Cloverdale

"Cloverdale" is the title for the fifth episode of second season of Stargate Universe, and would be the 25th episode overall, although the title and production order is subject to change.

Synopsis
Matthew Scott is infected by an alien organism.

Plot
Matthew Scott wakes up on a bus, sitting next to Ronald Greer, having just arrived in the town of Cloverdale. Scott is getting married to Chloe Armstrong on the weekend. They retrieve their things and leave the bus. He expected his father to be there. As the bus departs, he sees him across the road and runs to meet him, ignoring the oncoming car. It hits him, sending him sprawling.

Scott suddenly wakes up, the previous events having been some sort of dream. A large, bluish fungus has grown over most of his forearm. He asks Tamara Johansen to cut it off, but she ignores the request and discusses with the others about how every treatment has failed. Nicholas Rush recommends he stay still, while Eli Wallace tries to keep him calm.

Scott returns to his dream world, where he is attended to by his father, Everett Young. Adam Brody, the driver of the car, quickly comes out to check on Scott. Young insists he's fine and sends Brody on his way. Eli, Chloe's brother, offers his camera film as evidence just in case. The group goes back to Young's house. Scott asks if they have a bachelor party planned, but Young informs Scott that Chloe wants to take him to a movie. Chloe comes in and they happily embrace each other. She notices a bruise on Scott's arm, which he attributes to the car accident. He then faints.

On the alien planet, Scott is unconscious, so the group moves him to the gate. Given the rapid spread of the fungus, Rush and TJ decide not to take him back to Destiny, lest they contaminate the ship. Rush goes on ahead to get supplies sent to them from Destiny.

In Scott's dream, Scott is awoken, and Eli explains what happen. Chloe takes him to the theater. In the movie, the two actors, dressed like Scott and Chloe in the real world, admire a field of strange plants. Recognizing them, Scott quietly tells them to run. The movie continues, and the plants change colors when touched. Suddenly, tendrils spring from the ground, attacking them. The actor portraying Scott is stung, causing the fungus to rapidly spread over his arm. Scott leaves in a panic. Chloe decides to leave early but goes back in to get her purse, informing the usher, Darren Becker, that they need to find a way to stall Scott slightly longer. Scott watches from the door.

Rush has every possible medical aid sent from Destiny, including tools to amputate Scott's arm if it comes to that. Everything they try fails to work. With the alien plant rapidly growing toward their position, they only have ten minutes to amputate the limb.

In the dream, Scott suggests heading over to Brody's for something to eat. They are met outside the theater by Dale Volker, a pharmacist. He calls up Brody on their behalf, to make sure his bar is open, which it is. Volker says that everyone is there, quickly adding that he's referring to the staff. He then leaves in a hurry. Brushing off his behavior, Scott and Chloe go to the bar, where everyone has planned a surprise bachelor party for Scott. Chloe leaves him to the party.

TJ prepares to amputate Scott's arm, but stops when Volker points out that Scott's blood is blue, a sign that the fungus has moved into his bloodstream and is thus impossible to remove. The jump countdown has three hours left, but the fungus will reach them before that. Greer decides to call in for supplies to buy as much time as possible to treat Scott.

During his bachelor party, Scott, at this point quite drunk, jokingly flirts with Vanessa James, a waitress and his former girlfriend. She plays along to discourage him. After last call, Scott, Greer, and Young go outside, where David Telford, the sheriff, gives them a ride home to keep them from driving drunk.

On the planet, Greer has a quick barricade set up and forms a team with flamethrowers to hold back the plants. TJ continues to look after Scott. Young orders all non-combatants back through the gate, TJ included, as he's not willing to lose anyone more than he has to. Chloe refuses to leave. As she argues with TJ, TJ noticed the fungus growing on her shirt and quickly cuts it off. It doesn't seem to have gotten on her skin.

Scott wakes up in bed, where Chloe is waiting for him, disappointed at how drunk he got. Scott asserts that it was expected of him, to which she asks if he's marrying her for the same reason. Still hungover, it takes him longer than Chloe would have liked to deny the accusation. She tells him that he needs to see the Justice of the Peace, then get fitted for his tuxedo.

Eli decides to say some final words to Scott, urging him to keep fighting. Chloe moves behind the Stargate, attracting the attention of one of the plants, raising her hand so it will sting her. By the time her disappearance is noticed, she's already come back, now infected by the fungus. She explains to Eli that she couldn't leave Scott.

Scott visits the Justice of the Peace, who is Rush. Rush questions Scott on whether he really wants to marry Chloe, which he says he does. Scott, however, admits that he's been feeling strange. Rush calls it fear, which he takes as proof that Scott's alive, then tells him in the absence of fear is death, which takes everyone sooner or later. Scott then moves on to get his tuxedo fitted, where Eli likewise questions if he's serious about the marriage. Scott ends the conversation, as he's tired of hearing the same question, then collapses.

On the planet, everyone begins leaving through the gate. Eli is among the last, curtly saying "Bye" to Chloe before stepping through. Rush then comes up to Chloe, wondering if her purpose truly was just to keep Scott company. Chloe explains that her true intent was to test if she was immune to the fungus thanks to the blueberry alien pathogen, as it should have transferred to her skin once it got on her clothes. The fungus on her hand has not grown as Scott's has, so she must be immune. Rush brings this to TJ's attention, having to reveal that she is still under alien influence.

TJ, a paramedic in Scott's dream, revives Scott. She chalks his collapse up to a lack of electrolytes, and recommends he have some chicken soup prior to the wedding. Scott does as she asks. Greer suggests that the wedding could be postponed given Scott's obvious fatigue, but Scott wants to go through with it. He asks Young for advice, but all Young tells him is to wake up.

Rush recommends a blood transfusion from Chloe to Scott, as whatever is in her could save him. TJ is reluctant to pass her affliction to him, but given the alternative agrees to try. Greer orders everyone else except himself, Scott, and Chloe through the gate, as they are nearly out of time. He dials the Stargate repeatedly to keep the plants at bay, as they have been shown to recoil at its activation.

While being given the transfusion, Scott dreams of the wedding ceremony taking place. Rush reads the vows as Chloe is walked to the alter. Once she steps up and turns to him, however, the left half of her face suddenly looks alien. Scott wakes up in the real world, the alien fungus flaking off his skin, and the three run through the gate just before Destiny jumps back to FTL. Young orders everyone to be checked out just in case, which Scott and Chloe are to be quarantined until he can figure out what to do with them. Scott is confused as to why, so Young leaves it to Chloe to explain.

Production

 * The title was revealed by Joseph Mallozzi's weblog on January 25, 2010
 * On April 28, 2010, filming took place on location in.