S10: Critique & Contemplation

[Crazedwraith]

Less Vala's outfits rather than Vala herself. Adding her meant they had six main cast salaries to pay rather than five, which I must imagine pinched the budget more than Vala's get ups.

[Skydiver]

like some have said, did we have to SEE the person make the puddle pass? cause they did it plenty of times with the shimmery blue light and an angle that excluded the event horizon and they went through the gate without actually going through it.

IMHO, cop out.

the stargate is what made the show unique. and when they took that away and started to pander to the lowest common denominator, they made the show just another scifi show

[EvenstarSRV]

like some have said, did we have to SEE the person make the puddle pass? cause they did it plenty of times with the shimmery blue light and an angle that excluded the event horizon and they went through the gate without actually going through it.

IMHO, cop out.

the stargate is what made the show unique. and when they took that away and started to pander to the lowest common denominator, they made the show just another scifi show

It was a shame that the show starting moving from using the Stargate to using ships, not just on SG-1 but on Atlantis as well and SGU is looking like its continuing the trend.

Because you're right, the Stargate, along with the present-day setting, was one of the most unique aspects of show, what set it apart from most other sci-fi shows like Star Trek, B5, Farscape, Firefly, BSG etc.

Occasional ship-based episodes, like Ethon, did give the show some nice variety but the focus should have remained with Gate travel, IMHO.

[jckfan55]

the stargate is what made the show unique. and when they took that away and started to pander to the lowest common denominator, they made the show just another scifi show

If the show had always been like it was in S9 & 10, I might have watched if I was feeling like watching tv and nothing else interesting was on.
I became hooked by landing on one of the marathons from S1-4 one night (during season 6 I believe)& then seeking out the show in the listings after that.
Why did I like it?

--It had the Stargate, not spaceships--that was intriguing.
--It was current day--so again something different.
--It had 4 great characters--6 counting Hammond & Fraiser--with great interactions.
--The characters weren't deadly serious but the situations were. Little comments from Jack like "oh great, more snakeheads" but not one-liners. Just my speed.
--The stories often had thought provoking aspects.
--Did I mention the characters and team?

S9 & 10 just weren't the same.

[Alan]

It was a shame that the show starting moving from using the Stargate to using ships, not just on SG-1 but on Atlantis as well and SGU is looking like its continuing the trend.

Because you're right, the Stargate, along with the present-day setting, was one of the most unique aspects of show, what set it apart from most other sci-fi shows like Star Trek, B5, Farscape, Firefly, BSG etc.

Occasional ship-based episodes, like Ethon, did give the show some nice variety but the focus should have remained with Gate travel, IMHO.

I think there's a bit of a difference here with Stargate: Universe...yes a ship is featured in the shape of the Destiny...but in this case the ship is acting as the crews base just as the SGC was for SG teams and the Lost City was for the Atlantis expedition.

I think we're going to be seeing plenty of Gate travel in this series. All the SGC ships are billions of light years away so any team travelling from Destiny will need to rely on a nearby Gate to escape any trouble they will find. I get the feeling that the Gate aboard Destiny and others like it are going to push any team that travels through far, far away from the ship so even if Destiny has beaming tech...little good it will do any team away from ship if its out of range and unalterable in its course.

[Mclean]

It was a shame that the show starting moving from using the Stargate to using ships, not just on SG-1 but on Atlantis as well and SGU is looking like its continuing the trend.

Occasional ship-based episodes, like Ethon, did give the show some nice variety but the focus should have remained with Gate travel, IMHO.

I don't think SGU will be as ship orientated as the latter SG1 seasons and SGA was. They are using the ship as a base but they have no control over were it goes. I also doubt they will have any hyperspace capable ships at there disposal aboard the Destiny, so if there are any ship based episodes then they may invlove shuttles of some kind or ships attacking the Destiny, but apart from that they probably will only be able to travel using the Stargate.

[Gregorius]

Right. Are we all forgetting McKay's miracle miniature Hyperspace drive, and that wormhole drive (Both inventions that the Ancients, who're supposed to be the most intelligent and advanced species ever, didn't create but McKay did)? I wouldn't be surprised if TPTB take those with the to SGU in order to have another ship, probably a hyperspace drive equipped puddlejumper.

[jckfan55]

Right. Are we all forgetting McKay's miracle miniature Hyperspace drive, and that wormhole drive (Both inventions that the Ancients, who're supposed to be the most intelligent and advanced species ever, didn't create but McKay did)? I wouldn't be surprised if TPTB take those with the to SGU in order to have another ship, probably a hyperspace drive equipped puddlejumper.

Yes, I had forgotten that. Thanks so much for reminding me. shudder

[Mclean]

Right. Are we all forgetting McKay's miracle miniature Hyperspace drive, and that wormhole drive (Both inventions that the Ancients, who're supposed to be the most intelligent and advanced species ever, didn't create but McKay did)? I wouldn't be surprised if TPTB take those with the to SGU in order to have another ship, probably a hyperspace drive equipped puddlejumper.

I don't think that will happen this time. I think/hope that they will have learned their lesson when it comes to us (McKay) perfecting technology they failed with on a regular basis.

[EvenstarSRV]

I think there's a bit of a difference here with Stargate: Universe...yes a ship is featured in the shape of the Destiny...but in this case the ship is acting as the crews base just as the SGC was for SG teams and the Lost City was for the Atlantis expedition.

I think we're going to be seeing plenty of Gate travel in this series. All the SGC ships are billions of light years away so any team travelling from Destiny will need to rely on a nearby Gate to escape any trouble they will find. I get the feeling that the Gate aboard Destiny and others like it are going to push any team that travels through far, far away from the ship so even if Destiny has beaming tech...little good it will do any team away from ship if its out of range and unalterable in its course.

I agree that the Destiny will be more like the Atlantis base and not like the 304s, and I do really hope you're right and we'll see SGU focus primarily on gate travel.

But my concern was that it seemed to me that in the latter SG-1 and SGA seasons, even though they still had their respective bases and gates, the stories focused more on space travel via ships, whether 304s or puddlejumpers. Personally, I liked it best when we saw SG-1 (or the SGA team) walking through the gate to go on their adventure instead of flying there. That was what captured my imagination from the movie, the idea that a single step could take you across the galaxy.

[Gregorius]

I don't think that will happen this time. I think/hope that they will have learned their lesson when it comes to us (McKay) perfecting technology they failed with on a regular basis.

You have more faith in TPTB than I have. Isn't this new show supposed to have a genius that eclipses even McKay and Carter?

[suse]

Less Vala's outfits rather than Vala herself. Adding her meant they had six main cast salaries to pay rather than five, which I must imagine pinched the budget more than Vala's get ups.

Well, they tried to make it five, didn't they?

Or at least 5 more of the time.

suse

[Alan]

I agree that the Destiny will be more like the Atlantis base and not like the 304s, and I do really hope you're right and we'll see SGU focus primarily on gate travel.

But my concern was that it seemed to me that in the latter SG-1 and SGA seasons, even though they still had their respective bases and gates, the stories focused more on space travel via ships, whether 304s or puddlejumpers. Personally, I liked it best when we saw SG-1 (or the SGA team) walking through the gate to go on their adventure instead of flying there. That was what captured my imagination from the movie, the idea that a single step could take you across the galaxy.

It seems that it's been confirmed what I thought. In the latest issue of SFX magazine (#186), there's an article covering Stargate: Universe and here's an extract I took from the section in which Brad Wright and Robert Cooper address Gate travel and the Destiny:

Regarding Destiny and the use of the Stargate

Spoiler:

But what about all the long-time Stargate fans sweating right now, thinking, "Where is the Stargate I know and love inside this show?"

[Brad] Wright assures fans there are plenty of touchstones that will feel very familiar to them especially "a beautiful, shiny Gate we go through.

"Without giving too much away, we have changed the way this Stargate works slightly," he reveals. "Destiny is very old and has a very old Stargate so the range is limited. Plus we are in a ship that is constantly moving, and we can't steer it, like a runaway train. It's going, so the Gates are very much a part of life on Destiny, as much a lifeline as they are an exploration tool."

"I actually think the Gate plays more of an integral role in Universe than it did in Atlantis," [Robert] Cooper poses. "In many ways it was an effort to get back to the earlier concept of Stargate where the Gate was an integral part of our process. The home base instead of Stargate command is on Destiny. How we get everything we need and how we explore is through the Gate. There is a Gate on Destiny. [In the past] there were these advanced Ancient ships that seeded the universe, significantly in advance of Destiny, and found planets that could potentially support life. They dropped a Gate on those planets and then sent that info to Destiny which is now following a path exploring those areas. When Destiny drops out of FDO, which is what we are calling our faster than light travel, it detects what Gates would be in range in the galaxy it's in. You can then Gate to one or multiple Gates from the home base of Destiny. So the ship is using the information gathered on its own journeys to guide us through this adventure."

[Crazedwraith]

so Alan, Greg, Evenstar, what do you think of SG-1 Season 10?

Well, they tried to make it five, didn't they?

Or at least 5 more of the time.

suse

I'm not quite sure what you mean by this. Are you referring to Sam and Tea'c getting marginalised in favour of Daniel and Vala?

While true. Its not really relevant to the actual budget. You have to pay your main cast the same amount not matter how little they appear in an episode or even if they don't appear at all.

[Gregorius]

so Alan, Greg, Evenstar, what do you think of SG-1 Season 10?

ST: Voy. and ST: Enterprise were less crappy.
Heroes Season 2 and 3 look better.
I find it interesting how a show named Stargate didn't use the titular item a lot in the final two seasons.
The original BSG wasn't as campy.