Well, that's it. SG-1 have stepped through the Stargate for the last time. Well, not really, the grand finale of Stargate SG-1 on Sky One last night actually only marks the end of the TV series and its move to direct-to-DVD releases, which, in a way, made it rather unsatisfactory."Unending" was a typical, quality episode of Stargate SG-1 and a strong conclusion to the show's TV life, but left major plot threads hanging (like the whole Ori war backstory; and whatever happened to the Tokra and the Goa'uld?), lacked the "big name" cameos one might have hoped for (e.g. where was Richard Dean Anderson and Don S Davis?) and had its central conundrum solved with the good, old, "travel back in time, everything will be okay, no one will remember" ploy (although, admittedly with a minor twist concerning T'ealc).
The final scene really marked it as a "series ender" and many of the set-pieces during the episode tackled character issues from throughout the show's run - it's just a shame they were all undone by the story's resolution. This would have made a great end of season episode any other year, but for the very last episode of an epic 10-year run, I'd have hoped the show's makers would have really pushed the boat out and hit us with something we'd never seen before. Not another 'bottle' episode; even if the stakes were pushed to the limit.
While it was satisfying to, at least, have a conclusion to the Asgard's story arc, even that, in the final telling, seemed a bit rushed given their longstanding involvement with the humans. Perhaps the show would have been better as a two-hour blow-out and not "just another episode".
Stargate SG-1 has proved in the past that it can do "big celebrations" to mark milestones - look at the brilliant and outrageous "200" - so why nothing particularly out of the ordinary for this episode?
"Unending" was very good, because in recent years Stargate SG-1 hasn't done many bad episodes, but it almost felt as though - because they knew the show was continuing in a different format - they didn't have to try and raise the bar.
At least we know the lovely Amanda Tapping (Lt Col Samantha Carter) is moving over to Stargate: Atlantis. Just a shame that show's mostly rubbish, really!
That said, "First Strike", tonight's season three finale for Stargate: Atlantis really pulled the stops out and was everything a pulp, sci-fi cliffhanger should be. So, I guess you can never tell...
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