Coincidentally, the ship slows to sub-light speed, dropping out of "FTL" (faster than light). The ship, believes Dr. Rush, understands that its new passengers are having difficulty breathing. It knows what is needed, and has brought them to a planet, reachable through the stargate, that has the materials needed to fix the problem. We begin to understand as does Rush, Destiny is more than simply a spaceship.
For the transitional episode of a three-part story, "Air Part 2" packs in a lot of information. The series' core conflict between Col. Young and Dr. Rush begins to emerge when Young decides to try and dial the Stargate back to Earth. It is a futile action, according to Rush, and will needlessly waste the ship's slim power reserves. When Rush discovers the dial out, he is furious. How dare Col. Young do something so foolish without consulting him, he screams.
But would Rush have actually have actually been honest had he been consulted? Neither Young nor we have any idea at this point. Rush is where he wants to be. This is his "destiny," and he's not keen on going anywhere, even back home. For him, this is the "opportunity of a lifetime" for himself and all of them. Young argues the opposite: they are all the wrong people for the mission and have no business on the ship. They must get home, or at least try, if only for the sake of morale, something Rush derides as foolishness. Who is right? Do Young have an obligation to try? Or is the risk too great?
I hope you're enjoying this new series on Stargate Universe. Let me know your thoughts, whether you're watching for the first time or the 15th. Next up: "Air Part 3."
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Article comments
1 - Outtie
Somehow I never saw Rush as the 'villain of the piece', just more of an internal person who tended to keep his thoughts, plans and emotions hidden from public view. As for his famous pragmatism - he was basically right about most things, he just tended to forget that other people aren't him.
2 - barbara barnett
I also don't think of Rush as the villain (personally, I see Telford as ultimately the villain, since it was likely his intelligence that led to the original attack by the Lucian Alliance). And that's the reason I call him the "nominal' villain--the person who, on the face of it, is to blame for their predicament, is untrustworthy, etc...
Yes, he's right about a lot of things--nearly everything. But he does have his own agenda that excludes the consideration of others on the ship.
Rush is by far and away my favorite character.
3 - Paul
I liked the conflict between military and civilian. Rush is right if this is a scientific exploration, that he should have ultimate decision. But if this is a warship, the military have to control it.
I never saw Rush character as the problem. He clearly was the one to follow. I saw everyone else as the problem.
If I was to be critical, I would say many characters had no business being on the top secret Icarus base or Destiny. They struck me as neither scientist nor military.
4 - barbara barnett
Wray was the IOA representative, and Chloe, her dad and Eli were just visitors to the base, but other than that, I think all the civilians were science personnel or engineers of one kind or another.
5 - Paul
Perhaps but they didn't act like any scientist or military I've seen.
6 - Outtie
I was pretty firmly in the 'civilians should be running the ship' camp for most of the shows run. Towards the end they were finally coming together with all the groups working together rather than at opposing purposes.
Personally I'd have been Team Rush all the way. Young was hardly worth listening to until about 'Twin Destinies'.