Jaffa politics led by Gerak (Louis Gossett Jr.), a missing CEO, and the reveal of Ba’al (Cliff Simon) hiding out on Earth, plunge SG-1 into global intrigue in Ex Dues Machina. Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie, this episode was first broadcast on 26 August, 2005.

Carter (Amanda Tapping) is settling back into Stargate Command, when Mitchell (Ben Browder) and the rest of the team are call in on a missing CEO case, that seems to be tied directly to the Jaffa.

Teal’c (Christopher Judge) and Mitchell head to confer with the Jaffa but are troubled by the current state of politics amongst the Jaffa Free Nation.

But once Ba’al is revealed to be on Earth, the team is ready to go after him, and perhaps find a connection to The Trust which seems to still be operating in some form or another.

Ba’al makes a threat of a naquadah bomb should SG-1 come after him. So what’s the next move?

The team makes its moves, there’s some great character bits, and a reveal of possible Ba’al clones.

There’s lots of politics, the band getting back together, and despite feeling like a smaller story, it’s well-executed and ties in nicely with the ongoing continuity that propels the series forward.

In fact, it’s kind of nice to see a Goa’uld threat raise its head, with the trouble of the Ori sill hanging over all of it.

And the episode ends with the hint that there is something big coming, or at least Ba’al seems to think so.

Babylon first aired on September, 2005. It was written by Damian Kindler.

SG-1 is following a lead in the hopes that it will lead them to the Warriors of the Sodan, a tribe of Jaffa who haven’t served the Goa’uld for generations. Unfortunately, when SG-1 comes under fire by the Sodan, he ends up in combat with one of the warriors, and kills him.

Consequently, he’s captured and must battle to the death as punishment for his crime.

And holy crap! There’s the oh so awesome Tony Todd as the Jaffa leader, Haikon.

Oh and in case you worried about the Ori storyline. Don’t. We are introduced to another Prior, Damaris played by none other than William B. Davis!! And he seems to have made some in-roads with Hakion and his Jaffa.

Maybe the Jaffa isn’t dead. Dr. Lam (Lexa Doig) is hard at work back at the SGC to keep the Jaffa alive, even if it means removing his symbiote. And maybe that one factor will save Mitchell’s life as he prepares for a fight he may not be able to win.

And of course, the rest of SG-1 are trying to track him down.

And did I mention Tony Todd. This man was so damned cool.

It’s a fairly familiar story, and has been done before in other episodes, and feels like it’s been done on SG1 before as well. But Cameron Mitchell is settling in nicely to the series, Browder did his own stunts in this episode, and there’s some nice location work while Cameron gets his ass kicked.

It’s nice seeing the Ori story moving forward and how it is beginning to tie in with some of the Jaffa.