How did Sheppard and Zelenka survive?

[Daniel Jackson]

The command center was blown to bits. The Stargate exploded. It blew out all the windows. The entire area was consumed in a ball of fire. How exactly did Sheppard and Zelenka not get burnt to a crisp? It reminds me of the end of Ghostbusters where the top of the building explodes, yet no one is hurt.

[fumblesmcstupid]

They were surrounded with a bubble of LOVE and hope and all the dreams that the writers have in thinking that we are MORONS.

Cause OF COURSE Sheppard and Zalenka are just ganna run to another *snicker* room and just get covered in glass....maybe it was MAGIC glass??

OOH it could have been fairies came in and swooped down and used their wings to protect them both or ........I'm out of ideas.

R.I.P John Sheppard and Radek Zalenka we will miss you both!

[Brain_Child]

My feeling was that instead of collapsing the shield to surround the gate, they would have collapsed the shield to surround Shep and Zelenka in the final moments before the explosion. This sounds plausible because of the nature of an explosion the damage would be directed in various directions (up, down, outward) and therefore only part of the explosion would be directed at the shield surrounding Shep and Zelenka, hence they receive only part of the damage and the sheild might hold.

This was my theory. perhaps the writers did explain it but it was not included in the final cut. The scene where Teyla says something like "I dont understand what happened" to John seems like it could have been longer and included an explaination.

It is odd however. The cliffhanger was really based around the gate exploding (did they survive? if so, how?) so its seems weird that it wasnt resolved.

[TiberiusEsuriens]

I agree. Although the shield contained at least the majority of the lethal heat, there should still have been scorch marks of some sort on the people or equipment. All I saw was dust and rubble.

On a side note, the next episode better not have the gate room fixed in to perfect working order, even after getting a new gate. That explosion should have caused heavy damage to all the control room equipment, especially after the rubble that was on top of them.

[Finger13]

My feeling was that instead of collapsing the shield to surround the gate, they would have collapsed the shield to surround Shep and Zelenka in the final moments before the explosion. This sounds plausible because of the nature of an explosion the damage would be directed in various directions (up, down, outward) and therefore only part of the explosion would be directed at the shield surrounding Shep and Zelenka, hence they receive only part of the damage and the sheild might hold.

This was my theory. perhaps the writers did explain it but it was not included in the final cut. The scene where Teyla says something like "I dont understand what happened" to John seems like it could have been longer and included an explaination.

It is odd however. The cliffhanger was really based around the gate exploding (did they survive? if so, how?) so its seems weird that it wasnt resolved.

In order to place the shield around themselves they would had to have dropped the shield around the gate. The shield takes time to form up around objects, as witnessed not only when it forms around Atlantis, but when they surrounded the gate with it.

So that solution wouldn't work in a real setting, as the time that it would take for the shield to encompass Shepperd and Zelenka would be too long, and the blast would not be contained in the meantime.

[stargater1990]

my understanding was that at the last moment they ducked into another room off of the conrol room and was shielded by the walls.

and another thing, wasnt the vest that shepard was wearing bullet proff? and if that is the case then why did he have glass in his back?

[Brain_Child]

In order to place the shield around themselves they would had to have dropped the shield around the gate. The shield takes time to form up around objects, as witnessed not only when it forms around Atlantis, but when they surrounded the gate with it.

So that solution wouldn't work in a real setting, as the time that it would take for the shield to encompass Shepperd and Zelenka would be too long, and the blast would not be contained in the meantime.

oh you can just write in something to solve that. like Zelenka writing up a program so that two smalls shields can simultanously exist.So then they cover themselves and then release the sheild over the gate. its sci fi, you can probably solve the same problem dozens of different ways

my understanding was that at the last moment they ducked into another room off of the conrol room and was shielded by the walls.

Is this what happened? It was really smokey in the control room. I actually thought they took cover in Elizabeths old office, which is still quite close to the gate.

[Browncoat1984]

I do give the producers credit though, they actually showed the characters actually getting HURT by glass - they actually had pieces of glass stuck in them. Its really annoying when you see somebody stand by a glass window or ceiling as its broken, get TONS of glass thrown at them and they come out with not a single scratch from it.

If anybody's seen the Mythbusters episode where they tested that, poor Buster didn't survive.

[stargater1990]

oh you can just write in something to solve that. like Zelenka writing up a program so that two smalls shields can simultanously exist.So then they cover themselves and then release the sheild over the gate. its sci fi, you can probably solve the same problem dozens of different ways



Is this what happened? It was really smokey in the control room. I actually thought they took cover in Elizabeths old office, which is still quite close to the gate.

it could have been her office because i believe thats one of the rooms off the controll room.


now what i think is a little unbelieveable is that the shield couldnt contain the blast. i guess this means that if you launch 12 nukes at the city then it'll fail and destroy the city, because thats pretty much what they said which i believe is stupid.

[Vis Uban]

Hmm...how did they survive? That's easy, the power of imagination!

Seriously though, given the level of damage in the gateroom, I find it very hard to believe that Shepard escaped with only some minor glass wounds and Zelenka being left entirely unharmed. They must be made of the same stuff that Atlantis's floors are made of, since you'd think that such large explosions would damage more than one floor.

[Sappho]

They should have at LEAST made Raddek lose his eyebrows.

[Ripple in Space]

they're replicators

[faiths_man]

From watching the beginning of the episode, looking at where Teyla and co found Shepperd and Zelenka it looks like they snuck off into the conference room... Anybody else get that feeling or just me?

[Gibsnag]

I thought it was funny that Zelenka's glasses were completely fine as well.

[Gate-builder]

They were on the balcony outside the control room, sheltering behind the small bit of wall below the window. They were about as far from the Stargate as they could have got, and since they were behind that kind of low wall, the majority of the blast probably went over their heads.