Stargate SG-1 (TV Series) Counterstrike (2006) User Reviews

The Ori are back!

[fig-75275 · 9/10 · 8 October 2020]

Adria is all grown up now and back to continue her conquest of the Alpha quadrant (er, I mean the Milky Way). I liked this episode, and I was surprised by some of the negative reviews.

One of the reviewers asked: Where does Se'tak come from? He came from Terminator 3! Seriously, didn't you immediately think that? I did!

Looking for plot holes in SG-1 doesn't really work. From the very beginning, SG-1 has required the viewer to suspend disbelief. Every single stargate that they have ever gone through has either led to an Egyptian (or Mayan) temple or a forest. None of the stargates have been defended by anything more than a handful of Jaffa!

This episode is a good one for a number of reasons. Firstly, it gets the Ori plot back on track. It had got fairly dark, and I think the producers rightly put in a couple of filler episodes to take the edge off it. Of course, it had to get serious again, and this episode starts with the murder of several thousand people.

The main thing I liked about this episode was that it reminded me of one of the best episodes of Star Trek: DS9. That episode asked the question: Would it be a good idea to free the Jem'Hadar from the Dominion? If you could do it, should you? Counterstrike explores the continuing development of the Jaffa Nation, now that they are free of the Goa'uld. Does power always corrupt? Does a power vacuum always have to be filled? Is there nothing but suspicion and war?

Counterstrike also explores further the relationship between Adria and her mother, as well as giving Vala and Daniel some more screen time together. There's no doubt that Vala is a member of SG-1 now and having Morena Baccarin join the cast isn't a bad thing either!

Why now?

[Calicodreamin · 6/10 · 13 April 2022]

Why would the Jaffa risk the alliance with earth now? What did they hope to gain? While the effects and CGI were good, the storyline felt forced and didn't fit with character expectations.

Nice story, but many unanswered questions

[Doc_Rancher · 6/10 · 2 April 2015]

Like some other more resent episodes this one has some good action, very nice effects and good writing as such, but some major plot holes or at least unanswered questions. And this time it was not Alan McCullough. ;-) For example:

• Where does Se'tak come from? Without any development in the episodes before suddenly there is an evil/paranoid/ruthless (pick one or all) leader of the Jaffa. Very convenient for the story

• The Ancient device on Dakara is now capable of "firing" through a stargate. Since when? How? The radiation is released through a mechanism at the top of a mountain and creates an expanding wave as we've seen in "Reckoning" and near the end of this very episode. Even coming through a stargate (as also seen in this very episode) it's always a wave that expands as a sphere. And if despite this aiming the device is possible, why aren't they just firing at the Ori ship instead of killing all Jaffa on the planet? Furthermore why is the control room safe? The device wasn't created as a weapon, so why shield something from it? And didn't it kill all replicators in "Reckoning", even the ones that already were inside the compound? (okay, I could be wrong about this last part)

• Adria is unaffected by the radiation. As we see near the end of the episode she's not even rattled a bit by the Ancient device on Dakara. So why does she need so much time to show up at the Ori ship? The SG-Teams have enough time to investigate the village, some parts of the Ori ship and quarrel with the Jaffa before Adria suddenly shows herself just at the right time for the storytelling. Was she asleep half of the episode?

• A whole planet with just a few thousand inhabitants? The Ori might have killed a considerable amount of unbelievers but even then: why bother when there are other planets with millions of potential followers? (okay, they've done this in other episodes, too. Maybe they are good sports after all and leaving their enemies a fair chance instead of conquering our galaxy too fast)

It's sad because otherwise it's a good story and would have been a great one without those many shortcuts the writers took. Barely 6 points.

Evil Power

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 28 February 2022]

The SG-1 is infiltrated in the middle of the population of a planet recently dominated by the Ori. Out of the blue, they are beamed up to the Odyssey that has detected a wave of radiation approaching the planet. Soon they witness that all the people including the Prior and the Ori warriors have been destroyed. Soon Sam and Teal'c conclude that the Jaffa may have used the Ancient superweapon kept in Dakara. The SG-1 decides to inspect the Ori warship but they stumble upon Jaffa warriors. Out of the blue, Adria comes to the room where Vala and Daniel are and shows her evil power. Meanwhile Gen. Landry goes with Bra'tac to meet the new Jaffa leader Se'tak and discuss the genocide of the humans.

"Counterstrike" is a good episode of "Stargate SG-1", with the presence of the gorgeous Brazilian Morena Baccarin in the role of the evil Adria. The conclusion with the destruction of the superweapon and the problem with the Jaffa leadership seems to be a future problem to the SGC. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "Counterstrike"

Pitifully Weak Writing

[Easygoer10 · 4/10 · 11 August 2020]

This has the worst line of season 10: Vals Dell's Bratac, "you can't change the past, you must look forward". Bratac replies "She displays the wisdom of a true warrior". Its baby talk bad. Woeful writing.

Break continuity, just to fill an episode

[n-middleton-117 · 3/10 · 1 September 2020]

This entire episode contributes virtually nothing to the season, aside from seeing Adria as a full grown woman for the first time.

The weapon on Dakara was set to be destroyed TWICE already. Are just supposed to believe that at the last minute they all had a change of heart and kept it, but didn't do anything with it for a whole season?

At the end of the day, the weapon is finally destroyed anyway, which puts the story arc right back where it should have been at the start of the episode. So, what was the point of the episode? To make up numbers? Did they run out of ideas after passing the 200 milestone?

Biig Idea, Little Budget

[fcabanski · 4/10 · 9 October 2015]

It seems the Ori story was far bigger than the budget. There's a galaxy wide war going on. But SG-1 has the budget for an empty Ori ship, some energy waves, and Jaffa once again stomping around the corridors of a ship.

This episode tries to make a point about weapons. The point is either don't use them, because that's mean, or if you use them the enemy will wipe you out.

The Ori are invading the galaxy, using god-like powers to conquer all. The Jaffa have a weapon to use against them. SGC, especially Landry, are appalled at killing the enemy.

The actress who plays Adria was also on Firefly, aka the Old West in Space. She has one skill as an actress. The skill is she looks good.

There's another random, too militant Jaffa leader. He came out of nowhere to lead the Jaffa. He wants to, gasp, use a weapon to defeat the Ori's forces. That's bad bad bad. There's no room for debate. This Jaffa leader is depicted as bad. The folly of using an effective weapon bites him.