"Stargate Universe" Discussion/Speculation (Spoilers)

[amconway]

I had initial misgivings--strong ones! But those have been laid to rest. There is only one thing about it that I think may not be so good, and that's the lack of connection to Earth. The minute you have a direct threat to Earth, the stakes become much higher. On the other hand, we have no idea what the long term arc might be. At some point, there may very well be implications for Earth and the Milky Way. They will probably find some means to communicate.
Every thing else that I love about Stargate is easily accomodated by scenario: exploration, adventure, travel through the Stargate.... We won't have a return to Earth-based mythologies, but they have the opportunity to create new ones. This could be very good!

[AnnieS]

My take on Stargate: Universe - I love the ideas and everything I've read about it! I'm very excited! I look forward to it immensely and to seeing it continue the Stargate franchise and to build upon the mythology started back in 1997! This new series can take the franchise in to a whole new direction whilst still being very recognisably Stargate at its center!

Summer 2009 cannot come soon enough IMHO!

Your not the only one Alan. I have been exited about this show from the time they started talking about the possibly of doing the series!!!

And your right, this summer can't come fast enough!!!

[JackHarkness_Hot]

All I'm going to say about comments referring SGU as Stargate: Voyager or Voyager: 90210 is simply because when sci fi and lost in space theme goes hand in hand, you're gonna get either:

Star Trek Voyager
Battlestar Galactica
Lost in Space
Space: 1999 (<-that says a lot about me if I can remember this one, lol)

No one can avoid them, no matter how hard TPTB want to distant this series from its counterparts, the only thing they can do is make it bloody brilliant and unique; so it'll shut our faces lol.

[Sealurk]

There is only one thing about it that I think may not be so good, and that's the lack of connection to Earth. The minute you have a direct threat to Earth, the stakes become much higher.

And the viewer's interest deepens. Watching a small group of people trying to survive in a distant and alien part of the universe, cut off from Earth, is very thrilling, but it's so much better when there is a threat directed at our planet and way of life - in all science fiction.

Whatever the threat is, it's always better when it affects our home. I think this is an aspect of Stargate's immense success in general - unlike Star Trek, or Babylon 5 or any of the others, facing these threats in present day Earth, our Earth, has much more impact than hundreds of years in the future. Hopefully, SGU will incorporate this.

On the other hand, we have no idea what the long term arc might be. At some point, there may very well be implications for Earth and the Milky Way. They will probably find some means to communicate.

What I think would be excellent is if they discover a threat to Earth from day one...but have no way of doing anything about it because they're trapped where they are. So their own survival becomes even more of an issue, because seven billion or so people are depending on them...and they don't even know it. That'd be one heck of an incentive not to give up.

Then again, there's a lot to be said for focussing on 'small scale' survival, at least in the early seasons, and dealing with the stuff that series with similar premises deal with (Voyager, Atlantis etc - food supplies and medicine) but also the stuff they don't (what happens when a uniform gets damaged, when the 5.7mm rounds dry up etc).

Maybe both could happen simultaneously, if SGU takes a leaf out of Doctor Who's book and drop hints and clues very early on, that make little sense until the surprise revelation towards the end of the season.

[amconway]

Very good points throughout!

[ciannwn]

What I think would be excellent is if they discover a threat to Earth from day one..

This raises the question of why some aliens in a far distant galaxy would take an interest in Earth. The universe is a big place so why should Earth be so appealing for an invasion or whatever by non-humanoid aliens? (Well, we've been promised non-humanoid aliens.)

[amconway]

This raises the question of why some aliens in a far distant galaxy would take an interest in Earth. The universe is a big place so why should Earth be so appealing for an invasion or whatever by non-humanoid aliens? (Well, we've been promised non-humanoid aliens.)

Because it's an adventure show, not a disertation on intergalactic politics. That means we're a magnet for bad guys.

[Flyboy]

Because it's an adventure show, not a disertation on intergalactic politics. That means we're a magnet for bad guys.

But I *like* intergalactic politics!

[Sealurk]

This raises the question of why some aliens in a far distant galaxy would take an interest in Earth. The universe is a big place so why should Earth be so appealing for an invasion or whatever by non-humanoid aliens? (Well, we've been promised non-humanoid aliens.)

True, but maybe they work out where the Destiny, the gate ship or simply the people who built and launched them came from...which at the time would probably be Earth, wouldn't it?

At the very least, they'd likely track the source galaxy.

Tenuous, I know, but how about this: just what are the implications of automatically seeding Stargates? Are all species going to be welcoming these strange stone rings? What about the more dangerous ones that have suddenly been given the ability to wreak havoc on the rest of their galaxy? Could Stargate-seeding do just as much bad as good? And would that be a good reason for revenge?

[Bytor]

This raises the question of why some aliens in a far distant galaxy would take an interest in Earth. The universe is a big place so why should Earth be so appealing for an invasion or whatever by non-humanoid aliens? (Well, we've been promised non-humanoid aliens.)

They want our oil, obviously

lol

[amconway]

But I *like* intergalactic politics!

Okay. Maybe a little, then--just for you.

[ciannwn]

Because it's an adventure show, not a disertation on intergalactic politics. That means we're a magnet for bad guys.

Now why didn't I think of that? It's the same in Doctor Who - everyone wants to invade Earth.

But I *like* intergalactic politics!

It would make a nice change to have some. Politics can be more interesting than endless running around with guns and big explosions.

Tenuous, I know, but how about this: just what are the implications of automatically seeding Stargates? Are all species going to be welcoming these strange stone rings? What about the more dangerous ones that have suddenly been given the ability to wreak havoc on the rest of their galaxy? Could Stargate-seeding do just as much bad as good? And would that be a good reason for revenge?

According to what we've been told so far the seeding ship dropped the gates off a very long time before the Destiny turns up. Would the inhabitants of these galaxies have any particular reason to associate the Destiny with the Stargates?

[Sealurk]

According to what we've been told so far the seeding ship dropped the gates off a very long time before the Destiny turns up. Would the inhabitants of these galaxies have any particular reason to associate the Destiny with the Stargates?

Probably not...until, in true Stargate fashion, the team accidentally reveal this to the soon-to-be-hostiles, who perhaps misunderstand and think they're literally the same race who've indirectly caused so much misery. It'd be SGU's equivalent of waking the Wraith or screwing with the Goa'uld hierarchy and so on.

Okay, it's a bit weak! You're probably right. Maybe the focus should be exclusively on survival and exploration.

[amconway]

Now why didn't I think of that? It's the same in Doctor Who - everyone wants to invade Earth.

Lol! Exactly.

It would make a nice change to have some. Politics can be more interesting than endless running around with guns and big explosions.

Some, for a dash of complexity, or a change of pace, but not as a primary focus. I much prefer the seasons of SG-1 that focused on exploration and adventure to the X-Files influenced season 5. Not that I didn't enjoy the X-Files, but on that show, not in Stargate.

Would the inhabitants of these galaxies have any particular reason to associate the Destiny with the Stargates?

An alien brain sucky thing, of course! And these are going to be aliens, it doens't even have to be a device!

[jackson2009]

You can try to watch S.G.U. first show and how you like it.