Since their first adventure saving Abydos from Ra, Jack O’Neill and Daniel Jackson
have been – as the kids would say it these days – BFFs.
While they haven’t always seen eye-to-eye (something we actually love about their relationship),
they do have a lot of respect for one another.
And their ability to work as a team and compliment each other’s skillset continued to grow
throughout their time serving together on SG-1.
While the two men possess fundamentally different communication styles, senses of humor, and
personalities, their sharp and witty interactions – often contrasting Jack’s directness
with Daniel’s academic slant – make for one of the most compelling character dynamics
in all of SG-1.
So without further introduction, here are our five favorite moments
between these two S.G.C. legends.
#5: Daniel Is A Geek.
In Season Four’s “The Serpent’s Venom.” This is such a small moment that it’s really
easy to miss, but it’s still one of our favorites.
As the team gets ready to head off-world for a galaxy-saving mission, Jack gives Daniel
a hard time about all the books he is dragging along with him.
“Ever thought of a laptop?”
He asks.
Daniel responds, “Well, I had one – I just couldn’t get Beck’s Ancient Phoenician
Symbology on CD at Archaeology.com” … at which point Jack reaches out and pushes Daniel’s
glasses back up on his nose.
This little moment shows that, because of everything they have gone through in their
professional lives, these two men have a personal friendship that goes beyond just working together.
Daniel is a total geek, and Jack feels comfortable poking some fun at his friend.
#4: Strung-Out.
In Season Two’s “Need.” After Daniel becomes physically and psychologically
addicted to the effects of a Goa’uld sarcophagus, the team brings him back to Earth
for forced withdrawal.
In short: it doesn’t go well.
Daniel escapes and nearly tears apart the base trying to get back to his fix.
Jack corners him in a supply room and promises to help him get through it – since withdrawal
is something that Jack has dealt with too.
“I know what this is,” he tells Daniel.
“I know what it’s like.
You can get through it.”
While Jack and Daniel often share a playful dynamic, Jack is always there for Daniel –
and willing to be vulnerable in his friend’s time of need.
#3: Goodbye.
In Season Five’s “Meridian.” Daniel’s prognosis is terminal after he
is exposed to high levels of radiation on the planet Kelowna.
As he lays dying in the Infirmary, each of his friends take turns saying their goodbyes.
But Daniel is also visited by Oma Desala, an ascended being who offers to show him the
way to a higher plane of existence – if only he will release his burden.
When the moment finally comes, Daniel communicates with Jack and tells him to let him go.
Daniel doesn’t know where he is going, but he knows that above all he will miss Jack
and the rest of his family at Stargate Command.
It certainly must have been tough to do justice to the on-screen friendship when one of them
was dying – where Jack and Daniel had to say what they thought was a final goodbye.
But Daniel’s exit in “Meridian” is truly stirring, not just because of what is said,
but because the dialogue is very minimalist.
The two friends know that nothing more needs to be communicated, and they’re comfortable
sitting in silence together, during such an intense emotional moment.
#2: Space Monkey.
In Season Two’s “The Serpent’s Lair.” Only one year into their time serving together,
SG-1 put it all on the line and disobeyed orders to try and stop a pair of Goa’uld
motherships from destroying Earth.
Daniel is mortally wounded by a staff weapon blast, and tells Jack to leave him behind.
But as the rest of the team tries to find a way off the ship, Daniel drags himself to
a sarcophagus, heals his injury, and gates off the ship seconds before it explodes.
Jack and the team return to the S.G.C. to report that Daniel gave his life saving Earth
– only to find him waiting there for a heartfelt reunion.
Jack grabs his friend in a rare embrace, impressed that Daniel found a way out on his own,
and affectionately calls him "Space monkey!"
It’s a heartwarming beat, full of catharsis, as you can see the sense of relief
wash over Jack.
#1: Put An End To It.
In Season Six’s “Abyss.” Jack and Daniel nearly came to blows over
a disagreement on many occasions, but their friendship shone through the most when one
of them was in a deep, personal crisis.
In “Abyss,” Jack has been captured by the System Lord Baal, who subjects him to
brutal torture – killing him and then bringing him back to life in a sarcophagus
over and over again.
Daniel – who is currently an ascended being – visits Jack in his prison cell
to bring comfort.
But he must also tell Jack that he is not permitted to intervene and save his life.
In a climactic argument, Jack says that if he had Daniel’s powers he would have broken
Daniel out and busted the whole place down by now –
and he wouldn’t have stopped there, either.
Daniel tells him, “You’re a better man than that,” at which point Jack shouts,
“That’s where you’re wrong!”
Jack pleads with Daniel to prevent Baal from being able to resuscitate him the next time.
“Any minute they’re going to come, and Baal is going to kill me again.
You can make it the last time.”
But Daniel refuses.
“Abyss” remains one of our favorite episodes of Stargate SG-1 exactly because of the relationship
between Jack O’Neill and Daniel Jackson.
Here it all comes to a head – their concern for one another, their trust in one another,
and their faith that when life is at its darkest, their friend will be there with them.
Even though Daniel can’t ethically intervene – and even though Jack is understandably
desperate and taking some of that frustration out on Daniel – the depth of Daniel’s
care for Jack is still on full display.
Well, that’s a wrap on our Top 5 Jack and Daniel moments!
And while we’re proud of our list, there are so many great, great exchanges
that didn’t make the cut.
Honorable mentions go to everything from Daniel helping translate a frustrated Jack’s Ancient
ramblings in “The Fifth Race,” to the “Can I see your scar?” moment in the opening
scene of “Nemesis,” to Reese’s heartbreaking death scene in “Menace.”
But now that you’ve seen our list, go ahead and post your top five Jack and Daniel moments
in the comments section below, or tell us what you would change about our list.
Also, let us know what two characters you want to see us do a
"Top 5 Moments of" list in the future.