“Stargate”, as a franchise, is huge. I already mentioned that in my previous article where I mentioned that there are three movies, three live-action TV series and one animated series all set within the same universe. Gotta love it! Not even “Doctor Who” is that complicated! Sure, “Stargate” isn’t really as complex as, say, “Star Trek” (honestly, I still can’t make heads or tails of that franchise), but getting into it can be a bit daunting, to say the least. That’s why I decided to create a timeline for the series which can also act as a viewing order. Keep in mind that this isn’t going to be a timeline of events – if you want one you can check this out, but be ready to have your mind blown (and also spoiled pretty badly). Here I’m just going to outline the series and movies in chronological order while keeping it light on spoilers. Let’s get right to it!
1. The Stargate Movie (1994)
This is the beginning of the entire Stargate universe… Metaphorically speaking, of course. The movie is a fantastic place to start as not only is it the first “Stargate” thing to come out (and thus is a bit more of a self-contained story), but it also introduces many of the characters and concepts which will become key down the line. My advice to you wouldn’t be to view this as the start of a universe even if it is. Just sit down and enjoy it like a movie. If you liked it and would like to see more, keep on going. If not, then maybe you’re not going to enjoy “Stargate” as a whole.
2.Stargate SG-1 Seasons 1-7
If you’re still reading, I assume you liked the movie, which is great because there’s a whole lot more where that came from! Picking up right after the ending (more or less), the series “Stargate SG-1” is very similar in style and tone and features many familiar characters as in the movie. You can binge-watch the first seven seasons of it without any trouble whatsoever. Sure, 7 seasons may be a bit too much for today’s audiences (we’re used to having our series end at 4-5 seasons), but once you get into it the series actually flows pretty neatly.
3. Stargate SG-1 Seasons 8-10 & Stargate Atlantis Seasons 1-3
Ah, this is where it gets really complicated! For its final 3 years, SG-1 was paired up with another series, Stargate Atlantis. The two were aired back to back, and as such episodes keep referencing each other from time to time, with a healthy dose of crossovers. It’s a situation very much like the ones the shows “Arrow” and “Flash” have right now, with characters constantly popping from one into the other to the point where it might be difficult to tell who those people are if you’re only watching one show. The correct way to watch this is one episode of SG-1 followed by one episode of Atlantis, but you can be a bit more adventurous than that if you’d like.
4. Stargate: The Ark of Truth
I have good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that “Stargate: SG-1” has been officially canceled, but the good news is that the storyline wraps up with another movie! “The Ark of Truth” is pretty much a send-off to that era of the franchise, wrapping up the storyline and preparing for the future.
5. Stargate Atlantis Season 4 + The Season 5 Premiere
We’re about to get complicated again! Now that SG-1 is officially out of the way, it’s time to wrap up Atlantis! What you want to do is finish the entire 4th season AND watch the first episode of the 5th season, where some pretty major changes happen in preparation for…
6. Stargate: Continuum
“Continuum” is a pretty interesting movie not just when it comes to its plot, but also to its placement in the timeline. For the most part, it’s a standalone adventure, but it’s also got lots of connections to both “Atlantis” (obviously) and “SG-1”. It’s good stuff.
7. Stargate Atlantis Season 5
Now that we’ve got the last movie out of the way, it’s time to wrap up Atlantis!
Stargate: Universe
Honestly? My advice is to just skip this one, if you’re looking for any kind of meaningful resolution to the saga. The show was canceled after only 2 seasons, ending on a cliffhanger which is, in all likelihood, never going to be resolved, on the show or in a movie. Still, the series isn’t bad, so if you can overlook the lack of a proper ending you can go ahead and give it a shot. If you’ve made it that far, then you’re probably hungry for more “Stargate”, anyway!