'Malice' (208) General Discussion

[Commander Zelix]

Just above average episode. But it kept me interested all along even if the summer trailer spoiled the part about Rush killing Simeon. I didn't care much for Rush being sad and angry about Amanda's death, or Eli being also mad about it. I saw this situation 50 times on SGU enough grief for me.

Two of the best scene is both involved Chloe. I like best the short but intense scene on the bridge when Chloe is brought by Young to provide some help and everybody talk to her like she was some kind of blue alien trojan horse. I also like she been able to devise a way to help. The development is slow and tantative but I really want to see where this is going.

6.5 on 10 Awakening, Trial and Error, Greater good, Cloverdale, intervention, Aftermath were all better episode, if I recall them correctly. Well anything beside Pathogen.

I cant believe Simeon missed Greer, a non moving target, with a sniper scope when they were all just standing there with Rush and Scott.

The whole situation with Simeon feel a bit forced all along. It was a bit telegraphed. I thought he would try to liberate his people and get the ship back at first, but then he just left on some planet. There's many little scene who felt strange. For example, I don't know it why it was so difficult for Brody to open the gate door room after Volker locked it. What did he do? Encrypt the door opening command?

[Kaiphantom]

Malice in Wonderland....

Barring the extreme stupidity that lead to not only Simeon killing his ONE guard and Ginn/Perry, but also making it off the ship.... the episode wasn't too bad. I'm still questioning the wisdom of putting Super-Chloe on the bridge, but eh, I've learned not to expect too much intelligence-wise from the crew now. I am wondering about something, because they have control over the ship and can go where they want... so why did they need Chloe to turn the ship around? If they couldn't do that, then Rush never had full control of the ship in the first place.

8+9+9 = 26 hours that Rush went without food or sleep. I'm surprised he even managed to walk. I know, there were probably power bars in the backpack, and maybe he took a nap on the way back. So it's more of a nitpick.

Other than that, it was good seeing Eli dealing with loss and "growing up" so to speak. It does mean he's kinda lost his innocence, but hopefully his naivete, too. His acting was really great overall, conveying his feelings of losing someone so soon after finding her; extreme happiness down to extreme depression. It was interesting to see him turning into Rush, too.

Speaking of which, Rush was decent; Carlyle's acting was okay, but I didn't get that "awesome" vibe off him. But for those who wanted him to suffer, you got to see it; was it worth the wait? Did you enjoy it? I'm understanding more and more why Rush kept it secret, and am finding it really hard to fault him for doing so. I get the feeling we'll regret it even more later on, that the secret came out. For instance, whatever consequences of whatever it was that Chloe did. If the bridge had remained secret, we wouldn't see any negative fallout from that.

Scott obviously was beginning to understand Rush, about the distrust for Young and why he kept the bridge secret. It was surprising to hear that from him, and hear him talk about the need to work together, but kudos to him for doing so. First time in a long time I started to admire his character again.

But I dunno... Season 1 was fairly tight, and whether I liked characters or not, it was pretty well-written. Ever since Season 2 started (and really, I think it began with the LA coming on board), I've been finding plot holes and stupidity all around. Really hoping it's just a rough patch that they'll get over, but given only 2 episodes left, it's hard for me to recommend this series to others in time for the ratings to do any good. If the back half of season 2 comes around and shows better writing to bring me back, it won't really matter.

[Commander Zelix]

I don't know if somebody was more attentive that me. But what aspect of the ship navigation do they control and what aspect do they not (without considering Chloe's involvement in changing FTL course)? I thought they had the full control of the ship.

[morbosfist]

I don't know if somebody was more attentive that me. But what aspect of the ship navigation do they control and what aspect do they not (without considering Chloe's involvement in changing FTL course)? I thought they had the full control of the ship.

They can control the ship, but the auto-pilot is still on. They can drop out of FTL, but not control their course, and can maneuver at sublight.

[Nemises]

It was a decent episodes. It wasn't all that great but at the same time it wasn't **** either.

[DigiFluid]

Holy intense episode. The fake-out at first really had me fooled, that maybe nothing too serious had happened after the end of the last episode.

Was I ever wrong. I was mad when I saw Ginn dead. I was enraged when James came back and told them that Mandy was dead. I was absolutely chomping at the bit for them to get out there and kill Simeon in the worst kind of way. What a horrible thing for the ship to rally around and finally come together over. This is a GOOD damn show.

I'm a bit puzzled though--if they manually dropped the ship out of FTL, as they said at the beginning, why is there a countdown clock for it to resume? Beyond just dramatic storytelling, I mean. It just seems a bit unlikely.

Everyone in this episode was so awesome though. Eli the nerd demanding the Colonel give him a gun and being a real jerk to Brody and Volker later, Rush breaking down in the presence of the two military guys, the military away team being as competent and as GOOD as we've ever seen them. And Poor Park with the mine on her back, after what had happened in the minutes before I thought for sure they'd kill her off too.

Still a couple beefs with this episode though. The few John Woo moments when stuff was blowing up I definitely could've done without. And the time clock in this episode, what the heck was going on there? Rush/Scott/Greer take shelter from Simeon shooting, the ship drops out of FTL and they have 8 hours, and then 5 minutes later back on the planet Scott calculates they only have an hour left. Then once Greer and Scott get back to the gate, James tells them they have less than 2 hours left

[morbosfist]

I'm a bit puzzled though--if they manually dropped the ship out of FTL, as they said at the beginning, why is there a countdown clock for it to resume? Beyond just dramatic storytelling, I mean. It just seems a bit unlikely.

There's always been a countdown clock for manual dropout.

And the time clock in this episode, what the heck was going on there? Rush/Scott/Greer take shelter from Simeon shooting, the ship drops out of FTL and they have 8 hours, and then 5 minutes later back on the planet Scott calculates they only have an hour left. Then once Greer and Scott get back to the gate, James tells them they have less than 2 hours left

You're just supposed to assume long, boring periods of nothing happened.

[Commander Zelix]

I got another question. Yes, it will be the last time I watch SGU drunk. Does anybody remember if they contacted earth to know of Dr. Perry or Ginn is really dead?

[lars]

I'm a bit puzzled though--if they manually dropped the ship out of FTL, as they said ot the beginning, why is there a countdown clock for it to resume? Beyond just dramatic storytelling, I mean. It just seems a bit unlikely.

Beside the drama, Eli stated multiple times that the countdown clock was because of the FTL-route Destiny had plotted. If they would extend their stops, they eventually would run out of power, unable to reach a star.. As this would mean the end of a mission with epic proportions, Destiny certainly is programmed to stick to the schedules.

And the other thing, not dropping out of FTL before four hours had passed, was explained with the engines taking damage otherwise. So, besides the dramatic effects, there's some decent explanation (or ain't it?).

[lars]

I got another question. Yes, it will be the last time I watch SGU drunk. Does anybody remember if they contacted earth to know of Dr. Perry or Ginn is really dead?

Ja, quite the first thing they did.. James stoned to earth and reported to Young that Perry was indeed dead.

[morbosfist]

I got another question. Yes, it will be the last time I watch SGU drunk. Does anybody remember if they contacted earth to know of Dr. Perry or Ginn is really dead?

Yes, James did.

[RJLCyberPunk]

i applauded when simeon got trampled and then laughed my ass off when rush blew his brains out! epic kill!

no way would simeon ever have shared his knowledge. he was just begging for help and would have screwed us later on.

i really, really, really would have tried to bring one of those alien gazelles home for a steak dinner. shame they didn't.

/i personally think this episode had enough action in it to rival most SG-1 or Atlantis episodes... thoughts?

I agree, it was a very intense episode from beginning to end. Now I have read the official review here as well and I disagree with the reviewer opinion that Eli will turn into another Rush, I highly doubt that, yes he was cranky but God who would not be after such a loss, he did not even had time to mourn that takes a toll even on a saint for crying out loud.

Anyway that aside you are also absolutely right about them not taking the opportunity to hunt one of those grazers, that would have provided much needed protein for the crew for days if not weeks if they have refrigeration on the ship. But at the same time their window of time was very limited and they were facing a dangerous psychopath that had already killed a bunch of their own people just for the pleasure of it. Not to mention that if grazers that size exist on that planet think of the predators that prey on them, not good odds either.

I loved how the stampede took care of that Lucian Alliance monster and how Rush gave him the coupe D grace which honestly was merciful of him, he could have just left the SOB to rot there unable to move and defenseless so predators would slowly eat him alive, that would have been a fit end for the maniac, but they would not have been able to show it on TV either I suppose. Oh well, heck of an episode, a perfect 10 out of 10 on this one, and poor Eli.

[lars]

I cant believe Simeon missed Greer, a non moving target, with a sniper scope when they were all just standing there with Rush and Scott.

Sorry for picking apart your posts ;-) Simeon never carried a weapon with a "sniper scope", as far as I can tell he had a G36 and an UMP, an assault rifle and a submachine gun. You can quite easily hit man-sized targets up to 300m with the G36's reflex scope, but it ain't exactly built for headshotting awesome Seargents. Lucky us.

As for the situation being forced and to answer the question why they didn't leave Simeon behind in the first place: Simeon was giving SGC information, or at least seemed to do so. He actually had a conversation with Varro about EVERY ONE feeding them with false information, only to hear from Varro everyone but him was eagerly betraying the Alliance.. so much for him freeing "his" people. Guess Rush was right when he said Simeon was propably waiting for them to return to Destiny so he could head to the remaining loyal Lucian Alliance people.

[Sairnath]

I really need a more accurate count on the Military "Red Shirts". They seem to be going through them really quickly.

Oh and why mines? who in their infinate wisdom thought they were a good idea? I mean you have the Earth forces: "We're evacuating through the stargate, i might need some land mines" or the LA: "we're attacking our enemy on a starship lost in deep space, I should grab some mines with an absurb blast radius!"

[nesais]

The gate on the planet, with the lighting and stuff, looks like it has golden chevrons. Kinda cool