Stargate SG-1 was revolutionary in its portrayal of advanced technology and experimental science, particularly when it first came out in 1997. The show made great strides in exploring the infinite variations of science fiction and fantasy, which always made for compelling TV. Yet when it came to depicting female characters, the show stumbled slightly, especially in early seasons. This can be seen most notably with Sha’re, who appeared in four episodes of the series. The character of Sha’re originated in Stargate (1994), along with Daniel Jackson and Jack O’Neill, but she was unable to share their following decade of adventure.

Sha’re was originally named Sha’uri in the Stargate movie, and was portrayed by a different actress. In Stargate SG-1, the essentials of her character remain largely the same, despite these changes. She is characterized by her shyness and her complete devotion to Daniel, who became her husband in the movie. Her relationship with Daniel tends to take precedence in every scene she has, right up until her untimely death. In her time on the show, however, she also displayed considerable intelligence, bravery, and a strength of will. Such qualities indicate that had she been allowed to live, she would have been an asset to an organization like Stargate Command.

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In Stargate (1994), Sha’uri acts as the prize for Daniel Jackson, one of the male leads of the movie. Daniel has no family on Earth and is ostracized for his beliefs, which sets him up for the unconditional adoration awaiting him on the planet Abydos. Sha’uri is the daughter of the leader of the Abydonians, and is given to Daniel as a bride; instead, Daniel treats her as a friend and a language interpreter. It’s established that the false god Ra does not permit reading or writing among his slaves, but Sha’uri exhibits clear skill in deciphering hieroglyphs for Daniel.

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Later, after she believes Daniel to be dead, Sha’uri rallies her people into rebellion, and joins in the assault on Ra’s pyramid. She is eager to fight for her freedom, and her vigor implies she has been readying for resistance all her life. Had circumstances been different, she could have had a similar journey to the freed slave Teal’c, who escapes the Goa’uld Apophis to join SG-1.

Sha’re appears in the first two episodes of Stargate SG-1, after a year of marriage to Daniel between the movie and the series. Daniel is motivated to return to the Stargate program after Sha’re is kidnapped by Apophis, a Goa’uld who is looking to fill the power vacuum left after the death of Ra. Daniel’s search for his wife also results in the recruitment of Teal’c, who leaves his position of First Prime after witnessing Apophis’s cruelty. The perspectives of Daniel and Teal’c are prioritized during these episodes, as Sha’re is captured, stripped, and mutilated by Apophis. She resists enslavement, which is depicted as tantalizing to Apophis, who chooses her to be the host of his mate, Amaunet. Unfortunately, Sha’re appears only as a catalyst for the formation of SG-1. Her victimization is shown to be a tragedy for Daniel, not herself.

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Sha’re is mentioned throughout season one of the show, as Daniel pursues a seemingly futile hunt for her. She appears again in season 2, episode 9, “Secrets,” when Daniel visits Abydos after a year and finds Sha’re with her father, pregnant by Apophis. Amaunet has recessed inside Sha’re’s mind, since her full possession of Sha’re’s body would threaten the unborn baby, but she will return once the child is born. In the episode, Sha’re describes how she is trying to resist giving birth to restrict Amaunet’s power, showing immense willpower and courage. At the end of the episode, when Amaunet returns and Apophis reclaims her, Amaunet ostensibly lies about the fact that SG-1 are nearby. It’s hinted that Sha’re was asserting some power over her own mind, protecting Daniel and her hidden baby at the same time. Very few people have the ability to overpower a Goa’uld, and this alone should have qualified Sha’re for acceptance within the Tok’ra or an SG team.

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Sha’re’s final appearance is in season 3, episode 10, “Forever in a Day,” which is told in a non-linear fashion, as Daniel struggles to come to terms with losing his wife. This episode seems to reinforce just how much Sha’re’s identity is built around Daniel. In the episode, Amaunet has imprisoned the Abydonian survivors and retaken her host’s child. SG-1 rescue the Abydonians, and Teal’c kills Amaunet to prevent her from killing Daniel. Teal’c’s actions result in the death of Sha’re as well, which inspires Daniel’s anger at him for the duration of the episode. After her death, Daniel sees visions of Sha’re telling him to forgive Teal’c, and to cancel his resignation from the SGC. Sha’re also tells him to search for her child, who was born human, but with ancestral Goa’uld memories.

Sha’re is a female character who falls prey to the worst kind of trope: being fridged. Her pain, suffering and death exist primarily to fuel the brooding of her male partner, without any genuine reflection by the character herself on her own fate. After her first episode, Sha’re never asks about her younger brother, Skaara, who was also captured by a Goa’uld. She apologizes to Daniel for being impregnated by her captor. Even when possessed, she does everything in her power to protect him. She is tied to Daniel’s perspective entirely, without a chance to grow beyond him, which is a loss for the Stargate program and the TV series.

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Sha’re was created to be a partner for Daniel, but one who matched him in wits, willpower and morals. In Stargate SG-1, she was whittled down to a function of the plot, becoming an inciting incident for the grand quests of Daniel and his new team. Yet besides being clever, Sha’re was shown to have the willpower of Jack O’Neill, the determination of Samantha Carter, and the rebellious streak of Teal’c. As one of the few lasting characters from the Stargate movie, she deserved to have the journeys they did.

Stargate SG-1 sent some female characters, like Carter, Frasier, Vala and Adria, on incredible adventures, but the show failed Sha’re. She could have remained as an informant, like Martouf and Jacob Carter. She could have become a linguist on Earth, or a leader of her people like her father on Abydos. In a universe where aliens, alternate dimensions, time travel and body-switching abounds, there should have been a place for a woman to outgrow her identity as ‘the dead wife.’

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