The Ori continue to expand their influence in our galaxy. SG-6 returns from an undercover mission to report one world’s conversion, while on Dakara Gerak urges the Jaffa High Council to issue an edict that would force all Jaffa to follow the way of Origin. Carter and Dr. Lee believe that the data they collected on Khalek suggests a way to use ultrasonic frequencies against the Priors, but they still need to find a way to implement it. Carter makes a highly optimistic estimate of the needed time frame, possibly to try and impress Gen. Landry. They may need to bear out that optimism when members of SG-6 become afflicted with the Ori plague SG-1 encountered on another world. A quarantine team manages to isolate the main carrier before he can inadvertently infect the now-retired Gen. Hammond, but the virus still spreads across the country at a high rate of speed.
Carter and Lee are stumped until the arrival of Orlin, an Ancient with whom Carter developed a relationship years earlier. In an effort to retain his memories of ascended life as long as possible, this time Orlin has assumed the body of a young boy, making things slightly awkward. Orlin helps complete the anti-Prior device and begins to work on a cure for the virus. He also reveals the Ori’s true intentions. Ascended beings are able to draw power from the worship of the non-ascended. Origin does not lead its followers to enlightenment or ascension. It merely leads them to fuel the Ori until they meet a meaningless end to their existence.
Teal’c and Bra’tac are unwilling to allow the Jaffa to follow the Ori without a fight. They travel to Chulak in order to develop a resistance that they hope will sway the hearts of the other Jaffa, even if it does not affect the Council. A Prior orders Gerak to destroy the resistance; when Gerak hesitates, he brings Gerak’s consciousness before the Doci in an effort to make his conversion complete.
Orlin needs one more piece of data to complete his cure – a genetic sample from the Prior who created this particular strain of the virus. But they must move fast. Not only is he beginning to lose his memories, the effort to retain them is causing significant brain damage. Mitchell gets intelligence from the Sodan that the Prior they’re looking for is on their world. So Mitchell and Daniel bring a team there, but soon find themselves surrounded. It soon seems that nothing will be able to stand in the way of Origin . . .
written by Damian Kindler
directed by Andy Mikita
music by Joel GoldsmithGuest Cast: Cameron Bright (Orlin); Don S. Davis (Gen. Hammond); Tony Amendola (Bra’tac); Gary Jones (Sgt. Walter Harriman); Bill Dow (Dr. Lee); Panou (Lt. Fisher); Ty Olsson (Col. Barnes); Julian Sands (Doci); Lexa Doig (Dr. Lam); Louis Gossett, Jr. (Gerak)
Notes: Orlin first appeared in season 5’s Ascension, played by Sean Patrick Flannery. The actor was unavailable for this episode, so the writers chose to have Orlin assume the form of a younger human. Air Force Chief of Staff General John P. Jumper was supposed to give the speech in this episode, but became unavailable for filming. Don S. Davis was brought in to reprise the character of General Hammond instead. (Gen. Jumper retired from the Air Force shortly before this episode first aired.) Mitchell first developed contacts with the Sodan in this season’s Babylon. The Ori first unleashed their plague in The Powers That Be.
LogBook entry by Dave Thomer