So last night’s SGU was the penultimate episode before the midseason finale. Did it set up the explosive episode that is supposed to carry us out until next year? Well, let’s just say that everyone is stressed and can snap at any moment, so yeah, the midseason finale better be explosive.
The Set Up
Everybody is dealing with the stress of living on the Destiny: Chloe does yoga, the soldiers have the civilians and scientists do laps and exercises, Park has sex with an unknown soldier, Eli works on mathematical equations that Telford left behind, Young spies on Rush, Camile draws a painting, Franklin is not having any luck in his garden, and Spencer just popped his last pill. So in short, life is somewhat ‘grand’.
Meanwhile back on Earth, Col. Buzz Killington (aka Telford) sits at the Communication Stones console asleep. A scientist comes to relieve him and tells him that it was Gen. O’Neill’s orders for him to move his ass. I mean damn, why is he so obsessed with commanding the Destiny?
But Telford surprises me even more when he calls up Col. Young’s wife, Emily, and has dinner with her. He then tells her that he has an obligation (out of their friendship mind you) to tell Emily something about Young.
Back on the ship, Scott leads some people in a jogging session. The guy who Park was humping with says hi to her, but she barely say hi back to him. Was the sex bad, Park? It didn’t look bad… TJ tries to talk to Spencer, who only mumbles that he is fine, but it is clear this man is one short hair from snapping a neck at any time. This prompts TJ to report to Young, who says that he wants TJ to run psych evaluations on the entire staff and crew.
Meanwhile, Rush cleared off two more sections of the ship and sends Greer and another soldier to check them out. One is another quarters area and the other? Well, it houses a Repository of Knowledge chair similar to the one found by the SG-1 team. Young checks in on Eli, who has been running all the combinations that Telford had set up to go home; all of them proved to be failures. Young then gives Camile and Scott clearance to use the communication stones.
No Place Like Home…
Camile and Scott arrive on Earth, with Camile in a random female soldier’s body and Scott in Telford’s body. Seriously, someone needs to ban that mofo from the communication stones room…
Carl Strom stops Camile before her personal visit and asks what’s the status on the ship and that Telford’s scientists are working on new data adjustments. Camile says that with the factions of Team Young and Team Rush taking over the ship, there is no way her voice can be heard. Strom then suggests that Camile starts a faction of her own. There HE goes starting crap…
Scott gets the wind knocked out of him when he gets a letter from the 16 year old girl he knocked up before coming to SGC. The girl is now a woman, of course, but her contacting him throws him completely off. He goes to visit her, but she’s not home. But her son is home… all alone. Scott and his guide stay outside the house and waits for Annie, the girl in question, to come home from work. When she does, Scott has to pretend that he is actually Telford, because Annie is not cleared to know about SGC. Annie buys the ruse and lets Scott in her house. Annie’s son stare at Telford/Scott in awe, which Annie explains is because the kid adores the military. When she gives the boy orders to go brush his teeth for bed, she calls him “Matthew”. Scott eyes buck. Trying hard to contain his shock, Scott tries to say the right words without blowing his cover. Annie tells him that she couldn’t go through with the abortion and didn’t tell Scott, because he was going through a lot of crap at the time. When the SGC rep tells Scott that his time is up, Scott tells Annie that he ‘contacted’ Scott and he will have to adjust to the news, but that he set up for his monthly Air Force check to be deposited into an account for Matthew and Annie, so Annie can go back to school and take care of Matthew Jr. Annie freaks out about Scott trying to make her go to school and says that she is fine with her current job, which is ‘dancing’. She declines Scott’s offer.
Camile goes home to see Sharon, her lover, and at first Sharon is not apprehensive or sure of this strange woman in front of her claiming to be Camile, even if SGC already told her what to expect. But after Camile asks if she’ got rid of the ugly chair’ in Chinese, Sharon is relieved and the two women embrace. Camile and Sharon reconnect as if they had never been separated. When they finish dinner, Sharon suggests that Camile go see her parents, but Camile says that they don’t have clearance. When she sits down with Sharon, it is revealed that the picture Camile was drawing at the beginning of the episode was of a portrait that is in Sharon and Camile’s living room. When Camile realizes she forgot the rowboat on the picture, she breaks down and cries. Later when the SGC guide tells Camile that her time is up, Sharon tells her to do whatever she has to do to get back home. Don’t plant that in her head, Sharon, because Strom has already given her the go head to do something stupid. Camile later visits her parents and it is clear that they either are just got clearance to know about Camile’s whereabouts or they were cleared by SGC to know about Camile’s whereabouts and Camile lied to Sharon to hide that they don’t approve of her lifestyle. I am going with the latter, because of Camile’s bitter facade after seeing her parents.
The Audacity of Hope
Meanwhile, Rush, Greer, and Young discuss the pros and cons of the Repository of Knowledge chair, which is a prototype to the one SG-1 found back in the SG-1 episode “The Fifth Race”. Rush is all about the pros of the chair, which includes the master code of the ship and all the Ancients knowledge that could help them out in the long run. Young is all about the cons, which include the fact that the last time a human downloaded Ancient memories into their brain, they nearly lost their damn mind and died. That human? Gen. Jack ‘O Neill (Richard Dean Anderson). Rush wants the knowledge, but as Young rightfully summarizes, it has to be at the sacrifice of someone. Nobody is seeing Rush volunteer himself, so Young says the chair is off limits. Greer jokes that he would sit in it if it means getting everyone home. Don’t give Rush any ideas, bruh.
Brody can’t see why the hell Young won’t let anyone sit in the chair if they are volunteering, which Volker claims is politics and that Young wants to get the glory if it works and needs a scapegoat if it doesn’t, with that being Rush. Again, fellas, are YOU volunteering your services?!
Later, while Rush looks at something on the console, he presses a button and then all of this knowledge is released bringing a smile of joy to Rush’s face. The info? A way home.
Seems that Rush found a subspace link between all the ships that came before the Destiny and knows where each gate is located. While looking through the data, Rush came across a planet with the same capabilities of as Icarus, which means that they have a chance to get home. One of the problems, cause there is always a problem on SGU, is that it will take a year before they reach that planet. Then they have to learn how to steer the ship and enter the planet’s atmosphere and see if the gate even works. In short, Rush says they need the master code for all that. Hmm… *Sniff*.*Sniff*… Is that crap I smell?
Rush asks for the chair and Young orders him to crack the code another way and that he is up on Rush’s shenanigans. In the mess hall, Rush confirms to a lot of soldiers, including Greer and Spencer, about the news of one year to go home. Rush only asks that Greer and the others support him along the way. Greer’s down for the cause, but Spencer acts like an idiot and demands to be let off the ship, because he can’t do a year. Somebody get this man some anesthetic and tranquilizers, stat!
News of the One Year mantra flies through the ship, renewing everyone’s hopes, especially Scott, who is furious that Annie didn’t tell him about his seed and Camile is excited to come back to good news. But Eli finds the source of the crap I was smelling earlier and its a doozy.
Rush planted the information and LIED about finding a planet to get them home!
Say it with me: SO DISRESPECTFUL!!!!!!
When Eli and Scott try to tell Young, Camile overhears and you could just hear every inch of her heart breaking into a million pieces. Young confronts Rush and his reasoning? He wanted to boost morale on the ship.
EPIC FAIL, RUSH! Try Again! How about letting me explain? Rush did want to boost morale, but only so someone could sacrifice themselves and sit in that damn chair, namely Greer or any of the other grunts that would be willing to do the deed. So in retrospect, when Rush said that he needed the “support” of the soldiers, he meant he need their bodies to be turned over to him for toying and jettisoning later.
Son of a b—-
But this isn’t what Rush reveals, nor young for that matter. Young knows this all was done for the chair, but tells Rush that he is not stopping RUSH from sitting his ass down in the Ancients’ version of the Lay-Z-Boy. Rush doesn’t budge and he moves up on my Ish List.
Col. Young Vs. Telford
During the body switch of Telford and Scott, Telford confronts Young about not getting the data experiment that his team left behind last time, which Young counters with Telford jumping ship when the going got tough. Telford strikes a chord with Young when he mentions that he is surprised that Young isn’t trying to rush home to Emily. Um, Telford, HE IS!!!!
So Young gets a shock when Scott comes back from his trip with visions of Emily in his head. Scott has only seen a picture of Emily, not met her in person. Scott and Young deduce that Telford has to have been seeing Emily. So Young does a body switch with a soldier and he trails Telford back to his house. Young barges in and wants to kick Telford’s ass, but Emily stops him while Telford makes a phone call. Emily tells Young that Telford and her haven’t been sleeping around, unlike Young, who she thinks still is canoodling with TJ. Of course, Telford told Emily this and when Young goes to kick his ass… he wakes up on the ship!
Turns out that Telford had someone on base shut the Communications device down. WWWWOOOO BOY!!!! I can’t wait for Telford to meet Karma.
TJ later asks Col. Young to do his evaluation. He simply tells her it was a bad day.
Later, we see a soldier get up from the communication stones room, trail Telford and beat his ass! It was Young!!!! But he didn’t kick his ass enough for me. I wanted black and blue, dammit!!!
TJ’s Evaluations
While the soldiers make everyone puke and even more stressed with workouts, TJ’s evaluations are a good relief point. TJ’s first patient is Franklin, who whines about the entire experience. Seriously don’t like this guy. Her second patient is Park, who says that she is relieving her stress by… reading books. Uh huh.
TJ breaks the mold with Greer and we learn that his dad, who served in Desert Storm, beat his ass when he was young. Greer also wishes people will shut up and let him do the deeds that no one else will do, because he doesn’t loose sleep over killing “bad people”. When TJ tries to get deeper in Greer’s dad issue, Greer storms out. I want to know more!
Chloe talks about how much the people on board are helpful for her stress and how much Scott takes care of all of the other areas of stress relief. Moving on… TJ tries to talk to Rush, but he doesn’t respond and says he’s fine.
Volker feels optimistic that they will get home during his chat, but he looks like he is about to snap.
TJ summarizes with Young that she only did 14 evaluations and everyone else is hiding from her. My diagnosis? Everyone needs to watch their backs, because someone is about to go loose their damn mind.
Spencer’s Issues
Spencer seems to be that person in question. After nearly causing Franklin to have a heart attack and later nearly beating the crap out of the poor guy for crossing his path, Spencer get his ass handed to him by Young who tells him to shape up or meet the brig. Hell, he should’ve been there from gate.
Conclusion
So everyone resumes their daily routine, but with some changes: Eli joins Chloe in yoga, Camile adds the rowboat to her painting, Park has picked GREER as her latest sex conquest, Young spies on Rush and Brody notices and shows his disapproval, Spencer silently counts down his days till he officially snaps, Franklin sees a seed finally pop up in his garden, and Scott cries for the time he missed with his son.
Again, life is ‘grand’ aboard the Destiny…
So, what do you guys think? I smell Spencer going off the deep end next time and it will not be pretty. Also, more Greer and more Telford’s nose being busted please?
I have more, but I want to know what you guys have to say.
*I* may snap at this point. I’m sorry to say that I only watch so I can snark *wildly* at things like:
1. “a billion light years from home”… yet we can return whenever we want.
2. “no supplies”… but last week we had cots in the infirmary and this week everybody has gym clothes and yoga gear
3. two more shower scenes
4. the complete and utter unprofessionalism of both Telford and Young
5. having a person who took ONE psych course doing psych evals without even seeing if there is a more qualified person on board.
I enjoyed Ming Na’s scenes but the rest of them were right out of the cliched handbook.
I will probably watch next week but at this point I can’t see myself tuning in for the second half. I’ll keep up-to-date with your recaps in case something watchable happens. I think I’ll go back for the last few episodes of “Numb3rs.”
*I* may snap at this point. I'm sorry to say that I only watch so I can snark *wildly* at things like:
1. "a billion light years from home"… yet we can return whenever we want.
2. "no supplies"… but last week we had cots in the infirmary and this week everybody has gym clothes and yoga gear
3. two more shower scenes
4. the complete and utter unprofessionalism of both Telford and Young
5. having a person who took ONE psych course doing psych evals without even seeing if there is a more qualified person on board.
I enjoyed Ming Na's scenes but the rest of them were right out of the cliched handbook.
I will probably watch next week but at this point I can't see myself tuning in for the second half. I'll keep up-to-date with your recaps in case something watchable happens. I think I'll go back for the last few episodes of "Numb3rs."
Your recap was perfect, man. Thanks so much!
I also just finished seeing the ninth episode of SGU, and I’m somewhat irritated to read the bad critics on the Net. People don’t seem to get that this is not a show focusing on guns and explosions and fighting bad guys. They complain that “nothing” happens and that they find it boring, and that’s just unbelievable to me. How can you not be fascinated by microcosm of mismatched people forced to collaborate together on a spaceship?
Then there are those who complain about the character development, saying it’s bad because there’s “too much” sex and “too much” soap opera. I don’t see how a couple of scene where people roll on each other on a bed can be “too much”, and while it’s true some developments (like the Telford/Emily/Young triangle or Matthew’s backstory) are a bit cliché, it’s not enough to make the show irremediably flawed. I guess I just wish people would stop whining over such details when there’s so much awesome going on. I, for instance, am very happy such a perspective on sci-fi hit the screens. Bold heroes with blazing guns are entertaining, but not very realistic. I can rely to the guys of SGU a thousand time more.
Your recap was perfect, man. Thanks so much!
I also just finished seeing the ninth episode of SGU, and I'm somewhat irritated to read the bad critics on the Net. People don't seem to get that this is not a show focusing on guns and explosions and fighting bad guys. They complain that "nothing" happens and that they find it boring, and that's just unbelievable to me. How can you not be fascinated by microcosm of mismatched people forced to collaborate together on a spaceship?
Then there are those who complain about the character development, saying it's bad because there's "too much" sex and "too much" soap opera. I don't see how a couple of scene where people roll on each other on a bed can be "too much", and while it's true some developments (like the Telford/Emily/Young triangle or Matthew's backstory) are a bit cliché, it's not enough to make the show irremediably flawed. I guess I just wish people would stop whining over such details when there's so much awesome going on. I, for instance, am very happy such a perspective on sci-fi hit the screens. Bold heroes with blazing guns are entertaining, but not very realistic. I can rely to the guys of SGU a thousand time more.
I also thought this was a great recap. My husband and I snarked at the same things that Featherlite did, but we are enjoying the show. It’s a different animal than either Atlantis or SG-1, but I think, given time, that it could be a really great show.
I also thought this was a great recap. My husband and I snarked at the same things that Featherlite did, but we are enjoying the show. It's a different animal than either Atlantis or SG-1, but I think, given time, that it could be a really great show.
They found a chair, fill in the rest of the show with stupidity.
They found a chair, fill in the rest of the show with stupidity.
SG-1: They find a device that downloads information into your head, you stick your head on it. Then you go through an exciting episode discovering the purpose of all that massive amount of information, debate the meaning of life and ancient civilizations. Then you build a power supply that will take you to meet one of the five founder sapient races. While at the same time you are trying to save your life because of a brain overload.
SGU: They find a device that downloads information into your head. you decide not to use it and save it for later. Meanwhile lets go back to earth cry a little, fight for your wife and have a lesbian cuddly moment.
Then you ask yourself. How can the second option be even an option?
SG-1: They find a device that downloads information into your head, you stick your head on it. Then you go through an exciting episode discovering the purpose of all that massive amount of information, debate the meaning of life and ancient civilizations. Then you build a power supply that will take you to meet one of the five founder sapient races. While at the same time you are trying to save your life because of a brain overload.
SGU: They find a device that downloads information into your head. you decide not to use it and save it for later. Meanwhile lets go back to earth cry a little, fight for your wife and have a lesbian cuddly moment.
Then you ask yourself. How can the second option be even an option?
@ Marie:
Marie, you must be a newly hired executive at SyFy or one of the writers of SGU who is responsible for this show and who will most likely get fired for producing such a show. The critics do understand that SGU is not a show focusing on guns and explosions and fighting bad guys and that is the problem.
The concept (“the complaints from the critics”) is very simple.
Most people who watch science movies, science fiction related movies, or space exploration related movies on the SyFy channel (in particular) are NOT the typical dullards that watch drama soap operas. Matter of fact, I would say Stargate fans are not dullards at all. People who watch science movies, science fiction related movies, or space exploration related movies are NOT interested in the script of “Desperate House Wives,” “Ugly Betty,” “MTV’s Real World,” or any other drama soap opera script superimposed onto a crew of a space ship or into a space ship. Yes, I did watch about five episodes of “Desperate House Wives,” and five episodes of “Ugly Betty” and stopped watching and moved on to bigger and better things.
Marie, either you have the IQ to understand that or you don’t have the IQ.
How is a show science related, science fiction related, or space related if there is no science or science fiction, but just scene after scene of the typical stuff one would find on “Desperate House Wives” or “The Real Housewives of Atlanta?” If I wanted to watch sex (heterosexual, lesbian, or homosexual), I could just watch a different cable channel or watch it for free over the internet. Since I live in the Los Angeles, I could go down to the co-ed steam room at my gym or go to any one of the LA beaches and watch it live. Over the years, I have stumbled across many porn movies in production.
@ Mark O. Estes (the editor)
I am still watching SGU and I will most likely watch SGU until the end of the season.
What are the current ratings for SGU? How have the ratings for SGU changed over time?
While the actors are doing what they are paid to do, the script writing has left me speechless (and not the good kind of speechless). I think the idea of Stargate Universe is excellent, but I still have my doubts about how SGU is being scripted and played out. SGU might get by with a second season, but I would be shocked if SGU gets a third season without a major re-write or upgrade before the close of season one.
The episode “EARTH” and the last episode “LIFE” are definitely well representative and true of the darker side of humanity.
The alliances are definitely forming. Some of the different alliances were made clear in the last episode “LIFE.” I would not be shocked if these alliances will be the basis of one of the shows before the end of the season.
Dr. Rush is very complex character and is definitely my favorite character. I would go as far as to say that Dr. Rush is the most complex character I have seen on any of the Stargate series to date. I am 90% to 95% on his team. I think Dr. Rush will get someone to use that chair.
I thought Greer was very interesting and real of all the charters from the beginning. Greer seems even more interesting. I think Greer will be in Dr. Rush’s alliance, but I don’t think Greer of Dr. Rush will use the chair. I thought Park said she was having sex with “Greer” and that other solider was someone who was interested but was not going to get any.
I am surprised by Camile. In both of the other Stargate series (SG-1 and Atlantis), the individuals from the IOA were consistently a bunch of corrupt, inept, self-serving, snakes in the grass that had horrible decision making skills and were problematic at best on their good days. When Sharon told Camile “to do whatever she has to do to get back home,” I thought Camile instantly morphed into a different character. She is no longer the typical problematic IOA representative.
Chelo (the dead senator’s daughter) she is doing exactly what I would do. I would spend a lot of time in the observation deck.
Spencer ran out of pills a lot earlier than I anticipated. However, I will still keep to my original prediction, the people on the ship won’t find the medial bay in time and Spencer’s problems are just starting. Unless someone finds an illegal crack house (run by alien squatters) in the other 80% of the ship that is supposed to be unoccupied, Spencer will probably murder or rape someone.
When it comes to the chair and downloaded Ancient memories, everyone can be a candidate. However, there is a short list of viable candidates. I guess Dr. Rush is glad he has a list of everyone’s abilities. I have already identified three people.
SGU Life Lesson #1: Do not let anyone borrow any of your personal effects. People have a nasty habit of being selfish and returning “borrowed” items “damaged,” “tattered,” or in poor condition. Some people have the nerve not to return the items at all. Everyone should have learned Life Lesson #1 in high school or at the latest in college.
If you are NOT going to be upset that your personal effects may come back “damaged,” “tattered,” or not returned at all, then ignore Life Lesson #1.
SGU Life Lesson #2: If you ever come across communications stones, do NOT let anyone else “borrow” your body. It appears that except for Eli and Scott, all who have used the communications stones have missed used (sex and substance abuse) the other individual’s body.
Is Gen. Jack ‘O Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) gaining weight?
@ Marie:
Marie, you must be a newly hired executive at SyFy or one of the writers of SGU who is responsible for this show and who will most likely get fired for producing such a show. The critics do understand that SGU is not a show focusing on guns and explosions and fighting bad guys and that is the problem.
The concept ("the complaints from the critics") is very simple.
Most people who watch science movies, science fiction related movies, or space exploration related movies on the SyFy channel (in particular) are NOT the typical dullards that watch drama soap operas. Matter of fact, I would say Stargate fans are not dullards at all. People who watch science movies, science fiction related movies, or space exploration related movies are NOT interested in the script of “Desperate House Wives,” “Ugly Betty,” "MTV's Real World," or any other drama soap opera script superimposed onto a crew of a space ship or into a space ship. Yes, I did watch about five episodes of “Desperate House Wives,” and five episodes of “Ugly Betty” and stopped watching and moved on to bigger and better things.
Marie, either you have the IQ to understand that or you don't have the IQ.
How is a show science related, science fiction related, or space related if there is no science or science fiction, but just scene after scene of the typical stuff one would find on “Desperate House Wives” or "The Real Housewives of Atlanta?" If I wanted to watch sex (heterosexual, lesbian, or homosexual), I could just watch a different cable channel or watch it for free over the internet. Since I live in the Los Angeles, I could go down to the co-ed steam room at my gym or go to any one of the LA beaches and watch it live. Over the years, I have stumbled across many porn movies in production.
@ Mark O. Estes (the editor)
I am still watching SGU and I will most likely watch SGU until the end of the season.
What are the current ratings for SGU? How have the ratings for SGU changed over time?
While the actors are doing what they are paid to do, the script writing has left me speechless (and not the good kind of speechless). I think the idea of Stargate Universe is excellent, but I still have my doubts about how SGU is being scripted and played out. SGU might get by with a second season, but I would be shocked if SGU gets a third season without a major re-write or upgrade before the close of season one.
The episode "EARTH" and the last episode "LIFE" are definitely well representative and true of the darker side of humanity.
The alliances are definitely forming. Some of the different alliances were made clear in the last episode "LIFE." I would not be shocked if these alliances will be the basis of one of the shows before the end of the season.
Dr. Rush is very complex character and is definitely my favorite character. I would go as far as to say that Dr. Rush is the most complex character I have seen on any of the Stargate series to date. I am 90% to 95% on his team. I think Dr. Rush will get someone to use that chair.
I thought Greer was very interesting and real of all the charters from the beginning. Greer seems even more interesting. I think Greer will be in Dr. Rush's alliance, but I don't think Greer of Dr. Rush will use the chair. I thought Park said she was having sex with "Greer" and that other solider was someone who was interested but was not going to get any.
I am surprised by Camile. In both of the other Stargate series (SG-1 and Atlantis), the individuals from the IOA were consistently a bunch of corrupt, inept, self-serving, snakes in the grass that had horrible decision making skills and were problematic at best on their good days. When Sharon told Camile "to do whatever she has to do to get back home," I thought Camile instantly morphed into a different character. She is no longer the typical problematic IOA representative.
Chelo (the dead senator’s daughter) she is doing exactly what I would do. I would spend a lot of time in the observation deck.
Spencer ran out of pills a lot earlier than I anticipated. However, I will still keep to my original prediction, the people on the ship won't find the medial bay in time and Spencer's problems are just starting. Unless someone finds an illegal crack house (run by alien squatters) in the other 80% of the ship that is supposed to be unoccupied, Spencer will probably murder or rape someone.
When it comes to the chair and downloaded Ancient memories, everyone can be a candidate. However, there is a short list of viable candidates. I guess Dr. Rush is glad he has a list of everyone's abilities. I have already identified three people.
SGU Life Lesson #1: Do not let anyone borrow any of your personal effects. People have a nasty habit of being selfish and returning "borrowed" items "damaged," "tattered," or in poor condition. Some people have the nerve not to return the items at all. Everyone should have learned Life Lesson #1 in high school or at the latest in college.
If you are NOT going to be upset that your personal effects may come back "damaged," "tattered," or not returned at all, then ignore Life Lesson #1.
SGU Life Lesson #2: If you ever come across communications stones, do NOT let anyone else “borrow” your body. It appears that except for Eli and Scott, all who have used the communications stones have missed used (sex and substance abuse) the other individual’s body.
Is Gen. Jack 'O Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) gaining weight?
@Preppy:
I understand my opinion may be irritating to you, but there was no need to threaten me to be labelled as an idiot just because I like the show. It’s unnecessary to get your point across.
Like you I’ve never seen more than a couple of episodes of sopa operas shows like Desperate Housewives because I can’t endure the pointless drama. But that’s not the feeling I get from SGU. They have this great plot device that are the stones, they have this great idea to use the stones for backstories and charater development, but they overload us in 9 episodes. They want to have a background for all the main characters asap, probably to justify their motivations for their upcoming actions. That’s a flaw to rush like this, sure, but it does not mean it will continue like that once everyone is covered. And that’s my point: I wish that people would see that the writers are struggling with the right proportions of “stone usage”, not fatally assume that they intend to make the entire series a soap opera in space. It just makes no sense to me that a strong idea like SGU piloted by veterans of the franchise would veer to such abyss without anyone realizing anything. Have faith.
@Preppy:
I understand my opinion may be irritating to you, but there was no need to threaten me to be labelled as an idiot just because I like the show. It's unnecessary to get your point across.
Like you I've never seen more than a couple of episodes of sopa operas shows like Desperate Housewives because I can't endure the pointless drama. But that's not the feeling I get from SGU. They have this great plot device that are the stones, they have this great idea to use the stones for backstories and charater development, but they overload us in 9 episodes. They want to have a background for all the main characters asap, probably to justify their motivations for their upcoming actions. That's a flaw to rush like this, sure, but it does not mean it will continue like that once everyone is covered. And that's my point: I wish that people would see that the writers are struggling with the right proportions of "stone usage", not fatally assume that they intend to make the entire series a soap opera in space. It just makes no sense to me that a strong idea like SGU piloted by veterans of the franchise would veer to such abyss without anyone realizing anything. Have faith.
Mike,
I am not a guy but a woman who misses the camaraderie, decency and heroism of the other Stargates. In the world today I think people are looking for positive escapism not angst. I agree wholeheartedly that this show would be off my radar if it did not have the name Stargate in it and I would not be so sorely disappointed in the ambiguous characterization, cliched mess that this show has become. And where is the sly humor. I miss Rodney and Daniel and O’Neill and the wise cracking save the world attitude.
Desperate Houswives rating:
Now You Know – 19.32
Smiles of a Summer Night – 17.82
The Game – 18.89
If There’s Anything I can’t Stand – 18.21
Art Isn’t Easy** – 16733
Now I know, Don’t Be Scared – 18.58
You Can’t Judge A Book By Its Cover – 18.63
A Distant Past – 18.64
Something’s Coming – 20.65
Welcome to Kanagawa – 19.78
Sunday – 16.37
…
There is a target audience for drama. Stargate is the wrong place addressing the wrong people.
@Mike:
Again, saying I’m stupid for loving the show is unnecessary. You can make a strong statement without that.
As I understand it, these stones allow people to switch minds, not to switch data on how to bring the ship home. I agree they could switch to have 5 more scientists on the ship, I don’t get why they don’t do that. But that aside, if you were facing the prospect of sure death, wouldn’t you want to visit your families?
And it also seems to me you guys are focusing way too much on the Life episode. There were 8 episodes before, and they weren’t just about emotional Earth stuff. There were death, survival, aliens, time travel…it’s just irritating to see how people are quick to forget it and label the show as soap. Just wait to see how the rest of the season will unfold, I’m sure you’ll be satisfied.
Marie,
I certainly have eclectic taste in shows so I would be the last person to criticize someone’s taste in anything – food, tv, clothing etc. The point that I am trying to make (and Mike I think but I don’t want to speak directly for him) is that the original concept of Stargate – which has 15 had seasons of tv to establish – is very different than SGU. The creators and writers absolutely have the right to take the show in a different direction but we who loved the original two series have a right to complain that the tone, action and underlying themes of Stargate that we appreciated before are gone from this show. It is difficult for us to judge the show without the context of what came before because the producers chose to name it Stargate Universe not just GA:Space. I think that you need to go back and look at the 8 episodes before this. The most action packed ones: Light – big angsty who will be saved and let’s have sex. Time – reactions to people dying and opening up our family treasure chest of memories before we get eaten. Earth – the stones again and Telford and his conniving ways. Air (3) – angsty visions in the sand and whining people on the ship. Water was the most Stargate-like episode so far. Young not leaving someone behind, TJ stepping up to deal with the alien. That episode was one of the best. The rest are a mess in the Stargate World.
Mary,
Thanks for this explanation! The way you put it, I get a lot more what’s bothering you in SGU. Personally, I finished watching all Stargate Atlantis right before SGU, so perhaps the character-focus overload is not bugging me as much because Atlantis had so little of it. In any case, I’m still sure that the rest of the season will correct the tone, action and underlying themes to be more Stargatish. I guess I just wish everyone would be more optmisitic about this.
Mike,
I am not a guy but a woman who misses the camaraderie, decency and heroism of the other Stargates. In the world today I think people are looking for positive escapism not angst. I agree wholeheartedly that this show would be off my radar if it did not have the name Stargate in it and I would not be so sorely disappointed in the ambiguous characterization, cliched mess that this show has become. And where is the sly humor. I miss Rodney and Daniel and O'Neill and the wise cracking save the world attitude.
Desperate Houswives rating:
Now You Know – 19.32
Smiles of a Summer Night – 17.82
The Game – 18.89
If There's Anything I can't Stand – 18.21
Art Isn't Easy** – 16733
Now I know, Don't Be Scared – 18.58
You Can't Judge A Book By Its Cover – 18.63
A Distant Past – 18.64
Something's Coming – 20.65
Welcome to Kanagawa – 19.78
Sunday – 16.37
…
There is a target audience for drama. Stargate is the wrong place addressing the wrong people.
@Mike:
Again, saying I'm stupid for loving the show is unnecessary. You can make a strong statement without that.
As I understand it, these stones allow people to switch minds, not to switch data on how to bring the ship home. I agree they could switch to have 5 more scientists on the ship, I don't get why they don't do that. But that aside, if you were facing the prospect of sure death, wouldn't you want to visit your families?
And it also seems to me you guys are focusing way too much on the Life episode. There were 8 episodes before, and they weren't just about emotional Earth stuff. There were death, survival, aliens, time travel…it's just irritating to see how people are quick to forget it and label the show as soap. Just wait to see how the rest of the season will unfold, I'm sure you'll be satisfied.
Marie,
I certainly have eclectic taste in shows so I would be the last person to criticize someone's taste in anything – food, tv, clothing etc. The point that I am trying to make (and Mike I think but I don't want to speak directly for him) is that the original concept of Stargate – which has 15 had seasons of tv to establish – is very different than SGU. The creators and writers absolutely have the right to take the show in a different direction but we who loved the original two series have a right to complain that the tone, action and underlying themes of Stargate that we appreciated before are gone from this show. It is difficult for us to judge the show without the context of what came before because the producers chose to name it Stargate Universe not just GA:Space. I think that you need to go back and look at the 8 episodes before this. The most action packed ones: Light – big angsty who will be saved and let's have sex. Time – reactions to people dying and opening up our family treasure chest of memories before we get eaten. Earth – the stones again and Telford and his conniving ways. Air (3) – angsty visions in the sand and whining people on the ship. Water was the most Stargate-like episode so far. Young not leaving someone behind, TJ stepping up to deal with the alien. That episode was one of the best. The rest are a mess in the Stargate World.
Mary,
Thanks for this explanation! The way you put it, I get a lot more what's bothering you in SGU. Personally, I finished watching all Stargate Atlantis right before SGU, so perhaps the character-focus overload is not bugging me as much because Atlantis had so little of it. In any case, I'm still sure that the rest of the season will correct the tone, action and underlying themes to be more Stargatish. I guess I just wish everyone would be more optmisitic about this.
OK..wow. I thought Chloe was Dead! So she is alive and everyone is nuts? That is great. I am stunned and don’t know what to say.
OK..wow. I thought Chloe was Dead! So she is alive and everyone is nuts? That is great. I am stunned and don't know what to say.