 1 2 3 Keller, Richard (June 22, 2007). "Stargate SG-1: Unending (series finale)". TV Squad . Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  18. 1 2 Brown, Anthony (June 2007). "Reviews On the Air...". TV Zone . No. 215. p. 67..
  19. 1 2 Calcutt, Ian (March 15, 2007). "Review – Stargate SG-1: Unending, Sky One HD". HDTVUK. Archived from the original on February 24, 2009. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  20. ↑ Ryan, Maureen (June 21, 2007). "Time's not on the side of 'Stargate SG-1,' which ends Friday". Chicago Tribune . Archived from the original on 2009-05-24. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
  21. ↑ Bianculli, David (June 22, 2007). "The 'Gate' is closing on a Sci-Fi fave". The New York Daily. Retrieved 2009-06-15.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.