Teal'C and O'Neill in an Earlier Time

It is probably not realised by most people that Christopher Judge, who plays Teal'C in Stargate SG-1, was in an episode of MacGyver, the lead of which was played by SG-1's Richard Dean Anderson. This was in season 5, episode 13: 'Live And Learn'.

Here are a couple of excerpts from that programme as proof. See what happened when 'Darren' met MacGyver, long before Chris became Apophis's First Prime...

SG-1 Modes of Address

The form each of the members of Stargate SG-1 normally uses to address one of the others is interesting to put together in one place.

Today's exercise mostly excludes when they are in more complex situations, such as with two or more SG teams together, where – for example – "Sir" could be ambiguous.

Anyway, here we go, starting with the way the others address...

Colonel Jack O'Neill

• Captain/Major Carter says "Sir" (or "Colonel" when with General Hammond, who is also Sir to her)
• Daniel Jackson says "Jack"
• Teal'C says "O'Neill"

Samantha Carter

• Colonel Jack O'Neill says "Carter" (or sometimes her military rank alone)
• Daniel says "Sam"
• Teal'C says "Captain [or, latterly, Major] Carter".

Daniel Jackson

• Colonel O'Neill says "Daniel"
• Samantha Carter says "Daniel"
• Teal'C says "Daniel Jackson".

Teal'C

• Colonel O'Neill says "Teal'C" or sometimes just "T" or even "Buddy!"
• Samantha Carter says "Teal'C"
• Daniel Jackson also says "Teal'C".

This simple aspect of the scripting serves to continually remind the viewer of the relationships between the members of the team, and to some extent how the military ranking is structured in the US Air Force. It's also fun for 'anoraks' like myself to write about in places such as this.

As Teal'C would no doubt put it: "Indeed..."

Stargate SG-1 – Learning Curve

Stargate SG-1, in its long run, had the opportunity to try out all sorts of things, including parodying itself and other programmes on several occasions.

It could be funny, serious, happy, sad, philosophical – all manner of emotions and styles.

Occasionally it was quite thought-provoking in the true sense and ultimate purpose of science fiction: "what are the implications of such-and-such, the what if? scenario.

This is explored in episodes such as the third season's Learning Curve, which has just this afternoon been shown (in the latest repeat showings) on Sky One. The premise of this story is a society whose children do all the learning, then pass on that knowledge to the adults via transferable nano-tech 'machines' inside them (nanites).

This is probably the most beautiful of all the SG-1 episodes, particularly in its second half. In the sequence where Colonel Jack O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) takes the alien child Merrin on an unauthorised trip off-base, to a school where he is well known, and in just about all that follows, we see a wondrous unfolding of the (in many ways most un-childlike) Merrin – excellently played by Brittney Irvin – and the interplay between her and O'Neill is truly superb television, the acting near-enough perfect with excellent writing and direction too.

Merrin's parting smile just before stepping through the Stargate on her journey back home tells us that O'Neill's ploy has worked, as we see in the final part of the episode. It is a very, very clever twist.

I always find this episode very moving, no matter how many times I watch it; and the brilliance of the 'painting a flower' scene is a particular delight. You can't help but smile! Highly recommended.