Lots of new viewers are joining the Stargate family every day! But maybe you aren’t quite ready for a months-long binge of all 214 episodes of Stargate SG-1.
That’s where this list comes in. We’re breaking out a list of only the most important episodes from the show’s ten seasons and two movies. (It was tough, but we managed to whittle it down to 107 episodes.) Watch these and you’ll get everything you need for the major ongoing storylines, as SG-1 explores the galaxy and fights to protect Earth and its allies from alien threats that span three galaxies.
Stargate SG-1 premiered in 1997, when TV shows were more episodic — with more stand-alone episodes loosely connected by ongoing storylines. So of course we recommend watching more than the episodes on this list to really get the best of SG-1. Many of the show’s finest hours are not part of the main story arcs. (Pro Tip: Look through the season-by-season episode guides to find other episodes rated 3 stars and higher.)
SG-1 follows up directly on the original feature film, directed by Roland Emmerich. Start the story here to meet Jack O’Neill, Daniel Jackson, and what will eventually become Stargate Command. Just note that the show will alter a few key details.
“Children of the Gods” (Episode 1). There are two versions of this movie-length episode, which picks up one year after the events of the film. The “Final Cut” has improved visual effects, and is what we recommend. (The original includes full-frontal nudity, originally airing on Showtime.)
“The Enemy Within” (Episode 2)
“The Nox” (Episode 7)
“Thor’s Hammer” (Episode 9)
“The Torment of Tantalus” (Episode 10)
“Bloodlines” (Episode 11)
“Hathor” (Episode 13)
“Enigma” (Episode 16)
“Solitudes” (Episode 17)
“There But For the Grace of God” (Episode 19)
“Politics” (Episode 20)
“Within the Serpent’s Grasp” (Episode 21)
In the second season SG-1 will meet new allies, as Apophis rallies his forces against his enemies.
“The Serpent’s Lair” (Episode 1)
“In the Line of Duty” (Episode 2)
“Thor’s Chariot” (Episode 6)
“Family” (Episode 8)
“Secrets” (Episode 9)
“The Tok’ra, Part 1” (Episode 11)
“The Tok’ra, Part 2” (Episode 12)
“Touchstone” (Episode 14)
“The Fifth Race” (Episode 15)
“Serpent’s Song” (Episode 18)
“1969” (Episode 21)
“Out of Mind” (Episode 22)
SG-1‘s third year brings enemies old and new, as the team discovers why the powerful Asgard won’t always be there to save them.
“Into the Fire” (Episode 1)
“Fair Game” (Episode 3)
“Forever In a Day” (Episode 10)
“Jolinar’s Memories” (Episode 12)
“The Devil You Know” (Episode 13)
“Pretense” (Episode 15)
“Shades of Grey” (Episode 18)
“Maternal Instinct” (Episode 20)
“Nemesis” (Episode 22)
In the fourth season alliances are tested, hints of an ancient legacy are found, and a new power emerges on Earth.
“Small Victories” (Episode 1)
“Upgrades” (Episode 3)
“Crossroads” (Episode 4)
“Divide and Conquer” (Episode 5)
“Window of Opportunity” (Episode 6)
“Watergate” (Episode 7)
“The Curse” (Episode 13)
“The Serpent’s Venom” (Episode 14)
“Exodus” (Episode 22)
This year brings a new foe, who threatens Earth and its allies with long-buried technology.
“Enemies” (Episode 1)
“Threshold” (Episode 2)
“Ascension” (Episode 3)
“Between Two Fires” (Episode 9)
“48 Hours” (Episode 14)
“Summit” (Episode 15)
“Last Stand” (Episode 16)
“Fail Safe” (Episode 17)
“Menace” (Episode 19)
“Meridian” (Episode 21)
“Revelations” (Episode 22)
In the sixth season Anubis shows the full extent of his power, and the Asgard attempt to solve their Replicator problem … with disastrous consequences.
“Redemption, Part 1” (Episode 1)
“Redemption, Part 2” (Episode 2)
“Descent” (Episode 3)
“Frozen” (Episode 4)
“Abyss” (Episode 6)
“Allegiance” (Episode 9)
“Cure” (Episode 10)
“Prometheus” (Episode 11)
“Unnatural Selection” (Episode 12)
“The Changeling” (Episode 19)
“Full Circle” (Episode 22)
An old friend returns in SG-1‘s seventh season, as Anubis sets his sights on attack Earth directly.
“Fallen” (Episode 1)
“Homecoming” (Episode 2)
“Fragile Balance” (Episode 3)
“Evolution, Part 1” (Episode 11)
“Evolution, Part 2” (Episode 12)
“Chimera” (Episode 15)
“Heroes, Part 1” (Episode 17)
“Heroes, Part 2” (Episode 18)
“Inauguration” (Episode 20)
“Lost City, Part 1” (Episode 21)
“Lost City, Part 2” (Episode 22)
The long conflict with both the Goa’uld and the Replicators reaches its climax, and the ascended must choose whether or not to intervene.
“New Order, Part 1” (Episode 1)
“New Order, Part 2” (Episode 2)
“Lockdown” (Episode 3)
“Endgame” (Episode 10)
“Gemini” (Episode 11)
“Prometheus Unbound” (Episode 12)
“It’s Good To Be King” (Episode 13)
“Full Alert” (Episode 14)
“Reckoning, Part 1” (Episode 16)
“Reckoning, Part 2” (Episode 17)
“Threads” (Episode 18)
“Moebius, Part 1” (Episode 19)
“Moebius, Part 2” (Episode 20)
It’s a turning point for SG-1. With old enemies vanquished, a new and more powerful foe emerges — sending emissaries to our galaxy to win converts.
“Avalon, Part 1” (Episode 1)
“Avalon, Part 2” (Episode 2)
“Origin” (Episode 3)
“Beachhead” (Episode 6)
“Ex Deus Machina” (Episode 7)
“Babylon” (Episode 8)
“The Fourth Horseman, Part 1” (Episode 10)
“The Fourth Horseman, Part 2” (Episode 11)
“Stronghold” (Episode 14)
“Off the Grid” (Episode 16)
“Arthur’s Mantle” (Episode 18)
“Crusade” (Episode 19)
“Camelot” (Episode 20)
The Ori invade the Milky Way Galaxy in full force, with the Orici waging a holy war across the stars.
“Flesh and Blood” (Episode 1)
“The Pegasus Project” (Episode 3)
“Insiders” (Episode 4)
“Counterstrike” (Episode 7)
“Company of Thieves” (Episode 9)
“The Quest, Part 1” (Episode 10)
“The Quest, Part 2” (Episode 11)
“Line In the Sand” (Episode 12)
“The Shroud” (Episode 14)
“Dominion” (Episode 19)
“Unending” (Episode 20)
Stargate: The Ark of Truth (2008). The direct-to-DVD follow-up movie wraps up the Ori storyline.
Stargate: Continuum (2008). SG-1’s final outing is a stand-alone adventure, which revisits the Tok’ra and resolves the fate of one last enemy.
Are you using this list for your Stargate SG-1 binge? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment below, and join the episode discussions at GateWorld Forum. And you can find plot analysis and behind-the-scenes info in GateWorld’s episode guide.
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View Comments
A list like this for Stargate Atlantis would be nice.
Stargate Atlantis starts a little slow, like SG1 kinda did in season 1. But the tail end of S1 it gets better and in S2 you get Ronan Dex (Jason Momoa)) and it’s all uphill from there.
It’s a good cast they have once he joins. You get all the chewy cracks, bad a$$ fight scenes and Ronan & the scientists comical relationship.
> I tried watching SG1 and Atlantis a few times and couldn’t get into them, I’m very thankful I stuck it out in long run. Have binged both series 2-3 times over the years.
Several of the episodes are wrongly numbered. Eg: The Tok'Ra episodes are S02 E11-12, not E10-11 like this guide says.
Fixed -- thanks! Let me know if you spot any others. I reviewed the list and don't see any other numbering errors.
Great List! I will use it to watch the key episodes. I noticed you did include the two cassandra episodes from season 2, but not the two cassandra epidsodes "Singularity" (season 1) and "Rite of Passage" (season 5). So I would add them for my list :-)
Yep, those episodes would be good for filling out who the Cassandra character is (and how nasty Nirrti is!). I left her story aside as nonessential, and included the other episodes with Cassandra in them for other reasons.
Hello, are there any essential episodes of SG-1 for someone watching Atlantis when it enters the series that are not included in this list?
Good question, Dylan! We still need to assemble our Atlantis Key Episodes list. But for someone watching Atlantis but not SG-1, who wants SG-1 episodes that reference or inform developments on Atlantis, offhand I can think of these:
"Lost City" (721-722)
"New Order" (801-802 ... both 2-parters precede the Atlantis premiere)
"Prometheus Unbound" (812 ... not essential, but fun)
"It's Good to Be King" (813)
"Moebius" (819-820 ... right before SGA's "The Siege, Part 2")
"The Pegasus Project" (1003)
There are a handful of other references in SG-1, but they are very casual ("Hey, I want to go to Atlantis!" "We got this info from Atlantis," etc.)
this list is missing the episode that introduces the trust and the episodes with the evolved human research exploration (probly not neccicary but i like them) other than that great list
S03 E05 "Learning Curve" should be on the watch list, SGC gets a naquadah generator prototype.
Really appreciate you taking the time to do this. I only ever watched the original film until I saw it pop up on Netflix. Wasn't about to watch every single episode. Sadly, SG1 leaves Netflix today (in USA at least), so I'll need to grab the last two seasons from my local library. Now to give Atlantis a try too!
season 5 13 needs adding as the story directly leads in to 14
I watched ever single episode 4 times. Never borring
You left out S1-15 "singularity" which introduces Cassandra who appears in S2-2 "in the line of duty", that you included in S2's key episodes.