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The following column contains MAJOR SPOILERS for the series finale of "Stargate SG-1."

Who could have imagined that back in 1994, the underrated feature film about a piece of alien technology found in Egypt would become such an overwhelming success? The lofty concept may have failed to make waves on the big screen, but on the small screen, "Stargate SG-1" excelled at telling the kind of stories that will be remembered for decades.

The opening year on Showtime was made up of a few questionable elements such as its high dependency on Egyptian mythology. But at its core, the series offered something uniquely different than anything else currently on the air, and in doing so, the series instantly opened up to a new audience who wouldn’t otherwise have watched a science-fiction series. Then, each year, the series threw out everything that didn’t work and focused on what did.

We saw less Egyptian influences and more advanced races, we were gracefully introduced to the tangled political system of the Goa’uld System Lords as various villains rose and fell from power. And above all else, the series remained firmly rooted in military protocols. In doing so, the show gained the extra credibility and believability that a few shows lack.

"In The Line Of Duty" revealed the existence of the Tok’Ra rebellion and can still be considered one of the best episodes written. The tension is paramount as Stargate Command scrambles to identify the symbiote in possession of Sam Carter (Amanda Tapping) who is so desperate to get off the base. Even now that we know the symbiote is Jolinar of the Tok’Ra, you can’t help but become glued to the screen … especially as Carter goes berserk in the gateroom to try to leave.

Adventure like this is the reason why many people watch the series. But for me, the best episodes are always the comedies. You know the ones, where something weird and bizarre happens to the team and we’re left with what practically amounts to a sitcom.

The best example is form the fourth season: "Window Of Opportunity." In this episode, O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and Teal’c (Christopher Judge) are trapped in a groundhog day style time loop and eventually discover that they can do anything they want without any consequences. "Upgrades," "Wormhole X-treme" and "Bad Guys" are among the funniest of these stories.

But over the course of 10 years, the versatile formula has gone through a few reworkings and redirections, keeping the story fresh and alive. There are some viewers out there, however, who see anything after the eighth season as but a shadow of "SG-1’s" former self. And to them I say hogwash! When Richard Dean Anderson departed the series to spend more time with his family, it was a great loss. But the writing team covered their backs and Ben Browder was the right man for the job.

Now while Cameron Mitchell is not Jack O’Neill and could never replace him, he did fill in the notable gap in the team that was felt for the whole year previously. But to me, it wasn’t until the final season that the series really managed to fill the void left in Anderson’s wake. How did they do it? Claudia Black and Vala Mal Doran. The Vala character has always been a breath of fresh air, delivering the same witty banter and quick one-liners that O’Neill was famous for. Without her, the comedy adventures in the final two seasons wouldn’t have been the same.

In fact, her relationship with Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) has many of the same aspects that O’Neill’s did making the series just as enjoyable as it was back in the old days. The only letdown in the show's final years was the pale threat posed by the Ori and the lack of any real danger from the invaders until the final year.

In the end though, the series did everything possible to round of the stories set in motion 10 years ago. And in doing so, "Unending" gave a very intimate chance to say goodbye to the series and to catch a glimpse at what might have been. And although they are only a group of muppets, you can’t help but shed a tear as Thor announces that the Asguard are finally ready to die, proclaiming that the people of Earth have finally become The Fifth Race – a plot piece that has been in motion since the late second season.

It is a very bittersweet moment because that’s when it finally sinks in that this was the last episode of “Stargate SG-1.” And the only thing that makes it easier to accept is the knowledge that we have two telemovies in the fall to look forward to.

Alan Stanley Blair is the assistant news editor for Airlock Alpha writing out of Scotland. He can be reached at ablair@airlockalpha.com.