Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and Stargate Universe all had some jaw-dropping twists and turns. Beginning with the 1994 Stargate film, the franchise centers around ancient alien devices called Stargates that allow instantaneous travel across the galaxy. The first show in the franchise, Stargate SG-1, picks up about a year after the events of the film and follows Colonel Jack O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and his team as they investigate various alien planets. SG-1 consists of ten television seasons and two films, making it one of the longest-running science fiction shows of all time.
In SG-1 season 7, the team discovers an ancient outpost in Antarctica that eventually leads them to the site of the mythical lost city of Atlantis. Located in the distant Pegasus galaxy, this ancient alien city becomes the setting for Stargate: Atlantis, which follows a team as they explore new planets and alien civilizations. Both SG-1 and Atlantis feature teams of military officers and civilians as they uncover long-forgotten truths about humanity’s history. The third Stargate show, Stargate Universe, follows a crew who find themselves stranded several billion lightyears from Earth on an ancient alien ship called Destiny.
10 The Ancients Launched Destiny To Seek Out The Origin Of The Universe
Stargate Universe Season 2, Episode 7 – “The Greater Good”
Darker in tone than its predecessors, Stargate Universe focused more on the interpersonal relationships among the make-shift crew of the Destiny. Dr. Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle), in particular, caused a lot of friction among the crew, as he was more interested in the Ancient’s technology than finding a way home. Rush has been studying Destiny, trying to figure out why the Ancients created such a massive ship and then left it flying through space.
In “The Greater Good,” Rush reveals that the Ancients discovered a pattern in the cosmos that defies the laws of physics and could not have occurred naturally. The Ancients created Destiny to travel the universe collecting fragments of this pattern, hoping to gain a better understanding of the universe and its creation. Rush wants to pursue this mission, but Colonel Everett Young (Louis Ferreira) remains focused on getting back to Earth. Because Stargate Universe was canceled after only two seasons, the ultimate fate of Destiny remains unknown.
9 Michael Kenmore Is A Wraith
Stargate Atlantis Season 2, Episode 18 – “Michael”
With the threat of the Goa’uld mostly taken care of in the Milky Way, Stargate Atlantis introduced new villainous aliens called the Wraith. In “Michael,” Lt. Michael Kenmore (Connor Trinneer) wakes up with no memories of his past or identity. As the Atlantis team works to help Michael reintegrate into life aboard the station, he begins having strange dreams of the Wraith. When Michael takes a look at his own medical files, he discovers the truth – he is a Wraith who has been transformed into a human.
Connor Trinneer is most known for portraying Commander Charles “Trip” Tucker on
Star Trek: Enterprise.
After the Atlantis crew discovered that the Wraith had human DNA, they began working on a way to transform a Wraith into a human. Michael has been their test subject, and he lashes out after learning what has been done to him. He eventually escapes, stops taking the drug that made him human, and goes back to the Wraith. Because of the procedure, Michael only partially transforms back into a Wraith, which later makes him a pariah among his own people.
8 The SG-1 Team Finds A Second Stargate On Earth
Stargate SG-1 Season 1, Episode 17 – “Solitudes”
When the Stargate malfunctions, Colonel O’Neill and Major Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) find themselves trapped in an icy cave on an unknown planet. As Dr. Daniel Jackson (Micahel Shanks) tries to find a way to locate his missing team members, Carter finds the Dial Home Device for the Stargate they emerged from and attempts to dial Earth. Daniel notices that seismic activity occurred at Stargate Command and soon discovers similar activity in Antarctica.
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In the end, Dr. Jackson realizes that Carter and O’Neill have been on Earth the entire time, having emerged from a second Earth Stargate buried in Antarctica. Believing themselves to be stranded on an icy planet with no way home, Carter and O’Neill resign themselves to their fate, but a Stargate team arrives to rescue them just in time. This second Stargate would later prove extremely useful, and its discovery remains one of SG-1’s best early twists.
7 Colonel Steven Caldwell Is A Goa’uld Spy
Stargate Atlantis Season 2, Episode 13 – “Critical Mass”
When the Atlantis team learns that there is a bomb hidden within the city, they scramble to uncover the culprit and stop the explosion. As Dr. Elizabeth Weir (Torri Higginson) questions various crew members in search of the saboteur, Dr. Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) discovers that the city’s failsafe system has been deactivated. If they do not input a specific code, Atlantis’ power systems will overload and destroy the city.
With ten minutes to spare, Weir and McKay learn that Colonel Steven Caldwell (Mitch Pileggi) is responsible for everything. This would be shocking enough on its own, but Caldwell reveals that he has been possessed by a Goa’uld. After being tasered, Caldwell overpowers the Goa’uld long enough to tell McKay the correct code, which he inputs to save the city.
6 Vala Mal Doran Returns & Is Spontaneously Pregnant
Stargate SG-1 Season 9, Episode 19 – “Crusade”
A skilled con artist and thief, Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black) first popped up on Stargate SG-1 in season 8 but eventually became a main character. In SG-1 season 9, episode 6, “Beachhead,” Vala seemingly sacrifices herself to prevent the powerful Ori from gaining a stronghold in the Milky Way. In reality, she was transported to a village in the Ori galaxy, where she soon discovered that she was pregnant, despite having done “none of the necessary bits.”
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Having found a way to communicate with SG-1 by speaking through Daniel Jackson, Vala tells her story to the shocked members of Stargate Command. She reveals that the Ori have been building ships and training their followers to embark on a massive crusade against Earth. Vala eventually learns that the Ori impregnated her with a baby meant to become the leader of the Ori.
5 Oma Desala Was Responsible For The Ascension Of Anubis
Stargate SG-1 Season 8, Episode 18 – “Threads”
After Stargate Command defeated the Goa’uld known as Apophis (Peter Williams), a new villain named Anubis (David Palffy) emerged as the show’s major villain. In “Threads,” Dr. Daniel Jackson is killed (again) and finds himself in a strange diner where he learns a disturbing truth about Anubis. Daniel reunites with the ascended Ancient named Oma Desala (Mel Harris) who had previously helped him ascend to a higher plane of existence.
“Threads” not only brings an action-packed three-part storyline to a captivating conclusion but also ends another era of
SG-1
on a high note.
While in this diner between life and death, Daniel also encounters a man named Jim (George Dzundza), who later reveals himself to be Anubis. Anubis tricked Oma Desala into helping him ascend, but he is only half-ascended. With Anubis threatening the entire galaxy, Oma Desala agrees to fight Anubis to keep him in the Ascended realm to keep him away from Earth.
4 Dr. Janet Frasier Is Killed On A Mission
Stargate SG-1 Season 7, Episodes 17 & 18 – “Heroes”
As the Chief Medical Officer of Stargate Command, Dr. Janet Fraiser (Teryl Rothery) became one of Stargate SG-1’s most important recurring characters throughout the show’s first seven seasons. In the season 7 two-parter, “Heroes,” a journalist named Emmett Bregman (Saul Rubinek) visits Stargate Command to film a documentary showing the inner workings of the Stargate program. When a Stargate mission goes wrong, Colonel O’Neill and his team are sent to help and Dr. Fraiser joins them to tend to the injured.
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The team returns with a lifeless body on a gurney, but the episode does not reveal the identity of this body right away, hinting that the fallen crew member could be Colonel O’Neill. Bregman tries to find out what happened, passionately speaking about the importance of the media. When Daniel Jackson finally agrees to show him the tape of the mission, Bregman is horrified to see Dr. Fraiser get shot and killed in SG1. Fraiser had been a comforting secondary character throughout the show’s run, and her death comes as a major shock.
3 Teal’c Is Alive & Has Rejoined Apophis
Stargate SG-1 Season 5, Episode 1 – “Enemies”
After a massive battle against Apophis and his fleet, Stargate SG-1 season 4 ends in a major cliffhanger that leaves several plot threads hanging in the balance. During the battle, Teal’c (Christopher Judge) appears to be killed in an ambush, although he is later presented as a gift to Apophis. The first episode of season 5 picks up right where the cliffhanger left off, with the SG-1 team believing Teal’c to be dead.
They are overjoyed when he later contacts them, but Teal’C quickly takes Colonel O’Neill’s weapon and points it at him. O’Neill and his team watch in shock as Apophis enters, informing the team that Teal’c has returned to his position as Apophis’ First Prime, or second in command. The team realizes that Teal’c has been brainwashed to believe he has always remained loyal to Apophis. His loyalty does not waver even when Apophis is killed, and it takes a long and arduous Jaffa ritual to undo the brainwashing.
2 Dr. Carson Beckett Is Alive (Kind Of)
Stargate Atlantis Season 4, Episode 18 – “The Kindred, Part I”
Dr. Carson Beckett (Paul McGillion) served as the Chief Medical Officer on Atlantis, treating the inhabitants’ ailments and researching any potential medical discoveries found in the Pegasus galaxy. In Atlantis season 3, episode 17, “Sunday,” Beckett is killed while trying to dispose of an explosive tumor. Beckett’s death is a shocking moment in itself, but his “return” a season later comes as even more of a surprise.
Beckett was a kind and compassionate doctor who fought for his patients and avoided violence whenever possible.
At the end of “The Kindred, Part I,” Lt. Colonel John Sheppard (Joe Flanigan) and his team find Dr. Beckett as a prisoner of the Wraith. Upon their arrival at his cell, Beckett exclaims: “Finally! It’s about bloody time! What took you so long?!” The Atlantis team eventually discovered that the human/Wraith hybrid Michael had created a clone of Carson Beckett, although this Beckett believed himself to be the real thing and had all the same memories.
1 Apophis Returns
Stargate SG-1 Season 3, Episode 12 – “Jolinar’s Memories”
Apophis served as the main antagonist throughout SG-1’s early seasons, but his reign of terror came to an end with his death in SG-1 season 2, episode 17, “Serpent’s Song.” However, like many science fiction properties, death does not always mean the end in the Stargate universe. Nearly a year after Colonel O’Neill and his team watched Apophis die, they embarked on a mission to rescue Carter’s father Jacob (Carmen Argenziano) from the Goa’uld.
The Stargate team finds Jacob but ends up being captured themselves. They soon manage to escape, but just before they can beam themselves back to their ship, a Goa’uld named Na’onak captures them again. When Na’onak removes his helmet, he reveals himself to be Apophis, now sporting a horrifically scarred face. Jacob and the SG-1 team are all shocked as the episode cuts to black. The Stargate franchise has had some pretty shocking twists and cliffhangers, but the return of Apophis remains one of the best.
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- Cast
- Richard Dean Anderson , Michael Shanks , amanda tapping , Christopher Judge , Don S. Davis , Gary Jones , Teryl Rothery , Ben Browder
- Release Date
- July 27, 1997
- Seasons
- 10
- Showrunner
- Brad Wright
-
- Cast
- Chuck Campbell , David Hewlett , David Nykl , Rachel Luttrell , Paul McGillion , Joe Flanigan , Jason Momoa , Torri Higginson
- Release Date
- July 16, 2004
- Seasons
- 5
- Showrunner
- Brad Wright
-
- Cast
- Lou Diamond Phillips , David Blue , Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman , Ming-Na Wen , Peter Kelamis , Elyse Levesque , Julia Benson , Jamil Walker Smith , Brian J. Smith , Jennifer Spence , Robert Carlyle , Alaina Huffman , Louis Ferreira , Patrick Gilmore
- Release Date
- May 9, 2011
- Seasons
- 2
- Streaming Service(s)
- Apple TV+
- Showrunner
- Brad Wright
