General Discussion & Recap/Review Thread: SGU Episode 07 - "The Greater Good"
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ChromeToasterX
GateFans Noob
You should know better than to expect something positive to last long on this show.allready dead?
ComicDiva
GateFans Noob
This episode reminded me of one of the very first problems I ever had with SGU, back in the pilot episode. Why would the Ancients just leave around technology like that of the Destiny to be discovered by lower life forms? If they ascended why not destroy it? That's like calling a janitor to fix a pipe and then the idiot leaving the fawcets open.
Now I gotta wonder... why would Destiny keep it's mission going after millions of years. Given that it can recognize the leader of a group and get in his head it MUST know that the former inhabitants ascended. And as such they probably already know the unknowable.
That being said, I wish the episode was about finding God. That would've been straightforward and easy to understand, maybe not accept. Instead, I have no idea what Rush was actually talking about. There's a structure in a thing that's from before the beginning of time and where heading there. Heading where exactly? What pieces of the puzzle are you talking about? I didn't notice ecuations written on the tree bark or the rocks from the planets Destiny has visited so far with people on board. NOTHING about the Destiny has changed so far since they have been on board.
And I really don't get Rush's reasoning here. When he was talking to Young about the mission I kept flashing back to the Emperor in Revenge of the Sith...
UNLIMITED POWAAAAAAH!
Say they do get what they want and discover a hidden message from before the Big Bang or something. Why should we believe that getting a piece of information about the nature of the universe gives you power OVER the universe? Knowing about gravity doesn't allow me to control it.
That being said it would be really funny if the Destiny reaches it's destination and SGU ends with a big 42 flashing on the screen.
Now I gotta wonder... why would Destiny keep it's mission going after millions of years. Given that it can recognize the leader of a group and get in his head it MUST know that the former inhabitants ascended. And as such they probably already know the unknowable.
That being said, I wish the episode was about finding God. That would've been straightforward and easy to understand, maybe not accept. Instead, I have no idea what Rush was actually talking about. There's a structure in a thing that's from before the beginning of time and where heading there. Heading where exactly? What pieces of the puzzle are you talking about? I didn't notice ecuations written on the tree bark or the rocks from the planets Destiny has visited so far with people on board. NOTHING about the Destiny has changed so far since they have been on board.
And I really don't get Rush's reasoning here. When he was talking to Young about the mission I kept flashing back to the Emperor in Revenge of the Sith...
UNLIMITED POWAAAAAAH!
Say they do get what they want and discover a hidden message from before the Big Bang or something. Why should we believe that getting a piece of information about the nature of the universe gives you power OVER the universe? Knowing about gravity doesn't allow me to control it.
That being said it would be really funny if the Destiny reaches it's destination and SGU ends with a big 42 flashing on the screen.
deco
GateFans Noob
theOldOne
GateFans Noob
Red Mage
Boney
Terrible episode as usual. I won't go into major detail what I hated/liked but I'll cover a few things of note.
Simeon is such a terrible character. Robert Knepper's acting is so forced in this role. He was hyped as the big bad guy who knows all these important secrets that everyone wants to desparately know. All he has done so far is walk around all creepy and harass women only to have Token Angry conviently near by to get in his face. Wasted potential.
The big reveal, the game changer of cosmological importance: Destiny's mission is to find some hidden message or entity in background radiation. Lame. It sounds like the TPTB are trying to rip off of the Carl Sagan novel Contact. In the novel Ellie Arroway after she meets the aliens she works on a computer program that discovers a pattern in the digits of Pi which suggests that here is some sort of signature woven into the very fabric of space-time. It's not exactly the same but I immediately though of Contact as soon as Rush described that. Furthermore, I don't find this mission exactly super important. It certainly isn't a game changer that would make me want to stay and live on Destiny.
Simeon is such a terrible character. Robert Knepper's acting is so forced in this role. He was hyped as the big bad guy who knows all these important secrets that everyone wants to desparately know. All he has done so far is walk around all creepy and harass women only to have Token Angry conviently near by to get in his face. Wasted potential.
The big reveal, the game changer of cosmological importance: Destiny's mission is to find some hidden message or entity in background radiation. Lame. It sounds like the TPTB are trying to rip off of the Carl Sagan novel Contact. In the novel Ellie Arroway after she meets the aliens she works on a computer program that discovers a pattern in the digits of Pi which suggests that here is some sort of signature woven into the very fabric of space-time. It's not exactly the same but I immediately though of Contact as soon as Rush described that. Furthermore, I don't find this mission exactly super important. It certainly isn't a game changer that would make me want to stay and live on Destiny.
I liked this episode... Mostly...
But yet again no Stargates...
Im starting to think they should change the Name of the show to... CSU (Communication Stone Universe)
AND WHY DO THEY KEEP SAYING "Homeworld Security" or "Homeworld Command" I dont really care tbh(Actualy no it pisses me off! I dont see what was wrong with saying the "I.O.A" or "Stargate Command".
But yet again no Stargates...
Im starting to think they should change the Name of the show to... CSU (Communication Stone Universe)
AND WHY DO THEY KEEP SAYING "Homeworld Security" or "Homeworld Command" I dont really care tbh(Actualy no it pisses me off! I dont see what was wrong with saying the "I.O.A" or "Stargate Command".
MetalFoldingChair
GateFans Noob
Exactly. It's like TPTB think they were so cool but writing this bloated cast of characters replete with forced intrigue but in the end it turns out they don't know what to do with someone like Knepper/Simeon. It's literally to the point that I don't care when I see the guy come on the scene. His character has zero range. His character has zero credibility as he hasn't been fleshed out at all, not once. Having the guy sneer and creep about the dark ship is hardly interesting. And then having him suddenly want to kill Ginn just seems forced beyond belief. This show is a toilet and Simeon is just one of many turds circling the drain.
Agreed. The "mission" is nothing but a derivative (stolen) tired old contrivance that has been ridden hard and put away wet many times before. If I was stuck on that space barge I know I wouldn't want to go find the origin of the universe but rather I would want to get back home and if that phallic shaped ship can manage to find the source of the universe/life then it sure as hell can get my ass back to the my little corner of the Milky Way in record time. Surely something that can fly thru stars to refuel and jump in and out of FTL can somehow find enough juice to fire up the stargate to Earth. And if Rush wants to go galavanting off into the unknown wilds of the cosmos he can have at it, but not before he drops me off at home. If he has a problem with it then, as Della Reese says in "Harlem Nights", we're gonna be some fightin' mutha fuckas up in here!
Gatefan1976
Well Known GateFan
Shoot his muthafukin' pinky toe off dude!! 
ComicDiva
GateFans Noob
And another thing! I suppose this point is moot by now, but back in season 1 when SGU was more about "civilians vs military", I was always on the side of the civilians. For various reasons I will not get into. But once again, even with all that stuff behind us, the military proved that they are just as incompetent, when Simeon managed to somehow escape his guard and reach doctor Mandy what's her face (who IS gorgeous by the way). Nevermind the fact that with important people from Earth on board, the Lucian Alliance should be kept in their quarters.
I don't think anyone at SGU has a clue how to write drama.
In a drama where the writers have a clue what they are doing they don't create and end a relationship in a single episode.
Eli and Ginn are suddenly soul mates after one episode just so they can have Eli be crushed by her death in the beginning of the next episode. How is that realistic? If it was real-life the guy would be like: "well thank god I only knew her for a day, that might have really fucked me up if we had a real relationship".
The best thing that could happen in this show is a love scene between Ginn and Mandy but the moron writers pair those two to use the stones....sigh
Oh and Samael from Heroes is just walking around the ship like he owns the place, they have Chloe locked up in a room but the maniacs who started shooting up the ship and killed people get to walk around.
In a drama where the writers have a clue what they are doing they don't create and end a relationship in a single episode.
Eli and Ginn are suddenly soul mates after one episode just so they can have Eli be crushed by her death in the beginning of the next episode. How is that realistic? If it was real-life the guy would be like: "well thank god I only knew her for a day, that might have really fucked me up if we had a real relationship".
The best thing that could happen in this show is a love scene between Ginn and Mandy but the moron writers pair those two to use the stones....sigh
Oh and Samael from Heroes is just walking around the ship like he owns the place, they have Chloe locked up in a room but the maniacs who started shooting up the ship and killed people get to walk around.
that's an excellent point. why can't they also put a guard to escort Chloe around ? why is she even considered dangerous ? she hasn't shown any signs of super strengh or any violent tendencies, her only powers is super-healing and super-intelligence.
yet the people who tortured Rush, Invaded the ship and killed several members of the crew (some while they were unarmed captives) are allowed to walk around freely (for no reason) with just 1 guard for each.
ComicDiva
GateFans Noob
This is the Spencer situation all over again. Back in season 1 it should've been clear to anybody that Spencer is crazy and dangerous. Yet because he was military, he was not only allowed not put under supervision like the dangerous element that he was, but he still had access to the gun locker.
Stupid.
Stupid.
Red Mage
Boney
The more I think about the mission the more it doesn't make any sense. The Destiny was launched a few millions ago and the universe is billions of years old. By shear scale of the universe even with FTL travel the destiny has probably only made a tiny dent in traveling across the universe. Also, where is the ship heading exactly? The universe has no edges. It has no edges, no ends, and no center. Where is Destiny going? Why do they need a ship in the middle of nowhere to conduct this research? Can't they study this stuff from a nice comfrotable lab on Earth or in Pegasus? Also, is the Destiny's trip in vain? The universe expands faster than the speed of light, and, perhaps faster than Destiny's FTL drive. It would be funny if the Destiny is not making any real progress at all. I think this shows that TPTB didn't really have a mission in mind when they planned the show. The thought of the idea of having a ship full of misfits in the middle of nowhere first and now in the second season came up with a purpose for the ship being launched. Unfortunately, the purposed doesn't make an sense scientifically.
Meteriod,
I think the whole point is, is that "the message" was sent out in bits in the background radiation all over the universe.
Like some kids cartoon, where the map(that shows where you can find the answer to every question) is split into 10 pieces and scattered across the fantasy world. Its the same here.
Destiny is travelling through the universe picking up pieces of the puzzle as it goes, assembling them and trying to make sense of it.
Kinda a cool mission actually. To address the Biggest Question of all. Why are we here? Not bad for a Science Fiction show to try and attempt that one. I guess we will have to see what happens next. I think the mission is cool! But the real test will be where the story takes us now.
and btw... this should have been season 1 episode 2.
I think the whole point is, is that "the message" was sent out in bits in the background radiation all over the universe.
Like some kids cartoon, where the map(that shows where you can find the answer to every question) is split into 10 pieces and scattered across the fantasy world. Its the same here.
Destiny is travelling through the universe picking up pieces of the puzzle as it goes, assembling them and trying to make sense of it.
Kinda a cool mission actually. To address the Biggest Question of all. Why are we here? Not bad for a Science Fiction show to try and attempt that one. I guess we will have to see what happens next. I think the mission is cool! But the real test will be where the story takes us now.
and btw... this should have been season 1 episode 2.
The writers cant handle this.
These writers cant handle the scope of what they are trying to do in this show. Im not sure it CAN be handled in a serialized TV show. It usually takes movie trilogies/series to even approach that sort of stuff (Matrix, Dune, Planet of the Apes, 2001/2010 Space Oddysey, etc). What happened to the focus of the show which was supposed to be the STARGATE? This show has nothing to do with Stargate.
R
Robbie_Rocket_Pants
Guest
Stargate: Universe
Season: 2
Episode: The Greater Good
Synopsis, Recapitulation, and Review By Robbie_Rocket_Pants
Before I start my review I would just like to offer up the standard apology for delivering this review so late. The reasons are the usual shit internet connection here which prevents video streaming with the added factors of the convention at the weekend & also work commitments this last couple of days.
Although I watched this episode on thursday at Pig's, we did so too late & had consumed too much Cognac to write anything sensible. From what I recall of this episode, it wasn't as bad as most - I'm about to watch it again so my review should determine whether or not this is the case.
Synopsis:
While the two of them are stranded on an alien ship, Young decides to confront Rush over the issue of who has been controlling Destiny.
Recapitulation (with reviewing commentary in blue):
We start with the usual montage of clips from previous episodes to which we have become accustomed, although I would like on occasion to hear one of the characters say "Last time......... on Stargate Universe".
In the opening scene we are met with Young lying on his bed when a radio call comes through advising he is late for a briefing.
The briefing in question is one to advise him on the status of intelligence from the LA crew - Eli's new love interest Ginn has apparently been very helpful & now the IOA want to speak with her as she has offered up intel on the upcoming LA attack on Earth by a faction from her home planet ..............
............... WTF? LA attack on Earth? I have several issues with this little WTF moment, not least of all why would the LA attack Earth? last time we saw them in SG-1 they were just a gaggle of space gangsters who had alot of former Goa'uld planets & ships, not rivals to a galactic superpower & also how - they only have Hataks, Tel'taks & Al'Kesh amongst others which are at best, remnants of the Anubis-upgraded fleet so how do they think they could compete against a planet with several starships armed with the most advanced Asgard tech, Atlantis & an Ancient weapons outpost? Have the LA discovered a new, powerful weapon during the interim period between SG-1 & now? Are we going to be told if this is the case or is it going to be one of those "it happened off screen, was nevered actually mentioned but we will mention it later in a kinosode or JM will just say it on his blog" things? When are these writers going to realise that fans - nay viewers, want to be kept in the loop & not excluded from the goings on in a supposed Stargate show - I for one like to know what the hell is going on in the SG canon & to be informed because to be informed is to be entertained.
In the next scene Wray goes to speak with Ginn in her room reference a meeting with the IOA but Ginn seems somewhat flustered. On her way out, Camille notices Eli's sweaty "I visited the Arcturian Donut Planet & all I got was this lousy t-shirt" t'shirt on Ginn's bed but with no sign of Eli.
The plot thickens as, in the following scene, the ship once more drops out of FTL unexpectedly & Rush, once more, is unavailable for comment. In front of the ship is an alien derelict which we are informed is neither Ancient or any other race they have encountered so far (the key word being informed, they are learning I think).
Upon Rush coming to the bridge he recommends, with much deliberation, that he himself goes over to the ship as he is their foremost expert in alien tech so he & Young suit up.
The next scene is between Chloe & Eli. Eli is gushing over Ginn.
We cut to the exterior of the ships & the CGI is quite impressive, although the ships are still & the camera is panning around them but the detail is good on both ships - the lighting is also pretty good too, even better than the lighting on the inside of Destiny.
On the inside of the ship we have Young & Rush doing a detailed deck by deck search for the light switch. After roaming the ship for a few minutes Rush locates an alien control panel which he has never clapped eyes on before & manages to turn on life support & the lights.
One thing that bugs me about the poor writing here is the convenience of being able to decypher a completely unknown alien control panel in a different written language, working out it's purpose & also how to use it in a matter of minutes. I know that Star Trek used to do the same but that was set hundreds of years into the future so it was excuseable but in SGU it all seems too convenient.
It is mentioned that power is coming on in other parts of the ship & we then witness the engines firing & the alien ship hurtling off into space uncontrollable & without power.
Ordinarily I would call this a deus ex machina however this is exactly the same sort of thing which could happen in any given SG-1 or SGA episode & it's feasible that before the power went off in that ship that the engines were being fired up so I don't think of this as such a convenient plot device.
Unbeknownst to the crew, Rush is the only person who can get Destiny to catch up to & match velocity with the alien ship but he is on the alien ship itself so he advises that they get Amanda "Wheelie" Perry to assist them. Cue another stones episode.
Simeon is up to his bully boy tactics again but this time it is with Ginn........... he is quickly bitched down by Camille & goes scuttling away hahahaha.
Ginn stones with Amanda Perry.
Rush sends Young of on a little jolly around the ship to get him out of his hair & then starts working with Dr Wheelie P & gives her several codes in secret which it turns out are directions to the bridge.
On her way out in the corridor, Dr Wheelie P is accosted by none other than Simple Simeon & his mute, retarded security escort 7 Simeon mistaking her Ginn tries to interrogate her. Simeon is once again bitched down by Greer & scuttles off once more. I am really starting to like Greer's character more & more by the day.
As per Rush's instructions, Dr Wheelie P locates the bridge & begins to communicate with Rush on a secure channel.
The ship changes course to catch up with Destiny & Dr Wheelie P continues to badger Rush for answers whilst the geeks on the bridge continue to scratch their heads & attempt to contact her. When they eventually get through she is acting really cagey so Eli checks the kino feed for what she was last doing & discovers the secret codes that Rush was feeding to her.
After having decyphered the codes, Eli takes his anonymous, white-shirted scientist pals to the bridge to confront Rush & Dr Wheelie P. This scene descends into the one thing I dislike most about this show & that is irrational, screamy melodrama but this is conveyed in the worst possible way through Eli screaming in angst down the radio at Eli (from miles away on a different ship mind you) & does so in a cringe-makingly shrill voice.
Young hears Eli's ranting &, in his psychotic manner, begins to beat Rush to a pulp at the same time as beating the reputation of the United States Military to an equally bloody pulp. I am starting to get annoyed with the way these writers ride roughshod over the image of the US military.
What starts as a beating momentarily turns into a fight as Rush manages to work his way on top & gives Young a Glasgow Kiss - I almost spooged my pants at this point, but then he perpetrates a WTF moment by trying to crawl away when he had the upper hand............ very poorly choreographed fight & made no sense at all. Young then gets Rush in a choke hold & renders him unconscious for several seconds whilst he regains control of the weapon he himself relinquished control of by placing it on the ground.
After a brief exchange of blame & recrimination about each other's characters & also some admissions being made by Rush as to wrong doing on his part & some long, serious stares by Young which I take as his way of saying "yeah you have a fair point Rush, I have acted a bit of a psycho dick".
More chit chat from Eli, Dr Wheelie P & two anonymous, white-shirted scientist dudes.
This next scene between Rush could have alot of potential but just fires short. (I'm not going to go into full detail about this scene in the review as it boggles the mind).
In attempting to explain Destiny's mission, the writers have tried to be too clever for their own good & have once again, answered the show's longest question merely with another question & simply confused matters with a very convoluted idea.
The theory of the Ancients having discovered some weird wi-fi network which pre-dates the big bang & used to have structure (hence artifical) & the Destiny's mission is to discover it or whatever, is just a cynical attempt at trying to be all profound, add suspense & jump on the broken down band wagon of "God-fi" (bod-bothering sci fi).
This scene doesn't really explain how or why this is important or what practical & scientific applications it could possibly have other than Rush & Young making reference to being able to change time/reality as desired....... blah blah. I for one like to speculate now & again but I prefer, as mentioned before, to be informed & entertained but I guess that is asking too much.
Rush & Young make their peace agaaaaaaain.
We now see Destiny flying in towards the alien ship at a jaunty angle & Dr Wheelie P receiving loads of advice from back seat drivers Eli & co. At the same time Lt Scott joins the melodrama party late & has an entirely unnecessarily forced, drama scream fest (he went to Julliard don't ya know).
After much advice from back seat drivers, Dr Wheelie P decides to ram Destiny nose first into the alien ship, twatting it & sending it hurtling off in a balistic spin into even deeper space.......... woman driver innit.
The kino (which they were going to use to get back to Destiny by means of piggy backing) is broken & the other one has conveniently gone off on one of it's own little jaunts (as the do). So Rush & Young have to jump off from the alien ship at the exact moment (calculated by Eli) to land on Destiny's hull. We almost lose Young but Rush valiantly grabs hold of him at the last second which is another feather in Rush's cap as a good character in my eyes.
The crew now have control of the ship by means of the bridge & are tinkering around to see what they can do.
Rush visits Dr Wheelie P to thank her & discuss things over some nasty moon shine from the still. Rush clearly cares alot for Dr Wheelie P who is in the body of Ginn & kisses her even though she is in another person's body. Mid kiss Eli walks in unannounced, catches them in the act & says to Dr Wheelie P possibly the most hypocritical thing I think I have ever heard - "you know sometimes with the stones it's easy to forget you're in another person's body!!!!!" ............. so it's ok to go out to a club & get obliterated in somebody else's but a little peck on the lips between two consenting adults (she signed the agreement) is a no go area all of a sudden.
At the end of this scene Eli leaves & Simple Simeon is seen going into the quarters of Dr Wheelie P to do one of 3 things - bully her, kill her or roger her, either way it isn't going to end well for her.
Episode Summary:
All in all not a bad episode & it is nice for a change to get an episode to review which is watchable & doesn't have as many scene transitions as these episodes were becoming a chore to review. Although it was technically speaking, a stones episode, they were used to decent effect & not purely for drama's sake. I have finally got an episode to review which isn't soley drama, has very little melodrama & has some elements of action & genuinely interesting suspense (although I did include I believe three WTF moments).
As the bad points of this show are enduring & are also implied in the review, I see there being no point in bullet pointing them here so shall just include the good points.
Good Points:
- The music again (although as an added bonus, there was no musical montage at the close of this episode........ TPTB might be listening at last).
- The CGI was fit for purpose.
- The lighting (which I've never had an issue with if I'm honest) seemed a bit better although I think that may be my monitor brightness.
- Suspense in relation to Ginn/Simeon was actually suspenseful - I'm interested to see how that pans out.
- The action was quite good in this episode, most notably Rush's Glasgow Kiss - priceless.
- The stones were used correctly this time.
- Greer's character is showing himself to be a good & richteous man.
- Rush is improving as a character due to saving the life of his nemesis (the man who jsut beat him up & who has tried to kill him once before).
- Destiny's mission finally......... sort of......... revealed-ish. I'm not holding my breath for an "OMFG" revelation with this one, especially not if, but when the show is cancelled without a conclusion to the show.
- The crew finally have access to the bridge (all be it after 20 odd episodes) so we might actually get to see some of those aspects of Stargate we have been missing for so long........ but I doubt it.
Season: 2
Episode: The Greater Good
Synopsis, Recapitulation, and Review By Robbie_Rocket_Pants
Before I start my review I would just like to offer up the standard apology for delivering this review so late. The reasons are the usual shit internet connection here which prevents video streaming with the added factors of the convention at the weekend & also work commitments this last couple of days.
Although I watched this episode on thursday at Pig's, we did so too late & had consumed too much Cognac to write anything sensible. From what I recall of this episode, it wasn't as bad as most - I'm about to watch it again so my review should determine whether or not this is the case.
Synopsis:
While the two of them are stranded on an alien ship, Young decides to confront Rush over the issue of who has been controlling Destiny.
Recapitulation (with reviewing commentary in blue):
We start with the usual montage of clips from previous episodes to which we have become accustomed, although I would like on occasion to hear one of the characters say "Last time......... on Stargate Universe".
In the opening scene we are met with Young lying on his bed when a radio call comes through advising he is late for a briefing.
The briefing in question is one to advise him on the status of intelligence from the LA crew - Eli's new love interest Ginn has apparently been very helpful & now the IOA want to speak with her as she has offered up intel on the upcoming LA attack on Earth by a faction from her home planet ..............
............... WTF? LA attack on Earth? I have several issues with this little WTF moment, not least of all why would the LA attack Earth? last time we saw them in SG-1 they were just a gaggle of space gangsters who had alot of former Goa'uld planets & ships, not rivals to a galactic superpower & also how - they only have Hataks, Tel'taks & Al'Kesh amongst others which are at best, remnants of the Anubis-upgraded fleet so how do they think they could compete against a planet with several starships armed with the most advanced Asgard tech, Atlantis & an Ancient weapons outpost? Have the LA discovered a new, powerful weapon during the interim period between SG-1 & now? Are we going to be told if this is the case or is it going to be one of those "it happened off screen, was nevered actually mentioned but we will mention it later in a kinosode or JM will just say it on his blog" things? When are these writers going to realise that fans - nay viewers, want to be kept in the loop & not excluded from the goings on in a supposed Stargate show - I for one like to know what the hell is going on in the SG canon & to be informed because to be informed is to be entertained.
In the next scene Wray goes to speak with Ginn in her room reference a meeting with the IOA but Ginn seems somewhat flustered. On her way out, Camille notices Eli's sweaty "I visited the Arcturian Donut Planet & all I got was this lousy t-shirt" t'shirt on Ginn's bed but with no sign of Eli.
The plot thickens as, in the following scene, the ship once more drops out of FTL unexpectedly & Rush, once more, is unavailable for comment. In front of the ship is an alien derelict which we are informed is neither Ancient or any other race they have encountered so far (the key word being informed, they are learning I think).
Upon Rush coming to the bridge he recommends, with much deliberation, that he himself goes over to the ship as he is their foremost expert in alien tech so he & Young suit up.
The next scene is between Chloe & Eli. Eli is gushing over Ginn.
We cut to the exterior of the ships & the CGI is quite impressive, although the ships are still & the camera is panning around them but the detail is good on both ships - the lighting is also pretty good too, even better than the lighting on the inside of Destiny.
On the inside of the ship we have Young & Rush doing a detailed deck by deck search for the light switch. After roaming the ship for a few minutes Rush locates an alien control panel which he has never clapped eyes on before & manages to turn on life support & the lights.
One thing that bugs me about the poor writing here is the convenience of being able to decypher a completely unknown alien control panel in a different written language, working out it's purpose & also how to use it in a matter of minutes. I know that Star Trek used to do the same but that was set hundreds of years into the future so it was excuseable but in SGU it all seems too convenient.
It is mentioned that power is coming on in other parts of the ship & we then witness the engines firing & the alien ship hurtling off into space uncontrollable & without power.
Ordinarily I would call this a deus ex machina however this is exactly the same sort of thing which could happen in any given SG-1 or SGA episode & it's feasible that before the power went off in that ship that the engines were being fired up so I don't think of this as such a convenient plot device.
Unbeknownst to the crew, Rush is the only person who can get Destiny to catch up to & match velocity with the alien ship but he is on the alien ship itself so he advises that they get Amanda "Wheelie" Perry to assist them. Cue another stones episode.
Simeon is up to his bully boy tactics again but this time it is with Ginn........... he is quickly bitched down by Camille & goes scuttling away hahahaha.
Ginn stones with Amanda Perry.
Rush sends Young of on a little jolly around the ship to get him out of his hair & then starts working with Dr Wheelie P & gives her several codes in secret which it turns out are directions to the bridge.
On her way out in the corridor, Dr Wheelie P is accosted by none other than Simple Simeon & his mute, retarded security escort 7 Simeon mistaking her Ginn tries to interrogate her. Simeon is once again bitched down by Greer & scuttles off once more. I am really starting to like Greer's character more & more by the day.
As per Rush's instructions, Dr Wheelie P locates the bridge & begins to communicate with Rush on a secure channel.
The ship changes course to catch up with Destiny & Dr Wheelie P continues to badger Rush for answers whilst the geeks on the bridge continue to scratch their heads & attempt to contact her. When they eventually get through she is acting really cagey so Eli checks the kino feed for what she was last doing & discovers the secret codes that Rush was feeding to her.
After having decyphered the codes, Eli takes his anonymous, white-shirted scientist pals to the bridge to confront Rush & Dr Wheelie P. This scene descends into the one thing I dislike most about this show & that is irrational, screamy melodrama but this is conveyed in the worst possible way through Eli screaming in angst down the radio at Eli (from miles away on a different ship mind you) & does so in a cringe-makingly shrill voice.
Young hears Eli's ranting &, in his psychotic manner, begins to beat Rush to a pulp at the same time as beating the reputation of the United States Military to an equally bloody pulp. I am starting to get annoyed with the way these writers ride roughshod over the image of the US military.
What starts as a beating momentarily turns into a fight as Rush manages to work his way on top & gives Young a Glasgow Kiss - I almost spooged my pants at this point, but then he perpetrates a WTF moment by trying to crawl away when he had the upper hand............ very poorly choreographed fight & made no sense at all. Young then gets Rush in a choke hold & renders him unconscious for several seconds whilst he regains control of the weapon he himself relinquished control of by placing it on the ground.
After a brief exchange of blame & recrimination about each other's characters & also some admissions being made by Rush as to wrong doing on his part & some long, serious stares by Young which I take as his way of saying "yeah you have a fair point Rush, I have acted a bit of a psycho dick".
More chit chat from Eli, Dr Wheelie P & two anonymous, white-shirted scientist dudes.
This next scene between Rush could have alot of potential but just fires short. (I'm not going to go into full detail about this scene in the review as it boggles the mind).
In attempting to explain Destiny's mission, the writers have tried to be too clever for their own good & have once again, answered the show's longest question merely with another question & simply confused matters with a very convoluted idea.
The theory of the Ancients having discovered some weird wi-fi network which pre-dates the big bang & used to have structure (hence artifical) & the Destiny's mission is to discover it or whatever, is just a cynical attempt at trying to be all profound, add suspense & jump on the broken down band wagon of "God-fi" (bod-bothering sci fi).
This scene doesn't really explain how or why this is important or what practical & scientific applications it could possibly have other than Rush & Young making reference to being able to change time/reality as desired....... blah blah. I for one like to speculate now & again but I prefer, as mentioned before, to be informed & entertained but I guess that is asking too much.
Rush & Young make their peace agaaaaaaain.
We now see Destiny flying in towards the alien ship at a jaunty angle & Dr Wheelie P receiving loads of advice from back seat drivers Eli & co. At the same time Lt Scott joins the melodrama party late & has an entirely unnecessarily forced, drama scream fest (he went to Julliard don't ya know).
After much advice from back seat drivers, Dr Wheelie P decides to ram Destiny nose first into the alien ship, twatting it & sending it hurtling off in a balistic spin into even deeper space.......... woman driver innit.
The kino (which they were going to use to get back to Destiny by means of piggy backing) is broken & the other one has conveniently gone off on one of it's own little jaunts (as the do). So Rush & Young have to jump off from the alien ship at the exact moment (calculated by Eli) to land on Destiny's hull. We almost lose Young but Rush valiantly grabs hold of him at the last second which is another feather in Rush's cap as a good character in my eyes.
The crew now have control of the ship by means of the bridge & are tinkering around to see what they can do.
Rush visits Dr Wheelie P to thank her & discuss things over some nasty moon shine from the still. Rush clearly cares alot for Dr Wheelie P who is in the body of Ginn & kisses her even though she is in another person's body. Mid kiss Eli walks in unannounced, catches them in the act & says to Dr Wheelie P possibly the most hypocritical thing I think I have ever heard - "you know sometimes with the stones it's easy to forget you're in another person's body!!!!!" ............. so it's ok to go out to a club & get obliterated in somebody else's but a little peck on the lips between two consenting adults (she signed the agreement) is a no go area all of a sudden.
At the end of this scene Eli leaves & Simple Simeon is seen going into the quarters of Dr Wheelie P to do one of 3 things - bully her, kill her or roger her, either way it isn't going to end well for her.
Episode Summary:
All in all not a bad episode & it is nice for a change to get an episode to review which is watchable & doesn't have as many scene transitions as these episodes were becoming a chore to review. Although it was technically speaking, a stones episode, they were used to decent effect & not purely for drama's sake. I have finally got an episode to review which isn't soley drama, has very little melodrama & has some elements of action & genuinely interesting suspense (although I did include I believe three WTF moments).
As the bad points of this show are enduring & are also implied in the review, I see there being no point in bullet pointing them here so shall just include the good points.
Good Points:
- The music again (although as an added bonus, there was no musical montage at the close of this episode........ TPTB might be listening at last).
- The CGI was fit for purpose.
- The lighting (which I've never had an issue with if I'm honest) seemed a bit better although I think that may be my monitor brightness.
- Suspense in relation to Ginn/Simeon was actually suspenseful - I'm interested to see how that pans out.
- The action was quite good in this episode, most notably Rush's Glasgow Kiss - priceless.
- The stones were used correctly this time.
- Greer's character is showing himself to be a good & richteous man.
- Rush is improving as a character due to saving the life of his nemesis (the man who jsut beat him up & who has tried to kill him once before).
- Destiny's mission finally......... sort of......... revealed-ish. I'm not holding my breath for an "OMFG" revelation with this one, especially not if, but when the show is cancelled without a conclusion to the show.
- The crew finally have access to the bridge (all be it after 20 odd episodes) so we might actually get to see some of those aspects of Stargate we have been missing for so long........ but I doubt it.
GREAT review!
This is an EXCELLENT review! I like the way you highlighted yout interpretations, sort of like Atlantis4Life does it. I hope we dont get a season 2.5, but if by some unfortunate twist in the fabric of space-time, we DO get one, I want to do another review. But I have written this before the ratings came out for Malice, so we shall see.
Great review man! I liked watching this episode for the CGI, but the story left me cold as well, and after it was over, the feeling of "MEH" set in very quickly.
This is an EXCELLENT review! I like the way you highlighted yout interpretations, sort of like Atlantis4Life does it. I hope we dont get a season 2.5, but if by some unfortunate twist in the fabric of space-time, we DO get one, I want to do another review. But I have written this before the ratings came out for Malice, so we shall see.
Great review man! I liked watching this episode for the CGI, but the story left me cold as well, and after it was over, the feeling of "MEH" set in very quickly.