Stargate Universe

[Sky]

I don't care about the insubordinations. That's a star gate tradition.

Stargate has taught me this about the military: you can do/say anything you want as long as you start it with "With all due respect..."

Re: the stones. I liked the plot device with Rush giving one to the aliens, but then they used the stones without it connecting to the aliens without showing them getting that stone back or destroying it. The only hopeful part of that episode was losing contact in the middle of the surgery.

I don't know where this show is going, either. It's trying to draw from many wells and not getting the good parts of any of them. The only two characters I like are the angry black dude and the chick with the balloons. Why the hell did the soldier drop his gun when they got isolated? Even if he wasn't going to shoot anyone (under the medic's order), he should've kept the goddamned pistol on him, not given it away for some civilian without training/discipline.

Bah. The season opened was good, dammit. I hope they don't fall back into last season again.

[Tebonas]

I don't know how that stone business is supposed to work. The stones are part of a matched pair, where the sender stones are on Destiny, and the receiver stones are on Earth. If anything then the Alien consciences should be transferred to Stargate Command, not the Destiny. Maybe they reverse engineered it.

[Draegan]

Finally got to watch the last episode off my DVR last night.  It was pretty awesome until they used those stupid stones again.  I like Young though just because he tries to do the right thing but some of his flaws are mixed in.

[Vaiti]

So I forgot what day this airs since I tend to catch shows the day after they air being 7 hours ahead of the US east coast, and so I stopped by the wiki for this show to check the airdates. While there I  read over the synopsis for the upcoming episodes as they have been updated since the last time I checked them when the show first aired.

Episode 15 might be when I stop watching this show altogether.


Also, last episode confused the fuck out of me.
Ok, the aliens apparently want Destiny right? It's some holy grail for them. They haven't been able to bypass Destiny's automated defenses tho and attack in force hoping the humans would fuck up. But wait a second... they already bypassed the defense once and kidnapped someone. They apparently attached a ship to the hull long before the humans arrived on Destiny and they are able to cut holes in the hull and get inside... so uhhh... what? They really need to decide wtf they are doing with this show.

edit: to add rant about last episode

[Ghambit]

I stopped watching this show when I started... especially after meeting that dorky guy who wears pullovers and had bit roles in Ugly Betty.  Fail.  He sucks.

[Der Helm]

I don't really now what to do with the last (Faith) episode. What was the point ?

[Quinton]

I liked episode 13.  Nice way to let some time pass and mend some bridges.  Big win for no comm stones and no countdown timers.  I also like the occasional unexplained mystery.

Eli remains the perfect stand-in for the audience (assuming the audience is a gamer/scififan/etc):

"genesis device" <blank stares> "the end of the wrath of khan!"
- eli

"do they?! we're 0 for 3 in close encounters of the third kind."
- eli replies to "the gains outweigh the risks"

"I'm sorry you didn't get your wish."
"and what was that?"
"Aliens.  Advanced enough that they could build a starsystem.  Finally
somebody you could have a decent conversation with."
- col young, rush

Hoping they don't push the reset button on the whole military/civilian conflict thing -- I'd be happy if they let that fade out a bit.


I like the cold open for episode 14.  

[Quinton]

Whee! Cliffhanger in ep15 (and still no damn communication stones!).

The writers get bonus points from me if they don't resolve this right away in ep16.

[Vaiti]

Ditto. They did alot better with this episode than I thought they would. And the ending wasn't at all what I was expecting, especially from this show as it has been going thus far. Now if they can only stick to their guns for an episode or two...

[Mrbloodworth]

Whee! Cliffhanger in ep15 (and still no damn communication stones!).

The writers get bonus points from me if they don't resolve this right away in ep16.

That was a rather incredible piece by the doc.

[Sky]

I was uncertain at the end of the first season, but this season is much better. I wonder if they got some feedback about all the earth/comm stones crap?

I agree with Q, the Eli stuff is pretty fun homage to the audience material. I chuckle every time he makes a geek reference and gets exasperated when the soldiers don't get it.

[Soln]

last episode: not too bad

[Reg]

I think they actually paid attention to all of the anti-communication stone sentiment. And it's helped the show immensely.

[Quinton]

I agree with Q, the Eli stuff is pretty fun homage to the audience material. I chuckle every time he makes a geek reference and gets exasperated when the soldiers don't get it.

The best part is he remains entirely in character throughout.

I saw a spoilery thing on the next episode that implies we're going to have some more communication stone crap.  Ah well, if they manage to keep improving everything else, I'll probably forgive them for the occasional use of those stupid stones.

Hell, even Chloe has annoyed me less in the last couple episodes.

[Draegan]

Looks like they may get a slight reset with a new galaxy.  The stones need to "break" so they don't use them ever again.

[Vaiti]

They will never break them. Or well they might do that. They will never destroy them/have them get lost out an airlock with no hope of them ever being used again. They won't do that.

Last time they used the stones was in a "oh fuck, we need a surgeon and we don't have one the ship, to the stones!" manner. And that is how I see them being used from here on. To fill in with plot devices that wouldn't be on the ship otherwise.

Tho admittedly, the last time they used the stones they had the presence of mind to have them go bonkers and break in the middle of something important. But hopefully that doesn't become a reoccurring theme with them.

[Quinton]

Last time they used the stones was in a "oh fuck, we need a surgeon and we don't have one the ship, to the stones!" manner. And that is how I see them being used from here on. To fill in with plot devices that wouldn't be on the ship otherwise.

Yeah, I can deal with that.  Beats the hell out of strange body-swapping shore leave.

[Surlyboi]

Are. You. Fucking. Kidding. Me?

Deus Ex Motherfucker.

[Soln]

the ads for Mongolian Death Worm are looking pretty good right about now


show needs a giant mutant space goat 

[Quinton]

Well, could have been worse but that feels like a big step backwards from the last 3-4 episodes.  Meh.

[Sky]

They found their stash of crazy juice. Worst episode of the season thus far.

Did I miss the explanation of 'hey guys you thought we were lost but we just came through the gate automagically'?

More stone garbage.

There was some song that was really glaringly loudly bad, too. But I'm old and enjoy good music, so I'll give that a pass.

[Draegan]

Why do people keep thinking it's ok to fuck in someone else's body?  The god damn lesbian though it was ok to take a cripple's body into a weird home and make out with another woman.  I wonder if the Air Force tells that person where their body has been.

Fuck I hate the god damn stones. 

[Der Helm]

Did I miss the explanation of 'hey guys you thought we were lost but we just came through the gate automagically'?

Not sure if it was stated explicitly, but I think it was because they dropped out of FTL before being out of reach for the final stargate in the "old" galaxy.

[Arthur_Parker]

If I was going to infect half the cast with hallucinations, I'd at least have made them hallucinate a decent episode.  Worst so far.

[Vaiti]

Wha?

I do like how they have made it tradition to include one shitty song per episode now. Now if only they would start using the stones more.

[Soln]

don't forget to include a gratuitous fuck scene as well as a music montage

[Tebonas]

Wow, that was both stupid and boring. The illusion of an up-trend the last few episodes is thorougly shattered.

[Sky]

I found myself trying hard to resist the urge to fast-forward....just in case something worth watching happened. Didn't, really. Too bad, I thought they had finally figured out the formula. But to be honest, all the Stargate shows have had filler episodes every season, so I guess it's 'tradition'.

[Sky]

Oh, look. Not only a return of stupid stones plots, but a gratuitous Daniel Jackson as secret agent man, and more O'Neil acting completely non-military. Let's just stop with the cameos, ffs.

[Triforcer]

I'm more impressed about how they've interacted with a grand total of ONE NEW ALIEN RACE in their first season.  And they didn't even talk to that race.  Where are the villagers full of near-humans wearing brown tunics that hold a terrible secret? 

[TripleDES]

Leave them out of this. Once this starts, we're at the old formula again. And that one is meanwhile way more annoying than what SGU delivers currently.

[Arthur_Parker]

I'm more impressed about how they've interacted with a grand total of ONE NEW ALIEN RACE in their first season.  And they didn't even talk to that race.  Where are the villagers full of near-humans wearing brown tunics that hold a terrible secret? 

I was thinking about this the other day, there aren't any humans out this far, which kinda limits their guest star potential and really restricts what they can do with the plot.

[Draegan]

Oh, look. Not only a return of stupid stones plots, but a gratuitous Daniel Jackson as secret agent man, and more O'Neil acting completely non-military. Let's just stop with the cameos, ffs.

I thought that was the best part!

[Vaiti]

I surprisingly didn't really mind the stones this time. I can't exactly place my finger on why really. I almost didn't notice them regardless of very heavy usage. (the entire plot centered around them)

If they are going to use them, they need to use them like this. The writers are finding them in a rock and hard place with the very premise of the show. Hence the stones provide the momentum. They are a plot device.
Guess they wanted to write a BSG type show with being stranded and limited resources, then realized their fuck whoops with that in providing new conflict.
This conflict has to be one of the very first meaningful ones they've had since the show started.

Meaningful as in it feels like it matters, and it doesn't seem all that unnatural.

[Draegan]

The stones aren't a bad thing when the writers are not including rape, forced homosexuality, and binge drinking.