'Air, Part 2' (102) General Discussion

[Shan Bruce Lee]

I liked the second half. It was well-paced, suspenseful. The first half was just meh and I suspect a large part of that was the fact that they jumped around through the order of events so much.

Just when something would get exciting, they'd go back or skip to a commercial It just cut all the tension that had been building up out of the scene. Not to mention that we've already seen who's made it through the gate so there's absolutely no suspense as to whether or not someone didn't make it in the flashbacks.

There were a few places where the transition was a little quick. The one that stood out the most to me was when Greer had the gun on Rush. It's because Stargate has never added fade-outs before commercial breaks.

[major davis]

I liked the second half. It was well-paced, suspenseful. The first half was just meh and I suspect a large part of that was the fact that they jumped around through the order of events so much.

Just when something would get exciting, they'd go back or skip to a commercial It just cut all the tension that had been building up out of the scene. Not to mention that we've already seen who's made it through the gate so there's absolutely no suspense as to whether or not someone didn't make it in the flashbacks.

Like the collapse at Icarus Base when the Senator was left behind. We knew he got through the gate therefore somehow all those people were saved.

Actors are good so far. Believable. No one's really bad yet and I'm pleasantly surprised by Elyse Levesque (Chloe). No one else really got anything too meaty, but so far I'm loving the complexity Carlyle imbues into his character in a single look or vocal inflection.

Not bad. I'm sorry I can't say I loved it, but it's certainly enough to keep me watching.

One more quibble however...

Writers, I appreciate that so far all the really important people to the plot are men, but would it kill you to maybe give the ladies a little more to do? I mean besides make Wray seem like an ineffectual harpy?

Yeah I agree. Though I will buy it on itunes and watch it again. I mean, without commercials, even with the flashbaks, I think it will keep so much more intensity. Overall loved it, Greer was pretty cool, though I liked Scott. Tamara=boaring, sorry to say. Rush intrigues me. I am interested to see where they will go with him. Oh and I liked the little stuff, like where Sgt. Spencer was sneaking food. Overall, great pilot! Sets the stage for the rest of the series. I come away, wanting more. Like the pilot was awesome, but what's to come is what excites me more!!!

[Coronach]

She was a snarky little monster way back at the dinner table, when she was flirting with Eli, then she falls into the cute Marine's arms, "OMG, my poor daddy!" Ugh., it was awful.

Irrational hatred much? If you were watching the same show I was, you'll notice that Scott (whom you listed as a "good" character) was the one who came up to comfort her. What did you expect, that when she's that devastated she'd push him away? She was bawling uncontrollably, and for good reason.

Not sure what you're talking about with the dinner table...but to each their own opinion, I suppose.

[jrd231]

First Impressions of Stargate Voyager...

Can I have my Atlantis back now?

Can I have my Atlantis back now?

<Snipped by Moderator>

My first impresssions:

I felt they went out of their way to make loyal SG fans feel at home and to point out that yes, this is a Stargate show. I appreciated that. I really liked it even though I thought it got off to a really slow start. What I found interesting was the use of a CGI gate on the Destiny in the opening sequence. I didn't see that one coming.

Dr. Rush - I like this character. You might not like how he says something, but what he says needs to be said and he certainly doesn't pull punches. He definitely has his own agenda, though. It's as if he is living in his own world and everybody else is simply an instrument for him to achieve whatever it is he wants to achieve.

Lt. Scott - I thought this guy was going to be boring when they first released the character info. I was dead wrong. This guy can act and his character is pretty dynamic. He's young and new, yet he's a fairly good leader.

Col. Young - Here is another character I thought would be very bland but ended up being just what the mission calls for. He's not O'Neill or Shepard. He doesn't have quick wit and he's not going to be funny. He's a solid leader with a level head. It's a nice change of pace for the commanding officer on a Stargate show.

Eli Wallace - The guy can act. I like his lazy approach to things. I typically don't like the lazy slacker genius, but I like him for some reason. I think him and Chloe have something going on, or at least I think they will.

Chloe - Wasn't annoying, which was all I was hoping for out of her.

Some things never change, though. Of course they had to introduce the "Ancient Malps." I'm not a fan of these things at all. I also really liked the concept of the video game to find somebody qualified. It's kind of cheesy but at least it gives some sort of background and reason why somebody other than Rush can read Ancient. I am extremely happy that there is no English on the ship and it would have been worse if a guy like Eli could have been able to read Ancient with no explanation. At least some other people have a rudimentary grasp of Ancient besides Rush. I also think the fact that Rush is the only one who can really read Ancient well will allow him to manipulate the other characters on the show.

Overall, it was a lot better than I had expected.

EDIT - I forget the exact name Eli gave to the Ancient malps, but I name them Skee Balls, because that's exactly what it looked like when he took one of the hopper.

[Pandora's_Box]

She was a snarky little monster way back at the dinner table, when she was flirting with Eli, then she falls into the cute Marine's arms, "OMG, my poor daddy!" Ugh., it was awful.

Her father DIED. He effectively KILLED HIMSELF. I'm sorry she wasn't stoic enough for you when faced with her father's excruciating death mere meters from where she stood.

She was collapsing with grief. I doubt she took the time to check who was catching her.

And gulping down wine is considered flirtation now? Really?

Huh.

My feelings for Everett went back to the Icarus station. He was cold and closed-minded then. I thought he would be the token death, ala, Sumner, but alas, he is still alive.

I disagree, but apparently our mileage varies....a lot.

[Shan Bruce Lee]

I totally agree. Most of the reviews I read really emphasized Rush and Eli. I do not disagree with this, but I'm amazed at the lack of coverage of Scott and Chloe in this 2-part premiere.

They both impressed me immensely, and I was incredibly thrilled to see how great of an actress Elyse was. That was a powerful scene she had in part 2, and she pulled it off amazingly.

I really liked the scene they had after her dad died. Scott's line about her dad dying so he could live was one of my favorites.

[Cheshil]

Loved it! Just wish we didn't have that cliffhanger... Don't know if I can wait a week.

Highlights for me include the Kino and Greer... Thought all of it was great, though.

[Landers]

Not sure if Rush is a good guy or not, but at least he is interesting. The rest of the cast I couldn't get a grip on. Scott is okay, but the others I really didn't like at all.

The rustbucket ship is a cool idea, but this show has no heart and soul.

[Shan Bruce Lee]

I loved the way they established Rush as an outcast. They made it clear that he was a misfit that nobody really liked and hinted at his motivations (wanting recognition/achievement)

[Halzman]

They should of just showed the story as it played out, rather then use flashbacks. Totally unnecessary, it would of still maintained the same 'excitement' and suspense that TPTB were trying to achieve.

For a base to have enough power to dial a 9th chevron address, and had bunker shielding technology to prevent beaming, they couldn't rig a BC-304 shield to the base for defense?

The ship was launched from Earth, 'several hundred thousand years ago'. We know that Atlantis left for Pegasus several million years ago, and that the Antarctic gate is at least 50 million years old, as it is the oldest stargate in the milky way system. How could the Ancients launch the Destiny from Earth, when according to the story line, they were in Pegasus?

So the ancients designed the stargate millions of years ago with 9 chevrons, but only use it several hundred thousand years ago. Damn, now that's the ancients planning for the future.

The destiny seems to have more advanced technology then Atlantis does, and yet, certain systems are still 'primitive' ancient technology? It would make sense that the technology is more advanced/up to date then Atlantis since it was build after Atlantis was, then why the more mechanical approach?

The ancient communication stones - they cant figure out how to turn off the stones when there in the communication device, but they can use them with some sort of earth-base stone communicator? Seriously?

The soldier stealing food - whether he was air force or us marines, I'd assume they would have the equivalent special operations training, which would include advanced SERE (survival, evasion, resistance, escape). That kind of thing shouldn't of happened. And if it was a integrity issue, why the hell would he be assigned to the SGC?

Rather then kill off the senator - couldn't they of ducted taped a stick or similar object to the ancient MALP, and then control it remotely to activate the door control, i mean, it is push button, albeit digital.... and it seems like they had enough where to gain a day of life support, it would of been worth it.

The sex scene in the beginning was not necessary at all. Seriously, all it shows, is that a Lt would rather screw while on duty, when he's supposed to be providing security within the hour. Yea I get it, your off world for god knows how long and your horny. Screw on your off-duty time.

Ona not being an ancient was disappointing. And no 'back in the day' ancient opener I was looking forward to one.

[EDIT]

Hammond didn't have asgard weaponry? Seriously? A ship that carter is on doesn't have asgard beam weapons? WTF?


------------

Despite all that, not bad. Looking forward to the next episode and the rest of the season. I can sense though that I'm on thin ice with SGU, so we'll see what happens.


Seriously though, the writers should review the franchise before they write stories for a new series.

[Pandora's_Box]

I loved the way they established Rush as an outcast. They made it clear that he was a misfit that nobody really liked and hinted at his motivations (wanting recognition/achievement)

I think it might be more than that. I get the feeling that recognition might be just a facade that he feels will be an easier reason for people to swallow than his actual reason.

[jelgate]

Jelgate’s Two Cents

In the fifteen years Stargate had been on the air I don’t think we have had a break this long. So that begs the question is such a long hiatus worth it. Did the product (ie SGU) warrant such a long wait? If Air Part I/II are any indicator of what is to come for this franchise then there is no question in my mind SGU was worth such a long wait. But let’s not fool ourselves SGU is radically different from what we saw in SG1 or SGA. But I am okay with that. Different is not always bad and for something to stay fresh a show has to be willing to take those risks. For months it has been advertised that this show will be a character drama and that is very evident on the pilot. It’s not so much of going from Point A to Point B like we saw in Atlantis. We get to see how these characters feel about these points. Point in example when Greer raised his gun at Rush. We get a brief examination into his mind and just know how he ticks. This kind of development is intriguing and something I hope will a key aspect of SGU's future. Speaking of character I am going to go away from my normal review. Instead of critique by plot this week let’s critique the characters instead.

Obviously the first person I have to start with is Rush. He was defiantly the character that was front and center. At first I just want to hate the guy. His arrogance and selfishness can overwhelming. How selfish could a person be to risk 80 people's live on his own greed? And even after all that he shows little sign of remorse or empathy for what he has done. Look how he just plays around with the people's live or is willing to have people sacrifice their own to save others and provoke his own curiosity. And just when I want to reach into my TV screen and punch Rush you start to sympathize with him. The way he talks to Chloe makes you feel for him and understand that deep down he is just doing what he thinks is right. I think is sick and twisted but at the same time I can't help but sympathize. Truly a 3D character that will be wonderful in the coming seasons.

Speaking of Chloe, despite my shallow fanboyism (Is that a word?) I have been very cautious about the Chloe character. It’s one of those makes or breaks character. If done right it can be excellent. If done poorly it can crash and burn. Sure I suppose I should give some credit to the writers on this one but really what sold me on Chloe was the scene where her father died. And to be fair Chloe didn't get many scenes until her father died. But I felt the character nailed the reaction I would have gone through if that was my father who just committed suicide to save people's lives. The emotions of sadness and anger was perfect I thought and if it was me I probably would have punched Rush too. As I said before Chloe represents the average. The person who isn't trained for this. Seeing things through those shows how a person like you or me would react to the situation.

Shifting gears I am going to move on to Colonial Young and TJ. It’s obvious their is more to those characters then meets the eye (Lay off the Transformers jokes). The way TJ has so much empathy for Young when he was injured makes me think their is more to her then we know. Besides that I am little under whelmed with TJ. I don't think we really got know too much about her. Which is understandable I guess. Not every character can have meaty dialogue and scenes in the pilot. Hopefully we will see more of her as the season develops. Now Col. Young was the exact opposite of TJ. I really felt that I could understand this guy and I think I identify with him more then Rush. And we know their will continue to be tension between these two as they have two vastly different ideologies. Here is a guy who we see crippling with pain and yet he pushes along. I am curious what is wrong with his head and what was doing as they fled the Icarus base.

Camlie Wray was the most disappointing character of the pilot I have to say. It really didn't seem like she did. I knew Ming Na is a fantastic actress but if I was judging purely on what I saw. I would be disappointed. It seemed like her character was completely pointless. I need to see some drive on what this character is about. Hope that happens in the coming episodes.

Now we return to Greer. Man this character really surprised me. Based on spoilers Greer seemed like he was going to be the next Ford and pointless. Is that ever an understatement? Sure their is a rage behind this character and he acts before he thinks but it is an understandable rage. I'm sure their was more then a few of you who were rooting Greer on to squeeze the trigger when his gun was pointed at Rush. I know I was. Finally who else is curious of Greer's charges? I'm thinking insubordination or attacking a superior officer.

Another character I was surprised was so good was Scott. I know I constantly Pandora (You know you liked it) about Scott dying. But I was always approaching this character with an open mind. In the spoilers their wasn't much that set him apart as generic SGC soldier. And to some degree that is still true after the pilot. But based on what I have seen I see a glimmer of hope of what this character can do. He is generally a very compassionate person who is trying to look out for everyone. He doesn't have selfish motives like Rush or just focused on home like Young. He is the kind the person is looking for compromise and the way to help others the best he can. This character has a lot to prove to me. But that scene where he confronts Chloe was a nice start.

Finally we come to Eli. What can I say? At first he was nothing more then a plot device. A newcomer who was used primarily for the viewers who have never seen SG1 or SGA. I got to say despite that I liked him. Kind of reminds me of a modern Daniel. He is a curious person who wants to see everything despite failing many times is trying to do what he knows best. Another person we can identify with. The person who doesn't have twisted morals like Rush. But still his curiosity did cause some problems. Look how he almost killed Scott when he opened the hatch. Conversely his curiosity discovered the KINO. It make you wonder where curiosity ends and being cautious begins So I think he will be interesting character for us to explore. Like Chloe, Eli represents the average person. He shows how you or I would react to something.

Okay I lied. This is my final paragraph. On the average I thought it was a great episode and a welcome new chapter to the Stragate. I had a few minor nitpicks here and there but nothing really worth mentioning. But one thing that drove me insane was the flashbacks in the first episode. I don't mind the flashback storytelling device but you don't use it in the pilot. You need a more linear storytelling in the 1st episode so we can easily establish who these people are. My final thoughts are if this is an indicator of things come I have no doubt in my mind in terms of quality SGU will be great.

[Lost]

I assume there will be more flashbacks to explain character backgrounds. If you watch Lost, you know what I mean.

With that kind of story telling, it will take a few more episodes to catch on.

[_Famrir_]

<Snipped by Moderator>

My first impresssions:

I felt they went out of their way to make loyal SG fans feel at home and to point out that yes, this is a Stargate show. I appreciated that. I really liked it even though I thought it got off to a really slow start. What I found interesting was the use of a CGI gate on the Destiny in the opening sequence. I didn't see that one coming.

Dr. Rush - I like this character. You might not like how he says something, but what he says needs to be said and he certainly doesn't pull punches. He definitely has his own agenda, though. It's as if he is living in his own world and everybody else is simply an instrument for him to achieve whatever it is he wants to achieve.

Lt. Scott - I thought this guy was going to be boring when they first released the character info. I was dead wrong. This guy can act and his character is pretty dynamic. He's young and new, yet he's a fairly good leader.

Col. Young - Here is another character I thought would be very bland but ended up being just what the mission calls for. He's not O'Neill or Shepard. He doesn't have quick wit and he's not going to be funny. He's a solid leader with a level head. It's a nice change of pace for the commanding officer on a Stargate show.

Eli Wallace - The guy can act. I like his lazy approach to things. I typically don't like the lazy slacker genius, but I like him for some reason. I think him and Chloe have something going on, or at least I think they will.

Chloe - Wasn't annoying, which was all I was hoping for out of her.

Some things never change, though. Of course they had to introduce the "Ancient Malps." I'm not a fan of these things at all. I also really liked the concept of the video game to find somebody qualified. It's kind of cheesy but at least it gives some sort of background and reason why somebody other than Rush can read Ancient. I am extremely happy that there is no English on the ship and it would have been worse if a guy like Eli could have been able to read Ancient with no explanation. At least some other people have a rudimentary grasp of Ancient besides Rush. I also think the fact that Rush is the only one who can really read Ancient well will allow him to manipulate the other characters on the show.

Overall, it was a lot better than I had expected.

EDIT - I forget the exact name Eli gave to the Ancient malps, but I name them Skee Balls, because that's exactly what it looked like when he took one of the hopper.

exactly what i thought about the characters so far i really like Rush, and the fact that he is a bit arrogant but only through his mannerism.
The only person i dont really like is the seargeant that was in detention, he seems off... especially acting wise. What i want to know more about is what form of FTL the destiny uses because it isnt hyperspeed. I also really like the Destiny it feels to me like a metallic version of the stone structures the ancients onced used (if that makes sense)

[latvian_stargatefan]

Next, I find it very hard to believe that this many dysfunctional people would be working on the most important project since the Stargate was found. Heck, I can't believe those people would be in the Stargate program AT ALL!

How many times SG-1 disobeyed orders and used the gate without authorization? I don't think that's more of a crime than Greer probably participating in some fight or sth. Plus, he too wouldn't have gone to "Destiny" originally.
Scott- is having sex dysfunctional now
Chloe- wasn't supposed to be THERE
T.J. - wasn't suposed to be THERE
Eli- probably also wasn't supposed to board the "Destiny" or would have been trained more if they had time.
Rush- no different than Mckay. They needed a genius scientist so they also would put up with his strange behaviour. Nobody could predict future and say that he'll send them all billions of light years far from home.

We didn't see much of other characters. Yes, Young was physically dysfunctional at the time but he saved some lives and volunteered to give his life too.

And I don't understand how on Earth people can't follow non-linear storyline. Maybe that happens with older people like my 48 year old father. That I would understand.

And come on, there wasn't much of that so feared menacing shaky cam... And if there was, it made the show look better. But that's my opinion only, of course.

This show is different than SG-1 or Atlantis and if you don't like it then don't watch. I didn't really like seasons 9-10 of SG-1 and all of Atlantis with all girls' teams, little girl princesses, 100s of different plagues that found their way into Atlantis and shut all the doors, a walk in the forest to the another mediaval village, bounty hunters and Vala's father the bingo king, stupid trial episodes or yet another week SG1 captured by the Lucien Alliance and beamed to the space ship at the end stuff. But I still watched. And I'll watch this show too.