What?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJp59o72d8w
I love the show, from the first episode. From the very first scene to the last.
Am I the only one who loves SGU?
- Thread starter samalex
- Start date
What?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJp59o72d8w
I love the show, from the first episode. From the very first scene to the last.
According to Mallozzi they had indeed toyed with that idea. One of the crew finding either a Kino or something in the database with footage of the Destiny being built, the launch, the Ancients who built her, etc. It's a nice idea, but I image they would have been saving it for a time when it wouldn't be giving too much away.
Literally, eh? If a TV show makes you literally convulse, you either need to take TV less seriously or consult a physician. Or both.
Or you could just use the word literally properly.
TemisTheVorta said:
At first, you're absolutely right, they tried way too hard to be dark and gritty and failed. But the show did find it's footing and was certainly not unwatchable garbage by the second season.
And SGU is definitely not being bashed to shreds here. More of the comments in this thread have been positive than negative.
Whoa!!!! No thanks.
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/convulse:
2. (transitive) To create great laughter.
Seems literally correct to me.
Ah, my mistake, I was thinking of definition 1...as in, seizures. My bad.
I loved it and I loved SG-1 and SGA
If I recall Temis only watched the first hour of the pilot or something like that, which is like saying the TNG is absolute garbage after just watching Encounter at Farpoint.
There where a few ropey episodes in s1 like when they used them damn stones but it really started to find its feet in S2 and is a great shame it was cancelled although ironicaly it did have a great ending to the show and to the franchise itself.
The first season was pretty much a waste of time because of the writing and overdone low-key lighting. Aside from Robert Carlyle, who managed to do a lot with what he was given, everyone on the cast struggled with their fairly inconsistent roles. It didn't help that the writers' idea of arcs was to eschew having episodes that told a story that would progress a larger narrative in favor of stretching out stories over a few episodes for no real reason.
The first half of season 2 was just as bad as season 1, but they did more with secondary characters that were actually likable and managed to rehab Greer a bit. The actual story was still crap, but they managed to not make it as intolerable. Plus I think they upped the lighting a bit.
The last half of the season was fairly good, but they still had some problems with how poorly fleshed out the characters were and how one dimensional the bad guys were. The ending was kind of lame, because it reemphaiszed the whole "Eli is the character SG fans are supposed to associate with" thing that really irritated people back when the show began.
The first half of season 2 was just as bad as season 1, but they did more with secondary characters that were actually likable and managed to rehab Greer a bit. The actual story was still crap, but they managed to not make it as intolerable. Plus I think they upped the lighting a bit.
The last half of the season was fairly good, but they still had some problems with how poorly fleshed out the characters were and how one dimensional the bad guys were. The ending was kind of lame, because it reemphaiszed the whole "Eli is the character SG fans are supposed to associate with" thing that really irritated people back when the show began.
I do agree that the "Golly gee brilliant whiz kid" angle was a bit trite. "The Last Starfighter", take II. And I didn't like how much they milked it in the beginning. But then, they backed off enough that it became easier to tolerate Eli.
Definitely, the "bad guys" were very one dimensional. At first. When some of them got to join the crew, that opened up things a bit. I don't recall the guy's name, but the one who got the most time was a pretty likable/relate-able character.
I don't think the 1st season was quite so bad. They kind of captured what people would feel like in such a situation. The complete disorientation of being on an alien ship, faced with immediate challenges that you aren't quite sure how to fix. By the 2nd half of the 1st season, I felt the series was starting to improve, and then got reasonably good in season 2. ALL sci-fi series face great challenges in the first couple of seasons, as writers figure out what works and what doesn't and actors find their footing. I actually think SG-U did better than Atlantis in this regard. It took a while longer for SG-A to get going. In the beginning, it felt so much like a "lesser" SG-1.
The ending was not lame, IMHO. Eli is a genius. He has some kind of savant quality about him, that even he didn't quite realize until his involvement with the Stargate command. He still felt so inadequate for quite a long while. It wasn't until towards the end of season 2 that he started to acknowledge his gift... that he really has the stuff. Dr. Rush confirmed that as well in conversations with Colonel Young.
Anyway, the thing is... we really don't quite know if Eli DOES know how to fix the chamber. That's what's so great about the ending. There's this uncertainty... did he really believe he could do it, or... did he sacrifice himself so that no one else would have to?
Definitely, the "bad guys" were very one dimensional. At first. When some of them got to join the crew, that opened up things a bit. I don't recall the guy's name, but the one who got the most time was a pretty likable/relate-able character.
I don't think the 1st season was quite so bad. They kind of captured what people would feel like in such a situation. The complete disorientation of being on an alien ship, faced with immediate challenges that you aren't quite sure how to fix. By the 2nd half of the 1st season, I felt the series was starting to improve, and then got reasonably good in season 2. ALL sci-fi series face great challenges in the first couple of seasons, as writers figure out what works and what doesn't and actors find their footing. I actually think SG-U did better than Atlantis in this regard. It took a while longer for SG-A to get going. In the beginning, it felt so much like a "lesser" SG-1.
The ending was not lame, IMHO. Eli is a genius. He has some kind of savant quality about him, that even he didn't quite realize until his involvement with the Stargate command. He still felt so inadequate for quite a long while. It wasn't until towards the end of season 2 that he started to acknowledge his gift... that he really has the stuff. Dr. Rush confirmed that as well in conversations with Colonel Young.
Anyway, the thing is... we really don't quite know if Eli DOES know how to fix the chamber. That's what's so great about the ending. There's this uncertainty... did he really believe he could do it, or... did he sacrifice himself so that no one else would have to?
I loved SG-1 and thought SG:A was pretty meh. I appreciate what they were trying to do with SGU, they just did it really poorly. The show had a lot of good qualities and a lot of bad qualities. It was a weird mix. There was the nonsense with the stones, which took up way too much of season 1 (especially the first half.) There was also the power struggle between Rush and Young, which got way out of hand to the point of becoming unbelievable.
Some of the relationships on the show were handled reasonably well, although most of them (like Scott and Chloe) were badly mishandled.
I don't think the show was a total disaster, but on the whole it was pretty damn mediocre, and that just doesn't cut it in today's TV landscape.
Some of the relationships on the show were handled reasonably well, although most of them (like Scott and Chloe) were badly mishandled.
I don't think the show was a total disaster, but on the whole it was pretty damn mediocre, and that just doesn't cut it in today's TV landscape.
I thought SGU was the best sci-fi show I'd seen in years, so yeah, I loved it.
Looking back with some hindsight, I feel a lot of people just have an allergic reaction to whatever they dislike, so the fact that the show wasn't happy-go-lucky automatically made it "NuBSG" to a lot of viewers, except no, it really wasn't. It was realistic. A realistic scenario is going to share similarities with other such scenarios, but in no way was SGU "NuBSG" at the core. It was something a lot better in fact, that had some real vision, and was revealing itself layer by layer to be the most serious stab Stargate had ever taken at significant science fiction, as opposed to "science fantasy" or "pew pew lasergun adventure".
I feel that all of the meaning and impact in the second half of season 2 wouldn't have been there if it weren't for the long, patient set up of everything that came before it. That doesn't mean it was perfect. There were filler episodes here and there, but not as many as people claim. I was sold on the show from the opening trilogy of episodes, and was more or less shocked at how many people were damned and determined to not get the show or what it was trying to do.
The only real missteps that he show made for me, besides a couple of absolute filler scripts, were in taking a little too long to settle in to a dramatic rhythm - concepts like musical montages were not bad in the abstract, but they were used haphazardly and sometimes too many instances were used back to back to back.
But it got really strong by the end of season 2 and had found its footing.
If it had to die before its time, I did appreciate the ending that the team had time to assemble. Bittersweet as hell, but open in just the right way, with a fantastic final scene.
Looking back with some hindsight, I feel a lot of people just have an allergic reaction to whatever they dislike, so the fact that the show wasn't happy-go-lucky automatically made it "NuBSG" to a lot of viewers, except no, it really wasn't. It was realistic. A realistic scenario is going to share similarities with other such scenarios, but in no way was SGU "NuBSG" at the core. It was something a lot better in fact, that had some real vision, and was revealing itself layer by layer to be the most serious stab Stargate had ever taken at significant science fiction, as opposed to "science fantasy" or "pew pew lasergun adventure".
I feel that all of the meaning and impact in the second half of season 2 wouldn't have been there if it weren't for the long, patient set up of everything that came before it. That doesn't mean it was perfect. There were filler episodes here and there, but not as many as people claim. I was sold on the show from the opening trilogy of episodes, and was more or less shocked at how many people were damned and determined to not get the show or what it was trying to do.
The only real missteps that he show made for me, besides a couple of absolute filler scripts, were in taking a little too long to settle in to a dramatic rhythm - concepts like musical montages were not bad in the abstract, but they were used haphazardly and sometimes too many instances were used back to back to back.
But it got really strong by the end of season 2 and had found its footing.
If it had to die before its time, I did appreciate the ending that the team had time to assemble. Bittersweet as hell, but open in just the right way, with a fantastic final scene.
I did this post a while back, detailing how the show might have worked better with fewer filler episodes, getting us roughly to the midpoint of season 2 by the end of season 1. Were I inclined to give it more thought, I could do a full timeline for both seasons, but eh. I think you get the point: SGU wasted a lot of airtime on crap.
I will be honest the idea was good and the first couple of episodes were good but i lost interest after that.
Knowing that the show was supposed to continue, there isn't much uncertaintly about what would have happened to Eli.
That's true, but the very fact that the show didn't continue means the suspense is still valid. Of course they wouldn't kill Eli, but the way it ended kind of negates that point.
I'm probably in a minority here, but I was getting the distinct impression from the show that these characters would never get home. All this talk of "destiny" and the fact that their situation just keeps getting more and more dire as they are forced to get farther and farther away from Earth...I dunno, I almost didn't want them to make it back. I think there is a much more interesting story there.
So yes, I'm actually okay with the way it ended. Maybe Eli dies. Maybe not. In my mind, none of them were ever going home again anyway.
Actually, the Eli remaining was how the ending was re-written after they got the cancellation word. The original ending to the episode, had they believed the show were going to continue would have had everyone in stasis except for Young and Rush. The two would agree to a coin toss to decide who would go into stasis and who would remain outside. The episode would have ended with the result of the toss not being revealed, thus being the cliffhanger.
I'm serious.
Thank you for this, wormhole. VERY interesting stuff.
Part of what we crave in entertainment is to see life as we would like to live it, or as we would want it to be for others. SGU didn't paint a rosy picture. Many of the characters were flawed in a number of respects. Not every day in life is entertaining. Not everything fits together so that we feel like the status quo is upheld. This is what I think worked well for SGU. Some of the unintentional flaws worked, tying into the whole trying and difficult situation.
I agree with RoJoHen. The Destiny crew would never get home. They had the luxury of being able to keep virtually in touch, but that was all. This was a whole new life in a galaxy far, far away. Their ultimate destiny was to be separated from the hive of human civilization forever. But, their importance to humanity would be so great. The information they would relay back home would help Earth and humanity survive all the present day obstacles, giving the human race a chance to one day have a shot at ascension.
Looks like that idea was only a pitch, not something that was dropped due to cancellation.
As for the Destiny crew not making it home, I figured that Rush would have been the only one who didn't make it. I think he would have found whatever he was looking for which didn't include going home.
Rush had no reason to go home. He had absolutely no interest in returning home, which is ironic, since if anyone could get the rest home it would be him.
You could almost view the whole "Novus" arc as foreshadowing that they won't "make it home" but instead "make a new home" on Destiny.
You could almost view the whole "Novus" arc as foreshadowing that they won't "make it home" but instead "make a new home" on Destiny.
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