kribban | Top ten SG1 episodes

Like I said before, the previous list is my pick of "good and great" episodes. I thought I'd point out the ones that are, IMHO, the great ones along with my comments on why I like them. Because every show has to have them, or else you wouldn't watch.

Kristinas top 10 Stargate SG1 episodes

1. Lost City part I & II (Season 7 episodes 21 & 22)

From TV.com: The SGC learns that Anubis is planning to attack Earth, so Jack once again downloads Ancient knowledge, hoping to find Ancient weapons capable of stopping the impending attack.

This is the best season finale ever. Awesome action on an epic scale and also nice character-interaction and a lot of emotion. It definitely feels “full circle” enough to be a series finale.

2 Meridian AKA Daniel Dies Horribly (Season 5 episode 21)

From TV.com: SG1 returns from a planet with Daniel apparently dying from radiation poisoning.

This is an episode for masochists. I don't think I've cried so hard over a TV death before. But oh so pretty! I especially like it because of the very painful, gruesome medical details and because of the acting and chemistry between all of the cast. A lot of people argue that Jack doesn't mourn enough here, but he does, in his own way.

3 2010 (Season 4, episode 16)

From TV.com: Nine years in the future, the Goa'uld have been defeated thanks to an alliance with an advanced alien race. However, Carter finds out that most of the human race has secretly been rendered sterile by Earth's new allies.

This is a very cool episode that shows a very plausible future for our characters, and that salvation sometimes isn't what you think. I especially like the ending. One nitpick: No one seems to have aged much in nine years!

4 . Heroes part I & II (Season 7, episode 17 & 18)

From TV.com: A film crew comes to the SGC to document the normal functions of the SGC.

I like this episode because it's a different, bleak and more realistic view of the SGC as first and foremost a military establishment. I also like it because of the great and terrible tragedy. Great character chemistry, and the famous mystery keeps you curious until the end. This has to be, hands down, the most depressing episode of the whole series.

5 There But For the Grace of God (Season 1, episode 20)

From TV.com: While investigating P3R-233, Daniel stumbles across a device that projects him into a parallel dimension.

I like this episode because it's a great character episode for Daniel, and because you actually get to see the horrible future that might be in store for Earth. Plus you get alternate!Catherine, which is cool. Very angsty.

6 Point of View (Season 3, episode 6)

From TV.com: Alternate reality versions of Carter and Kawalsky use the quantum mirror to arrive at a secured building in the top secret Area 51 in "our" universe.

Can you see I love Alternate Universe stories? This is a very cool episode, not only because we see a different universe and a different Carter, but also because SG1 goes on a quest to set things right in that universe. I also like the ending for the alternate Carter; although she has lost the love of her life she learns that life is indeed worth living and fighting for.

7 Legacy (Season 3, episode 4)

From TV.com: Daniel starts going crazy after SG-1 visits a planet where SG-1 found nine dead Goa'uld. The doctors believe he is suffering from the effects of traveling through the gate.

This episode must be the ultimate hurt/comfort episode! In fact, it's almost like a fanfiction. Wonderful! I especially like storylines revolving around mental illness, so this is a definite treat for me. I like it for the great h/c, the angst, the good continuity and also the medical mystery at the end with Carter getting to play hero. Plus, let's face it, Daniel in a padded room? Priceless.

8 Serpent's Song (Season 2, episode 18)

From TV.com: Pursued by Goa'uld, Apophis, throws himself on the mercy of SG-1. Despite his past evil, SG-1 grants him sanctuary.

This is one of my favorite episodes because it deals with one of the major (and often overlooked) aspects of Goa'uld lore – that whatever the Goa'uld suffers, the human host does too. If you kill one, you kill them both. This is a very emotional and touching episode where SG1 really shows their compassion.

9 The Torment of Tantalus (Season 1, episode 11)

From TV.com: Stargate explorer Dr. Ernest Littlefield went through the Gate in 1945. But he never returned, so SG-1 sets out to recover him.

This is one of the first episodes I ever saw of SG1 many years ago! I like it because of the very disturbing idea that someone has been lost and alone for sixty years. You also get Catherine in this, and the love story between her and Ernest is touching and very real. This episode also sets up a big part of the SG1 mythology that will come into play in later seasons.

10 Past and Present (Season 3, episode 11)

From tv.com SG-1 travels to a planet whose inhabitants seem to be suffering from mass retrograde amnesia.

A disturbing episode that wraps up another disturbing episode. There were a number of episodes that could have fit the last spot on this list, but I picked this one because it's one of my personal favorites. It combines two great SG1 cornerstones – a mystery and a moral dilemma. It also deals with a horror scenario for any human – falling for someone who turns out to be evil.

Episodes that almost made the list but didn't: Forever in a Day (s3:10), Absolute Power (s4:17), Menace (s5:19), Cure (s10:6)

Feel free to disagree!