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butterflySeason Five's Ascension is such a key episode in understanding Daniel's character arc and the arc of the Ancients. Orlin is an eerie foreshadow, a haunting echo of what is to come.
Orlin: "It's possible for my kind to take on human form. Actually... retake human form. Considering that's how we started."
Human form. And later, as we see, he talks about the 'natural ascension process'. I wonder if maybe that's what Daniel meant in Full Circle when he said, "I'm an Ancient." Perhaps he was realizing that humans are the descendents of the Ancients.
Orlin: "As I was saying, once one of our kind decides to take human form, we can't ascend again without the help of the others."
Orlin: "I don't know where the rest of my kind is."
Sam: "Well, believe it or not, I think we've met one of them. Her name was Oma Desala."
Orlin: "Really? Never heard of her."
Sam: "Well, she could do the same... glowy kinda thing that you can... and she controlled the forses of nature."
Orlin: "Yeah. That's easy. At least it used to be."
Sam: "Well, she lived on a planet called Kheb, and she helped some people ascend to a higher plane of existance."
Orlin: "That's why I've never heard of her. She was probably banished like me."
Sam: "What for?"
Orlin: "Breaking one of the most sacred rules of our kind. To not accelerate the natural ascension process of those beneath "
Orlin: "Communicated the knowledge ... yes. They saved themselves."
That reminded me of Daniel's claim not to be responsible for helping free Jack in Abyss.
Orlin: "I was really hoping there could be another way."
And wow, that reminded me so much of Daniel. Daniel's theme for seasons four and five is, "there has to be another way" (in the previous ones too, but it's much more pronounced and... desperate in 4&5).
This episode has so many echoes for Meridian as well -- this is the aftermath of what they were doing. A great technological leap that was used for weaponry only.
"I really don't know what was worse, seeing my colleagues die in the manner they did, or seeing the looks of utter glee on our leaders' faces when they were told the potential power of this weapon." (Jonas Quinn, Meridian)
This is our other example of The Others smacking down a member of the Ascended. Orlin and Daniel, neither of whom was willing to see a people die and who were willing to make extreme sacrifices to insure that that people did survive. And, of course, who both failed.
And Orlin tells a story that illustrates what Daniel says in Abyss. When the people of the planet had saved themselves, they turned their thoughts to conquest. Saving them meant possibly condemning millions more if the Others hadn't stepped in.
"The hardest part of being who or what I am is having the power to change the things I want to change and knowing that I can't. Even when I'm certain, even when it's... absolutely clear to me, even when it affects the people I care about... because for all I can do... I'm no more qualified to play God than the Goa'uld are." (Daniel, Abyss)
"That's why the rule exists." (Orlin, Ascension)
Orlin: "It's possible for my kind to take on human form. Actually... retake human form. Considering that's how we started."
Human form. And later, as we see, he talks about the 'natural ascension process'. I wonder if maybe that's what Daniel meant in Full Circle when he said, "I'm an Ancient." Perhaps he was realizing that humans are the descendents of the Ancients.
Orlin: "As I was saying, once one of our kind decides to take human form, we can't ascend again without the help of the others."
Orlin: "I don't know where the rest of my kind is."
Sam: "Well, believe it or not, I think we've met one of them. Her name was Oma Desala."
Orlin: "Really? Never heard of her."
Sam: "Well, she could do the same... glowy kinda thing that you can... and she controlled the forses of nature."
Orlin: "Yeah. That's easy. At least it used to be."
Sam: "Well, she lived on a planet called Kheb, and she helped some people ascend to a higher plane of existance."
Orlin: "That's why I've never heard of her. She was probably banished like me."
Sam: "What for?"
Orlin: "Breaking one of the most sacred rules of our kind. To not accelerate the natural ascension process of those beneath "
Orlin: "Communicated the knowledge ... yes. They saved themselves."
That reminded me of Daniel's claim not to be responsible for helping free Jack in Abyss.
Orlin: "I was really hoping there could be another way."
And wow, that reminded me so much of Daniel. Daniel's theme for seasons four and five is, "there has to be another way" (in the previous ones too, but it's much more pronounced and... desperate in 4&5).
This episode has so many echoes for Meridian as well -- this is the aftermath of what they were doing. A great technological leap that was used for weaponry only.
"I really don't know what was worse, seeing my colleagues die in the manner they did, or seeing the looks of utter glee on our leaders' faces when they were told the potential power of this weapon." (Jonas Quinn, Meridian)
This is our other example of The Others smacking down a member of the Ascended. Orlin and Daniel, neither of whom was willing to see a people die and who were willing to make extreme sacrifices to insure that that people did survive. And, of course, who both failed.
And Orlin tells a story that illustrates what Daniel says in Abyss. When the people of the planet had saved themselves, they turned their thoughts to conquest. Saving them meant possibly condemning millions more if the Others hadn't stepped in.
"The hardest part of being who or what I am is having the power to change the things I want to change and knowing that I can't. Even when I'm certain, even when it's... absolutely clear to me, even when it affects the people I care about... because for all I can do... I'm no more qualified to play God than the Goa'uld are." (Daniel, Abyss)
"That's why the rule exists." (Orlin, Ascension)