['Stargate Universe' - 'The Hunt']

Rodney McKay was out of sight, but this week's episode of 'Stargate Universe' still inspired memories of the sunnier 'Stargate Atlantis.' A big, scary monster attacked our heroes during a scout trip and took two people captive, leading the team to embark on a dangerous rescue mission on an alien planet.

I make the 'Atlantis' comparison here because the plot of 'The Hunt,' at first blush anyway, felt like the same kind of well-worn sci-fi story that 'Atlantis' rehashed several times during its five season run: Alien creature attacks, important person is taken, others risk their lives to rescue them. But the comparisons pretty much end there. Despite some monster attack scenes and some so-so creature feature CGI, 'The Hunt' was less about reveling in sci-fi/action-adventure tropes and more about exploring Ronald Greer's troubled soul.

If you've been reading my 'SGU' recaps lately, you know that I've been very concerned about Master Sergeant Greer and his chances for surviving the season (or series) alive. The writers buried him under tons of rubble and threatened to blow him up last month, and just two weeks ago he risked his life in a dangerous transplant operation to save timid scientist Dale Volker. This week, Greer was severely off his game, and his hesitation during the initial attack almost led to TJ's death.

When we first met him, Greer was a one-note hothead, but the series hinted at a larger and more interesting arc for the character, and Jamil Walker Smith's seemingly improvised nuances hinted at a greater depth just beneath the surface. Recently, it seems like the writers have been scripting Greer with Walker's performance and acting style in mind. The success of several of Season 2.5's big emotional beats and tension-cutting jokes have hinged on Smith's charismatic line readings, subtle inflections and sad eyes. I'm not saying the guy is carrying the entire show on his back, but he's been stealing scenes from the leads without breaking a sweat lately, and he adds weight and soul to the show that helps to ground it in reality -- right where it needs to be if it's gonna make an emotional impact on the viewer.

Greer's internal conflict was perhaps the most compelling part of this ep (it certainly wasn't the CGI monsters, which looked serviceable, but not at all special). Our ever-evolving super soldier was dealing with a lack of faith -- in himself and, it seems, everything and everyone else around him -- following a near-death experience that left him feeling trapped and powerless. Greer's a take-charge kind of guy; he's the first one who'll sign up for danger. He's edgy and tense and not at all used to not being in control, much less trapped inside of his own body in the dark. So, yeah, it makes sense that he was distracted and coming apart here after his operating table experience. But the hunt forced Greer to face his demons and to shake off the walking zombie routine. It literally took staring death in the face to snap him out of it, and the visual of it all, while somewhat obvious, was quite powerful.

Greer's sorry state also brought out the best in Varro. Our Lucian Alliance turncoat lost plenty of Lucian pals during the hunt, but his feelings for TJ and a desire to prove himself to the crew inspired him press on. In true Varro fashion, he acted like a patient and stand-up guy through all of the death and craziness. I like Varro, but it goes without saying that the guy could use a little more complexity. Perhaps his future interactions with Young, who is feeling a little bummed about Varro and TJ's budding romance, will give us a deeper peek at this reformed "bag guy."

The minor plots back on the ship weren't very complex either, but they still managed to keep me intrigued. Our science team discovered a room full of stasis pods that, as Mr. Brody unwittingly displayed, still seem to work! And Rush displayed some of the calculated, manipulative and cold-blooded A-hole tactics that made everyone hate him early in the series' run. He used Brody as a guinea pig while teaching Eli a hard lesson, which pretty much boiled down to, "Don't frak with me, kid, I'm the boss."

With Greer back in the land of the living, it looks like Volker is out of luck when it comes to his prospects with Park. I do love Greer, but my big nerd heart would love to see Volker and Park hook up. But, as Rush warned, maybe Volker's destined to stay in the friend zone and devote his life to Lady Science.

The stasis pods, with their ability to possibly sustain the crew forever as they travel through the cosmos looking for God or...whatever, were the biggest discovery of the night. But our team showed more excitement over a hunk of barbecued space deer hanging in the mess hall. That final shot, with everyone enjoying a real meal for the first time in months, reminded me that 'SGU,' like the best 'Stargate' stories, is all about ordinary people dealing with extraordinary circumstances.

I wish I could say that episodes like this one bode well for a fun third season. But with the show coming to an end later this month, I'll have to hope that 'SGU' gets to wrap up its potentially epic story with a TV movie or, at the very least, a comic book or novel spinoff.

'Stargate Universe' airs Mondays, 10PM ET on Syfy.

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