Stargate: Universe

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!

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.

Firstly i never give a 10 out of 10 as i believe everything can be improved, so this gets a 9.5.

Secondly to those people who have never seen any stargate episodes of any kind, this series is superior in all aspects - ALL. The people who rubbish this are the die-hards of the Original series who cant adapt or change to take a program on its credits.

Thirdly you cant compare the SGA to SGU they are two totally different projects, SGU is a thought provoking journey through space with all the conundrums that the human psyche can encompass. The acting and the script is second to none, the graphics top notch in fact it beats SGA on everything except gimmicky, off-beat (unfunny) humour.

As anyone looks through the reviews of Stargate Universe SGU you come across a very familiar pattern, that all of its bad reviews come from disgruntled SG & SGA fans, who are just blatantly out to rubbish the show and give it the worst reviews possible. And that unfortunately is where the makers of SGU went wrong, they tried to ride the success of the previous two shows. Thus its original viewing figures got depleted by the loss of the original SG fan base, instead of creating its own fan base from afresh.

I have to admit i nearly didn't watch the show due to it being branded with the Stargate label, and how i would have missed a deeply moving Sci-fi drama in space. And there lies its problem, it had great viewing figure to start, but quickly lost them due to it NOT being SG or SGA and it could never build its own fan base due to people who didn't like the show switching on to another SG.

I believe given time the show would have stood on its own through word of mouth, but now we will never be given the opportunity to find the origins of the stargates or was there life at the beginning of time.

I love this series, please don't axe and do a firefly and possibly destroy one of the greatest sci-fy series of all time. The reason this is only getting a 7.5 out of 10 (giving 1's) is the stuck in the mud original stargate lovers, otherwise it would be well above 9.

DON'T MISS SGU

Well, where to begin? Oh I know. A message to the fan-boys: SGU is not Stargate, and that's why we complain about it.

SGU is not an evolution of the franchise, it is a slap in the face to those following the franchise over the course of 15 seasons.

Thi is, without a doubt, the worst of all Stargate shows. The visual effects, although touted as better than sliced bread, and wayyy more expensive than the previous series fx, fails to prove itself to be any better. The music, and the montages, are simple emo pop/rock and lacks the grandiose feel of the classical music in the previous series. The camera work is amateurish, following the flavour of the month "shaky cam" and low budget kino-vision. Character development is non-existent. We are constantly bombarded with characters's whining, being jealous, flying off the handle. There's nothing to like about the characters, and I'm afraid the acting, governed and limited by the script, fails to elevate SGU beyond the teen drama that it truly is.

For anyone wanting a dark, shaky camera work, unimaginative scripts, no action, no fun, no science, no aliens, no real tension .. If all you're looking for is same-old-same-old Lost meets BSG meets 90210 with pop music montages, and jealous crying teenagers, but without the quality drama writing experience, then SGU is for you.

SGU is the most forgettable, un-compelling badly written teen soap masquerading as a Stargate franchise.

It does not belong on TV, nor does it belong in the premium section of DVD stores. It belongs in the dustbin of history, and the writers owe true Stargate fans, an apology.

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.