Why is there no iris on Midway Station? | STARGATE Explained

Why is there no iris on Midway Station? Thanks for watching :)
#stargatesg1 #stargateatlantis #stargateuniverse

[@manemperorofmankind8119]

Forget the science reasons, the fact that they spent so much time making this just to throw it away almost immediately after is beyond stupid

[@Gatetraveller1]

Agreed

[@Redeadhunter]

Yeah. I understand the problem they ran into could be argued as an inevitability because it hinged on the one thing that could go wrong not going wrong, but the idea that it all went down the toilet immediately is just wasted potential. I mean even weaknesses in SG-1's Iris system, while inevitable, took a bit of time before the shit started hitting the fan.

[@rekrn12345]

I don't think they threw it away. They reference it a few times as being down or repaired after the incident.

[@deadturret4049]

​@@rekrn12345i dont recall if it was fixed in the show, but they definitely rebuilt it in the books

[@AenVegra]

Should've added shield technology. Quarantine shield. However. Making it so that it's difficult to go between galaxies gives actual tension... so they shouldn't've ever made it. What they should've used is, well, maybe *figuring out the O'Neill Power Cell* for instance. Or, if Mark III Naquadah Generator could produce so much energy, try that!

[@TheBigExclusive]

If you trust a macro to send you to different gates, then you can trust the macro to open the gate iris.

[@Caldsea]

No, that kind of override basically becomes a huge security issue, since if the iris will wlbe opened regardless, then there's no point in having one in the first place. You can ONLY reach Midway with the macro, so if there's in incoming wormhole, they're going to get in one way or another with the timeout override you're talking about.

[@starflame34]

I never thought it needed an iris, I just wanted it to NOT EXPLODE! This was one of the coolest ideas ever in the series, but just like a lot of other cool things the characters get in the show, it had to blow up too! Finally get a solution to the issue of only having one ZPM to dial to Earth and then having to take a long trip on the Daedalus back to Atlantis, and all that work just for it to explode one season later!

[@rekrn12345]

The problem is it being used a MacGuffin in every story. The same reason they decided to make it not easy to dial earth at the start of the show. To add some sense of stakes to their adventure being one way ticket.

[@Pouk3D]

I always felt that the iris timing margin was incredibly tight. A human in the gate room says "open iris" and a half a second later an SG team steps in through the gate. It's like accidental iris thump sounds waiting to happen.

[@GoranXII]

Okay, no iris, but locked rooms would at least slow down the enemy.

[@brendondann1858]

I came here to say the same thing. Even just a big iris to seperate the gate room into 2 seperate areas

[@trazyntheinfinite9895]

Or yknow. Make the room airless, every personel has to use a suit.

[@brendondann1858]

@trazyntheinfinite9895 or leave the gates in space they have to use a puddle jumper, they can then dock to the space station

[@GoranXII]

@trazyntheinfinite9895 So every time Earth dials in they evacuate the air from the gate-room into the vacuum? Great idea! [/sarcasm]

[@GoranXII]

@brendondann1858 See above comment. This will fail badly from the Earth side.

[@MisterPuck]

Midway actually doesn’t connect directly to Earth, it’s in the middle of the void between the Milkyway and Pegasus and uses the same macro to traverse multiple Milkyway gates. But Earth still uses an IDC code from Midway to determine of they should open the Iris or not. So it’s something of a plot hole that Earth is still able to receive a code and signal back that the iris is open to someone on Midway. So either the macro doesn’t work the way you describe (though iirc you’re not wrong, I think it’s described in the show the same way I believe), or the writers weren’t thinking it through when they wrote the “Midway IDC” line.

[@SnowyRVulpix]

Real time communication is possible between the SGC and Midway, which I feel like invalidates most of these arguments. I believe Midway can also be used for real time communication between SGC and Atlantis.

[@John73John]

That was a really interesting video! Since the only way to dial along the gate bridge is with the macro, if the macro included code to open an iris or shield then it would render them pointless. Regardless of if this code was automatic, or if it signaled a guy in a control room to manually open the iris, since the traveler is just a pattern in the buffer at this point there's no way for the control room officer to verify friend or foe. In "Midway" the Wraith invaded by hijacking the macro, so the iris would have opened for them and let them in. One way I see this working is if Midway Station could be in direct subspace communication with both Earth and Atlantis. So when an unscheduled wormhole connects, you're held in the buffer while the crew calls up whichever side you came from and says "Did you just send someone through?". When they get confirmation, then they open the iris and the macro releases you to be rematerialized. However I think it was established that Midway is too far from either side for subspace communications. Maybe they could put automated relay transmitters every so often along the gate bridge, but then you would have the danger of Wraith hacking one of your relays and sending false signals. Small correction around 2:15: If you're still in the buffer when the wormhole disengages, I don't think you would get wiped immediately would you? It would take a couple of days for your pattern to fade (calculated by McKay when Teal'c was stuck in the buffer in "48 hours") OR you would get overwritten if another wormhole connected. Otherwise you could conceivably be rescued if Daedalus showed up before then or if a team came through the other gate.

[@Gatetraveller1]

Thanks, you’re correct about not being wiped instantly from the buffer, but I should have been more specific: in that when the wormhole disconnects and you’re still inside, the following wormhole connection would indeed wipe the buffer clean (seen/heard in 48 Hours). Even if the Daedalus or Apollo arrived at Midway to retrieve you from the buffer it was quite a work around to trick the gate into letting you out without creating an additional kawoosh (which is what wipes the crystals clean). It’s definitely possible and the macro technically does this anyways during the bridge transfer, so who knows. Maybe the macro softens the kawoosh that is created as to not clear the crystal patterns?

[@jedipadwan20]

@@Gatetraveller1 you know with the terras knowing what the gate does for over so long I wonder if McKay could create a macro that could be used if the game from earth shut down before you passed through same as the other gate.

[@ZontarDow]

Honestly one could spend all day thinking of things where things where done in ways we'd never contemplate if we actually made the show due to budgetary reasons. A perfect example is the mere handling of the SGC as realistically Abydos would be turned into a forward operating base from which exploration and trade is handled with Earth's location being a highly guarded secret with Jack and Daniel likely being the only SG team members who know it with all others being kept on base likely specifically to operate the gate. SG3 also would likely be an entire company of men with a platoon on standby at all times to be sent in with the ability to mobilise the entire company when needed. For obvious reasons, none of this could be done due to budget limitations unless a television movie had been used to justify making the Abydos sets on a similar scale as those of the SGC and Atlantis which simply wasn't going to happen.

[@unematrix]

the location of earth was well-known by the Goauld. So keeping it a secret wouldn't be very useful.

[@ZontarDow]

@unematrix it was only well known because SG teams made no attempt to hide where they where from and literally walked around with Earth's location on their uniforms.

[@sugarking12]

Really they should have had each gate in dedicated, bulkheaded gate rooms. Atleast that way they could have some security proceedures. Could vent one or both gaterooms in the event of unauthorized access.

[@TheDavinator999]

If midway had an iris on both gates it could be used to stop an invasion force. e.g. in the episode that the wraith take midway the first few wraith come through you close the iris stopping reinforcements and the soldiers on the base can take care of the few wraith that got through. But the actual reason is plot. Like in S5E1 the Daedalus had to lower it's shields to beam people to the ship despite it beaming people to the ship before without dropping the shields in s2e1

[@xyreniaofcthrayn1195]

Ironically that's a maintenance issue wrapped up in asgard tech manual that abruptly switches from human dialects to first contact ancient dialect point being whoever was to show up and maintain the tech for power draw errors that result in downed shields was in the med bay with the man flu.

[@thelegoguy7]

I enjoy the video, but respectfully disagree. The same problems mentioned for the midway iris are the same problems that could happen with the sgc iris. The sgc iris does appear on to have a macro that holds people in the buffer until the iris is opened or an unspecified amout of time passes and it seems to just let people through and die anyways. The miday iris could either do the same thing, or you could set up another macro that if the sheld or iris never gets open, eventually the gate shuts down and reverse dials back to where you came from (so basically the same macro that already exists for the gate bridge, but going in reverse and instead of it doing it automatically it waits to see if iris or shield isn't lowered then does it automatically.)

[@MinkieWinkle]

Midway, should have at very least had a secured room for each gate. Like a shield cell. Whichcthen can only be lowered by personal based at midway, You come through the gate, no iris sure. But you are still stuck in a box room. The midway team then lowers the shields of the room if a idc is given after they step through. If not. The room remains sealed. It is that simple

[@spectrumstudios4848]

Something I would of done was add an airlock between the gates and the station that can be ejected out into space. Add sentries maybe even turrets and a lot more guards.

[@rekrn12345]

You shouldn't need guards because the gates were not part of the network and should have been theoretically safe. It was only taken down because the wraith had to physically intercept the code. In a giant universe this theoretically should not have been possible but you know stories need to be told and stuff.

[@unematrix]

@@rekrn12345 the fact that any gate could connect to midway, means it was clearly not very safe. And they should have known that.

[@rekrn12345]

@@unematrix That is only technically true. You would need the code and the program to actually connect. Something that should not have actually been possible.

[@SiXiam]

3:55 You had to show the red head. My man!

[@jameskelly3502]

Here's the thing. When an incoming wormhole was active, Midway had armed soldiers standing at the gate. So clearly, they're worried enough to have armed soldiers, but not worried enough to have an emergency Iris? Having an Iris, as an emergency option, makes sense. I love this show, but bad writing is bad writing.

[@Linkolnverse]

This is insane. Traveling through a series of stargates without reintegrating to instantly travel across to another galaxy.

[@Bosonfriendly]

Good stuff as always. Keep it going man. When's the next video?

[@Gatetraveller1]

Should be in a week or so, thanks :)

[@Gatetraveller1]

@eyoamogus5632 been very busy. I do have videos that need some slight changes then will be ready.

[@WackoMcGoose]

Easy rule-patch for the iris issue: _don't connect directly to Atlantis or Earth._ Have the exit direction of each side of the bridge spit you out onto a predetermined, ideally uninhabited, planet. Then from there, dial Atlantis/Earth, input IDC, and travel as normal. Midway itself would have no iris on either gate, as _the fact that you had the macro to access the bridge in the first place_ is authentication enough (and if the station is hijacked, both ends of the bridge spit you out onto a backwater planet that you _then_ proceed to the final location from using IDC authentication).

[@Josh-oj9mm]

90% of the journey is the intergalactic void. There are no planets

[@WackoMcGoose]

@@Josh-oj9mm Yes, but there's the 5% on each end where there are. And it's not like Atlantis and Earth are the only planets in their galaxies "within Seven-Chevron range" of the bridge start point (they proved that by accessing the bridge from a different gate in Pegasus). Just choose a random (uninhabited but safe) planet on the outer edge of each galaxy to have the bridge macro spit you out onto, and upon arrival, then do the "final transit" to Atlantis/Earth via conventional dialing and IDC usage.

[@rekrn12345]

It would have made more sense for it to connect to an alpha or beta site. I don't even remember if those still existed at this point in the shows history. I think anubis destroyed one at some point. Did they just stop doing it after that? Honestly don't recall.

[@unematrix]

You would still have the same problem of the Wraith being in the milkyway. They could just dial another gate, grow hive ships, wait a few years, and then attack. It wouldn't solve the issue.

[@WackoMcGoose]

@@unematrix ...To quote the Daleks... "BUGGER!"

[@yendub]

Technically, Midway couldn't work. The SG 1 episode 48hrs said that when a Star gate activates it wipes the data buffer. It would never work based on established lore.

[@apromero911]

The 48 hours episode however is on the basis of an abnormal event occurring during “standard” gate operation. The lore also expands to include non-standard operations like multi-gate connections for the “localized” time bubble in Window of Opportunity, the correlative updates and gate virus in Avenger 2.0 and ultimately the defeat of the replicators in Reckoning. We also have non-standard operations like time-travel w/ solar flares in episodes 1969/2010 and the movies😅, travel through a sun in Red Sky, infinite connections to black holes in Supernova and Matter of Time, the infinite connection to the waterworld in Watergate, eighth and ninth chevron addresses with Fifth Race and beyond in SG-1, SGA and SGU… not to mention various other non-standard uses and expansions of how the gate system(s) work. Dont recall the midway episode’s explanation well enough to confirm the accuracy of the depiction of the bridge network in this video but assuming its accurate, I imagine it’d be something like the difference between closing a program and re-opening it vs telling the computer to use the output of the previous program as input to the new program. The macro bridges that gap, instructing the gate to skip clearing the buffer and establish a new wormhole that will take the output data required for reintegration of the last incoming connection as input data for the next outgoing wormhole essentially forwarding it to the next gate. Id also note that in 48 hours, they learned how to trick the program into re-integrating Teal’c without an established wormhole so they learned how to “recover” the data of the previously closed program/wormhole after it has closed… and it was never conclusively demonstrated that the buffers are cleared (and/or that there arent separate send and receive buffers) Midway comes several years after 48 hours so presumably they used what was learned in 48 hours along with Reckoning/Avenger to come up with a way to chain it together like call forwarding.

[@MinkieWinkle]

That was not necessary set in stone, since it was also mentioned that the gate swoosh, played a role in wiping the buffer, it was established that if a gate can be activated without a swoosh, the buffer remains. The asgard them selves are able to dial a gate without a swoosh. Seen when they wave they hand marble. The gates, simular to phones, can be used to redirect calls. Passing them onto other gates, without the intermediate "phones " from actually ringing. So no swoosh

[@yendub]

@@MinkieWinkle True, the problem is, when they show the clips of them, there very much is the swoosh. Had they done what Lyra of the Nox did, or Asgard (or even old Cassandra in 1969) then it would work.

[@MinkieWinkle]

@@yendub that is indeed a fair point

[@jedipadwan20]

I’m surprised you don’t have a lot of subscribers yet

[@srilemobitelsrile8809]

I thought that this is second channel to GateWorld. :/ Stargate needs more love.

[@quietearthMT78]

Midway station never made sense to me.... both galaxies are spinning at an incredibly fast relative speed and also moving throughout space at an even greater speed. The station would have to move through space at a parallel course and speed in order for the gates to continue working.

[@Sena121]

That was also my issue. As far as i recall the gates are normally objects traveling in their corresponding trajectories, bound to planets or solar systems or galaxies. So with everything working together like a geared mechanism they were able to determine specific coordinates for the gates, inside a galaxy its 6 points and the calling gate name, between galaxies the galaxy, the 6 points and the calling gate. In universe they found a way via 9 chevrons to go to the moving destiny gate, but that wasnt used before that show and from the timeline it should be after the Atlantis-Pegasus-Galaxy arc. So they had 2 gates between 2 spinning galaxies fixed to each other and therefore ripped out of their positions, so the 6 points to call method cant work, cause the target gate of each galaxy would not be inbetween the 6 points anymore, its fixed to another gate, only one can work if it stand on its original place. But on the other hand star gate is the show with the most logic holes ive ever seen, even star trek is more consistent (WTF IS UP WITH THE FUCKING WANDERER FROM TNG???????) on this.

[@Robert-ug5hx]

It is just scifi, but I wonder if the tracer would be conscious while being held in the buffer, aware of it

[@Gatetraveller1]

They wouldn’t experience anything, as they are just energy while in the buffer. 30 minutes travel time for the universe, instantaneous for the traveller.

[@trazyntheinfinite9895]

Hubris is the answer.

[@richardruff8712]

I thought that the basic principle of the McKay/Carter Gate Bridge was brilliant...! The only concern I have is this... If our young human brains could have cooked this up, ( perhaps with a bit of help from Thor the Asgard ) ... then WHY did the Ancients not design it as well ?... Instead they were seen travelling between the Galaxies at a fairly ' slow ' speed of 99.999% of the speed of light... comments anyone ?

[@Ursea_Erika]

We don't see space gates in the Milky Way. Only Pegasus so we can safely assume the Atlantean/Ancients made those nearing the end of their reign. They also probably had no need to make long gate bridges like these since they were able to dial between galaxies with ease thanks to perhaps having more ZMPs and the ability to produce them. We also have to take into account the number of gates required as well as the ever changing distances between galaxies making them not as reliable as intergalactic game networks.

[@richardruff8712]

@@Ursea_Erika Yes, on the assumption of an ever expanding universe, the gaps between all galaxies would continue to grow... So, for the Bridge to still work, I am sure that boffins, such as McKay and Carter and Thor, would have planned to add a new stargate, ( maybe one each Century ) just to allow ships to complete the journey between galaxies... Not to be too critical, but I thought we DID see the occasional spacegate in the Milky Way galaxy, where the planet surface was too cold, or too molten hot, for any life to exist there ?

[@Josh-oj9mm]

The Asgard have ships so fast that it is unecessary. The ancients were escaping a plague and had completely ditched the milky way. They did not want access back.

[@rekrn12345]

Two things. They didn't need to build a bridge because they had the technology to just power the gate to connect directly to another galaxy. The bridge is a work around for the power needed for 8th chevron intergalactic travel. Carter and Mckay didn't invent the gates they just put some duct tape on them. The ship traveling between galaxies wasn't doing it on purpose. Their hyperdrive failed after combat and they were unable to repair it. They either pushed forward or went back and they chose to do the sublight crawl.

[@unematrix]

Why bother when you have ZPMs? It's like building a carriage in case all cars in the world stop working. There is just no point to traveling by carriage when you have cars.

[@Revkor]

sorry still stupid considering how important Midway was