SGU 1.16 "Sabotage" Episode Guide

Précis

An expert in hyper drives, who has a past with Dr. Rush, arrives on the Destiny via the communication stones when it seems the ship will run out of power before it reaches its next destination, which would leave the crew adrift.

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

SPOILERS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS THE EPISODE IS IN PRODUCTION

Spoilers from Spoiler TV: [ELEANOR PERRY] (35-40) and quite attractive. A brilliant scientist who happens to be a quadriplegic. Affected since childhood, her disability has rendered her body physically useless. However, after being brought on board the Destiny as the only person who may be able to save the ship and her crew from certain annihilation, she is given temporary powers that enable her to walk again and to finally experience intimacy.sptv050769..Strong guest lead. NAMES PREFERRED. ACTRESS MUST BE PHYSICALLY THIN. (THINK CALISTA FLOCKHART).

Spoilers from Audition Sides:

There are twelve FTL (Faster Than Light) drive modules on the Destiny and one has exploded due to an overload. Scientist Eleanor Perry, Nicholas Rush, and Eli Wallace propose that this is a good thing since the assumption is that the weakest engine failed and is not left to drag the others down. But, they're still going to have to repair the damage and bypass the drive's controls, so they prepare a robot to ensure that the ship can make it across the void between galaxies. They propose that either Col. Young or Lt. Scott carry the robot in the Ancient Shuttle to the damaged area. In the meantime, Young prepares to send a team to a planet to gather more food and water.

Perry has been a quadriplegic since she was nine and has missed out on a lot of firsts: her first drink and her first kiss, as examples. She's impressed with the man who solved the "Dakara Puzzle" (a puzzle on a video game that led to Eli Wallace's indoctrination into the Stargate Program). Additionally, Eli and Perry share a common interest in gaming, with Warcraft in particular. She wasn't originally on the Destiny when the team evacuated Icarus Base, but is on the ship through the use of the Ancient Long-Range Communications Devices by swapping bodies with Camile Wray. Having found the freedom to move without assistance, Perry finds that she desires a higher level of physical intimacy than she normally has. She feels beautiful and admires Wray's body. She kisses Eli and implies she'd like to take it further, but Eli refuses because, well, it's Wray's body and he doesn't think that it would be right, even though he thinks that Wray is very attractive. Perry accepts his rejection, but turns her attentions to Rush, who doesn't seem to mind the whole idea of sexual intimacy with her, even if she is in Wray's body. They've had a lot to drink and whether or not they take their passionate kissing to the next level remains to be seen.

Additional storylines: Wray and Sharon reunite. Perry also had a body swap with Lt. Vanessa James. Chloe and James try to determine the cause of the explosion: could one of their own have sabotaged it?

NOTE FROM BRAD WRIGHT AND ROBERT COOPER, CO-CREATORS AND EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS (Posted at Gateworld Forum):

Recently, a casting breakdown was released to agents for a upcoming character in our television show, Stargate Universe. The character, Doctor Eleanor Perry, is a brilliant scientist at the top of her field, who also happens to be a quadriplegic. As part of a science fiction conceit that is core to our series, Perry's consciousness is temporarily exchanged with one our series main characters, Camile Wray, who is a lesbian. In the course of the story, Perry has the experience of being able bodied for the first time since she was a child. At the same time, Wray, temporarily encumbered by Perry's physical disability, experiences the unconditional love of her life partner. The language of the breakdown was insensitive and inaccurate, and we sincerely apologize to those who may have been offended. The audition pages that have been under scrutiny were from an early draft and released out of context. It is our desire and intention to portray both characters with dignity and respect, while remaining mindful of the ethical issues we're raising.

Brad Wright and Robert Cooper

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

• ?? as Dr. Eleanor Perry
• Reiko Aylesworth as Sharon
• Julia Anderson as Lt. Vanessa James
• Patrick Gilmore as Dr. Dale Volker

Production

• Written by Freelance Writer, Barbara ??
• Directed by Peter DeLuise

Related Articles

Keywords

• Ancient Long-Range Communications Devices
• Ancient Shuttle
• Dakara Puzzle (for origin of the name, visit Dakara)
• Destiny

Other

• Stargate Universe: Season One
• Previous: SGU 1.15 "Lost" Episode Guide
• Next:

Related Links

Official

• MGM Official Website: Search Results for "{{{MGM_search}}}"
• Syfy: 1.16 "Sabotage" Guide

Fan

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

Production Notes

• "Today, we set aside an hour to talk stories – specifically, the back half of SGU’s first season. Okay, okay. I think that, this time, I’ve got it right. ... #16 is another freelancer script and, after much discussion, we’ve finally hammered out a structure for the story." — Joseph Mallozzi (June 3, 2009)
• "Brad received Barbara’s draft of Sabotage, Episode #16, over the hiatus and says she did a very good job." — Joseph Mallozzi (July 29, 2009)
• "I poked my head into Brad’s office today to give him the heads-up. He’s doing the pass on Sabotage but has planned to write Episode #17." — Joseph Mallozzi (July 30, 2009)
• "Meanwhile, I anxiously await Brad’s pass on Sabotage as that preps next week with the lovable Peter DeLuise at the directing helm." — Joseph Mallozzi (August 6, 2009)
• "Just read "Sabotage." Wow. SGU is really challenging my acting chops! I LOVE our writers! Can't wait 2 work on this episode!" — Ming-Na, Twitter (August 9, 2009)
• "Sitting in with us on the screening was the fab director himself, Peter DeLuise, who was in the office today prepping his next episode, Sabotage." — Joseph Mallozzi (August 12, 2009)
• "Sabatoge will be fun!" — Patrick Gilmore, Twitter (August 12, 2009)
• "Brad has been prepping Sabotage..." — Joseph Mallozzi (August 13, 2009)
• "We’re using the Ancient communication devices used in the Stargate episode ‘Avalon’ where Daniel Jackson and Vala go to the Ori galaxy. Basically we’ve rigged those using Earth technology to work for us as a communication device. Someone has the foresight to bring them on board Destiny. So in a limited way, we are able to take over the body of someone on Earth, essentially swap consciousness with that person so they end up on Destiny for some time while the other is back on Earth. Our characters can talk to loved ones or friends, or it might help with missions on Destiny or Earth." — Robert Cooper, SFX Magazine interview, issue 186, published by Sci Fi Pulse (August 13, 2009)

Further Reading

• Joseph Mallozzi's Blog
• Ming-Na's Twitter
• Spoiler TV: Casting Side for Eleanor Perry, August 10, 2009.
• Patrick Gilmore's Twitter
• Sci Fi Pulse: SG Universe Skewed More Toward Survival, August 13, 2009.

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--DeeKayP 15:40, 13 June 2009 (UTC)