I decided to re-watch both the ‘Alliances‘ and ‘Hope‘ SGU episodes Wednesday evening. I tend to roll my eyes during the episodes that use the Ancient communication stones. They strike me as a ‘cop out’ for the non-SF aspects of the show (i.e. human drama, human interest, family, friends, etc. … all circumstances and situations I can find readily enough on most any prime time series).
I realized on my re-viewing that both episodes presented the ‘flip sides’ of the ethical dilemma presented by the body swapping consequences of the Ancient communication device.
In the ‘Alliances’ episode, we ponder the questions:
When it isn’t your body, do you take risks the original owner would not, especially since you get a ‘get out of jail free card’ when you return to your own body?
And, should you discover that your original body has been lethally damaged, why not just keep the body your currently occupying?
In the ‘Hope’ episode, the alternative questions:
When your soul or consciousness returns from the ether (since your original body was murdered while you were using the Ancient communication stones leaving your spirit in cosmic limbo), what’s a body to do? <pun intended>
Are we obligated to find a willing host, either temporary or permanent, for your essence to subsume?
I found it interesting that Col. Young was adamant that Greer be returned to his body when the cowardly visiting scientist attempted to refuse (once he found out his body on Earth had been exposed to lethal radiation levels). And the Senator, within only a moment’s hesitation, firmly stepped up and volunteered to return and diffuse the bomb, regardless of the consequences to her life.
Yet, the very next week, Eli and Rush are fighting to keep Ginn and Amanda in Chloe’s body, each understandably selfishly wanting their recent lovers returned to them. Chloe seemed strangely willing to allow her guests to remain and the only person to voice any protestation was Matt, the other male of this bizarre love triangle.
I half hoped the Ancient communication device would remain offline so we could get back to the mission, whichever flavor that might be (Young’s ‘Let’s Get the Heck Back to Earth’ or Rush’s ‘Damn Earth, the Universe Beckons’), but Telford reared his head before the credits rolled on ‘Hope.’
Part of it could be that Young has a bit more of an emotional investment in the people he knows better or their impact on members of his crew.