Even though the episode was entitled ‘Darkness’, Stargate Universe was all about power, both in a literal and metaphorical sense. Throw in some ego bruising and a lot of tension and letting go and you have a thrilling hour of television.
There were no flashbacks this week of any kind (awwww), but we did have The Office-style farewell messages that Eli recorded with the Kino. The Kino records? During a power outage? I’ll get to that later.
I’m breaking the recap down into storylines instead of trying keep up with all the jumping around.
The Power Hungry Professor
Dr. Rush tries to find the source of the draining power on the ship as he watches systems fail left and right of epic proportions. Seeing the other scientists push buttons and activate things that they know nothing about (according to Dr. Rush, that is), Dr. Rush confronts Col. Young about being reckless when it comes to power conservation and that Young should come to him from then on about matters of the ship. Of course, Young is not some spring chicken and doesn’t give a damn what Dr. Rush’s status entails. Young tells Dr. Rush that he has it backwards and that he needs to be more cordial and open-minded when it comes to having other scientists work with him on fixing the ship. Other scientists that Dr. Rush feels as if don’t add up to his superiority when it comes to Ancient technology. Rush reluctantly, and temporarily, resists when Young assigns a scientist to work with Rush. The scientist counters a theory of Dr. Rush’s, who then promptly kicks him out of the control room.
Later, the ship’s power shuts down completely. I wonder how much of the ship they have explored and if they really know that they are the only ones there. But when the ship lost power it also came out of FTL drive. So they are pretty much sitting ducks.
The crew knows that Rush hasn’t been sleep since he got there and that it may be the reason why he is on the edge. Camile also thinks the lack of faith and trust in him is another factor and I say ‘womp, womp’. He is the reason they are there, bottom line. So lack of sleep, power issues, and guilt is basically what he is dealing with.
Dr. Rush goes on a tangent and blames Col. Young for dialing the gate to Earth, which he feels is the reason the ship is nearly drained of power, when it should have been more than enough energy to work on fixing the ship. And at the most inopportune moment, Rush passes out from exhaustion and a nervous breakdown. So much for being a mighty doctor.
The Powerless Kid and Super Friends
While Dr. Rush was off going mental on all the scientists, Col. Young held court in the newly minted mess hall where he talked to three different groups of survivors on the conditions of the ship and their morale. One order of business was what to do with Senator Armstrong’s pod, which last week I thought had been ejected from the ship. I would like to thank reader Dan S for correcting that faux pas.
Eli mentions something about a makeshift shower, which becomes apparent that ALL of them need to use. Col. Young even says that he can’t differentiate the smell anymore and that’s just unfathomable. I am sure the Ancients had to bathe like any other human like creature… Well, at least I hope they did.
Eli walks around with Chloe and I smell a love triangle brewing since she was up under Scott last week. I blame her flip-flopping on the stench of the two suitors, because she said Scott was funkier than Eli, which amazes me, but moving on…
Chloe asks Eli to show her the make shift shower, which is really mist being shot at you and making water. It’s a doable shower and Chloe loves it. Eli stands guard while Chloe showers. Vanessa, Scott’s FWB, asks to speak to Eli in private, but she says it so seductively that Eli is understandably torn. He eventually follows Vanessa, who leads him into a room of angry scientists, soldiers, and civilians. They, led by soldiers Spencer and Vanessa, all demand to know what the hell is going on. Eli declares he doesn’t know, but the group says that he and Dr. Rush know something and they aren’t sharing. Eli reassures them that he is as much in the dark as they are, but the group doesn’t believe him. Damn, that must sucks…
Meanwhile, Lt. Scott, Sgt. Greer, and TJ all work on another the shuttle that Lt. Scott found. Scott tries to translate the Ancient symbols and jokes about taking it on a test drive. After the power goes out and Dr. Rush checks out for a good bit, the scientists that so felt that they were being under used are of no use when it comes to getting the power back online. But Eli informs Col. Young that he and the others are thinking about controlling the ship through the shuttle they found, which makes sense. But this new information makes the scientists feel even lower since a MIT drop out came up with the idea on his own.
Col. Young? YEAH! Col. Telford? BOOOOOO-HIISSSSSSSSSSSS
After Rush collapses, Col. Young tells Eli that he is about to go report their troubles to SGC. Of course, sitting on the other side of the damn universe waiting is none other than Col. Telford, who can’t wait to go screw up the situation, that he knows nothing about, even more. After debriefing the proper people (at least I hope he did), Col. Young decides to visit his wife, who is not too thrilled to see him in another man’s body. After they bicker about why Young went on the mission in the first place, his wife makes a decision of not wanting to wait for him and tells Young to let her go. Young takes it well, but he is a soldier and was probably taught to deal with things like that internally.
Back on the ship, Col Telford is pissed that not only Dr. Rush is out cold while there is a power outage, but also that Col. Young has let the ship/mission go to hell in the process. He demands answers and when Lt. Scott sternly tells him that the ship dropped out of FTL for a reason at that specific spot, Col. Young reappears in his body. Scott lets Young know that Telford wants Young to be replaced as the leader of the mission, which is idiotic at best. Isn’t Col. Young the highest-ranking official on the ship? I was so hoping to like Lou Diamond Phillips’character, but he is a major jackass… He wants control even when he’s all the way across the frakking universe! Amazing…
A New Hope?
Scott reveals that the ship came out of FTL drive near a star system, which has three habitable planets and a gas giant. A female scientist then talks into the Kino about the pros and cons of the find, one con being constant earthquakes due to the tidal stress of the planet and the sun and I am going to stop because the science was going a mile a minute. But bottom line is that they might have a chance of survival.
Dr. Rush wakes up and finds out that he had been knocked out for ten hours. TJ takes him to the shuttle and the group decides to enter the star system by using an aero breaking maneuver, which is something I am still trying to grasp. The maneuver will bring turbulence so Dr. Rush asks for Col. Young to make sure everybody brace him or herself. Eli thinks this is a perfect opportunity to wow Chloe by sitting with her in the observation room looking at the lights of the planets. But everyone else convenes there and ruins the mood. Maybe next time, Eli.
As they drive into the system all in one piece, they are met with a beautiful, but daunting vision:
The Destiny is on course to fly right into the gas giant.
Oh, boy.
Observations
– One of the crewmen found a version of the new Magic Pad, which is a pad that charges electronic devices, on the ship. Talk about great product placement. Especially when it’s not intentional.
– Telford needs his ass handed to him. Period.
– Chloe is the catalyst that will cause conflict between the budding buddies, Lt. Scott and Eli. I just need for them to find a shower before they decide to engage in any type of physical relations. The outcome could be epic on a fail scale as well as the disgusting meter.
– One of my two only issues this week was that how could the Kino be working and functioning without power? Does it have it’s own battery cell? I hope they explain that pretty soon…
– The other issue was why didn’t Young contact Daniel Jackson, Sam Carter, or Rodney McKay to help with the ship’s problems? I know that the actors might not had been available, but come on! They are going to the wrong people when they are using these stones and I bet something is going to happen when they won’t be able to use them any more. I can feel it.
Your thoughts? And please fill free to correct any mistakes I make in these posts. There is a lot of science and I don’t want to mess it up for the average viewer.
Follow Us
They were headed for the sun, not the gas giant. They slingshoted around the gas giant. That was the planet that they were all observing, making for some truly superb visuals.
Basically, the ship dropped out of FTL at the edges of a star system with potentially habitable planets. But it wasn't actually on course for any of them. The ship automatically made for the gas giant and a slingshot maneuver that would alter its course, putting them on a heading towards the planets. Or so the crew assumed. It turns out the new trajectory takes them straight towards the sun.
Of course, the popular theory is that this was the ship's intention, because it has some sort of mechanism to capture hydrogen from the sun's coronasphere, thus recharging its power supply…And, let's face it, that would look awesome!
Also, the showers weren't "makeshift". That's how they worked, spraying the mist instead of water.
Can't wait for next week.
They were headed for the sun, not the gas giant. They slingshoted around the gas giant. That was the planet that they were all observing, making for some truly superb visuals.
Basically, the ship dropped out of FTL at the edges of a star system with potentially habitable planets. But it wasn’t actually on course for any of them. The ship automatically made for the gas giant and a slingshot maneuver that would alter its course, putting them on a heading towards the planets. Or so the crew assumed. It turns out the new trajectory takes them straight towards the sun.
Of course, the popular theory is that this was the ship’s intention, because it has some sort of mechanism to capture hydrogen from the sun’s coronasphere, thus recharging its power supply…And, let’s face it, that would look awesome!
Also, the showers weren’t “makeshift”. That’s how they worked, spraying the mist instead of water.
Can’t wait for next week.
I know that it is fashionable to have a dislikeable lead character (House, Lie to Me) but if Dr. Rush doesn't get some kind of personality transplant STAT I'm going to be rooting for whomever pushes him out of an airlock first. Caffeine and nicotine withdrawal – fine. But give me *something* to work with.
I'm with you on the Telford hate/Young love. It's building towards something – a supposedly-permanent body switching episode, perhaps.
Eli was cute this week.
I am enjoying the series. And your recaps (I do miss some stuff so it's nice to have a second source.)
I know that it is fashionable to have a dislikeable lead character (House, Lie to Me) but if Dr. Rush doesn’t get some kind of personality transplant STAT I’m going to be rooting for whomever pushes him out of an airlock first. Caffeine and nicotine withdrawal – fine. But give me *something* to work with.
I’m with you on the Telford hate/Young love. It’s building towards something – a supposedly-permanent body switching episode, perhaps.
Eli was cute this week.
I am enjoying the series. And your recaps (I do miss some stuff so it’s nice to have a second source.)
The Kino does have separate power because they were able to use it on the planet in the second half of "Air".
Yeah, it would be kinda silly to have reconnaissance probes that don't have their own power source…
The Kino does have separate power because they were able to use it on the planet in the second half of “Air”.
Yeah, it would be kinda silly to have reconnaissance probes that don’t have their own power source…
Thanks guys! Red, I am with you on that theory of the sun recharging their batteries. I mean it's been through different star systems, which means that it might had to do that maneuver plenty of times before. Am I right? I am not Sci-Fi illiterate, it's just that when I am faced with new info I am overwhelmed a bit.
Featherlite, I hope it is Greer that tosses Rush out the airlock, if not Young. And if Telford gets trapped in Young's body I will lose it. I mean total TV damage.
The Kino is one of the best things on TV now. And I want one.
Thanks guys! Red, I am with you on that theory of the sun recharging their batteries. I mean it’s been through different star systems, which means that it might had to do that maneuver plenty of times before. Am I right? I am not Sci-Fi illiterate, it’s just that when I am faced with new info I am overwhelmed a bit.
Featherlite, I hope it is Greer that tosses Rush out the airlock, if not Young. And if Telford gets trapped in Young’s body I will lose it. I mean total TV damage.
The Kino is one of the best things on TV now. And I want one.
I agree that the ship saw power problems coming and made adjustments. It shut everything down so it would have enough power to keep the shields (and crew) alive.
As for the series so far:
I tend to be of the thought that if I were in that position, I would be pulling all of the stops and getting Dr. Jackson, Col. Carter, and Dr. Rodney McKay on board. You could do a whole episode with them, Dr. Rush and Eli in a room trying to solve some significant problem. The egos and tension would be explosive and Dr. Rush couldn't drive them into submission as second rate minds.
Colonel Telford will just end up sending General O'Neil out. The crew would end that episode wondering if Jack O'Neil was clueless or else feeling reassured that they would somehow make it–maybe some of both.
I would also, at some point, pull the medic back and put her in school on earth. My guess is that she resigned her commission because she is pregnant.
To a certain point, I can see Stargate command waiting to see what this team can come up with on their own. Commanders are always in the business of building and testing their people and I would be pulling the stops to get them the training they need to survive as soon as it becomes obvious that this may take a while.
Last thought…if I was the writer, I would kill off the Colonel. That puts Dr. Rush as the adult in charge and nobody trusts him. The military commander would be an untested lieutenant. The politics would become unbearable–like something off Survivor only it isn't a million dollars at stake but the lives of everyone on board. "Survival is the only mission."
I agree that the ship saw power problems coming and made adjustments. It shut everything down so it would have enough power to keep the shields (and crew) alive.
As for the series so far:
I tend to be of the thought that if I were in that position, I would be pulling all of the stops and getting Dr. Jackson, Col. Carter, and Dr. Rodney McKay on board. You could do a whole episode with them, Dr. Rush and Eli in a room trying to solve some significant problem. The egos and tension would be explosive and Dr. Rush couldn’t drive them into submission as second rate minds.
Colonel Telford will just end up sending General O’Neil out. The crew would end that episode wondering if Jack O’Neil was clueless or else feeling reassured that they would somehow make it–maybe some of both.
I would also, at some point, pull the medic back and put her in school on earth. My guess is that she resigned her commission because she is pregnant.
To a certain point, I can see Stargate command waiting to see what this team can come up with on their own. Commanders are always in the business of building and testing their people and I would be pulling the stops to get them the training they need to survive as soon as it becomes obvious that this may take a while.
Last thought…if I was the writer, I would kill off the Colonel. That puts Dr. Rush as the adult in charge and nobody trusts him. The military commander would be an untested lieutenant. The politics would become unbearable–like something off Survivor only it isn’t a million dollars at stake but the lives of everyone on board. “Survival is the only mission.”
Interesting. I just randomly turned on the History Channel and watched the last 20 minutes of a rather interesting show. Guess what the History Channel was discussing?
The composition, properties, and the conductive properties of elements found on Gas Giant planets and the conductive properties of elements found on various types of suns.
Apparently, the color blue or the color blue-green on or in a gas giant indicates the presence of Metallic Liquid Hydrogen or Methane.
The History Channel did not go into any depth about Methane, but the History Channel did go on, and on, and on, and on about Hydrogen (the most abundant gas/liquid in the universe) and Metallic Liquid Hydrogen and all of their unique properties.
Interesting. I just randomly turned on the History Channel and watched the last 20 minutes of a rather interesting show. Guess what the History Channel was discussing?
The composition, properties, and the conductive properties of elements found on Gas Giant planets and the conductive properties of elements found on various types of suns.
Apparently, the color blue or the color blue-green on or in a gas giant indicates the presence of Metallic Liquid Hydrogen or Methane.
The History Channel did not go into any depth about Methane, but the History Channel did go on, and on, and on, and on about Hydrogen (the most abundant gas/liquid in the universe) and Metallic Liquid Hydrogen and all of their unique properties.
The consensus in my household is that the best solution would be to continue into the sun, and end this shipwreck of a series as soon as possible.
The consensus in my household is that the best solution would be to continue into the sun, and end this shipwreck of a series as soon as possible.
Who in God's name is this RUSH character and where did they find this awful excuse for an actor? AND can we send him back where he cam from? I agree totally with Featherlite about him. Hi is just horrible and adds absolutely nothing to the show! Lose him please!!
Lynn, Rush is portrayed by Robert Carlyle, who was in 28 Weeks Later, 24: Redemption, The Full Monty, and various other projects.
Who in God’s name is this RUSH character and where did they find this awful excuse for an actor? AND can we send him back where he cam from? I agree totally with Featherlite about him. Hi is just horrible and adds absolutely nothing to the show! Lose him please!!
Lynn, Rush is portrayed by Robert Carlyle, who was in 28 Weeks Later, 24: Redemption, The Full Monty, and various other projects.
Mark, you write that, in the beginning of the show they had 5 communication stones, and already used two of them, so they only have 3 communications left. I'm not sure, and I maybe wrong, but as far as I'm concerned, no-one ever said anything about that the stones only can be used once. The way I understand it, they can use them all they want. Of course only five people at a time. I also wonder why no-one thought of inviting Jackson, Carter and/or McKay onboard the ship.
Jon, I got that info from an interview/article about the show and I think that by looking back on it, it was highly erred The Stones have been in SG history since SG-1 according to the SG Wiki. Here is a complete overview of them:
http://www.stargate-sg1-solutions.com/wiki/Ancien…
I am sorry for the confusion, everyone.
Mark, you write that, in the beginning of the show they had 5 communication stones, and already used two of them, so they only have 3 communications left. I’m not sure, and I maybe wrong, but as far as I’m concerned, no-one ever said anything about that the stones only can be used once. The way I understand it, they can use them all they want. Of course only five people at a time. I also wonder why no-one thought of inviting Jackson, Carter and/or McKay onboard the ship.
Jon, I got that info from an interview/article about the show and I think that by looking back on it, it was highly erred The Stones have been in SG history since SG-1 according to the SG Wiki. Here is a complete overview of them:
http://www.stargate-sg1-solutions.com/wiki/Ancien…
I am sorry for the confusion, everyone.