5 Essential Stargate SG-1 Episodes That Everyone Should Watch At Least Once

"Stargate SG-1" has a peculiar history, even by sci-fi show standards. The series went through a lot during its 10-season tenure that spun from Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin's original 1994 movie "Stargate" and eventually found a robust identity that spawned spin-offs of its own. Making the show was a hassle, too. The production of "Stargate SG-1" could be a nightmare, and the military-minded show even had to make some changes thanks to the Air Force.  

The effort paid off, though. "Stargate SG-1" is a show that I can heartily recommend to each and every fan of serialized sci-fi storytelling. However, it's also a lot to take in. With well over 200 episodes under its belt, the show is a major commitment even before taking the five-season, 100-episode "Stargate: Atlantis" and the late-game TV movies into account. As such, it's only natural if a potential fan wants to sample the goods before diving in. This article is specifically designed to help with that. With a tasting platter of these five must-see "Stargate SG-1" episodes, it's easy to determine whether the franchise has what it takes to keep you invested.

One note before we dive in, though: This list is meant to give the viewer the best possible idea of what "Stargate SG-1" is all about. As such, it's a collection of essential individual episodes rather than the absolute best ones. If you want to see more of the absolute best the show has to offer before committing to a full 10-season watch, you can complement this list with fine tales such as the high-stakes showdown with Anubis (David Palffy) in "Lost City" (the "Stargate SG-1 season 7 finale that was originally conceived as a movie), or another season 7 standout "Heroes" and its fun documentary premise.

Is "Children of the Gods" a top-five "Stargate SG-1" episode? No. On the other hand, where else should one start but the beginning? As the episode tasked with introducing most of the show's major power players and its central concept, this is the story that will give the viewer the best idea of whether they want to invest more time on the series or move on to the next thing.

Running at a hefty 92 minutes, "Children of the Gods" is essentially a TV movie, which is a good thing. This way, it can devote time to getting Colonel Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and Dr. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) back in the game, introducing their Egyptian pantheon-themed Goa'uld enemies, and bringing Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) and the alien Teal'c (Christopher Judge) into the SG-1 fold. For people who are already familiar with the original "Stargate" movie, the episode acts as a handy introduction to the new faces playing their favorite character — namely, "MacGyver" star Anderson taking over from Kurt Russell and Michael Shanks inheriting the role of Dr. Jackson from James Spader — as well as complementing the updated team with new members and bringing it to its first mission.

With the amount of work "Children of the Gods" does to set the stage for the show's universe and the many things to come, it's a must-watch for any prospective "Stargate SG-1" fan. Even so, it's worth going in with the knowledge that the show will search for its eventual, winning tone for a while after this, and there are far better episodes on the way.

"The Pegasus Project" makes it on this list of must-see "Stargate: SG-1" episodes for several good reasons. For one, it's a great example of the show's later prowess, with several characters that have had time to develop for years. It's also a perfect episode for fans who want a sample of the show's allure after Jack O'Neill steps aside from the daily workings of the SG-1 team, and to check out whether his replacement, Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder), and late-game standout Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black) are a good fit for the show. More than anything, however, it's a neat opportunity to witness both "Stargate SG-1" and "Stargate: Atlantis" in one neat package.

Yes, this is a crossover episode. Whether that's a good thing, of course, depends on the viewer's general stance on such things, but it doesn't exactly hurt that "The Pegasus Project" also happens to be a very good story. With the "SG-1" and "Atlantis" teams joining forces against aliens based on Arthurian legend, the episode has plenty of meat on its bones, and the consistently fun and interesting interactions between the two shows' characters take care of the rest. 

The "Stargate SG-1" season 3 finale, "Nemesis," rudely cuts O'Neill and Carter's fishing trip short when Asgardian commander Thor (Shanks) hoists the former aboard his spaceship, the Biliskner. The vessel is cool enough, except for one thing: It's infested by members of the incredibly destructive machine race known as the Replicators, who have set the course toward the Earth with every intent to overwhelm the planet.

That's the problem. The rest of "Nemesis" focuses on the solution, as O'Neill and Stargate Command do their level best to rectify the situation. O'Neill's vision is unsurprisingly selfless and martial: Get some weapons and destroy the ship while remaining onboard. The other characters, of course, would very much prefer a solution that lets the SG-1 team leader live. As such, Carter and Teal'c join O'Neill and Thor on the ship, and the rest of the episode consists of a complicated, multi-stage plan that enables them to nullify the Replicator threat, take down the ship, and live to tell the tale.

"Nemesis," in short, is the perfect example of the action drama end of the "Stargate SG-1" spectrum. The episode features one of the most threatening antagonist factions in the entire show, and quite possibly science fiction in general. It's full of fun twists, hair-raising action, and little character interactions that work to show how much they're bonding. And all of that's before the team's "MacGyver"-worthy escape plan that involves just about the most surprising use of a Stargate during the entire show's run. With every minute a true treat, this is the perfect episode to show to a friend that you specifically want to become hooked on "Stargate SG-1."

"Stargate SG-1" season 2, episode 16 is a comparatively early example of the show finding its most delightfully ridiculous and outlandish feet. It's one of the first real signs that the show had truly abandoned its sci-fi influences and started doing its own thing, and it doesn't hurt that it's also a very good TV episode. 

"The Fifth Race" is one of the earliest points in the show where "Stargate SG-1" goes all in on its own mythology, and its viewers are rewarded with interest. The episode introduces the Roman pantheon-inspired Ancient civilization, whose real identity and true intentions will play an important part in several upcoming episodes, and ties directly into humanity's place in the grand scheme of "Stargate SG-1" things. Also, the Asgard aliens play a big part, which is always nice.

Despite all this heavy lifting, at its core, "The Fifth Race" is a Richard Dean Anderson show. After O'Neill unwittingly loads the database of a whole lost alien civilization, he's armed with a whole host of new knowledge and even a lost language. Unfortunately, there's a downside: The clock is ticking before this sheer data overload kills him. To reveal more about the situation would be to shed information on some of the most important "Stargate SG-1" arcs. It's best to just dive in, have fun, and see how the situation unfolds ... which, come to think of it, isn't all that far removed from the SG-1 team's usual modus operandi.

Ever since "Groundhog Day" popularized the concept, many shows have experimented with the concept of time loops. Few do this better than "Window of Opportunity," the stellar "Stargate SG-1" season 4 episode that once again utilizes Ancient technology to thoroughly ruin O'Neill's day. Here, a malfunctioning time machine locks him, Teal'c, and an archaeologist called Malakai (Robin Mossley) into a time loop that runs from the morning to the moment of the mishap.

Much like Bill Murray's Phil Connors in "Groundhog Day," O'Neill and Teal'c struggle to make sense of their situation and communicate it to people living outside the loop. Eventually, however, they start growing more and more frustrated about their predicament, and before long, the pair — particularly O'Neill, though even the stoic Teal'c can't help but participate a little — embrace chaos and start using the base for outlandish antics and personal recreation. Of course, things eventually get sorted out, but the way this happens is as surprising as it is touching.

"Window of Opportunity" is one of those rare, blessed special episodes where it's clear that everyone's having a ball with the outlandish premise. However, no matter how strange things get, the episode never takes its eye off the ball and never once loses touch with what makes these characters so special. Because of this and the episode's comparatively self-contained nature, it's easy to recommend "Window of Opportunity" as the ultimate must-see "Stargate SG-1" episode.