SG-U – Time (1x08) - (Discuss – Grade | SPOILERS)

[Checkmate]

Didn't the "static" in the wormhole last right to the very end of the gateback window in one of the earlier timelines?

Or more accurately, how did they turn the gate on at all if it was already on "in the past incarnations?"

 

[David cgc]

Kino video of Eli and Scott finding two Kinos -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vte7LMnYV10

How about that. I heard about the Kino webisodes, but didn't know that they were follow-ups to the actual episodes.

This motivated me to finally track them down. The Kinosodes are hidden on MGM's stargate site, out of order, natch.

 

[Agent Richard07]

^ They actually did one with Lt. James taking off her shirt only to discover that a kino is recording the whole thing.

And here it is on YouTube...

[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ujXc6nWK4To[/yt]

 

[Technobuilder]

Time is the first episode of SGU I'm rating a "10"

Slight logistical flaws are completely overshadowed by the unique character development and entertaining sci-fi plot.

Nicely done.

*Check out the KINO webisodes here:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=973BC85BA3E328A2

 

[Harvey]

Eli names the ancient camera the Kino, but those are the best five films he'd pick? And he's never seen/heard of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. I don't buy it.

Also, that's the best the ancients can do when it comes to night vision? You'd think their technology, as advanced as it is, would do better.

Okay episode, but I can't say I was too focused on it. Not thrilled that the re-set has destroyed all the best character moments from ever happening. Not looking forward to more unbelievable melodrama next week. Is it so much to ask for believable melodrama?

 

[RJDiogenes]

I agree with those who thought that this episode actually felt like Stargate; I hope it's a sign that they'll be restoring that aesthetic on a permanent basis.

I hope not for two reasons. One, I don't want to see the old Stargate. I came back because this wasn't the old Stargate. I'm in the mood for something new that captures a level of seriousness and naturalism that SG-1 and Atlantis didn't. And two, tweaking and retooling almost never helps a show. This episode was good though. About the only thing I didn't like was the jungle set. I wish they would have gone out on location.

The thing is, if I watch Stargate, I want to see Stargate. I wouldn't mind watching a dark documentary style show-- if they weren't so omnipresent and childishly done-- but I don't agree with undermining the artistic integrity of existing concepts. It's like nu Trek; if they wanted a loud popcorn movie with lots of explosions directed like an episode of Johnny Test, they should have based it on a video game or something, not screwed up a beloved artifact of Americana.

Also, that's the best the ancients can do when it comes to night vision? You'd think their technology, as advanced as it is, would do better.

Because that's part of the D&G aesthetic. Everything has to look all grungy and "realistic." That's why nobody ever bothers to clean off that dirty border around the Kino lens; it tells us that we're watching something "kewl."

 

[David cgc]

Actually, it tells us we're watching from a Kino. The slight mosaic overlay is too subtle to notice on SD.

 

[1001001]

I gave this one an 8. I enjoyed it.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Actually, it tells us we're watching from a Kino. The slight mosaic overlay is too subtle to notice on SD.

Some kind of heads up display would work just as well as a gunky smear.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

Re: SG-U – Time (1x08) - (Discuss – Grade | SPOILERS)

Kino video of Eli and Scott finding two Kinos -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vte7LMnYV10

How about that. I heard about the Kino webisodes, but didn't know that they were follow-ups to the actual episodes.

This motivated me to finally track them down. The Kinosodes are hidden on MGM's stargate site, out of order, natch.

Kind of a silly promotional strategy, lets create these kinosodes and then make them really hard to find. I guess some people find it rewarding to enjoy hunting for such things.

I wonder if that kinosode will help assuage those who hated the "non-ending" and would like to have seen it wrapped up.

 

[Hyperspace05]

Actually, it tells us we're watching from a Kino. The slight mosaic overlay is too subtle to notice on SD.

I haven't noticed that on SD either ... But KINO-vision always is much darker around the edges, like it is using a dirty lens. There are other hints too, but that is the most obvious one for me. Plus the transitions, of couse.

 

[Harvey]

Also, that's the best the ancients can do when it comes to night vision? You'd think their technology, as advanced as it is, would do better.

Because that's part of the D&G aesthetic. Everything has to look all grungy and "realistic." That's why nobody ever bothers to clean off that dirty border around the Kino lens; it tells us that we're watching something "kewl."

Oh, please.

What it is is the producers being cheap and uncreative. And the "dirty border" around the Kino lens isn't dirt at all (didn't you notice when actual dirt got into the lens and Eli wiped it off?). It's part of the look of the Kino (along with the mosaic that David_cgc mentioned).

Of course, that look itself is kind of annoying from a technical standpoint. You'd think advanced ancient technology would have a better way of reproducing an image than present day human technology.

 

[BorgMan]

Bah. I can't see the webisodes because there's something wrong with the copyrights. >_<

This was a rather thrilling episode. I tend to agree that the reset button was pushed pretty hard but the story was cool. I gave it a 10 as well

 

[P0sitr0nic]

A little late to the party, i was away all weekend, but .. HOT DAMN.

Now this was Stargate. Character development WITHIN the storyline, not just for its own sake, and a complicated, sciencey, GATE driven story.

 

[Agent Richard07]

The thing is, if I watch Stargate, I want to see Stargate. I wouldn't mind watching a dark documentary style show-- if they weren't so omnipresent and childishly done-- but I don't agree with undermining the artistic integrity of existing concepts. It's like nu Trek; if they wanted a loud popcorn movie with lots of explosions directed like an episode of Johnny Test, they should have based it on a video game or something, not screwed up a beloved artifact of Americana.

Fair enough. I can agree with what you're saying in principle, but I still like that the franchise got a shake-up with SGU. Now I find myself wanting to see SGU be SGU and not turn into the previous shows.

 

[RJDiogenes]

What it is is the producers being cheap and uncreative. And the "dirty border" around the Kino lens isn't dirt at all (didn't you notice when actual dirt got into the lens and Eli wiped it off?). It's part of the look of the Kino (along with the mosaic that David_cgc mentioned).

I did notice him wipe the clods of dirt off, but I'm pretty sure that the border is supposed to be dirt or discoloration, a sign that the Kinos have been laying around for a zillion years.

Fair enough. I can agree with what you're saying in principle, but I still like that the franchise got a shake-up with SGU. Now I find myself wanting to see SGU be SGU and not turn into the previous shows.

It's a fine line, sometimes, expanding on a concept so that it doesn't stagnate and going outside the basic concept. I thought that the Stargate shows had evolved nicely over the years, going from the first exploratory steps through the Gate to being an interstellar contender with ships and bases and so forth. It was almost like a "Birth Of The Federation" kind of deal. I think the idea of the people being stranded on Destiny was a decent concept and a decent spin on the Stargate concept, but I think the nuBSG approach is all wrong for this franchise. It's like asking Robert Crumb to do a Peanuts revival.

 

[Agent Richard07]

I thought that the Stargate shows had evolved nicely over the years, going from the first exploratory steps through the Gate to being an interstellar contender with ships and bases and so forth.

I've been thinking about that lately and I agree. It's nice that we got to see the full progression of the Stargate program from discovery to what it is today.

I think the idea of the people being stranded on Destiny was a decent concept and a decent spin on the Stargate concept, but I think the nuBSG approach is all wrong for this franchise.

Guess that's one thing we're not going to agree on. I think that the BSG approach along with the casting actually spiced up what I tought was a rather mundane premise. And like I said a couple of weeks ago, the franchise actually started that way or at least started with a tone that was close to that, then changed when it went to series in '97.

 

[Reverend]

Also, that's the best the ancients can do when it comes to night vision? You'd think their technology, as advanced as it is, would do better.

Because that's part of the D&G aesthetic. Everything has to look all grungy and "realistic." That's why nobody ever bothers to clean off that dirty border around the Kino lens; it tells us that we're watching something "kewl."

Oh, please.

What it is is the producers being cheap and uncreative. And the "dirty border" around the Kino lens isn't dirt at all (didn't you notice when actual dirt got into the lens and Eli wiped it off?). It's part of the look of the Kino (along with the mosaic that David_cgc mentioned).

Of course, that look itself is kind of annoying from a technical standpoint. You'd think advanced ancient technology would have a better way of reproducing an image than present day human technology.

I always took the slightly dirty look to be a sign of the extreme age of the devices. As if the lense(s) or whatever sensing element it has has started to degrade, or de-compose resulting in the "dirty" artifacting effect.

 

[Checkmate]

Apparently, Humans are one of the only species in any galaxy to put emphasis on high resolution technology and clear pictures for visual communication. It particularly cracks me up in settings like Star Wars where, for whatever stupid reason, low-resolution, monochromatic and grainy holographic images are vasty preferred for all forms of communication.

But hey, Humans have to have something that they're good at. Might as well be video entertainment.

 

[cultcross]

Apparently, Humans are one of the only species in any galaxy to put emphasis on high resolution technology and clear pictures for visual communication. It particularly cracks me up in settings like Star Wars where, for whatever stupid reason, low-resolution, monochromatic and grainy holographic images are vasty preferred for all forms of communication.

Actually this very point was addressed on one of the SG-1 commentaries when they had O'Neill appear at the SGC by Asgard hologram, and deliberately put some imperfections and 'wobbles' into it, because otherwise, visually speaking, there's little difference between that and him beaming in. The exact same problem was encountered with the holocommunicator in DS9's For the Uniform, which was one reason why it was hardly ever seen again.
So the short answer is, it's a conceit of the production design to make it obvious that we're looking at a 'tv' picture or a hologram on our actual TV.

But hey, Humans have to have something that they're good at. Might as well be video entertainment.