Great episode.
A couple more like this one and my "Faith" in this show may be restored (and I may forget about "Divided"). This show can, while it doesn't necessarily need to, become what Voyager truly should have been. People are already jumping ship in the first season. But I won't mar this thread by bashing VOY for the umpteenth time.
I like that things keep happening with Destiny that the crew simply has no explanation for or can't predict. And I'm very curious as to what that thing (the one that James thought was a robot) was. So far, the writers haven't forgotten that they're on a giant million-year-old alien ship. Tons of material left to mine with that one and I suspect we'll not know everything until the very last episode.
Also, Wray seems way more interesting when she's not being scheming, conniving and Machiavellian. Her appeal to Young about people being able to decide their own future didn't come off as snide as she usually does. And Ming-Na really brought forth the character's angst as she was (seemingly) pondering whether she should have gone down to the planet. She has surprising chemistry with Eli (or is it that David Blue has chemistry with just about everyone).
As others have stated, the lack of aliens and their accompanying exposition was refreshing. The episode felt more like nuBSG's "The Passage/The Eye of Jupiter" in that respect than like the usual SG1 fare. I am also and perhaps more struck by the crew's varying reactions. All the weird and strange things they encounter are neither universally feared or revered and that's an interesting approach (though not necessarily new to the franchise).
I'm also liking the duo of Brody and Park.
Chloe and Scott still have zero chemistry. I wonder if it's deliberate.
This is the first episode that featured a musical montage that seemed appropriately placed.
More than anything though there was the narrative structure of this episode, certainly one of the smartest of the season. The question contained within the theme of it was neither too subtle (with the guy going on and on about the aliens being their saviors) nor too overt (Scott considering the possibility). TJ's plight and Huffman's portrayal really humanized it.
To me, this was much more of a genuine "what would you do" situation than last week's. I was actually left pondering that question after the episode concluded.
The one thing this episode really lacked (the whining, bitching, moaning) was the one thing that harangues this show for me. And if they tone that down such as they did here, to at least more realistic levels, then I believe that the remaining criticisms I have are nothing too profound.
