SG-U – Air I and II (1x01/02) - (Discuss – Grade | SPOILERS)

Discussion in 'Stargate' started by Brent, Oct 2, 2009.

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Grade Air Part 1 and Air Part 2 – 2 Hour Premier

  1. 9 Chevrons – Out of this Universe (A+)

    15 vote(s)
    8.7%
  2. 8 Chevrons – Beyond the known Galaxies

    55 vote(s)
    32.0%
  3. 7 Chevrons – In the Milky Way Galaxy

    54 vote(s)
    31.4%
  4. 6 Chevrons – Within our Solar System

    16 vote(s)
    9.3%
  5. 5 Chevrons – Haven’t got past Earth (Average)

    10 vote(s)
    5.8%
  6. 4 Chevrons – No flying machines at all

    10 vote(s)
    5.8%
  7. 3 Chevrons – Pre-Industrial

    6 vote(s)
    3.5%
  8. 2 Chevrons – Dark Ages

    3 vote(s)
    1.7%
  9. 1 Chevron – Throwing rocks and stones here

    1 vote(s)
    0.6%
  10. Cannot Establish Lock – Doesn’t even exist (F)

    2 vote(s)
    1.2%
  1. Agent Richard07

    Agent Richard07 Admiral Admiral

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    I thought that the planet had some some sort of energy source at the core that provided the power to dial the 9th chevron, something that can't be done just anywhere.
     
  2. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

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    Well, of course, but Rush seems to be as qualified as Daniel Jackson, and he seems as if he's been as qualified as Dr. Jackson for a while. So why did we never hear of him in the later years of SG-1 or Atlantis? I mean, obviously, it's because the writers didn't think of his character until this series, but, really? This guy has been around and the SGC has been relying on idiots like Dr. Lee? Sloppy writing.

    Yes, as clearly indicated in the dialogue more than once. I don't think Dr. Rush's agenda is any more complicated than what has been implied on screen. It doesn't make any sense that he would be complicit in the attack. Actually, it doesn't make any sense that anyone we've met thus far would be complicit in the attack. Just what would they hope to gain? I don't see anything.
     
  3. Spider

    Spider Dirty Old Man Premium Member

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    I DVR'd this thing and just now got around to watching it. The first 30 minutes were brutal to sit through. Oh Jesus H. Christ the originality of someone winning a video game that was actually a secret test by the military and then he's beamed aboard a spaceship just stunned me. Frankly I’m surprised I kept watching. Most of this was pretty bad; I had to force myself to sit through it all. But still the premise is interesting enough to keep me watching next week. I don’t particular care for any of the characters in this show, and that’s a bad sign already.

    I loved SG1, it’s still one of my favorite all time TV shows. Atlantis I might have watched two episodes at most, it was horrid. But I’m going to give this new one a shot. It sounds like they might try doing some of those planet of the week stories that SG1 excelled at. If it’s going to stay dark and moody, they’ll lose me. I’m saving my dark and moody side for Caprica, I don’t need to be watching two shows like that.

    Despite not liking it so far, I do like the idea behind the show and I genuinely hope this turns out to be a good series. There just isn't any good spaceship flyin' planet hunting shows done any more. Most TV scifi (or what passes for scifi) really sucks these days.
     
  4. Snaploud

    Snaploud Admiral Admiral

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    I believe the dialogue indicated that the 9th chevron was originally supposed to be dialed from Earth. They only used Icarus because of a lack of power, but, theoretically, it should be dialable on Earth. You just need a large enough power source.
     
  5. clint g

    clint g Admiral Admiral

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    I'm going to give it 8 Chevron's ;) It actually felt different and fresh when compared to the other Stargate shows yet at the same time it felt as if it was part of the same franchise. A good mix. It also felt dark without crossing into the BSG style omg i want to slit my wrists and shoot myself mode.
     
  6. BenRoethig

    BenRoethig Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    First off, he's been on Icurus base for two years. Second, the man watched his wife waste away from cancer, clearly is not okay, and has not been with it for a long while. He would have had to spend a lot of time away from work. Third, you don't seriously think the entire Stargate program consists of 50 or so people do you. Just because we didn't see someone on camera doesn't mean they weren't there.
     
  7. Jerikka Dawn

    Jerikka Dawn Captain Captain

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    Yeah, really :D

    They haven't just relied on Dr. Lee. On screen, they've relied on Dr. Jackson, Col. Carter, Doctor McKay, and Dr. Zelenka -- because they were regular main characters getting paid to act in the series and which served the ends of the story. Off screen, I'm sure they relied upon the experience and knowledge of others, none of which were so essential to telling the story that they needed to be in an episode.

    It is not sloppy writing to not introduce a character in SG-1 or Atlantis that had absolutely nothing to do with either television show.

    One may as well look at Doctor Beckett and ask "who the hell is this guy and why didn't they drop his name in SG-1 prior to Atlantis starting? The only doctor we know about is Dr. Fraisier"

    Dr. Rush was not mentioned in Stargate SG-1 or Stargate Atlantis because Stargate Universe did not exist yet. It really is that simple.


    ..Or we could do it the Star Trek way and come up with some explanation that the male hippy in the van in the SG-1 episode "1969" was Doctor Rush and while driving to New York with the SG-1 team, Doctor Jackson slipped and told him something about the Ancients, inspiring this guy to one day learn about the sciences, and eventually join the Stargate program. -- But that would dumb.
     
  8. Ptrope

    Ptrope Agitator Admiral

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    Aug 10, 2001
    Location:
    USA
    I gave it 3 chevrons - I'm guessing that's about a C-? I wasn't impressed by the writing, the editing, and none of the characters appeal to me. Eli, especially, is f***ing annoying, the very worst "Wesley" possible; it didn't help that he's here basically because he should've been fighting the Kodan Armada. So much for "fresh."

    I just can't figure what Wright and Cooper were thinking; they've taken every bad cliché from the past 35 years of televised sci-fi and thrown them into the pot; it's Lost in Space, Voyager and Space:1999 without either fun or appealing characters. Are we going to be stuck with the "this week the gate is opening for 72 hours on Planet Greblock" plot device, or will they see, hopefully in less than two weeks, that that's going to get very, very old?

    SGU is not going to get me to fret about deciding to watch Dollhouse instead.
     
  9. Hyperspace05

    Hyperspace05 Commodore Commodore

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    Jul 18, 2005
    Sometimes an asshole is just an asshole. He doesn't have to be a traitor.

    Now I realize that SG1 and SGA characterization haven't been very deep in the past :devil:, so it may be a reasonable logic jump from that perspective. But I doubt the writers are going down that road.
     
  10. STR

    STR Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    7 Chevrons. I started at 9, there's good likable and unlikable (deliberately unlikable) characters, and an interesting enough plot (don't care if it's a retread, all shows are retreads at this point in time). However, I subtracted 1 for the video game ploy, minus another for the out-of-the-blue beaming, minus another point for the ####### amateur camera wielding. They're using $100,000 cameras with stabilization and focus features most photographers would kill for, not using that because of trendy imitation is annoying.

    Oh, and plus 1 point for fat O'Neill. I wasn't even sure it was him until he started talking.
    9-1-1-1+1=7

    And to throw fuel on the fire, Carter was hot, still is hot(bad lighting in this ep.), Tayla was fugly, the women in SGU are all fine so far.
     
  11. Jerikka Dawn

    Jerikka Dawn Captain Captain

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    Samantha Carter is my dream girl.
     
  12. Spiderpope

    Spiderpope Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

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    Grimsby, England
    I was unsure about Universe, everything leading up to it made me doubt the direction they were going in. Having finally seen it, i still have my issues with the show.

    The biggest problem with Universe is its camerawork and direction. It was filmed exactly like Battlestar Galactica. I'm beginning to think that every director needs someone to go round to their house, smack them on the head and tell them that shaky cam does not automatically equal tension.

    The random sex scene was also jarring, and felt as out of place as Sha're's nudity in Children of the Gods. It just wasnt necessary and did nothing to serve the plot. There are better ways to establish your show as a more adult program.

    On the plus side, i actually liked Eli Wallace, Dr. Rush looks to be a more interesting source of conflict than simply introducing another Big Evil Alien Empire. And the last ten minutes of the show did a far better job of establishing it as a Stargate series than the rest of the episode.

    I'll be watching the next episode anyway. I just hope that they can get away from emulating the craptacular Battlestar Galactica soon.
     
  13. BenRoethig

    BenRoethig Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    I don't think it was that random. The Character of 2Lt Vanessa James look is supposed to be in most of the episodes and Scott looks to be getting close to Chloe. As discipline continues to break down, personal problems will become more of an issue.
     
  14. Jono

    Jono Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Australia
    Didn't mind it. The attack on the base was cool, would have liked to see more air to air fighting and the Hammond not having beams was rubbish. Also why they didn't bother to put up two or three SAM sites around the air strip is insane or maybe the Air Forces loves the retro-chic look of using AAA batteries.

    Didn't mind Eli and Rush and the angry black guy was at least somewhat entertaining. Scott on the other hand...I did wish that him and the senator swapped places. He was dull and boring.

    I was going to give it a 7 but then I realised I don't remember seeing one wormhole transition effect. What the hell? Maybe I blinked and missed it but how could they have not had the travelling through the wormhole scene? I think it would have been a much better start than the immediate reveal of the ship. You see a cool wormhole journey, guy gets shot out and you save the big reveal of the ship for a bit later. Or at the very least when Scott first went through or when the Colonel put fired through or as the last scene of the episode, step into wormhole, wormhole travel scene, credits. I am immensely disappointed in there not been a wormhole travelling scene in the pilot of a Stargate show and took off 4 points out of disgust.

    If there was one and I somehow missed it then it would get a seven from me.
     
    Last edited: Oct 5, 2009
  15. Jenee

    Jenee Dancing Goddess Premium Member

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    I agree. It looks like she's going to be pulled between Eli and Scott, but I sure as hell hope she doesn't turn out to be some feather-brained twit about it like Kate from Lost.

    Why does there have to be a mole and how do you know he's not it?

    I didn't get any impressions of a traitor. Why does there have to a traitor?

    This is the same way I interpreted the storyline.


    As for the 'bad' soldier ..., I really hope they give him some kind of storyline. 'why was in in the brig?' 'why is he angry?'

    I hate one-dimensional 'angry' characters just to have some conflict. I think the show has the potential for enough conflict without bringing this guy in to prop up weak storylines.
     
  16. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

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    Oct 8, 2005
    Extensive knowledge of Ancient culture and technology strikes me as far rarer than skill as a medical doctor. Of course, this franchise was sloppy about doctors, too, with the unbelievable wunderkid Keller played by Jewel Staite on Stargate Atlantis. But I digress. You make a weak argument here.

    Well, of course it's that simple. I didn't deny the fact in my original post. I stated it out right.

    But consider, say, 'Arthur's Mantle' on Stargate SG-1. Two members of SG-1, arguably two of the most valuable people in the entire program, disappear while fiddling with an ancient device. And who does the SGC bring in? The babbling Dr. Lee, who makes for a good laugh. But we laugh because he clearly doesn't know what he's doing. And we're supposed to believe that Landry wouldn't have brought in the highly knowledgable Rush in a hearbeat? All we need from the writers is a decent explanation why Rush couldn't have been brought in all the times his character would have been convenient in the past. But, as of yet, nothing. Sloppy. Writing.
     
  17. Jenee

    Jenee Dancing Goddess Premium Member

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    That's because the SCC already had Carter and Jackson there - two top "minds" and Dr. Lee may or may not be a 'top mind' but apparently he has a job to do and he was there.

    Dr. Rush could have been anywhere at the time - the Alpha or Beta site (both of which have been mentioned numerous times over the years or in DC where, apparently Carter was for two years before Jackson figured out the symbols in ... less than a week? - then went to Abidos without her.
     
  18. AJBryant

    AJBryant Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    Fat chance. I'm ahead in line.

    She's the thinking man's crumpet.
     
  19. Harvey

    Harvey Admiral Admiral

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    In the course of that episode both Dr. Jackson and Col. Carter end up disappearing, due to the device. Dr. Lee's 'brilliance' almost drains all the power from the device, leaving them permanently out of phase forever.

    But I won't carry this point any further. Carry on. Looking online, it looks like Rush's history will be the focus of later episodes. We'll see what the writers do with him.
     
  20. Kirby

    Kirby Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Come on people Dr. Lee was just there for a little comic relief, don't overanalyze his existence. It's kind of like Klinger on M*A*S*H, nobody would act like that and get away with it for very long.
    As for Rush, his history will come out in time, and I'm sure it will be plausable. For all we know he was a professor at a University and they recruited him just for the Icarus project.