Vala (Claudia Black) is back. Kind of. As we dive into the penultimate episode of season nine. Crusade was written by Robert C. Cooper (he also directed it) and it first aired on 3 March, 2006.

Remember the stones that allowed Daniel (Michael Shanks) and Vala to inhabit bodies in the galaxy that the Ori came from? Well those are activated again, with Vala inhabiting Daniel’s body. She’s in the Ori galaxy and is coming with a warning.

She catches everyone up on what has been happening in that galaxy, and how she’s gotten by. Cooper had to write in Black’s pregnancy and that adds a couple of curve balls to the narrative. There’s also a nice heart to it as Vala talks about religious brainwashing, basically the people there have been raised in a cult, and she sees good people believing that. And willing to fight for it – which means the conquest of our galaxy.

But there is an underground at work there.

Landry (Beau Bridges) has other problems when Chekov (Garry Chalk) arrives at Stargate Command to let them know that they, the Russians, will be taking their stargate back. It seems that the treaty/contract is coming to its close, and the Russians aren’t willing to renegotiate. Unless they get something they want… like a 304.

And oh man! Micheal Ironside has a guest starring role! So you know that’s going to be important for the plot. And all of it is setup for the season finale, and possible to lay the ground work for the tenth, and final, season.

The Ori have a working supergate, and they are getting ready to launch their assault. And vala… she’s in some serious trouble. But maybe, SG-1 has a plan – the Ancient weapon. If they can find it.

Camelot closes out the season. Written by Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie the season wrapped up on 10 March, 2006. It has a guest star in the form of John Noble!

SG-1 heads to a planet that Vala has given them information on, one that may be where Merlin (Matthew Walker) hid his weapon.

Noble plays Meurik the ruler of Camelot, and Katherine Isabelle plays Valencia a young woman who helps SG-1. But things aren’t going to be easy for our heroes. Mitchell (Ben Browder), Carter (Amanda Tapping), Daniel and Teal’c (Christopher Judge) all make some errors, but they are ready to find the weapon to stop the Ori. But will it be enough?

When they enter Merlin’s library, they trigger a defense system in the form of a Black Knight, who incites terror in the village. Can they find a solution, stop the Knight, and recover the weapon? Daniel and Mitchell work on that, while Teal’c goes to seek alliances, and Carter joins the Earth fleet.

And Daniel and Mitchell find themselves on a further hunt, for the weapon may be the Holy Grail, but before they can dig in further, they get beamed up, joining the fleet.

The fleet travels to the Ori supergate, and are trying to find a way to shut it down. But Carter comes up with a plan a little too late.

And despite a unified front, the Ori attack seems overpowering as the season ends.