'Deliverance' (211) General Discussion

[thekillman]

Good episode but a bit too deus ex machina for me. That Eli and Rush can figure out how to control the drones in such little time is really unrealistic and imo rather strange since it usually takes them a lot longer to figure out complex tech even if it was Ancient and therefore kinda familiar.

there is a simple reason. they didn't reprogram the entire drone.

the entire plan boiled down into this:

they switched the sides. the Drones interpret Destiny as it's command ship and everything else is hostile. it's a matter of changing the ID. even if it's in a completely different language, programming language always has similarities. and i bet that, even in a really advanced drones, you can differentiate between something controlling the engines and something controlling targeting and something controlling IFF. Eli figured out the IFF part, and from what i understood, the IFF section was actually pretty easy comparatively. communications is too hard to jam because the Drones can simply switch channels. even if you figure out the algorithm, there's no reason to assume they don't have backup algorithms. communication between the Command Ship and the Drones is pretty fundamental to their function so it would be a better guarded system, than the IFF which only affects each Cluster, whereas communication is universal among all. besides, the IFF change only works when you capture a drone, and even then only changes that particular cluster, which means you have to defeat a Command Ship before you can utilize the program. which basically defeats it's purpose.


in this case, however, it worked.

if you're too lazy to read this all, basically the IFF was a pretty simple function since it required more trouble to get to and implement than a more universal communications system

I think Rush's change is entirely pragmatic in nature. He's realising that he gets a lot more out of the crew when he treats them a certain way, and I think he also knows he's going to need them on board (in more way that one) in the future.

Rush is too pragmatic to be bound to a single mind set. the Chloe thing was obvious, and gave him her trust plus a big bonus among the crew. while it was a dangerous plan, they already were in knee-deep *mud* so it really wouldn't get much worse.

it seems rush has multiple personality flips in the episode, between nice, semi-nice, cold pragmatic, and perhaps a few more.

[Replicator Todd]

The more I think about it the more I really liked this episode.

I really liked the moment when Rush, Young, Wray, Scott, Telford and Eli(am I forgetting someone?) were all in the same room discussing what to do. It was like a council or something. This episode and Resurgence reminded me alot of that fantastic SG1 Season 9/10 two-parter Camelot/Flesh and Blood counting just the space stuff that went on.

And I gotta say the space combat in SGU feels so unique I know its SGU and not some other sci-fi space show. Love the space stuff.

[thekillman]

Which was also seen on SGA in the void between Pegasus and the Milky Way...

in reality, if we would cruise through the galaxy, it's more likely to be devoid of life rather than teeming with it. life doesn't form easily. it doesn't survive easily. earth life has gone near-extinct several times. humanity has gone near-extinct several times.



oh and you shouldn't watch BSG then, since they never encounter ANY aliens AT ALL.

[thekillman]

I've been a member for quite a long time, but posted only once before...this is because watching SG1 and SGA and reading stuff was well enough for me..No more. As much as it pains me to know that a universe I've grown up with is dieing, SGU deserves to last just another half season imho. The CGI and (very) few action sequances are real good, but It's a deus ex machina after another, half the show is filled with touchy feely moments that remind me of a cheap teenagers drama movie, without coming even close to the pathos and emotions inspired by SG1 and SGU. And I'm referring to the non-action moments. On top of that, virtually no exploration, alien pussies (I mean...just trying to compare "the Blues" with the Goa'Uld, the Replicators, the Ori and the Wraith is madness), the weird feeling that every galaxy they travel through is basically empty or long dead (for all we know IRL they might be, but in theory a sci-fi show should answer the whole "are we alone" question with a "hell no" just like they'd been doing in SG1 and SGA) and phenomenal stuff like a million-year-old Alteran shuttle interface talking to aliens coming from who knows how many billion lightyears away from the milky way......IN ENGLISH. And a random guy jamming and hacking drones that apparently wiped out a civilization in 2 minutes with an ASUS laptop. I don't know whether to laugh or cry...as far as I'm concerned, this isn't Stargate. Call me nostalgic if you will

alien pussies (I mean...just trying to compare "the Blues" with the Goa'Uld, the Replicators, the Ori and the Wraith is madness),

realistically the universe won't be filled with aliens who want to kill us for no good reason. the goauld were evil for no other reason than being evil. so where the Ori, so where the Wraith,.

the weird feeling that every galaxy they travel through is basically empty or long dead (for all we know IRL they might be, but in theory a sci-fi show should answer the whole "are we alone" question with a "hell no" just like they'd been doing in SG1 and SGA)

no. life is something rather fragile. not every planet will be filled with life, not by a long shot. oh and we've seen plenty of life. most if it simply didn't get much further than some plants and a few animals.

and phenomenal stuff like a million-year-old Alteran shuttle interface talking to aliens coming from who knows how many billion lightyears away from the milky way......IN ENGLISH.

that's what the entire mind probe thing was for, remember.

And a random guy jamming and hacking drones that apparently wiped out a civilization in 2 minutes with an ASUS laptop.

considering you have to destroy a command ship before you can reprogram the drones, and then the changes only affect drones of the same cluster, it's not that much of an achievement. also it wasn't really hacking. the only thing they really did was flip the IFF codes for friend and foe. since anything not a command ship is a foe, that IFF can't be THAT complex.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry...as far as I'm concerned, this isn't Stargate. Call me nostalgic if you will

i laugh. people in an entirely different galaxy spoke english. without any way to have possible learned it. and you call the Blues communicating via text in english, using nothing but a few simple words "crazy" or something like that? wake up.

and the "solving problems in 2 minutes?" Mckay destroyed entire civelizations of hyperadvanced beings with the push of a button. hacked through hyperadvanced supercoding in minutes. understood millions of years more advanced technology in a few hours. and operated alien technology worlds away from ours with little to no trouble.

this couldn't be much more stargate than stargate itself


at least SGU gives reasons for this. the IFF trick was clearly the easiest of all possibilties. they claimed the programming language was pretty easy but the programming itself was hard. how much software protection do you want to put on a drone?
also the Blues talking english (they don't BTW, they type it) was explained. SG1 and SGA had millions of english talking aliens for no reason

[The Swarm]

I think he is just pecking at us out of bitterness. SGA died becouse the rateings were dropping. SGU is dieing of the same disease. The problem is the franchise, it needs a complete reboot.




Anyway back on topic:

Mod insert : Spoilers for future eps including 2.15 onward under tag.As is mandatory.

Spoiler:

Chloe is not cured, just wait 4 more episodes.... MHUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

[Egle01]

Anyway back on topic:

Spoiler:

Chloe is not cured, just wait 4 more episodes....

MHUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Let's just say you're lucky I managed to read that spoiler elsewhere. That's not nice, really.

[kudra]

Good episode, nice balance between character moments and action and I could buy into the several ways they got out of trouble.

I thought the Ursini's sacrifice was understandable and proves they were basically good guys. They dropped Destiny in it originally to save their race/colony but once all hope of that was gone (and with nothing to go back to) they wanted to go out doing the decent thing.

Rush and Chloe was very interesting - he has seemed to have a special bond with her from the start but more obviously since they were both kidnapped by the blues. I think the way he looked at the notebook and back at Chloe at the very end suggests he doesn't think she's totally cured. I don't think she'd still have super genius alien math skills if she's completely back to normal and I don't buy Rush's explanation for it and more importantly I don't think he buys it either. I'm still not sure if he's using her or protecting her or a bit of both.

[Egle01]

Rush and Chloe was very interesting - he has seemed to have a special bond with her from the start but more obviously since they were both kidnapped by the blues.

You mean like when Chloe attacked Rush after her father had died? They weren't exactly getting along in "Water" either. And that's why I love their relationship right now.

[VampyreWraith]

I thought she looked awesome - apparently, those spacesuits make everyone look cool. I want one!

I agree with the comments here about the Ursini suicide run - it seemed a bit random. I was thinking they were trying to use the seedship to ram the command ship - sort of take out their enemy in a blaze of glory. But that obviously didn't work, if that was the plan.

Overall, I like the episode, although it wasn't perfect. I loved the "alien examination" scene with Chloe and the Blues - something out of Fox Mulder's worst nightmares, and creepy-good fun. The blues continue to creep me out - and I hope we see them again before it is all over.

I'm not sure what to think of Rush. Giving out compliments to Brody and Volker, then turning around and saying "they would just get in the way", that I liked.

And I do believe him when he said he has always cared about Chloe - even from the first day on Destiny, after her dad died, he gave her that incredibly lame but I think sincere little speech to try to make her feel better (after she walloped him). He has always struck me as someone who does care about people, but is too self-absorbed to do any sort of reaching out very well.

I'm disappointed we didn't get more (or more interesting) TJ, but that is part of the drawback of such a large cast - can't pay attention to everyone every time.

Overall, I think I would give this an 7.5 out of 10 (and that's relative to the other very good episodes we've seen so far this season).

I also liked Rush complimenting Brody and Volker and then pretending that it wasn't a compliment when Eli called him on it. What I didn't like was overly sentimental (imo) Rush giving Chloe a pep talk towards the end of the episode, it just seemed really weird. I do think he cares about her and the rest of the crew too, but being so open about didn't seem to suit him imo. I agree with pretty much everything else you said in your post too. The Ursini suicide run felt off; loved seeing the blues again; not enough TJ; Park looked cool in the spacesuit.

I hope the Chloe/mutation thing isnt over, even if I think it has been dragged out a bit too long already. I would be dissappointed if all that came out of half a season worth of mutation, were a quick fix and super math skills, and the blues finding out more about Destiny. I think I'd give this episode a 6.5-7 out of 10. I'm really looking forward to the rest of the episodes.

[D Toccs]

Anyone else think that Rush's speech at the end sounded almost word for word like something that John Locke would say?

[Nth Chevron]

Well they are Lost in space..

Good episode with excellent dynamics, i loved the bit were Rush praised Eli, telling him what he could do if he applied himself. Makes me even more excited for the inevitable Mckay/Eli convo

N.C

[Phenom]

Yeah I quite liked the ep too. A few odd plot points (Ursini going down as the worst kamkaze pilots in history for one..), and I did fast forward through the torturous Chloe/Scott 'I love you more, no I love YOU more' goodbye scene. Apart from that a whole lot of good fun, again made better by the brilliant RC. How good an actor is that dude!

[aretood2]

*gets two pennies*

I have to say, Rush might finally start to grow on me Too bad Chloe will never go blue now, at least from what we've seen this episode. I liked the pace in it and for me the sequence of events was nice. I new the Usinri would end up doing something good, I just wasn't sure what. The only surprise in this episode was Rush, I think he is changing but just doesn't want to admit it himself...though in a way he kinda did.

[imperio]

well i loved this episode it may not have been the ending i and im sure many other people have hoped for but i liked best 2 parter since be all my sins remembered my favorite moments was when the blueberry alien mothership appeared in front of the shuttle, when the second drone command ship appeared and launched it drones, kinda reminded me of a basestar launching raiders BUT COOLER, when the destiny shot its main cannon i honestly had no idea it was that powerful, the ursini suicide run reminded me of again battlestar at the battle of new caprica and the pegasus sacrificed itself to ensure the galactica could escape, and the last part was rush and chloe's little talk reminded me of lost a little but

[the fifth man]

Really good episode. This one far exceeded what I was expecting. It will be interesting to see what is up with Rush. He seemed a little too nice IMO.