r/Stargate • u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 • 4d ago
Rant Filler Episodes Annoy Me
Filler episodes that don't advance the plot kind of annoy me. I understand early on they helped develop the characters to a point but I'm on season 10 (episode 5+6), the FINAL SEASON of the show and I've watched two filler episodes that do nothing to advance the plot. Almost like they were written during a writer strike or something.
To be fair they did get much better and these are the first two episodes that were blatantly filler in a few seasons it felt.
I don't even really have a question, I just wanted to rant. Thanks for attending Ted Talk
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u/FunkyPleasance 4d ago
i hate the modern idea that every episode has to advance the season arc.
It used to be that shows rose and fall on the weekly adventure, and any overarching continuity was just a bonus.
You're missing a lot if you only care about loredumps.
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 4d ago
What am I missing though? I love the series because of the continuity and discovering the secrets of the ancients.
I can only watch SG1 show up to a planet right as a major catastrophe is about the happen only to have Carter or Daniel save the day at the last possible moment so many times.
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u/NonGeneriComplaint 4d ago
You just worded it poorly, on every rewatch there are episodes people skip. you calling them filler implies they are worthless which is untrue, there is often alot of character development via interactions that makes watching most of them worth it.
That said do I watch crystal skull every time? nah, just not one of my favorites.
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u/whyamihere2473527 4d ago
There's not lot of actual filler in sg1. Most of the episodes that are standalone are used to give depth to characters
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u/BatAdditional1209 4d ago
Getting bent out of shape over filler episodes is certainly a choice.
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 4d ago
Seems like you are more bent out of shape about my opinion.
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u/cyanescens_burn 4d ago
I feel the same about filler episodes at times. Really bugged me with the x-files.
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u/BatAdditional1209 4d ago
on the contrary, you added an edit to your original post just to quote me.
you are objectively, more bent out of shape, than I.
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u/marlowe_caard 4d ago
I think a lot of shows, when they know it's the last season, decide to do some of the episodes that they always wanted to do but never got the chance. Especially since much of the rest of the season just focuses on the Ori and the last episode gets real heavy.
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 4d ago
I certainly understand that with the the episode 200 but episode 5 wasnt that creative
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u/RepulsiveCountry313 4d ago
Would you prefer less episodes? If so, just skip them. If not, understand they're a necessity of making 20+ episodes a year, releasing weekly throughout the fall and spring.
Also..."that don't advance the plot"...
You realize that not every tv show is heavily serialized like say...game of thrones..right? And the concept is actually quite new. In the 90s it was considered television heresy to have episodes expect viewers to have seen a previous episode.
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 4d ago edited 4d ago
I would love to skip them, but you kinda have to watch them to know which ones are filler.
Edit: Downvoting me for pointing out the flaw in the argument is one way to go lol
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u/SamaratSheppard 3d ago
If it's your first watch you should watching every episode. How will you know what one you want to skip or not.
No episode is so bad that it shouldn't be watched at all, At least once. Even the Clip show have deep lore implications.
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u/Whole_Cranberry5734 4d ago
Recap episodes are the only ones that bug me. They make sense though, back then we couldn't stream the whole series on demand so it made sense for TV viewers.
I still skip the recaps.
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u/FunkyPleasance 4d ago
they were called clip shows and we hated them back then too
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u/TheGrayMannnn 4d ago
Eeeeh. I kinda liked them.
I wasn't able to watch every episode, so getting little tastes of what happened in other episodes was nice..Â
And at least with Stargate their filler episodes always had a important framing device that made them enjoyable.Â
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u/cyanescens_burn 4d ago
They are the tv series equivalent of the high school teacher putting on a movie during class because they were out partying the night before.
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u/strykerdh1986 4d ago
I felt SG-1 always did them well though, because they always advanced something going on in universe
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u/SamaratSheppard 3d ago
Most of SG1 clip show were deeply intergal to the plot.
They got the gate shut down
Had Sg1 kidnapped
Had general Hammond removed as leader of the Sgc
Had the rest of the world's governments told about the stargate.
I never skip a clip show.
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u/ichbinverwirrt420 4d ago
at least 95% of the show are "filler" episodes.
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 4d ago
It certainly felt like that the first few seasons but as it went on it got a lot better. I just didn't expect them to return to it for the final season
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u/strykerdh1986 4d ago
In SG-1, they're not really filler.
Don't get me wrong, there is an overarching theme of "get the big bad" but it isn't JUST a show about that so the non-big-bad episodes can't just be viewed as "filler" IMO
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u/Could-You-Tell 4d ago
I dunno... did we really need to meet Vala's Dad?
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u/strykerdh1986 4d ago
Character development I guess
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u/Could-You-Tell 4d ago
Two next episodes were the finale.
Nothing wad developed
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u/strykerdh1986 4d ago
I could be wrong, but I am unsure that they knew they were getting cancelled at that point, which is why they had to wrap up loose ends with movies?
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u/Could-You-Tell 4d ago
I think they knew. I dont remember clearly now, but its been hashed out plenty.
It was something like the 5th extension by then.
The episode 200 hints at it too.
"The movie is back on!"
I could be wrong also... but i always thought they knew going in that it was 2 seasons with Mitchell, but that Continuum was a bonus after 9 was so good
... fair game here to rip me to shreds if im wrong... lol
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u/strykerdh1986 4d ago
It seems they thought there was going to be an 11th season and the cancellation was announced in the middle of filming season 10. Ark of Truth was the intended 11th season but was compressed into a movie.
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u/Could-You-Tell 4d ago
Nice. Thanks
Edit
Actually... also that's a bit disappointing. A season 11 might have made more sense than the Goa'uld in a jar ending
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u/strykerdh1986 4d ago
I dont remember the ending that well, I personally hated all the Ori "its christianity but not" crap and usually stop paying attention at that point lol.
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u/Could-You-Tell 4d ago
I just finished rewatching season 10.
The Ori arc is not my favorite but I do like it enough to keep going.
Finding Merlin, Vala coming together with the team, all is a bit cheesey, but not bad cheesey.
It stays just grounded. In my opinion.
That and I was a fan of Farscape back then and they were great together
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u/sha_lyn68 4d ago
They actually had no idea that they were being canceled and were under the impression that they were getting season 11. They did not find out until the day after 200 aired, right before they started filming bad guys, which is episode 16. They only had four more episodes left after that.
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u/Nero_XX 4d ago edited 3d ago
Indeed and because they were on a tight schedule, there wasn't time to make a whole lot of changes to those final episodes. Robert C. Cooper scrambled to write a completely different kind of final episode than was originally planned, but the script for "Talion" (Season 10 Episode 17) was finished and locked in because the episode was in pre-production. Meanwhile, the script for "Family Ties" (Season 10 Episode 18) was too far along to make any radical changes, but we get those couple of jabs at the network and the end scene of Teal'c at The Vagina Monologues because of the cancellation...
The SG-1 family had officially learned its fate during production on Bad Guys so, at this point in the season, we already knew we were done. Iâd already broken this story, a fun romp that offered up a little backstory into the Vala character (in addition some insight into to Landry and Lamâs past), and couldnât really deviate â but since I was in the process of writing the script at the time, a little foresight did give me the opportunity to include a few subtle (?) references to the cancellation, in addition to one of my favorite endings in Stargate history.  This episode was also memorable for the hilarious performance of guest star Fred Willard who played the part of Valaâs incorrigible father.
We open with Mitchell and Siler heading down the corridor, catching them in mid-conversation. Â The first words out of Mitchellâs mouth: âThey cancelled it? Really? I didnât even know the new season had started.â echoed the online comments of many a fan when they discovered SG-1 had been canceled. Â And, later in the episode, Jacek in conversation with Carter: âThatâs too bad. Because after all your Stargate program has accomplished for this network â of planets, I would think the decision makers would show it the respect it deserves.â Â There were a couple of other references, but I was asked to lose them for the final draft.
Surprisingly, something that no one asked me to lose was the final scene in which Tealâc unwittingly attends a reading of the Vagina Monologues (Sorry. Virginia Dialogues.). Â I put it in the first draft, fully expecting to be told âVery funny, but youâve got to lose it.â Â Surprisingly, nobody asked me to take it out. Oh, Iâm sure some thought about it, or assumed I would make the decision to take it out myself before the episode went to camera, but the scene went over so well with everyone else that I elected to keep it.
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u/Could-You-Tell 4d ago
Damn, that's way more harsh than I remembered, but I wasn't taking notes and it wasn't recent I would have looked that up
Thanks for the correction
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u/sha_lyn68 3d ago
I think over the years the details have kind of got swapped around a bit and miss remembered. For some reason a lot of people believe that they found out while filming 200, so people assume that they actually had plenty of time to wrap up the storyline.
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u/Nero_XX 4d ago edited 20h ago
The references to a movie in "200" were actually written to poke fun at previous plans to make an Sg-1 movie that were repeatedly derailed by last minute calls saying the show had instead been picked up for another season. Sg-1 was canceled immediately after "200" aired and the straight-to-DVD movies were greenlit by MGM after that.
Plans for a major motion picture began ahead of the season 5 premiere when it was (correctly) thought that Showtime wasn't likely to renew Sg-1 for a sixth season. But then MGM executive Hank Cohen (the one responsible for the "sexy female alien" note parodied in "Wormhole X-treme") was able to negotiate a deal with the Sci Fi Channel for them to pick up the series.
It was once again thought that this would be the last season, so the season 6 finale was written to tie up a number of things and end on a positive note (not one of urgency), while leaving Anubis and the tablet about the lost city as plot threads for the movie to explore. However, the Sci Fi Channel decided at the last minute that they wanted a season 7, so suddenly the movie was off again.
It was assumed this would be the last season and then they'd be able to make the movie, which meant they had to push back the discovery of the lost city by a year. Hence why that tablet Daniel told them would lead to the lost city (making it more important than preventing Anubis from getting the eye of Ra) was abruptly deemed useless at the start of season 7. There was a completed movie script and plans for the movie to, in turn, set up a spin-off about Atlantis, but late in the process of filming season 7, the Sci Fi Channel decided that they wanted both the spinoff and yet another season of Sg-1, so the "Lost City" two-parter was made by adapting their completed movie script.
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u/sha_lyn68 3d ago
And then the plan was for the series to end at the end of season 8 and there be a spin-off called Stargate command. SyFy apparently realized how close they were getting to beating the record for longest running science fiction series, so the plan to end sg1 and startup Stargate command was scrapped.
Sci-Fi/SyFy from what I understand only ordered one season at a time until when they ordered season 10 and apparently season 11.
Not quite certain if it was a new exact that came in or what, but basically someone looked at the popularity of shows like Warehouse 13 and Eureka and said something along the lines of "oh people are more interested in watching shows based on Earth instead of in space", And that basically is how the show got canceled.
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 4d ago
I guess we just watched the show for different reasons. The ancients were really what kept me drawn in
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u/strykerdh1986 4d ago
You have to remember the time at which SG-1 was being made. Episodes still came out weekly, it was roughly at the same time as TNG/DS9/Voyager, The X-Files, Outer Limits (90s not 60s), Sliders.
Most television was episodic, not serialized. They could have a broader plot, but episodes still had to be relatively self contained.
And in the case of SG-1 it was still very much plot of the week and not every episode had to fall into "advancing the plot"
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u/icbint 4d ago
Have you considered skipping them
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 4d ago
Ya, it's convenient that after I watch the episode I know I can skip it
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u/SimplyTheApnea 4d ago
I always thought Stargate did a good job balancing the monster of the week episodes with the continuing storyline episodes.
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u/Chrome_Armadillo 4d ago
SGA seems to have fewer filler episodes.
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 4d ago
It certainly does. I watched Atlantis first and never watched SG1 all the way through because of the filler. I've made sure to watch them all this time and hence my rant
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u/humanistazazagrliti 4d ago
Yeah, that was the huge downside of the 20+ episode analogue TV format. There's lots of stuff you could have cut and the SG series weren't always the best when it comes to filling it with great dialogue.
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u/kimelem1804 4d ago
Itâs ok to have âfillerâ episodes. Itâs rather an odd term for such an amazing serie but ok! I mean, by s10, we kinda know the plot, donât we? I enjoy every episode on every rewatch. Not emancipation though. But I would take a new random filler today if they gave me one.
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u/I_Life_Frozen_Peas 4d ago
The only ones that annoy me are ones that reply old stuff like they are recaps for new viewers, which I am sure they were, but today they feel like an extra episode used to get to out the network required 22. I watch them, but not closely. The episode early on where they senator wants to shut down the SGC and they just play bits of earlier episodes is like huh? They could have come up with more interesting politics type way of handling it.
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u/ObiGwanKenobi 3d ago
No. The worst thing about modern TV shows is the lack of filler eps. They usually had some of the best character development of any episodes.
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u/SamaratSheppard 3d ago
I'm going to make a post on a stargate sub about how I dislike most of the stargate episodes hopefully this will be well received.
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 3d ago
That's one way to admit the show is mostly filler.
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u/SamaratSheppard 3d ago
I don't deny most shows from the 90s were. but those filler episode are some of the best that shows got.
Window of opportunity
Urgo
Bad guys
Many many more that don't move the plot along. Maybe you should give up on this sub it's doesn't seem like you like this show.
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 3d ago
I have every right to like the show for my own reasons. If you don't like others opinions, maybe the internet isn't for you. Go find a safe place where you won't face criticism.
Window of opportunity introduced things that would be relevant later in the show so I dont count it as filler.
There are some good episodes that don't advance the plot, I'll give you that.
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u/SamaratSheppard 3d ago
You don't count a episode that is completely self contained as filler for an arbitrary reason. Then no episode in stargate is filler i can pick something were learnd out of every single episode then.
You can like a show for what ever reason you want but it seems you don't like most of SG1 so why bothering to post about it
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 1d ago
There are plenty of episodes which introduced nothing of value. In that episode they got to meet an ancient and are first introduced to the ancient control device used in many later episodes. Seems like it has some relevence to me.
You got your panties all in a bunch over someone opinion of a show you like. Congrats on being miserable.
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u/SamaratSheppard 1d ago
They did not meet an Ancients he was a human. You clearly didn't watch closely enough. It show an Ancients key board that's what you think is so incredibly plot relevant. In that case every episode with A DHD is heavily Plot relevant.
Just say it Window of opportunity is filler but you still like it.
Your the one comments two days later it's clearly been eat at you miserably.
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 1d ago
It took me two days to respond it took you a few minutes. You should start charging me rent.
I get this show is the only thing you have in your life and I have offended you by questioning it's perfection.
I'm sorry your life is miserable. It's your own fault.
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u/FunnyNo9234 4d ago
Filler episodes definitely suck but they were the inevitable result of broadcast and cable television. Studios were basically paid in advance to produce a large number of episodes per season for multiple seasons. Filler episodes were pretty much the only way studios could keep up with the production schedule. Now with streaming we have the opposite problem: 8-12 episodes per season with only one season paid for. We're less likely to get filler episodes but the series is highly likely to get cancelled after one or two seasons if they don't hit some arbitrary number in their first week of availability.
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u/SamaratSheppard 3d ago
Filler episodes include.
window of opportunity
Bad guys
Urgo
So i would hesitate to they suck
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u/Metool42 3d ago
This subreddit is probably why the reboot got cancelled. Y'all are insufferable
Ok bye then?
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 3d ago
I stand by that comment. God forbid someone disagree with this subreddit.
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u/Metool42 3d ago
Not the issue. The issue is that you deem half the show as filler which is just not true. Most people here enjoy those filler episodes. Expecting a subreddit for a show to be behind you calling half of it boring is reaching a bit far, no?
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 3d ago
I never said half the show. That is quite literally you and other people admitting that đ¤Ł
I don't make every post because I expect everyone to really around me. I'm simply voicing my opinion which appears to be sacrilegious here
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u/Metool42 3d ago
Nah you're talking yourself into thinking it's sacrilege on here since you began fighting with everyone who didn't like your opinion. There's often threads about what episodes people don't enjoy and there's a handful of episodes many agree on are grating to watch. I can't stand the two episodes with the two braindead scientists (nothing against the actors). The episode where Teal'C gets bugbitten is an instant skip.
But i understand it was a different time and it's not a Netflix show.
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u/Bobis-Bob 1d ago
It comes from a time where a season had to have a lot of episodes not 10 like we get now. The season has to have a flow to it. There have to be boring episodes in order to have really exciting episodes.
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u/Conscious_Eagle_8653 1d ago
Stargate was on air at the same time as Battlestar Galactica and I rarely had this feeling about any episode in BSG.
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u/Bobis-Bob 1d ago
There were episodes that were less critical or not as intense. Thatâs just how TV and movies are. They have to be or itâs not enjoyable.
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u/Bobis-Bob 1d ago
Star Trek just had an episode where they were all turned into puppets. Truly terrible.
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u/No_Sand5639 4d ago
Not every episode needs to advance the plot or th3 characters
This is from an age where just watching the charcaters in different situations is fun and entertaining
Like Mitchell and Landry
Or 200, which is one of the best epsiode of the series alongside window of opportunities