While definitely an off storyline it brings up some interesting moral questions. The acting from the kid was spot on, way to step in for one episode and nail the performance.
18 Reviews
Would you go back?
Calicodreamin20 March 2022
Intriguing Storyline
claudio_carvalho24 October 2017
A fifteen-year old teenager appears at the SGC claiming to be Jack O 'Neill. General Hammond, Samantha, Teal'c and Daniel Jackson are reluctant in the beginning, but the teenager has knowledge of classified information. When Dr. Fraiser learns that he has O'Neill's DNA, they decide to investigate what happened. He recalls a dream where he was abducted by the Asgard and the medical examination shows that he is dying. The SGC summons Jacob that proposes to put the boy into stasis, but he does not accept. What has happened to Jack O'Neill?
"Fragile Balance" is one of the best recent episodes of "Stargate SG-1" with an intriguing storyline. The plot is very well developed and the conclusion is corny, but satisfactory. My vote is seven.
Title (Beazil): "Fragile Balance"
"Fragile Balance" is one of the best recent episodes of "Stargate SG-1" with an intriguing storyline. The plot is very well developed and the conclusion is corny, but satisfactory. My vote is seven.
Title (Beazil): "Fragile Balance"
Sarcastic Stargate!!
ajbdblin-27 March 2007
Warning: Spoilers
This is my favorite episode ever of Stargate SG-1. Michael Welch plays a young Jack O' Neil brilliantly and he has the voice down to a tee. The first scene where young Jack goes to a Sargent. "Hey Sargent,that cup of coffee I asked for a half hour ago, I mean any time ya feel like getting it". The Sargent brings in the cup Young Jack drinks it and says "Hot chocolate hot chocolate,what am I 15 or something (pauses briefly) don't answer that one" I mean this is classic episode of Stargate SG-1. Peter De Luise (Son of legend Dom de Luise) co-wrote, directed and even provided the voice for the mischievous asgard Loki. It's great when ya see the two of them side by side the younger one obviously saying "I thought I was taller". This is a brilliant episode of SG-1,it is tongue-in-cheek but and it is a good but does not go overboard on any scale. Miss this and you'll miss one of the greatest episodes of this series.
Happy Fifteen !
owlaurence16 June 2010
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of the best episodes in Stargate, and it rests almost entirely on the shoulders of Michael Welch, who plays young O'Neill and totally nails down every intonation and gesture of the character. It is entirely thanks to his remarkable performance that the episode works fabulously and you don't even notice that the "real" O'Neill isn't there for most of it.
O'Neill hates being fifteen again, even though he does a fantastic job of handling it. And while the team is investigating what happened to him, we learn a lot about alien abductions (fun!). So the Asgaard, just like the Goa'uld, are looking for a human "missing link" that would help them out of their evolutionary dead end. Is this a great use of continuity or not?!
To sum up: tons of good acting, a lot of comedy, a pinch of tension, continuity, a healthy amount of science, a much bigger amount of science-fiction, and the promise of more to come. Who's complaining? And O'Neill is getting along (more or less) with himself, for once! As a side note, I am a bit disappointed that nobody thought the evolutionary missing link might be Jonas Quinn, who certainly seemed to fit the part in Nirrti's mind. I guess, out of sight...
O'Neill hates being fifteen again, even though he does a fantastic job of handling it. And while the team is investigating what happened to him, we learn a lot about alien abductions (fun!). So the Asgaard, just like the Goa'uld, are looking for a human "missing link" that would help them out of their evolutionary dead end. Is this a great use of continuity or not?!
To sum up: tons of good acting, a lot of comedy, a pinch of tension, continuity, a healthy amount of science, a much bigger amount of science-fiction, and the promise of more to come. Who's complaining? And O'Neill is getting along (more or less) with himself, for once! As a side note, I am a bit disappointed that nobody thought the evolutionary missing link might be Jonas Quinn, who certainly seemed to fit the part in Nirrti's mind. I guess, out of sight...
Jack O'Neill - Two Ls!
XweAponX30 July 2014
It's not only finding a young actor to be a younger version of Richard Dean Anderson, we have to be convinced it's the same guy.
And we were convinced by Michael Welch. Every word that comes from his mouth is as if uttered by Jack - Every move, every inflection, every facial expression down to the donning of the sunglasses. The hardest part was convincing us, and this show succeeds more than any other TV show or movie where this gimmick was used or ab-used. In fact, the only other time this gimmick was used to a high level of success was in the Star Trek: Next Generation episode "Rascals".
But Young Jack is remembering something - Four green lights. It comes to him as if in Deja-Vu.
How did Jack come to be in this state? The fact is, nobody knows, until Jackson gets all Mulder on us and goes through some X-Files, where he finds several similar accounts. Interviews with these former Abductees reveal many similarities. including the four lights - Not five, but four (read the Trivia section for this episode).
Peter DeLuise makes a voice appearance as one of the skinny butted aliens that love Jack- And this one is not always on the level, which Norse God could that be?
And we were convinced by Michael Welch. Every word that comes from his mouth is as if uttered by Jack - Every move, every inflection, every facial expression down to the donning of the sunglasses. The hardest part was convincing us, and this show succeeds more than any other TV show or movie where this gimmick was used or ab-used. In fact, the only other time this gimmick was used to a high level of success was in the Star Trek: Next Generation episode "Rascals".
But Young Jack is remembering something - Four green lights. It comes to him as if in Deja-Vu.
How did Jack come to be in this state? The fact is, nobody knows, until Jackson gets all Mulder on us and goes through some X-Files, where he finds several similar accounts. Interviews with these former Abductees reveal many similarities. including the four lights - Not five, but four (read the Trivia section for this episode).
Peter DeLuise makes a voice appearance as one of the skinny butted aliens that love Jack- And this one is not always on the level, which Norse God could that be?
Fragile Balance
GusF4 January 2009
Warning: Spoilers
This is one of SG-1's all-time greats. Personally, it's my second favourite episode, second only to the brilliant "Window of Opportunity". This episode was supposed to made back in Season Four and I'm glad it wasn't because I doubt it could have been as good as this. The main reason, I think, that this episode is so good is Michael Welch. The whole episode depended on whether or not he could pull off a convincing imitation of Richard Dean Anderson. He not only does a good imitation but he practically makes the role his own, at least as much as he could. When you watch him, you are totally convinced that he is the "same" Jack O'Neill who had been with "SG-1" since the very beginning. Although RDA only appears in the last few minutes of this episode, it's hardly noticeable because of Welch's performance. He's a great actor and was brilliant in Star Trek: Insurrection", "Joan of Arcadia" and "Frasier". He is one of the show's best guest stars and best characters for a long time. One of very few bad things about this episode is that Amanda Tapping got too much to do while Michael Shanks and Christopher Judge got too little.
Such a good performance!
luvbugu15 January 2019
I love this episode! It's so much fun and Micheal welsh did such a great job! Seriously, I have never seen Micheal Welsh in anything that he wasn't perfect! He is so underated. He should be in so many more shows than he is.
Skip It
fcabanski12 September 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I can't agree with other reviewers about this episode or about the actor who played young O'Neill.
This episode doesn't advance anything in the SG-1 universe. It's a throw away, low budget, because the last few episodes cost a lot to make, episode.
The young actor who played young O'Neill wasn't very good. He took one element, sarcasm, and hammed it up to the nth degree.
The end is a real puzzler. Young O'Neill, with the full mind of real O'Neill (mature, middle age O'Neill) goes to HS. He'll happily live the life of a teenager growing up into an adult. He looks forward to it, and the mind nummed writers prove this by showing him looking at some HS girls.
An adult, especially one with O'Neill's normal attitudes, wouldn't tolerate being surrounded by kids for long. Even in this episode, young O'Neill bumped heads with authority when treated as a kid. That's people knowing he was really adult Jack in a kid body. HS would be a disaster, but it's just supposed to be funny and light, even if so ridiculous.
Gone are the days of having to watch this show as it's aired. You can skip this awful episode without missing anything important in the overall series story development.
This episode doesn't advance anything in the SG-1 universe. It's a throw away, low budget, because the last few episodes cost a lot to make, episode.
The young actor who played young O'Neill wasn't very good. He took one element, sarcasm, and hammed it up to the nth degree.
The end is a real puzzler. Young O'Neill, with the full mind of real O'Neill (mature, middle age O'Neill) goes to HS. He'll happily live the life of a teenager growing up into an adult. He looks forward to it, and the mind nummed writers prove this by showing him looking at some HS girls.
An adult, especially one with O'Neill's normal attitudes, wouldn't tolerate being surrounded by kids for long. Even in this episode, young O'Neill bumped heads with authority when treated as a kid. That's people knowing he was really adult Jack in a kid body. HS would be a disaster, but it's just supposed to be funny and light, even if so ridiculous.
Gone are the days of having to watch this show as it's aired. You can skip this awful episode without missing anything important in the overall series story development.
Best episode of the series
koofasa2 January 2021
This episode has humor and the Asgard's which is ideal entertainment. I loved the actor who played young O'Neill. He got both the gestures and timing perfectly. The ending was perfect too; everyone's dream. Don't miss it!
One of the funniest episodes!
onegemini778 July 2010
Warning: Spoilers
As per previous comments, Michael Welch hits his role spot on. The Character of Jack O'neill (two l's) is one of the most endearing aspects of Stargate SG-1. His humor throughout the series is classic and truly enjoyable. I think this episode along with Window of Opportunity are the funniest of the series (I will mention Citizen Joe, but it's comedy was mostly at the end when Jack O'neill Reveals he had been seeing parts of Joe's life for the last 7 years).
It amuses me when I see others comment negatively about the humor of Jack O'neill's character. Yet, I do not think the show would have lasted if Richard Dean Anderson had played this role as serious as Kurt Russel did. To be fair Kurt Russel's role as Jack O'neill fit better with the original movie. However, I do not think Richard Dean Anderson could have pulled that off for the 10 seasons of the show (Though he is a lot more serious in his guest shots on SGU).
To sum up, I had to rewing this episode many times because it was so well done and funny. While I could mention numerous parts that were laugh out loud funny, I will stick with one. The f-302 briefing. Hearing the ruckus outside the presentation room, then opening the door to see young Jack O'neill (Michael Welch) being pinned to the wall, begged to be seen a few times. Also the reaction when he says, "I know it doesn't say colonel anywhere on this uniform, but it shuold" Was awesome!
It amuses me when I see others comment negatively about the humor of Jack O'neill's character. Yet, I do not think the show would have lasted if Richard Dean Anderson had played this role as serious as Kurt Russel did. To be fair Kurt Russel's role as Jack O'neill fit better with the original movie. However, I do not think Richard Dean Anderson could have pulled that off for the 10 seasons of the show (Though he is a lot more serious in his guest shots on SGU).
To sum up, I had to rewing this episode many times because it was so well done and funny. While I could mention numerous parts that were laugh out loud funny, I will stick with one. The f-302 briefing. Hearing the ruckus outside the presentation room, then opening the door to see young Jack O'neill (Michael Welch) being pinned to the wall, begged to be seen a few times. Also the reaction when he says, "I know it doesn't say colonel anywhere on this uniform, but it shuold" Was awesome!
Very entertaining episode that blends cloning and alien abduction
CCsito21 August 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This episode that involves Jack O'Neill being abducted to create a clone of himself by one of the Asgard has similarities to plots of other series. The Outer Limits "Vanishing Act" episode involved alien abduction and Star Trek: Enterprise "Similitude" involved the cloning of one of the crew. This episode was very entertaining to watch the younger version of Jack O'Neill display the same mannerisms of the older version. The actor did a great job at replicating the way that the older version would act and talk. The attempt at trying to see why a younger version had replaced the older version was a good plot development. It would eventually be discovered that the younger clone had genetic defects that would result in death. The Asgard individual who produced the clone abducted the older O'Neill to try to find a way to stop the genetic cloning degradation process that the Asgard were experiencing. At the end, Thor arrives to punish the Asgard researcher and help to correct the genetic defect in the younger version. The younger version at 15 years old exhibited the classic "zit" problem of adolescents. Hilarious.
Hilarious and very well put together episode!
sgfan-517 January 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Michael Welsch did a fantastic job as Colonel O'Neill! I believe he was in an episode of NCIS as a troubled young man with a bomb strapped to his chest in a high school. That was also a very good episode of NCIS!
As a dad, I did have one disturbing thought: Young O'Neill might only be 15 years old, but, as a clone, he has the life experience and emotional stability and maturity of a 45-year-old man! He would literally have those 15 and 16-year-old high school girls eating out of his hand! It all seems kind of creepy, doesn't it??
As a dad, I did have one disturbing thought: Young O'Neill might only be 15 years old, but, as a clone, he has the life experience and emotional stability and maturity of a 45-year-old man! He would literally have those 15 and 16-year-old high school girls eating out of his hand! It all seems kind of creepy, doesn't it??
One of the Best
mobyclarkep731 December 2017
This episode makes me love the series even more. Fun for all the others at the expense of Col. O'Neill, an interesting story line, and a great ending make this one of those episodes that every great series needs.
Added bonus, it has a nice little homage to George Orwell's1984.
Added bonus, it has a nice little homage to George Orwell's1984.
A CHIP OFF THE OLD BLOCK!
GreggoWhitehead19 September 2023
I've got to compliment Michael Welch for his portrayal of Jack O'Neil. He must have studied and practiced his mannerisms for hours to get them right. But he was spot on with his little quirks and movements and voice inflections. It was hilarious watching him keep pulling his pants up at the first of the show.
There are several homages to different movies and TV shows. See if you can pick them out! If you cant, then go to the trivia section of this page. It was very interesting, at least to me.
I think they kind of went off the reservation when he escaped and tried to buy beer and ended up going fishing. They could have left that part out.
At that song at the end, wow! I heard it and had to find out what it was and who did it. It's Lily Frost singing "Who Am I". It went perfectly with that scene, and him going to maneuver through high school as a lad. Probably one of the writers or producers had heard Lily Frost, as she's Canadian and SG1 was filmed in Canada.
It's my favorite episode and I've watched it over and over. It's well worth the time to watch it!
There are several homages to different movies and TV shows. See if you can pick them out! If you cant, then go to the trivia section of this page. It was very interesting, at least to me.
I think they kind of went off the reservation when he escaped and tried to buy beer and ended up going fishing. They could have left that part out.
At that song at the end, wow! I heard it and had to find out what it was and who did it. It's Lily Frost singing "Who Am I". It went perfectly with that scene, and him going to maneuver through high school as a lad. Probably one of the writers or producers had heard Lily Frost, as she's Canadian and SG1 was filmed in Canada.
It's my favorite episode and I've watched it over and over. It's well worth the time to watch it!
Filler episode.
untersim17 May 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Adds nothing, slow and pointless.
Lots of silent, supposedly meaningful looks between unused characters to pad the runtime.
In the end, cloned 45 year old space war veteran colonel in teenager body goes back to high school to flirt with teenage girls and live the teenage life. I'm sure he'll find lots of friends to relate to. He's in a teenagers body after all.
Great stuff really, among the very worst SG1 has to offer.
In the end, cloned 45 year old space war veteran colonel in teenager body goes back to high school to flirt with teenage girls and live the teenage life. I'm sure he'll find lots of friends to relate to. He's in a teenagers body after all.
Great stuff really, among the very worst SG1 has to offer.
What were they thinking?!?
doubleyewgee8 May 2018
I wish I hadn't seen this episode. It really was laughable. It didn't seem to add to the series whatsoever and seemed to be on a less advanced level than other episodes. I'd give it a 1 if Mike Whelch hadn't done such a good job mimicking him.
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