10 most disliked storylines in the Stargate franchise
1. The Ori arc (Stargate SG-1)
You've been loving the SG-1 series, having been cruising through the galaxy with its awesome characters, dealing with snake-headed baddies, and making friends with aliens, when you're suddenly hit with a brand-new villain squad called the Ori.
These folks are like the Goa'uld's preachy cousins who are all about converting the universe to their religion, or else. Now, while the idea of facing off against god-like beings sounds cool, some fans felt like they were stuck in a rerun. We'd already seen the team tangle with deities who had delusions of grandeur (hello, Goa'uld), so this felt a bit like a "been there, zapped that" situation.
The Ori love to talk about their space religion. A lot. This shift towards heavy religious themes and the whole "convert or die" vibe was a major change-up from the usual "let's explore and make allies" routine that fans had come to love, The Ori arc definitely brought some epic battles and mind-bending plot twists, but for some fans, it was a bit like ordering a sci-fi adventure and getting a side of space sermon instead.
2. Dr. Keller's romantic subplots (Stargate Atlantis)
If hitting a space love triangle featuring Dr. Jennifer Keller, the sweet and super smart chief medical officer, was on your bingo sheet while watching Atlantis, you're probably the only one who didn't roll their eyes at the whole thing like the rest of us.
On one side, you've got Rodney McKay, the genius with the charm of a prickly pear, and on the other, Ronon Dex, played by Jason Momoa (if that description doesn't suffice, he was the brooding space warrior with hair that deserves its own fan club). Now, don't get me wrong, love and romance among the stars can be as thrilling as dodging a Wraith Dart, but some of us felt like this subplot was like trying to fit a square peg in a round Stargate.
The thing is, Stargate Atlantis was at its best when it was unraveling ancient mysteries, trading laser fire with bad guys, and making us laugh with witty banter. Throwing in a romantic subplot that seemed to zigzag more than a Puddle Jumper in a dogfight felt, to some, a bit off-course. It's not that we're against space romance (who doesn't love a good star-crossed lovers story?), but when the love life of Dr. Keller started to take up screen time that could've been spent exploring alien planets or outsmarting the Wraith, it felt a tad forced on us.
3. The destruction of the Asgard (Stargate SG-1)
The Asgard are these super-intelligent, kinda squid-looking aliens, much like the intergalactic wise old grandparents for the humans of Earth, always popping in with their spaceships to help out or share some of their out-of-this-world tech.
Over the years, they've become fan favorites, battling alongside the SG-1 team against the bad guys and occasionally saving the day with their big brains and cool gadgets. So, when the series finale of Stargate SG-1 rolled around and these beloved space squids decided to throw in the towel and end their entire civilization, you can bet it ruffled more than a few feathers.
This was the equivalent of having your favorite, wisest teacher deciding that the best way to retire was to burn down the school library - with all the knowledge in it - rather than passing it on. The Asgard, facing a genetic crisis they couldn't solve, chose to self-destruct their entire race and hand over their legacy to SG-1, basically saying, "Here's our stuff, we're out." This felt almost like a betrayal of what the Asgard stood for: hope, wisdom, and the pursuit of knowledge. It was like watching your heroes give up instead of fighting to the last breath, turning a chapter of cosmic camaraderie into a somber space opera swan song - not exactly the uplifting send-off you'd hope for from your extraterrestrial allies.