"Common Descent" (217) Pre-Airing Discussion/Speculation Thread

[PG15]

Writer: Rob Cooper
Director: ?

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And that's it, folks! Every episode slot has been filled!

We called up Rob and gave him notes on his final script of the season, episode #217, Common Descent.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...ments-mailbag/

There was one previous mention:

The rest of the day was spent yakking about Carl’s first draft of Hope, episode #14, my outline for The Hunt, episode #16, and whether or not Radio, episode #18, still worked given the preceding episode.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...anora-rob-san/

...So I guess if "Radio" doesn't work out, we'll still have an episode title left.

[DigiFluid]

FINALLY the last episode title. My Excel spreadsheets were getting angry with me!

[PG15]

And so was my Word document!

[DigiFluid]

I have so many TV and movie spreadsheets it's not even funny

[Jper]

Maybe you guys need to get out more? Look for a new hobby? I suggest baking cookies.

[PrincessJ88]

Interesting title that's for sure. Descent would suggest falling or downward actions.....the common part of the title puzzles me though

[Naonak]

Hmm.

In evolutionary biology, a group of organisms have common descent if they have a common ancestor.

Wiki.

[themeatcleaver]

just wondering what someone would do with a spreadsheet of episode titles...

/just curious

[jelgate]

just wondering what someone would do with a spreadsheet of episode titles...

/just curious

I keep spreadsheets of episode titles to collect rating numbers

[DigiFluid]

just wondering what someone would do with a spreadsheet of episode titles...

/just curious

Nothing world-stopping-ly-exciting

One example
A second

[The Swarm]

Hmmm, dont know what to make of it...

We could use some episode descriptions.

[Spimman]

Hmm.

In evolutionary biology, a group of organisms have common descent if they have a common ancestor.

Wiki.

That was what came to my mind when I saw the episode title, I guess we'll see.

[spinny magee]

Scott: O hi chloe wanna make out, i know last time my erecti-
Chloe: I'm your sister.........
Scott:

[Rhoswen]

Casting notices have gone out for episode 217:

Spoiler:

Director: Peter DeLuise
Writer: Robert Cooper
Shoot Dates: 9/29 - 10/13
Location: Vancouver

[YAOZU] (55-65) Male or Female. This philosophical world wearied village elder has been cut off from his/her home planet for decades and holds out hope for the return of his/her people to their former home. (Please submit Asian, Eurasian, Indian, and Native American actors). Recurring.

[JASON] (20-25) This somewhat naïve and idealistic villager has known no other planet than the one he lives on, and looks to the future with more optimism than their elders. (Please submit all ethnicities, with emphasis on exotic, culturally mixed actors). Recurring.

[ELLIE] (20-25) This somewhat naïve and idealistic villager has known no other planet than the one she lives on, and looks to the future with more optimism than her elders. (Please submit all ethnicities, with emphasis on exotic, culturally mixed actors). Recurring.

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Going by these character descriptions and the casting sides (I read a couple of scenes), it seems that some sort of common ancestor of people on Destiny and a planet they visit via the gate may be part of the storyline. There may also be either time travel or multiple universes or versions of the same people. The casting sides were a bit difficult to follow (It's possible that some character names were changed to confuse spoiler hunters), but Eli, Chloe, and Scott were in at least one of the scenes. Two other characters mentioned in the sides are Bruce Graham and Timothy Beals (But I don't know if they're new characters or "fake" names of current characters).

One of the scenes begins as Graham and Beals and some others (including Scott, Chloe, and Eli) come through the gate onto a planet and meet Jason and Ellie, who know Graham and Beals' names and speak English. Jason and Ellie are shocked because Graham and Beals supposedly died thousands of years ago. Another character named Carl says, "Yes and no" and tells them there's a perfectly good explanation and Carl tells Graham that the other him could have guessed that they'd gone back in time. Ellie says that the "testament" says that Destiny might one day return. Jason suggests that they come and meet the others in the settlement, so they all start walking. Ellie tells the group who came through the gate that she thought they'd come from Novus, and Chloe seems surprised that they aren't on Novus. Ellie explains that her people were originally part of an expedition sent through the gates thousands of years ago to explore other worlds, but one day they could no longer connect to Novus and they've been stranded ever since. That was before Ellie and Jason were even born.

Another somewhat confusing part of the sides was a tour of a ship. I didn't recognize most of the character names, so I couldn't tell for sure if it was the people of Destiny giving Ellie's people a tour of Destiny. But I'm guessing that's probably what it was. Ellie's people ask if they can help them return to Novus in the ship.

[KEK]

Spoiler:

Meh, don't like the sound of that. This is the sort of thing I'd hoped they'd be steering clear of.

[Platschu]

Spoiler:

So the expedition will get new members. Again.

[reddevil18]

Spoiler:

Yes, new red shirts! YAY!

[Osiristi]

Spoiler:

Meh, don't like the sound of that. This is the sort of thing I'd hoped they'd be steering clear of.

Spoiler:

Apparently they are supposed to be descendants of someone aboard Destiny who travelled back in time.

[Rhoswen]

Spoiler:

Apparently they are supposed to be descendants of someone aboard Destiny who travelled back in time.

I read the casting sides again, trying to find clues as to who the

Spoiler:

ancestor from Destiny

might be. As with some previous casting sides that changed characters' names (probably to prevent certain plot spoilers from leaking), it appears that several character names have been changed in the sides for this episode:

Spoiler:

From the sides, "Carl" seems to be the time traveller. The people who are discovered in this episode speak English. Jason and Ellie are definitely new characters (since casting notices were sent out for them), but I think that "Carl" is a false name for someone from the Destiny, and the sides may indicate who he is. In one scene, as Ellie is leading the group from Destiny to their settlement, she says, "No one's going to believe this. They're totally going to freak out when they see you." Carl then says, "This is so cool." Chloe is one of the people talking with Ellie in that scene, and in another scene after they all reach the settlement, both Scott and Eli are among the crew from Destiny who are introduced to Ellie's people. Based on the expressions used by Ellie and "Carl," and the fact that Eli is in the later scene in which they all meet Ellie's people, I'm going to guess that "Carl" is Eli.

One of the people (a new recurring character) they are introduced to at the settlement is named Yaosu, and a character who appears to be code-named "McLean" says, "That was my father's name," and after tea is served, Yaosu offers them a greeting, which is written in the sides as: Maahn sih yuh yi. "McLean" translates it as, "May all things go according to the wishes of those that hear it." Based on that, I'm going to guess that "McLean" is Wray and that there also may have been more than one time traveller (Maybe these settlers are descended from ALL of the Destiny crew?).

In a later scene, "McLean" gives the people from the settlement a tour of what could only be Destiny (although it's never specified as Destiny in the sides). It is "McLean" to whom Ellie and Yaosu are speaking when they ask if they can be taken to their planet Novus. McLean seems stunned by the request to transport all of them even though they are unsure that Novus still exists (since they haven't been able to dial it) and the scene ends before McLean gives an answer.

That's all the (possibly) new info I've been able to gather from the casting sides, based on their content and my own speculation.

[Rylor]

Spoiler:

Apparently they are supposed to be descendants of someone aboard Destiny who travelled back in time.

Spoiler:

Sounds like the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode "Children of Time" to me. I hope it's not a carbon copy and has some new, interesting twist in it.