The Powers That Be (905)

[GateWorld]

SG-1 SEASON NINE THE POWERS THAT BE EPISODE NUMBER - 905 SG-1 visits a world whose people once worshipped Vala as a god -- and demand that she stand trial when she confesses to manipulating them. VISIT THE EPISODE GUIDE >> SPOILERS! PHOTOS! AND MORE!

[lionel_pendergast_rocks]

So, General Landry is Dr. Lam's father? When they were fist talking at lunch, I thought they were an old couple, and that would've been really weird. So, what do you guys think about this? It sure makes for some interesting character development.

I wonder if we'll get to meet the mom, or will it be a classic case of the mom has died.

And do you think the other characters know about this?

[MarshAngel]

I still have to go back and watch the beginning of this episode but from what I did see it was a really great one, better than the last. Vala was amazing this episode. I'd withheld judgement all this time, but she has officially won me over.

[briguy213]

I was waiting to see vala die again. Well to bad. We all know even if she died she would come back to life. Im still waiting for a prior to goto earth and do some damage. That will be fun

[AGateFan]

Well, if you didnt think the Ori\Prior were creepy before I would think this would kind of do it. So they are kind of like the Aschen using Bioweapons on people, eh? How the heck do you fight that? I definitly got the "no hope for victory" feeling kind of like BSG... I dont like that too much but I dont like depressing, but I have great hope they can use this and the typical Stargate style to make a great show.

[Elwe Singollo]

I totally and 100 percent loved the episode, but i'm starting to get annoyed with the Ori, especially at the end of the episode. When the annoying prior said to Daniel and them to share with others what they've seen, i was like 'oh shut the hell up.' i was just annoyed, but i think it was helped by Vala! Her with a gun in hand, very good stuff.

So did we ever find out why Daniel and Teal'c weren't infected? I dont know why Vala wasn't, but im guessing that Daniel and Teal'c weren't infected because they went through a similar experience back in S6 or something? But then again, the whole talk of the disease or whatever it was called mutating kind of made me confused, so i just totally stopped thinking about it.

I think Lexa D. is still acting like her Andromeda persona, she is still acting like a robot! Although her little spit spat with her daddy dearest made her have a little life, well sort of...

[Bobthespirit]

Okay, this episode gives season nine promise. I think it was a good episode for fifty minutes, then they had a big missed opportunity at the end. They should have used it as an opportunity to show that the Ori can be fought and beaten, just like it was obvious the gu'ald were at the beginning. Instead they just used it to establish the Ori as *more* unbeatable and unfightable, in a cheesy attempt to make them more scary.

I like the 'Ketesh' thing at the beginning, and I like the progression of the episode up to the end. It's also good to see Landry, his daughter, and Vala given more character development and depth. Especially Vala, she actually had a moment of humility, and the fewest lines about sex in any episode yet.

Mitchell seems to just be straight out disaffected. He's being written like Ford was in season one of Atlantis. He's not really emoting much, and he's the one who always gets disabled to show that the enemy means business.

But, I'm not as cynical about new Stargate now as I was in my previous posts in episode threads. It seems to have promise, IF they give Mitchell more of a personality and give earth a SINGLE victory against the Ori, to show the Ori can be fought and possibly stopped without deus ex machina.

And stop making the Ori so much like the Jedi! It's plain cheesy!! They have the exact same powers, you might as well just call their ability the 'Schmorse'.

Here's an idea though. Instead of swapping Vala for Sam, let's swap Mitchell for Sam! Vala can stay.

[warmbeachbrat]

I wonder if we'll get to meet the mom, or will it be a classic case of the mom has died.

And do you think the other characters know about this?

Actually, General Landry asked Dr. Lam how her mother was and Dr. Lam fired back, "Why don't you call her and ask?" (or something like that). So I'm guessing--mom has not died.

[jyh]

If the priors are so darned all-powerful, why don't they fix their own eyes & skintone? tee hee

[Elwe Singollo]

I like the 'Ketesh' thing at the beginning, and I like the progression of the episode up to the end. It's also good to see Landry, his daughter, and Vala given more character development and depth. Especially Vala, she actually had a moment of humility, and the fewest lines about sex in any episode yet.

I liked the whole play the villagers did for Vala/Ketesh, i like that dying guys little special effect, i thought that was funny.

Wow, this was the episode with the fewest sex references! Hmm, was there a change of writer(s)?! Well anyway, i think if they keep those naughty things to a minimum is for the better...

[Redwall]

I've got it now -- the Ori aren't using the Force, they're using the Matrix.

I can't wait for Vala to pull a "Dodge this."

Seriously, this was a decent episode, better than "The Ties that Bind", at least; and it's nice not to have a last-second happy ending so prevalent the last couple of years. Nice to see the preacher from Avalon again, too.

The whole moral debate was also great, thanks in no small point to the fact that, as Vala and Mitchell pointed out, the Prior was damn convincing.

[MarshAngel]

Thats true once again they missed an opportunity to give Mitchell something to do besides get hurt. I know they're making an effort to have us slowly get used to him but four episodes in I think it's time he was actually good for something.

[Major Fischer]

I liked Vala's character developement here, and thought the episode show promise.... but I'm beginning to find watching the good guys loose for five episodes straight to the all powerful enemy more than a little depressing.

[ShadowMaat]

Well hmmm...

I watched TPTB because Martin Gero wrote it, but... well, it's still SG-1 and I'm afraid that hampers him a bit. Not a BAD ep, I guess, but It's no Storm/Eye, Siege, or even Duet. I haven't developed a sudden urge to start watching the new season.

What was good: Doc Lam. I like her. She's spunky and droll, but nothing like Fraiser. At least she has some honest personality, which is more than can be said of poor Alisen Down's abbreviated stint as doctor. *sigh* And the latter half was... interesting. I guess. Vala didn't annoy me NEARLY as much as I thought she would. Practically sympathetic towards the end. Maybe Martin's just good at making female characters act more realistic and less like a porno queen.

HOWEVER... the ep was very heavily lawyer-show, and I hate lawyer shows. The whole trial thing was tedious and mostly an excuse for large amounts of exposition. Fairly well-disguised exposition, but exposition nonetheless.

The Ori sound like the Goa'uld with better toys. But at least the Goa'uld had cool outfits and while their flamboyance got cheesy, I prefer it to the prior things.

Creating a plague and curing it sounds very Nirrti. Which draws more parallels between the Ori and Goa'uld. Not something you want to do with yout "bigger, badder" bad guys.

I assume we're never going to find out why Teal'c, Daniel and Vala were immune, but Mitchell got sick? *sigh* It might have been nice to get some answers.

The play WAS very cute and I really liked it but dear gods if Teal'c is reduced to saying "indeed" as his major conversational contribution one more time I SWEAR I'm going to kill something small cute and furry!

So there were good bits and bad bits and the ep basically left me kind... lethargic. I REALLY wanted to like this, but... ehhh.

Of course, considering my extreme hatred of SG-1's current iteration it's probably a miracle that I didn't completely loathe this ep.

Still, keep Martin on Atlantis where he belongs. He can't save SG-1. I don't think ANYONE can.

[jree]

Fascinating. So the Ori disease is the same stuff that was in the episode Frozen. So it was the Ori who gave the ancients the plague.

[binkpmmc]

I think Lexa D. is still acting like her Andromeda persona, she is still acting like a robot!

Can you say wooden? After seeing her I really, really miss Janet even more than before - talk about a gaping hole - now there's another one, or better yet, still that same one plus all of the others.

[binkpmmc]

Thats true once again they missed an opportunity to give Mitchell something to do besides get hurt. I know they're making an effort to have us slowly get used to him but four episodes in I think it's time he was actually good for something.

Looks to me like they want the fans to feel sorry for the poor sot maybe that's what will get fans to like/accept him, not whether he's worth being on the team or not - God forbid! On the positive side I must say BB plays hurt and healing well from what I have seen of him thus far.

The thing that bothers me is that the Ori are not, IMO, scary one whit. What a cliched ending - in a span of 1 minute all is healed and everyone is up and walking . . . give me a break. Heal them all 2 minutes earlier and then have the Ori wreck a different kind of havoc to prove they're deadly mindset and maybe, just maybe and a very BIG maybe it is, I would buy this schtick. I am still not impressed nor am I in fear for anything remotely related to the Ori.

[Mongo's Girl]

I thought it was terrific. Good stuff from Vala tonight. I'm really gonna miss her, but excited about seeing Sam in the previews.

I enjoyed the play also. I thought Vala made a terrific god. What's wrong with a little feet washing.

Mitchell was good, until he got sick. I hope that's not a habit.

Loved Daniel being Daniel.

Enjoyed Lam and Dad finally getting out of spoilerville

I still think the Ori are creepy

[mtee1958]

I must have missed something -- why was Teal'c there? Last week, didn't we see him leave? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad he was -- but an explanation would have been nice. It made me think it was out of sequence or something.

Not my favorite ep -- but I am still enjoying the season. I didn't like every ep from the past seasons either -- so no biggie. I have always liked Vala and she keeps growing in character every week. Daniel is just his usual wonderful self. I'm also ready for them to let BB loose.

[rnwhocares]

Can you say wooden? After seeing her I really, really miss Janet even more than before - talk about a gaping hole - now there's another one, or better yet, still that same one plus all of the others.

I really liked this episode. I mean the Ori can kill on whim and raise the dead? It has me wondering how they are ever going to defeat them. And I just can't get past the monotone speech from Dr. Lam. I'm still not missing Carter, and I really like Vala!!