Jelgate's Two Cents-Subversion
I really do try to be objective when I write these reviews. I really try to think of the bad and the good of each Stargate Universe when I write these reviews. And my favorite SGU episodes have their shortcomings. They are minor of course but they exist none the less. But try as I must I am really struggling to find faults in Subversion. It was really that good in all angles from plot to characters development to creepy villains. Even Richard Dean Anderson brought in some great scenes to this episode. But we are getting ahead of ourselves. Jump into my time machine to the start at 9 PM.
I blame this one to me watching the preview scene as I found the teaser a little slow. First of all I think the “Previously on SGU” scenes were a little drawn out and unnecessary for this episode. Yes with SGU being a serialized show we need information about past incidents but there is a thing as too much information. Did we really need to know all that stuff about Emily? Not much to say about Rush telling Young about his “dream” since it was just exposition. I am glad we got it out of the way fast so we could gets to development of what was going to happen in this week
I honestly didn’t think much about Young and Rush arguing about why Rush should pose as Telford and try to find information about the Lucian Alliance leak. I just the two were arguing like they constantly do. So imagine my surprise when Young reports to Jack about the possibility that Rush may be the spy instead of Telford. It was quite an interesting sight to see and good use of dialogue. Furthermore for the most part I liked Rush’s detective work on locating the Alliance to prove Telford. It shows why he was on Icarus on the 1st place. The guy is a smart man in many areas except maybe breaking someone’s front door. Although I have to say the many camera angles as Rush moves around Earth quickly got on my nerves,
Before I return to the events that were occurring on Destiny I was quite under whelmed on Daniel’s role in this episode. It seemed like nothing more then a stunt cast for Michael Shanks. Seriously that was no point to having Daniel be the one who is following Rush. His job can have been played by any one single person.
I really liked the two TJ scenes that dealt with her baby. They were to the point and I felt had just the right amount of emotional impact. The part with the baby shower had one of those “sweet” moments. So often we find Destiny fighting one another its nice for them all to come together for someone else. I really liked Riley’s tractor gift which further proves how awesome he is. Also TJ doubting the baby’s life was a good point because it’s something I have been wondering the same thing. With the limited resources Destiny have it will be hard (borderline impossible) for a baby to survive on Destiny. After all infants need so much nutrition in those first months of life. So I am happy this issue was brought up.
You can look at Telford and Young in two stages. First there is the stage of when Telford has not been accused as a traitor. Let’s take about this part first. There is not full blown hate between the two just a lot of tension it seems between the two because Young and Telford don’t exactly like each other. What is interesting is how the two colonels throw accusations at one another. Why these accusations aren’t false it’s interesting to say it really points to something I tend to forget. These characters on SGU are about as flawed as can possibly be so I like that tension.
Now we go onto the part where Young arrests Telford (don’t worry I’ll get to Rush) because he has the proof that Telford is a traitor. This is where gets to full blown hate. It got real bloody to the point that Telford punched Young. And that is what I love about this show. It shows how stressful the show is. But you know after some time it get repetive of Young showing Telford the horrible deed and asking where Rush is. Yes it was entertaining but you can only hear the repeats of that so many time. But I do have to severally show my support of Young showing the destruction Telford has caused for his betrayal. It paints a picture of just how brutal this scenario is.
I may not be the biggest supporter of Rush and what he does but I would never say Robert Cartyle is a bad actor. Such a thing is probably blasphemy around here. But when the Lucian Alliance and Kiva were torturing Rush it was beyond awesome. The scene of him in severe pain was so realistic. I kind of thought I was there watching Rush cry agony over all that torture. That’s how good the scene is. Speaking Kiva she is one cold-hearted person. In a lot of ways she reminds me of Rush in that Kiva has no emotion what so ever as long as it gets the job done. Look at the part where Kiva has the Alliance scientist killed. Nothing what so ever in emotion she watched him die. But I have the wonder why the Lucian Alliance wants to get to Destiny when there is no way to get home? It’s a puzzling question
Before we go farther, raise your hands if you want Wray to be thrown out of an airlock. Come on be honest. I wonder if Wray had a purpose in this episode besides her whining about not knowing all the information and bothering Young. Don’t get me wrong I want to see civilians and military clash but it seemed a little unnecessary in this episode unless her wanting to know information is going to be crucial further along the line.
As a Stargate fanboy it was so cool to see Jack on the Destiny as he joins the interrogation of Telford. In fact RDA was good overall in this episode. It felt a lot like the Jack of the early SG1. I quite liked it in seeing all his one liners at the most inappropriate time. It’s interesting to note that Telford didn’t confess until Jack was with them. I am curious is just because he thought Young was bluffing or is their a more sinister reason.
Finally the ending is so full of tension. I have not seen an episode end so much like this one in a long time. I know Young wants to find Rush and Lucian Alliance to get some answers like everyone else but to vent the atmosphere from Telford’s room is jaw dropping. Words can not explain how shocked I am this happened