Posted by Kromey at 1:15pm Nov 24 '09So, I've now seen 4 episodes of the latest installment in the Stargate franchise. Yes, that means I'm behind, but not much I could do about that seeing as how I was in India and missed 4 episodes (fortunately I have a DVR so I still get to see them, just on a delay). I could have gotten all caught up by now, but I'm watching the show with some friends and we only get together on Thursdays to watch it, and then only 2 episodes at a time.
Anyway, point is: I like this show. We all do, really. But, it's so very different from the other Stargates. SG-1 and Atlantis both followed the same basic formula: elite team of humans lead by a wise-cracking officer and including at least one bad-ass alien and one nerd goes on missions to different planets through a Stargate, battling an evil alien race bent on galactic domination/destruction. Universe breaks so far away from that it doesn't feel like Stargate anymore - I mean, hell, they've only gone through a gate twice in 4 episodes!!
Basically, Universe is to Stargate what DS9 and Voyager were to Star Trek - we're playing in the same fictional universe, but we're doing so under very different rules.
Again, I do like this show. It's engaging, entertaining, and even the characters you hate (Rush) have redeeming qualities (uh... well... um... he... er... screw it, just trust me) that make you want to see them survive and persevere.
I fear, however, that it doesn't have staying power. Currently the episodes center around crises the crew faces - running out of air, power reserves failing, steering directly into a star - and there's really only so long this can go on before the audience begins to get bored ("C'mon, running out of air again? They've already done this one 48 times!") If they take their cue from the much-derided Star Trek: Voyager series, I fear viewership will evaporate (the much-derided Voyager's biggest criticism was that it was too "soap opera-y" due to the intense focus on characterization and intra-crew relationships - a necessary departure from previous Star Treks due to the lack of underlying plot lines such as tensions between the Federation and the Romulan Empire), and that could be the end of the Stargate franchise (Voyager very nearly killed Star Trek); at the same time, however, following in Voyager's footsteps could be a lot more difficult - they're not in control of the ship, so building up recurring side characters/villains could really stretch the bounds of believability ("How the hell does the bad guy always get to the next planet when the guys on this ship don't even know where they're going next??").
So, summary:
1. I like the show so far.
2. It's very different from previous Stargate series, which could alienate fans and lead to reduced viewership.
3. I fear it doesn't have staying power, which could lead to stale plotlines way too early and further reduce viewership.
4. I hope it keeps going, and that we continue to have the opportunity to explore the Stargate franchise with future spin-offs.
Anyway, point is: I like this show. We all do, really. But, it's so very different from the other Stargates. SG-1 and Atlantis both followed the same basic formula: elite team of humans lead by a wise-cracking officer and including at least one bad-ass alien and one nerd goes on missions to different planets through a Stargate, battling an evil alien race bent on galactic domination/destruction. Universe breaks so far away from that it doesn't feel like Stargate anymore - I mean, hell, they've only gone through a gate twice in 4 episodes!!
Basically, Universe is to Stargate what DS9 and Voyager were to Star Trek - we're playing in the same fictional universe, but we're doing so under very different rules.
Again, I do like this show. It's engaging, entertaining, and even the characters you hate (Rush) have redeeming qualities (uh... well... um... he... er... screw it, just trust me) that make you want to see them survive and persevere.
I fear, however, that it doesn't have staying power. Currently the episodes center around crises the crew faces - running out of air, power reserves failing, steering directly into a star - and there's really only so long this can go on before the audience begins to get bored ("C'mon, running out of air again? They've already done this one 48 times!") If they take their cue from the much-derided Star Trek: Voyager series, I fear viewership will evaporate (the much-derided Voyager's biggest criticism was that it was too "soap opera-y" due to the intense focus on characterization and intra-crew relationships - a necessary departure from previous Star Treks due to the lack of underlying plot lines such as tensions between the Federation and the Romulan Empire), and that could be the end of the Stargate franchise (Voyager very nearly killed Star Trek); at the same time, however, following in Voyager's footsteps could be a lot more difficult - they're not in control of the ship, so building up recurring side characters/villains could really stretch the bounds of believability ("How the hell does the bad guy always get to the next planet when the guys on this ship don't even know where they're going next??").
So, summary:
1. I like the show so far.
2. It's very different from previous Stargate series, which could alienate fans and lead to reduced viewership.
3. I fear it doesn't have staying power, which could lead to stale plotlines way too early and further reduce viewership.
4. I hope it keeps going, and that we continue to have the opportunity to explore the Stargate franchise with future spin-offs.