Behind the Mythology of Stargate SG-1 (2007) - full transcript
With interviews from cast, producers, and experts in the field of mythology and television, Behind the Mythology of Stargate SG-1 reveals how ten years of fantastic adventures have served to created Stargate's very own mythological superstructure.
Spanning 10 seasons,
with over 200 episodes...
...Stargate SG-1 has traveled
to countless planets...
...encountered different races,
and met numerous aliens...
...some friend and some foe.
They worked tirelessly to use
whatever means necessary...
...to acquire technology
that could help Earth...
...in its battle
against unforeseen aggressors.
But one of the biggest reasons
for Stargate SG-1 's success...
...has been the way
that Earth-based mythology...
...has been woven
into the show's fabric.
"Woven" is a fantastic way
of putting it, Michael.
In over 10 seasons, the show
has always found an entertaining way...
...to put a Stargate twist
on the mythology.
Join us as we take you deep into
10 years of Stargate SG-1 mythology.
And don't worry, we'll sort it all out
for you by the end of this show.
We hope.
We hope.
If mythology is defined as a set
of stories, traditions, or beliefs...
...associated with a particular group...
...arising naturally
or deliberately fostered...
...then the writers of Stargate SG-1
were doing everything possible...
...to create a deep
and layered mythology...
...that Stargate could call its own.
Make no mistake.
Osiris will return...
...and the rivers of the Earth
will run red with blood.
JUDGE: I think the role
that mythology has played...
...on the show has obviously been
a very important one.
I mean, from the genesis of the series,
it was based in Egyptian mythology.
This is just incredible.
JUDGE: You know,
being the cradle of civilization...
...we often wonder
the hows and the whys...
...and this gave,
at least a sci-fi perspective...
...of what could have, maybe, possibly
happened back in those ancient times.
DANIEL:
Jack, I think that this is a map...
...of a vast network of stargates.
Stargates that are all over the galaxy.
WOMAN: The stargate's a key
mythological element in the show...
...because it fits into a number
of mythological systems:
The Egyptian, the Celtic, the Norse,
which are three major systems...
...that operate in the show, all have
references to bridges, for example...
...that traverse one world to the next.
The stargate is a means of seeding
all of the planets...
...with different mythology.
As a narrative device it works perfectly.
You know, I think people love to see...
...you know,
stories that they're familiar with.
You know, mythological stories,
things that they've heard before...
...explained with a Stargate twist.
SHANKS: I think that's one
of the best things about Stargate.
It's one of the first things
that attracted me to the film...
...was the concept of--
The idea that certain myths or questions,
the great wonders of the world...
...or different relics, like the pyramids,
that are left behind...
...are yet to be
really properly explained...
...and everybody's got
some highfalutin theory.
What's great about science fiction
and asking "what if?"...
...is that we can
put our own spin on that...
...because we have artistic license
to do whatever we want.
That's the wonderful thing
about Stargate...
...is we've been able to not only borrow
from the Egyptians...
...the Greeks and the Romans
and now Arthurian mythologies...
...we're actually able to conjure up,
with our imagination, some ideas that--
The speculation in ideas
that other people have toyed with...
...because there are no right answers.
So we can create something,
and it makes...
...as opposed to making people escape,
it makes them kind of think and go:
"That might be true,"
or "That's not true."
The parchment told us five virtues would
guide us on our quest for the Sangraal.
Prudence, kindness, charity,
wisdom and faith.
Now, we displayed prudence in finding
a way out of the temporal maze...
...charity in escaping the force field trap,
kindness by helping the child...
...and finding the hidden passageway,
and wisdom in solving the riddles.
The only virtue left is faith.
- Daniel.
- Jackson.
Mythologies are designed to give us
a sense of how we fit into the universe.
They ask where we're coming from
and where we're going.
So where are you from?
Where we come from
and where we are going are all the same.
Oh, I get you.
Wherever you go, there you are.
And what we see when
we look at mythological systems...
...and what our intrepid heroes, SG-1,
see when they look out at the galaxy...
...in the vast panoply of characters
that they meet there...
...is really yourself.
Everywhere you go, there you are.
And that's one of the reasons
Stargate works so well...
...is because it does have this hook
into ancient mythologies...
...and a lot of fans
are fascinated with the whole idea...
...of the ancient mythologies...
...because they use it
as a sort of scientific explanation...
...for things that
can't really be explained otherwise.
There's a legend around here
about a Hall of Thor's Might.
Daniel, there's a time and place
for mythology.
CARTER:
With all due respect, sir...
...we thought Thor's hammer
was a myth until we proved it was real.
In fact, Stargate is something
that you might call cultural bricolage.
It's a way of going through
all of human culture...
...and picking up little bits and pieces
and sticking them together.
But sticking them together
using the stargate as a glue.
And making it into
a really, really interesting story.
There's a rule for mythology,
in terms of heroes, I know that.
But it's also a good rule on television.
You can pair off--
We're gonna split up. I' m with Teal'c.
Wait up.
WRIGHT: And you can cover a good
dynamic of different kinds of hero.
You've got your military person
in Jack O' Neill.
And, later on, in Mitchell.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Man!
Bullets bounce.
And you've got your warrior in Teal'c.
You have Daniel Jackson
as an intellectual and scientist.
Unless we wanna get a really bad
reputation, I think we should avoid...
...shooting the first people we meet
on a new planet.
And then Sam...
...possibly the hardest character
to have to try to portray.
She's almost all of them.
She is the warrior.
She is the thinker.
When the local sun sets
and it gets dark...
...you can actually see a luminous layer
of ionized gas...
...around the dying core expanding.
Fascinating.
And, of course, a woman.
Boy, she had a lot on her plate.
And she can pull it off. It's amazing.
How good is this?
Got the band back together.
Yeah, so what's with
the extra backup singer?
Oh, she's good fun.
Plus, we figured if Jackson were to--
- Die.
- Yeah, that's the word.
--It would jeopardize the mission.
As the series progresses, especially
a series that has gone as long as SG-1...
...you start creating a--
I've been referring to it as a sort of
critical mass of its own mythology...
...mythology that stops borrowing
from other cultures and Earth history...
...and starts, basically,
a self-generating mythology.
From the very first episode
of season one...
...there was little doubt
that SG-1 was in for a wild ride.
With the introduction of the Goa'uld...
...Apophis and his foot soldiers
of the Jaffa...
...Stargate SG-1 got into a battle...
...that would span eight long
and exciting seasons.
Keeping true to the original movie...
...the producers of Stargate SG-1
maintained Egyptian mythology...
...as a driving, antagonistic force
throughout the show.
COOPER: The Goa'uld are
kind of opportunists, you know?
They take technology
and they use that.
And they also take on
the roles of gods.
WRIGHT: if you want to dominate
a culture that already has a god...
...what could be easier than to step in
and say, "Well, that's me"?
- Hathor?
- Yes.
Have you heard of her?
Hathor was the Egyptian goddess
of fertility, inebriety and music.
- Sex, drugs and rock ' n' roll?
- In a manner of speaking.
The Goa'uld take a human host
and that personality is repressed.
The symbiote that is the Goa'uld...
...has genetic memory
of the queen that spawned it.
And so they have memories
that go back thousands of years.
The gods of the Egyptians...
...tended to be combinations
of animal and human.
And what better to represent the
combination of an animal and human...
...than a serpent invading
a human body?
COOPER: The Goa'uld are established,
you know, right in the movie...
...and then in the pilot of the series,
as the main bad guys for the show.
And they have
these very ceremonial ways.
They are essentially posing as gods.
And so they take on all of
the pomp and circumstance.
DICKSON: One of the things that's
interesting about Egyptian mythology...
...is that the iconography
is so recognizable...
...and is associated with grandeur...
...and bombast and excess.
They're basically an arrogant worm.
They're sort of a small creature
that has adopted...
...the vastness and the power
of a preexisting system.
And so the spectacle of
the Egyptian model...
...is really, really important
to the show.
System Lords can't be trusted,
either as a group or individuals.
They're posturing egomaniacs
driven by an insatiable lust for power.
Each one capable of unimaginable evil.
Once your good guys have
defeated your bad guys...
...suddenly the bad guys look weak.
You either need new bad guys
that are either more bad...
...or you need more bad guys.
The System Lords, really,
are just the most powerful Goa'ulds.
I am Ba'al.
As in bocce?
They are the Goa'ulds
who have their own armies...
...their own fleets of ships and their own
territories among the stars.
I think with the System Lords,
what was important...
...because in every pantheon
of gods...
...there was a hierarchal system
and I think that was important...
...because you had all these
System Lords warring with each other...
...who all seemed to represent
different deities...
...from different mythos in Earth lore.
Whom do you serve?
- Anubis.
- What?
- You're lying.
- He is dead.
That is what you assumed
after you attempted to murder him.
Because of the hierarchal system,
you have things going a certain way.
This guy had to be more powerful and
bad, if that's the way it was in history...
...in the way, you know,
our ancestors understood this.
It's really interesting when
you get an episode like the "Summit"...
...when you have all these guys,
got them in the same room.
But they all kind of represent
different cultural distinctions.
There's Amaterasu, which is Japanese.
MALLOZZI:
A god from African mythology.
JUDGE: Cronos, that was Greek.
SHANKS: Bastet, which is Egyptian.
MALLOZZI:
Yu from the Chinese mythology.
Although, interestingly enough,
Yu is a character who...
...wasn't a god
in the Chinese mythology.
He was an architect
or sort of a high official.
They kind of adopt the culture.
They kind of--
The Goa'uld kind of become
the god they're portraying.
The Jaffa were originally created
as foot soldiers for the Goa'uld.
Kill the rest.
[PEOPLE SCREAMING]
The Jaffa are literally the incubators
for Goa'uld children.
What the hell is that?
It's an infant Goa'uld.
The larval form of the gods.
I have carried one since I was a child,
as all Jaffa carry one.
To show their devotion and servitude
to the Goa'ulds...
...they wear their symbol
on their forehead.
The first primes get the gold ones and
they've been cut into their foreheads...
...and molten gold has been poured in.
And it's kind of a special rite of passage
to get the first prime tattoo.
As time went on
and we began humanizing the Jaffa.
More and more we're exploring the fact
that they were essentially innocent.
They weren't doing what they
were doing because they were evil.
Unlike the Goa'uld, who are genetically
predisposed to be evil.
I can save these people.
Help me.
Essentially, we would tell the Jaffa story
through Teal'c.
Help me.
Many have said that.
But you are the first
I believe could do it.
JUDGE: Teal'c, being dissatisfied
with his situation...
...and you found out very early on...
...that there are other Jaffa
that felt the same way.
- Why do you defy me?
- Because you are not a god.
You are a parasite within a child,
and I despise you.
JUDGE:
The basis of the movement...
...and the basis, I think,
of any movement, is the people.
I think that really showed
that a society of people...
...are not controlled from the top down
but from the bottom up.
L...
...die...
...free.
MALLOZZI:
They finally rise up, led by Teal'c...
...and throw off the yoke
of Goa'uld oppression...
...and win their freedom.
In the battle against the Goa'uld,
Earth needed allies.
And with perfect timing,
we met the Asgard.
Borrowing from the look
of the Roswell grays...
...and a long-standing
Norse mythology...
...the Asgard represented a strength...
...that SG-1 had not seen
since meeting the Goa'uld.
It would later foster a friendship
and an alliance...
...that would run throughout
the entire series.
Initially, what we had was
SG-1 were the good guys...
...and the Goa'uld were the bad guys.
But the Goa'uld were so powerful...
...that there was really no way
that SG-1 even stood a chance.
That's why the Asgard
were introduced.
In a way, the Asgard were, you know,
as much an adversary to the Goa'uld...
...as we were,
and we became friends with them.
So...
...where am I?
This is the Asgard planet Othala
in the galaxy of Ida.
The Asgards are important because they
do take the show in a new direction...
...largely by introducing a new race,
a new power in the galaxy.
DANIEL: Ladies and gentlemen,
I think this is Thor's Chariot.
An Asgard mother ship.
I've heard them described
in Jaffa legend.
In "Thor's Hammer,"
these people believed...
...that they would always be protected
by their god, Thor.
PEOPLE [CHANTING]:
Thor, Thor, Thor.
They appear to have
all of the accoutrements...
...of an ancient Norse god.
I am Thor.
You're brave to come before me.
Mighty Thor, we need your help.
MALLOZZI: Originally, they're presented
in hologram form...
...as this mighty Norse god.
When you see the Asgard for what
they are, they are wildly different.
So we get that kind of contrast
that sort of shows...
...the relationship between what
we imagined and what is actually real.
But we also get things, like, for instance,
the notion of custodial gods, right?
So Thor replaced Odin, the warrior god,
because he was a custodial god...
...he looked after farms, not raiders.
And Thor and the Asgard
are custodial aliens.
The Protected Planets Treaty
and so forth.
The Asgard will attempt to negotiate
with the Goa'uld System Lords...
...to include Earth
in the Protected Planets Treaty.
That's a good thing, right?
I think it was really interesting to--
Because of these aliens...
...who are not gonna fit in
and be able just to converse openly.
So they had to do some research.
If dealing with primitive civilizations...
...they had to research, " How do we
communicate to these people?
And how do we get them
to possibly do our bidding...
...or just find out
a little more about them?"
So the idea that they use technology
to imitate human-type life forms...
...and that appealed to a specific culture,
like the Norse people at the time...
...I think that's a little bit
more interesting to me...
...and something that went on
throughout the run of the series...
...and just kept evolving.
The coordinates are set.
- Are you ready, Colonel Carter?
- Ready as I'll ever be.
Initiating transport.
Shortly after the Asgard
were introduced, we realized...
...we've created a adversary for the
Goa'uld that are, in fact, so powerful...
...that it doesn't really make sense
why the Asgard...
...haven't wiped the Goa'uld out.
And it was kind of looking at that hole
in the series...
...that made us invent the Replicators.
The original Replicators,
introduced in SG-1...
...were these little mechanical creatures
that consumed metal.
Are you saying
they're actually eating the ship?
Ingesting the alloys, yes.
They will continue until they risk
compromising the integrity of the hulls.
MALLOZZI: You had the Asgard,
that are so advanced...
...that had obviously advanced past the
use of these crude projectile weapons...
...who were trying to use energy-based
weapons, and it wasn't having an effect.
You have demonstrated their weakness
may be found through...
...a less-sophisticated approach.
We are no longer capable
of such thinking.
Wait a minute, you're actually saying
you need someone dumber than you are?
You may have come to the right place.
MALLOZZI: And as a result,
the Replicators have pretty much...
...overrun their galaxy, and we ended up
doing a better job...
...of handling the threat
they pose to our galaxy.
The Replicators gave us
a really interesting, thoughtless...
...bent-on-destruction kind of
antagonist for us to face...
...but it also highlighted
our own need to walk carefully...
...when dealing with artificial intelligence
and with technology...
...that gets away on us.
So I thought that was a nice avenue...
...for us to peruse for a while, as well.
It's a good example of how an enemy,
how a race, evolves...
...and becomes
part of a series' canon...
...and part of the ground
from which you build stories.
As the writing continued to cultivate
the mythology of the show...
...the scope of just how much the
stargate opened us up to the universe...
...was becoming more evident
with every new episode.
In the same season
that we met the Asgard...
...we came across an ally
that would prove fruitful...
...in the fight against the Goa'uld.
The Tok'ra.
Kiss me.
- You're kidding, right?
- No. I' m not.
The reason we invented the Tok'ra was,
how do you get out of the problem...
...of having a Goa'uld
in one of your main characters?
Well, the twist is what if that Goa'uld
was actually a good guy?
One of the elements of the show
that I really enjoyed...
...was the philosophical difference...
...between being a Jaffa,
being a Goa'uld and being a Tok'ra.
Goa'uld take hosts. Tok'ra do not.
Ours wish to be so.
We have a truly symbiotic relationship.
The Tok'ra have been
a longstanding ally.
But their numbers are few.
And they've always been a little wary
of sticking their necks out too far.
SG-1's search for allies
and its desire to acquire technology...
...that could help Earth in its battle
against unforeseen aggressors...
...was only overshadowed by the quest
to understand the bigger picture.
Who started it all?
It was the introduction of the Ancients
to the Stargate universe...
...that added a rich new layer
to Stargate 's mythology.
COOPER: The Ancients in "Ascension"
are very much about...
...the continuation of the human soul
beyond humanity as we know it.
I'm an Ancient.
- What?
- Not me but the others like me.
They're the Ancients.
This is written in one
of the oldest dialects of the Ancients.
I always suspected
but I never really knew for sure.
- What does it say?
- It says the Ancients evolved...
...from a race of humans
that lived long before us.
They were wiped out by a plague
sweeping across the galaxy.
And that many learned to ascend
and the rest died out.
- I have to go.
- Daniel.
We've kind of said
that the Ancients are us.
We are the second evolution
of this physical form.
And the idea of the Ancients
is that they evolved.
Eventually, they became
so knowledgeable of the universe...
...and of the understanding
of existence...
...that they were able to shed
their human bodies and turn into energy.
WRIGHT: And the philosophy
that they then have to adopt--
Because it empowers them
so, so much.
--Is to not interfere.
If you know what it is
we're looking for...
...and, as an ascended being,
I have to assume you do...
As Dr. Jackson knows,
it is against our highest law to interfere.
They refer to
that most important question--
Or one of the two
most important questions of mythology.
The first one is,
"Where do we come from?"
They answer both of those.
"Where do we come from?"
and "Where are we going?"
So they are origin and telos, right?
The beginning and the end.
Jack, the markings on the wall
are a language. It's a bible.
Actually, it's more
of an instruction book...
...on how to reach
this ethereal plane of existence.
Some kind of other world. It's only
natural the Jaffa who found this...
...would've interpreted it
as a passage to the after--
Slow down there, grasshopper.
If the Ancients
were really the first...
...form, human form that lived on Earth
and built the stargates...
...and then went out into the galaxy
from here--
As evidenced by the fact that
it's our constellations on the stargate.
--Then they had to have been on Earth
millions of years ago.
There should be evidence of that.
I don't think this is it, Sam.
What do you mean?
The dome's too small. It's like Taonas.
It's obviously not a city.
It's just an outpost of some kind.
- This isn't Atlantis?
- I don't think so.
The lost city of Atlantis is interesting
because it was mystical.
Even at the moment
when we first heard about it in Plato...
...it had already been sunk in the sea
for 9000 years.
And so it brings with it
that huge suitcase of history...
...and associations
with that vanished past.
As the seasons moved on
and SG-1 aligned with their allies...
...to overpower the Goa'uld,
the show took on a new direction.
Events occurred that led the SG-1 team
to a new race.
Which caused them to reexamine
everything they thought they knew...
...about the gate builders.
Robert, I think quite correctly, said:
" Look, let's introduce a new bad guy.
Let's introduce
a new, long-term, large arc...
...that can be, you know,
essentially a new mythology...
...that's still very much
within the Stargate universe."
Once upon a time, there was a race
of people that went on a journey...
...through space, across the universe.
They were called the Altera.
After much time-- And I think this means
thousands of years.
--They found a great belt of stars.
And they lived happily ever after.
Have you found something,
Daniel Jackson?
It says that the Alterans
named their new home Avalon...
...and that
they built many astria porta.
Stargates.
In "Avalon 1,"
Vala comes through the gate...
...and she is carrying this treasure map.
The treasure map leads us--
Happens to be-- The treasure
happens to be here on Earth.
And it's a cache of treasure and,
possibly, weapons and technology...
...that we have been looking for
for years.
Avalon was actually a place where
Merlin helped Arthur, a mortal, ascend.
Are not the Ancients prevented from
interfering with the existence of mortals?
Ascended, yes, for the most part.
It's possible Merlin was not ascended...
...but was in fact just a human
far along the evolutionary path.
What does this have to do with
where this alleged treasure is buried?
There are a number
of conflicting interpretations.
Certain threads point
to the Knights of the Round Table...
...gathering great treasures
from Arthur's domain...
...and hiding them
in a magical stronghold at Avalon.
The Glastonbury Tor is the place
where King Arthur was buried.
Now, immediately shining
a light on that makes you go:
"What the heck does that
have to do with anything?"
You realize what this could mean?
Whoa. We've always presumed
that the Ancients...
...were the first evolution of humans
in this galaxy.
But this--
This is the first evidence
suggesting they came here...
...long ago from somewhere
far, far away.
- Yes.
- Colonel Mitchell.
SHANKS:
The Alterans is a way of...
...distinguishing the Ancients
being an entire culture--
The Ori and the Alterans
being the two aspects of that...
...that broke off
in different directions.
The discovery that the Alterans actually--
Potentially exist in another galaxy...
...was our way of, in season nine,
of separating those two.
We always kept
referring to the Ancients...
...as one distinct, governing body
that was always looking on.
And we would just refer to them
as the Ancients.
And then the discovery that there are--
if there is a good one...
...then there must be
a bad one here too.
Hallowed are the Ori.
The new direction
of the show had begun.
And the tides were turning
with every mission.
The introduction
of the fundamentalist Ori...
...served notice that the battle to keep
the galaxy safe was far from over.
The Ori--
Unlike the Ancients,
who have adopted, kind of...
...this hands-off policy
towards our galaxy.
The Ori are very hands-on and are the
antithesis of the Ancients we created.
I wanted the new bad guys...
...to have the same feeling,
to have the same essence...
...that the relationship with the Goa'ulds
was at the beginning of the series.
They could be posing as gods
but have even more power.
It's all lies and propaganda,
as far as they're concerned.
We're wrong, they're right.
They're good, we're bad.
We must worship the Ori or die.
And they will fight
until we are dead or they are. Period.
One of the things
that we intentionally did...
...was looked at the
colorful flamboyance of the Goa'uld...
...and took a decidedly darker approach
to the Ori.
The Priors are quite obviously
the priests of the religion.
What's interesting about them is that,
again, they have supernatural abilities.
The Ori, as ascended beings...
...have a certain knowledge
of the way things work...
...of humans and of evolution.
And so they can impart
advancements on people.
They can, you know,
wave their magic wands...
...and give people psychic abilities or
telekinesis or super-strength. Whatever.
And the Priors have that.
So when the Priors say,
" Hey, we represent the Ori.
And guess what? We have the ability
to plant our staff in the ground...
...and part the Red Sea,"
people tend to believe them.
Behold the gift...
...the Ori have bestowed upon me.
COOPER: it was interesting
to create bad guys that...
...from their point of view,
are maybe not so bad.
The warriors, the people who believe
in Origin, are saying, " Hey, come on."
You know, they're--
All they're saying is:
" Behave yourselves
and we'll help you ascend."
What is there for any and all to gain
by choosing the path of Origin?
Those seeking eternal salvation
can follow the word of the Ori.
Those that do not shall die as mortals.
It is as simple as that.
The twist is that they're actually not
helping people ascend.
The Ori are actually, you know,
a small group of ascended beings...
...who are manipulating people because
they actually gain some sort of...
...you know, energy, power
from the worship of human beings.
For starters, did you know that the Ori
need people to worship them...
...because that's how
they gain their power?
- He didn't know.
- No, he didn't know that.
And that they're not fulfilling
the one promise of the religion.
And that is that if you're good...
...you're gonna be brought up
to their level.
I never dreamed I would one day
be fit to serve the Ori in this way.
By killing people
you know nothing about?
All I need to know
is that they are enemy of the Ori.
That they reject the teachings of Origin
and would have us stray from the path.
These so-called unbelievers...
...they're so far away,
how can they affect us?
Evil must not be allowed
to fester anywhere.
MALLOZZI: Tomin is a excellent example
of a character...
...who gets swept away
in this religious fervor, if you will.
He-- Unlike the Ori, or even the Priors
to a certain extent...
...he's not an evil individual
but incredibly misguided.
And so, you feel sympathy
for the character.
Fear not.
Once we warriors of Ori have vanquished
the wicked, I shall return.
COOPER: I was really interested
in making the warriors multidimensional.
I really wanted to kind of understand
what it would be like on the other side.
- You have to listen to me.
- No!
I am deaf to all
but the teachings of Origin!
So by putting Vala, you know, as a--
Behind enemy lines, so to speak, and
having her develop this relationship...
I mean, here's a guy who she really
could have probably spent her life with.
Who just also happened to be,
you know, a holy crusader.
Now hear the words of the Orici.
WRIGHT: Right from the get go, we knew
that if we had gotten into season 10...
...we needed to kind of
put a figurehead on that.
Put a real face on the bad guys.
We created the character
who has a knowledge of the Ori...
...in the form of a human being.
She was, you know, immaculately
conceived. Vala carried the child.
And then the Ori kinda snuck one
of their own over the border...
...and cheated the ancient rules.
We're not rejoining the fleet.
You're coming with me.
- No, I can't abandon my army.
- It's not your army.
Of course it is.
Well, I' m putting my foot down.
You're too young
to have your own army.
With the introduction of Adria,
who I liken to an evil Joan of Arc--
What of the village?
Have they agreed to accept
the teachings of Origin?
- No.
- Then burn it.
--We have a character
who not only embodies, you know...
...the spirit of the Ori, but is able
to interact with us on a physical level.
I think with the introduction of the Ori
to the mythology of Stargate...
...what it's done is it has allowed us
to be a little bit more intellectual...
...a little bit more contemporary...
...with our usage of the word "god"
in the context of science fiction.
What is a god but a being
that is worshipped by those beneath?
Is great knowledge,
power, understanding...
...not enough
for you to revere the Ori?
Respect, yes, certainly.
But that doesn't mean I would murder
innocent people in their name.
People were saying, "The Ori are just
so powerful and the Priors are so bad.
I mean, how is the team
ever going to defeat them?
How are they ever gonna win?"
And, I mean,
that's kinda what we wanted.
I mean, that's what
the fan reaction was, I think...
...at the beginning of the series
when here we have the Goa'ulds.
They have these ships and technology.
How are we ever gonna beat them?
Well, eight years later, we did.
We kicked their asses.
And now, we have to set up a situation
in the same series...
...where our heroes
can once again overcome...
...what seem to be,
you know, incredible odds to win.
As SG-1 's focus turns
to the birth of a new enemy...
...the show delves further
into a world of Arthurian mythology...
...and leads us on a chase
for the Holy Grail.
Have you heard of Merlin?
Merlin. King Arthur and the Knights
of the Round Table Merlin?
- Yes.
- Was an Ancient?
I think so.
See? That is what I' m talking about.
Merlin wasn't a particularly
spiritual character in Arthurian legend.
He was a guy
that manipulated things...
...so that Arthur was born...
...and then helped Arthur
with the business of being king.
In Stargate,
it's sort of the other way around again.
He comes down from a holy place,
from being ascended...
...and helps people towards defending
themselves on the physical plane.
And, also, against spiritual dangers.
It made sense that this guy had--
Merlin had that capability
of being a wizard...
...and sending Arthur on this quest.
He really was a very powerful alien,
if you will.
Welcome,
ye Knights of the Round Table.
Men of honor,
followers of the path of righteousness.
Only those with wealth of knowledge...
...and truth of spirit
shall be given access to the underworld.
You know,
the Merlin Holy Grail is a search.
Is a search for something
that would be the answer...
...the solution to our problems.
And it's the main thrust of,
you know, season 10.
Searching for the device
that hopefully...
...you know, if used properly,
would actually kill the Ori.
Your world, as well as countless others,
are in danger of being overrun...
...by an enemy far more powerful
than you could ever imagine.
They are called the Ori.
And they will destroy
anyone who does not kneel before them.
We know a long time ago, Merlin
was working on a weapon against them.
And the key to finding that weapon
is inside that library.
The Holy Grail
is a really interesting figure...
...because it's, again,
a pseudo-Christian artifact...
...that was never actually accepted
officially by the Church.
But it has that sort of strong,
sort of Christian association...
...brought by Joseph of Arimathea
to England.
And being associated with resurrection
and purity of heart.
Prudence, wisdom, charity,
kindness and faith.
Let these be your guide
on this perilous quest.
So it has this really long history.
But it's associated with the quest.
And with nobility and with chivalry
and all of those kinds of things.
And it has, therefore,
a really strong redemptive quality to it.
It was lost
because humanity was wicked.
So that notion that, when we find it,
there's a kind of redemption.
But it's tricky in this context...
...because it's also associated
with potential genocide, right?
In the fact
that it could destroy the Ori...
...and anybody else
who happens to be ascended.
I think, through us using this,
we're able to take something...
...other than just using deities
and their stories.
We were able to take a little piece of
our own unexplained history, possibly...
...and say, "What if it did happen, but
it didn't happen like people think it did."
We're talking about the Holy Grail, right?
Every movie I've seen, that's a cup.
No, the notion that the Grail
was a cup or chalice...
...used by Christ at the last supper,
was a late addition to the myth.
Earlier accounts describe it
variously as a dish or platter.
Or, in the case of Von Eschenbach
and other Middle Eastern chroniclers...
...as a stone that fell
from the heavens.
SHANKS: From defeating the Goa'uld,
to the discovery of the Ori...
...from meeting the Asguard,
to the search for the Holy Grail...
...Stargate SG-1 has created a rich,
complex mythology...
...that has given the fans a reason
to tune in every week.
WRIGHT:
Someone once compared Stargate...
...to a really cool, long
and complicated novel...
...that doesn't ever have to end.
COOPER:
The only way you could have...
...that kind of complex, rich,
detailed mythology...
...is to have it slowly evolve
over the course of 10 years.
Hard to believe when you say that.
DICKSON:
The success of the show...
...I think, is very much
tied to that larger superstructure.
The ability to take
something that we know...
...something that we recognize--
The pyramids, for example.
--And to give it to us in a new way.
SHANKS: So after 10 seasons and over
200 episodes, Stargate SG-1 has...
...with the help of
some of the world's greatest myths...
...taken the fans on a fantastic voyage.
And the voyage continues.
with over 200 episodes...
...Stargate SG-1 has traveled
to countless planets...
...encountered different races,
and met numerous aliens...
...some friend and some foe.
They worked tirelessly to use
whatever means necessary...
...to acquire technology
that could help Earth...
...in its battle
against unforeseen aggressors.
But one of the biggest reasons
for Stargate SG-1 's success...
...has been the way
that Earth-based mythology...
...has been woven
into the show's fabric.
"Woven" is a fantastic way
of putting it, Michael.
In over 10 seasons, the show
has always found an entertaining way...
...to put a Stargate twist
on the mythology.
Join us as we take you deep into
10 years of Stargate SG-1 mythology.
And don't worry, we'll sort it all out
for you by the end of this show.
We hope.
We hope.
If mythology is defined as a set
of stories, traditions, or beliefs...
...associated with a particular group...
...arising naturally
or deliberately fostered...
...then the writers of Stargate SG-1
were doing everything possible...
...to create a deep
and layered mythology...
...that Stargate could call its own.
Make no mistake.
Osiris will return...
...and the rivers of the Earth
will run red with blood.
JUDGE: I think the role
that mythology has played...
...on the show has obviously been
a very important one.
I mean, from the genesis of the series,
it was based in Egyptian mythology.
This is just incredible.
JUDGE: You know,
being the cradle of civilization...
...we often wonder
the hows and the whys...
...and this gave,
at least a sci-fi perspective...
...of what could have, maybe, possibly
happened back in those ancient times.
DANIEL:
Jack, I think that this is a map...
...of a vast network of stargates.
Stargates that are all over the galaxy.
WOMAN: The stargate's a key
mythological element in the show...
...because it fits into a number
of mythological systems:
The Egyptian, the Celtic, the Norse,
which are three major systems...
...that operate in the show, all have
references to bridges, for example...
...that traverse one world to the next.
The stargate is a means of seeding
all of the planets...
...with different mythology.
As a narrative device it works perfectly.
You know, I think people love to see...
...you know,
stories that they're familiar with.
You know, mythological stories,
things that they've heard before...
...explained with a Stargate twist.
SHANKS: I think that's one
of the best things about Stargate.
It's one of the first things
that attracted me to the film...
...was the concept of--
The idea that certain myths or questions,
the great wonders of the world...
...or different relics, like the pyramids,
that are left behind...
...are yet to be
really properly explained...
...and everybody's got
some highfalutin theory.
What's great about science fiction
and asking "what if?"...
...is that we can
put our own spin on that...
...because we have artistic license
to do whatever we want.
That's the wonderful thing
about Stargate...
...is we've been able to not only borrow
from the Egyptians...
...the Greeks and the Romans
and now Arthurian mythologies...
...we're actually able to conjure up,
with our imagination, some ideas that--
The speculation in ideas
that other people have toyed with...
...because there are no right answers.
So we can create something,
and it makes...
...as opposed to making people escape,
it makes them kind of think and go:
"That might be true,"
or "That's not true."
The parchment told us five virtues would
guide us on our quest for the Sangraal.
Prudence, kindness, charity,
wisdom and faith.
Now, we displayed prudence in finding
a way out of the temporal maze...
...charity in escaping the force field trap,
kindness by helping the child...
...and finding the hidden passageway,
and wisdom in solving the riddles.
The only virtue left is faith.
- Daniel.
- Jackson.
Mythologies are designed to give us
a sense of how we fit into the universe.
They ask where we're coming from
and where we're going.
So where are you from?
Where we come from
and where we are going are all the same.
Oh, I get you.
Wherever you go, there you are.
And what we see when
we look at mythological systems...
...and what our intrepid heroes, SG-1,
see when they look out at the galaxy...
...in the vast panoply of characters
that they meet there...
...is really yourself.
Everywhere you go, there you are.
And that's one of the reasons
Stargate works so well...
...is because it does have this hook
into ancient mythologies...
...and a lot of fans
are fascinated with the whole idea...
...of the ancient mythologies...
...because they use it
as a sort of scientific explanation...
...for things that
can't really be explained otherwise.
There's a legend around here
about a Hall of Thor's Might.
Daniel, there's a time and place
for mythology.
CARTER:
With all due respect, sir...
...we thought Thor's hammer
was a myth until we proved it was real.
In fact, Stargate is something
that you might call cultural bricolage.
It's a way of going through
all of human culture...
...and picking up little bits and pieces
and sticking them together.
But sticking them together
using the stargate as a glue.
And making it into
a really, really interesting story.
There's a rule for mythology,
in terms of heroes, I know that.
But it's also a good rule on television.
You can pair off--
We're gonna split up. I' m with Teal'c.
Wait up.
WRIGHT: And you can cover a good
dynamic of different kinds of hero.
You've got your military person
in Jack O' Neill.
And, later on, in Mitchell.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Man!
Bullets bounce.
And you've got your warrior in Teal'c.
You have Daniel Jackson
as an intellectual and scientist.
Unless we wanna get a really bad
reputation, I think we should avoid...
...shooting the first people we meet
on a new planet.
And then Sam...
...possibly the hardest character
to have to try to portray.
She's almost all of them.
She is the warrior.
She is the thinker.
When the local sun sets
and it gets dark...
...you can actually see a luminous layer
of ionized gas...
...around the dying core expanding.
Fascinating.
And, of course, a woman.
Boy, she had a lot on her plate.
And she can pull it off. It's amazing.
How good is this?
Got the band back together.
Yeah, so what's with
the extra backup singer?
Oh, she's good fun.
Plus, we figured if Jackson were to--
- Die.
- Yeah, that's the word.
--It would jeopardize the mission.
As the series progresses, especially
a series that has gone as long as SG-1...
...you start creating a--
I've been referring to it as a sort of
critical mass of its own mythology...
...mythology that stops borrowing
from other cultures and Earth history...
...and starts, basically,
a self-generating mythology.
From the very first episode
of season one...
...there was little doubt
that SG-1 was in for a wild ride.
With the introduction of the Goa'uld...
...Apophis and his foot soldiers
of the Jaffa...
...Stargate SG-1 got into a battle...
...that would span eight long
and exciting seasons.
Keeping true to the original movie...
...the producers of Stargate SG-1
maintained Egyptian mythology...
...as a driving, antagonistic force
throughout the show.
COOPER: The Goa'uld are
kind of opportunists, you know?
They take technology
and they use that.
And they also take on
the roles of gods.
WRIGHT: if you want to dominate
a culture that already has a god...
...what could be easier than to step in
and say, "Well, that's me"?
- Hathor?
- Yes.
Have you heard of her?
Hathor was the Egyptian goddess
of fertility, inebriety and music.
- Sex, drugs and rock ' n' roll?
- In a manner of speaking.
The Goa'uld take a human host
and that personality is repressed.
The symbiote that is the Goa'uld...
...has genetic memory
of the queen that spawned it.
And so they have memories
that go back thousands of years.
The gods of the Egyptians...
...tended to be combinations
of animal and human.
And what better to represent the
combination of an animal and human...
...than a serpent invading
a human body?
COOPER: The Goa'uld are established,
you know, right in the movie...
...and then in the pilot of the series,
as the main bad guys for the show.
And they have
these very ceremonial ways.
They are essentially posing as gods.
And so they take on all of
the pomp and circumstance.
DICKSON: One of the things that's
interesting about Egyptian mythology...
...is that the iconography
is so recognizable...
...and is associated with grandeur...
...and bombast and excess.
They're basically an arrogant worm.
They're sort of a small creature
that has adopted...
...the vastness and the power
of a preexisting system.
And so the spectacle of
the Egyptian model...
...is really, really important
to the show.
System Lords can't be trusted,
either as a group or individuals.
They're posturing egomaniacs
driven by an insatiable lust for power.
Each one capable of unimaginable evil.
Once your good guys have
defeated your bad guys...
...suddenly the bad guys look weak.
You either need new bad guys
that are either more bad...
...or you need more bad guys.
The System Lords, really,
are just the most powerful Goa'ulds.
I am Ba'al.
As in bocce?
They are the Goa'ulds
who have their own armies...
...their own fleets of ships and their own
territories among the stars.
I think with the System Lords,
what was important...
...because in every pantheon
of gods...
...there was a hierarchal system
and I think that was important...
...because you had all these
System Lords warring with each other...
...who all seemed to represent
different deities...
...from different mythos in Earth lore.
Whom do you serve?
- Anubis.
- What?
- You're lying.
- He is dead.
That is what you assumed
after you attempted to murder him.
Because of the hierarchal system,
you have things going a certain way.
This guy had to be more powerful and
bad, if that's the way it was in history...
...in the way, you know,
our ancestors understood this.
It's really interesting when
you get an episode like the "Summit"...
...when you have all these guys,
got them in the same room.
But they all kind of represent
different cultural distinctions.
There's Amaterasu, which is Japanese.
MALLOZZI:
A god from African mythology.
JUDGE: Cronos, that was Greek.
SHANKS: Bastet, which is Egyptian.
MALLOZZI:
Yu from the Chinese mythology.
Although, interestingly enough,
Yu is a character who...
...wasn't a god
in the Chinese mythology.
He was an architect
or sort of a high official.
They kind of adopt the culture.
They kind of--
The Goa'uld kind of become
the god they're portraying.
The Jaffa were originally created
as foot soldiers for the Goa'uld.
Kill the rest.
[PEOPLE SCREAMING]
The Jaffa are literally the incubators
for Goa'uld children.
What the hell is that?
It's an infant Goa'uld.
The larval form of the gods.
I have carried one since I was a child,
as all Jaffa carry one.
To show their devotion and servitude
to the Goa'ulds...
...they wear their symbol
on their forehead.
The first primes get the gold ones and
they've been cut into their foreheads...
...and molten gold has been poured in.
And it's kind of a special rite of passage
to get the first prime tattoo.
As time went on
and we began humanizing the Jaffa.
More and more we're exploring the fact
that they were essentially innocent.
They weren't doing what they
were doing because they were evil.
Unlike the Goa'uld, who are genetically
predisposed to be evil.
I can save these people.
Help me.
Essentially, we would tell the Jaffa story
through Teal'c.
Help me.
Many have said that.
But you are the first
I believe could do it.
JUDGE: Teal'c, being dissatisfied
with his situation...
...and you found out very early on...
...that there are other Jaffa
that felt the same way.
- Why do you defy me?
- Because you are not a god.
You are a parasite within a child,
and I despise you.
JUDGE:
The basis of the movement...
...and the basis, I think,
of any movement, is the people.
I think that really showed
that a society of people...
...are not controlled from the top down
but from the bottom up.
L...
...die...
...free.
MALLOZZI:
They finally rise up, led by Teal'c...
...and throw off the yoke
of Goa'uld oppression...
...and win their freedom.
In the battle against the Goa'uld,
Earth needed allies.
And with perfect timing,
we met the Asgard.
Borrowing from the look
of the Roswell grays...
...and a long-standing
Norse mythology...
...the Asgard represented a strength...
...that SG-1 had not seen
since meeting the Goa'uld.
It would later foster a friendship
and an alliance...
...that would run throughout
the entire series.
Initially, what we had was
SG-1 were the good guys...
...and the Goa'uld were the bad guys.
But the Goa'uld were so powerful...
...that there was really no way
that SG-1 even stood a chance.
That's why the Asgard
were introduced.
In a way, the Asgard were, you know,
as much an adversary to the Goa'uld...
...as we were,
and we became friends with them.
So...
...where am I?
This is the Asgard planet Othala
in the galaxy of Ida.
The Asgards are important because they
do take the show in a new direction...
...largely by introducing a new race,
a new power in the galaxy.
DANIEL: Ladies and gentlemen,
I think this is Thor's Chariot.
An Asgard mother ship.
I've heard them described
in Jaffa legend.
In "Thor's Hammer,"
these people believed...
...that they would always be protected
by their god, Thor.
PEOPLE [CHANTING]:
Thor, Thor, Thor.
They appear to have
all of the accoutrements...
...of an ancient Norse god.
I am Thor.
You're brave to come before me.
Mighty Thor, we need your help.
MALLOZZI: Originally, they're presented
in hologram form...
...as this mighty Norse god.
When you see the Asgard for what
they are, they are wildly different.
So we get that kind of contrast
that sort of shows...
...the relationship between what
we imagined and what is actually real.
But we also get things, like, for instance,
the notion of custodial gods, right?
So Thor replaced Odin, the warrior god,
because he was a custodial god...
...he looked after farms, not raiders.
And Thor and the Asgard
are custodial aliens.
The Protected Planets Treaty
and so forth.
The Asgard will attempt to negotiate
with the Goa'uld System Lords...
...to include Earth
in the Protected Planets Treaty.
That's a good thing, right?
I think it was really interesting to--
Because of these aliens...
...who are not gonna fit in
and be able just to converse openly.
So they had to do some research.
If dealing with primitive civilizations...
...they had to research, " How do we
communicate to these people?
And how do we get them
to possibly do our bidding...
...or just find out
a little more about them?"
So the idea that they use technology
to imitate human-type life forms...
...and that appealed to a specific culture,
like the Norse people at the time...
...I think that's a little bit
more interesting to me...
...and something that went on
throughout the run of the series...
...and just kept evolving.
The coordinates are set.
- Are you ready, Colonel Carter?
- Ready as I'll ever be.
Initiating transport.
Shortly after the Asgard
were introduced, we realized...
...we've created a adversary for the
Goa'uld that are, in fact, so powerful...
...that it doesn't really make sense
why the Asgard...
...haven't wiped the Goa'uld out.
And it was kind of looking at that hole
in the series...
...that made us invent the Replicators.
The original Replicators,
introduced in SG-1...
...were these little mechanical creatures
that consumed metal.
Are you saying
they're actually eating the ship?
Ingesting the alloys, yes.
They will continue until they risk
compromising the integrity of the hulls.
MALLOZZI: You had the Asgard,
that are so advanced...
...that had obviously advanced past the
use of these crude projectile weapons...
...who were trying to use energy-based
weapons, and it wasn't having an effect.
You have demonstrated their weakness
may be found through...
...a less-sophisticated approach.
We are no longer capable
of such thinking.
Wait a minute, you're actually saying
you need someone dumber than you are?
You may have come to the right place.
MALLOZZI: And as a result,
the Replicators have pretty much...
...overrun their galaxy, and we ended up
doing a better job...
...of handling the threat
they pose to our galaxy.
The Replicators gave us
a really interesting, thoughtless...
...bent-on-destruction kind of
antagonist for us to face...
...but it also highlighted
our own need to walk carefully...
...when dealing with artificial intelligence
and with technology...
...that gets away on us.
So I thought that was a nice avenue...
...for us to peruse for a while, as well.
It's a good example of how an enemy,
how a race, evolves...
...and becomes
part of a series' canon...
...and part of the ground
from which you build stories.
As the writing continued to cultivate
the mythology of the show...
...the scope of just how much the
stargate opened us up to the universe...
...was becoming more evident
with every new episode.
In the same season
that we met the Asgard...
...we came across an ally
that would prove fruitful...
...in the fight against the Goa'uld.
The Tok'ra.
Kiss me.
- You're kidding, right?
- No. I' m not.
The reason we invented the Tok'ra was,
how do you get out of the problem...
...of having a Goa'uld
in one of your main characters?
Well, the twist is what if that Goa'uld
was actually a good guy?
One of the elements of the show
that I really enjoyed...
...was the philosophical difference...
...between being a Jaffa,
being a Goa'uld and being a Tok'ra.
Goa'uld take hosts. Tok'ra do not.
Ours wish to be so.
We have a truly symbiotic relationship.
The Tok'ra have been
a longstanding ally.
But their numbers are few.
And they've always been a little wary
of sticking their necks out too far.
SG-1's search for allies
and its desire to acquire technology...
...that could help Earth in its battle
against unforeseen aggressors...
...was only overshadowed by the quest
to understand the bigger picture.
Who started it all?
It was the introduction of the Ancients
to the Stargate universe...
...that added a rich new layer
to Stargate 's mythology.
COOPER: The Ancients in "Ascension"
are very much about...
...the continuation of the human soul
beyond humanity as we know it.
I'm an Ancient.
- What?
- Not me but the others like me.
They're the Ancients.
This is written in one
of the oldest dialects of the Ancients.
I always suspected
but I never really knew for sure.
- What does it say?
- It says the Ancients evolved...
...from a race of humans
that lived long before us.
They were wiped out by a plague
sweeping across the galaxy.
And that many learned to ascend
and the rest died out.
- I have to go.
- Daniel.
We've kind of said
that the Ancients are us.
We are the second evolution
of this physical form.
And the idea of the Ancients
is that they evolved.
Eventually, they became
so knowledgeable of the universe...
...and of the understanding
of existence...
...that they were able to shed
their human bodies and turn into energy.
WRIGHT: And the philosophy
that they then have to adopt--
Because it empowers them
so, so much.
--Is to not interfere.
If you know what it is
we're looking for...
...and, as an ascended being,
I have to assume you do...
As Dr. Jackson knows,
it is against our highest law to interfere.
They refer to
that most important question--
Or one of the two
most important questions of mythology.
The first one is,
"Where do we come from?"
They answer both of those.
"Where do we come from?"
and "Where are we going?"
So they are origin and telos, right?
The beginning and the end.
Jack, the markings on the wall
are a language. It's a bible.
Actually, it's more
of an instruction book...
...on how to reach
this ethereal plane of existence.
Some kind of other world. It's only
natural the Jaffa who found this...
...would've interpreted it
as a passage to the after--
Slow down there, grasshopper.
If the Ancients
were really the first...
...form, human form that lived on Earth
and built the stargates...
...and then went out into the galaxy
from here--
As evidenced by the fact that
it's our constellations on the stargate.
--Then they had to have been on Earth
millions of years ago.
There should be evidence of that.
I don't think this is it, Sam.
What do you mean?
The dome's too small. It's like Taonas.
It's obviously not a city.
It's just an outpost of some kind.
- This isn't Atlantis?
- I don't think so.
The lost city of Atlantis is interesting
because it was mystical.
Even at the moment
when we first heard about it in Plato...
...it had already been sunk in the sea
for 9000 years.
And so it brings with it
that huge suitcase of history...
...and associations
with that vanished past.
As the seasons moved on
and SG-1 aligned with their allies...
...to overpower the Goa'uld,
the show took on a new direction.
Events occurred that led the SG-1 team
to a new race.
Which caused them to reexamine
everything they thought they knew...
...about the gate builders.
Robert, I think quite correctly, said:
" Look, let's introduce a new bad guy.
Let's introduce
a new, long-term, large arc...
...that can be, you know,
essentially a new mythology...
...that's still very much
within the Stargate universe."
Once upon a time, there was a race
of people that went on a journey...
...through space, across the universe.
They were called the Altera.
After much time-- And I think this means
thousands of years.
--They found a great belt of stars.
And they lived happily ever after.
Have you found something,
Daniel Jackson?
It says that the Alterans
named their new home Avalon...
...and that
they built many astria porta.
Stargates.
In "Avalon 1,"
Vala comes through the gate...
...and she is carrying this treasure map.
The treasure map leads us--
Happens to be-- The treasure
happens to be here on Earth.
And it's a cache of treasure and,
possibly, weapons and technology...
...that we have been looking for
for years.
Avalon was actually a place where
Merlin helped Arthur, a mortal, ascend.
Are not the Ancients prevented from
interfering with the existence of mortals?
Ascended, yes, for the most part.
It's possible Merlin was not ascended...
...but was in fact just a human
far along the evolutionary path.
What does this have to do with
where this alleged treasure is buried?
There are a number
of conflicting interpretations.
Certain threads point
to the Knights of the Round Table...
...gathering great treasures
from Arthur's domain...
...and hiding them
in a magical stronghold at Avalon.
The Glastonbury Tor is the place
where King Arthur was buried.
Now, immediately shining
a light on that makes you go:
"What the heck does that
have to do with anything?"
You realize what this could mean?
Whoa. We've always presumed
that the Ancients...
...were the first evolution of humans
in this galaxy.
But this--
This is the first evidence
suggesting they came here...
...long ago from somewhere
far, far away.
- Yes.
- Colonel Mitchell.
SHANKS:
The Alterans is a way of...
...distinguishing the Ancients
being an entire culture--
The Ori and the Alterans
being the two aspects of that...
...that broke off
in different directions.
The discovery that the Alterans actually--
Potentially exist in another galaxy...
...was our way of, in season nine,
of separating those two.
We always kept
referring to the Ancients...
...as one distinct, governing body
that was always looking on.
And we would just refer to them
as the Ancients.
And then the discovery that there are--
if there is a good one...
...then there must be
a bad one here too.
Hallowed are the Ori.
The new direction
of the show had begun.
And the tides were turning
with every mission.
The introduction
of the fundamentalist Ori...
...served notice that the battle to keep
the galaxy safe was far from over.
The Ori--
Unlike the Ancients,
who have adopted, kind of...
...this hands-off policy
towards our galaxy.
The Ori are very hands-on and are the
antithesis of the Ancients we created.
I wanted the new bad guys...
...to have the same feeling,
to have the same essence...
...that the relationship with the Goa'ulds
was at the beginning of the series.
They could be posing as gods
but have even more power.
It's all lies and propaganda,
as far as they're concerned.
We're wrong, they're right.
They're good, we're bad.
We must worship the Ori or die.
And they will fight
until we are dead or they are. Period.
One of the things
that we intentionally did...
...was looked at the
colorful flamboyance of the Goa'uld...
...and took a decidedly darker approach
to the Ori.
The Priors are quite obviously
the priests of the religion.
What's interesting about them is that,
again, they have supernatural abilities.
The Ori, as ascended beings...
...have a certain knowledge
of the way things work...
...of humans and of evolution.
And so they can impart
advancements on people.
They can, you know,
wave their magic wands...
...and give people psychic abilities or
telekinesis or super-strength. Whatever.
And the Priors have that.
So when the Priors say,
" Hey, we represent the Ori.
And guess what? We have the ability
to plant our staff in the ground...
...and part the Red Sea,"
people tend to believe them.
Behold the gift...
...the Ori have bestowed upon me.
COOPER: it was interesting
to create bad guys that...
...from their point of view,
are maybe not so bad.
The warriors, the people who believe
in Origin, are saying, " Hey, come on."
You know, they're--
All they're saying is:
" Behave yourselves
and we'll help you ascend."
What is there for any and all to gain
by choosing the path of Origin?
Those seeking eternal salvation
can follow the word of the Ori.
Those that do not shall die as mortals.
It is as simple as that.
The twist is that they're actually not
helping people ascend.
The Ori are actually, you know,
a small group of ascended beings...
...who are manipulating people because
they actually gain some sort of...
...you know, energy, power
from the worship of human beings.
For starters, did you know that the Ori
need people to worship them...
...because that's how
they gain their power?
- He didn't know.
- No, he didn't know that.
And that they're not fulfilling
the one promise of the religion.
And that is that if you're good...
...you're gonna be brought up
to their level.
I never dreamed I would one day
be fit to serve the Ori in this way.
By killing people
you know nothing about?
All I need to know
is that they are enemy of the Ori.
That they reject the teachings of Origin
and would have us stray from the path.
These so-called unbelievers...
...they're so far away,
how can they affect us?
Evil must not be allowed
to fester anywhere.
MALLOZZI: Tomin is a excellent example
of a character...
...who gets swept away
in this religious fervor, if you will.
He-- Unlike the Ori, or even the Priors
to a certain extent...
...he's not an evil individual
but incredibly misguided.
And so, you feel sympathy
for the character.
Fear not.
Once we warriors of Ori have vanquished
the wicked, I shall return.
COOPER: I was really interested
in making the warriors multidimensional.
I really wanted to kind of understand
what it would be like on the other side.
- You have to listen to me.
- No!
I am deaf to all
but the teachings of Origin!
So by putting Vala, you know, as a--
Behind enemy lines, so to speak, and
having her develop this relationship...
I mean, here's a guy who she really
could have probably spent her life with.
Who just also happened to be,
you know, a holy crusader.
Now hear the words of the Orici.
WRIGHT: Right from the get go, we knew
that if we had gotten into season 10...
...we needed to kind of
put a figurehead on that.
Put a real face on the bad guys.
We created the character
who has a knowledge of the Ori...
...in the form of a human being.
She was, you know, immaculately
conceived. Vala carried the child.
And then the Ori kinda snuck one
of their own over the border...
...and cheated the ancient rules.
We're not rejoining the fleet.
You're coming with me.
- No, I can't abandon my army.
- It's not your army.
Of course it is.
Well, I' m putting my foot down.
You're too young
to have your own army.
With the introduction of Adria,
who I liken to an evil Joan of Arc--
What of the village?
Have they agreed to accept
the teachings of Origin?
- No.
- Then burn it.
--We have a character
who not only embodies, you know...
...the spirit of the Ori, but is able
to interact with us on a physical level.
I think with the introduction of the Ori
to the mythology of Stargate...
...what it's done is it has allowed us
to be a little bit more intellectual...
...a little bit more contemporary...
...with our usage of the word "god"
in the context of science fiction.
What is a god but a being
that is worshipped by those beneath?
Is great knowledge,
power, understanding...
...not enough
for you to revere the Ori?
Respect, yes, certainly.
But that doesn't mean I would murder
innocent people in their name.
People were saying, "The Ori are just
so powerful and the Priors are so bad.
I mean, how is the team
ever going to defeat them?
How are they ever gonna win?"
And, I mean,
that's kinda what we wanted.
I mean, that's what
the fan reaction was, I think...
...at the beginning of the series
when here we have the Goa'ulds.
They have these ships and technology.
How are we ever gonna beat them?
Well, eight years later, we did.
We kicked their asses.
And now, we have to set up a situation
in the same series...
...where our heroes
can once again overcome...
...what seem to be,
you know, incredible odds to win.
As SG-1 's focus turns
to the birth of a new enemy...
...the show delves further
into a world of Arthurian mythology...
...and leads us on a chase
for the Holy Grail.
Have you heard of Merlin?
Merlin. King Arthur and the Knights
of the Round Table Merlin?
- Yes.
- Was an Ancient?
I think so.
See? That is what I' m talking about.
Merlin wasn't a particularly
spiritual character in Arthurian legend.
He was a guy
that manipulated things...
...so that Arthur was born...
...and then helped Arthur
with the business of being king.
In Stargate,
it's sort of the other way around again.
He comes down from a holy place,
from being ascended...
...and helps people towards defending
themselves on the physical plane.
And, also, against spiritual dangers.
It made sense that this guy had--
Merlin had that capability
of being a wizard...
...and sending Arthur on this quest.
He really was a very powerful alien,
if you will.
Welcome,
ye Knights of the Round Table.
Men of honor,
followers of the path of righteousness.
Only those with wealth of knowledge...
...and truth of spirit
shall be given access to the underworld.
You know,
the Merlin Holy Grail is a search.
Is a search for something
that would be the answer...
...the solution to our problems.
And it's the main thrust of,
you know, season 10.
Searching for the device
that hopefully...
...you know, if used properly,
would actually kill the Ori.
Your world, as well as countless others,
are in danger of being overrun...
...by an enemy far more powerful
than you could ever imagine.
They are called the Ori.
And they will destroy
anyone who does not kneel before them.
We know a long time ago, Merlin
was working on a weapon against them.
And the key to finding that weapon
is inside that library.
The Holy Grail
is a really interesting figure...
...because it's, again,
a pseudo-Christian artifact...
...that was never actually accepted
officially by the Church.
But it has that sort of strong,
sort of Christian association...
...brought by Joseph of Arimathea
to England.
And being associated with resurrection
and purity of heart.
Prudence, wisdom, charity,
kindness and faith.
Let these be your guide
on this perilous quest.
So it has this really long history.
But it's associated with the quest.
And with nobility and with chivalry
and all of those kinds of things.
And it has, therefore,
a really strong redemptive quality to it.
It was lost
because humanity was wicked.
So that notion that, when we find it,
there's a kind of redemption.
But it's tricky in this context...
...because it's also associated
with potential genocide, right?
In the fact
that it could destroy the Ori...
...and anybody else
who happens to be ascended.
I think, through us using this,
we're able to take something...
...other than just using deities
and their stories.
We were able to take a little piece of
our own unexplained history, possibly...
...and say, "What if it did happen, but
it didn't happen like people think it did."
We're talking about the Holy Grail, right?
Every movie I've seen, that's a cup.
No, the notion that the Grail
was a cup or chalice...
...used by Christ at the last supper,
was a late addition to the myth.
Earlier accounts describe it
variously as a dish or platter.
Or, in the case of Von Eschenbach
and other Middle Eastern chroniclers...
...as a stone that fell
from the heavens.
SHANKS: From defeating the Goa'uld,
to the discovery of the Ori...
...from meeting the Asguard,
to the search for the Holy Grail...
...Stargate SG-1 has created a rich,
complex mythology...
...that has given the fans a reason
to tune in every week.
WRIGHT:
Someone once compared Stargate...
...to a really cool, long
and complicated novel...
...that doesn't ever have to end.
COOPER:
The only way you could have...
...that kind of complex, rich,
detailed mythology...
...is to have it slowly evolve
over the course of 10 years.
Hard to believe when you say that.
DICKSON:
The success of the show...
...I think, is very much
tied to that larger superstructure.
The ability to take
something that we know...
...something that we recognize--
The pyramids, for example.
--And to give it to us in a new way.
SHANKS: So after 10 seasons and over
200 episodes, Stargate SG-1 has...
...with the help of
some of the world's greatest myths...
...taken the fans on a fantastic voyage.
And the voyage continues.