Category: SG-1

10.07 COUNTERSTRIKE

Summary

Deadly battles erupt between the Ori, led by Adria, and the Jaffa after 100,000 villagers are wiped out by a powerful energy wave which Adria believes was SG-1’s doing. She captures Daniel and Vala and uses her powers against them to determine the nature of the weapon.

Details

Adria’s massive Ori warship lands near a village and a Prior announces her arrival in front of a gathering of the villagers. The crowd cheers as Adria steps forward, now appearing to be a young woman with dark hair of about 21-24 years of age. In disguise within the crowd are SG-1.

Adria is a strong, charismatic leader. Her speech is aimed at building up the armies of the Ori. But, while speaking, she senses something, an energy from on the surface of the planet. Even the crew members of the Odyssey nearby aren’t sure what the energy reading indicates and eventually, they have to leave the planet’s orbit for safety.

The energy wave kills 100,000 people — mostly the human inhabitants of the planet.

Jaffa, led by Bo’rel, attempt to take the Ori ship, but SG-1 gets there first. It was Bo’rel’s group who used a powerful Ancient weapon against those thousands of people. Gen. Landry and Bra’tac confront Se’tak on Dakara concerning Bo’rel’s actions in using the weapon, something the Jaffa had agreed not to use. As Carter works on the ship’s systems to engage the power, Bo’rel’s group of Jaffa exchange fire with Mitchell and Teal’c. The Jaffa outnumber Mitchell and Teal’c and soon the two are captured.

Daniel and Vala are together in another part of the ship and evade the Jaffa’s capture. Carter, alone in the ship’s control room, is being sought because Bo’rel heard her voice over the team’s radio. Bo’rel announces his intention to kill Mitchell and Teal’c if the rest of the team doesn’t surrender. Carter, uncertain what to do, is saved by Daniel’s attempt to negotiate with Bo’rel via the radio. He urges the Jaffa that they must work together to defeat their common enemy. A Jaffa patrol finds Daniel and Vala after Bo’rel refuses to work with them. Daniel’s attempt to negotiate gave Carter more time to work in secret. Just as the Jaffa begin escorting Daniel and Vala to Bo’rel’s location, Adria makes a reappearance.

Now in Adria’s custody, Daniel and Vala, along with one of the Jaffa who captured them, are at her mercy. She has great telekinetic powers, using them to keep Daniel from using a staff weapon on her. She immobilizes him with merely a thought and takes the staff weapon, killing the Jaffa to demonstrate its power. Adria knows the history of the Goa’uld and how they used Ancient technology — the staff weapon being one example.

Adria had been spared through her own use of technology, a pendant which she claims held a piece of Celestis that protects her and keeps her safe. The pendant is small and transparent and is shaped like the Ori symbol. Inside, there’s a viscous silver-blue liquid. Wanting to know what killed her people, she continues to exert her mental powers against Daniel, keeping him immobilized. She attempts to read his mind for information about the weapon, but he resists, much to her amazement. Vala, fearing that Adria was going to kill Daniel, reveals that they had not used the weapon. With this information, Adria decides to turn her attention to the Jaffa she just killed. She resurrects him and then begins her interrogation against him, holding back Daniel and Vala from interfering. Finally, the Jaffa tells her the weapon is on Dakara and she kills him again, but this time by snapping his neck.

As Mitchell and Teal’c are escorted by Bo’rel and his Jaffa, looking for the control room, Carter ambushes the Jaffa and soon Mitchell and Teal’c are freed. Eventually, Bo’rel realizes that he must work with the Tau’ri when the Ori ship takes flight and Mitchell claims it isn’t one of his people who’s doing the flying.

Adria wishes to convert Vala to Origin, claiming that if she cannot convince her own mother, she will have a difficult time of convincing the rest of the galaxy. Vala stubbornly refuses to accept the Ori and the possibility of being revered by all followers of the Ori as Adria’s mother. Adria says that she’ll be patient concerning Vala’s stubbornness, but when Daniel asks that she extend that patience to the rest of the galaxy, she states simply that they have a choice: they can choose Origin, or they can choose death.

In the meantime, Se’tak reveals to Landry and Bra’tac that he believes his methods are justified, since both the Jaffa’s and Tau’ri’s conventional weapons are useless against the Ori. Se’tak’s plan is to capture Ori ships, but the armies must be eliminated first in order to gain access. Se’rak proclaims that the cost of victory is great, but the cost of defeat is even greater.

The rest of the Ori fleet are on their way to join Adria who promises her mother that they will never be separated again.

Guest Characters

ORI:
Adria, now appearing to be about 21-24 years old
Prior of the Ori

JAFFA:
Bra’tac
Se’tak, Jaffa Emissary
Bo’rel, Jaffa leader

ODYSSEY CREW:
Col. Emerson
Maj. Marks

Production

Written by: Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
Directed by: Andy Mikita
Before cameras: April 19-27

All spoilers are subject to change as the episode is still in production.

Brad Wright talks to SciFi Wire about SG-1‘s 200th episode

SCI FI Wire‘s News Editor Patrick Lee talked with co-creator and executive producer Brad Wright about the storyline for Stargate SG-1‘s 200th episode, 10.06 “200″. Beware of spoilers:

SG-1 Winks At Serenity

Brad Wright, co-creator of SCI FI Channel’s original series Stargate SG-1, offered SCI FI Wire a few spoilers on the show’s upcoming 200th episode, which tips its hat to a much shorter-lived SF series about civil-war veterans in space. The episode will be part of the 10th season, which debuts this summer.

The 200th episode will bring back the character of Martin Lloyd (Willy Garson) and his fictional TV show Wormhole X-treme, which was the subject of the 100th episode, “Wormhole X-treme,” and is a parody of SG-1 itself.

“The 200th, … as we’ve all put our heads together on that one, is based on a great idea [executive producer] Robert [C. Cooper] had, and we’ve all written bits and put them all together, and Robert went through it, and then I went through it,” Wright said in an interview on SG-1’s Vancouver, Canada, set earlier this month.

This time around, the SG-1 team helps Lloyd turn Wormhole X-treme into a movie. “Even though the series was canceled after three episodes, it did well on DVD,” Wright said. “It’s a little nod to Serenity, I suppose.” Serenity is based on the failed Fox TV series Firefly, which was canceled in the middle of its first season, but which went on to sell well on DVD, warranting a feature film.

As for Wormhole X-treme, Wright said: “The Air Force loves it, because they love the notion of a television series out there that is ostensibly [based on the] real events in SG-1, in Stargate Command. So plausible deniability. … It’s a series of, I guess you could call them vignettes or flashes, scenes, that are kind of unusual.”

In the episode, which also marks the return of former SG-1 star Richard Dean Anderson, viewers can expect the kind of broad, insidery humor that characterized the 100th episode. “‘Wormhole X-treme’ was pushing it,” Wright said. “This is pushing it twice as far. But, you know, it’s the 200th episode.”

• 10.06 “200” Episode Guide

Gateworld is reporting that Don S. Davis (Gen. George Hammond) will be filming an episode in April. There is the assumption that it will be for an episode of Stargate SG-1. If Season Ten episodes are being filmed in order, Davis could be in 10.05 “Uninvited”, 10.06 The 200th Episode (title not yet known), 10.07 “Counter-Strike”, or 10.08 “Memento Mori”.

One piece of casting news which Gateworld has confirmed is Peter Flemming’s return as NID Agent Malcolm Barrett in 10.04 “Insider” (Gateworld says the title of this episode is “Insiders”). This episode includes multiple clones of Ba’al played by Cliff Simon. Filming of this episode is assumed to be scheduled for March 21-29.

• Season Ten Episode Guides
• Stargate Wiki: Don S. Davis
• Stargate Wiki: Cliff Simon
• Stargate Wiki: General George Hammond Biography
• Stargate Wiki: Peter Flemming
• Stargate Wiki: NID Agent Malcolm Barrett Biography
• Stargate Wiki: Ba’al Biography
• Gateworld: Don Davis Returns to Stargate
• Gateworld: SG-1‘s “Insiders” Now Filming

Brad Wright talks to SciFiWire

In a recent article posted at SciFiWire, Stargate SG-1 co-creator and executive producer Brad Wright talked about the new villain for the show’s record-breaking tenth season:

SG-1 Adding A New Girl
Patrick Lee, News Editor

Brad Wright, executive producer of SCI FI Channel’s original series Stargate SG-1, told SCI FI Wire that the upcoming 10th season will take the current storyline to the next level with the addition of an important new character. Speaking in an interview on the show’s Vancouver, Canada, set, where the 10th season is now shooting, Wright offered these spoilers: “The other big change … is the introduction of a new character, who is basically the leader of the Ori in our galaxy. And her name is Adria.”

The character, who has not yet been cast, will show up in the 10th season’s premiere episode, “Flesh and Blood,” which airs in July. Wright said that she first appears “as a young girl, or various stages of a young girl, if that’s not telling too much. And then, of course, we’ll see her as a full-grown … woman later on.”

In the ninth-season finale, which just aired on SCI FI, the villainous Ori had sent immense starships into our galaxy to fight the forces of Earth and its allies.

Next season will also see the permanent addition of Claudia Black (Vala) as a regular cast member, joining Ben Browder, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Christopher Judge and Beau Bridges.

Adria is Vala’s daughter and is genetically engineered to possess the knowledge of the Ori. She also is advanced in her physical make-up, much like the Ancients were before they ascended. Her powers and knowledge, however, are limited by her physical form. As Wright mentioned above, we’ll first see Adria as a child in the season premiere “Flesh and Blood”. She’ll be seen as a seven-year-old and as a twelve-year-old. Based on how quickly she grows, she’ll reach adulthood in a very short time after her birth.

We’ll post any new information as we get it.

• SciFi Wire: SG-1 Adding a New Girl
• 10.01 “Flesh and Blood” Episode Guide

[Thanks to sueb45 for the tip.]

Insiders’ scoop on “Insider”

Alex Levine, script coordinator, mentioned in his recent blog at Scifi.com that Cliff Simon was in to prepare for his appearance in an upcoming episode of Stargate SG-1. If the crew is filming episodes in order, then this episode is most likely “Insider”, slated to be the fourth episode of Season Ten. On average, it is taking seven days to film one episode, so the projected dates for the filming of “Insider” are March 21-29.

Joseph Mallozzi said that “Insider” is written by Alan McCullough. The storyline hinted: “Stargate Command is going to have their hands full juggling – well, what does the average person juggle, right? – in this one.” The assumption was that the SGC would be juggling “Ba’als” (clones), also said to be “an old enemy rearing his ugly heads.” (Yes, that’s plural on the “heads”.)

This episode is also possibly one of the two which Michael Shanks will not be appearing in at the beginning of the season. Shanks is taking time off to be with his family as his wife Lexa Doig (Dr. Carolyn Lam) prepares to give birth to the couple’s second child, due on April 1. Shanks said in an interview at Michael Shanks Online, “I’m contracted for 16 episodes this season. I’ll probably be out of the fourth and fifth episodes and two others later on.”

It’s not certain if this episode is the same one which Mallozzi referred to as “Alan’s heist episode”, but the script writer and episode name certainly fit. One can assume that the episode might have to do with Vala and her former status as host to the Goa’uld Qetesh. She certainly could qualify as an “insider”, as well as a thief. The question is, if this episode does make use of Vala’s history with the Goa’uld and her talents as a thief, what are they aiming to steal from Ba’al and his many clones?

• 10.04 “Insider” Episode Guide
• Alex Levine’s Blog at Scifi.com (March 17, 2006)
• MSOL’s interview with Michael Shanks (January 2006)

SG-1 Members Focus on Individual Strengths

For nearly a decade, the members of SG-1 have saved the world several times through the use of their unique talents. The newest version of the team is no different — each will be called upon to give his or her best in the fight against the Ori.

Last week’s episode, “Crusade”, left Earth’s allies, the Asgard, Tokra, and Free Jaffa, searching for the operational Supergate put in place by the Ori. All over the galaxy, worlds visited by the Priors have reported that the “Day of Reckoning” is at hand.

While the search takes place, SG-1 approaches the problem from a different direction, hoping to find the weapon built by Merlin which supposedly can destroy an ascended being. Merlin left the Stargate address of where he built the weapon on his Interdimensional Device found in Avalon (“Arthur’s Mantle”), so the team decides to travel there and find the weapon.

DANIEL JACKSON uses his linguistic skills and his knowledge of history to solve a puzzle: where is Merlin’s Anti-Ascended Weapon and how can it be used? He follows the clues left by Merlin himself to discover Merlin’s library on a planet with a village called Camelot. Governor Meurik (John Noble) is not certain he can trust these outsiders because his priority is the safety of his people.

Camelot is another example of living history that Daniel delighted in studying from the beginning in his travels through the Stargate. Over the years, he has lost some of that enthusiasm because of the profound experiences he has had to endure, including his time as an Ascended Being. Daniel has discovered that he shares something with Merlin — Merlin, too, had been ascended at one time, but chose to retake human form in order to help humanity any way he could. In Merlin’s case, it was to build a weapon which could be used against the Ori. He had to do his research in secret because his activities most likely were not approved by The Others. Breaking the rules of The Others was another thing both men had in common and now their paths have converged in Camelot.

CAMERON MITCHELL has no fear. He has been tested in the past with his near-fatal crash in Antarctica, and he’s come through with an enthusiasm for traveling through the ‘gate which the veteran members of SG-1 have left behind. His strengths include determination and tenacity. These will be put to the test when he faces Merlin’s security system — a holographic Black Knight similar to the one he fought and vanquished in the dark caverns of Avalon. If he can defeat the knight, he will not only get Daniel access to Merlin’s library, but also gain the respect of Meurik’s people.

SAMANTHA CARTER is a technological genius. She can quickly grasp the engineering behind advanced alien technology. Her scientific knowledge has saved the team and Earth in the past on several occasions. Carter is the world’s leading expert on the science of the Stargate and her expertise will be called into the forefront against the Ori’s Ancient-based technology — including the technology of the Ori’s Supergate.

TEAL’C is a warrior and skilled negotiator. His time with SG-1 has helped him grow as a leader and still maintain his warrior ways. With the Tau’ri’s help, his people gained their freedom from the Goa’uld, and Teal’c strongly believes that his place remains with the Tau’ri as long as the Ori threat exists. If there are others who would stand in his way, such as those of the Lucian Alliance led by Netan (Eric Steinbereg), Teal’c will do whatever it takes to pursuade them that they must join in the fight. Their resulting alliance is a tenuous one, but could make the difference between galactic destruction and a fighting chance.

The team starts together on the way to Camelot, but they are spread in different directions as the time of the Ori’s invasion draws near. Again, they play to their strengths in this separation, but at the close of the episode, it is not certain which of them survives and which has come to the end of the journey.

Executive producer and episode writer Joseph Mallozzi summarizes “Camelot” in this way: “Lots to look forward to: holograms and horses, a gathering of allies, hope and despair, death and destruction, and an uncertain future.” True to the Stargate SG-1 tradition, “Camelot” is a cliffhanger, with the resolution of the story yet to be told.

Tune in to the SciFi Channel this Friday, March 10, at 8pm Eastern for the final episode of Season Nine. (It should be noted that if you wish to watch the second run of the program which is normally broadcast at 11pm, that this week it will be 11:30pm because Battlestar Galactica is having a special 90-minute season finale.)

• “Camelot” Episode Guide

Remember, spoilers are subject to change in the final cut.

Invasions

Fans of Vala (and Claudia Black) will get a treat with this week’s episode, “Crusade”, as she makes an incredible return to the Milky Way by taking over Daniel Jackson’s body! She has a vital message that she’s gone to great lengths and tremendous risk to communicate.

Her warning: The Ori have given the technical know-how to their human followers to build a large invasion force. They plan to send ten warships through a Supergate (like that seen in “Beachhead”). These warships are activated by the Priors just like the satellite weapon built by the Rand Protectorate on Tegalus (“Ethon”). Vala has lived among those who built and will man these ships; she’s even married one of them!

Vala has befriended some local residents involved in an anti-Ori movement. They are led by Seevis, the leader of the village and a barkeep. Vala has seen the plans that Seevis has in place that will cause the ships to explode once the Priors activate them, and she can’t help but be amazed at the daring nature of the plan because it would mean the death of tens of thousands of human soldiers. But Seevis’s plans don’t get seen through and the ships are on their way!

      
Ori invasion fleet is activated

The Ori’s massive fleet’s arrival in the Milky Way is just the first kind of invasion presented in “Crusade”. Another type of a more personal nature has also occurred. Vala has become pregnant and she knows that she couldn’t have conceived in the “old-fashioned” way. The Ori have chosen her to bear a child for some reason known only to them. Vala uses the pregnancy to convince a local man to marry her so that she can survive in his world — one filled with those completely devoted to the Ori. Her husband found her and protected her and Vala soon realized that she actually cared for him. Unfortunately, he is one of the soldiers onboard one of the invasion ships.

      
Vala is overcome by the Ori and impregnated

Vala’s friends show her a communications terminal which is like the one she and Daniel had used which links the users psychically across galaxies. Vala decides to use the device, risking that her message gets received by someone in the Milky Way. She’s not aware that the SGC is working on creating a device like the one which was discovered in Avalon, but destroyed to save her and Daniel’s lives. By pure luck and coincidence, Daniel’s body becomes the communications conduit and Vala gets her chance to relay her message. But Vala’s invasion of Daniel’s mind is temporary; already someone has killed her anti-Ori friends and she’s the assassin’s next target.

Vala takes over Daniel’s body to deliver her message

The Ori threat is imminent and personal. Tune in to the SciFi Channel this Friday, March 3, at 8pm Eastern to find out more about these invasions and how Earth and the rest of the galaxy plan to survive.

[NOTE: Episode spoilers have been known to change once the final cut is produced.]