Stargate SG-1 Reunion at Ottawa Comiccon

STARGATE SG-1 Q &A AT OTTAWA COMICCON 2014 

by Marla Desat

The award-winning series Stargate SG-1 is close to the hearts of many Canadians, having been filmed in and around Vancouver. Amanda Tapping, who played Samantha Carter, and Chris Judge, who played the alien Teal'c, joined Stargate SG-1 director Martin Wood to talk about the series at Ottawa Comiccon. The trio spoke to a packed crowd on Sunday, May 11.

Credit: Marla Desat

One of the most beloved episodes of Stargate SG-1 is "Window of Opportunity", wherein Teal'c and Colonel O'Neill, played by Richard Dean Anderson, are caught in a Groundhog Day-like loop, reliving the same day over and over again. A fan asked Tapping what she would do if she was caught in a similar loop. "Samantha Carter would probably get it on with Colonel O'Neill," said Tapping, to giddy cheers from the crowd.

Tapping spoke about her charity work with Sanctuary For Kids, a charity she founded with Damian Kindler and Jill Bodie in 2009. Sanctuary For Kids helps children in crisis around the world. The charity has now raised over $650,000 through auctions, donations, and other fundraising drives. Tapping's charity has worked with organizations all over the globe, providing medical care, food, and even bus passes to homeless youth. One of the organizations that Tapping has worked with helps teens get off the streets. "One of the things they struggle with is providing transportation," said Tapping, so bus passes are a way to support these teens and help them access education and employment. 

Another fan favourite episode is "200", a parody episode where crew members pitch science fiction films about wormhole travel, as part of a Pentagon plan to cover up the Stargate program with fictional films. The episode pays homage to Star Trek, Farscape, The Wizard of Oz, Thunderbirds, and classic noir. "Farscape was the most fun for me," said Tapping. "I liked all of them, but for a whole different reason," said Judge, grinning. "I always thought Teal'c should have a codpiece. So, if you look in each of the vignettes, Teal'c has these ridiculous codpieces."

Credit: Marla Desat

Asked about their clumsiest moments on set, Tapping answered, "I got blown up!" She related a story from the first season, where a mortar was set to go off after three of the SG-1 crew passed by a mark. Unfortunately, a steady cam operator was running backward through the scene, and the special effects operator counted the camera operator as the first of the three people to pass through the scene. So, when Tapping hit the mark, the fourth person through the woods, the mortar went off and sent her sprawling. Thankfully, Tapping escaped with only minor injuries. Judge shared a story about an uncomfortable spacesuit. At the end of season four, Teal'c was supposed to perform a spacewalk. "That thing was painful!" said Judge about the spacesuit. Judge refused to wear the suit, so director Martin Wood ended up in it. Wood, shaking his head, told the audience, "When you see Teal'c floating out there, it's not Chris, it's a tiny man who should be directing!" 

Stargate SG-1 wrapped in 2007, but you can still experience the award-winning series in its entirety on DVD or through Netflix. 

Marla Desat is a recent University of Waterloo grad living and working in Ottawa. When she isn't playing the latest video games, she's geeking out over comic books, board games, tabletop roleplaying games and science. Marla also writes for The Escapist as a freelance news writer. You can follow her on Twitter @mrdesat.