I once again checked out Stargate Universe this week. Apparently, the first two episodes hooked me enough to watch this one, even though I'm still a little in the dark on the whole portal jumping / chevron stuff. So I'll let you veterans talk about all the inter-dimensional Stargate stuff, and will just point out a few things I liked about this episode, part three of "Air." For one thing, I'm really liking the kid, Eli Wallace. He sort of grounds the series and keeps it from being completely in a sci-fi universe where none of us could ever imagine going, because that's exactly what's happening to him.
In a sense -- a Stargate sense anyway -- any one of us could be plucked from our comfy game lairs and plopped onto a spaceship where we're tasked with helping to save the universe -- or at least our little corner of it. That's pretty much what David Blue, who plays the character of Eli, said, as well.
At the end of this episode, the tension was just right as the two guys were struggling back across the sand with the lime and Eli had to stick his hand in the portal to keep the thing from closing up before the ship jumped. At least, I think that's what happened.
And I'm still getting a kick out of seeing Richard Dean Anderson as the lieutenant general. He'll always be Jeff Webber on General Hospital to me, though.
What did you guys think of this episode?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
10-11-2009 @ 10:53AM
Malren said...
While there's no doubt it was a "cleanup" epidode, designed to bring the initial pilot storyline to a close - and help us learn more about our main characters - I still enjoyed it. Everyone said it was going to be Voyager meets Battlestar Galactica, but it's more like a mashup of SG1 and Atlantis than Battlestar. Yet they've managed to give it an identity.
I could have done without the whole religion/aliens are gods thing coming in already...it's a bit early in the run to be trotting out that old tired scifi chestnut, even on a Stargate show. But, I'm starting to care about these people a little, and I want to see Angry Black Stereotype learn some lessons about anger management and humility.
In fact I'd love to see all of these people taken down a notch on the ego-meter. So yeah...I actually already care what happens to them and will be watching all season.
Plus, I'm a sucker for a derelict space ship, and Destiny is *awesome*.
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10-11-2009 @ 12:03PM
meeno01 said...
As a black man myself, I almost choked while drinking water while reading your analysis on Angry Black Stereotype, because I was laughing so hard! I wonder who wrote his part, because he is a little intense, but I do think that this show can be good, if they dont fall into the usual sci-fi stories
10-11-2009 @ 11:40AM
Diana said...
No see, if this was a SG1/SGA combination... stuff would've actually happened on the mission. Instead of people bickering around in sand and the captain going off on a vision quest.
I think it's very dangerous course of action for the producers to undertake. This was their first mission, this was the first chance for us to see how these people work together in a violent situation. And the only violence I saw was the one coming from Greer being a bully. I distinctly got the feeling from how the episode ended last week that stuff was going to happen on this mission (what with Young being all: "the kid needs to learn", Rush looking rather ominously at the Stargate before going through). Instead I got really bored. And I don't understand where they got those fatigues for everybody! Especially Eli who's a little on the chubby side.
I understand this is supposed to be dark and gritty, but darker doesn't necessarily mean better.
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10-11-2009 @ 12:20PM
chrissthomas said...
i wonder what will happen from the whole Rush telling Angry Black Stereotype to shoot Fat Nerdy Scientist Stereotype and then blaming Angry Black Stereotype when he got back on the ship? I do not trust Rush's character. I do like the Captain, Eli and Lou Diamond Phillips (who doesn't like LDP?) but hate the politician's family. Why did they even have to stick those characters in there. I am glad the dad is dead but the daughter is annoying too and the mom doubly so.
Does anyone have any guesses as to if they will ever encounter life? If they do I really hope it is not human life because that would just be lame. I hope they encounter some strange race.
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10-11-2009 @ 12:27PM
Preach said...
@chrissthomas
Well, the spacecraft that took off of the Destiny in the last few seconds of the episode surely didn't fly all by itself, so yeah, i guess they'll encounter life - and rather sooner than later ;)
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10-11-2009 @ 7:30PM
Kai said...
I'm glad that someone finally brought up the shuttle taking off!
Didn't they say during the pilot that there were only 2 shuttles? So that would mean 1 working shuttle - at least until they figure out a way to fix the one with the Senator's dead body in it.. 1 working shuttle which has taken off and is no longer with the ship..
10-11-2009 @ 5:41PM
misguided said...
I like how they're taking things seriously. The other series lacked emotional weight.
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10-11-2009 @ 7:15PM
theonenj said...
I'm I the only one who wants to see a relationship with Matthew and Eli? I so thought they were going to out Matthew on the last episodes.
Angry Black Stereotype really needs to be taken back a lot I think he could be bad ass but still likable.
If I was on that ship Rush wouldn't be on the ship I would have put him out an airlock day one.
And i want more Ming-Na.
But so far I like the show.
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10-11-2009 @ 7:34PM
Kai said...
R/ship between Matthew & Eli?
Matthew Scott who's first scene was shagging a woman in a storage room..
Matthew Scott who's big crisis of faith was getting a 16 year old girl pregnant?
I somehow doubt that's where the character is headed..
10-11-2009 @ 11:16PM
theonenj said...
I didn't say it was going to happen I just said I would like to see it.
So what if the first scene was him shagging a woman in a storage room I thought maybe the writers were trying to keep us/me guessing. Maybe he wanted some kind of cover to fight off any kind of rumors.
When they brought in the "crisis of faith" I was like ok Angry Black Stereotype check, fat gamer check, gay guy who can't deal with being gay because of his faith check.
I just thought the writers were going for something a little different or a lot different with a strong gay lead on sci-fi.
10-12-2009 @ 7:59AM
Alicia R. said...
I was waiting this whole episode for the token "main team" alien to join them. Glad to know that I was mistaken.
I'm still not sure about it... is certainly isn't SG1 or SGA, but It is it's own thing... which isn't a bad thing.
Will just have to wait and see what happens next week.
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10-12-2009 @ 12:01PM
Gina said...
I loved Stargate SG-1 and Atlantis. Richard Dean Anderson will always be Jack O'Neill to me. I am trying to like this version of Stargate. It is a little hard. In the original or even Atlantis someone would have figured out that Rush is a jerk and is not looking out for the best interests of the people on board the ship. I have no idea what he is up to. I don't trust him and it doesn't seem that anyone else feels the same. Are they blind, scared or just stupid? He chose the black soldier to shoot the guy because that solider has an attitude problem and everyone already knows this and it would be a he said he said. Most would believe Rush. Now that the air is fixed (at least for now) shouldn't they be finding out what everyone is good at? Putting them to work, in their fields? At the very least finish exploring the ship start repairs, find the kitchens, and such.
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10-15-2009 @ 3:30PM
obadiah spittle said...
I always thought SG-1 was goofy and so I've only seen a couple of episodes. However, I caught SG-Universe on Hulu, and I'm going to enjoy seeing it unfold.
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10-19-2009 @ 5:39PM
bcomfort said...
Story lines were planned to 'grow' characters--hopefully we will see that happen. O'Neill has 'matured'. Eli is great. Rush really has his character: major problems and is taking it seriously. The military is slack and such childish issues re who's in charge--never seen such ineptness--as Gina suggested where is the order and finding out who can be helpful where. Too many 'intelligent' people just sitting around waiting to be rescued? Hello?
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11-07-2009 @ 10:21AM
Flutterfly said...
I think that that stupid scott character should go, and soon and the same with the armstrong girl, they add nothing but unecessary filth and thats not what Stargate is about.
Armstrong and Scott to die horrifically and never to return.
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