The Fourth Horseman Part 2

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S9 (The Fourth Horseman Part 2)

At last a victory can be claimed over the Ori as Mitchell and his team manage to capture a Prior with the help of the Sodan - Tony Todd's back and has come to his senses over the Ori being a poor choice to follow. He doesn't get to do much, but it's always good to see him again and a good thing to see the warriors side against the enemies of the galaxy. There are other good things to enjoy, too, from the Russian Colonel showing up as part of the oversight committee to give Landry a grilling over the growing problem of the plague, to some sensitive little scenes with Sam talking to young Orlan as he begins to lose his memories of being an Ancient. Then there's Bra'tac and Teal'c together, and a couple of moments for General Hammond. Again, it's good to see him again, but I did feel his meeting with SG-1 (without Teal'c), in the Briefing Room was rather staged as if they couldn't think of a natural way for him to pop his head round the door and say hello. That was the room he spent most of his time with the team within, so it makes sense, but what were they doing there, it looked as if they were waiting for something, but could they not have written it so they were just leaving a meeting or something more natural? Still, good to see Hammond meeting them, I only wish Teal'c could have been there to complete the set.

That wasn't the only unnatural moment of the episode as it ends this big two-parter with a couple of clunky choices, though that's par for the course in the series: Gerak somehow being talked round to Teal'c's side simply by saying that there will be bloodshed and brother against brother? That was too easy and came from nothing much except Teal'c reminding him of Gerak's own Father's defiance of the Goa'uld. If only it had been better written so we could have seen a progression, but Gerak goes from showing off to the council, levitating their books like a cheap party trick, to realising the error of his ways so much that he sacrifices himself to save a bunch of humans! There was never any indication that he would go in that direction, it was just that the story required it. The same for Orlan, whose work, added to the cured people at the SGC, is able to create an antidote for the human population. He doesn't die, but loses all his memory. It gives us a touching final scene where Sam visits him at some rehabilitation centre and helps him with a jigsaw puzzle even though he doesn't know who she is, but Orlan's involvement was always a rabbit out of a hat that wasn't a natural progression either. That's what the series does, even setting up these people for the future sometimes, but they have so many seasons of characters they could pull from, almost any problem could be solved that way.

The episode's story was okay, and it is a relief that Earth finally has a viable weapon to use against the Priors, but it is sad that it wasn't going to change their minds and turn on their Ori masters since they've been so indoctrinated. I'm not sure what we're supposed to take from the captured Prior's sudden ability to use his power again and pull General Landry over to him like a Sith Lord (they all look a bit Emperor Palpatine-ish - must be the pallid skin and wrinkles). Was he holding this last burst of 'magic' in reserve? At least they can now stop Priors, although it's a limited defence as they have to be within a certain distance. I'd have kept quiet about the device if only to make sure that Prior couldn't commune with his masters and telepathically pass on knowledge of it which would forewarn other Priors, but maybe he couldn't. Teal'c as leader of his people as a concept reminded me of Worf being offered the Chancellorship on 'DS9' (they're both similar characters), and in the same way Teal'c suggests his mentor Bra'tac should be the one to take on the mantle, Worf did the same with his, Martok. Bra'tac would be an ideal leader, but it's all a little too easy. I'm disappointed in how they dealt with Gerak, but I suppose his days were numbered as soon as he became a Prior, it's just they began the season with a more adult political approach and have dispensed with that because it wraps up the story neatly.

Issues aside it looks and sounds good, with the beautiful blue sky above the Sodan, and their bright, timbered buildings providing good contrast to the darkness lit by flaming torches that the Jaffa favour on Chulak or their ships. The score was notable, going from sensitive piano music during Orlan's scenes, to a proud, warrior-appropriate arrangement when Teal'c was striding around. It was good to have a few familiar faces and the effects worked well, from Mitchell being hung in the air by 'Sith' powers, to the fleet of Jaffa warships, but none of this can disguise the convenient plotting and too simple wrapping up, though of course the story is far from over and many more trials will no doubt await. It's just that this two-parter didn't quite deliver on the scale and drama it seemed to promise. Now we know the goal of the Ori is to destroy the Ancients, though how they hope to accomplish this is a bit of a mystery, unless it's through endangering the entire galaxy until the Ancients finally get involved?

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