August 28, 2012: The Most Heartbreaking Moment in Stargate History!

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What, in your opinion, was The Most Heartbreaking Moment in Stargate History?  In coming up with the list of candidates, I tried to consider the events in context.  For instance, while Universe’s final episode was heartfelt, it was only heartbreaking insofar as the audience knew the show wasn’t coming back when the episode finally aired.  The same goes for Atlantis’s more upbeat finale which, in retrospect, was bittersweet given that fact that it turned out to be the show’s finale. Similarly, the last appearance of (the real) Elizabeth Weir which sees her seemingly sacrifice herself so that the team can escape is also much more heartbreaking with the knowledge that she doesn’t come back after Lifeline.

And so, considering these moments within the framework of their individual stories, here is my list of The Most Devastating Moments in Stargate History.

Ascension of the Abydonians (Stargate: SG-1 – Full Circle)

SG-1 is unable to save the Abydonians from Anubis but, in a bittersweet turn, we discover that Oma Desala has helped them ascend.  ”Death is only the beginning of one’s journey,”Skaara reminds O’Neill before disappearing.

Jacob’s Passing (Stargate: SG-1 – Threads)

A dying Jacob Carter receives a new lease on life after taking a symbiote, but, it turns out, even symbiotes are vulnerable to the ravages of time.  Jacob dies peacefully, a grieving Sam by his bedside.

The Death of Janet Fraiser (Stargate: SG-1 – Heroes I and II)

Dr. Fraiser was a mainstay at Stargate command, a familiar and friendly face we’d drawn comfort in over the course of SG-1′s seven years of adventuring – so the moment she was killed by an errant staff blast was not only shocking, it was downright heartbreaking.

Goodbye Daniel (Stargate: SG-1 – Meridian)

The moment of Daniel Jackson’s death is heartbreaking in itself but an even more poignant moments comes at episode’s end when he appears to Jack in his ascended form.

“So, what?”asks O’Neill.  ”See you around?”

“I don’t know,”says Daniel as he turns and walks up the ramp.

“Hey… where are you going?”

“I don’t know,”replies Daniel and then disappears through the gate.

Lives Unlived #1 (Stargate: SG-1 – Unending)

SG-1 live out the rest of their lives, trapped aboard the Odyssey cocooned in a time dilation field.  They grow old together. Relationships are developed.  Carter eventually figures out a way to turn back time, but it will undo the experience they’ve shared, the memories they hold.  Ultimately, they make the decision to sacrifice it all – and only Teal’c will bear witness to what happened.

Farewell to Carson Beckett (Stargate: Atlantis – Sunday)

Following a solemn send-off for Atlantis’s lovable Chief Medical Officer, a grieving Rodney is paid a visit by the recently deceased Dr. Beckett.

“Take care of yourself, Rodney,”says Beckett.

“Goodbye, Carson,”says Rodney as Beckett fades away.

Solitary Man (Stargate Atlantis – Vegas)

Johnny Cash’s Solitary Man is an appropriate theme song for this alternate reality’s Detective John Sheppard, a very familiar Shep whose life has taken a very unfamiliar term.  He cracks a dangerous case, saving who knows how many lives in the process and, in the episode’s final moments, dies alone and unsung in the desert.

Lives Unlived #2 (Stargate: Atlantis – The Last Man)

Sheppard travels to a future Atlantis where he uncovers the sad tale of what befell the Atlantis expedition: Teyla murdered by Michael, Carter sacrificing herself in battle, Ronon and Todd falling to Michael’s army of hybrids, the city of Atlantis abandoned.  But the worst if yet to come for Rodney who at first finds some solace in his relationship with Jennifer Keller, only to have that taken away from him when she falls ill.  Tests discover traces of the Hoffan drug in her system.  She dies three days later.

The Death of Riley (Stargate: Universe – Aftermath)

One of the most heart wrenching deaths in Stargate history comes early in Stargate Universe’s second season.  The shuttle crashes and Sgt. Riley is pinned and mortally wounded.  Two moments – first, his conversation with T.J., then Young’s mercy killing – leave the viewers (and our surviving characters) completely devastated.

Lives Unlived #3 (Stargate: Universe – Epilogue)

This time it’s the Universe crew’s turn to offer a There But the Grace of God.  Happy outcomes for some, far sadder for others, T.J. in particular.  In one of the most heartbreaking sequences in Stargate history, we see her deterioration as the disease ravages her body, leaving her bedridden and unable to feed herself.  And then, she is gone,  leaving her husband and young children to mourn her absence.

So, what do you think?  What gets your vote?  Leave a comment for a chance to win a signed script!

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Tagged: film & television, Science Fiction Television, scifi television, SF, SG-1, SGA, SGU, Stargate, Stargate Universe, Stargate: Atlantis, Stargate: SG-1