Stargate SG-1


Stargate SG-1 is a military science fiction adventure television series within Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 science fiction film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich. The television series was filmed in and around the city of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The series premiered on Showtime on July 27, 1997, and moved to the Sci Fi Channel on June 7, 2002; the series finale aired on Sky1 on March 13, 2007.
The series was a ratings success for its first-run broadcasters and in syndication and was particularly popular in Europe and Australia. Stargate SG-1's awards include eight Emmy nominations. It also spawned the animated television series Stargate Infinity, the live-action spin-off TV series Stargate Atlantis, Stargate Universe, and Stargate Origins and the direct-to-DVD films Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum. Merchandise for Stargate SG-1 includes games and toys, print media and an original audio series.

Series overview

The plot of Stargate SG-1 picks up a year after the conclusion of the events recounted in the original feature film. It follows the adventures of SG-1, a military team from Earth. SG-1 and a dozen other SG teams venture to distant planets using an alien portal known as a Stargate, which in the series is housed in a top-secret United States Air Force military base known as Stargate Command in the underground Cheyenne Mountain Complex in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The mission of the SG teams is to explore the galaxy and search for alien technology and allies to defend Earth against alien threats such as the Goa'uld, the Replicators, and the Ori. As explained in the series' backstory, the Goa'uld had transported human slaves from Earth to other habitable planets across the galaxy thousands of years ago and now pose as gods of old Earth mythologies, particularly Ancient Egypt. The series also draws upon Greek, Roman, and Norse mythology, as well as the legend of King Arthur. SG-1 eventually learns that highly evolved human-like beings, known as the Ancients, had originally built the Stargate network millions of years earlier, before ascending to a higher plane of existence, after which they pledged not to interfere in the lives of other species.

Apophis Arc

The pilot episode, set one year after the events of the original feature film, introduces the Goa'uld System Lord Apophis as the main antagonist when he attacks Earth's mothballed SGC military base through the Stargate and kidnaps an airman. The SGC is brought back into action when the Stargate is revealed to be part of an interplanetary network connecting countless planets. SG teams are created to help defend Earth against the Goa'uld, who have interstellar pyramid warships and vast armies of Jaffa at their disposal. Earth's flagship team SG-1, which includes Apophis's defected First Prime Teal'c, initiates several alliances with other cultures in the galaxy, such as the Goa'uld-like but truly symbiotic Tok'ra, the advanced human Tollan, the pacifist Nox, the benevolent Roswell-alien Asgard and remnants of the powerful Ancients. Another alien threat arises in the Season 3 finale in the form of sentient machines called Replicators. Meanwhile, rogue agents of a shadowy intelligence agency on Earth, the NID, repeatedly attempt to take control of the Stargate and other alien technology. Despite Apophis's death in the Season 5 premiere, the Goa'uld Empire remains a major foe in Stargate SG-1 until the end of Season 8.

Anubis Arc

After Apophis's defeat, the half-Ascended Goa'uld System Lord Anubis assumes the role of the primary antagonist of the show. This new villain possesses much of the knowledge of the Ancients and their technology. While Earth builds its first interstellar spaceship in seasons Season 6 and Season 7, Anubis creates an army of almost invincible Kull Warriors and wipes out or subordinates most of his adversaries amongst the System Lords. In the Season 7 finale, SG-1 discovers a powerful weapon in an Ancient outpost in Antarctica that annihilates Anubis's entire fleet and also sets the stage for the spin-off series Stargate Atlantis. Ba'al subsumes much of Anubis's power in Season 8, while Anubis, who survived the destruction of his fleet in a disembodied form, quietly begins to re-assert his influence. Human-form Replicators begin to conquer the System Lords, but SG-1 finds and adjusts an Ancient weapon to destroy all Replicators throughout the galaxy. Near the end of Season 8, it is revealed that the benevolent Ascended being Oma Desala is responsible for Anubis's original ascension. When she engages Anubis in an eternal stalemated battle on the Ascended plane to prevent his acting on the mortal plane, the Replicators and most System Lords have already been annihilated and the Jaffa win their freedom from Goa'uld rule.

Ori Arc

The original SG-1 team disbands after the events of Season 8 but slowly reunites under new team leader Lt Col. Cameron Mitchell after the SGC inadvertently draws the attention of the Ori to the existence of sentient life in the Milky Way; the Ori are revealed to be a faction of ascended Ancients residing in another galaxy that are diametrically opposed to the Ancients' belief in strict noninterference in the lower planes of existence, sapping the energy from untold billions of "lower beings" by means of their worship in a religion called Origin. While the Ori send enhanced human beings named Priors to the Milky Way to convert the galaxy to Origin, Ba'al and some minor Goa'uld infiltrate Earth through The Trust to rebuild their power. At the end of Season 9, the Ori begin an evangelistic crusade with their warships and effortlessly wipe out the combined fleet of Earth and its allies. The leader of the Ori, Adria, is introduced in the premiere of Season 10. SG-1 searches for the Sangraal, an Ancient weapon that might defeat the Ori, while Ba'al and his clones attempt to find the weapon for their own purposes. With the help of the powerful Ancient Merlin, SG-1 finds the construction plans of the Sangraal and sends a working version to the Ori galaxy. Shortly thereafter, Adria ascends. The direct-to-DVD film Stargate: The Ark of Truth ends the Ori Arc. The only influential Goa'uld in the last two seasons of Stargate SG-1 is the System Lord Ba'al, who is defeated in the direct-to-DVD film Stargate: Continuum.

Main cast and characters

  • Richard Dean Anderson as Jonathan "Jack" O'Neill – A United States Air Force colonel and an Air Force Special Operations veteran who led the original mission through the Stargate in Stargate. He is coaxed out of retirement in the pilot episode and serves as the leader of the SG-1 team in the first seven seasons. He takes charge of Stargate Command after his promotion to brigadier general at the beginning of Season 8. The series repeatedly alludes to romantic feelings between O'Neill and his second-in-command Carter, but the relationship is never shown as consummated outside alternate reality scenarios. O'Neill is reassigned to Washington, D.C. before Season 9 and receives a promotion to major general. He appears in a recurring role in Seasons 9 and 10 of Stargate SG-1, as well as in Stargate: Continuum and in Seasons 1 and 3 of Stargate Atlantis. O'Neill appears as a lieutenant general in multiple episodes of Stargate Universe where he is in command of the Department of Homeworld Security.
  • Michael Shanks as Daniel Jackson – A brilliant Egyptologist whose far-fetched theories about Egyptian pyramids having been built by aliens led to his participation in the original Stargate mission in the feature film. He joins the SG-1 team to facilitate his search for his wife, who was kidnapped by Apophis in the pilot episode, but his naïveté and curiosity regularly create obstacles for the team. Jackson gradually evolves from being an archaeologist and translator into the moral conscience for the team and remains part of SG-1 until he ascends to a higher plane of existence at the end of Season 5. Following his forced de-ascension at the beginning of Season 7, he rejoins SG-1 for the remainder of the series. The last three seasons show, Jackson has a flirtatious yet antagonistic relationship with Vala Mal Doran. Jackson also appears in both direct-to-DVD films, in Seasons 1 and 5 of Stargate Atlantis and in three Stargate Universe episodes.
  • Amanda Tapping as Samantha "Sam" Carter – A brilliant young astrophysicist and initially a United States Air Force captain, Carter joins SG-1 under the command of Colonel O'Neill in the pilot episode. Following her promotion to major in Season 3, she is later promoted to lieutenant colonel early in Season 8 and assumes command of SG-1. Carter assists Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell in Seasons 9 and 10. After her appearance in Stargate: The Ark of Truth, Carter is promoted to full colonel and becomes the new commander of the Atlantis expedition in Season 4 of Stargate Atlantis before joining SG-1 again for Stargate: Continuum. Carter appears in a recurring role in all seasons of Stargate Atlantis and in the first episode of Stargate Universe as commander of the starship George Hammond.
  • Christopher Judge as Teal'c – A quiet and strong Jaffa alien who defects from his position as the First Prime of the Goa'uld Apophis. He joins SG-1 after the first episode in hopes of leading his race to freedom. Despite achieving this goal at the end of Season 8, Teal'c remains a member of SG-1 until the end of the series. He also appears in both direct-to-DVD films and in Season 4 of Stargate Atlantis as a mentor for Ronon Dex during an interview for the IOA.
  • Don S. Davis as George Hammond – A United States Air Force major general who heads Stargate Command in the first seven seasons. Besides recurring in Seasons 8 through 10 of Stargate SG-1, Hammond also appears in Season 1 of Stargate Atlantis. Davis died from a heart attack in June 2008, making his appearance in Stargate: Continuum his last.
  • Corin Nemec as Jonas Quinn – A humanoid alien and scientist from the country of Kelowna on the planet Langara. Jackson sacrifices his life leading to his ascension at the end of Season 5 in an attempt to save Kelowna, but the subsequent gleeful reaction of the Kelownan leaders causes Quinn to turn his back on Langara. Jonas is a fast learner and fills Daniel's empty spot on SG-1 in Season 6. Following Daniel's return, Jonas returns to his planet and remains a recurring character in Season 7.
  • Ben Browder as Cameron "Cam" Mitchell – A United States Air Force lieutenant colonel who is assigned as the new commanding officer of SG-1 at the beginning of Season 9. He struggles to reunite its former members under his command and heads SG-1 until the end of Season 10. He is promoted to full colonel between his appearances in Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum.
  • Beau Bridges as Henry "Hank" Landry – A United States Air Force major general and the commander of Stargate Command in Seasons 9 and 10. He is the estranged father of the SGC's medical officer Carolyn Lam and appears in both direct-to-DVD films and in Seasons 2 and 3 of Stargate Atlantis. In Season 10, Episode 13 Hank Landry was President Of The United States, as well as Major General Hank Landry.
  • Claudia Black as Vala Mal Doran – A con artist from an unnamed planet and a former human host to the Goa'uld Qetesh. Her first appearance in Season 8's "Prometheus Unbound" is the beginning of her relationship with Daniel. In her recurring role in Season 9, Vala and Daniel unintentionally set off the new Ori threat. She is unwillingly impregnated by the Ori, gives birth to daughter Adria, and watches helplessly as Adria grows to adulthood in a few days time. Vala joins SG-1 after giving birth to the new leader of the Ori at the beginning of Season 10 and appears in both direct-to-DVD films.