I'll have a lot more to say about Stargate Universe in the coming days now that I've seen the first three episodes, but before I spend a great deal of time putting everything into focus -- honestly I'd like to sit down and watch the entire thing again before I write my story -- I'd like to share a couple of immediate thoughts on what I remember, what my first impression was.
People who will not like this show are people who do not like this style of show. It almost doesn't matter what your personal relationship is to Stargate in general, it's not the Stargate factor that will put you off or suck you in forever, it's that this is not a family action show pretending to be science fiction like its predecessors were.
Stargate Atlantis tended to try to cram a lot of action into a small amount of time, and sometimes that breakneck pacing would hurt the show, making it feel very rushed. The series finale exemplified this problem, where a it felt like the writers crammed two hours worth of story into a single hour.
That is not happening with SGU. If anything, the first three episodes are a little too slow, but that's fine -- if you can enjoy a show that takes its time. Something to keep in mind is that the first three episodes are a single story, and will not be representative of the pacing of everything that comes after, not by a long shot. And that's not even addressing the comedy moments we've all come to love and expect from Stargate.
Forget it, they are gone. This is a real drama now, if you don't like real dramas, that's what's going to seal it for you.
And if one can imagine a formula where none exists, then SGU's formula is wildly distinct from SGA in other areas. There isn't a real big or immediate focus on existential problems like malfunctioning technology so much as is a focus on how people deal with problems under stress, in less than ideal circumstances, set in the Stargate Universe. Once you see the premier, you may disagree, but consider where the focus is the whole time. Is it on the ship, or is the ship just a catalyst for interactions amongst the people?
Do not expect repeated scenarios where the the military lead character leans on the cliched genius scientist while everyone else throws in words of encouragement until a brilliant solution is discovered to save the day at the last minute. Don't get me wrong, that worked great for a lot of years and lead to some really entertaining times, but there's a place and a time for that, and it ain't here.
Reality never works out that way and if episodes one through three are any indication, for the most part, neither will Stargate Universe. Believe me when I tell you that the trailer soundbites, "these are the wrong people, in the wrong place" were not a joke.
And just because those things are gone doesn't mean that this is less of a show. There are other ways of telling stories that bring other positives to forefront.
In the SGA/SG-1 world, you've got enjoyable but mostly unrealistic character relationships. Everybody is friends, nobody acts like an asshole, nobody cowers from something without finding undiscovered courage for a small amount of redemption at the last second, and you generally don't have people looking out only for themselves that are inside the main cast. It wasn't uncommon to see guest characters portrayed as less than savory people in SG-1, but that kind of realism -- everyone is flawed in some way -- has been brought closer to home in ways that make McKay's arrogance like downright positive by comparison.
That's fine, that's what you've come to expect from SG-1 and SGA and it makes for a remarkably upbeat environment.
Stargate Universe is a lot of things, but upbeat is not one of them.
Think of your typical medical drama, and then think of House. Characters with flaws is what real drama is all about, and this show is full of people with flaws.
In a way, it's very refreshing. And looking back, at least for this brief moment, whatever comparisons might be had between Ron Moore's BSG, and SGU, the only fair analogy is in visual styles. The CGI sequences have a familiar BSG feel (BSG did not invent that style, by the way), but otherwise SGU doesn't take drama to such an extreme that you're watching a soap opera in space, and it's certainly not 90210 in space, either.
