MGM has just released the entire third season of the cult hit, "STARGATE SG-1."  This is one of the few sci-fil series which actually improves upon its source.  While the original film offered some great moments, and a generally entertaining atmosphere, the series accomplished the rare feat of bettering itself over each season.

As fans of previous seasons will know, the Goa'uld lords are aliens bent on dominating earth as well as other planets.  The US airforce, however, has the "Stargate," a transportation device, originally controlled by the Goa'uld.  With it, the military attempts to explore other worlds, with the intent to find a way to defend against the Goa'uld's desire to enslave them.  There are various Stargate teams working to further this cause, but it's the "SG-1" team that puts themself in danger's way, the most.

As with previous seasons, the writing is excellent!  Sure, there are some shows less entertaining than others, but, the series is generally addictive!  Even though we're fairly certain which specific characters will make it through, one can't help but to get caught up in the suspense of finding out just how the team will accomplish what typically ends up being a hair-raising mission.

Richard Dean Anderson stars as Jack O'Neill, and he's actually improved over the past two seasons as well! His sarcasm and general bravado give the show an atmosphere, lacking in almost every other series out there.  The other characters, while at times 2 dimensional, are given more to do with this season too.

"STARGATE SG-1" certainly owes a lot to the original "STAR TREK" episodes, in the way each episode has the team encountering new worlds or problems, but it's actually better!  Star Trek geeks were generally the ones responsible for finding characters and plot device connections bridging one episode to another. But, in "STARGATE SG-1," the writers carefully bridge select plot elements to future episodes, when helpful.  It's never used to simply endear the die-hard fans, as each episode stands on its own.

MGM has provided an excellent slipcase for this boxed set.  The series is presented with the original 1.78:1 aspect ratio and 16:9 enhancement.  The picture quality is great!   Colors are solid and even vibrant at times. Contrast is generally impressive, offering deep grays and blacks in darker scenes. Fleshtones appear natural throughout.

MGM has provided a Dolby Digital 5.1 mix for this release, and it's aggressive!  There are plenty of directional/surround effects, and music is used with great impact as well.

MGM has also included some extras!  There are three featurettes, each running under 15 minutes. The best of them,"STARGATE UNIVERSE," offers terrific background information for those just wandering into the series for the first time.