StargateUniverseSeason1

Stargate Universe season 1 (2009)

Late last year the newest entry into the Stargate franchise was launched by the Sci-Fi channel (and no I refuse to use the trendy new moniker!). With much fanfare we were introduced to a group of refuges that are accidentally transported millions of light years away to an ancient starship called the Destiny. This ragtag group of civilians and military have to try and survive on the million-year-old vessel, all while looking for a way home. Luckily they do have some form of communication with Earth by using some alien technology that allows them to swap bodies with someone from millions of light years away.

To be honest I’m kind of torn on this newest installment of a franchise that I’ve never been a huge fan of to begin with. Don’t get me wrong I have watched most of the SG-1 episodes and caught most of the run of Stargate Atlantis. But this franchise just never became must watch T.V. for me. That said I do have an appreciation for what they were. But Stargate Universe is an entirely different kind of show. Instead an adventure show, or pulp style space opera it comes off more as a soap opera. They writers spend most of their time keeping track of who is sleeping with who and all sorts of political and bedroom intrigue going on with the characters on Earth. These communication stones allows one of the characters to jump back and spy on his wife, who is bonding with the man that he jumps into to have conjugal visits with her… Really? I guess I’m old fashioned but I’m good with the captain “scoring” with the green skinned guest star of the week and don’t really need much more. Oh and the guy that is angry with his wife also happens to be trapped on the ship with the beautiful young medic that he was hooking up with. Yeah there is also a military man who has bedded at least 2 women, one of which is the daughter of a U.S. Senator. Oh and of course he finds out that he has an illegitimate son with an old high school flame that is now a stripper, which offends his moral character. Though he seems awful loose with his morals. Though they say what happens a million light years from Earth stays a million light years away from Earth. Or at least I think so.

When the show does try and be a science fiction adventure it kind of fails. I mean it spends so much time on the mundane bed hopping crap that any chance of being a cool sci-fi show is pretty much shot. You get basic what system is going to fail and kill them only to be narrowly avoided after character “A” is put in danger episodes that are really kind of boring. This really sucks since I dig the cast, including Robert Carlyle, David Blue, and a criminally underused Ming-Na (though it looks like her character is getting more to do soon). It just seems to me that the writers are spending so much time on the “human” drama that they ignore what made earlier installments of the Stargate franchise fun. But then again what the hell do I know? I mean I hated the Battlestar Galactica relaunch, but it is much loved by fans. So I guess maybe this is what people want, and I can’t deny that it is a well-made show. I just find it about as interesting as an episode of Dallas or some other primetime soap opera.

2 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer