Stargate Universe: Season 1.5

On franchise in science fiction has quietly held on, not only staying alive but thriving while others rise and fall, disappearing forever. This ground breaking series has a title that is very well known to any aficionado of the genre; ‘Stargate’. Beginning in 1974 with the theatrically released film and moving on through a popular television series that lasted over a decade the franchise is remaining a favorite thanks to imaginative spin off series. There was a younger targeted animated series but few would consider that canon; a vital distinction to the large legion of fans. Just as ‘Stargate SG-1’ was wrapping up the producers came up with ‘Stargate SG-1: Atlantis’. This series carried on the original mythos updating some of the themes and tonal feel of the franchise. Now there is a new entry that continues the threads started by the other two shows but affords an opportunity for the series to mature and tackle dark, more foreboding themes. The inherent problem of a successful franchise like this is being crushed by its own success. The writers can ‘paint themselves into a corner; if the original premise is nor robust enough to allow sufficient growth in both the characters and situations. Fortunately the plot device of a portal that permits instantaneous travel to vastly remote parts of the universe is rich in potential. The original series tended to infuse well established culturally specific mythology into the story arcs explain the various pantheons as aliens with incredibly advanced technology who appeared godlike to primitive humans. These beings did not invent the Stargates, they just co-opted their use. This led the way to introducing a vastly more ancient race of builders who devised the gate technology and seeded the universe with them. Master of Sci-Fi Arthur C. Clarke noted that any technology sufficiently in advance of your own would appear to be magic or supernatural so the writers here could constantly expand the boundaries of what is possible through the judicious use of this axiom.

The series was created by a team well familiar with the franchise; Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright. Cooper was intimately involved with ‘Stargate: Atlantis’, ‘Stargate: Continuum’ and made for cable feature films of ‘Stargate-SG-1’. Wright has been a pillar of the Sci-Fi community with authorship of a dozen episodes of ‘The New Outer Limit’ as well as episodes of ‘Forever Knight’, ‘Highlander’ and ‘Poltergeist: The Legacy’. Oh, yes, he also was in on the creation of every live action series in this franchise’. By this point most franchises would have been taken over by other production teams much to the detriment of originality and overall quality. Having the same highly creative and proven minds continuing the story adds much to the continuity and believability of the underlying mythos. Fans of a series like this are usually the type that will enter into heated debates over the minute details of the stories. I know, my best friend and I routinely spend hours in such discussions and before you question our nerd levels I was married for over 35 years and he is in a decade long stable relationship so we both are capable of normal socialization despite our perchance for such detail oriented debate. What makes this even possible is the fact that Wright et al have carefully crafted a vibrant, dynamic universe with an amazingly cohesive and coherent universe. Watch ‘Stargate: Universe’ was like coming back home. I was able to fall quickly and comfortably into the new twists and characters.

The discovery of the first Stargate on earth paved the way for mankind to leap head of our current technology and explore the stars. Since the discovery of both hostile aliens and incredibly dangerous weaponry the military of the United States has had a vested interest in the Stargates from the very beginning. With the success of the first Stargate program the use of these devices has broaden to permit an international group of scientists access. Ehen one hidden baser comes under attack a group of scientists, civilians and military personnel are forced to flee using a gate. They emerge on a gigantic spaceship, The Destiny. Used by the ancient builders to plant the universe with Stargates. Trapped and unable to return the group must do their best to survive. The series is a continuation of darker, more intense science fiction helping to continue the standards set on the SyFy network by ‘Battlestar Galatica’. This isn’t the glad to get along solid team typically portrayed in the other incarnations of the franchise. The people here are trapped, forced to be on this huge ship locked in a course taking then ever farther from home. Most of the people there don’t even like each other and little pretense to that affect is even attempted. This jockeying for position begins right at the top. The senior scientist on the expedition was Dr. Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle) who is a certified genius but also extremely well versed at manipulation of everyone around him. His position is actively challenged by the senior military officer Colonel Everett Young (Justin Louis). There is an intense dislike between the two especially after a little mishap where Young left rush behind on a planet presumed dead. Another with some command envy is Camile Wray (Ming-Na), the senior member of the International Oversight Advisory organization although prior to the militarization of the group was in charge of human resources. Like many bureaucrats she has an exaggerated sense of self importance. At one point she forms an uneasy alliance with Rush to perpetrate a coupe d’état against military command in general and Young in particular.

This antagonistic feeling that underlies the premise makes this more mature in outlook than any of its predecessors. The animosity felt by most of the characters towards each other allows the writers to delve into stories that reflect the politically fueled turmoil that is gripping our own country. Keeping with this plot device they introduce ‘the Lucian Alliance’, a human group that began as a smuggler consortium but grows in power and scope to attempt to fill the power vacuum left by the Goa'uld. Topics like this are blended with the basic tenants of survival against insurmountable odds. The series makes incredible use of high definition that is a perfect showcase for the Blu-ray release of the show. They did split the season in half, something that is becoming more popular so this consideration pertains directly to what is referred to as season 1.5 but the potential holds for the future of the series.

Posted 07/29/2010