Stargate SG-1: Season 09 (2005-06)

Stargate SG-1: Season 09 (2005-06)

Dirs. Various | 20 episodes, approx 44 minutes each.

Year nine begins with another new opening credits sequence, but that's the least of the changes. Three new cast members are added to the home team, and there's an entirely new non-Goa'uld threat that's intent on forcing the whole universe to follow a new system of beliefs.

That's arguably the goal of many organised religions, but the threat in question has the means to destroy entire planets if the inhabitants refuse to convert. Mercifully, none of Earth's actual world religions are able to do that.

The new cast members include Gen. Hank Landry (Beau Bridges) and Lt. Col. Cameron Mitchell (Ben Browder). Landry is bland, but he has the lesser role. Mitchell, on the other hand, is to the fore as he tries to reassemble the original SG-1 team after the events of Season 08.

Folks that disliked Farscape and felt similarly about the addition of Claudia Black in the previous season may be further upset with Ben Browder taking such an active position. I really enjoyed Farscape (before it went to shit), so was happy to see the pair reunited. The chemistry they had as Aeryn Sun and John Crichton serves them well in the new roles.

"Well, like my grandma used to say, a little starch goes a long way."

Something else that I enjoy is seeing the Arthurian Myth reinterpreted and/or adapted in new ways, which Season 09 does. But again, with that your mileage may vary.

I'll list the episodes that I feel are crucial to the arc this time with Season 09 info at a safe minimum, but there will be *Season 08 spoilers ahead.*, so proceed at your own discretion:

Ep 01 + 02: Avalon: Parts 1 + 2 establishes Mitchell's connection to prior events, which in turn addresses his suitably for the position he's given at Stargate Command; it's minor retconning that doesn't tread on any toes. It was disappointing to learn that after Teal'c's lengthy struggle many newly-freed Jaffa would so readily embrace another leader, but a case could be made for favouring the thing you know over a thing unknown, even if the latter offers the more liberating path. I went back and forth on the two viewpoints, but ultimately settled on it being lazy writing.

The two-parter is also where the third new cast member gets introduced. I'll keep that one a surprise, but many fans of TV Sci-fi will recognise the person; it isn't another Farscape actor.

Ep 03: Origin is really part three of the story begun in Eps 01 + 02 but for some reason isn't named as such. If finishes setting up the new primary antagonists and the free Jaffa situation.

Ep 06: Beachhead is a dangerous one for inhabitants of the Milky Way. Elsewhere, a certain Jaffa Council member goes a bit Klingon.

Ep 07: Ex Deus Machina places a different threat closer to home, with multiple angles.

Ep 09:Prototype revolves around some left-over Goa'uld shenanigans.

Eps 10 + 11: The Fourth Horseman: Parts 1 + 2 increases the immediacy of needing to stop the current threat, and has an unexpected connection to an event in Season 05. The Jaffa storyline has some wider relevancy beyond its own pocket of consequence, too.

Ep 18: Arthur's Mantle offers fresh hope for the future from a time long past.

Ep 19: Crusade is an important Vala Mal Doran story that's essential viewing for the arc.

Ep 20: Camelot is the season finale. Note how the title harks back to the theme set by the opening episode's title. If you like space battles, you'll have something to get excited about. Happily, if you like characterisation and well-written drama, there's excitement there, too. As is customary for this kind of thing, it ends on a cliff-hanger.

NOTE: the primary antagonists (or their representatives) do feature between Ep 11 and Ep 18, so I'm not suggesting they can be skipped, but there's nothing crucial, that I remember, anyhow.