Stargate SG-1 ran for a total of ten seasons, with two additional movies to round off the intergalactic adventures. It had a changing roster throughout, but every member of the cast had their moments of genuine levity, either because the story demanded it or due to sheer instinct. Richard Dean Anderson, who portrayed Colonel Jack O’Neill, is known for playing up the humor of certain moments, which is evident in many of the episodes on this list. The funniest episodes of Stargate SG-1 incorporate incisive science fiction with absurdity, resulting in some truly creative comedy.
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S4 Ep06 – “Window of Opportunity”
This homage to the movie Groundhog Day (1993) consistently ranks as the favorite for many fans, and for a good reason. In this episode, SG-1 encounter a shifty scientist on yet another uncharted planet, and his temporal experiments lead to Jack and Teal’c getting caught in a time loop. Months of the same day pass as Jack and Teal’c work to reassemble their original timeline, relying only on their own ingenuity and the short-term memories of their other friends.
It’s a story that was originally intended to be darker, revolving around existential horror, but the lighter tone makes the episode feel much more like Stargate SG-1 is playing to its strengths. Throw in a sequence of no-consequence hijinks in a top-secret government facility, and a classic is made.
Highlight Moment: Jack and Teal’c hitting golf balls into the Stargate like they’re at a driving range.
S10 Ep16 — “Bad Guys”
There’s little that the team of SG-1 haven’t seen or done over a decade of exploring the universe, but they’re certainly not used to being terrorists. This pseudo-parody of Die Hard (1988) erupts when SG-1 pass through their Stargate and into a museum exhibit on another world, accidentally triggering a building lockdown.
SG-1 has to keep a crowd of hostages calm and controlled while jerry-rigging a way home, a task made more difficult by swarming police. Playing the role of the villain is new for these characters, and it’s refreshing to see the geniuses flounder. Vala Mal Doran is the only one at home, not only in the matter of being a criminal, but also gate-crashing parties — she shines in this episode. The plucky John McClane wannabe that gets captured by the team also has his moments.
Highlight Moment: Daniel getting into an argument with hostages who don’t think he’s very threatening.
S8 Ep19 — “Moebius: Part 1”
If there’s one thing Stargate shows do well, it’s time travel shenanigans. Stargate SG-1 has had several time travel hits over the years, but in Season 8 it pulls out all the stops, ending the season (and incidentally, Richard Dean Anderson’s run as one of the main stars) with a brand new alternate timeline.
This episode has SG-1 return to 3000 BC to prevent the tyranny of Ra in the original Stargate movie. As a consequence, eight years of Stargate missions are erased, and a new timeline is created – one where Daniel never theorized that aliens created the Egyptian pyramids, and Sam never gave up her desk job. A mission to restore the original timeline leads to a clumsy team-up of retiree Jack, unreformed alien henchman Teal’c, and awkward civilians Sam and Daniel. Seeing the SG-1 team without their normal camaraderie ventures into the uncanny valley, but in an often hilarious way.
Highlight Moment: Sam and Daniel acting like extras from The Big Bang Theory.
S5 Ep12 — “Wormhole X-Treme!”
Another parody takes over in this episode, when SG-1 learn about a TV show being created that resembles their lives over the past five years. Martin Lloyd, an alien who made Earth his home in the previous season, is revealed to be working on producing a TV series about the Stargate missions – with a few key details altered to protect the secrecy of the program.
Jack joins the production as an Air Force consultant, and monitors Lloyd, as well as another government organization with designs upon seizing Lloyd’s alien technology. Overt references and cameos abound in this episode, and Jack sees exactly how his life looks when it’s broken down into tropes. There are appearances by the Stargate SG-1 writers, directors, makeup artists and more, as well as some scathing commentary on TV-making in general.
Highlight Moment: Jack reassuring the ‘actor’ playing a mock-up of himself that his actions in a scene are realistic.
S10 Ep06 — “200”
Few shows get to the milestone of releasing two hundred episodes, but Stargate SG-1 cruised through this achievement with a production that pulled out all the stops. This episode brings back Martin Lloyd and all his Hollywood experience, and this time around, Lloyd is set on making a Wormhole X-Treme! movie.
Cue a deluge of ideas from SG-1, including but not limited to a Thunderbirds parody, a Star Trek parody, a Wizards of Oz parody, and a Farscape parody (a show that previously starred Stargate SG-1 cast members Ben Browder and Claudia Black). Jack O’Neill even makes an appearance, with some arch references to his abdication of a starring role in the show. This episode serves both as treat for consistent fans of the show, and as a love letter to the show itself.
Highlight Moment: SG-1 as puppets.
The best part about the comedy of Stargate SG-1 is that it always slots neatly into the show’s canon without any mischaracterization. Unlike with some other sci-fi or fantasy shows, the humor is integral to why the show works so well. The funniest episodes of the show take one idea – such as a time loop or an in-universe parody – and play up the ridiculous side of it. There’s no shortage of such scenarios over ten years of the show, and many more episodes revel in the comedy.
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