'Life' (109) General Discussion

[maneth]

Pretty cool episode, and I like the character building stuff. Makes things a bit more interesting all round.

[ZRFTS]

Am I the only person who likes "Life"? This was the episode that really showed the shows promise, it had everything. Snapshots of the life they were living on Destiny, snapshots of other people's lives on Earth and more importantly, character growth up the wazo.

There's no time travel, there's no aliens, there's no focus on technology but there doesn't has to be because the characters are what the show is really about: Wray and Scott in particular had plots that I think were good, we finally get to see Wray speak a foreign language and meet up with an old friend which was both really sweet and showed the type of determined side that was inside her; her painting was also a nice touch that helped to add some sort of balance to the plot and it gave us a possible glimpse into a warmer side of her character, the one I had forgotten about as time went on.

Scott's son is possibly the best thing that has happened to him, here's Scott, a character who for some time has been second fiddle to Young being forced with a son who he wants to grow, bond and take care with but can't seem to do so under political secrecy and the fact that he's thousands of miles away; the emotion he shows is the best in the series and the action that he does, it's just natural character. I legitimately felt shocked that Scott wasn't going to be able to support his son in any way and there was something in his son that could of gave him drive. It was just a shame that his son had to be dropped in exchange for him manning up to become someone like Young; it was the best thing about his character.

I have generally disliked the conflict between Young and Rush because it was sterile, forced and got in the way of the action but this conflict I liked. Involving a chair, it really shows the divide between the two. Young being the sensible leader who cares for his people and Rush being the ambiguous person who's also determined; involving the chair was really cool in that in insists that there's some hope of controlling Destiny and everything here is naturally understandable, it's not like he's thinking Rush is going to fly it to the sun or anything. I was a bit irked that the chair was forgotten about in leu for a new planet though. I also liked the stuff we learned about the major and minor characters on Destiny through the usage of interviews, we get to learn small things like fears and major things like events that have happened to them and I'm just really glad we get to see what makes these characters tick at this point in the game, growth is essential here.

However. Young's wife plot went nowhere (I really, really disliked the plot.), the conspiracy stuff involving Wray also went nowhere (Everybody seems to have forgotten about that) and it's because of two things , the lack of development and the involvement of soapy material. The conspiracy scenes have a sense of forced insistence, like they're telling us in no certain terms that these are government shady guys and the whole "Telford had sex with my wife" was old and tired and it just served to provide something out of a pointless sex plot. I'll admit, Young did get some emotional sense out of it (in that he showed that he cared for his wife) but on the whole I didn't buy into the plot, I was thankful Young's wife plot was layed aside in later episodes.

This is one of the best episodes of Season 1 for me, it's just a shame that others thought otherwise. This is to me the perfect example of what the show could of been; a character based Stargate show with a true exploration of the unknown. It's just a shame the audience turned out in massive numbers and many people thought of this as boring and not science-fiction. More on two of those things later on in the season.

[NowIWillDestroyAbydos]

Average episode.

Notes:

• I found it interest how they cued that song.
• It's like Young came out of nowhere to grab Spencer
• I was wondering when Park was going to get into bed with other men (until now, I couldn't put my finger on which episode it was.
• Also, I guess Young now has 2 conflicts in his life: Rush and Telford.

Tomorrow, the first mid-season finale. I don't think there going to be very many space battles.

[Lieutenant Sparrow]

Yeah pretty average ep.

Although I did like the music and how it reminded me of the final ep of SG-1.

Getting everyone into shape. Makes sense I guess. Don't want everyone getting fat with nothing to do.

The first lesbian scene in Stargate. Was quite shocked the first time I saw it. More proof of Universe being a more grown up show.

Scott finding out he has a son. Big news.

Rush lying about the planet. Naughty boy.

I have to say I quite enjoyed seeing Telford get a beating.

[Krisz]

Even though this is another heavy 'stones' usage episode it was a more watchable use as far as character development went for Scott and Wray. I haven't seen this episode in a while and remember being a bit lost and bored with the jumping around from the life on Destiny to the sudden thing of Scott having a kid, and Wray just hanging around with her partner.

Re-watching it brought a new appreciation for being another episode with some good character moments. I was actually touched by the loneliness displayed by Wray as she broke down crying in the arms of her partner. She may be a very closed, almost cold businesslike woman to everyone on Destiny but we saw a vulnerable real side of her.

Scott certainly got a shock, finding out he has a son! It just seemed so unfair that the mother contacted him at a time when he might never get the chance to build a relationship with him.

Whilst this use of the stones is really a character development device, it still reinforces the feeling I have that it really is not worth going back to Earth to be faced with situations like these, knowing you go back to Destiny to feel depressed and angry that you can't be there!

I thought general reluctance to partake in psyche evaluations by the unhappy lot on Destiny was best captured by Rush's brief and curt response: "No thank you" and walking off.

Most baffling scene, the group jogging around Destiny. Amazing how much jogging gear and trainers were picked up in the panicked evacuation of Icarus base! Even more baffling, how is it that every person had shoes, shorts and T shirts that fit, given that they weren't the people who would have used them?!!!

Finding the chair was a great moment, Greer's "Hey! It looks like we've found the dentist's office!" was one of the great little throw away humorous lines that are dotted around SGU! Rush's total obsession with the possibilities of what knowledge the chair could reveal about Destiny and her mission really showed how he thought of nothing else. To the extent that once again Young had to remind him that lives were not going to be risked in the pursuit of that knowledge. It was really quite disturbing to see how Rush really loses sight of that aspect with such ease!

The build up of tension between them is really well played and ready to boil over in one way or another. It's great watching this clash of two very singular minded individuals and the fall out that occurs as a result! They both try to be reasonable, but their overriding personal goals leave little room for amicable agreement.

[VampyreWraith]

I'm not really a fan of this episode. I liked it a little better than "Earth" though(this time around, anyway). The parts of the episode on the ship were good, though everyone having matching gym clothes was a bit weird. I kind of felt bad for TJ having to give the crew psych evalutaions. It was interesting though. I like TJ as a character, she's one of my favorites.

As with Young's wife, I felt that Wray's partner was also too accepting. Their realationship was well done though, and we got to see a softer side of Wray.

I wasn't particularly fond of Scott's part of the episode. I'm just not a fan of that particular storyline/troupe/whatever, where a male character visits an ex after a long period of time, and discovers a child about the right age to be his. I've seen it so many times, I find it eye-rolling(not just on SGU, but on other shows that have used it as well).

Overall, I thought it was an pretty decent episode.

[Matt G]

Midweek, another ep of SGU...

1. This is really where the SGU dynamics were starting to form.

2. Sympathise with TJ, she's not a psychiatrist but she's probably still the best person for the job.

3. Greer reminds me of enough guys that just want to be left alone by psychoanalysts.

OK ep, did like the soundtrack.

[jelgate]

This episode suffers from what I call the BSG syndrome. In that one episode is devoted to building up for a BSG episode with the result of making a great episode later on but the current one is dull where not a lot happen. I call it the BSG syndrome because BSG did this a lot in their show. And SGU does it in this episode. The chair, Spencer, more Rush/Young tension are idicators that clearly explored. to set up for Justice. It makes Justice (its one of SGU's best) but it makes this episode suffer a little. I really disliked Scott's former girlfriend. Some people may disagree with me but how dare she keep a child away from Scott. My personal ethics say its wrong for a mother to keep a child away from his/her father. It shares half his DNA and deserves a say in the child's upbringing not to mention should be allowed to see the child. Its just wrong for Matt's ex-girlfriend to hide him. If that makes any sense to anyone. I remember people some people suggesting that Camlie and Sharon had sex which never made any sense as their was nothing to suggest that plus Camlie mentioned how creepy it was to be in someone elses body. I will end that I liked how Young said he was not stopping using the chair which is why I always liked him. Young showed to me that he thinks about the crew's welfare above anything else most of time while Rush thinks about his own interests while mantipulating others to hide his motives

[min min light]

I'm thinking that if Scott weren't on a spaceship millions of years away from earth, he probably would have had a shot at joint custody at the very least. But I'm not an attorney, let alone a galactic attorney, so take that with a grain of salt.

[garhkal]

Plus since he thought she aborted the kid and thusly has not provided child support, what right to any visitation does he have?

[jelgate]

A court of law would take into consideration she never disclosed the child making Scott not required to pay child support making all the more wrong for the woman to keep this secret

[min min light]

Based on the vast amount of knowledge I have acquired as a TV junkie, as opposed to any actual legal knowledge, the courts would base all decisions on what's best for the child, period.

And I agree that telling the father and giving him a chance to be a part of the kid's life is the right thing to do. Unless he's in prison for murdering children or something dire like that.

[jelgate]

We are talking money here not the child. Its a different context

[Seaboe Muffinchucker]

We are talking money here not the child. Its a different context

If you are referring to min min's statement regarding the best interest of the child then no, it's not. Child support in the U.S. is decided completely separately from access to the child. The person paying support (and it's not always the father) can be made to pay even without having visitation. Most courts would probably take into account the (in this case) mother's keeping the child secret when determining child support, but if support is needed, she can prove he's the father, and he has the ability to pay, support would be awarded.

Seaboe

[min min light]

Yep - I think the basic premise is, you don't punish the child for whatever bad choices were made by the mother.