The Fourth Horseman, Part 1 (910)

[Ugly Pig]

Half the season already?!

PIGGY'S USELESS OPINION
of 'The Fourth Horseman'

While I enjoyed this episode a whole big fat lot, I just can't stop thinking that I wish Sean Patrick Flanery would have reprised his role as Orlin. I'm not critizising Cameron Bright's performance, it just seems it would have worked a lot better with the original actor playing the part. He is one of my absolute favorite guest stars in the history of the show, and having his character done by someone else just makes me miss him. The reason they gave for his changed appearance didn't really help, it just came off as a flimsy excuse to me.

Nevertheless, the episode was good. The story is very interesting and I can't wait to see where it will lead, despite the fear that I won't like where it's headed (I'm thinking it's major character killing time again)...

Random Observations!
- Love the new establishing shots of Dakara. Also love how they finally got new establishing shots of Cheyenne this season.
- Mitchell's reaction to the "sponge bath" comment was interesting. Does he have history with Dr. Lam?
- So... I guess Daniel is the only one who has to strip naked every time he re-takes human form.
- When I read that Orlin was going to appear in this episode, I wondered if they were going to use his theme from 'Ascension' in the music. Which they did. Which I like.
- So, the Ori screw over their followers... They don't let them ascend. Big surprise there...
- Hm... Brief appearance by General Hammond. Why have him appear if he doesn't contribute anything to the story? Somehow I doubt TPTB put him in there just to keep the character alive... In fact, I fear that they put him in that scene to do the exact opposite.
- Was the footage of the Doci actually new, or did they simply recycle footage from 'Origin'? I'm guessing they did.
- Gerak as a Prior. Man, I wish I hadn't been spoiled about that.

It's going to be a long couple of months...

[LMichelle]

Enjoyed this ep very much.

Daniel and Cameron off to play basketball. *GUH* They needed a hotness warning for us fangirls before that scene came on.

Did you see the ball said "SGC?" Hee.

"I wouldn't make that comment around me." Oooh, loved that line. Are they going to actually do something with Mitchell and Dr. Lam? 'Cause I haven't seen any evidence of anything shippy yet. Perhaps Cameron was just being a southern gentleman with that line.

General Hammond! Yay! I've missed him.

Was surprised to see Gerak as a Prior. Didn't expect that at the end.

Okay, I was a little creeped out by Sam and "Orlin." I'm sure Sam felt the same way. So the SGC has child size uniforms and Haz Mat suits on hand?

Great cliffhanger! And I'm just talking about the scene with Daniel in the black bandanna.

[Mio]

The last time we saw a Prior being created, an Ori actually went into the guys body, didn't it?

I'm confused about how they do this long distance priorization. It would mean that the Ori are doing stuff directly in our Universe, which is a no-no....

[Ugly Pig]

The last time we saw a Prior being created, an Ori actually went into the guys body, didn't it?

It would seem that affecting ones "avatar" in the Ori home galaxy is enough to indirectly change one into a Prior. I guess it's a mental thing more than anything else...

[jimmytheclaw]

well i was just finishing up a different thead post when i realized.......we can help orlin ascend again!! why dont we go bak to khalek's planet and put him in the machine to help him ascend again? and for those of you who say"he should already be able to because hes already ascended once" u r misled. orlin had help from another ancient to ascend so his mind didnt have to be as advanced as khaleks was like daniel (he has a measly regular human peabrain but he ascended) so maybe orlins the same and if we put him in the machine he'll gain super powers and be able to ascend again!! man i amaze even myself sumtimes woith my genious!! if u find errors with my theory tell me so i can think of a way to fix them. o yea sry for the length but this thing deserves it

i think i posted that in the khalek thread yeah that would be logical

[Mio]

It would seem that affecting ones "avatar" in the Ori home galaxy is enough to indirectly change one into a Prior. I guess it's a mental thing more than anything else...

I'm guessing that the Prior's staff must have done a great deal of the job....There definetly has to be a large physiological aspect to this, if just in the way the brain is constructed.

Or maybe even the Prior himself. Didn't Sam say that Orlin said that he thought that the Prior actually changed his own DNA?

[jckfan55]

Good episode, though I thought the implication by Landry that Sam and Orlin had anything but a friendship & glowy mental/spiritual relationship was way off. I'm looking forward to the conclusion--always a good sign.

[jree]

Great episode they brought back bra'tac, and General Hammond. Gerak a prior and Mitchell and Daniel on the Sodan planet. I can't wait till the second half airs.

[tearsintherain]

does anyone else think the ancients are somewhat afraid of the Ori? The whole thing frankly doesn't make much sense to me. The Ori and Ancients were one race. Schism develops, ori tries to kill everyone who doesn't believe, ancients split. The split had to occur pre-ascenscion, since the Ori later sent a plague to milky way to try and kill all ancients in physical form.

Both the ancients and Ori know that having mortal beings "worship" you grants you even more power (?this makes no sense so far, arent ascended beings almost omnipotent?). For some bizarre reason the ancients seed life on their galaxy, hide its presence from the Ori, but pretty much distance themselves from this life. Why? Ok, they are benovelent and want to see their "children" mature and learn on their own.

Now the Ori basically enslave their own galaxy, feeding on the power of belief to ?do what? throw crazy energy parties? the most logical thing would be find the ancients and kill em all. but they dont. Not enough worshippers? If they are ascended they are equal to ancients in power. However having worshippers must give them sort of edge.

The motivations and actions of both the Ori and Ancients basically make no sense. What does having a ton of worshippers provide? Why don't the ancients want it? Why don't the Ori do something with that extra power? Or do they need even more believers to initiate their actions? And how is having a bunch of people "believe" in you help in any way? Are quantum belief waves eminating from my body or something? If I fake a Ori prayer does that help or hurt?

[AGateFan]

does anyone else think the ancients are somewhat afraid of the Ori? The whole thing frankly doesn't make much sense to me. The Ori and Ancients were one race. Schism develops, ori tries to kill everyone who doesn't believe, ancients split. The split had to occur pre-ascenscion, since the Ori later sent a plague to milky way to try and kill all ancients in physical form.

Both the ancients and Ori know that having mortal beings "worship" you grants you even more power (?this makes no sense so far, arent ascended beings almost omnipotent?). For some bizarre reason the ancients seed life on their galaxy, hide its presence from the Ori, but pretty much distance themselves from this life. Why? Ok, they are benovelent and want to see their "children" mature and learn on their own.

Now the Ori basically enslave their own galaxy, feeding on the power of belief to ?do what? throw crazy energy parties? the most logical thing would be find the ancients and kill em all. but they dont. Not enough worshippers? If they are ascended they are equal to ancients in power. However having worshippers must give them sort of edge.

The motivations and actions of both the Ori and Ancients basically make no sense. What does having a ton of worshippers provide? Why don't the ancients want it? Why don't the Ori do something with that extra power? Or do they need even more believers to initiate their actions? And how is having a bunch of people "believe" in you help in any way? Are quantum belief waves eminating from my body or something? If I fake a Ori prayer does that help or hurt?

It is beyond our little mortal brains to comprehend....but that doesnt mean it doesnt make sense in ascended land.

[DangerIsGo]

Does anyone know what song that was that played during the ep? Its like really bothering me. I searched for the band Dark Pariah, but all i got was some acoustic singer. I doubt that thats it. Anyone got anything?

[marius]

One thing that's been bugging me for a while.

Why does Orlin need to descend to help out the humans? Couldn't he have found a way to help while being an ascended ancient? I seem to remember Oma being able to show herself, do things, etc....

[jree]

It seems that the ancients are scared of the Ori and don't want to fight them directly. Maybe the followers give the Ori massive power and there is some kind of cold war between the Alterans and the Ori. The Alterans don't want people to worship them but the jaffa and the people in the pegasus galaxy do it anyway thus the Alterans might be getting some power to but they are afraid of what might happen to their society if they use it. They would stop being Alteran and become more like the Ori. Which would be distastrous to a society that believes in science and technology.

[Daniel's_twin]

One thing that's been bugging me for a while.

Why does Orlin need to descend to help out the humans? Couldn't he have found a way to help while being an ascended ancient? I seem to remember Oma being able to show herself, do things, etc....

One, welcome to the forum!

Two, it's a little more complicated then that. Oma was "allowed" to interfere, (albeit in a "small" manner) because of

Spoiler:

her punishment for helping Anubis to ascend.

You notice, she never really saw her playing an active role physically after her first appearance, unless you count her helping Daniel to ascend in Meridian.

And as for Orlin, he could argue that he was fulfilling his part of his punishment on earth by trying to convince Sam that she shouldn't use that super-weapon. This time, he had nothing to do with the weapon, so the Others would probably frown on it 'cause it would be interfering as an ascended being. But, he also said that they wanted pretty badly to do something to stop the Orii in this galaxy from what I remember. Since he was already technically an outcast, I guess they figured it would be Ok if he de-ascended to help Sam figure out how to fight them.

Not sure if it helps, but I tried.

[Wyrminarrd]

First off my oppinion on the episode: This was a great episode, loved having a nation wide crises and the feeling that the SGC actions effect the whole world. Hope the virus spreads outside US borders to increase the pressure.

The other stuff is great, saw Gerricks prioring coming but it still makes for a great story tool.

As for the explanation for the Orii and Alterans motives I can understand them (assuming that the guy was telling the truth, he might be pulling a fast one). To explain why the Orii would want more power it´s possible that when the split happened between them and the Alterans that it wasn´t 50/50, perhaps the Alterans were 70% or more of the population and the only way that the Orii can bring them selves to parity is with worshipers. Plus I buy that the Orii don´t want any more ascendends crowding the astral plane, it´s like everyone on the street owning a Ferrari and thus your own doesn´t seem special at all.

The Alterans motives are just as clear, these are your arch-typica good guys who believe in free will and all that stuff. They also desire having more people ascending, both because it helps them keep pace with the Orii (who are getting stronger by more worshipers) and because they are benevolent. And as for why they seeded life all over the universe, I´d say ego could play a big part there. Having all live in an entire galaxy owe it´s excistence to you most be a major ego boost.l