Last week’s episode of Stargate Universe, Twin Destinies, left me with some hope for progress towards a more scientific storyline. Thanks to last night’s episode, Alliances, that brief sparkle came crashing down in a soap-opera-like bombshell.
The IOC (or whatever world governing body currently attempts to control Earth’s Stargates) paid a visit to Destiny through a Senator and a scientist (the one who turned down heading the Icharus project before Rush came on board) who switch with Camile Wray and Greer (kick and screaming and griping about being ordered to take R&R). Basically, Camille needs a ‘fix’ for her political intrigue addiction and the Senator needs to assess Destiny’s mission and the progress on returning the crew to Earth.
Camile and Greer haven’t had thirty seconds to acclimate themselve to an increased terrorist threat level (Leutian Alliance) on Earth before the facility is attacked. We spend the rest of that storyline on Earth with Camile and Wray an an airman trapped in an unstable building trying to get out and eventually seeking the bomb left by the Leutian Alliance kamikaze pilot. Ample opportunity for Wray and Greer to endear themselves of each other through an unproductive but oh-so-dramatic shouting match.
On board Destiny, the Senator is stirring the pot and questioning everyone’s fitness to lead and their ability to survive. The scientist is appropriately awed by Destiny but not convince of Rush’s ‘discovery’ of an intelligent being(s) existing before the birth of the Universe. He also attempts to stir the pot among Rush’s underlings.
My biggest disappointment became the introduction of yet another cowardly scientist. Once he learns his body back on Earth has been exposed to lethal doses of radiation, he sabatoges the signal of the Ancient communication stones device so he can remain in Greer’s body rather than return to certain death. At least the Senator stepped up and accepted her sacrifice for the greater good and returned willingly to her body to complete the diffusion.
And the real icing on the cake, we end the episode with Camile and Greer on the observation deck, where his emotional armor cracks and he talks about his mommy with Camille. Yes, it had emotional impact. But spare me the psychobabble and get back to the mission … any mission. We can cry about characters’ flaws and humanity on a hundred other ‘normal’ television shows about ‘normal’ Earth scenarios. This is supposed to be science fiction.
No questions were answered about last week’s time travel mysteries. We basically spun some emotional wheels in “Alliances” and stirred up the nearly dead threat of the Leutian Alliance. For a Stargate episode, I’d give this somewhere between a two or a three on a five star scale. I think I would have been less disappointed had I watched Hawaii Five-O instead.
Update from Gateworld: Lowest Ratings Yet for SGU
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