I can't say I'm a huge fan of Stargate Universe, and not just because Stargate Atlantis was canceled, so I wasn't too excited that the second half of the inaugural season started today. The characters act stupidly, illogically, the tone is more annoying than dark and frantic, and the plot meanders around the thin premise of a group of people that need to survive.
"Space" largely bypassed any problems by introducing aliens--perhaps the most needed change--and having an extended space battle take up most of the time. Since that's the case, I'd be willing to call "Space" the second best episode next to "Time," an indulgent episode for me, because all the characters, who I hate, were killed off.
The communication stones are and continue to be a dumb plot device that makes no effort to be subtle. It blatantly shouts out "Look here!! My purpose is to show the characters on Earth interacting with their loved ones!" In "Space," they were taken a step further, used by Young to swap bodies with an alien. How? Because it's a convenient way to introduce aliens into the show. Yes, the question "how" becomes "why." We should rename the communication stones to "magic stones?" After all, we don't know how they work and any result that happens needs no explanation. Soon people will be able to switch bodies with those in the same vicinity and so on. The producers continue to dig themselves in hole by keeping the communication stones in play and expanding their role. I may be wrong about everything else, but I am 100% positive the communication stones are the wrong place to manufacture drama.
Young, in the body of an alien, finds Rush floating in a container filled with water. He breaks the container, and after using a device to exchange thoughts with Rush, Young gets out of there. The alien who Young switched with is confused and angry, and attacks Rush who then kills the alien.
The aliens are blue, bipedal, long, and want the Destiny to surrender. Following the initial assault, a smaller alien ship docks and cuts a round hole into the ship as Chloe watches like an idiot. Newsflash: don't stand around where invading aliens are cutting a hole into your ship. Especially if you're a pathetic weakling like Chloe. She is kidnapped at brought to the alien ship. Rush finds her and brings her back safely.
Rush doesn't tell anyone Young had beaten him and left him for dead on the desert planet. However, he does talk with Camille Wray, who had been racketing up the pressure on Young the entire episode, and tells her that Young is dangerous. Wray agrees that they need to do something about it.
At the end of the third episode, there was a curious scene, almost fashioned as a cliffhanger, with a smaller ship lifting off the Destiny and flying off into space. I hasn't been reference to at all, but I'm fairly certain that ship was one of the same ones the aliens had. I'm not sure of the implications, but the connection is there.
There were several well-intentioned humorous moments in the episode e.g. James telling TJ that she likes some guy only to have the guy hear over the radio. For the most part, they were funny, but worked only as periodic punctuation in wasteland of zero charisma. Humor is humor, but having the air of funniness is another story, and no one has it.
The episode ends with another cheesy musical montages of people alone even if, in the case of Chloe and Scott, they aren't physically separated. Yes, their situation sucks and people are isolated, but do we need the constant reminders in the form of musical montages?
Score: 8.7/10
