Stargate Universe

Rive Caedo · Stargate Universe

I waited a bit to make a thread for this, because I didn't want to make a recommendation based on one episode.

It's pretty obvious that they're trying to capture the Battlestar Galactica audience. It has a large cast of characters and deliberately has a more serious and dark tone than the previous Stargate series. Due to that - you don't really know anything about the previous Stargate storylines to watch this show (I haven't seen much of SG-1 and none of Stargate Atlantis myself).

Well, maybe not. I suppose it's useful to know that:
Humanity found a device called a "Stargate" that can be used to link to any of the other Stargates in the galaxy (or other galaxies if you use extra power) - they were created millions of years ago by a race of aliens called "The Ancients".

Humanity has been using the Stargate system to visit alien worlds and cultures, in secret, for about 12 years at the point this show begins.

Is it as good as Battlestar Galactica? No. Not in my opinion. But it is actually pretty good and Doctor Rush is very very obviously inspired by Doctor Baltar - so that's fun to watch.

You might also consider it a much darker and more realistic version of Star Trek Voyager.

http://www.hulu.com/stargate-universe

shadowball2021

Well, I love all things Stargate but I really like this show; it's just great to see what will happen next since there is no way to tell who's gonna live and who will die on the show. Being lost on the other side of the known universe with really no way to get home, on a ship that's very old and falling apart with no way to take it off its currect path is a interesting story to tell. This show is more about survival then your average "enemy of the week" and campiness of the other series. Not that I hated that about the other shows, I just glad they decided to go in a different and more interesting direction. Cool

Darth Splinter

And opposed to Battlestar Galactica and Star Trek, Stargate takes place in modern times, hence the soldiers wielding M4s and not blasters or phasers.

Rive Caedo

I'll give you Star Trek, but Battlestar used pretty conventional weapons Razz

Dakoth

hahahahahahahahahaha get hotlink onwned Rive!

I didn't watch Stargate Universe, I liked SG-1 a lot. I liked it less as it went on, and I liked Atlantis less then that... It just feels like the franchise has been on a bit of a downward slide.

Rive Caedo

GAH! The entire internet is against me.

Well Universe is completely different from SG-1 (at least, Season 1-4. I haven't watched 6-10 yet) and (I assume) Atlantis. So that could be a good or bad thing from your point of view.

It is obviously linked to SG-1 though. So even if you don't watch it, I'd advise you to load up the first episode and skip to 11:31 for the funniest SG-1 linkup they've done so far.

There was another good one in episode 3

Spoiler:

Dakoth

Eh perhaps I'll watch. I don't want it going the way of the firefly, and having disgruntled caedawg linking me an avalanche of hulu episodes in the future.

Rive Caedo

Mmm, I doubt it. Here's Rive's current hierarchy of Sci-Fi TV shows.

Firefly > Battlestar > Stargate Universe

Since I don't link oodles of Battlestar links, it's fairly safe to say I won't be linking oodles of SGU links Razz

Alternative chart:
Firefly: "It was the greatest thing ever!!! It's only 14 episodes! Watch it! WATCH IT NOW!"
Battlestar: "It's pretty darn awesome (especially season's 1, 2, and the first few episodes of 3). Buy the DVDs and watch it provided you don't mind some seriously depressing stuff."
Stargate Universe: "Got some time to kill on a Saturday evening? Check it out on Hulu."

On the topic of SG-1 though, here's a Hulu link to my favorite episode of that out of the ones I've seen Smile

Xander Vos

I used to love SG-1 and watched it semi-religiously, particularly because one of the main characters had the same last name as me, which was always cool. I only really started watching when Daniel died, and after that it got kinda weird, so I watched a lot of the old episodes..

Rive Caedo

Dakoth

You sure? I thought perhaps he was Alexander Anubis.

Xander Vos

So weird to see you type my full name Rive, albeit, a letter short. Wink

Dakoth

so its Alexander zTeal'c then?

Rive Caedo

No no. He obviously is a Star Wars character in real life, so like "Jacen" and such he has a weird spelling of his first name: Alyxaander.

Xander Vos

Alyskander actually Rive.

Rive Caedo

It's not specifically Universe related, but presumably that's what triggered today's RL comic.

shadowball2021

Haha, nice find Rive! Razz

shadowball2021

Has anyone been keeping up with this show other than me? Its getting very good and the latest ep "Time" is by far the best ep yet. Very Happy

Rive Caedo

Gah, I haven't read that last post beyond "Is anyone keeping up..." since I'm afraid of spoilers.

I've fallen behind on pretty much all the shows I watch due to Dragon Age taking up my entertainment time, but I'm hoping to catch up by Thanksgiving Laughing

"Water" was the last one I watched. Haven't seen "Earth" or "Time" yet.

The only character/aspect I don't like at all so far is Chloe Armstrong. Her sole purposes so far have been to: A: Provide the crying. B: Stand around doing nothing useful. C: Sleep around with people she hardly knows.

If this were a real survival situation, she's the first one I'd be airlocking to save food/water/power Razz

shadowball2021

Rive Caedo

Heh. Well I suppose you were right. Watching "Time" now with about 9 minutes left. Are you sure we can't make that segment of the opening canon?

I also watched "Earth" - where Chloe did... more crying. How unexpected Confused

And is it just me or did Richard Dean Anderson look really old in that episode? Or at least... bloated... or something. He looked a lot better in the first few episodes of the series when he was making cameos.

Earth was okay, liking Time a lot better - clever stuff. Wonder how "Life" will hold up.

shadowball2021

Nice to see you getting in to the show more, yes, Time was the best so far. Earth was ok, but Life was nice in the sense that we get to see more of the daily goings of everyday life on the ship. Also, you learn a bit more of Scott and Wray. It's a good ep and the young bits are good too; all the way to the end of the show! Wink

Let me know what you think of it. Very Happy

Rive Caedo

Just finished up "Life". Liked it pretty well. Though Time was still better - maybe because it was a bit more traditionally Stargate/Star Trek style? It was nice to get back to that, if only for a moment.

Scott will define for himself in the next few episodes if he's a character I like or dislike.

Wray. They're obviously setting her up to ally with the Dark Side Earth characters. We'll see if that happens. Could be a good or bad thing for the character/show.

Rush is still awesome. Because Baltar was awesome. And Rush is just Baltar played by a different actor Wink

Eli is more likable than he was in the first few episodes. He's less stereotypical than I thought they'd make him. He's more... archetypal - than stereotypical. But it's an archetype that's so new we haven't really seen it done well in any other series.

Chloe still can't be airlocked fast enough. Unlike Young, I don't think they're intending for me to hate the character - so I will fault them (the writers) for it.

Young... I don't dislike Young - as a character. But I dislike the character's choices. He's NOT the guy that should be in command in a survival situation. This is probably intentional, so I won't fault them for it.

In a nutshell: More Rush, less Chloe Razz

shadowball2021

Rive Caedo

Greer is a bit like Scott, I don't really have strong feeling about him one way or another. Not yet anyway.

TJ... is that the female medical officer? Having trouble keeping track of so many names Razz

So far, she seems a bit like Eli. In that she's been a better character than I expected her to be. I can't really make any judgment on her until we learn more about her and Young's relationship.

shadowball2021

Dakoth

Well, now I know if we ever have RebelsCon09 in space and get stranded in orbit, I shouldn't follow Rive into any dark spaces if I happen to shed a tear.

Rive Caedo

Shed all the tears you want. Just be sure to be doing something useful while doing it Razz

Dakoth

Hm, well in additon to being great comic relief, I'm a crack shot with a Spartan Laser and really know my way around a gravity gun.

Rive Caedo

Bringing a gravity gun gets you enough credit to spend several weeks moping around.

Outside of that, comic relief only gets you so far. I mean, Eli gets to make us all chuckle when he says something like "Oh my God." when he realizes time travel is possible and then continues, "How did I leave Back to the Future off my list of Top 5 movies?"

But he still has to figure out whether Doctor Rush is telling the truth or lying about mathematical figures to be useful.

On the upside, you get to stay in the relative safety of the ship instead of going to the dangerous planets unless you ask to go. Which, of course, you do - because you find the idea neat.

Sirak Sazen

Is this a soap opera?

Rive Caedo

It's a soap opera to about the same degree that Battlestar Galactica was.

Let's make a chart.

<---------- Least Soap Opera ------- Most Soap Opera ------------>
Blade Runner, Star Trek, Star Wars, Battlestar, SGU, Days of Our Lives

shadowball2021

Sirak Sazen

Thank you, Wolf Blitzer. Wink

I'm cool. I just made a reference that even I don't understand.

Rive Caedo

Don't make fun of our last hope!

shadowball2021

Zaron Archlo

Black Bear Beats Battlestar Galactica!

Rive Caedo

I think that was beets Razz

Bears, beets, Battlestar Galactica.

Zaron Archlo

LOLOLOLOL.

I was going to put "Beets" but I didn't think anyone would know what I was talking about.

Xander Vos

Zaron Archlo

Of course you do. YOU MUST LOVE THE OFFICE! LOVE IT!!!