Stargate is an interesting franchise. The first time I saw anything to do about Stargate, I was working out of town, alone, and went to the movie theatre near the hotel. There was nothing worth seeing, but the one named "Stargate" piqued my curiosity, as I hadn't seen any marketing about it and didn't know a thing about what it was about. I saw it, and I loved it. Since then Stargate has had a few TV runs, with Stargate, and Stargate Atlantis. I was "meh" with the Stargate series, but enjoyed Atlantis quite a bit. Probably because of the quirkiness of Rodney McKay. And the remote alien location and starships. Yeah, I'm a sucker for starships. So I guess that's why I'm watching Universe... because it sure doesn't have many redeeming properties. It looks like someone took the whole Battlestar concept and applied it to Stargate, and threw in a bit of the socially awkward kid that saves the day. Kind of like a cross between Wesley Crusher from Star Trek TNG, and Seth from SuperBad. The film style is a direct rip-off from BSG, and they're trying too hard to punch up the political and sexual/relationship side, and in doing so are leaving the elements that made Atlantis so enjoyable for me. Anyway, here it is episode 5, and I'm still watching. And for the record, Syfy is a STUPID FUCKING NAME.
I watched the first season of the original Stargate but then the interactions with the aliens got to be a bit much and I punched out. I like that we've made it to the 5th episode and besides the attack on the base there hasn't been a single alien sighting yet (I discount the swirling sand thing because it was swirling sand). The way episode 5 ended was interesting. Did Rush know the ship was going to repower itself? Can't wait to find out. How hot is Lt. James? Very hot.
I'm also quite disappointed that the shuttle made it back... it would have been way cooler if they were abandoned. THAT would have been cool.
This show would work best as a mini series, as it would ensure that there wasn't a long convoluted series, but rather a succinct, lets get the fuck home solution with each episode getting closer.
Best thing about this show so far is Richard Dean Anderson making a cameo. No mullet and paperclip, but damnit, it's still MacGyver. I am waiting for something to happen that will alter the course of the series and bring an end to what I personally think is boring drama. So far there has been very little action and a whole lot of jealous-angsty-mathboy splattered with nervous-breakdown-professor. I see some good potential with the various members of the cast though, so hopefully things will pick up.
This show is going down faster than the black guy in Atlantis. It is really sad when the most compelling character in the whole series is the dweeb on his 2nd day of work. If you would even call doing practically nothing and being such a eunuch in a stereotypical geek role as "work." I guess the show's creators decided to entirely gloss over any sort of plot creation, character development, military realism or training, or even believable characters. Combine that with the poor directing, acting, writing, pacing and basically everything else done on this show and I'm calling it. Cancelled in the second season. I have no idea why I'm still watching it as I see my SG-1 box set sitting in judgment over my head on my DVD rack with Richard Dean Anderson giving me a look of utter contempt. I feel dirty. That level of writing and sacrifice or even planning is way beyond what the people involved in this project are capable of.
Spoiler On another forum, when Destiny started heading towards the sun and it was all OH NOES cliffhanger! Half the thread on this topic called it. The ship is just on course to recharge, snore. Boring. Sure enough, 40 minutes of everyone freaking the fuck out and drawing lotteries and getting smacked in the face, and the ship just needed to recharge. The plot of this episode wasn't even spoiled for me when discussing the possibility of the ship needing to recharge, it was just... so damned predictable. I guess it works from the point of view of the crew members, but that's not the point of view that matters, it's ours. This show just isn't gripping. I don't care about any of them, and their passive aggressive ewokian math boy. I'm going to probably give it until the end of the season, but the okayish/complete and utter garbage on all counts ratio is starting to become fairly one sided. It's a shame, I really liked the Stargate franchise back in it's SG-1 and brand new Atlantis heyday.
God this show makes me angry. I liked the Stargate movie and the first two TV shows, but this is terrible. The only reason I watch it is out of some insane hope that they all die painful deaths. Every time the scientist talks I want to punch him in the face. They tried to create characters with depth ala Battlestar Galactica, but unlike the BsG characters, there is almost nothing redeeming about them.
McGuyver got fat. The Futurama nod made me chuckle. Maybe I am drunk, but this episode actually has made up for some of the suckage. But fuck. I would like to see more STARGATE!
I've guiltily stuck with this show despite the last 3 episodes being awful and was rewarded with the last episode "Time". People actually die in this one, rather gruesomely in fact so if you're a sci-fi fan that likes a little gore this show just got better. (I found watching it on hulu to be better so I can jump ahead a few minutes when it gets boring, though I didn't need to do it for the last episode.)
The problem is, no one has actually died thanks to damn time travel. While a very entertaining episode, it seems like there will be no change in the status quo when all is said and done. On another note. Didn't those little buggers look a lot like Gou'ald symbiotes to to anyone else?
I did, when Chloe had fallen face down in front of the Keno, I was definitely waiting for her eyes to glow. It's probably too much of a stretch, but I thought it'd be cool if the Goa'uld pestilence spread so far out, and what the crew found on that planet was some kind of primitive off-shoot. The Goa'uld at large have been defeated now for so many years I thought a bit of a resurgence, against a crew that hasn't dealt with them before, might have been pretty interesting. Surely, Rush would have found some kind of Goa'uld removal device on board the ship to save the day. I was a bit disappointed when it all came back to her eyes making with the not glow, but it was still a good episode. This show really needs to stay consistent. It's terrible, it's terrible, it's okay, it's terrible, it's actually kinda good. It's confusing.
As many people have pointed out, they switched formats to look a lot more like BSG, and a lot less like the old Stargate franchises. I hope it's just taking them time to hit their stride with the new format and style of writing for this show. I am just happy they went a little more serious and dark since when SGU was originally pitched it was supposed to be aimed at a younger audience than SG and SG: A which is a little scary at how childish it could have been.
Chicks making out. A Stargate for the record. Also, the older series I could explain to someone easily. The relationships, what they were doing. Trying to explain this series makes me sound like a schizo.
Other than the chicks making out and Lou Diamond Phillips getting his ass kicked this episode sucked. I really liked the idea of Dr. Rush tricking everyone into thinking there was planet with power supplies powerful enough to beam them back to Earth about a year away. They should have let his trickery go on for a little while. Having Math boy figure out the data was bad 10 minutes later was a waste. I know I'm not into a show when I can't remember 90% of the character's names. Lt. Matthew Something, Dr. Rush, and then we've got the Fat Guy.... see.
The past 2 episodes have been really good. I am glad I gave it a second chance. Also, should the fat kid have lost some weight by now.
I'm with you on the last two episodes being good. One thing I am getting a little sick of is the civilians trying to takeover control form the military... it just doesn't work and their plans are foiled nearly instantaneously. It's just getting silly. The Faith episode had me thinking. If you never know if you'll get home and you come across a planet that is essentially just like Earth wouldn't you want to stay? I would. Interested to see what new problems the writers come up with to keep the show from getting stale. Usually the go to is "add more aliens" but that gets tiring fast.
I'm sorry but Chloe is the most useless character I have ever met. She is annoying and utterly vapid. She walks into situations that she has no business being in, believes herself to be some sort of moral authority and uses her "charm" to get Eli to do whatever she wants under the guise of "well you get to be the hot girls friend and emotional tampon - should be enough for you fatty".