They had some time to send back for another remote, redial, and send it to the two wayward members, I suppose. Or they could have dialed it from the ship. Maybe they will get to it next episode.
I wasn't sure if the gate went back to the ship, or if they somehow dialed one of the locked out planets. I was kinda thinking one would immediately stumble back thru, gasping for air or something.
At least now we know how Lou Diamond Phillips actually fits into the show.
They didn't dial the ship, they dialed another planet. Eli tried to communicate with them, but couldn't. It is likely they died on the other planet, or at least are stranded as the ship went into FTL at the end of the episode.
What interests me is the shuttle taking off from the ship at the very end of the episode while the ship was in FTL. What was that about!?!?
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Could it be a Stargate Drop ship? Could it be some alien race that's been researching the Destiny? Who knows! This is getting very exciting. I agree, I think the two morons who couldn't follow orders and left are dead.
We need more action. It's starting a bit slow. I'm LOVING the character development but my Uncle mentioned it's a bit slow so I'm getting the feeling others might get the same feeling and eventually not tune in.
Also, the transit might not have been instantaneous -- it could've taken minutes (or hours) for them to get from the planet to the Destiny, giving the ship enough time to spruce up a (teensy tiny atmospheric) bit.
Something funky happened in transit -- they all stepped through the gate, but seemed to come out the other end with a bit more velocity. It also seemed like they arrived at different intervals than they entered.
(Borrowed from the first SGU thread)
This was my basic assumption as well (relative temporal discontinuity), varying only in the details. For instance during the warm up segment the lights are shown activating throughout the ship. However the gate room, the one room in which one would expect the highest level of expectation to receive on-board crew, was not lit (until much later when Rush apparently activated power systems throughout the areas of the ship they have so far explored). Once everyone was through that room was completely dark, sans one control panel which Rush apparently activated and smiled when doing it as if he were expecting to encounter that situation. Why would the gate room be dark? Of all rooms it was the "expectation room," if the original intention still stood. I have some theories but I'm gonna wait and see.
Rush's entire set of actions, and I have tried to study him throughout these entitle episodes, seems to be of one who has not just studied ancient text references, but almost as if he were a man who had previously been in contact with the ship. Not in a technical communicative sense, but almost as if telepathically, or through visions. Or through some third party agency.
Also at the end of the third part of Air there was a detachable shuttle or small scout ship (as others have noted) released. As has been mentioned in previously in this thread I think this an important development. It could have possibly been:
1. One of the scout ships to develop more gate planets, but this seems unlikely because you would think those ships would operate independently and well forward of the advancing Destiny. Though Destiny could have it's own squadron of scout ships.
2. It could be a retrieval ship designed to rescue the crew members who had by gate transferred to another planet. Therefore it would be SAR vessel. In this case then it is either under the direction of Rush or the AI of the ship itself.
3. It could be an alien ship which had boarded the Destiny or had attempted boarding and then detached when unsuccessful. The interesting thing to me was that the design was definitely different to me than other ancient technologies, and therefore implied alien-ness. Of course the Destiny could have previously encountered such a ship and merely scavenged it for its own use. It would definitely make sense to me if replication technology exists that the ship would be designed to scavenge useful alien technology, as well as raw materials, since it is operating so far away from home basically independently for long stretches of time. It's how I would design it. When discovering alien technologies, analyze and if useful, scavenge and employ. But it still certainly seemed alien to me, both in design and powerplant. The other interesting things were when it detached itself (the timeline), and that it did so during FTL maneuvers, meaning it is designed to do so. That is interesting because if it is a drone SAR vessel under the AI of the Destiny you would expect it to have detached as soon as the ship found out about the missing crew, and to have done so prior to jumping into Hyperspace. Just a few seconds in hyperspace would mean perhaps many thousands or millions of miles extra distance in return trip or rendezvous. It seemed therefore to be operating either independently or directed by someone other than the ship itself. Of course the course of the destiny might have led it in the direction of the stranded crew, in that case the discrepancy in the point of departure might be accounted for.
4. It could be replicator technology which had advanced on its own during the Destiny's long voyage. Therefore it would operate as an independent but perhaps symbiotic system.
5. An as yet unintroduced ally.
6. An as yet unintroduced enemy.
7. One or more of the ancients, possibly a forward crew or an unascended ancient is in contact with the ship or is remotely controlling it. This would also possibly explain who has been in previous contact with Rush, assuming anyone, but I suspect that someone has been.
Other things I noticed. The gate they used to achieve planetside occupation of the desert planet had no apparent control system. This would seem to me to imply the idea that the gates used to contact the Density are really one way unless approved. They are designed not to be accessed from without (from outside the ship) specifically as a security measure to prevent unauthorized personnel or aliens from boarding the ship. If this is true of the other planetside or planetoid or ship born gates then the safe bet is that they are only designed to be dialed, not used to board the Destiny without strict security protocols being followed. Probably why, as far as we know, the two semi-mutinied crew could not return to the Destiny (assuming they were not already killed or incapacitated, or lost.) Of course there would be other ways to broad the ship.
I suspect the ship has indeed been boarded or at least nearly boarded before. The ship is I think testing the human crew to see exactly who they are and what their relationship to the ancients might be, and therefore if the ship can actually trust them.
I also liked the fact of the alien life being totally non-human (in morphology and general method of communicating) but helpful. I also very much liked the alien (the alien reminded me very much of both the idea of God speaking out of the whirlwind, very gently this time, and of the idea of the djinn, or spirit guide) tie to Scott and his past as a priest-candidate, and to his religious background, and to his "Mission in Life." I could very much emphasize with his character and his background and his understanding regarding his calling. In a way his mission to find the "limestone" that would 'clear the air' was a fulfillment of his religious mission and one method of his redemption. It was also a very real extension of his original mission, just in a very different way than he had originally imagined and prepared for.
Psychologically I also found it very interesting that the insubordinate Sarge (Greer I think they call him) was near the end of the episode taking orders from Rush on who to shoot and how to execute his mission. Greer, despite his insubordinate badass image is really quite babyish and childlike. He'd much rather be taking orders from others. There is very little if any leadership quality to the man at this point. And Rush is an erratic, self-driven leader. An erratic leader and an erratic follower are a dangerous combination, even when they don't mean to be.
This all leads us to the problem of who is the most likely Intel/security leak regarding who was trying to attack the Gate-to-Destiny planet. By first suspicion is the Colonel played by Phillips. I have a list of other suspects (assuming it is not someone not yet introduced) though who had motive, and opportunity, and capability. Rush had all of those as well but I suspect he is so far unlikely given the evidence to date due to the fact that I have already concluded that his ulterior motives spring from a different set of operating principles and objectives.
Another thing I noticed was, well, that can wit til I can gather more information by watching how they operate next time they are off-ship.
Now, I assume that the atmospheric environment has been temporarily stabilized, so the next survival/ship-board test will be water. Thereafter food, then real shelter, then formal ship control or at least cooperation with the ship itself. Then exploration, and in the background both trying to find a way home, and for Rush to accomplish his real goals in all of this. Which is not his real goal, but for him a secondary goal. He'd like the ship to himself.
Personally I think the show is doing very well.
Everytime it partially resolves one problem it opens up several more in background for speculation and exploration.
I found it slow but good character devolopment. Figure the two that went through the gate are gone, they did not even think about sending the probe in first (yes, it is Eli's little toy and I am glad it is not becoming the save us this week gadget).
Not sure about the shuttle flying off at the end, I don't think it was part of the ship. During the two hour show there were a number of strange camera views that could have been someone watching the crew, this may have been someone leaving.
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I found it slow but good character devolopment. Figure the two that went through the gate are gone, they did not even think about sending the probe in first (yes, it is Eli's little toy and I am glad it is not becoming the save us this week gadget).
They did send it through. Eli mentioned that they took the Kino.
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This all leads us to the problem of who is the most likely Intel/security leak regarding who was trying to attack the Gate-to-Destiny planet. By first suspicion is the Colonel played by Phillips. I have a list of other suspects (assuming it is not someone not yet introduced) though who had motive, and opportunity, and capability. Rush had all of those as well but I suspect he is so far unlikely given the evidence to date due to the fact that I have already concluded that his ulterior motives spring from a different set of operating principles and objectives.
I kinda think that the aliens attacking the Gate were tipped off by them trying to activate the gate to the ship. They don't want anyone going to the ship. The same aliens could be keeping tabs on the ship, hence the probe or shuttle leaving at the end.
That was my first thought, and on writing it down, it doesn't seem very complete. They must want the ship for themselves but maybe can't get control of Destiny, otherwise they could have just destroyed it instead of just having a shuttle there. Hmmm...
I figure their next problems will be water, food, and ENERGY! In the show, one made a comment that they couldn't stay in constant contact with the ground crew because of the constant drain on the limited energy they did have. No power, no gates to planets.
I kinda think that the aliens attacking the Gate were tipped off by them trying to activate the gate to the ship. They don't want anyone going to the ship. The same aliens could be keeping tabs on the ship, hence the probe or shuttle leaving at the end.
It was mentioned in the first part, by Carter, that it the was Lucian Alliance. They were introduced in the eighth season of SG1, if I recall correctly. I think it's unlikely they were the aliens leaving the ship. They were most likely tipped off by an informant in the base.
The Lucian Alliance hates Earth...they feel like they were setup in the battle vs. the Ori, and SG-1 has screwed up their plans more than once. They probably figured that an ancient base had to have something worthwhile. (Strange that the Hammond didn't blow them into smithereens with Asgard-based weaponry.)
The third part was by far the slowest -- too much tromping through the desert looking for special dirt. Also, Sgt. Angry is clearly somebody you would NOT send to a top secret base as part of the military presence. The way he casually abuses Rush is not a sign of stability.
I'm still undecided on whether this more than just a mix between BSG, Lost, and ST: Voyager. I like it enough to watch the next ep.
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They did send it through. Eli mentioned that they took the Kino.
I am talking about the two that went to the other gate address, going in blind. I don't care how much they distrust Rush, they should have know better.
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I have noticed one pretty big flaw on the show's part: Horrible exposition.
My GF and her friend, who neither have any experience with SG's earlier incarnations, but are watching SGU with me, are having trouble keeping up. I don't have any problems with it, having been a faithful watcher of the franchise for a decade and knowing all about the ins and outs of gate physics, the ancients, the communication stones and the SGC/NID command structure. They do not.
In past SG, the exposition has always come in bursts of Carter/Daniel/McKay monologues, which SGU so far lacks. They seem to be going for something more natural, but I don't think it's working.
Other shows make it work, so I hope they work out the kinks. I love SG and I think SGU shows promise, even if it's start is a bit buggy. I do hope though, that they don't go overly BSG on us. I think SG needed a shake up and I like BSG, but I like it for different reasons than I do SG. In any case, I'm not that convinced the SG writers are up to the task. Hopefully they'll be able to find a good balance between the styles.
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