It's typical for the writers to have a bottle or flashback epsiode prior to a "big" seasonfinale, and this episode does both, giving Vala's return the major portion of the episode and leaving the regular cast to sit around giving "oh shit, we're in for a big one next week" looks. The episode accomplishes what it sets out to do, and does it well, but the whole thing wasn't that great. Tune in next week for the 'splosions and cliffhangers.
-Vala's boyfriend looks like Mal! But it's not. The actor is possibly known to genre fans as the zombified ex-boyfriend of Wesley Snipes' love interest in "Blade". You know, "I don't think I'm human anymore"?
-As mentioned on the "Camelot" thread, the Ori ships are COOL, despite looking like toilet seats from above. I wonder what the gate-like things actually do besides glow; are they propulsion devices, or power?
-Michael Ironside FINALLY shows up in Stargate (he's appeared in practically anything made in Vancouver in the past two decades), though as the rather forgettable "heavy" character that he is known to play. I wish he'd been given something more substantial.
-So... Why are the Ori assembling an army? Are they finally out of large-scale tricks? Their Priors have been put to devastating use this past year, creating famine (the corn), pestilence (those bugs), war (within the ranks of the Jaffa Nation), plague, and general nastiness wherever they go. The famine thing is still a threat to less advanced worlds, and those bugs weren't really defeated; still, they figure that NOW is the time to begin a crusade against the unbelievers.
-The big thing on EARTH is revealed, after having been teased a couple weeks ago - the Russians want their Stargate back. For those not up to date, the SGC is operating their original gate, but is RENTING it from the Russians. The SCG lost the Alpha gate when they used it to destroy Thor's Replicator-infested ship back in the third season; they used the Beta gate found in the Antarctic after that, through the time the Russians used the Alpha gate in their own short-lived stargate program. After the Beta gate was destroyed by Anubis, the Russians agreed to rent the original back to the Americans in return for larger involvement in SGC operations (SG-4 is/was a Russian team) plus a large amount of cash. Anyway, now that the SGC is run by an international consortium, the Russians and the Chinese banded together to wrestle control of the gate back to Moscow, as the term of the original agreement was coming up.
-This is ludicrous, as the Russians don't want and can't afford to run their own program. Landry thus correctly concludes that they are using this as a bargaining chip - they don't care about the gate.
-They want, and get, a ship: the next BC-304, Daedalus-class starship out of the yards. The Russians actually have the plans for the BC-303, Prometheus-class ship; I'm guessing they can't afford to build one of their own any more than they can operate a gate. So, the Alpha gate is once more American property, and the Russians get their own warship out of it. Sneaky bastards.
-The hastily-renamed Korolev will be commisioned and seen next week.
Mark
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Well, the Head Prior did order that armies be assembled and trained all the way back in the first episode where we found out about the Ori.
I think the reasoning is this: The Priors are certainly effective in spreading the word of the glorious power of the Ori, and they can cause tremendous chaos across large swaths of the galaxy, but they're not necessarily effective in actually converting large segments of the population outright. Making converts � converts who don't renege once the Prior has moved on, like we saw with the Sodan � takes a lot of boots on the ground, I think. Remember the intel... the Ori draw power from their worshippers. Therefore, the Ori are trying to make more worshippers.
And I'd figure that having a big invading army will also play into their plan to take on the Altairans (nee Ancients), too.
Also, I'd just like to mention here, since I'm avoiding spoilers for the finales: my first thought upon reading the title for next week's episode was, "On second thought, let's not go to Camelot. It is a silly place." Posted by B.J. (Member # 858) on :
I loved Chekov's playing of the Chinese rep and the SGC in order to get his own ship. Rather ingenious bit of politics there. And I know we don't get its name until this Friday, but I had already correctly predicted that it would be named Korolev. You don't build an entire space program nearly single-handedly and not be remembered. I wonder if they have any Cosmonauts in the wings slated for Soyuz flights going "Screw this!"?
I know they're supposed to be sharing tech anyway, but this also brings up the point that the Russians also need to have their own version (or copies) of the F-302. Something has to go in those fighter bays.
B.J.
Posted by MinutiaeMan (Member # 444) on :
Weren't the F-302 schematics also included as part of the Stargate-rental agreement? Considering everything else being built now, I'd say that the knowledge to build an F-302 is chump change by comparison, anyway. And building a few squadrons of fighters is a far cry from building a capital warship; I'd say Russia is probably capable of building its own fleet of F-302's.
Posted by bX (Member # 419) on :
Ok, old thread. I'm watching back through the episodes, and it needs to be mentioned: When Vala asks the others if they'd ever heard of a conception as immaculate as hers, and there is a pause, Carter and Mitchell with the knowing glances and then T'ealc says, "Darth Vader."-- Spit-take. For serious.
Also, althrough I'm REALLY missing RDA, I do find that I'm enjoying this silly Stargate show you were all so excited about. *hat in hand*
Posted by Cartman (Member # 256) on :
Took you long enough.
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Well, I finally got through season 9 as well, having just finished the DVD set. I didn't read through the threads back when the shows were being aired so as to avoid spoilers, so I don't know if theories were expoinded upon... but here's mine:
Vala's child was conceived by the Ori to be some sort of half-ascended agent in the Milky Way, able to act with their power but without the interference of the Ancients. Mitchell's remark about Arthur also possibly being immaculately conceived leads me to believe that he is a half-ascended being created by the Ancients for similar reasons. The main arc throughout season ten will therefore be the quest for Arthur and the grail culminating in a all-out battle between the humans and the Ori Army and between Arthur and the Ori-Spawn for control of the Grail. Whoever wins wipes out the others' ascended beings.
That's just what I'm thinking not having seen any of season 10 yet.
Posted by Chris (Member # 71) on :
That would make for a cool season 10. But, alas...
Posted by Mark Nguyen (Member # 469) on :
Just wait for the '07 movie, and the inevitable merging of thte two tribes on Atlantis. Which, if you look at Gateworld today, is happening sooner than you think...
Mark
Posted by Aban Rune (Member # 226) on :
Hmmm... ok... I was going to get all up to date after reading the Atlantic cast changes thread... but now, with so many big changes happening, I'm thinking I'll wait until I can get caught up on DVD. Anyone have a clue as to when season 2 of Atlantis will be on DVD? Amazon's not saying anything.
![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)