['Stargate Universe' – 'Blockade']

Impressive episodes like 'Blockade' are making this cancellation business really hard to swallow.

From start to finish, this was easily one of the most exciting and compelling hours of 'Stargate Universe' to ever hit the air. I don't think there's another show on TV right now that's offering this kind of classic sci-fi shoot-em-up-fun mixed with genuine suspense, great character moments and an intriguing long-form story arc.

I'd be rejoicing about the show's recent creative comeback if we had another season, or at least a TV movie or two, ahead of us. But, sadly, 'SGU' is a done deal. Well, at least it's going out with style.

This week's episode combined two types of story lines we've seen in the past for maximum impact: The risky plan to save the ship, and the dangerous away mission.

First, we learned that Destiny's power reserves were dipping to dangerous levels. An army of Drones was blocking the ship's access to the recharge stars, making the power situation go from bad to worse. (Those Drones are proving to be a lot smarter then I first thought they were.) Eli came up with an impressive but risky plan to recharge the ship, which included temporarily dropping everyone but himself and Rush off on a nearby planet. With Park choosing to stay behind (a sign of badness to come), and everyone talking about how Eli's plan was "crazy times a thousand," I was already hooked. But the action intensified on the planet once the crew's presence was detected by a small group of Drones.

I liked that the away mission (if you can call it that) sent our crew to an abandoned, crumbling cityscape, or, as Eli dubbed it, "Pittsburg." It's always more fun when we Gate somewhere with buildings, as it brings up all kinds of questions about the planet's history and the nature/status of its inhabitants. Plus, it just looks cooler than a forest or whatever.

So did the descendants of the Alt Destiny Crew found this city? I don't think we ever got a definite answer to that question, but I'd say yes. The descendants, as Rush mentioned, have probably spread out all over the galaxy. Plus the language in the newspaper and the city signage resembled English. But there was no way to know for sure as the city was demolished by the Drone army.

The Drones in the city had a nice, creepy Skynet quality to them. And the idea that they violently wiped out the planet reminded me of how The Wraith cut a swath of destruction through the Pegasus galaxy on 'Stargate Atlantis.' All the business on the planet had a familiar 'Atlantis' vibe, with the teams ducking and hiding from a threat and eventually forced to engage the enemy. But, this being 'SGU,' everything felt more tense and suspenseful, like someone could actually die at any moment. I almost thought Lt. James was a goner until I realized that she and Varro were teaming up to blow the Drone out of the sky.

It seemed like Park wasn't going to survive after the hydroponics dome was breached. I won't soon forget that spectacular visual of the plants set ablaze and the dome bursting as Park was almost sucked out into space. Somehow, she managed to survive, but the experience might have left her blind.

One of the most joyous things about 'Blockade' was watching Eli step up and take charge of what was arguably Destiny's most dangerous mission ever. I also loved seeing Rush slyly push Eli to stand up and believe in himself. Remember last season ('Human') when Rush called Eli "the genius I'll never be." It was nice to hear him repeat that sentiment here to Young at the end of the hour. ("It was genius. I've never seen anything like it ... Please don't tell him I told you that.")

And concerning Rush's behavior during the Park situation ... He did the right thing by keeping Eli on task. Some might argue that Rush's cold personality keeps him at a distance from everyone else on the ship, and that's partly true, but he's come a long way from the uncaring lone wolf we met in the series pilot. Rush is the guy who can bury his emotions and make the hard decisions -- like potentially sacrificing someone to save the ship and the lives of its crew. His choices and personality might inspire people to call him a "son of a bitch," but that's a small price to pay for keeping the ship afloat and people alive. Still, Rush did "consider the possibility" that the doors might lock down, and he failed to tell anyone about it. So, yeah, I guess he is kind of a son of a bitch.

The final act offered a quick glimpse of an immense Drone ship. The sense of dread among the crew was palpable as the craft broke through the clouds. Maybe, just maybe, we'll run into that big beastie again before the series ends.

Other thoughts/quotes:

-- Fantastic special effects throughout. And you know, I love seeing those space suits.

-- I'm not one to condone violence, but, yeah, that one guy totally deserved a punch in the face.

-- "What am I, Captain Kirk?"

-- "Don't tell me, Death Star?"

-- Just realized this episode directly referenced 'Star Trek' and 'Star Wars.' Nice.

-- "Holy crap, we dialed Pittsburg!"

-- "Maybe they're Canadian."

-- "I couldn't find a gun store or a grocery store, but I found a dry cleaner." New clothes! Finally!

-- Brody and Volker in unison: "Yay!"

-- One more episode to go. (Extreme sadness.)

'Stargate Universe' airs Mondays at 9PM ET on SyFy.

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