Stargate SG-1 (TV Series) The Powers That Be (2005) User Reviews

Time to Start Ending this Series

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 26 June 2019]

Cameron Mitchell, Daniel Jackson, Teal´c and Vala head to a planet where Vala ruled when she had a symbiont to convince the people that Ori is a fake god. They face difficulties in the planet and when a prior also arrive, they have a showdown trying to prove the prior is not telling the truth about Ori and his power is knowledge of technology indeed.

"The Powers That Be" is a reasonable episode of "Stargate SG-1". However the series seem to be exhausted and it is time to the writers to start ending this show. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "The Powers That Be"

Ah that familiar voice

[Calicodreamin · 6/10 · 9 April 2022]

It's been a while since hearing the goa'uld voice. Storyline was decent though it was entirely predictable. Costumes and effects were pretty well done.

Come ye faithful

[owlaurence · 9/10 · 8 August 2012]

This is not one of the most memorable episodes in SG-1, but it has very few flaws and brings a lot to the new season.

Once again, one of my favourite elements is Vala's complex character. While she never acts selflessly (she partly brings SG-1 to the mining colony because she wants to get her treasure back), she doesn't need that much incentive to make the right choice, and her tough facade has tons of cracks in it. It is clear that the scriptwriters have plans for her, so I am looking forward to watching her evolve (although I am a bit concerned that she is still only a Special Guest Star).

But even as Vala honestly starts to care about the people she spent years duping and exploiting (no matter how benevolently), her efforts seem doomed in front of the Ori's godlike power. Now the tone becomes much darker, even more hopeless than during the Anubis arc. What makes the Ori so terrifying is not their unearthly powers; the most compelling thing about them is how very easy, how very seductive their way is -especially when compared to the Goa'uld's despotic rule. As a result, despite all of Daniel's rightful arguments, the miners' conversion is a foregone conclusion. It is rather disheartening to watch those people, whom we got attached to rather quickly, willingly make the wrong choice --but then again, when faced with such options, who would not?

So now the fight has really taken hold in our galaxy --and the first battle is already lost. It is difficult to imagine how the humans are going to fight back, unless Daniel's question turns out to be really significant: Why are the Ori so keen on being adored?

Glad I saw this!

[enoswad · 9/10 · 11 April 2023]

I've seen a lot of Stargate SG-1 over the years, but not all episodes, and this is one that I had not seen before. I believe this episode does an important job of demonstrating how the Ori can convince people to turn to worship and believe in them.

In this case, an Ori Prior brings a plague upon the village which only the Ori can stop--but will only do so after the remaining villagers bow down and pledge themselves to the Ori.

I personally enjoy the little tit-for-tat exchanges between Vala Mal Doran and Dr. Daniel Jackson (and other members of the SCG), but I seem to be in the minority. Oh well.

I liked this episode and feel that it's a necessary step in understanding the threat posed by the Ori, so I'm glad that I finally saw it!

Shots Fired

[fcabanski · 4/10 · 1 October 2015]

The overall rating is really an average of two half episodes.

The first half gets a 1. It's a clumsy re-hash of the season 1 episode Cor-Ai, in which a group of people puts Teal'c on trial for his actions as First Prime of Apophis.

It's a puzzler why the people, who now know Vala was tricking them, still honor the trial system she set up while their false god: the Maldoran, which is named for her.

But half way through the episode a prior shows up. In fact, it's the prior who burned Vala to death, while the prior was just the leader of a town. He shows his power by inflicting the people with a disease a hand device can't cure, and human medicine can't even understand.

There's some real character development for Vala.

Still the second half has problems. The writers, as many people do, misunderstand biblical plagues.

The second half gets a 7. The average score is a 4.

The battle is now on for real. It doesn't look good for the humans. How can they fight false gods who have real god-like powers?