Stargate Universe episode “Human”, written by freelancer Jeff Vlaming and directed by Robert C. Cooper, premieres tonight (April 23) on Syfy at 9 PM ET and on Space at 10 PM ET!
It’s About Dr. Nicholas Rush
Joseph Mallozzi teased fans a little about this pivotal episode in his weblog, “While Rush has been front and center to date, many of you are hankering for a peek at Rush’s motivations, his backstory, what potentially dark events from his past shaped him. Well, fans of the character won’t have to wait long for some answers. Human, episode 14, will explore the Rush character and, if not answer many of these questions, then at least offer some major hints to a troubled past.”
Rush’s actor Robert Carlyle explained a little about the scientist’s “troubled past” to the Official Magazine, “Dr. Rush is certainly a complex individual. You’re never sure what his motives are… So with Rush you have this man who’s driven by something. What we know so far is that he’s been married, but his wife is dead. The fact that he was married is the only thing that actually roots him in reality, because he ‘lives’ in a different type of reality, one, I believe, in his own mind. Rush is by far the biggest expert on Ancient technology, and when his wife dies and he gets the chance to go on this exploration of the universe, he jumps at it because there’s nothing left for him [on Earth]. As far as our story and where our people end up, it’s Rush who tells them that there’s no chance they can ever go back, and he thinks there’s nothing greater! This is the best potential for exploration that mankind has ever known. That’s what’s driving Rush; and therefore he’s probably not to be trusted by anyone on the crew. …
“So my character is a man alone; I suppose that’s what I’m getting at. Rush doesn’t understand them, they don’t understand him, and as I said he’s really serious about this. He does not want to return to Earth.”
We’ll get to meet Rush’s wife in “Human”, but only through flashbacks. And we’ll also get to see how the scientist was recruited into the Stargate Program.
As the image to the right shows, Stargate star Michael Shanks returns to our screens as Dr. Daniel Jackson…sort of. Shanks told TV Guide Magazine, “I made a cameo in the pilot and they’re keeping me alive to pass the torch. The next one coming up is titled Human, and back-references my character first initiating Dr. Rush (Robert Carlyle) into the Stargate Program, but my character exists more as a figment of Dr. Rush’s imagination.”
Combining Rush’s “different type of reality..in his own mind” and the “figments” of his imagination, we get a peek into his inner self in “Human”. The promos, sneak peek, and TV Guide summary give away how this is accomplished. TV Guide explains, “Dr. Rush defies orders to interface with the Destiny’s computer in a bid to control the ship’s flight path, which puts Col. Young in a difficult position.” So, Dr. Nicholas Rush finally sits in the Neural Interface Chair! This Chair is dangerous and left Dr. Jeremy Franklin in a coma after he used it (in “Justice”). How is it that Rush believes that he will survive it?
Apparently, it works itself out impressively, based on what Mallozzi told his weblog readers concerning the story, which was originally titled “Lucid” and was written by freelancer Jeff Vlaming, who has had extensive experience in writing for science fiction television series such as Fringe, Battlestar Galactica, and The X-Files. “Rob dropped [by] my office after lunch while the production was making the move from the location to mess set… And, since he was there, I told him how much we’d enjoyed the previous day’s dailies. The film looks amazing. For his part, Rob had nothing but praise for the actors and, given their significant roles in this episode, Robert Carlyle and guest star Michael Shanks in particular.”
It’s About Scott, Eli, Chloe, and Greer, Too
True to Stargate fashion, there’s another storyline going on while Young and Johansen deal with Rush’s decision to sit in the Chair. TV Guide tells us, “Meanwhile, Lt. Scott, Eli, Chloe and Greer explore a planet’s underground ruins.” That sounds fairly harmless, but remember, this is Stargate, and things have a way of going terribly wrong at the most inconvenient of times…
Watch and Return to Tell Us What You Think
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 “Human” on the Sci Fi Channel on Friday, April 30, at 8:30 PM, and the UK’s Sky One viewers will see it Tuesday, May 4, at 8:00 PM.
[spoiler intro=”Official Episode Summary”]Disregarding orders, Dr. Rush links himself directly to the Destiny‘s computer via the neural interface chair, hoping it will reveal the code needed to control Destiny‘s flight path. Learning of this after the fact, Col. Young struggles with letting Rush risk his life in hopes he can find the code before lobotomizing himself or unplug the device, possibly killing him in the process.
Meanwhile, the ship has dropped out of FTL above a planet showing traces of a past civilization. With only six hours until they jump again, Lt. Scott, Eli, Chloe and Greer gate to the surface to explore the underground ruins.
From IGN.[/spoiler]
[spoiler intro=”Syfy’s Episode Preview Trailer”]
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[spoiler intro=”Syfy’s Sneak Peek Video Clip”]
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