While Stargate may be considered by some to be the lesser known cousin of Star Wars and Star Trek, the franchise is arguably as rich and well-realized as either of them. Though it's gone through a bit of a dry spell lately, Amazon's acquisition of the IP has fans hopeful that a revival is coming soon.In the meantime, there's a bevy of excellent planet-hopping action to choose from. Between SG-1, Atlantis, and Universe, the franchise was a quiet powerhouse throughout the late 90s and early 2000s. Its blend of humor, adventure, and high-stakes drama is no less captivating now than when it first aired. One need only look at these SG-1 episodes to see that.
10 S6 Episode 08: The Other Guys
Though conspicuously absent from other best-episode lists, "The Other Guys" is an exemplary Stargate: SG-1 episode for its tongue-in-cheek approach to the show's formula. Instead of being centered around the main cast, the episode is focalized through two side characters — scientists Felder and Coombs — who rush to SG-1's rescue after they're captured by the Goa'uld.
Though their bumbling occasionally stretches the audience's suspension of disbelief, the characters are quite funny, and their rescue from the Goa'uld pyramid is fraught with suspense. It's a fun romp that doesn't take itself too seriously — perfect for Stargate: SG-1's overall tone.
9 S1 Episode 01: Children of the Gods
The hour-and-a-half series opener is unique for how much work it has to do, and for how well it succeeds in doing so. The episode has to reestablish Colonel O'Neill and Doctor Daniel Jackson as characters (played by different actors, no less), and catch the audience up from the events of the film after a three-year gap. It must introduce newcomers Teal'c, Captain Carter, and series fan-favorite General Hammond; and lay the foundational logic for the rest of the show.
For the most part, "Children of the Gods" succeeds as both a low-budget sequel to the 1994 film and as an ambitious opener for a new television series. Although the show would take a season or two to fully grow into its own skin, this episode remains a solid entry for achieving that tricky transition from the big screen to the small screen.
8 S10 Episode 20: Unending
Similar to "Children of the Gods," the final episode of the series also distinguishes itself for its work as a piece of metafiction. Without spoiling too much, the team is forced to place themselves in a time dilation bubble, wherein they're given all the time in the world to solve a problem — provided, that is, that Captain Carter can decipher a new cache of Asgard technology.
Decades go by, new (and surprising) relationships are formed, and the crew braces for the inevitable. It's a clever way to give fans a sneak peek into these characters' futures while maintaining the present-day drama of the show.
7 S8 Episode 17: Reckoning: Part 2
This episode marks the end of the Replicators, a race of sentient machines that appear to be unstoppable after pushing both the Asgard and the Goa'uld to the brink of annihilation. The main cast is forced to fight a four-front battle.
This battle finds Teal'c and the rebel Jaffa against Ba'al's armada, O'Neill and Air Force Personnel against Replicators pouring through Earth's stargate, Captain Carter and her father against a tricky science problem, and, finally, Doctor Daniel Jackson against the Replicator's personified hivemind. It's an exciting episode filled with bullets, grenades, spider bots, and Evil Captain Carter playing mind games with Daniel.
6 S5 Episode 12: Wormhole X-Treme!
"Wormhole X-Treme!" is a polarizing episode for the fandom, due in part to its awkward placement in the series. The fifth season of Stargate: SG-1 is far from its best, and many people took umbrage with a "joke" episode placed in the middle of an otherwise unremarkable season.
However, much like season four's "Window of Opportunity," "Wormhole X-Treme!" is notable for showcasing the writers' willingness to poke fun at themselves. Placed in the broader context of the entire show, the episode stands out as a celebratory outing.
5 S6 Episode 11: Prometheus
Though this episode marks the first appearance of a human-built battle cruiser in Stargate, that alone isn't the main draw of "Prometheus." While it marks a turning point in the show's running subplot of technological development, it also serves as a fun nod to movies like Die Hard and Air Force One.
The experimental spacecraft is hijacked with Quinn and Carter on board, then forced to make a hyperdrive jump. Major Carter does her best MacGyver impression and manages to sabotage the ship's sublight systems to slow the hijacker's progress, long enough for Colonel O'Neill and Teal'c to use a stolen Death Glider to infiltrate the ship. Together, they take back control of the Prometheus, only to realize afterward that they're hopelessly lost in space.
4 S3 Episode 22: Nemesis
"Nemesis" continues Colonel O'Neill's proud tradition of trying to heroically blow himself up, and also the proud tradition of other people preventing him from doing so. The Asgard, Thor, beams O'Neill to his spaceship orbiting Earth in order to ask his assistance in destroying it and the replicators on board.
What follows is a tense episode filled with great dialogue between the main cast as they weigh their relationships with one another against the greater good.
3 S7 Episode 18: Heroes: Part 2
One of the most effective two-part episodes in the series is "Heroes," and the second part packs a surprisingly emotional punch for a show that's typically light-hearted. A documentary team is assigned to the Stargate project, and the new focalization gives viewers a fresh perspective on the dangers and thrills of every trip through the wormhole.
It's episodes like these, showcasing the ease with which the source material goes from light-hearted to tragic, that make Stargate worthy of a revival.
2 S4 Episode 06: Window of Opportunity
"Window of Opportunity" is often placed at the top of SG-1 episodes (it's the series' highest rated episode on IMDB), and for good reason. It represents an archetypical episode that long-form television had perfected, but unfortunately didn't survive entertainment's transition from network to streaming-based services: the "Groundhog Day" episode.
Much like Supernatural's episode "Mystery Spot" or Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Cause and Effect," SG-1's "Window of Opportunity" is a standout entry in the series for how it blends humor, drama, and great character moments. It also develops O'Neill and Teal'c's friendship as they learn to juggle, translate Latin, and work on their golf swings together.
1 S10 Episode 03: The Pegasus Project
This episode has something for everyone: nukes, Doctor McKay and Major Carter arguing over science stuff, Doctor Daniel Jackson interrogating Morgan Le Fay (who's impersonating a hologram in Atlantis), more nukes, a spaceship battle centered around a black hole, and the indelible image of an Ori capital ship being obliterated by the event horizon of a moon-sized stargate.
The episode is constructed beautifully, maximizing tension between its different subplots. It's even clever enough to use the black hole's gravitational effect to create pregnant pauses in long-distance communications, making every question asked that much more urgent. Even without the presence of Colonel O'Neill, "The Pegasus Project" is the gold standard of Stargate: SG-1 episodes.