The Powers That Be

"The Powers That Be" is the fifth episode of the ninth season of Stargate SG-1.

Synopsis
P8X-412, a planet formerly belonging to Qetesh (the Goa'uld who once possessed Vala Mal Doran) has been visited by a Prior. SG-1 visits this planet to convince the simple folk not to worship the Ori.

Plot
Because nothing but time will dissolve the link between them, Dr. Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran are forced to remain together at Stargate Command. But when Vala learns that P8X-412 is one of 43 planets already visited by a Prior of the Ori, she persuades Lt. Colonel Cameron Mitchell to help the villagers of that primitive world resist this new danger.

Mitchell, Daniel and Teal'c accompany Vala to the planet, where they discover the real reason for Vala's special interest: The villagers there worship her as the Goa'uld Qetesh. Vala was once host to the real Qetesh, and after she was freed of the symbiote, she discovered that the people of this isolated planet hadn't heard that their god was dead. She continued posing as Qetesh, and the villagers showered her with the few riches they had. Now she's back to collect her loot. She also thinks she can simply order the villagers to reject the Prior.

Daniel and the rest of the team doubt her assumption. The Prior's powers are very real: on his previous visit, he apparently healed a villager, Vachna, of a terrible illness. This has caused a rift between the villagers, with Vachna praising the Ori and the village leader, Azdak, remaining faithful to "Qetesh." Vala won't be able to compete with the Prior in a god-versus-god showdown; the villagers will inevitably lose faith in her and submit to the Ori. Daniel finally persuades Vala that their only hope is to tell the truth. If her people come to see Vala as a false god, maybe they'll be suspicious of the Ori, too.

Unfortunately, the revelation of Vala's true identity doesn't go over so well. The outraged villagers, led by Azdak, toss her in prison and put her on trial for her life (Vala actually implemented the trial system when she ruled on the planet, and she called it a 'Mal Doran'). As Daniel argues that Vala deserves mercy, the Prior of the Ori returns. He debates with Daniel, and it's obvious that some of the villagers are buying his claims, whilst few others believe Daniel's explanation that the 'power' of the Ori arises from understanding and technology, not magic.

When Vachna falls ill again, however, Vala heals him using a Goa'uld healing device. This demonstration forces many villagers, including Vachna, to question the validity of the Prior's claims... until more people collapse with the illness. A plague ensues, and Daniel postulates that it could have been the Ori that dealt the plague to the Ancients that led to their extinction. This leaves Vala little hope of being able to cure it with one hand-device, and indeed, the disease spreads too fast for her to keep up. A medical team is sent from the SGC, led by Dr. Carolyn Lam, and but their efforts fail. Worse, those Vala heals fall sick again afterwards. Soon, even Mitchell succumbs.

The Ori, it seems, want to teach a mortal lesson to SG-1 and the people of P8X-412. Mitchell falls ill beyond anyone's aid, and Azdak dies. Vala sheds a secret tear for him.

Ultimately, when the Prior returns, the townsfolk pledge their allegiance to the Ori, and the Prior cures the whole village of the plague. Azdak even comes back to life, and Mitchell is saved. Vala had finally had enough of him and tried to gun him down, the bullets froze in mid-air before they reached his body. The Prior leaves, only telling SG-1 to tell others what they had seen that day.

Notable Quotes
Lam: How are you feeling? Mitchell: Tingly ... How 'bout we pretend I didn't say that.

Goofs

 * When Dr. Carolyn Lam reports back to Stargate Command about the plague, the sound effects when the Stargate is active is heard, but you can't see the event horizon.

In other languages

 * French: Prosélytisme (Proselytizing)
 * Italian: La Minaccia degli Ori (The Ori Threat)
 * Spanish: Los que Detentan el Poder (The Ones Who Have the Power)
 * Czech: Sláva bohům na výsostech
 * German (DVD/TV): Höhere Mächte (Higher Powers)  / Machtspiele (Power Games)