SGU 2.17 "Common Descent" Episode Guide

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Précis

Attacking drones return when the Destiny tries to recharge in a star. Eli proposes a risky alternative, which requires the rest of the crew to gate to a nearby planet for safety, where they find an abandoned city.

Guide | Transcript

MGM/Syfy.com Official Summary

Evading an attack of the drones they thought they outran weeks ago, Destiny is driven to an alien planet that may have the raw material needed to fix the ship's aging life support system. But when Eli and Scott pass through the 'gate, they find a paradox: Humans who claim to be the descendants of Destiny's crew.

Although the drones may find them if they stop for too long, Eli prevails on Young to take the risk and stay on the planet long enough to get to the bottom of the puzzle. The locals help them gather food and material for repairs, and tell them how their mythology and culture was built around the kino footage that they have of the Destiny crew. It seems that, when Destiny tried to dial Earth from the star, her passengers were sent back in time and landed on a different planet (SGU 2.12 "Twin Destinies"). The alternate crew had no option but to make it their home. They named it Novas, and eventually built an entire civilization that, in turn, split into two countries. These countries seem to have been the followers of Young on one side, and of Rush on the other. They say they came through the Stargate from Novas over 30 years ago, but the connection was damaged and they were stranded.

After the locals have helped load Destiny with supplies, they ask for something in return: To be delivered back on their home planet. Destiny's life support is unlikely to accommodate all of them, and since a black hole and natural disasters threatened Novas at the original time of the expedition, the civilization may not even still exist. Young must deny the request of his future progeny, offering instead to help fix the 'gate, should that be an option.

But as Eli and Camile deliver their sad message, the drones find the planet and open fire. Everyone starts to evacuate through the 'gate onto Destiny, but the drones damage the 'gate and Camille, Eli, Greer and Scott are stranded with some of the locals on the planet. Greer and Scott manage to shoot down the drones, but heavy damage is done, and the 'gate won't be dialing again.

Eli won't be deterred: Encouraged by the fact that he - or at least, an alternate version of him - built a new civilization, he tools around with the 'gate's subspace communication abilities until he's able to turn the massive device into a Morse code transmitter. Destiny picks up the message that the drones are gone and it's safe for her to return to pick up the survivors, and the team is saved. In an awakening of brotherly love, Young decides that despite the cost to the ship and crew, he must deliver these people - his family - to Novas.

But at journey's end, the flagship shuttle finds a civilization - developed, advanced - but silent and preserved by the winter following the ash of a super-volcano. These descendants of Destiny have a home, but nowhere to live.

Modified by Solutions.

Cast

Opening Credits:

Guest Starring:

Closing Credits:

Production

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Production Notes

  • "Today, we had a discussion of Rob’s new story that eventually devolved into a heated debate about gate travel, subspace sensors, and Swiss Family Robinson. Don’t ask." — Joseph Mallozzi, June 1, 2010
  • "The rest of the day was spent yakking about Carl’s first draft of Hope, episode #14, my outline for The Hunt, episode #16, and whether or not Radio, episode #18, still worked given the preceding episode." — Joseph Mallozzi, June 25, 2010
  • "201: Intervention, 202: Aftermath, 203: Awakening, 204: Pathogen, 205: Cloverdale, 206: Trial and Error, 207: The Greater Good, 208: Malice, 209: Visitation, 210: Resurgence, 211: Deliverance, 212: Twin Destinies, 213: Alliances, 214: Hope, 215: Seizure, 216: The Hunt, 217: (Rob’s script), 218: (Carl’s script), 219: Blockade, 220: Gauntlet. Yep. All we need are a couple of titles." — Joseph Mallozzi, July 10, 2010
  • "We called up Rob and gave him notes on his final script of the season, episode #217, Common Descent." — Joseph Mallozzi, August 20, 2010
  • "Yeah, yeah, this episode we're shooting now, "Common Defense," [sic] Peter DeLuise is directing and there is a day, actually it'll shoot in the next episode, and I believe both of my kids [Elijah, 6; Hanna, 4] are just going to have a small background part, but it's basically...It's all mixed [race] kids. So my kids fit in perfectly to that." — Alaina Huffman, Show Patrol interview, October 12, 2010

Further Reading


--DeeKayP 02:14, 11 July 2010 (UTC)