'Pain' (117) General Discussion

[Makenshi]

Pretty decent Stargaty episode, I loved Rush stabbing Wray and 'piping' everyone else. BUT! My goddam* aliens were a psycho thingo so this is ep receives a brutal 2/5 from me ¬¬

Ok, 3/5 thanks to Rush also screaming like a girl!

[the_raven]

Random observations:
Was it just me, or did anyone else think the lamps were the cause of the crazy at first? That, and Rush reminded me a lot of Zelenka in Tabula Rasa, if only for the whole 'crazy scientist with a pipe proves to be surprisingly formidable' thing.

Haha, nope, I totally was blaming it on the lamps! They seemed to focus in on them for a second or two and then go on from there. Other than that though...this episode was ZZZZZ. Was reading news websites for half the time and still able to follow quite fine; nothing really held my interest. The only part I actually got somewhat excited about was near the end with Greer. Another low point in the roller coaster of quality that is SGU. That roller coaster reminds me of another show I used to like (psst: I'm looking at you BSG!).

[TK Cale]

To me I find that the episode doesn't really fit with the previous one. Aren't they in the void between galaxies and wouldn't the last planet they where one the one w/ the giant spiders? More people would have ticks. Other than that I think its just an OK episode. I like the idea about the hallucinations being about trying to get the victims isolated too.

[Spimman]

This episode was fun to watch, but nothing to write home about if you know what I mean....next

[JayShadow]

Having characters face their fears has been done so many times and this wasn't much a fresh, innovative take on the concept.

While the concept wasn't innovative, the thing that set this episode apart from other 'face your fear' scenarios is that we've seen these fears before. Some might think of it as a retread, but that's what I liked about it. Usually an episode like this introduces people's fears, deals with them, then are never heard of again. Many of the issues in this episode are ongoing issues and to me it legitimized originally seeing them the first time. Many of those previous episodes felt like "and this is why this person is messed up" and we'd never see them again.

Not a 10/10 episode or anything, but I appreciate what it was doing. In some ways it felt like a recap of what the characters have been through before going into the final stretch of the season.

[Pharaoh Atem]

but was dissapointed that the scene we saw in the MGM trailer with the aliens coming through the Stargate was this ep.
.

same here i thought we would see it in "incursion"

[jelgate]

Jelgate's Two Cents

I’m not the greatest fan of lets butcher the plot so we can have good character moments. So as you can imagine Pain is not high on my list of favorite Stargate Universe episodes. However that does not mean the episode is a bad one. Just that it could have been better. Do not get me wrong. Seeing the fears and pain of the Destiny crew was top notch. I just felt that the notion of how these hallucinations occur was quite weak. I’m going to do things a little different this week. Instead of reviewing in my normal linear scene by scene fashion I will just go by each character’s hallucination (with major emphasis on Greer) and wrap up with the rushed plot.

I suppose we should start with James and her hallucination of having sex with Scott and then killing him. To me this hallucination points that despite James showing a tough shell she is hurting on the inside. She is an emotional wreck and feels betrayed by Scott. I think James saw the relationship with Scott and something worthwhile and meaningful while obviously Scott saw it nothing more as casual sex. So in rage she kills him. Because as I said earlier I think these shows that James is emotionally sad and angry over that whole ordeal with Scott. She does not who she is.

Next we move on to Volkner who is apparently claustrophobic. There is no deep analysis for this one. It’s quite apparent that him not being able to go through the doors that Volkner does not like small spaces. It’s quite a common phenomenon for people.

Now about Scott and seeing his son roaming around the ships points actually to two pains he has. One even though his ex-girlfriend kept the child a secret for Scott he still feels guilty about not seeing. Even though there was nothing Scott could he feels guilty none the less about not being able to spend those early years with his child. That is pain number 1. Now pain number 2 is very much related to this. The 2nd pain is related that the fear Scott may never be able to get home to actually see his son. So these two statements can be nicely generalized in that Scott’s pain is the inability to know who his son is. Although I have to ask don’t you think the priest who drank himself to death would have been a much better pain then Scott’s son?

If you are going to bring back an accomplished actor back to Christopher McDonald I think you better have some accomplished scenes to use him in. I’m not quite sure if that is what we got in this episode. I’m not willing to say yes or no. I don’t know we needed to bring back such an accomplished actor to show that Chloe’s biggest pain is when her father died. I think we knew how grief stricken his death made her. I’m not trying to belittle that since speaking from experience that pain never goes away but I don’t know if the scenes with him worth it. You know what I take it back. I forget Chloe’s hesitation to go with Eli and Scott to the infirmary. That shows and emphasis just how much Chloe loved her father and how hard it is to lose him. Christopher McDonald’s guest appearance was defiantly worth.

I saved Rush and Greer’s hallucinations last for a reason. But first we have to talk about the plot and how TJ finds a solution to this hallucination problem. The whole story of what is causing the hallucination and how to stop was just too simple. Maybe it because I’m medical major at school (Nuclear Medicine to be exact) and I actually know within reason how the brain works but I find it hard to believe an insect could dig into your neck and mess around with your limbic system. It seems quite far fetched that a creature that big could interact with neural tissue which is quite microscopic. Equally hard to believe is the notion is look we just throw some anesthesia on the bugs and we can just pull them out with no brain damage. I’m sorry I just don’t buy it. A creature attached to the brain that is forcibly removes would cause some of kind of brain damange when they are actually removed. Like I said before it seems this plot was butchered and twisted to fit the character moment of their fears.

Now that my opinion of the plot is expressed I think my view of Young hunting down Greer and his hallucination will make more sense. But first we have to talk about Rush and his fear. This one is another obvious and self-exclusionary one. Which is quite strange as Rush is not usually so easy to describe. Anyway, with Rush envisioning himself in a water tank followed by Rush imaging himself chasing the blue aliens around Destiny its quite obvious Rush’s biggest pain is being captured and dissected by those aliens. Can not really say I blame him. If aliens cut me open and tortured me to the extent that they tortured Rush I’d probably be scared too.

At first I thought Greer’s biggest pain (or fear) was that another mutiny was going to occur. That was why he was chasing Wray and Rush. But that scene showing Greer’s father painted another picture. Greer’s biggest pain I think (despite him being a bitter drunk) is letting his father down. Greer I think feels somewhat responsible for his father dying. To that end Greer views Young as a father figure. Which is why he was chasing Wray and Rush because in this hallucinate state Greer thinks there would be less pain for Young to deal with. So now Greer is helping his father figure something he could not do for his real father. Yes that is completely messed up in reality but we all know how hallucinations mess with a person’s mind.

Overpowering Greer seems quite simplistic not to mention convent just as he was about to shoot Wray. As I have said I am not too impressed with the actual story. It was just too easy to halt him before he got to Wray. Speaking of Wray the look of her face as she walked past Greer shows how cold she is going to leave this instance over his head. This is the end of my “meh” review of Pain. I hope the change in reviewing wasn’t too hard for you people.

[Daro]

Okay, I liked it. It felt- well - "Stargate-y", for lack of a better term. I could see roughly that plot happening in any Stargate show or Star Trek or whatever (I think some of the elements have been used before), but that's not a bad thing. It was an enjoyable period of time, and that's all I ask for from my TV shows.

Random observations:
Was it just me, or did anyone else think the lamps were the cause of the crazy at first? That, and Rush reminded me a lot of Zelenka in Tabula Rasa, if only for the whole 'crazy scientist with a pipe proves to be surprisingly formidable' thing.

I too was convinced it was the lamps. They focused on them several times early on.

I'm not sure how I feel about this episode's plot. I mean, it didn't really change the situation any aboard Destiny, which is something I always am looking forward to. Or maybe it did, and we just don't know how yet. I'm wondering what it was that Dr. Rush was going to tell Wray about; something to do with Amanda, I'm fairly sure. Shame that we didn't get to find out.
But overall, good effects, and good to see the subconcious of the characters, although I was not at all surprised by anything that any of them did. I was a little shocked at how much of a badass Rush could be using implemented weapons like a screwdriver or a pipe. He also is apparently very good at outwitting and outrunning people. Hopefully this fact will come into play in the future, I loved seeing him in action and kinda felt bad that he was back at his console by the end of the episode.

Reilly doesn't get enough scenes. He's just hilarious. The bug spray comment, lol.

[xxxevilgrinxxx]

A great bunch of moments show.

I found it interesting that, of all of their experiences, only Chloe apparently had a somewhat positive experience, getting to talk to her father one last time, while accepting that it wasn't real, especially considering that for everyone else, it was completely real. To play off of that little moment, she and Young had a moment while they were walking down the hall and it looks like Young is becoming paternal towards someone else. I really felt for Eli, torn between keeping a confidence and helping Scott get her to the infirmary. there's something to be said for both of those men helping each other to get her there.

I was hoping this would be a more TJ-centric role and, while we saw her a lot, we didn't get to see much of her, if that makes sense. There was a lovely little moment between her and Young, when both of them were talking about the same thing - concern for her condition - while not coming right out and saying it. It was sweet and not over the top. They're both being professional but the care is still there. I also liked that he didn't leave her there alone until he had to.

Poor Scott was just a mess all over, between getting his imaginary skull bashed in and chasing his son...sigh. There's a shared experience with Chloe where neither wanted to really have the visions go away, that was sad.

Rush plays terror really, really well. I found it interesting that when he was in trouble, it was Col. Young that he called first.

Greer, damn. I guess spiders and tunnels are going to seem like a breeze after dealing with the biggie of failure!

With Volker, I didn't see it so much as claustrophobia as being trapped on Destiny with no way off and having the walls of the ship closing in around him.

Just had to watch the trailers for the next ep...why do I do that? Now I have a whole week to wait!

[ProclarushTaonasAt]

I liked this episode. I was particularly floored with Rush's new phobia of the Blues. I knew he was scared of them but I didn't know it was that deep rooted. It is definitely a change from SG1 and SGA where our heroes aren’t usually that afraid of the bad guys. Again, and I cannot emphasize this enough, Robert Carlyle’s acting is top notch. 3.5/5

[Spimman]

So we get official confirmation that the Blue Aliens coming through the gate never actually happens, kind of a teaser let down.

[Daro]

Rush plays terror really, really well. I found it interesting that when he was in trouble, it was Col. Young that he called first.

I noted that too. It makes sense on one level; call the man who is the boss of the men with guns when there are aliens on the ship. That's what I'd do. But I sat there trying to read a deeper meaning in it for several minutes, coming to the conclusion that Rush knows he can rely on Young, in most situations, to save the day.

[Replicator Todd]

So we get official confirmation that the Blue Aliens coming through the gate never actually happens, kind of a teaser let down.

Indeed, a major let down. I'm let down so much that i'm kinda angry.

[jelgate]

A great bunch of moments show.

I found it interesting that, of all of their experiences, only Chloe apparently had a somewhat positive experience, getting to talk to her father one last time, while accepting that it wasn't real, especially considering that for everyone else, it was completely real. To play off of that little moment, she and Young had a moment while they were walking down the hall and it looks like Young is becoming paternal towards someone else. I really felt for Eli, torn between keeping a confidence and helping Scott get her to the infirmary. there's something to be said for both of those men helping each other to get her there.

I think that was the point. That the "ticks" create hallucination of what are painful memories. Even Chloe's was a painful memory because eventually she will lose him again

[Shan Bruce Lee]

Is it just me or is James getting a lot more screen time lately? Not that I mind, I like the character.