Stargate Universe - Incursion, part 2, S01E20 - Season Finale

For a series that started off so far from what I wanted and expected, the season finale was absolutely fantastic! I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, and am far more angry about the cliffhanger I've been left with than that at the end of any season of any of the other Stargates. And that is a good thing, as I am desperate to find out what happens next.

A hostage situation on a spaceship is bad enough, but the tension between the Lucian Alliance and the SGU team was made worse by the force that disintegrated a man last episode. Apparently gamma radiation from a near-by star is about to wipe out all those on the Destiny, and since the two groups weren't going to work together nicely, all their fates hung in the balance.

Since the Lucian Alliance weren't likely to compromise, it was up to Camile Wray (Ming-Na) to give into their demands, with Col. Young (Justin Louis) giving in with the hope that it might just be the thing that saved everyone. Young continued to be an incompetent leader for most of the episode, starting from the point where he yelled at all the scientists because something was wrong with the ship to the end where he was in a prison cell with the most of the military staff (strangely missing Lt. James (Julia Benson)). Telling people to make something work without having any consideration for the difficulty of the matter is no way to gain loyalty, and patiently waiting while men with guns surround you, clearly ready to kill everyone, is also pretty useless.

I really enjoyed the scene where Scott (Brian J. Smith) and Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) spoke about devotion. Greer follows Young blindly, fully believing that any call his superior makes is the right one. Young hasn't done much to earn this trust, but I don't think Greer would function properly (it would resemble the loose-hingedness of the first few episodes) without that kind of authority. Scott, meanwhile, is beginning to question. It may not be a good thing in the military, but when leaders are as incompetent as Young, it's rather necessary.

So the situation goes badly, Rush (Robert Carlyle) doesn't recover full control over the ship after the rest of our heroes have surrendered, while Telford (Lou Diamond Phillips) and Commander Kiva (Rhona Mitra) shot each other - Telford to protect our heroes, Kiva because she finally realized Telford was betraying her. Kiva is still alive, but badly wounded. She is carried to TJ (Alaine Huffman), but the soldiers there don't just wait to be killed, and soon everyone in the room is one the floor. TJ's bleeding and it looks to be from her stomach area.

If that's not bad enough, Eli (David Blue) has had to abandon Chloe (Elyse Levesque) after trying for so long to protect her. If he doesn't help Greer and Scott get back inside the ship before another gamma wave hits, then they are dead. Chloe, even though I still don't like her much, is dangerously close to death, while Greer and Scott are quickly running out of time.

And if all the imminent death wasn't enough, even if they survive the next 10 minutes, if Rush cannot reengage the FTL drive and get them back on the move, the gamma waves will kill everyone on the ship anyway.

So fantastic cliffhanger, as I said. The other thing I want to commend is how great a military man Telford is, and how loyal a man. Had he not been brainwashed, he would have been the most excellent leader of the expedition, far better than Young. Too bad it appears he's already dead.

So SGU, you have me hooked even though you had a rocky start. Take what was good from this season and focus on that!

Stargate Universe - Incursion, part 1, S01E19

Although Colonel Young (Justin Louis) continues to be a useless and pathetic excuse for an officer, Stargate Universe continues to progress, shaping more and more into the kind of show I expect from the Stargate franchise. Now if only we could get a little bit more humour...

It was really neat to finally be able to see the relationship between the conscious and the bodies they are possessing. When Telford (Lou Diamond Phillips), in Rush (Robert Carlyle)'s body, began to react to the lack of atmosphere in his room, Telford's body suffered as well. If one died, the other would too. And while this understanding did, sort of, lead to Young's decision not to vent the atmosphere on the Lucian Alliance, which would have killed both Telford and Rush, I absolutely loved watching O'Neall (Richard Dean Anderson) finally tell Young off for being a terrible officer.

Really, though, it was another example of how useless Young is, and his conclusion at the end of the episode, to attack now, may end up being just another poor decision. The only indication that it's not complete garbage is that Rush, a man we all do consider intelligent, has backed it.

Meanwhile, Chloe (Elyse Levesque) is bothering me again. I'm sorry but I just don't like her enough to care that she might be slowly dying from a bullet in her leg and from lack of air. Eli (David Blue), I care about, but not Chloe. They just better do something incredible to save the day and make all her weakness worth having suffered through.

Finally, what vaporized that Lucian Alliance guy? Is it some weird defense system built into the Destiny? Did Eli do that when he pressed those random buttons? Is in an ancient who ascended but stuck around the ship? Does it have to do with those fish aliens? Or is it something completely new and unexpected? As long as it's not a replicator I'm happy.

So, one more episode left, and it's going to end with a massive cliffhanger (or at least, that's what I've heard). The thing is, Stargate Universe has gotten to be so good (unlike the first 10 episodes) that it doesn't need to leave me tense and desiring answers to have me back when it resumes. But it does so love leaving us desperate for more.

Stargate Universe - Subversion, S01E18

Alright, Stargate Universe, Season 1, is getting down to the wire, and its looking to be a very exciting last two episode following the developments of Subversion. Let's just hope that Universe continues to be good television, and does not revert to the disasters of the first half of the season.

I had to laugh when this episode really seemed to turn into an SG1 crossover episode, despite the fact that SG1 has now been off the air for 3 seasons. Between Daniel (Michael Shanks) and Jack (Richard Dean Anderson), and the Lucian Alliance, the plot really did connect Universe with the rest of the Stargate franchise, and I can't but help thinking that this is a REALLY good thing, even though the cliffhanger of the season finale is likely to be that the decisions of the Universe team will save an endangered Earth, even though they are so far away from home.

Still, it's also nice to loop back to the start. For those who weren't familiar with the earlier series, the Lucian Alliance, who blew up planet Icarus, was another enemy of Earth's. Apparently Col. Telford (Lou Diamond Phillips) has some sort of connection with them, which Rush (Robert Carlyle) discovered. Now he is somewhere in our galaxy, in Telford's body, while Telford is being tortured into revealing that location by Young (Justin Louis) while in Rush's body.

But don't worry, despite all the crazy stuff going on, the crew of the Destiny still had time to thrown TJ (Alaina Huffman) a baby shower. And I really liked the sense that day to day life was continuing on the ship.

I am excited to see where we go from here, assuming of course that they do resume where the cliffhanger left off (unlike episode 8), and to see how it is that another Stargate team, not from the SGC or Atlantis, will save the planet Earth from Alien races out to do us harm. Then again, maybe they will only have to defend the Destiny, and Earth will merely be helped by indirect aid? An interesting twist.

Stargate Universe - Pain, S01E17

Although I would have named this episode Fear rather than Pain, this episode is just further proof that the writers of the series have figured out how to bring the show back to the quality expected from the Stargate franchise.

This episode played with the emotions, the relationships, and the kinds of things that had me dubbing this Stargate Melrose Place earlier in the season, but instead of addressing them in that kind of manner, they used science fiction themes instead.

Matthew Scott (Brian J. Smith) didn't go back to Earth to talk to his ex and discover he had a son, something mostly irrelevant to the plot. Instead, knowing about that son, he saw him running around the ship. Scott realized he was hallucinating, was able to then volunteer to have the tick causing it to be removed, and risk death. We understood his pain regarding his son without simply being told about it (until the end, when everyone summed up their fears).

It was also a brilliant way to show that James (Julia Benson) is still holding a torch for Scott, and that it is far more serious a thing than we knew before. So much so that her anger caused her to kill him. Luckily, she only struck her hallucination.

This is what I wanted for SGU. Again, a little bit more humour would be nice, but in the main they are now giving us the slightly darker, more emotional stargate that we were promised.

Stargate Universe - Sabotage, S01E16

I should call a foul on how easily Stargate Universe fixed one of the problems it had intentionally created for itself, but, as the episode made good sense and was interesting in its own way, I will let it pass. Not, however, without comment.

I am, of course, referring to how easily Chloe (Elyse Levesque), Eli (David Blue), and Scott (Brain J. Smith) were returned to the Destiny. I had expected some complicated mess, where either Eli managed to get the other alien ship working again, or they returned to that paradise planet and the aliens who created it helped them out there. But, while my ideas would have been cool, they would also have been complicated and time consuming and may have prevented other story lines requiring Chloe, Eli, and Scott for some time. So, creating a sabotage plot preventing the Destiny from being fully out of range of the stargate was actually a clever, though quick, fix.

Then, we had our 4th intelligent use of the communication crystals. That's right, I am praising the use of the communication crystals. Why? Because it was intelligent! It forwarded the plot, instead of having some useless foray into the lives the crew left behind that resembled the soon-to-be-cancelled Melrose Place. Allowing the alien race to use the communication crystals to take over the bodies of people on board creates drama and tension, and bringing scientists on the ship to fix problems rather than just sending people on pleasure trips home is cool.

Kathleen Munroe, whom you may remember as the amnesiac on Republic of Doyle earlier this year, was absolutely brilliant as Amanda Perry. Mandy is disabled, unable to do anything for herself, so watching Munroe interact on the ship, having taken Wray (Ming-Na)'s body, was watching art. Her physicality, holding her arms in such an awkward way, was perfect. Meanwhile Wray got to spend time with her girlfriend, also the challenge of the disabled body was there too.

Finally, Young (Justin Louis) actually got to demonstrate both his strengths and his weaknesses. When it became necessary that someone sit in the chair (a potentially fatal act), Young insisted on doing it. Yes, it shows that he is brave, but, as the leader, he should not put himself in that kind of danger, as who would be able to lead them as well *scoff scoff* when he is gone?

Luckily, he didn't have to. The man whom the chair had previously put in a coma recovered just in time to save the day.

I could also go on about the morals of being in another persons body and using it as if it were truly your own - I was very glad that Rush (Robert Carlyle) and Mandy did not sleep together while she was in Wray's body - and I could also talk about the soul and how much it might or might not be affected by the packaging, but those are topics that are possibly still a little too serious for Stargate Universe. Give it a few more weeks. It's still getting better.

Thoughts?

Stargate Universe - Lost, S01E15

Stargate Universe has hit its stride. It is going where it ought to be going, doing what it ought to be doing. It is now a show worthy of the title Stargate and I fully hope that this will continue and that my excitement and love of the Stargate franchise has found another home.

Yes, there were some goofy moments. I might have enjoyed the humour of Eli (David Blue)'s desire for the caverns to have a map with a You Are Here sign (like it says on his T-shirt), which was followed by Chloe (Elyse Levesque) finding such a map, if my instincts weren't screaming "Pick one direction, left or right, always take it and you should be able to find an exit." What do they teach them in the army. Randomly picking left or right at every intersection is not going to work without a whole lot of luck.

At least they've figured out the serious stuff. I was so glad to finally find out what Greer (Jamil Walker Smith)'s deal was. Growing up with an abusive father, then joining the army in the memory of the man that father had been before he got all screwed up is guaranteed to make anyone as messed in the head as Greer is. I also much prefer the use of flashbacks to give us scenes taking place on Earth, rather than those stupid communication crystals.

Plus, the desperate attempt of Scott (Brian J. Smith), Chloe, and Eli to get back towards the Destiny while Greer was abandoned to his fate on the first planet gave us a delightful balance of what chance can do. Had Greer not been knocked out and presumed dead, he would have gone with the others and have been left behind as well, but originally it seemed as though he was the one who had been left behind.

And now, we have several goals and storylines moving forward.

Three people have been left behind as Destiny crosses into another galaxy. What will become of them?

How does the Destiny work?

What will they do about the baby?

And when will those aliens attack again?

I can't wait to find out the answers.

Stargate Universe - Human, S01E14

Stargate Universe is 4/4 for acceptable Stargate Franchise episodes since its return from hiatus. This episode, Human, accomplished what many episodes before the break attempted, only this time, the choices made sense and were what was expected from a science fiction program.

We got to witness how Rush (Robert Carlyle) joined the Stargate program, and what that choice cost him in regards to his relationship with his dying wife. Already a man who put more effort into his work than into anything else, and one who was not capable of facing the pain of losing his wife so horribly, joining the Stargate program and trying to solve the problems of the universe was such an easy escape for him. Watching him go through that pain all over again, this time trying to learn the secrets of the Destiny, was all the worse because you could tell that if this were not merely a memory, he might indeed have changed what he had done.

The deep hatred he holds for himself, coupled with the resentment of Eli (David Blue) who solved the equation he wasted the last 2 years of his wife's life trying to beat, only makes Rush more human, more understandable. Not that the minute of this same story which we were shown in the premiere did not accomplish the same thing. Really, the writers need to do something along these lines for Young (Justin Louis) - he's the one I have no sympathy for.

Regardless, we got a picture of who Rush was before, and how he became who he is. We also had the delightful pleasure of Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks). Though technically only another facet of Rush's personality, Daniel took on the appearance of himself in Ascended form, appearing periodically to give Rush good advice. We also finally got a moment of amusement, when the number Rush finally discovered was 46, and Daniel pointed out that it wasn't the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything. YES! Those are the kind of references we want, and the laughs we need.

Meanwhile, Chloe (Elyse Levesque), taking on the role of the team archaeologist, Eli, Scott (Brian J. Smith), and Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) got stranded on a planet as Destiny left that solar system. Oops.

The thing I want to focus on was the clever use of Chloe to explain to those who aren't familiar with SG1 or Atlantis who Daniel Jackson is, as well as finally giving her use and a function on the ship.

I am very excited and interested in seeing next week's episode. This is how I am supposed to be feeling about a Stargate show, and I am delighted for finally have that feeling regarding SGU. How about you?

Stargate Universe - Faith, S01E13

Hmmmm...I'm not exactly sure what I thought about this episode. It was certainly still better than most of the first half of Season 1, but it was still very odd. I can only hope all the feelings of uncertainty and confusions I feel about it will be justified in future developments.

When a mysterious star and heavenly planet appear out of nowhere, the team sent down to explore is overcome with a great desire to stay there forever. Maybe some all-powerful alien race created the planet, or maybe it was a god, but it seems likely it was designed specifically for them and that those all-powerful whatevers might be able to help them get home to Earth.

But in the end, no one stayed behind.

I understand the need for the episode. There was little conflict, and so a lot of time to allow the tension between military personnel and civilian to dissipate. It seems to me like those issues, while they are not gone, will not have to be so hot for upcoming episodes, allowing the writers more freedom to negotiate with.

But there was no real point, since there was no real conflict. It very much felt like an episode of semi-peaceful floating through space. Although nothing ought to have changed by the other side, still a lot is now different.

So I am awaiting the next episode to discover how successful this episode was.

Stargate Universe - Divided, S01E12

Although Stargate Universe has maintained a plot line which I am interested and excited about since its return last week, I really with that a new development would happen to allow me to actually LIKE many of the characters.

The resemblance to BSG cannot be denied, but, where in BSG I always understood the different perspectives and the dilemmas, with SGU I have strongly sided with the civilians. The military has formed an uncompromising dictatorship and is creating the tensions on the ship by an unjustified self-righteousness. Frankly, despite the military's previous support of the Stargate franchise, it would not surprise me if the portrayal of the airmen and women in SGU resulted in the loss of that connection.

Colonel Young (Justin Louis) is, of course, the biggest problem. I just want someone to kill him because not only is he completely unreasonable when it comes to his demands upon the civilians, but he is so unpleasant as to have become irredeemable. Leaving Rush (Robert Carlyle) to die was a most heinous act, but it was also only the most recent bad choice the Colonel has made. Every time Rush suggests anything, based on the understanding of the complex system that is Destiny, Young ignores him out of sheer spite. He knows best because he is a colonel (a feat I cannot imagine how he accomplished), let any logic or reason besides his own be damned. I am very surprised he did not somehow manage to blow up the entire ship while Rush was MIA.

I have also recently developed a dislike for Eli (David Blue). Until now he has been the clever comic relief, but in this episode he sided with the military and not the civilians. What, he considers Rush's attempt to dethrone Young as a worse offense than Young's attempt to murder Rush? Chloe (Elyse Levesque) I have actually begin to like because she chose what she believed was right over her boyfriend!

I am very interested to see what the writer's are planning and how they are going to get the people on destiny out of this mess. The tension seems irresolvable (unless, I say again, someone simply offs Young). I hope, however, that the resolution will not be a cheap return to Earth to get some sort of ruling from the Pentagon. Although the use of the communication stones - to bring in an expert surgeon to operate on Rush - was actually cool and interesting, I still want them to be destroyed so that the writers do not revert to using them for very uninteresting plots.

Oh, and I was pleased (although not fully satisfied) that we finally got a mention about the conclusion of episode 8 - apparently it did happen, and although we only got to watch the 1st and 2nd attempts, the 3rd which we did not see must have had a happy ending.

Are you equally pleased with where the show is now going? What are your continued reservations?

Stargate Universe - Space, S01E11

Please, please, please don't pull the rug out from under me again, like you did last time I thought you were getting good. This episode is the reason I kept watching SGU; I know it has potential, and we've seen it attain that potential a few times, but then the writers do something insane, and everything falls to pieces. So PLEASE go with what you know works!

Why did this episode work? Well, for starters, the communication crystals failed. Instead of being transported back to Earth for some boring emotional drama with the people left behind, Colonel Young (Justin Louis) ended up in the body of an alien. Oooh, it's like it's a science fiction show!

Then, we got a space battle! These aliens are not friendly, and they also appear to be interested in studying us. They kidnapped Chloe (Elyse Levesque), whom, other than the moment she made it really easy for the aliens to take her, actually did not annoy me particularly this episode. If the writers continue to give her believable moments, like her pleasure and subsequent disappointment with the not-quite-tomatoes, I might start to like her.

Young actually did something heroic. Not that I'm going to start liking him at all for it, after all, he abandoned Rush (Robert Carlyle) on a planet to die, he cheated on his wife, he beat up a fellow officer, and he's not even man enough to not feel guilty about what happened to Rush. But at least he went to the other space ship and freed Rush, even though he was really there looking for Chloe.

So we had heroic, science-fictiony moments, which is terrific, and the drama finally was palatable. Because of Young's stupid decision to murder Rush (even though it turns out he didn't succeed), the scientists now actually have a reason to resent the leadership of the military. The army has changed from supposed protector to definite dictator. I love that Camile Wray (Ming-Na) and Rush have teamed up, both knowing what did happen to Rush, even though they both have let on to the rest of the crew that Young's story was accurate.

The best moment of the episode, however, was the demonstration of pure joy and friendship between T.J. (Alaina Huffman) and Vanessa James (Julia Benson). James admitted to having a crush on one of the scientists, who overheard the comment. James was embarrassed, and T.J. laughed and teased her, but not with any cruelty. I hope we get to see a lot more interaction between these two.

Do you agree with me? Was this episode actually what you want and expect from a Stargate show? And do you think they will take this positive new take and run with it? Or will the communication stones begin working again next week, and the quality drop back to pitiful?

Stargate Universe - Justice, S01E10

Considering that Stargate Universe seems in many ways to have left behind the episodic nature of SG1 and Atlantis, I'm left wondering if the writers have even seen the previous episodes before they write their scripts. Obviously in the case of Time, which ended in an unresolved cliffhanger, no one recalls anything that happened previously...or at least they pay no attention to it whatsoever.

Alright, so you're asking what was wrong this time. And it wasn't the worst episode ever. In fact there were moments where some sort of interesting development peeped through. And then the writers decided that there was no point on dwelling on it. *Rolls her eyes and screams*.

With Col Young (Justin Louis), who by the way is nothing like our previous adored colonels O'Neill, Mitchell, Shepard or even Carter, accused of murder, the plot went a little BSG with a court case and military vs civilian tension. Too bad that there's been no build towards that other than the IOA's continual desire to take over all things Stargate. Plus, with less than 80 people, you'd think they could get over the distinction, and it didn't really matter, because rather than letting that tension rise and go forward with it, the writers pulled the rug out from under us. The case was dropped and the IOA was given command - no fuss, no entertainment.

Then, after a little side bar where one of the scientists sat in the chair and likely killed himself or solved all their problems - we'll find out after the break, - we find out that Rush (Robert Carlyle) framed Young, and the victim committed suicide. Not only was this suicide forgettable, since the guy was a prick and nobody liked him, but I really didn't care. Frankly a murder would have been more interesting.

Again, BSG, even though I hated Dee, when she shot herself, it affected me.

So, we come to the end, with Young (who earlier refused to take command of the ship by military force) and Rush on a planet examining an alien spaceship. Young beats the crap out of Rush and abandons him on the planet, creating a very fine, dashing, heroic persona for himself. The hate between these two is another thing that has yet to be explained or developed.

Is Young even remotely sympathetic anyway? He cheated on his wife, punched a fellow officer in the face because he talked to the woman, and doesn't have the balls or the charm to be a commander. Are we supposed to be glad he came back instead of Rush. What we know of Rush, despite his machinations, is that his wife died and that he still misses her. He makes decisions based on what he thinks will advance them the most. I have NO idea what Young's motivations are...other than perhaps to sit on the fence.

So, Stargate Universe writers, here is what you need to do when the show resumes (and yes, I know the scripts have already been written and the episodes filmed):

1. Destroy the communication stones so that no one can go back to earth.

1 (part 2). Have the communication stones destroyed while Young's consciousness is on earth and replace him with a character that is more likable and more useful.

2. When Rush gets back with the new alien ship, have our adventurers make contact with some alien race and let's get the historical/fantasy side of stargate back.

3. Make every episode based around discoveries made on another planet, and occasionally on problems caused later by those discoveries or on ship-based science developments to put the science fiction part of stargate back into the show.

4. The show is called Stargate Universe, NOT Stargate Melrose Place. Yes, I pined and still pine for Sam and Jack to get together, and for Vala and Daniel too, but that should be a secondary plot line that develops over time!

What are your thoughts?

Stargate Universe - Life, S01E09

I have been a huge fan of the Stargate franchise since it began, and still consider SG1 to be my favourite show ever. I expected to love Stargate Universe, to enjoy a crew of not exactly qualified people visit different planets in different galaxies, to discover new things about the Ancients and to have entire new mythologies of the newer galaxies play out before me.

We did not get that.

And even when I realized that the conflict would be among the passengers of the Destiny, as well as issues with the ship herself, I thought that could be interesting too.

And last week, with the episode Time, we actually got something worthy of the name Stargate. There was a time issue, and alien squid to fight and tension and interest. And it ended with a cliffhanger.

And where did it pick up this week? Last week might as well not have happened - the sickness, the planet, none of it was even addressed. Did I miss an episode? I can't find mention of it anywhere. So instead of giving us a follow up to a good episode, they ignored it and gave us yet another boring and useless episode.

I am so disappointed with SGU. I want to like it. And I do love some of the actors, don't get me wrong. I though Ming-Na's portrayal of Camile Wray was quite moving this week - she makes me care, which most of the time I must make a great deal of effort to do in the series.

But I don't think I can keep watching this show - it's too disappointing. If I want to watch relationship drama, I'll tune back into Melrose Place. Give me science fiction! Give me fantasy! Try the stupid machine of the ancients that you found instead of giving crappy psych evals that waste a bunch of time and serve no other purpose.

The most action we had was when Col. Young beat up Col. Telford.

It's trying to be a whole lot of things, and failing at all of them, but the worst part is that Stargate Universe does not seem to be trying to be a show in the Stargateverse.

Are you equally dissatisfied? Or am I missing something that you feel makes the show worthwhile? Let me know

Stargate Universe - Time, S01E08

Finally a Stargate Universe episode that I not only believe takes place in the same world as Stargate SG1 and Atlantis, but that rocked my world.

It started out in Kinovision (the world viewed from a Kino), with our heroes checking out a new planet, rife with foliage. Before long, some of the crew began to fall sick, including Chloe (Elyse Levesque), so the team stayed on the planet to try to determine whether it was something there that was making them sick - they did not want to bring a contagion back. It turns out that this was a bad idea because by nightfall the stargate was malfunctioning and squid creatures attacked. They started biting, and one ate through Chloe. That's right, Chloe died!!

Naturally, I knew at that point that something wasn't quite right. As delighted as I would be by Chloe's death, Elyse Levesque is scheduled to appear for the rest of the season.

As it turns out, the folks watching the Kino video also realized at that point that something wasn't right, particularly Chloe who had to run out of the room to puke.

And so we have all our friends watching themselves on the planet, where they have now never been since they found the Kino full of information. Is it an alternate timeline, dimension or what?

It's not a time loop - too early for a time loop episode - instead, the stargate is passing through a solar flare, which past stargate experience has taught us will throw the traveller back through the same gate but at a different time - past or future. In this case, the Kino went to the past.

Yes, we got some cool scientific stuff going on, and, for once, we had some great connections happening between the characters. Alaina Huffman's TJ finally showed herself as a smart, competent and tough woman. She did everything she could to save her sick patients, in both timelines, and was equally crushed by her failure. Eli (David Blue) connected with TJ and Rush (Robert Carlyle) since Chloe ended up dying in both timelines. I already loved Eli for his goofiness and the truth of his supergeekdom, but seeing him befriend characters who I respect, well that was a thing of beauty. And Rush, confronted with death again, was brave and true and tried his best. All the actors brought their A games to this episode, and so did the writers.

What do you think? Can they keep it up in next week's episode, entitled Life, where our heroes will have little time to capture a squid and extract its venom to cure the disease they carry?

Also, what do you think of the linking of episodes, no longer whole independent, but one leading carefully into the problem of the next?

Stargate Universe - Earth, S01E07

One of the trickiest things about Stargate Universe is the attempt to adjust to it. It is SO different from its predecessors.

I nearly laughed myself silly when Col. Young (Justin Louis) calmly tried to explain to Gen. O'Neill that he was declining to follow orders because he had always looked up to O'Neill and his decision to always do the right thing no matter what. Young is so far from Jack it's hard to believe the character was supposed to be similar to him.

And while there was the honest moment of hilarity when Jack confessed that Carter had saved him numerous times using science he didn't understand, there was a touch of realism that does not appear in SG1 or Atlantis. Let these scientists do their job and bring you home; follow my orders because I've ordered you to. Well at least Jack still wants to always get his own way.

In Universe, we've found that, despite the characters being on the other side of the universe, a lot more action takes place on Earth. Young is busy trying to win back his wife, which he succeeds in doing, only to have the transmission device fail briefly in the middle of intercourse. And so Col. Telford (Lou Diamond Phillips), who appears to be a villain, later appears at the wife's door for who knows what illicit action. And if that's not enough, Eli (David Blue) is not only busy pining after the useless Chloe (Elyse Levesque), but is also suffering from being told he's a good friend and therefore not a love interest. If this is going to be the focus of the show, why bother sending them to the other side of the universe?

I want to see planets. New planets with more going on than just a search for water or sand. I want Rush (Robert Carlyle) to figure out how the ship works and for the heroes, while exploring Destiny, to come across neat gadgets. And I want to laugh! I want to laugh at a turn of phrase, an event or a comment that doesn't involve Eli or Jack. Where are the lines like "I'm sorry for shooting everybody" or "How do I know you are better; you referred to me as Lucy".

Stargate Universe has pulled out of the station, and it is headed somewhere at a respectable clip, but sometimes I just can't help but feel like they left too many things behind and didn't pick up enough new things is this edgier Stargateverse story. Do you feel the same way?

Stargate Universe - Water, S01E06

This week on Stargate Universe, the water levels on Destiny were being depleted rapidly and for no discernible reason. Again it seemed as though either the ship itself was the enemy of the crew, or the unruly passengers were.

While Col Young (Justin Louis) and Lt. Scott (Brian J. Smith) went in search of drinkable water on a planet resembling Hoth - Empire Strikes Back - Star Wars - I'm not going to say episode 5 - TJ (Alaina Huffman) was left in charge and had to deal with problems aboard ship. The specific problem? Weird alien bugs, likely those that had befriended Scott in the desert in Air part 3, were on the Destiny, drinking the water supply dry at an alarming rate.

They also became violent when provoked...not unlike those spots of light SG1 encountered while giving young spitfire Hailey a chance to see the wonders of the Stargate. Another member of the crew died as a result.

TJ and Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) didn't agree on how to solve the problem. TJ thought of more useful methods, while Greer defaulted to violence, as always. In the end, TJ lured the bugs into a canister of water, which was then thrown through the stargate onto the ice planet. The crisis averted.

Young and Scott had their own set of problems on the planet. Dealing with poisonous air and freezing conditions, they wore space suits as they dragged ice from a waterfall back to the gate. There was no fear about leaving them behind when the Destiny returned to FLT because they'd run out of air before that happened. And then Scott fell in a crevice and got stuck. Young refused to leave him, and waiting just long enough, a tremor freed Scott from the crushing conditions that had torn his suit and Young was able to get him, as well as the ice, back to the ship.

The water crisis is not completely over, with the ice only replacing a fraction of what the bugs drank, but the situation is no longer dire. What crisis will have to be averted next week? I don't know, but the episode title is Earth.

Are you loving the new Stargate?

Stargate Universe - Light, S01E05

And the train begins to pull out of the station.

This week, Stargate Universe started to gain both momentum and consistency.

When the episode began, our heroes found themselves about to have a head on collision with a star. Let me tell you, if you don't already know, spaceship to star collisions usually don't end up so good for the space ship.

Suddenly, the crew was faced with death. Not the uncertainty of being lost in the stars for eternity far from planet Earth, but imminent death. It brought out some very interesting reactions. Colonel Young (Justin Louis) announced that the shuttle, manned with 17 people, 2 of his choosing, would try to make it to one of the planets in the system they hoped was habitable. The choice of 15 of those would be made by lottery. Young withdrew his name from that lottery, and Dr. Rush (Robert Carlyle) did the same soon after. Camile Wray (Ming-Na), our representative from the IOA, told Young off for using the lottery. She thought he ought to pick the most capable to survive. She also wanted him to pick her, and so dropped the subject when he threatened to remove her name from the box.

Chloe (Elyse Levesque) - who did not annoy me particularly this week - and Scott (Brian J Smth) slept together. It was a little cheesy, with Chloe telling Scott she felt closer to him over the last few days than anyone else in her life ever, but it reinforced the notion that SGU is charactercentric. Our couples have and will continue to have sex with each other, which does create a less retractable link between them.

I'm not sure how I feel about Scott having sex with Chloe when not so long before they all ended up on the Destiny, he was sleeping with Vanessa James (Julia Anderson), a fellow soldier. Imagine if Sam had had sex with every man she had a connection with over the course of SG1. Or watching Sheppard take so many women to bed on Atlantis. We are so clearly dealing with something different here.

As I said, Chloe and Scott slept together; Eli (David Blue) was fully aware of this.

And so the draw took place, and we got more interesting reactions. When Camile was picked, she burst into tears. She was so grateful that she might live, so terrified of the idea of death. When all were picked, Young, Greer (Jamil Walker Smith), Eli and Chloe were among those who stayed behind. As the shuttle loaded, one man, a soldier, attempted to rouse the group to protest, to have their chance to live, but one swift blow from Greer left him unconscious until it was far too late.

The soldiers, now having orders and understanding the situation - they must allow those 17 to leave - behaved like soldiers, following orders and being useful.

So the shuttle left, but we still have the Destiny flying straight into the star with half our leads on board. What miracle was Rush going to pull? Nothing. He did nothing, and the Destiny flew straight into the star.

I should say straight through the star. It's shields still had enough energy to protect it as it plunged through the core of the star, recharging by solar power as it went. The Destiny emerged sans any energy problem, with the crew alive and safe.

Then they had to retrieve the shuttle, which was a bit of a trick. But Rush and Eli solved the problem and got our folks back on board. And boy was it great that they all went through a real disaster. Everyone was so happy to be back on board the Destiny together, heading off who knows where. They admitted it was the exact situation they were in before, but they were much happier to find themselves in it.

As we look forward to next week, with the distrust between Rush and Young still ongoing, I hope we will end up off ship and on planet again. It might be nice to have some other creatures to encounter, but I think we all have to understand (past Stargate fans and new SGU viewers alike), the story is about the characters and how they are dealing with this situation and growing, as well as the mythology that specifically involves the Destiny. If voices make the powers that be decide that an alien presence or enemy is needed, that won't come until next season. Frankly, I'm interested to see what this new show is!

What about you?

Stargate Universe - Darkness, S01E04

Though Stargate Universe continues to struggle to gain momentum, this episode marked a distinct improvement in the series. At the end of the episodes, the events compel me to return next week to find out what will happen next.

The ship and the shipmates continue to be the source of danger to the lives of our heroes. The shipmates themselves are cranks, whiny, and not particularly brave. Though Colonel Young (Justin Louis) has repeatedly told us that these are the wrong people to be on this mission, it's hard to believe they there because they seem to be the wrong people for any mission. The soldiers and scientists are whining that they do not want to die in space. With that kind of attitude and lack of spine, how did they become part of the stargate program in the first place. Why is it that out of all of them, who must have been working for the military for some time, Eli David Blue) has adapted the best?

Throughout the episode, though, the attitudes of those recording current feelings on the KENO device distinctly improved. There is still hope of survival.

In some ways, community is forming on the ship - or should I say communities. There are those who are in the loop and those not, and all are bonding over what must be done and what they know. Again, I have to wonder at the quality of soldiers we have, since they refuse to try to trust their commanders. Really, one of the biggest issues with the show is how difficult it is to like the characters. I'm a huge fan of Dr. Rush, but how much of that is because I love Robert Carlyle? Neither Colonel Young nor Colonel Telford (Lou Diamond Phillips) is likable - Young is not strong enough, and Telford is far too much of a prick. And do not get me started on what I think of Chloe (Elyse Levesque)...they better find a use for her soon.

But, as I said, there was improvement. I have good things to say!

1. Eli and Scott (Brian J. Smith) still have their sun burns from last episode, which is awesome!

2. Rush passed out because of coffee and cigarette withdrawal - the realities of being stranded on a ship.

3. Though the Destiny lost power, some of the scientists figured out how to use some of its technology to recharge batteries for flashlights, etc. Yay for the ability to explain away their continual use for the rest of the run of the show.

4. Rush mentioned that Destiny predates the Ancient gene, and therefore its existence has no bearing on the functioning of the ship. Thank you for finally letting us know you hadn't forgotten about it.

5. There was a reference to Mozart and Salieri.

6. There was discussion both of shower and waste disposal systems, implying that the people on the Destiny still have human needs.

7. I'm looking forward to next week!

That's right, next week our heroes have to solve both the problem of lack of power on the Destiny (which blacked out to the point that it fell out of FTL) and the fact that it is now headed straight for a Red Dwarf.

Are you excited for next week?

Stargate Universe - Air, part 3, S01E03

This episode just wanted to make me groan. I love the Stargate franchise, and I am so ready to offer my love to this new chapter, but boy is it making that difficult. With SG1 and Atlantis, the premieres grabbed you and delighted you and there was no going back, but with Universe, I feel like it's a ball of raw potential that has yet to be given proper direction. Like, if I stick around, it will get me where I want it to, but that that may not happen for a little while.

It's like a train, slowly getting out of the station, creaking and stopping sometimes. Once it gets going, it will be a nice smooth ride, but it's not a race car that goes from 0-100 in one second and we are off. Just put a little oil in the gears, a little attention and focus, and we'll do just fine.

In Air, part 3, Scott (Brian J. Smith), Greer (Jamil Walker Smith), Rush (Robert Carlyle), Eli (David Blue), and three others go through the gate onto a desert planet to find some calcium compound of some kind which can be used to fix the CO2 scrubbers. Not finding what they need close to the gate, they set out and eventually split up, Scott, Greer and Rush in one group, Eli with the other three.

It doesn't take long for Eli's group to decide to ignore Rush's insistence that they will find what they need on this planet. They want to check out the other nearby planets, even though there is only about 6 hours left. But apparently they are looking for a place for continued existence anyways. Greer and Rush go to stop them.

Now these two have some serious issues. It's the second time Greer pulls a gun on Rush, and he also kicks him in the back. The two then get in a fist fight and role down a bit sand dune. All I have to say is there better be one heck of a back story for their issues with each other. And this is what I mean by needing time. Right now, I feel like I'm watching two 8 year olds fighting to see who is king of the castle, but I'm betting (or blindly hoping) that later, coming back, it will be awesome and make a lot of sense.

Despite their bickering, Greer makes it to the gate in time to shoot the last of the three going through in the arm, and prevent him from taking the portable DHD with him. He listened to Rush's order on this, which makes me think, in the end, he is a soldier who does what he's told when it actually matters, or when it's not about his personal issues with a person. Maybe there is hope for him after all.

Scott is still out looking for the calcium deposits, and follows some weird sand flurries and visions of the priest who raised him and later drank himself to death when Scott impregnated a girl at 16. It's interesting to learn the back stories, and it's also neat to see more religion in Stargate and to wonder how it's going to feature in this chapter. I've always been more interested in the mythology than the science. But, again, I feel like there are other things that the writers should be establishing and we can worry about the details of our leads later on.

Greer goes after Scott, and together the two of them drag the bag back to the gate...but they are not going to make it. Rush tells Eli to put his arm through the gate, positing that the gate will not close and the ship will not take off due to some kind of emergency fail safe. He turns out to be right, and Eli brave enough to follow his advice, and so Scott and Greer make it and the air filters begin to function.

On the ship, Young (Justin Louis) and Chloe (Elyse Levesque) went to Earth using the ancient communication devices. Young gets advice from O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) who basically tells him to suck it up, make the best of what he has, and that no one is ready for what is required of them when they go through the stargate. Chloe tells her mom of her father's death, and if you thought she was annoying, well her mom is a lot worse. She even threatens to expose the Stargate program if her daughter doesn't get returned to her safely. I wanted to punch her in the head.

And while they were on Earth, Col. Telford (Lou Diamond Phillips) is on the ship, being a prick. Eventually, TJ (Alaina Huffman), the medic, had to sedate him so that he would not do damage to Col. Young's body. Why are so many of these characters so easy to dislike?

The best part was the make up. Everyone who was roasting on the desert planet came back with some beautiful red sunburns.

The worst part? All the questions.

1. What happened to the two left behind, or do we even care?

2. What was with the shuttle taking off from the Destiny at the end of the episode?

3. What possible problems will they face next week, other than the fact that a lot of the crew are jerks?

Also, there are so many characters, it gets distracting. In SG1 and Atlantis, there were 5. Same with Atlantis at first. Then the doctors became more important in both. Here, we are starting with way more characters than that, and we aren't given enough.

So, once the train is out of the station, I know it's going to be great. All I can hope is that it picks up steam quickly.

Stargate Universe - Air, part 1 & 2, S01E01-02

A lone soldier enters through the stargate into an unknown gateroom. His weapon is drawn, but there is no immediate danger. Then the evacuees begin pouring in after him, flying through the gate and landing hard, on top of each other. Panic is in the air as the new arrivals realize this is not Earth's gateroom, as they are struck by incoming equipment and people.

And thus begins Stargate Universe, the latest chapter in the Stargate series.

Already, the series is darker, more sinister and adult. Our characters are flawed, and not in the same amusing manner as the characters from SG1 and Atlantis, who required something to balance all the factors in their favour. Here, the flaws are already festering issues. For instance, Msgt. Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) had been imprisoned, awaiting a Court Marshall, before the attack that landed them on an Ancient spaceship travelling to who-knows-what destination. He and Camile Wray (Ming-Na), a member of the IOA, already demonstrated animosity towards one another, though we do not yet know the nature of his crime.

Neither SG1 nor Atlantis delved into dramatic character issues. Certainly some segments focused on their relationships (or else people like me would not be still waiting and hoping after 13 years for Jack O'Neill and Samantha Carter to finally get together), but from the moment I saw Lt. Scott (Brian J. Smith) having sex in a supply closet with a fellow (female) soldier, I knew the approach Universe would take would be different.

The entire premiere set a different tone. In both SG1 and Atlantis, the premiere's established who the enemy was - the Go'auld and the Wraith, who the team travelling regularly through the gate would be, and what they would be contending against. Both teams also had as members an alien (Jaffa and human) whom they had met while on another planet.

Universe has no enemy, except the tensions between the characters on Destiny and Destiny herself. Yes, they will be travelling to planets in whatever galaxy they have found themselves, but the focus seems more likely to be on the only possible throughline - the characters and the ship. They will have to contend with the failing life support systems, the lack of supplies, of food and water. They will struggle, rather than cooperate, for none of them is prepared for this mission. When they go through the stargate, they will have limited time to explore the planet they are on and get back to the ship before it leaves as it is commanded to do on auto-pilot. They will not be able to return to planets they have already visited.

If you are a fan of SG1 and Atlantis, you will not be disappointed with this new show. Yes, it is very different, but the elements you have grown to love (such as the humour) are still there.

But if you never got into either of those series, or even if you did not like them much, you should still check out SGU if you are remotely interested in science fiction.

Please let me know what you thought.

PS.

1. Robert Carlyle!!! plays Dr Rush and he is awesome.

2. Eli Wallace (David Blue) had ever nerd's dream come true - he solved a problem in a video game that allowed him to join missions in space. Just like The Last Starfighter.

3. Because Eli just joined the SG team, he doesn't know anything that viewers of SG1 or Atlantis know, so we learn as he learns.

4. Richard Dean Anderson has put on a little bit of weight.

5. I wonder if they will let this doctor actually survive and kill some other member of the team instead.

6. I love that things are already getting named!

7. I wonder if Destiny is powered by ZPMs and if power is going to become a major issue.

8. No replicators so far.

9. They named the ship the Hammond!

10. What did Dr Rush tell the SGC when he briefly took over Dr. Bill Lee's body?

Insights on Stargate Universe

A friend posted this request "Danielle, what's your insight on Stargate Universe? It looks like SG meets Voyager in the style of BSG with hint of Lost in Space thrown in. What are you expecting of it?"

What am I expecting of Stargate: Universe?

The premise is Stargate (SG1 or Atlantis) on a spaceship, in a galaxy far, far away without one specific enemy (Goa'uld or Wraith or anything else). Which means the overarching story will be survival on the ship and trying to find the way to Earth. Yes, that's right, the same idea as BSG. But, do not fear, Stargate takes place today, with people from our Earth trying to get back to it. We know it exists from the start; Earth cannot be a myth.

Still, those who end up on this ship, the Destiny (which is a much more normal ship name than the Asgard-named Jack O'Neill), will have to deal with finding supplies, keeping the ship and its life support system in working order, and maintaining the hierarchy. As a military op, it will be interesting to see how many people on the ship end up being civilians, and if they have a problem with military rule.

The show is designed to appeal both to fans of SG1 and Atlantis, and to newcomers. We can expect the same humour we've come to love (including the references to Star Trek, Star Wars, etc), but this series is to be darker and edgier. According to Wikipedia, within the first 6 episodes, someone will commit suicide. This will not be the first Stargate suicide, so we will have to see how it is treated to determine the differences between previous deaths, but I get the impression that actions will have far more import in the contained ship that in the wide universe of previous seasons.

Also, it will be difficult to have cast members from previous series guest star. Yes, Jack O'Neill and Daniel Jackson will make their appearances in the premiere. Passing the torch like they did for Atlantis (interesting that it is still SG1 that is being carried on, and not Atlantis, but that shows you the importance of Earth). It's possible through flash backs or any number of weird scientific occurrences to have guest stars we recognize, but it will not be common or easy, like a simple visit through the Stargate. More likely a Samantha Carter from another dimension who ended up on the Destiny there and is now connecting with our dimension than the exact character from previous series.

I am very excited about this series. I'm sad that Atlantis was cancelled for it to exist, and I hope that there are no @#%$ing replicators in this series...there will be; it cannot be avoided, but I hate them SO much. Ugh! The scripts will continue to carry the essence of the Stargate world, and the actors (led by Robert Carlyle) should be able to step up. They've got a lot of pressure on their shoulders, but I have always liked SG casting. Besides, if someone isn't working out, they can just find a replacement on some random planet.

I hope that properly covers my expectations. What do you think we're going to get? Don't forget to watch the premiere on October 2.