Daniel Jackson: Family And Relationships
Family
Daniel Jackson was born on July 8, 1965 (2.21 "1969, 3.10 "Forever In A Day"). He is the son of Drs. Melburn and Claire Ballard Jackson, both also archaeologists, who were crushed to death in a freak accident at the New York Museum of Art, where they were setting up a tomb display (2.04 "The Gamekeeper"). His maternal grandfather, Nicholas Ballard, was a famous Dutch adventurer/archaeologist whose career was in full swing when Daniel was orphaned at the age of eight. [This is implied by the statement Daniel makes to Nick (3.21 "Crystal Skull"), but it was never confirmed this was in fact how old he was when the accident occurred.] It is certain that Nick refused to adopt him, choosing career over family (3.21 "Crystal Skull"). Daniel was put into foster care, and his reaction to seeing a photograph of his foster parents was guarded and ambiguous, so it is unclear how close he was to them (Stargate, the Movie). He has no known siblings.
Sha're
Marriage came to Daniel completely by surprise.
While he was on Abydos, Kasuf, the village elder, gave the explorer his daughter, Sha're, as a gift, believing Daniel was a god or emissary of Ra. Not understanding she'd in fact been given to him and was considered by the people to now be his wife, and being an honorable man not inclined to take advantage, he tactfully refused to allow her to literally 'give' herself to him physically. He did so in a way that did not shame Sha're in the eyes of her people and without unduly hurting her feelings.
He did spend the night with her, as was intended; however they communicated and remained platonic. Sha're taught him how to pronounce the Abydonian language, and he then learned about the true nature of Ra and how he was exiled from Earth, information he passed on to Sha're. This single evening spent together was vitally important in that it started a chain of events that led to the eventual success of the mission and the defeat of Ra. But it also served to forge an important bond between Daniel and Sha're.
It was obvious Daniel was already smitten when he was forced to leave her behind the next morning and return with Jack and the team to the pyramid. When later he learned the true nature of their relationship, as far as the Abydonians were concerned, he didn't reject either his new role as Sha're's husband or her, and chose to remain with his new bride once the threat of Ra had passed (Stargate, the Movie).
When Apophis stole Sha're away from him as a host for his queen, Amaunet, Daniel searched for her for nearly three years before finding and losing her a final time. In the dream Sha're sent him through the hand device during their final encounter, he returned to Abydos for her burial and to speak for her in the funerary service, according to Abydonian tradition.
Though it was not shown to occur in reality after the dream, as Daniel loved her and respected her and her Abydonian family, it is safe to presume that he attended a similar event and spoke for her as she was respectfully interred on Abydos (3.10 "Forever in a Day").
That Daniel was utterly devoted to her is not in question. Aside from the fact he searched for her for three years, he was prepared to leave the Stargate program and his friends and family of SG-1 when her death meant she would no longer be - out there - for him to find. He further rededicated himself to her, promising her moments before Teal'c was forced to kill her that he would find and protect her child (3.10 "Forever in a Day").
This was a promise he kept, throwing himself into this new quest with his usual tenacity and determination. The clues he uncovered in the course of his tireless research for the location of the mythical planet Kheb took the team first to a rainy planet that didn't pan out (3.14 "Foothold") and led to their eventual discovery of the child and to Daniel's fateful and important encounter with the enigmatic energy being Oma Desala.
Daniel fulfilled his last promise to Sha're by entrusting the child to Oma, realizing her powers would give her the ability to protect the baby far more effectively than he could (3.20 "Maternal Instinct").
After returning to human form and the SGC, Sha're's name was the first he remembered on his own. He woke up with her name on his mind after falling asleep in the VIP room with a picture of her, given to him by Jack, who had 'kept some of his things alive.' When he awoke, he hurried to find Teal'c to proudly inform him he remembered her name and that he loved her very much. From Teal'c's reaction, Daniel surmised that Sha're was dead, though at that moment he did not remember the events himself (7.01 "Fallen Part 1").
Seven years after her death, Sha're's memory was still strong for Daniel, although perhaps in a more settled way. Daniel explained to Vala, a former Goa'uld host, what had happened to Sha're. He said he used to feel guilty that he failed her, but that knowing she was not suffering at the hands of a Goa'uld was a comfort to him. (10.07 "Counterstrike")
When SG-1 was trapped with Vala in a time distortion field, and Daniel and Vala had a confrontation over their relationship, Daniel told her that while he thought he would never get over his wife, he did finally, seven years after her death, feel he might be ready to get close to someone again. Of course this Daniel ceased to exist when the timeline was reversed, but it is fair to assume "our Daniel" felt the same way. (10.20 "Unending")
Romance
While Daniel doesn't consciously pursue romance, he has had a few brushes with it in addition to his accidental marriage:
- After contracting an alien disease that regressed him to a primitive state, Daniel became an alpha male and claimed a young woman SG-1 had rescued on a previous mission to the planet. Whether he mated with her is not known, though likely (1.04 "The Broca Divide").
- Under the influence of Hathor's super pheromone, he mated with the Goa'uld queen, though this was completely against his will; the rape left him temporarily catatonic. Hathor subsequently re-established her control over him, and he continued to serve her until liberated by Capt. Carter and the other women on the base (1.13 "Hathor").
- After saving the life of a princess about to commit suicide, Daniel was forced to cater to her whims in an effort to establish a relationship with her father, Pyrus the god-slayer, so that Pyrus might free Daniel's friends from slavery and a slow death in the naquadah mines. He did eventually earn their release plus a small quantity of the mineral, but the price was addiction to the sarcophagus, which Shyla used as a means to try to keep him with her. How intimate their relationship was is not clear; however, he did promise to marry her, even though he was already married at the time (2.05 "Need").
- Soon after the death of Sha're, while helping the Vyans seek a cure for the amnesia that had befallen the entire population, Daniel flirted openly with Ke'ra, a brilliant scientist, and eventually succumbed to the mutual attraction. Only afterward did he learn she was actually a younger version of Linea, Destroyer of Worlds, whom SG-1 had encountered when they were sentenced to the prison planet of Hadante. Linea had escaped from the SGC for an unknown destination, having thwarted the SGC's attempts to stop her even once they knew what she was (2.03 "Prisoners"). The revelation that Ke'ra was Linea was personally devastating to Daniel. While having hope for her redemption, he immediately raised a significant objection to allowing her to continue to participate in the search for the cure for the Vorlaks. Most determined in his unwillingness to trust Ke'ra at all was Jack. Daniel argued passionately (and a bit hurtfully towards Teal'c) that the memory loss made her a different person and that Ke'ra should not be judged for Linea's sins. Ke'ra secretly took the memory cure she had discovered in an effort to learn the truth, and discovered she was indeed a younger version of the evil Linea. She feared she would not be able to control that part of herself and was on the point of immolating herself when Daniel offered her another way to deal with being someone she despised. She returned to Vyas, her memory of the past few days completely erased once more. She no longer knew him or remembered him, and when she asked him if they knew each other, he replied that they never did (3.11 "Past and Present").
- A prior romance with Dr. Sarah Gardner wasn't exactly rekindled at the funeral of Daniel's mentor, Dr. Jordan, but they did re-establish a connection. It was clear they had been romantically involved but that it had ended badly, though Sarah seemed very happy to see Daniel. Daniel later discovered she was possessed by the Goa'uld Osiris, who had been kept in stasis for thousands of years as punishment from other Goa'uld until being accidentally released by Sarah and Dr. Jordan. Daniel sought a way to capture Osiris and free Sarah, but Osiris escaped (4.13 "The Curse"). He was again unsuccessful in his attempt to capture her after Osiris unexpectedly arrived at the Goa'uld System Lord summit he had infiltrated (5.16 "Last Stand Part 2"). After Daniel's return from ascension, Osiris returned to Earth and began secretly visiting Daniel at night, using a memory recall device to place him in dream-like memories of his time as a professor at the University of Chicago. Aiming to tap into his subconscious and learn the location of the Lost City from him, Osiris immersed him in altered memories of their time together, starting when Sarah first arrived to be his research assistant and progressing through their relationship. In his dream-memories, Sarah was very forgiving of his workaholic tendencies. But, as Daniel explained to Sam and Teal'c, in reality, while she was in love with him, and he had feelings for her, his obsession with his research destroyed their relationship, and she broke up with him when he worked through their anniversary. SG-1 discovered what Osiris was up to and stopped him, finally freeing Sarah from her possession. Daniel promised her they would help her get through the process of recovering from the horrible memories of what she had done while trapped as Osiris' host (7.15 "Chimera").
- There were no romantic overtones coloring Daniel's feelings toward android Reese, but the relationship between her and Daniel was intense. He spent a great deal of time working with her, trying to make friends and to reassure her she was welcome on Earth, but once it was discovered she was the source of the Replicators, he was appalled. Nevertheless, he sought desperately to make her understand what a threat her toys were, not only to Earth but also to the known universe. His efforts seemed to be failing until he went alone into the gate room to offer his friendship in exchange for her trust. When Jack killed the android, Daniel was devastated, though he appeared to understand that Jack had no other choice at the time (5.19 "Menace").
- After being severely injured in a war that SG-1's arrival helped to precipitate, Daniel formed a close attachment to Leda, who cared for him during his convalescence. Married but lonely, Leda grew very fond of Daniel, and Daniel was kind in return, perhaps from gratitude and sorrow for what had happened to her planet. Given the circumstances, nothing romantic occurred, and Daniel returned home (8.05 "Icon"). When Leda's husband Jared contacted the SGC more than a year later, Jared told Daniel that Leda had died rather than submit to the rule of the Ori (9.15 "Ethon").
The other three original members of SG-1 are Daniel's best friends and confidantes.
Teal'c
His relationship with Teal'c started out badly, since the Jaffa was directly responsible for choosing Sha're and giving her to Apophis for Amaunet's consideration as a host. However, it was a random choice which led to this traumatic event rather than any personal agenda on Teal'c's part - at this point he hadn't met Daniel and had no way of knowing the young woman he picked out of a crowd at the command of his 'god' was Daniel's wife. After the Jaffa helped to free the humans from Apophis' prison, Daniel came to understand this (1.01 "Children of the Gods").
Daniel defended Teal'c during a trial for his life with a passionate declaration of their deep friendship, exactly how it had developed, and at what cost (1.15 "Cor-Ai"). Jack's insistence Daniel destroy Thor's Hammer on Cimmeria - proving he would not put Sha're's welfare ahead of their Jaffa teammate did not damage their developing friendship, although it well could have (1.10 "Thor's Hammer").
When Teal'c was forced to kill Sha're two years later, she sent Daniel a message through the hand device before she died, explaining that his friend had no choice and that Daniel must forgive him (3.10 "Forever in A Day"). Daniel did forgive Teal'c, and the bond between them grew ever stronger.
Even after his ascension, he remained watchful, and when Teal'c lay close to dying after an ambush on a distant planet, Daniel remained by his side, offering his love and support (6.19 "Changeling").
Daniel's concern for his friend was evident after Teal'c suffered a supreme lack of confidence in the aftermath of a near fatal wound. Daniel not only helped him regain his faith in himself once more, but an emerging memory from the time he spent as an ascended being enabled the team to rescue Bra'tac and Rya'c, Teal'c's son, who unknown to SG-1 had been imprisoned on the harsh planet Erebus. There, Jaffa were enslaved by the System Lord Ba'al and forced to work until they died, as surely would have happened to Bra'tac and Rya'c had Daniel not remembered them. It was while meditating with Teal'c after the rescue that Daniel admitted he felt at peace with being human again, and part of the SGC (7.04 "Orpheus").
Teal'c was equally supportive of Daniel, trying to help him interpret his dreams and sympathizing with the many strange experiences he had to dream about from his life. Teal'c was the first to wonder whether a Goa'uld was behind the persistent, uncontrolled dreams, and perhaps saved Daniel from being killed by Osiris (7.15 "Chimera").
Their friendship was stronger than ever in their eighth year as teammates. When Teal'c was trapped inside the virtual reality combat game, despairing and in danger of dying from its physical effects, Daniel risked his life to join him inside the game. Daniel was able to gain Teal'c's trust and convince him he was there to help, lifting Teal'c's spirits and helping him fight until, along with the VR versions of Jack and Sam, they were able to beat the game and leave it (8.06 "Avatar").
When Teal'c's tendency to help strangers in high profile ways threatened his freedom to live on his own outside of the SGC, Daniel went to visit him at his apartment. He advised Teal'c to try to keep a low profile and not help everyone who needed it. While a bit mystified by the concept of ignoring those in need, Teal'c seemed very grateful for Daniel's concern (8.07 "Affinity").
Daniel and Teal'c remained close after the team changed, with Mitchell joining as the new commander. Daniel screamed for Teal'c when he feared Teal'c had fallen victim with Mitchell to riddle of Avalon, and he hurriedly helped Mitchell solve the puzzle, saving them both (9.02 "Avalon Part 2").
When Teal'c was taken by Ba'al, who wanted to brainwash him and turn him against the Jaffa freedom movement, Daniel teamed with Bra'tac to find Teal'c and, with the rest of SG-1's help, free him. Daniel celebrated the Jaffa council resolution that Jaffa leaders would be chosen through democratic elections, as he is very invested in his friend's struggle (9.14 "Stronghold").
The mutual respect at the core of their friendship was demonstrated when Daniel accepted Teal'c's refusal to let the rest of SG-1 help him go after Arkad in revenge for the deaths of many Jaffa. Daniel understood that there was nothing he could do to stop his friend. Later he tried to reason with Teal'c to stop him from attacking Arkad, but Teal'c was not to be deterred. It's likely Daniel was not surprised by this, as he knows his friend very well (10.17 "Talion").
Samantha Carter
From their initial meeting on Abydos, Daniel and Samantha Carter (whom he affectionately called 'Captain/Doctor') proved to be kindred spirits. During their conversation in the Cartouche room, Daniel provided Sam with the insight as to why the gate on Earth was failing to connect with any other gate than the one on Abydos. She was then able to update her dialing program with the planetary shift information, thereby reintegrating Earth's Stargate into the gate network and making it finally fully functional (1.01 "Children of the Gods").
This first intellectual collaboration also set the pattern for their future interaction as team members. The 'science twins' have pooled their considerable mental resources together more than once to come up with the solution that saves the day, usually with Daniel using his ability to think 'outside of the box' and see things everyone else has missed to provide the vital clue or piece of information Sam then extrapolates upon and puts into action. Working together they've proven to be a highly effective and invaluable component of SG-1: 1.01 "Children of the Gods", 1.07 "Cold Lazarus", 1.09 "Thor's Hammer", 1.12 "Bloodlines", 2.04 "The Gamekeeper", 2.06 "Thor's Chariot", 2.07 "Message in a Bottle", 2.19 "One False Step", 4.07 "Watergate", 4.12 "Tangent", 4.13 "Serpent's Venom", 4.14 "The Curse", 5.04 "The Fifth Man", 5.10 "2001", 5.17 "Fail Safe", 7.03 "Fragile Balance", 7.05 "Revisions".
Although both are unquestionably brilliant, their intellectual gifts manifest in unique but complimentary ways, and their different world views at times causes them to disagree: 1.09 "Thor's Hammer", 2.13 "Spirits", 4.02 "The Other Side", 4.09 "Scorched Earth", 4.17 "Absolute Power", 5.19 "Menace".
But they remain friends, frequently commiserating with and confiding in one another. Sam has turned to Daniel for emotional support, and received it, on several occasions, as she has similarly been there for him. He knows more about her and her personal life than any other member of SG-1 does, and she cares deeply for him: 1.03 "Enemy Within", 1.06 "First Commandment", 1.07 "Cold Lazarus", 1.15 "Singularity", 1.17 "Enigma", 2.02 "In the Line of Duty", 2.04 "The Gamekeeper", 2.05 "Need", 2.18 "Holiday", 3.10 "Forever in a Day", 3.12 "Jolinar's Memories", 5.03 "Ascension", 5.21 "Meridian", 5.22 "Revelations", 7.01 "Fallen Part 1", 7.04 "Orpheus", 7.15 "Chimera".
Sam was able to convince an amnesiac Daniel to return with his former team to the SGC after SG-1's reunion with their lost friend on Vis Uban, and when he questioned her as the nature of their past relationship she assured him while they hadn't had intimate feelings for each other, they'd been very good friends (7.01 "Fallen Part 1").
Daniel's death was one of the hardest things Sam had ever experienced. Sam is however, the only member of SG-1 who did not receive a 'visitation' from Daniel while he was ascended.
Since his return, they have a warm, casual friendship, often sharing wry moments, such as their pain after being drawn into the wedding planning for Rya'c's wedding (8.09 "Sacrifices"). While Carter was in charge of SG-1, she and Daniel often worked as equals, for example, to deal with Alec Colson wanting to go public with the Stargate program (8.08 "Covenant") or to track down the missing Stargate (8.10 "Endgame").
When it appeared Carter might have perished in the Replicator ship, Daniel appeared shocked (8.02 "New Order Part 2"). Luckily they soon found her, and Daniel was clearly pleased. When Daniel was taken by Replicator Carter, Sam was in turn very upset. When that ship was destroyed with Daniel aboard, Carter appeared resigned to his death and tried to counsel O'Neill not to have false hope. She was a surprised as anyone when, as Jack had predicted, Daniel returned from a semi-ascended state (8.18 "Threads").
When Carter was about to succumb to the deadly sleeping sickness of Vagonbrei, Daniel grabbed her and encouraged her to hang in longer. Exhausted, they both fell asleep, but were rescued in time to be saved (10.02 "Morpheus"). When Carter was threatened by Anateo of the Lucian Alliance, Daniel impatiently rushed Vala to come up with a solution to free Carter, clearly very concerned about his teammate (10.09 "Company of Thieves"). When Carter found herself in an alternate SGC, she asked after Daniel first, knowing he could help her understand what was going on and explain it to the others of that reality (10.13 "The Road Not Taken"). When the rest of SG-1 discovered Daniel had become a Prior, Sam insisted they had to rescue him even if he were no longer himself (10.14 "The Shroud"). After ten years on the same team, they have a comfortable, sibling-like relationship that appears unshakable.
Cameron Mitchell
Cameron Mitchell was unable to convince Daniel to give up his quest to Atlantis in order to re-join SG-1. Daniel admitted he owed Mitchell for his actions over Antarctica, but he was otherwise unmoved. Once circumstances did bring them together on the same team, an unusual camaraderie developed between the men. In a side of Daniel we haven't seen before, they have sibling-like relationship in which they play basketball (9.06 "Beachhead", 9.10 "The Fourth Horseman Part 1") and call each other by their last names. They tease and compete with each other like brothers and 'jocky' American men often do.
While Mitchell is in command of SG-1, Daniel's experience, knowledge, and instinct have him guiding the direction of a mission in many situations, especially when matters of the Ascended, Ancients, and of course, mythology are involved (9.02 "Avalon Part 2", 9.20 "Camelot Part 2"). Yet, in spite of Mitchell's inexperience, he is very eager to help, and this sometimes brings out Daniel's snarky side (9.09 "Prototype"). However Daniel is for the most part tolerant of Mitchell's enthusiasm, perhaps remembering Jack's tolerance of him when he was new to SG-1.
Daniel and Cameron do at times argue about strategy and tactics, but in military situations, Daniel defers to Mitchell, such as when the latter decided he would be the one to approach the kassa smugglers, and later in operations on Ba'al's ship (9.16 "Off the Grid"). Daniel also followed Mitchell's orders while the team was trying to escape the Prior bugs (9.17 "The Scourge").
Daniel seems to respect Mitchell's rank and position even if he sometimes teases him for his lapses. When Mitchell fell asleep waiting for Daniel to translate Merlin's codes, Daniel was not impressed and let Mitchell know it by dropping a book loudly to the floor (9.20 "Camelot Part 2").
Daniel has grown fond enough of Mitchell to worry about him when he is in trouble. Daniel fought for Cameron's freedom from imprisonment on unjust murder charges (9.12 "Collateral Damage") and was very worried for his fate as he fought the Black Knight that Daniel was trying to disable (9.20 "Camelot Part 2").
As the battle against the Ori has continued, their ties have deepened. Mitchell knows Daniel better and has learned to be a friend to him. Mitchell understood the importance to Daniel of visiting Atlantis, and made sure he was awake to see their arrival (10.03 "Pegasus Project"). When Vala was missing, her memory gone, Mitchell tried not to extinguish Daniel's hope that she might be found alive even as he told Daniel it was possible her DNA had been found at a blast site (10.08 "Memento Mori").
Daniel is also more comfortable with Mitchell, even joining Carter and Teal'c in telling Mitchell an elaborate "story" claiming that the time-traveling General O'Neill was really Mitchell's father (10.06 "200").
When Daniel was missing and Carter perhaps about to die of her Ori staff wound, Mitchell expressed anguish at the possibility of losing two of those on his team. He clearly felt a great responsibility for their well-being, as a team-leader and friend (10.12 "Line in the Sand").
When Daniel had taken the download of Merlin's consciousness and was being overcome by it, Mitchell was very concerned, for once calling him "Daniel" instead of Jackson. Yet he respected the importance of Daniel's undertaking, and made it clear to Vala that while it was difficult to watch, the stakes were huge and they had to let Daniel take the risk. (10.11 "The Quest Part 2")
Daniel and Mitchell took on a brotherly role together toward Vala at times, in particular when her father arrived and they stepped in to try to help mend that relationship (10.18 "Family Ties"). After two years working together, they are very comfortable and at ease with each other, in spite of their very different roles and personalities.
Vala
When they first met and for some time after, Daniel was by turns infuriated, annoyed, confused and at times taken in by Vala. His snarky side was never so evident as when he was trying to 'shut her up' out of unending frustration with her antics (9.04 "The Ties That Bind", 9.06 "Beachhead"). He was always wary and on edge when dealing with her, especially when he was forced by circumstance to let her take the lead, such as when they were on a 'treasure hunt' to find out how to reverse the effects of the Goa'uld bracelets (9.04 "The Ties That Bind"). As slippery as she proved herself to be, she still managed to surprise him with her neverending revelations. He was shocked to learn that even after being freed of Qetesh, she still took advantage of the people of P8X-412, forcing them to mine naquadah. Yet it was quite in character of her to look after herself first (9.05 "The Powers That Be").
Even in the early days, Daniel was not without sympathy or caring for Vala as a human being. He fought with everything he had to stop the villagers of Ver Ager from burning her to death. Once it was over, he unhesitatingly embraced her burnt body and unshackled her arm. When the Prior brought her back to life, he held her and showed great tenderness toward her (9.02 "Avalon Part 2"). Back at the SGC, she stationed herself in his quarters and propositioned him. He refused, and when she appeared hurt by his analysis of how she used sex as a way to avoid emotional bonds, he was regretful and apologized, though after a moment he realized she was manipulating him yet again (9.04 "The Ties That Bind"). When he feared she had died in the collapse of the micro-singularity of the failed Ori Supergate, he seemed truly sorry to have lost her. Perhaps he felt guilty for having dismissed her suggestions for shutting down the Supergate. We did not get to see his reaction to learning she was indeed alive, but we can presume he was relieved and pleased (9.06 "Beachhead").
Vala seemed to care for Daniel as well, though it was often hard to know her true motives. It seems clear from her constant innuendo that she was attracted to him and would enjoy a physical relationship with him, suggesting they 'make babies' (9.01 "Avalon Part 1") and outright offering herself to him (9.04 "The Ties That Bind"). She showed concern for him, such as when she tried to reassure him that Teal'c and Mitchell had not been 'squished' (9.02 "Avalon Part 2").
When Vala returned from the Ori galaxy with the Ori invasion, she seemed to have a new sense of purpose, as well as a need to belong somewhere with people she trusted. Daniel by then saw enough "good" in her that he was willing to help her find her place at the SGC. At times he was a mentor to her, but beyond that they developed a true friendship over the ensuing months. He vouched for her to Landry, convincing him to make a case with the Pentagon for her to stay at the SGC (10.02 "Morpheus"). She was very supportive of Daniel when they went to Atlantis, working alongside him as they sought information from Morgan Le Fay. She tried to cheer him when he felt the mission had not accomplished all he had hoped (10.03 "The Pegasus Project"). Daniel told Vala he knew something about how she was feeling about Adria, and confided what had happened to Sha're. Vala's reaction was very sympathetic and perhaps added another level of trust to their relationship (10.07 "Counterstrike").
Daniel took Vala to dinner to celebrate the fact she was adjusting to her new life, learning to trust other people, and refusing the temptation to fall back on her old ways. She was sure the outing was a date, but Daniel insisted it wasn't. In any case, Vala was kidnapped from the restaurant by operatives of the Goa'uld Athena. Vala escaped but lost her memory and reverted to some of her old ways in order to survive. Daniel never gave up looking for her, and when SG-1 found her three weeks later, he convinced her she had decided to stop running, and that it was time for her to go home. His tender appeal brought back enough of her memories that she surrendered to him, calling him by name. (10.08 "Memento Mori").
In the quest for a means to destroy the Ori, Daniel and Vala fell into peril many times. Vala showed great concern and tenderness toward Daniel, especially when his mind was being overtaken by Merlin's (10.11 "The Quest Part 2"), when he was a Prior trying to convince his friends he was still truly himself (10.14 "The Shroud"), and when he was at risk of death by Adria (10.07 "Counterstrike", 10.11 "The Quest Part 2", 10.19 "Dominion").
When Vala's father Jacek found his way to Earth, and Vala refused to trust him, Daniel reminded her she should give Jacek the same benefit of the doubt that Daniel had given her, that perhaps he really was trying to change just as she had. In this case, Daniel saw more good in Jacek than was warranted, although Vala didn't seem to hold it against him (10.18 "Family Ties").
As the fight against the Ori reached a new stage, Vala and Daniel were close friends and trusting colleagues. A hint that something more is possible was lived out by versions of themselves who no longer exist. But in that alternate timeline, after some fiery, cathartic, even cruel resistance by Daniel, the pair advanced from friendship to a 40-year romance that Daniel assured Vala was not solely because they were trapped on a ship. However it remains to be seen whether such a future will play out in less isolated lives they are living now (10.20 "Unending").
Jack O'Neill
As close as he is to the other original members of SG-1 Daniel's longest and arguably closest relationship is his friendship with Colonel Jack O'Neill. They have a unique bond which has its basis in a shared history none of the other members of SG-1 participate in, going back to the first mission on Abydos where Daniel gave his life for Jack, and helped convince him to embrace life again after the death of his son (Stargate, the Movie).
As far as we know, Daniel is the only one Jack has confided in about his son's Charlie's death (Stargate the Movie, 1.01 "Children of the Gods"), and Daniel is probably one of the few people who knows anything truly personal about the emotionally reticent man or to whom Jack 'opens' up and talks to (1.01 "Children of the Gods", 1.07 "Cold Lazarus", 4.05 "Divide and Conquer", 5.01 "Enemies", 7.01 "Fallen Part 1").
After serving six months with SG-1, Sam was unaware not only of the fact Jack had been married, but that he had had a son (1.07 "Cold Lazarus") and Daniel had to explain to her that Jack was not one for casual confidences. Three years later, after Jack was stranded on Eudora for three months, Sam still had to ask Daniel to interpret Jack's reaction for her. She didn't know how he was doing, but Daniel did (3.17 "A Hundred Days").
Daniel's trust and reliance on Jack manifests itself most strongly in times of danger and anxiety. Jack is always the one Daniel calls for or turns to when he needs help (1.04 "Broca Divide", 1.12 "Fire and Water", 3.04 "Legacy", 4.18 "The Light", 7.06 "Lifeboat"). During the 'visions' he's been granted at the instigation of various alien devices he is either interacting primarily with Jack or the memory focusses completely on Jack, which would seem to suggest Daniel considers Jack to be the most formative and possibly formidable influence in his life (2.22 "Out of Mind", 3.10 "Forever in a Day", 3.13 "The Devil You Know", 4.18 "Absolute Power"). Jack was also the one Daniel trusted to help him when he wished to relinquish his earthly body and ascend after receiving the fatal dose of radiation on Kelowna (5.21 "Meridian"). Daniel told Jack of his fear of the havoc the Ori might wreak in our galaxy, and said he wouldn't admit that fear to anyone else. Typically, Jack responded by inviting him to eat (9.03 "Avalon Part 3").
Being polar opposites in personality and world view causes them to argue frequently and sometimes spectacularly, although sometimes as a result of external influences: 1.11 "Torment of Tantalus", 1.16 "Cor-Ai", 2.19 "One False Step", 3.05 "Learning Curve", 3.18 "Shades of Gray", 4.02 "The Other Side", 4.09 "Scorched Earth", 4.14 "The Curse", 4.17 "Absolute Power", 4.18 "The Light", 4.20 "Entity", 5.05 "Red Sky", 5.19 "Menace".
However, their loyalty to one another and mutual respect and affection remain steadfast. Daniel demonstrated the particularly unflagging character of this devotion most emphatically during the incident when Jack had the knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into his brain. He worked with Jack to interpret for him, absolutely refused to abandon him, and defended his inexplicable actions. He argued from the strength of his faith in Jack's character that he'd done 'nothing bad' - that he should be allowed to see his plan through and go through the gate even though no one, including Jack, understood why he had to do so (2.16 "The Fifth Race"). After Jack refused to allow Daniel to take the download in order to find the Lost City, Daniel again provided the help and support Jack needed as the knowledge again began to take over his mind and prevent him from communicating (7.21, "The Lost City Part 1"). When Thor wanted to risk 'frozen' Jack's life to get his Ancients' knowledge, Daniel argued against risking his life without his permission. Once Jack was able to communicate, he thanked Daniel for his concern (8.02 "New Order Part 2").
During his ascension, Daniel remained loyal to Jack, keeping an eye on him and visiting him when he was imprisoned and repeatedly tortured by Ba'al. Daniel helped Jack in the only way he was allowed, by offering to help him ascend. However, Jack was unable to accept such a possibility for himself, and asked Daniel to let him die instead. Daniel found another way, inspiring Teal'c and perhaps others at the SGC with a plan that gave Jack a chance to escape. In the worst moments of his torture, Jack called for Daniel and was devastated to find him gone. Finally back at the SGC, he was grateful to Daniel and let him know he would be missed (6.06 "Abyss").
Jack has returned Daniel's loyalty on several occasions. He refused to accept the Kelownans' assertion Daniel was responsible for the accident which killed him, shaming Jonas into confessing the truth and thereby saving his friend's reputation. Then, following Daniel's wishes, he asked Jacob to stop his attempt to heal Daniel in order to allow him to ascend (5.21 "Meridian").
After Daniel's return, when his body was invaded by a host of alien consciousness, Jack stayed with him while others tried to find a way to free him. His passionate intervention on Daniel's behalf persuaded the personality Pharrin to disobey his sovereign's orders and take the steps necessary to remove the beings from Daniel's mind (7.06 "Lifeboat"). Jack expressed his confidence in Daniel to him and to others when Daniel asked for the chance to negotiate and avoid further bloodshed with the Unas (7.07 "Enemy Mine"). When Daniel was declared missing on a mission to Honduras, it was Jack who went to rescue him (7.12 "Evolution Part 2"). When Daniel was missing for weeks on a planet in the midst of a world war, Jack never gave up on finding him, and Daniel never gave up trying to contact the SGC (8.05 "Icon").
As their relationship has developed, Jack has on numerous occasions expressed his confidence in and respect for Daniel's abilities and instincts (1.09 "Brief Candle", 3.03 "Fair Game"), more than once declaring 'Daniel is always right' (3.02 "Seth", 3.21 "Crystal Skull"), informing and extremely hostile and unreceptive Col. Edwards 'he's usually right about these things' (7.07 "Enemy Mine"). He told Daniel himself he had grown to admire him (5.21 "Meridian").
Daniel's place at Jack's side has become even more obvious since Jack was promoted to General (8.02 "New Order Part 2"). Daniel is very comfortable with General O'Neill, making himself at home in Jack's office and not at all intimidated by Jack's new position (8.03 "Lockdown", 8.08 "Covenant"). Daniel appears at times to be almost the unofficial second-in-command of the base, stepping in to smooth over Jack's diplomatic shortcomings (8.03 "Lockdown") and act as his messenger (8.07 "Affinity"). Jack does not appreciate Daniel pointing out hard truths, for example, that he'd shot Daniel, but he tolerates it very well (8.03 "Lockdown").
In fact, Jack's affection for or trust in Daniel has at times caused him to accede to a course of action he did not necessarily believe in: 1.08 "The Nox", 1.16 "Cor-Ai", 1.22 "Within the Serpent's Grasp", 2.06 "Thor's Chariot",2.07 "Message in a Bottle", 3.04 "Legacy", 3.11 "Past and Present", 3.20 "Maternal Instinct", 4.08 "The First Ones", 4.10 "Beneath the Surface", 5.05 "Red Sky", 5.07 "Beast of Burden",5.21 "Meridian", 6.22 "Full Circle".
Even an alternate universe Jack O'Neill that Daniel encountered on his journey through the quantum mirror, a Jack who had never met the Daniel in that universe, proved to be just as susceptible to the force of Daniel's persuasive personality as our own Jack. AU Jack agreed to go on what he knew would be a suicide mission in order to buy Daniel the time he needed to escape back to our universe and save our Earth (1.20 "There But for the Grace of God").
Confronted with a Daniel who was physically a Prior but who acted like himself, Jack became irrationally annoyed and angry at Daniel, because nothing Daniel could say was enough to convince Jack to risk the whole galaxy on his word. But after Daniel kidnapped Jack and explained himself yet again, and when Daniel was down to the last bit of strength he had to deploy Merlin's weapon to the Ori galaxy, Jack did trust him and do what he asked. (10.14 "The Shroud")
The two men function well in tandem. Their rapport, built on years of trust and familiarity, causes them to appear at times to be almost telepathic and enables them to play off each other extremely effectively when it comes to working the natives in a variety of offworld scenarios: 1.08 "The Nox", 2.11, 2.12 "The Tok'ra Part 1 and 2", 2.13 "Spirits", 2.14 "Touchstone", 3.07 "Deadman Switch", 3.15 "Pretense", 5.07 "Beast of Burden", 5.09 "Between Two Fires", 7.08 "Space Race".
Both men are passionate about their convictions and at times can be loose cannons, behaving recklessly and at times dangerously because of the force of their beliefs. But one can often only be persuaded to back off from their extreme and unwise positions by the other: 1.11 "Torment of Tantalus", 1.16 "Cor-Ai", 4.02 "The Other Side", 5.5 "Red Sky", 5.07 "Beast of Burden", 7.07 "Enemy Mine".