When Stargate's Jack O'Neill Goes DARK (Dial the Gate)

DESPITE THE FACT that actor Richard Dean Anderson brought a constant stream of humor to his portrayal of Colonel Jack O'Neill, the character definitely had a darker side as well. Long-time fans of the show remember well those scenes where the Colonel's defenses drop and a flash of brutal anger bursts to the surface - episodes like "Red Sky," when confronting a man who has killed others and doomed his world, or when confronting the loss of his son in "Window of Opportunity." Because Jack is such a funny and genial character, these moments of raw emotion end up all the more impactful.
In this conversation with "Dial the Gate" host David Read, veteran Stargate director Martin Wood reflects on "Dark Jack," what makes Anderson's portrayal so compelling, and why he thinks the alternate reality of STARGATE: CONTINUUM might hold the darkest Jack O'Neill of them all.
This clip is from Dial the Gate's full-length, 90-minute conversation with Martin. Watch the full interview here: • 113: Martin Wood Part ...
RELATED ►
★ Jack O'Neill (Omnipedia): www.gateworld....
★ Stargate: Continuum: www.gateworld....
★ "Red Sky": www.gateworld....
★ "Window of Opportunity": www.gateworld....
★ Stargate (1994): www.gateworld....
★ www.DialtheGat...
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"Stargate" and all related materials are owned by MGM Studios and MGM Television. The "Dial the Gate" theme is composed by Neal Acree.
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[@vm2561]

How did I missed The Stargate sg1 series in past years ago ....due to no time watching it all until I got my retirement and finally caught up to watch all thru. I love stargate with Richard(Jack),Michael(Daniel), Amanda( Sam),and Christopher(Teal'C) !! I'm crazy addicted to watch this crew in Stargate. Hopeful for them coming back along with new SG1 or not.

[@silversurfer8818]

I remember the episode "The Other Side", by the end of the episode Alar (played by: Rene Auberjonois) ran after them, Jack was fully aware that he was just a few seconds behind them. Yet he still ordered to close the Iris - and thus effectively murdered Alar.

[@carlos_takeshi]

@TheAn Onymous I've always thought of that as one of the franchise's weakest episodes. Once the "big reveal" happens, the suspense completely drains out of the episode. There's basically one way for that episode to go from there. If there had been a ton more stories like that, the franchise wouldn't have been the success it is.

[@carlos_takeshi]

@TheAn Onymous A seção em Espanhol foi um pouco esquisito. Entendi em geral o que você disse, mas estranhei porque de repente estava numa outra língua. Você decidiu usar Espanhol porque o meu nome contém "Carlos"? E por causa disso assumiu que eu falo Espanhol? É verdade que muitas pessoas com o nome "Carlos" falam Espanhol, mas também é verdade que várias culturas que não falam Espanhol usam o nome também. O nome sozinho não é suficiente para saber. Anyway, those are interesting readings. Ra being trans makes the show at least a little transphobic, right? What with his death being a major milestone for the franchise, a highly celebrated achievement referred back to on multiple occasions? Further, even if these readings are correct (some more debatable than others), they are subtexts or conclusions the show is happy to let you draw, and not what the characters spend their time on. SG-1 can just as easily be read as "America! Fuck Yeah!" to the stars. The Tok'ra were locked in never-ending war with the Goa'uld for millenia. The United States Air Force, with some assistance from the Marine Corps, took care of them in eight years. Similarly with the Asgard and the Replicators. After that, in a couple years they cleaned out the Ori, a mess the Ancients left behind millions of years ago. In progress was cleaning up the Wraith (another Ancient SNAFU) and maybe figuring out the ultimate meaning of life. "Aim high" indeed.

[@heathb4319]

TheAn Onymouse... What are you talking about? How was Ra trans? How were the Sodan gay? And how does any of what you said have anything to do with the "The Other Side" episode? And why do you use that scene to say woke is ok? Or am i misunderstanding what you are trying to say? Because Ra is a male that has been taken over by a parasite. The Sodan were celibate warrior clan...not gay. And no where in any episode did they hint at it. So it seems you are just projecting your own issues on here. But feel free to correct me.

[@heathb4319]

The Other Side...Quite literally showed the other side of Jack. He did warn him not to follow them. Mainly because he didn't deserve to, was a coward to his people and a war criminal. However...when he hit the closed iris...he didn't feel a thing. Not such a bad way to go for a coward. And i don't see it as Jack murdering him...he warned him. So it was more of a suicide. haha

[@carlos_takeshi]

@TheAn Onymous The franchise could easily be viewed as the most neoconservative in history. It kicks off with the US Air Force liberating a people from oppression they've suffered under for thousands of years by killing Ra. Then, over the next several years, they topple the rest of the System Lords, ending Goa'uld domination of the galaxy with the US military intervention. They also end the threat of of the Replicators, something even the Asgard couldn't do with their super advanced technology. Then, the cause of freedom is extended beyond our galaxy to the Pegasus galaxy. We don't see the conclusion of that fight, but if it plays out according to form, the humans there will be freed from the scourge of the Wraith by the bravery of the USAF and the USMC. Finally, the Ori, near godlike beings, were destroyed, bringing freedom to an entire galaxy. All made possible by the United States Air Force, going out and fighting America's enemies.

[@amydickerson2145]

Jack's love for Samantha held back the majority of that darkness.

[@peterjones4621]

Back when Stargate SG1 was in full power I was absolutely obsessed with the show. I was in love with Amanda Tapping as were millions of other guys. I lived in Seattle, close to Vancouver and I kept planning to take a week off and head up there and find the cast members and try to talk to them but reality stepped in and I realized the last thing they wanted was some obsessed fan interfering with their free time. I worked with a guy who actually knew some of the stage crew so I could have actually gotten on the set. Years later I feel foolish and goofy as I look back at how obsessed I was. I'm sad it's all over, I mean the original cast but I hope Brad Wright is able to sell his plans for a new show. It seems like a done deal as there are already millions of fans clamoring to see Stargate start anew. I pray it happens so maybe I can become an obsessed fan again! 🤣🤣

[@chrisdelagarza8048]

YEP 👍🏻

[@greengun8340]

Excellent banter. For me, you are keeping Stargate alive. Thank you.

[@mikael9358]

I always thought the best example of Dark Jack was in the alternate universe all the way back in S1 when he decided to bomb Chulak instead of trying to open the gate and save more people. Granted, it was an alternate universe Jack and Earth was under attack but still...

[@jacklydon]

It is amazing how David Read knows everything from every episode.

[@justinbruce8074]

Darkest Jack is without Daniel

[@BogeyTheBear]

"Red Sky", when Jack pulls the gun on Malkus, was RDA's best impression of Kurt Russell's version of movie Jack.

[@Gallifreyans]

I feel like when we see Jack in Stargate Universe he's that "by the book" kind of guy again too tho! I always just saw this as him becoming an actual proper general

[@travisyelland42]

Richard was one of my favorite actors that i so wanted to meet him and tell him how much his acting meant to me. As one of the times in my life i was suicidal from pain and noone including doctors in vancouver took the pain serious anuff show's like sg1 made me see i could enjoy something. And that was often anuff to save me. I will miss him for all my days and he never even knew how much he ment to me. I miss all star gates shows, but probably cuz i would hope to see a new clip of jack. So thats anuff of my sad story/life.

[@24framedavinci39]

Yo, why are you talking like RDA passed away or something. I had to look it up thinking maybe I missed the news.

[@warlords1775]

Anuff lol

[@exiletsj2570]

Rick did an amazing job, of adapting and changing Jack, in sync with Michael Shanks changing Daniel. In the end Daniel and Jack somewhat became the same.

[@tyrannicpuppy]

Teal'c and Jack had that constant obvious commeraderie, the two career soldiers who have bled and suffered for their countries but still put the uniform on and go into work because if they don't someone else will. But for me it was always Jack and Daniel that shined when O'Neill went angry. Almost everytime that Jack loses it or really sinks back into that man who was in pain before he met Daniel, it's Jackson that cracks that edge and gets his humanity working again. It's so easy to forget after all the many humourous moments, that Jack O'Neill is a former black ops soldier. He's done damn distasteful things. All that pain and internal hate is always there simmering under the surface, and in the right situations, that absolute bastard rears his head for a minute. And that interplay of those characters being one another's checks and balances was what made SG1 magical. It just didn't work in those early years without all four pieces of it's puzzle. For me, there are no finer moments than one of the many "Jack." "Daniel." Stare, back and forths that the two pulled off so well. Regardless of which one was in the right and which was toeing the line of being in the wrong or going too far.

[@TheStargazer0118]

Rick played dark so so well it was awesome to watch!

[@jeffdavis5723]

*I rewatched **#Stargate** **#Atlantis** just recently and totally 💯% **#ENJOYED** It all over again. **#FYI*

[@lonewretch]

Welp, that just made me rewatch continuum. bloody great feature. Come on you guys, we're not dead yet, another stargate, if not a tv show, then a movie.. please? witha pickle? If you don't I'll die a sad old fart... And you don't want that on your conscience as you try to sleep at night, do you??

[@Eduardo99922]

Stargate SG1 really did a great job with dark Jack O'Neill .

[@rivkaclifford427]

"Piqued" your interest, not "pricked". :) I really enjoy Dial the Gate! The amount of work, dedication of perseverance it takes to build this interesting and entertaining series of vids shows your determination. Keep the good stuff coming.

[@heathb4319]

WAIT...RDA was in another series i didn't know about? I will have to go find this Legend you speak of.

[@GabePuratekuta]

It wasn't the movie Legend?

[@heathb4319]

@@GabePuratekuta ...nope...a tv series right here on youtube as well. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mmPWoHp6p7eDmKc

[@Iskelderon]

Legend a western with Star Trek TNG's Q.

[@theblockbusterguy8576]

“Close the iris” *ping* I was shocked, that episode was probably one of the darkest I seen for Jack, earlier on in the episode he even basically told Daniel to shut up, we are getting this technology 🤷‍♂️

[@jamesthompson3023]

my fav episode of sg1 has been and always be abyss Baals great in it what an intro it's awful watching jack being abused and killed over and over and when jack just about to break he hears sg teams breaking in to save him its also the first reappearance mike shanks he's there to comfort jack and trying to convince him to ascend about as dark as it gets great tv 👍👍

[@chrisdelagarza8048]

WINDOW 🪟 OF OPPORTUNITY

[@witchblade100377]

Watching all these videos makes me have to do my Stargate watch party again.

[@ambrusraul2297]

I can save these people ! Help me ! Help...me or i will go so dark that i wont come back after that . He had to rescue Teal c to prove himself he can be a good man who lost his son , who regrets his deeds in the past and look himself in the mirror . He was blended with Hathor s new go auld and we saw a darker Jack when he pushed Hathor and iced her ( And we just want you to go Away !!! ) and he felt good about it. One less snake to worry about

[@landar2372]

Happy Valentine's Day!

[@24framedavinci39]

Happy valentines day

[@hokiturmix]

Vala mal Doran taught me something. If you irritated by her then she made the perfect job. I was irritated by O'Neill too. Even if I agreed with him most of the time. :D How much time it took to MacGyvered this dialing device... something in an edition of Children of Gods but I think that was maybe a fan edit. :D

[@MrRabiddogg]

I wonder what would have happened if MacGyver found a way into SG command. I know licensing etc. would have prevented it, but that would have been an interesting episode

[@heathb4319]

And Dean Devlin also did Leverage...and there is a fan theory that "The Hitter" Eliot Spencer went off world a few times to go retrieve some lost SG teams or personnel since he was a retrieval specialist. We were hoping for a flashback of Eliot in the gate room with him facing the active gate but all we, the fans could see was the glow from the water on his face. That would have got by licensing issues because that could have been anything. Hint hint. But oh well.

[@henrikgerken6972]

Love your stuff

[@GateWorldDotNet]

Thanks for watching, Hektor!

[@originalv5107]

What about the alternative universe where Jack ran the SGC and jumped on the opportunity to nuke Chulack once Daniel (our Daniel) gave them the address??

[@jindrichburian3946]

"We received word from our home world."

[@originalv5107]

⁠@@jindrichburian3946they’ve been trying to contact you about your Ha’taks extended warranty?

[@osvaldemarhilariochristofo8433]

Sou fã da série.... Eu aguardo uma nova série.... Tenho todas as temporadas ....

[@TuneTamasha]

[@OneCupOfCoffee204]

Just stop talking about it and do another Stargate show, please. Why is taking so long? How about a conclusion to Universe? With all the crap on television, do you mean to say theirs no place for Stargate? Let's go, do it.

[@paulfarmer1605]

Sssssssssss

[@r6u356une56ney]

Blah blah blah. I clicked this because I expected to see a clip of O'Neill - not a couple of random talking heads blathering ABOUT the show.

[@kennichdendenn]

Thats kind of the point of this show called "Dial the gate", which is right there in the title of the clip.