I thought Human was an excellent episode. Presenting Rush's backstory as a lucid dream state was extremely creative; it gave us a window into the source of his behavior. The death of his wife left him deeply traumatized but instead of working through his feeling of hurt, bitterness and anger he buried them. He became obsessed with his work and began to blame others for his feelings. As time passed he withdrew further and further from humanity, becoming increasingly callous to everyone around him. His sub conscious mind/ship's computer recognized the only path to healing for him was to face these feelings and work through them. Through his lucid dream he was returned to the time of his wife’s death. His obsession with finding the solution to his access code problem was used as motivation to compel a reluctant Rush to again spend time with his dying wife. At first he refused to do so, but he soon realized that the only way he was ever going to be given the answer was to relive her death. As he talked to her his conscience buried since her death, painfully reasserted itself and he realized that the person he had cared for and respected the most in his life would not approve of the man he had become. The realization of this insight released the clue he had so desperately been seeking - the access code’s connection to the Ancients’ genetic sequence. His deep abiding love for his wife gave him the courage to face and move past the malignant feelings that were poisoning his life.
Rush risked his life to sit in the chair. Even though he took steps to limit the risk it still was very dangerous. Look what happened to Franklin. In the prior episode Rush risked his life to save Chloe and he did it again in the chair and he nearly died from the experience. Remember his nose bleed and the progressive deterioration of his vital signs near the end. Reliving his wife’s death was a very painful emotional event which required a great deal of courage. He also successfully retrieved the clue to Destiny’s computer access code; which when decoded, will be of immense value to everyone on the ship. All of these actions in my mind (and I haven't been a Rush supporter) were redeeming steps in attempting to make up or make amends for all of his past actions.
Robert Carlyle did a good job in this episode. The creative way his lucid dream fashioned by the chair and his own sub consciousness mind guided him from the darkness onto a path towards his redemption and then rewarded him with the answer he was seeking was imo an example of top notch writing.
The moral ambiguity of Rush’s character has been central to the show. It has served as the foundation from which much of the character drama has been built around. I am looking forward expectantly to see what direction his redemption takes his and the other SGU characters in the future.
Rush risked his life to sit in the chair. Even though he took steps to limit the risk it still was very dangerous. Look what happened to Franklin. In the prior episode Rush risked his life to save Chloe and he did it again in the chair and he nearly died from the experience. Remember his nose bleed and the progressive deterioration of his vital signs near the end. Reliving his wife’s death was a very painful emotional event which required a great deal of courage. He also successfully retrieved the clue to Destiny’s computer access code; which when decoded, will be of immense value to everyone on the ship. All of these actions in my mind (and I haven't been a Rush supporter) were redeeming steps in attempting to make up or make amends for all of his past actions.
Robert Carlyle did a good job in this episode. The creative way his lucid dream fashioned by the chair and his own sub consciousness mind guided him from the darkness onto a path towards his redemption and then rewarded him with the answer he was seeking was imo an example of top notch writing.
The moral ambiguity of Rush’s character has been central to the show. It has served as the foundation from which much of the character drama has been built around. I am looking forward expectantly to see what direction his redemption takes his and the other SGU characters in the future.
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