9.05 "The Powers That Be" Episode Guide
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Précis
Vala returns to a planet where she was once worshipped as a god, only to face some unexpected trials when Daniel convinces her to tell the impoverished people the truth about being a host freed from her Goa'uld symbiote. Condemned to death for her pains, Vala has to help SG-1 battle both the Priors of the Ori and a destructive plague.
Guide | Transcript
SciFi.com Official Summary
Because nothing but time will dissolve the link between them, Daniel and Vala are forced to remain together at Stargate Command. But when Vala learns that P8X-412 is one of 43 planets already visited by a Prior of the Ori, she persuades Mitchell to help the villagers of that primitive world resist this new danger.
Mitchell, Daniel and Teal'c accompany Vala to the planet, where they discover the real reason for Vala's special interest: The villagers there worship her as the Goa'uld god Qetesh. Vala was once host to the real Qetesh, and after she was freed of the symbiote, she discovered that the people of this isolated planet hadn't heard that their god was dead. She continued posing as Qetesh, and the villagers showered her with the few riches they had. Now she's back to collect her loot. She also thinks she can simply order the villagers to reject the Prior.
Daniel and the rest of the team doubt that. The Prior's powers are very real — on his previous visit, he apparently healed a villager, Vachna, of a terrible illness. Vala won't be able to compete with the Prior in a god-versus-god showdown; the villagers will inevitably lose faith in her and submit to the Ori. Daniel finally persuades Vala that their only hope is to tell the truth. If her people come to see Vala as a false god, maybe they'll be suspicious of the Ori, too.
Unfortunately, the revelation of Vala's true identity doesn't go over so well. The outraged villagers toss her in prison and put her on trial for her life. As Daniel argues that Vala deserves mercy, the Prior of the Ori returns. He debates with Daniel, and it's obvious that some of the villagers are buying his claims.
When Vachna falls ill again, however, Vala heals him using a Goa'uld hand device. This demonstration forces many villagers, including Vachna, to question the validity of the Prior's claims … until more people collapse with the illness. The disease spreads too fast for Vala to keep up. Worse, those she heals fall sick again afterwards. Soon, even Mitchell succumbs.
The Ori, it seems, want to teach a mortal lesson to SG-1 and the people of P8X-412…
Cast
- Ben Browder as Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell
- Amanda Tapping as Lt. Col. Samantha Carter
- Christopher Judge as Teal'c
- With Beau Bridges as Maj. Gen. Hank Landry
- And Michael Shanks as Dr. Daniel Jackson
Guest Stars
- Claudia Black as Vala
- Lexa Doig as Dr. Carolyn Lam
- Cam Chai as Azdak
- Greg Anderson as Prior
- Pablo Coffey as Vachna
- Nicola Correia Damude, Matt Johnson as Village Players
- Chad Hershler as Villager (Aide)
- Michael Coleman as Med Tech
Production
- Written by Martin Gero
- Directed by William Waring
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--DeeKayP 19:43, 23 Jun 2005 (PDT)