posted
I don't understand how this got good reviews from anyone. It's awful. These people are too stupid to live, and the characters they spent so much time on are mostly rehashed, inferior versions of the original team.
Let me know if the later episodes get better.
Posts: 2283 | Registered: Dec 2003
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Blayne Bradley
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Maybe we are just giving it a massively higher standard then we otherwise would? Is it good on its own merits?
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It's the younger, edgier version of Stargate! (as seen on 200.)
I think it has potential, but the shaky camera work was annoying as hell. The gratuitous sex scene was in stark contrast to the rest of Stargate, which was very disappointing. I liked how Stargate was pretty family friendly.
There are several annoying characters, and several that I liked. Eli was cool. Rush was a bit annoying, but I thought his character was believable. Interesting, at the very least. (The bit that eluded to him knowing what it was like to lose someone felt forced, though.)
I'll keep watching it, especially because pilots often really, really suck. I have hopes it will get better. I want more science and better camera direction. For now, those are my two big requests. I think the premise has a lot of potential.
Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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I'm halfway through it. The visuals for the old school stuff, the Hatak Lucian Alliance ships, the gliders etc was really, really shiny. They certainly took the special effects budget and either bumped it up, or learned to do a lot more with it.
Thus far it's interesting. The sex scene might have seemed a little gratuitous, but it also served a couple points. Sergeant Young Guy is obviously not supposed to be having a relationship with that women, as evidenced by that and his later "wait, do I know you?" attitude towards her. That's difficult to convey in a span of 30 seconds, but I thought it was done rather efficiently all things considered.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Katarain: It's the younger, edgier version of Stargate! (as seen on 200.)
I think it has potential, but the shaky camera work was annoying as hell. The gratuitous sex scene was in stark contrast to the rest of Stargate, which was very disappointing. I liked how Stargate was pretty family friendly.
I am guessing you never actually watched the first season of SG1 as it aired...... It had full on nudity and swearing. It was only cleaned up when it went to SCI-FI channel. Besides for a "racy" scene it was pretty tame.
Posts: 305 | Registered: Jan 2008
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I'm not blown away by the pilot, but I do think that there is plenty to work with, plenty. I thought Atlantis was extremely, extremely weak for the grand majority of the first three or so seasons. The pilot was cool was there was a bunch of Lantean technology and we all had the wow factor going for us. But that didn't keep it going. I liked the pilot for SG1 for something like the same reason; it was new and exciting and there was a go go go factor for it. But then I thought it dragged a lot with the exception of several stellar episodes before it really got moving in like the fourth season.
So for SGU? Punchy start, and I think it could go a lot of places. Frankly I don't see why they can't just take Atlantis (which was oddly not mentioned? But I guess it isn't really relevant), a couple of ZPMs and just jump there. Or network some gates together and get there like that. I don't think getting them back will end up being that big of a problem, just a time consuming one. I worry that the interpersonal drama will turn this into Gray's Anatomy in space, which will really turn me off to the show. I was hoping for the interactions like when the SG team hung out at Jack's house, or when Jack and Daniel had that heart to heart before he ascended, or when John and Rodney were sharing a beer at the edge of the Atlantis pier. Those little moments ended up being highlights of those shows because we got so little of it, and we wanted more. But if this turns into sex scandals, backstabbing, betrayals and dramatic mistrustful power plays behind closed doors, I'm going to get turned off to it pretty fast.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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About an hour and a half in, it seemed like it might start to get interesting. Instead it got melodramatic and, in my opinion, ridiculous. The apprentice politician didn't get the bit about personal sacrifice for the greater good? Really?
Then the last two minutes seemed to get interesting again. Maybe when they get to a planet we can pick up someone likeable or see more of a character who turns out to be likeable. Cause the crowd they focused on did nothing for me.
Posts: 2283 | Registered: Dec 2003
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quote:Originally posted by Katarain: It's the younger, edgier version of Stargate! (as seen on 200.)
I think it has potential, but the shaky camera work was annoying as hell. The gratuitous sex scene was in stark contrast to the rest of Stargate, which was very disappointing. I liked how Stargate was pretty family friendly.
I am guessing you never actually watched the first season of SG1 as it aired...... It had full on nudity and swearing. It was only cleaned up when it went to SCI-FI channel. Besides for a "racy" scene it was pretty tame.
I did come late to the series, but I watched it on DVD, so it included the nudity. I don't much remember the profanity, though. I've watched it all several times, in fact. I LOVE SG1. SGA is awesome, too. But nudity, especially in the context of the SG1 pilot, is a LOT different than a moving, grunting sex scene. Once my child(ren) are old enough to not have nightmares from seeing the goa'uld and the wraith, they'll be old enough for me to handle the nudity scene in the pilot. I can cover their eyes, or if they do see it, it's no big deal. A sex scene like the one in Universe? No way.
I love Buffy, too, but there's no way I'd let my child watch Season 6!
Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Katarain: It's the younger, edgier version of Stargate! (as seen on 200.)
I think it has potential, but the shaky camera work was annoying as hell. The gratuitous sex scene was in stark contrast to the rest of Stargate, which was very disappointing. I liked how Stargate was pretty family friendly.
I am guessing you never actually watched the first season of SG1 as it aired...... It had full on nudity and swearing. It was only cleaned up when it went to SCI-FI channel. Besides for a "racy" scene it was pretty tame.
I did come late to the series, but I watched it on DVD, so it included the nudity. I don't much remember the profanity, though. I've watched it all several times, in fact. I LOVE SG1. SGA is awesome, too. But nudity, especially in the context of the SG1 pilot, is a LOT different than a moving, grunting sex scene. Once my child(ren) are old enough to not have nightmares from seeing the goa'uld and the wraith, they'll be old enough for me to handle the nudity scene in the pilot. I can cover their eyes, or if they do see it, it's no big deal. A sex scene like the one in Universe? No way.
I love Buffy, too, but there's no way I'd let my child watch Season 6!
The sex scene was very tame and did not include any nudity not even a butt shot. It was also a very short scene.
Posts: 305 | Registered: Jan 2008
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quote:Originally posted by AvidReader: About an hour and a half in, it seemed like it might start to get interesting. Instead it got melodramatic and, in my opinion, ridiculous. The apprentice politician didn't get the bit about personal sacrifice for the greater good? Really?
Then the last two minutes seemed to get interesting again. Maybe when they get to a planet we can pick up someone likeable or see more of a character who turns out to be likeable. Cause the crowd they focused on did nothing for me.
I don't think they'll be picking anyone up. The show runners have already said that they aren't going to be running into any humanoid aliens in their travels. I'd look at the aliens as more akin to Star Wars aliens rather than Star Trek aliens.
I think the apprentice politician's problem had less to do with the morality of self-sacrifice than it did with the fact that in the span of an hour, she went from her dad embarrassing her at dinner to watching him die before her eyes on a ship a billion light years from home. I think, especially given her age, it's perfectly acceptable to react emotionally rather than with Spock-like resolve. I thought she was one of the more believable characters.
It's only the pilot. They spent 80% of the episode setting things up, so we've hardly had time to get to know anyone.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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quote:Originally posted by Katarain: It's the younger, edgier version of Stargate! (as seen on 200.)
I think it has potential, but the shaky camera work was annoying as hell. The gratuitous sex scene was in stark contrast to the rest of Stargate, which was very disappointing. I liked how Stargate was pretty family friendly.
I am guessing you never actually watched the first season of SG1 as it aired...... It had full on nudity and swearing. It was only cleaned up when it went to SCI-FI channel. Besides for a "racy" scene it was pretty tame.
I did come late to the series, but I watched it on DVD, so it included the nudity. I don't much remember the profanity, though. I've watched it all several times, in fact. I LOVE SG1. SGA is awesome, too. But nudity, especially in the context of the SG1 pilot, is a LOT different than a moving, grunting sex scene. Once my child(ren) are old enough to not have nightmares from seeing the goa'uld and the wraith, they'll be old enough for me to handle the nudity scene in the pilot. I can cover their eyes, or if they do see it, it's no big deal. A sex scene like the one in Universe? No way.
I love Buffy, too, but there's no way I'd let my child watch Season 6!
The sex scene was very tame and did not include any nudity not even a butt shot. It was also a very short scene.
I object to the lack of morality in the scene, mainly. Not to mention how unprofessional it is for military personnel. One thing I liked about SG1 is how they never went there. They portrayed the attraction between Carter and O'Neill just fine without sinking to that level. They even managed just fine with Daniel and Vala!
You don't have to agree with me. It's just a difference I don't appreciate and don't approve of.
Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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I think what they were going for was the realistic aspect, rather than the professional face. I've never been in the military, but I think for every Jack and Sam, honoring their military duty at the expense of personal feelings, there are two Lieutenant Scotts doing it in the store room when no one is looking.
As for the lack of morality, well, I never really thought about it from that angle. We don't know the status of their relationship yet.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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quote:I object to the lack of morality in the scene, mainly. Not to mention how unprofessional it is for military personnel. One thing I liked about SG1 is how they never went there. They portrayed the attraction between Carter and O'Neill just fine without sinking to that level. They even managed just fine with Daniel and Vala!
You don't have to agree with me. It's just a difference I don't appreciate and don't approve of. [/QB]
Clearly the LT was breaking the rules. The scene with her later showed that. However the scene was also rather accurate about how deployed troops actually act in real life. They also seemed to be setting up a conflict for the future. I am a fan of the Stargate series in all it's forms but even I recognize that our troops as honorable and duty bound as they are, are not anywhere near the paragons of virtue that the SG shows portrayed them as. There is room for showing people as they actually are. Then showing them come together over time and over coming their obstacles. SGU is basically all the "redshirts" trying to survive without their super heroes.
Posts: 305 | Registered: Jan 2008
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Blayne Bradley
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posted
Its like a TV series about the Imperial Guard!
Okay, what is a "Kino"? Assuming thats the correct spelling? he says it after the "Russian..." etc and got cut off, the Soviet rock band or something else?
Okay Stargate wiki to the rescue, Russian word for cinema.
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Blayne Bradley
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The episode was an awesome sandwitch with awesome filling wrapped with awesome with a side order of awesome.
quote:I object to the lack of morality in the scene, mainly.
I'm confused about what you mean. Are you saying that a sex scene is OK if it depicts an off-duty married couple?
Posts: 3275 | Registered: May 2007
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quote:Originally posted by Blayne Bradley: Its like a TV series about the Imperial Guard!
Okay, what is a "Kino"? Assuming thats the correct spelling? he says it after the "Russian..." etc and got cut off, the Soviet rock band or something else?
Okay Stargate wiki to the rescue, Russian word for cinema.
I think it means eye but I could be wrong
Posts: 305 | Registered: Jan 2008
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It seemed like a BSG-styled SG to me. More reminiscent of BSG than SG.
Posts: 315 | Registered: Dec 2005
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Blayne Bradley
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Very much more BSG then Voyager as in theory they actually have the means to communicate with the SGC (in theory not sure if Dr. Hitler is lying or not) and in theory if theyre ever able to figure out their location it should only be a few months voyage to their location.
But the question shouldnt be is this is good or bad really, nothing afterall is original anymore, instead what we need to ask is can they make this work in an interesting way? Since its practically merging three favorite scifi shows together this can't possible fail.
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By Space 1999 I mean that they can't control where they are going and have a limited time at each stop. They also are considering finding a planter to evacuate too. That was a running theme on Space 1999
EDIT My brother bought me the first season of Space 1999 for Christmas last year and it's plots are pretty fresh in my mind.
Posts: 305 | Registered: Jan 2008
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I enjoyed the pilot. Some plot holes, but I think they're doing a good job setting up a lot of conflict for further on in the series. We have some black sheep, we have people who can't get along, we have the ol' military vs. civvie, we have some potential coupling going on, limited resources, an uncooperative and damaged ship...
They aren't going to be short plot material any time soon.
Posts: 3950 | Registered: Mar 2006
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I'm with you, MightyCow. On the romance angle alone, I leaned over at some point and poked my fiancé, saying, "Watch, Scott and Chloe; just you see." He says, "No way! I'm rooting for Eli!" Then we got another scene with the first pair talking about the death of her father and some suspicious looking season previews that I think showed her and Scott in some fashion together. Could be deceiving, but we'll see.
As far as the tone, it is definitely more grainy (reminiscent of BSG, which I've only seen a few eps of) and edgy, but I see this approach as better fitting for the predicament they're in than a more campy feeling one. Does that make sense?
I liked the pilot well enough, but I'm even more curious to see how the season progresses. It wasn't an overwhelming wow of an opening, but I think it's got potential!
Posts: 691 | Registered: Nov 2008
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I was fairly interested in the pilot, although I did feel that many of the characters just felt too young. The shaky cam was also very annoying.
I was immediately skeptical that even three Lucien ships would pose any threat to the Hammond at this point in time.
Also I was a bit confused about the communication devices that Dr. Smith, oops I mean Dr. Ross, used. Wouldn't Walter have been walking around the ship during the time he was using them? Also, I'm having trouble remembering, but do they get encoded to whoever first uses them?
Posts: 2489 | Registered: Jan 2002
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Blayne Bradley
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Walter was asleep so he wouldn't have noticed.
They werent a threat to the Hammond but they got troop transports past the Hammond before they could stop them.
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The youth angle was intentional. They wanted a pretty young cast with one or two older characters to cement it.
I too was very skeptical of the Hammond being even moderately bothered by three Lucian Alliance ships. Ori motherships used to mow down Hataks with one shot, and nothing we had could come close to penetrating it. Likewise, our shields could stop several Ori weapons discharges. With Asgard weapons, we could destroy Ori ships with a couple shots, and in one Atlantis episode, we saw Colonel Carter on the Phoenix blowing up Wraith ships left and right. I find it hard to believe that the weapons on the Hammond couldn't cut right through them, but that's the problem with having really powerful weapons in a galaxy with no real rivals. Minor point I guess.
Dr. Rush's devices connected to Dr. Lee back at Stargate Command, but if you'll remember from previous use of the device, it's one way. When Daniel and Vala went to the Ori galaxy, the people whose bodies they stole did not use their bodies back in the Milky Way. Also, they did mention before that stones were encoded to each user, but I thought I remember their being a way to reset them. It was covered in Citizen Joe.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Speaking of Dr. Rush and the stones, I'm a little skeptical of his claim that he really DID contact the SGC at the moment in time claimed. The way they showed it (this is from memory, not from rewinding), it seemed like it could have easily been a flashback to testing of the stones or past use.
To explain how the SGC (from previews) does find out what's going on, it's totally possible that someone else gets a hold of the stones in an upcoming episode and contacts them, but this need not be through Rush.
I can't seem to recall enough right now about the devices to say whether or not they're encoded to a specific person or people after first use. I'm inclined to say no on a whim, just because that would severely limit stone usage after the original users are out of the picture. If they do, however, that would explain why there are three stones and not just one. *ponders*
Posts: 691 | Registered: Nov 2008
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Blayne Bradley
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The issue of whether it was a flashback or not is what it is gonna revolve on I think.
However it is worth pointing out that of all of the main cast there ONLY Rush was supposed to be there so it does make sense.
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quote:Originally posted by Katarain: It's the younger, edgier version of Stargate! (as seen on 200.)
I think it has potential, but the shaky camera work was annoying as hell. The gratuitous sex scene was in stark contrast to the rest of Stargate, which was very disappointing. I liked how Stargate was pretty family friendly.
There are several annoying characters, and several that I liked. Eli was cool. Rush was a bit annoying, but I thought his character was believable. Interesting, at the very least. (The bit that eluded to him knowing what it was like to lose someone felt forced, though.)
I'll keep watching it, especially because pilots often really, really suck. I have hopes it will get better. I want more science and better camera direction. For now, those are my two big requests. I think the premise has a lot of potential.
I agree with all of this.
quote:Originally posted by Traceria: Speaking of Dr. Rush and the stones, I'm a little skeptical of his claim that he really DID contact the SGC at the moment in time claimed. The way they showed it (this is from memory, not from rewinding), it seemed like it could have easily been a flashback to testing of the stones or past use.
Nah, it was real-time. However, there's no reason to believe his claim that he spoke with O'Neill. In fact, I consider it unlikely. Much more likely that he got some kind of information from Lee's computer, and maybe left a message for Lee to pass along when he got his body back.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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The only thing I didn't like about Rush was the scene where he was trying to console Chloe. I'm not sure if that was bad writing, bad acting, just a weird character, or some combination of all those things.
It was so stilted and mechanical, it really took me out of the moment, but when I watched it a second time, on the whole, Rush comes off as a very, very detached character.
Eli and Scott are my favorite characters by far. Eli is great, and the actor is absolutely hilarious in his portrayal, especially the mannerisms like when he sidelong glanced the "kino" while Rush was talking. I'm expecting him to be a fan favorite. I like Lt. Scott because the actor seems to really be doing a lot with a somewhat limited role (despite ample screen time), and I like what he represents, being thrust into a command position before he's really ready for it.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Eli seems to have alot more potential than some of the other characters, basically because he has never lived up to his abilities before and he himself doesnt even know what hes capable of. While I agree that this "the younger edgier version" of SG1 the characters leave much to be learned, at the beggining of SG1 O'Niel was already a badass, Carter was already a super-brain, this galactic stage had already enveloped Daniels life, and Tilk was a golden god (seriosly relieved that they stopped using the gold make-up.)
I dont mind the idea that the lead characters are still learning, they might even fail due to lack of experience and have to cope with thier own inabilities therein. Badasses are great and all, but sometimes dont you want an unlikely hero who doesnt know what hes doing?
Posts: 2302 | Registered: Aug 2008
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quote:Originally posted by Lyrhawn: Eli and Scott are my favorite characters by far. Eli is great, and the actor is absolutely hilarious in his portrayal, especially the mannerisms like when he sidelong glanced the "kino" while Rush was talking. I'm expecting him to be a fan favorite. I like Lt. Scott because the actor seems to really be doing a lot with a somewhat limited role (despite ample screen time), and I like what he represents, being thrust into a command position before he's really ready for it.
quote:Originally posted by rivka: Nah, it was real-time. However, there's no reason to believe his claim that he spoke with O'Neill. In fact, I consider it unlikely. Much more likely that he got some kind of information from Lee's computer, and maybe left a message for Lee to pass along when he got his body back.
Cool. I couldn't really remember exactly, and it was my finace who recorded it (he's a couple states away).
I agree with all you said they liked Eli and Scott. Posts: 691 | Registered: Nov 2008
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What I meant to say about the youth angle was that they just seemed too young for me to keep an interest in the show. I did realize that they were intentionally young though.
From what I remember, the Colonel was the one who brought the stones with them, which is why I was a bit surprised he wasn't a bit more pissed off that Rush took and used them without permission, let alone doing it in secret.
Also, Eli is my fav. character right now as well.
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Blayne Bradley
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posted
Of course he is, hes an anscended fanboy. Hes what WE want to be.
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Blayne Bradley
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New episode, I was at my parents so I caught it on cable, pretty good. I suspect the ancients are keeping on eye on the new crew of the destiny.
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I really don't like Greer. I was hoping for him to get killed off throughout most of the episode. He's insubordinate, and I can't believe his superiors allow him to keep his weapon. It should have been taken away in the pilot when he refused to stop pointing it at Rush.
I think the communication stones have a lot of potential. I'm having fun thinking of the ways they can be used. If someone needs medical treatment from a doctor, more than a medic can provide, they can get one with the stones. The medic can go to medical school on Earth while whoever wants to visit the ship does so.
I'm glad they figured out how to use the stones so effectively, and I hope they use them to their full potential.
Did they ever explain why they didn't try to get the two people back who went to that other planet? I thought they were going to send a dialer to them, but if they did, I missed it.
Posts: 2880 | Registered: Jun 2004
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Good episode, for a number of reasons. I like the flashback to Scott's past. Clearly there's a lot going on with his back story, and he has some serious guilt issues (though clearly he's gotten over his problems with pre-marital sex). Not sure what the heck was going on with the Sand Angels that led him to the lake bed. Maybe it was the Ancients, maybe it was the indigenous wind aliens, I don't know, but I didn't have a problem with the deus ex machina angle.
I too think the stones add a very interesting angle to the show, and I'm glad they're using them effectively. Near as I can tell, the two people on the other planet are just gone. Good thing that one guy got shot in the arm, but it sucks that they just lost the brain power of the scientist girl.
Greer bothers me too. You can tell they're setting him up to be the one that just snaps and starts mowing people down, and frankly he annoys the hell out of me, but I guess they figured they had to create some conflict on the show, so why not. I'd like to see him redeem himself, but I wouldn't be sad if he got sucked out an airlock or something. Going back for Scott the way he did was commendable, and I was even a little surprised by it. I think Eli earned some points by staying behind too, which I also thought was commendable. Rush's reaction to Greer was a mix of what was good and bad about his character. It was just such an awkward scene when he was trying to get water from Greer. They need to fix his character. I liked it when he was ambiguously suspicious, but now he's just coming off really awkwardly weird.
One thing I'll note; the music is markedly improved from past Stargate shows. Goldsmith I think showed he had real music writing chops in Ark of Truth, and I think he's really applied himself to this new format. The pairing of the song at the end with what was going on was likewise well done. They're matching sounds to visuals in a much more dynamic way than they did with SG1 and Atlantis, where it was just background filler as opposed to a symbiotic piece of the show.
PS. What was with the shuttle detaching at the end?
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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Blayne Bradley
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Thats what I want to friggin know!
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It looks more like an escape pod or message buoy to me. Maybe it is a shuttle, and it's just part of the old timey Ancients design that we've been introduced to here, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was something else going on there.
Posts: 21898 | Registered: Nov 2004
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I'm actually a bit annoyed by the stones. What, they're only kind of cut off from Earth? Cheat.
And the arm-in-the-puddle trick was also a cheat. A clever one, but I really hope we won't be doing that EVERY week!
I am betting the sand devil is either an alien life form they will be seeing again (since it doesn't seem to be precisely material, maybe it can planet-hop at will) or some feature of the ship itself. Either way, it will be back.
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