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**jelgate** · 21 May 2010, 07:41 PM

I really do try to be objective when I write these reviews. I really try to think of the bad and the good of each Stargate Universe when I write these reviews. And my favorite SGU episodes have their shortcomings. They are minor of course but they exist none the less. But try as I must I am really struggling to find faults in Subversion. It was really that good in all angles from plot to characters development to creepy villains. Even Richard Dean Anderson brought in some great scenes to this episode. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Jump into my time machine to the start at 9 PM.

I blame this one to me watching the preview scene as I found the teaser a little slow. First of all I think the â€œPreviously on SGUâ€ scenes were a little drawn out and unnecessary for this episode. Yes with SGU being a serialized show we need information about past incidents but there is a thing as too much information. Did we really need to know all that stuff about Emily? Not much to say about Rush telling Young about his â€œdreamâ€ since it was just exposition. I am glad we got it out of the way fast so we could gets to development of what was going to happen in this week

I honestly didnâ€™t think much about Young and Rush arguing about why Rush should pose as Telford and try to find information about the Lucian Alliance leak. I just the two were arguing like they constantly do. So imagine my surprise when Young reports to Jack about the possibility that Rush may be the spy instead of Telford. It was quite an interesting sight to see and good use of dialogue. Furthermore for the most part I liked Rushâ€™s detective work on locating the Alliance to prove Telford. It shows why he was on Icarus on the 1st place. The guy is a smart man in many areas except maybe breaking someoneâ€™s front door. Although I have to say the many camera angles as Rush moves around Earth quickly got on my nerves,

Before I return to the events that were occurring on Destiny I was quite under whelmed on Danielâ€™s role in this episode. It seemed like nothing more then a stunt cast for Michael Shanks. Seriously that was no point to having Daniel be the one who is following Rush. His job can have been played by any one single person.

I really liked the two TJ scenes that dealt with her baby. They were to the point and I felt had just the right amount of emotional impact. The part with the baby shower had one of those â€œsweetâ€ moments. So often we find Destiny fighting one another its nice for them all to come together for someone else. I really liked Rileyâ€™s tractor gift which further proves how awesome he is. Also TJ doubting the babyâ€™s life was a good point because itâ€™s something I have been wondering the same thing. With the limited resources Destiny have it will be hard (borderline impossible) for a baby to survive on Destiny. After all infants need so much nutrition in those first months of life. So I am happy this issue was brought up.

You can look at Telford and Young in two stages. First there is the stage of when Telford has not been accused as a traitor. Letâ€™s take about this part first. There is not full blown hate between the two just a lot of tension it seems between the two because Young and Telford donâ€™t exactly like each other. What is interesting is how the two colonels throw accusations at one another. Why these accusations arenâ€™t false itâ€™s interesting to say it really points to something I tend to forget. These characters on SGU are about as flawed as can possibly be so I like that tension.

Now we go onto the part where Young arrests Telford (donâ€™t worry Iâ€™ll get to Rush) because he has the proof that Telford is a traitor. This is where gets to full blown hate. It got real bloody to the point that Telford punched Young. And that is what I love about this show. It shows how stressful the show is. But you know after some time it get repetive of Young showing Telford the horrible deed and asking where Rush is. Yes it was entertaining but you can only hear the repeats of that so many time. But I do have to severally show my support of Young showing the destruction Telford has caused for his betrayal. It paints a picture of just how brutal this scenario is.

I may not be the biggest supporter of Rush and what he does but I would never say Robert Cartyle is a bad actor. Such a thing is probably blasphemy around here. But when the Lucian Alliance and Kiva were torturing Rush it was beyond awesome. The scene of him in severe pain was so realistic. I kind of thought I was there watching Rush cry agony over all that torture. Thatâ€™s how good the scene is. Speaking Kiva she is one cold-hearted person. In a lot of ways she reminds me of Rush in that Kiva has no emotion what so ever as long as it gets the job done. Look at the part where Kiva has the Alliance scientist killed. Nothing what so ever in emotion she watched him die. But I have the wonder why the Lucian Alliance wants to get to Destiny when there is no way to get home? Itâ€™s a puzzling question

Before we go farther, raise your hands if you want Wray to be thrown out of an airlock. Come on be honest. I wonder if Wray had a purpose in this episode besides her whining about not knowing all the information and bothering Young. Donâ€™t get me wrong I want to see civilians and military clash but it seemed a little unnecessary in this episode unless her wanting to know information is going to be crucial further along the line.

As a Stargate fanboy it was so cool to see Jack on the Destiny as he joins the interrogation of Telford. In fact RDA was good overall in this episode. It felt a lot like the Jack of the early SG1. I quite liked it in seeing all his one liners at the most inappropriate time. Itâ€™s interesting to note that Telford didnâ€™t confess until Jack was with them. I am curious is just because he thought Young was bluffing or is their a more sinister reason.

Finally the ending is so full of tension. I have not seen an episode end so much like this one in a long time. I know Young wants to find Rush and Lucian Alliance to get some answers like everyone else but to vent the atmosphere from Telfordâ€™s room is jaw dropping. Words can not explain how shocked I am this happened

**xxxevilgrinxxx** · 29 May 2010, 08:37 AM

Stargate Universe: Episode 18 - Subversion
xxxevilgrinxxx - 5/29/2010

There are a couple of things that really stood out for me in this episode. One being how many parallels there are between the characters, and that they aren't necessarily the ones I would have expected. The second being in the shades of grey that make for rich, layered characters with real depth.

One of the parallels that I had expected the writers to build was between Rush and Young. They two have very different ideas about how to get things done but one thing they have in common is that once they have come to a decision about how it should go, they are resolute in seeing it through, no matter the cost. Even in a situation where they don't fully trust one another, they both step up and act and, while it can't truly be said that they are working as a team, it can be said that they are working for the same purpose. One of the things that struck me here was that they were akin to the O'Neill/Jackson relationship. Two men with very different experiences and beliefs who nevertheless come together for a purpose. Rush and Young will never likely attain that level of friendship but I do believe that they are well on their way to respect. It is Rush that comes to Young with the problem, a mutual problem. It is Young that gives Rush the score on what he's getting himself in for and then goes on to let him do it. Provisionally of course. Young's use of 'the greater good' as his reasons for continuing further my belief that on some level he has respect for Rush, as 'the greater good' is something that Rush would believe in.

A second parallel is between Scott and Jackson, specifically as it relates to the men they serve under. Both O'Neill and Young haven't gotten where they are by doing the soft things, the nice things, and this history comes to the fore when they are pressed to do something that would appear incredibly callous in our eyes. In a way, Jackson and Scott act as the conscience of these two men. Their better natures. In this episode, both step in at the time when what they say needs to be heard - in protecting the rights of Telford(Rush). The difference between the two characters is that with Jackson, it appears to be a throw away line. Something he says but that doesn't come across as being entirely believable. It could be that, with his history with O'Neill, he doesn't have to press. It could be that since he isn't on the Destiny to oversee affairs, he has no emotional tie to events, or it could be that it wasn't acted with conviction. In any case, it is Scott who is aboard the Destiny and in a position to change events that is the real voice of conscience here, although I believe he has made a serious mistake in speaking with Wray.

The third parallel is between Kiva and Young or, more precisely, between the actions taken by these two and this is one of the places where I really appreciate the depth the writers have granted these characters. Much like the Rush/Young parallel, when Kiva and Young have decided upon a course of action, very little will sway them from the course of what they believe they must do. Both will adopt harsh tactics to achieve their ends, if need be, although both are also adept at at least trying to get what they want through other means, such as conversation. When conversation doesn't work, they don't waver. Kiva is clearly the villain in this piece but the writers have done a wonderful job of not making her a cardboard cut out villain, just as they have not made Young a cookie-cutter hero. Kiva's 'aversion' to torture seems more an affectation to me, as she clearly had no trouble with a man being killed right in front of her and did not appear in the least squeamish at the pain inflicted on Rush(Telford). Young's actions are clearly not those of a textbook hero although given that both he and O'Neill believe that Telford is the victim of brainwashing, it does put the treatment in context. In any case, neither of these characters is acting out of simplistic, two-dimensional drives.

The fourth parallel is between Brody and Greer. If Scott is Young's conscience, then Greer is Young's will and in this episode, so is Brody. Greer has had a bloody history with Telford and wouldn't trust Rush as far as he could throw him. The scientists may bristle under the authority of Young but this pales in comparison with Telford's scenes on the Destiny, where Telford will not listen, will not compromise, puts them in mortal danger and, when the chips are down, flees the ship to leave them to their fate. Brody has also seen that Rush is not up front about much that goes on with the Destiny. Of all the scientists, I had expected Eli to be the one to back up Young and so it comes as a pleasant surprise to see that this is not the case.

There are other parallels as well, between Young and O'Neill, and also between Telford and Wray, and all of these layers seem to have been so well written that they are coming together at this one moment. Not necessarily in this single episode but in this single moment and that is masterful storytelling. I look forward to watching "Incursion - Part 1" next week and seeing how the rest of this story line plays out.

**BStearns** · 29 May 2010, 10:24 AM

One thing I must say right from the get-go, is that Subversion is one of the best episodes of the year. A lot happened in this episode, most of which kept me begging for more. While there were a few sequences in it that I wasn't too fond of, for the most part it was good. It was much more entertaining and interesting than the previous episode Pain, and sets up the two part season finale wonderfully.

The episode opens with Rush having a memory bleed-through from transferring with Col. Telford, and he immediately brings his concerns to Young. The relationship between these two characters is something I have enjoyed seeing developed throughout the course of the season. When we first meet the two of them they want each other out of the picture, even dead. It's refreshing to see them finally start to work together, and form some bond of trust, or at least respect. I wasn't a fan of the writers trying so hard to make Rush the "bad guy" and I believe it was a step in the right direction to make him more amiable to Young and the rest of the crew.

We also learn a lot about Young in this episode, and see how far he has come. We know from previous experience that he's had difficulties making the difficult decisions, but in this episode we see him make them easily. This could be in part of his dislike of Col. Telford, but it would seem to be more because of his growth. He's now had experience making these tough decisions, and knows what he has to do to get the job done. One part that failed to make sense to me, however, was the fact he was so easily able to boss General Jack O'Niell around. Jack is a strong character from the previous Stargate incarnations, and I've found they've made him weaker in this series. I believe the Jack we know wouldn't have let Young dictate terms to him as easily. That being said, I loved seeing "classic Jack" in his interaction with Telford, and his delivery of "I know what makes me so special," told me that Richard Dean Anderson still has it.

You can read the rest of my review here.

**Rachel500** · 25 July 2010, 04:50 AM

The beginning of the end of SGUâ€™s inaugural season starts with Subversion, and it has to be said it starts on a high note. Itâ€™s dramatic, packed with revelations, action and character moments. It makes the most of Stargate mythology, helped by cameos from old alumni Michael Shanks and Richard Dean Anderson. But the season arc building and story set-up to get Rush on the mission could be improved.

Iâ€™m going to begin with the good: the pacing was perfect. From Rushâ€™s dream sequence to the cliff-hanger at the end, the episode skipped along compellingly. I think much of this had to do with the mix of action -- the action on Earth, Rushâ€™s capture by the Lucian Alliance, the interrogation of Telford on Destiny even the baby shower. Importantly, every scene was kept tight and focused, and nothing felt like it was dragged out or padded.

Another enjoyable aspect for me as an old time fan was the amount of Stargate mythology included. The Lucian Alliance was introduced in Stargate SG-1â€™s season 9. On the whole they were treated as comic relief in contrast to the more serious enemy of the Ori with perhaps the exception of Company of Thieves. In many ways, Kiva and her crew really reminded me of the more serious take portrayed in that episode. Telfordâ€™s reasons for betraying Earth are nicely linked back to the events of the Goaâ€™uld defeat and the rise of the Alliance, with realism in terms of lack of planning for rebuilding versus the fight for freedom.

It was interesting to see Telfordâ€™s answer which reveals that in the eyes of the Alliance, Earth are the bad guys -- that whether one is a traitor or a patriot depends on the viewpoint. This is very in-keeping of SGUâ€™s stance of generally keeping things ambiguous in terms of heroes and villains. This ambiguity is once again played with as truths are revealed behind the professional tension between Telford and Young, as Young is shown uncertain of Rush in the beginning and whether he is the traitor, and in the contrasting interrogations of Rush (a great performance by Carlyle in the torture scenes) and Telford. The Alliance starts out with violence and threats of death but ultimately Young goes there too. It poses the question: are we all that different from them?

The baby shower is wonderful in contrast, providing a light relief from the horror and tension. TJ as a character has come to embody the best of humanity and the heart-warming friendship shown in the gifts for the baby from the rest of the crew, and in conversation she shares with Chloe (a scene I absolutely adored), underlines this. We may be capable of inflicting pain but weâ€™re also capable of acts of kindness.

Itâ€™s also good to see the range of reactions to the interrogation of Telford: from Wrayâ€™s concerns to Scottâ€™s uncertainty to Greerâ€™s eagerness to Brody following Youngâ€™s directive to vent the room in front of a horrified Volker and Eli. Not everyone is in agreement -- something else SGU is consistent in showing.

But Iâ€™ve strayed from my original point which is the use of Stargate mythology and indeed, the use of characters. It was great to see Shanks and Anderson as always. I would venture a guess that some fans will be unhappy at how much they are used here given the hype around their appearance as these are nothing more than cameos. But I loved seeing Daniel tracking Rush, the mention of Carter, the scene where Daniel protests to Jack at leaving Rush with the Alliance and at the possible interrogation tactics. I loved seeing Jack with Young (loved the â€˜stating the obviousâ€™ line), and loved seeing him on Destiny.

I was also happy with the casting of Rhona Mitra as the Alliance leader, Kiva. She gave a great performance and plays off Carlyle beautifully. I wasnâ€™t so happy though to see Mike Dopud playing his third franchise character. As much as I love him as an actor (he was outstanding in Stargate Atlantisâ€™s Tracker), seriously â€“ couldnâ€™t the part have been cast to someone we havenâ€™t seen before? Or if he was to be cast couldnâ€™t the part have been renamed to the character he played in SG-1â€™s Bounty? Dopud does great work but I get irritated with the casting of actors in multiple roles.

Casting that aside, my other major complaints are with the story. Firstly, Rush volunteering for the mission seems out of character. Rush has been shown in the previous episode as being terrified at the prospect of being captured and tortured by aliens, yet weâ€™re supposed to believe he puts himself forward for the mission? While I appreciate this set up the â€œis it Rush or Telford who is the traitor?â€ stuff, it was something that didnâ€™t ring true for me.

Secondly, the season arc building needs work. Having seeded the stuff with the hostility between Telford and Young, and the mess over Emily, there has been nothing since Life. Weâ€™ve had to assume much in the episodes since. Something could have been added--a comment about Youngâ€™s situation with Emily when TJ broke her news, or a grimace when Telford resumed his turn at the communication stones. Justâ€¦something.

SGU delivers its best episodes for me when it combines the best of the franchiseâ€™s history with its character-driven focus such as previously in Time and Human. It does it again here and, despite my complaints, I thoroughly enjoyed this episode and Iâ€™m looking forward to seeing the climax of the story as we head to the season finale.

Previously published at GeekSpeak Magazine

**ZRFTS** · 26 May 2012, 12:04 AM

Subversion

Ah, the penultimate episode of the season; as with all penultimate episodes it has to set up expectations of how the season finale will turn out and the people behind SGU are aware of that, adding as much action, tension, mythology, character moments and conflicts as they can. Just think, someone in an unknown location being shown things relevant to the mythology of the show, some cool government stuff and the rush from the various people rushing in to do things; it's sure to get your blood pumping...

Most of the first half of the episode manage to create that visceral pace that makes the episode more enjoyable then your average outing of SGU, there is actually a sense of excitement and tension as these scenes progress like when you witness Rush acting similarly like Jack Bauer on "24" all while donning a decent disguise; one of the things that helps is the cinematography which manages to effectively work within the confines of the cinematic style which these scenes aim to accomplish... The various close ups, the odd angles, the wide shots of Rush sneaking out and about; they manage to showcase the sneaky side of Rush while also establishing the sense of urgency that these scenes provide. Additionally, there is also decent music to these scenes as well; for a while I've mentioned that the music lacked originality and uniqueness and is one of the things I disliked about SGU, well his score still seems generic but it does work well within the contexts of Rush's initial scenes. I found it helped to enhance Rush's scenes as it provided a certain rush; that's not to say better music could of been used but the spacy electro vibe of the music finally worked out for once.

The same urgency also translates to the ship where Young thrives in the hectic environment. Episodes like these shows why Young is the best; his leadership skills shine through, his somewhat caring personality comes out of hand and his subtle military traits come out, you can just see Young as he tries to manage the situation at hand; he's concerned, he's pissed but he's managing to keep his cool as he tries his best... Speaking of which, I found Young and Rush to be the best characters of the episode. Both equally see this as the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of their acting and they take it all the same, with Young letting out some of the most confrontational, aggressive and witty stuff I have ever seen from him. While Young is good, I personally find Rush to be the better of the two; he has an ability to make his performance feel real and involving at times and this is no different; In this episode, he manages to switch between being sly, shifty, confrontational, confused and scared effortlessly, at one scene you get something where he's confident but in the next he's scared and abused and another one in particular has him constantly in pain and what makes that scene different is how he manages to utilize his character to make the scene feel involving and unique, simply put his acting is worthy of yet another Gemini.

But no matter how good the acting may be from the two, it cannot excuse the questionable stuff this episode exerts; mainly revolving around Col. Teford and the Lucian Alliance. First off, I don't understand why the Lucian Alliance is being forced upon us; I mean I get that Stargate needs an enemy but to me, the Lucian Alliance does not seem like the type of enemy who can even be Earth's enemy naturally, they just seemed to be forced that way (certain scenes in Seasons 9-10 of SG1 even showcase this as their intents are not for world domination, just domination through trading and other various factors.) and no matter how many times they tell us, I don't think they're suitable as the enemy, including in this episode. I do like the initial scenes and some of the second half (which also provides the best Rush performances yet and comes complete with an alternate version of something you know ever so well.) but that's not the point, the point is that they keep trying to force a square peg in a circle hole; they've removed certain characteristics that they once had just so they can fit the role of Earth's enemy, what is shown about the Lucian Alliance could easily apply to anybody, especially a bunch of rogue Gou'ald who just so happen to be trying to dial Destiny as we speak. The Gou'ald may have been mostly the same but at least they had a personality and had their purpose stated from the beginning, the Lucian Alliance; not so much... I will admit they do aim to play some role in the future of Destiny, especially regarding the mythos.

I understand why they used Col. Telford; he's a government official, he's the one we'd least expect and he has ties to Young but the problem is he was introduced in that terrible episode "Earth" where he played the role of one of those generic shady Earth guys who's motives were obvious, oh and Young had tasteless sex with his wife in another body. Because of that, there is a lack of deepness that makes things considerably more difficult for the episode. They do try to make the best of it by showcasing a certain situation where he feels no guilt for a major incident and that does bring out some of the best of him where his angry reactions and erratic responses (that involve laughter) make him a character that's worth watching though it brings out the best in Young more then it does Col. Telford who most of the time seems to be the same character as he was on "Earth"; generic, cliched and overdramatic. Much of those scenes affect the enjoyability of the episode to a point; you're just wishing that they'd get back to the good stuff which is the scenes involving Rush. It's just a pain to watch as Telford has no deepness that makes him truly interesting and what's mentioned makes you recall scenes from the episode "Earth", an episode that you'd rather forget existed, additionally there isn't much shown of the other characters who's concern about the whole thing would of helped to add some sorely needed weight to the entire thing. You do get some payoff with drama and tension but it's ruined by the lack of acting skills by those shown and the lack of consistency between scenes which can lead to the entire thing seeming unconvincing.

Following a page taken from the "Earth" episode, Jack O'Neill returns but this time, his presence is greatly expanded compared to the few scenes he had in that episode. His acting isn't a masterpiece but it is really good as he manages to balance the Jack of old and the General that he is today, being both serious and funny while also maintaining a sense of seriousness and lightheartedness when it comes to the delivery of his lines; RDA really deserves a Gemini for his work in this episode even though it's not a masterpiece, he just manages to seem believable in a world full of unbelievability. he's not alone in this as well, he's joined by Dr. Daniel Jackson and an unseen Samantha Carter for something that people will just faint head over heals over. However, the reunited SG1 is treated like something you'd see out of a CBS crime procedural (complete with the taking of photos that seem out of place for SGU.). You have the scientist Daniel sneaking around, taking photos, jumping, acting like an CSI agent and it just seems really out of character for her, same goes for Sam that though even serving some of her purpose just seems like one of those girls warning them about the situation from the sidelines. Michael Shanks acting does not suit Daniel and instead feels like him trying to branch out so he doesn't get seen as just Dr. Daniel Jackson and be mainly afixed to the sci-fi genre. I mean how else can you explain his acting seeming more like a crime drama?

One of the things that must be admired about it the adventure aspect that provides what SGU sorely lacked; I mean it begins like something common to an SGU episode, (weird stuff, going in alone) but then turns are taken, stakes are raised and the person who is currently in that situation gets whisked away to unknown places. This almost seems like a mishmash of cinematic homages, to the action homages, the crime drama homages, the old Stargate homages, it's almost like they're using those things to build the episode upon while providing their own twist to it and to see one person be placed in one situation just to be placed in another just makes us feel involved, wanting to see what happens next and what will happen next. Will there be guys chasing him, will he be forced to survive out there, will he manage the various obstacles that come across him, who knows? That's the fun of it. Another thing is the decent usage of communication stones; even though the aspect has been overused, the stuff shown about the communication stones manages to make it feel fresh and somewhat mysterious. It actually takes something shown in a previous episode and uses it in such a way that makes it important to the episode, thus making the scene related (somewhat clever) and giving an explanation to those "flashes" of sorts. I like how they technically explained it rather then half-ass it, it makes the whole thing feel like an important part of the episode rather than an afterthought; which I thought was nice considering the overusage of the communication stones, plus it plays a decent part in Telford's story.

But with admiration comes detractions and this is where the element of surprise comes in; the writers don't seem to understand what a surprise is. I mean in the beginning they reveal much of the stuff that would come to play a part in the episode, certain hints, people, situations, all in vivid clarity; there is something about being mysterious you know, it can actually get people hooked because people are trying to figure out what's going on, those scenes could of been used later (because what's better then having the audience doubt what they see alongside Young?) and they could of used some distortion that made them difficult to decipher but not impossible; I mean show some appreciation for your audience. TJ's pregnancy plot I don't care for (especially the scene with Chloe that while I admit is decent, is a bit too smaltzy for my taste) and it's airtime could of gone to other things but I will admit that it provided a scene for which I watch SGU for, the scene where everybody is surrounded, trying to live life as normal, celebrating despite the bad times, just seeming like a bunch of people on a ship rather then two sides; scenes like this are what in my opinion make SGU, not the sci-fi or action stuff but realistic and charming scenes like this. The fight scenes near the end seemed cheesy; they were intended to be serious and dramatic but they came across more like two people wrestling cheesily rather then a natural fight and lastly, there were some common sense things that could of been done, things that are really obvious when you watch the episode.

It does set up expectations for the two-part season finale but this episode manages to be disappointing in the long run. The first half is really good, it showcases the best of Young and Rush while managing to provide some decent action, character drama and tension but the second half is bad, with Telfold dragging it down tremendously despite some good Rush scenes; in fact during the second half I couldn't wait for the episode to end. It does contain the reappearance of SGU and even though it has stuff that you may like, it doesn't work as a coherent package and nobody watches a 1 hour episode just to stop watching at the 30 minute mark, plus all those references to Young's wife plot are painful to sit through... If you can look past these things, you'll find a decent episode but as it is it just disappointing.

6.5/10

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