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Stargate Universe – Review

October 3, 2009 By 202 Comments

Stargate Universe looks to be trying to balance a lot of things, and while the series reinvention seems to be the science-fiction hopeful of the season, I'm not sure how all that balancing is going to work out. For now, it isn't working so well, but there is certainly enough potential to look past the stumbles of the first episodes. Once the general theory stabilizes and gets past the establishment work, we may find we're onto something here.

stargateuniverse4

Brian J. Smith as Lt. Matthew Scott, Robert Carlyle as Dr. Nicholas, David Blue as Eli Wallace -- Syfy Photo: Carole Segal

Last night's two-hour premiere was a good move in theory, because we have to hope for the uninitiated, but the effort dragged before long, and many were the moments of overly dramatic, overly extended subroutines that amounted to very little in the end. Eventually, the show spilled into a sort of insecurity, and instead of being quite serious and dramatic, it was just saying it was serious and dramatic.

The premise of the show revolves around the Stargates, which are basically magic portals that transport you millions of miles through space instantly, left throughout the universe by a species known in the show as The Ancients. Our story begins when a large group of people are forced to go through a Stargate when they aren't sure where the other end leads. It turns out that it opens up on a spaceship so far from Earth that the numbers are incomprehensible.

Louis Ferreira as Col. Everett Young, Robert Carlyle as Dr. Nicholas Rush -- Syfy Photo: Art Streiber

Louis Ferreira as Col. Everett Young, Robert Carlyle as Dr. Nicholas Rush -- Syfy Photo: Art Streiber

The group we have is basically what's left of a research and military base that's studying a Stargate on another planet, along with a few civilian visitors who were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Led, sort of, by Dr. Nicholas (Robert Carlyle), the group discovers that the ship was made by The Ancients, and that the life-support system is failing. The clock is ticking on how much air they have left, and if they solve that problem, they get to move on to figuring out how to get home.

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We're then left with a kind of Star Trek: Voyager reinvention as well.

The trouble with the show is that you've got to imagine the road ahead far more than you can rely on what's given early on. I have a strong feeling that at the eighth or ninth episode, this is going to live up to the possibilities, and be a fun yet serious science-fiction adventure that could well take up the mantle of Battlestar Galactica. However, it's a bit rough out of the gates, with a lot of heavy-handed work trying to set up the initial character interplay. Are people really being uppity at the only person who can get them home and/or the people with all the guns in this situation? Really? Does the military commander really stomp around and think he can push everyone around when he isn't even really there? A good note there is that it doesn't work, but still.

Syfy Photo: Art Streiber

Syfy Photo: Art Streiber

There is conveniently a cliffhanger aspect to the premiere, which will hopefully get people to the next episode, but there isn't exactly such a draw at the end of that one. After next week's episode, you're sort of just in or out. Hopefully, a lot of people will show up for the fun of a show that really can do absolutely anything week after week. They might show up for the characters, but right now the characters are being abused, and aren't allowed to deliver anything to really engage viewers. There's just too much going, and too much that the writers are trying to squeeze in while devoting amazing amounts of time to stretching out the drama. Next week won't change matters any either.

I feel nearly forced to recommend you give it a try, because in a few months I think you'll wish you had, but the first few episodes are more in the class of that which you have to suffer through, as opposed to true parts of the good stuff itself.

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About Marc Eastman

Marc Eastman is the owner and operator of Are You Screening? and has been writing film reviews for over a decade, and several branches of the internet's film review world have seen his name. His reviews have brought him personal praise from the director of a major motion picture, and have been used as required reading in a course at a major University. These priceless rewards, along with just bags of cash, keep him from straying from freelance writing. He is also a member of The Broadcast Film Critics Association and The Broadcast Television Journalists Association.

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  • captaindiptoad

    OK obviously this person has a few things to work out, and his review just plain sucks. Someone who is trying to compare Battle star and Stargate is completely favoring one over the other, hes just pissed that another show is coming out that may be better than the one he likes and devoted his late teens threw his twenties on. and someone who explains the Stargate system as “magic” has not seen SG1 at all! If you are a true Stargate fan you would completely disregard this entire review! and whats wrong with the concept of a video game player figuring out the code? some people are so far into these things that they even think they can “speak” “alien” languages (Star Wars duh.) And people who play video games are not all just uneducated kids…

  • captaindiptoad

    OK obviously this person has a few things to work out, and his review just plain sucks. Someone who is trying to compare Battle star and Stargate is completely favoring one over the other, hes just pissed that another show is coming out that may be better than the one he likes and devoted his late teens threw his twenties on. and someone who explains the Stargate system as “magic” has not seen SG1 at all! If you are a true Stargate fan you would completely disregard this entire review! and whats wrong with the concept of a video game player figuring out the code? some people are so far into these things that they even think they can “speak” “alien” languages (Star Wars duh.) And people who play video games are not all just uneducated kids…

  • captaindiptoad

    OK obviously this person has a few things to work out, and his review just plain sucks. Someone who is trying to compare Battle star and Stargate is completely favoring one over the other, hes just pissed that another show is coming out that may be better than the one he likes and devoted his late teens threw his twenties on. and someone who explains the Stargate system as “magic” has not seen SG1 at all! If you are a true Stargate fan you would completely disregard this entire review! and whats wrong with the concept of a video game player figuring out the code? some people are so far into these things that they even think they can “speak” “alien” languages (Star Wars duh.) And people who play video games are not all just uneducated kids…

  • captaindiptoad

    OK obviously this person has a few things to work out, and his review just plain sucks. Someone who is trying to compare Battle star and Stargate is completely favoring one over the other, hes just pissed that another show is coming out that may be better than the one he likes and devoted his late teens threw his twenties on. and someone who explains the Stargate system as “magic” has not seen SG1 at all! If you are a true Stargate fan you would completely disregard this entire review! and whats wrong with the concept of a video game player figuring out the code? some people are so far into these things that they even think they can “speak” “alien” languages (Star Wars duh.) And people who play video games are not all just uneducated kids…

  • captaindiptoad

    OK obviously this person has a few things to work out, and his review just plain sucks. Someone who is trying to compare Battle star and Stargate is completely favoring one over the other, hes just pissed that another show is coming out that may be better than the one he likes and devoted his late teens threw his twenties on. and someone who explains the Stargate system as “magic” has not seen SG1 at all! If you are a true Stargate fan you would completely disregard this entire review! and whats wrong with the concept of a video game player figuring out the code? some people are so far into these things that they even think they can “speak” “alien” languages (Star Wars duh.) And people who play video games are not all just uneducated kids…

  • areyouscreening

    LOL. I have actually never seen an episode of Battlestar Galactica… unless you mean the original, which would make no sense.

    The people who comment on this are a lot of fun though.

  • areyouscreening

    LOL. I have actually never seen an episode of Battlestar Galactica… unless you mean the original, which would make no sense.

    The people who comment on this are a lot of fun though.

  • areyouscreening

    LOL. I have actually never seen an episode of Battlestar Galactica… unless you mean the original, which would make no sense.

    The people who comment on this are a lot of fun though.

  • areyouscreening

    LOL. I have actually never seen an episode of Battlestar Galactica… unless you mean the original, which would make no sense.

    The people who comment on this are a lot of fun though.

  • areyouscreening

    LOL. I have actually never seen an episode of Battlestar Galactica… unless you mean the original, which would make no sense.

    The people who comment on this are a lot of fun though.

  • areyouscreening

    LOL. I have actually never seen an episode of Battlestar Galactica… unless you mean the original, which would make no sense.

    The people who comment on this are a lot of fun though.

  • areyouscreening

    LOL. I have actually never seen an episode of Battlestar Galactica… unless you mean the original, which would make no sense.

    The people who comment on this are a lot of fun though.

  • areyouscreening

    LOL. I have actually never seen an episode of Battlestar Galactica… unless you mean the original, which would make no sense.

    The people who comment on this are a lot of fun though.

  • areyouscreening

    LOL. I have actually never seen an episode of Battlestar Galactica… unless you mean the original, which would make no sense.

    The people who comment on this are a lot of fun though.

  • areyouscreening

    LOL. I have actually never seen an episode of Battlestar Galactica… unless you mean the original, which would make no sense.

    The people who comment on this are a lot of fun though.

  • areyouscreening

    LOL. I have actually never seen an episode of Battlestar Galactica… unless you mean the original, which would make no sense.

    The people who comment on this are a lot of fun though.

  • brad

    I agree. I almost threw up in my mouth.

  • brad

    I agree. I almost threw up in my mouth.

  • brad

    I agree. I almost threw up in my mouth.

  • brad

    I agree. I almost threw up in my mouth.

  • brad

    I agree. I almost threw up in my mouth.

  • brad

    I agree. I almost threw up in my mouth.

  • brad

    I agree. I almost threw up in my mouth.

  • brad

    I agree. I almost threw up in my mouth.

  • brad

    I agree. I almost threw up in my mouth.

  • brad

    I agree. I almost threw up in my mouth.

  • brad

    I agree. I almost threw up in my mouth.

  • Name

    We could or you could watch 3 or 4 hundred episodes. Its a worm hole. Not a magic portal. The physics while impossible in our world in the stargate world they work.

  • Name

    We could or you could watch 3 or 4 hundred episodes. Its a worm hole. Not a magic portal. The physics while impossible in our world in the stargate world they work.

  • Name

    We could or you could watch 3 or 4 hundred episodes. Its a worm hole. Not a magic portal. The physics while impossible in our world in the stargate world they work.

  • Name

    We could or you could watch 3 or 4 hundred episodes. Its a worm hole. Not a magic portal. The physics while impossible in our world in the stargate world they work.

  • Name

    We could or you could watch 3 or 4 hundred episodes. Its a worm hole. Not a magic portal. The physics while impossible in our world in the stargate world they work.

  • Name

    We could or you could watch 3 or 4 hundred episodes. Its a worm hole. Not a magic portal. The physics while impossible in our world in the stargate world they work.

  • Name

    We could or you could watch 3 or 4 hundred episodes. Its a worm hole. Not a magic portal. The physics while impossible in our world in the stargate world they work.

  • Name

    We could or you could watch 3 or 4 hundred episodes. Its a worm hole. Not a magic portal. The physics while impossible in our world in the stargate world they work.

  • Name

    We could or you could watch 3 or 4 hundred episodes. Its a worm hole. Not a magic portal. The physics while impossible in our world in the stargate world they work.

  • Name

    We could or you could watch 3 or 4 hundred episodes. Its a worm hole. Not a magic portal. The physics while impossible in our world in the stargate world they work.

  • Name

    We could or you could watch 3 or 4 hundred episodes. Its a worm hole. Not a magic portal. The physics while impossible in our world in the stargate world they work.

  • areyouscreening

    It was sort of cute in the beginning, but now this is just becoming a boring case of people insulting themselves and not realizing it, which is rather sad.

    Of course it isn't magic in the sense of casting a spell, but a common and perfectly reasonable definition of magic is, “to produce a surprising or astounding effect by virtue of workings not understood or too complicated to explain.”

    As in, “Wow, this laundry detergent is magic!”

    It is then, without question, and in a way that no sensible reader would take issue with, a magic portal.

    Stay in school.

  • areyouscreening

    It was sort of cute in the beginning, but now this is just becoming a boring case of people insulting themselves and not realizing it, which is rather sad.

    Of course it isn't magic in the sense of casting a spell, but a common and perfectly reasonable definition of magic is, “to produce a surprising or astounding effect by virtue of workings not understood or too complicated to explain.”

    As in, “Wow, this laundry detergent is magic!”

    It is then, without question, and in a way that no sensible reader would take issue with, a magic portal.

    Stay in school.

  • areyouscreening

    It was sort of cute in the beginning, but now this is just becoming a boring case of people insulting themselves and not realizing it, which is rather sad.

    Of course it isn't magic in the sense of casting a spell, but a common and perfectly reasonable definition of magic is, “to produce a surprising or astounding effect by virtue of workings not understood or too complicated to explain.”

    As in, “Wow, this laundry detergent is magic!”

    It is then, without question, and in a way that no sensible reader would take issue with, a magic portal.

    Stay in school.

  • areyouscreening

    It was sort of cute in the beginning, but now this is just becoming a boring case of people insulting themselves and not realizing it, which is rather sad.

    Of course it isn't magic in the sense of casting a spell, but a common and perfectly reasonable definition of magic is, “to produce a surprising or astounding effect by virtue of workings not understood or too complicated to explain.”

    As in, “Wow, this laundry detergent is magic!”

    It is then, without question, and in a way that no sensible reader would take issue with, a magic portal.

    Stay in school.

  • areyouscreening

    It was sort of cute in the beginning, but now this is just becoming a boring case of people insulting themselves and not realizing it, which is rather sad.

    Of course it isn't magic in the sense of casting a spell, but a common and perfectly reasonable definition of magic is, “to produce a surprising or astounding effect by virtue of workings not understood or too complicated to explain.”

    As in, “Wow, this laundry detergent is magic!”

    It is then, without question, and in a way that no sensible reader would take issue with, a magic portal.

    Stay in school.

  • areyouscreening

    It was sort of cute in the beginning, but now this is just becoming a boring case of people insulting themselves and not realizing it, which is rather sad.

    Of course it isn't magic in the sense of casting a spell, but a common and perfectly reasonable definition of magic is, “to produce a surprising or astounding effect by virtue of workings not understood or too complicated to explain.”

    As in, “Wow, this laundry detergent is magic!”

    It is then, without question, and in a way that no sensible reader would take issue with, a magic portal.

    Stay in school.

  • areyouscreening

    It was sort of cute in the beginning, but now this is just becoming a boring case of people insulting themselves and not realizing it, which is rather sad.

    Of course it isn't magic in the sense of casting a spell, but a common and perfectly reasonable definition of magic is, “to produce a surprising or astounding effect by virtue of workings not understood or too complicated to explain.”

    As in, “Wow, this laundry detergent is magic!”

    It is then, without question, and in a way that no sensible reader would take issue with, a magic portal.

    Stay in school.

  • areyouscreening

    It was sort of cute in the beginning, but now this is just becoming a boring case of people insulting themselves and not realizing it, which is rather sad.

    Of course it isn't magic in the sense of casting a spell, but a common and perfectly reasonable definition of magic is, “to produce a surprising or astounding effect by virtue of workings not understood or too complicated to explain.”

    As in, “Wow, this laundry detergent is magic!”

    It is then, without question, and in a way that no sensible reader would take issue with, a magic portal.

    Stay in school.

  • areyouscreening

    It was sort of cute in the beginning, but now this is just becoming a boring case of people insulting themselves and not realizing it, which is rather sad.

    Of course it isn't magic in the sense of casting a spell, but a common and perfectly reasonable definition of magic is, “to produce a surprising or astounding effect by virtue of workings not understood or too complicated to explain.”

    As in, “Wow, this laundry detergent is magic!”

    It is then, without question, and in a way that no sensible reader would take issue with, a magic portal.

    Stay in school.

  • areyouscreening

    It was sort of cute in the beginning, but now this is just becoming a boring case of people insulting themselves and not realizing it, which is rather sad.

    Of course it isn't magic in the sense of casting a spell, but a common and perfectly reasonable definition of magic is, “to produce a surprising or astounding effect by virtue of workings not understood or too complicated to explain.”

    As in, “Wow, this laundry detergent is magic!”

    It is then, without question, and in a way that no sensible reader would take issue with, a magic portal.

    Stay in school.

  • areyouscreening

    It was sort of cute in the beginning, but now this is just becoming a boring case of people insulting themselves and not realizing it, which is rather sad.

    Of course it isn't magic in the sense of casting a spell, but a common and perfectly reasonable definition of magic is, “to produce a surprising or astounding effect by virtue of workings not understood or too complicated to explain.”

    As in, “Wow, this laundry detergent is magic!”

    It is then, without question, and in a way that no sensible reader would take issue with, a magic portal.

    Stay in school.

  • Robin Shiller

    Let me weigh in here: After four hours (three weeks), I'm still waiting for SG-U to do **something**. With the exception of the Geek Kid (who is likable and obviously growing into the 'McKay' role ) and the Crazy Scot, the characters for the most part are as paper-thin as the storyline and the supporting scripts.

    In fact, considering that most of the production team has been carried over from SG-1 & SG-A, it really surprising as to how bad this show is.

    And, yes it is really, really bad.

    Maybe it’s the show's 'left-turn' approach to the SG franchise, which has been characterized by a sense of drama amidst light-hearted adventure. Big moments were B-I-G when they showed up in the previous series, but in SG-U, they barely register.

    Two examples, beginning with the Senator's death scene in the pilot. A moment that should have been filled with impact and emotion, yet went by with barely a twitch on the 'Big-meter'. Why? Because the writers (for whatever reason) failed to make us care about the character, his daughter or their situation. The story gave us no reason to relate.

    Secondly, “finding an alien life form' on the sand planet. The writers focused us on the risk of the soldier's survival (who was he again?), and when the alien dust bunny save the day, the Big-meter – which the writers want to have focused on the life saving qualities of the sand, barely moves.. and the 'unique' alien is cast aside with nothing but a small mention.

    Poor writing is the bane of a great story. So is Direction without a purpose.

    The comparisons to Battllestar Galactica are inevitable, but they flatter to deceive: SG-U is no match for Battlestar Galactica, which stands as one of the very best-written and -directed drama series, ever. If you don't believe me, do your own research on the show's qualities and the wide net that it cast.

    Without great writing (character and plot development) and visionary production, SG-U can be nothing more than a half-baked success. BG's 'stark reality' had purpose and **gave** purpose. We immediately bonded with the characters and the plot.

    No such empathy exists with SG-U, or within it, for that matter. I get no sense that these characters care for each other in any meaningful way, and this, combined with a lackluster and unfocused storyline, leaves us wondering “why should we care?”

    Compare that to 'Flash Forward', '24' or 'Sleeper Cell”. Love 'em or not, they grab you and make you invest.

    If SG-U doesn’t want to be the lighthearted space romp that its predecessors were, fine. But if it wants to be a serious drama, it needs to really, really ramp up quickly.

    There are too many fine dramas which compel us to watch, and no new series can afford to spend 8-10 weeks trying to make us care.

    Right now, it’s not happening.

    B-I-G time.

    • Nordi

      I’m sorry but Did you even WATCH any of the eps your talking about?? Or did I totally miss something? Frankly I’m wondering if your just pulling some of your writing out of your ass on this.. the ‘senators death’ was actually portrayed to be a huge part of the series opener, and the ‘aliens on the sand planet’ actually left openers to something more, and uh the “who was he” um yeah he is one of the main characters… Really STOP typing reviews if your just typing to read your own words.. People like YOU kill shows. Please write opinions that are actually open minded..

      If more people would write reviews ONLY when they liked something, instead of write reviews for the hell of it, then we would actually get some kind of basis on the shows.

      And oh yah.. worm holes are not “magical portals”…. they are actual scientific proven events. The show may take things into the realm of non fiction.. but please don’t be an idiot 100% of the time.. shoot for just 50% of it.

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