Stargate SG-1/Atlantis/Universe

[Superfreak]

Ive never been an avid Stargate fan more of a casual one but that ep when Frasier died almost had me in tears. It was soooo unexpected

except that all the previews had stated loudly that Someone would die. Daniel had alreday died... so there weren't that many main characters who could die.

 

[zanos]

The pilot blows. It was all setup and not much else for an entire 90 minutes. I don't even like the characters. I better see some dramatically improved episodes soon.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Never seen Stargate before, decided to give SGU a go and was pleasently surprised. I didn't find it hard to follow, although I presume I would have gotten more from the episode had I seen the other shows. What are they like in relation to this (tonally, thematically etc.)?

Much more humorous, largely because of Richard Dean Anderson's O'Neill character, who was very wry and sardonic about everything. SG-1 started out with a Star Trekkish tone in that each episode was very self-contained and just used the standard underlying plot of "team goes to planet, discovers weirdness, deals with it, returns home." That gave way to much more serialized storytelling in later seasons, although there were always a few self-contained episodes in each season. Atlantis started during SG-1's 8th season and was basically more of the same as SG-1. The writing got pretty stale and, although they kept raising the stakes, they relied on the same deus ex machinas and plot devices to resolve problems. So by the end of SG-1 and Atlantis, everything felt really boring and samey.

SGU is nice in that it brings some novelty back to the franchise. The pilot felt much fresher because everyone was in over their head, there's no super-genius around to fix every problem, they don't have the considerable resources they reverse-engineered from alien stuff over the course of SG-1 and Atlantis, etc. How long they can keep that up is another question entirely, though.

 

[GhostPoet]

Much more humorous, largely because of Richard Dean Anderson's O'Neill character, who was very wry and sardonic about everything. SG-1 started out with a Star Trekkish tone in that each episode was very self-contained and just used the standard underlying plot of "team goes to planet, discovers weirdness, deals with it, returns home." That gave way to much more serialized storytelling in later seasons, although there were always a few self-contained episodes in each season. Atlantis started during SG-1's 8th season and was basically more of the same as SG-1. The writing got pretty stale and, although they kept raising the stakes, they relied on the same deus ex machinas and plot devices to resolve problems. So by the end of SG-1 and Atlantis, everything felt really boring and samey.

SGU is nice in that it brings some novelty back to the franchise. The pilot felt much fresher because everyone was in over their head, there's no super-genius around to fix every problem, they don't have the considerable resources they reverse-engineered from alien stuff over the course of SG-1 and Atlantis, etc. How long they can keep that up is another question entirely, though.

Agreed! During Atlantis and even during the latter seasons of SG-1...the dangers just stopped feeling all that big. Yes, they kept raising the stakes...but since every previous disaster was handled so easily and wrapped up in a nice pretty bow at the end of each episode...the dangers just stopped being exciting. Even the Stargate (I felt) took a sort of backseat.

One thing i've noticed from SGU so far...is that the show is bringing back the mystery of the Stargate itself. It's making traveling through the gate new and exciting again because we see the awe and caution that this new team feels. Basically, it IS making it fresh. Making the gate an important part of the story and not just a set piece to get the team from one place to the next.

 

[BlackLantern]

Ming Na is an IOA paper pusher....Im not sure how I feel about that

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Why? Seems like a good role. I'm curious what her relationship with TJ is.

 

[wiegeabo]

Why? Seems like a good role. I'm curious what her relationship with TJ is.

As am I. I know Na's character is gay, but I hadn't heard the same for TJ. So, for now, I'm assuming that's not the basis of their relationship.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

The IOA chick is gay? They didn't really touch on it at all in the episode. I thought she was just TJ's mentor and TJ had promised she'd stay on past her required tour but changed her mind, which created the conflict for that tense office scene we saw in the pilot.

 

[wiegeabo]

The IOA chick is gay? They didn't really touch on it at all in the episode. I thought she was just TJ's mentor and TJ had promised she'd stay on past her required tour but changed her mind, which created the conflict for that tense office scene we saw in the pilot.

Yeah, it wasn't touched on during the episode. Probably to keep the question of why there's tension between them going.

But Ming Na said the character was gay at the Con panel.

 

[BlackLantern]

office affairs never end well

 

[Baggers]

Sky One just cut the sex scene from SGU lol

 

[Baggers]

Rhona Mitra cast in recurring SGU role, as...

Spoiler

Kiva: “a strong-willed commander of an alien incursion force. Kiva will do whatever it takes to safeguard her people even if it is at the ultimate expense of the Destiny crew.”

Mitra will appear in a 3-episode arc at the end of the season, including “Subversion” and the the 2-part season finale, “Incursion.”

According to previously released casting documents, Kiva is a commander in the Lucian Alliance — the group which the Destiny crew speculated may have been behind the attack on the Icarus Base in the series premiere, “Air, Part 1.”

http://www.gateworld.net/news/2009/10/rhona-mitra-cast-in-recurring-sgu-role/

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Interesting.

 

[Baggers]

Interesting.

Yup could Rhona Mitra's characther be

Spoiler

a spy, the reason why Lucian Alliance found Icarus Base, could this mean there are more Lucian Alliance agents on board??

 

[TheCorpulent1]

That would certainly be interesting.

 

[Baggers]

That would certainly be interesting.

Yup, and add another problem for the Destiny crew to sort out. I'm sensing this idea could push the crew's buttons, and cue paranoia and violence. I see some of the crew coming after Mr Rush

 

[GhostPoet]

I really hope the Lucian Alliance get's more of a role in this new series. they've always been a favorite of mine!

 

[Baggers]

I really hope the Lucian Alliance get's more of a role in this new series. they've always been a favorite of mine!

Not really a big fan, but hoping SGU changes my mind on that.

 

[TheCorpulent1]

I hope we stay away from one big, central villain, personally. The Goa'uld and Wraith worked for the previous shows because they were more adventurey, but if SGU is gonna be as character-centric as they say, I don't really want one race of dastardly arch-villains to be behind everything.

 

[Superfreak]

Yup could Rhona Mitra's characther be

Spoiler

a spy, the reason why Lucian Alliance found Icarus Base, could this mean there are more Lucian Alliance agents on board??

I already saw that tv show

 

[Superfreak]

I really hope the Lucian Alliance get's more of a role in this new series. they've always been a favorite of mine!

really, I thought the concept itself was sound, but the excecution was poor... my hate lies in my dislike of the 'head' lucian alliance dude, who came across more impotent, than important. Was not impressed. Too much emporer like villainy, and not enough Corellian Renegade for my tastes

After the fall of the Ori though, the LA was really the only major villainous group left in the SG milky way that we knew of, so it's obvious why they chose them.

 

[Superfreak]

I hope we stay away from one big, central villain, personally. The Goa'uld and Wraith worked for the previous shows because they were more adventurey, but if SGU is gonna be as character-centric as they say, I don't really want one race of dastardly arch-villains to be behind everything.

Isn't Rush the villain? or did I miss something?

 

[TheCorpulent1]

Rush is an a**hole. I don't think he's a villain, though.

 

[Baggers]

I already saw that tv show

BSG?? I see what you mean...

really, I thought the concept itself was sound, but the excecution was poor... my hate lies in my dislike of the 'head' lucian alliance dude, who came across more impotent, than important. Was not impressed. Too much emporer like villainy, and not enough Corellian Renegade for my tastes

After the fall of the Ori though, the LA was really the only major villainous group left in the SG milky way that we knew of, so it's obvious why they chose them.

Yeah, I just find them boring, like how I found The Genii in SGA, the only thing that made them cool was Acastus Kolya.

 

[Baggers]

Isn't Rush the villain? or did I miss something?

Not a villian, but he knows more than he is telling. Also thru out the two parter I felt like he was upto something, like he was plotting. Also I can't wait to see what he did when he went back to Earth and took over Doctor Lee for awhile...