Author: DeeKayP

“It is great to discover the comedy in this life and death scenario.”

Many might agree that Dr. Bill Lee, portrayed by Bill Dow, adds something of the comedic relief during intense situations encountered by Stargate Command on a daily basis. For Bill Dow, these times are welcomed opportunities to test his range as an actor. “I love the serious and scientific, the odd action sequence (Evolution), but it is great to discover the comedy in this life and death scenario,” Bill recently posted on his “Galaxy of Stars” message board. Bill enjoyed the focus given to Dr. Lee in episodes such as “Avatar” and “Zero Hour” in Season Eight, but the shooting of Season Seven‘s “Evolution” was the most fun for him. “I got to do some stunt man stuff and hang out with Dr. Jackson – great stuff.”

Dr. Lee is an expert in alien technology, but his interests expand into anything brought back by the SG teams from off-world. He was introduced in Season Four‘s “Prodigy” where he was stationed at a research facility on a moon of a gas giant. He’s also been off-world to study the technology left behind by the never-seen Furlings in Season Six‘s “Paradise Lost”. It was on that mission that Dr. Lee challenged Maj. Carter’s authority when attempting to find out what happened to Jack and Harry when they were transported to the moon of the planet. Since these excursions, Dr. Lee has stayed Earth-side. Bill adds, “I guess there’s enough havoc out there in the universe without unleashing my genuine, although sometimes misapplied curiosity. I keep asking whenever I get the chance, ‘Can I come?’ (watch for it this season) but so far…nope.”

Fans of Dr. Lee will be delighted to know that he will be appearing in four of the first six episodes filmed for Season Nine. He didn’t name these episodes because they often film them out of sequence. The hints he provided, however, lead to the conclusion that they are “Avalon Part 1”; “Avalon Part 2”; “Origin”, where he works with Dr. Carolyn Lam to release Daniel and Vala from coma-inducing alien technology; and “The Ties That Bind”, where he’ll be “trying to assist Dr. Jackson with a rather sticky problem – not altogether successfully – you’ll see.”

Bill said that he’ll be taking two episodes off and then he is “confident that I will be in more this season.”

Visit Bill Dow’s Official Message Board
Stargate SG-1 Solutions Season Nine Spoiler Blog
Season Nine Spoiler Discussion Threads on our Stargate SG1Solutions Forum

Ba’al is up to no good — again!

The last time we saw Ba’al, he was lowering his head, seemingly in defeat, as Anubis announced his “grand design” for the galaxy which included Ba’al’s being aware of his own death at the hands of Anubis (8.18 “Threads”). Before that, he was laughing as he escaped from the Rebel Jaffa who had boarded his ship over Dakara (8.17 “Reckoning Part 2”).

We recently reported that it was uncertain whether or not Ba’al’s face would be seen, but now we can be certain that he will be because Cliff Simon, the actor who brings Ba’al to life, has posted in his message board that he was filming his first episode in Season Nine, “Ex Deus Machina”. He says that it will be a “great episode” and that we shouldn’t miss it!

Hopefully, by reading between the lines, Ba’al survives the episode and we’ll get to see what he’ll be doing next to stir things up after the major defeat of the System Lords.

Cliff Simon’s message board at “Galaxy of Stars”
Detailed spoilers of “Ex Deus Machina” on our Solutions Spoiler Blog
Discuss “Ex Deus Machina” at our Stargate SG1Solutions Forum

9.08 or 9.09 “Babylon”

Episode Summary

Gravely wounded in a battle with the Sodan warrior Volnek, Mitchell is taken captive by the Sodan and nursed back to health in order to prepare him for a fight to the death as atonement for spilling Sodan blood.

Spoiler Snippets

SG-1 goes to the planet of Sodan, home of a great Jaffa warrior race who sought Kheb, but found their planet instead. The Sodan warriors are descendants of those Jaffa who opposed the Goa’uld Ishkur 5,000 years ago. When Ishkur learned of their insubordination, he ordered their deaths as traitors, but they fled instead. They set out to find Kheb, hoping their souls would finally know peace, but their search led them to the world on which they now inhabit.

The Sodan see the Ancients, whom they call the Shen’asai, as the true gods. The Sodan Jaffa follow the Path of the Shen’asai. They have successfully hidden themselves away from the universe, free to pursue the path of wisdom and the nature of the true god without interference from the outside. SG-1 attempts to warn them about the Orii, but one of their leaders, Lord Haikon, has already accepted them as saviors.

Three Sodan are introduced in this episode:

Lord Haikon – He is a formidable Sodan leader who has held his position for over 100 years. During all of those years, Haikon meditated on the nature of the true god, but his fanaticism has caused him to become blind to reality and the needs of his people. He ignores Mitchell’s warnings about the Orii and bows down to them as the deities he has been searching for all of his life. Unfortunately, his gullibility sets his people up for disaster.

Volnek – He engages Mitchell in a fierce battle which leaves them both seriously wounded. SG-1, without Mitchell, takes him captive and saves his life by putting him on Tretonin. At first Volnek is hostile about being placed on Tretonin and about what Daniel and Teal’c are telling him about the Orii. Eventually he realizes that Daniel and Teal’c have his best interests at heart and he eventually comes to admire them. Daniel and Teal’c seek help in freeing Mitchell from the Kel Shak Lo (the fight to the death) and helping the Sodan overcome the Orii oppressors.

Jolan – He is Volnek’s brother who reluctantly nurses Mitchell back to health from his fight with Volnek. He trains Mitchell in Sodan warfare and grows to see him as a kindred spirit and a wise counselor. Jolan is the intended opponent for the fight to the death, but he engages in a cunning ruse to spare Mitchell’s life and then organize a splinter group of disgruntled Sodan to do battle with the Orii oppressors.

Action locations include the planet Sodan and the SGC.

There are no mentions of Carter or Vala for this episode thus far.

Guest Characters

Dr. Carolyn Lam [Lexa Doig], Jolan, Lord Haikon, Volnek, Prior of the Orii

Credits

Writer: Damian Kindler
Director: Peter DeLuise

Discuss these spoilers on our SG1Solutions Forum

Keeping the ties to the past eight years

Season Nine will see a lot of changes for the SGC and SG-1, but that doesn’t mean that we’ll have to get used to new characters as if starting from scratch. The stories starting out the season link to the past eight years with a host of recurring characters who shared SG-1’s adventures throughout the war against the Goa’uld, the fight for the Jaffa’s freedom, and the war against the Replicators.

Starting the season is the premiere entitled “Avalon Part 1”. Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) and Teal’c (Christopher Judge) will be there to link the old and the new. We’ll be introduced to new regular characters Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder) and Maj. Gen. Hank Landry (Beau Bridges). Even with such high-profile new leads, be assured that Sgt. Walter Harriman (Gary Jones) will be manning the control systems and announcing incoming travelers and chevron locks. And, along the way, Vala (Claudia Black, introduced in “Prometheus Unbound”) makes her reappearance and stays for up to six episodes to provide the female’s touch to an all-male newly-formed SG-1 (Mitchell, Daniel, and Teal’c).

Speaking of the female touch, we’ll also be introduced to Dr. Carolyn Lam (Lexa Doig) who is not only the Chief Medical Officer of the SGC, but also Gen. Landry’s daughter and a possible past love interest of Mitchell’s.

Additional beloved recurring characters, according to spoilers and Joe Mallozzi on his “Ask Joe Mallozzi” thread on the GateWorld forum, include Master Bra’tac (Tony Amendola) and Rak’nor (Obi Ndefo). These two Jaffa are joined by the new recurring character and one of the Free Jaffa Nation leaders, Gerak, played by Louis Gossett, Jr.

Dr. Bill Lee (Bill Dow) will also return in Season Nine. His presence is certain in the third episode, “Origin”, as he works to save Daniel and Vala from the grips of alien technology.

Ba’al (Cliff Simon) is mentioned in some of the spoilers, but we don’t know yet if we’ll see his face, in the episode, “Ex Deus Machina”. The mere fact that he is mentioned at all should prove that the Goa’uld are still around and causing problems, even after the major defeat of the System Lords during Season Eight. Looking for Ba’al on Earth will be the recurring character of NID Agent Malcolm Barrett, played by Peter Flemming.

And, if casting plans go as intended, we’ll see the Ascended Being Orlin once more (from Season Five’s “Ascension”). He is supposed to return in the mid-season two-parter, “The Fourth Horseman”, played by Sean Patrick Flanery. If Flanery is not available, however, the story will be written for another Ascended.

Andy Mikita, director, mentioned on his “Galaxy of Stars” forum that Dan Shea will return as Sgt. “Sly” Siler in Season Nine, but no specific episodes were mentioned. Dan Shea is also the program’s stunt coordinator.

And, last, but certainly not least, fans of Jack O’Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping) will see those characters making appearances during the new season. Jack will appear in at least two episodes (the season premiere, “Avalon Part 1”, and the third episode, “Origin”), while Carter will return to the SGC in the seventh episode (“Ex Deus Machina”) and stay until the close of the season. It was intended that Vala fill in for Carter during her absence, but some convention rumors have it that they want Vala to return to the show for more episodes, even while Carter is there.

Watch this blog and our Season Nine Episode Guide for details about the new season which is slated to premiere on the SciFi Channel at 8PM Eastern on July 15, 2005.

Season Nine Episodes To-Date*
– 9.01 “Avalon Part 1”
– 9.02 “Avalon Part 2”
– 9.03 “Origin” (Part 3)
– 9.04 “The Ties That Bind”
– 9.05 “The Order”
– 9.06 “The Powers That Be”
– 9.07 “Ex Deus Machina”
– 9.10 “The Fourth Horseman Part 1”
– 9.11 “The Fourth Horseman Part 2”

Links for the episode spoiler discussion threads can be found here: SG1Solutions Forum.

* Note: Episode names and order may change as they are still in production.