In Stargate SG-1, Teal’c was a Jaffa, the only member of the eponymous team that was not completely human. He was from the planet Chulak, one of the worlds conquered by the Goa’uld, and spent most of his life prior to meeting SG-1 as a slave. His rebellion against the System Lord Apophis allowed him to join the Stargate program, and ensured he formed deep bonds with Jack O’Neill, Samantha Carter, and Daniel Jackson, as well as the other members that would eventually join SG-1.
Teal’c was the most unflappable member of the team, acting as the muscle and the voice of reason for the others. He did have sincere emotional moments too, particularly when his family was involved, when his team was threatened, or when his honor or freedom was impugned. He was one of the rocks of the program, and the show itself, demonstrating profound strength in fighting the Goa’uld and protecting the innocent. He acted as a guardian for ten years of the series – and for over a century within the show’s timeline.
S1 E12: Bloodlines
Teal’c’s family is introduced in this episode, which gives audiences the first real impression of Teal’c as a son, father, and husband. His rebellion against Apophis meant he had to leave his family on Chulak, seeking to protect them from the fallout of his choice, but the result is that his wife and son are ostracized from Jaffa society.
Teal’c spends the episode trying to preserve his son from the fate of hosting a Goa’uld larval symbiote, but it ends up being the only thing that can save his life. Teal’c protective instincts and habit of sacrificing himself for those he loves comes into play, features of his personality that last for the entire series.
S2 E08: Family
When Teal’c’s young son Rya’c is captured by Apophis, Teal’c rouses SG-1 to help retrieve him. In the process, he discovers his wife has married another Jaffa, one who is able to provide for her and her son without the threat of excommunication. Teal’c also learns that Apophis has brainwashed Rya’c into worshipping him blindly, forcing him to develop a hatred for his own parents. Teal’c reconciles with his wife and rescues his son, but the long deprogramming session that must follow is painful for the entire family. As a result, the personal enmity between Teal’c and Apophis grows.
S5 E02: Threshold
The premiere of season 5 had Teal’c revived and brainwashed by Apophis, who reinstated him as his First Prime, and almost made him eliminate SG-1. In this aftermath episode, Teal’c is forced to choose between simple servitude or complex liberty, going through a ritual called M’al Sharran in order to untangle his mind. He is guided by his mentor Bra’tac, who first encouraged him to rebel against the tyrant who was enslaving their people. Teal’c experiences visions of the past, including his relationship with SG-1, and ultimately decides to live for what brings him fulfillment: independence, and helping his friends.
S5 E18: The Warrior
Conflicts of loyalty are the theme of this episode, in which Teal’c must choose between helping the Jaffa people or staying with his team. Another rebel First Prime named K’tano has garnered a massive following of Jaffa, and Teal’c is eager to join in his effort to take down the Goa’uld. However, K’tano’s reckless guerrilla methods of fighting the war have gotten many Jaffa killed, and even get Teal’c captured.
Aterwards, Teal’c challenges K’tano, and realizes he was a Goa’uld double agent all along. Teal’c reliance on his own instincts and his team becomes stronger, and he’s less likely to trust without evidence.
S7 E04: Orpheus
After Teal’c is shot, he finds himself weakened, having no symbiote to back him up with enhanced strength. Moreover, he learns through Daniel Jackson that Rya’c, his son, and Bra’tac, his mentor, have been imprisoned in a brutal work camp. He resolves to help them, and to free the other Jaffa that have been enslaved there, but he struggles to return to his old physical abilities.
Reuniting with Rya’c and Bra’tac gives Teal’c the confidence he needs to break them out of the camp, and to begin a slave revolt in the process. Teal’c saves his family and creates a new generation of rebels, and stops doubting himself so much.
S8 E07: Affinity
This episode follows Teal’c on what should be a normal day off, showing him going about his life on Earth outside the walls of Cheyenne Mountain. Teal’c has an extremely powerful sense of justice, as well as a natural inclination to protect the innocent, so he helps a woman defend herself against her abusive partner. When the man turns up dead, Teal’c is blamed, Daniel is abducted, and Carter has to become a detective with her fiancé in order to free them both. This episode acts as a murder mystery and a character study for Teal’c, who is still learning how to integrate into human communities.
S10 E17: Talion
Late in the series is a recurrence of an old conflict: namely, the dissonance between Teal’c’s loyalty to his family and his commitment to his teammates. A terrorist bombing on a Jaffa settlement leaves Bra’tac injured and many Jaffa people dead, and it incites Teal’c to go on a quest for revenge. He blames a warrior called Arkad, who is known to be especially cruel, and becomes ruthless as he hunts for him. Arkad tricks the SGC, leading to SG-1 trying to stop Teal’c’s plans, which in turn forces Teal’c to attack his own team. Teal’c and Arkad engage in a final battle which leaves Arkad dead, and Teal’c vindicated.
In each season, Teal’c has some revelation about himself. He has had to confront his trauma from his years as a slave under Apophis, as well as learning to accept past events that can no longer be changed. His greatest challenge was discovering how to balance his identity as a father with his role as a warrior, and how to make the two sides of himself work in tandem.
Teal’c proved himself to be one of the most important parts of Stargate SG-1, not just the Stargate program within the show. His camaraderie with the rest of SG-1 and his devotion to his family made him instantly beloved by fans, and that appreciation was compounded by the following decade of adventure.