SGU 1.09 "Life" Episode Guide

Précis

An away team finds a kino beside a Stargate on a jungle world, which contains video footage of the team that was shot prior to their arrival. Then, an illness cripples the team, forcing them to quarantine themselves on the planet.

Guide | Transcript

MGM/SciFi.com Official Summary

Official summary is not available as this episode has not yet aired in the United States.

Spoiler Summary

Using the Ancient Long Range Communications Device that swaps the bodies of the users on either end of the subspace connection, the crew of the Destiny is able to communicate with those on Earth. Those stranded use the device to reassure their loved ones that they are okay, but it appears that in some cases, the loved ones are not being told that the technology exists or that the one visiting them is really their loved one who is stranded. It all has to do with security clearances and need to know, apparently.

The casting sides are for ANNIE BALIC: According to SpoilerTV: “[ANNIE BALIC] Female. Mid 20s. Pretty. She has been through a lot emotionally. Has an 8 year old son she is trying to raise, and is struggling to get by. Not too proud to do what she has to to support her family. Strong emotional scenes.sptv050769 GUEST LEAD. POSSIBLY RECURRING. NAMES PREFERRED”

ANNIE BALIC is one of the people left behind by the now-stranded crew of the Destiny. Her lover was LT. GARY MICHAELS and before he joined the Air Force, she became pregnant, but didn’t tell him that she had the child (he thought she got an abortion). MICHAELS is visiting ANNIE via the long range communications device, using the body of someone he identifies as COL. DENNING, a supposed friend of MICHAELS’ who is trying to tell ANNIE that MIICHAELS is away on a mission but wanted to respond to a letter ANNIE sent to him a while back.

MICHAELS learns of his son’s existence, but tries to control his anger since he’s supposed to be DENNING; ANNIE only sees and hears the man with whom MICHAELS has swapped. The little boy is home alone while ANNIE is out. He used to be watched by ANNIE’s mother, but she passed away a year ago. ANNIE had wanted to go to school to become a lawyer, but now that she’s having to support her son on her own, she’s settled for being a dancer. MICHAELS pretends to make contact with himself using his escort WALSH’s cell phone, and tells her that GARY wishes to have money sent to her so that she can hire a sitter for her son and go back to school. ANNIE refuses, claiming that she’s got things under control and he doesn’t have to worry.

While MICHAELS is using the body-swapping technology, others aboard the Destiny have made a significant discovery: BENTON has been doing research into the Destiny’s database and has found out about the subspace link that connects the Destiny with the unmanned ships that were sent out ahead of Destiny to seed the Stargates on various planets.

Others gathered around BENTON as he shares this discovery include WARREN, MARCUS, RONNIE, TRAVERSE, BARRY, SPENCER.

Other characters mentioned in other scenes include BAKER (male) and MUNROE (female). MUNROE carries on a conversation with an Asian couple in their 60’s as BAKER looks on from behind the wheel inside an Air Force car.

ADDITIONAL SPOILERS from Solutions: SGU Spoilers: More on "Life", April 16, 2009 -

BACKGROUND: At the recent Creation Convention in Vancouver, Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper said that there would be two gay characters in Stargate Universe. It is very possible that these audition sides for SHARON include these characters.

In order for people who are stranded on the Destiny to communicate with their loved ones and others on Earth, they must use the Ancient technology that swaps their consciousnesses with someone on Earth. It appears that each person stranded on the Destiny is allowed to make visits back home with the use of someone else’s body.

MUNROE and SHARON have been together for twelve years. SHARON is the party left behind on Earth while MUNROE is the one stranded on the Destiny. They’re together, preparing dinner as MUNROE discusses things that are happening aboard the ship and SHARON listens. Sitting quietly together in the family room, SHARON and MUNROE discuss MUNROE’s parents and the fact that she has not visited them because they don’t have clearance to know about her situation. SHARON tells her that her parents need to know that she’s okay.

As they snuggle on the couch, MUNROE and SHARON share a quiet moment together. MUNROE is a sketch artist and she has copied a photograph that they have hanging on the wall. It’s of a beautiful seashore in the tropics. MUNROE notices that she’s forgotten to sketch the rowboat that’s in the picture and wonders why. At this point MUNROE breaks down and cries as SHARON tries to comfort her.

After a while, BAKER comes to the door to retrieve MUNROE: visiting time is over. SHARON tries to give MUNROE encouragement to be strong and work with the other people on the ship to get them all back home. She then reassures MUNROE that she’s not going anywhere. After MUNROE leaves, it’s SHARON’s turn to break down into sobs.

In the audition sides for ANNIE BALIC, it appears that MUNROE does go to see her parents, an Asian couple in their 60’s, as BAKER waits for her in the car.

The audition sides also include characters in other scenes, including MICHAELS and ANNIE (formerly called JOAN) and MICHELLE and BENTON.

Spoilers are subject to change as the episode is in production.

Cast

• Robert Carlyle as Dr. Nicholas Rush
• Louis Ferreira as Col. Everett Young
• Brian J. Smith as 1st Lt. Matthew Scott
• Elyse Levesque as Chloe Armstrong
• David Blue as Eli Wallace
• Alaina Huffman as 1st Lt. Tamara Johansen
• Jamil Walker Smith as MSgt. Ronald Greer

Guest Stars

• Annie Balic
• Lt. Gary Michaels
• Col. Denning
• Walsh
• Benton
• Warren
• Marcus
• Barry
• Traverse
• Josh Blacker as Spencer
• Munroe
• Baker
• Michelle
• Sharon

Production

• Story by Robert C. Cooper
• Teleply by Carl Binder
• Directed by Alex Chapple

Related Articles

Keywords

• Ancient Communications Stones
• Destiny
• Stargate

Other

• Stargate Universe: Season One
• Previous: SGU 1.07 "Time" Episode Guide
• Next: SGU 1.09 "Justice" Episode Guide

Related Links

Official

• MGM Official Website: Search Results for "{{{MGM_search}}}"
• Syfy: 1.08 "Life" Guide

Fan

• Solutions News and Spoiler Blog
• Solutions at LJ: Universe Tagged Entries
• Solutions Universe Forum

Galleries

• Sci Fi Wire: Exclusive: Stargate Universe Concept Art!, October 24, 2008.

Production Notes

• "Went into the office today and ... the writers gathered to discuss one of Rob’s story ideas. It’s a great premise that, when I read it, left me wondering “How the hell is this going to work?” and, after much back and forth, we eventually came up with the logic construct to make it work (see Brad‘s whiteboard diagram for the explanation)." — Joseph Mallozzi (November 18, 2008).
• "Of the first ten episodes broken, we have a grand total of 0 forested planets. I’m not saying we won’t, eventually, come across one but, for the time being, the emphasis is on the ship and some locations atypical of Stargate. As a matter of fact, Executive Producer Robert Cooper and Director Andy Mikita are in New Mexico as we speak, scouting a cool-looking alien setting." — Joseph Mallozzi (December 19, 2008)
• "Well, back in the office today where we spun what will be episode #7. It made sense for it to follow the events of Earth, so we moved it up and shifted the other episodes. For those of you worried, fear not. The mid-season two-parter will still fall in the mid-season two-parter slot." — Joseph Mallozzi (January 30, 2009)
• "Carl also submitted an outline for episode #8, received notes, and is poised to do a rewrite - just as soon as he finishes work on a certain movie script." — Joseph Mallozzi (February 12, 2009)
• "Carl, meanwhile, is deep into Life - writing, thinking, rolling his eyes, pacing in frustration, and, occasionally crying. Given my experience, this indicates the script is coming along swimmingly." — Joseph Mallozzi (March 13, 2009)
• "I headed back to my office to read Carl’s first draft of Life. Another Binder original. How does he do it?!" — Joseph Mallozzi (March 24, 2009)
• "New director Alex Chapple is deep into prep on Life. Brian (aka our Lieutenant Scott) worked with him on Law & Order and had nothing but great things to say about him in the lead up to his arrival. Alex, meanwhile, had some equally great things to say about Brian. Looking forward to their collaboration on this episode which will offer some significant insight into our various players including a little surprise or two. Or three." — Joseph Mallozzi (April 15, 2009)

Further Reading

• Joseph Mallozzi's Blog
• Solutions: SGU Spoilers: "Life", April 15, 2009
• Solutions: SGU Spoilers: More on "Life", April 16, 2009

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--DeeKayP 14:57, 14 March 2009 (UTC)