Ethon

DVD, Stargate SG-1 S9 (Ethon)

Classic tale of underestimation and a further horrible proof that the influence of The Ori can ravage chaos across worlds already inflamed by the passion of hatred. A surprisingly powerful story considering it's all based around a forgettable, mundane, military planet divided into two warring factions. Tegalus was previously visited in Season 8's 'Icon,' and didn't make for much of an episode, but they redeem its creation, if not its blinkered, wrathful people, by using it as the base on which to build in another show of what the Priors' devastating ultimatum may mean to ordinary planets. It seems just a matter of time before a Prior will come to your world and so we're beginning to see how other worlds we've known are using or abusing this new development in the galaxy even if they aren't greatly a part of that galactic stage. Planetary politics have now become of interest to the servants of The Ori, whatever works to get the biggest return, the quickest way. So they unthinkingly upset the balance of power on Tegalus by giving one side, the Rand Protectorate, plans with which they can build a satellite weapon with the power to blast cities, and the other side, the Caledonian Federation, have no choice but to accept surrender, the choice being a mass migration through the Stargate, kicked off their own planet, or death. I never found out who the Ethon of the title was, either character or place, which is a bit of an oversight, but doesn't harm the episode or take away from its tale of woe.

The prejudices and hard line thinking of those in charge allows no room for diplomatic solutions, the Rand President Nadal quite willing to throw all honour aside (assuming he had any in the first place), by allowing Daniel Jackson and Kane, who'd brought the news to Earth in the first place, as well as blueprints on the satellite, to return for talks, only for them to be cast into prison, no interest in listening to the reality of what the Priors are, and how they could be defeated. The power of The Ori is the only concern for this man and, presumably, many of his people, who only care about the destruction or subjugation of their lifelong enemy. The futility of dealing with such blinkered minds is played out in full and doesn't end happily, with both death for the President at the hand of his military leader, Commander Pernaux, who is also gunned down for the deed, and a resumption of global hostilities that by what we hear afterwards, sounds like a reduction of both sides of the civilisation to rubble. It's a grim cautionary tale of where hatred leads and a warning that diplomacy can't always succeed. Daniel came close, getting through to Pernaux, but even his turning on the President after seeing the direction his dishonest actions and dishonourable conduct was taking their people, wasn't enough to avert an all-out war of destruction to the best of their capabilities.

Quite apart from the sorrowful conclusion to this state of affairs, is the shocking takedown of the Prometheus, the Earth ship caught in the crossfire of both the Priors' technology and the enmity of the people on the planet, as they're given no quarter and Commander Pendergast, a recurring character of several seasons, goes down with his ship in the fine tradition of a Captain and his sinking vessel. He was never really fleshed out as a character so it's not like it's a heartrending loss to the series and the characters that populate it, but it certainly adds a frisson to The Ori that even just a little meddling in some small, backwater planet can change the course of the series. The Prometheus was a stalwart, reliable addition to the ongoing improvement of our technology, so to lose it in such a heartless and unexpected fashion makes underlines much more the dangers of facing unknown alien technology. Its mission was never very well defined, its role more of a useful item to get the team out of trouble or to set up stories, and it was clearly meant to provide a bit more of a Trekky feel to the series once there was no more Trek on TV, or at least it came to fill that hole to some small extent. But it's not like we saw them beaming down to planets and doing the whole Trek-style Away missions, it was still run as a present-day military ship. Even so, it had been there as a recurring part of the series and its loss, as well as Pendergast's, is not something you'd normally expect.

That is the point - The Ori and their influences were meant to shake things up, and this they have done, and the episode deals blatantly with the religious jihad overtones encouraged by the Priors and their Book of Origin. We've seen what the fear of the Priors and wonder at their power can do, now we see that added to a generational war, and it's a no-win scenario for those involved. You feel the frustration of Daniel and the others, you see the treacherous manner in which the adherents, mainly the President, conduct their ways, and it just makes everything much worse. I knew Carter wasn't going to die on the Prometheus, but I was still concerned about what had happened to her, as we don't see her get off, so it was a relief when she hurries into the Caledonian HQ and it's no wonder they allowed time for Teal'c to express his own relief because we're all still reeling from the Prometheus being blown to pieces. That's where the underestimation came into it: our Earth ship with its Asgard tech is obviously going to be far superior to anything Rand could build with their level of tech, and so they fly in expecting an easy takeout of the satellite, the only real problem being how they can extricate Daniel from Rand custody, but in the end it was essential that he was there in that control room to speak sense, just as Carter was in the Caledonian one, and Mitchell and Teal'c in the air. For once they really are the true SG-1, going to planets and taking on the most difficult of missions. But success is relative and you can't always win, especially against murderous, unbridled hate, rekindled by violent religious fervour. Sobering.

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