![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Stargate Universe
So, since I'll be spending time with a major Stargate fan today, I figured it was about time I shared my opinions about the latest Stargate installment. And what I've got is a giant Meh.
It's not all bad. After a rather weak start, the show gains some ground – and needed tension – with an attack on the Icarus base just as its personnel are trying to dial the ninth thingy to See Where It Goes. (Since, you know, dialing the eighth thingy led to the happy result of finding a galaxy full of human-eating Wraith and almost led to the complete destruction of the earth, but, hey, who's worrying about the little details.) For some reason they need More Math to dial the ninth thingy, which leads to the recruitment of Eli the Math Geek, and for good reason a U.S. senator is getting a bit concerned about where his money is going, so he's along, and for no good reason he's decided that it's an excellent idea to bring his daughter to a military base on another planet where they could get attacked at any minute, but, whatever, and for a seriously bad reason a Mad Scientist type dials up the ninth thingy just as they are all Under Attack by Mean People, preventing them from just jumping back to earth (although, since they had the gate, why did they take a spaceship instead of the gate to the Icarus…you know, never mind. I'm about to harp on much worse problems in a bit.) so, everybody jumps through to an Unknown Spaceship without enough food, water or medical supplies since that seems marginally smarter than just dying in a big explosion instead of through dehydration and/or oxygen deprivation. I said marginally.
After this things get much better: the unknown spaceship is good and spooky and poorly lit which helps conceal the complete lack of distinct characters, let alone character development, and the life support is running out and oxygen is escaping into space and important people have been injured and all that. (It's not even remotely clear why the ship has any oxygen whatsoever left given the leak and the fact that it's been trundling through light speed for thousands of years at this point.) We've seen this before but it's decently done, and even with a bit of tension. Which does not really excuse the myriad plot holes.
For instance: Doctor "Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Gifted At Making Bad Impressions" announces that he, rather than any number of qualified leaders on board who have not doomed the entire expedition to an exile several trillion light years away from Earth (including, if I recall correctly, a colonel, a couple of lieutenants, an IOA representative, and a freaking U.S. Senator) has been named to lead the group, a decision imparted to him by the use of some whacked out messenger stones that can apparently let you take over someone's body back trillions of light years away on earth but not bring back any chocolate. Not surprisingly, this claim is greeted with intense skepticism from pretty much everybody, and yet, no one bothers to actually say, "Hey, fine – while you're continuing to fix the ship, how bout letting someone else – anyone else – confirm this extremely dubious decision? And then, maybe, demoting the person making this decision?" For further instance: who the hell attempts any sort of experiment with seven or eight or nine whatever gate thingies when the site of the experiment is under attack? (Incidentally, this was the easiest of the plot questions to fudge – they just could have said – "I don't know how they're doing it, but they're jamming the gate from dialing Earth!" "Then let's dial something that they don't know about so they can't jam it! Dial all nine thingies!") For further further instance: why beam Eli, the young slacker kid, anywhere, instead of just taking his equations and paying him money? Especially given that now they have a major potential media issue on their hands – not just the disappearance of a Senator (although that will be bad enough) but I doubt Eli's mother is going to remain silent without more answers.)
(Admittedly, the whole "top-secret" Stargate thing has always been more than a little questionable, given the sheer number of personnel involved, but whatever.)
Being set in the Stargate universe also doesn't do the show that many favors, since we know just enough to start objecting to various problems here. The cameo appearances by various Stargate SG-1 characters really did not help – actually, they just raised more questions. Like, since you're trying to solve a math problem, why not call over those math geniuses Rodney McKay and Radek Zelenka and Samantha Carter, or that expert in Ancient Daniel, or those with Ancient genes? Even a quick "We tried to get McKay on this but he just said he had more important things to focus on" would have done nicely. And, frankly, with the possible exception of Michael Shanks, the SG-1 cameos feel very phoned in; Richard Dean Anderson, in particular, seems exhausted by the role, and Amanda Tapping is just completely off in her almost cheery response that 88 odd people have vanished into space. It might be her haircut, though.
Only a few of the new characters make any sort of impression: the earnest young geek Eli, and...and...and...Oh. Right. The creepy doctor who caused the problem in the first place. The senator's daughter sniffles a lot (understandably) and a blonde chick is a medic feeling uncertain of her skills, and there's a highly practical cook I would have liked to have seen more of (he only got one line), and, well, that's about it. I recognized Ming-Na, but only as Hey, That Chick from ER!, since she's given pretty much zilch to do here aside from reminding us of better drama shows. Oh, and giving the general sense that she's missing ER.
Admittedly, I made the same complaint about the lack of interesting characters in Flashforward, but Flashforward more than made up for that with a much more intriguing premise, a better Mass Chaos! scene and, well, a kangaroo. (I have to say, I couldn't help wishing that Stargate: Universe had brought a kangaroo along.) And Flashforward only had this problem in its first hour; by the second and third shows we have some actual Interesting Characters along with a nice bit about cupcakes which strongly suggests that everyone should be eating more cupcakes to fend off the impending apocalypse. (Er. That is not actually implied much less stated in the show.) Also, weird animal bits. That's a show I'll be focusing on. Stargate:Universe, not so much.
It's not all bad. After a rather weak start, the show gains some ground – and needed tension – with an attack on the Icarus base just as its personnel are trying to dial the ninth thingy to See Where It Goes. (Since, you know, dialing the eighth thingy led to the happy result of finding a galaxy full of human-eating Wraith and almost led to the complete destruction of the earth, but, hey, who's worrying about the little details.) For some reason they need More Math to dial the ninth thingy, which leads to the recruitment of Eli the Math Geek, and for good reason a U.S. senator is getting a bit concerned about where his money is going, so he's along, and for no good reason he's decided that it's an excellent idea to bring his daughter to a military base on another planet where they could get attacked at any minute, but, whatever, and for a seriously bad reason a Mad Scientist type dials up the ninth thingy just as they are all Under Attack by Mean People, preventing them from just jumping back to earth (although, since they had the gate, why did they take a spaceship instead of the gate to the Icarus…you know, never mind. I'm about to harp on much worse problems in a bit.) so, everybody jumps through to an Unknown Spaceship without enough food, water or medical supplies since that seems marginally smarter than just dying in a big explosion instead of through dehydration and/or oxygen deprivation. I said marginally.
After this things get much better: the unknown spaceship is good and spooky and poorly lit which helps conceal the complete lack of distinct characters, let alone character development, and the life support is running out and oxygen is escaping into space and important people have been injured and all that. (It's not even remotely clear why the ship has any oxygen whatsoever left given the leak and the fact that it's been trundling through light speed for thousands of years at this point.) We've seen this before but it's decently done, and even with a bit of tension. Which does not really excuse the myriad plot holes.
For instance: Doctor "Don't Mind Me, I'm Just Gifted At Making Bad Impressions" announces that he, rather than any number of qualified leaders on board who have not doomed the entire expedition to an exile several trillion light years away from Earth (including, if I recall correctly, a colonel, a couple of lieutenants, an IOA representative, and a freaking U.S. Senator) has been named to lead the group, a decision imparted to him by the use of some whacked out messenger stones that can apparently let you take over someone's body back trillions of light years away on earth but not bring back any chocolate. Not surprisingly, this claim is greeted with intense skepticism from pretty much everybody, and yet, no one bothers to actually say, "Hey, fine – while you're continuing to fix the ship, how bout letting someone else – anyone else – confirm this extremely dubious decision? And then, maybe, demoting the person making this decision?" For further instance: who the hell attempts any sort of experiment with seven or eight or nine whatever gate thingies when the site of the experiment is under attack? (Incidentally, this was the easiest of the plot questions to fudge – they just could have said – "I don't know how they're doing it, but they're jamming the gate from dialing Earth!" "Then let's dial something that they don't know about so they can't jam it! Dial all nine thingies!") For further further instance: why beam Eli, the young slacker kid, anywhere, instead of just taking his equations and paying him money? Especially given that now they have a major potential media issue on their hands – not just the disappearance of a Senator (although that will be bad enough) but I doubt Eli's mother is going to remain silent without more answers.)
(Admittedly, the whole "top-secret" Stargate thing has always been more than a little questionable, given the sheer number of personnel involved, but whatever.)
Being set in the Stargate universe also doesn't do the show that many favors, since we know just enough to start objecting to various problems here. The cameo appearances by various Stargate SG-1 characters really did not help – actually, they just raised more questions. Like, since you're trying to solve a math problem, why not call over those math geniuses Rodney McKay and Radek Zelenka and Samantha Carter, or that expert in Ancient Daniel, or those with Ancient genes? Even a quick "We tried to get McKay on this but he just said he had more important things to focus on" would have done nicely. And, frankly, with the possible exception of Michael Shanks, the SG-1 cameos feel very phoned in; Richard Dean Anderson, in particular, seems exhausted by the role, and Amanda Tapping is just completely off in her almost cheery response that 88 odd people have vanished into space. It might be her haircut, though.
Only a few of the new characters make any sort of impression: the earnest young geek Eli, and...and...and...Oh. Right. The creepy doctor who caused the problem in the first place. The senator's daughter sniffles a lot (understandably) and a blonde chick is a medic feeling uncertain of her skills, and there's a highly practical cook I would have liked to have seen more of (he only got one line), and, well, that's about it. I recognized Ming-Na, but only as Hey, That Chick from ER!, since she's given pretty much zilch to do here aside from reminding us of better drama shows. Oh, and giving the general sense that she's missing ER.
Admittedly, I made the same complaint about the lack of interesting characters in Flashforward, but Flashforward more than made up for that with a much more intriguing premise, a better Mass Chaos! scene and, well, a kangaroo. (I have to say, I couldn't help wishing that Stargate: Universe had brought a kangaroo along.) And Flashforward only had this problem in its first hour; by the second and third shows we have some actual Interesting Characters along with a nice bit about cupcakes which strongly suggests that everyone should be eating more cupcakes to fend off the impending apocalypse. (Er. That is not actually implied much less stated in the show.) Also, weird animal bits. That's a show I'll be focusing on. Stargate:Universe, not so much.