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I think I figured SGU out.

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    I think I figured SGU out.

    Doing a binge/rewatch of the whole Stargate franchise. This time bought the DVDs. Been hearing a lot of discussion about SGU. Mostly negative. If positive it's always questioning if Eli made it.
    This time watching, and I am about half way through the first season I am watching the character play. I notice a lot of it is through Eli's eyes. I mean you can almost see the shifty eyes of different characters. Their flaws are brought to the forefront. We are reminded in every episode that they are the wrong people. A lot of backstabbing, people crying, sexual encounters, etc going on.
    There is comedy in how over the top most the characters are. Been thinking this is more of a soap opera in space than anything else.

    #2
    You got it wrong
    Originally posted by aretood2
    Jelgate is right

    Comment


      #3
      Than Jelgate is right?
      I see soap opera. Maybe next time around I'll see something else.

      Comment


        #4
        Now that I finished I also saw elements of BSG too. The drones attacking every time they came out of FTL and the wait between jumps, very BSG.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by unscheduled traveller View Post
          Now that I finished I also saw elements of BSG too. The drones attacking every time they came out of FTL and the wait between jumps, very BSG.
          Meh, the episode *33* from BSG might have used this concept first, but I wouldn't draw a parallel with the drones in SGU. Would you say that any series is *very Star-Trek* because they use hyperspace? I love both series, but always hated when people would say *SGU is just a rip-off of BSG*. Absolutely not.

          You can't compare Drones and Cylons; Skinjobs are self-aware, drones are not. They have one directive and it is to destroy any technology that comes nearby.
          Spoiler:
          I don’t want to be human. I want to see gamma rays, I want to hear X-rays, and I want to smell dark matter. Do you see the absurdity of what I am? I can’t even express these things properly, because I have to—I have to conceptualize complex ideas in this stupid, limiting spoken language, but I know I want to reach out with something other than these prehensile paws, and feel the solar wind of a supernova flowing over me. I’m a machine, and I can know much more.

          Comment


            #6
            My take on SGU is this: we had SG-1 which was Milky Way, we had Atlantis, which is an adjacent galaxy and an 8th chevron. SGU was just hitting its stride when SyFy, in its infinite wisdom, canceled it way too early. SGU was extremely depressing, but see, that's how being that isolated in an infinite galaxy would be. And with far fewer Stargates and being on a ship they are unfamiliar with, it is not surprising that the show showed a lot of the interpersonal stuff. I thought it was a good show, but SGA was the GREATEST. Good right up until the last episode!!!!! I was still laughing in Season 5. Season 8-10 of sg-1 are hell, I can't even finish it. Anyway, SGU gets a bad rep, but it had massive potential. I do think the SG crowd would have preferred more guns and galactic battle scenes. Oh well. I'd love to finish the series through fiction one day, maybe discuss what happens after the ship is discovered, and what happened to Eli. Maybe one day.
            Heath the 9th Elder of the Nobiri

            Life without hardships may seem more attractive, but it is a shallow, lackluster thing. - Daisaku Ikeda
            -----------------------------
            We are not defeated by adversity but by the loss of the will to strive. However devastated you may feel, so long as you have the will to fight on, you can surely triumph. - Daisaku Ikeda
            -----------------------------
            Indeed - Teal'c of Chulak

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              #7
              Originally posted by Chaka-Z0 View Post
              Would you say that any series is *very Star-Trek* because they use hyperspace?
              Well... Star Trek doesn't use hyperspace, like at all. So no.

              Having seen BSG but only previews of SGU, they were very clearly attempting the same kind of show, deliberately or not. Stranded crew, slow, character focused continuing arc, needing supplies. etc. BSG is not unique in these things and a lot of telly was going grimdark at the time but SGU certainly seemed to be going with that style rather than SG-1/SGA's more balanced take of drama and humour and adventure.
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                #8
                Originally posted by Crazedwraith View Post
                Well... Star Trek doesn't use hyperspace, like at all. So no..
                Like oh my gawd, not at all. My bad, should've said StarWars not Trek

                Having seen BSG but only previews of SGU
                Enough said, can't base an argument on previews.
                Spoiler:
                I don’t want to be human. I want to see gamma rays, I want to hear X-rays, and I want to smell dark matter. Do you see the absurdity of what I am? I can’t even express these things properly, because I have to—I have to conceptualize complex ideas in this stupid, limiting spoken language, but I know I want to reach out with something other than these prehensile paws, and feel the solar wind of a supernova flowing over me. I’m a machine, and I can know much more.

                Comment


                  #9
                  Except I can and did. What are previews for if not to give you an idea of what the show is like? Are the elements I mentioned not really present in SGU? They are not superficial elements like hyperdrive. They are the base themes and tones of the show.

                  Like I said I have no idea if they really ripped off BSG consciously but that was the trend of sci-fi TV at the time.
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                    #10
                    Ideally yes but the reality is that previews do not always get a realistic portrayal of a show. The previews exist to promote hype for a show like a trailer. Not make a realistic version of the show
                    Originally posted by aretood2
                    Jelgate is right

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Originally posted by Crazedwraith View Post
                      Like I said I have no idea if they really ripped off BSG consciously but that was the trend of sci-fi TV at the time.
                      You happen to be right and it was intentional. It was a Sci Fi channel mandate that the new Stargate show be like BSG, because the network believed doing so would replicate the critical success that BSG brought and, in the process, attract a larger audience. They essentially said as much when hyping SGU. Here's an example:

                      “The ambition with Universe is to skew it younger than the previous two chapters and fill it with a fresh-faced cast; and a storytelling that is more for the late 2000s than it is for the 1990s.”

                      ...

                      As a network, obviously we look at Battlestar Galactica, that’s set the standard in terms of tense character drama. Stargate does not have the intensity of a Battlestar Galactica. But it may well be somewhere in between. Brad [Wright] and Robert [Cooper] are very eager to keep the action and adventure and the sense of humor [in Stargate Universe]. But I think there’s an opportunity to maybe inject a bit more dramatic intensity into the series. But that’s obviously a conversation for them as they start to script and move into development.”
                      Source: https://www.gateworld.net/news/2008/...lantis-movies/

                      Note the second part where he says that Wright and Cooper wanted to maintain the tone of previous Stargate shows. Obviously that's a battle that they lost. I don't know the full extent of this. It's possible that the drones were their solution to replicating the dramatic aspect of BSG that involved regular ship-to-ship attacks under the constraint of not being able to run. What's clear is only that they received direction regarding the tone, level of drama, and age of the cast.
                      Last edited by Xaeden; 18 March 2024, 07:19 AM.

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                        #12
                        Point taken, I can see now why some people would draw this conclusion. Crazedwraith and others that commented are right stating the tone of the show is similar to BSG. Also thank you Xaeden for pointing this out.

                        But what exactly defines a show? I admit the tone, character-drama based series, the more ''dark'' décor, etc. are very important part of a show. Although I do not think this should be used to judge a series but rather be considered as a *mold* more than anything else. I was just like you at first, really surprised with this new orientation they took in SGU and actually disliked the first half of season 1. I kept watching , because I like to give a new show a chance without any bias and it turns out, this show really grew on me especially in season 2.

                        Also I strongly believe that Wright and Cooper, being veterans in what they do, had to throw Sci Fi a cookie but still maintained the direction they wanted to take with SGU.

                        The major issue with SGU is that most SG fans were not used to this kind of show or expected something different, which is understandable, and I'm convinced that most of them didn't even give the show a chance. And then as we all know, the plug was pulled when it actually got much better (Season 2).

                        That being said, I think the whole premise is much different than BSG, whereas BSG there's a ''plan'' since the beginning and involve elements not covered by SGU such as religion, morality and really intense drama. It's also set in a totally different universe than SG, more realistic so to say (no aliens, teleportation, beam weapons, etc.)
                        Spoiler:
                        I don’t want to be human. I want to see gamma rays, I want to hear X-rays, and I want to smell dark matter. Do you see the absurdity of what I am? I can’t even express these things properly, because I have to—I have to conceptualize complex ideas in this stupid, limiting spoken language, but I know I want to reach out with something other than these prehensile paws, and feel the solar wind of a supernova flowing over me. I’m a machine, and I can know much more.

                        Comment


                          #13
                          I hate this "sci-fi fans are not "used to something" Bull.
                          I have over 200 seasons of tv series to enjoy at will.
                          You can throw me a curveball, I'll get it. That however makes the pitch neither good, or effective, just means I can catch.
                          sigpic
                          ALL THANKS TO THE WONDERFUL CREATOR OF THIS SIG GO TO R.I.G.
                          A lie is just a truth that hasn't gone through conversion therapy yet
                          The truth isn't the truth

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                            #14
                            I said SG fans, not sci-fi fans, and although that might not be the case with you, countless people didn't even watch SGU as seen on many forums such as this one.
                            Spoiler:
                            I don’t want to be human. I want to see gamma rays, I want to hear X-rays, and I want to smell dark matter. Do you see the absurdity of what I am? I can’t even express these things properly, because I have to—I have to conceptualize complex ideas in this stupid, limiting spoken language, but I know I want to reach out with something other than these prehensile paws, and feel the solar wind of a supernova flowing over me. I’m a machine, and I can know much more.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Originally posted by Chaka-Z0 View Post
                              I said SG fans, not sci-fi fans, and although that might not be the case with you, countless people didn't even watch SGU as seen on many forums such as this one.
                              Do you really believe that SG fans only "step out" into scifi for 1 (or 3 really) show?
                              Sounds a little odd to me to think that way. While there may be differences on how each of us -see- SG-1 Vs SGA vs SGU, I don't know any of us who exclusively watch "stargate"
                              sigpic
                              ALL THANKS TO THE WONDERFUL CREATOR OF THIS SIG GO TO R.I.G.
                              A lie is just a truth that hasn't gone through conversion therapy yet
                              The truth isn't the truth

                              Comment

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