Picking up where I left off yesterday with Question #2 of my 5 part SGU Fan Survey: What aspect of the show would you like to see exploited more?
Well, far and away the most popular answer was “Destiny”. Fans want us to explore the ship, not simply in terms of its physical space, but its backstory and place in the established Stargate mythology. When was it built? What is its purpose? And what the hell is inside all those crates?
First things first. We’ll continue exploring sections of the ship and making discoveries throughout this first season and well into season two, like the ancient chair room we’ve already come across or “that” kick-ass find that lies ahead. Big things on the horizon. Oh, and those crates? Yeah, turns out one of them contains a delightful little surprise which you’ll become privy to when the show returns in April. It’s a big ship, however, so searching the place may take some time. Of course, that’s if you go about it in an organized and efficient manner rather than ending up lost in a distant section like…but I’ve said too much.
Part of the shipboard discovery will also focus on Destiny’s capabilities, specifically its weapons and defensive systems. These will finally be put to the test against a real opponent almost immediately upon our return (Space, episode 11), while we’ll finally get to see the shuttle in action as well with flyboys Scott and Greer at the helm (Space, episode 11, again).
All well and good, but many fans want to know exactly what is up with Destiny, the reasons for its construction, and what the Ancients hoped to achieve by sending it off into the vast unknown. Well, believe it or not, we’ve got answers to those questions as well. BUT you have may have to wait a while to get them all. We’ll be providing the clues piecemeal over the course of the series run, hints and tidbits of information that will eventually form the big picture reveal we’re working toward. And, yeah, we DO know where we’re going with this.
Yes, you want them on the ship, exploring and discovering, but you also want them off the damn ship, exploring and discovering. As several of you pointed out, the show is called “Stargate: Universe” so you want to see us make use of the gate. Well, some interesting gate use upcoming in the back half of season one and into season two which goes hand in hand with another fan request: “More aliens!” and “More alien worlds!” Done and done, in the case of the former sooner, and the in the case of the latter just a tad later. Space, Faith, Lost, and Sabotage come to mind. And for those of you calling for “Action! Action! Action!”, the back half of season one is bookended by spectacular space battles and some major shipboard pyrotechnics. Between them: a world too good to be true, a shipboard putsch, twists, turns, sacrifice, loss, and revelations – major and minor – about our various players (Who knew Volker was claustrophobic?).
Finally, a few of you expressed a desire to see us pay off some of the story elements introduced in the series opener. Who attacked Icarus Base? Why? And how the hell did they find out about Earth’s top secret project? We’ll get all the answers in a three-part season ender that offers conspiracy, cameos, cosmic influence, intrigue, suspense, running and gunning, bullets and betrayal, and at least two downright horrible ways to go.
Okay, all this to say we seem to be headed in the right direction – or, more precisely, headed in a direction many fans want to see us go.
Sure. So far so good. But, in our next entry, we move on to your dislikes: “What aspect of the show would prefer to see minimized?”. Tomorrow, I tackle sex, shooting style, despair and discontent, pacing, Earth-based stories, and those f**king stones.
I got nothing, nada, zilch, zero. Happy Friday 😉
Dislikes – Having to wait until April for a new episode! I want more SGU now!
Don’t really have any complaints about the show so far. There’s character I love (Eli and Rush) characters I hate (Greer) but both are necessary to make the show work. I love the dark feel of the show.
I’m looking forward to when the show finally returns!
Hi Joe, can’t wait to read what you have to say tomorrow. hoping you will get rid of those f*cking stones ;), or at least minimize their use. More than that, the shaky camera thing really bugs me (Mr. Deni and I were thinking maybe us more “mature” folks have a bigger problem with that); so much at times that I’ve had to stop watching. We rented some Dennis Quaid scifi movie a few nights ago that was shot very much in the same style. We got about 20 minutes into the film and gave up. What’s the point of watching if you can’t see what’s going on? Ok, the movie sucked, so that was also a factor, but you get the idea.
Anywhooo, fell asleep after “Burn Notice” and, per my new “schedule”, have been up since 1:30 a.m. Expect to be back asleep by 5, assuming my daughter doesn’t decide to IM me on Skype because she’s a) seen a baby deer/baby bird/swans/cute dog outside her window at work, b) has to show me her company’s “Boot Camp” she’s recorded from afar on video (hilarious) or c) absolutely HAS to tell me about the guy that works for said company, makes the HUGE bucks and spells “Chile” (as in, the country), “Chili”. That will take at least another hour. I look forward to getting some real sleep in the afternoons 🙂
Have a good night!
All fine and dandy that YOU know where the show is going. But some of us are naturally impatient. Glad to read that the pacing of the show is going to pick up though. And your answers are almost even more aggrevating, teasing us while we have to wait almost thee more months to see the payoffs. Good job on your part on keeping up fan interest on a show that is on hiatus too long.
Gotta love a job that has me up at odd hours. Means I get to come online just to see if you’ve posted yet. Thanks for taking the time to not only post, but to plow through the responses you get.
It all sounds great so far. — Those f**king??? Those f**king what? Or do you mean you’re going to take a closer look at those who are f**king? *raises eyebrows hopefully*
— ‘K, just kidding. (Mostly.)
Belated congrats to PG15 on getting accepted to Caltech, and best wishes for the next 20 years of grad school and post-doc work, if you opt for that. 😉 Anytime you have a competition with those guys in Cambridge, Mass., give ’em hell.
— Joe, I’ll be gone for about two months. (Just didn’t want to reprise my whenever-it-was White Rabbit impression.) I hope things go well for you, all the crew and cast, your mom and sis, and blog readers/commenters. Seeya.
Less Sex, More Guns (Preferably More Alien Guns)
Joe says:
Yeah but what are you gonna blog about? Boom boom!
Cheers, chev
Dislikes – Anything involving the Kino!
I would really like to see more political manipulation on Destiny itself. Of course the military-civilian discourse and all the politics that entails is already a main theme.
But what I would love to see is some more Machiavellian Dr. Rush. I believe the current way of portraying him is somewhat bland. He is a little too flaky for my preference. I personally would like more guesswork into what he’s doing. I’m not talking mystery here, I’m talking ambivalence and doubt as to the meaning of his actions and such.
Oh yeah, and the ship, definitely the ship. People who love sci-fi, are 3 out of 5 in it for the sci 🙂
Im not sure I understand what you are saying here. I thought that all the episodes for season 1 were “in the can”. So, are you telling us that the remaining episodes in season 1 have been revamped or parts changed? If so, I will be a very happy ex SGU-hater! I have been a fan of this franchise since the beginning and before with the movie. We WANT your show to succeed, and if the changes and events you have described are really going to happen, many SG fans who have abandoned this show may return.
But if the rest of the season is just going to play your canned episodes without any new changes, it may not be enough. Im hopeful!
Great to hear about all those developments with our beloved SGU team, but waiting for April is already bad enough. Now you “torture” us by giving us this outlook. It’s like someone is waving a cake in front of your nose and telling you how delicious it is, and you are not allowed to get a piece of it now but in three months. Argh!
I feel like Tantalus now. Thanks, Joe. 😕
No, just kidding. Thanks for talking about SGU. It’s the helpful water bottle for the runner who still has many kilometers to run. 🙂
On something different now. Have you ever wondered how you could clean your computer screen from the inside? Or how to give your dogs something useful to do?
Well, here you go:
http://www.raincitystory.com/flash/screenclean.swf
😀
Have a great day.
Hello Joe,
There aren’t any aspects of the show that should be minimized. I love action as much as the next person, but I’m not against the personal relationship stuff either. Those scenes can give interesting clues about a character’s personality. If you don’t feel like you “know” a person, you don’t really care about what they’re doing or what happens to them.
Joe – I stupidly managed to post this in yesterday’s blog – but here it is again.
1. Which character would you like to see explored more?
It would be nice to know the ‘back-story’ of all the characters – but only a small bit of the history. A certain amount of mystery about a character is, I think, a good thing.
Rush is a character that can be used and abused – Rush is a complex, devious and intelligent man but is greatly flawed. Robert Carlyle is a brilliant actor and he has made Rush ‘real’ and lovable but this can be built upon. Use the fact that he is Scottish – we have a droll and sarcastic sense of humour and a good humoured dislike of the English. We are lovable! 😉
2. What aspect of the show would you like to see exploited more?
Action and adventure, heroic deeds and humour. (SGA contained all this and more).
3. What aspect of the show would prefer to see minimized?
The mistrust of Rush – make it more subtle. He is the only person who can get them home.
The stones are good for emergency use only – no more social visits home. Cut back on the stones.
4. What was your favorite “story moment” from the first half of SGU’s first season??
I really can’t think of a ‘story moment’ that made an impact on me.
5. What element (I’m leaving this one wide open) would you like to see added to the series as a whole?
More baddies, action and adventure, more discoveries in the ship, some scantily clad gentlemen ….. and an alien dog type creature. Doctor Who had K9, Captain Archer (Voyager) had Porthos – SGU can have a dog too (please).
Susan
RE: Last sentence – those ‘f**king’…what? Young people? Stones? Writers? Bloggers who don’t proofread their entries? Fans who keep complaining about your late updates? Come on, WHAT??!
just curious…
das
I’m really pleased the aspect of who attacked icarus and why which I stated in my post is going to be answered. I thought it was all forgottten about.
Hi Joe,
Been lurking on your blog for a while. Glad to have an opportunity to share some thoughts about SGU with everybody.
1. Which character would you like to see explored more?
T.J.
2. What aspect of the show would you like to see exploited more?
The Stargate network itself.
3. What aspect of the show would prefer to see minimized?
The inter-personal melodrama. Sure, it’s nice to know more about the characters but at the end of the day this is science-fiction and it really needs to be more about the ideas and the concepts, than the characters.
4. What was your favorite “story moment” from the first half of SGU’s first season?
When the Destiny dipped into a sun to refuel.
5. What element (I’m leaving this one wide open) would you like to see added to the series as a whole?
More hard science-fiction akin to the finale of Light.
Also, although I know this absolutely isn’t SG1 and I don’t expect it to be, I feel the archaeological and anthropological sensibilities of that show were sorely missing in Atlantis and it would be great to see a return to treating alien cultures with a bit more awe and wonder.
A lot more world-building in general.
Thanks!
Just a tiny wimy question.
Are you guys going to hire any new writers for season two?
Please don’t take this as an insult. I love the current writing team, but I just think that it’s good to stir things up now and then.
@Laura
Dislikes – Having to wait until April for a new episode! I want more SGU now!
Yes! I’m starting to go into stargate withdrawal. Look, my hands are shaking! I need my stargate fix.
Dosen’t Haggis cause heavy duty Cholestaral issue’s???….how is your’s by the way..
I’d like to see less of:
– The communication stones. I think they’re a bit over used, and detract from what should be the focus of the show…the ship and the people on it. While they’re actually on the ship. (Or on a strange planet’s surface) You get my drift. And they have the potential to be a deus ex machina…”Holy crap! We can’t figure this out. Let’s “stone” Carter and Mckay to the Destiny asap!”
So yeah, that’s my only criticism.
Yes!! I like the direction it’s going. It’ll take a while to unfold, obviously, but I’m looking forward to seeing it.
The only issue I have is the time I give to the show, only to have it knocked off the air. Granted, the other two shows were on 10 yrs and 5 yrs, but the years flew by and I was not ready to say goodbye. It looks like many others weren’t either and I think that stories/writing aside (which was great as far as I’m concerned) the main draw/pleasure was to watch the interaction amongst the characters – and the humour.
I would like to see happening on SGU, the same type of “spark” that happened when O’Neill first met Teal’c. That was special.
Question: I have read about situations where writers of a particular show have a direction in mind, but certain “suits” want things portrayed another way to include more sex or more blood and gore. The show’s direction is changed and consequently loses its original flavour. Who are these people who initially agree with how the shows are written and then try to change them with more T & A?
{{whine}}April is a long time away.
I look forward to what ever the story brings.
If I were to capture other ideas or explore other elements, I would touch on the following:
The alien pod that was scene leaving at the end of ‘Air’. What was that, a teaser? If so, that was plain mean. I know that we’ll see aliens. But are aliens already on board, after all it is a massive ship and they only have access to such a small portion.
While I like the drama of the crew, I’d like to see more community building. In my mind they have to. SGC and the IOA really can’t do anything. Setting up a self governing body that is separate from the military and turning this into a colony would be an interesting perspective.
Also, what about the effects of the long-rang communication stones? We have already seen that people have retained memories from their hosts, having an episode dealing more in depth with the psychological consequences (i.e. mental break down) would be really interesting as they have no one on board to fix the problem.
What if there were a race older and more powerful in technology than the Ancients? After all the Universe is massive. The Ancients occupied only a small fraction. How would that meeting of technology go? Especially if both races were gone and only their descendants remained.
I think that you and the team have done a great job with SGU. I can’t wait for it’s return in April.
Salut Joseph=)
C’est bien de faire question par question, tout le monde pense à peu prés pareil en réalité ^^!
Moi c’est surtout les nouveaux monde et les extraterrestres qui m’interesse^^…pour l’histoire du Destiny je vais attendre que la serie soit en français…pour au moins comprendre quelque chose^^!
éhéhé…oui demain il y’aura de quoi dire =)
Bonne journée!
1000 bisous!!!=)
I have no complaints about the show. You guys are doing a great job! And the second half of the season sound freaking great! April can’t come soon enough my friend!
Really sounds good and addresses most of my wishes, it will be interesting to see what your take is on our irksome areas. Mine is too much ‘in your face’ sex, would love it toned down. Alluded to, or subtle glimpses, all fine and good,but it’s not necessary to point it out so visibly and so drawn out.
I’ve heard complaints about the shooting style, but I don’t have a problem with it. I dont’ mind the earth based stories but not so often and for a better reason than just to have sex with their partners/spouses. With the stones and ability to visit Earth, they have their proper place but not so much emphasis on Earth stories to the detriment of so much potential aboard the Destiny.
Everyone has their favorite characters, mine is Eli, Young and Rush but I like them all. I wasn’t sure about Greer at first and his antagonism towards Rush seemed so overtly disrespectful and contrary to his military training but I’ve warmed to him. I’d like to see more of Scott as a military officer and not quite so much emphasis on his past, we’ve seen enough of his back story for awhile, now I’d like to see what he’s made of as a man in the present. I’m enjoying seeing development of the minor or recurring characters, hope we continue to see that.
What’s coming up in the 2nd half sounds really promising, with some more action and alien worlds and exploring the Destiny, can’t wait to see it.
There nothing I really dislike about the show. Perhaps the lack of actions in the first ten episodes but then every show needs a strong foundations an action does not necessary provides that.
May be less steam for the shower scenes, especially the ones involving the girls.
Less SG1 characters. Less they are a lovely bunch but the franchise cannot keep on relying on them an I love to see some of other thousands of personnel recruited for the IOA, Homeworld security, an SGC.
Less earth or Destiny only episodes an more mixed up episodes.
Less chloe an more Rush.
Thought, the first: Just, please, Syfy/MGM/whoever, give the SGU team time to do the big reveal before you decide to pull the rug out from under this series, too…
Thought, the second: So, is the story set up with a five year run in mind, then? With some other big reveal in mind in case it extends beyond that? Or is the big reveal slated to happen sometime in season two, with another one in season three, and so on?
OMG Joe. I don’t think I’m gonna survive the wait. Why can tomorrow be April!!!!!!
Really thanks for posting this. My anticipation level shot through the roof!!
Thanks so much,
Major D. Davis
Whoo.
Just thought I’d throw that out there.
@Joel
Buy the air Novilization. There are several scene that never made it in and there are extended battle scenes. Also you get to actually see what the characters thoughts are.
OF YOU NEED SOMETHING TO HOLD YOU OVER TO APRIL, BUY THE AIR NOVILIZATION!!!!?
IT’S Soooooo DANG GOOD!!!!
Oh yeah, should have added disliking anything with the Kino as well. I can see where it would come in handy from a writing perspective but its old now. Time to move on. It also makes Eli look like a 10 year old with a new toy. Time to mature him up a little before he gets too Wesley Crusher on us.
Joey…did you boys steal from Korn???
I just ran across this video – I believe it’s from 2002ish. The stage Korn’s performing on looks mysteriously like a hive ship, and the ‘cells’ similar to (but not exact copies of) those in The Rising.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVPvzX-AeSM
Just coincidence? Hmmm?
das
I want to see a race that passes through a bunch of gates to extend their search distance for a scavenger hunt. Will Volker’s team or Park’s team make it back with the critical ingredients in time or at all? I guess you guys did a scavenger hunt once, but the ingredient was the same every time – Ba’al clones.
Does it still cost around $5K a pop to show someone pass through the gate? No, I don’t work for your special effects supplier.
Joe — how is your mom’s rehab going? I’m sure the visits from Felix are great therapy. Do the docs have any timetable for her to go home? Hope it is soon, and she continues recovering well. She seems to be dealing with the situation with a great attitude.
If you were cooking it, maybe I could be tempted to try Haggis! My taste for exotic foods does not extend to organs and innards. My hubby went to Africa a few years ago and ate worms. I told him he was to never complain again about anything I cooked.
Sigh…April is still a long way off……
I have homework for today. I have to watch the movie “Witness” and take notes on it regarding character development and story elements.
And.. thanks again for giving us a chance to air our ideas about SGU.. and actually listening to them.
@Major D. Davis
I’ve already finished reading it, and it was bloody amazing. James sure did a great job with it. Excellent characterization.
What to do now? Hmm… Well at least I got SG1: Relvativity to keep me occupied for a week or two (or three to four days if I really like it), but then what do I do?
Please forgive me for being frank, but I felt the need to finally speak up. I’m not sure I understand why you’re all of the sudden so interested in what the Stargate fans on your blog think. In several interviews thus far, Brad Wright in particular has gone out of his way to say that he really doesn’t care what the more vocal segment of fans don’t like about SGU because he thinks he knows better what the overall fan base wants. So why bother asking for our opinions on your blog if Brad doesn’t intend to listen to us anyway? Why bother to go through the trouble of trying to show us die-hard Stargate fans that just maybe you’ve changed and really do care what we think and want to see on SGU?
Just about everyone knows by now that Jason Momoa’s been cast as the new Conan the Barbarian, which means that the prospects of Jason being able to come back for an SGA movie any time in the next year is remote, and what’s the likelyhood that you’d make an SGA movie when at least one of your leads definitely isn’t available? I heard that they just trashed all of the Defying Gravity sets, and at least some of SGA’s sets are in the same studios, aren’t they? I’d bet real money that a lot of SGA’s sets have been trashed too, if not all of them. All of what’s been going on, not to mention the fact that it’s been well over a year now since the series ended with not even any pre-production to show for it, seems to indicate that the prospects for an SGA movie to still be made are slim, if not already well and truly gone.
To get to the point, I think you and the studio have known full well since shortly after the series ended that there would never be an SGA movie. I think you (the studio, or Brad Wright in particular) spread the word of an SGA and another SG1 movie being green-lit in order to hype SGU and soften the blow of SGA’s cancellation in the hopes that not all of the fanbase would abandon the franchise and doom SGU out of anger. And then Brad gets his underwear all in a knot when the fans start becoming vocal about not immediately taking a liking to SGU for some very valid reasons, and he outright refused to acknowledge that there’s any reason whatsoever that SG1 and SGA fans should not like SGU except for the fact that we’re just bitter over SGA’s cancellation, which a lot of us obviously are, I will admit, but I can say that *I* did give SGU a chance despite my disappointment. I gave the series 6 whole episodes to catch my attention, and it failed in so many ways that SG1 and SGA didn’t.
And now you’re suddenly curious and asking us what we want to see? What is it you’re playing at, exactly? It might seem like you have finally decided that it might be worth a last-ditch effort to try to listen to us and what we want, and you may be able to soften some of the harsher negative criticism by asking a certain way, but ultimately, what’s the point of this? It’s easy to say “I want to see more of such-and-such and so-and-so”, but it’s not as easy to actually listen and sort through what the fans don’t like, ’cause then you actually have to concede a point that what you’d written and produced before just might be crap.
If you want my honest criticism, here it is: I completely lost interest in SGU when it started seeming more like a bad Battlestar Galactica knock-off instead of Stargate. There’s no real chemistry or meshing between the characters. There was too much switching focus to cover the whole cast in the premiere, and through the first 6 episodes that I did bother to watch, I felt like I didn’t really learn anything about them. I didn’t care about them. There was no structure between any of them being built, not even potentially, especially for the female characters. There was too much flirting and sexual innuendo and too little character exploration (I don’t call a sex scene or an awkward shower scene ‘character exploration’). Too much stylistic meandering and too little plot. Too much emphasis on unrevealing, meaningless, and unimportant character interactions and too little emphasis on actually challenging these characters’ skills and pushing them beyond their breaking points.
But is the studio really that interested in hearing what people like me have to say though, Joe? I’d really like to believe that you might be willing to address some of the issues I have with SGU in the next season, but I feel like we’ve been deceived and misled in regard to the movies that were supposedly green-lit, and I’m wondering if improving SGU is really what you folks in the studio are actually trying to do any more, as opposed to just trying to placate what few fans the franchise still has left with empty words and promises.
I’ll even give season 2 of SGU 3 episodes to change my mind and impress me. Tell the rest of the studio to prove me wrong, Joe!
I had no suggestions, but I do have one fervent hope: that SGU will show us worlds that don’t all look like Planet British Columbia.
“Oh, and those crates? Yeah, turns out one of them contains a delightful little surprise which you’ll become privy to when the show returns in April.”
Probably a portapotty. Explains why Deluise returned *g*
@JimFromJersey
“And they have the potential to be a deus ex machina…”Holy crap! We can’t figure this out. Let’s “stone” Carter and Mckay to the Destiny asap!””
You think Carter and McKay would give up their bodies on earth? To get all kinds of hangovers, broken limbs, STDs and what have you? I think you have a deus ex defence right there. 😉
Oh, and for the blog; I’d like to see fewer **s 🙂
Hmmm… those fucking Sexy Alien Guns?
“those f**king.” 😯 tsst, tssst Joe!! Language!!!!
I expect more discoveries and new alien races. I know you can’t afford Avatar movie type CGI worlds or aliens, but the audience demands such amazing first contact moments. It would be interesting to see new evolutions, new wheather, plants or animals. I know Star Wars will always be a stronger franchise, but you have to prepare SG:U against the live action SW or any future scifi series, if you plan to keep SG:U (and the future of SG franchise) in the “series pantheon”. I think the discovery of new planets were always one of the most serious virtue in the success of SG-1 and Atlantis, so I hope SG:U will return this old tradition in season 2 too. Use the gate, please! And put weapons at maximum! 🙂
I hope you could make a flashback episode with a total SG-1 / Atlantis crossover, where we could find out that our heroes had an established connection with the earlier SG shows. Because we haven’t heard about Icarus and almost every major SG:U character were pulled out of the box. I know we will see the past of Dr. Rush, but other SG:U characters could be paired with other SG heroes as well. Will we ever see what had happened with Young’s SGC team? Maybe some member of SG-1 could be there on that planet… Or will we ever know whether dr. Rush had worked with dr. McKay together? etc.
i hate that the return is something like 63 days away! i’m currently re-watching ‘Time’ (for about the gazillionth time), and watching TJ’s reaction when Eli is pouring his heart out to Chloe, does she perhaps have a romantic interest in Eli, but doesn’t want to complicate things by revealing the interest? Also, is it obvious that I want Eli to get a girlfriend? I see alot of myself in him (a bit too much if am honest) and I just want him to be in a happy relationship! Get chloe to realise her feelings towards him as more than a friend, or get TJ to reveal hers (if she has any) to him! Please Joe!!!!!
Joe – thanks for continuing to answer our concerns about the show. It is really good of you to do this for us.
One thing that I think will have a big impact on audience development/retention for SGU is the current programming strategy used by TPTB at SyFy/Space. I know this strategy is used on USA Network as well – which, I as a fan, find equally annoying. I hate waiting months on end to see new episodes of Burn Notice.
The long hiatus between new episodes is a really terrible strategy when it comes to launching a new series. I know you at Bridge Studios have no control over this. I will make sure to watch in April only because YOU make the effort to connect with the fans. But newer, less loyal fans will be lost along the way.
I know this has been a recurring complaint among fans on this bog but I wanted to make a more direct statement about this for the benefit of the folks at SYFY/Space.
Guys – don’t take your audiences for granted.
Okay, dislikes?:
1) The communications stones. If you MUST use them, please use them for things that make sense. No more clubbing, no more earth sex drama, no more silly visits to be with mom baking cookies. Thats not realistic or mature. Better to get rid of them. or limit them somehow.
2) PLEASE explore the ship somehow, using kinos or something…dont waste the opportunity like was done on Atlantis.
3) I hate to say it, but Chloe is a problem. She is annoying and her relationship with Scott is never going to work as the center of the show or to spice it up. Can we likk her off please? This time, for REAL? There is more chemistry between Lt James and Scott than there is with Chloe. OMG who would put up with her?
4) No more gratuitous sex scenes. It was cheesy on BSG and its cheesy on SGU. It doesnt add to the show at all. You can have IMPLIED sex without showing underwear being pulled up.
5) The shaky camera. It needs to be used sparingly. Mix it up with steady camera shooting, use it for kinos and for effect OCCASIONALLY.
6) Remember the Stargate canon which you have created. Explain why the Stargate on Destiny can be gated to while it is in FTL (what happened to hyperspace?). MORE REAL SCIENCE. Have Rush or Eli use the “technobabble” to explain why things work they way they do on Destiny
7) Please dont turn Rush into SGU’s Baltar. You may think BSG has “set the bar” but it never did. The critics loved it because it was drama and they dont know science fiction. The fans did not really like BSG as much as you think they did.
8) Give the crew more control over the ship. They cant bet back, we get it. But they can still get control of it and use it to explore. Eliminate the automatic jumps.
9) ALIENS! Not necessarily rubber faced English speaking ones, but something more intriguing than swirling sand or slugs. We want SENTIENT aliens who have a form.
The characters need to be developed, but please make them likable. Who wants to watch a show where everyone bickers and yells and does not get along? This is not realiam, at least not for most of us. We have friends or we make them over time. This crew becomes more unlikeable as you tell more about them. Eli and Rush and Greer are winners, but not if you turn Rush into Baltar.
If you would only realize that the Stargate franchise is FAR more successful than BSG, you might stop trying to emulate them. Even if BSG was not your inspiration, it comes off that way in a very strong fashion.
I love Stargate! Stargate Universe can be great, but you should listen to the fans which you have rejected. We will forgive you.
@Joel
I know I loved it. Didn’t you nearly cry when you saw how many Icarus battle scenes were cut for time. Like the dogfight with Telford and stuff.
@joel
also I’ve only had the book since Yesterday, yet Ive past the 100 page mark and I’ll be finished with it by Monday. What should I move onto then. It’s the first stargate book I’ve read, and I love it and I wanna read more. Maybe the rising novilization?
Just want to add: I personally like the Kino, especially how it is used to make the camera a living character. I think it’s being used just the right amount.
On the off chance that anyone from SyFy is lurking: ok, I accept (unhappily) we have to wait until April, but how about some reruns to whet our appetites? Huh??? Come’on guys. SyFy finds plenty of airtime for endless repeats of Ghost Hunters, how about a little love for SGU?! Mini-rant over.
How’s your Mom handling rehab? Is she able to walk any reasonable distance yet? How about stairs? When will she get her pardon from the warden and get to go home? Give her our best.
@ chevron7
How do you ‘do’ the nice big quotation signs in your post?
Susan
By the way, I hope these fan inputs don’t weigh too heavy? It’s nice to see that you’re responding to some input and questions, but keep in mind that this is only mostly the SG1/SGA fanbase, and the SGU fanbase is larger than that. From what I gather from the comments people here want to see more friendship, humour, and a big nemesis, just like in the previous shows. Which is exactly what you shouldn’t do, imo, to keep SGU apart from the rest, to be fresh and interesting. I’d hate to see the interesting dynamics and relationships between the characters, who don’t all like eachother, disappear to make place for the ‘friendship’. To me that’s just less interesting to watch. I’d also hate to see more humour or a comedy-episode… That would ruin the entire atmosphere that has been built so far.
No, I quite happen to like the drama between the characters, the dark and gritty atmosphere, the including of sex scenes (Young and Scott are people too, after all), moral dilemmas (the stones raise good ones), and that not always characters will end up doing the right things like in the previous shows. I like SGU a lot more with the more realistic characters instead of the Big Damn Heroes that were in SG1 and SGA. Just keep it that way.
Yeah, from these comments and the way you react to the ‘fan input’ I’m kinda worried that SGU is going to become just like the old shows, instead of heading a new direction. Some fan input is good, but please don’t try to please everyone as that will completely ruin the show. It’s your show after all, and the fans don’t know what they want.
Oh, and when I said to not take the fan input too seriously, I was excluding my input, of course 😉
Just popping in to shout after glancing over at the side bar:
I LOVE the Otherland books!!!!!! Needs to be a TV show! I don’t care how much it changes if it gets filmed, it would just be awesome. I know it’s massive but it’s not one of those stories you read just to get to the end, each world is a story in itself. I would say I would give it a second reading but that is a daunting idea (even for me). So for now it will sit on my “best” shelf to remind me of it’s greatness until I get brave enough in a few years to step back into it.
Joe – I’m amazed at the responses you’ve gotten to your questions – some very good thoughts out there. Too many to remember who said what, but on that #5 question, there are two things I’d like to echo:
1. More desperation. More tension. We have had moments, but – in all honesty – some of the desperate moments didn’t seem all that desperate from where I sat. Not sure if it was the acting, the filming, or the script. Perhaps it was because I felt the outcome was predictable. I did feel a sense of desperation when Scott was on the planet in Air III, but since I had no connection to the characters yet, it wasn’t as intense as I would have liked. I think I actually felt more of that intensity in the scene with Greer/Eli/Rush at the gate. Anyway – more desperation. People starving? Make me believe it. People afraid? Make me believe it. People going insane? Make me believe it. (In this regards I will miss the fella who offed hisself in Justice – I believed that character’s desperation very much.)
2. More humor. Yes, I want the other extreme, too. Joe, you know how in a comic book – right at the WORST moment – someone cracks a joke? I want more of this. It’s human nature. I know a lot of people who suddenly become comedians in a crisis (me, my grandmother, Eli, Spider-Man…). There has been some of this, true, but I think it could be done more effectively. See, I want that tension and desperation, but I do NOT want BSG. I don’t want a morbidly depressing show…no, I want something that entertains. So, strategically placed humor can enhance a show and add to the whole viewing experience. Sometimes nothing excites an audience more and engages them in what’s happening than a good ol’ fashioned ‘laugh out loud’. Perhaps this is related a bit to the ‘running gag’ idea, too. (I do realize you’re not making a comedy but a serious drama…but, still, maybe a little more ‘action-adventure’ in SGU wouldn’t hurt all that much.)
das
Hi, looking at the discussion topics on Hulu’s SGU page, I felt the need to stop in here and comment for the sake of balance. I am amazed to see so many hating on the show, and so vehemently. I personally find SGU so much better than nearly everything else on TV that I really can’t think of anything I would be inclined to complain about.
Even though Camille Wray is not a nice lady, I loved the way that her relationship with her lover was portrayed; it was a touching and utterly believable depiction of a human couple in a weird and painful situation, and the gender of the couple is immaterial. The scripting there was brilliant. I think Robert Carlyle is playing his role perfectly, and I love that he is so difficult to second-guess. I loved the tiny scene where a seed finally sprouts – I missed it the first time, and only saw it when I watched the episode again. I loved the inclusion of “Worst Day Since Yesterday.” I think Greer’s character development has been excellent; I like the subtleties he’s begun to show. Also, Eli is awesome – I’m sure you know that there is a legion of geeks like unto myself who identify with him readily.
The only thing I can possibly think of that I would like to see (and here I must warn you that I am undoubtedly a sick individual in this regard) – would be for Rush to get into an obsessive sexual relationship with someone *despite* his deep-seated grief and guilt about his late wife. It’s the kind of thing that actually happens.
My roommate and I both feel that the show is absolutely worthwhile and, while the wait until freaking April is bogus, we will be there when it returns.
Intriguing post today… Can’t wait for tomorrow. It sounds like it’s going to be an interesting season on SGU, also.
Northern Mississippi is in the middle of ice storm. I’ve got the baking bug: blueberry muffins, chocolate chip banana bread, and chocolate chip cookies. Hubby supposed to fly in tonight/early morning from Maine. The local/surrounding cities put a brine mixture on the roads but I bet the rain washed a lot of the brine off. It’s going to be an ice rink on the streets.
How is your mom? I told my mom about your mom’s roommate being a guy. She can’t believe such a thing would be allowed. There are pros and cons to different systems of health care. Can’t have everything. When does your mom get released? I pray soon!
More KINOS would be nice… they are awesome.
This is not Ivon… although, he is a rather nice fellow.
@Major D. Davis
My personal favorite is SG1: Roswell. Fantastic writing by Jennifer Fallon and Sonny Whitelaw (the latter is actually going to write an SGU novel). Just riveting all the way through.
Two other SG1 novels that you should try are A Matter of Honor and The Cost of Honor by Sally Malcolm. They’re a kind of sequel to A Matter of Time.
For SGA I would suggest Reliquary by Martha Wellsand Mirror, Mirror by Sabine Bauer. I haven’t read the Rising novelization yet, but I’m planning on buying it.
Joe – forgive me for responding to the question from 2 days ago. Couldn’t get around to it at the time, but can’t resist adding my 2 cents because I think I offer a unique perspective to a few questions.
1. Which character would you like to see explored more?
TJ and Greer – like most other respondents. I compliment both actors who have given breakout performances. As you noted, TJ is so nuanced, not unlike Juliet/Elizabeth Mitchell in “Lost”.
2. What aspect of the show would you like to see exploited more?
I would like to see the darwinian aspects of life aboard Destiny brought to the fore. For example, the male-female ratio appears dramatically skewed on the ship. I think it would be great for this to foment dissent among the crew. You guys are already touching on that element to a certain degree with the Scott/Chloe/Eli love triangle, but Eli has been somewhat gracious in defeat. (My hope is that Eli will have his day – I’m with Team Eli).
It’s possible that others won’t take rejection lying down. For example, Lisa Park copes with stress by having serial sexual encounters. Could there be some unintended consequences, like someone targeting/framing Greer to reduce competition for Park? How would a lesbian (Camille Wray) be treated by hetorosexual men with limited sexual options? How would heterosexual women (like Vanessa James, for example) feel about their sexuality in this heightened context? Oppressed, desired, or indifferent?
Initially, Col. Young gently reprimanded Eli (and Riley?) for spying on James. Will he come to regret not establishing a zero tolerance policy early on, and making that a teachable moment?
3. What aspect of the show would prefer to see minimized?
Like most people, I want the stones (and all those trips to earth) minimized. The stones are a “deus ex machina” plot device.
4. What was your favorite “story moment” from the first half of SGU’s first season?
Two moments are tied for me: When Young beats Rush unconscious and abandons him, and when Eli realizes that Chloe and Scott know each other in the biblical sense. Both were gut-wrenching moments that have defined the series (and the character of both men) for me.
5. What element (I’m leaving this one wide open) would you like to see added to the series as a whole?
Like everyone else, I want to see aliens added to the mix, and not those water-guzzling gnats, but something more sinister. But you’ve already promised to deliver on that.
@Major D. Davis
Yeah, it was a bit sad to see that some battle scenes were cut.
I just hope that they were filmed, and put in the extended cut of the pilot in the SGU dvd.
Please tell me it’s so, Joe?!
@ not Ivon
lol ivon!!!!!!!!
No but really. I love the kino webisodes!!!!!! Please keep doing them!!!!
Hi, Joe. Missing Stargate: Universe a lot! Is it April yet?
Here are my comments:
1. Which character would you like to see explored more?
I’d like to see Chloe have more things to do. I think she needs some kind of purpose on the ship. She is one of the main characters and while her friendship with Eli and Scott is interesting, I’d like to see her doing something out of those relationships. I’m not sure what, but I think she needs more to do on the ship.
2. What aspect of the show would you like to see exploited more?
Of course, the ship stuff is great, so I’d like to see more of it, but I think more gate travel would be great too. I’d like to see more planets and more aliens. I’m glad you won’t be doing any of the typical Stargate aliens. Please keep it that way.
3. What aspect of the show would prefer to see minimized?
The stones! Oh man, the stones. I’m sorry, but the soap opera stuff is putting me to sleep. I like the characters, all the ship stuff, and the alien planet stuff is great. But when the show goes back to earth, its just not as good. I hope the stones are either destroyed or they find out there’s a major side effect and can’t use them as much.
I think the personal stuff is fine when its on the ship. Its not as soapy and fits into the whole trying to survive part of the show when its ship based. The crew should have friendships, fall in love, etc. The ship based parts of the show are actually the most realistic part of the show imo. Its just when the stones are used and they go back to earth….the show becomes a soap opera.
Thats really the only thing I don’t like about the show.
4. What was your favorite “story moment” from the first half of SGU’s first season?
This is hard. There were some really good moments. I think, though, that the fight between Rush and Young was really well done. And the fact that Young just leaves Rush behind on the planet! Whoa. You never would have seen Jack or Sheppard do that no matter how much they disliked somebody.
Another story moment, I have to mention, is when Eli thought Chloe was dead. Very powerful. I like Chloe, but I wish she had stayed dead. I think it would have been powerful to see Eli go through that loss. Tamara took the loss bad too, so it would be interesting to see how she dealt with it. Maybe she and Eli would have become friends too.
5. What element (I’m leaving this one wide open) would you like to see added to the series as a whole?
I think it would be really cool if Rush turns out to be the main villian of the show (although it would also be cool if he suprised all of us and became a better person).
I’d also like to see some bad aliens and some good aliens show up.
Also, it would be interesting to see the Destiny crew start to become more of a community. I think thats one of the reasons the stones should go. It would be great to see the crew getting closer: as friends, enemies, etc. And then, slowly, to see people, both main cast and reacurring, that die or change (for better or worse).
Overall, I like the show a lot. I think its going to be the best Stargate show.
@ TBA
“but keep in mind that this is only mostly the SG1/SGA fanbase, and the SGU fanbase is larger than that.”
Um, no its not…not by a long long shot! But Joe already knows that. The SGU fanbase is quite small as a “new” group. The SG-1/SGA fanbase rivals Star Trek’s fanbase, and unless SGU can keep at least 50% of us, the show doesnt really have much hope of survival. I think that is why the producers are looking for ways to appease the Stargate fanbase which it needs to live beyond season 2. Or, they can continue on in the current direction and HOPE for the small SGU fanbase to grow.
If they are willing to change, I (for one) am willing to give this show a second chance and become a loyal fan. But lets stay honest here…the SGU fanbase is VERY small at the moment as compared to the SG-1/SGA fanbase.
Long-time-lurker, first-time-poster,
So, I continue to be a die hard fan of the franchise however, more so with Atlantis.
Overall my fellow posters have pretty much covered my SGU likes and dislikes.
Here’s a rundown on my FOCUS (for the remaining points)
What to minimize: “Stones” however, give us McKay on a tech visit now and again.
Yes, the shaky camera is maddening BSG did it heavily during Season One and eventually got the message..
I must say I have never been a huge fan of long story arcs (within reason 3-4 episodes) but with only 20 episodes to play with I’d say no more than 2 episodes arcs are my personal pref.
Favorite Story Point to date: Light… Great Sci-Fi.. I could go on.. good mix of drama, light peril, and the ever and oh-so-loved happy ending. (I know, happy things hardly last)
What do I want to see more of: Eluded to above…. more independent stories resolvable within a couple episodes at most although one is preferred. In that vein give me more EXPLORATION without extremes… A battle here and there is great but I love the battle of wits over bullet holes.
Thanks !
Tod. with one “D” 🙂
@Joel
I have to say I seriously doubt they filmed the dogfights. They are quite expensive to film and I’m sure they would have cut some other part before they cut that scene. However, there might be sone icarus base scenes that were filmed and will be in the extended cut.
I remember watching the pilot long before I even heard about the book and wondering why the battle scenes were so short. Also we never got to see any LA ground troops or ground troop firefights like in the book. Lol. Instead we get extra dilogue!!!! Uggh. I mean I enjoy a character driven show but this is the only crazy action we’ve got so far yet they cut that rather than other dialogue scenes which we have plenty off!!!!
Sorry if I’m negative. Lol
Also is there a novilization of rising? Have you read it yet? Is it good?
Is it true your going go Cloverfield sytle? If you do this a lot of people will stop watching. This crap gives people headaches. Hope you don’t, I like the show.
Hi Joe,
1. Which character would you like to see explored more?
Eli is a interesting person. I whould like to se him get more in focus.
And offcourse I whould like to see more of Jack O´Neil and Samantha Carter. No Stargate without them! Sry.
2. What aspect of the show would you like to see exploited more?
I whould like to see when the people at Destiny get in contact with other civilisations. Personally I loved the episodes from Atlantis when they visited civilisations with a lot of hightech.
3. What aspect of the show would prefer to see minimized?
I have to say the stones. I know I´m not the only one who get boored when the stones comes up. I know it is a part of the story, but use the time to more interesting discovery.
4. What was your favorite “story moment” from the first half of SGU’s first season?
Hard to say, but when Rusch get left alone at the planet is a very interesting scene. I wonder what will happen next?
I hope the next episode show us when he ddiscover the old space ship who have crasched at the planet.
5. What element (I’m leaving this one wide open) would you like to see added to the series as a whole?
More contacts with aliens. Not fantasy aliens like the wraits from SGA. Just human aliens. I love thoose stories from past when they visit planets in search of tecknology.
Sry for my bad english. There are a huge group of fan´s in Sweden who want to see more from the Stargate.
@Major D. Davis
I did make a comment about that earlier.
“My personal favorite is SG1: Roswell. Fantastic writing by Jennifer Fallon and Sonny Whitelaw (the latter is actually going to write an SGU novel). Just riveting all the way through.
Two other SG1 novels that you should try are A Matter of Honor and The Cost of Honor by Sally Malcolm. They’re a kind of sequel to A Matter of Time.
For SGA I would suggest Reliquary by Martha Wellsand Mirror, Mirror by Sabine Bauer.
I haven’t read the Rising novelization yet, but I’m planning on buying it.”
You should go to this site to find out more about stargate novels.
http://www.stargatenovels.com/books.shtml
Joe,
My main issue with the show is the whole countdown timer of when they visit a planet.
One of Brad’s criticisms of Children of the Gods was the running clock before they locked out SG-1’s iris codes and permanently sealed the gate. He eliminated that in the new version of COTG, but now every episode that uses the Destiny gate has the same constraint. It seems odd that he would say that he didn’t like it and go out of his way to eliminate it from SG-1 and then turn around and add it as a critical story device to Universe.
I understand it’s necessary from drama, but maybe they can discover the ‘off’ button for that thing.
Here’s a question, where did they get all that matching workout gear in… Life? (sorry I suck at episode titles, the one with the song Worst Day Since Yesterday). Did they find the Ancient’s locker room?
Ho boy! Lots of thank you’s to give! But first, a big thank you to Joe for giving us such wonderful hints for the upcoming half-season! I always knew that this season was more like one big story than a bunch of little stories, and in turn would tend to build up to one or two action-filled extravaganzas instead of having smaller ones in every episode. It’s like Lost City Part I vs. Lost City Part II. They are vastly different in pace and content, and yet put together they are tremendously Awesome in the way the build-up from part 1 pays off in part 2.
I really hope fans don’t come away thinking that you guys changed the 2nd half after seeing how the fans reacted to the 1st half. That’s just ridiculous on so many levels (time, money, creative integrity, etc. etc.). They just need to realize that you guys are better at this than they think you are, and that this was all planned.
Can’t wait to read the next blog entry! 😉
Now onto the correspondences:
@ crayonbaby: Thank you!! LA will definitely be a change of pace from Vancouver. Hopefully the transition will be smooth.
@ paloosa: Thank you!! Neighbours eh? Awesome! Hey can I borrow a screwdriver or something? 😉
@ Morjana: Thank you so much!!
@ Mika: Thank you!! That’s an interesting plan! I would love to take the scenic route down the coast. I’ve been thinking of taking a road trip across the Western United States (all the way to Colorado) before settling down. It would just be me, my car, and some bare essentials; and a bunch of cameras so I can film it and then edit it together into a documentary (thank you Stargate for making me want to make TV shows, haha) when I get to CalTech; but that is complicated.
Amtrak will be plan B! 😀
@ Tammy: Thank you!! And yeah, there is quite a bit of elitism involved; some groups will always feel that their field of study is more important to society than the other fields of study (Planetary Sciences FTW!!!).
@ Shirt’n’Tie: Haha! Thank you good sir! Take down a hive with a spork? I’m sure McKay can do it. 😉
And yeah, I just compared myself to McKay. It’s not the first time that’s happened. 😛
@ Major D. Davis: Thanks man!! 😀 I know right? Like I said, it’s so weird and Awesome getting congratulations from the guys in charge of your favorite TV shows! And I like Becker! He’s probably the most “normal” guy there.
@ maggiemayday: Thank you!! Haha, glad to bring you joy! 😀
@ sparrow_hawk: Thank you!!
@ Deni: Thank you!!
@ susan the tartan turtle: Wow! This school was more famous than I thought! Thank you!!
@ Airelle: Thank you!!
@ sylvia: Thank you!!
@ Narelle: What?! How did you figure out my plan-uh, I mean,…look at the screen, look intently at the screen. Closer, closer. You are getting sleepy, very sleepy…you no longer know of my devious plan to usurp control of the Stargate franchise and get closer to both Mika and Carl…you know nothing of it…you have forgotten it forever…and also you are a duck.
Now wake up!
(LOL, Narelle, nice one! :D)
@ shiloh: Thank you!! I’ve been to California before; a truly beautiful state. I can’t wait to get some free time so I can take a trip to Yosemite or something. Though, I don’t know how I feel about the weather always being sunny; I think I might miss the clouds and rain of Vancouver. 😉
Pranks eh? Oh boy; I’m bad at those. Haha.
@ otros ojos: Thank you!! 20 years? More like the rest of my life! Haha. Yeah, MIT is going down! West Coast rules! 😛
Oh, and we’ll miss you!! Whatever it is that you are going away for, good luck!
—
Phew! I hope I didn’t miss anyone! Thank you all so much, again!
Just got an email from Amazon.ca only $41.99 for SGU 1.0!!! are you serious? I bought Atlantis Season 5 for only $29.99 and it was the whole season!
It seems like everytime Stargate makes big steps forward, MGM is always there pulling them back. I for one, who owns ever season of Stargate on DVD, am absolutely not paying $41.99 for half a season.
i miss having *new* sam/jack ship to look forward too…
*long suffering and melodramatic sigh*
Mr. Mallozzi:
I am going to take a chance at posting a comment here, on a suggestion, with no expectations as to what the end result shall be. I will start out by stating the obvious, that I am a die-hard Atlantis fan.
However, I understood a few things, so I really did give SGU a chance. I understood that:
1. It’s not fair to the cast and crew that worked hard on SGU to not give it a chance.
2. You all have been successful in the past with SGA/SG-1, so SGU might be good.
It wasn’t. At least not in my opinion. And I like dark and gritty drama.
I am going to be honest with you. I have called you (and some of the other producers) names, and even made fun of you in response to the horrible and disrespectful treatment that fans have had to endure in reading some of the interviews that have been given by producers, and even some of the posts you yourself have authored. I don’t like how it appears as though the fan-base is being used and strung along so that Syfy/MGM/You/Brad/Rob and whoever else can get what you all want out of this SGU situation – until now of course. Now, you want the input you’ve been ignoring since 2008. Many fans told you then that they weren‘t going to like the SGU characters/show upon receiving those descriptions.
You could have made changes then, but you didn’t. Okay, that’s the past. I suppose it is good that you want the feedback now. However, I can’t be sure about your claim that SGU will “magically“ meet hopes for the second half of season one. I’ll tell you why: Just a few short months ago you, Mr. Mallozzi, were telling us that if we wanted anything about SGU to change then we were in for a long haul, and would be scratching out eyes out at how much more offensive/distasteful things would become. I understand that perhaps you have changed your mind about considering fan input, but has the second half of this season changed since your rant in October 2009? Are we not going to be clawing our eyes out, then?
I know that SGU has fans. I know that there are people that are genuinely happy with the show. I’m fine with that. I, however, am still not fine with you and some of the other producers saying some of the things that you have said to and about fans, SGU vs. SGA/SG-1, and the SGA/SG-1 casts in comparison to the cast of SGU and the whole SGU “experience”. You cancel Atlantis for whatever reason (it wasn’t ratings), and then slap many long-time fans in the face with SGU, then insult fans when they don’t like it and tell them that they are only an online cry-baby minority, then tell them that the show is not going to change – it’ll get worse, then ask them to keep watching when the ratings start to slide, and now – you tell us that SGU is not going to get worse but better. And, to add injury to all of the insults, the Atlantis movie isn’t going to happen after we were promised that it would! Please understand if I don’t know what to think. I know that I am only one person, but I am not alone in having my doubts about any “promises“ that come from you all. Stargate fans are not stupid, you know. And, many of us are only loyal to a point.
I’m not going to forget my show. Yes, I called Atlantis my show. And that’s a good thing. I’ll tell you why: Have you ever mentioned a show and then someone immediately says “Oh, that’s my show!” and that they love it? You know what they mean by that. You know that they are saying that they like that show above all others on the air. You know that they are saying that that show is the one they’ll stay home and watch on Friday nights – live. You know that that’s the show that they own the DVDs to. You know that that’s the show that they recommend to their friends and family members. The list goes on. When people say “That’s my show” they are saying that they have a stake in it, which means that they actually support it and give a damn about what happens to/with it. This, in turn, equals money and support for you. So, yes, STARGATE ATLANTIS is MY show. And you and/or someone killed my show without even giving it the ending (by tying up loose ends) that it deserved. You all didn’t hate the “sense of ownership” when fans were watching Atlantis, and buying the DVDs, books, and other merchandise, and going to conventions, etc. Why hate it now?
It seems as though you all will not even so much as speak the name of Atlantis as way to get back at the fans that are still upset (and rightly so) about its premature end. You’ve practically disowned it. Someone else here said that we’ll forgive you. I agree with that statement if, and only if, you all find a way to make it up to the fans that have supported you for years. An SGA movie would go a long way in doing that. You could work something out with Jason Momoa in regard to his schedule if you wanted to. It’s been done in movie-making before.
And I’ll be honest with you again, it would be a lot easier to give SGU the plethora of chances that it needs from me to possibly hook me if Atlantis were still on the air, or if an Atlantis movie were actually in production right now. That way it wouldn’t feel like I’m watching the show that killed Atlantis every time I give it another chance and then end up disappointed. People still miss Atlantis. Not just me. The SGA/SG-1 fanbase is larger than that of this single, new show. I hope someone in the decision-making department understands that. I sometimes go to the forums at Gateworld, and people are still talking about and lamenting over what could have been for their beloved Atlantis. I know that it’s time to move on, but you all haven’t given SGA fans the closure that SG-1 received. It’s like reading a 1000 page book that has the last 200 pages missing. Someone could say just turn the page and move on, but one might say that they wished they could, just hand over the other 200 pages to end it.
There are people that miss the Wraith, the chance to explore the city, the chance to know more about the galaxy, the team – you name it! Why kill something before its time? SG-1 ran for 10 years and got 2 movies, so it’s not so bad with SG-1. I’d like to see Revolutions, but if it’s not made – okay. Continuum is not a bad ending. It’s pretty good. However, Atlantis was gutted and left for dead while there were still things that needed to be done with that show/cast. Why?
I know that I am hammering my points into the ground, but this is the only comment that I plan on posting here, so bear with me.
I am almost sorry that I ever watched Atlantis and fell for that show because of how badly all of this has turned out. I have never experience such disappointment before. I just can’t understand why you all would do this to your fans. I know that you want suggestions on how to improve SGU, but I’ll leave that to the other 200+ comments that you’ve received on the subject. People that actually like SGU might do better in telling you how to improve “their show”.
I will fully understand if you either decide to chop this post up and then use condescending references toward the remaining, select, pieces in your next blog-post, or do not allow it to pass through your approval queue altogether. You will prove a point either way. It is up to you as to which point it shall be.
Thank you,
Atlantis4Life
Joe – in case you didn’t feel like watching that vid, here’s a screen cap (a poor one, but still…you get the idea):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/korn1.jpg
Sure looks like the innards of a hive ship to me! 😀
das
Quack
Hey Joe.
I was a little late responding but I would LOVE to see more Ancients, like what you have already said.
When SGA first aired, the scenes of the Ancients were quite inspiring. A race so revered yet so unknown to us finally revealed physically. And when The Ark of Truth came out, again the lore with the Ancients and why they came to our galaxy. I was simply in awe.
When the name of the ship was revealed in the episodes of Air, and Rush was giving us a brief explanation – that and the music that Joel gave. I am still amazed at how well composed that scene was.
I would absolutely love it if we could see more lore behind the Ancients.
Will there be a corporeal or ascended Ancient visiting Destiny in the foreseeable future? Will the Destiny ever be brought back to its former physical glory? How many people will be able to use the control chair, or will volunteer to even sit in the chair? Can we please get more cast members from the previous series on board? Im sure their expertise will be very much appreciated.
Things I would rather not see is Earth. I would like Chloe developed in a less… bitchy way. Im sure the creative team can find a way to reveal more talents, and Im sure her legal skills can be used in a more frequent and productive way.
Also, on a more practical note could we have say doctors and scientists who are not on board the destiny to use the stones in a time of emergency? Say there are numerous injured aboard and the current medical personnel are exhausted. Wouldn’t using the stones to bring in more experience alleviate their situation somewhat?
SGU is only 10 aired episodes old and you can’t bring a series from the ground up over night. I look forward to the creative writing that you and the writing team have to share with us. Or else….
Das: Quack indeed!
Pg15: Always so well spoken. You will do well.
Hubby’s flight got canceled. On my own tonight. I’ve baked plenty of sweets to keep me company. Off to read my junk food fiction and grab a cookie.
Goodnight or Good morning!
@ Tammy – But I didn’t quack…
(I may have farted, however… 😉 )
das
My apologizes, I thought at first that Narelle’s comment “quack” was agreeing to Das’s comment about the hive ship. (of which I agree, they are very similar) I had forgotten that Narelle had been hypnotized by PG15 to believe she was duck! This blog is getting too complicated. 🙄
Anyway, I’m also sorry about some of the comments blaming you for SGA’s demise. It reminds me of the “team Leno/team Conan” mess. Has anyone been keeping up with that mess? I see similarities between MGM and NBC.
I’ll head off for the cookies and milk now. Everyone sleep well or have a great day. AND thanks for putting up with us, Mr. M!!!!
@Major Davis
My favorite SG1 novel is The Barque of Heaven by Suzanne Wood. A must read.
@das – Sorry, but that video link you provided was for US only… Thanks for the screen cap. I agree, it looks very wraith-ish.
@Joe – I think everyones answers fit me, more or less. I’m rather easy going, I want to be surprised, amazed and awed, which you guys do. The only point I’d like to make sure you and the other PTB get is this; Chuck the f**kin’ stones out of the airlock, and soon.
Thanks!
Elminster
@Major Davis & @Joel – I’ve read and enjoyed Relativity, Roswell and City Of The Gods but could not finish Do No Harm by Karen Miller, made it half-way through and gave up…
Elminster
@ Joel
Oh poop!!! I must have missed your comment!!!!! Sorry. Thanks for the recomendations though!!!!
I really like the shooting style. It’s different, and that’s intriguing. I would absolutely love for the sex aspect to be minimized. I’ve never thought of Stargate as a sex-powered show, and whenever I get into Universe and it pops to two people in bed (or in a supply closet, etc so forth) I always wonder if I hit a button on the remote and switched channels. It just jars me out of the show.
The only other thing I’m not a big fan of is the Earth-based storylines (mainly the stories about peoples’ personal lives). I like them in small doses, but the episodes with a bunch of “I have a message from so-and-so, and he/she loves you” kind of drives me crazy!
I can’t wait for it to come back on…
@ Elminster – Ah, glad I provided the screen cap, then! The people in the cells squirm around, making it very reminiscent of the waking Wraith in The Rising. The song is called Thoughtless, and there’s a couple video versions, it seems – one with just the ‘red room’, and another about a kid being bullied in school, with the ‘red room’ scenes added throughout.
@ Tammy – NBC (NBC Universal) owns SyFy – not sure if the same politics are at play on SyFy that we saw with NBC late night, but I’ve long been baffled by their programming decisions. For one, they most of their original programming on USA and SyFy on the same night: Friday. They have their own channels competing against one another – that never made any sense to me at all (USA has JUST spread their original programming out over several weeknights, which may be too little, too late now.)
As far as the ‘quack’ mistake, I figured you got things a bit mixed up. No worries, I do it all the time. 😛
Very tired – just got back from our local ‘dive bar’, listened to a band, saw a guy I had a crush on back in high school – he’s still hawt, with long hair down to his butt. And damn, can he sing! I drooled. 😀 Mr. Das got me back by flirting with the gay guy who’s buying the joint. 🙄 He’s transforming it into a respectable eatery, so there goes my hangout! I’ll have to start going to the bar down by the docks, the one all the commercial fishermen frequent. I think that’s probably our last hole in the wall around here, and I hear they have great burgers!
das
Personally, I would like to see a more international cast placed on board Destiny. I know the idea of the team getting reinforcements is somewhat far fetched, but Science Fiction is all about possibility.
I was disappointed that I have not see any International Troops there yet, as I’d imagine seeing at least the British involved in such an operation or just Commonwealth troops in general.
I believe a good Scottish, British or Australian trooper would add a very nice intelligent yet stern character to the military cast.
Kudos on the Greer character, though. I very much enjoyed the ‘no BS’ US Marine attitude.
On that note, it seems odd that I am yet to see an Australian or English person playing a significant scientific role in a Stargate series, they seem to be renowned for their professionalism in whatever field they study.
In essence, I believe this show needs to point in the direction that its the Human race as a whole moving forward into a new era and exploring the universe, right now it seems that its the Americans with a couple of other people.
That part of the show’s evolution seems to have remained rather dull if you know what I mean?
Anyways, big fan of your work – I’m sure you’ll know what to do. Looking forward to Season 2.
@das and @Tammy:
I would feel remiss if I didn’t point out (as a former GE employee) that GE, in fact, owns NBC and Syfy and a whole bunch of other crap… and most of their decisions internal and external come down to the almighty dollar, as in most other big business. There was talk a few months ago about selling off some of the entertainment divisions to somebody (please, ANYBODY) else, but I’m not sure where they left it.
IMO, the PTB at GE should stick to light bulbs, not medical equipment, entertainment, or credit card financials. That’s right, look closely boys and girls — if you have a private label credit card (Target, Dillard’s, a bunch of other stuff), General Electric is probably the one administering it.
And, no, I don’t actually have any gripe against GE, just big business in general making decisions on the advice of pencil pushers in accounting!! 😛
Can’t wait to hear the next new thoughts about the series…
Oh, one other thing – anybody who is opposed to blood, gore, sex & nudity in their TV, please do not watch the new Spartacus. Caught an ep today via DirecTV channel, and while it doesn’t bother me, some of those who were upset about the broom closet scene on Destiny might stroke out…
I worry about you people. All us scifi geeks have to stick together!
Lisa
Do we know yet what happens when someone dies while connected via the stones?
Does the survivor just snap back or stay in the other body?
Assuming they stay, what would be the reaction of someone from Earth that volunteered to use the stones and loan out their body who then found themselves permanently on the ship? How would the Air Force handle the practical aspects of the death back on Earth?
Flip it around: what emotions would a crew member, now permanently back on Earth, in a new body, feel?
Perhaps many of the same issues could be explored in a less permanent way by a malfunction of the stones.
If the stones are in danger of becoming too much Deus ex machina, have their batteries run down or cause “brain rot” in frequent users, to limit their use.
Hi, love the show. It got a bit daytime soap for a while but no biggie. One thing I would like to see (basic version here) is Rush activate some of the tech on the ship where he is abandoned, enabling him to contact that race. This race comes and retrieves the ship, ends up finding Rush extremely useful and he becomes part of their crew. This appeals to Rush for the time being but ultimately he is manipulating them to eventually gain access back to Destiny. I could easily generate dozens of concepts an hour, free to contact me, I am more than happy to be brainstormer for hire 🙂
I’d have to say the ship and where it is located. String theory requires the Ship to be at superposition (beyond the Universe limit) to a big ball of strings that are the possibility that is the Universe.
We travel in a string. That means these people would already be on the ship before they arrive. They arrive-leave simultaneously. and departure-arrival is an event that damages the ship – creating a limit to possibility where no such limit could exist for the ship to function correctly. Their arrival-departure deorbits the ship from superposition.
As to the ship itself – is it monstrously big? Are we talking the USS Enterprise/Startrek big or Starship Warden/Metamorphosois Alpha big? I may have missed it. Atlantis was ‘big’ and never really explored -even the bit with the Goauld and his woman are on the city of Atlantis as the Atlantis Team arives -and are never interacted with.
Are they going to stumble across the Village of Mutant clones in the Agricultural deck and have to fight the primitives off?
Since one of the running themes was “the wrong people in the right place” I would think that there would be a concerted effort to turn them into the right people.
Use a stone to get TJ to Medical School or the Medical school to her. Get the Civilians some training too.
Also we’ve seen people use the stones to engage in “intimate behavior”. You should be able to use this to attempt to control some people. Imagine if every time Eli used a stone there was a Pretty Young Thing just for him. . .
Anyway Keep up the good work.
K.
I posted the comment below at another site right after the anouncement that SGU was being pickup for the second season .
“”””””They have this ship that is said to have gone all over the universe planting Stargates and all they can write about is the boring stuff they have done so far. “Time”, did show some imagination and certainly went a better direction than any thing else so far, but nothing else has been worth watching . Getting back to the ship that must have on board (not found yet) a system or method to put Stargates onto new planets. They need to find it and get it working again and then explore the new planets that get seeded with a new stargate. This does not require star ships fighting or some constant enemy but does open up unlimited new stories to tell. To go farther SGU could visit any TV or Movie set (or universe of some other tv show or movie) and then do a guest show episode using the SGU cast and the cast of the other movie or TV show and then promote the movie or other TV show on SGU. The stories are endless and could be really great. This does not have to be every episode of SGU both could happen occasionally over the life of the show. I have not asked the writers to clone SG1 or SGA into SGU but to just tell some GOOD stories and do as the network claims they do “Imagine More”. The tired dead pace of the show so far is just boring and the characters may be more exposed having their warts showing but I can tell you this” I am not interested in other peoples’ warts”, I am interested in good stories that make me escape the dull world we all live in and just want a show to make me imagine what might be out their in the huge universe among the stars. Destiny has been out their for a very long time the stories need to be found and told.. Defying Gravity tried the soap opera thing with a much bigger budget and more experienced cast and could not build enough audience to stay on the air, SGU has attracted even a smaller audience so how is the concept expected to succeed doing the same thing Defying Gravity attempted to do and failed . The answer is SGU “will not be able to do what Defying Gravity could not do either if the show is not changed in some very real ways.
Defying Gravity was slow paced, used flashbacks and mystery plots and was so boring it put me too sleep and so does SGU. “”””
I believed the above comment then and still do. please make a few characters likeable and tell some interesting stories.
“What aspect of the show would you like to see further explored in the back half of season one and beyond?”
1) The Destiny. Explore the damn shuip, even if they just fly a kino into the inaccessible parts of the ship. The show needs one LARGE interior space, even if its CGI. Perhaps an interior garden/park, or an interior biosphere like a greenhouse/atrium, perhaps a large hangar bay, or an automated Stargate manufacturing facility. The engine room perhaps? a bridge? SOMETHING, and it should not be on earth.
2) INHABITED planets. Even if inhabited by CGI aliens, but make them BIG aliens the size of a human. Bugs and sand and gnats and lizards arent going to cut it. Hopefully they have developed technology.
3) The database. Have the crew get access to the ship’s database and do a backstory on how the major damage took place on the ship. The ship has obviously recorded the vents, since it took steps to isolate the damaged parts of the ship.
These suggestions could only materialize in the second season. I am not sure why you are asking about what people want in the second half of season one, since it is already a done deal. Are you trying to predict the reception of those episodes? There is an easier way to do that…if they are written like the first 10 (with the exception of “Time”), then they wont be all that. You could have an excellent battle scene and aliens, but if the story is about more “feelings in space”, it will not go over very well. More stones trips to earth, more silly scenes of Chloe whining or crying about something emotional, and it just wont be received well…use the first half of the season to judge the second half.
What I see here is you listening to the issues fans are raising, but that you have no intention of doing much about it except to explain why you chose to do what you have done. That wont fix it or draw in more viewers. Season 2, perhaps. But season one is a wrap, is it not? If there is chance of doing minor rewrites in the second half, PLEASE tell us! It would create a lot of hope. If not, then I think it is unwise to expect “delight”, since you have done nothing differently.
Kicking us in the teeth and then telling us WHY you did it is not going to make them sprout back.
I have watched every Stargate episode numerous times along with Farscape, all the Treks, Battlestar, Firefly and every worthwhile SCIFI (not syfy) show out there. I will continue to watch “Universe” because, although it is dull and lifeless, it is still Stargate in some lesser form and i have hope that you will listen to your fans and fix what you have broken. Change is fine and i love “darkness and despair” in a series but this still needs to be Stargate. SG personnel have always been elite, competent and professional, not a bunch of rouges and vagabonds thrown together that question every order, fight each other at every turn and screw their colleagues wives for revenge or cower in corners out of fear. Put some military honor back into your SG personnel, smash your writers “crutch”, the stones, and use the unlimited universe you have at your disposal for creativity. I am loyal and hopeful but you dont have much time before i’ll ditch Universe for good and settle for the pile garbage called Caprica, sadly as bad as it is, its the best thing on SciFi. What the frack is up with “SyFy” anyways? Indeed.
In the requested order:
1. Which character would you like to see explored more?
Dr. Rush… after all, he is the bad guy. I think that he fears death also he knows how to unlock Destiny’s flight controls… but he doesn’t do it, because he wants to learn how to ascend.
2. What aspect of the show would you like to see exploited more?
Unlock more areas of the ship… OR… Encounters with alien races every time that they use the stargate. Also, an outside enemy… like the goa’uld… or something else.
3. What aspect of the show would prefer to see minimized?
Well, So far, nothing… everything is perfect as it goes.
4. What was your favorite “story moment” from the first half of SGU’s first season?
Eh… The shooting in the jungle planet, so cool
5. What element (I’m leaving this one wide open) would you like to see added to the series as a whole?
A REALLY dramatic moment… and not necesarily death of someone. I’ll like a stargate… who can be used by one person only, to dial earth… and see what happens in the Destiny’s crew 🙂 That would be interesting (The concept of a one use stargate is not new… In one episode of SG1… When Mayor Carter is the only one who can see one alien dude, who falls in love with her… orders parts to build a mini stargate of one use to get back to his home planet to destroy a weapon
Eh… Another thing that i would like to see… MC KAY 😀 he’s can be a good rival to Dr. Rush… and also, he’s funny as hell xD
1) Which character would you like to see explored more?
Bring back Riley and the guy whose brain was fried by the chair. That would be interesting to see.
2) What aspect of the show would you like to see exploited more?
I would love to see more exploration of the ship itself, maybe finding other cool alien stuff. Also, what are they going to do when the run out of bullets? Maybe showing them trying to make bullets, or maybe they can even find version 1.0 of zat guns or something. That aspect would be interesting as to how they would defend themselves. Another idea would be for Eli and Greer to work together to build some sort of weapon to replace their guns or something. Also, their clothing needs to start looking rattier than it is, among other things. Shoes need to be shown wearing out.
3) What aspect of the show would prefer to see minimized?
Lt Scott.
4) What was your favorite “story moment” from the first half of SGU’s first season?
Rush being left behind, the tension built up between him and Young finally blew up.
5) What element (I’m leaving this one wide open) would you like to see added to the series as a whole? Maybe having them find a commerce planet or something…. Maybe an ancient shows up.
SGU needs some work. So far it has been a snooze-fest with characters that are either annoying or who don’t garner any respect. The phrases “SG Voyager” or “Boringstar Destiny” have been thrown around.
As a retired Soldier I can tell you flat out that nobody I ever worked with or for would follow Col Young anywhere – including the bathroom. He has been portrayed as an inneffective leader with no people skills, has attempted murder (Rush) and has one of his subordinates pregnant. Isn’t it time for him to start becoming the leader that the crew needs? I think his character should be developed into a respectful leader that makes the right decisions and can be relied upon. A leader like Adama on BS Galactica or one of the Star Trek Captains.
I want to like this show and I keep watching and hoping. Give us more action and some character development in the right direction, but don’t put us to sleep with the drama of the military vs the civilians. Battlestar Galactica already did that.