so they can't handle staying on a ship?

[rsanchez]

I know they weren't "the right people" and got on the ship by accident, but why are they cracking so soon? In Atlantis, they were completely cut off from Earth for almost a year, with no method of communicating back. They constantly lived under threat of attack from the Wraith. In contrast, the people on the Destiny can experience Earth pretty much on demand, only have to worry about how much water and food they have, which the Destiny will take care of when it senses supplies are low. Not even the civilians on Atlantis were cracking this early. It seems to me like Young is a stronger, more heavy-handed leader, even with Rush defying him, than Dr Weir was during her first year on Atlantis, and still the people on the Destiny are beginning to crack. I guess it's just all this drama of "not the right people" that I can't understand. How could they gather so many incompetent people on a project that was as important, if not more so, than the Atlantis expedition?

[ARealArchaeologist]

It makes a difference when you can mentally prepare for going on a mission you might not make it back anytime soon. The Atlantis team knew that they might not make it home. These people on Universe left under a very stressful situation and thought they were going home, and now they are realizing that it won't be an easy thing to get home. Make a huge difference if it your choice vs. someone else making the choice for you.

[MattSilver 3k]

The fact that the Destinites had no idea they were going to be cut off from home compared to Atlantis' planned expedition is a major difference.

To me, at least, the LRC stones are more a torture than anything else - so they can go home for some time in somebody else's body, and then have to go back to the bloody ship that no one can control or get them home for real? With limited supplies and the ship falling apart? That's kinda a different animal than the Atlantis team, at least.

[Cecil Brax]

I know they weren't "the right people" and got on the ship by accident, but why are they cracking so soon? In Atlantis, they were completely cut off from Earth for almost a year, with no method of communicating back. They constantly lived under threat of attack from the Wraith. In contrast, the people on the Destiny can experience Earth pretty much on demand, only have to worry about how much water and food they have, which the Destiny will take care of when it senses supplies are low. Not even the civilians on Atlantis were cracking this early. It seems to me like Young is a stronger, more heavy-handed leader, even with Rush defying him, than Dr Weir was during her first year on Atlantis, and still the people on the Destiny are beginning to crack. I guess it's just all this drama of "not the right people" that I can't understand. How could they gather so many incompetent people on a project that was as important, if not more so, than the Atlantis expedition?

I think the biggest difference here is that these people didn't know they were going on a one way trip. Most of them expected they would be going through to earth only to end up here. Going from having all the modern comforts to having to ration water and food can be a tough change for some people. Plus, they don't even have their freedom anymore as they are being told what to do by others and their only time to be free is the once in a while they get to use the stones to go back to earth.

I think under these conditions, many people would be having a rough time, especially since they didn't plan on this ever happening to them. Remember in Atlantis that everyone was given a choice to go or not to go, and they knew ahead of time it might be a one way trip.

Plus, in Atlantis they did mention that people were having a hard time with it. It just got alot less attention cause the show was about other things. They had a whole city they could try and explore where these people are couped up on a ship that right now, many sections they don't have access to. There also aren't THAT many people there. Its like being in a school where there are only 80 other people. If you make one mistake, say one wrong thing, or if someone doesn't like you it can affect how the entire group sees you leading to some rather lonely times with no choice but to wait till its over.

All of that considered, I think it is very different then Atlantis.

- CB

[DigiFluid]

Atlantis was an expedition of people going on a mission that they knew in advance might be a one-way trip--though, it was well within the realm of possibility that they might one day be able to return. And they had along at least one qualified therapist.

The people on Destiny were running into the gate expecting to emerge in the SGC and be home with their families in a day or two. Instead they're effectively marooned, having been deceived about where they were going, and appear to have no hope of ever going home. And no qualified therapist.

[Detox]

Yeah, the general consensus is, everyone on the Atlantis expedition knew that it was a one way trip. Weir made sure to remind everyone before they disembarked, and offered everyone one last chance to drop out. No one did.

[rsanchez]

Ok the Atlantis Expedition did know what they were getting into, but everyone stepping through the gate knows the kind of risk they are taking. You would expect at least that they would only let people of firm mental faculties to step through the gate.

Also, I would argue that the Atlantis team had it even tougher psychologically since there was always the threat of the Wraith descending on Atlantis. They knew the day would come, but the uncertainty of when the attack would come and if they would even be capable of surviving it, at least to me, seems more of a psychological drain than not knowing if they can make it home. If the Destiny can still descend past the corona of a star and come out in one piece, it will not fall apart any time soon. They don't have to worry about their lives ending due to circumstances beyond their immediate control. I guess Atlantis just had people who were more willing to focus on their day-to-day jobs than worrying about getting home.

[Detox]

Ok the Atlantis Expedition did know what they were getting into, but everyone stepping through the gate knows the kind of risk they are taking. You would expect at least that they would only let people of firm mental faculties to step through the gate.

Have firm mental faculties doesn't mean you stop being human. Extraordinary circumstances can break anyone down, and I say being trapped on a starship billions of lightyears away from home with no idea on how to get back... is going to be draining on ANYONE.

They don't have to worry about their lives ending due to circumstances beyond their immediate control. I guess Atlantis just had people who were more willing to focus on their day-to-day jobs than worrying about getting home.

Everything about Destiny is beyond their control. They can't even dial the gate of their own free will. The ship chooses where they can dial.

At least on Atlantis, they had the luxury of an Alpha site. Not to mention they weren't exactly alone there. They could interact with other humans, other society.

Everyone on the Destiny is essentially alone, in a galaxy where none of their kind exists. That's really really depressing.

[Pharaoh Atem]

cam snapped being in the oddsesy for 50 years

[ARealArchaeologist]

They also don't know what is out there. Or who is out there. Each planet they visit could hurt more then it helps.

[rsanchez]

cam snapped being in the oddsesy for 50 years

Good point. Look at Teal'c, you know he must have snapped inside but he remained calm even after learning that after wasting 50 years of his life, he would have to go back with the same age and the same sense that he wasted away his life, while everyone else goes back to their young age and General Landry comes back to life. You know that no one on the Odyssey knew they were gonna waste the rest of their lives on the ship, yet it took them a while to crack. Much more than a week.

[Mitchell82]

I know they weren't "the right people" and got on the ship by accident, but why are they cracking so soon? In Atlantis, they were completely cut off from Earth for almost a year, with no method of communicating back. They constantly lived under threat of attack from the Wraith. In contrast, the people on the Destiny can experience Earth pretty much on demand, only have to worry about how much water and food they have, which the Destiny will take care of when it senses supplies are low. Not even the civilians on Atlantis were cracking this early. It seems to me like Young is a stronger, more heavy-handed leader, even with Rush defying him, than Dr Weir was during her first year on Atlantis, and still the people on the Destiny are beginning to crack. I guess it's just all this drama of "not the right people" that I can't understand. How could they gather so many incompetent people on a project that was as important, if not more so, than the Atlantis expedition?

Big difference. In Atlantis they were all prepared to go on a mission where they may not come back, in Universe they werent. They were as far from prepared as you can get. Not surprised they are starting to crack.

[Ouroboros]

Atlantis was the kind of show where characters crack stupid jokes to nobody when they're about to have their souls sucked out by vicious aliens, this isn't.

[SBN]

You can't compare this with Atlantis, as that was cheesey popcorn action show, and this is a character driven show. One has characters than are entertaining, but unrealistic. What you saw on Atlantis, that was fantasy. What you see on Destiny is reality.These are two completely different styles of telling a story, so comparing to cheese factor does not work. Ditto with all these annoying "Why don't they get Rodney?" threads.

[PG15]

I know they weren't "the right people" and got on the ship by accident, but why are they cracking so soon? In Atlantis, they were completely cut off from Earth for almost a year, with no method of communicating back. They constantly lived under threat of attack from the Wraith.

Yep.

That was pretty unrealistic, now that I think about it.

Glad they had that little scene in The Gift with Heightmeyer though. It wasn't much, but it did give the sense that not everyone was holding up that well under the pressure.

How could they gather so many incompetent people on a project that was as important, if not more so, than the Atlantis expedition?

The mission of the Destiny crew was to figure out the 9th chevron; they weren't supposed to go through like those of the Atlantis Expedition.