Survival at no matter the cost
“Stargate Universe” is the second spin-off of the successful sci-fi series “Stargate SG-1” which ran for an astounding ten seasons. Unlike the original “Stargate SG-1” which was based on Earth, or “Stargate: Atlantis” which was based on a portable city on another planet, “Stargate Universe” is focused on a rag-tag group of survivors who find themselves trapped on an alien ship traveling on the outer fringe of the universe. Fearful of using the barely functioning Stargate aboard the ship as it may lead their attackers back to Earth, they must rely on each other to survive until they can find a way to safely return home.
“Stargate Universe” tackles the ambitious premise of trying to straddle both prior incarnations of the franchise, while establishing its own identity. In breadth alone it feels larger than its predecessors. The size of the cast is daunting as the viewer tries to figure out who is who and what role each plays in this micro-universe.
After watching all three parts of its pilot “Air,” a few faces have begun to stand-out. The most recognizable is Dr. Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle) who is the scientific genius who everyone defers to simply because without him, they will all die. Next is the recently recruited video geek/guru Eli Wallace (David Blue), whose fantasies came true when they beamed him up onto their ship and invited him to be a consultant to crack an alien code. Then on the military-side, there is 1st Lt. Matthew Scott (Brian J. Smith) who seamlessly takes charge after the Icarus base attack. Following Scott, there is 1st Lt. Tamara Johansen (Alaina Huffman), a medical officer, who seems more concerned about her affair with her superior, Col. Everett Young (Justin Louis), than anything else. Last, but not least, there is the waif-like ingénue Chloe Armstrong (Elyse Levesque) who was accompanying her high-ranking father, Senator Alan Armstrong (Christopher McDonald), at the time of the attack and she is literally caught in the cross-fire of military and scientific agendas as her father sacrificed himself to give them all a fighting chance at survival.
In the background, there are also Col. David Telford (Lou D. Phillips), Camile Wray (Ming-Na) and M. Sgt. Ronald Greer (Jamil Walker Smith), all who appear to have dubious agendas and inter-personal conflicts of their own. However, those have not yet been fully explained and are murky at best. With so many high profile actors in not yet clearly identifiable roles, the series will surely provide much more tangible traits and identities for each.
The series started with a bang as we saw the military base camp attacked and civilians and military personnel evacuated to the only safe-haven they could find — through the Stargate which had dialed an unknown location. After ascertaining they were aboard an alien space craft called “Destiny,” they quickly moved to meet their basic survival need for breathable air. The ship had been abandoned for thousands of years and it was not functional. With the clock-ticking, they had to find a way to jump-start the ship’s life-support systems. After one human sacrifice to turn a vital lever mechanism to keep things running, it was determined to use the Stargate to find a nearby planet to get the key ingredient they needed: limestone.
So while parts 1 and 2 focused on the attack and reeling from its after-effects, part 3 focused on a 12 hour mission to a nearby planet in search of limestone. Appropriately, the planet was an arid desert filled with only wind and sand — and a Stargate which the Ancients had the foresight to plunk down there in case it was ever needed.
The advance team diligently scoured the planet, with the typical bickering of those who are not accustomed to working together, and in the end they found exactly what they were looking for — just in the nick of time.
All in all, it is a solid start to launching a high-profile sci-fi series, but one wonders if it can truly stand on its own free of the long-shadows of “Stargate: SG-1” and “Stargate: Atlantis.” The comparisons between the shows may make this step-sibling series appear to be the lesser of the three. In “SG-1,” they had Richard Dean Anderson, Amanda Tapping, Michael Shanks and Christopher Judge — all uniquely entertaining and engaging to watch. Such comedic rapport has never been duplicated since their reign. Then in “Atlantis,” there was the epic star-crossed romance of Dr. Elizabeth Weir and Lt. Col. John Sheppard back-dropped against the comedic duo of Dr. Rodney McKay and Dr. Carson Beckett and the ferocious hearts of Teyla Emmagan and Ronon Dex. It remains to be seen if “Stargate Universe” can capture the hearts and imagination of the fans yet again by introducing us to characters that will entrance us the same way.
What Worked
Solid casting of likeable and appealing actors is what captures our interest so far. To date, Robert Carlyle is the best developed and most interesting. The ambiguity of his character’s loyalty and motivations is what keeps us guessing and watching.
What Didn’t Work
An avid sci-fi fan, I found “Stargate Universe” a tad tame. It looks darker and edgier as promised, but it lacked the cut-throat nature of what the average sci-fi fan has come to expect. Perhaps series such as “Battlestar Galactica” have raised the stakes on space opera drama. So while the characters show promise and there is a lot of potential for the series, it has not hooked me and made itself appointment-television yet.
Giving Credit Where Credit Is Due
‘Air’ was written by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper and directed by Andy Mikita. ‘Stargate Universe’ stars Robert Carlyle, David Blue, Brian J. Smith, Alaina Huffman, Ming-Na, Lou D. Phillips, Jamil Walker Smith and Elyse Levesque. ‘Stargate Universe’ airs Fridays at 9 p.m. on Syfy.
