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Tag: Remi Aubuchon

Stargate Universe: Resurgence

Welcome back Stargate Universe (SGU) fans.

Watching Tuesday’s episode, Resurgence, was so bittersweet knowing that we would have to wait until April 2011 before a new episode aired, and the greenlight for Stargate Universe season 3 had not yet been announced.

If you have not seen this episode, please know that my review below will contain complete spoilers.

In every episode written by Joe Mallozzi, you are going to find a fair amount of snarkiness. The snark-o-meter rang high during Resurgence (as you will be able to see down below in my favorite lines). You will also be guaranteed a large amount of action. Will Waring was back once again to help direct this mid-season finale.

We open with Rush (Robert Carlyle) on the bridge, trying to be patient with the perceived incompetence in the others working their stations. Dr. Brody (Peter Kelamis) discovers a signal; Destiny goes to investigate.

Before dropping out of FTL, Rush tries to radio Eli (David Blue) but getting no response, he pays him a personal visit. Rush knows only too well the grief Eli is experiencing.

Destiny comes across the remnants of a space battle, a graveyard as Camile (Ming-Na) called it.

Rush suggests Brody should be the one to explore this site; Brody looks quite pleased with that.

Things continue to get awkward with Scott (Brian Jacob Smith) and Chloe (Elyse Levesque). Chloe’s metamorphosis is accelerating. She calls Scott out for the lack of intimacy between them as evidence that he knows where the road is leading (or as the writers will have us believe). I am still rooting for a metamorphosis of Chloe to part alien to give her superhero powers, but they discover that she is an ally and not an enemy.

Having made a personal connection with Eli when his mom’s health took a turn for the worse on Earth, Camile tries to get him to open up.

Scott, Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) and Brody leave to investigate one of the ships in the debris field. Another ship powers up; it looks like a beetle.

After finding their target sites, Greer makes the initial jump (as the locks are not perfectly sealed).

A thought crossed my mind seeing Greer with a gun on the alien ship. What use are the guns in a zero-gravity environment? Has NASA ever fired a gun in space? Surely it would be propelled some distance, but to have a deadly impact. Apparently a gun can fire in space. “Gunfire is a controlled contained fire which expands and propels a projectile out of its confinement. There must be oxygen, fuel and heat present to have fire.

At first glance one would think since there is no oxygen in space that a gun could not fire, but that is not true. There is oxidizer present within gunpowder sufficient to fire the gun. Guns can fire underwater too, but when the gun barrel is filled with water there may be enough resistance within the barrel to cause it to burst. In space however, not only can the gun fire, but likely better than on Earth, since as stated earlier the water in the barrel offers dangerous resistance, air in the barrel offers a minute amount of drag as well, in space, a gunshot would have no air resistance and thus more muzzle velocity than on Earth.”

I also discovered that “a gun will fire in the vacuum of space. And with approximately 14 psi more force due to the lack of atmospheric pressure. The powder contains the oxidizer needed for the explosion. In free fall or gravity-less situation the recoil or ‘kick’ could move the shooter.”

Meanwhile, on Destiny, TJ (Alaina Huffman) visits Varro (Mike Dopud). He says, “I haven’t seen you in awhile.” Does this suggest that TJ has been seeing Varro on a regular basis? He inquires about the Eden dwellers and her baby, and tries to show comfort after she shares that her baby was not among them, that Destiny was trying to protect her. He grabs her hand, suggesting that he would protect her as well. I am looking forward to the future episodes that Joe Mallozzi spoke of on his blog where a love triangle erupts between Varro, TJ, and Young.

TJ spots movement outside Varro’s window. Shortly thereafter, she has to leave; Varro wants to help. The writers are not quite ready for that (but soon).

The Destiny shows the crew the battle simulation. Eli realizes that some ships are just shut down and tells them they have to leave. NOW! Young (Louis Ferreira) radios Scott, Greer and Brody to return.

An visually stunning space battle ensues courtesy of the amazing talents of Mark Savela and his team. I can only imagine the number of days, or weeks, they spent on those sequences.

After trying to communicate and waiting an appropriate amount of time for a response, given the hostiles are not firing upon Destiny, Young orders them to return fire. Once again we see the talents of the visual effects team as the shuttle returns to Destiny and blows up a bad guy in the process.

I wonder if Dr. Park liked firing the big guns?

The FTL engines are offline and things do not look good. Another ship drops out of FTL. Guess who’s coming to dinner? Yahoo! Colonel Telford (Lou Diamond Phillips) is back!

They are headed for cover and power-up in the local star, a place their enemies cannot follow. This is Varro’s first time flying in a star. The visual effects shots of a star power-up never gets old, but this time, we are treated to two ships.

Telford comes aboard and recounts his story of his time on the alien ship, what he learned about the Ursini and who their enemies are. The Ursini want Destiny’s help.

Eli pays a visit to Chloe to keep her abreast of the latest. She does not believe the Ursini can be trusted.

The Ursini want Destiny to attack the command carrier. Rush wants to buy Destiny some time to make repairs and double-cross the Ursini until the repairs can be made. The Ursini are going to give Destiny a lift in FTL. Rush does not see the problem with this until Young says that they hold the key to dialing Earth, which tells Rush that Young is still not 100% committed to Destiny’s mission.

Rush returns to the bridge and spots an error Eli is making. Eli has his mind on other things. Rush is blunt about Eli’s loss and about Eli’s ability to be able to control that even with all of his abilities. It sounded like Rush was paraphrasing from the talk Scott had with him on the Malice planet.

The Ursini accept the deal and jumps Destiny together with the seed ship.

They drop out of FTL too soon. The Ursini have tricked them and placed them right before the command carrier.

The Destiny engages in battle with the ships from the command carrier.

Chloe wants to help and grabs Eli a little bit too hard but once out of her room, she knocks the guard out (Cpl. Baras, played by Jacob Blair) and leaves (great stunt sequence from James Bamford and company). Even doors can no longer contain Chloe, but Young sends Scott out to find her. Lt. Vanessa James (Julia Benson) also helps.

The infirmary is packed with patients and TJ sends for Varro to come and help.

Scott finds Chloe at a console but says, “It’s too late.” The seed ship is not responding. There is nowhere to fall back. Destiny is getting a beating and the shields are almost gone. And this is where we are CRUELY left until April 2011.

FAVORITE LINES

I had so many favorite lines in this episode.

1. The opening sequence, but especially:
Rush to Brody: Mr. Brody, please don’t make me come over there.
Brody: “Why don’t you by my guest?”

2. Young to Rush: “What do you mean distant? We’re on a spaceship in the middle of nowhere. From where I’m sitting, EVERYTHING is distant.”

3. When Dr. Park (Jennifer Spence) suggests the signal may be that of intelligent life, Rush says, “Best-case scenario” in his opinion.
Volker (Patrick Gilmore): For real??? Do I have to remind everyone of what happened the last time we encountered an alien life form, or the time before that, OR the time before that.
Park: But you can’t judge a neighborhood by a bunch of bad neighbors.
Volker: Are you kidding? That’s EXACTLY how you judge a neighborhood.

4. Eli to Camile: “…and screw The Last Starfighter because all these hours playing HALO didn’t prepare me for this.”

5. Eli to Camile: “You guys are worried because I’m a little distracted?”
Camile: We’re worried because given recent events you should be a hell of a lot more than just a little distracted.

6. Eli to Camile about Riley (Haig Sutherland): “You know what’s weird? Sometimes I’ll forget that he’s gone. I’ll actually walk into the gate room and turn my head and for a splint second, I wonder where the hell he is, and then I remember.
Camile: He was a very important part of your life here.
Eli: When your whole world collapses down to less than 100 people in a confined space, it all becomes important to you, Camile. Riley was part of the ship and losing him…it wasn’t just sad, it was wrong.
Camile: What about losing Ginn?” (Julie McNiven)

Eli gives her a look like “don’t go there” and backs out. Ming-Na and David Blue had some stellar acting in a beautifully written scene.

7. Greer to Brody: So when did you finish fixing the third suit?

Brody: Yesterday. It’s perfectly safe.
Greer: Alright. Wait, wait, wait. How come I’m wearing it and you’re not?
Brody: Easier to fix if something goes wrong…which it won’t…in all likelihood.

Peter Kelamis has such great comedic timing. I am glad the writers are giving our guest-stars some opportunities to shine.

8. Greer to Brody: “Just shut up and let me work.” The “shut up” phrase is getting as much air play as “a lot of work.”

9. When an alert pings on the bridge, Young says, “What the hell was that?”
Eli: It’s Destiny letting us know it finished assembling the simulation….either that or pie’s done.

Yum! Could that be a nice blueberry alien pie?

10. When Young asks Eli to communicate with the alien hostiles: “I want you to broadcast a message.”
Eli: In Ancient?
Young: Ancient, English, bat signal, whatever else you’ve got. Tell them we are not a threat.

11. Wray to Young: “As simple as that.”
Young: I doubt it will be simple. I’m hoping for a step up from impossible.

12. On the bridge, when Rush points out that Eli’s error was causing problems, Eli says, “Shit.” I have listened to this 20 times now. Closed captioning says he says, “shoot”, and with closed captioning on, I could possibly be persuaded to hear “shoot.” But with my eyes closed with no closed captioning on, it’s “shit.” File this under: I love when “shit” gets past the censors!

13. Rush to Eli that he hasn’t screwed up…yet: “I’m sure with your present attitude it’s only a matter of time.”

It was difficult for me to write this review. Subconsciously I think by not writing it, I could imagine that next week there was going to be another new episode. It now will be 4 months before I get to write another SGU review. I will continue to hope through the month of December that we get our Christmas present: SGU has been renewed for season 3. Until then, keep letting both Syfy and MGM hear your voice.

Thank you again for reading this post. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or contact me via Facebook or Twitter. You are welcome to use WormholeRiders News Agency new “share” feature as well. Have a lovely day.

Hilda Bowen (aka PBMom)

December 12, 2010
Stargate Universe: Visitation Review

Welcome back Stargate Universe (SGU) fans!

As always, there are complete spoilers in my post, so if you have not seen the episode, please come back later.

It has to be difficult when your episode is airing the next week after Robert Cooper’s episode “Malice.” Everyone is going to be using that as the yardstick of measure.

As with every Stargate since Stargate SG-1, there were your action-packed episodes, and then the more intellectual episodes that required you engage the thinking part of your brain. “Visitation” is similar to those many Stargate SG-1 episodes with a spooky twist. Remi Aubuchon, writer of this particular episode, and his first script Stargate Universe, excels at these kinds of scripts. He likes exploring the world of the walking dead or the walking undead (as in Caprica).

As we open, it appears Rush (Robert Carlyle) is integrating more with the crew, but we find out they are only really there for the still that Brody (Peter Kelamis) is fixing and have little interest in Rush’s discovery, much to his dismay. At least he gave it an effort.

Having traded his shift with Brody so he could fix the still, Volker (Patrick Gilmore) radios Young (Louis Ferreira) after potential planets since they dropped out of FTL; however, a shuttle similar to the ones that came from Destiny is next to them, carrying within it the crew that was left on the planet in “Faith”, now dubbed as Eden by them. Rush, Volker, Brody, Eli (David Blue) and Young all speculate how this could happen.

A still-injured Greer (nice continuity) and his team go to meet the shuttle. His team includes our fantabulous extra Herb Sommerfeld, still sporting his military short haircut.

Now we will know what happens to Carmen, TJ’s (Alaina Huffman) and Young’s baby. In my post on “Intervention”, however, having had a similar experience to what was scripted, I said this: “So here I was sitting, watching a mirror experience of my life being performed on Stargate Universe. On the Destiny, I am certain Carmen’s body remains, yet she exists in this other state. Are the people on the Faith planet dead now, just remaining alive in this alternate plane of existence?

I think so, but time will tell.” My heart knew the fall she was about to take, but I also need for certainty. Caine (Tygh Runyan), Val (Camille Sullivan), Peter (Tobias Slezak), and Dr. Chan (Bill Y. W. Butt, aka B.A.G.) were all there. But no baby. Also of note, the character was supposed to be called Vince Kwan instead of Dr. Chan (or Dr. Chen? hard to tell with Mr. Carlyle’s accent), but I guess that was changed as well.

Oops! Continuity error. Where’s Dana? When TJ went to what she thought was the Faith planet, Peter and Dana visited her in Caine’s cabin. Three female exited the shuttle. One was Val, one was Rachel, and one was an unknown woman who did not look like Dana (played by Caroline Cave in “Intervention”). Caroline Cave actually looks similar to the actress they got to play Val (Camille Sullivan). All the people who were on the Faith planet were brought back to Destiny. Joe Mallozzi said about a half dozen people along with Caine stayed behind on the Faith planet on his April 17, 2010 blog, so perhaps she is the mysterious passenger number 7 whose fate remains a mystery.

Chloe (Elyse Levesque) talks about being there in her consciousness but this other thing having priorities. I wonder if again that is a continuation of the metaphor with the communication stones, being two people inside of one body. Chloe prepares a “goodbye” Kino that sort of reminded me of Stargate Atlantis, “The Shrine” episode.

Young and TJ discuss how the former crew members were creeping them out. In fact, the crew of Destiny does not want to associate with the Eden planet-dwellers. TJ wants to talk to Caine alone and shows him the hydroponics area where we get to see our Destiny robot hard at work (thank you Mark Savela and team!). They discuss her dream.

The scene with Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) and Scott (Brian Jacob Smith) in the hallway was awkward. The scene was well acted, but the story just seemed contrived as did the whole Chloe storyline which is why this episode did not sit well with me. It felt like these were scenes that should have been placed in another episode. Scott also is a 1st lieutenant and only 2nd lieutenants are called butter-bars. I looked this up to be sure. I will expand on my issue with the Chloe storyline in this episode in just a bit.

Eli feels sorry for Val who is sitting alone. After engaging in conversation, she begins to have a memory and relives what seems to be an aneurysmal event and collapses.

Meanwhile, Rush and Caine have a discussion about advanced aliens versus God. Rush brings up a good point: The shuttle was returned to a condition better than it was on Destiny, so why weren’t the crew members? “Either He’s lost his touch or God’s got nothing to do with this.” Caine is summoned to the infirmary because Val is now dead. TJ determines that Val died from a blunt-force trauma to the head.

Regarding the “B” storyline of Chloe: Like I’ve said before, the actors did a fine job with what they were asked to say and act, especially the dialogue between Greer and Chloe. I understand Chloe is slowly changing into something else and understood the sequences for it. The storyline feels contrived. I do not know how else to say this than to just be blunt: It is like Chloe’s has been pegged into a corner and no one knows what to do with her, especially leaving her in isolation over the last couple of episodes. Just an episode or so ago, they were discussing the fact that they might have to put Chloe on a planet that seems habitable IF she becomes a threat.

While the scene between Greer and Chloe was beautifully acted, how did we get from “Chloe is changing” to “Greer is going to have to execute Chloe when she fully transforms?” Seeing the scenes from next week might help explain a few things, but they did not put enough emphasis on Chloe’s transformation to make that scene between Greer and her as important as it should have been.

It’s like we went from A to C and next week we will be at “D” but we forgot about “B.” I only see a few possible outcomes to this story: First, Chloe continues to transform but proves she is friend, not foe. Second, Chloe continues to transform and dies in a blaze of glory. Third, Chloe continues to transform and is either left on a planet or executed by Greer. Fourth: They find a way to reverse the changes in Chloe. Fifth: Chloe makes it onto the alien ship and reverses the transformation herself. My own personal choice would be the first outcome: Let Chloe become part alien and get her out of isolation. The character has been through enough, with the first season playing the fish out of water, not knowing where her place was among the crew. This season she’s been walled off from the rest of the crew with the exception of Lt. Scott and Eli.

Camile puts Peter under hypnosis who remembers who happened to Val and then shortly succumbs to hypothermia and exposure.

TJ figures it out: What if they are dying again in the order they died on the planet. Scott and Greer visit Rachel (Michelle Harrison). After seeing her, our hero Scott dives right in and grabs her to carry her to the infirmary despite Greer’s warning that she might be contagious and TJ’s admonishment once he did. Rachel dies. Young picks Caine to be next up for the hypnosis.

Caine relives his time on the planet. Camile has him describe the last night. He, the last survivor on Eden, prays for help. Then he woke up next to Destiny. After the session, he knows his time is short. “I’m already dead.” Feeling his impending death, he asks TJ to join him in the observation deck so he can see the stars one last time. Even though it is not shown on camera, we know that is where he dies.

James brings Eli a Kino from the shuttle that shows the last moments with Caine and then a bright light. The aliens heard his plea and tried to intervene, but they are not God.

FAVORITE LINES

I had quite a lot of them in this episode.

1. Brody (when Young sniffs him on the bridge): “I wasn’t drinking. I was…fixing it.”

2. Rush: “That sounds like Caine.”
Volker: “Caine’s more monotone than that.

3. Eli: “Trust me. These aliens built a planet from scratch. They can just throw a shuttle between galaxies. I’m pretty sure they can impersonate Caine if they wanted to.
Volker: “Boone used to do a pretty good Caine.”
Brody: “I thought it was the other way around.”

4. On having the crew back and how exciting it will be to talk to them:
Young: “I wouldn’t mind having a working shuttle again.”
Rush: “Then there’s that.”

5. Caine: “I don’t even drive a car.
Brody: “Just what a Trojan would say.”

6. After Eli quotes somebody the appearance of alien beings and advanced technology does not make them God.
Young: “Turn the mic back on. — Winston Churchill.”
Eli: “Really.”

7. After thoroughly checking out the shuttle, Young reports in for a report:
Brody: “Even has that new shuttle smell.”

8. Park to Greer: “Okay, you’re being too deep again.”

9. A conversation Camile and Young have after she shows them Kino footage of interviews:
Young: “They don’t creep you out, even a little.”
Camile: “A lot of people creep me out a little, so I’m not the best person to ask.”
Young: “Really?”
Camile: “A little.”
Young: “Me?”
Camile: “Not as much now.”
Young: “Hmmm. That’s good. Progress.”

10. Young in response to finding out Camile can perform hypnosis:
Young: “Did the IOA teach you that?”
Camile: “Yeah, they did.”
Young (suspiciously): “Anything else I should know about?”
Camile: “That I was a little overqualified for HR.”
Young laughs and nods.

11. TJ to Scott (for obvious selfish reasons — blushing)
“Strip down and get your ass into decon.”

12. That scene with Varro (Mike Dopud). Argh! Another episode without him. Hope he is in next week’s mid-season finale.

13. And my most favorite of all the lines in the episode: Caine to TJ: “I believe that my soul has already moved on and is looking down, even now, marveling at how kind you are to comfort a shadow.”

Disclaimer: WHR supports each person’s right to believe in a faith of their own choosing or for those who do not believe and their right to choose not to believe. WHR is neither comparing nor stating one is “better than the others.” Our only editorial purpose is to analyze the potential religious elements that are represented in this Stargate Universe episode.

This episode gets into some interesting points about the body, the soul and the days we have been allotted. In my own faith, the body is part of an evolutionary process; the soul is what is eternal. In 1996, Pope John Paul II came out saying that the theories of Charles Darwin were factually and wholly compatible with the teachings of the Church. It is steadfast that our soul is given to us by God and that is something not bound by the laws of evolution. Remi Aubuchon explored this idea of the walking dead/walking undead in the Caprica miniseries.

The question there was when does a machine, built by science, become sentient, i.e., develops a soul. Here the Eden dwellers were only returned to their state of well-being as that when they arrived to the planet. The aliens could not replicate their souls. Until the very end, Caine still believes that there is a life beyond this one, one that his soul has already moved onto. And in some warm cabin, Caine, Dana, Val and Peter truly are taking care of Carmen.

I’m melancholy about next week’s episode of SGU. It has become part of my weekly schedule. I thought that we would only have to wait until February or at the latest March for the rest of season 2. I have heard it is more like April. It is going to be a harsh and cold winter, similar to that on the Eden planet. Hopefully by the time April comes around I will be more than just a shadow of my former self, having been starved in the desert without my SGU energy drink.

The only thing that could comfort me, I think, is hearing that Stargate Universe has been renewed for season 3. It would make a wonderful holiday gift.

Thank you for taking the time to read.

Please feel free to leave a comment, or contact me on Facebook or Twitter. Also, you are welcome to use the “share” options.

PBMom (Hilda)

November 29, 2010
Stargate Universe: S2x09 Visitation by A BAG (A Bald Asian Guy)!

Hey Stargate Fans,

As we have indicated before, we fully expected to see a return of the mutinous crew persons from Stargate Universe “Faith” who desired to remain on the planet to seek a “better life”. Well folks tonight is the night when they return to Destiny in the Stargate Universe episode “Visitation” just in time for Thanksgiving in the United States.

The only question is whether or not the “Faith” planet mutineers and the Destiny crew will have anything to be thankful for when the episode concludes!

Two things WormholeRiders News Agency is thankful for is that ArcticGoddess1, Ms. Patricia Bertrand of Auroris Entertainment and producer of StarCon 2011, recently introduced WHR to a wonderful character actor whom will reprise his supporting role in this evenings Stargate Universe episode “Visitation” on SyFy in the United States. Of whom do we speak? Why of course we are talking about Mr. Bill Butt of British Columbia Canada! Mr. Butt is also known as the “Balding Asian Guy” or B.A.G., (a self described term of endearment!).

The team here at WHR is also thankful to you Bill for sharing your thoughts with the fans of Stargate Universe about what is coming in “Visitation”! We cannot wait until you and the other apparent survivors of the “Faith” planet visit the Destiny crew again this evening.

We also hope that you have planned ahead and brought some of the fruit from the planet for Sgt. Greer (Jamil Walker Smith). we hope that you recall that Sgt. Greer took a liking to those tasty and juicy treats before he nearly brought you and all the mutineers back to Destiny under Col. Youngs’ (Justin Louis as Louis Ferreira) orders during the vivid scenes in “Faith”!

We are also hopeful that when Camile Wray (MingNa) questions you about how you and the “Faith” planet survivors returned to Destiny that you provide straight answers or be prepared for the consequences!

During a recent correspondence with Mr. Bill Butt, he shared some thoughts with WHR about his appearance in Stargate Universe episode nine “Visitation” (trailer included below courtesy of SyFy):

WHR: What can you share with Stargate fans about “Visitation”?

Bill Butt: “What can I say about the upcoming episode “Visitation” of Stargate Universe? Well, from watching the promo, it is no secret that the lost crew members from season one episode 13 “Faith” will be putting in an appearance. Many questions will be answered, what happened on the planet?, Did they find anything?, but like waves (which are always hitting a beach), more questions will be asked (about the Faith planet survivors)”.

WHR: “What do you think of Stargate Universe in season two since your appearance in episode thirteen of season one “Faith”?

Bill Butt: “Season two has been a wake-up call for everybody. While season one received a lukewarm reception, season two just exploded out of the “gate”. The excitement, the action, the drama, and the mystery, all combine to make SGU the best SF show on the tube right now. B.A.G. is on-board and ready for duty!!

WHR: What can you share with your fans about International Bag Week (IBW)? Our independent web statistics research indicates that the Gateworld Forum has become active once again. What has been your experience about IBW in relation to Stargate Universe “Visitation”?

Bill Butt: “Personally, “Visitation” is the best thing that ever happened to me, because that is when I found out about BAG. On Gateworld, the “Save Balding Asian Guy” thread has been viewed by more than 41,000 fans, I still cannot believe it. Mattsilver on the thread “Save Balding Asian Guy” declared this week “International BAG Week”, ha!! Ha!!”

“So please join us for “IBW” and for the love of god, watch SGU every week, especially this week. Just for “IBW” because I had 50 B.A.G. baseball caps made, so they are very limited. I will number and autograph the B.A.G. caps for anyone that is interested. The caps are $30.00 each with $5.00 from each purchase going to support the charity efforts at the Vancouver BC Children’s Hospital. I have created a brief video for you to enjoy”.

To order a B.A.G. cap, please contact me my Blog “BagofWonder.blogspot.com”, or through WormholeRiders News Agency. GO SGU GO!! We will have more from Mr. Bill Butt about IBW and B.A.G. in the near future. Stargate Universe returns this evening at 9 PM east and west on SyFy. Make sure to tune in to witness for yourselves the wonder of SGU! In the meantime and as always thank you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. Please feel free to leave a spam free comment or question here or click one of the social media icons below to share this news article. if you prefer (as so many of our visitors do) you may also visit and follow WHR on Twitter or Facebook with your comments or questions. Best Regards, Kenn

November 23, 2010
Stargate Universe: Malice Post Review

Some called it a game-changer; others called it epic. I call it Stargate at its finest moments.

Written and directed by Robert C. Cooper, it had the air about it of the Stargate Atlantis: Vegas episode and I loved it. As with all my post review stories, this will contain full spoilers, so please come back later if you have not yet seen the episode.

Although full of action and drama compelling the story to move forward, there were brief pauses, long enough for us to catch our breath to be present during some emotional fallout for our heroes, only for the story to be propelled forward once again. All the main and supporting characters were put in jeopardy. I could not count the number of heart-beat pauses I had, hoping that the “Ginn (Julie McNiven) is dead” was a red herring thrown out to us by Syfy, that no one else would die in this episode.

The question of what happens if one was using the communication stones and died was answered. It was speculated in season 1 but this now confirms it: Both parties die in both body and consciousness. It gave me shivers to see Ginn’s body (Dr. Perry’s [Kathleen Munroe] consciousness) look like her neck was broken. The irony is that Dr. Perry on Earth ( with Ginn’s consciousness) had quadriplegia, which is paralysis from the neck down and D r. Perry was on a ventilator to live.

We begin the epis ode, however, when Dr. Park (Jennifer Spence), Dr. Volker (Patrick Gilmore), Dr. Brody (Peter Kelamis) and Eli (David Blue) expressing their feelings of distrust of Dr. Rush (Robert Carlyle) while Colonel Young (Louis Ferreira) plays the diplomat to restore a better working relationship. Although they called Dr. Rush up for a question (the reason why he left Dr. Perry/Ginn’s body) just a few moments ago, and he would never outwardly admit it, I think he was glad for the break. He walks over to see Dr. Perry (Ginn’s body). When she does not answer, he opens the door to find Ginn’s body (that contained Dr. Perry consciousness) on the ground dead.

Things move quickly from here. Eli goes into shock mode. They discover Dr. Perry on earth (Ginn’s consciousness) is also dead. Simeon (Robert Knepper) killed his guard and is on the loose. He arms himself and then shoots Dunning (Darcy Laurie) and another crew member to get into the armory before he leaves for the gateroom.

However, minor possible flick flub: I only counted 2 mines (6 in the box, 4 were left) that he took, yet 3 mines were used on the planet (on Dr. Park, on Dr. Rush, and as a trap for 2nd Lt. James’ team).

He takes Dr. Park hostag e. Dr. Volker is concerned but petrified. I believe Dr. Park is waiting for him to take charge and save her life (to be aggressive, not assertive), but he says, “Take me.” That is a big statement for Dr. Volker. Volker has been reminding of a lot like the cowardly lion on the Wizard of Oz. He is working on it though and this was a huge step. For Dr. Park it was not forceful or passionate enough. Once Simeon and Dr. Park are through the gate, he does not charge to her rescue either. Certainly he loves her.

Then in barges Dr. Rush, enraged after knowing a second woman he loved was now dead, who just runs unabashed through the gate. Volker’s expression is priceless.

Young leads a team to enter the gateroom, while Scott (Brian Jacob Smith) and his team flank him. Guess who is in the scene, spotting a pretty nice new hairdo? None other than fan favorite extra: Herb Sommerfeld (whom I have dubbed on Twitter as the fantabulous SGU extra). We thank Herb for sharing what his life as an extra is like in the many forums (Twitter, chatrooms, Facebook, etc.)

Once through the gate, Rush’s mind is only on getting Simeon, but he could not leave Dr. Park with a mine strapped on her back. In his crosshairs, Simeon was about to shoot but the wormhole activated and he left. Jennifer Spence was given a wonderful chance to stretch her acting legs from just the scientist/minx on the ship to showing a lovely range of emotions of fears, anxiety, resignation of death, trying to make peace with it and forgiveness to all who could not help her. Rush gets the device off and we are given our first special effects explosion of the evening, from the talented Wray Douglas and C. Scott Stofer.

Scott and Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) go through the gate first. Scott goes off after Rush; Greer comforts his woman (Dr. Park). Lt. James and other unidentified crew also join her. It must be the era of when I grew up, but I kept hearing the song, “Manhunt” in my head from the 1980’s (the song from Flashdance: “I’m goin’ on a manhunt…”

The wounded are taken to medbay where TJ (Alaina Huffman) does her best to save as many as she can. We lose more crew members. The infirmary scene was interesting. Here the group is on a ship whose technology is far superior to that of our own, yet medicine-wise, they are reverted to almost 19th century before the invention of antibiotics, when a simple wound could kill you. It gave what was happening on the Destiny a nice “western” feel to match what was occurring on the planet.

Scott’s leadership skills continue to blossom as does his personal growth, learning that the world is not black and white, but shades of gray. He lends his gift of listening to Rush who had a breakdown after losing yet the second woman he loved (Dr. Perry). They talk more about Scott understanding why Rush did the things that he did.

Varro (Mike Dopud) is summoned and wants to help, but Young refuses to let him. Heavy sigh. I was hoping for more lines for Varro, but I will be happy with what I got.

Trying to understand why Simeon let him live, Brody gives him a few explanations: He’s a soldier, to him this is war, you were unarmed…” Volker: “You think he was being honorable.” Brody: “That, or he knew how much it would torture you.” After hearing what Simeon says to Rush at the end, it is obviously the latter of the two. When Park comes back on board, Volker apologizes and Park says she knew he did everything he could, but her eyes glance downward and give her true feelings away–she did not think he did everything he could: She needs a man like Greer (or any soldier I guess) to protect her. I felt so badly for Dr. Volker.

Park joins Volker, Brody and Eli who are tasked at prolonging or stopping the clock to give the people on the planet more time. However, Eli continues down the path of the grieving process, biting the heads off anyone in his path until Young snaps him back into reality with a reminder that he is not the only person on board who has lost someone for whom they cared.

Pinned down in a ravine, Scott calls in James for reinforcement, but when she approaches, Rush realizes it is a trap. Another wondrous special effects moment is captured.

My heart stops. Have they decided to kill off Lt. James, too? I cursed the commercial break despite its brilliant placement.

Obviously battered, James and her team survive with just injuries.

When Young, Greer and Rush catch up to Simeon, there is a nice call-back to Air III when Rush ordered Greer to shoot Dr. Franklin (Mark Burgess) to prevent him going through the gate. Rush tells Greer to shoot, and Greer maims.

In an unexpected twist, as Rush is arguing when Greer did not kill versus just injuring him, Greer is shot. My heart stopped again. At this point, I’m thinking perhaps I need to buy a personal defibrillator for my home if SGU continues to roll out episodes like this. While Scott tends to Greer, Rush leaves and then ignores Scott’s pleas to turn back.

The Destiny crew receives some unexpected help from Chloe (Elyse Levesque) to give the people on the planet more time. Her mind is evolving to the point where the complex math equations are making sense to her.

Simeon hates the Tauri because people he loved were killed. He understands Rush wanting revenge. He tells Rush he did not kill him before because he wanted the pain to eat Rush alive like it did for him, which is a fate worse than death. Simeon tells him to bring it on; this time he will kill Rush. Rush spots Simeon and a group of new visual effects creatures who I am now calling the buffalosaursus rex (or buffosaur with some great brainstorming with Kenn–thank you) because they look like a cross between buffalo with their humps and hooves, part dinosaur, and part T-rex with their upper arms close to their torsos). He formulates the perfect plan that includes the use of C4.

A nice western shoot-out occurs–

–with a twist: A stampede!

Have I said how much I love the visual effects department lately? It always feel like Christmas, actually better than Christmas (they do all the hard work and I get all the rewards that I can enjoy again and again).

Not quite dead, Rush walks over and inflicts the final killing blow.

It’s a long walk back to the gate for Rush as we listen to the beautiful sounds by Joel Goldsmith. Most of the episode has this weird “Twang” western-like sound to it, but along this walk was the wind howling accompanied by traditional Stargate music with Navajo/Hopi Indian inspirations. It was as haunting as Rush’s walk. He arrives at the gate only to find once again he is abandoned on the planet….or is he? I think he was secretly pleased to see Scott, then James and then others emerge from their hiding positions. Trust in each other will take one act of faith at a time.

Favorite lines:
1. When they are listening to the background noise the Ancients heard that led them on this mission, Young says: “Sounds like static to me.” Eli: “You were expecting Stairway to Heaven?”

2. When Rush is trying to defuse the bomb on Park’s back and Volker is talking: “Please shut up.”

3. On seeing there is an animal lifeform on the planet, Greer says, “Is it something we can barbeque?”
Greer does like his flamethrowers in any form, doesn’t he?

4. Scott: Eli says there may be unforeseeable consequences as a result. Rush: “Well there always are, aren’t there.”

This indeed was one of the best Stargate Universe episodes yet. It had drama, moments of humor, team unity, use of the Stargate, a sense of uncertainty if some of our main characters would live or die, and aliens. I would like to thank Julie McNiven, Kathleen Munroe and Robert Knepper for bringing such power to their characters that fans identified with them immediately and longed for them to stay part of the Stargate universe.

The one thing, though, that fans know is that no one ever TRULY dies in science fiction, so we will just hope that some clever plot device will allow us to see your characters in some fashion in the future. We look forward to following your careers as you journey to new adventures. You are part of the Stargate family now. Once on Stargate, always part of Stargate.

Thank you again for reading this post. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or contact me via Facebook or Twitter. You are welcome to use WormholeRiders News Agecy new “share” feature as well. Have a lovely day. Hilda Bowen (aka PBMom)

November 21, 2010
Stargate Universe: Malice Pre Review – Dr. Rush’s Dirty Little Secret!
Hello once again Stargate fans!

Stargate Universe continues this evening with “Malice” on SyFy at 9 PM east and west time zones with one of the best Stargate episodes of all time across all three series and three movies. “Malice” is the second of two parts that began with “The Greater Good”. WHR assures you that Stargate fans do not want to miss the second of them, “Malice”!

WARNING: Certain parts of the series, and the music news videos specifically of season two episode eight “Malice” are discussed and illustrated. However the details will NOT be discussed so you can enjoy them for yourself.

My grade for “Malice”? An A PLUS. This episode is the proof that Stargate Universe is Stargate and always has been. My hope? A season three of SGU!
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The fact that the franchise changed demonstrates the maturity of the MGM Stargate efforts so eloquently that some have become perplexed by the deep story arc. Nonetheless, Stargate Universe is rooted in the original mythology of Stargate, The Ancients.

We continue focus on the series development that accentuates why the discoveries on Destiny are edification of the purposes of The Ancients. These factors which I refer to as Dr. Rush’s “Dirty Little Secret” are discussed on the MGM Stargate site interview featuring Robert Carlyle.

REPEAT: Some passages and the Dr. Rush promotional trailer on revenge (below courtesy of MGM Studios) may be be considered spoilers by some fans of the series. If you do not enjoy spoilers, please stop reading and viewing now. Thank you.

Before beginning, WormholeRiders News Agency once again expresses thanks to SyFy Publicity for making “The Greater Good” and “Malice” available to our team for pre air date review. We appreciate the courtesy extended by SyFy Publicity staff for entrusting WHR with the digital material much as Adam Brody (Peter Kelamis) is trusted at the controls of Destiny in Stargate Universe.

We would also like to thank our friends in the Stargate Fandom for the wonderful music news video we feature below supporting an effort to promote a Stargate Universe season three.

And no we did not hold them at gun point like the Lucian Alliance! 😛

This review is an ongoing analysis development in the series including theories. As excellently illustrated by the character actors in Stargate Universe, you will see for yourselves just how much thought and hard work has gone into creating SGU.

Last week we began such an analysis tied to the developing storyline. This week we will continue the analysis including paying homage to one of the Stargate legends, Mr. Robert C. Cooper. The images used herein are exclusively from “Malice” including ‘as previously seen on SGU’ shots in the prologue.

First, as previously reported, congratulations to Robert Carlyle for his 2010 Gemini award. Mr. Carlyle’s portrayal of Dr. Nicholas Rush in the series is brilliant. We featured our initial character analysis starting with Dr. Rush last week being hopeful he would earn the acclaim he so richly deserves from the Gemini award committee. We we NOT disappointed! In “Malice” you will once again see why he won the award. Simply put, the mastery of Robert Carlyle as Dr. Nicholas Rush is a pleasure to behold.

Of note before the overview analysis of “Malice” is the team lead ably by Mark Savela and his Visual Effects Coordinator Sonia Gilmore of The Bridge Studios located in Vancouver British Columbia. Nominated for an Emmy, this team of many contributors should be commended and supported for their outstanding accomplishments. Their visual effects magic are quite prominently featured in Stargate Universe “Malice”.

As seen in the Stargate Universe trailer above “Malice” begins with a horrific scene leading to pure acts of malice by a member of the Lucian Alliance who has been driven previously witnessed as overcome by jealousy and resentment regarding another crew member. The complexity of such rich episodic emotion is not hard to internalize based on the real world that we live in. The effects of the ongoing acts leads to a fateful conclusion within “Malice” that many will relate to when they see the ending minutes.

Written and directed by Robert C. Cooper, “Malice” reflects much in our the real world of action and emotional reaction of people operating under stressful conditions. WHR had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Cooper. This episode represents some of his last active contributions to the Stargate Franchise as he discussed with us at Comic-Con earlier this year. You may click the image below or text link above to understand his intent.

Now that the crew of Destiny has learned about Dr. Rush’s “dirty little secret”, the consequences of that discovery lead the crew to a planet to search for a missing member of the Lucian Alliance who has gone through the Destiny “Gate” to escape.

Dr. Rush is the first to go through the gate to find out what has happened. It is here that he finds Dr. Park (Jennifer Spence) waiting on the other side after she has been held at gunpoint for reasons you will learn when you see “Malice” for yourself.

The away mission is lead by the crews erstwhile young officer Lt. Matthew Scott (Brian J. Smith), supported by Sgt. Greer (Jamil Walker Smith), Lt. Vanessa James (Julia Benson). I cannot reveal the story line of what happens on the planet, but I can and will share this; The activities on the planet are shot on location in the Badlands of New Mexico. The cinematography and visual effects are stunning in their raw natural beauty.

The episode “Malice” is filled with action, adventure and explosive scenes as crew of Destiny on the planet works closely together with one exception you find out only at the end of the episode.

If “The Greater Good” is a “Rubicon” episode (using a phrase we borrowed from Brian J. Smith), then “Malice” is the crossing of that rubicon both on the planet (as seen above) with Julia Benson and back aboard as the crew including David Blue, Peter Kelamis, Patrick Gilmore and Elyse Levesque investigate Dr. Rush’s not so little secret.

Meanwhile our poor medical officer TJ (Alaina Huffman) and Col. Young (Justin Louis as Louis Ferreira) deal with blood and gore of the events that took place! Suffice it to say the scenes leading up to the ending sequences of episode 8 “Malice” are clearly what the the epic nature of Stargate has always been about.

The location of the secret bridge on board the Destiny in “The Greater Good” proves my earlier theory that The Ancients were on their mission in distant galaxies to find the secrets of existence and life itself. My theory about the original crew of Ancients opens many new secrets about where the Destiny has been and why.

In the opinion of this reviewer, the question remains are Dr. Rush’s apparitions the Ancients way to guide the crew to find the path to not only ensure the survival of the humans aboard Destiny in this galaxy to complete the mission about the microwave radiation messages? Can Chloe (Elyse Levesque) help solve the equations?

As the story progresses beyond “Malice”, the next question we should consider is whether or not The Ancients (who can cross galactic distances with ease) will reveal themselves? And when will they do so? Or will they take a hands off approach as in Stargate SG-1 unless disaster threatens the mission of Destiny? I suggest that you tune in as we will to find out the Secrets of The Ancients as they continue to unfold!

We leave you now but will return with more Stargate Universe news in the near future including character analysis over the course of season two. Stargate Universe returns this evening on SyFy at 9 PM East and West in the United States. “Malice” is such a superb episode filled with so many wonders of Stargate, we suggest that you get set and go through the Gate to their, your and our Destiny!

Your support would be appreciated by the creators, actors, writers, and crews, so If you can, please view the episode live to enjoy the series as we here at WHR have.

In closing, please resist the urge to illegally download Stargate Universe or any other program or movie because if you do you are not only committing a crime, you are supporting the siphoning of revenue away from the creators to persons of dubious intent whom are only profiting from the hard work of others. Your help in promoting an anti-piracy campaign not only helps Stargate, but all others who work so hard to bring their labors to our homes and theatres around the world. Thank you for not being a pirate!

As always thank you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. Please feel free to leave a spam free comment or question here or click one of the social media icons below to share this article.

if you prefer (as so many of our visitors do) you may also visit and follow WHR on Twitter or Facebook with your comments or questions.

Best Regards,

Kenn
November 16, 2010
Stargate Universe: “Malice” Preview

Welcome SGU fans. It is rare that I can say this:

This will be a spoiler-FREE preview (instead of spoiler- full recap). “Malice”, the new episode of Stargate Universe, airs in the United States on Tuesday, November 16, 2010 on the Syfy Channel and November 19, 2010 on SPACE in Canada (check local listings for times).

This is the episode that was filmed in the Bisti Badlands of New Mexico. The terrain of the area is perfect for SGU because it looks truly alien, even though it is from our own world. The red rock almost looks like Georgia clay against the sand. What beauty our own planet has, yet few of us have discovered.

Joel Goldsmith did a stellar job on the music, especially towards the end where it sounded like he incorporated regional sounds of the perhaps the Hopi and Navajo Indians of the New Mexico region into Stargate-like music. It was simply beautiful.

With all the drama in this episode, it would not be Stargate without at least one moment of levity. I burst out laughing (and this is nonspoilery) when one of our characters says: “Please shut up.” I could just picture myself saying the exact same thing in the exact same situation.

Overall, “Malice” shows us the consequences of plot points from “The Greater Good.”

For those living in the United States, you probably saw the trailer for “Malice” immediately after “The Greater Good” finished and know what happens to at least one of the characters. I had intended to make this part of my report since Syfy opened the door on the subject matter, but Space and other channels around the world may air a different cut, and I have decided to remain silent about who this individual is so as not to spoil it for those who are still in the dark on this subject matter.

Robert C. Cooper is a master storyteller. Everyone loved Stargate Atlantis’ “Vegas” episode (he must love the desert). He both wrote and directed this episode. It starts off strong and does not stop. There are injuries, death, mayhem, destruction, ground-shaking events. Mark Savela and his team have whipped up a fabulous new visual effect on the planet. A character we have not seen in awhile returns.

The crew gets help from an unexpected source. TJ is up to her elbows in blood. Other characters who haven’t had many dialogue lines get their chance to shine once again during this episode. Most of Destiny’s crew will be put in harm’s way. Who lives? Who dies? You will have to tune in to find out. It is better than a rollercoaster ride–it’s a wormhole kawoosh!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. Please feel free to leave a comment or question here or click one of the social media icons below to share this article.

See you on the other side for my recap of this wonderful episode. Come join us on Twitter for a SGU Tweet-Up on Tuesday night before SGU comes on. Just use the hashtag #SGU.

Thanks for stopping by.

Hilda Bowen (PBMom).

November 16, 2010
Stargate Universe: Get Ready for “Malice”

Greetings, SciFi Fans!

WARNING: This pre review is as spoiler free as possible, However images are from Stargate Universe season two episode eight “Malice.” One image should be considered a spoiler. If you do not like spoilers, stop reading now. Thank you.

If you made other plans for Tuesday night, we suggest you cancel them because you are definitely going to want to be home watching Stargate Universe.

This week’s episode, Malice (Episode 208), is one of the most heart-pounding Stargate Universe episodes yet.

With outdoor cinematic scenes staged and filmed in the rocky, high desert landscape of northwest New Mexico, fantastic 3D creature effects by special effects guru Mark Savela and his team of VFX experts, and top notch performances by the Stargate Universe cast, Malice will take your breath away!

This is not SGU’s first trip to New Mexico. Part 3 of Air (Episode 103) was shot near Alamogordo in southern New Mexico. For Malice, a location was chosen near Farmington in the Four Corners area of the state. The stark beauty of this area formed the perfect backdrop for Malice.

Malice the emotion is an ugly thing. It is “the desire to cause pain, injury, or distress to another.” Depending on your dictionary, the definition may include the idea that malice is the desire to harm someone else without provocation. But does any emotion just pop into being without some catalyst? Who aboard Destiny might have a reason to feel malice right now? Enough to want to take action, maybe take revenge for some perceived wrong?

Revenge is very like malice, in that it is the act of inflicting injury on someone in return for something they have done. In the official Syfy trailer for Malice, Col. Young (Louis Ferreira aka Justin Louis) says, “Revenge can be a very dangerous game.” Everyone on board Destiny has a reason to be angry after everything that has happened up to this point, and especially after the dramatic events of last week’s episode (Episode 207, The Greater Good). Tension is building, emotions are running high, some people have a short fuse anyway, but even the unlikeliest characters may be ready to explode.

At the end of The Greater Good, much had been revealed but we were left on the edge of our seats wondering what had just happened and what would happen next.

First, we finally found out why Dr. Rush (Robert Carlyle) had been so secretive about having discovered Destiny’s command center and his ability to control the ship. Destiny is on a mission, set on its course by the Ancients toward the source of a mysterious signal. With so many people involuntarily stranded on Destiny, Rush was probably right to think he might be forced to turn the ship around in an effort to get those people back to Earth. Col. Young said it before, “That ship is the best chance we have for getting home.”

But what if they tried to take the ship back to Earth, effectively ending Destiny’s mission? Would the ship allow it? Destiny has already made adjustments to accommodate the humans now on board while keeping to its primary purpose.

And there is another possibility: the ship was built and sent on its way by the Ancients. There is a chance that the Ancients, even after they Ascended, have continued to monitor Destiny’s progress. Despite their policy of non-interference, would the Ancients prevent Destiny’s human component from destroying hundreds of thousands of years of progress when the goal is now so close?

Also revealed last week were the deep feelings and blossoming relationships of Eli (David Blue) and Ginn (Julie McNiven), and Rush and Amanda Perry. Eli and Ginn had already taken things to the next level. Rush and Amanda had not yet had the opportunity, but they had definitely made the emotional connection.

At the end of The Greater Good, both of these relationships were in terrible danger. If you recall, Ginn and Amanda (Kathleen Munroe) had changed places using the communication stones. Ginn’s body, inhabited by Amanda’s consciousness, remained on Destiny. Ginn’s consciousness was in Amanda’s body on Earth to answer questions about Lucien Alliance plans to attack the home planet. Eli was not happy about his new girlfriend’s body being used by Rush’s love interest, and someone else on board Destiny–Simeon–was not happy about the possibility that Ginn was spilling Lucian Alliance secrets.

Simeon of the Lucien Alliance (Robert Knepper) was among those kept on board Destiny when most of the Alliance personnel were put off the ship. Despite the agreement that had kept him on board, Simeon had apparently never let go of his ill will towards Earth or the people aboard Destiny. Seeing Ginn cozying up to Eli and getting so cooperative with the crew was making Simeon very nervous.

Simeon failed to get to Ginn before the switch, but he was able get to Amanda in Ginn’s body and we saw what appeared to be the aftermath of Simeon’s violent attack on her. So what happened last week? Is Ginn’s body dead? And if so, what does that mean for Ginn and Amanda? Is Ginn’s consciousness alive in Amanda’s body? Is the connection severed at death? Are they both dead? She certainly looked dead lying on the floor, her eyes open but vacant. But in TV and movies nothing is certain.

What we do know from Syfy’s trailers for Malice is that both Eli and Rush are very, very angry. Eli asks for a gun and Rush is screaming in rage. But again, they could be angry for many reasons. For example, you might expect them to be angry whether the women they loved were injured or killed, or even if they were unhurt but had been threatened with harm.

What if Amanda’s consciousness and Ginn’s body were dead, but Ginn’s consciousness remained alive in Amanda’s body? How might they respond to that? Or they could be angry about something else entirely, like sabotage of some kind. What if Destiny was irreparably disabled and everyone stranded on a (mostly) lifeless rock?

Thanks to the folks at Syfy I had the great privilege of viewing a rough cut of Malice and I can tell you, this is one you will want to watch live, then you will want to watch it again–so fire up those DVR’s!

As mentioned, the WHR Team of reporters will have more special Stargate Universe news reports over the next 24 hours about S2x08 “Malice.”

As always, thank you for reading and visiting Wormhole Riders News Agency. Please feel free to leave a comment or question here or click one of the social media icons below to share this article.

if you prefer (as so many of our visitors do),you may also visit and follow WHR on Twitter or Facebook with your comments or questions.

See you on the other side on Twitter,

OffWorldTravelr

November 15, 2010
Stargate Universe: The Greater Good

Welcome back SGU fans!

I would like to extend my congratulations to Robert Carlyle for his win at the Gemini Awards for Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role for his portrayal in the episode, “Human” on Saturday, November 13, 2010. The cast and crew of Stargate Universe were among talented people in their respective fields within the categories in which they were nominated. The fans are so proud of the level of quality they continue to bring to the screen week after week and appreciate all they do.

Here is looking forward to your season 3 renewal. After SGU airs live on Syfy, I tell my husband, “OH, this one was the BEST one yet.” He rolls his eyes now and he says, “You ALWAYS say that.” Then we watch it on DVR for him immediately afterwards (because our child is in bed) and he nods, “Ah, I see, yep.” I wonder how you consistently outdo a personal best week after week across the board in every area. What kind of award is given for that kind of feat? Perhaps the Olympics. The Stargate Olympics.

As with all my reviews, they are full of spoilers. Thank you for taking time out of your day to read this and hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it.

When we see Carl Binder’s name on the “written by” list, you can sure of a few things: 1) You are going to get rich character storylines; 2) you are going to get a dense amount of information in a short amount of time; 3) several plot storylines parallel each other; 4) expect surprises. Director Will Waring has brought us such varied shows like “Faith”, “Aftermath” and “Pain.” As you remember, two of our favorite supporting cast, Patrick Gilmore as Dr. Dale Volker, and Julia Benson as 2nd Lt. Vanessa James, were both nominated for Leo Awards for their performances in “Pain” with Julia Benson winning in her supporting role. A director helps get those types of performances out of the actors.

One of the complaints of the show basically has been a “Where’s the beef?” type question: Where’s the mythos? Tuesday night, the mythology of Destiny’s mission was revealed to the audience. Another question that made the rounds of the internet was “How could there be anything more powerful than the Ancients?” The answer, according to Rush (Robert Carlyle): “A sign of intelligence from the beginning of time.”

Rewind though, if you will, to the beginning of the episode. True to life, although Young (Louis Ferreira) appeared to be climbing back up to lead his people in “Trial and Error”, he took one step backwards in this episode. He seemed to be missing appointments, daydreaming, and not caring about making decisions.

To my delight, the relationship between Eli (David Blue) and Ginn (Julie McNiven) is taken to the next level. I have to do a little bit of wondering here though: Why did we not see Eli and Ginn in bed together? Were the writers trying to move away from that because of fan complaints? Or perhaps David Blue or Julie McNiven did not feel comfortable with it? I would hate to contemplate the only other possibility. So I am going to choose to believe the writers are trying to make Stargate Universe a more family-friendly show.

Dr. Brody (Peter Kelamis) vents his frustration at the continual pattern of the ship’s movements being directly tied to the disappearance and inaccessibility of Dr. Rush.

Although I had been certain that when he said “goodbye” to Chloe (Elyse Levesque) in the episode “Cloverdale” as he walked through the gate back to the ship, the scene Eli had with Chloe where he talks about his new relationship with Ginn hinted to me that his feelings for Chloe were not 100% dead, only mostly dead (to borrow a famous phrase from “The Princess Bride.”).

The crew invents another clever use of the Kino: A space-diver’s buddy. Because there is no gravity in space, a person could literally use it to go in whatever direction they want. This gets Rush and Young onto the abandoned ship they discover in space.

Speaking of the Kino and getting off track here: MGM/Syfy/NBC Universal: The fans miss the Kino episodes terribly. We got to see a side of Destiny’s crew we didn’t get to see on the show. For season 3, please think about putting them back on (or even the second half of second 2). Those were some of Destiny’s funniest moments.

I enjoyed seeing Young’s helmet bump the ceiling on entering the ship because not all aliens will be average human size. Whose ship is this? Why, it is the Ursini! Those cutie-pie aliens you wanted to adopt. Those cutie-pie aliens that looked poised to eat Telford (Lou Diamond Phillips) at the end of the episode “Awakening.”

In the process of getting the ship working, the ship propels itself away from Destiny. Rush now knows their only hope of rescue is for someone to be on the bridge. Rush tells a half-truth about discovering how to override Destiny’s program. Still not trusting the crew, he asks for the brilliant and beautiful Dr. Amanda Perry (Kathleen Munroe).

Before leaving Destiny to switch bodies with Dr. Perry, Simeon (Robert Knepper) of the Lucian Alliance pays a visit to Ginn about her involvement with the crew and sharing of privileged information. Ginn is scared of him.

There was a nice call-back there when she comes on board in Ginn’s body to the first episode she was on where she still finds movement a wondrous, miraculous event. Her face just glows when her hands move ever so slightly. She is a wonderful actress to be able to convey so much emotion and intention in her face. For those viewers who are not familiar with her character, she is a brilliant scientist on Earth who loves Rush and happens to have quadriplegia. The first episode she was on, Camile Wray (Ming-Na) switched bodies with her in “Life” (an episode Carl Binder directed as well) and it was a wonderful episode. Later in the episode, there was also a subtly about how she was holding a pen and writing for the first time in years. I don’t quite remember her doing any writing the last time she was on Destiny, but it is possible she did. It was still quite awhile ago.

Did anyone else notice that the window where Rush is standing on the alien ship looks like an eye? I liked the thought that it was an eye to the window of the universe. It makes me wonder if the Ursini aliens are the watchkeepers.

On her way to the bridge, Dr. Perry runs into Simeon. Greer’s disdain for Simeon shows when Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) sees him in the hall harassing Ginn, who is currently the consciousness of Dr. Perry.

Out of her respect for Dr. Rush, Dr. Perry keeps his secret. Eli’s continued suspicious and recording-device obsession helps him unlock the equations and what Dr. Perry is doing, leading Eli, Dr. Volker and Dr. Brody to the bridge. Again, we have yet another nice call-back when Eli utters the phrase, “What the hell?” that echoes back to the episode “Time.”

On the alien ship, Young finds out Rush has been withholding this information. Tempers flare and they fight. This fight scene, created by James Bamford and his team, made me cringe. Every time one of their heads hit a metal component or the floor, I was expecting severe head injuries. Great sound mixing! Young blames Rush for Riley’s death.

After pounding the daylights out of each other, Rush explains what happened and why Young was not told. Rush goes into a lengthy discussion (and I’m paraphrasing the actual dialogue lines given to Rush here) about the Ancients discovering a structure within the cosmic microwave background radiation from the Big Bang. They believed at one time the structure had genuine complexity coherence, and therefore could not have occurred naturally. It was a message, perhaps, or a sign of intelligence from the beginning of time. “Sent by?” asks Young. Rush continues: That is the very question they sought to answer when they launched Destiny. “We are talking about a mystery rooted in the foundation of reality, a puzzle, with pieces scattered across the length and breadth of the universe itself.”

Later Young says he just wants to get these people home. Rush believes that seeing the mission through may be their only chance of doing just that. They are talking about a level of order present at the very beginning of space-time that goes beyond anything they’ve ever experienced. Rush believes that the more they learn, the more pieces Destiny uncovers, the greater their power to control everything around them will be. Young thinks it is just about power to Rush, so they can play God, but Rush corrects him and says, “No. To gain greater understanding.” Now you can see why the Lucian Alliance would be very interested in this ship. They would become the new Goa’uld with God-like power. Rush proposes a side-by-side partnership.

Even though it was meant to be serious and full of drama, the scene with Dr. Perry, Dr. Brody, Dr. Volker and Eli trying to drive Destiny was hilarious. It reminded me of being in the car with my husband. There is nothing like a bunch of backseat drivers, only to be joined by bewildered Lt. Matthew Scott (Brian Jacob Smith) and Camile Wray who jump right into the commenting. When they hit the alien ship, I tweeted, “That’s going to increase the Destiny’s insurance rates.” Woodysg1 came back with an even better tweet that read that Geico could save them 15% or more. Why is that funny, you might ask? Because the Geico commercial was playing at that exact moment. Proof we do watch the commercials!

Matching rotations, Rush jumps from the Ursini ship to the Destiny. Young jumps too soon and almost misses, but Rush grabs him. The scene reminded me of a football game. The visual effects, once again, from Mark Savela and team are stunning.

It was lovely seeing the crew on the bridge, especially with Eli in the captain’s chair, not only because he is a geek on the show and would the envy of all his friends, but because as a sci-fi fan in real life, who wouldn’t relish the opportunity to play a scene in a captain’s chair.

Rush visits Dr. Perry (still in the body of Ginn). He does not want to waste an opportunity. For fans who didn’t get to see Dr. Perry last time, she wanted to make love to him (while she was in Camile’s body). She wanted to feel what it actually felt like (because in her body she has quadriplegia and has no feeling), but Rush was not emotionally ready. He was now. I tweeted: “Just kiss her!”

And then the door opens. Does anyone knock on doors in Destiny? The last time Dr. Perry and Rush were together, TJ just barged in. This time it was Eli. Eli looks disturbed by all this. Throughout the show, he has been the one to raise the moral and ethical questions of body/consciousness swapping. Eli brings this point up to Dr. Perry, and as she looks in the mirror, she sees Ginn staring back at her. I think she understood at that point.

Simeon seems to have ditched his guard and opens Ginn’s door to her quarters. The door shuts with a menacing look on Simeon’s face. You know next week is not going to be pretty.

FAVORITE LINES AND/OR SCENES

1. On the observation deck when they see the new abandoned ship, Volker says, dripping with sarcasm: “New friends. Yay.” A line perfectly delivered.

2. Camile spotting Eli’s shirt in Ginn’s room. The look is one of embarrassment, of happiness, of “I’m sorry I interrupted.”

3. The scene with Varro– OH WAIT!!!! That’s right. There was NO Varro (Mike Dopud). Our favorite resident Destiny Knight was not in this week’s episode (again). I suspect absence makes the heart grow fonder, but we can always cross our fingers and toes in hopes of seeing him next week in “Malice.”

4. The scene with the boarding party: Brody: “We got no shuttle.” Park: “We could use the space suits. Volker: “What? To just jump over?

5. Young to Scott after Scott suits up to go over to the ship: Scott: Maybe I should go with him instead. Young: You say that now that I’m already in the suit? Don’t worry lieutenant. I’m not going to leave him behind.” I know the game of semantics because I played it for so many years with my son’s school district. Notice he did not say anything about not killing him. He could kill him and bring him back and he would have technically told Scott the truth.

6. Brody to Perry: “And you thought this wasn’t gonna be any fun.”

7. Perry: I was able to manually fire the maneuvering thrusters.” Eli: (Suspiciously): Wow, okay. Do you need any help?

8. Rush to Young after their fight: “I know I’ve made mistakes.” It almost makes him, to pardon the pun, “Human.”

9. Rush to Young: How can I trust you when you don’t even trust yourself.”

10. Volker to Eli: If they miss this ship. Eli (smiling): “They won’t.” It is so great to see Eli have confidence about what he is doing.

11. Young to Rush after Rush says to Young that he has his word. Young chuckles and says, “Oh man, you are a lot of work.”

12. The driving the ship scene with Eli, Volker, Brody and Dr. Perry.

With the crew now having some control over Destiny’s maneuvering capabilities, I wonder if they go back to the Faith planet and that is how we get to see those people again. I have no knowledge of this, but it is the most logical explanation. I was thinking perhaps they would go back to the planet where Riley (Haig Sutherland) died and try to fix that shuttle and get it back, but with the Lucian Alliance members there, I doubt that would be a good idea. The Faith planet, however, does have a shuttle. Perhaps the aliens have helped them get it working again. And we might be able to see if TJ‘s and Young’s daughter is alive in the flesh or in the spirit.

As always thank you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency.

Thanks for stopping by. Feel free to leave a comment below or contact me on Facebook or Twitter.

Hilda Bowen (aka PBMom)

November 15, 2010
Good Luck to SGU at the Gemini Awards

WormholeRiders would like to congratulate all the Gemini Award nominees of Stargate Universe.

Best Dramatic Series

Best Performance by an Actor in a Continuing Leading Dramatic Role (Robert Carlyle for “Human”; Louis Ferreira for “Justice”)

Best Direction in a Dramatic Series (Andy Mikita, for Part 1 of Air).

*Best Photography in a Dramatic Program or Series: Jim Menard “Light”

*Best Picture Editing in a Dramatic Program or Series: Rick Martin – “Human”

*Best Sound in a Dramatic Series: Kelly Cole, Jay Cheetham, Kirby Jinnah, Bill Mellow, Patrick Ramsay, Steve Smith, Joe Watts, Matt Wilson – “Air, Part 1″

*Best Visual Effects: Mark Savela, Brenda Campbell, Shannon Gurney, Vivian Jim, Andrew Karr, Michael Lowes, Kodie MacKenzie, Krista McLean, Alec McClymont, Craig Van Den Biggelaar – “Air, Part 1″

*Best Original Music Score for a Program or Series: Joel Goldsmith – “Light”

*The winners were announced at a separate celebration on November 3, 2010. While Stargate Universe did not win in any of these categories, we know all of these people are winners in our hearts for the love and effort they put into their work every day, and for the long hours they take away from their families, to bring us fans 42-44 minutes of a superior quality science fiction show.

The cast, along with Brad Wright, John G. Lenic, and Andy Mikita, was in the studio of CTA Canada A.M. The entire interview can be seen here:

WormholeRiders News Agency send our best wishes to the cast for Saturday evening, November 13, 2010 as they find out if Team Young or Team Rush wins (for now), if Andy Mikita’s brilliant directorial work on Air 1 is recognized, and if SGU can capture best dramatic series. There is stiff competition; but it is their Destiny.

November 13, 2010
Stargate Universe: The Greater Good – Begin Focus: Character Analysis

Hello once again Stargate fans!

Stargate Universe continues this evening on SyFy at 9 PM east and west time zones. As Stargate Universe continued in “Aftermath”, “Awakening”, “Pathogen”, “Cloverdale”, “Trial and Error” and “The Greater Good” we experienced a continuing positive development of the story arc in general and expansion of the characters in specific. This and the next episode “Malice” are tied together and I assure you do not want to miss either of them!

However, be warned. Certain parts of the series, specifically episode seven “The Greater Good” are discussed in some detail. These passages should be considered spoilers if you have not viewed Stargate Universe episodes two through seven for yourselves. If you do not enjoy spoilers, please stop reading now. Thank you.

Before beginning, WormholeRiders News Agency expresses thanks to SyFy Publicity for making “The Greater Good” available to our team for pre air date review. We appreciate the courtesy extended by the Southern California SyFy Publicity staff for entrusting WHR with the digital material.

As is our standard procedure, this material is only viewed by senior members of our team and only for the purpose of pre air date review. WHR never shares the episodic material with anyone outside of our news agency respecting the courtesy that has been extended by the fine team at SyFy.

This review and analysis is not a recap of Stargate Universe episodes two through seven. Rather this review is an analysis of character development in the series touching on an exploration of various theories within Stargate Universe tied to the developing storyline. Although this analysis covers some material from previous season two Stargate Universe episodes, the images used herein are almost exclusively from “The Greater Good”.

Several real treats have been experienced beginning with and under the direction of our favorite Stargate directors, William Waring, Andy Mikita, Alex Chapple, and SGU new comer, the multi-talented Robert Carlyle (in Pathogen) who also portrays Dr. Nicholas Rush in the series. And what an outstanding job they performed working with the material of series creators and writers Brad Wright, Robert C. Cooper and Joseph Mallozzi!

Throughout the first seven episodes of season two of Stargate Universe we also observe ongoing and excellent special visual sequences from the team lead ably by Mark Savela of The Bridge Studios who was nominated for an Emmy for his superb accomplishments.

Based on the accomplishments of the MGM Team at The Bridge Studios, there is little doubt in the minds of Stargate franchise supporters that Stargate Universe represents a quantum leap forward in series complexity with much thoughtfully accomplished hard work by the creators whom continue the Stargate franchise. We will share more thoughts on the benefits of supporting Stargate Universe at the end of this review.

Therefore, let us begin then with a discussion of “The Greater Good” featuring the return of William Waring as the episodes director. We will then reflect back on the some of the characters and their development in previous episodes of Stargate Universe season two.

At this point in the second season it has become quite obvious that the actual bridge of the Destiny has been under Dr. Nicholas Rush’s control for some time. However it has not been revealed directly just how long Dr. Rush has actually known about “his secret”.

While this factor has been alluded to in previous episodes of Stargate Universe, in “The Greater Good” you will learn precisely when Dr. Rush gained access and what he has been planning all along the way. We can share this, viewers will be surprised when they find out who among the cast (crew) actually discovers Dr. Rush’s secret and what the consequences of that discovery will be.

In “The Greater Good” we will see the relationship that Eli (David Blue) has developed with Ginn (Julie McNiven) continues to flourish. Above this Eli – Ginn relationship, which pleased many that Eli has a love interest, a fateful event will unfold leading to S2x08 “Malice”, the second part of the “The Greater Good”.

Amanda Perry (Kathleen Munroe) in Ginn’s body via the Ancient Communication Stones will play a key role revealing several items using both direct and indirect methods about where the Destiny has been and what the mission of the ship has been since the Ancients apparently left the ship untold eons ago. Under the guidance of Amanda – Ginn we will all learn what has been the obsession that has consumed virtually all of Dr. Rush’s (Robert Carlyle) motivations.

Speaking of the Ancients, aliens and alien ships, the contributions of Mark Savela are not to be discounted. Will there be new alien ships? Yes. Will we see new alien species as the story continues? Yes. How do they play a role in the epic story of Stargate Universe? To learn those secrets will require that SGU enthusiasts (you) to tune in to SyFy in the United States and see the wonder for yourselves in “The Greater Good” and in episode eight “Malice” (which we will also review pre air date).

Of galactic import, and I do mean that seriously, Stargate Universe “The Greater Good” delves into real science dovetailing the series characters The Ancients most effectively. I will not reveal the precise nature of the revelations, but will share this; The use of real science theory has always been a part of the Stargate franchise as a foundation of the story line. In episode seven we learn how and what our beloved Stargate Ancients learned and why Dr. Rush has been so obsessed with his quest aboard Destiny. In “The Greater Good” we will also learn that others in the Destiny crew will internalize these science based theories. These facts within the story arc will do much to draw the crew of Destiny closer together.

“The Greater Good” to borrow a phrase from Brian J. Smith is a “Rubicon” episode. In the episode a great tragedy will occur that will likely break the heart of many who follow the series. I cannot reveal what occurs at the very end of the episode, but will say this; “The Greater Good” ending sequence sets up episode 8 “Malice” (which has stunning location shooting in New Mexico) very nicely. In fact the underlayment in “The Greater Good” illustrates the epic nature of Stargate as they have always done in the past.

We will continue now with a look at several (but not all) characters of Stargate Universe. We will follow up is future reviews and run character analysis of the entire cast of fabulous actors and actresses as season two continues.

In the opinion of this reviewer, above the award winning type of special effects, it is the character development, hence the writing that demonstrates how well the Stargate Universe story arc have been depicted. I will also discuss the quality of the special effects as they impact the characters. Direction, location shooting and cinematography will be discussion in future analysis. Included are select images courtesy of SyFy and MGM Studios for news analysis and review purposes.

Stargate Universe represents a fine example of detailed story telling in the tradition of Stargate continuing the epic saga begun 16 years ago with the original movie, now on board Destiny. We resume the adventure subsequent to the crew regaining control from an invasion by agents of the Lucian Alliance who continue their quest for dominance over Stargate Command’s access to Ancient Technology in the Milky Way galaxy and on board Destiny.

The story arc is one of conflicts arising from the consequences of the failed attempt by the Lucian Alliance to take control of the Destiny for their own evil agenda, an impending attack on Earth by the Lucian Alliance. In fact the Lucian Alliance discussion sets up the possibilities of follow on Stargate movies very nicely. But I am digressing a bit.

With some now freed from being locked up, the majority of the Lucian Alliance survivor prisoners faced being deposited on a planet facing an uncertain fate due to limited food supplies aboard Destiny. This has in fact occurred. Individuals who cooperated with the crew of Destiny, noticeably ‘Ginn’ Julie McNiven and Varro (Mike Dopud) are given more access to the ship and even lend a hand in “The Greater Good”. Others like the evil Dannic (Ian Butcher) are not so conciliatory as you will observe yourself.

Forced by Dr. Rush to a planet of dubious merit as a source of food, a disaster unfolds with the death of one of the more well liked characters Sgt. Hunter Riley (Haig Sutherland). Many felt genuine loss of Riley who may yet re-appear in future episodes based on the momentum of the story. You will see why in a few moments as I theorize on this likelihood.

In ‘Aftermath’ through ‘Trial and Error’ , we observe the series alternating protagonist and antagonist Dr. Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle) once again displaying recalcitrant behavior to Dr. Lisa Park (Jennifer Spence) after awaking from a nightmare about his torture by the Lucian Alliance in earlier episodes. In “The Greater Good”, we see that Dr. Rush’s secretive nature about his obsession has devastating consequences.

The nightmares reflect that Dr. Rush himself is a tortured soul and has been ever since the loss of his wife Gloria Rush portrayed by Louise Lombard. We were originally introduced to Gloria Rush in the heart rending Stargate Universe episode “Human”. In Aftermath and beyond we become reacquainted with Gloria Rush and other ‘dead’ characters we will discuss in a moment.

As long suspected by the viewing audience, Dr Rush has been clandestinely investigating the location of the bridge of the Destiny and keeping his findings secret from Col. Young. In Aftermath we learn that he has found the bridge in a special effects sequence of outstanding perspective by Mark Savela’s team of special effects gurus.

During the time on the Destiny bridge, Dr. Rush is visited by what I can only describe as apparitions from his past no doubt either from his subconscious mind being influenced by Ancient Technology on Destiny itself. The first returning character is his wife Gloria Rush who chides him for keeping the bridge of Destiny a secret. One can assume that Rush has had access to the bridge for some time since he has continually come up with answers to the crews problems time and time again in search of planets to sustain the crew aboard Destiny.

The question arises; how long has Dr. Rush been accessing the bridge? My theory is ever since ‘Human’ (indirectly) when he was interfaced with the Destiny after the death of Dr. Jeremy Franklin (Mark Burgess) in the Ancient Chair which Dr. Rush survived. In the secret bridge location Dr. Franklin returns in Dr. Rush’s mind to warn him of oversights on a pending shuttle mission to a planet with a malfunctioning Stargate.

I find the use of ‘dead’ characters quite revealing. Dr. Rush talks with these two characters figuring out that the apparitions are likely being caused from some sort of neural interface between his mind and Destiny. One is instantly reminded of the holographic interface room in Stargate Atlantis where Ascended Ancient Morgan Le Fay was actually taking part in the Lantian device revealing knowledge to Dr. Daniel Jackson and Vala Mal Doran in ‘Pegasus Project’. Could the same be happening in Stargate Universe aboard Destiny? I believe so, but that exact reference remains to be delineated by the creators.

Therefore, the hypothetical question is: are there Ascended Ancients in the galaxy helping Dr. Rush? My theory and answer is a definite yes there are. Although we do not know where the original crew of the Destiny went, in the opinion of this reviewer, the apparitions are the Ancients way to guide poor Dr. Rush find the path to ensure the survival of the humans aboard Destiny in this galaxy.

As the story progresses, the second question on this point is whether or not Dr. Rush will put two and two together and figure it out in his self inflicted state of obsessive exhaustion. These factors caused him to make mistakes leading to the death of a crewman. We see in Aftermath the results of Dr. Rush’s exhaustion. This awareness by Dr. Rush to the presence remains to be seen, but I am hopeful because I do not believe Dr. Rush is evil. He is simply obsessed with the mission that Destiny has embarked on with its new crew. However, Dr. Rush’s obsession appears to be blinding him to the truth which we learn more about in “The Greater Good”.

The development and continuing expansion of the Camile Wray (MingNa) character is a wonderful to behold in season two of Stargate Universe. In the previous episodes we all witnessed the total mastery of this great actress upon more than one occasion. In “The Greater Good” we observe that Camile has made peace with her failed attempt and plays a much stronger characterization role.

In specific the scene at the end of season two episode one ‘Intervention’ with Lt. Tamara Johansen (Alaina Huffman) was heart wrenching and inspired. In Aftermath, we see further evidence of the talent inherent in MingNa’s performance when she interviews the Lucian Alliance character Ginn portrayed by Julie McNiven. MingNa is an anchor character in Stargate Universe that is not to be overlooked nor discounted. Her talent is outstanding as witnessed by her facial expressions and body language in several scenes with Col. Everett Young (Justin Louis as Louis Ferreira). MingNa’s acting skills are simply exquisite!

The Camile Wray character portrayed by MingNa has grown dimensionally with each appearance in Stargate Universe to the point of delighting this reviewer. I expect much from Camile as she continues to expand her influence on Destiny. We know that the civilians already trusted her well before the failed attempted to take over the Destiny in season one. Importantly since the return of Stargate Universe in season two, we witness a healthy measure of respect between her and former nemesis Sgt. Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) in several sequences that include a “nod” from Sgt. Greer to Camile as he protects the crew from the likes of Simeon (Robert Knepper) of the Lucian Alliance.

One of the greatest impacts of her characterization is MingNa’s scene with Col. Young in ‘Trial and Error’ when he is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Despite her disdain for what Col. Young did to Dr. Rush, MingNa has illustrated (in her character Camile Wray) that compassion must be well acted to be believable. MingNa does an excellent job in doing so. We do not see much of MingNa in some recent episodes, however we know that her influence is there by the way the crew, civilian and military are behaving themselves and working more like a team. I for one look forward to more of MingNa as Stargate Universe continues in season two and hopefully in season three.

Newcomer Julie McNiven as Ginn is a nice addition to the cast scheduled to appear in five episodes of season two of Stargate Universe. 30 year old McNiven, a versatile actress perhaps best known for her roles in Supernatural and AMC’s Madmen is most believable as Ginn. An apparent victim of the Lucian Alliance, Ginn has been forced into servitude for fear of harm to her family.

We certainly can thank Ginn (Julie McNiven) for disposing of the evil Dannic portrayed by Ian Butcher. In the sequence with MingNa when she is interviewed as part of Aftermath, we want her to be included in future episodes. I for one am sad she is only scheduled for one more episode.

What happens in “The Greater Good” will answer the why of this question much to the shock of the viewing audience with a scene reminiscent of Stargate SG-1 and use of the Ancient Communications Stones. I cannot share what this secret is without ruining the fun for you the viewers, but the end sequence and the beginning of “Malice” will certainly make for interesting story telling.

One of the series strongest new character actors is veteran Stargate performer Mike Dopud as Varro. Mike Dopud has appeared in all three incarnations of Stargate and he simply excels as the Lucian Alliance character Varro in Stargate Universe. From his first appearance in season one ‘Subversion’, we have seen several times that he appears conflicted but is not truly evil. This was evidenced in a scene with Lou Diamond Phillips. Mike is scheduled to appear for seven episodes extending into the second half of season two in episode ‘The Hunt’.

Speaking of Lou Diamond Phillips, a principle character in the series as Col. David Telford, we observe that he remains loyal to the crew of Destiny after being de-programmed he had been assigned to guard duty over the lock up with the Lucian Alliance, not a very choice assignment. For his role for being in cahoots with the Lucian Alliance, Col. David Telford is treated somewhat as a second class citizen by Col. Young. In a scene with Varro, Col. Telford appears to be downtrodden, but his character is by no means defeated as seen in Cloverdale.

In a highly effective portrayal of Col. Telford guarding in the lock-up, we are treated to a fight scene in which Telord (Lou Diamond Phillips) pulls Col Young (Justin Louis as Louis Ferreira ) off of a Lucian Alliance soldier whom he is literally banging the head into the floor. After a fight breaks out in the makeshift brig, if not for Col. Telford, I do believe that Col. Young would have literally choked the Lucian Alliance soldier to death.

There is good in Col. Telford displayed in his act of stopping Col. Young. The ultimate fate of Col. Telford may well be dependent on this act witnessed by Camile Wray (MingNa), Sgt. Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) and other crewman. He ultimately makes the greatest sacrifice staying behind on the alien infested ship to allow the others to escape. However, Telford is not gone. if you check the future episode listings, note that we will see more of Lou Diamond Phillips’ superb acting as Stargate Universe continues in season two.

Moving back to Dr. Rush’s errors in judgment, he sends the crew on an away mission lead by Lt. Matthew Scott (Brian J. Smith) in the company of Eli Wallace (David Blue), Lt. Tamara Johansen (Alaina Huffman), Second Lt. Vanessa James (Julia Benson), Dr. Lisa Park (Jennifer Spence), and Dale Volker (Patrick Gilmore). Dr. Rush’s errors in judgment become completely exposed in “The Greater Good” in a confrontation between Col. Young and Dr. Rush. For fans of this confrontation be prepared for a turn-about in Dr. Rush when the shoe is placed on the other foot so to speak. It is a subtle touch in “The Greater Good”, but nevertheless Dr. Rush reveals what I stated earlier, there is good in this character as you will see for yourselves.

Concluding for now, some people and groups have chosen to live in the past and unfairly blame Stargate Universe for the non-renewal of Stargate Atlantis. They are simply put just plain incorrect in such an assessment. Anyone who has worked in the entertainment industry (such as myself), knows that SGU was not responsible for the non renewal of SGA.

Some misguided individuals are of the same ilk as when SGA continued after Stargate SG-1 was not renewed for an eleventh season. People need to understand that entertainment is a business not a right or an inevitability simply because people want a series to continue. People and groups that protested the non renewal of SG-1 in 2007 and SGA in 2009 must understand that the business realities of advertising revenues dictate whether a series will be funded for additional seasons and live on or not. Therefore be happy and toast to Stargate Universe!

Such individuals protest too much (especially on Twitter) making claims that they would confront the celebrities as if the celebrities make the business decisions. Several ran up their ego’s Saturday night before the appearance of Brian J. Smith and Elyse Levesque at TriCon in Los Angeles. As it turned out these so called experts are very brave when hiding behind a keyboard, but are reticent to make a scene in public where their transparency would be exposed for the world to see for what it is: keyboard bravery.

Notably amongst these are Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica which had their initial runs in the late 1960’s and 1970’s. The protests by the critics and the fans by their failure to support the studios and creators lead the creators to place the franchises “on the shelf”. These two series returned, but it took many years, sometimes decades for the franchises to return in movies and new series. People that attack Stargate Universe are risking the same fate. So ask yourself these simple questions:

1.     Do you want more Stargate in movies and television series? If your answer is yes, then be thankful for all the painstaking work the Stargate creators, crews and actors have gone through to continue the franchise over the past 16 years.

2.     If you do not enjoy a series, then why are you watching and complaining? Doing so is like spitting into the wind or urinating on one’s self. Be respectful of the creators, the studios and the actors and critically to yourself. If you do not like a series then do not watch it. Do not go around the Internet making “loud noises”. Remember that if you do, you have no right to complain because you did not support a series and or franchise that was discontinued because you the fan failed to support it.

3.     Think of the Stargate franchise (and other shows and movie franchises) like a family with children. Is it appropriate to say “I love one child more than the other”? Or is it appropriate to say “This child is not as good as the other(s)”? And lastly if you are a parent, would you like it if someone referred to members of your family in such a fashion? Hardly.

Let us set the record straight. First the actors are doing the jobs they were hired for. To attack them is reprehensible conduct displaying behaviors similar to grade school children. Second, over the past 44 years the fans of several series buried their favorite series franchise producers by failing to support the programs by watching the shows live only to complain when a show is not renewed. Shame on you and learn this: You cannot have it both ways. Support the actors, creators, crews and studios whom are simply doing their jobs. Please do not snipe at them.

We leave you now but will return with more about Stargate Universe in the near future. Thankfully Stargate Universe returns this evening on SyFy at 9 PM East and West. I hope you enjoy “The Greater Good” as much as I have.

As mentioned, Team WHR of reporters will have more special Stargate Universe news reports very soon about S2x08 “Malice” and beyond!

As always thank you for reading and visiting WormholeRiders News Agency. For now, signing off to report on our coverage Day Of Days and Hollywood Charity Auction 42!

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Best Regards,

Kenn

November 9, 2010

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