Another problem with Riley's situation

[droid327]

Here's the thing - why did Young suffocate him? Of all the ways he could have done it, that seems like the most drawn-out and tortuous.

Suffocation takes at least 30 seconds until unconsciousness. That's going to be unpleasant both for Riley, who's lying there knowing what's going on, and for Young, who has to sit there and look him in the eye the whole time its going on. And, asphyxiation causes a painful buildup of CO2 gas in the bloodstream, as well as triggering intense feelings of panic.

Plus, unless we're to believe Young stayed there holding him for the 4-7 minutes until the brain actually dies of anoxia, there's always the possibility that Riley woke back up after Young left him, and he'll now just slowly die alone of thirst or infection...

Why not just reach down and snap his neck? Grab a piece of debris and wham him upside the temple. Slit his throat with your service knife, he'll bleed out faster than he'll choke out. Or, hell, you have a SIDEARM. Plug him once between the eyes and its done.

Poor Riley

[Ashizuri]

RILEY: I'd ask for your gun but I don't want them to blame you.

That's why.

[thekillman]

i'd have pressed besides his throat, under his jaw. baroreceptors would panic, drop his blood pressure within seconds, making him pass out. then do whatever you want. i think slitting his throat is the easiest.


still, i think it had to be done covertly. a shot would've been heard. TJ would've recognised any physical damage

[carmencatalina]

Just responding to the thread title, I would say that the main problem with Riley's situation is that he is, well, dead.

RIP Riley. You sort of rocked.

[xxxevilgrinxxx]

I'd say because Riley wanted it that way

RIP, Riley

[P-90_177]

I'd say because Riley wanted it that way

RIP, Riley

You just so made me want to make a Riley music video to Frank Sinatra.

[jelgate]

You just so made me want to make a Riley music video to Frank Sinatra.

Do it. It shall be epic

[Descended]

What the OP is saying though is that it is harder to suffocate someone then you think, they can become apneac and unconscious only to start breathing and wake up later. Many many killers have suffocated victims only to have them survive it. Truthfully, medically, Young only suffocated Riley for long enough to render him unconscious, he wouldn't have been dead that quickly. Even without hyperventilating beforehand most people can hold their breath that long and there is a good possibility that Riley would regain consciousness later.

Even if he did manage to kill him, if TJ examined him she would suspect something, suffocation deaths often leave petechial hemorrhages in the eyes and face even without constriction of the major vessels in the neck.

I have said it before in another thread, and yes I am aware of what Riley said about the gun and the crew blaming Young, but suffocation is a horrible way to die. There is a reason it is used as torture in waterboarding... even if you know that they aren't going to kill you (you would be worthless dead) the panic is sooo overwhelming that is erases all rational thought.

I lost a lot of respect for Young after that, it would have been better to compress his carotid arteries to restrict bloodflow to his brain (a technique all military and police are taught as a submission or killing blow (i.e. a sleeper hold)) - it wouldn't induce panic and loss of consciousness and death would be immediate.

[thefunkyone]

Simple solution to this thread, its a t.v show........ its not real... in the SGU universe the way young killed Riley worked quickly and painlessly and had a dramatic element to it....

Also i doubt a t.v show is accurately going to show the mass public how to kill someone in-case someone copy's it in real life. That would be a lawsuit waiting to happen....

[blueray]

i was wondering that too. to me it seemed to make sense for young to shoot him (he had his gun) and assuming he doesn't miss like sawyer did, that it will work good.

[The Mighty 6 platoon]

i was wondering that too. to me it seemed to make sense for young to shoot him (he had his gun) and assuming he doesn't miss like sawyer did, that it will work good.

RILEY: I'd ask for your gun but I don't want them to blame you.

There, for the umpteenth time.

[Pharaoh Atem]

suffocating him was the best way for the situation and the series. the silence during the suffocation was so powerful and edged young closer to a break down.

[Shadow_7]

If you watch that segment you can see that Young was holding his breath to ensure he was holding it long enough. He could have just lifted the console and let him bleed out, but he was already in pain. Even with a bullet, outside of a head wound, it doesn't kill instantly. It just gives you another injury. Which MIGHT hasten your demise. Unlike TV, you don't just fall down already dead upon contact. You have to bleed out, or stop the heart, collapse the lung and other more painful ways to die. Outside of that brain thing, there is not instant death. And even with the brain, you have to hit that part that matters. Or you could live on as a vegetable with the proper life support, until the body dies of semi-natural causes.

The old quote --- LIFE - natures way of keeping meat fresh.

[wingsabre]

Even if he did manage to kill him, if TJ examined him she would suspect something, suffocation deaths often leave petechial hemorrhages in the eyes and face even without constriction of the major vessels in the neck.

You speak as if TJ is some world class doctor. Don't forget that she's a medic. I'm sure she doesn't have the training or depth of knowledge necessary to perform a complete examination, and I'm sure that even if she was capable of doing so, that she wouldn't have the time on the planet to do it. They all had to go back on Destiny. Digging Riley out and burying him somewhere will essentially take more time, and I'd figure that they'd focus on that more so than trying to find cause of death.

BTW, if TJ was smart enough, she'd either save Riley by applying a tourniquet to stop the bleeding or to amputate. All they needed to do was to apply a tourniquet to stop the bleeding while they pulled him out. Make a tourniquet out of fabric or something in the shuttle. There's got to be wires or something around. Then cut of the legs if necessary.

But, it's clear that they killed Riley off to make room for more characters on the ship like Ginn.

[smart]

This was done as per Riley's wishes. Riley understood that if Young killed him with a gun, the sound of the shot would show the others that Young was responsible. Riley indicated that he did not want the others to blame him[ Young ]and thus Young chose the alternate option of suffocation.