Deutsche Version | Season 9 | The Ark of Truth
I have bought the first nine seasons of Stargate SG-1 here in Germany. Each one had an average price of 80-90€. Back in the days that were simply the prices for season boxes, Star Trek boxes had cost a similar amount. But times change and I was no more willing to pay 77€ for the 10. season in Germany. Thus I bought the complete box in the US for 135€. And it does look nice. I will chip the first nine seasons on eBay.
Disc 1
Flesh and Blood
Synopsis: The defence of the Supergate ended in a slaughter of the defenders. The four Ori ships had no problems with breaking through. Aboard one of these ships Vala has just given birth to her daughter. But she is growing very fast and she is supposed to become the leader of all Ori troops in this galaxy.
My Opinion: The more often I encounter the story it the less interesting it gets: chosen childs. Offhand I can recall: Gabrielle’s daughter Hope (Xena: Warrior Princess), Xena’s daughter Eve/Livia (Xena: Warrior Princess) and of course Angel’s son Connor (Angel). If we add movies, we can also add Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (Star Wars).
I was also a bit disappointed that Bra’tac has learned very few since he first encountered G_1 over eight years ago. Back then he also wanted to prepare for death after they had successfully sabotaged Apophis’s ship.
Morpheus
Synopsis: SG-1 visits one of the planets where they hope to find Merlin’s weapon. But there isn’t a single living being, not even animals. But the inhabitants of the village seem to have died peacefully in their beds.
In the meantime Vala has to undergo a psychiatric examination before she can join the Stargate program.
My Opinion: This episode was literally soporific.
The Pegasus Project
Synopsis: Daniel hopes to find more information about the location of the weapon in Atlantis. And Carter has developed a plan to render the Supergate useless with the help of a black hole in the Pegasus galaxy.
My Opinion: This episode I liked again. McKay was great and the way Daniel and Vala blew the cover of the Ancient “Morgan le Fay” was also good. While there are significant difference the Ancients and the Ori strongly reminded me of the Vorlons and the Shadows (Babylon 5) in this episode. All four are far superior to the normal Humans and within their universe they have a mutual exclusive point of view on how to interact with the Humans. Although the Ancients are the only ones of the four that don’t intervene at all (with the usual exceptions to that rule).
The “phone bill” of this episode could be interesting. Atlantis in the Pegasus galaxy calls the SGC who in turn call Teal’c at the Supergate and he relays the message through the open wormhole to the Odyssey in the Pegasus galaxy. 😉
Insiders
Synopsis: The allegedly real Ba’al comes to Earth and offers his help to find the weapon. But for this, SG-1 would have to kill all his clones who have uprisen against him. But every clone insits on being the real Ba’al and soon the SGC is swarmed with Ba’als.
My Opinion: Oh Sam, come on! Have you learned nothing from the RepliCarter disaster? I am annoyed that this highly intelligent woman falls for such plans. Yes, granted, she was in a hostage situation but how many lives will it cost when Ba’al is successful?
Disc 2
Uninvited
Synopsis: On planets where SG teams observe the locals with the help of the Sodan cloaking device suddenly beasts appear that slaughter the people. But among these planets are also some under Ori rule, thus excluding the Priors as a cause for this. Sam and Teal’c are investigating this.
In the meantime General Landry and Cameron are stuck in Jack’s cabin in the woods because a storm has washed away the road. But this forrest also seems to harbour a dangerous creature.
My Opinion: This was well done. I liked Sam as head of the SGC. It was also believable that Cameron felt queasy around his boss. But the people should haved learned by now that it is sometimes wise to listen to Vala. What I didn’t like at all was the animation of the creatures, they looked totally fake.
200
Synopsis: Cameron is just about to go through the Stargate for the 200th time (not on the 200th mission!) when there’s a defect that disables the Stargate. While it is being repaired SG-1 is helping Martin Lloyd. He is producing a “Wormhole X-treme!” movie even though the show was cancelled after three episodes.
My Opinion: Great episode that has summarized 10 years of Stargate SG-1 in an humorous way, including making fun about some weaknesses of the show. I was greatly entertained and the references to Star Trek and Farscape were lovely.
Counterstrike
Synopsis: The Jaffa are using the weapon on Dakara to wipe out the population of planets that have fallen to the Ori. While General Landry and Bra’tac are trying to stop this mass murder, SG-1 has taken over an Ori ship – or maybe not.
My Opinion: While I don’t like the character Adria (as previously pointed out) I am glad to see Morena Baccarin (Inara in Firefly) again. That the Ori would move heaven and hell (in their case maybe only hell) to find that weapon was quite predictable. I am not really feeling sorry for the loss of Dakara. Although I feel sorry for Teal’c and Bra’tac whose dream of a united Jaffa nation has receded into the distance again.
Memento Mori
Synopsis: The waitress Val is working in a small diner. But then two men try to rob it and are stopped by her without effort. She just doesn’t know how she did it, she doesn’t even know who she is.
My Opinion: A very nice episode about Vala that had a worthy ending (the episode, not Vala). The good thing about Daniel and Vala is that the writers can make a couple out of them without worrying about Air Force rules. Now I want to know if Vala doesn’t really has that tablet.
Disc 3
Company of Thieves
Synopsis: The Odyssey has been heavily damaged by the Lucian Alliance and has been hijacked. SG-1 goes on a search for the ship but also walks into a trap. Now Cameron is the only one remaining and he has to find a way to infiltrate the Alliance in order to save the others.
My Opinion: It was cool how Cameron managed to make them fight against each other. The relationships between the Lucians were well portrayed given the nature of this organization.
The Quest
Synopsis: Vala and Daniel believe that they’ve finally found the planet where Merlin’s weapon is hidden. But when they arrive they learn that Ba’al has passed through three days ago. Additionally the warriors of the Ori arrive. The only way out is to find the way to the weapon.
My Opinion: While they’ve been in the village I didn’t suspect anything. But as soon as they left I began to mistrust that old man. I also noticed the ring he gave away, yet I couldn’t have known what it represented. The riddles were good, although I knew at once that the fire would require a “leap of faith”.
The Quest, Part 2
Synopsis: The riddles are solved, now they have to face the dragon. But the weapon isn’t there – instead they find Merlin. But Adria is closing in on them and time is running out.
My Opinion: I liked the second part, too. But we have seen people who have been in stasis for several millennia or have endured in a sarcophagus. That makes it somewhat illogical that Merlin’s stasis chamber couldn’t stop the decay, I especially liked the scene where Sam punches Ba’al, that was really cool.
Line in the Sand
Synopsis: With the help of “Arthur’s Mantle” SG-1 tries to hide an entire village from the Ori. But the field collapses and Sam gets heavily wounded. Vala is caught and meets her husband again who has become a brutal commander of the Ori forces.
My Opinion: The interesting part of the episode is the question whether the Prior took matters into his own hands when he intended to destroy the village. His impressive staff couldn’t help him to disable the device.
On the other hand that could be a standard rule: if dangerous then destroy it and find an excuse in the “Book of Origin”.
Disc 4
The Road Not Taken
Synopsis: Sam is accidentally catapulted into an alternate universe. There Atlantis has never been found, Landry is president and has declared martial law and the Ori are going to attack soon. Sam agrees to help them if she’s allowed to return home after that.
My Opinion: The very first alternate reality we’ve ever encountered (There But For the Grace of God was overrun by enemies. Yet almost always the people in these alternate realities were as noble as the ones in our world or they’ve been extremely desperate (Ripple Effect). This time we’ve actually seen a world where the people had to make hard choices but these choices changed them dramatically. That we aren’t immune to this was proven in Absolute Power, still I am glad that Sam’s back.
The Shroud
Synopsis: SG-1 captures a Prior – it’s Daniel. With the help of Merlin he was able to deceive Adria and could present to her a plan in which another plan is hidden. But for this to work SG-1 has to disable the Supergate – it all depends on whether Daniel is telling the truth.
My Opinion: This episode was well written, until the very end the question of Daniel’s allegiance had remained open. The Prior make-up did look cool on Daniel and I had fun seeing Jack again. I believe Daniel is in the lead again when it comes to the “race” against Jack on whose body had to endure more (implanted symbiote, ascended, knowledge of the Ancients loaded into the brain, rewritten DNA, …). 😉
Bounty
Synopsis: After SG-1 has sabotaged another crop transport, Netan of the Lucian Alliance puts a price on their heads. Although they are scattered all over the USA, they all have the same problem suddenly: bounty hunters.
My Opinion: I liked this episode very much, too. Especially Vala who spiced up the class reunion considerably. And who could be surprised by the fact that she knew the bounty hunter. 😉
What I find interesting regarding series and movies is the fact that trains and busses either don’t stop at all after they’ve ran something or someone over or they start to brake only after they’ve hit it. That leaves the question if they drive only by hearing. The bounty hunter was standing there for quite some time. I am of course aware that it is a stylistic device, but: A train that approaches a car standing on the tracks, blows a horn, runs the car over and drives away as if nothing had happened (Back to the Future III)?!
Bad Guys
Synopsis: SG-1 is arriving directly in a museum that is visited by members of the administration. They are immediately mistaken for rebels. After the shootings have stopped they find themselves in the roles of hostage-takers.
My Opinion: Daniel shouldn’t switch to taking hostages as a primary occupation that would be a very short career. 😀 Really cool was that Teal’c understood the cultural reference (“We’ve got ourselves a John McClane here.”) better than Daniel. Such kind of knowledge doesn’t find one in ancient egyptian scrolls. But I noticed that some of the team members aren’t appearing for complete episodes. First Daniel has been gone for two episodes, then Teal’c and Vala haven’t been seen in an episode and now Sam is away. On the other hand they have to create screen time for five people now.
Disc 5
Talion
Synopsis: A summit of the free Jaffa was attacked and dozens have been killed. Teal’c and Bra’tac were heavily wounded. Teal’c finds out who is behind this – a Jaffa with whom Teal’c has to settle a score anyway. But this Jaffa threatens to attack Earth unless he is being left alone.
My Opinion: I was afraid they would kill Bra’tac off, four episodes before the end of the show, he is about 143 years old after all. But the show isn’t written by Joss Whedon, thus we can assume that everyone will survive. After Bra’tac had survived I didn’t fear for Teal’c. But I didn’t like the fact that this Jaffa, who has no honour, possessed a weapon that looked a lot like a Samurai Katana.
Family Ties
Synopsis: The Tel’taks that are filled with Naqahdah and were supposed to be used in the attack on Earth are still out there. And one is already hidden on Earth. But Vala’s father knows where they are and he will reveal this information if he is granted asylum on Earth.
My Opinion: This episode implied that Qetesh possessed Vala only for a few years because the difference in age between her and her father doesn’t allow for much more (she didn’t age while Qetesh was possessing her). But I didn’t found the story that interesting. The meeting between Landry and his ex-wife on the other hand was nice.
Dominion
Synopsis: Adria is back in our galaxy and SG-1 plans to capture her. But Ba’al beats them to it and implants one of his Symbiote clones into her. Now he has access to her knowledge and he is preparing to take over the entire Ori fleet.
My Opinion: Aside from the fact that the show is soon over, I really believe that this was the last Ba’al clone (why else would he kill all the others?) and it was cool that they’ve made a short rift of him. I also liked it (don’t get me wrong!) that Vala was honestly hurt at the begin of the episode. That shows that she has build a real emotional bond to the team and Earth.
Unending
Synopsis: The Asgard realized that their extinction is inevitable and they decide to obliterate themselves. But before that they transfer all their knowledge and technology to the Humans. But unfortunately exactly this technology makes the Odyssey detectable. Every time they return to normal space the Ori ships appear soon after. But there isn’t enough time to disable the Asgard components until suddenly they have too much time at their hands.
My Opinion: Great closing. Honestly. While the show was cancelled only after the airing of this episode, the end is quite suitable. The last conversation between Sam and Thor was really moving and that is quite an achievement given the fact that Thor is only a puppet/animation. I also liked the years on the ship but I believe I also would have gone up the walls like Cameron. The aging masks still didn’t look real but they’ve come a long way since Jack’s aging in Brief Candle. Teal’c is now 157 and thus 14 years older than Bra’tac. I am curious if they will consider this in future movies. After all, he’s now over 50 years without symbiote.
The Season – My Opinion: Now as it is over, it could have lasted longer. Vala and Cameron made a good addition and brought fresh blood into the show, after the Anubis arc had become a bit tiresome. Luckily I still have Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum to watch. But I am still not too thrilled about Stargate: Atlantis. Still I think it was a good idea to end it at this point. In this season a number of ideas were used again and they also had several filler episodes.