Air, water, light: essential elements to our survival as humans. Stargate Universe (SGU) begins in the quiet of a vast empty spaceship gliding through the starlit cosmos. She comes to life slowly as if awoken from a deep sleep, and then, through a shimmering mirror-like portal, bodies hurtle through along with luggage and other portables.
Dust-covered and dazed, they stand, if they can, gazing around to take in their unfamiliar surroundings. The military personnel amongst them try to assess, warily peering around corners, weapons poised, not knowing where they are or what to expect. They are on the vast (and no longer empty) spaceship, stranded, as they will soon learn, with no way of getting home, several billion light years from Earth. They've no idea where they are, nor why they are here.
They have traveled, we learn through "the Ninth Chevron" stargate portal, a mythical wormhole address established by the Ancients, an advanced civilization long ago vanished, and leaving behind their sophisticated technology throughout our galaxy, and as we learn in "Air Part 1," much beyond.
I've read many of the reviews written by Stargate fans (and even some critics) comparing SGU to the old '60s series Lost in Space. There is actually little to compare the two shows. Lost in Space was a light take on Robinson Crusoe wrapped around a heartwarming family drama. The Drs. Robinson, their children and pet robot wandered from planet to planet looking for a way home. Stowaway Dr. Smith was a cowardly but generally harmless curmudgeon (because he was so over-the-top cowardly). SGU is not Lost in Space 2.0. But neither is it Stargate 4.0. It is very much its own series, borrowing a shooting style from gritty dramas like The Shield and Battlestar Galactica, but telling an original story (well, nothing, I suppose is ever completely original).
All space exploration, I suppose, is a bit of vanity, even hubris. Why put so much money and effort into unlocking an ancient, unknowable portal? Why bother? What's on the other side of it? To put it in classic sci-fi TV terms, "to go where no one has gone before." It is the nature of exploration, whether by ancient mariners on Earth's high seas or the Mercury astronauts of the '50s or Neil Armstrong and his "one small step for a man; one giant leap for mankind" moment.
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Article comments
1 - Paul
I was hooked by the Eli character from the start, since he is my son in many ways.So much potential & too confident for his own good . Green but not afraid of experimenting. And what a fantasy trip for a kid.
Always been a fan of Robert Carlyle, since I saw him in Full Monty. He does a good job of playing lead scientist-with his own addenda on board ship..... I thought he turned away from the dinner since there was nothing to celebrate until they actually dialed that 9th Gate.
Col Young was an interesting character and human enough to be the team leader and the 'father figure' that is going to be needed as they face the unknown.I knew there was going to be a conflict with Rush over leadership. So these three stood out for me at that time.
I must agree with your comment on "lost in space". Having seen that back in the 1970s as a kid it truly was a family show, almost 'Brady bunch' in space. There were a few episodes I still remember, but not in the same league as something like Dr Who or Star Trek.....Impossible to compare with any new syfy.