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Stargate SG-1 follows the flagship team at Stargate Command—the top-secret government facility that uses alien technology to explore other planets and battle oppressive alien forces bent on enslaving the galaxy. The sarcastic and capable Colonel Jack O’Neill led SG-1. The rest of the team consisted of archaeologist Dr. Daniel Jackson, the rebel Jaffa Teal’c, and Dr. Samantha Carter—a career Air Force officer and astrophysicist.
Sam and Jack have immediate chemistry, and Stargate SG-1 toyed with a potential romance between the two for the eight years O’Neill was on the show. The relationship between the two was against regulations, and being career military officers put a freeze on their feelings for each other. After SG-1 ended, Col. Carter was sent to oversee the Air Force’s base in the Pegasus Galaxy. A forgotten deleted scene from Stargate: Atlantis confirmed that Carter and O’Neill’s romance was official.
Carter and O'Niell Had an Instant Connection on Stargate SG-1
The Will-They-Won't-They Romance Began in Season 1
From early on in Stargate SG-1‘s 213 episodes, the chemistry between Carter and O’Neill was evident. The series played with the attraction between the two from as early as episode four. In «The Broca Divide,» Sam is exposed to a virus that regresses people to their primal instincts. Carter finds O’Neill in the locker room and kisses him aggressively, saying, «I want you.» Carter and O’Neill’s bond wasn’t strictly romantic. As they worked together, their respect for each other grew significantly, from O’Neill telling Carter, «I’ve just got a little problem with scientists,» in the series’ first episode.
I’ve just got a little problem with scientists.
When fleeing a hostile planet in «Solitudes,» O’Neill and Carter are diverted mid-wormhole to another gate surrounded by ice as far as the eye can see. With O’Neill injured, Carter must try to find a way to get them both back home. The harrowing experience solidified their deep connection and trust. In «There But for the Grace of God,» Daniel accidentally travels to an alternate reality. The world was similar but different in certain key ways. For one, Samantha Carter didn’t work for the Air Force; she was an astrophysicist with NASA. As such, she and O’Neill were engaged to be married.
Seasons 2 and 3 had great moments of team building with subtext and non-verbal exchanges, as well as more fun with alternate realities. In «Point of View,» an alternate Carter travels through the same mirror Daniel used in Season 1, seeking refuge from the Goa’uld who had conquered Earth. This Carter was married to O’Neill, but her Jack was dead. Before she returns to her reality, she kisses O’Neill goodbye. It reinforced the notion that the military was the only thing keeping them apart.
Another indication of the growing affection between Carter and O’Neill was in «A Hundred Days.» When O’Neill gets stranded on an alien planet, Carter runs herself ragged to get him back. It took a warning from Dr. Fraser for Carter to realize that she wouldn’t be able to save him quickly. Carter was also clearly jealous when she learned O’Neill had carried on a romantic relationship with a woman on the other planet.
The subtext between Carter and O’Neill turns more obviously romantic in Season 4. Following the indeterminate amount of alone time while waiting to return home in «Small Victories,» the romantic tension between the pair was palpable. In «Upgrades,» the team tested out some mysterious gauntlets the Tok’ra discovered, which gave the wearer heightened abilities. O’Neill, Carter, and Daniel took on a dangerous mission that relied on their superspeed and super strength, but when the devices stopped working before Carter could superspeed to safety, O’Neill couldn’t leave her behind because of his feelings for her.
The subtext of «Upgrades» is confirmed a few episodes later in «Divide and Conquer.» When anyone could be a brainwashed assassin—or Za’tarc—for the goa’uld, the Tok’ra conduct tests to detect them. It requires the whole truth of a memory, including feelings and motives. Carter and O’Neill both fail the test when recalling their mission from «Upgrades.» O’Neill was going to undergo an incredibly dangerous surgery to correct the brainwashing. If he died, at least it would bring them one step closer to saving Carter. At the last moment, Carter realizes they failed because they didn’t admit the truth of their feelings. Both have to acknowledge how their romantic attraction affected their choices and motivations in order to pass the Za’tarc test.
After their feelings are out in the open, nobody really talks about it, but Stargate still has some fun with it. In «Window of Opportunity,» O’Neill is stuck in a time loop. During one loop, he resigns his post and immediately kisses Carter in a passionate embrace. A few episodes later, SG-1 has their memories altered to believe they live in an underground power station on a frozen planet, working as slaves to stave off death. Despite their implanted memories, Sam and Jack are still drawn to each other and spend most of their time together. After they’d recovered their memories, the two had to let go of the romance they had begun to explore.
O'Neill and Carter Tried to Find Happiness With Others in the Latter Seasons
Season 8 Saw a Resurgence of Their Romance Prior to Anderson's Exit
In the latter seasons, Stargate SG-1 threw up some more obstacles for O’Neill and Carter’s romance. Season 5 brought back a few love interests for Carter while introducing some new ones. Nareem, the Tollan, who had an instant connection with Carter when they met in Season 1, returned for an episode. The ambassador from «2010» made an appearance and was immediately drawn to Carter. Most notably, Sean Patrick Flannery guest-starred as an ascended being who took human form and fell in love with Carter.
Despite putting their feelings on the back burner, some episodes saw their connection influence their behavior. In Season 6’s «Paradise Lost,» O’Neill is transported, along with Col. Maybourne, to an unknown location that was supposed to be a utopia. Maybourne never planned on returning to Earth and doesn’t believe there is a way back. With O’Neill lost and stranded, Carter refuses to stop looking for him and becomes noticeably distressed and belligerent when every lead dead ends. Teal’c comforts Carter as she begins to lose hope in ever finding O’Neill. It was particularly devastating following the loss of Daniel Jackson.
Is the Air Force the only thing keeping you two apart? Rules and regulations? Because if it is, you’re making a very big mistake.
Season 7 saw O’Neill in a similar situation when Carter goes on an exploratory mission in space to study a nebula. Her ship vanishes, and no one can find a trace of it. Teal’c finds O’Neill in the locker room and says, «When Colonel Maybourne and yourself were stranded off-world, Major Carter felt a similar sense of frustration. She despaired at the thought of never seeing you again.» O’Neill deflects, but thanks Teal’c for being there for him. While Carter was missing, she hallucinated her team, and in a conversation with an imaginary O’Neill, Carter realized that she clung to her feelings for O’Neill because it was safe. They could never be together, so she wouldn’t get hurt.
Following her epiphany in «Grace,» Carter begins dating a cop named Pete. They dated for the remainder of Season 7 and through Season 8. Despite her romance with Pete, there was still plenty of subtext between O’Neill and Carter, particularly in the epic finale, «Lost City.» When they discover another Ancient repository of knowledge that could help them defeat Anubis, O’Neill once again downloads the knowledge. As the team waits for it to overtake O’Neill’s mind, there are loaded conversations full of unspoken things.
Season eight was very likely to be Stargate‘s final season, so the writers wrapped up a lot of major storylines. In particular, the goa’uld and they also heavily implied Carter and O’Neill were going to get together. In «Threads,» Carter’s father tells her not to let rules stand in the way of her happiness when he’s on his deathbed. Carter insists she’s happy with Pete, but her father knows better. As Jacob passes, O’Neill is there for Carter, «always.» O’Neill’s girlfriend breaks up with O’Neill after seeing him and Carter together, asking him, «Is the Air Force the only thing keeping you two apart? Rules and regulations? Because if it is, you’re making a very big mistake.» Richard Dean Anderson left Stargate SG-1 after Season 8, though he still made guest appearances on SG-1 and its spin-off, Atlantis, but the implication was that Carter and O’Neill would get together after Season 8.
A Deleted Scene From Stargate: Atlantis Confirmed Stargate's Best Romance
Amanda Tapping Joined the Cast of Stargate: Atlantis in Season 4
Amanda Tapping’s Col. Samantha Carter joined Stargate: Atlantis in season four after Stargate SG-1 ended in 2007. In «Trio,» Carter, McKay, and Dr. Keller go off-world and get stuck in an abandoned mine. As they work together to find a way out of the mine, there is some quality character development and bonding. On the DVD, a deleted scene from the episode confirms the romance between O’Neill and Carter.
The scene has an introduction by Martin Gero, who explains why it got cut. Gero said the episode was a bit «overwritten» and that while the scene may be «a gem on the DVD,» it would’ve «killed» the pacing of the episode. In the scene, Keller asks Carter if she’s seeing anyone. Carter responds, «It’s complicated.» She goes on to add that he might be retiring soon. While the scene itself doesn’t explicitly say she’s dating O’Neill, Martin Gero did. «Basically, Carter admits that she’s having an aff—you know, she’s in a relationship with O’Neill,» Gero said in the introduction. The forgotten deleted scene from the DVD is certainly a gem for longtime fans of the franchise.
