A Look at the Magnificent Second Season of “Stargate Universe”

Every once in a while a show comes along and avoids the sophomore slump by knocking down the walls of expectations and takes viewers on an astounding journey.  “Stargate Universe” is that show.  Stepping outside the long shadows of its predecessors, “Stargate Universe” sought to explore how a small group of mixed military and civilians stranded on the far side of the universe on an alien ship out of their control chose to embrace their destiny (interestingly, the very name of the alien ship) and see where it took them.  It became less about the need to return home and more about seeing what their journey ahead held.

Jumping right off from where Season One had left them amidst an insurrection by the Lucian Alliance, Season Two showed the violent aftermath of the standoff with both sides sustaining losses and casualties.  It was only by working together that the bloody siege ended and life aboard the ship Destiny slowly came together again — albeit with some new faces, boiling tensions, and mistrust on all sides.

With everyone distracted by the simmering feud and uneasy truce, Dr. Rush (Robert Carlyle) made a remarkable discovery about the ship and kept it a secret for his own purposes.  As the remainder of the season unfolded, everyone seemed to have a secret — some benign, some nefarious and some just out of curiosity or fear.  But crammed together on one starship, there is not much room for secrets.  It is out of pure necessity that everyone’s secrets came to light.  Rush was not able to keep secret the fact that he had found the control bridge of Destiny and could now direct the ship.  Chloe (Elyse Levesque) could not keep secret her growing alien infection.  Eli (David Blue) could not keep secret his feelings for one of the Lucians.  Just as secrets can erode trust and instill fear, secrets can be used as weapons.

So the second season continued down a murky path as the Destiny-ites sought not only to survive, but to also overcome their own personal insecurities and forge bonds that would ultimately provide the foundation of perhaps a future civilization.

However, during these interpersonal and internal battles, there were also threats at home on Earth and from aliens seeking to destroy the Destiny-ites at every turn. There were the relentless Berzerker drones that lie-in-wait at each of the possible refueling and supply planets where Destiny may take them — and since the drones are robotic machines, they cannot be reasoned with.  It was kill or be killed.  There were the Ursini who came to aid the Destiny-ites in fending off the drones. And finally, there were the mysterious blueberry aliens that would pop up with their own hidden agenda, such as when they kidnapped Chloe and performed mind experiments on her and Dr. Rush. As the clock ticked down, the blue aliens’ true motivation became clear as they sought to capture the valuable Destiny ship to unlock its powerful secrets; and who ultimately demanded the Destiny-ites surrender or die.

Life on the outer edge of the universe, millions upon millions of miles from home, it is survival of the fittest and this rag-tag of survivors were utterly alone in fending off alien attacks, foraging for food and fuel, and just making it day to day.  It was bleak, harsh and utterly gripping to see how survival was even possible without succumbing to desperation, fear and futility.  Yet, as “Stargate Universe” showed in its second season, the human spirit is resilient, creative and determined to survive, believing: if we have but one life to live, we must live it to the fullest.

As the second season wrapped, the Destiny-ites encountered their descendants from an alternate timeline after they had traveled down a wormhole.  It allowed them to see one possible version of their future and how generations upon generations of future space explorers would undertake their mission to explore the universe.

But it also fueled their desire to not only explore, but also to one day still find a way to return to Earth.  Exploration is fun, but the chance to go home is a powerful motivator.  With one last leap into the unknown and allowing Eli Wallace the chance to be the hero he was born to be, the Destiny-ites chose to spend years in cryogenic hibernation until they could get to a safe place to begin their journey again.  It is a fitting and fulfilling ending to a series that challenged viewers to join it on a remarkable adventure.

For those wanting to see how this fine sci-fi series played out, the entire second season will be released on DVD on June 7th by MGM Home Entertainment.  The 5-disc DVD set includes all 20 episodes of the final season, including behind-the-scenes interviews with the cast, featurettes showcasing the mysteries of Destiny, audio commentary by both cast and the producers for each episode and sneak peeks into the sensational season finale.  Also among the featurettes are: SG-U Welcomes You to New Mexico’s Bisti Badlands (an in-depth piece about the filming in New Mexico for the episode “Malice”); Pitches: A Journey of Friendship and Discovery (a piece that showcases the development of an episode from ideation to screenplay), Robert Carlyle Directs; Andy Mikita Directs;·Eli’s Mom Comes on Board; Brian J. Smith’s First Fight; Crashing a Shuttle; The Seed Ship with Joe Mallozzi; Saying Goodbye to Sgt. Riley; Lou Diamond Phillips on Guest Stars; Lt. Scott Gets Hit By A Car; Inside Cloverdale with Brad Wright; How to Get Sucked Into Space; Deconstructing Destiny;· A Day in the Life of Jamil Walker Smith; Transplant Day; Sitting Down with Mike Dopud; Bringing the Bridge to Life; Louis Ferreira vs. Colonel Young; and Behind the Season 2 Finale – Gauntlet.

The series starred Robert Carlyle, Louis Ferreira, David Blue, Brian J. Smith, Jamil Walker Smith, Ming Na, and Alaina Huffman, with special appearances by Lou Diamond Phillips and Robert Knepper. Their mesmerizing performances made the second season of “Stargate Universe” simply extraordinary.  It simply must be seen to be believed.  For sci-fi fans, for Stargate fans, and fans of well-crafted television stories, this is a must watch show.  Take the journey with them and be amazed!

Where to find this article:

http://nicegirlstv.com/2011/06/06/stargate-universe-season-2-dvd-review/

Top Newsmakers of 2010 in Sci-Fi Television

In no particular order, but because they contributed greatly to making 2010 a tremendously entertaining year in science fiction television, special recognition goes to:

Matt Smith (“Doctor Who”) – He took on the biggest challenge of anyone in modern sci-fi — filling David Tennant’s shoes.  He then made “Doctor Who” his own and left fans clamoring for more.  Admirably and gracefully, he did the impossible.

Damon Lindelof (“Lost”) – Tackled the impossible task of ending one of the most significant modern sci-fi series on television, and when fans turned on him in anger with disappointment and frustration, he braved through the criticism and then issued a semi-apology 6 months later stating he understood why the fans felt let down.

Robert Carlyle (“Stargate: Universe”) – Hero or villain, Carlyle’s portrayal of Dr. Nicholas Rush has been riveting and must be credited for helping make “SGU” a must-watch television series.

Ronald D. Moore  (“Caprica”) – With its dying breath, Ron Moore stood by his electrically charged series and continued to fight for its existence.  Even at its death-knell, Ron was at one of the last event attempting to woo fans and bravely asked the fans to unite and keep “Caprica” on the air.  He did not abandon ship and stood by his show to the bitter end.  “Caprica” may not have been popular with sci-fi fans, but it inspired lively debate and carved out a niche in sci-fi history.

Russell T. Davies (“Torchwood”) – Single-handedly brought “Torchwood” to America to ensure the cutting-edge sci-fi series would continue and pounded the pavement to make it happen.  If only all showrunners were so tenaciously dedicated to their shows that they would seek financing half-way across the world and relocate their show in the process. Sheer brilliance.

While hundreds if not thousands of other people contributed to making 2010 a great year in sci-fi television, these were amongst those who sprung to mind and dominated the headlines.

When the World Cracks: The cancellation of “Stargate: Universe” has left a fan-base reeling in after-shock

On the fateful day that it was announced the Syfy had canceled “Stargate: Universe” the sci-fi fans rose up in anger and the sleeping horde of sci-fi fans let their voices be heard. It was the second time in as many months that a beloved sci-fi series had been canceled – on the same television network no less. It was a double-blow to an increasingly diminishing genre.

Science fiction has always been a hard sell on television. For one, the mass viewing audience tends to avoid anything remotely looking like science fiction. Another reason for the problems surrounding sci-fi shows gaining traction on the television landscape is that sci-fi fans are picky in what they will embrace. They are unforgiving of so-called bad sci-fi shows or lackluster writing.

Whatever the multitude of reasons, sci-fi fans did not whole-heartedly embrace “Caprica” and “Stargate: Universe.” Thus, it was with a heavy-heart that both were reluctantly canceled. But the ratings showed that fans were abandoning the shows, not sticking by them. So in light of the eroding audience retention, the ax fell.

We can debate why fans were not tuning in for the live broadcasts, or avoiding watching such stellar sci-fi shows. But, in the end, the reality remains the same: time had run out. With 10 episodes remaining to air hopefully next Spring, “Stargate: Universe” will have a chance to still enter sci-fi canon. It may or may not be the last chapter of a long legacy of “Stargate” franchises. Let’s hope not. But it will be a dark hour to see the last of a remarkable universe explored by three different television series.

“Stargate: Universe” began innocuously enough. It introduced an array of characters forced to flee through a wormhole onto an alien spaceship over which they had no control. Light-years away from home and unable to return home because much of the ship’s functions were damaged, the escapees had to learn to cope with being lost-in-space without the resources necessary to survive. The premise was familiar, yet more limited in scope of another classic sci-fi series where a rag-tag group of survivors were forced to flee into the stars.

Having been forewarned, I knew that the initial episodes would be heavily foundational. As the survivors on the alien-ship Destiny took their initial steps into alien territory, the viewer would experience each incremental step. Not every episode could start with a space ship fight. Much of the episodes were to emphasize the need for basic necessities and how ill-equipped a group of civilians and military personnel would be to secure such things when they have no ability to determine where they are going and the emotional strain and stress that would place on each of them.

However, right from the start, one of the largest portions of the sci-fi fan base was outraged over the portrayal of women on the series. While subsequent episodes did well to temper the outrageous stereotypes and give credence to a more equal status in the series, many female fans jumped ship (figuratively). Then many of the male audience became critical of the series’ laborious tone and pace. They wanted more action, more gunfights, more space battles. Alas, “Stargate: Universe” was a series not equipped to provide all those testosterone-laden elements. Instead, “Stargate: Universe” was something more. It was a thinking-fan’s show. It was borrowing from earlier sci-fi series and laying the groundwork for intellectual debate, more than simple physical confrontations. It wanted to use physical confrontations sparingly and as-needed to propel the story it wanted to tell.

But the damage had been done. Many female sci-fi fans had stopped watching and many male fans were too impatient to endure a well-thought out storyline. That left a tenaciously devoted core of fans who were delighted in the carefully constructed storylines intermeddling short-term and long-term story arcs to keep the fans engaged. “Stargate: Universe” also began unpeeling the layers of each of its complex characters – each neither fully altruistic, nor all evil at their core. The series wanted to explore the shades of gray and allow its characters to reflect as much possible the flawed humanity in which we all live. People are not clear-cut good and bad – they are something in-between; and to choose to highlight the flaws – the cracks in each person’s soul – was intriguing.

Therefore, the lens in which “Stargate: Universe” portrayed humanity was multi-faceted and provided a potentially limitless number of stories that could be told with just a core group of characters.

Having been given the time needed to establish its basic premise and introduce its characters, by episode 10 (“Justice”) the show had finally come into its own. For the fans who had stuck around, their patience was rewarded. When the show allowed Dr. Rush to be beaten to a pulp and left for dead on a planet while Col. Young returned to Destiny without him, it was galvanizing. Suddenly the harsh reality and brittle personalities stretched beyond their breaking point had reached a violent and brutal climax. It was brilliant storytelling. It left viewers breathless with anticipation during the long 4-month hiatus.

Then, astoundingly, the show returned with even more force and momentum with the introduction of the Ursini aliens in “Space (part 1).” The Ursini had rescued/captured Dr. Rush and had performed untold amounts of experiments on him. The simultaneous rescue of Dr. Rush and Chloe who had been abducted right off the Destiny ship was breath-taking. This was “Stargate: Universe.” It had laid its foundation so carefully that when the story broke out, it caught us all off-guard and became the cutting-edge series that we had hoped for.

In the subsequent months, the series reached another major crossroads with the incursion of the Lucian Alliance and the loss of T.J.’s baby. The dangling storylines thought forgotten were resurrected and woven into the main story. It was a roller-coaster ride that was moving faster and faster.

When the show reached its second season mid-point, it left us wondering if the Destiny-ites would forsake their journey home to Earth and go in search of the beginning of the universe, while being hotly pursued and toyed with by the Ursini aliens. The show was just about to embark on another fantastical journey. It was therefore a cruel blow to learn that when “Stargate: Universe” returns in Spring 2011 to finish its second season, that will be all there is. We may never learn if Destiny would actually take them to the beginning of life itself and what they would have found there.

It is also likely that the series will end on a cliff-hanger as the cast and crew found out about the cancellation after they had wrapped the second season finale; in which case, fans will be even more outraged when that time comes.

It feels too soon to really mourn a show that is coming back for 10 more episodes. But knowing in advance that those final 10 episodes will be the last, shall make them that more precious. As with any TV show that is canceled before its time, it is hard to understand the “why’s” of it all. But in the end, the “why’s” do not matter so much as taking the time to appreciate what we were given. In today’s ridiculously impossible world of keeping a television show on the air, it is a blessing that “Stargate: Universe” was given two full seasons. Not even “Caprica” can boast that feat.

So I challenge the sci-fi fans who loved “Stargate: Universe”: cherish the final ten episodes. Do not wail and gnash your teeth in despair. Rejoice that we were given those episodes at all. Sci-fi television is still in decline. It is a dying genre. Embrace the final amazing moments that are actually given a chance to be broadcast — for not every television show is given such a graceful end. It is time to appreciate what we are given.

Where to find this article:

http://www.thetvaddict.com/2010/12/28/when-the-world-cracks-the-cancellation-of-stargate-universe-has-left-a-fan-base-reeling-in-after-shock/