The other day, Paul was complaining about the new production office refrigerator. His problem? Not that it was too small or too deep or that the vegetable crisper was located all the way at the bottom, forcing him to bend down every time he wanted a carrot. Rather, my writing partner had taken issue with the appliance’s disposition. To quote Paul: “That is one motherf***ing sinister-looking fridge.” I thought he was crazy – until I happened by the kitchen today –
He was right. That IS one motherf***ing sinister-looking fridge. To quote Paul once again very clearly: “It’s up to no good.”
Hey, look at what Ashleigh brought to work today out of the goodness of her heart after losing a bet to me.
Chocolate chip cookies! They were perfect – crispy yet chewy, sweet yet a touch salty, chock full of chocolate-buttery goodness. And the occasional walnut. I would have eaten the whole box had Ashleigh not made me save a couple for Carl (For the record, I won the bet – not Carl).
As I was walking by her office after lunch, I happened to notice a package addressed to me sitting on her chair (Who knows how many gifts destined for me have ended up taking a detour into her side desk drawer? I’m still awaiting delivery of that experimental treatment for the rare blood disorder I contracted fighting a drunken monkey during my last missionary venture to South America. Gee, wonder where it could be?). The return address was a publisher, so safe to assume it was a book. “Cool cover and bad cover?”I asked her, tearing open the package.
“Bad cover,”she replied, being her usual negative self.
“Good cover,”I countered, being my usual positive self. “What are we betting for?”
“If you lose,”she said, reaching over to a tissue-wrapped object sitting beside her phone, “you have to eat this.” She pulled away the kleenex to reveal a chocolate chip cookie. A chocolate chip cookie that looked remarkably like the ones I just ate.
“What’s wrong with it?”I asked.
“Nothing,”she assured me – though the fact that she was smiling mischievously when she said it led me to assume she was full of crap.
“Okay,”I said. “But if you lose, YOU have to eat the cookie.”
“No way am I eating that cookie.”
“What’s wrong with the cookie?”I demanded the know.
While she wouldn’t tell me what was wrong with the cookie, she did admit that she’d intended to present this special cookie to me nestled among the others, but ultimately “chickened out”. A multitude of potential secret ingredients flashed through my mind: garlic, cayenne pepper, ground glass. After much discussion, we finally agreed that the loser would have to take one bite of the suspect cookie.
I pulled the book out. It was a great cover! She, unsurprisingly, pronounced it terrible. We went to Remi and Linda for the tie-breaker and both were non-committal, reluctant to declare it either good or bad.
We considered it a tie and each had a bite. Actually, hers was a less than a bite. And she immediately spat it up.
The secret ingredient? About ten tablespoons of salt and pepper.
P.S. As if that wasn’t enough, Ashleigh also hit me today. She’ll tell you it was an accident, but it sure as hell didn’t feel accidental.
One of my very favorite episodes of SGU’s first season airs tonight: Divided. Watch it and report back!
And a book of the month club reminder! Finish up your reading because, next week, we start the discussion on The Love We Share Without Knowing, by Christopher Barzak!
Today’s blog entry is dedicated to the gang at Chimaeracon!
Dear Joe,
great episode! Can you please answer the questions I asked u yesterday
Thanks so much
Hi Joe!
Good episode overall, but I am still annoyed. The guys with guns are always in control! Damn military. Unless they become willing to work something out, I don’t think I’ll ever like any of the gun wielders. I don’t think anybody is asking for a big group vote on every single issue, but the dictatorship thing right now pretty much sucks!
I’m off to make, then eat a giant bacon cheeseburger. Take that, Ashleigh!
-Morticae
My prediction? Two years from now, Joe and Ashleigh will be married, and living in a hippie commune in Arcata, California…much to Carl’s dismay.
das
I need to try that “extra” salt and pepper if i ever make cookies.
SGU was epic tonight, next weeks looks interesting as well
Absolutely superb episode. It’s been a while since I’ve been so emotionally involved in the proceedings. Since I’ve sworn off random beheadings and selective eviscerations, I believe all the all of the civilians deserve a good spanking. Starting with Wray. Rush can’t help himself. He’s a man possessed. The other civilians are merely sheep. Thanks for a solid episode with pace and enough action to keep the blood circulating. The special effects continue to be ‘Wow’ inducing. Thanks, Mark and crew. I could gush some more but have walk the dogs. Cheers.
Some of the best marriages I know of have started off like you and Ashleigh.
We loved the episode. My husband and I were on the edges of our seats for the whole hour. In fact, I couldn’t believe that almost an hour had passed when the tracking device had been taken out of Rush. Excellent work! Keep it up!
Oh! Forgot to add – Divided was really good! That’s two hits in a row this second half – make it three and I’ll probably stick around for a while.
I’m just kinda pooped tonight. Big day again. I will probably post in more detail my impressions of the episode tomorrow.
Have a good evening, sir!
das
Is that an arcade game in the background of Ashleigh and her cookies??
I loved Divided! The tension between civilians and military led to some great drama. David Blue’s acting was superb.
The interaction between Scott and Chloe was very interesting, too. He seemed disappointed. I wasn’t sure if I believed Chloe’s comments to Eli, either.
Those cookies look good. Must do some baking tomorrow.
Great episode Joe! This is what I’ve been waiting for. Kudos to you and Paul, Mark Savala and his crew, the actors, director and everyone else connected with SGU.
I hope you had a bottle of water nearby after a bite of Ashleigh’s special cookie.
Question for Joe,
With the amount of damages to the ship at some point don’t you have to do a episode where we see the ship getting repaired if not seriously what will this installment of Stargate become? Just destiny constantly running from foes or facing off with weak foes?
Again I want this show to be a success, but I don’t know how many more episodes I will buy into that the ship just barely escape.
The ship was promoted as this powerful entity which is now clearly breaking down, can not fire its weapons and protect itself at the same time. What happens if the ship runs/flies near to a Supernova?
I understand the need for drama but I am concern that viewers will be going back to the notion that this is just a “soap opera in space”. Please tell us that while there is still tension in the background there will be more coming together with the crew both military and civilians.
We need to get back to more action in this show. I am still watching I need to start see more “us (the destiny crew) against them”
Hi Joe. I’ll be visiting Vancouver from April 13-19, and it is Stargate related. I hope to dine at ReFuel on Tuesday evening(13th) because the rest of the week will be….bizzare.
Deni – thanks for the update and in spite of having to wait for the analysis, etc., things seem a bit better. Keeping fingers, toes and all other crossable parts crossed for Elway and for you and your family. and more {{{{hugs}}}} as well.
Dvided is fabulously coool! Great episode.
Have to watch the second showing for the stuff I miss the first time around.
By the way, that poor fridge had some help in its appearance – so after you guys clean it up, send it over.
Joe,
Has there been a problem with the blog subscriptions for follow-up comments? I’ve not been gettin any when I’ve signed up.
I was half-expecting you to find out the secret ingredient in the cookie was chocolate ex-lax…but i guess that old gag is getting old now
Maybe you should put a hidden monitor near the new fridge to see if people start making surreptitious visits. It does have a certain allure, like deep-rainforest drunken monkeys that have the ability to disguise themselves as Chocoatl peppered dark-chocolate drinks. Next trip, you’ll know better, right?
Laughing over the Cookie Wars. I hope someday you’ll write a book about your experiences at Bridge Studios – after you hire a bodyguard, of course.
“Divided” is awesome. It rocked, literally, from the intro all the way to the final moments. The tension, emphasized by an outstanding score, was just incredibly intense; and that applies to both the onboard conflict and the battle with the aliens, combined with the sidetrip into Rush’s chest to get rid of his nasty little secret. By that time, I was pretty much in that world, mesmerized.
*Everybody* was great in their roles; and, as always, it was crystal clear that everyone who works off-camera was great, too. Thanks for some fantastic entertainment – as well as the food for thought that accompanies any conflict or other intense interaction, fictional or otherwise.
Oops, very sorry to have forgotten about adding “spoiler alert” before my comments on the show.
Hey Joe
Tip of the hat to the crew at Bridge Studios. Another fine episode!
Elminster
Great ep! It was riveting. Also, it was a nice touch to see Dr. Brightman… I don’t think we’ve seen her since season 8 of SG1 (unless she made an appearance on SGA?). That’s what I like about the SG universe… the sense of continuity by having callbacks to earlier characters.
It will be interesting to see how they’ll be able to resolve the military/civilian divide, if at all.
Hello! I’m very tired and ready for bed but I just got done watching Divided and I have to say it was a good episode! So onto my review and I apologise in advance for any spelling errors.
Some parts of the episode were predictable [at least for me, I don’t know about the other viewers]. For instance, Young suiting up and going through the hole in the ship made by the Blue Aliens and then unlocking door for the rest of the military personnel to go through. Also there is Rush pocketing the communication stones, I had that pegged as soon as the communication stones were seen/mentioned in Universe. I always assumed he would have had one or two with him, as, honestly, If it were me in the same situation, I would have pocketed them for safe keeping. Rush having an alien tracking device in his chest caught me off guard, I’ll give you that, but I had suspected that there was something strange going on as the aliens let them go too easily in Space. I was up in the air as to if they had done something physically or mentally [or both] to Rush/Chloe to track or control their bodies from afar.
Many people I’ve talked to have said that the entire premise of the civilians and military going at each others throats is silly [especially when there are aliens about] and that everyone should band together just because of the presence of the aliens. I’ve tried to explain that it’s often human nature that gets in the way of ones own survival. It seemed completely believable for the coup to happen.
This episode was interesting for me as it showed that Wray isn’t as bloodthirsty as Young and Rush, and that she values the lives of enemies and friendlies. Of course, per usual, this episode demonstrated how much of a total ass Rush is, that he doesn’t trust others, is a loner, and is very selfish. His only true ally is himself as evidenced by him endangering the entire crew [again!!] by keeping the knowledge of the device in his chest hidden instead of getting it immediately taken care of by TJ . I mean, the aliens would have kept coming back for more, and “qualified” or not TJ is suitable for the job. He just didn’t want to take a chance on him dying, and that makes him a coward. His plan of going on the defensive instead of offensive [like Young would] was great despite his other mistakes. I was quite confident he wouldn’t ask TJ to operate on him and wasn’t surprised when he got angry when he became conscious again from the anesthesia. The part were Eli confronts Chloe was good and I especially liked it when the signal between the communication stones was severed and Chloe was left holding Rush’s chest open! But I was surprised at how quickly she stopped gagging and staring at the wound, composed herself, and assisted TJ. I find this episode to be a big step on her part, in that she is now starting to be of more use to the crew and is gaining confidence in her abilities. Also, Eli is having to step to the plate and make decisions that affect others in a big way. Naturally, he is freaking out and is often unprepared to take on responsibility when it concerns life and death. Eli, is thus, in a sense, like me. As a character he is the one that I relate to most in that our way of life [spaceships and stargates aside] is very similar. He is young, plays video games, and is a slacker and that’s how my life has been. As a character, he has to pull his balls together, so to speak.
I only hope that in future episodes we will see more people from Earth come over via the Ancient stones to assist the crew and Destiny. I know that if it is done too much it could easily compromise the drama of the series. What me and many fans want is for SGU to tie into Stargate more, instead of coming off like a stand-alone series.
Also. the music at the beginning of the episode was super annoying and I literally turned the sound so low that you could almost swear it was muted. That was actually was the only thing that I would consider to be bad in the entire episode. Story-wise the episode was sound, despite being predictable in many areas.
At any rate I am super-excited and looking forward to the next episode of Stargate Universe! Keep ’em coming!
I really liked “Divided”
There seems to be alot of focus by Destiny crewmembers on Young leaving Rush behind, but no attention at all being given to the fact that Rush was trying to frame Young for murder. It seems a little one sided, especially with what Eli knows. I was expecting him to say something, but nothing was said.
I always wondered where that stone on the alien ship came from. Young’s explanation was a good one.
Loved the scene with James butt-stroking the one civvi who would not comply.
To be clear, was the object that Young/Scott destroyed the pod that Rush/Chloe came back in? Or was it a separate device that was left. I was unsure on that.
The ‘divide’ certainly has the potential to create a whole new tension level on the ship. Now anytime there is a chance to go offworld, the crew is going to have to wonder if they might be coming back to a ‘home’ where the locks have been changed and is under new management. There are some things that cannot be undone, and what happened in this episode is one of them I think.
Loved “Divided”. Very surprised by Chloe siding with Rush and Wray. Great performances here by Elyse and David Blue.
Also, loved that Greer took out two of the civilians before meeting up with Scott. I think Greer and Eli are my two favorite characters thus far.
Question: Wray knew that Young intentionally left Rush on the alien planet back in “Justice”, but its never been stated (that I remember) that she knows Rush tried to frame Young for the “murder” of Sgt. Spencer. Does she know? Or is this still a secret between Rush, Young and Eli?
@ Kevin – A little story…
When I was about 20 years old I had a little tummy trouble. Well, I thought ex-lax as an anti-diarrheal medicine…so I took some…and couldn’t figure out why my problem was getting worse…so, I took some more…aaaand…some more…and…well…I learned the hard way what it’s really for. 😛
das
I still hate Chloe. She seems to have no redeeming qualities. And, she seems like an SGU Barbie. How about have Greer take his clothes off and swim in a pool of water instead of her? I’m sure the actor who portrays her is a wonderful person and very talented. I just hate the character.
Otherwise, really good episode. Lots of tension and tight dialogue. You guys did a wonderful job.
Patricia
Is that a golfing game behind Ashleigh?
HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP HOLY CRAP.
WHAT THE BLOODY HELL?! WHY DID YOU END IT THERE?! I WANT MORE!! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!
PARDON ME FOR SHOUTING BUT THAT WAS INCREDIBLE. I SHALL RETURN WITH NON-SHOUTING POSTS BECAUSE THIS IS ANNOYING EVERYBODY AND I WILL MOST LIKELY HAVE A SORE HAND FROM TYPE-SHOUTING SOON IF I DON’T STOP.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU SO FREAKING MUCH.
Re: Divided
Wow! Loved it. Can’t comment too much on it right now though. Since it was so good, I have to watch it again.
I also noticed the interesting scene in the “Visions” montage commercial on Space. I’m going to guess it’s from Human. Can’t wait to find out for certain.
The Super-villain kids commercial always makes me think of you, or, more particularly, the Baron and his minions.
Mr. Mallozzi, I’ve just watched Divided. I’m still suffering of tachycardia. I’ll try to calm down now, because I need to survive until next friday, so I can suffer from this again. Just to be sure, I’m gonna write a letter blaming you and SGU crew in case of my death.
Sincerely
Hello Joe,
Good episode, should have been a 2-part episode though. It did feel a little rushed. I wonder if the episode aired exactly as scripted, or is there a ton of footage on the cutting room floor that will be loaded into the blu-ray?
So Ashleigh had that poisoned cookie on standby for you? You have got to get her bqck for that. One of my personal favorites is the company memo. This trick actually induced vomiting in a coworker. Run a letter through the copier on company letterhead then run it through again, so the print gets real blurry. With the header on the letterhead clear, and the print blurry, most peoples’ eyes go crazy trying to focus everything, and it creates a splitting headache.
Best of luck…
Bryan
Oh forgot to mention: you have to use the bypass tray both times for the letterhead. That’s important…
Okay… so the MF fridge is black and shiney and making a funny face…? Unless of course, it starts getting covered up in really cheezy fridgie magnets… — Otherwise, not so scary. But, “that” is an episode best left unproduced!
OR, a couple of more could show up in the room over the weekend and start being opened and closed by large primates, which causes them to build up enough friction and electro-magnetic [this where the creepy fridgies come in] static-cling to fuse together into a ginormous super-dense blob making the planet explode or a second sun to revolve around Vancouver…
Which, I surmise, has a better chance of happening than me actually winning anything on the MF “LOTTO-MAX”!! [Three rows of numbers and I still didn’t get any!! Like, what is up with that!?]
BTW, how come no one sprung for a side by side, with a water/ice thingy and/or computer screen on the door? Seriously, someone from the Art Dept needs to take a can of spray-something to that puppy and work some magic!
OH! OH! I *know*!! An air-brushing portrait of Taylor Lautner!!! Now *THAT* would be MF *scary*!!!
😀
I’m on board with SGU, enjoying what I hope is a slow build to a tighter group of characters. I like the new direction, the grittier, edgier focus–but it would be good to have a little of the humor and camaraderie of the previous two series. But please please PLEASE tell them to STOP playing rock music (or any ballad etc) over montage. It breaks the story, breaks the spell, breaks the texture and has no place other than trying to manipulate emotions, which is something the writers and actors are perfectly capable of projecting on their own. It’s annoying. PLEASE! STOP THE MUSIC!
Don’t you *just* love it when “They” report this stuff AFTER the fact!
http://news.ca.msn.com/top-stories/cbc-article.aspx?cp-documentid=23838648
Loved Divided, must watch it again. Great job!
I make excellent black sable cookies with cayenne. I should send you some one of these days.
I may not be on for a bit, my nephew is ill and it looks very, very bad.
Hmmm, maybe not. Nose looks wrong.
HOLY COW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
First of all GREAT episode, it was so good it seemed to be over way before it should have been. Congrats to to the sg crew for another riveting episode.
Spoilers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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OK so let me see if i have this correct, destiny’s shield functions on various levels: one is to keep air in but allow anything else to pass right through, and the other is to function as a protective covering which uses more power and so is only turned on when needed? I just found it interesting that Young and Greer were able to fall right through it, and that nothing happened to Young even though Eli’s behavior would seem to tell us that activating the shield for protective purposes would have done something to him.
Also, the design of the alien’s ship is definitely foreign so props on that one. However, I couldn’t help but notice that their main weapon has certain similarities to that of the Ori. No, its nowhere near as powerful but the location and appearance are alike.
While we are on the subject of weapons, am I the only one that though destiny’s “main weapon” was a little weak? When I heard “main weapon” I instantly think of the asgard plasma beam weapons. True, destiny is having some power and repair issues, but will we ever see the weapons systems back to full power?
Although I thought the interaction and discord between the civilians and the military made for a great episode I think the crew of the Destiny needs to suck it up and start working together. Especially with outside threats potentially around the corner. Although the ship and Rush’s tracking device are gone i’m sure that the aliens who have obviously invested a lot of time and energy into getting the destiny will find another way to track its movements.
On a side note, how late do you think production will continue? through the summer?
Thanks,
-ZPB
first a cookie of death then being hit. kind of a bad day.
*sends virtual fancy chocolates*
Different topic, hope nobody minds – I just finished reading the first book of Tad Williams “Otherland” series, “City of Golden Shadows”, and I would appreciate hearing from anyone who has continued on with the rest of the series. The first book was good but not great, and really, really LONG. I’m not sure I want to commit to the sequel(s) without recommendations, especially since the library doesn’t have it.
Mr. M., I remember seeing Otherland on your “Currently Reading” sidebar at one point, but missed seeing it move to “Recently Read” – what were your feelings on the book/series?
Thank you to anyone who can offer guidance!
I support Joe/Ashleigh shipping. The One True Pairing!
On SGU news, Divided was spectacular stuff. Nice, tight, pacing with some decent moral question thingies and great Chloe spotlight. Felt much like a Part 2 to Space, but that was probably intended.
I am ashamed of you, Joe. Ashleigh came to you an innocent and now… now there is nothing I would put past her. I hope you are proud of yourself!
Divided was very good.
I loved that episode. Given the general awesomeness of “Space,” I’m almost hesitant to say this, but I think “Divided” was better. It felt a little more about the characters than “Space,” and I liked that.
I didn’t think Wray would ever have had the guts to pull a coup, but she did. She made valid points, but at the end of the day, I find myself on the side of the military. Young is an experienced leader, while neither Wray nor Rush is. What I don’t understand, though, is why Strom, who wanted Destiny out of military control, didn’t do something about it officially. If the IOA has authority over the stargate program, couldn’t they have ordered O’Neill/Homeworld Security to cede command to Wray?
While in question mode, I didn’t quite get how the military penetrated the lockout. Did Greer and Young complete their mission before the aliens arrived?
On another note, kudos on whoever had the idea to include Dr. Brightman. She made one appearance, if memory serves, so while I never really gave the character a second thought, the continuity was sheer brilliance and very cool. And really, despite Rush’s protest, they had no other option but to perform the surgery; it was a liability. Even if they gave up trying to attack, as long as they could track the ship, they could easily ambush a team off-world (off-ship might be the proper terminology).
Nevertheless, this was possibly the best episode of the season to date and I’m looking forward to the fallout.
Reporting back on “Divided”.
In a word: fantastic! By far the best episode thus far. You and Paul are an excellent writing team. I was sitting on the edge of my seat literally hyperventilating for much of the hour. Remember the scene from “Aliens” when Bishop holds down Hudson’s hand and plays five-finger fillet? Well this episode felt like that. You guys took hold and didn’t let up for even a minute. In my mind, the set-up of the first half of the season finally paid off in spades.
Elements that definitely rocked my world:
1. Chloe may have manipulated Eli and definitely lied to Scott – the two most important people in her life. Not only that, she took a lead role in an attempted coup d’etat. In one fell swoop she proves that she’s her father’s daughter.
2. Col. Young finally acts like a true military commander, and not like a dithering politician. Yes folks, this is a military dictatorship. Get used to it. Just close your eyes and think of England.
3. Rush and Wray made their play…and came up short. They have divided the crew. I can’t help but think that Wray will be the biggest loser in this game. She has no real entrenched power base on the ship. Rush has the scientists. Young has the military. Wray’s power is largely derived from the side she chooses. A very precarious
4. Wray played her hand not knowing the true hand her ally was holding. She didn’t know that Rush had an implanted transmitter which influenced his decisions about the timing of the coup, nor does she appear to know that Rush attempted to frame Young for murder. What’s clear from Rush’s actions is that he’s pursuing his own agenda, and Wray could end up as mere collateral damage despite her endless machinations.
5. Greer’s the man! To paraphrase: Lay down or I’ll put you down! It’s your choice. I’ll sleep like a baby either way. You, on the other hand, might never get up.
Other things that I liked:
1. The tasteful handling of Chloe exiting the bed she shares (or “shared”) with Scott. I didn’t feel blatantly manipulated like early episodes of Jennifer Love Hewitt in the “Ghost Whisperer”, or the infamous Lt. James kino scene. (wait a minute…I have never watched the “Ghost Whisperer”. I’ll show you my man card later.)
2. Speaking of Lt. James, did I see her pistol-slap someone silly? Ouch. That’s gotta hurt in more ways that one. Even my testosterone levels declined from merely being a witness.
3. Scott as the voice of reason. He and Johansen appear to be the only ones who realized that regardless of what happened, there is going to be an aftermath to navigate.
4. Johansen realizing the futility of it all, and defusing a potentially volatile situation with a dismissive wave of her hand. What a sublime moment for Alaina Huffman. Well done, Alaina.
5. We now understand why Rush was suspended in water, but not Chloe. the plot thickens…
Did we ever learn what secret hidden mission the Odyssey was on in SGA? In the last episode I believe it was. If not, will we ever?
As for tonight’s episode.. I liked it. It answered a few of my questions. Most of the time you guys end up answering the various questions that I have in the actual episodes.
Artic Goddess said: “How about have Greer take his clothes off and swim in a pool of water instead of her?”
I’d pay to see that! >:D Hell, even Eli or Rush! ^_^ Actually, why not all three, together in a pool! *hyperventilates and feints due to the thought*
Greer grew on me quick as a character. When the series first aired I immediately thought that Greer was going to be a total wacko and a hindrance to the “good guys”. Then it became increasingly apparent that the early episodes were laid out to be trying to intentionally mislead the viewer into thinking that he will be a wacko for most if not all of the series. Also increasingly apparent was that there was no true “good guys” or “bad guys” on the ship. Everyone was human, and thus, very flawed. Some just happen to be so more than others but in different ways. Greer, to me, is someone I’d have on my side if I were in a scrap. He is reliable enough, that’s for sure. By the end of Air Part 3 I no longer considered Greer to be a “psycho”. In fact, he really wasn’t to begin with, It seems.
Young, Wray, and Rush were quickly elevated to the “problem child” status in that they all butt heads and nobody could get along. The other characters [Eli, Greer, etc.] are merely followers. I say “followers” in that they will go along with whomever they trust the most, at the moment, to make the best decisions. They all are capable of independent thought, being individuals, but being who they are and being in the situation they are in they will want to “stick” with someone more often.
Scott I still find myself having a hard time to like. I mean, he is self sacrificing, willing to do everything for the safety and well being of everyone on the ship [civilian or otherwise] and is highly determined to the point of suicide [as seen in Air Part 3] but he still has many traits that I highly dislike. He is immature, for one thing and sleeps with any chick that comes along. Still, I’d like there to be more character development concerning him, even if he is on my least favourite character list for SGU in terms of over-all personality.
As for Chloe, I found myself hating her a lot at the beginning, to the point of seeing her as a waste of space in being that she was just there, it seemed, to be annoying. She was gullible and overall just shallow. I also saw her as merely a consumer of valuable resources [food/water] and took note that she didn’t contribute to the survival of the whole at all other than jabbering. Also, being from a well-to-do family didn’t help her one bit on the ship, or in the eyes of SGU fans. She gave off the whole “I’m disposable” vibe. I wanted her dead immediately. Now, however, I am interested in her and wish to see how she advances in the series. To take me from hating a character and then to being interested in, if not outright liking, a character that quickly is not an easy task. So, congratulations Joseph Mallozzi!
Now, one could look at me and see my previous view of wanting the characters I disliked [Greer, Chloe, Scott] to die off as extreme, and it certainly was, but it was all due to my perspective. It’s common for people to want what they dislike at the moment to just disappear so they don’t have to see it again. Once I changed my perspective and thought, “If I were REALLY trapped on that ship with those people, how would I behave and whose side would I choose.” than I saw the characters in an ENTIRELY different light. I think that is the beauty of SGU, in that you can find yourself relating to characters, even if in small ways. and thinking “If that was real and if I were there, what would happen to me?” For one thing, if I were on the ship, I would be like a cross between Eli, Scott, and Chloe in terms of personality and skills. If I were a character, I could easily be seen as being one of the ones to be “hated” and have people look at me like, “Oh, I wonder when she is going to get written/killed off?!” Once I started imagining myself with the characters and imagined myself as being apart of the story my outlook changed. If I were to be put on the ship RIGHT NOW than I couldn’t contribute in a major way to the crews survival [like Young,TJ, or Rush could] and I would certainly be expendable. For one thing I am not a soldier, but I am not afraid of guns [just overly cautious] and I would quickly gravitate towards a military person [like Greer] and learn as much as possible and as quickly as possible about guns and combat. Reason being, is that you are in a hostile environment and you don’t know when an alien creature is going to attack you [or a fellow crew member!!] I’d also take an interest in the ship and learning about it’s individual systems and how everything operates both on an individual level and as a whole and also how the systems would react under normal conditions and under stress. Doing so I could step in if someone else dies or is seriously injured and unable to work. Therefore I’d gravitate also to Rush, Eli, and Riley, as they are good with operating the ship’s systems. So, to put it simply, I’d most likely become a “Jack of all trades, master of none”
Storyline-wise [if I were on the ship] I’d grab Young, Wray, and Rush all by the collars and tell them to set their personal differences aside and live and let live just for the good of the crew. Young, I wouldn’t want to get physical with as despite being male and bigger than me he is a soldier [desk jockey or not] and knows how to fight dirty and with good technique. He is also quite direct and wouldn’t mind saying to your face that he hates your guts. He is similar to Rush in that respect. Wray, being female, I could definitely knock her out. She isn’t athletic [unlike me] and would rather do things from a safe distance. Like Rush she is the type to fight with words and to back stab. The worst I’d expect from her is a slap to the face and an angrily applied insult. Wray isn’t dangerous alone [in terms of physical strength and ability] but she is dangerous in she has the ability to quickly rouse others to her side to protect and fight for her. A quick reversal and then a sleeper hold and she’d be out for hours. Rush is a unique can of worms, he doesn’t have the training of someone in the military and is the type to fight with words and back stab but he also is equally likely to get in your face and throw punches. He is known to bite off more than he can chew. He doesn’t trust others and thus other people find it hard to trust him. Rush is some one that you do NOT turn your back to, under any circumstance, even if he says that you are on the same side, as he isn’t keen on sharing what he intends to do. He is very manipulative. He also isn’t very large [physically] and doesn’t think of effective ways on how to directly apply violence as seen with him hitting Young in the head with a rock. I’m quite confident that I’d be able to knock Rush out too, despite him being heavier due to him being a male. The reason Rush didn’t win against Young is because he didn’t have the mindset of “dirty” fighting [like biting, head-butting, and aiming below the belt]. His attacks were poorly executed and didn’t injure Young with more than a bonk on the head, a bloody nose, and a cut. I’ve been in wrestling and I got more than that in two classes! In one class I got my tail bone severely bruised [if not outright cracked] due to a kid being angry at me and kneeing me from using improper technique. I was sore for over a month from that. In another someone accidentally elbowed me in the nose. Went through an entire roll of toilet paper that day but I jumped right back in the action once the bleeding ceased. I’ve took Ju Jitsu, and the most I have learned from it is that size does matter and strength is very important but you can use your opponents body against them. Both the wrestling and martial arts are very technique based. Maybe Rush should have took one of those before picking a fight with Young! It was definitely a no-win scenario. Only way Rush could have won is if a hand gun magically appeared on the ground or if a lightning bolt from god struck down Young.
@ otros ojos
Come on! This is Joseph’s blog! There is going to be spoilers everywhere on SGU! He puts things up all the time!
I’ll be blunt. Many people [including me] wouldn’t even be on his blog if not for the fact that he has spoilers constantly up about Stargate. He is the main screenwriter/producer and an excellent source of information. Being interested in writing and producing in the future, possibly as a career, is also a reason I closely read what he has to say. Point is, many people come here to be spoiled about the series. A big spoiler tag, to me any ways, wouldn’t seem necessary but I could certainly see why you would want to put it there. Also. not to say that his life outside work is boring or anything [as his life certainly seems interesting] but the main reason most people take interest in reading about Mr. Mallozzi is due to his job and his abilities to bring characters to life.
@ Rafael *gives you a strong sedative and watches you drop to the floor* Medic! Hey, I know, let’s have TJ tend to ya! xD
@ Lucidman Yes, I agree. The good writing and wonderful acting is more than enough to change the viewers emotions. We don’t need overpowering music with someone HORRIBLY “singing” for that. Tonight’s music on Divided was especially bad. It’s extremely rare for me to push the mute button during a show, especially if I have been waiting a week to see an episode of a series I am very interested in and regularly watch. I usually reserve the mute button as something to be pushed during loud commercials. Something like this I count as an exception to the rule. Mr. Mallozzi, can you PLEASE do something, anything, to stop the annoying music on SGU? I beg of you! For instance, going more to classical music or just something entirely instrumental would suffice. Now, I’m not blaming you for it or anything [as I don’t know all the in’s and out’s of tv series production] but you can definitely influence people and their opinion, I know that as a fact.
P.S. Sorry for the exceedingly long posts, I usually only write this much when it’s really important to me [and I have lots of thoughts in my head that need to be put on paper, virtual or otherwise]. Also, it just seemed more efficient to have it all in one post instead of a dozen smaller ones! Any ways, I have blood-shot eyes, and my back hurts. Good night, world! *collapses on the bed and starts snoring loudly*
Coucou Joseph!! Comment ça va aujourd’hui??
Ahaha le frigo XD il est trop fort!!! A mon avie il doit être maléfique!^^
Les gateaux qu’a ramené Ashleigh ont l’air trés bon^^!
Ce midi je regarde sgu, je vous direz ce que j”en pense 🙂
Gros bisou:
Anais.
The fridge is probably a portal to another dimension sent for interdimensional infiltration prior to dimensional domination! crap I think I just used up a whole months vocabulary with that one.
I tend to agree with the notion of attraction between Joe and Ashleigh, its too much like the name-calling-hair-pulling that little kids do in the playground (hehe) All aboard the good ‘ship’ Joeleigh…..!
just pulling your leg(s) Joe and Ashleigh. Its been a while since I got chance to do some serious ribbing 🙂
Joe, “Divided” was awesome. Great tension – once again this week the hour was over before I knew it. Kudos once again to everyone involved. I realized I wasn’t quite sure who I was hoping to get the upper hand – both sides had rationale for their actions. TV that makes you think – good work! Personally, I enjoy the music-over montages, but I would be cautious of using that TOO often at risk of dulling the impact.
I was wondering about the times when Destiny was dropping out of FTL – I presume that it was stopping so that they could use the gate to go somewhere, but they just weren’t taking the opportunity? Or was there another intended reason that didn’t really come across? I’ll have to watch it again, but I remember it as them also knowing that the second drop out of FTL was coming up, and I don’t remember them being able to do that before.”
Hi, Joe.
Wow. I did not expect to like ‘Divided’ – or Mutiny on the Destiny.
I was wrong. I LOVED Divided.
This was Paul’s episode, am I correct?
And a new director to Stargate! Felix Alcala did an excellent job. Hope we get to see more of his work.
I have a question left over from ‘Space.’
When the Destiny dropped out of FTL to orbit that planet with the purple plants … did the ship drop out of FTL for the planet itself … or to give a chance for the Blue Aliens to show up, so that Rush could be returned to the ship?
And a question for ‘Divided.’
Are we really to believe that Rush didn’t “know” that the docking clamps wouldn’t work? He’d get rid of two birds (well, one full bird [colonel] at least) with one stone – Young (for being so pesky) and Scott, who was enamored with Chloe, who now Rush appears to be interested in?
When are we going to meet Dr. Inman?
Looking forward to ‘Faith.’
Best wishes.
Hi Joe,
You were right all along. Divided was epic! Best episode so far if you ask me. Maybe other episodes had better parts, but overall, the entire episode of Divided was awesome! Great work! Really solid!
Just one thing though… Will there be a follow-up on all the damage Destiny has sustained? Will we see some automated repair systems at work? You can’t keep blowing holes in Destiny and have it sustaining damage, can you?
Anyway, congrats to you and the rest of the crew/staff/writers/producers/actors etc. for making Divided into the awesome episode it was. It delivered! 🙂
P.S. What’s up with you and Ashleigh?
Yo! Loved the episode, but as a fan, it is my moral responsibility to inform you of one minor infraction… the choice of music in the opening montage. That style is hhhhooorrriiibbbllleeee, and even if it weren’t, the vocalist is. And even if the vocalist weren’t, whatever method of recording is. It sounds like the vocal track was recorded separately from the instruments, and in another room. Just the two cents of a music major though ;-).
Still loved the episodes. Keep up the great work! 🙂
Oh, and I had a query:
Can we assume most of the holes in the Destiny we saw in Air, Part 2 are from previous encounters with the blue aliens?
and
The pod at the end of Air Part 3: Was that the same pod on the hull (As in, did it just move at the end of Air 3), or was it a second pod that went to report back to its mothership about the new passengers aboard the Destiny?
Love the cookie trick! I will have to try that on someone…someday! 😉
Divided was your favorite? I thought it was a good ep, but not enough to merit a favorite. It seemed to move slow and the non military were clueless and I thought Rush could do better at detecting the military.
However, David Blue was wonderful and I did enjoy the acting. The highlights for me were when Eli was trying to decide who to listen to, when TJ told the troop that they weren’t going to shoot, and when Young walked in on the Wray/Rush conversation. So, anyway…enjoyable, but not a favorite for me…
S
I like how the civilians say the military is being a dictator ship when the military is the one that keeps saving tgeir asses. And I wasn’t buying Chloe’s story that she knew nothing, she’s a little mole, stringing Eli along and then using her sexuality to keep Scott clueless. I like Greer more and more each week. Another great episode! Can’t wait for next week!
So when is the payback for the almost-make-him-eat-a-loaded-cookie trick? Inquiring minds want to know and eagerly await the description of that event.
I actually met Lawrence Watt-Evans! I’m turning into a horrible groupie in my old age; all I managed to say was “here, have some candy, or some fruit”. Which he partook of. But got to listen in to a nice conversation he carried on with those around less tongue-tied than myself. He now is officially good people in my book. I just wish the pics of him in his books were better. Even after he was pointed out to me, I had to check the name badge to confirm his identity….
As for Divided. Confession time. Not my favorite episode. Good, but not great. First problem was that the episode started grating my nerves with the music in the opening teaser. Found it distracting and impossible to ignore as I followed the nightmare sequence. Fortunately, the show improved after that. Loved how Rush used the situation to decide on launching the mutiny. Was a bit surpised at the straight military/civilian division, as earlier episodes had led me to believe at least some of the military types were leaning towards “the other side”. Chloe’s betrayal was a nice touch. Eli’s confronting her on her on it was even better. And the circumstances were plausible in bringing about an at least temporary resolution.
So, why didn’t I like it more? First, Wray is a non-entity in my book at this point. I’ve complained before about her lack of leadership. this episode alas reinforces that perception in me. She hovers, she doesn’t step up and claim responcibility, and she allows others (i.e. Rush) to control the situation. I just don’t see her as an effective alternative to Young. And while Rush seems to be enjoying the sympathy of everyone who hates Young for abandoing him, Rush is not qualified as a leader. heck, he can’t effectively mentor or tutor a co-worker.
At least Rush was was fun to watch as he wrestled with control with Eli over the computer system. And while Wray made the call, it looked like Rush was coming to the same decision himself. I’ll be watching the episode again to confirm my take, but that’s my first impression.
More puzzling to me was the implant. Why did the aliens bother to implant him in the first place? As the first sample/specimen captured off of Destiny, surely he was worth more to them as a captive than as a plant. When did the aliens expect to put him back aboard Destiny and how? If their transmitters could be so small as to implant inside a human body, why not put several similiar-sized trackign devices on the exterior of Destiny? No way the crew would ever have been able to find them all. While the tracking bit made for some drama, I found it a bit distracting from the main storyline of the mutiny.
Still, looking forward to seeing how said mutiny is handled. I’m even interested in seeing how the Earthside authorities try to deal with the situation, even though it means using those damned stones again. (A plus for bringing in an expert to operate on Rush, a D for convienant timing of the interuption of signal). All I will say is “more Greer” for now.
Thanks for the daily post and glad you enjoyed the cookies. You didn’t have any um, bathroom issues, did you, after eating them?
You know, those curve-front fridges cost 100’s of dollars more than fridges that are equivalent in every other way. No wonder ya’ll run out of VFX money. It’s gloating.
Congratulations Joe and Paul on a very excellent episode “Divided”.
I enjoyed the dialogue, plot and great acting through and through. Never saw the tracking device gimmick coming, nor thought of an alien ship left attached to the hull.
As others here have said, simply riveting. Keep up the great work.
And I loved the background music, as well as the many well placed sound effect punctuations… good job Joel!
Patiently awaiting to be further “wowed” by next week’s eppy.
Thanks again to the entire SGU family!
😀
2cats
Hello,
I have been a longtime fan of your work and that of Paul also. I have enjoyed the stargate series and I hope that everything is what we all hope for and that this doesn’t get canceled on us. I had a question and I’m not sure if you read these but I wanted to send you a draft of a script that I had written. It was originally meant for Atlantis but I have rewritten it to fit Universe. I know its probably a crazy idea but maybe it’ll be worth your while, you never know until you try so I have been told.
Thank you and I hope to get a reply soon,
Cyndi Freeman
Awesome episode. Really enjoyed the growing tension between Young and Rush. They both possess hero-like qualities and villianous ones, which makes the decision of which side to take a laborious one.
Looking forward to seeing Rush develop feelings that go higher than admiration and respect for someone and very curious as to who that someone might be.
@Maddog316
How can you think the military is doing all the ‘ass-saving’? Guess you bypass the efforts all the civilian scientists that actually got the ship running. Yeah, I mean, that was no big deal afterall. Who needs a ship in deep space!
Seriously, the military has been useful offworld a couple times and that is it. During the alien fight, they did much to no good, and almost caused their downfall in the second fight when Col Young wanted to lower the shields to focus on GUNS. Haha! Typical.
Give me a break. The military on Destiny isn’t some great force of salvation for everybody. They are one component to everybody’s overall survival and SHOULD BE TREATED AS THUS! Therefore, they shouldn’t rule over everybody with an iron fist. In combat situations, their opinion should carry more weight, but there have been relatively few of those and they clearly don’t know the ship & capabilities/limitations as well as the CIVILIAN scientists.
Which returns to my original post, just because you have guns doesn’t mean you should whip them out to exercise your authority. The military would be F*ked if they lost all the civilians on board (including Eli/Rush/Botany team), and they should learn to work together as a team rather than working as an ‘army of one’ so to speak.
-Morticae
Dear Joe,
I know you probably have little to do with selecting the soundtrack/music in an episode, but I just wanted to know that hearing Divided open with Brand New’s “You Won’t Know” almost sent me into tears of joy. Brand New has been my favorite band for the longest time, and hearing them featured so well in my favorite show was simply thrilling. Thank you for that.
Also, I loved the episode; it kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Thanks for giving me a great way to spend Friday night!
Daniel
I haven’t had time to comment on “Space” but I liked hat episode very much.
Divided was even better ^^
For me, in the first half of the season, the focus was too much on relationsships (sure, we got to know the characters but that didn’t make it better).
Of course, you can argue that Divided was very much about relationships as well, but I like that kind of relationsships (das described not long ago which drama she likes and which she doesn’t and I agree with her).
You were right about the second half being better, it was worth waiting ^^
My favorite scene is Rush not letting Young and Scott die by stopping the transfer.
I don’t think many people would pick that scene but until now, it has been Rush who kept me watching the show.
At the end of Justice, I was disappointed with Young and I like to see that he is disappointed with himself as well. So it was an action he didn’t really think through and regretted later on.
It was a little too easy for Young to get back in command. The surgery was a little too easy as well, but I can live with that 🙂
The conflict won’t be forgotten, so there’s more to come. Great episode 🙂
So,with the alien who took the communication stone from Rush dead,they can now connect back to earth?
I’m dying to know…how long will the Destiny crew deal with the effects of the boarding in Incursion?
Hey Joe
Was just wondering about a comment made by Eli last night On Divied. I believe he said something along the lines of Destiny’s automated defences protecting the ship over the years, keeping the Aliens off the ship. If this is correct, how could the Destiny have protected itself all those years when the weapons systems seem to be so severly damaged, causing power surges all over the ship, and draining large amounts of power from the shield at the same time? Also, is there a reason the “Main Weapon” on the Destiny in Space was lowered down from bellow the ship, and the 2 large side mounted cannons that we have seen were not used?
Loved Divided as well by the way. My favorite episode so far by far!
That fridge is the scariest inanimate object ever. In fact I think it’s too scary to be inanimate, you’d better watch out with that thing around. And keep us updated on whether it does anything sinister.
It reminds me of a time when I was little and my cousin pointed out that the taillights of cars often look like scary faces. I couldn’t look at other cars for ages afterwards because I was scared they were glaring at me. I was young, OK?! Anyway, maybe those cars were related to your fridge. What do you think?
Cheers,
Amz/Amy
I don’t understant why some of the people here don’t like music og SGU? I love it, especially the “Don’t Forget To Breathe” song from Air Part 3 and “The Worst Day Since Yesterday” from Life. Can we expect a full SGU Soundtrack when the whole season has aired?
Wonderful show! Keep it up! 🙂
Oh and just a fear I had about the episode title “The greater good”: that’s not the one in which Rush gets killed, right?
It’s just calling for a Rush-centric episode (though “For the greater good” would have been even worse for me)
The episodes are getting better at the moment and it’s not only his character anymore that keeps me watching (and that strange kind of “fan loyality”) but that’s not a reason to kill him off >.< please
Tell Carl not to become a murderer! 😉
It's always funny to read your interactions with Ashleigh and that fridge looks really scary xD
Observations
The coup was doomed from the start. The scientists need the military too much. If they plan to go off-world to get, oh I don’t know, food or water, who did they think was going to do it? Or protect who was going to do it? The two sides would have to have been integrated again at some point. Because whether they like it or not THEY NEED EACH OTHER. As soon as that happened, the military would have taken over again. Weapons or no weapons the military are trained in combat. Wray got played by Rush. Big Time. Rush will always have his own agenda, she better learn that fast. Plus, she is delusional if she thinks that she is any kind of a leader. If the civilians had a more viable option for a leader, then perhaps they should take over command, but it is definitely not Wray.
At first I was surprised by Chloe’s decision to side with the scientists. She did know that it was going down and I do think she was trying to distract Eli. You could tell by the look on her face. It was only when Scott/Young ran into trouble that she moved over to the terminal and called Eli attention to the transfer. She was then able to run directly to the new lab/command center (Wray didn’t even know where/what it was). Now that the coup is over, I think she’s surprised that there may be repercussions for her actions, regarding her relationships with Eli and Scott. She seemed to be under the impression that they would take over and everything would be fine. No hard feelings.
Don’t get me started on the shields again.
Joe you had indicated that you regretted having the Asgard technology brought in, as it made things to easily solvable. I have a feeling the stones may be the same. Oh we need a surgeon, stones. Oh we need a repair crew, stones. Oh we need Samantha/Rodney, stones. They may need to be ‘accidently’ destroyed. Although that could become Chloe’s purpose on board the ship, become the Stone Person De Jour.
Questions
1. When the Divided episode started why were they just sitting out of FDL? I thought they only dropped out of FDL when the ship needed something e.g. energy or a planet to replenish supplies.
2. Why would Young even go on that mission in the first place? His place is in the Control Room to handle any problems that might arise. As far as I could tell, it was just supposed to be a simple mission of detaching/destroying the pod. So someone else should have handled it.
Overall the episode was really fast moving and I really enjoyed it. I like the music, although, amongst the other commenter’s, it seems to be a love/hate thang. In next week’s clip – I like Eli’s Star Trek reference and his reaction. Priceless! However, don’t tell me that in a room full of scientists, they didn’t know what the Genesis Project was. Yeah because scientists never watch/read SciFi, esp. Trek. Can’t wait!!
Have a good one!
Kymm
Semi-random questions about Destiny. Does the ship have any sort of self-regenerating capacity, like Liberator from Blake’s 7? And how much of the computer system is still cut off from Rush et.al.? Might we look forward to some more revelations about the ship itself, and/or its computer?
So Ashleigh tries to prank you and then beats you … I take it your relationship has soured a bit? Perhaps you should threaten to lock her in a room alone with the Evil Fridge.
I liked Divided a lot, although admittedly not quite as much as Space. It was still a great package of drama and action. Was surprised to see the Space Aliens quite so soon again. And boy, these last episodes were fast paced – they should really silence some critics who claim that “nothing happens” on SGU.
One detail that once again fascinated me was Destiny’s automated behavior. It seems odd that the ship would just sit there and wait until the timer has counted down while it’s attacked and the shields run out of juice. Destiny seems too smart for a simple auto pilot but also not quite adaptive enough for some kind of AI. Do you guys have any intention of exploring what exactly is in control of Destiny at this point?
I agree, with most of the stuff said in the comments, worth noting that even the most hardened of SGU haters seem to love eps 11 – 12, the Mallozzi/Mullie combo renewing peoples faith in the series has to mean something at least.
Joseph said: ” About ten tablespoons of salt and pepper.”
Whoa! I can’t even imagine what that’d taste like! If it were me, I’d kindly take a bite and spit it out on Ashleigh! 😀
Here is what you can do as a get back: Make your own batch of innocent-looking but potent cookies and then leave one on her desk with a note attached saying: “From a secret admirer”. You could also get a fancy heart-shaped box, remove the real chocolates in it, and replace it with your own cookies that look like chocolate cookies but in reality are fakes and have the super-secret and super-potent ingredient in it. Have it with a bear or balloons to make it look all the more innocent. If she asks if it is from you than suddenly make yourself busy and casually say some guy left it on her desk. You can even make up a description of the guy. If the trick works and the cookies made potent enough than one tiny bite and her eyes would bulge out! Then you can throw your head back and go, “Mwahahah!”
Oh, and that fridge…it gives me the creeps! I’ve had tarantulas as pets and I love snakes too but that fridge tops them all in terms of creepiness! If it were on Destiny than I think Rush and Chloe would be having nightmares about the fridge gobbling them up when they go to get a beer instead of the aliens!
Speaking of SGU, I’m having urges to watch Divided again on Hulu. Must…stay…away…from…it….*gives in and watches it over*
“Divided” was amazing. The tension was almost unbearable.
One question – why did Destiny make two short jumps in a row?
Good episode. I am a fan of SG-U. I wouldn’t change anything about the show. I like the stories, and I like the work of the cast and crew.
Haha, I love that fridge – its the perfect diet fridge – I’ll scare you away from the food *g*
And I like Ashleighs cartoon character like poses 🙂
“the rare blood disorder I contracted fighting a drunken monkey”
Not one from Sumatra perchance?
“P.S. As if that wasn’t enough, Ashleigh also hit me today. ”
You are sure she wasn’t trying to hit on you? 😉
Anyway, +2 for Rush having nicked one of the stones. -10 for some noisy machine left on during the first few minutes. And I wish, just once, someone would disable an intravenous bug with an EMP.
You should have posted a pic of the cover and let us vote on it. We like to feel useful.
I was working on SGU and missed watching “Divided” on TV so it took a while before it became available on iTunes for download. Now that I’ve seen it, “Divided” is one of my favorite Staragte (SG-1, SGA and SGU) episodes.
I would love to see what the start of the episode looked like on the page.
Awww Ashleigh you should have went ahead with the plan, you have now shown uncertainty/kindness. That will be exploited. It does not bode well for you in the future. I’m so sorry!
As for the fridge, Joe, you should have the sound effects guys rig up a gadget that everytime someone opens the door it makes a different sound. Like a roar, goes boo, horror scream, kitten mewl etc. Don’t know if this is actually possible but it would be funny.
Kymm
Hi Mr M!
Have been lying low to avoid spoilers!!
Am finishing up BOTM. Interesting!!
*cough **DVD Commentary**cough*
Also, those cookies look yum!
Best from spoiler free Ireland
S’n’T
Probably going to have to break this up because it’s very long, but: Loved Divided. Should be lots of repercussions from these events. Lots of questions raised and issues to be resolved.
Nice to see Wray getting a backbone and actually standing up to Young. Did she approach Rush with the plan for taking over the ship, did he somehow manipulate her into thinking it was her idea, or did they mutually arrive at the same conclusion? How were the other civilians recruited? Young stated that there were “a half dozen” civilians on the military side of the line after the coup and that they all claimed to know nothing of the takeover plan. Lying to protect themselves or truly unaware and, if unaware, why? Did the rest not think they could be trusted or did they just not have time to recruit them? I can see Eli not being approached because of his naiveté and his belief that everyone should just get along. To approach him would most likely have resulted in his telling Young so that the conflict could be avoided.
Wray obviously knows that Young abandoned Rush on the Justice planet. Are we going to find out how she knows? Did Rush tell her or did she figure it out herself and got confirmation from him?
It also appears that more people are finding out about the little detail of the abandonment, which has to worry them since they need Rush if they ever hope to get home and, yet, Young was willing to sacrifice him because of a personal conflict. That being the case, it’s unlikely the other civilians would feel safe, which would certainly serve to predispose them to take part in the takeover. After all, if Young can do that to Rush, who they need, how much less would it take for the same to happen to someone not so “necessary” if any of them should step out of line?
Greer’s loyalties have been very clearly defined and they lie solidly with Young. In quelling the “mutiny”, he had absolutely no qualms about knocking out the two civilians by the door to let Scott in, his comment to Young about Rush, and his tacit threat to shoot Volker where he stood if he didn’t comply with the order to get on the floor. He’s tended to be more or less friendly with everyone previously (in a gruff sort of way), but with Divided, he went coldly military, completely focused on his task and damn the consequences. By and large, Greer hasn’t had any problems with the civilians; however, after this, I would think that they’ll be a lot more wary of him.
Some nice stuff with Chloe, too. I have to admit I didn’t much care for the character initially, but she’s starting to grow on me. I like that she is becoming more mature and not so much the “my father is a United States Senator” and the accompanying sense of her being a pampered and spoiled little brat. She has had an extremely bad experience, one she shares with Rush, and the developments in their interactions with each other are very intriguing. She’s gone from blaming him for her father’s death, to keeping his secret about the tracking device – even protecting him over it.
After Chloe’s nightmare at the beginning of the episode, she sought out Rush to talk to because he’s the only one that can really understand what she’s going through right now, not even Scott can help, and I find that to be a really nice touch. She also seems to be able to exert some influence over Rush now as evidenced by his stopping the transfer of control in order that Eli could operate the docking clamps on the shuttle, thereby saving the lives of Scott and Young. Yes, Wray was exhorting him to do it, but I think it was for Chloe that he actually made that decision, a decision that he had to know would lead to Young breathing down his neck even more.
That Chloe would be the one to volunteer to have her body taken over by a doctor in order to operate on Rush to remove the tracking device again speaks to the changing dynamic of their relationship with each other. If this situation had played out toward the beginning of their time on Destiny, I think she would likely not have made the same decision, or at least would have had to think long and hard about it first before making the offer.
I got the sense from Air I that the issues and animosity between Young and Rush existed prior to their arrival on Destiny, and that animosity goes much deeper than Rush simply wanting control of the ship. When Rush, Sen. Armstrong, Chloe, and Eli arrived on Icarus, Rush was standing with them as part of the group, and remained with them until Young came out to greet the new arrivals. At that point, Rush gave him a bit of a disdainful look and separated himself from the rest of the group, moving away toward the entrance to the base. Is the source of the conflict between them going to be explored further in later episodes?
Young seems to have finally realized that he has a bigger problem on his hands than just Rush. I suspect he might delve further into paranoia, particularly since he now has confirmation that “they” really are out to get him, before he comes to terms with his “enemies”. He’s known pretty much from the outset that he needs to keep Rush under control, but now he knows he has to worry about Wray and her influence as well – something he had previously written off as of no consequence. He already feels guilty about what he did to Rush, but he also knows that Rush is still a threat to him. When the coup took place, Young’s automatic assumption was that Rush was behind it, yet that assumption was belied by Rush’s comment to Wray about it being her idea, which comment Young overheard.
Also, is Young now going to subscribe to the “keep your enemies closer” school of thought and have Rush watched so closely and constantly that he’s going to get claustrophobic from being unable to move without tripping over Young or one of the military types? Not that he isn’t used to being spied on already, but I’d guess Young would ramp it up a few notches after Rush’s latest escapade. Is he going to start having Wray watched, too? How many people can he have under surveillance before there’s another “mutiny”, one that involves the military as well?
Strangely, I think that, in his own way, Young may also start to protect Rush to a certain extent. He regrets leaving Rush on the planet and, when Young threatened to shoot him if he didn’t give Eli the lock out code, the look Rush gave him seemed to suggest that he thought it was a very real possibility that Young would actually carry through on his threat, and Young had to have noticed. I think that having someone, even Rush, afraid of him would be very disquieting for Young. He likes being the “father figure”, the “nice guy”, and having everyone look up to him, and someone like Rush being afraid of him serves to dispel the image that he has of himself.
However, Rush is very self-confident and self-assured, but his fear of Young, and Young’s realization of that, is likely to affect how he interacts with Rush in the foreseeable future. Whether he uses that fear to advantage to get compliance out of Rush, at least as much as he can, or works to dispel that fear remains to be seen, but protecting Rush from harm is actually in Young’s best interests.
People already know or suspect Young of having something to do with Rush being left behind in Justice and, should it happen again, that suspicion will start to crystallize into a certainty, and the ones that already know will lose even more confidence in Young’s ability to lead. The sentiment being, if he can’t handle Rush and so abandons or kills him, how can he possibly be the best person to lead them? If something should happen to Rush on a planet, and there is no independent corroboration from civilians, only military personnel, the consensus is likely to be that Young got rid of him again or allowed him to be hurt and the military is covering for him.
Young also seemed to make an about-face once Eli told him about the tracking device in Rush, in that the overt threat disappeared and he told TJ to take it out, arguments made to the contrary about their not having the tools or skill to do so notwithstanding. The obvious choice was that Rush was a threat to them all just by being on board and to eliminate him was to eliminate the threat, yet he didn’t do that. Instead, he set them out to remove the danger without removing Rush himself.
He may not want to do it, but Young is going to have to cede some form of control to Wray or the situation on Destiny is going to deteriorate even further. Maybe something along the lines of: When we’re in FTL or stopped with no danger about, Wray is in charge, but during any off ship explorations or fighting engagements, Young is in charge.
TJ seemed to be more exasperated by the whole situation, and somewhat disappointed in Chloe in particular, but not really surprised by it. I can’t help but wonder if she perhaps saw it coming. Her overall position seems to be neutral – we’re not going to fight our own people – but she also showed a harder side to Chloe with her “this is what we do” statement in reference to fighting/warfare and the rather cold way in which she delivered it. I really like TJ, and there is lots of potential with her character.
Scott appears to be somewhat adrift in his relationship with Chloe. He knows something is wrong, but he’s unable to help her and that frustrates him. His suggestion that she talk to TJ seems to have fallen on deaf ears. I think he is at least somewhat aware that there has been a shift in the relationship between Chloe and Rush, which he finds disturbing as evidenced by the look on his face when he saw them together at the end of the cross hallway while on his way to the shuttle, and by her being with Rush during the takeover. Further exploration of Scott’s reaction to the change, and his attempts to cope with/understand it, could result in some very compelling scenes.
Scott supports Young’s position regarding control of the Destiny, yet doesn’t like the fact of the conflict with the civilians, which is plainly evidenced by his parting comment of “we still have to live with these people tomorrow” as the military types set out to retake the ship. I think he is somewhat torn on this front between his desire to support his commanding officer and his not wanting to hurt people he has come to know and care about. He also seemed disappointed to find Chloe with the “rebels”.
Eli is kind of hard for me to pin down. Maybe it’s because, at 25, he’s just too innocent. I find it difficult to reconcile the fact that he’s an adult with his more childish outlook on life. He seems to see things only in terms of black and white and can’t see the grays. He also can’t seem to understand that not everything is right or wrong, and that there are gradations toward each side of the spectrum in every situation.
He is learning, though. His suspicion that Chloe was in the control room to distract him from what Rush was doing in transferring control; his trying to stop Rush from activating the shields, without telling him why, while Young and Greer were on the hull; his not telling Young about the tracking device in Rush’s chest until it became necessary to do so; his actually taking a stand in opposition to Young and backing Rush’s position regarding not firing the weapons; and his little acts of rebellion by backtalking.
Pursuant to my previous contention about Eli’s culpability for their being on Destiny, I do think it would be interesting for him to realize that responsibility and how he copes with that knowledge.
Rush. What can I say. I absolutely love Rush. He’s a very complex character.
When Young entered the chamber, the look on Rush’s face plainly showed that he was scared of what he would do, even more so when Eli told him about the tracker. I also think that Rush allying himself with Wray was, at least in part, due to self-preservation. Since Young had already tried to kill him once, Rush would have to contemplate that another attempt would certainly be within the realm of possibility, especially if Young found out about the tracking device, which would provide the justification of keeping everyone else aboard safe from the aliens.
Rush also seems to be more malleable to being influenced by others, not as stand-offish and irascible as he was before his little “adventure”. Carried through from Chloe?
Certainly, taking the time to rescue Chloe could not have been in Rush’s best interests since it meant that there was a greater possibility of his being caught before they could escape the alien ship, yet he did it anyway, and at the end of Space was not only sitting with a group of people, but was talking to them civilly.
Regarding their conversation in the hallway, from their postures, my impression is that Chloe wanted to reveal something, probably about the tracking device in Rush, and Rush was trying to dissuade her from doing so.
Question: If I had been anesthetized and subsequently woke up to find someone cutting into my chest, I’m pretty certain that my reaction would be somewhat more violent than “What are you doing to me?” So, does Rush’s reaction, or lack thereof, mean that the venom used for the sedative allows consciousness to return before sensation?
Anyway, overall, the episode was very well done, the storyline was fantastic, and the little nuances of character that the actors put into it was nothing short of brilliant. Kudos to everyone involved.
(As an aside, way to go elliev! Do you have a doorway into the writers’ heads? Kind of like that movie Being John Malkovich? Oh, and, um, shower scene. Please?)
Divided wasn’t quite what i was expecting… which is good as I was expecting it to be dull…
Theory time, based on space and divided…
Destiny: Yellow shields, Yellow weapons, yellow weapons on the shuttle… yellow yellow yellow… same colour, same origin.
Alien Ship: Blue shields, White/yellow main weapon, red bolt weapons on the ‘fighters’…
Different colours, different origins perhaps… and given their interest in destiny the theory is that like humanity they acquire/scavenge/steal alien tech and use it to their own ends, although they’re a little more persistent [and aggressive] than humanity. Essentially Destiny is better than what they currently have so they want it.
on a different note… the Alien ‘Sweet Potato’ in justice… what were the actors actually eating [if anything]?
@logan
“Rush and Wray made their play…and came up short.”
Mostly because they don’t have the guts to kill of the military.
“Even my testosterone levels declined from merely being a witness.”
Young padwan, you shame us – you should have been contemplating ways of strangeling her *g*
@terraforce
“Everyone was human”
Other opnions are available.
Just watched last night’s ep on Hulu. I have to say, that surgery scene was intense. Very cool. It was nice to see them at least try getting an expert from Earth when the situation called for it. I find it slightly hard to believe that the lines were so clearly divided, that there weren’t a few military personnel who thought maybe the civilians had a point, or a few civilians who thought Young was doing a good job. But overall a good ep. I felt bad for Eli, stuck between Rush and Young as he is, and while Chloe annoyed me at the beginning, it was nice to see her doing something… well, if not useful, then at least interesting. I’m curious how this will affect her relationship with Scott, among others.
I’m confused about the Stone that Young said that Rush took. The case has a place for 5 stones and as recent as “Space”, it shows that they have all 5 stones during Young’s session with the Alien (you can see the four left in their spots in the case during the scene where the Alien in Young’s body looks around and then attacks Scott).
Young said that Rush took the stone when he was the first to open the case (in “Air”?), but the case has always had the 5 stones in the 5 stone-shaped cut-out places.
Even your image that you provided for the “use the crutch” scene in “Darkness” shows all five stones.
https://josephmallozzi.files.wordpress.com/2009/08/img_0072x.jpg
And out of curiosity, if Rush has had the Stone on him since the beginning of their stay on Destiny, how has he prevented its being locked on as the nearest stone?
Thanks,
Debi 🙂
On behalf of the gang at Chimaeracon, I thank you. Numbers, activity, and noise level looked good Friday night and Sat. thru mid-afternoon.
Came home for a break but physically tired. Can’t convince myself to go back tonight (Sat.).
Again, I watched “Divided” a couple of times and am now on my third watch. I have to tell you that I really like how things are unfolding in the crew’s relationship to each other in the circumstances they are in. I especially like the women coming to terms with their predicament and am hoping that we see more “take charge” moments. I think you’re on your way now…
TO ELYSE: I would like to know how long it took to film in the tank. I know we see what might take a couple of minutes but that filming usually takes hours. I have to give you full marks for being trapped in a tank. Drowning/suffocating is one of my worst nightmares – I can’t imagine doing it without a lot of people around and a lot of hand holding… so to speak. Great stuff!!
Continuing…
Got home Fri. night in time for second showing (Eastern US feed) of “Divided”. Opening powerful and believable in its full context.
@terraforce re spoiler alerts: You may not care about those fandom conventions, but please respect those who do.
Spoiler alerts are a courtesy extended to fans who are outside North America. You’ll note that Joe does not himself discuss the details for several days. Remember, the UK sees SGU the Monday (?) following US/Canada broadcast. Australians don’t see it until the next Friday or Sat.
Hi
Enjoying the continued series – thanks!
What do you think of ‘Kick Ass’? (sorry if already asked and answered)
I wonder where Rush’s missing stone is, and are there any means of internally scanning bodies for such even if they would show up? Seems not, for the tracker implant was only found by surgery, after Rush fessed up. Could be in him? Chloe?
The fact he fessed up is something that makes me ponder, too. Was he primed to do so? Was the tracker a decoy, meant to be found?
Quite remarkable that a tracker was fitted when he was in a tank. They must have planned to use him by returning him to Destiny. Chloe, too, by that logic. And then, remarkably, Young’s stone comms effort leads him to the ship, into the body of an alien – who must have had the/a stone (only if Rush had two, or they can duplicate) – just when Rush is primed? A set-up? Trojan horses?
Rush have food with others while something alien is inside him was a nod to ‘Alien’?
Might the alien tech – wreckage of tracker implant, the pod used by Rush and Chloe to escape, etc – be reversed-engineered to track and/or pull a fast one on them? Possibly via a Gate because…
…those jellied, jangly buggers are looking for all sorts of ways to penetrate the defenses of Destiny, and methinks they’ll be backtracking through its route (having followed it for so long) to find a Gate (having sussed such tech and codes from trying to get at Rush’s knowledge), and they’ll dial-in.
But from where? Maybe they already know some Gates but have never been able to crack the code. Now, through Rush, the race is on…
When and where might they have first encountered Destiny and it became a target? Could be it seeded their world or one in their territory?
So, if they want more info, maybe an alternative to Rush is a target – Eli at risk? Horror of selective abduction, echoing fears here, on Earth, of alleged helpless Contactees? Nice play!
Oh – and given they track Destiny and can mess with it when out of FTL, which is when the crew go down to planets, why did it take an alien ship being found and reactivated by Rush to draw them?
I’m really enjoying the series. Great to break out of the procedural episodic approach. Congratulations to the team. Great, too, to have seen the actors hanging out for meals, etc, as shown on your blog. All the more enjoyable to watch their transformation when caught in the crucible of Destiny.
Would love to be breaking stories ‘In the room’. Hey, who wouldn’t?
best
Patrick
Hi Joe, missed SGU again, no idea when I’ll be able to get caught up 🙁 Qucik update on Elway: Went to visit him in the ICU this morning, he was a bit out of it and in considerable pain, but had eaten a bit and went for a slow walk to a quick pee outside. He sat in my lap for a while, checked out a couple of dogs with the usual cute look on his face, and then he tired. The surgeon is allowing him to have some vanilla ice cream tomorrow (his favorite), so that will be post-breakfast dessert 🙂 His incision is brutal – so much so I got a little weak-kneed when I saw it. The university does not allow visitors in the afternoon, so we won’t see him again until tomorrow morning, but they said we could stay as long as we want. I took him his favorite blanket and toy this morning, so at least he has something from home to comfort him a bit. They’ve kept me updated, and I feel comfortable after seeing what wonderful care he is receiving. We’re off to bed already (only 9:00 p.m. here), but it’s been a very long week. Now, just keeping our fingers crossed this all works out. Have a great night 🙂
@Brian
“Some of the best marriages I know of have started off like you and Ashleigh.”
What? Where the one party is trying to poison the other? 😉
…and, reflecting on comments by Morjana, Stormy
– interesting angle on poss motivation for Rush over shuttle’s two crew members, Young and Scott. Rivals both? Hmmm
– might alien contact with a stone open door to Earth contact? Hmmm, don’t the stones need to sit on a ‘power box’ at each end of the link? If so, how was the Young-alien link created for he had a stone and the box but the alien was just standing in a corridor on its spaceship. Hmm – they’ve been messing with, reverse-engineering and copying the tech, possibly as Rush had a stone and maybe a power-box (second one that he found on the ship, secretly?) in his bag down on the planet and then the aliens had them to play with…they’ve implanted ‘copy-stones’ in some of their crew…Earth contact might be possible?…manipulation with Destiny crew, too…maybe even at the same time…?
best!
Patrick
…Hold on…did the aliens almost take control of Destiny in ‘Divided’? Via Rush? They sussed the split with Young and have primed Rush like a Manchurian candidate, possibly aware of some aspects of his motivations, fears…? Therefore they helped to engineer the division in the crew (remarkable timing!) – divide and conquer an enemy, indeed?
Patrick
I’ve been on the side of overthrowing the military since the show was announced. Even before I knew there would be civilians, I could tell this situation was beyond what even the military members signed up for.
I considered Young a psycho when I saw him threaten to leave Wray behind in Light just for questioning him. I wasn’t sure if he was being set-up as inadequate then or if it was just written in for dramatic effect. What I find horrifically authoritarian isn’t always the same as what ya’ll normal people find horrifically authoritarian so I wasn’t sure whether to let that observation about Young slide as just a dramatic throw-away that wouldn’t predict his future behavior or not.
Divided…another top notch episode. You have to wonder how all these people are going to be able to live with each other and watch each others backs. Trust is going to be a big issue from now on, time for lots of tension. Young is showing why he is such a great leader. Loved the Doctor “disappearing” during surgery. Nice touch.
OMG OMG… Wow. IMO this is the best SGU episode so far & possibly one of the best ever… Normally I only check the blog daily & don’t bother to post much but this time I just had to.
Action, suspense, character development all superbly done. Love the way you developed the Rush-Chloe relationship & how Scott felt threatened/betrayed by it. Hope this is not a one off thing for these two episode & you would continue to develop it further. AND Finally Chloe had a big part to play in an episode.
Superb episode. I have a feeling that this episode just might be the turning point in the series…
‘Divided’ will be a tough episode to beat, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed. Wanna give us a hint where that might just happen ?
SGU is really beginning to hook me in. This is problematic SF fare and my appreciation for this series is growing. I’m glad I stuck with it to see it coming into its own.
Great episode of SGU Divided is they best episode of the season so far IMO, The dream sequence had me hooked at the start and the whole episode just kept building and you really didnt know what was gonna happen between the crew and also with the return of enemy
Hey Joe, I really enjoyed “Divided.” Great stuff for Camile, Chloe and Young. Great to see all the depth that’s being added to Chloe. Eli’s reaction when he thought she had tried to distract him while Rush hijacked the controls…crushing!
That’s the short version of my comments. For the more detailed version, you might want to glance through my blog entry on the episode here: http://wp.me/pFs3T-zQ
I’m so glad this show is back. Keep up the good work!