Gauntlet (Stargate Universe)

Last updated
"Gauntlet"
Stargate Universe episode
Gauntlet SGU.jpg
Eli looking out over the stars
Episode no.Season 2
Episode 20
Directed by Andy Mikita
Written by Joseph Mallozzi & Paul Mullie
Original air dateMay 9, 2011 (2011-05-09)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Blockade"		Next →
—
List of episodes

"Gauntlet" is the twentieth episode of the second season and series finale of the military science fiction television series Stargate Universe . The episode originally aired on May 9, 2011 on Syfy in the United States. The episode was directed by longtime director and producer of the Stargate franchise Andy Mikita. It was written by executive producers Joseph Mallozzi and Paul Mullie.

Contents

The drones are now monitoring every Stargate, from Destiny's position to the edge of the galaxy, instead of just the stars. With their main supply line blocked, the crew destroys a Command Ship to resupply but takes considerable damage in the process. Realizing they cannot continue fighting, Eli (David Blue) comes up with an idea to put Destiny in one continuous FTL jump until they reach the next galaxy. This journey will take at least three years and the crew are to use the stasis chambers aboard to keep themselves alive.

This episode represented the final foray into the Stargate franchise until Stargate Origins in 2018. [1]

Plot

As Lisa Park is still recovering from T.J.'s treatment to try to restore her vision, Dr. Rush and Eli inform Colonel Young that they have been able to improve Destiny's sensors, but show that Command Ships await them at every Stargate from where they are to the edge of the galaxy, rendering themselves unable to obtain supplies. Young reports this to Colonel Telford on Earth, but unfortunately, the only known Stargate capable of reaching Destiny remains in control of the Langarans who refuse to allow for its use.

Dr. Rush proposes a means of tuning the shields to improve their efficiency against the Control ship drone attacks; they use this maneuver to gain time while they try to resupply on a nearby planet through the Stargate while resisting the Control ship attack. The drones, finding their weapons ineffective, begin to perform kamikaze attacks on Destiny, causing minor damage. On return to faster-than-light speed, the crew agree that while the idea worked, they would not survive too many more attacks given ever-accumulating damage.

Eli offers the idea of keeping the Destiny in FTL and travel through the rest of the galaxy and the void beyond as to reach Stargates in the next galaxy. The plan would require the crew to use the recently discovered stasis pods as to reduce draw down of life support on the ship's power supply as well as to extend their meager supplies. Though there is a risk the ship would drop out of FTL before then, stranding them on what would then be a thousand-year journey, they all agree they have a better chance at survival than facing the Command ships.

While the science team program Destiny's course and revival systems, the other crew are each given the opportunity to use the communication stones to return to Earth and say their goodbyes to loved ones before being placed in stasis. Eventually, all but Col. Young, Dr. Rush, and Eli have been safely placed inside stasis. As they are about to initiate the long jump, they find that one of the last empty pods is not working, and one of the three will have to stay outside; they would be able to sustain life support for two weeks before it would need to be shut off, giving them the opportunity to try to fix the last chamber in that time. Dr. Rush offers to be the one, but Col. Young confides in Eli that he would not trust Dr. Rush to do what is right if he cannot fix the chamber, and believes he should stay. Eli refuses to accept this, having been in Dr. Rush's shadow since they arrived on Destiny, and believes he would have the best chance of survival as he is smarter than Dr. Rush. Col. Young accepts the decision, and Eli helps to put them in stasis. As power to the rest of the ship is shut down, Eli goes to the observation deck and silently watches the passing starscape.

Development

Prior to the script being written, the original pitch called for Colonel Young and Dr. Rush to be the last two people remaining with only one working stasis pod. The decision about who would be left out was decided by a coin flip, but the result would remain unknown to the audience, essentially setting up the season three premiere. The pitch for the season three premiere had Dr. Rush maintaining Destiny's systems in his solitude until Earth eventually found a way to dial the ship. This would then only prove to be a dream that Dr. Rush has whilst he is in stasis, as Colonel Young is revealed to be the one left out. However, because of the lack of action, the "it was all a dream" scenario, and Dr. Rush's character development, it was deemed unusable and, therefore, the original season two finale pitch would not work either. [2]

Joseph Mallozzi had the task of writing the first draft for "Gauntlet." At the time, Mallozzi was under the impression that the show would continue into a third season, so he wrote the episode as if it were a season finale. The supper scene was originally planned to be only a montage of the crew having their last meal. However, SyFy’s Erika Kennair requested a change, in which after Mallozzi wrote Colonel Young's speech, it was tweaked by Paul Mullie to include a reference of "three years," which alluded to the time it took for Destiny to reach its destination and the show's expected run. [3]

Reception

"Gauntlet" was viewed by 1.134 million live viewers, resulting in a 0.8 Household rating, a 0.2 among adults 18–49. [4]

Meredith Woerner from io9 called the finale "more like a bittersweet goodbye than an action-packed cliffhanger, even though it ended with a much more encouraging conclusion than the first season." She was reminded of the depressing subterfuge of the first season saying that "Perhaps Eli said it best in this episode: What's the point of having tremendous potential if you're not going to step up when you're really needed? Stargate Universe captured despairing exhaustion and glinting hope in a vast chasm of potential... Sadly for everyone, this brilliant story would go untold." However in retrospect, she praised the dynamics between Eli and Dr. Rush remarking that "Even when Rush finally admits to Eli that he's full of potential and gives him the pat on the head he's been shirking the whole series...This wasn't about Eli seeking acceptance, it was about Rush humbling himself for the first time in a long time. The mentor steps down, and Eli takes up the mantle of hero." [5] Mike Moody from TVSquad declared "Gauntlet" "a strong, densely plotted, emotional hour." He enjoyed the overall theme of the episode, speaking volumes about the characters working as a family, rather than trying to focus on "the search for the God signal that was said to be Destiny's true purpose." Like Woerner, Moody praised the dynamics between Eli and Dr. Rush adding that "These two shared a satisfying scene where the elder scientist finally admitted to the slacker genius that he had tremendous potential." Moody had particular praise for Eli's character development saying that "Leaving the fates of the ship and its crew in Eli's hands felt appropriate...Eli, like many of us at some point in our lives, was faced with the difficult task of believing in himself. He still looked like the videogame-obsessed slacker we met in the pilot, but the heart of a true hero." [6] Ramsey Isler from IGN remarked that "All things considered, this was as good of a finale as we could expect." Isler had particular praise for the writing expressing that "We should never take for granted how hard it is to come up with plausible scenarios for sci-fi shows...This story works as well as it does because these are all smart ideas, and the creative team deserves credit for all it." Like Moody, Isler also praised Eli saying that "The greatest achievement of SGU is that it told a grand and poignant tale of a wide-eyed, lonely, insecure boy growing into a brilliant man, and leading a life of adventure that few could ever imagine." Isler was also reminded of the many failures that led the show's demise but claimed that "this particular episode showed few flaws, and gave us reasons to recall just how much potential this series had." Overall, Isler said "As sweet as the final moments of this series are, there is a certain bitter aftertaste too." [7]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jack O'Neill</span> Fictional character from the Stargate universe

Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the MGM's military science fiction franchise Stargate, primarily as one of the main characters of the television series Stargate SG-1. Richard Dean Anderson played O'Neill in all the Stargate media since 1997, when he took over the role from actor Kurt Russell, who portrayed the character in the original Stargate film in 1994. O'Neill and Daniel Jackson are the only two characters to appear in both the original film and all three live-action Stargate television series.

Stargate Atlantis is an adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself based on the feature film Stargate (1994). All five seasons of Stargate Atlantis were broadcast by the Sci-Fi Channel in the United States and The Movie Network in Canada. The show premiered on July 16, 2004; its final episode aired on January 9, 2009. The series was filmed in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

Stargate is a military science fiction media franchise based on the film directed by Roland Emmerich, which he co-wrote with producer Dean Devlin. The franchise is based on the idea of an alien wormhole device that enables nearly instantaneous travel across the cosmos. The franchise began with the film Stargate, released on October 28, 1994, by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco, which grossed US$197 million worldwide. In 1997, Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner created a television series titled Stargate SG-1 as a sequel to the film. This show was joined by Stargate Atlantis in 2004, Stargate Universe in 2009, and a prequel web series, Stargate Origins, in 2018. Also consistent with the same story are a variety of books, video games and comic books, as well as the direct-to-DVD movies Stargate: Children of the Gods, Stargate: The Ark of Truth, and Stargate: Continuum, which concluded the first television show after 10 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rodney McKay</span> Fictional character

Meredith Rodney McKay, Ph.D, is a fictional character in the 2004 Canadian-American Sci-Fi Channel television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis, two military science fiction television shows about military teams exploring two galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carson Beckett</span> Fictional character in the television series Stargate Atlantis

Dr. Carson Beckett is a fictional Scottish character in the 2004 Canadian-American science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1. He is portrayed by Scottish-born Canadian actor Paul McGillion, who previously played Dr. Ernest Littlefield in the first season of SG-1. The character's Scottish nationality was only decided after McGillion's audition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richard Woolsey</span> Fictional character in the Stargate television franchise

Richard P. Woolsey is a fictional character in the Stargate television franchise about military teams exploring the Milky Way and Pegasus galaxies via a network of alien transportation devices. Played by actor Robert Picardo, Woolsey made his first appearance as a member of the NID in "Heroes Part 2", an episode of season 7 of Stargate SG-1, and recurred in several SG-1 episodes until season 10. He was also a recurring character in seasons 3 and 4 of Stargate Atlantis before becoming a main character in season 5 of Atlantis.

<i>Stargate Universe</i> A science fiction TV series

Stargate Universe is a military science fiction drama television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny several billion light years distant from the Milky Way Galaxy. They are now trying to figure out a way to return to Earth, while simultaneously trying to explore and to survive in their unknown area of the universe. The series, created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper, premiered in the United States on Syfy on October 2, 2009. The series featured an ensemble cast and was primarily filmed in and around Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. A second season of 20 episodes was announced by Syfy in December 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Be All My Sins Remember'd</span> 11th episode of the 4th season of Stargate Atlantis

"Be All My Sins Remember'd" is the 71st episode of the science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, and the eleventh episode of the series' fourth season. The episode was written by Atlantis co-executive producer, Martin Gero, his third script of the season, and directed by Andy Mikita. The episode originally aired on the Sci Fi Channel in the United States on January 4, 2008, and aired on Sky One in the United Kingdom on January 8. The episode's title is derived from the line, "The fair Ophelia! Nymph, in thy orisons/ Be all my sins remember'd" from the "Get thee to a nunnery" scene in William Shakespeare's Hamlet.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jennifer Keller</span> Fictional character

Dr. Jennifer Keller is a fictional character from the Canadian-American military science fiction series Stargate Atlantis, a spin-off series to Stargate SG-1. She is played by Canadian actress Jewel Staite, who previously played the Wraith Ellia in season two episode "Instinct". She was created by the producers, who wanted someone to fill in for Carson Beckett after Paul McGillion's departure from regular status in the series. Keller had a recurring role in the fourth season, and was later promoted to a regular in Season 5.

Matthew Scott (<i>Stargate</i>) Fictional character

First Lieutenant Matthew Scott, USAF is a fictional character from the 2010 science fiction television series, Stargate Universe, the third live-action series in the Stargate franchise, which centers on a group of soldiers and civilians trapped on the Ancient vessel Destiny. He is portrayed by Brian J. Smith. Matthew Scott holds the rank of First Lieutenant, and is described as a skilled and well-trained junior SGC member in his twenties, but is "mentally unprepared for the urgency of the situation" aboard the Destiny.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Rush</span> Fictional character from Stargate Universe

Dr. Nicholas Rush is a fictional character in the 2010 Canadian-American Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer-Syfy television series Stargate Universe, a military science fiction serial drama about the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team unable to return to Earth after an evacuation to the Ancient spaceship Destiny, which is traveling in a distant corner of the universe. He is portrayed by British actor Robert Carlyle. Carlyle, while at first skeptical towards the show, got an interest in the character of Rush because he felt Rush was a "very interesting" character to portray.

<i>Stargate Universe</i> (season 1) Season of television series

The first season of Stargate Universe consists of 20 episodes. Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper wrote the three-parter series opener named "Air", which was originally planned to be a two-parter. The first two parts of "Air" premiered on Syfy on October 2, 2009, with regularly weekly airing beginning on October 9, 2009. "Fire" was originally going to be the title for episode four, but the story and script was too big to be able to fit into one episode, so the producers changed it to become a two-parter called "Darkness" and "Light", therefore pushing all future episodes forward one slot. "Justice" was the mid-season finale. The back half of the first season aired on Friday April 2, 2010 on Space and Syfy.

"Air" is the three-part opening episode of the military science fiction television series Stargate Universe. The first two parts aired on Syfy in the United States on October 2, 2009, while the third part aired on October 9. In Canada, SPACE aired the first two in tandem with Syfy. Sky1 broadcast the first two parts on October 6, and the third on October 13, whilst Sci Fi Australia aired the two-parter on October 9, and the third part on October 16. "Air" was written by series creators Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright, and was directed by Andy Mikita.

"Darkness" is the fourth episode of military science fiction television series Stargate Universe, and is the first part of a two-part story. The episode originally aired on October 16, 2009 on Syfy in the United States, followed by being aired in the United Kingdom and Ireland on October 20. The episode was directed by Peter DeLuise, who had previously directed episodes of both Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. However, he had not worked on the Stargate franchise for the previous two years. The episode was written by Brad Wright who co-wrote the pilot episode.

Faith (<i>Stargate Universe</i>) 13th episode of the 1st season of Stargate Universe

"Faith" is the thirteenth episode of military science fiction television series Stargate Universe. The episode originally aired on April 16, 2010 on Syfy in the United States, and on SPACE in Canada. The episode was directed by William Waring who directed two other episodes for the series. The episode was written by Denis McGrath, and this episode represents his first foray into the Stargate franchise.

Human (<i>Stargate Universe</i>) 14th episode of the 1st season of Stargate Universe

"Human" is the fourteenth episode of military science fiction television series Stargate Universe. The episode originally aired on April 23, 2010 on Syfy in the United States, and on SPACE in Canada. The episode was directed by series creator, Robert C. Cooper and was written by Jeff Vlaming. The episode focuses on Dr. Rush working on modifying the chair interface, so that he can use it in an attempt to gain access to the master code while replaying the memories during his wife's dying days. The episode was viewed by 1.3 million Americans and was generally well received.

Lost (<i>Stargate Universe</i>) 15th episode of the 1st season of Stargate Universe

"Lost" is the fifteenth episode of military science fiction television series Stargate Universe. The episode originally aired on April 30, 2010 on Syfy in the United States, and on SPACE in Canada. The episode was directed by, Rohn Schmidt who previously acted as the director of photography in Air. It was written by Martin Gero, a co-executive producer of Stargate Atlantis.

Sabotage (<i>Stargate Universe</i>) 16th episode of the 1st season of Stargate Universe

"Sabotage" is the sixteenth episode of military science fiction television series Stargate Universe. The episode originally aired on May 7, 2010 on Syfy in the United States, and on SPACE in Canada. The episode was directed by, Peter DeLuise who previously directed the two episode arc, Darkness and Light. It was written by Barbara Marshall.

Blockade (<i>Stargate Universe</i>) 19th episode of the 2nd season of Stargate Universe

"Blockade" is the nineteenth and penultimate episode of the second season of the military science fiction television series Stargate Universe. The episode originally aired on May 2, 2011 on Syfy in the United States. The episode was directed by longtime director and producer of the Stargate franchise Andy Mikita. It was written by Linda McGibney.

References

  1. ↑ Colvin, Chad (April 17, 2011). "SGU continuation, other movies dead — for now". Gateworld . Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  2. ↑ Mallozzi, Joseph (May 12, 2011). "May 12, 2011: Stargate: Universe, Beyond Season 2! What Might Have Been!". WordPress . Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  3. ↑ Mallozzi, Joseph (May 11, 2011). "May 11, 2011: Gauntlet!". WordPress . Retrieved June 6, 2011.
  4. ↑ Gorman, Bill (May 10, 2011). "Monday Cable Ratings: NBA Playoffs Lead + 'Pawn Stars,' 'WWE RAW,' 'Bethenny,' 'American Chopper' & More". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 12, 2011. Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  5. ↑ Woerner, Meredith (May 10, 2011). "Stargate Universe comes of age with a bittersweet finale". io9.com . Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  6. ↑ Moody, Mike (May 10, 2011). "'Stargate Universe' Season 2, Episode 20 (Series Finale) Recap". TVSquad . Retrieved May 11, 2011.
  7. ↑ Isler, Ramsey (May 9, 2011). "'Stargate Universe: "Gauntlet" Review". IGN . Retrieved May 11, 2011.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.