The Fourth Horseman: Part 2 (6 Jan. 2006)

The plague continues to spread among the US population and the President has quarantined the nation. Teal'c is pleading with the Jaffa High Council to reject Origin, but Gerak arrives, ... See full summary »

Director:

Andy Mikita

Writers:

Brad Wright (developed for television by), Jonathan Glassner (developed for television by),

Stars:

Ben Browder, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
Ben Browder	...	Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell
Amanda Tapping	...	Lt. Col. Samantha Carter
Christopher Judge	...	Teal'c
Beau Bridges	...	Major General Hank Landry
Michael Shanks	...	Dr. Daniel Jackson
Cameron Bright	...	Orlin
Jason George	...	Jolan
Tony Todd	...	Lord Haikon
Don S. Davis	...	Lieutenant General George Hammond
Tony Amendola	...	Master Bra'tac
William B. Davis	...	Ori Prior Damaris
Garry Chalk	...	Colonel Chekov
Gary Jones	...	Chief Mst Sgt. Walter Harriman
Lexa Doig	...	Dr. Carolyn Lam
Louis Gossett Jr.	...	Gerak

Storyline

The plague continues to spread among the US population and the President has quarantined the nation. Teal'c is pleading with the Jaffa High Council to reject Origin, but Gerak arrives, having been transformed by the Ori into a prior. Cameron and Daniel seek the blood of the prior that caused the plague in order to cure it, but have once again been captured by the Sodan.

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

USA Canada

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 January 2006 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Kawoosh! Productions IX, MGM Worldwide Television Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

60 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Goofs

During the first of the scenes where Carter walks in and checks on Orlin, when the camera is facing Orlin, the screen of the laptop on the table is at a sharp angle, yet when the camera is facing Carter, the screen is completely vertical.

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Quotes

Damaris: It makes no difference what you do to me. But know this, the Ori are all-seeing. They are already aware of this affront to their eminence, and shall strike down those who dare to defy them.
[pause]
Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell: Nothing yet. You?
Dr. Daniel Jackson: Drawin' a blank. A little thirsty.
Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell: That doesn't count.
Dr. Daniel Jackson: No, it doesn't.

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Connections

References The Blues Brothers (1980)

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Soundtracks

"Main Title"
Written by Joel Goldsmith and David Arnold

User Reviews

Now might be the right time to panic

This second part begins with Earth on its way to a global pandemic while everybody at SGC scrambles to counter the Prior's formidable powers. Meanwhile, Garek's latest surprise has swayed the Jaffa Council and nonbelievers might soon face destruction.

Needless to say, there's plenty of dramatic intensity in this episode, almost enough for a finale. What makes it especially efficient is that while alien invasion clearly falls under the heading of science-fiction, a global epidemic doesn't. Not nowadays. Having the body count regularly listed by sober but frightful news flashes is a terribly convincing way of showing how dire the situation is.

I also really like how many different plot lines and loose threads this particular story manages to bring together and develop. Everybody gets their moment in the spotlight, a narrative feat that has been sorely underused lately. Carter has a few moving scenes with Orlin, Teal'c gets to make his most eloquent speech so far, Landry and his daughter share a few important moments, and of course Hammond's and Bra'tac's presence only makes things better.

My favorite part, however, is watching Daniel and Mitchell together. I am SO glad that the show didn't try to artificially recreate the kind of relationship Daniel and O'Neill had built. Instead those two are astonishingly similar (I think that the peas-in-a-pod cliché really works here). Beyond looking somewhat alike, they share the same humour and the same habit of talking non-stop without any regard for consequences. Just watch one of them talk while the other adds air quotes in all the appropriate places!

Despite its humour and constant optimism, this two-parter is very gloomy, ending with a rather dismal victory (I really feel bad for poor Orlin). Yet here is what really irks me: that this victory should be due to Gerak's last-minute change of mind. Two episodes ago the man was a fierce, uncompromising warrior. Then he suddenly converted and became a Prior, and now, within 5mn Teal'c manages to talk him 1°) out of killing thousands of Jaffa, AND 2°) into *sacrificing himself for a world he hated*? Sorry: too much, too fast, won't buy it. I appreciate that for once Teal'c saves the day (with his mouth!), but those twists feel very contrived. (Don't even mention the "how come the Ori could kill somebody here?" issue).