- Rush, where the hell are we?Several billion lightyears from home.
When a research team is forced to evacuate their secret base, they find themselves on board a derelict Ancient vessel that is many galaxies away from Earth.
Tropes
- Anachronic Order: First part.
- Arc Welding: The Lucian Alliance storyline, which was left unresolved during the final season of Stargate SG-1, gets picked up here and serves as one of the Pilot's catalysts.
- Call-Back: Eli getting beamed up to the George Hammond is reminiscent of Jeanine Miller getting beamed up to the Daedalus 3 years earlier.
- Cell Phones Are Useless: When Eli gets beamed up to the George Hammond, he pulls out his phone, telling Rush that he should probably call his mom. Rush tells him that his cell phone probably won't work in Earth orbit.
- Continuity Cameo:
- 3 of the SG-1 Team members show up; Jack O'Neill is running Homeworld Security, Samantha Carter is the commander of the USS George Hammond, and Daniel Jackson created a series of instructional videos for new recruits to the Stargate Program.
- Dr. Bill Lee was the guy who swapped bodies with Rush.
- One of the first stops that Destiny makes on it's flight plan is the Pegasus galaxy.
- Continuity Nod:
- Naquadria, a highly unstable radioactive isotope of Naquadah, plays a key role in getting the Stargate on Icarus base to connect with Destiny.
- The Tau'ri have built long-range communication devices modeled after the ones discovered in Stargate SG-1.
- On at least two other occasions, when the Stargate drew more power than normal, travelers were thrown out of the wormhole at high speed.
- Carter was officially given command of the George Hammond in the series finale of Stargate Atlantis, which chronologically precedes "Air".
- The Nine-Symbol Address is also stated to have been found (presumably by Rodney, Zelenka, etc.) in the Atlantis Database.
- Continuity Overlap: The Pilot, and by extension the series, opens shortly after the conclusion of Stargate Atlantis (as, again, Carter has formally assumed command of the George Hammond in the interim).
- Earth-Shattering Kaboom: The fate of the planet that dialed Destiny, P4X-351. Justified because the planet's core is made of Naquadria, a highly unstable isotope of Naquadah that was shown to be highly radioactive and explosive even in small quantities.
- Elaborate Underground Base: Icarus Base.
- Exact Words: O'Neill tells Eli quite frankly that that if he doesn't sign the non-disclosure agreement, they'll beam him up to their spaceship. Eli shrugs it off and shuts the door on him, and gets beamed aboard the George Hammond as he walks up the stairs back to his room.
- Foreshadowing: Given the Icarus Project was top-secret, O'Neill and Carter rightly conclude this was no random Lucian Alliance attack; the base's location was obviously compromised. How and who leaked it (and whether there's a traitor aboard Destiny) won't be revealed until late in the Season.
- Hidden in Plain Sight: The United States Air Force embedded an Ancient mathematical proof into an MMORPG.
- In Working Order: The Destiny was built by the Ancients who were living on Earth for their own purposes over a million years ago, but it is mostly still functioning, if badly in need of maintenance.
- Made of Explodium: P4X-351 has a core made of Naquadria, one of the most explosive materials known in the Stargate series. It's not long until it gets an Earth-Shattering Kaboom.
- Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Game: Prometheus, a multiplayer game that Eli solves a puzzle in, winning him a trip to the George Hammond.
- Refusal of the Call: Eli refuses to sign a non-disclosure agreement from General O'Neill after completing an ancient mathematical proof embedded in a video game.
- The Call Knows Where You Live: Eli gets beamed up anyway.
- Spinoff Sendoff: As with the Stargate Atlantis Pilot "Rising" 5 years earlier, Daniel Jackson and Jack O'Neill make crossover appearances (with Samantha Carter joining them this time around). This also makes Richard Dean Anderson and Michael Shanks the only actors to appear in all three Brad Wright-era Stargate Pilots.
- Surprisingly Realistic Outcome: SG-1 established that the Lucian Alliance was a galactic-spanning organization with multiple branches/cells. So, toppling Netan in their final SG-1 appearance did not ultimately bring down the organization. While it's not stated, it's also not hard to imagine that the Lucians have had free rein to regroup and expand their operations with the Free Jaffa Nation weakened and rebuilding from the Ori Crusade.
- Took a Level in Badass: The Lucian Alliance-controlled Ha'taks can now stand toe-to-toe with a Tau'ri BC-304.
Word of God states the Lucians were busy in the interim since SG-1 upgrading their arsenal and technology. - Wall Bang Her: Lt. Scott is introduced while in the middle of having sex with Lt. James.
