Title: Stargate:
SG-1: “The Fourth Horseman, Part 2”: Winter Season Premiere
Stars: Ben Browder,
Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks, Christopher Judge, and Beau Bridges
Guest
Stars: Louis Gossett, Jr. Tony Todd, Don S. Davis, Lexa Doig, and William B.
Davis
Writers: Joseph
Mallozzi and Paul Mullie
Director: Andy
Mikita
Running Time: 44
minutes without commercials
Media: SCI FI
Channel Original Series Winter Premiere Episode (NTSC DVD Screener)
Premiere: Friday,
January 6, 2006, at 8pm (ET/PT)
Network: SCI FI
Channel (Check your local cable/satellite listings for channel)
TV Rating: Not
Available At The Time Of Review
Reviewer: Mark A.
Rivera
The winter premiere
of the second half of season nine of the hit SCI FI Channel original series
“Stargate: SG-1” picks up right where the midseason finale left off with
Gerak (Louis Gossett, Jr.) appearing before the Jaffa council as a full convert
to the Ori leaving Teal’c (Christopher Judge) on the desperate mission to
prove to Gerak that the Ori are not who they appear to be with the hope of
averting a Jaffa civil war and finding a cure to the plague claiming thousands
of lives back on Earth.
Meanwhile Mitchell
(Ben Browder) and Daniel (Michael Shanks) embark on a mission to obtain a blood
sample from a Prior (William B. Davis) to bring back to Carter (Amanda Tapping),
who is also working on synthesizing a vaccine for the plague, which infects
General Landry (Beau Bridges). To make things worse the team learns of the
Ori’s master plan: to completely obliterate the Ancients.
The midseason winter
premiere “The Fourth Horseman, Part 2” is fast paced and entertaining. In
fact I’m amazed at how much the writers have managed to coherently fit in to
the episode without confusing the viewer. My only gripe about the episode was
the reunion between Ben Browder’s character and Tony Todd’s character since
Todd’s character is supposed to be the leader of one of the most legendary and
strict Jaffa ever. So strict that he was lead to believe that Browder’s
character’s death was faked to appease him and now with a throw away line or
two where he explains how he refused to follow the orders of the Prior and saw
evidence of their handiwork on other worlds and suddenly everything is okay. Not
even the mention that his son betrayed his confidence to save Browder’s
character is alluded to. Considering how single-minded Todd’s character was in
the episode he appeared in, I just could not believe that Browder as Mitchell
could just show up without any uneasiness between the two. There is absolutely
no tension at all and that to me seems ridiculous. Mitchell might as well come
through the gate and said” Hey what’s up?” and high five the guy because
it wouldn’t have made a difference and Browder works better playing informal
than playing the strict military type anyway. The Ori master plan definitely
raises the stakes higher than ever and the possibilities for crossover
complications between “SG-1” and “Atlantis” are now so interesting that
I hope the writers and producers don’t pass up the opportunities to make both
shows even better than they are now and definitely more interesting.
Guest stars in this
episode include series alumni Don S. Davis and “Gene Roddenberry’s Andromeda”
alumni Lexa Doig as well as “X-Files” alumni William B. Davis. “Stargate:
SG-1: Winter Season Premiere Episode: The Fourth Horseman, Part 2” will debut
on Friday, January 6, 2006, at 8pm (ET/PT) followed by the winter premieres of
“Stargate: Atlantis” at 9pm (ET/PT) and “Battlestar Galactica” at 10pm
(ET/PT). Don’t miss them!
© Copyright
2005 By Mark A. Rivera
All Rights Reserved.