'Sabotage' (116) General Discussion

[Pharaoh Atem]

[QUOTE=SciFiRick;11485795]Noticed different things about Eli in this episode:
What is it with Eli all of a sudden not like being called "Math Boy"?
Listening to music and reading a book while sitting on the floor. I haven't noticed that in earlier episodes. He is always on a computer console, documenting with a Kino or spying on everyone for Young./QUOTE]

1, eli might be tired of everyone relying on him

2, he was stuck off ship for who knows how long. i'm sure he wanted to relax.

3, him using a kino wasn't important to the overall story,. and IMO it's gotten to the point where young knows who he can trust and not trust

[DetriusXii]

I was watching the episode and I kept thinking that it would be cool if Amanda could get a Tok'ra symbiote. She was a well-written female character. I want to see the character again, but only happier in her life. And if she were to retrieve a symbiote, I'm sure that Camille and Wray could come to a mutual agreement for acceptable uses of body swapping.

[MattSilver 3k]

Well this episode didn't turn into nearly as half as controversial and all that that I was expecting! Though I believe FAII will have a field day somehow...

Anyways, the episode was good fun. Unfortunately, even I felt a little offset by the Wray scenes on Earth, but there was enough in the way of character stuff on ship to enjoy. James in particular is really stepping up. Like really stepping up. She's got this tough girl military thing at first glance, but they're playing up her weaknesses and vulnerabilities really well - a nice inversion of the stereotypical tough girl act that we see every now and then. She's beginning to be a familiar presence even with Scott on board (She had more screentime than him even when he was back this episode!), and I like her.

Onto my favourite bit of the show - Amanda Perry. And Rush's thing with her. It's nice. It's simple. It's sweet. Amanda has such a... don't know what, but a quality in her that's just admirable - her little hand gesturing and wonderment over walking around was brilliant, and she accepted that it was all just temporary. She didn't go nuts and try to steal Wray's body (As I really really thought she would when I read the initial spoilers), or go nuts and try to have sex with everybody - just accepting of it all. And that was awesome. I hope she comes back too for the effect she has on Rush - Robert Carlyle mentioned in an interview that he could learn to love her mind, and it would be interesting if there was a continuing stone romance of sorts...

Rush was great too. The changes from Human... wow. Guy has my sympathies over and over again, and RC nails the part. The scene with Amanda (THE SCENE) was great, and his justification that he just saw Gloria die again was ouchies. Young, too, was fun-loving awesome guy too. His willingness to sit in the chair was good of him, and his scene with TJ was a highlight. I could barely tell the two of them were the Colonel and the Lieutenant - just Young and TJ. Over-protective Young and understanding but not backing down TJ. It was a nice scene that I hope to see more of the two. Oh, and how 'bout Rush stopping Young from sitting in the chair? Aww... they're getting along.

Onto the Away Team. Disappointing, but not at all a surprise. It was either just them gating through after a day or so offworld, or them being captured by aliens. But still - it was fine. That they stayed within range of the Destiny was fine. That it seems Matt and Chloe have reunited is fine. Eli giving Rush the glasses was cute, but it was reflected in his scene with Amanda - he does not like Rush, eh? Interesting, but then again Rush doesn't really care for him either. The Scott/Greer hug was nice, though Greer's minimal role was a tad disappointing. I would've liked just one scene where he got a shadow of a look on his face for being left behind while chatting with Scott. Just a little tension to the bromance.

Franklin Franklin Franklin... well, at least he was useful. I'll admit, it was pleasant to not hear him talk in that whiny grating voice of his, and his role in the episode was a huge surprise (I was honestly expecting an off-screen kill-off. Who else did?). That he disappeared... Well, that was a moment. Interesting, even. The other players were fine too - Brody's still was great, Volker, Park and Riley were all there, and Wray had more balls than I would've to do what she did. Her scenes weren't fantastic, but they were serviceable.

The plot, meanwhile, was fun fun fun. How could it not? Not the most epic of battle scenes, but it did the job and Franklin saving the day was cool. The little repair bot was ****ing insanely awesome. I want one! Haha. Still think the aliens have ugly-looking ships, but meh. I hope it's the last we see of them either. Them, Amanda or James getting an up-front role. All in all, a nice episode that keeps up a streak of great back-half episodes. Bring on Pain next week.

[EllieVee]

1, eli might be tired of everyone relying on him

But aside from spying for Young, what exactly does Eli do on Destiny?

[Daro]

But aside from spying for Young, what exactly does Eli do on Destiny?

Young had him catching up on all of Dr. Rush's research for a while. And Eli has mentioned since (I think) that Young still has him working his butt off. Now, of course, Eli's interpretation of what actually constitutes hard work is a little sketchy, I imagine.

[Azzers]

I doubt we're meant to second guess him though. Seriously, if you go back and rewatch a few episodes, you can see some of the looks that Young gives Eli which to me always seemed to indicate he was at least aware that he was pushing Wallace extremely hard.

[senilegreen]

Jelgate's Two Cents

I object to Amanda Perry being the greatest expert on hyperdrives. Surely that title would belong to Carter from SG1.

Well yes, I suppose Carter would be considered the expert on hyperdrives. However, I thought the writers early on established that Destiny uses an older, less sophisticated type of movement, FTL drives, which were from the time when the Ancients were more primitive (if I may use that term), as when they left the Ori galaxy.

Destiny's entire character is that of an older, more primitive design than the ships encountered on SG-1 and SGA.

Now, how on earth did anyone develop an expertise in such technology would be a good question, since in all the SG-1 storyline all the interstellar ships captured by SG-1 were, if I remember correctly, using the more recent, era of ascension, Ancient technology.

[SciFiRick]

Does anyone think at some point that someone will start opening up the storage containers that were apparently left on board by the ancients. In first episode, Young orders not to touch them and then the episode where the robot was found has been the only times this was ever brought to light.

It would seem that after you get air, water, food, life support etc that a team would start exploring the pressurized areas on the ship. I know that Rush said no one can explore with out his presence and that he has a hundred things on his list that is more pressing but instead of always hearing in previous episodes "to return to your quarters" that something useful could be found. Like I would be asking is there an armory on board? An ancient weapon or two would be nice since ammo is limited. How about storage of repair parts? Surely, there are more space suits or possible a food storage area? Ancients had to eat, didn’t they?

This has many similarities to Atlantis. Of course the big difference is that Weir had many months to choose the expedition team. So use the stones with the "so-called" wrong people that are on board Destiny and get Carter or McKay to help out. It would make for a great guest appearance.

[BobbyScars]

Great episode, great twists and turns that kept me guessing. I had to go eh when the stargate came alive, I admit I thought the attack would allow Eli, Scott and Chloe to come back, but still I find convenience in their return. If you were going to do that why not just have them return at the end of Lost? But again other than that I found the episode was good and I will look forward to watching it again.

[senilegreen]

This was an enjoyable episode to watch, as long as one didn't think too hard.

However, there is one thing that still bothers me, and that is the exploitation of the host bodies (using the stones) for personal relationships. There is a real immorality to it that the writers have just decided to skip over.

The saving of the ship at the last moment was a bit too convenient, but this is Stargate after all.

Another topic that the writers have sort of skipped is how this gang should be showing some signs of malnutrition. Their food supply seems to magically never run out. I'm not sure how much people know about growing food, but humans eat quite a bit. A few plants under lights in one room just isn't going to cut it. Also, the diet has to be horribly unbalanced, lacking protein and probably essential fatty acids. The actors still look rather stocky and healthy, and now after some months they ought to (in the expectations of the real world) start to look a bit rough.

There was good intensity by the actors in their parts - that was what made this episode worth watching.

An episode worth the time, but again, as long as one doesn't try to think too hard about it.

[Paladine]

Overrall a good episode but the writers really failed by having the away team return so easily. They had so much potential in having them stranded behind and just neatly wrapped it all up in the first 5 minutes of this show. Fail!

Loved seeing Wray get used the way she used that girls body in life though. Lt James definately got some screentime tonight. She was always so minor league in regards to character/tv time.

[EllieVee]

Young had him catching up on all of Dr. Rush's research for a while. And Eli has mentioned since (I think) that Young still has him working his butt off. Now, of course, Eli's interpretation of what actually constitutes hard work is a little sketchy, I imagine.

Yes, after he left Rush for dead on the planet. After Rush came back, Eli seems to have made himself scarce in the work department.

[Coronach]

OMG This episode was so offensive!! Remember those spoilers that totally did actually happen in this episode? Perry wanting to sleep with Eli, Rush and Perry doing it, Perry going on and on about how she's never made lurve - they all happened!!

Right?

RIGHT?!?!

Yeah, right.

I can't green you, but this made me lol. What fond memories...

[Doorlocks]

But aside from spying for Young, what exactly does Eli do on Destiny?

Lol, you're kidding, right? He's the most intelligent person on that ship, and he's second only to Rush in terms of being able to fix problems. Eli does more than almost anyone on that ship. Rush and Young both rely on him for technical support, Chloe relies on him for emotional support, and besides that he has his own projects. As soon as he got back on the ship, Young sent him back to work (and acknowledged how much he was asking and always does ask of Eli). I think that's why he was so different this episode: he just never got any time to decompress. He went straight from a situation where he thought he was stranded (as a third wheel, at that) on an alien planet for the rest of his life to a situation where the fate of the entire ship was once again in his hands.

That being said, I don't see how anyone can think that Eli doesn't like Rush. The first thing he does when he gets on the ship is give Rush his glasses back with a huge, happy smile on his face.

As for the episode itself, I really liked it. I loved the Amanda/Rush dynamic, and hope that "Mandy" comes back in the future. I loved that Rush and Young are getting along better, and found Franklin's sacrifice very noble. I, too, think he's still around somewhere, though. I think he's been absorbed into the ship, and that the humans will have far more control over Destiny from now on.

[Lahela]

Just jumping in to squee at how much I loved this ep - the characters, the plot, the acting... bloody brilliant stuff

Off now to read the thread...