'Aftermath' (202) General Discussion

[Kanten]

Just as a reference regarding the gate in this episode - if you all recall SG1's "Memento" (season 6), where the Tagrean gate was found buried, it took at least a dozen big husky men with ropes and pulleys and a couple of large pieces of equipment to raise the gate from being flat. There's no way our small band of survivors could have raised the gate in this episode with their bare hands and some C4.

They didn't raise the gate though. It was standing up the entire time, just buried in rocks.

[morbosfist]

They didn't raise the gate though. It was standing up the entire time, just buried in rocks.

He's talking about the Tagrean gate, not the SGU gate. His point is that it had to be upright because they could not have lifted it themselves.

[latvian_stargatefan]

After watching this one I thought to myself- is this Rob Cooper episode? And I found out that it is. Rob can really write SGU, imho. I'm sad that he left the show since, I believe, he is the most capable of them all to write good drama not forgetting about an interesting plot.

I'd rate this as the second best episode of SGU only surpassed by "Time". And only because the whole Ginn and Wray conversation in the beginning about evil Lucians felt a tad cheesy... Otherwise, as it was already mentioned, the episode was pretty flawless. Everything had purpose here- the Lucian mutiny and problem to reveal Young's state of mind and add a little of discussion on ''are we better if we do the same thing Lucians wanted to do with us''- i.e. leave only some useful people on the ship, send others to some planet', Riley's death to continue torturing of Young and let TJ talk about the last week's events, Rush's hallucinations to question his sanity and morality. Also the finding of the gate room and revelation that he had switched auto pilot on pretty much addresses the ending of "Light" where Young suspected him that maybe he knew they would survive all along. He might've not known but I guess he had a pretty good hunch about it...

It was a great episode from all the aspects- camera work, lighting (especially beautiful), score, dialogue, CGI, a bit of action. Yes, some people might complain that there was too little action but you can't do significant amount of drama in episode like SGA "Sateda'' or "Storm/Eye'' two parter... It's just not SGU, these eps were great in SGA but they really wouldn't feel like SGU... I say that because I generally loved such eps in SGA but none of such SGU eps like "Space", "Incursion part 1", "Intervention'' haven't been among my favourites.

This was a good hour of television and I hope they can replace Rob if SGU continues into the 3rd season because he can write SGU like almost no other current Stargate writer...

[Vapor]

This was a very solid episode. Though I do find it slightly odd that the title is "Aftermath," considering the main thrust of the episode doesn't feel much like one.

The subplot surrounding the Lucian Alliance takeover of the ship makes up only a small portion of an episode that seemed much more concerned with Rush making new discoveries and stranding the shuttle team on a potentially dangerous planet. Compared to all of that, the Alliance members getting divided up and dealt with is almost an afterthought for me.

Rush's line about how Young is mentally unstable is just delicious, considering how much of a basketcase Rush has recently turned into, given everything he's learned and still refuses to explain to the others. It's really just an excuse for him to keep working on his own without interference from the others, painting a picture of Young for himself that is so much worse than himself, when he should know deep down that he's not exactly the perfect guy for the leadership position either.

Which is part of why I loved the moment when Riley says to Young that he'd ask him for his gun, but he wouldn't want everyone else to blame him for it. I can't tell whether that's just a comment about the crew and everything that's happened since they got to Destiny, or if it's a friendly jab at some of the fans that want to nail Young to the wall for every decision he's ever made. I'd like to think it's a little from column A, and a little from column B. >_>

Speaking of Riley. What horrible irony for him to have been so loved in the first season, and missed by fans ever since he was injured, and then we finally get him back, only for him to be killed shortly after. They really wanted to twist the knife on this one. And it worked. From the sudden frankness of letting TJ knows he's going to die, to the moment which he practically begs for Young to put him out of his misery, it was all very powerful. Not only because I loved Riley and will miss having him around. But also because it's just one more thing Young has to deal with internally.

The guy just had his ship taken over, the mother of his child shot, the child itself (for all he knows) killed. And all of this came after the mutiny. Before, during, and after which he gets to have his every motivation and action questioned to an extreme degree. No human being could be sleeping well with all of that on his plate. I have to wonder if the writers are going to address the laundry list of problems with some kind of nervous breakdown or something. I wouldn't blame him. The guy's just being destroyed one hour at a time.

On a more superficial level, that crash sequence was pretty epic. The visuals, combined with the excellent music created one of the most exciting "action" scenes in the entire series so far for me. The moment where the shuttle continues to slide across the ground, unable to stop itself until finally slamming into the wall was just fantastically crafted.

Overall, it was a good episode. Though I hope they don't plan to drag out the mystery of the people in Rush's head for much longer. I was already starting to grow impatient with the whole concept by the time it was over. I'm not sure I'd be pleased with six more weeks of this.

[timmciglobal]

My favorite part of this episode was just the simple fact that rush starts asking questions many of us have been screaming about since the 2nd planet. How does destiny know the condition of the planets? Why is it picking when to drop out? Why is there a time limit? What the hell was destiny's mission?

Eli being so naive is getting annoying though. It's like an 8 year old saying "but I want to!." Reminds me of really early Daniel Jackson and his inability to balance the needs of SGC with the local people/scientific exploration. Eli really needs a galvanizing moment where he grows up because it's getting annoying.

Tim

[Sapphire_Jade]

Eli being so naive is getting annoying though. It's like an 8 year old saying "but I want to!." Reminds me of really early Daniel Jackson and his inability to balance the needs of SGC with the local people/scientific exploration. Eli really needs a galvanizing moment where he grows up because it's getting annoying.

Tim

I agree he is getting a bit annoying.. I like Eli he is one of my fav characters, but there is a point where he is going to have to learn and grow up and stop complaining. If his character doesn't sometime soon I think he might drop low on my favorite characters list. Especially since there are other that are starting to grow on me like Rush for one..

[OutandAboot]

Interview with Haig Sutherland
'Stargate Universe' exclusive: Haig Sutherland and the life of Riley

Really good episode, and I liked that we got to know more about LA and what they know about the ship, or what the legend says.

[mparsons1981]

I agree he is getting a bit annoying.. I like Eli he is one of my fav characters, but there is a point where he is going to have to learn and grow up and stop complaining. If his character doesn't sometime soon I think he might drop low on my favorite characters list. Especially since there are other that are starting to grow on me like Rush for one..

Yes i do agree with this. Eli is starting to turn into a bit of a one-note character unfortunately. Though comparing him to Rush is a bit unfair, as he is, (along with Young perhaps), the strongest element in the show. Given that Robert Carlyle is the strongest actor that stargate, and i include sg1 and atlantis in that, has ever had, it is great to see him given such a great character.

[Shai Hulud]

Why kill off Riley?! Couldnt another more minor character have been selected to bite the dust? Sheesh!

[meo3000]

Anyone else annoyed with the fact that the unwanted LA soldiers just went away without even trying to prove their usefulness. I mean its one thing to be dropped off on a planet in the Milky Way, you can still have hope someone will come by on a ship, but a billion lightyears away, doing the exile thing with no supplies, its a death sentence. Still they walk through that gate like its a sweet deal. I dont get it. Oh and if youre gonna send them to their death, might as well keep their clothes. Dont tell me its not humane, leaving them is not humane, so...

[Eternal Density]

I'd rate this as better than last week's, which wasn't shabby itself.
The kinovid of Riley scene brought tears to my eyes. Well done!
Also I really enjoyed Rush's self-imposed dilemma of having to find ways to help without letting on that he can somewhat control Destiny.
And the scene about Lucian Alliance legends and such was a good one too.

your not going to win. your right but once jels convinced of something you won't win.

IMHO, jelgate was standing up the entire time.
[edit]Oh yeah, that crash was EPIC!

[Shai Hulud]

Anyone else annoyed with the fact that the unwanted LA soldiers just went away without even trying to prove their usefulness. I mean its one thing to be dropped off on a planet in the Milky Way, you can still have hope someone will come by on a ship, but a billion lightyears away, doing the exile thing with no supplies, its a death sentence. Still they walk through that gate like its a sweet deal. I dont get it. Oh and if youre gonna send them to their death, might as well keep their clothes. Dont tell me its not humane, leaving them is not humane, so...

Riley was the most humane of the Destinites "How we treat prisoners in war says everything about us as a moral and civil society." Says it all really.

[FoX-1028]

WOW. One of the best SGU episodes for me.

RIP Riley

[Shai Hulud]

Have to laugh at the scene where the shuttle clips the mountain and just keeps on going on its course without so much as a twitch. It would have been spinning all over the place after such an impact. Poor CGI.

[Commander Zelix]

I did read your post, but kudos on the baseless assumption.

This episode was partly emotion, but to wholly discount the plot, as you so clearly did, is ridiculous. Unless you're sitting on the next few episodes, you lack the necessary context. "Peter" worked as a standalone that set things up for the rest of the season. We don't really know yet with "Aftermath". I mean, you pretty blatantly left out the "Rush finds the bridge" part of then plot. If you willfully ignore major plot points, I just can't take you seriously when you say that an episode lacks plot.

It's not a baseless assumption unless you think Fringe is a Sci-fi anthology series. And there's no way the episode Peter is a standalone. Even if you don't know anything about what's next on that show. There's simply a good plot with some dramatic depth with a lot of peripety.

If you like the Aftermath episode good for you. But don't tell me that episode had a great plot or a lot of peripety. It didn't. The A-plot is the crew crash their shuttle on a planet looking for food, find the stargate and get back on the Destiny. All while somebody die. (B plot. Rush find the bridge and don't tell anybody talking to something).

There was a lot of character moments in that episode but the plot is as flimsy as it can get. Beside Riley dying stuck under something, almost nothing happened on that empty planet.

It's ok for other people to have like this episode. I think it was a complete borefest. 3/10 was almost too generous. It's just my honest opinion.