"Stargate Universe" Discussion/Speculation (Spoilers)

[Replicator Fifth]

I listen to some of my favorite bands, they tend to change with the times, but they don't throw the fundemental blueprints or foundation of what made them become what they are. However, if say someone like U2 comes out with a Hip hop album how loyal would those fans be to listen to it? BW and RCC are not stupid, they wanted to take a different approach with SGU, but still make it feel like Stargate.

true, this is elementary now I think about it more.

[EvilSpaceAlien]

Now I'm taking Jumper One's place as well.

Well, I started work on my rewrite of Awakenings today. While I’ve compared writing a first draft to giving birth, I’d say doing a rewrite is more like being worked over by a thug for information you were once privy to but have long forgotten. Today, the muse worked my mid-section. Tomorrow, she’s moving onto the rib area.

So, as we prep for the show’s second season – and keeping in mind you haven’t seen the more action-oriented back half of season one – I’d like to know:

1. Which character would you like to see explored more?

2. What aspect of the show would you like to see exploited more?

3. What aspect of the show would prefer to see minimized?

4. What was your favorite “story moment” from the first half of SGU’s first season?

5. What element (I’m leaving this one wide open) would you like to see added to the series as a whole?

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...your-opinions/

[g.o.d]

But lets not turn this into a bashing SGA that it was not complexed enough, ok? LOL!

why not? I miss those old good days

[g.o.d]

I knew Young was going to leave Rush behind. But maybe this show is just not that complex to me like it is to you, no biggie. Now, BSG was a complexed show. I found myself lost sometimes with BSG and had to rewatch the ep or ask other fans.

have you seen Lost? It has a new level of complexity

[PG15]

Major update!

Also, thanks to those who have been weighing in with their thoughts on Stargate: Universe – their likes, dislikes, and hopes for the future. As I stated in yesterday’s entry, you have the entire back half of season one to look forward to come April and I can assure you that many of your requests will be magically honored when the show returns. While the first ten episodes established the series, the ship, its characters and their various relationships, the next ten will be more action-oriented, focus more on exploration, and delve deeper into our crew. Still, this is the perfect time to chime in as we gear up for the show’s second season.

I’ve received a slew of comments (and expect many more), but would like to address each of the topics in term. So today, let’s discuss the responses to the first questions asked: 1. Which character would you like to see explored more?

Not surprisingly, you weighed in with a wide selection of worthy candidates ranging from main characters to background players. But leading the pack was SGU’s resident medic, Lieutenant Tamara “T.J.” Johansen. Many of you cited the character’s potential and the surprising depth of Alaina Huffman’s performance in even the most cursory of scenes or exchanges. It’s something that struck me as well, especially in later episodes, Alaina’s ability to masterfully convey so much about her character in subtleties like a simple line delivery of a thrown look. Although most of your diehard fans know where we’re going with the character, but I’ll resist the urge to spill the beans for those who don’t want to be spoiled. Instead, I’ll simply assure you that T.J. will have a developing story arc through the back half of season one, one that will have major ramifications for her character well into season two. A lot of wonderful Tamara moments throughout the back half, but Faith, episode 13, is the episode that fans of the character (and fans of actress Alaina Huffman in particular) should really look forward to. And the show’s second season gets off to a very interesting start for her as well. One of the aspects of the T.J. character we see flashes of in episodes like Water that I truly love and want to explore is her military side. In short, I want to see her kick ass!

Two more characters who you’re requesting to see more of are the Machiavellian Dr. Rush (Robert Caryle) and SGU’s spirited warrior, Master Sergeant Ronald Greer (Jamil Walker Smith). While Rush has been front and center to date, many of you are hankering for a peek at Rush’s motivations, his backstory, what potentially dark events from his past shaped him. Well, fans of the character won’t have to wait long for some answers. Human, episode 14, will explore the Rush character and, if not answer many of these questions, then at least offer some major hints to a troubled past. And, of course, Rush will continue to follow his own agenda (which we’ll begin to piece together as time goes on), ultimately taking this game to a whole new level as we head into the show’s second season.

As for Greer, many of you have expressed a desire to find out a little more about his backstory as well, what makes him tick tick tick. He’s one of the more fascinating members of the Destiny crew, a soldier’s soldier with an explosive volatility simmering just beneath his ice cool exterior. And, in episode 15, Lost, we finally get a glimpse at Greer’s past, some of the events that shaped him as well, for better and for worse. In addition to that episode, the back half of season one is sprinkled with plenty of wonderful character beats both dark and humorous, as well as moments that will speak to the bond of friendship between Greer and Scott.

Plenty of other characters made the wish list. Quite a few of you want to see more of Eli Wallace (David Blue), find out a little more about how his mother is doing, and see the character mature a little over the course of his incredible adventure aboard Destiny. Check, check, and check although, admittedly, the latter requires us to walk a fine line between having the character mature over the course of his experiences yet keeping him the grounded, fish-out-of-water the viewer can continue to identify with. There are many challenges ahead for the young genius, not the least of which being his uncertain positioning in the ongoing tug-o-war between two diametrically opposed father figures: Young and Rush. Remember that last scene in Justice where Eli goes to visit Young after Rush has been left behind? You figure he suspects something’s up?

Chloe Armstrong (Elyse Levesque) was another character that received quite a few votes and more than a few requests to see the character developed beyond what we’ve established to date. Well, things will get very interesting for Chloe almost immediately upon our April return and her harrowing experience will have repercussions not only for her, but for the rest of the crew as well.

Camile Wray (Ming-Na) and Colonel David Telford (Lou Diamond Philips) also received mentions. Wray is a civilian with a background in Human Resources and while, at first blush, the skills she possesses may seem impractical in a space-faring scenario, Camile will step to the fore later this season, especially when all hell breaks loose in the show’s two-part season finale. And then there’s that hate-hate relationships she’s got going on with Greer. We’ll be exploring that throughout – and in very interesting fashion later.

Several of you wanted to know more about Telford. As one poster mentioned: “There has to be more than what we as viewers have seen of him”. True, true. And we’ll find out plenty more about him later this season. Also, someone else cited his past with Young and suggested that this was an element that warranted further exploration. Well, yes, we have hinted at some history between these two and some of these shocking and tragic details will be revealed late in season one.

Also receiving votes: Luis Ferreira’s Colonel Everett Young (big trouble looms for our anguished commander on the heels of his shocking decision in Justice), Brian J. Smith’s Lieutenant Matthew Scott (Faith, episode 13, in particular offers us a better understanding of his selflessness and willingness to self-sacrifice for the greater good), secondary characters (some great moments upcoming for the likes of James, Brody, Volker, Park, Franklin and Riley), and Destiny itself (shipboard exploration and discovery to come).

So plenty of character development headed your way, most of which will hopefully satisfy your numerous requests (while simultaneously stirring further interest in our extended shipboard family). And if what’s ahead in the back half of season one doesn’t clear your entire wish list, well, there’s season two to look forward to as well.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...ne-and-beyond/

[TBA]

have you seen Lost? It has a new level of complexity

Yep, even the writers seem to have no idea anymore what the ****'s going on

[g.o.d]

Yep, even the writers seem to have no idea anymore what the ****'s going on

I'm afraid so. They said they don't plan to explain everything, using human language, it means they have no idea what to do and can't come up with anything solid. Still, I hope I'm wrong about that

[Cannizzo]

Yep, even the writers seem to have no idea anymore what the ****'s going on

Can't agree more They weren't kidding when they said it would be a shocking series xD

[mariep]

I can assure you that many of your requests will be magically honored when the show returns.


http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...ne-and-beyond/

[PG15]

Another major update!

Picking up where I left off yesterday with Question #2 of my 5 part SGU Fan Survey: What aspect of the show would you like to see exploited more?

Well, far and away the most popular answer was “Destiny”. Fans want us to explore the ship, not simply in terms of its physical space, but its backstory and place in the established Stargate mythology. When was it built? What is its purpose? And what the hell is inside all those crates?

First things first. We’ll continue exploring sections of the ship and making discoveries throughout this first season and well into season two, like the ancient chair room we’ve already come across or “that” kick-ass find that lies ahead. Big things on the horizon. Oh, and those crates? Yeah, turns out one of them contains a delightful little surprise which you’ll become privy to when the show returns in April. It’s a big ship, however, so searching the place may take some time. Of course, that’s if you go about it in an organized and efficient manner rather than ending up lost in a distant section like…but I’ve said too much.

Part of the shipboard discovery will also focus on Destiny’s capabilities, specifically its weapons and defensive systems. These will finally be put to the test against a real opponent almost immediately upon our return (Space, episode 11), while we’ll finally get to see the shuttle in action as well with flyboys Scott and Greer at the helm (Space, episode 11, again).

All well and good, but many fans want to know exactly what is up with Destiny, the reasons for its construction, and what the Ancients hoped to achieve by sending it off into the vast unknown. Well, believe it or not, we’ve got answers to those questions as well. BUT you have may have to wait a while to get them all. We’ll be providing the clues piecemeal over the course of the series run, hints and tidbits of information that will eventually form the big picture reveal we’re working toward. And, yeah, we DO know where we’re going with this.

Yes, you want them on the ship, exploring and discovering, but you also want them off the damn ship, exploring and discovering. As several of you pointed out, the show is called “Stargate: Universe” so you want to see us make use of the gate. Well, some interesting gate use upcoming in the back half of season one and into season two which goes hand in hand with another fan request: “More aliens!” and “More alien worlds!” Done and done, in the case of the former sooner, and the in the case of the latter just a tad later. Space, Faith, Lost, and Sabotage come to mind. And for those of you calling for “Action! Action! Action!”, the back half of season one is bookended by spectacular space battles and some major shipboard pyrotechnics. Between them: a world too good to be true, a shipboard putsch, twists, turns, sacrifice, loss, and revelations – major and minor – about our various players (Who knew Volker was claustrophobic?).

Finally, a few of you expressed a desire to see us pay off some of the story elements introduced in the series opener. Who attacked Icarus Base? Why? And how the hell did they find out about Earth’s top secret project? We’ll get all the answers in a three-part season ender that offers conspiracy, cameos, cosmic influence, intrigue, suspense, running and gunning, bullets and betrayal, and at least two downright horrible ways to go.

Okay, all this to say we seem to be headed in the right direction – or, more precisely, headed in a direction many fans want to see us go.

Sure. So far so good. But, in our next entry, we move on to your dislikes: “What aspect of the show would prefer to see minimized?”. Tomorrow, I tackle sex, shooting style, despair and discontent, pacing, Earth-based stories, and those f**king.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...ne-and-beyond/

[reddevil18]

Asking the fans just shows that they lack confidence in their own project. It's as simple as that.
Definitely not looking good to me.

Instead of asking fans, who are always fickle and never satisfied, they should just hire fresh blood for the writing team. And, to be honest, Mallozzi's one of the guys I'd like to see gone.. *shrug*

[jelgate]

Asking the fans just shows that they lack confidence in their own project. It's as simple as that.
Definitely not looking good to me.

Instead of asking fans, who are always fickle and never satisfied, they should just hire fresh blood for the writing team. And, to be honest, Mallozzi's one of the guys I'd like to see gone.. *shrug*

Never going to happen. He has too much senority to be let go

[MattSilver 3k]

Asking the fans just shows that they lack confidence in their own project. It's as simple as that.
Definitely not looking good to me.

Instead of asking fans, who are always fickle and never satisfied, they should just hire fresh blood for the writing team. And, to be honest, Mallozzi's one of the guys I'd like to see gone.. *shrug*

Dude, chillax. Mallozzi's posting his replies to those fan whinging as a way to spin the newest episodes as helping things along and giving promise to the fickle fans, not in a "Oh my god what do I do what do I do what do I do!" way. I have no doubt that he's expected certain responses on the stones and the sex, and will be giving certain answers that can roughly equate to a, "Well, you seem to hate it, but we're keeping it as is because it's our show."

Besides, I doubt that any exec producer worth his weight in gold would ever, ever, decide to try to placate every fickle fan out there in the universe (For example, bringing back Carson would've placated those who hated those death, but still pissed off those who wanted him dead for good.)

[The Mighty 6 platoon]

Never going to happen. He has too much senority to be let go

Good because some poeple (at least me ) happen to like him.

[EvilSpaceAlien]

Good because some poeple (at least me ) happen to like him.

Yeah, I like him too. He's good writer. Just look at episodes like Window of Opportunity and Prometheus, which he co-wrote iwht Paul Mullie. On the other hand, they were the team behind the disaster which is known as Enemy at the Gate.

I have no problem with them asking what fans want. I'm fine with it just as long as they ignore a lot of the questions. They should have learned from the Beckett fiasco.