Stargate Universe

[Stevorooni]

So there's a new Stargate series called Stargate Universe.

It involves a pile of Stargate personnel who end up on an uncontrollable ancient ship billions and billions of light years away. They can't control the ship, they have very little supplies, they can't get home and the ship is incredibly old and has lots of things (like failing oxygen generators) going wrong with it.
From time to time the ship stops by itself and dials nearby stargates for fun but there is a limited time before it takes off again and anyone left behind is basically screwed.

It basically looks like Stargate combined with Battlestar Galactica, a much darker serious series than the previous ones.

It's just started airing in the US, no idea when it will make it here.
Anyone else looking forward to it?

http://img235.imageshack.us/img235/5618/universeseriesheader.jpg

Also it stars Robert Carlyle

[Cian]

I recorded it but haven't had a chance to watch it yet. Last night was part one of two I believe....? I don't think it's a full Stargate series.

[Stevorooni]

It is a full stargate series, the first 3 episodes are one continuous story

[Cian]

It is a full stargate series, the first 3 episodes are one continuous story

Really? **** yes.

I've been meaning to get back into Stargate. I hated Atlantis so hopefully this can bring it back to the quality of SG1. Carlyle is a great actor too, that's a good start at least.

[Silverwolf]

Seen the first two eps in the pilot, there looks to be loads of potential for this series, hope it sticks around!

[Hyperblau]

I enjoyed the premiere quite a lot, looking forward to seeing how it plays out. Seems like it's trying to be less geeky without betraying the original fans.

[buckstwits]

Watched the pilot, seems pretty cool. The relationship between Carlyle and that captain has heaps of potential. Pilot also has the excellent Christopher MacDonald.

[Choabac]

I'm really liking it so far. As much as I dug Atlantis, doing another show directly in that vein would have been tiresome. This new approach works well, but is still familiar enough for long time fans to enjoy.

Robert Caryle is excellent and the guy that plays Colonel Young is pretty good too. Eli is pretty damn funny, and he keeps the show somewhat light and amusing.

Minor Spoilers:

The only problem that I've seen so far is the communication stones. It removes some of the tension from the show. What's stopping them from subbing out with people on Earth whenever they need a proper doctor or another scientist?

[Silverwolf]

I think it's one way only, choa. At least thats what the little clip implied.

[buckstwits]

I can see myself getting really into this. but yeah they could've handled the communication stones less confusingly.

[Stevorooni]

I think it's one way only, choa. At least thats what the little clip implied.

It goes both ways, they swap bodies.

[aubergine]

Look, I may be walking into an interstellar flame war here, but wasn't Stargate a really terrible movie with a bog-standard follow-up TV series that was only popular because good shows, like Battlestar, were yet to come out/be widely noticed?

[AranchineD]

You are so dead.

[aubergine]

Basically I see Star Trek as a b-grade 2001 - more a soap opera in space than science fiction - and Stargate a b-grade of Star Trek. To its credit, Star Trek, like Star Wars, despite being inherently shlocky and terrible, has this certain quality that makes it terrific - perhaps the ship design coupled with a lucky accident of character combinations. Stargate has... Macguyver... which itself is only memorable as a one joke "make an f-111 from a toothpick and sunglasses" pop culture reference.

But trainspotting was good, so this thing will logically also be good.

[TAT]

Look, I may be walking into an interstellar flame war here, but wasn't Stargate a really terrible movie with a bog-standard follow-up TV series that was only popular because good shows, like Battlestar, were yet to come out/be widely noticed?

You're implying that not only is Battlestar Galactica a better series than SG-1, but that it didn't take several seasons to hit its stride

[AranchineD]

The Goa'uld are one of the best villians of all time.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

It goes both ways, they swap bodies.

Not always. In SG-1, Vala used the stones to communicate through Daniel Jackson and he didn't go anywhere, and when the stones were used at the beginning of SG-1 Season 9, the two people in the Ori galaxy didn't use Vala and Daniel's bodies. Even in the Episode Citizen Joe in Season 8, the stones just allowed the uses to swap images, not take control of each others bodies.The only time the stones were used to swap bodies was in Identity in Season 5 of Atlantis.

Look, I may be walking into an interstellar flame war here, but wasn't Stargate a really terrible movie with a bog-standard follow-up TV series that was only popular because good shows, like Battlestar, were yet to come out/be widely noticed?

A movie that's been turned into four TV shows (SG-1, Atlantis, Universe and Infinity, a cartoon series that lasted only 1 season), with a combined run time of 17 seasons (SG-1 went for 10 years, Atlantis for 5, Universe at least for one and Infinity for one), two released telemovies and two more in the works (Ark Of Truth, Continuum plus another SG-1 telemovie and an Atlantis one in the works)? I'd say it's been pretty successful.

I'm still on the fence a bit with Universe. It could be good, but I'm going to have to see more of it before I make a decision. Being a Stargate fanboy, I'm going to put a tick under 'good' for now.

Here's a bit of trivia for you: The game the Eli is playing at the beginning is actually the ill-fated Stargate Worlds MMO.

[AranchineD]

Also the original Stargate movie had mother****ing Snake Plissken.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

We heard you the first time.

[Stevorooni]

Not always. In SG-1, Vala used the stones to communicate through Daniel Jackson and he didn't go anywhere, and when the stones were used at the beginning of SG-1 Season 9, the two people in the Ori galaxy didn't use Vala and Daniel's bodies. Even in the Episode Citizen Joe in Season 8, the stones just allowed the uses to swap images, not take control of each others bodies.The only time the stones were used to swap bodies was in Identity in Season 5 of Atlantis.

Yeah I know all that crap, I'm just saying that in this particular show they swap bodies.

It won't always be an easy way out of situations, you could send a surgeon or scientist over but they can't bring any equipment with them or take anything back. Not really much point in sending them a heart surgeon to operate with a butter knife and a rubber band

[Choabac]

Yeah that’s true. Also they need to have both stones active with a person sitting at each end at the same time, but there is no way to actually coordinate that.

I guess the SGC could have people sitting for 24 hours a day via rotation, so that end is always active in case someone from Destiny decides to use the stones on the other end. Then they can tell them who they need and do another swap.

[Stevorooni]

That'd be a pretty cushy job, just sitting there waiting.

Well at least until you get transferred across just as the ship explodes.

[aubergine]

A movie that's been turned into four TV shows (SG-1, Atlantis, Universe and Infinity, a cartoon series that lasted only 1 season), with a combined run time of 17 seasons (SG-1 went for 10 years, Atlantis for 5, Universe at least for one and Infinity for one), two released telemovies and two more in the works (Ark Of Truth, Continuum plus another SG-1 telemovie and an Atlantis one in the works)? I'd say it's been pretty successful.

McDonald's is widespread and successful, I wouldn't call it food. I haven't seen enough of the Stargate TV series to know if it gels into something good but the bits of it I have seen just made me groan.

And yes, TAT, BSG takes a steaming dump over all television, your parents and loved ones and straight into your mouth from start to finish. Even the faeces of that series tastes like golden fried chicken.

[Stevorooni]

Stargate SG1 was excellent up until about season 6 then it slowly declined over seasons 7 and 8. I haven't seen much of seasons 9 and 10 or The Ark of Truth, it never got awful I just didn't enjoy it as much. Continuum was pretty good though but I'm a sucker for time travel and alternate realities.

Atlantis was basically CTRL-H "O'Neil, Shepherd" and "Gould, Wraith" but it was ok, mostly because of McKay, it definitely improved in its later seasons as it found its own direction.

But Universe I've found immensely enjoyable so far. They're truly stranded, unlike Atlantis when it started where they were 'stranded' but with a buttload of equipment and supplies because they were ready for it, then they cheated with the ability to get back to Earth on a semi regular basis.

I hope the SG:Universe show never finds a way to get back to Earth until the final episode, they should be struggling to get by, scavenging whatever they can find, it should be tragic and serious.
I think it will make the storylines very interesting and it looks like the direction they're heading in, otherwise it'll just be another show about a team of people who travel to a different planet every week - but this time their base is a ship!

[REQUIEM]

Im liking this so far. Havent been a big stargate fan since the movie and 1st series so this is a fresh look at SG series.

[Australian Ninja]

I've watched (and enjoyed) most of SG-1 and fair bit of Atlantis. They are fun shows, but I knew from day one that the shows are just another variation of Star Trek. The characters grow on you over time, but the shows have plenty of cringe-worthy moments and horribly cliched stories that you have literally seen 10 times or more in other similar shows... you know the ones..

*The "it was all a dream / hallucination" episodes
*Alternate reality episodes
*Time travel where characters get stuck forever! HOW will the show continue!??!
*A major good character dies, but then comes back, thus restoring the "status quo" (just like loony toons)
*There is some kind of Doomsday scenario that is fixed by some piece of magical technology that nobody thought of using in this way before, or possibly they misplaced the device of awesome+1 under their space-bed (a macguffin)
*An evil alien race threatens the gosh darn whole universe
*An evil alien Robot / Cyborg race threatens like.... just about everybody, even them alternate dudes in Parallel Universe 22-B.3

I'm just having fun here, because I do enjoy the Stargate shows and the characters. They are fun, but "dumb" and not really science fiction in the strictest sense. More science fantasy.

One of the things I liked even early on was how having the Stargates allowed for an open-format show that meant the characters could go to any planet /setting that the creators could think of (not unlike Sliders) each week.

I'll give Universe a go (in a year or so, whenever it makes it out on DVD)

[Stevorooni]

Don't forget the body switch and body duplication episodes!

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

Or the episodes where they create new characters for the existing actors to play (Michael Shanks played Machello (the ep where O'Neill and Teal'c swap bodies) and did the voice of Thor, Teryl Rothery (Dr Fraiser) voiced another Asgard).

[Australian Ninja]

Doh! My brain was getting sleepy when I posted that - how could I forget "body swap" episodes. I guess clones / duplicates / doppelgangers should get lumped in here too.

[Sir_Psycho]

One of the things I liked even early on was how having the Stargates allowed for an open-format show that meant the characters could go to any planet /setting that the creators could think of (not unlike Sliders) each week.

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AdventureTowns?from=Main.AdventureTown specifically mentions Stargate.

Maybe they're Drifters (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheDrifter) Walking The Earth (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WalkingTheEarth). Maybe they are being chased by the law (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SternChase). Maybe they are just trying to get home. Whatever the reason, our main characters go to a new place each week that results in an adventure that they have to solve in 42 minutes (60 minutes minus the commercials). Often the heroes will be Mistaken For Spies (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MistakenForSpies) when they get there. Count on a local (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WastelandElder) or two to help. The location version of Monster Of The Week (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MonsterOfTheWeek).

Compare to City Of Adventure (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CityOfAdventure) and Wacky Wayside Tribe (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/WackyWaysideTribe). In Science Fiction (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ScienceFiction) shows, instead of going from town to town, the protagonists tend to go from world to world (thus travelling to "Adventure Planets (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Planetville)"). Combined with Alternate Universe (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AlternateUniverse) to make "Adventure Universes" in Sliders (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Sliders). Combine it with Time Travel (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TimeTravel) and you get Quantum Leap (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/QuantumLeap). Combine with both space travel and time travel (plus the occasional alternate universe), and you get Doctor Who (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DoctorWho).

"Adventure Planets" is a trope Stargate is continuously guilty of exploiting.
Most Space Opera (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/SpaceOpera) stories are lifted from other genres, then transposed into outer space. And the most obvious way to do it is to make everything take place on a planet. Not just any planet, but Planetville (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Planetville), the planet that serves the same function in space that towns and countries do in Earth-based stories.

That said, I love Stargate. There are a few real gems of writing with some interesting sci-fi ideas, but a lot of it is the nostalgia that gives me a boner as soon as I hear that grand theme.

[TAT]

I'm still cut the Stargate FPS never eventuated

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

And the MMO is probably dead too.

[FrozenSoul80]

And the MMO is probably dead too.

That's probably for the best. Personally I would have preferred a FPS with minor puzzle elements like HL2.

Back on topic - this show is awesome. I really hope they don't screw this up by making the humans too powerful (like later seasons on SG1) or screwing up the villains (Atlantis). Actually, this series would be awesome if it just stayed a bunch of humans being ****ed in the arse by a ship that doesn't work.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

How long could that continue for before you had to start recycling the same stories? Oh look, we're running out of water. Fodd? We ran out of that three episodes ago. I'm not sure where all this is going. I'm not seeing much of an ongoing storyline. Unless the people they left behind (the ones that left the desert planet for somewhere else) show up with some seemingly impossible tale.

[FrozenSoul80]

How long could that continue for before you had to start recycling the same stories? Oh look, we're running out of water. Fodd? We ran out of that three episodes ago. I'm not sure where all this is going. I'm not seeing much of an ongoing storyline. Unless the people they left behind (the ones that left the desert planet for somewhere else) show up with some seemingly impossible tale.

You could recycle it for a long while as long as the reason is kept different and is padded out by adventures on planets, or stories about the crews relationships in between. Atlantis started to stuck once they were no longer cut off from Earth, I'd hate to see this series make the same mistakes.

[Stevorooni]

I've loved all the episodes so far, not sure how much longer they can milk "We're out of X, we need some more" though

From what I've read on Wikis etc there's not going to be a regular race of enemies, like how SG1 had the Gould and Atlantis had the Wraith.

[REQUIEM]

I've loved all the episodes so far, not sure how much longer they can milk "We're out of X, we need some more" though



I was thinking that exact same thing. I suppose its only a few episodes in so lets see.

[Choabac]

This was a great episode.

Holy shit at the ending. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif

[Silverwolf]

This was a great episode.

Holy shit at the ending. http://www.neogaf.com/forum/images/smilies/laugh.gif

This week's was even awesomer, holy ****in shit at its ending! =P

[Choabac]

This week's was even awesomer, holy ****in shit at its ending! =P

Yeah.

That episode was also awesome. It was based on a typical Stargate formula, but holy hell they went places that SG has not gone before.

Just so we're on the same page, the episode that I was talking about was:

Telford possibly tapping Young's wife

And the episode that you're talking about is the:

Timeloop episode

[castr8or]

Ok so as an SG1 fan who didn't mind that human's were the most powerful monkeys in the universe, and someone who never could really get into Atlantis, should I bother with Universe?

[FrozenSoul80]

What was it about Atlantis that stopped you from getting into it?

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

Ok so as an SG1 fan who didn't mind that human's were the most powerful monkeys in the universe, and someone who never could really get into Atlantis, should I bother with Universe?

Universe is very different to both SG-1 and Atlantis. It's turned into a show that is more concerned with the season story arc. So far there hasn't really been an episode that you could miss and not have it affect the ongoing story.

It's a lot darker too, and not as much humour as SG-1 had, but it's still a great watch. I was wondering where they would go with the last couple of episodes, but they've been good. It's keeping me interested. Watch a coulpe of episodes and see what you think.

[castr8or]

What was it about Atlantis that stopped you from getting into it?

I dunno I just don't think it ever had a compelling villain, though to be fair, it was getting better and better each episode, but couldn't hold my interest while SG1 I can watch from season 1 to season 10 and have a huge ass smile on my face the whole way through.

Silly me has never gotten around to watching the movies though coz i'm a ****tard

[FrozenSoul80]

Then you may have a problem with Universe as the only villain so far is the character flaws of the main cast. Still, I'd at least recommend checking out the first episode.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

There are some rumours of a more tangible villian coming up, but it could be that they just end up being a flawed character. Universe is definately a more character driven show than anything else.

[FrozenSoul80]

I'm actually hoping they don't introduce a main villain, the show works well just the way it is. I'm enjoying the character-driven change, it makes this feel like a new show instead of the same old Stargate I've been watching for the past 12 years.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

The last episode of Universe FTW! That was just awesome.

Having Rush frame Young for the murder of Spencer was brilliant and the fight at the end between Rush and Young. At least they put someone in the chair first so they should have someone else super smart, and Rush will somehow fix that spaceship that they found and come back into the series later on, but it was a great mid-season cliff hanger

[Cubby]

Ever since the mid-season final, the episodes have been much better, so many awesome ones. I particularly liked the one with the "newly created" solar system, and can see that coming back into play in the future.

Last weeks episode where the destiny left the galaxy was also a great cliff-hanger.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

Ever since the mid-season final, the episodes have been much better, so many awesome ones. I particularly liked the one with the "newly created" solar system, and can see that coming back into play in the future.

Last weeks episode where the destiny left the galaxy was also a great cliff-hanger.

Yeah, but how they got back was a bit of a cop out I thought. But, then again, how else were they going to bring them back? Have the aliens kidnap them again?

The latest episode (Subversion) was awesome as well. I like how they're bringing a more tangible bad guy into the series instead of the crew members just not getting along. There was just shades of grey, now there's definate bad guys.

[Cubby]

I know, it's bloody rocking at the moment and at this pace the final should be something good indeed.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

Well, I think there's only a couple of episodes left before the end of the season. I can see the cliffhanger being a really big one.

I'm disappointed that SGU is splitting the DVD for season 1 onto 2 as well. Why can't they just release it as 1 box set?

[FrozenSoul80]

I'm disappointed that SGU is splitting the DVD for season 1 onto 2 as well. Why can't they just release it as 1 box set?

They will, once the season finishes.

[Cubby]

The whole season set isn''t due till 2011 sometime, which is just stupid.

Also yeah, there are only 2 episodes left to go.

[FrozenSoul80]

The whole season set isn''t due till 2011 sometime, which is just stupid.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Stargate-Universe-Blu-ray-Robert-Carlyle/dp/B003JZCL4Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1274114163&sr=8-2

July 5, 2010.

[Cubby]

http://www.gateworld.net/news/2010/05/order-stargate-universe-season-1-5-on-dvd-and-blu-ray/

I was going by that.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

Was mucking around on the internet and found out that Jamil Walker Smith, who plays Sergent Greer on SGU was also the voice of Gerald in Hey Arnold! (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0808607/)

Edit: And holy shit, the guy that plays Brody was the voice of Goku on the Canadian version of Dragonball Z!

[Cubby]

Man that Greer pisses me off, he just comes off as a psycho that is waiting to snap and kill everyone, hope he dies soon.

[Second]

I hated Greer to start off, but he's grown on me.

Rush is awesome. :3

[Cubby]

Indeed, I think Rush was initially there as the bad guy, or at least the good bad guy. But I find myself always liking him way more than Young in all the conflicts.

Also, Young kinda looks like a human version of Sylvester Stalone.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

Greer is one of my favourites. Yeah, he's a loosely contained psyco, but he's loyal to people he respects and he's a bad ass. All points for in my book.

Even Rush, who I didn't like as a character to start with is a much more interesting character now. The mid season cliffhanger between him and Young was just awesome, and how Rush and Wray tried to take over the ship was awesome.

[Cubby]

Always with the cliff-hangers.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

Wasn't a fan of the end of season cliffhanger. I just seemed like the ending to a normal episode to me. I supposed that's the problem with this style of TV show, though. When every episode ends in a semi-cliffhanger, how do you make the end of season cliffhanger seem huge?

[sausage]

Probably because it was cancelled.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

It's not cancelled. They're filming season 2 right now.

[Cubby]

I didn't mind it, but the mid season cliffy was a lot better.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

No more SGU until October. ON the plus side, Robert Knepper is joining the SGU cast as a bad guy.

[Cubby]

It's funny that the mid season gap was actually bigger too. At least we'll have Futurama, which should finish around when SGU is back on.

[Cubby]

Cancelled ;_;

[Stevorooni]

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooo

They would have filmed the rest of the season expecting to return with a 3rd so there's no way to resolve anything. Unless they tack on a scene where they find a "Instantly return to Earth" button on the ship.

I've been watching the last season of Atlantis on 7mate and enjoying it, now there'll be no Stargate series in the pipeline apart from the upcoming tv movies for SG1 and Atlantis. Hopefully they'll make one for Universe as well.

[buckstwits]

Boo-urns.



EDIT: Maybe they could tack on a scene where they learn they can return to earth if they kill Eli. That way everybody wins.

[Cubby]

Yeah, the last 10 eps have been filmed, so knowing Stargate, it'll be unresolved.

They need to give this and SGA movies to finish them off properly.

[FrozenSoul80]

Cancelled ;_;

Oh come the **** on! **** life :(

[Cubby]

I blame syfy, what the **** were they thinking putting it up against NCIS and DWTS?

[Silverwolf]

Oh...


Now i'm devastated.

[Stevorooni]

I'm going to make my own Stargate series. Auditions being held in this thread in 10 minutes.

[Silverwolf]

Really? Ep 10 was a struggle but i've quite enjoyed season 2 so far.

[Cubby]

I think season 2 has been 10x better than season 1, it finally had a direction.

I think the writers kept them prisoners of the ship too long. Rush should have found the bridge in the first season.

[Emilbus]

Well it's finally over. Bittersweet to say the least. Having a read (http://www.gateworld.net/news/2011/05/producer-reveals-alternate-ending-for-stargate-universe-finale/) through the alternate ending if that last episode had been a season finale was interesting.

[FrozenSoul80]

I actually shed a tear during the final moments of the show. It felt like I was watching a family member I had lived with for the last 14 years pass away. It's upsetting we won't be seeing any more Stargate.

[Cubby]

I know. Hopefully in the coming years we will get something.