|
Stargate Universe Ripe with SyFy Potential
by Reg Seeton
Okay, let me get right to the point about Stargate
Universe, the new edition in the Stargate TV franchise
that makes its debut on Friday, October 2 on SyFy.
If you were a fan of Stargate SG-1 and a current
diehard of Atlantis, I'm confident that you'll
love the debut of SG-U. And if you were a fan
of Battlestar Galactica, Stargate Universe fills
a certain SyFy void left behind by Galactica.
Is Stargate Universe a knock off of Battlestar
Galactica? No. You'll certainly see layers of
what made Galactica great, but SG-U is its own
series. In fact, having watched both parts of
the pilot a couple of weeks ago, Stargate Universe
feels more like the original Stargate feature
film than SG-1 and Atlantis.
"SGU follows a band of soldiers, scientists and civilians, who must fend for themselves as they are forced through a Stargate when their hidden base comes under attack. The desperate survivors emerge aboard an ancient ship, which is locked on an unknown course and unable to return to Earth. Faced with meeting the most basic needs of food, water and air, the group must unlock the secrets of the ship's Stargate to survive. The danger, adventure and hope they find on board the Destiny will reveal the heroes and villains among them."
 Starring
a cast that includes Robert Carlyle, Justin
Louis, David Blue, Louis Ferreira, Brian J.
Smith, Jamil Walker Smith, Alaina Huffman, Elyse
Levesque, Ming-Na and Lou Diamond Phillips,
Stargate Universe brings a new level of quality
to the Stargate franchise in a more real, grounded,
and relatable way. Although I've been a fan
of each Stargate series, the characters of SG-U
feel a lot more real within a futuristic setting
very similar to how at the time the characters of
Galactica appeared as though they were the crew
of a submarine rather than a space vessel. At
the same time, there's palpable immediacy of
conflict established at the outset of Stargate
Universe that doesn't let you have the answers
to some of the questions that may run through
your mind. The pilot quickly propels you into
space where just when the answers are about
to come, the characters are thrust into the
unknown where a slew of new questions pop up
only to be shrouded in mystery with no clear
answers.
The story of Stargate Universe gets going on Earth when geeky math and computer genius Eli Wallace solves an ancient mathematical equation incorporated in a video game and gets a visit from General O'Neill (Richard Dean Anderson) and Dr. Nicolas Rush (Robert Carlyle) who draft Wallace into the Stargate military as a civilian expert. Forced to leave his mother behind, Wallace soon finds himself meeting the rest of the crew in space on the Daedalus class U.S.S. George Hammond before settling on the Icarus base. When Icarus is attacked by what Stargate SG-1 fans will know as the Lucian Alliance, all space hell breaks loose and the crew escapes through the 9th Chevron where the new SG-U members land onboard an ancient, decrepit vessel called the Destiny. Staring into the unknown, the new Stargate Universe crew must look to the gate for their salvation and an unknown beyond in order to fix the dilapidated Destiny and gather the necessary supplies for survival.
 One
interesting aspect of SG-U is that on certain
levels it establishes an isolated tone similar
to the remoteness of the characters in John
Carpenter's The Thing, also undeniably Battlestar
and the old Lost in Space, yet manages to effectively
exist within the actual Stargate "universe"
in a new contemporary way. Building upon the
character driven foundation laid by Galactica,
the lives, back-story, and who the characters
are will play an integral role in discovering
the human unknowns alongside the sense of mystery
that comes with unidentified dangers within
and from various galaxies and planets. By far
Stargate Universe succeeds thanks to its cast,
namely Robert Carlyle, Louis Ferreira, and David
Blue plus the presence of Lou Diamond Phillips
who immediately make SG-U a force from an acting
standpoint. Throw in appearances from Stargate
pioneers Richard Dean Anderson and Amanda Tapping
and SG-U has all of the right ingredients to
succeed. Although it's still too early to tell,
SG-U could very well be the best in the Stargate
TV universe if the series lives up to its true
potential.
More Stargate Universe at TheDeadbolt: Exploring the New 'Stargate Universe' with Lou Diamond Phillips
Inside the SyFy World of 'Stargate Universe' with Actor David Blue
Three Stargate Universe Previews for Video SG-U Teleportation
|
