Stargate Universe Episode 14 Recap
stargate Universe
(S01E14) ‘Stargate Universe‘ took a page out of Battlestar Galactica last night it was a bold stab at character drama and delivered a fine and
compelling hour of sci-fi TV. We have all been waiting since Stargate Universe first introduced Dr. Rush to know more about his past and last night that is what we got: ‘Human’ Let us see who Dr Rush really is , we saw his emotional side and even more intriguing we got a glimpse at his insecurities .
Robert Carlyle would certainly be in the running for an Emmy Award this year for his incredible performance — If they gave Emmys to shows with names like ‘Stargate Universe.’ You’ll have to delight in your Saturn Award instead, Mr. Carlyle. And I hope you do, because you really earned it with this episode.
Rush’s mini ‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ trip took up the bulk of the hour, but last night’s B-plot was a lot of fun, and it even place some of our lead crew members in serious ancient school peril. The situation with the away team nearly felt like it was ripped straight outta ‘Stargate Atlantis,‘ with the team blasting a giant spider-monster and getting trapped inside of an underground cave. But before we get into that, let’s talk about Rush’s heartbreaking head trip.
Most of the first act cleverly played with our thoughts and expectations of Rush — he was cold, distant and awkward with his wife and obsessed with his work. This fake flashback had me fooled for a few minutes. I even thought Rush’s pixie dust vision (please, someone come up with a better name for it than that!) was part of the flashback. But the truth was revealed when the dapper Dr. Daniel Jackson (guest star Michael Shanks) appeared to recruit Rush for the Stargate program.
‘Human’ did a fantastic job of explaining Rush’s misanthropic and hostile behavior. It seems his conscience died along with his wife, who suffered quietly while he was away trying to unlock the secrets of the universe. He devoted his life to work but failed at his efforts. His heart and mind grew colder and his personality more spiteful when slackerboy Eli unlocked the ninth chevron without even trying.
I was pretty blown away when Rush admitted that Eli was “the genius I’ll never be.” We all know Eli is a genius; he just lacks confidence. But I never thought I’d hear the arrogant Dr. Rush admit that his own knowledge and expertise comes second to Eli’s natural brilliance. And that fact is tearing him up inside.
Here’s a question: Would the Rush we met 10 or 12 episodes ago have risked his life to unlock Destiny’s secrets and help the crew? I remember Rush refusing to sit in the chair when they first learned it. (Instead, poor ol’ Franklin became the ginny pig and finished up in a space coma.) But he did seemingly risk everything when he dialed the ninth chevron address in the pilot and got everyone stranded on the ship. And he did it all in the name of scientific curiosity and exploration.
I guess it was only a matter of time before Rush sat in the chair. He’s a very obsessed and curious fellow. And let’s not forget about his encounters with the Blue Meanies. A kidnapping and a space battle with those terrible boys was probably all the motivation he needed to risk his life to learn how to control the ship. It would be fantastic if Destiny could really, you know, turn left and right and even jump to warp if under attack.
Rush found what he was looking for at the end of his lucid dream, and it had something to do with the number “46″ (not “42″ Daniel Jackson, you huge nerd!). He woke up with a new, and less selfless, ambition and a more positive attitude. I’m looking forward to seeing a renewed Rush work with the team in their efforts to control the ship and rescue Eli, Chloe, Scott and Greer.
I loved loved loved watching Eli and Chloe’s small comedy routine (“Stratification!”) when trying to convince Young to let her go through the gate. And the death stare Greer gave Eli at the entrance to the cave was hilarious. It’s fantastic to see the show finally feeling comfortable enough to give us some humor.
It was also a small surprising to see the ep end with a cliffhanger. I know our heroes will probably get rescued next week, but I like that they seem to be in real peril. I certainly wouldn’t want to be stuck in Shelob’s lair like a sitting duck. We all saw what she did to Frodo.

Reprinted from Mike Temperamental at TV Squad