GAUNTLET: A TALE OF TWO EPISODES
Well, SGU is now officially history. Whatever we may think of it (good or bad), it did provoke people to express themselves. And so we launch into my take on the series finale, with a title unashamedly cribbed from Dickens.
I am calling this review a Tale of Two Episodes because it really felt like they filmed two different episodes then tossed both into a video mixing system and mashed them together to create the finale that we saw last night. In keeping with this, I will look at each one in turn. To put them in character I will assign them "writers" and "directors" in keeping with what the end product was like to me.
EPISODE I: DRONE WARS!
Written By: Jerry Pournelle and JJ Abrams
Directed by Ridley Scott
This was a taut, action packed episode with Destiny in a death struggle against drones that just swarmed the ship like attacking army ants bringing down a big scorpion or other such animal. Even though Destiny got its licks in, the overall situation was basically unworkable. They even had a clever deception exercise by the crew, sacrificing one of the two shuttles to distract the drones so they could gate to a planet that had a mineral they needed. That part felt like we actually had competent military personnel at work - for the first time in the series.
If only the whole show had been like this. Had it been, it is likely that we would not be bidding SGU farewell right now. And if only there was one "episode" in this episode, but alas we have the other pea in this pod:
EPISODE II: ONE LIVE TO LIVE - DESITNY EDITION
Written By: Barbara Cartland and Susan Lucci
Directed by Ed Wood
This was an unbearably maudlin and syrupy melodrama centered around all of the characters who fans found unlikeable for two years showing us once again why they found them unlikeable. It was also replete with forced tension (like the pod that suddenly doesn't work, forcing the all too often seen "one must stay behind" dilemma). Even better, we get Rush showing why he should be simply ejected out an airlock - after Young went out of his way to try to bond with him Rush responds by trying to manipulate him into sacrificing himself. Also we get Chloe the sudden math genius with her boytoy Scott having a short romantic minute, and in a real hoot Young effectively gives his (ex)wife to Telford.....right.
This brings us to the rope used to tie these two totally incompatible episodes together, namely Eli. Eli has a totally bizarre meeting with Mom and then gets to volunteer to be the one "left behind" at the end. We're supposed to buy that Eli is now a better expert on the Ancients and better technology engineer than Rush. By that logic why not have Chloe and her alien enhanced brain stay out ? After all she is so good she checks Eli's work to make sure it is right. Hey, she may finish turning alien and might not actually need life support anyway. It's illogical stuff like this combined with the constant overwrought personal melodrama that dragged SGU into the abyss. So I guess it's only fitting the finale showed it off.
So in conclusion. Two episodes in one. One showed what SGU could and should have been and the other demonstrated why this was the series finale only two pre-committed seasons in.
Well, SGU is now officially history. Whatever we may think of it (good or bad), it did provoke people to express themselves. And so we launch into my take on the series finale, with a title unashamedly cribbed from Dickens.
I am calling this review a Tale of Two Episodes because it really felt like they filmed two different episodes then tossed both into a video mixing system and mashed them together to create the finale that we saw last night. In keeping with this, I will look at each one in turn. To put them in character I will assign them "writers" and "directors" in keeping with what the end product was like to me.
EPISODE I: DRONE WARS!
Written By: Jerry Pournelle and JJ Abrams
Directed by Ridley Scott
This was a taut, action packed episode with Destiny in a death struggle against drones that just swarmed the ship like attacking army ants bringing down a big scorpion or other such animal. Even though Destiny got its licks in, the overall situation was basically unworkable. They even had a clever deception exercise by the crew, sacrificing one of the two shuttles to distract the drones so they could gate to a planet that had a mineral they needed. That part felt like we actually had competent military personnel at work - for the first time in the series.
If only the whole show had been like this. Had it been, it is likely that we would not be bidding SGU farewell right now. And if only there was one "episode" in this episode, but alas we have the other pea in this pod:
EPISODE II: ONE LIVE TO LIVE - DESITNY EDITION
Written By: Barbara Cartland and Susan Lucci
Directed by Ed Wood
This was an unbearably maudlin and syrupy melodrama centered around all of the characters who fans found unlikeable for two years showing us once again why they found them unlikeable. It was also replete with forced tension (like the pod that suddenly doesn't work, forcing the all too often seen "one must stay behind" dilemma). Even better, we get Rush showing why he should be simply ejected out an airlock - after Young went out of his way to try to bond with him Rush responds by trying to manipulate him into sacrificing himself. Also we get Chloe the sudden math genius with her boytoy Scott having a short romantic minute, and in a real hoot Young effectively gives his (ex)wife to Telford.....right.
This brings us to the rope used to tie these two totally incompatible episodes together, namely Eli. Eli has a totally bizarre meeting with Mom and then gets to volunteer to be the one "left behind" at the end. We're supposed to buy that Eli is now a better expert on the Ancients and better technology engineer than Rush. By that logic why not have Chloe and her alien enhanced brain stay out ? After all she is so good she checks Eli's work to make sure it is right. Hey, she may finish turning alien and might not actually need life support anyway. It's illogical stuff like this combined with the constant overwrought personal melodrama that dragged SGU into the abyss. So I guess it's only fitting the finale showed it off.
So in conclusion. Two episodes in one. One showed what SGU could and should have been and the other demonstrated why this was the series finale only two pre-committed seasons in.
