Stargate SG-1 9.11: "The Fourth Horseman: Part II"

Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
Directed by Andy Mikita

In which the Ori plague continues to spread while SG-1 struggles to find a cure with Orlon’s help, find a way to break the Ori’s control over the Priors, and deal with Gerak’s conversion…


When the return of “SG-1” came on my radar (read: my TiVo recording list), I wondered whether or not the series would still have the momentum that it gained in the first half of the season. After all, this is the first time that the series is coming back with Mitchell as an established member of the cast; the season premiere acknowledged his “outsider” status. Would his presence be distracting, or would it feel completely natural?

“Completely” may not be the word for it, but I was surprised at how it felt right for Mitchell to be there. It wasn’t an intrusion, that’s for sure. Granted, my personal disposition towards Browder as an actor may have something to do with that, but he wasn’t as jarring a presence as, say, Landry. Maybe it’s the hair, but Landry was driving me nuts in this episode.

In retrospect, it probably had something to do with the visit from Hammond. Hammond looms very large in terms of the series’ continuity; in a number of ways, his departure was more jarring than O’Neill’s exit. Landry stands on his own well enough, but Bridges is no Don Davis. It’s a minor point, but if Hammond had been the one infected with the plague, it might have been a more anxious moment. (And it would have avoided that awkward scene between Landry and Lam, which simply didn’t work.)

In terms of the plot, this is one of those instances where the severity of the first half simply cannot be fully realized in the second half. The most important points are touched upon in terms of the plague, especially the difficulties raised with the international oversight committee (which better factor into the second half of the season), but only a few thousand killed? Even with the vaccine (which is not the same as a cure, damn it), the death toll should have been in the hundreds of thousands at the very least and probably in the millions. But how practical would that have been?

There’s also the problem of Orlin. Thankfully, the writers killed him, because that child actor was painful to watch. Sure, the producers were going for the cheap seats with a dying kid who sacrifices himself to save humanity, but that kind of role requires a compelling actor who gets the audience to care. I didn’t care. And so he became little more than a source of exposition for me, which is non-ideal.

I also didn’t buy the simplicity of the conversion of Gerak. Gerak as a serious threat to the freedom of the Jaffa Nation was an interesting idea that really should have been explored longer. Gerak throws off the control of the Ori a bit too quickly, and so his death becomes a little too convenient and predictable. More importantly, with Bra’tac as a leader, will Teal’c have any reason to slip into Preacher Mode? In lieu of Badass Mode, that’s when Teal’c as a character is at his best.

Even so, the episode had its moments. Teal’c had some compelling moments. Mitchell’s showdown with the Cigarette-Smoking Prior was fun (it was good to see William B. Davis again!). The Sodan are always fun, since Tony Todd makes almost anything better, and it gave Mitchell and Daniel more interaction. I wasn’t thrilled with Carter’s part of the episode, though, and I can only hope that she gets a good subplot soon. With the mid-season event out of the way and the point of the Ori conversion revealed, the season can continue with its usual focus on character.

Writing: 2/2
Acting: 2/2
Direction: 2/2
Style: 1/4

Final Rating: 7/10