Jack O'Neill: Family And Relationships

Family

Jack O'Neill was born in Chicago, Illinois (2.08 "Family", 5.04 "The Fifth Man"), most likely on October 20, 1952 (6.03 "Fragile Balance"), and raised in Minnesota. His grandfather also lived in the northern part of the state. Jack inherited his grandfather's cabin in Minnesota and goes there to relax and fish. No information is available on his parents or any possible siblings. The young clone the renegade Asgard geneticist Loki replaced Jack with pretended to be Jack's nephew, telling an old colleague of his that Jack used to have a sibling, and that he'd been like a father to the young clone since his folks died. It isn't clear whether the sibling was a sister or brother or even rea,l as the young clone was improvising at the time (7.03 "Fragile Balance").

Jack has been married once (Sara O'Neill) and had one son, Charlie, who accidentally shot and killed himself with Jack's personal weapon when he was a young boy (approximately 8-10 years old). Charlie shot himself in his bedroom in the family home in Winter Park, Colorado, and died later in the emergency room. This was in the same hospital Sara took the energy clone of Jack from P3X-562 when it was struck by violent radiation emissions (1.07 "Cold Lazarus"). Jack told Daniel that though he would never forgive himself for Charlie's death, sometimes he could forget (1.01 "Children of the Gods Part 1").

Jack was suicidal over the death of his son, to the point he was sitting on his son's bed, gun in hand, when he was recalled to duty. He went through the Stargate with the expectation he would kill himself to secure Earth from the dangers of the Stargate (Stargate The Movie). The energy clone felt Jack's guilt and grief over losing Charlie and attempted to find Charlie in order to heal Jack, not understanding what human death was. It seems Jack's grief was deepened by the rift he had with Charlie after they argued over his possession of a water pistol. It was possible Jack's scolding and confiscation of this led to Charlie taking the handgun that Jack had failed to secure. This is perhaps the source of Jack's greatest guilt and responsibility for Charlie's death. The two did not have a chance to make up after their fight (3.13 "The Devil You Know Part 2").

Jack has found echoes of the child he lost in other children whom SG-1 have met along their way — first and most strongly in Skaara and the other Abydonian boys (1.01 "Children of the Gods Part 1"), and also the Reetou clone Charlie (2.20 "Show And Tell"), Merrin (3.05 "Learning Curve"), and Loran (4.18 "The Light"). His grief and self-blame seemed raw even years later (4.06 "Window of Opportunity"), yet when Daniel Jackson returned from ascension, he saw in Jack's locker photos of his son and noted bluntly this was why Jack went through the gate — to kill himself. Jack replied that "things change", and so it seems at last this wound had healed somewhat (7.01 "Fallen Part 1").

Jack was unable to communicate with his wife Sara when Charlie killed himself. He felt her anger and understood that she blamed him, but wasn't able to open up to her, to let her in through what she called his "armor", and so they couldn't help one another through their grief (1.07 "Cold Lazarus"). She left him while he was on the first mission to Abydos. However, Jack remained in love with Sara for a long time after she divorced him and continued to care for her deeply. Almost two years had passed when Jack lay dying in an ice cavern in the Antarctic, yet he still called out to his wife (1.18 "Solitudes"). Even eight years after the accident, he had a picture of Sara on display in his home. However, he declined to tell Carter whether or not they were still in touch (7.21 "Lost City Part 1").

Romantic Interests

Jack has had a few off-world romances. Kynthia married him according to Argosian custom, though he was not aware that he was being wed at the time. The ceremony involved eating a cake infused with mind-altering drugs, followed by the traditional wedding night, from which Jack awoke terribly embarrassed and confused. The marriage lasted for a period of a few days (1.09 "Brief Candle"), but was presumedly dissolved prior to his return to Earth.

Also of note was a relationship with Laira on the planet Edora (P5C-768), on which Jack was marooned for approximately three months. He may also have fathered a child with Laira, but chose not to find out. To his credit, he did ask her to return with him to Earth, but Laira declined, choosing to remain on her world without him (3.17 "A Hundred Days").

He had an Earth-bound romantic relationship with CIA agent Kerry Johnson. It was a somewhat serious relationship: she spent at least one night in his bed and appeared very comfortable in his home then as well as later, when they were preparing a barbecue dinner together. Jack didn't intend for anyone at the SGC to know about the relationship, but Sam Carter stumbled upon it when she visited Jack to tell him of her doubts about marrying Pete Shanahan. Soon after that encounter, Kerry broke up with Jack, telling him that he had issues, seemingly implying that he really wanted to be with Sam. Kerry suggested he retire so Air Force rules and regulations would no longer keep Jack and Sam apart. Jack did not argue with her, but he also did not retire (8.18 "Threads").

Samantha Carter

He shares a strong bond with Samantha Carter, even though they have few interests or characteristics in common. He may at times have had a romantic interest in her, although it's not known whether he still does. As head of Homeworld Security, while she is a Colonel in the Stargate Program, he is still in her chain of command. So, if they are seeing each other romantically, it is against military regulations. He has shown romantic attraction to her on a few occasions:

• When he believed she might be dying following an Ashrak assassination attempt, he shed a tear in the infirmary emergency room (2.02 "In the Line of Duty").

• When a Carter from an alternate universe came through the quantum mirror seeking assistance, he discovered the Jack and Sam in that universe were married and Jack had been killed. In an attempt to console her, he kissed her (3.06 "Point of View").

• While on a mission to destroy Apophis' new starship, Sam was caught behind a force field, and he refused to leave her behind (4.03 "Upgrades"). He later admitted that he could not acknowledge his feelings for her even to himself, when accused of being a Zatarc — a Goa'uld "sleeper" programmed to assassinate. He said he would rather die himself than lose her, and that he cared for her a lot more than he's supposed to. It could be argued this sentiment applies to all his teammates; they are his family, above and beyond simple members of his team (4.05 "Divide and Conquer").

• During a time loop in which the same day repeated over and over, in one loop he tendered his resignation to Gen. Hammond in the gate control room solely so he could kiss Carter. This may have been to relieve his growing boredom rather than a serious attempt at romance, since he was dressed very casually and made no attempt to woo her first (4.06 "Window of Opportunity").

• After having his personality replaced with a falsified memory stamp, he believed he was a former miner named Jona. He said he remembered "feeling feelings," possibly for her, but was vague about the admission (4.10 "Beneath the Surface").

• When Sam's body was invaded by an unknown entity, he was forced to shoot her twice with a zat'nik'tel. Afterward, he was inconsolable, and refused to have her taken off life support. Thankfully, her consciousness was found and returned to her body before it was too late (4.20 "Entity").

• He was reluctant to leave her side as she went on a dangerous mission against Anubis while he went to rescue Daniel from Honduran kidnappers, and he invited her to lunch when she returned (7.12 "Evolution Part 2").

• He was uncharacteristically abrupt, angry, and frustrated when the ship Prometheus went missing with Carter aboard, and Teal'c felt the need to console him (7.13 "Grace").

• He consoled Carter after Janet's death, though this could be interpreted as friendship (7.18 "Heroes Part 2"). Similarly he comforted her after her narrow escape from a super soldier (7.16 "Death Knell").

• After taking a potentially fatal download of the Ancients' knowledge, he had several personal, if awkward, conversations with Carter, but never openly explained his feelings (7.21 "Lost City Part 1", 7.22 "Lost City Part 2").

• He consoled her in the observation room as Jacob lay dying and told her he would always be there for her (8.18 "Threads").

• He asked her to go fishing with him on numerous occasions, but she consistently declined until finally the whole team went together (8.18 "Threads" and 8.20 "Moebius Part 2"). She expressed regret that they hadn't gone before, but Jack told her not to dwell on the past.

At least while he was at the SGC, Jack seemed to hold their military mission in higher regard than any personal gain he might get out of a closer relationship with Carter. While on P4X-347 under the influence of the hypnotic Light, his emotional control slipped and he made clear to her the importance of maintaining chain of command, regardless of how long they might be marooned off-world (4.18 "The Light"). He later expressed approval that Carter was apparently dating, and only socialized with her when other team members were present (5.03 "Ascension").

When Sam began dating Pete Shanahan (7.15 "Chimera"), Jack was very supportive and accepting of it. Whatever his feelings, he seemed happy for her to have moved on with her life. This continued when Sam was considering Pete's marriage proposal, when he again encouraged her to be happy and to have a family, even if his experience in that area had ended badly (8.07 "Affinity"). He further tried to reassure her when she went to his home to express doubts about her impending marriage to Pete, and he was surprised that she was having second thoughts. It is not clear how he reacted to the news of Sam's break-up with Pete. He did not take Kerry Johnson's advice to retire so that he and Sam could be together legally (8.18 "Threads").

Jack is apparently conscious of the occasions when Carter shows intellectual contempt for him, for example ordering her to try to deactivate a Goa'uld door-locking mechanism, despite her comments about stupidity regarding the making of the lock, then walking away from her to join Daniel. Carter picked up on her C.O.'s feelings, hastily changing her tune (5.01 "Enemies"). He let Carter know that he thought she was tense from the moment he met her and advised her (unkindly) to take up knitting when she admitted she had no life outside the SGC (5.03 "Ascension").

He has also openly exhibited his impatience with her scientific interests on a number of occasions, for example, turning and walking away from her while she was talking to him about changing the face of physics (3.20 "Crystal Skull") and ordering her to go confuse Gen. Hammond after one of her lengthy hypotheses (5.05 "Red Sky").

When she attempted to discuss the death of Daniel with him, he was extremely brusque with her and brushed her off (5.22 "Revelations"). Jack also openly undermined Carter before their peers, as in his heckling of her during her briefing for the mission to cripple the super-weapon which gave Anubis his tactical advantage over the system lords (7.01 "Fallen Part 1").

When Carter was away from the team performing a complete overhaul of the Stargate's diagnostic system, Jack, her team leader, didn't even trouble himself to remember what she was engaged on, dismissing it as her 'science project' when she called in to see him in the infirmary after he was wounded by the Unas. Rather than talk to Carter when Daniel left them, Jack lay down and turned his back to her (7.07 "Enemy Mine").

When she came to visit him before his mind became overcome by the Ancients' download of knowledge, he did not seem happy to see her, and their conversation was painfully awkward. Later, when he gave her command of the mission, she wanted to tell him something presumably personal, but he immediately stopped her, sounding irritated that he might have to deal with any feelings (7.22 "Lost City Part 2").

After Jack moved to Washington, Sam made a reference to not being exactly single, but she never said for sure it was Jack she was seeing (9.07 "Ex Deus Machina"). The last few times Jack visited the SGC, there was no indication of a romantic connection between them (10.06 "200", 10.14 "The Shroud", "Stargate: Continuum"). Therefore it is uncertain whether they are currently pursuing a romantic relationship in spite of Air Force regulations that prohibit it.

Teal'c

In spite of being something of a loner, O'Neill spends some of his free time with his Jaffa teammate, Teal'c. His relationship with Teal'c is one of equals — warrior to warrior — and he relates well to his alien counterpart. He is extremely loyal to his teammates, and though Teal'c is an alien, Jack does not treat him like one:

• From the very beginning, he offered a place in his home to this near stranger, because of the sacrifice Teal'c made to save him and the other prisoners of Apophis (1.01 "Children of the Gods Part 1").

• Often when he has leave from active duty, he invites the Jaffa to go with him. Most of the time, this pursuit of leisure activities involves fishing, but sometimes, watching videos with other team members or Jello wrestling are involved (5.03 "Ascension").

• Though Jack had the opportunity to leave the labyrinth of Thor's Hammer, he refused to do so since Teal'c could not accompany him and would have been trapped there as long as the Hammer still functioned (1.10 "Thor's Hammer").

• Accused and later convicted of murder on P3X-1279 (Cartago), Teal'c chose to accept retribution from one of his victims rather than leave as ordered by O'Neill. Jack was ready to bring armed troops back through the stargate to free his teammate, but Gen. Hammond refused to engage in hostile action against a peaceful people, even to rescue one of the members of SG-1 (1.16 "Cor-Ai").

• Teal'c was the prime suspect in an attack on Cronus during his visit to the SGC for the purpose of treaty negotiations with the Asgard, but Jack refused to believe Teal'c was the culprit and assisted with the investigation to prove his innocence (3.03 "Fair Game").

• During the events of the time loop that trapped Jack and Teal'c in a repeating day for the possible period of several months, the two men engaged in many acts of frivolous play to relieve the stress and boredom, most notably, golf in the gate room and juggling in Daniel's office (4.06 "Window of Opportunity").

• At one point during the mission to test the X-301 Interceptor, Teal'c expressed to Jack how honored he was to have served with the man. Jack was so moved he experienced a rare bout of not knowing what to say in return; however, he also felt the same way toward his Jaffa teammate when Teal'c stated they were brothers (4.12 "Tangent").

• Teal'c experienced a crisis of confidence after sustaining an injury which would have killed him had he still been carrying his symbiote. Teal'c was forced to recuperate conventionally and at the end of his physiotherapy still did not feel himself ready for duty. Jack was sympathetic and understanding of Teal'c's feeling that his weakness was akin to death, accepting that if he was not ready for duty, he was not ready. He understood what it meant for Teal'c to have lost his 'mojo' and was very supportive in the difficult mission which followed to rescue Bra'tac and Rya'c. Jack was strong enough to allow Teal'c and Rak'nor to be tortured in order to keep his team safe and keep the chance of escape, but it is sure that he suffered for Teal'c along with Daniel and Carter (7.04 "Orpheus").

• Knowing that he might never see him again, Jack embraced Teal'c before Teal'c left to find reinforcements to help in Earth's impending attack by Anubis (7.21 "Lost City Part 1"). Reunited but knowing Jack might not survive the mission, Jack and Teal'c exchanged a warm goodbye, wordless on Jack's part since by then his mind was nearly taken over by the Ancients' language and knowledge. (7.22 "Lost City Part 2").

• Jack refused to give up on Teal'c or leave his side when Teal'c was trapped in the combat simulation game, even throwing out an idea that Carter used to help Daniel rescue Teal'c. Once Teal'c was safe, Jack smiled broadly at him, very pleased (8.06 "Avatar").

• Jack fully supported Teal'c's desire to move into his own apartment, even going against the wishes of the OSI. He sent Daniel to tell Teal'c to keep a low profile in order to increase his chances of remaining among the civilian population, though sadly it was not to be (8.07 "Affinity").

• Jack listened to Teal'c's worries about Rya'c getting married at too young an age, providing some sage advice about sticking his fingers in his ears. He provided shelter for the female Jaffa and allowed the SGC to host Rya'c's wedding. He also provided support to Teal'c and Ishta when they were trapped and under attack by Moloc and his forces, and showed great concern for Teal'c's welfare (8.09 "Sacrifices").

Doctor Daniel Jackson

Jack's friendship with Daniel Jackson is one of the defining relationships of his life. Beginning with their first mission together, O'Neill felt only distaste for the scientist. With Jack's mind clouded by the death of his son, Charlie, his only ambition was to end his pain. The trek through the stargate offered that, and he leaped at the chance for a suicide mission. Though he kept his desire in check, looking out for his men and conducting himself as an experienced officer, he still prepared at every opportunity to blow himself up as an act of sacrifice for others, convincing himself that this was a noble deed. It was Daniel Jackson who pointed out to him that he was really only seeking escape, and through this moment of enlightenment and Daniel's courageous behavior against Ra and his troops, Jack learned to respect the "egghead" and develop a little affection for him. This bond grew as the two men fought side by side until eventually they succeeded in destroying Ra and freeing the people of Abydos and Earth from the alien threat (Stargate The Movie).

It is possible that Jack took up stargazing after his return from Abydos in an attempt to locate Daniel, to "keep an eye on him" in symbolic fashion. Whatever the reason he took up astronomy as a hobby, when Apophis came through the stargate and regenerated the research program, the first person Jack wanted to contact was Daniel. He confessed his deception about Daniel's death to Gen. Hammond and contact was made via a personal gesture that only Jack and Daniel would understand — a box of tissues for Daniel's persistent allergies (1.01 "Children of the Gods Part 1"). Though at the time Jack only bore a grudging respect for the scientist, their experiences in serving together drew them inexorably into a deep, extremely close relationship:

• Jack sympathized with Daniel's loss of his wife, Sha're, to Apophis, and offered the younger man use of the spare room at Jack's home upon Daniel's return to Earth (1.01 "Children of the Gods Part 1"). When Apophis made Sha're his queen, O'Neill knew Daniel would do anything to get her back, and upon being faced with the choice of saving Teal'c once he reached the end of the labyrinth in Thor's Hammer or keeping the machine intact to save Sha're once she'd been located, Jack understood that only Daniel could destroy the machine and free their Jaffa friend. This came from an innate knowledge of Daniel's character, and is testament to how well he knew him, even only a few months into their friendship (1.10 "Thor's Hammer").

• On Ernest Littlefield's planet, Jack could see how much the knowledge available there meant to Daniel, but pressed the scientist to leave it behind and save his life, rather than be left behind, marooned forever on that alien world (1.11 "Torment of Tantalus").

• Jack was so upset at losing Daniel on Oannes (P3X-866) that he was unable to pack up Jackson's apartment when he was believed dead. Jack scolded Carter for reading Daniel's diary aloud, and at a wake given at his home, Jack became so distraught he smashed in Gen. Hammond's car window with a hockey stick. He also spoke eloquently at the official memorial service for Daniel, describing how privileged he felt to have been able to call the man his friend (1.13 "Fire and Water").

• During the covert raid on the ha'taks coming to destroy Earth, Daniel was mortally wounded by a staff weapon blast to the chest. At Daniel's insistence, Jack broke his most important rule and left the other man behind to continue the mission to destroy the ships. He touched Daniel tenderly on the face and was obviously distraught to have to leave him (2.01 "Serpent's Lair Part 2").

• Trapped off-world in the prison colony of Hadante, Jack wanted to make sure his team did not become targets of the other prisoners. Having been incarcerated in an Iraqi prison camp previous to that situation, Jack understood the psychology among inmates and consequently did his best to educate the others. He made Daniel remove his glasses so the other man wouldn't be instantly perceived as having a weakness, thereby protecting him from attack (2.03 "Prisoners").

• Initially irritated with Daniel for his stalling in getting the rest of his team freed from slavery in the naquadah mines on P3R-636, Jack became worried once they returned to base and Daniel's addiction to the sarcophagus became apparent. He kept watch over Daniel, and when Daniel escaped from the bed where he had been strapped down to prevent him harming himself, Jack went after him. The two men fought violently, and Daniel threatened Jack with the pistol he had taken from a guard, even firing it. Jack talked Daniel out of additional violence, expressed his sympathy for what Daniel was going through, and when Jackson put the weapon down, Jack held him in his arms, offering the comfort and support that reflected how deeply he cared for the other man (2.05 "Need").

• When there was a question of identity after the Salish "spirits" invaded the base, a moment of inane questions and answers that nobody else would have understood proved to Jack that Daniel was himself and not one of the aliens posing as Jackson. These two men have an entire language of subtext all their own (2.13 "Spirits"), also reflected in the aborted conversation in the infirmary after visiting PJ2-445. Following an angry outburst with each other, both men were convinced there was something terribly wrong with them. When Dr. Fraiser pronounced them in perfect health, it was very upsetting to them both. The men were consequently discovered to be suffering from reactions to inaudible sound waves, emitted by an alien plant (2.19 "One False Step"). Sometimes they even finish each other's sentences, like an old married couple (4.22 "Exodus Part 1"), or speak in unison (5.09 "Between Two Fires").

• After being invaded by one of Ma'chello's Goa'uld eradicating devices, Daniel was kept in one of the isolation quarters on the base, and Jack spent time with him there, playing chess with his friend and keeping him company (3.04 "Legacy").

• On more than one occasion, Jack and Daniel have acted as co-defense counsel for others. The men support each other in matters of logic and emotion, filling in where the other misses a point, as a perfect foil for each other. As Skaara once declared of them, "O'Neer is strong. Danyer is wise." (1.16 "Cor-Ai", 3.15 "Pretense")

• Following Jack's retirement after his "theft" of Tollan technology, Daniel came to Jack's home to visit him and talk about what had happened. Playing the role as circumstances dictated, Jack could not reveal at the time how touched he was by that visit, but made sure it was known once the covert operation was over. Daniel surprised him with the admission that his visit was by chance, not by personal choice, though this comment may have been made simply to extract a little vengeance for Jack's unkind comments to his team during the mission (3.18 "Shades of Gray").

• As much as Jack hated to be reminded of moral imperatives when technology to fight the Goa'uld was at stake, Daniel's plea to look more closely at what the Eurondans required in trade made a point with Jack. Only Daniel could have pushed Jack up against that wall of morality, because he was the only member of the team not bound by the military code to follow orders, and because the men's friendship is so deep that Daniel has that freedom. Jack's response was rude initially due to Jack's desperation to acquire that technology, but once Jack understood the truth about the Eurondans, he encouraged Daniel to continue with his role as moral compass of the team — to 'ask questions' (4.02 "The Other Side").

• It was Daniel's innocent question about consequences that prompted Jack to have a little fun to relieve his excruciating boredom while trapped in the time loop (4.06 "Window of Opportunity").

• Though Jack was aware of Daniel's fear of heights, the other man willingly jumped out of an airplane when Jack directed him to do it. This spoke highly of how much trust there was between the two men (4.07 "Watergate").

• O'Neill ordered Maj. Carter to rig a naquadah reactor to explode, in the hopes of stopping a Gadmeer terraforming ship from killing the Enkarans, which the SGC had recently transported to a new world. Not realizing he had given Daniel an imperative to find a different resolution to the problem of competing races needing the same world, Jack was upset when Daniel went back aboard the Gadmeer ship to talk to Lotan, the Enkaran-replicated communication interface created by the Gadmeer. Jack was forced to activate the reactor, knowing Daniel was aboard the ship and might be killed for his peacemaking efforts (4.09 "Scorched Earth").

• After having his memory removed and replaced with a false stamp that gave him a whole new personality, Jona (Jack) began to develop a grudging respect for Carlin (Daniel) as they worked side by side to avert a disaster in the heating system beneath an iced-over world. Even without access to his memories, Jack perceived Daniel as someone he could trust (4.10 "Beneath the Surface").

• When Daniel was caught in the grip of another devastating addiction, he was on the verge of committing suicide when Jack arrived at the archaeologist's apartment, and talked him off the balcony ledge. He took Daniel back to the base infirmary and watched over him, distraught that it appeared his friend was dying, to the point of being threatening to Dr. Janet Fraiser. Starting to be affected himself, he stayed with Daniel and carried him back through the stargate to the planet where the addiction had started, until a solution could be found for a successful withdrawal (4.18 "The Light").

• Perhaps the greatest rift between the two men occurred after the android Reese was discovered off world and brought back to the SGC. Jack saw it only as a machine, but Daniel regarded her as a sentient life-form. It was this respect for Reese's life that led him to continue to negotiate with her and offer his friendship, even after it was discovered that she was the original source of the Replicators. Jack saw only the threat she posed to Earth and killed her as soon as he believed it became necessary, though this action caused Daniel terrible grief and regret. Jack took the time to apologize to Daniel for what killing Reese cost him personally because Daniel was his friend (5.19 "Menace").

• Jack staunchly defended Daniel's actions on Kelowna simply on the knowledge of Jackson's character, without any details on which to base his beliefs. When the truth later came out about Daniel's heroism, Jack believed that story because it fit with Daniel's character. O'Neill was violently opposed to continuing treaty relations with Kelowna because of their treatment of Daniel and their refusal to acknowledge the truth of Jackson's sacrifice for their world. Jack visited Daniel several times as he lay dying from radiation poisoning, and made an attempt to tell Daniel how much his long-time friend meant to him. Daniel understood the awkward attempt at resolution, and it was through Jack that Daniel expressed his need to cease all efforts to heal him (5.21 "Meridian").

• During his incarceration on Ba'al's secret base, Jack was being tortured to death repeatedly, and consequently revived in Ba'al's sarcophagus in an attempt to extract information from him about the Tok'ra symbiote, Kanan, who had been briefly imbedded — but not blended — in Col. O'Neill. Daniel disregarded one of the rules of the Ascended and came to offer his emotional support to Jack, and to try to help him ascend as a means of escape from the unending pain and death. Jack refused, and Daniel sought another means of helping his friend — by planting an idea into Teal'c's mind during a session of kel'no'reem (6.06 "Abyss").

• Daniel appeared to Jack in an elevator at the SGC base, asking him to undertake a mission to Abydos to retrieve the Eye of Ra and keep it from Anubis. When Jack relayed the information to Gen. Hammond and the rest of his team, he knew it might make him sound crazy, but went ahead with the request on the strength of the trust he felt for Daniel. The mission was undertaken immediately, and upon Jack's demand for Daniel to appear to them on Abydos, he did. Jack pushed Daniel into breaking the Ascended rules to help his friends and the people of Abydos, possibly not realizing it might cost Daniel's existence to do so. That consequence was brought home to Jack after the destruction of the Abydonians, when Maj. Carter reminded the briefing team how much Abydos meant to Daniel, and that he would have done everything in his power to save those aliens who were once his adopted people. That he hadn't been able to stop Anubis could only mean one thing, and once Jack realized that Daniel might have sacrificed himself, he appeared to be regretful and saddened by the knowledge that he instigated what might have been Jackson's last act of courage in a futile act to save the lives of others (6.22 "Full Circle").

• Jack was stunned when he was reunited with the corporeal Daniel. He attempted to jog amnesiac Daniel's memories, telling him that he was a friend of Jack's. He returned him to Gen. Hammond and the SGC with a flourish and remained at his side while Dr. Fraiser examined him. Later, he escorted Daniel to his temporary quarters, where he admitted to keeping some of Daniel's personal things alive, such as his photos of himself on a camel before the pyramids in Egypt and of his wife Sha're. He was surprised and deprecating when Daniel explicitly stated the trust he had for Jack and his leadership and as Daniel began to regain his lost memories, welcomed him home (7.01 "Fallen Part 1", 7.02 "Homecoming Part 2").

• When Daniel was taken over by 12 dispossessed souls who battled for control of his body, Jack chose to stick it out with Daniel at the SGC while Carter and Teal'c went back to the crashed spaceship where Daniel had been attacked. Jack understood that with Daniel in strict medical isolation, he couldn't be with him physically, but he still chose to remain, and watch over his friend from the observation room above. When Daniel's fate hung in the balance and it seemed the personality of the sovereign Martice would keep control of Daniel's dying body, Jack took action, forcing the ship's officer Pharrin to choose to sacrifice his sovereign, his little son, and the other souls to save Daniel and the living people aboard his ship (7.06 "Lifeboat").

• Jack's friendship with Daniel was in a very comfortable place in the months following Daniel's return, with the two accepting of one another's differences and exhibiting deep, sincere understanding, empathy, and open affection. They were closer than ever before, their friendship warmer, deeper and not needing words. Jack defended Daniel to Col. Edwards, stating that Daniel is nearly always right about things. Protective and watchful, Jack demonstrated his feelings for Daniel and wry acknowledgement of the truth, which is that he had been broken in by his stubborn friend (7.07 "Enemy Mine").

• Later in that year, there was evidence of some emotional distance on Jack's part, beginning with his seeming reluctance to retrieve Daniel and Dr. Lee from kidnappers, and his lack of outward emotion on finding Daniel injured but alive. Perhaps actions speak louder than words, as Jack did kill all of Daniel's kidnappers, saw to Daniel's leg wound, and helped him to stand and walk back to the rebel camp (7.12 "Evolution Part 2").

• When he saw Daniel suffering under the hopelessly parochial machinations of the world leaders of Jonas' home planet, he sympathized and stepped in to end the negotiations just as Daniel was at his wits' end (7.14 "Fall Out").

• Their friendship was re-affirmed in its non-verbal glory as Jack stopped Daniel from taking the Ancients' download; in spite of his practical explanation, it was clear he would rather risk his own life than allow Daniel to sacrifice himself yet again (7.21 "The Lost City Part 1"). Later, having defeated Anubis and with his mind completely subsumed by the Ancients' knowledge, Jack's last words before being placed in stasis were directed to Daniel: 'aveo, amicuse', or 'goodbye, friend' (7.22 "The Lost City Part 2").

• Jack reluctantly shot Daniel to prevent him from doing any more harm, and to stop Teal'c from delivering a potentially fatal second Zat shot. Jack kept an eye on him in the isolation room and rushed to see him when he woke up. When Daniel confronted him for having shot him, Jack avoided talking about it, though he chided Daniel for being up and around too soon (8.03 "Lockdown").

• Jack was very concerned that all three team-mates had been taken by Ba'al, and worked tirelessly to get them back, poignantly glancing at Teal'c and Daniel's lockers after they had been missing for several days. No doubt his memories of torture by Ba'al made his imagination run in nightmarish directions on behalf of Daniel and the whole team (8.04 "Zero Hour").

• Jack was relentless in driving the SGC to get Daniel back from a planet trapped in a civil war sparked by the SGC's arrival, even snapping at Carter to find a way to communicate with him. He was visibly relieved when Daniel did finally make radio contact (8.05 "Icon").

• Jack was very reluctant to let Daniel go alone to rescue Carter and retrieve the Stargate from the NID-controlled Al'kesh. He had to face the fact that Daniel had been well trained under his command. Jack then hesitated to allow the Prometheus to fire on the Al'kesh, which was fortunate since the ship was able to retrieve the 'gate and all three members of SG-1 (8.10 "Endgame").

• Jack's reaction to the loss of Daniel to radiation sickness and to the the proof that Daniel really was still 'out there' were shown indirectly through the reactions of Joe Spencer, who lived those events via a communication stone that was transmitting Jack's experiences and mission reports. To the degree that Joe's reactions were a reflection of Jack's, Jack was indeed devastated by the loss of Daniel, and overjoyed once he realized Daniel was really still around and keeping an eye on him (8.15 "Citizen Joe").

• Jack was disturbed by Daniel's disappearance at the hands of the replicators but would not allow Carter to speak of his fate with any certainty (8.17 "Reckoning Part 2"). He refused to believe Daniel was dead even after they had not heard from him for a week. He was convinced Daniel was around in some form and would 'waltz through the door' at any moment. When Daniel did return from his time in the diner with Oma, Jack was pleased but hardly surprised. Perhaps after all they have been through, Jack is unable to face the possibility that Daniel could ever leave for good (8.18 "Threads").

• Jack came to visit Daniel after the SGC's first run-in with the Ori. Jack admitted that he wasn't sorry Daniel had missed his flight to Atlantis, and, in his own way, Jack reassured Daniel about the threat of the Ori (9.03 "Origin Part 3").

• When Daniel was captured by Adria and turned into a Prior, Jack came aboard Odyssey to talk to him. His purpose seemed to be to decide whether the SGC should trust Daniel or not in his promises to take out the Ori. Finally Jack did trust him, against his instincts given what had been done to Daniel, and the team was able to send the anti-Ori weapon through to the Ori galaxy (10.14 "The Shroud").

Children

O'Neill has a big soft spot for children as well, most likely from having been a father himself, but also because he relates well to them.

Skaara

The greatest connection Jack had with a child was the boy he encountered on Abydos — Skaara. He identified with Skaara's bravery and curiosity, though the boy was older than Charlie by several years. After teasing Skaara over smoking a cigarette to be like his idol O'Nyer, Jack reacted furiously to Skaara touching his weapon, hollering that it was dangerous and frightening Skaara away. Jack was deeply shaken by the rebellion launched by Sha're, Skaara and the Abydonian boys, his determination to kill himself, already shaken by Daniel's willing sacrifice of his life to save Jack's, rocked by the equal determination of the Abydonians to fight for their freedom. When Skaara was taken by Apophis, Jack embarked on the search for him with a fervor equalling Daniel's search for his brother-in-law and wife. Skaara remained defiant and headstrong, (1.01 "Children of the Gods Part 1"), and his bravery and strength were acknowledged by his Goa'uld symbiote Klorel as he fought for dominance to help Jack and the others to battle Apophis and save the Earth (2.01 "The Serpent's Lair Part 2").

After crashing on Tollana, Skaara challenged Klorel for possession of his body, requesting Daniel and Jack to represent him, noting that Jack had strength and Daniel wisdom. He spoke eloquently of his suffering at the hands of Klorel and both Jack and Daniel contributed to his eventual victory over the symbiote, despite Jack's customary flouting of trial convention. Once freed, Skaara returned to his people and continued to fight for Abydos. When Anubis sought the Eye of Ra, Skaara and his Abydonian rebels fought alongside SG-1 in Daniel's name, believing more strongly than ever that their ascended brother was a god. Skaara had grown into manhood, becoming betrothed and asking Jack to attend his wedding. Tragically, Skaara was killed during Anubis' attack and he, along with all the other Abydonian's, were ascended by the enigmatic Oma Desala (6.22 "Full Circle"). Surely Jack mourns his loss as deeply as Skaara's brother Daniel does.

Other Children

• After the loss of his son, he encountered an alien who took the forms first of himself, and later of Charlie O'Neill in an attempt to communicate with him. His love for his son was instrumental in helping connect with this alien and help return it to its planet (1.07 "Cold Lazarus").

• A Reetou scientist called "Mother" created a human child to act as a communication conduit, whereby she could warn the Tau'ri of an impending Reetou attack. The boy knew about Col. O'Neill's late son, and asked to be called Charlie, in his honor. Jack took care of the boy during his stay at the SGC, and was both entertaining and compassionate toward him (2.20 "Show and Tell").

• A young visiting scientist from the Orban culture, Merrin, touched Jack deeply when he discovered she would soon undergo a procedure that would alter her genius-level intellect into that of a simpleton, barely able to care for herself. He ensured that the child learned how to have fun before undergoing the Averium procedure, through which she consequently translated the joy of play to the entire Orban culture (3.05 "Learning Curve").

• He also keeps up with Cassandra, the only survivor of the Hankan culture, adopted by Dr. Janet Fraiser (1.15 "Singularity", 3.05 "Learning Curve", 5.06 "Rite of Passage"). He visited her schools frequently, and the children in her classes adore him. They address him as "Col. Jack". Presumably Jack has remained very involved in Cassie's life since the tragic death of Janet (7.18 "Heroes Part 2").

Biography Articles

• Jack O'Neill Biography Home And Links
• The Stargate Movie
• Family And Relationships
• Military Career
• Injuries Received
• Expressions
• Favorites
• Hobbies
• Key Episodes in Jack's Character Arc

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--Michelle 21:21, 30 May 2005 (PDT)