Summary
- After leaving Stargate SG-1 in season 5, Michael Shanks returned as a series regular in season 7.
- Daniel Jackson's mystical focus led to a fitting end, ascending to a higher plane after a radiation exposure.
- Shanks left due to creative differences but came back due to Daniel Jackson's enduring popularity.
Michael Shanks left Stargate SG-1 in season 5, only to return as a series regular in season 7. A spinoff from the movie Stargate, Stargate SG-1 premiered in 1997 to popular and critical acclaim and ran for 10 seasons. Surprisingly, although the concepts were the same, only Michael Shanks' Daniel Jackson remained as a link between the film and the TV show. He remained a series regular until season 5 when Daniel Jackson was brutally killed off, yet the reasons for his return weren't always clear.
Daniel Jackson was exposed to a lethal amount of radiation in the episode "Meridian" (S5, E21). There was no way to save his life, but fortunately, the Ascended being, Oma DeSalla, appeared to him at the moment of his death, helping him join her on a higher plane of existence. It was a fitting end to Daniel Jackson's story, because he was the only Stargate SG-1 character who had focused on the mystical aspects of the franchise. Rumors immediately swirled of behind-the-scenes conflict.
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The Stargate Actor Needed A Break
Michael Shanks has given differing accounts concerning his Stargate-SG1 departure over the years, but these rumors were exaggerated. Speaking at San Diego Comic-Con 2004, Shanks simply explained that he "needed to take a break from the show," and in an interview, he admitted Daniel Jackson's arc wasn't quite working in his view (via a since-deleted interview at Stargate Solutions).
"I had begun to think the show would work just as well without me, and that's when I felt that I had to go... I knew that there would some sort of reaction, but I didn't realize how passionate it would be. The character was very passionate, so maybe he would attract people who share that trait."
He also said in the interview that he wanted his character to go in a different direction and "The writers disagreed with my point of view." However, after leaving based on creative differences, Shanks said he was surprised at the reaction to his departure, apparently underestimating Daniel Jackson's popularity. This enduring popularity goes some way towards explaining why Shanks made a comeback.
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The Star Became A Regular Cast Member Again In Season 7
Shanks rejoined stars Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, and Christopher Judge in several Stargate SG-1 season 6 episodes, before returning as a main member of the cast in season 7. This was achieved by weaving a fascinating story around Daniel Jackson, as he proved unable to comply with the laws of the Ascended by abandoning his old friends; he was ultimately banished back to the mortal plane, where it didn't take long for him to cross paths with SG-1 again.
Shanks continued to reprise the role of Daniel Jackson in the spin-offs.
The speed of Shanks' return certainly argues against the idea he had a hostile parting with the writers, although it is worth noting there have been hints he negotiated a pay rise when he came back. Stargate SG-1 was canceled after season 10, but Shanks continued to reprise the role of Daniel Jackson in the spin-offs Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe.
By this point, his character had been subjected to several other near-death and fake-death plots, so much so that they became a recurring joke in-universe. "Daniel Jackson would die to see this," one SG agent quipped as they examined an archeological dig, "again!" Stargate SG-1's beloved character had left an enduring mark on the franchise.
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a sci-fi adventure television series spin-off set in the Stargate Universe, initially created by Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin. Set roughly a year after the film's events; the story takes place after it becomes known that the Stargate technology allows those who use it to travel across different planets. With several teams dispatched to perform recon and defend the Earth from potential extraterrestrial threats, the series follows the titular team SG-1 of the U.S. Air Force as they face several alien threats.