Stargate SG-1 Season 9

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Stargate SG-1 Season 9
Main cast image
Last Season 9 5-DVD set cover
Country of origin  USA
 Canada
No. of episodes 20
Broadcast
Original channel Sci Fi Channel
Original run July 15, 2005 (Sci Fi) — March 10, 2006 (Sci Fi)
Home video release
DVD release
Region 1 October 3, 2006
Region 2 March 27, 2007
Region 4 August 15, 2006
Season chronology
Season 8 link= Season 8 Season 8
Season 10 Season 10 link= Season 10
List of episodes

Season nine of Stargate SG-1 began airing on July 15, 2005 on Sci Fi Channel. It concluded on March 10, 2006, after 20 episodes on the same channel. The series was originally developed by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, and Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper, Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie served as executive producers. The season arc centers around the new threat of the Ori, a race who Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) and Vala Mal Doran (Claudia Black) unleash in an unknown galaxy, and who are threatening to prepare for a crusade into the Milky Way galaxy to convert the beings to their religion called Origin.

Season nine regular cast members include Ben Browder, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Beau Bridges, and Michael Shanks. Claudia Black appears as Vala Mal Doran (first seen in "Prometheus Unbound") in eight episodes. The ninth season begins with General Hank Landry (Beau Bridges) having assumed command of Stargate Command, and newcomer Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder) trying to regroup the SG-1 team after the events of the eighth season.

Production[edit | edit source]

Development[edit | edit source]

The burning of Vala in "Avalon", Part 2 was a challenging sequence for safety reasons and for still making it believable. Stunt people stood in for the fire scenes that Claudia Black couldn't film. Locked-off cameras and different "plates" were later combined to so-called VisFX compshots.[1] The episode "Crusade" was Robert C. Cooper's first time directing on the show. All of Vala's voiceovers in that episode were filmed beforehand so that the director could pick which parts would be voiceover and which parts would be shown.

Since the environment of Vancouver, Canada, where SG-1 and Atlantis is primarily filmed, is being developed, shooting locations are getting rarer for new offworld stories. The producers countered this with a new reusable village set, with almost 280 feet (85m) in length and 12000 sqfoot (1100 m²) in area the biggest they ever built. It was an interior and exterior practical set on an effects stage. Three weeks passed between initial conception until building began, although portions had already been built the previous year. Two further weeks passed before filming began. The inspiration for the set were medieval villages, Japanese homes, Italian structures and buildings.[1][2] "The Ties That Bind" marks the first appearance of the Atlantis-style wormhole effect on the actual series, rather than in just the opening credits.

Cast[edit | edit source]

Ben Browder and Beau Bridges joined the main cast in Season 9, as Cameron Mitchell and Hank Landry, respectively. Richard Dean Anderson had left the main cast after Season 8 due to the personal wish to spend more time with his young daughter in Los Angeles.[3] Despite being listed in the cast credits for the whole season and short scenes in "Avalon", Part 1, Amanda Tapping as Samantha Carter is absent during the first five episodes as she was in the last stages of pregnancy at that time. Her empty spot was filled by guest star Claudia Black, who would leave in "Beachhead" and return for the last two episodes of Season 9, which involved her real-life pregnancy. Another new recurring actor was Lexa Doig as Carolyn Lam, Landry's daughter and the new doctor at Stargate Command.

Writing[edit | edit source]

After writing the end of Season 8 as the third series finale in a row and having a positive creative experience with the first season of Stargate Atlantis, the producers considered to start a new spin-off show called Stargate Command, but the Sci Fi Channel chose to renew the series into a ninth season.[4][5] With the departure of Richard Dean Anderson, the producers then decided to start a new chapter and introduced new elements into the series. A major change was the departure from Egyptian mythology and the Goa'uld Empire which had found its climax in the season 8 episode "Threads", and the introduction of Arthurian mythology.[1] "Avalon" was treated like a pilot film, consisting of originally two episodes, but a long script resulted in the extension of the story into the episode "Origin", in which the Ori as new antagonistic race make their first appearance.[4]

The title of the episode "Ex Deus Machina" is a hyperbaton of "deus ex machina" (literally "God out of a Machine", meaning "God appearing on a crane", a literary device for a kind of turn of events) after he jokingly suggested to his writing partners a plot about Ba'al working undercover as a mechanic on Earth. The title also makes a reference to Ba'al as an ex-deus (a former god).[6]

The episode "Ripple Effect" was overly long and had many scenes edited and cut for time. Writer Joseph Mallozzi later posted script sections of all cut scenes online.[7] Asked what the cryptic remark by Black Mitchell meant when he left through the gate at the end of the episode,[8] Mallozzi answered the meaning of this remark will not be revealed in the series but might come up in the Stargate SG-1 sequels, Stargate: The Ark of Truth and Stargate: Continuum.[9] "Camelot" was the first Stargate SG-1 season finale since "Revelations" that was not intended to be the SG-1 series finale, and the first one since "Exodus" that was a cliffhanger. The episode was written without the knowledge that Stargate SG-1 would be picked up for a tenth season.

Release and reception[edit | edit source]

The Sci Fi Channel cut the opening sequences of the first ten episodes of the season from sixty to ten seconds for the original broadcast. The sequence only displayed the "Stargate SG-1" logo and a "Created by" credit, main cast credits were displayed during the teaser. Fans had been very negative about this move.[10] British Sky One only aired the first part of "Avalon" with the short opening sequence.

The highest rated Season 9 episode was the season premier two-parter "Avalon" with a household rating of 2.1 each,[11] and held steady between 1.8 and 2.0 until the midseason finale "The Fourth Horseman", which finished with 1.8.[11] The second part of the season oscillated between 1.6 and 1.9 and finished with a household rating of 1.9.[11] The season rating average was 1.8. A review in TV Guide Special #67 considered Mitchell's introduction in "Avalon" still too reminiscent of the production team's own efforts to turn around the Season Eight finale. Although the review embraced Black's "sparky, sarky characterization of Vala" during Amanda Tapping's absence, the renewed encounter between former Farscape cast members Ben Browder and Claudia Black was "oddly ... underplayed". The review found a strong similarity of the last ten minutes of "Avalon", Part 1 to Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and the set of the beginning of Part 2 as a "god-awful Merrie Olde England pastiche straight out of Monty Python and the Holy Grail." Plotting and technobabble were mentioned as other detrimental facets of Part 2.[12]

The ninth season of Stargate SG-1 was nominated for several awards in 2006, but won none. "Origin" was nomininated for a Gemini Award in the category "Best Achievement in Make-Up", while both "Beachhead" and "Camelot" were nominated for "Best Visual Effects". "Camelot" was also nominated for a Gemini for "Best Sound in a Dramatic Series". Director of Photography Jim Menard was nominated for a Leo Award in the category "Best Cinematography in a Dramatic Series". Ben Browder and Claudia Black were nominated for a Saturn Award in the categories "Best Actor on Television" and "Best Supporting Actress on Television", respectively. Stargate SG-1 was also nominated in the Saturn category "Best Syndicated/Cable Television Series", but lost to Battlestar Galactica, then in its second season.[13]

Cast[edit | edit source]

Main characters[edit | edit source]

Actor Character Number of episodes
Ben Browder Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell 20 episodes
Amanda Tapping Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter 16 episodes
Christopher Judge Teal'c 20 episodes
With Beau Bridges Major General Hank Landry 18 episodes
And Michael Shanks Daniel Jackson 20 episodes

Recurring characters[edit | edit source]

Actor Character Number of episodes
Gary Jones CMSgt. Walter Harriman 17 episodes
Lexa Doig Dr. Carolyn Lam 9 episodes
Bill Dow Dr. Bill Lee 8 episodes
Claudia Black Vala Mal Doran 8 episodes
Martin Christopher Lt./Captain/Major Kevin Marks 6 episodes
Louis Gossett Jr. Gerak 5 episodes
Dan Shea MSgt. Sylvester Siler 4 episodes
Greg Anderson The Administrator 4 episodes
Simone Bailly Ka'lel 4 episodes
Gardiner Millar Yat'Yir 4 episodes
Tony Amendola Bra'tac 3 episodes
Cliff Simon Ba'al 3 episodes
Barclay Hope Colonel Lionel Pendergast 3 episodes
Tony Todd Haikon 3 episodes
Eric Breker Colonel Albert Reynolds 3 Episodes
Gary Chalk Chekov 3 episodes
Maury Chaykin Nerus 2 episodes
Obi Ndefo Rak'nor 2 episodes
Eric Steinberg Netan 2 episodes
Paul Moniz de Sa Fannis 2 episodes
Julian Sands Doci 2 episodes
William B. Davis Damaris 2 episodes
Jarvis W. George Volnek 2 episodes
Jason Winston George Jolan 2 episodes
Cameron Bright Orlin 2 episodes
Matthew Walker Merlin 2 episodes
Matthew Glave Colonel Paul Emerson 2 episodes
Robert Picardo Richard Woolsey 2 episodes
Don S. Davis Lt. General George S. Hammond 2 episodes
Richard Dean Anderson Major General Jack O'Neill 2 episodes
Penelope Corrin Dr. Lindsay 2 episodes
April Telek Sallis 2 episodes
Stephen Park Harrid 2 episodes
Mark Houghton Prior 2 episodes
Jeff Judge Aron 2 episodes
Trevor Devall Voice of Kvasir 2 episodes
Tamlyn Tomita Shen Xiaoyi 2 episodes
Mark Oliver Jean LaPierre 2 episodes

Episodes[edit | edit source]

Image Title Number Airdate Planet(s) Race(s) Enemies
Avalon, Part 1.jpg "Avalon", Part 1 (Part 1 of 3) 9.01 July 15, 2005 Dakara, Earth Jaffa N/A
An Air Force pilot attempts to reassemble SG-1 after they have gone their separate ways. An old "friend" arrives on Earth asking for Daniel's help in finding an ancient treasure — and she won't take no for an answer.
Avalon, Part 2.jpg "Avalon", Part 2 (Part 2 of 3) 9.02 July 22, 2005 Celestis, Dakara, Earth Jaffa, Ori, Ver Egen The Administrator
An Ancient communications device renders Daniel and Vala unconscious, sending their minds to another galaxy — where they inhabit the bodies of two people persecuted by the followers of an evil religion.
Origin (episode).jpg "Origin" (Part 3 of 3) 9.03 July 29, 2005 Celestis, Earth, P3X-421 Jaffa, Ori, Ver Egen Doci, Prior
Daniel comes face to face with the Ori, a fiery race of beings who demand the worship of mortals. Elsewhere, Stargate Command encounters the first Ori missionary in our galaxy.
The Ties That Bind.jpg "The Ties That Bind" 9.04 August 5, 2005 Arlos' World, Earth, Unnamed Jaffa, Oranian Lucian Alliance
Jackson and Mitchell must join Vala on an interplanetary scavenger hunt when they learn that they are still bound together by an alien energy field.
The Powers That Be.jpg "The Powers That Be" 9.05 August 12, 2005 Earth, P8X-412 People of P8X-412, Ori The Administrator
SG-1 visits a world whose people once worshipped Vala as a god — and demand that she stand trial when she confesses to manipulating them.
Beachhead.jpg "Beachhead" 9.06 August 19, 2005 Earth, Kallana Jaffa, Ori Nerus, Prior
Samantha Carter returns to Stargate Command when the Ori seize control of a planet, using an expanding force field to gain a foothold in our galaxy.
Ex Deus Machina.jpg "Ex Deus Machina" 9.07 August 26, 2005 Dakara, Earth Goa'uld, Jaffa Ba'al, The Trust
SG-1 must investigate when evidence suggests that there are still Goa'uld hiding on Earth — including a former System Lord. Tensions between Earth and the Free Jaffa continue to mount.
Babylon.jpg "Babylon" 9.08 September 9, 2005 Earth, P9G-844 Sodan Damaris
Colonel Mitchell is injured in a skirmish with a warrior from a mythic tribe of rebel Jaffa, and is trained in their fighting techniques only so that he may engage in a ritual battle to the death.
Prototype.jpg "Prototype" 9.09 September 16, 2005 Earth, P3X-584 N/A Khalek
SG-1 finds a genetically advanced Goa'uld-human hybrid created by Anubis, and returns him to Earth for study. But even keeping him alive may not be worth the risk.
The Fourth Horseman, Part 1.jpg "The Fourth Horseman", Part 1 (Part 1 of 2) 9.10 September 16, 2005 Chulak, Dakara, Earth, P9G-844 Ancient, Jaffa, Sodan Damaris
Earth is infected with a deadly Ori plague, prompting an ally from SG-1's past to come to their aide. Gerak proposes that the Free Jaffa follow the Ori religion.
The Fourth Horseman, Part 2.jpg "The Fourth Horseman", Part 2 (Part 2 of 2) 9.11 January 6, 2006 Chulak, Dakara, Earth, P9G-844 Ancient, Jaffa, Sodan Damaris
As the Ori plague spreads rapidly, SG-1 hopes that the Prior who caused the disease may hold the key to its cure. Gerak tries to rally the Jaffa to the Ori's cause, prompting Teal'c and Bra'tac to initiate a resistance.
Collateral Damage.jpg "Collateral Damage" 9.12 January 13, 2006 Earth, Galar Galaran N/A
Colonel Mitchell stands falsely accused of murder — but he remembers committing it, thanks to technology that grafts memories into someone else's mind.
Ripple Effect.jpg "Ripple Effect" 9.13 January 20, 2006 Earth, PX7-455 Asgard, Tok'ra Alternate SG-1
Multiple SG-1s show up at Stargate Command, leading the "real" team to conclude that they have each been inadvertantly displaced from different parallel realities.
Stronghold.jpg "Stronghold" 9.14 January 27, 2006 Dakara, Earth, P2M-903 Goa'uld, Jaffa Ba'al
Ba'al kidnaps Teal'c as part of a plot to brainwash those Jaffa advocating a move toward democracy. Cameron Mitchell learns that an old friend is about to die.
Ethon.jpg "Ethon" 9.15 February 3, 2006 Earth, Tegalus Tegalan Nadal
Daniel is imprisoned on a world under the influence of the Ori, and the Prometheus is caught in a firefight when SG-1 tries to rescue him.
Off the Grid.jpg "Off the Grid" 9.16 February 10, 2006 Earth, P6G-452 Goa'uld, Jaffa Ba'al, Netan
SG-1 is captured after a deal with the Lucian Alliance goes bad… and the planet's Stargate goes missing. Meanwhile, a former System Lord attempts to rebuild his empire.
The Scourge.jpg "The Scourge" 9.17 February 17, 2006 Earth, Gamma Site R-75 R-75
A tour of an off-world research base for a group of foreign diplomats turns dangerous when an insidious insect species gets loose.
Arthur's Mantle (episode).jpg "Arthur's Mantle" 9.18 February 24, 2006 Earth, P9G-844 Sodan Volnek
Mitchell and Carter are shifted to another dimension, making them invisible to everyone at the S.G.C. Meanwhile, Teal'c and SG-9 discover that the Sodan have been brutally attacked.
Crusade (episode).jpg "Crusade" 9.19 March 3, 2006 Earth, Ver Isca Ori, Ver Iscan Prior
Vala Mal Doran makes contact with Stargate Command from the Ori home galaxy, and tells the story of her life undercover in a village of followers building the Ori's invasion fleet.
Camelot (episode).jpg "Camelot" 9.20 March 10, 2006 Camelot, Earth Asgard, Jaffa, Ori, Tok'ra, People of Camelot Ori
SG-1 discovers the village of Camelot on an alien world, and must face Merlin's security system when they go in search of an Ancient weapon. Elsewhere, Earth and its allies assemble a fleet when a working Ori Supergate is discovered.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 SG-1: Directors Series - ep 901 & 902 "Avalon" feat. Andy Mikita
  2. DVD featurette: "It takes a crew to build a village - The building of Stargate's new standing set". Season 9.
  3. Spelling, Ian (April 28, 2006). "SG-1's Anderson Like Old Times". SCI FI Wire. Sci Fi Channel. Archived from the original on March 12, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080312020911/http://www.scifi.com/scifiwire/index.php?category=2&id=35782. Retrieved 2007-07-19. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 Audio Commentary 901
  5. TV Zone Special #64. July 2005.
  6. GateWorld - Stargate SG-1 'In the Making': "Ex Deus Machina"
  7. GateWorld - Stargate SG-1 'In the Making': "Ripple Effect"
  8. Black Mitchell in "Ripple Effect": "When the time comes, cut the green one."
  9. Thoughts and Tirades, Rants and Ruminations: January 13, 2007
  10. "SCI FI to reinstate full-length openings". gateworld.net. September 1, 2005. http://www.gateworld.net/news/2005/09/sci_fi_to_reinstate_full-length_.shtml. Retrieved 2007-07-20. 
  11. 11.0 11.1 11.2 GateWorld - Stargate SG-1 Season Two: Ratings
  12. Graves, Stephen (December 2005). "Reviews - TV Zone's reviews of the first part of the season". TV Zone (Special #67): pp. 20–21 
  13. "Stargate SG-1" (1997) - Awards
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