Writer Paul Mullie described the episode in an interview with the Official Magazine (pdf file at this link), “It’s the military versus the civilians.
“The thing is, the military has been in charge by virtue of the fact they’re military. However, the civilians on board didn’t sign up for this and are now asking themselves, ‘Why am I taking orders from these people? They’re making life and death decisions and some of us are not surviving their decisions. Why don’t we get a say? This should be a democracy.’
“Then, of course, there’s the other side of the argument, the quasi-military way of looking at things, which says, ‘You need a strong leader and you need someone who can make fast decisions without having to consult with everyone, each and every time.’
“Those two philosophies are clashing and become the dividing line—literally.
“The civilians seal off one section of the ship to protect themselves from the military, because they have the guns. Once you’ve been away from Earth, or even the Stargate network—which has roots in Earth with its military and political organizations—for enough time, you’re just a bunch of people, right? You look at the guy next to you and rank and position start to mean less and less. When you see he has a gun on his hip, you’re asking yourself, ‘Why do I have to do what he says, just because he’s armed?’ So there’s going to be a straight-out fight between people on the ship, and that’s the idea behind this episode.”
Director Felix Alcala made his Stargate debut with tonight’s episode. His IMDb profile lists an impressive assortment of television shows, from Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles to Criminal Minds. Executive producer Joseph Mallozzi admired Alcala’s work, declaring in his weblog that he “hits a home run, directing a riveting and incredibly compelling episode … Tense, thrilling, occasionally surprising, with some wonderful moments for all of our cast members.”
Mallozzi wrote “Space”, the episode that leads into tonight’s, and during co-creator Robert C. Cooper’s pass on his script, the executive producer made “a dialogue tweak” to the much-talked-about final scene between Wray and Rush. It “had me raising an eyebrow in stunned silence,” Mallozzi shared. “I love both of these characters, and this little revelation raises the stakes, offering a beautiful segue into the next episode, Divided. Nothing is quite as it seems? Try – No one is quite as they seem. Furtive moves, shifting alliances, and hidden agendas guarantee a dysfunctional and disquieting galaxy-hopping community.”
How long will the dysfunction last? How many people will be harmed before they decide to work together for a common goal? Alaina Huffman offered the answer in an interview with Blast Magazine, but what she said is a biggy in the spoiler department, so if you want to know, visit the episode guide in our Stargate Wiki, but better yet, tune in tonight to see if there are any hints as to what is to come!
Once you’ve seen the episode, make sure to return to Solutions to vote in our front page poll and to read the chatter that’s sure to take place on our Stargate Twitter Superfeed.
NOTE: Viewers in Australia will be getting “Divided” on the Sci Fi Channel on Friday, April 16, at 8:30 PM, and the UK’s Sky One viewers will see it Tuesday, April 20, at 8:00 PM.
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