SGU Stargate Universe

Finally, some serious and great writing is back in a Stargate series. It was present in the original Stargate movie, the early seasons of SG-1 and then it disappeared (later SG-1 and SG-A were very different in nature). SG-U has the key elements of strong actors, characters, and story lines -- and it's all happening with great backdrop of the Stargate theme.

The show is well cast with actors who'd make you want to see what happens next even if it weren't sci-fi. Equally as important are the scripts - and they are very well written with conflict, suspense and unpredictability.

What remains to be seen is if the series can keep its current breadth of script ideas fresh - this tough task for any new series. It doesn't seem like it will win over die-hard SG-A fans, so it will have to develop a new base of it's own. If haven't checked out the series yet, it's definitely worth a look.

There has been a lot of negativity about this show, but I disagree with the naysayers.

This show is more adult and serious. If your looking for a show that resolves each episode by the end of each episode, then this is not that show. If your looking for the usual Stargate humour, then this is not that show.

It has taken a leaf out of BSG and decided to go gritty and dark. Many have slated the show for adapting to BSG, but they need to realise that almost all TV and movies are rip offs of something else.

I am enjoying the show and hope it's renewed for another season as it has just started to pick up pace.

I enjoy the performance of many of the characters, but some could be easily ditched next season. Dr Rush is a great character and Robert Carlyle has done an excellent job. I also like most of the science guys. But, characters like Chloe and Eli have become a little tedious and as each episode goes on they don't grow but seem to conform to the bland recipe they have all season.

This is a good show and it seems to me like they are building a good story arc instead of the individually satisfying episodes.

I'm going to try to address the many issues swirling about this series without spoiling the plot:

1) Similarities to other shows: There has been a great deal of speculation that the show is a 'ripoff' of Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, or even Lost. While I certainly don't disagree that it bears a striking similarity to Battlestar Galactica, I don't count that as a strike against it.

Prior shows are always going to have an impact on future shows. Film-making (whether it be TV or Feature) is an art that builds upon itself, and stands on the shoulders of those who came before it. The fact is the Battlestar Galactica, Firefly, and Lost are all GOOD shows, regardless of your impression of it or whether or not it struck you the right way, they were the best of their genres at the time, and even bent their genres into something new.

That being said, to call this show a 'rip-off' or 'carbon copy' of any of those shows is grossly over simplifying things and intentionally misleading. Perhaps we should just create a new genre name, like 'Adult Sci-Fi', so we can get over all these intellectual property theft allegations.

2) Dissimilarities to other Stargate franchises: This review will probably take a lot of heat for this, but - past Stargate shows actually weren't very good. Don't get me wrong, I've watched every episode of SG1, and most of Atlantis (still working on that), and enjoy just about all of it, but even while enjoying it, I was fully recognizant of the fact that it wasn't actually good. It's campy. The acting is sub-par, even when there are good actors in the shows. The sets are generic and bland, reminiscent of the original series of Star Trek, the scripting is packed with fromage, and the plots, no matter how original, were all clearly predictable.

But to a niche crowd (myself included) they were thoroughly enjoyable through a mixture of silly humour, sci-fi gratification, and a unique self-aware self-deprecation. But even so, the cinematography was regularly lackluster, the effects unconvincing, and the ratings carried along by loyal fans.

SGU lacks most of these shortcomings. There is the occasional campy humour, though typically coming from the same character. In that way this one character, Eli, has come to be the only vestige of the old Stargate franchises. This is made believable, though, because this character is quite similar to the people (like myself) who enjoyed the camp of previous Stargate in real life.

3) The mood: Many would say it's much too dark, both in production design and in mood. I say that it's about time. In past Stargate series', no matter how far gone a situation was, no matter how much danger they were in, the show was never EVER tense. It never mattered. Nothing ever really mattered. The characters were always too happy and fun and funny and confident and amicable to be capable of expressing any kind of peril. As such, the plots were always completely hollow. Nothing mattered, because it would all be fine in the end.

The only episode in both original Stargate series' that managed to capture any kind of deep emotional commitment or tension was Heroes, which just happened to be filmed in the documentary style similar to that of SGU. I don't solely blame the cinematography for this effect, though, but instead, for just once, the characters were encouraged to be vulnerable and hurt, like real human beings.

When people are in a serious situation, they get serious (mostly), and their flaws become more apparent. This is evident in this series, as it should be in such situations.

4) The set/production design: As for the dark set design, it makes some sense, as the ship is very old, and trying to save power. In past Stargate, no matter how old something was, it always looked like it was cobbled together the day before. The ancient city of Atlantis looking like it was maintained by a team of maid-bots and carpenters right up until the team's arrival. I will admit that the purposeful gloom goes a bit too far at times, but as far as I'm concerned, that's better than skirting the edge of cardboard box grade production.

SGU is simply a great show. Yes, it shrugs off its past franchise for the sake of its artistic intent, but it does so with wonderful results. The acting is largely superb, and even the episodes that in other shows would be considered 'in betweeners' come off as being some of the best episodes on television (like the episode Human).

I definitely recommend this show to anyone, and I absolutely recommend that past Stargate fans try to leave their preconceptions at the door, and respect it as its own show.

UPDATE: You will no doubt notice a massive spree of negative reviews on top of the 'helpful' pile on IMDb. Please take these with a grain of salt, as they are largely spam generated by a select few alienated Stargate fans who are working very, very hard to get this show cancelled. Rest assured, I myself have yet to meet a single classic Stargate fan who doesn't LOVE SGU, and I sure do know a lot of them!

Other reviewers mention that Stargate Atlantis had become a bit of a cliché. It was the same as Stargate SG-1 with different characters. In some ways it had become a comedy.

Now, we see the dark side of the Stargate Universe in a very serious drama. It is vast, filled with new, unknown creatures, and emphasizes the basic struggle for human survival in a radical environment. It may even be closer to the original movie than the first two series.

The characters are better developed than in the previous two shows. They have ghosts that haunt them. They have vices they try to hide. They have different opinions on the way to handle things and without a strong military structure like in the past two series, they find conflict with each other as often as the others did with aliens.

Understand that it is different! If you were a fan of the other Stargate worlds, then it is a significant departure. SGU is a drama, and has no intention of using sarcastic humor to make it interesting. It uses the story line and the conflict to make it interesting. You don't have larger-than-life enemies singularly capable of destroying worlds anywhere.

There are glaring differences between this show and Battlestar Galactica, to which this SGU has been compared. In BG, there was one primary enemy (mixed with a good bit of internal political strife). In BG, their home was destroyed; in SGU their goal is to get home. There is no 'supernatural' element that we saw in BG. Many other facets would reveal spoilers, so watch this show without the expectations that it will be similar to either BG or SG-1 and SG Atlantis.

Can someone watch SGU without knowing the back story of the Stargate Series? Possibly. You might do well watching the movie that started it all. This show uses some technology found in the other series, but not much. Often, they are discussing the other events well enough to put together whatever history they may be referencing. Give it a shot. If it doesn't make sense, then watch a few shows from SG-1. Atlantis relies heavily on SG-1, so don't bother with it initially.

I hope you enjoy the series as much as I!

The current IMDB rating for Stargate Universe is 7.6 & that is not reflective of, what is, one of the most underrated sci-fi shows of all time.

I watched & enjoyed the original movie but couldn't get into any of its spin-offs; they just weren't my bag.

I tried Stargate Universe because I noticed the lead was Robert Carlyle; who is one of the best actors of his generation. Trainspotting, The Full Monty, James Bond... He's brilliant & I wasn't disappointed.

Stargate Universe is engaging & accessible; it leads you through a world of wonders with verve.

Well written & brilliantly acted.

Dare I say it? Yes! The last great sci-fi show.