SGU without Chloe...

[Kaiphantom]

The show needs more girls not less. If they replaced Chloe with someone hotter, I'd be fine by me too.

Destiny: Babewatch Edition! The air conditioner on Destiny breaks down, so the cast goes swimming on an alien planet, in some Ancient bathing suits they discovered in the hold.

Oops, hold on, Chloe is informing me she already had that covered in Faith, when she took her skinny dip.

[Duneknight]

was Ming Na in this episode?

[smart]

It could be that with her current isolation, the character is being used on a more limited basis until later in the season [ i.e. mid season 2 parter], where this ongoing storyline will become a central arc through a major conflict. I do, however believe that her character’s significance was greatly highlighted in this episode, as evident from how Chloe devised an equation for turning the direction of the ship around. Her abilities could be central in coming episodes as the crew further discovers the bridge to gain more control of Destiny.

Her character therefore has the potential to add a great deal of storyline to the series. Also, her character not only provides the series with an additional layer to the civilian- military division, but also helps viewers learn more about LT Scott through the showcasing of her relationship with him

[Azzers]

More than anything, I wish SGU would cut their main cast down to what it practically is, rather than what it theoretically should be. Starring Robert Carlyle and Luis Ferreira, Also starring David Blue and B.J. Smith, with lots of "Special Guest Appearances" from Ming Na and LDP. It seems like everyone else is lucky to get any air time at all, when you factor in how much face time the geek squad and other day players get, so why build expectations as TJ, Greer or Chloe as "main characters"?

This is a fair point. Although I'll admit that the cast they have is not too big if they'd just use them effectively. The BSG cast was rather sizable too, I don't remember going... "you know they really need to kill that guy."

What they have a lot of ill defined charecter teams. BSG for example was easy, even from season one (there were more than this but I just came up with these quickly and for season 1.) These are friendships or at least begruding respect. If I built an advesary list, it would be just as easy.

Adama-Tigh
Apollo-Starbuck
Boomer-Tyrol
Helo-Athena
Baltar-Head Six
Rosalin-Apollo
Dualla-Billy

When I try to pair up SGU in season 1, I have problems.

Young-Greer
Scott-Greer
Chloe-Wallace
Volker-Brody (doesn't really count though, they just always appear together)
Rush...Perry?
Wray...Johansson?
James...Franklin?
Telford...Jerky earth scientist guy?

The idea behind that list is, it's not that they're NOT main charecters. It's that on some level they seem to have problems building relationships that would make more than one charecter grow at one time. We finally got some Young/Rush traction going on... that is the story is actually advancing past "I hate you." I like that Wallace and Armstrong's relationships is a bit more fluid. I'm just thinking there are ways to tell more stories with more charecters. How about a Greer/Brody story (not slash, thank you)? What if Blueberry Chloe and Park spent time together? What about a wiser, less kind Volker revisiting having to work with Rush. How does time change things?

My point more generally is, how you tell the story determines how large your cast is. Not what your cast is doing. BSG had a cast that was large and the difference between the named cast and the supporting cast became, at times, almost indistinguishable. And also, for the credit I'm giving BSG here, Moore had an easier drama to write since the premise gives you the threat of death every episode without having to get too creative. SGU requires a bit more work every episode to get things to a fever pitch.

[JustAnotherVoice]

This is a fair point. Although I'll admit that the cast they have is not too big if they'd just use them effectively. The BSG cast was rather sizable too, I don't remember going... "you know they really need to kill that guy."

I'll give you that, but on the same point, IIRC, most of the extended cast were listed as "guest stars" weren't they? Dee and Billy were certainly never main credits, and I'm sure the likes of Tigh, Helo and Tyrol were guests for most of their run.

What they have a lot of ill defined charecter teams. BSG for example was easy, even from season one (there were more than this but I just came up with these quickly and for season 1.) These are friendships or at least begruding respect. If I built an advesary list, it would be just as easy.

*snip*

The idea behind that list is, it's not that they're NOT main charecters. It's that on some level they seem to have problems building relationships that would make more than one charecter grow at one time. We finally got some Young/Rush traction going on... that is the story is actually advancing past "I hate you." I like that Wallace and Armstrong's relationships is a bit more fluid. I'm just thinking there are ways to tell more stories with more charecters. How about a Greer/Brody story (not slash, thank you)? What if Blueberry Chloe and Park spent time together? What about a wiser, less kind Volker revisiting having to work with Rush. How does time change things?

And most certainly. Most of the BSG cast could quite easily have been considered a main character because they have stories built around them, and have had other characters to play off of. It didn't matter for them that X character didn't appear in Y episode and they didn't force appearances because A actor was contractually obliged to appear in B number. An example of this would be in The Greater Good, where Scott appears in the last 5 mins of the episode, and gets 2 or 3 lines worth of bleh; he didn't contribute anything to the episode at all. Virtually all of the main cast is guilty of this to some extent.

My point more generally is, how you tell the story determines how large your cast is. Not what your cast is doing. BSG had a cast that was large and the difference between the named cast and the supporting cast became, at times, almost indistinguishable.

Unfortunately, SGU doesn't seem to get this. The writers spent all of season 1 building the story up with Rush and Young at the centre, to the neglect of everyone else (just look at some of the backlash against Chloe or Scott last season). They haven't elevated many of their secondary characters, either through involvement with the primary story, nor particularly interesting secondary stories, and now, they're stuck with half a ship's worth of characters which half of the fanbase (YMMV) aren't particularly invested in, but are contractually obligated to appear in so many episodes.

Much like how Atlantis ended up, SGU could probably drop everyone from the main credits except Shep and Ma...I mean Rush and Young, and nobody would be the wiser.

All one man's opinion, ofc.

[meo3000]

I just want her to transform already and become this hot intelligent hybrid that hates how clothes feels on her mutated skin.

Scifi needs a new Seven of Nine and Chloe has to be her.

Only then Eli can fulfill his fantasy of getting blue lizard tail... alright maybe thats my fantasy, still we need at least one alien on this crew.

[hart37]

I just want her to transform already and become this hot intelligent hybrid that hates how clothes feels on her mutated skin.

Scifi needs a new Seven of Nine and Chloe has to be her.

Only then Eli can fulfill his fantasy of getting blue lizard tail... alright maybe thats my fantasy, still we need at least one alien on this crew.

Why do I get the feeling that would just turn into Avatar

[Dromag67]

I wouldn't mind if Chloe and Scott both walked out an air lock by accident. As long as Greer, Rush, Young, and Telford were still kicking.

[pipi]

I just want her to transform already and become this hot intelligent hybrid that hates how clothes feels on her mutated skin.

Scifi needs a new Seven of Nine and Chloe has to be her.

Only then Eli can fulfill his fantasy of getting blue lizard tail... alright maybe thats my fantasy, still we need at least one alien on this crew.

Yeah, I'd love to see some blue skinned Chloe hybrid. I really wish their clothes would deteriorate with holes and stuff.

[hart37]

Yeah, I'd love to see some blue skinned Chloe hybrid. I really wish their clothes would deteriorate with holes and stuff.

Clothes getting misplaced would be good too

[Angela V]

Being a constant damsel in distress is demeaning to her potential as a character, in my opinion, and women in general. And I speak up bluntly and say these things because I'd like her to come into her own. I want her to be someone beyond a caricature of a selfish, helpless, young female. For instance, if she stands up to the crew in defense of Rush.

But the sadly ironic thing is that, by giving her this infection, it means that they have to lock her up, which means she can't grow into a better person.

As a woman I need to reflect on this. I have not seen Chloe as the typical "damsel in distress". She has held her own in many instances that have already been pointed out in this thread. She's also human (though who knows for how much longer) and being that she of course can't always save herself or have the guts to stand up for herself or someone else. Honestly that would turn her into a "superwoman" and that's unrealistic. She as 23 (well of last season, not sure what the timeline is right now) year old YOUNG woman who seemed to be pretty pampered before. I think she's adjusting well considering.

As a sci-fi fan I am thrilled about the what is Chloe changing into storyline. There's no way she's just going to be locked up without some heavy drama thrown around. I like the slow arc. Some may complain it's too slow but look even what they did with SG-1. My husband did not start watching from the beginning. He sat down one day to watch an episode I was watching and was absolutely confused out of his wits. SG-1 is full of mythos and one can get lost if they are plopped right in the middle of the series without having watched any episodes related to that mytho ever before.

[Kelara]

As a woman I need to reflect on this. I have not seen Chloe as the typical "damsel in distress". She has held her own in many instances that have already been pointed out in this thread. She's also human (though who knows for how much longer) and being that she of course can't always save herself or have the guts to stand up for herself or someone else. Honestly that would turn her into a "superwoman" and that's unrealistic. She as 23 (well of last season, not sure what the timeline is right now) year old YOUNG woman who seemed to be pretty pampered before. I think she's adjusting well considering.

Turning her into Superwoman is quite literally already happening with the alien transformation (super healing, super maths understanding and ability to understand Ancient as well as Smurf language). Plus every time she acquires a new skill or ability, it's used as plot device (at least once).

That alone takes her even more apart from the general Destiny crewmember than simply being locked up and prevents her from becoming useful on her own merits. Chances were there (mainly in mediating, helping setting up and maintaining a personnel structure, liaising, apprenticing with any one on the Destiny...) she's an intelligent, top notch politics graduate after all, no Jane Doe without any education.