Stargate: Your Favorite Memories

[JME2]

With tonight’s airing of “Gauntlet”, Stargate has ended its 14-year television run. I would not be surprised to see it return in some form down the road; it’s too important to MGM, after all.

If that never happens, however, then we have 3 movies and 354 episodes of good sci-fi to enjoy and re-watch.

Regardless, let’s give the franchise our own little send-off. Let’s not focus on the negative, but instead on the positive. Let’s talk about our favorite moments, characters, quotes, and celebrate 17 years of adventures beyond the gate.

I have a lot of favorite bits, but my favorite moment in the entire franchise is Daniel stepping through the Alpha Gate for the first time -- contrasting O’Neill’s uncertain, fearful approach moments earlier and setting the tone for everything that came.

[Adrian McNair]

I have a fair few fond memories but I'll try to pick the ones that stand out the most. The Within The Serpent's Grasp/The Serpent's Lair was probably when I really started to get into the show. Beforehand it had been enjoyable escapism with planets of the week and skirmishes with the Goa'uld but it was here that it felt that the stakes had been raised.

I liked the visual effects upgrade that occurred some-time within Season 3 (if I remember correctly it occurred around the time of yet another great two parter- Jolinar's Memories/The Devil You Know). I feel that the show pretty much peaked in season four with fine episodes such as Small Victories, The Other Side, Upgrades, Divide and Conquer, Window of Opportunity, The Serpent's Venom, Chain Reaction, 2010, Absolute Power and Exodus.

Season five's Enemies is one of my all-time favourites with Apophis, the Replicators and SG-1 caught in the middle.

The Reckoning two-parter was a very satisfying resolution to the Goa'uld and Replicator plot threads. You pretty much could call it an ending to SG-1.

I've never had a favourite character in particular. It's always been an ensemble show in my mind. Every character has had a moment to shine.

[Skgoa]

The first thing that popped into my head was Window(s?) of Opportunity, i.e. the time loop episode. And it is the perfect example for the reason I love Stargate: IMHO SG and the first seasons of SGA managed to perfectly balance longer arcs with standalone episodes and gravitas (for lack of a better word) with humor.

[Chris OFarrell]

Some on the moments that come to mind from the top of my head;

More or less the entire episode of Within the Serpents Grasp. Real tension, great mix of onworld and offworld action, some great lines from the main and supporting cast, and a great performance from all the main people involved.

The Fifth Race, with O'Neill slowly loosing his mind until finally he steps through the Stargate and meets the Asgard, and pulls off that great moment in SG1 history.

Point of View for the tension filled covert fun inside the mountain as they race to save this AU, ending with O'Neills "Oh come on, you gotta love those guys!" as the Jaffa run for the Stargate in a panic and an Asgard ship descends over the base.

The Double Jeopardy, Exodus, Enemies, Threshold arc that ended S4 and started S5, one of the best flowing mini arcs in my opinion with the 'Jaffa revenge thing', Replicators vs Aphosis, and;
"Well it was kinda a trade deal...Cronus gave us his ship, and he got what was coming to him!"

Homecoming / Full Circle, which showed that Jonas could have worked as an exceptional part of the SG1 dynamic, assholes. Also gave Ba'al his real start as a major actor in the SG1 dynamic.

Lost City was an excellent episode, it really works well if watched as a single long episode and not two individual episodes. The drones blasting out of the ice and streaking past the Prometheus into Anubis's flagship has really grown on me over the years.

As has the Reckoning 1/2 episodes, nicely tying up the major plot threads for the end of SG1...whoops. But still great.

For SG1, those are probably more then anything the moments I really think about when I reflect back on SG1. PLENTY of other episodes I love, but those are the bits that stick.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Window of Opportunity, A Matter of Time, The Fifth Race, Nemesis/Small Victories, Exodus/Enemies, Reckoning, Avatar, Zero Hour, Moebius.

There are many awesome episodes, but those are the ones I watch the most.

Favourite character, that's difficult. Adrian said it, it's an ensemble show. Then again, the character that I generally really enjoed was General Hammond. I'm not sure why, I just think he's awesome.

"I am allowing you to take this ship through the gate because of the obvious tactical advantages it gives you. It is not under any circumstances to be used for time travel...Never in my entire career did I think I'd have to give that order..."

"Colonel O'Neill what the HELL are you doing?"
"In the middle of my backswing?!"

Ah, precious memories.

[Ahriman238]

Man, last week I caught Sci-fi, sorry, "Sy-Fy" airing a rerun of "Forever in a Day," the one where Daniel's wife, after several years of searching and hoping, dies. Grief well-portrayed, and it launched the whole Harceisis plot-arc. Remember that?

I first saw Stargate in the form of the Kurt Russel/James Spader movie, and it was unspeakably epic. Sure, the special effects then aren't what we can do now, but it had a great story. It was a few years before I knew there was a show, but I got all the Dvds for SG-1 and the first two seasons of Atlantis.

It was definitly an ensemble cast but, maybe because I'd seen the movie first, I could never quite shake the notion that it was Daniel Jackson's story, the humble and spat-upon archaeologist who became an interstellar explorer, stared down a god, and liberated a world. Even that doesn't entirely make sense, Jack was there and did most of those things, but that's how I felt, and still feel to a much lesser degree.

For comedy, nothing beat 'Urgo,' great guest star, or '1969' never has the truth, directly said been so misleading. I liked 'A Hundred Days' where Jack is stranded on an alien world just long enough to accept that no one is coming to rescue him. 'The Torment of Tantalus' 'Enigma' 'Absolute Power' 'Scortched Earth' and 'Forever in a Day' as awesome Daniel-centric episodes. Plus the Unas ones 'Thor's Hammer' 'Demons' 'The First Ones' 'Beast of Burden' and 'Enemy Mine.'

I really like 'the First Commandment,' it was a first season episode, and obvious homage to Heart of Darkness, where an SG team leader flips out and declares himself god of some primitive tribesmen. Partly because it's a wonder more SGC personel didn't wig out and start saying "wibble." And partly because it addresses something that was obvious from the begining but not picked up again until much later, that a Stargate is a massive temptation. "In light of the truths presented by the Stargate, there are motivations that make mere financial greed seem benign."

'The Fifth Race' it's one thing to say you and your people will go far. It's quite another to have an almost godlike race of aliens agree with you.

Yeah, if I was going to list every episode I liked, it'd take some time. These are the ones that leap immediatly to mind.

R.I.P. Stargate.

[Eternal_Freedom]

Shit, how did I forget 1969?

Best. Time Travel. Show. EVER.

[JME2]

I like re-watching "The Torment of Tantalus" and seeing the meeting chamber of the Four Great Races. It's fun knowing that not only will SG-1 encounter the Asgard and Nox within the next year, but that the Ancients will become so important to the mythology.

[Themightytom]

O'neill "Ah trees, what a wonderful leafy green universe we live in.

Sam on Atlantis in trio, swinging the grappling hook perfectly after one try despite Rodney's dozen or so attempts.

Teal'c kicking the shit out of Wayne Brady... for so many reasons..

Daniel discovering keb.

Wormhole X treme, "Is she taller than me" and "It's a laser spear!"
I liked the scene in 200 where martin was talking about how much he truly adored the writers, pausing only to take a dump on one.

Colonel Shepherd getting painted as a complete coward in the Atlantis episode where they save the little girl.

Rodney McKay wasting an entire clip to kill a mouse in the episode where Kolya captures shepherd

Beckett launching a drone at Ronan's nemesis in "Sateda"

Jewel Staite, whatever her name was teaching Carter and McKay a drinking game.

Ronan staring completely amazed as the little blond extra kicked the shit out of one of Michael's hybrids and explaining she takes kickboxing.

Teyla when she vanished from the screen for the last time heh heh heh she was lame.

The moment Weir found a stargate in a closet.

Chloe watching a little scorpion alien thing tear into her chest and rip its way out of her alternate's back, and throwing up on the floor.

Young punching Rush in the face, as well as "What am I captain kirk"} and the terrible acting moment in "blockade" after he shoots down a drone and is thanked.. "All good."
Yeah.. way to act buddy, they give you gold and you consistently came up with shit :-p

Rush setting off a stampede to kill Simeon Mufassa style.

Grear like.. ninety percent of his screen time, but most notably when he faked pain in getting a bone marrow draw only to find out it really Fcking hurt.

James yelling at Eli for spying on her with the Kino

[Ahriman238]

Shit, how did I forget 1969?

Best. Time Travel. Show. EVER.

"You're right. My name's not Kirk. It's Skywalker. Luke Skywalker."

"So what does that thing on your head represent?"
"Enslavement."
(weird look)
"To False Gods."
"Right on!"

"By the way Colonel. With interest you owe me $539.50"

[lordofchange13]

The Fifth race, and the one were replicators are on the sub has got to be my favorite, also the Tao of Rodney. with Rodney being my favorite character.

[Eternal_Freedom]

"We can't tell Catherine who we are."
"Well, the we'll go in disguise!"
"How you gonna do that?"
"Well, I speak 27 languages, pick one."

"Me and Jenny, we're even thinking about crossing the border up to Canada!"
"For what reason?"
"You know, man...the war."
"The war with Canada?"
"No....."

"Kirk, Captain James T."
"Your dog tags say different mister."
"They're lying."

So many great lines.

[Terralthra]

Most of my favorites have already been mentioned, so...

"...I've loved you for quite some time now."

[Ahriman238]

John Shepperd trying to explain football to Teyla. In the same episode IIRC, he was telling Friday the 13th to some Athosian kids as a ghost story, but got derailed trying to explain what a hockey mask was.

"We call them things-that-make-the-ship-go."

Weir's speech/montage in 'Letters from Pegasus.' Magnificently done.

The look on Aphophis' face as he saw his death coming.

The time Daniel talks to Jack, relayed by his grandfather who's the only one who can see or hear Daniel. "Jack, don't be an ass." "Daniel?"

"It's Good to be the King" The whole episode from start to finish.

Likewise "Proving Ground."

When Carter's dad arranged for her to transfer to NASA, since she always wanted to be an astronaut, and her trying to find a way to wriggle out without hurting his feelings or breaking secrecy.

"To hell with us!"

[Brother-Captain Gaius]

JACOB CARTER: "I'm sorry, but at the time it looked very much like we weren't going to make it."
O'NEILL: "Well, next time maybe just... wait and see?"
JACOB CARTER: "What, and blow my last chance to ever be right?"
O'NEILL: "...What?"
SAM CARTER: "Welcome to my life."
O'NEILL: "...What?"

[Lord Helmet]

Favorite memories?..

Amanda Tapping, the tight green cropped, top trying to virtually rape O'Neill in the locker room ("SG1: The Broca divide").

[Ahriman238]

Amanda Tapping, the tight green cropped, top trying to virtually rape O'Neill in the locker room ("SG1: The Broca divide").

I liked the aftermath better.

"No, she tried to seduce me."

"Oh, you poor, poor man."

[JME2]

Some SGA-related memories.

Rising
Gave us my favorite Stargate design and one of my favorite O'Neill/Daniel exchanges:

O'Neill: In their... flying city.
Daniel: Yes.
(sees Jack's reaction)
Daniel: What?
O'Neill: ...Flying. City.
Daniel: Keep in mind this is the race that built the Stargates. They did everything big.

The Siege, Part III
Gave us the fucking BC-304. 'nuff said.

The Pegasus Project
Just seeing the SG-1 and Atlantis teams interacting and working together was so enjoyable. A perfect crossover.

[Agent Fisher]

Jaffa Jokes, lol.

"I have read of a place where humans do battle in a ring of Jell-O."

I loved Heroes and the battle between the SG-teams and the Jaffa.

Man, so many great moments.

[Eternal_Freedom]

I'll second The Siege, pt 3 and The Pegasus Project.

Bc 304's for the win. I still think they are my all time favurite starship design. And I can't explain why for some reason.

[Crazedwraith]

Amanda Tapping, the tight green cropped, top trying to virtually rape O'Neill in the locker room ("SG1: The Broca divide").

I liked the aftermath better.

"No, she tried to seduce me."

"Oh, you poor, poor man."

Wooo! Double standards! Still Jack got him back in kind when it came to the whole Hathor thing.

[JME2]

Bc 304's for the win. I still think they are my all time favurite starship design. And I can't explain why for some reason.

It takes the best elements of the Prometheus, throws in a little U.S.S. Defiant, and gives us a compact, sleek design.

[Eternal_Freedom]

And as proved by "Be All My Sins Rememb'd" is kickass when it has those Asgard rayguns. Incidentally, that was probably my favourite battle sequence in the whole of Stargate. It was just so awesome. Like the Battle of Endor but with modern CGI and on steroids.

Apollo or Daedalus (can't tell which) dropping out of hyperspace and bitchslapping an Aurora class with a railgun strafing run? That's made of win.

[JME2]

And as proved by "Be All My Sins Rememb'd" is kickass when it has those Asgard rayguns. Incidentally, that was probably my favourite battle sequence in the whole of Stargate. It was just so awesome. Like the Battle of Endor but with modern CGI and on steroids.

Yeah, that's still the franchise's best space battle.

When the Ori destroyed the Korolev, I think I threw something at the TV. I was pissed that those bastards had blown up a BC-304.

In terms of SGA, I do have a fondness for the Battle of the Void in "No Man's Land".

[GeorgeOrr]

My fondest memory would have to be when I abandoned the show ten episodes into the first season.