Nicholas Rush
Encyclopedia
Dr. Nicholas Rush is a fictional character
in the Canadian-American Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
-Syfy
television series Stargate Universe
, a military science fiction
serial drama about the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team unable to return to Earth after an evacuation to the Ancient spaceship Destiny, which is traveling in a distant corner of the universe. He is portrayed by Scottish
actor Robert Carlyle
. Carlyle, while at first skeptical towards the show, got an interest in the character of Rush because he felt Rush was a "very interesting" character to portray.
Rush is a machiavellian scientist
whose life's work is uncovering the mysteries behind the ninth chevron of the Stargate, which ultimately leads him and personnel from the Icarus Base through the Stargate to a far-away galaxy where they must fight for their own survival. Rush made his first appearance in the pilot episode, "Air
", first broadcast in the United States
and Canada
in 2009.
, Scotland
. He studied at Oxford University whilst working two jobs. As a result, he believes he has earned the right to give orders to others without being questioned. In the episode "Human", Rush is seen in his flashbacks as giving a lecture at a university, and at least two people have characteristic "Cal" clothes, suggesting that he was teaching at University of California, Berkeley.
Rush is an expert in Ancient technology
. His research was hindered while he was married to Gloria Rush. Since her death, he has become more dedicated to science. He spearheads the Icarus Project, his main priority being to explore the mystery behind the ninth chevron of the Stargate
. Rush was stationed at the Icarus Base in 2009, in order to do research on the ninth chevron. Rush had a hand in selecting the personnel, and notes that Ronald Greer
and Matthew Scott
were not among those he would have approved.
During an attack on the base, Rush and Eli Wallace
figure out how to dial the ninth chevron, and are responsible for sending the remaining Icarus personnel to an Ancient ship known as the Destiny, a spaceship situated in a far-away galaxy, with no way of returning to Earth
. Halfway through the first season, the crew discovers an early version of the Ancient repository of knowledge, which may provide crucial details for full manual control of Destiny and a way to return to Earth. However, Young explicitly forbids anyone from using it, citing dangerous circumstances of previous encounters with such devices. In response, Rush capitalizes on the suspicious death of a crew member to frame Young for murder, thereby forcing a temporary leadership change which allows a science team to activate the device. When Young is vindicated and learns of this duplicity, he confronts Rush, eventually battering him unconscious, and strands him on a planet alone with what seems to be a wrecked alien starship. Rush then attempts to fix the craft and is captured by an alien race that is aware of the Destiny and desire to capture it. He manages to escape and make his way back to the Destiny, where he and Young make a deal not to disclose the events where Young left him to die. However, in the following episode Rush rallies the civilian population of Destiny and threatens to starve the military population into submission. It's also revealed that the Aliens had implanted a tracking device in Rush and used it to find Destiny and attacked them. In the middle of the attack the implant was removed and Destiny escaped.
In "Subversion", Rush suspects Colonel Telford of being a spy for the Lucian Alliance, after experiencing a blended memory caused by the side effect of using the communication stones. Under General Jack O'Neill
and Colonel Young's plan, Rush is sent into Telford's body and tries to uncover evidence of his relation with the Alliance while Daniel Jackson shadows him. However, the Lucian Alliance suspects that the Telford they are meeting with is in fact someone else, and Rush is then kidnapped and tortured into revealing his true identity. Learning who he is, Kiva, the leader of the Alliance group, uses him to unlock the ninth chevron on a Stargate under their command on another planet and use it to transport on board Destiny and take it over. Rush is returned to his own body when he returns to Destiny and manages to escape detection while the Alliance attempt to take over the ship. He eventually gains control of Destinys shield systems and threatens to expose the Alliance to deadly radiation from a nearby pulsar until they finally surrender. At the beginning of the second season, Rush is revealed to have discovered the control bridge of Destiny for some time while exploring the ship and kept it secret from the rest of the crew. He is now able to control the warp navigation system and steer the Destiny anywhere he wants. However, due to further experimentation with the ship's controls, Rush indirectly causes the loss of two of the crew. (Riley in "Aftermath" and Telford in "Awakening"). He is also revealed to have been trying to solve equations pertaining to Destiny by writing them all over the walls of an unused corridor.
In "Pathogen", Rush deduces that Chloe, who has been blacking out and reappearing in a trance, has been infected by a pathogen introduced by the aliens who captured both of them in "Space". He comes up with an idea to use the Ancient repository chair to cure Chloe of the pathogen. After Rush is pressed by Chloe after the treatment, he admits that he knows that she wasn't cured. Rush intends to use Chloe's advanced intelligence while in her trance state to help him solve his equations, while disregarding the danger she may pose.
Before being contacted by Brad Wright
and Robert C. Cooper
, Robert Carlyle
had watched the original feature film, Stargate
(1994) and had been aware of Stargate SG-1
and Stargate Atlantis
. He was sent around 200 episodes of the franchise, concluding that he was "more impressed by SG-1 than Atlantis", but felt the producers had "something."
While at first reluctant because it was different from his earlier work, he had no negative views of science fiction
and was a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series
when he was a child.
Carlyle was then again contacted by Wright and Cooper, the first thing Carlyle said to them was "Guys, I'm really flattered, but why do you want me to do this?", the two replied laughing, saying "Well, what do you mean?" Carlyle replied "My style is not what you’ve been doing. I can adapt and I can change and stuff like that, but I don’t think I would necessarily want to specifically for this," further saying he was not in the same mold as Richard Dean Anderson
(Jack O'Neill
) and Joe Flanigan
(John Sheppard
). Cooper told him Stargate Universe would become a "very different Stargate", with a new way of telling the stories and a different style, which was one of the reasons for choosing Carlyle for the main role. After the discussion, Wright and Cooper sent Carlyle the script for the pilot episode
. Carlyle felt it was a "quite complex" story, which made him interested in the character of Rush.
. Robert Carlyle
felt the character was so well made, that it had to be something both Wright and Robert C. Cooper
had thought about for years. When the script is finished, Carlyle is allowed to rearrange sentences throughout the various scripts. Carlyle called the working relationship between Wright and Cooper, "a wonderful collaborative relationship." When asked if he would return for future seasons, Carlyle replied "I must say that I'm really enjoying this—more than I ever would have believed. So if this character remains interesting to play, then I'll keep doing this until they give me the hook."
reviewer Mike Hale while positive towards Stargate Universe
, he said it only had "one ace up its sleeve", that being Robert Carlyle
. Hale praised his acting for being on an "entirely different caliber" than previous stars such as "Richard Dean Anderson
, Michael Shanks
and Amanda Tapping
". A reviewer from The Boston Globe
, who reviewed the pilot episode, "Air
", felt that the characters were portrayed by many "formidable actors", but the most notable was the "always-wonderful" Carlyle. Mark Wilson from About.com
said, "Carlyle is forced to play a tough game... and he does it well." An unnamed reviewer from The Straits Times
said the character left "viewers delightfully confused" to the question, is he good or bad?
Fictional character
A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...
in the Canadian-American Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
-Syfy
Syfy
Syfy , formerly known as the Sci-Fi Channel and SCI FI, is an American cable television channel featuring science fiction, supernatural, fantasy, reality, paranormal, wrestling, and horror programming. Launched on September 24, 1992, it is part of the entertainment conglomerate NBCUniversal, a...
television series Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe is a Canadian-American military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny many billions of light years distant from the Milky Way...
, a military science fiction
Military science fiction
Military science fiction is a subgenre of science fiction in which the principal characters are members of a military service and an armed conflict is taking place, normally in space, or on a planet other than Earth...
serial drama about the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team unable to return to Earth after an evacuation to the Ancient spaceship Destiny, which is traveling in a distant corner of the universe. He is portrayed by Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
actor Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
. Carlyle, while at first skeptical towards the show, got an interest in the character of Rush because he felt Rush was a "very interesting" character to portray.
Rush is a machiavellian scientist
Scientist
A scientist in a broad sense is one engaging in a systematic activity to acquire knowledge. In a more restricted sense, a scientist is an individual who uses the scientific method. The person may be an expert in one or more areas of science. This article focuses on the more restricted use of the word...
whose life's work is uncovering the mysteries behind the ninth chevron of the Stargate, which ultimately leads him and personnel from the Icarus Base through the Stargate to a far-away galaxy where they must fight for their own survival. Rush made his first appearance in the pilot episode, "Air
Air (Stargate Universe)
"Air" is the three-part opening episode of the military science fiction television series Stargate Universe. The first two parts aired on Syfy in the United States on October 2, 2009, while the third part aired on October 9. In Canada, SPACE aired the first two in tandem with Syfy...
", first broadcast in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
in 2009.
Character arc
In "Air", Rush is revealed to have come from a poor background. His father worked at the shipyards in GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
. He studied at Oxford University whilst working two jobs. As a result, he believes he has earned the right to give orders to others without being questioned. In the episode "Human", Rush is seen in his flashbacks as giving a lecture at a university, and at least two people have characteristic "Cal" clothes, suggesting that he was teaching at University of California, Berkeley.
Rush is an expert in Ancient technology
Ancient technology in Stargate
The Ancients are a fictional advanced race in the Stargate franchise, and are depicted as the precursor to modern-day humans. Their most notable creation in Stargate mythology is the entire Stargate network. Ancient science and technology, with a few exceptions, is shown as being superior to that...
. His research was hindered while he was married to Gloria Rush. Since her death, he has become more dedicated to science. He spearheads the Icarus Project, his main priority being to explore the mystery behind the ninth chevron of the Stargate
Stargate (device)
A Stargate is a portal device within the Stargate fictional universe that allows practical, rapid travel between two distant locations. The devices first appear in the 1994 Roland Emmerich film Stargate, and thereafter in the television series Stargate SG-1 and its spin-offs...
. Rush was stationed at the Icarus Base in 2009, in order to do research on the ninth chevron. Rush had a hand in selecting the personnel, and notes that Ronald Greer
Ronald Greer (Stargate)
Ronald Greer is a fictional character from the science fiction television series Stargate Universe, the third live-action series from the Stargate franchise centering on a group of 80 soldiers and civilians trapped on the Ancient vessel Destiny. He is portrayed by Jamil Walker Smith...
and Matthew Scott
Matthew Scott (Stargate)
First Lieutenant Matthew Scott is a fictional character from the science fiction television series, Stargate Universe, the third live-action series in the Stargate franchise, which centers on a group of soldiers and civilians trapped on the Ancient vessel Destiny. He is portrayed by Brian J. Smith...
were not among those he would have approved.
During an attack on the base, Rush and Eli Wallace
Eli Wallace
Eli Wallace is a fictional character in the Canadian-American television series Stargate Universe, a science fiction drama centering on the adventures of a present-day, multinational scientific team unable to return to Earth after an evacuation to the Ancient spaceship Destiny, which is traveling...
figure out how to dial the ninth chevron, and are responsible for sending the remaining Icarus personnel to an Ancient ship known as the Destiny, a spaceship situated in a far-away galaxy, with no way of returning to Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Halfway through the first season, the crew discovers an early version of the Ancient repository of knowledge, which may provide crucial details for full manual control of Destiny and a way to return to Earth. However, Young explicitly forbids anyone from using it, citing dangerous circumstances of previous encounters with such devices. In response, Rush capitalizes on the suspicious death of a crew member to frame Young for murder, thereby forcing a temporary leadership change which allows a science team to activate the device. When Young is vindicated and learns of this duplicity, he confronts Rush, eventually battering him unconscious, and strands him on a planet alone with what seems to be a wrecked alien starship. Rush then attempts to fix the craft and is captured by an alien race that is aware of the Destiny and desire to capture it. He manages to escape and make his way back to the Destiny, where he and Young make a deal not to disclose the events where Young left him to die. However, in the following episode Rush rallies the civilian population of Destiny and threatens to starve the military population into submission. It's also revealed that the Aliens had implanted a tracking device in Rush and used it to find Destiny and attacked them. In the middle of the attack the implant was removed and Destiny escaped.
In "Subversion", Rush suspects Colonel Telford of being a spy for the Lucian Alliance, after experiencing a blended memory caused by the side effect of using the communication stones. Under General Jack O'Neill
Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
and Colonel Young's plan, Rush is sent into Telford's body and tries to uncover evidence of his relation with the Alliance while Daniel Jackson shadows him. However, the Lucian Alliance suspects that the Telford they are meeting with is in fact someone else, and Rush is then kidnapped and tortured into revealing his true identity. Learning who he is, Kiva, the leader of the Alliance group, uses him to unlock the ninth chevron on a Stargate under their command on another planet and use it to transport on board Destiny and take it over. Rush is returned to his own body when he returns to Destiny and manages to escape detection while the Alliance attempt to take over the ship. He eventually gains control of Destinys shield systems and threatens to expose the Alliance to deadly radiation from a nearby pulsar until they finally surrender. At the beginning of the second season, Rush is revealed to have discovered the control bridge of Destiny for some time while exploring the ship and kept it secret from the rest of the crew. He is now able to control the warp navigation system and steer the Destiny anywhere he wants. However, due to further experimentation with the ship's controls, Rush indirectly causes the loss of two of the crew. (Riley in "Aftermath" and Telford in "Awakening"). He is also revealed to have been trying to solve equations pertaining to Destiny by writing them all over the walls of an unused corridor.
In "Pathogen", Rush deduces that Chloe, who has been blacking out and reappearing in a trance, has been infected by a pathogen introduced by the aliens who captured both of them in "Space". He comes up with an idea to use the Ancient repository chair to cure Chloe of the pathogen. After Rush is pressed by Chloe after the treatment, he admits that he knows that she wasn't cured. Rush intends to use Chloe's advanced intelligence while in her trance state to help him solve his equations, while disregarding the danger she may pose.
Conception and casting
| "I do get drawn to these outside-the-box type characters. People that don't really fit in, that have their own kind of world going on in their head the whole time. I enjoy characters like that, I enjoy playing people like that and Rush is certainly like that." |
| — Robert Carlyle Robert Carlyle Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later... talking about why he chose the role. |
Before being contacted by Brad Wright
Brad Wright
Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the creator or co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe...
and Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the Stargate franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis until both series conclusion and currently holds the same title on the third Stargate series Stargate Universe...
, Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
had watched the original feature film, Stargate
Stargate (film)
Stargate is a 1994 American adventure-military science fiction film released through Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and Carolco Pictures. Created by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich, the film is the first release in the Stargate franchise...
(1994) and had been aware of Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
and Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
. He was sent around 200 episodes of the franchise, concluding that he was "more impressed by SG-1 than Atlantis", but felt the producers had "something."
While at first reluctant because it was different from his earlier work, he had no negative views of science fiction
Science fiction
Science fiction is a genre of fiction dealing with imaginary but more or less plausible content such as future settings, futuristic science and technology, space travel, aliens, and paranormal abilities...
and was a fan of Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
when he was a child.
Carlyle was then again contacted by Wright and Cooper, the first thing Carlyle said to them was "Guys, I'm really flattered, but why do you want me to do this?", the two replied laughing, saying "Well, what do you mean?" Carlyle replied "My style is not what you’ve been doing. I can adapt and I can change and stuff like that, but I don’t think I would necessarily want to specifically for this," further saying he was not in the same mold as Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
(Jack O'Neill
Jack O'Neill
Jonathan J. "Jack" O'Neill is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe, three science fiction shows about military teams exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
) and Joe Flanigan
Joe Flanigan
Joe Flanigan is an American television actor best known for his portrayal of the character Major/Lt. Colonel John Sheppard in Stargate Atlantis.-Early life:Flanigan was born Joseph Dunnigan III in Los Angeles, California...
(John Sheppard
John Sheppard (Stargate)
John Sheppard is a fictional character in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate Atlantis, a science fiction show about a military team exploring the galaxy via a network of alien transportation devices...
). Cooper told him Stargate Universe would become a "very different Stargate", with a new way of telling the stories and a different style, which was one of the reasons for choosing Carlyle for the main role. After the discussion, Wright and Cooper sent Carlyle the script for the pilot episode
Air (Stargate Universe)
"Air" is the three-part opening episode of the military science fiction television series Stargate Universe. The first two parts aired on Syfy in the United States on October 2, 2009, while the third part aired on October 9. In Canada, SPACE aired the first two in tandem with Syfy...
. Carlyle felt it was a "quite complex" story, which made him interested in the character of Rush.
Development
After finishing casting the character, most of the script work was done by Brad WrightBrad Wright
Brad Wright is a Canadian television producer, screenwriter and actor. He is best known as the creator or co-creator of the television series Stargate SG-1 , Stargate Atlantis and Stargate Universe...
. Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
felt the character was so well made, that it had to be something both Wright and Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper
Robert C. Cooper is a Canadian writer and producer best known for his work in the Stargate franchise. He was formerly an executive producer of Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis until both series conclusion and currently holds the same title on the third Stargate series Stargate Universe...
had thought about for years. When the script is finished, Carlyle is allowed to rearrange sentences throughout the various scripts. Carlyle called the working relationship between Wright and Cooper, "a wonderful collaborative relationship." When asked if he would return for future seasons, Carlyle replied "I must say that I'm really enjoying this—more than I ever would have believed. So if this character remains interesting to play, then I'll keep doing this until they give me the hook."
Reception
Overall, the character was positively received. The New York TimesThe New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
reviewer Mike Hale while positive towards Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe
Stargate Universe is a Canadian-American military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. It follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational exploration team traveling on the Ancient spaceship Destiny many billions of light years distant from the Milky Way...
, he said it only had "one ace up its sleeve", that being Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle
Robert Carlyle, OBE is a Scottish film and television actor. He is known for a variety of roles including those in Trainspotting, Hamish Macbeth, The Full Monty, The World Is Not Enough, Angela's Ashes, The 51st State, and 28 Weeks Later...
. Hale praised his acting for being on an "entirely different caliber" than previous stars such as "Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson
Richard Dean Anderson is an American television and film actor, producer and composer. He began his television career in 1976 as Dr. Jeff Webber in the American soap opera series General Hospital, then rose to prominence as the lead actor in the television series MacGyver...
, Michael Shanks
Michael Shanks
Michael Garrett Shanks is a Canadian actor who achieved fame for his role as Dr. Daniel Jackson in the long-running Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1.-Early life:...
and Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping
Amanda Tapping is an English-born Canadian actress, producer and director. She is best known for portraying Samantha Carter in the Canadian-American military science fiction television series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis...
". A reviewer from The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
, who reviewed the pilot episode, "Air
Air (Stargate Universe)
"Air" is the three-part opening episode of the military science fiction television series Stargate Universe. The first two parts aired on Syfy in the United States on October 2, 2009, while the third part aired on October 9. In Canada, SPACE aired the first two in tandem with Syfy...
", felt that the characters were portrayed by many "formidable actors", but the most notable was the "always-wonderful" Carlyle. Mark Wilson from About.com
About.com
About.com is an online source for original information and advice. It is written in English, and is aimed primarily at North Americans. It is owned by The New York Times Company....
said, "Carlyle is forced to play a tough game... and he does it well." An unnamed reviewer from The Straits Times
The Straits Times
The Straits Times is an English language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore currently owned by Singapore Press Holdings . It is the country's highest-selling paper, with a current daily circulation of nearly 400,000...
said the character left "viewers delightfully confused" to the question, is he good or bad?