For a show that's called 'Stargate'...there isn't much 'Stargate' in it so far.

[Egle01]

There's plenty of time to show off the new (or old) 'gate. Look how much they gated in "Air" part 3. In "Darkness" and "Light" they simply didn't have enough power.

Carlyle mentioned in an early interview that

Spoiler:

the gate is starting to show its age. Now this should be interesting!

[Blistna]

The way I look at it, there have been three episodes so far, back to back, with use of the Stargate. Air 1, 2, 3. Three hours where the gate was a big star. Then we have 2 hours (a 2 parter) that didn't use the gate. And, at least THIS one made sense on why they didn't use the gate. Name one SG-1 or SGA episode, where the gate was not used, and it made sense (as in they had a legit reason, not just they didn't need to).

So..my opinion is...the gate, so far, has played a large roll and will probably continue doing so. :-)

[Arwis]

Please please don't get me wrong, this is not an official moan or anything like that. I am loving Stargate: Universe as much as anyone and I think last night's episode 'Light' (I'm from the UK by the way and we don't get it 'til tuesday nights...) was very very suspensful and extremly well written.

I have just noticed however that in the last two episodes, 'Darkness' and 'Light', there has been no official Stargate activity in either episode. It was only mentioned a few times in 'Darkness' and in 'Light' I think I only even saw it once, right at the start when Dr. Rush was leaning against it. In fact throughout the first quarter of the series the crew have only been through the thing twice haven't they? One to the Destiny from Icarus at the start then again onto the desert planet at the end of 'Air pt 2'. Ok, three times if you count the team coming back from that place as well.

What does everyone else think about this? I know the situation presented in the episode meant they couldn't use it anyway, it just seems strange that two episodes in a row haven't shown anything going on with the Gate. Please respond and let me know what you think about this as well.

Agree at some degree. Just look at STARGATE Atlantis, they were using gates even less.... Well ofc it's hard to judge from this point but the thing is I think this show will be way more gate centered than Atlantis, something similar so SG-1 maybe.

[Eestlanna]

In SGA the gateroom was often the place they just gathered if something happened. So, the gate was kind of always there with us. And now it's different.

[Egle01]

In that case - in "Darkness" Rush passed out in front of the 'gate. In "Light" all the people gathered to the gateroom for the lottery. Plenty of 'gate.

[Dain]

In SGA the gateroom was often the place they just gathered if something happened. So, the gate was kind of always there with us. And now it's different.

That's just not true. The gate room featured in every episode multiple times. Practically every random scene which didn't require the characters to be at a specific place for the plot to work, took place in the gate room.

[Eestlanna]

That's just not true. The gate room featured in every episode multiple times. Practically every random scene which didn't require the characters to be at a specific place for the plot to work, took place in the gate room.

That's exactly what I meant.

[GuHNDoi]

List of episodes in SG1 and SGA were they didn't use the gate

SG1:

Spoiler:

The Enemy Within
Point of View
Politics (clip show)
Tangent
The Curse
Desperate Measures
Wormhole X-Treme!
Proving Ground
Descent
Frozen
Nightwalkers
Prometheus
Unnatural Selection
Smoke & Mirrors
Disclosure (clip show)
Fragile Balance
Grace
Chimera
Resurrection
Inauguration (clip show)
Avatar
Affinity
Prometheus Unbound
Citizen Joe (clip show)
Ex Deus Machina
Crusade
Insiders
Memento Mori
The Road Not Taken
Bounty

SGA:

Spoiler:

The Defiant One
Hot Zone
The Gift
The Siege, Part 3
The Intruder
Aurora
Critical Mass
Grace Under Pressure
Allies, Part 1
The Real World (Unless you count Weir's fantasy world)
McKay and Mrs. Miller
Echoes
Tao of Rodney
Sunday
Submersion
Tabula Rasa
Quarantine
The Seed
The Daedalus Variations
The Lost Tribe
Infection
Vegas

If the gate has been used off-screen in an episode it is not on the list.

Do notice how the non-gate episodes increase as the shows gets older?

The Enemy Within, the gate was used to lop off the back of Kawalksy's head. But if you mean actual gate trips then i am wrong.

[EvilSpaceAlien]

The Enemy Within, the gate was used to lop off the back of Kawalksy's head. But if you mean actual gate trips then i am wrong.

Sorry. I did that list of the top of my head and I forgot about that part. *runs off to do some editing*

[reddevil18]

Isn't there an episode in the back half of the season where some of the crew basically just go from planet to planet, trying to get back on the Destiny?
That should feature more gate usage than the entire fifth season of SGA...

[Rachel500]

Sorry. I did that list of the top of my head and I forgot about that part. *runs off to do some editing*

You may also want to remove:

Spoiler:

Proving Ground (the gate was activated as part of the training scenario).

Frozen (the gate was activated at the end to transport Jack to be implanted with a Tok'ra symbiote)

Grace - Jack/Daniel/Teal'c are shown returning from a search through the gate

Avatar - the virtual game involves a Kull warrior coming through the Stargate

Insiders - they use the gate to capture more Ba'als - SG1 are seen returning from a mission

I think the Stargate will be part of it more going forward as they need supplies.

I think in some ways it was unfortunate the original one episode was split into a two-parter as then we'd only have had one episode so far where the gate didn't play a major part rather than the last two.

[Avenger]

I have just noticed however that in the last two episodes, 'Darkness' and 'Light', there has been no official Stargate activity in either episode. It was only mentioned a few times in 'Darkness' and in 'Light' I think I only even saw it once, right at the start when Dr. Rush was leaning against it. In fact throughout the first quarter of the series the crew have only been through the thing twice haven't they? One to the Destiny from Icarus at the start then again onto the desert planet at the end of 'Air pt 2'. Ok, three times if you count the team coming back from that place as well.

What does everyone else think about this? I know the situation presented in the episode meant they couldn't use it anyway, it just seems strange that two episodes in a row haven't shown anything going on with the Gate. Please respond and let me know what you think about this as well.

It's true that the gate itself has been much less prominent in this series so far. Part of that has to do with the fact that they have only been on the ship for 2-3 days so far and there hasn't been a lot of opportunity to go anywhere else. That's really important to keep in mind. With the previous shows, they went through the gate nearly every episode, but those episodes were days or weeks apart.

I believe that they will start to gain more control of the ship as the series progresses and start going off world more. However, going through the gate will still be a secondary kind of thing.

[reddevil18]

Honestly, does it even matter? I mean, sure, we can list "cameos" by the gate in SGA and later SG-1, but it had long since lost its importance. Once you get giant ships and flying cities, really, the gate is there only for people like we nerds to say "THERE! I spotted the gate!". It's not as integral to the plot as it once was. I mean, take SG-1's "A Hundred Days". In season 8 of SG-1, they'd have Jack home for dinner.

I guess my point is that the Stargate is basically just a brand right now. And, really...think about this for a second. Would you rather have a one-second view of the gate as a Jumper flies out of it or simply the cheap "no CG this week, just flash the lights on the set", in order to count the episode as having featured the gate or would you rather have fewer episodes directly revolving around the old orifice, but episodes in which the gate is truly important? I know what I'd choose.

[kymeric]

They should at least try to dial Earth. In fact, it's weird they didn't try it right away they got most of the power back.

There is NO POINT! Thats like saying Earth should at least try to dial Destiny. It absolutely will NOT work. It took the power of an exploding planet to get them there. Destiny did not absorb that kinda power from a sun. And even if it had i doubt it would allow itsself to blow up to send humans home.

[Captain Obvious]

in rebuttal, "Star Trek" DS9 was based on a space station, stationary around a planet/system. Many stories did not involve flying around space, "trekking" from one star to another.

It is a name, and on this series, there is going to be a ton of setup for the issues they have. I would expect there to be quite a bit less gate travel in this first season as they set up things on the ship. The later half of the first season will have plenty more exploration.