Stargate SG-1 10.14: "The Shroud"

Written by Robert Cooper
Directed by Andy Mikita

When we last left Daniel Jackson, he was in the lovely yet evil hands of Adria, the avatar of the Ori. Oddly, SG-1 has done very little to find or rescue Daniel since his capture. His return in this episode is a bit coincidental as a result; the team just happens to be on a planet where Daniel comes calling as a new and unusual Prior, extolling the virtues of Origin. The team, like the audience, is stunned and dismayed.

Of course, it’s not that simple. Daniel claims that he and Merlin (the part of the old Ancient still in his brain) concocted a plan to fool Adria into thinking he succumbed to her powers of persuasion. The team is less than convinced, especially when he explains that his plan involves letting the Ori Supergate open to the Milky Way. He claims to need that to bring Merlin’s completed weapon home for Earth’s defense. On the other hand, he could be lying, and it would allow the Ori fleet access to the galaxy, with a Prior in control of a weapon capable of killing Ancients. All in all, a situation with more than a little risk.

Enter General O’Neill, who is brought in to question Daniel, which is a nice touch, given their long and involved history. It’s almost as if O’Neill was never gone, something that helps to connect the dots as the series draws to a close. Between O’Neill and Teal’c, they come to the conclusion that Daniel is telling the truth. Unfortunately, the IOA wants Daniel taken out. Stargate Command and the IOA have rarely seen eye to eye, but this is the biggest point of contention yet.

In a nice twist, Vala is the one who takes the potential threat that Daniel represents most seriously. Given her evolving relationship with Daniel, she has plenty of reason to want him to survive. But her reasoning is sound: following Daniel’s plan is too much of a risk. The alternate plan is fairly obvious, but it was worth taking the time to let the various characters react to Daniel and his current status.

When things start to go wrong (as of course, they must), the twist and turns are slightly confusing. The end result, however, is that Daniel is back to normal, more or less, and the weapon was armed to detonate, with no evidence that it actually worked. And now that the Supergate is open for business, the armies of the Ori have the ability to send tons of reinforcements into the Milky Way. It’s hard to figure out if the risk/reward analysis was on the dot this time around, but considering that the Ori arc was always meant to extend beyond the end of the season, this complication makes a certain amount of sense.

Had the series been continuing, then Daniel’s quick and relatively simple return to the team might have seemed too quick. It would have been a lot more interesting if Daniel’s time as a Prior had stretched out over a few episodes. However, in light of the fact that the series is ending, a number of ideas will likely get short shrift, and this is just one such example.

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

Final Rating: 7/10