Stargate SG-1 - Season 2, Episode 18 - "Holiday"

This is a classic episode of SG-1. It's subject matter is a sci-fi television classic. The body switch!!

SG-1 visits a planet where they discover an old man named Machello. Machello has created a device that analyzes and remaps complex neural patterns. Basically all of the information in our brains that make us who we are. When both Machello and Daniel touch the handles on either side of the machine, their bodies switch. This is great for Machello. Bad for Daniel. (BTW both Machello and Daniel Jackson are played by the brilliant Michael Shanks.) Machello is centuries old and near death, so he plans to stay put in his new found young body. SG-1 takes the dying Machello back to Stargate Command and since Machello's body is unconscious they are unaware of the body switch. So Machello, in Daniels body, leaves the base to begin exploring earth and embrace his second chance at life. He meets a homeless guy and takes him out for a huge meal at a diner. It's here we learn that Machello was once a soldier who used his incredible scientific knowledge in a life long fight against the Goa'uld. Now that he has a new chance at life he plans to stop fighting and enjoy life on Earth.

Meanwhile, SG-1 has discovered that the two have switched bodies and immeadiately begin looking for a way to reverse the process. This where things start to get really fun. They go back to Machellos lab to retrieve the body switching machine so they can figure out how it works and Jack and Teal'c end up switching bodies. Teal'c is a very rigid, straight to the point guy with little to no sense of humor. He's a warrior who takes every moment seriously and has almost zero emotional range. This is a stark contrast to Richard Dean Anderson's portrayal of Col. Jack O'Neil. Jack is a smart-ass. Never afraid to speak his mind. His sarcastic charisma and endless witty wisecracks are a driving force of what makes the show so enjoyable. So to see Christopher Judge step out of his Vulcan like manner and let loose is a joy. Body switching episodes are always great because we get to watch the cast mimic their co-stars and you can always tell they're having a blast. Some great examples of this: Farscape, the crew of Moya keep body jumping from one person to another, so we get to watch each actor play several different characters. And don't forget my very favorite show, Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Buffy and Faith switch bodies and both Sarah Michelle Gellar and Eliza Dushku to a great job of playing each other. There's countless other body switching episodes throughout TV history but it's 4 AM so don't expect me to remember them all right now. Someday I'll post a whole article about the best body swaps.

Of course, everyone ends up back in the right bodies in the end. If you've never watched SG-1 then stop reading these darn synopsis I post and check it out!! It really will rock your balls.