By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Stargate SG-1 has maintained a devoted following since the series ended, and it’s always a pleasure to see the cast come together in different shows and films. This was the case with Amanda Tapping’s SyFy series, Sanctuaryabout “Abnormals”, beings who are part of human tradition, legend and mythology but who need protection from the world, when Michael Shanks, his longtime SG-1 co-star, appeared in season 2. The two shared the screen again, made sure to include a few nods to their time together, and in the DVD commentary, Tapping delightfully goes on to praise his old friend.
The Stem Tapping Meeting
“Penance”, season 2, episode 9, is another “Case of the Week” episode of Sanctuarywith Shanks playing Jimmy, a freak forced into a life of smuggling by dangerous criminals. Jimmy and Helen Magnus, the scientist older than she looks, are old friends, but in a nod to Tapping’s appearance in Stargate SG-1Jimmy greets her with “I like the hair”, because Amanda Carter was a short-haired blonde and Helen has long brown hair. Both admitted that it was a joke that they managed to sneak into the episode, specifically as a nod to SG-1 fans.
Jimmy, as Abnormal, also has the strange mutation of a stomach pouch, which makes him a talented smuggler, but it also makes him resemble the stomach pouch of Stargate SG-1 Jaffa. Although the Jaffa harbored a Gou’ald larva in their pouch, Jimmy tends to carry bombs in his. Sanctuary ends in the only way possible since one of the edicts in the writer’s room had to be “Helen can never achieve victory”, after Jimmy sacrifices himself.
The Perfect Sanctuary Stargate Joke
Shanks and Carter’s reunion isn’t the only crossover between Stargate SG-1 And Sanctuarywhich also included Christopher Heyerdahl in the main cast as Join Druitt and “Big Guy” (never confirmed to be Big Foot, but he is Big Foot). Heyerdahl played Pallan, the man kept imprisoned in a dome before, of course, Samantha Carter severed his connection with the AI manipulating him. Clearly, someone thought the two had great chemistry, as the second time they worked together, playing supernatural exes provides some of the best parts of the first three seasons.
A more subtle but perfectly targeted joke in The sanctuary The third season took direct aim at the biggest difference between Amanda Tapping’s two characters: the accent. In the season 3 episode, “Bank Job”, Helena Magnus has to stage a bank robbery and in doing so she puts on an American accent, prompting a teller to comment, “I knew the British accent was fake ! The cashier is played by Gary Jones, better known as Stargate SG-1 Norman Harriman, a clever reference to the way the British Tapping used an American accent to play Carter.
Like almost every other pair of science fiction shows, Stargate SG-1 And Sanctuary Many recognizable faces crossed paths between the two shows, partly for references, but also because both shows were filmed in Vancouver. This is why many Supernatural performers also appear, and it seems that Heyerdahl, in particular, has been in almost every series ever filmed in Canada. Nothing is as effective as bringing Dr. Jackson and Dr. Carter together on screen, even for a few minutes; and if you can, check out the Sanctuary DVD commentaries, which are not only fascinating given the unique way the series was made, but also because Amanda Tapping enthusiasm for science fiction is contagious.
Sanctuary is broadcast on Pluto.
