There is a fundamental and very sound reason why Stargate SG-1 will be forever and fatally wounded by the loss of Daniel Jackson. His character performs a vital function in the world created for us via the Stargate. He is the Orphan, the Outsider, Everyman; he is us.

It is significant that Daniel is twice orphaned in the series' arc, and one of the key factors why we take him so closely to our hearts. Daniel is orphaned at a young age through the loss of his parents, and again when he must leave all he knows of family behind in the show's pilot episode. Every maturing human must at some point 'orphan' themselves from their families in order to grow to adulthood. They must stop believing that their parents can and should shield them from the world, rendering all injustices magically 'fair'; they must look for playmates and support from other than their siblings. Within fairytales, this orphaning is often real, but sometimes presented as the hero going out in the world to 'seek his fortune'. We have accompanied Daniel Jackson from that very moment of becoming lost to his family. This is so powerful a theme and psychological truth that it is represented in the Bible as the Fall, being outcast from Paradise. Seeing Daniel's fall, his loss of everything familiar, we are at once bound to him, recognising the universality of his plight and feeling the resonance of our own experience. It is no coincidence that children find Daniel the most likeable character; they understand where he's coming from at a visceral level.

Daniel is also the Outsider, and this is an experience that we all share. He is situated thus far more comprehensively than Teal'c, the other possible contender for the role. From the moment Teal'c threw in his lot with the SGC he has been welcomed within the military fold in recognition of his Warrior status. Jack O'Neill has openly called him friend; Teal'c has named him 'brother'. Both Jack and Teal'c are men of action who recognise in each other an acceptance of the demands of duty, even if that duty requires things that others would shirk as being distasteful, immoral or mortally challenging. Teal'c has never had to battle for inclusion. An alien by name, he is yet a cog that slipped easily into the military machine of the base.

Daniel, by contrast, remained largely an outsider after four seasons. He has explicitly asked for trust and respect on several occasions, something Teal'c, the turncoat alien, has never felt the need to do. Daniel has no natural place within the family as represented by the military, and this results in suspicion, doubt, second guessing of what he has to offer. Again, this is an experience we have all endured at some point in our lives - whether it be beginning school or a new job, making our way with in-laws, or negotiating new cultures and relationships.  One of the most heart-warming aspects of the show was that, for at least three seasons, Daniel seemed to have found a tenuous but real connection to the people around him. His compassion and generosity of spirit had triumphed over his own past, and current status. Such affection offered us all hope.

Lastly, Daniel is Everyman. He has been thrust into a bizarre, dangerous world with only his own intelligence, learning, and physical and moral courage to sustain him. In this regard he stands for all of us, at least insofar as he represents us at our best. Frequently bewildered by those around him, challenged to face hostility and threat at an extraordinary level, Daniel struggles and ultimately triumphs thanks to his own inner resources. When asked to man the bridge of an alien spaceship, he is at first shocked and overwhelmed; and then, endearingly, he places his hands upon the equipment and assumes a pose of faux confidence, determined to give it his best. We understand this; it's how most of us would react in that unlikely circumstance, and we know exactly why his eyes widen at the initial suggestion, and why he braces himself with a pathetic assumption of 'cool'. How many of us have been forced to bluff our way through the most difficult challenges we face?

Of all the characters, Daniel's is the only one that invites us to share his journey in such a way. We can understand Jack's cynicism, his 'been there, done that' attitude, but it is not a stance that invokes warmth in its recognition. It could be argued that Jack's loss of his own family positioned him to assume an 'orphan's' role, but he was immediately drawn back into the military family with which he has lived most of his life. Hammond was offered to him as a father figure, Teal'c became a brother, and Jack was operating within a world that provides him with stability, direction and meaning.  In Sam, we have a character increasingly lacking human vulnerability; so much so that, in season five, situations have to be engineered toward the incredible before we can believe she is either at risk or alone. We never believe a problem will defeat her for long - she plucks 'science' from a seemingly inexhaustible reserve of brilliance, providing all the answers without appearing to be personally stretched. Daniel is consummately professional in his work, something to which we can all aspire; but he approaches his job with the passion and joy of an amateur, and we see him working through linguistic and cultural puzzles in a way that allows us to share his frustration and despair as well as his triumphs.

Daniel Jackson represents us in our doubts and fears, but also in our strengths. He is the child of the universe forever seeking not just knowledge but inclusion, acceptance, permission and opportunity to find happiness. No other character on the show brings us on that fundamental and deeply personal journey; no other character introduced at this point can possibly do anything but echo at best what was profoundly real about his role. 

Poss

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