The Plot

[AdamTM]

Hey, this might sound like a stupid question, but trust me it isn't.

What is the plot in Stargate Universe?


I was thinking about this for some time now.
The setting is clear, people are stranded on a ship far away from home. The goal is also clear, getting back home. (ST:Voyager, Lost in Space, Farscape etc.)

But what is SGU about? I cant find a clear answer for this for some reason.
Is it just about people wanting to get home? Kind of like a roadtrip? An introspective journey? A human stress test?

I'm desperately trying to find a theme in it. I mean its scripted, ST:Voy wasn't and the "they want to get home" could only get them so far, so SGU should have a clear idea what it wants to say.

But by Odins beard, i have no idea what it is.

I'm really serious about this.

[Madwelshboy]

But what is SGU about? I cant find a clear answer for this for some reason.

Survival.

[escyos]

space potatoes......and awesome space lights

[AdamTM]

Survival.

Could you elaborate?

If they wouldn't survive there would be no SGU, so just throwing "survival" out there isn't enough, of course its about survival, every show with danger is about survival (BSG, Farscape, Voy, B5, Heroes, 24 etc. pp.)

"Survival" doesn't answer my question, its a side-effect.

[PG15]

Let's get a little "quantitative" here. Without knowing what you mean by "plot", we have no way to answer.

By your standards, what are the plots of SG1 and SGA?

[Mongoletsi]

Hey, this might sound like a stupid question, but trust me it isn't.

That's subjective.

What is the plot in Stargate Universe?

Told you.

I was thinking about this for some time now.
The setting is clear, people are stranded on a ship far away from home. The goal is also clear, getting back home. (ST:Voyager, Lost in Space, Farscape etc.)

Correct, the goal is to eventually get back home. No idea what Farscape is about, but yes the premise is similar to the other two as far as I understand them.

But what is SGU about? I cant find a clear answer for this for some reason.

But you've just told us... I mean.. erm... what?

Is it just about people wanting to get home?
Kind of like a roadtrip?
An introspective journey?
A human stress test?

Yes.
No.
As a side effect perhaps.
Certainly not.

I'm desperately trying to find a theme in it. I mean its scripted, ST:Voy wasn't and the "they want to get home" could only get them so far, so SGU should have a clear idea what it wants to say.

What? It's pretty *&(%^&% obvious surely?

But by Odins beard, i have no idea what it is.

It's about a bunch of unsuitable people stranded far beyond rescue, who all/mostly want to get home, whilst learning as much about the ship and other planets in the process.

I gleaned all this by invoking the novel concept of; WATCHING THE SHOW. It's amazing. It was a whole new cognitive experience, you should try it! If you were to watch it, you'd know what it was about.

I'm really serious about this.

Oh so am I. If you actually watched the show, the first ten episodes, you'd know what the show seems to be about so far.

Feel free to PM me if you want to know what to think, about anything. Seriously - if you don't know what to think, let me do the thinking for you. Let's start with your bank details...

[AdamTM]

That's subjective.

Your mom is subjective

Told you.

You indeed did, you SO told me.

Correct, the goal is to eventually get back home. No idea what Farscape is about, but yes the premise is similar to the other two as far as I understand them.

Goal =/= Plot

But you've just told us... I mean.. erm... what?

I'll repeat slowly just for you:

Goal =/= Plot

Yes.
No.
As a side effect perhaps.
Certainly not.

Ok

What? It's pretty *&(%^&% obvious surely?

Again, even slower, and this time in all caps, just for you: GOAL =/= PLOT

It's about a bunch of unsuitable people stranded far beyond rescue, who all/mostly want to get home, whilst learning as much about the ship and other planets in the process.

Setting =/= Plot

I gleaned all this by invoking the novel concept of; WATCHING THE SHOW. It's amazing. It was a whole new cognitive experience, you should try it! If you were to watch it, you'd know what it was about.

Yeah its so obvious its self evident, in fact its so self evident i dont even need to tell you what it is, because its so self evident and obvious.

Oh so am I. If you actually watched the show, the first ten episodes, you'd know what the show seems to be about so far.

I did, apparently the show is about...stuff that is obvious and self evident to the point of not needing to be mentioned.

Feel free to PM me if you want to know what to think, about anything. Seriously - if you don't know what to think, let me do the thinking for you. Let's start with your bank details...

No thanks, id rather not, i hope you're not too disappointed.

Let's get a little "quantitative" here. Without knowing what you mean by "plot", we have no way to answer.

By your standards, what are the plots of SG1 and SGA?

plot (plt)
n.

4. The pattern of events or main story in a narrative or drama.

----this

I can't really compare SG1 and SGA to SGU because they are not scripted, an episodic tv-show by definition has no overarching plot, they just make **** up while they go along (example all Star Trek except DS9).
This is in no way a critique of SGA or SG1 they are both enjoyable.

[Pharaoh Atem]

Survival.

and only survival. with a little exploring along the way.

[AdamTM]

Wtf?

Destiny was launched millions of years ago
After some messing about, some humans got there
They can't (easily) get back
So they struggle and survive
And hope

The point is; if you watched the show, you'd see that. That's as much as anybody knows thusfar, without speculation and spoilers. (Don't quote dictionary definitions as rationale for ongoing trollage.)

Or are you asking "does anybody know how the writers plan for this to pan out"? In which case; keep your filthy spoilers away from me. Would you like me to shoehorn SGU so far into Todorov's scheme of narrative structure?

Furthermore, if you already know, surely it lessens your enjoyment? That's another debate however.

But in general, wtf are you on about? Of course SG-1 was (eventually) scripted, with the big Goauld, Replicator, and Ori arcs. SGA was to some extent (but arguably suffered from lack of direction).

It seems you're having a semantic pedantic moment.

Or you're asking for spoilers.

So, please clarify your question, frame it in such a way that the exact terminology (plot, narrative, arc, etc) isn't crucial to getting the answer you seek.

<mod snip, let's try to have this discussion without name calling>

I'm asking, as clear as I can put it, what direction the plot is going in SGU. This is not wanting to know spoilers, its about not seeing a direction in the plot.
Since SGU, it was stated again and again, is an arc-based show, there must be a plot except for the series of events that will lead them home (which i guess is supposed to be the goal)

Let me use an example that springs to mind, neoBSG.
If you would say that the goal of BSG was to reach Kobol, you would be wrong, they reached Kobol and the series kept going.

NeoBSG was not about a bunch of people running away from Cylons trying to survive, its about trust, belief, identity and humanity.

Its the same thing im asking for SGU.

Maybe to put it in other words, what is the THEME of SGU?

Is the setting the plot or does this show actually have a theme going?

SG1 was about friendship, tolerance and freedom, SGA followed the same formula.

[clauz89]

and only survival. with a little exploring along the way.

survival, lots of survival, relationship between different people each one with is background of lies and unknown stories, and maybe a little exploring... too little exploring IMO.

[Pharaoh Atem]

survival, lots of survival, relationship between different people each one with is background of lies and unknown stories, and maybe a little exploring... too little exploring IMO.

Time.......

i don't expect a lot of exploring until they repair the destiny

[clauz89]

Time.......

i don't expect a lot of exploring until they repair the destiny

right....
even if I was quite sceptical about SGU, I decided to give it a chance, but IMO it wasted it.......

[Pharaoh Atem]

right....
even if I was quite sceptical about SGU, I decided to give it a chance, but IMO it wasted it.......

i love character drama's in a scifi environment but it's different for everyone.

[MattSilver 3k]

NeoBSG was not about a bunch of people running away from Cylons trying to survive, its about trust, belief, identity and humanity.

But you can only say its about those things about BSG because it is not ten episodes in, and that the show is finished. Right now, SGU looks to be about ordinary people stuck on a damn spaceship, and they're struggling to pull together and become a unit - a unit that'll work together to do whatever comes forth. If you don't believe the plot is all about survival, my aforementioned point about it being too early to tell might be what you're looking for. If not, then I guess what Mongoletsi said - survival, hope/despair, backdrop of exploration...

[blackluster]

To me it seems the consistent factor in each episode so far is how people are not able to understand each other, even in a fantastic and dangerous situation. As MattSilver correctly points out, we have not seen enough of the show to define its plot. We are not the writers and as far as I can tell, there aren't enough clues left to say where the show is going, which I think is fine.