History StargateSG1 / GToL

--->'''O'Neill:''' [[DisasterMovie I've seen]] [[Film/{{Armageddon}} this movie]]. [[DeathFromAbove It hits]] [[ThrowAwayCountry Paris]].

** And a more literal example appears in the Season 8 episode ''Avatar''. Before Teal'c gets a turn, the training simulation which forms the basis of the episode's plot had only been tested by Dr. Lee and his team. Because the simulation runs on an adaptive difficulty system which adjusts based on the memories and experiences of its prior users - which the noncombatant scientists don't have - Teal'c finds it almost insultingly easy to plough through the normally nigh-invulnerable "Anubis Drones" as though they were the regular Jaffa rank-and-file. It's [[BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor Teal'c and Jack's pushing for the scientists to make it more difficult]] that causes all the problems in the first place.

** And a more literal example appears in the Season 8 episode ''Avatar''. Before Teal'c gets a turn, the training simulation which forms the basis of the episode's plot had only been tested by Dr. Lee and his team. Because the simulation runs on an adaptive difficulty system which adjusts based on the memories and experiences of its prior users - which the noncombatant scientists don't have - Teal'c finds it almost insultingly easy to plough through the normally nigh-invulnerable "Anubis Drones" as though they were the regular Jaffa rank-and-file.

** Teal'c is stoic, and easily confused by English language proverbs and metaphors and the most basic of human customs. He is also an avid fan of ''Franchise/StarWars'', which he has watched 9 times in his first 5 years on earth. In fact, when someone mentions an immaculate conception, he immediately thinks of ''Darth Vader''. He is also a fan of ''Film/DieHard'' - knowing the films well enough to recognize John [=McClane=] by name, humorously pointing this out when Daniel Jackson (Earthling, born and bred) completely misses the reference. In one episode he is shown to ''really'' enjoy his ice cream. He also plays ''VideoGame/{{DefJam|Series}} Vendetta''. This is a reference to Teal'c actor, Christopher Judge, being a voice actor in the game.

(''turns to Major Carter from his reality'')\\

--->'''Sam:''' Come on, Daniel. They've found the guy, they're bringing him in. You have to wake up. (''she moves over to hold his hand'') Daniel. You can't die on me now.\\
'''Daniel:''' (''weakly'') It's nice to know you don't just like me for my looks.

'''Teal'c:''' But we have dedicated ourselves to the cause of the Tau'ri. (''{{beat}}'') Earth.

* ICantBelieveImSayingThis: One of the funniest parts of this series is watching the Very Serious Military Personnel describing or giving orders in absurd situations.
-->'''Hammond:''' What am I supposed to ''say''? (''pulls out microphone'') A glowing energy being is headed for Level 28. Lower your weapons and do not attempt to intercept it.\\\
'''Hammond:''' Okay, people. Let me remind you. This mission is recon only. Do not engage the enemy. I'm allowing the use of this ship because of the obvious tactical advantage it provides you. Under no circumstances is it to be used to travel through time. (''beat'') Never in my life did I imagine ever giving that order.

* ImAHumanitarian: Of a sort; Goa'uld System Lords (and possibly others) have a taste for live symbiotes, and consume them ritually. It's implied that this has become so prominent recently that they're actually experiencing ''zero population growth''. This was written in after someone did the math on Jaffa and figured out that there should be ''far'' more adult Goa'uld out there than the series had shown. The twist is that the System Lords only begin eating their own youngs after they've taken an adult human as a host. So they're not eating their own young directly, it's the parasite forcing the host to eat the parasite's young (which isn't better, frankly).

* ImpaledPalm: O'Neill inflicts this on Heru'ur in "Secrets".
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: [=RepliCarter=]'s preferred method of execution.

** Even as she suggests it, Carter's tone indicates she obviously considers it implausible.

** The Ori arc made a running gag of this, with one of Earth's ships beaming Daniel Jackson on board from a planet's surface, usually right in the middle of him trying to explain to some villagers that there was no magic, he was not a god, etc.
--->'''Dr. Jackson:''' You are making a mistake. There is no curse. The black knight is a security feature created by Merlin through the use of science and advanced technology. There is no magic-- (''the ''Odyssey'' beams up SG-1'')\\
(''later'')\\
'''Dr. Jackson:''' Once and for all: There was no curse. This is a device. There is no magic-- (''the ''Korolev'' beams him up'')\\

--->'''Mitchell:''' (''to [=CMSgt.=] Harriman'') Chief, we got a full count. Two strikes, three Ba'als.\\
'''Harriman:''' (''chuckles'') Oh. That's clever, sir.\\
'''Carter:''' (''eye roll'') He was thinking that one up the whole way home.\\

** President Henry Hayes has shades of this in his conversation with Anubis In "Lost City", complete with LampshadeHanging.
--->'''Henry Hayes:''' Never going to happen. (''Anubis' hologram vanishes, Hayes turns to his onlookers'') Too much?

The Serpent Guard's eyes glow, the Horus Guard's beak glistens, the Setesh Guard's... nose drips. (''laughs'')

--->'''Local:''' (''about Teal'c'') He is Jaffa!\\

* {{Leitmotif}}: The Nox have this when they appear in an episode. They're the only species to have this distinction and it only happens three times.

** In the episode ''2010'' the Aschen give Earth a life-extension drug that serves to explain why SG-1 hadn't aged at all in ten years. It also turned out to cause sterility, as part of an Aschen plot to depopulate Earth so they could turn it into an agricultural colony, necessitating TimeTravel to prevent the Earth-Aschen alliance.

** A straight example is the Goa'uld. In the first season, they are nearly ImmuneToBullets, requiring A LOT of firepower to take down permanently, and have super-strength. On multiple occasions, a single Goa'uld is capable of giving the SGC a run for its money. By the 2nd season, with a few exception they are as vulnerable as any human if you can get them away from that shield generator of theirs.

** On the other hand, it wouldn't be out of character for her to enjoy the technical challenge. She's stated that working on naquadah reactors and other high-tech devices is fun for her, so working with science she knows inside and out might actually be her way of shutting her brain off for a few hours.

* GodEmperor / GodGuise: Standard Goa'uld PR theme. Sufficiently advanced technology makes it easy for them to pass as classical pantheonic gods, and thanks to their ridiculous egos and the mind-screwery of the sarcophagi some of them even believe it themselves.

** [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in "Touchstone", where Hammond explicitly points out that, since the NID facility officially does not exist, there is no jurisdiction conflict to prevent SG-1 from apprehending its personnel.

* LampshadeHanging: Frequently, often pairing up with GenreSavvy (see above), and forms the basis for much of the series' humor, particularly when Colonel Mitchell (Ben Browder) joins the cast. The episode "200" lampshades tons of tropes from sci-fi and movies in general to the show itself, including the act of Lampshading!

[[StargateSG1/AToF Tropes A-F]] | '''Tropes G-L''' | [[StargateSG1/MToR Tropes M-R]] | [[StargateSG1/SToZ Tropes S-Z]] | [[YMMV/StargateSG1 YMMV]] | [[ShoutOut/StargateSG1 Shout Outs]]

* Leitmotif: The Nox have this when they appear in an episode. They're the only species to have this distinction and it only happens three times.

* LetUsNeverSpeakOfThisAgain: The season one episode "Hathor" was heavily disliked by both fans ''and'' the producers, and in following episodes the characters mention that they have agreed to never talk about it again. True to that, [[CanonDiscontinuity the specific events of the episode are never revisited]], with characters only talking about the "Hathor incident" without saying what actually happened, and the details of how Goa'uld queens produce offspring being {{retcon}}ned to asexual. Even Hathor's reappearance in "Out of Mind" and "Into the Fire" doesn't go into many details, only that the team, particularly Daniel and Jack, have developed an intense loathing of her.

* ImAHumanitarian: Of a sort; Goa'uld System Lords (and possibly others) have a taste for live symbiotes, and consume them ritually. It's implied that this has become so prominent recently that they're actually experiencing ''zero population growth''. This was written in after someone did the math on Jaffa and figured out that there should be ''far'' more adult Goa'uld out there than the series had shown.
** The twist is that the System Lords only being eating their own young after they've taken an adult human as a host. So they're not eating their own young directly, it's the parasite forcing the host to eat the parasite's young (which isn't better, frankly).

* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: The Jaffa, although simultaneously justified and {{lampshade}}d in later episodes when Jack explains that the staff weapons are designed to intimidate, while human weapons are designed to kill. Essentially, its really hard to "aim" by pointing a six-foot staff at things. (See KineticWeaponsAreJustBetter below.) This doesn't excuse the few occasions where a Jaffa uses a Zat with similar results, though.

** And it should be noted that both [[LampshadeHanging Jack]] and the [[EarthShatteringKaboom explosion scenes]] were included in the SciFiChannel commercials for said episode.

'''Jack:''' If I may sir, I think what he means is, the wick is the centre of the candle, and obstensively a great leader, like yourself, is essential to the whole ball of wax. Basically what it means is is that its better to have a ''big... long... wick'' right?

* AGodIAmNot: The ascended Ancients refuse to be worshipped or thought of as gods. The Ori on the other hand...
* GodsHandsAreTied: There's a prime example of this trope in the last 2 seasons for the ascended Ancient precursors. Turns out that there is an evil counterpart of their race that is just as strong as they are -- the Ori, the Evil Goatee-wearing twins of the Ancients. They not only interfere in the affairs of mortals, they direct them to worship the Ori and kill or convert unbelievers, have no problems with throwing their power around, and will grant their preachers some measure of their power. When they come after our galaxy, which had, until now, been shielded by the Ancients, the Ancients still refuse to do anything about the Ori, even when they try to destroy the Ancients. It's up to the simple humans to defeat an army of godlike-powerful beings. Although the Ancients do protect the Milky Way from direct invasion by the Ori themselves (the actual ascended beings), but they allow their followers (no matter how powerful, how close to ascension, or how much advanced tech they have) through, which the humans have to deal with. The problem here is that if the entire Milky Way is converted, the additional power the Ori would get from all the new "converts" would allow them to completely overwhelm the Ancients.

* GoMadFromTheRevelation: Pretty much the reason for keeping the program quiet. In ''almost'' every parallel universe they visit where the program has gone public [[PowderKegCrowd things go downhill fast]]. On the other hand, in many realities this wasn't so much because TheWorldIsNotReady, but more because Earth became a TerminallyDependentSociety on Stargate travel and using powerful alien allies for defence, at the expense of advancing their ''own'' technology to keep an edge.

** The International Oversight Advisory, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin which is exactly what is sounds like.]]

** Ra was the first Goa'uld to find Earth and use a human as a host, which gave him and other Goa'uld a massive supply of hosts, soldiers and slaves and allowed them to spread all across the galaxy, with Ra as the top System Lord for over ten thousand years. He's killed off in [[Film/{{Stargate}} the original film]] before the series, but his legacy poses the main threat for most of the series.

* GreenAesop: In "Revisions", the planet's atmosphere is completely unbreatheable due to industrial pollution.

* GroundhogDayLoop: The mostly-comedic "Window of Opportunity" episode, a fan favorite.

** Three episodes features humans with Goa'uld DNA. The first is a ''harcesis'', a child born of two Goa'uld hosts. The second is an experiment by ex-NID operatives to gain access to the Goa'uld genetic memory. The third is a clone created by [[BigBad Anubis]], designed to evolve until it's capable of [[AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence ascension]]; he was a prototype of a new army Anubis was going to create to ''kill the Ancients''.

** Harry Maybourne went from enemy to ''convicted US traitor'' to useful asset to grudging ally and friend. Eventually SG-1 even relocates Maybourne offworld to protect him from punishment for his original crimes.

** In "Holiday", when Daniel makes Machello realise that by [[BodySurf stealing his body]], he's [[HeWhoFightsMonsters become just as bad]] as the Goa'uld he's spent his entire life fighting.

* HijackedByGanon: In season 8, [[spoiler:Ba'al takes control of Anubis's remaining forces after the destruction of Anubis's fleet during the invasion of Earth, and uses his superior [[SuperSoldier Kull Warriors]] to successfully wage war on all the other Goa'uld combined. Anubis reappears on Earth, but gets stuck on a frozen planet in a host body. At the end of the first part of "Reckoning", Ba'al reveals to O'Neill that Anubis is back in command of the largest Goa'uld faction, and that he was serving him for a while now.]]

** The Jaffa are a genetic offshoot of humanity created by the Goa'uld. They are biologically human in most respects, except they have an abdominal pouch which is used to incubate larval Goa'ld; the Goa'uld larva in turn grants the Jaffa immunity from disease and an increased lifespan, but cannot be removed without condemning the Jaffa, as they lack an immune system of their own.
* HumansAreSpecial: Humans (specifically, the Tau'ri) are not shown to be particularly smarter, stronger, faster or more "imaginative" than other species, but the Asgard point out that they have great ''potential''. Exemplified when the Asgard basically will Humanity all their stuff when they engage in a species wide SuicidePact because their CloneDegeneration is terminal.

** The correct way to refer to people from Earth is humourously pondered in "Cure";

* ICanSeeMyHouseFromHere: Although in this case it is not to emphasize how high they are, but how relatively ''low'' they are getting.

* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Often when talking to a loved one who has been taken as a host. A recurring question in early episodes was if there ''is'' any part of the host's mind/soul that survives. [[spoiler:There is, and the Goa'uld just suppresses it. At least in the case of a young symbiote with a strong-willed host, it is even possible for the Goa'uld to momentarilly lose control.]]

* InnBetweenTheWorlds: The "Astral Diner" of the episode "Threads". The place is a midway point between the mortal dimension and the higher realms where the Ascended live. Played with in that it's actually an example of AFormYouAreComfortableWith, as it was modelled after Daniel Jackson's memories.
* InscrutableAliens: In "Grace", the ''Prometheus'' encounters an alien warship that refuses to respond to hails and opens fire on them. It pursues them into a nebula and abducts all the crew save Sam before they're both trapped by the nebula. [[spoiler:Sam manages to trade a way to get out of the nebula for the crew]], but nothing resembling them is ever encountered again.

** Osiris is twice shot by a Goa'uld-specific sedative, and in both cases it takes several minutes before it takes effect. In "The Curse" s/he even managed to make good his/her escape before succumbing to the drug.

** The Sodan warriors have their own variant, issued from Ancient technology, which they put to good use. This model have the problem of emitting a radiation that is harmful for humans on the long term (although Jaffa can endure it thanks to their symbiotes). [[spoiler:It is however a necessarily protection measure against some interdimensional parasites otherwise attracted by the users.]]

** In "Uninvited", the Air Force takes over an investigation from the local sheriff when they determine that the bear that has been killing local hunters is actually a dangerous creature [[NiceJobBreakingItHero that they inadvertantly created.]] They stick with the "bear" story, of which the sheriff is understandably skeptic since they explain that it is a matter of national security [[spoiler:but he never gets a chance to dig deeper since the creature kills him at the end of the scene]].

--->'''O'Neill:''' Teal'c, there are a lot things we do that we wish we could change and we sure as hell can't forget, but the whole concept of chain of command undermines the idea of free will. So as soldiers, we have to do some pretty awful stuff. But we're following orders like we were trained to. It doesn't make it easier; it certainly doesn't make it right, but it does put some of the responsibility on the guy giving those orders.

'''O'Neill:''' General Hammond, '''I''' have spent a lot of years in the service of my country, and '''I''' have been ordered to do "some '''damned''' distasteful things."

** Justified when Jack and Daniel (acting as Teal'c's defense) try to object, stating that they wanted someone impartial. When asked what that means, Daniel explains that the person who sits in judgement should not have formed an opinion about Teal'c's guilt or innocence. This is dismissed with the rather thought-provoking line of "Impossible. Anyone who has a mind has an opinion."

* Myth/KingArthur: Seasons nine and ten delve deeply into Arthurian legend, with the revelation that Myth/{{Merlin}} was an Ascended Ancient who retook human form in order to build a weapon to fight the Ori. Though Arthur himself never appears, SG-1 does visit Camelot and follows in his footsteps to look for the ''sangraal'', the HolyGrail, which they believe to be the weapon that Merlin built.

** The Jaffa rite of "''joma secu''", where a Jaffa commander is challenged to a duel to the death for his position. Played straight in "The Warrior" (Teal'c versus K'tano[[spoiler:/Imhotep]]; Teal'c wins) and subverted in "Birthright" (Ishta versus Neith; Ishta wins but spares Neith when she learns the tretonin didn't work on Mala and she died).

** Teal'c is stoic, and easily confused by English language proverbs and metaphors and the most basic of human customs. He is also an avid fan of ''Franchise/StarWars'', which he has watched 9 times in his first 5 years on earth. In fact, when someone mentions an immaculate conception, he immediately thinks of ''Darth Vader''. He is also a fan of ''Film/DieHard'' - knowing the films well enough to recognize John [=McClane=] by name, humorously pointing this out when Daniel Jackson (Earthling, born and bred) completely misses the reference. In one episode he is shown to ''really'' enjoy his ice cream. He also plays ''VideoGame/{{DefJam|Series}} Vendetta''. This is a reference to Teal'c actor, Christopher Judge, being a voice actor on the game.

* {{Knighting}}: In "Theads", Teal'c and Bra'tac are dubbed "blood-kin to all Jaffa" in recognition of their work in the overthrow of the Goa'uld, tapped once on each shoulder by a staff weapon.

* LampshadeHanging: Frequently, often pairing up with GenreSavvy (see above), and forms the basis for much of the series' humour, particularly when Colonel Mitchell (Ben Browder) joins the cast. The episode "200" lampshades tons of tropes from sci-fi and movies in general to the show itself, including the act of Lampshading!

* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: The primary enemies the Goa'uld were diminished in threat by the end of the eighth season, and the ninth season opened establishing a new BigBad in the Ori. In addition there were several cast changes as Richard Dean Anderson left the show and only came back in sporadic guest appearances. The show's last few seasons happened to follow the endings of several other beloved sci-fi shows, and the show imported actors from those shows, most notably Ben Browder and Claudia Black from ''Series/{{Farscape}}''..

* LensmanArmsRace: The SGC goes from a platoon-sized group of special forces going through a star gate they barely know how to operate, to a small fleet of interstellar star ships, in about eight years.

** The sarcophagus can extend the life of a human without a [[PuppeteerParasite Goa'uld]] for 700 years or so, hosts for millennia. Unfortunately it makes the user megalomaniacal.

** The Aschen as a whole are a very patient race, and conquer other planets over the course of centuries. Their standard operating procedure seems to be forming an alliance with the current government and granting them superior technology in order to gain their trust, but slowly reducing their population by [[SterilityPlague inducing wide-spread infertility through their medical treatments.]] After several centuries the planets inhabitants will be too few to prevent the Aschen from assuming complete control.

* LongRunners: ''Stargate SG-1'' ran for ten seasons and a total of 214 episodes, with two additional DVD movies, and was followed by [[Series/StargateAtlantis two]] [[Series/StargateUniverse spinoffs]]. ''Series/{{Smallville}}'' rivals it as an North American series for equivalent seasons and episodes, while only ''Series/DoctorWho'' tops it worldwide.

* GenreSavvy: The series wouldn't be the same without it.

* KnightsTemplar: Plenty, but particularly the rogue NID, which became the Trust.

* LaterInstallmentWeirdness: The primary enemies the Goa'uld were diminished in threat by the end of the eighth season, and the ninth season opened establishing a new BigBad in the Ori. In addition there were several cast changes as Richard Dean Anderson left the show and only came back in sporadic guest appearances. The show's last few seasons happened to follow the endings of several other beloved sci-fi shows, and the show imported actors from those shows, most notably Ben Browder and Claudia Black from ''Series/{{Farscape}}''. As such, the show was suddenly rife with heaps of HeyItsThatGuy.

%% HeyItsThatGuy is trivia and go in the Trivia tab.