Oh yes, Young, abandoning your best scientist on a desert planet just because you don’t like him is definitely the way you’re gonna get everybody home.
You watched Justice!!!
I had such a reaction when I watched this, literally screaming. Why? Because “we don’t leave people behind” that has been stargate command’s belief and practice since it started. I’m not sure whether it was O’Neill or Hammond that inspired it but it became protocol. It’s seen time and time again in SG1, in Atlantis, it’s what makes the SGC what it is.
I think Carter said it best in Heroes. “
You can’t ask airmen, soldiers, human beings to risk their lives without backup, without knowing that we would be there for them.” – they bring them home.
I mean this was supposed to be the core of SGU – or so I thought – the struggle and the journey to get home. I know Rush said later “It was never about getting home” but for most people on that ship I think it was.
Young going against that, Young not just leaving someone behind because he had to do it, but to leave them behind to die on purpose. That just went against everything that Stargate Command was supposed to stand for and Young is supposed to be held up as this ‘hero’, the representative of the SGC on Destiny and nope, just nope. I hope that if O’Neill ever found out that he would come down on Young like a ton of bricks. O’Neill never left anyone behind, even people he didn’t like, he risked himself because that is what you do – you don’t leave people behind.
It wasn’t because it was Rush that I was so mad, Young could have done it to anyone and I would have been appalled. The fact that it was Rush made it 10x worse because Rush knew more about Destiny than anyone. Leaving him behind meant that the next time the ship breaks – who’s going to fix it? Leaving him behind meant that if there are hostile aliens (and the crashed ship suggested aliens) Rush would be a prime source of information and the worst security leak possible.
Young just left him there. He had no supplies, no weapon and no way to dial the gate. It would have been kinder to have shot him because at least then he wouldn’t die slowly and painfully of exposure or dehydration.
I suppose the writers of SGU did a damn good job with this episode. I was so furious it immediately addicted me to the show. Before that I had been watching because it was Stargate and I thought I should, but I could only manage by employing a hefty supply of sarcasm and stupid comments (basically making fun of it). After Justice no more humor, the characters had finally got under my skin. I was so mad I went and wrote a 5k blogpost because it inspired me that much.
Anyway sorry I’ve gone on a bit. I always react strongly to the Justice episode. I also react pretty damn strong to Space and Divided (the next two) because they just follow on and yikes I could go on a lot about those and Young’s appalling leadership.
OMG Rush, you little manipulative shit, I love you so much <3
“A little bit of theater, always nice.”
That scene is one of my favorites, it’s just pure Rush. You are making me want to restart my SGU rewatch!
I got to Faith and stopped because Young makes me so mad, I can only watch when the house is empty in case I scream at the TV. Oh man, first time I watched Justice – yikes! You still have that to look forward to, in two episodes time.
So, do you think Rush knew that the Destiny wasn’t going to burst?
My headcanon is that he didn’t realize it straight away because he was in nicotine and caffeine withdrawal, he hadn’t slept in days, everyone blamed him for their situation and he felt under incredible stress.
He collapsed, slept for twelve hours, woke up and realized that he had missed the obvious. Destiny predated Atlantis. Atlantis had all the new shiny tech. 3 ZPM’s powered Atlantis’s shield for 10,000 years before being depleted. Destiny had been flying around on auto pilot for a hell of a lot longer than that. It was impossible for it to have done so off the equivalent of a single tank of gas.
He didn’t tell Young because he knew it wouldn’t make a difference. Young would ask Rush if he could prove it and there was no proof, and no way to get proof with all the consoles being dead due to lack of power. Young would still have had to do everything he did just in case.
He could have told Young and then been able to say “I told you so” when he was proved right. If he had told the rest of the crew, then maybe that would have been the start of them trusting him. I have never been quite sure in my headcanon why he didn’t go down that route. Was it because he felt that he deserved their hatred and mistrust? Was it because he wanted revenge? Was it for another reason I can’t think of right now?
I don’t know. Either way I’m pretty damn sure that Rush knew it was going to be fine by the time he took his name off the shuttle.
So, do you think Rush knew that the Destiny wasn’t going to burst?
IMO, the answer is clearly stated in how the scene with Eli and Chloe on the observation deck was acted (and a lot of other scenes in that episode too). Rush was so surprised that they still lived. And Rush is a bad actor (but RC is a great one), so if he lied about it, the whole scene would be completely different.
And even if he read A. C. Clarke’s Rendezvous with Rama and remembered the story, this outcome was not what he’d expected, and how could he?
To understand this question you only need to watch Rush carefully (and forget Rumple, they’re not the same).
His reaction to Young is from my POV very understandable. I’d be pissed like hell if someone would treat me as if I become his new pet, after something like that.
I initially thought that he didn’t know it, but then I started to doubt…
But I’d really like to think that he didn’t know.
To be honest I have gone back and forth on it a lot before I arrived at my headcanon. Watching the episode I do kinda agree with you that he didn’t know. The last scene in the mess hall, I think he’s sort of trying to imply that he did know because he wants Young to think he’s that smart. Either that or you are right again that he is just mad at Young. Was this when he said “rewarded at your whim”? Because that was a very good point. It was an unfair leadership thing and not a good sign for moving forward but then Young was an awful leader.
This is when I then run into trouble because Rush should have been that smart. In fact he didn’t even have to be that smart to work it out, it was a simple matter of logic. I loathe when characters are made dumb so the plot can work. Rush is my favorite, therefore it’s easier for me to headcanon that he secretly knew, than accept that the writers made everyone be dumb for the “forced jeopardy” of the episode.
Anyway, @sarashouldbestudying I’m sorry for jumping all over your posts about SGU. I’m a big Stargate fan and it’s hard to restrain myself. I’ll try not to be too scarily overenthusiastic heh. It’s just so cool to be able to discuss this show for a change.
Just saw 1×04 of SGU.
Rush is the sexiest man I’ve even laid my eyes upon.
My precious Scottish life-ruiner.
“I’m the only qualified person.”
“Yes Colonel I know many, many things for a fact!”
“You think that just because you give the order that it’s possible! There is no more power!”
One of the best scenes in the entire show. Rush owned it! This always tears me into pieces because I want more Rush, but if SGU hadn’t been cancelled then there would be no Rumple/Gold and that’s just unthinkable.
Am I the last to know that Nicholas was originally David? Personally I’m glad for the name change! Nick fits Rush much better than Dave.
I love that the article asks if it’s possible to have two leaders, since that turned out to be one of the core themes of the series (actually three, including Wray).
Well David became “David Telford” I’m guessing. They did a name shuffle with a few people.
Wray was unfortunately never the leader contender that I wished she was and Young was an awful leader. I wish someone on the show would have suggested a leadership council like the Atlantis Expedition. A civilian leader, a military commander, the lead scientist, the chief medical officer etc.
That would have erased a lot of the conflict I suppose but it would have made more sense. I rewatched ‘Divided’ recently and I was appalled (again) at how heavy-handed the military was. All the civilians wanted was their voice to be heard, to feel like they had some control over their situation. It was a very fair request but Young didn’t do fair and everyone accepted it and called him a hero. He was no hero. I could rant about Young all day.
I think Rush would have been a much better leader of Destiny but then I have always been #TeamRush. The man wasn’t perfect and he kept secrets when he shouldn’t have. However, considering no matter what he did nobody trusted him, I can’t really blame him. He just should have remembered the golden rule “what can go wrong, will go wrong and at the worst possible time.” aka they will find out the truth, right when you really don’t want them too.
