Aurora (209)

[mgbland]

That was pretty dumb on Caldwell's part. If Sheppard could just will himself out of the stasis pod, then so could the Wraith. I was actually surprised the Wraith didn't come out earlier when it saw Sheppard and realized that someone else was on the Aurora.

And he was accusing Sheppard of making rookie mistakes!

[Shep'sSocks]

Maybe the Wraith didn't think to do so or that he had a better chance of defeating Sheppard in the virtual environment.

[TheCaptain]

I just saw Aurora for the first time last night and am going to watch it a second time soonish... it's a fantastic episode, I don't quite get why some of the feedback I've read about it around the site has been so critical.

The captain of the Aurora at the end, explaining to his crew just what has really happened to them and that they are about to give their lives to stop the Wraith from getting vital new intergalactic drive technologies, had to be one of my favourite dialogue points of the second series so far. Great episode, well written and acted, with Rodney McKay showing a little more of a decent, team-player attitude that I think his character needs to reflect more often.

The whole repurcussions thing between him and Sheppard during and after Trinity, in my own opinion, changed the dynamics between the two characters just when I was starting to warm to McKay, and the team. Sheppard was being a little too harsh on Rodney, who was only tryin to make a technology work for the betterment of the entire Atlantis expedition...

Now after Aurora, things might just start to get put back on track... can't wait to see Lost Boys too later on tonight. Soooo disappointed about the wait til January!

Capt

[JanusAncient]

I utterly despised this episode! First, the ship was completely demolished on the outside, but the inside was perfectly intact. Second, the Ancients couldn't have survived for a few days outside of stasis, but Weir was able to do just that. Thirdly, none of the Ancients knew how to ascend, this couldn't have been an alternate solution, instead of killing over 300 Ancients? Fourth, even if the information had been deleted by the Wraith, they couldn't have found out the region of Pegasus where the information came from? Fifth, was it not possible for them to simply tow the Aurora back to Atlantis, using the Daedalus. There was nothing useful about this episode, though I donot agree with the Ancients all of the time, allowing over 300 of the most intelligent people, in all of the universe to just die, was the most idiotic course of action.

[cafine_us]

I utterly despised this episode! First, the ship was completely demolished on the outside, but the inside was perfectly intact. Second, the Ancients couldn't have survived for a few days outside of stasis, but Weir was able to do just that. Thirdly, none of the Ancients knew how to ascend, this couldn't have been an alternate solution, instead of killing over 300 Ancients? Fourth, even if the information had been deleted by the Wraith, they couldn't have found out the region of Pegasus where the information came from? Fifth, was it not possible for them to simply tow the Aurora back to Atlantis, using the Daedalus. There was nothing useful about this episode, though I donot agree with the Ancients all of the time, allowing over 300 of the most intelligent people, in all of the universe to just die, was the most idiotic course of action.

First, yeah, ok, that was a weak point, but hey, it's sci fi. Maybe there were extra shields protecting the interior of the ship.

Second, Weir was only able to survive a few days out of stasis. The crew of the Aurora were older and probably wouldn't survive as long.

Third, these Ancients were less evolved than the Ancients who later learned to ascend, I believe. They were still studying the ascension process, but they hadn't quite mastered the technique.

Fourth, we don't know how the Aurora crew found the flaw in Wraith tech. If only one person knew what the flaw is, it's likely that only one person knew how and where to find it as well.

Fifth, I'm sure we would have towed the Aurora back to Atlantis if it had not been for impending doom from the Wraith hiveships. The Daedalus could not fight off both easily, and even if we could, the Wraith would have time to call for backup. The Daedalus would be destroyed, the Atlantis cover would be blown, and the Wraith would probably be able to find the information they needed to improve hyperdrive and attack Earth.

[mgbland]

I'm trying to figure out how fast they age in those stasis pods.

Let's say Weir is between 30 and 40 (call it 35) going into the pods, and she was in the pods for roughly 10,000 years.

Let's assume she dies at roughly 135 years. I believe Ms Jane Pittman lived to be 138. So over 10,000 years she may have aged about 100 years. Every 1000 years in statis would add about 10 years to her physical age.

If the Aurora crew went in the pods between 10,000 and 10,100 years ago, because Sheppard

Spoiler:

established that they left Atlantis during the 100 year seige after they'd sunk the city to the bottom of the ocean.

Let's say that they aged 110 years. The captain looked in his mid fifties, so that would put him around 160. While the youngest ensign (about 18 years when he/she went into the pod) might be 128 years old.

Also without a medical professional to examine the bodies, it's doubtful they would have been able to determine who could leave the pods and who could not. Another weak point in the plot, why didn't Caldwell send over some of his medical staff to verify McKay's findings on whether they could leave the pods. McKay is a PhD, not an MD.

[skritsys]

Didn't the pods induce some kind of hibernation? It is a possibility that the technology existed in those pods to slow the aging process down. So maybe that is why they were able to exist in their for so long.
Inside the VR, they would have a residual projection of their image/consciousness. After so long in stasis, for some of them, their bodies would more than likely suffer some long term damage, but are still being kept alive just barely. Their consciousness still exists in the machine, but they are physically stuck in stasis.
That may be another reason why they opted to die by their own will. Better to die for a cause, then to die as a vegetable.

[jazz!]

Question that has been bugging me for a while and which I think ( and hope ) has a simple and obvious answer!

Good ol' Jack ( you still remember him, yes? ), spoke the language of the Ancients in: The Fifth Race, Lost City.......

The crew of the Aurora speak english! and there can't be some kind of translator device since in BEFORE I SLEEP, they also speak english!


(on a side note: am I the only one who thinks that the Ancients wern't that exited/please to meet/over-whelmed when Doc Wier travelled back in time a couple of thousand years ? I know they were in the middle of evacuation BUT there is living proof of the decendents and the legacy of the Ancients!)

[cafine_us]

The crew of the Aurora speak english! and there can't be some kind of translator device since in BEFORE I SLEEP, they also speak english!

The language barrier, or lack thereof, has always been a major plot hole, not only on Stargate, but on every sci-fi show. Someone earlier in the thread had a good patch for this hole, suggesting that the virtual environment read the mind in images of what the people wanted to say and do. No translations would be needed. As for Before I Sleep, who knows? Never can go wrong with a little suspension of disbelief.

[AutumnDream]

If you consider what it says in the stairway in Atlantis' gateroom, it seems the city was built or existed with the intention or purpose of being a sanctuary and hope for everyone who would come to it from anywhere.

As such, I bet it has automatic translation properties. That's right. The magic of the Ancient can solve any plothole!

[cafine_us]

Unfortunately, the whole built-in-translator theory creates a new plot hole, as Zelenka and others are able to converse in some non-English language.

[Shep'sSocks]

Maybe it only translates into English...

[AutumnDream]

Unfortunately, the whole built-in-translator theory creates a new plot hole, as Zelenka and others are able to converse in some non-English language.

Maybe like the virus detection systems, the language detection system was only active in the main, fully powered sections. Zelenka only spoke Czech in some random room with the video recorder, and some lab.

[CalmStorm]

The crew of the Aurora speak english! and there can't be some kind of translator device since in BEFORE I SLEEP, they also speak english!

I know there has been a lot of disscussion on language and how everyone always speaks english......most offer up the explanation of universal translator, but even that explanation has its short-comings. For example, if a unviersal translator were used, that would not stop the appeance of another language coming from the mouth of the one speaking it......it should almost look like an old movie where the sound is not in synch with the mouth. I doubt that the foriegn language being spoken has the exact same length and syllables as the words that are being translated......it should not look as though they are speaking english.

However, I think there just has to be a degree of 'suspension of belief' for all of these instances. I would rather just go merrily on my way ignoring that everyone in a different galaxy speaks the same language than to see episodes spent trying to interpret new foriegn languages or reading subtitles. It is more realistic and believable that everyone the Atlantis expedition runs into is speaking another language, even the ancients, but that is where suspension of belief comes into play

[The Signal]

Wow, what a fantastic episode, and a good set up for the next year or two. not much of a downside to this really, except perhaps a slightly calm reaction to conversing with the ancients, an event that may never happen again.

My Rating - 8 Chevrons

[Eoin]

I thought the ladders on the ship were CRAP!!, for cryin out loud (always wanted to say that ) their the ancients, you would think that they'd be beyond ladders to get from deck to deck, anyway apart from that it was a great ep

[Linzi]

I really liked this episode.
I've noticed a lack of Sheppard/McKay banter and snark this season, but it was back in force here.
I enjoyed the story concept, felt very sad at the demise of the Aurora crew, and enjoyed the whole virtual environment scenes.
Shame the Aurora was decrepit, but it does make sense that it would be in such a terrible state! Shame the Wraith weakness had been deleted from the computer, but I wasn't surprised about that.
I liked that Sheppard was in the forefront here, but enjoyed the Teyla and Ronon scenes too.
A good, stand alone episode, and on a completely shallow note, I thought Sheppard looked particularly attractive in the jim-jams!

[Stricken]

This is what Stargate is all about, Aurora was brillaint. Mckay and Sheppard were on fine form, with their banter and who can forget this line: "Yes, of course – it says right here: "Why is the smart one having to stop and answer so many questions?" brilliant The idea of the Ancient ship was great, shame that they didn't survive or the Wraith weakness was removed fromthe database. The Aurora looked like half of it was missing (if you look at the front) but would have been one hell of a ship in its hay day. Caldwell is starting to grow on me, after the first few episodes I hated him but he seems to be ok, only time will tell.

Aurora recieves a S.G.C rating of 9 out of 9 Chevrons!

[Elinor]

I enjoyed this episode 'Aurora' or, did I miss something, and Shep and McKay were in an advert for 'Daz'.... "Get your whites whiter than white"!! Though, I must say, Shep's outfit looked a little bit creamier coloured than McKay's or maybe I just need to clean half of my TV screen! (Can't believe I just mentioned Sheppard and cream in the same sentence! Yummmm! ). Er...where was I...oh yes...reviewing...

Lots of great banter, everyone in the cast had a good little moment somewhere and it looks like they probably all got sloshed at the end...so, all and all, cast and viewers end up happy!!

Oh, and McKay so loves Shep! That's two episodes now where he's mentioned Shep's face lighting up!!

[bcfc]

Great episode, the humour in it was fantastic, and we got to see a Ancient ship. A classic one to re -watch on the DVD's I think.

There was a good line from Rodney when Caldwell gave him a time limit on getting Sheppard out but I cant remember it off-hand.

Dont supose any one else can quote the lines.