A new twist to the SG storyline. Gotta get used to that but it is a welcome addition. Ep 1/2 was a tad too much BSG, but ep 3 was SG style all the way. Great show!

It has potential, a bit of a weak start, but SG-1 had a weak start too, too early to make a call.

I wasn't too impressed after the first episode, but after having watched the next two episodes, I'm intrigued. I'm not really digging the Battlestar Galactica feel (simply because BSG BLOWS), but I'm hoping that with some humor and character development, that this show can become classic just like the rest of its counterparts. Give it time, don't get too pissed off yet people, we'll have to wait and see how this one turns out. If it doesn't pull people in, I doubt they'll give it a second or third season because you know this one is costing a ton of money to produce.… Expand

It's perfect! After SGA I was very sceptical... common, after 12 years of Stargate what can be new? The answer is: almost everything! Congrats!

Needs more swashbuckling adventure, exploration and comedy. Right now its just boring emotional crap about characters we haven't known long enough to care about. Completely different to, and not as good as the previous 2 shows.

I fine this show very interesting and always look forward to watching it

This show needs abit of a boost as it seems to be very slow but have a feeling that this is leading to an explosive finish to the 1st season.

Here's universe. Same feel as Battlestar Galactica, the acting is excellent (ignore the bad reviews) and despite what anyone says, i've seen Caprica and universe is much much less dramatic. That said, it is intense. It's about a group of people who are entirely isolated in an unknown part of the universe on a ship they can't control with no way to get home. Of course that's going to be intense. Now I've seen all of the stargate movies, and all of sg1. The reason this show gets called dramatic is because the previous shows weren't serious at all. The whole time they kept it light and funny. The best way I can describe what they've done with the show is this: Stargate Universe is this generations stargate. Fans that have been there from the beginning may not like the change but the fact is universe is the show that will keep the stargate franchise alive. That said, if you don't like the show, don't watch it. There's no need to ruin it for those of us with good taste.… Expand

Just a few points about the show: Universe is a much more serious show than Atlantis and the majority of SG-1. If your looking for the same style as those, you will be disappointed. The Character development is amazing, and creates a lot of empathy with the main characters. There inst nearly as much filler as the previous 2 series. The drama involved is comparable to a mini-series, or something like Lost, and yes it is a little soapy on occasion, but in a good way.

If you watch a few episodes, and enjoy nail-biting moments, you will not be able to stop watching. Guaranteed.… Expand

I've enjoyed SG:U so far but there were a couple of times I wasn't bothered about still watching it. Season 2 has started off ok but something needs to happen (like turning the lights on in the freaking hallways!!!). The show doesn't seem to be capitalising on the greatness and mystery of the ship and I fear that if they wait too long people will turn off.

I enjoy the show. The acting is fine, the scenarios are plausible (for Sci-Fi). The idea of using older Ancient technology after the SG-1 and SG-Atlantis time-line is much better than a prequel series.
But please - get rid of the folk music! It sounds like the producer's kids have been practicing in the garage, and somebody asked if their latest home-spun ballad could be used in the show. Those mournful ballads ruin the show for me. Leave the music to the radio stations! I'm rating it at 6, but without the music I'd have given it an 8.… Expand

I've been a fan of Stargate since the very series with Richard Dean Anderson, Stargate SG-1. Now with the newest installment in the series, I had to see if it's a worthy successor to the Stargate franchise. THE POSITIVE: - Incredible acting - A new and interesting situation/setting gives the creations tons of possibilities of creating a thriving and exciting story. - Appearances by former Stargate actors give it that 'special' touch.
- Excellent music and sound
- A Story that not only focusses on combat or exploration, but also that makes you care more.. and get to know the characters.

THE NEGATIVE:
- Haven't seen any so far.

CLOSING COMMENTS:
Stargate: Universe is a worthy successor to the stargate franchise. After watching the first season... you'll be begging for more. If you were a fan of the previous series, and you feel at home in the Stargate universe, than I'd 100% recommend you to watch this series.… Expand

i was never a fan of the stargate series, it just wasnt for me. but i saw universe and was like, i will watch the pilot atleast. the pilot and every episode since then has been epic. all the characters are cool, the scifi part is awesome. every episode something brings drama and suspense, and u wonder what will happen next. and just as everything is good for now and the episode is over you see a preview for next week which looks 2x as crazy awesome dramatic suspence epicness then the episode u just finished. it is a series that has won over me from episode 1, and i truly recommend watching from the begining.… Expand

I have to say out of all the Stargate series â

THIS IS ONE OF THE WORSE SCI-FI SERIES THAT I HAVE EVER SEEN !!! (if you consider this as Sci-FI...). The series is way claustrophobic and most episodes are very boring....
The action is stale and as a sci-fi the fantasy section feels way way limited.... Most of the series plot is about curing some alien disease or about visiting some boring planet with no local people or some boring personal incidents of the team inside the ship !! I even watched the 2 episodes of Season 2 hoping it will be better but again i was very disappointed.. I will not even bother with this series again, as a Sci-Fi fan i am very disappointed of how pathetic Stargate has turned out...… Expand

I really like Stargate Universe because of its difference to SG1 and SG Atlantis. SGU's strong point is its gritty reality, dark circumstances, and human fallibility. Comparing this to the other stargate is a grave mistake, its not supposed to be an action filled hour with no strings attached. I rather see it as quite similar to ABC's Lost. This show is about average people dealing with extraordinary events. There is a perfect amount of humour, drama, and action too keep you entertained, but not too much to make you forget about their dire circumstances. Over all this show has more to say than just average sci-fi adventure and if you let be what it is meant to be (not a copy of SG1 and Atlantis) then it shines.… Expand

Having been a fan of SG1 and SGA (I got addicted and watch finish both series in a year), i was mildly disappointed by SGU due to the lack of use of stargate, but the gritty feel and the lovely CGI sort of filled up for the need of exploration. There's always mystery on board the ship, and it was sufficient for several episodes without off world missions.
Despite a slow first season, i am really geared up in season 2 by the more fast-paced actions.… Expand

Stargate Universe is hands down my favorite of the Stargate series. It is a high quality sci-fi drama without the standard cheese that so often plagues these types of shows. This program gives the feeling of real peril in a surreal setting. It has a darker more gritty atmosphere akin to the Battlestar series. Removing this show after only 3 great seasons is a real disservice to those of us out there that hope daily for the staying power of real science fiction TV minus the silly costumes and cheesy dialogue. It is clear the Syfy network is where good shows go to die. Stargate Universe lends itself well to what science fiction television could be; great drama, real moral dilemmas, fantastic characters and a mysterious ship to get lost in. In short, SGU is a fantastic show for those who facepalm the old ideals of sci-fi tv being wacky effects, uninteresting characters and laughable dialogue. If like me, you're a science fiction fan looking for a more gritty real space drama, with believable characters, subtle effects, mystery and intrigue, Stargate Universe fills that void.… Expand

Every week this show finds a why to smother the science fiction genre to death. It really is not so hard. Every week you beam (or gate) down to a planet shoot some alien in the face and hook up with some green chick.

Too bad no one gave it a chance. The episodes are getting better, but maybe the first 1 1/2 season of character development was too much for some people.

It's like the original SG1, but without the fun.

Can anyone tell me when it became acceptable to replace plot and good writing with buckets of angst?

Take the Eli character out and this was good...his tomfoolery brought it down several notches and destroyed for me any real sense of suspense....this as a result verged on everyday soap rather than tense adult drama/thriller....disappointed as the premise was good, not a fan of the other stargates, just seemed too run of the mill...but BSG is/was great...give it 5 to allow it to see where it goes...why do so many dramas, and films for that matter, have to have token dumb nerdy types in them.… Expand

Stargate in name only. The winning formula is MIA, replaced by a premise that is both hackneyed and shallow. The show borrows from genres that have already been done better and offers nothing new. The allusions to Lost, BSG, and Voyager are all valid -- only Universe fails to duplicate any of the aspects that made those shows memorable and captivating. Gone is the compelling team dynamic of SG-1. Instead, we're treated to hollow drama delivered by mediocre actors. When the pivotal character tragedy of the pilot episode could have been avoided by duct taping a stick to an aerial observation drone introduced just minutes earlier, you know the writers haven't brought their A-game. Good sci-fi may be a little sparse right now, but do yourself a favor and skip this mess.… Expand

Surprisingly bad. Not a single character has made me want to learn more about him or her. The story so far is also not engaging. And I hated BSG, so the imitation isn't doing it any good at all with me. Carlyle can do great comedy, so I wish they had utilized that part of his talent, but foolishly, they made his character all grim with no oddities. Damn, what a waste. I miss Stargate Atlantis even more now.… Expand

So far, I would rate SGU below SG and SGA, and far below BSG. Blame it on the writing:. "Lost" meets "Voyager" and no one to root for yet. Casting doesn't look promising either, with the old cast of SG and special effects being the only bright spots in an otherwise off-key episode one. Maybe some of the characters will grow on us -- I hope so, otherwise, this show is DOA. Finally, is it just me, or were the scenes in the promos for episode three deleted from the actual episode as shown? Pretty sloppy, if so. I'll continue to watch, hoping for improvement, but not expecting much. Caprica, where are you?… Expand

Well this is a little disappointing compared to Atlantis. For one like someone mentioned before its about who's sleeping with who. Yes that's right they tried to roll in some reality style drama in there which is a big no no for a Syfi show. Secondly the uber geek like Rodney or Daniel are missing. Instead we get a bunch of whinny people on board a star ship screaming "I don9;t wanna die". Actions feel too scripted and Eli is just annoying with his portable web cammy thing.… Expand

The only thing even remotely related to the Stargate mythos this series has is the stargate they use to reach planets... that's IT! There is no overarching story (yeah their are on a spaceship, destiny unknown, but we know THAT since day 1), each episode is a one-off "we need food", "we need water", "we need energy", "we need mineral X" kind of quest. There is little or no action, no tension, no sympathy for the characters, no nothing. Each episode I hope things pick up, that something interesting will happen, and each and every episode I'm disapointed! It's seems they intended to add a more serious tone to this series (heavily inspired by BSG, almost copy-cat like) but they failed miserably, this series is a compelete waste of time, don't bother with it! What were they thinking! My bet is this doesn't live to see a second season.… Expand

This show is officialy dead on arrival. I have painfully tried to find any redeeming quaity in this sorry excuse for an extension of the Stargate trilogy which I haved loved for years. This version is dark, dreadful and boring without one character I care anything about. I have officially taken it off my TIVO. What were the creators thinking?

It's a poor imitation of Battlestar Galactica. In an attempt to reproduce its "edgy" "character-driven" drama, they've dimmed the lighting, jerked the camera around and a lot and given us gratuitous sex scenes and equally gratuitous bitchiness. They've given us all of this but haven't woven it into a compelling and well-told story. So I agree with the Chicago Tribune's assessment of SGU as "contrived".… Expand

Show has too many characters, Some key characters need to go, and are unlikeable (at least three characters are good however). Writing isnt too strong. Way too much sex in first couple of episodes. Seems to appeal to the 14 year old male. No real strong woman characters

they have wasted an opertunity to make good scifi and turned it into bog brother in space.I'm not interested in who is shaggin who and peoples inner most depression.lets see people pushed to the limits and meeting the challenge.curious, driven people. come on SGU pull it together

If I was interested in interpersonal dramas I would watch something else. I expected more of this. They have a huge opportunity to create something really cool but they are squandering it. I could care less about the things that happen with the communication stones. There are amazing things to be found in the universe. And why don't they just follow the previously placed stargates back to Earth? It may take a while but they sure wouldn't have to pass through every one. A little planning and they could find a line of gates to get them pretty close.… Expand

Boring. If it wasn't for Robert Carlisle I'd have gave up weeks ago. Bit confusing at times. This had so much potential but it's being ruined with too much personal life back fill; why keep returning to Earth? Need more action on planets they're visiting to keep fans interested. No real plot, bit of a rehash of other series, e.g. Space 1999, Battlestar Galactica.

Most boring, annoying, irritating and confusing pilot of a new TV show I've ever seen in my life! Flat characters, unnecessary scenes, a simple plot streched over 3 episodes filled with melodrama and stupid / senseless dialogs! If you're a Stargate fan, don't look for anything familiar here. If you're somebody looking for whining, crying, more whining and more crying because you have no real life, you actually might like it!… Expand

You dropped SG-1 and SGA for this !?? SGU is not sci-fi, it is a soap opera in disguise, and a bad one at that. Bring back SGA or keep losing viewers by the scores.

I guess I'll just be rehashing what others have already said, and what I found out: SG-U is nothing but Battlestar Galactica. That is, it's a complete soap opera taking place on a starship. It's easy to hate all of the characters (except for Dr. Rush, who was pretty damn intelligent), and that's mostly because of how dark and gritty they're acting. It fits the atmosphere of BSG perfectly. While some may not have wanted another rehash of SG-1 or SGA, it would've been better to see something at least /remotely/ similar. The only similarity this has with the other SG series is the Stargate itself. Period. I hope to god that either most of the crappy characters will be killed off, or that the series will make a turn-around for the better.… Expand

I really was hoping this would be good because I love Stargate, SGU has a lot of potential but the truth is the writing is just bad.The characters have ZERO depth, the only character that has a little depth is Rush, but only for the obvious reasons. The bottom line is the whole thing is forced, it's like the writer's don't know how to grow a story naturally, so characters end up doing things they most likely wouldn't; if you have any decent level of intellect you'll find yourself saying "Why the hell is that happening" a lot. A prime example is this, in an early episode you see a lieutenant and some other SGC member having sex, now this already seems like it's only done to make the show seem intense, but whatever. In a later episode you have the math wiz kid starting to get close to and getting feelings for some girl, the next eposide, she is having sex with the lieutenant from earlier, and from the dialog they are in a full fledged relationship, but they never interacted in anyway prior to this episode. That's just bad writing, they just moved him from being with the other girl to this new one for what looks like the sole purpose of adding some sort of conflict for the math wiz kid... that's terrible. You'll find many scenes like that in SGU which makes it very hard to watch. It's like the writes don't know how to develop their thoughts and just throw out what they wanted the end result to be. It's the same with all the forced dramatic scenes others have commented on. Build up the character first and then a scene will be dramatic because we care about them, playing dramatic music an making two people the audience views as strangers cry is not dramatic... or good.… Expand

the ONLY show i have ever recorded where I fast forward through 1/3 of the episode, each episode. i wonder why i record it - it only makes me wish i didn't. i am not sure i could make a more annoying and grating and useless show, if i tried. it is so bad that i honestly think the positive reviews are by paid MGM folk....

Are they kidding? I hope that they all freeze to death.

This is the crappiest thing I ever seen. This is not the Stargate we all love. They just killed the franchise by transforming it into a soup opera!

Take a brilliant franchise (SG1 anyway) then give it the lowest of low budget treatments...disaster. I feel sorry for Robert C who I think is a very fine actor

Its like stargate/bsg on a pbs budget. but in bsg you at least got to see the vipers in dog fights. So far in nine episodes they have been to five plants and three of them were very obviously small sets. Furthermore I am getting tired of seeing the same three rooms on the "destiny". Also I have not seen a DHD next to any of the stargates. Why is it in the old galaxies all the stargates had a DHD and in this new galaxy not one of the gates has a DHD? Also in nine episodes they have learned how to open the doors, take showers, and that the ship has a chair. And they have dedicated whole episodes to each of these. Furthermore, they have these stones that lets them change places (in their minds) with anyone with the matching stone on earth, so instead of switching with really smart people like daniel jackson, samantha carter, rodney mccay, or other brilliant people that can help them, they keep switching out with military people that want to take command from the guy in charge. All in all the show is like big brother (I hate big brother) where they send people on the worst field trips ever, and instead of it being funny it is kinda depressing, and everybody on the show seems to be the worst person for the job, which very stupid because the stargate program is supposedly supposed to be super top secret and yet they seem to be having the most mentally unstable people on this mission. I could go on but most of the other posters have made the points. But all in all it is very disappointing, cheap nock off of the star gate universe.… Expand

Every time I watched it I expected it to get better. But it is just boring and deary every time. Definaitely soap not sci-fi. In fact if it did not say they were on ship they could just as well be on an oil rig. We have had 10 episodes and know nothing obout the ship. There is no humour or anything sci-fi ish to hold my attention any longer, so I am going to drop it.

All the weaknesses of BSG (unlikeable charactes, petty interpersonal dramas), but none of the strengths (compelling writing, depth of charctes, philisophical issues). Poorly acted, poorly written; such a shame... Finally, as others note, the ultimate condemnation: more boring than watching paint dry.

SGU? Poor writing, thin plots and thinner characters. Instead of reaching out, it reaches in. Bad idea. Such a shame with so much potential. Very disappointing.

Goodbye Stargate series, it was fun. Now it's not anymore, it sucks big timr. Who care about Eli playing with his balls?

I rate this SGU a 4 because there are no intellegent advasaries we've seen in the past stargates. I will continue to watch but if i don't see any interesting changes in the story line i will have to move on to watch reruns of past stargate shows.

Using BSG, the new one, as some type of measuring stick is ridiculous. That show was moral relativistic crap. SGU is the same thing every week. The ship brings them to where they need to go to get what they need, but none of the braniacs have figured it out yet. The show could be called Stargate Babies as all the young, inexperienced people without the skills to do what they're doing (Eli is the prime one of these) try to do it. Eli breaks into kiddy philosophy at the drop of a hat - the adults should be telling him to shut up.… Expand

having been a huge stargate fan, I'm totally disappointed with SGU...it's so slow moving that I practically fall to sleep watching it.

Loved SG1 Love Stargate Atlantis but finding this difficult to get interested in.Nothings happening.And will somebody fix the lights on the ship you cant see a thing

My son and I watched Stargate SG 1 and Atlantis and loved the shows and the characters. SGU seems totally different...so far, 6 or 7 shows in and we don't like any of the characters. It's all talk, no action. It's more sexual which I think makes it more an adult show than a younger audience. It seem to highlight how to have interpersonal conflict...without resolving it. If it doesn't pick up soon, we're bailing on this and that'll be sad because we were anxiously awaiting its premier earlier this year. It's more like BSG not Stargate!! Are there any new stargates in production?… Expand

As a very satisfied viewer of the the previous (2)Stargate series, I expected even more from SGU, not much less. I actually stopped watching Episode 9 tonight because it was it was just a mess. The SGU formula is all wrong. There's far too much character conflict, too much focus on the the communication stones , in general , tjust too much lame boring dialog between the characters. The science content is near zero. Unless the remaining episodes try to return to a semblance of the successful formulaes of the previous series, SGU will be a one year failure. Too bad, it could have been another 5 yr + run, if it had some decent plots.… Expand

I am an avid fan of SG1 & SGA. The movies were outstanding and repeated watching of all of the seasons bring me and my family hours of enjoyment. I have two young sons and they both love SG1 and SGA as well as the movies. After watching "Air, Light, Water, Earth, Time, Life"; I am very disappointed that this series is not as enjoyable to watch as the others, or as family friendly. I can tell you that my family never missed an episode of either Atlantis or SG1 and my family loved sitting down and watching both, and continue to watch them over and over on DVD. My 14 year old, doesn't like SGU, nor does my 9 year old. I haven't developed any care for it because of interpersonal turmoil taking place in SGU and the homage it seems to give to BSG, both thematically, and in cinematic style. There is enough stress in the world and real life, that Sci-Fi is a nice hour long escape into a world that we would , for many fans, love to be a part of; not in an insane, escapist, mental way, but as enjoyable entertainment, isn't that what it is about. The writers of this show are charging heavily on the credit of the other two series and hoping that our interest will payoff for them. They seem to think that we will support it because it has Stargate in the name, so far the characters are all whiney self indulgent, overly whiney, arrogant, I could go on; I think that I would enjoy a midseries finale which all SGU characters get sucked out of an airlock and are replaced by furlings. The other shows were great because of the statements made over and over in the series and extras, "we don't take ourselves too serious"; it was enjoyable sci-fi adventure, sci-fi action and plain fun. This show seems to want to garnish viewers from other series that were no where near as successful or entertaining to the loyal Stargate Fans, or the public in general. I hope this show goes somewhere fast, or their run will be short. And that is painful for a loyal fan of the franchise to say. After watching "Life" I am convinced that this garbage is not worth my family's time, we will be removing the auto recording schedule from our DVR and no longer submitting ourselves to SGU.… Expand

Simple and poor idea about how to kill the briliate franchise.

just not as good as it's predecessors, but still watchable on a weekly basis.

I have given it enought of my time 10 episodes in and well i dont like it at all. The actors are doing the best job anyone could do but the hap-hazard story line lets the whole franchize down. I LOVED SG-1. I LOVED Stargate Atlantis. I had high hopes for SGU but it has failed all SG Fans in every way. i would normally watch an episode and be smiling with glee and wanting more and annoyed because i would have to wait a week for the next but with Stargate Universe i am ANNOYED and disheartened because there is no real scifi stargate journey P.S. PLEASE fire the writers… Expand

Its like a soap opera-esque knockoff of low budget battlestar galactica with terrible writing and no chemistry between the weak characters. Robert Carlyle is phenomenal given the material and he's basicaly holding this fluff show together and Ming Na is underutilised, more of her perfomance would boost the show to less mediocre. I think the Stargate creators should stick to their strengths or hire the writers and some of the cast from Battlestar galactica. I was patient, i thought maybe i wasnt listening properly or that i wasnt giving it enough attention turns out it really isnt a good show. Its very forgetable and the episodes lack scope and depth, my goodness what where they thinking. If this is a joke of some kind someone should tell Brad Wright and Robert Cooper that its not funny.… Expand

This is a shame and a disgrace for the Stargate franchise. Incredibly boring, cheesy characters and no action whatsoever. Don't waste your time watching it.

The first season has a big long nothin'-much-happenin' period, and the communication stones are overused, but overall it's a great show. I much prefer the more serious tone of SGU and the BSG remake to other shows in the SG franchise.

Add to that the amount of stuff going on in the 2nd season and you're in for a corker.

I really, really wanted to like this show. I could like it--I like science fiction and some of the actors featured on this show--but the writing is persistently so very, very, very bad. Please get new writers to save this show. As it is, the script--what the actors do and say and decisions they make--is completely unbelievable 90% of the time. I spend most of the show thinking, "you've got to be kidding me." I cringe every time the writers over explain the obvious with lines that underestimate the intelligence of the audience and and provoke a "duh!" response. They could have done so much with this show; it had so much potential, and an eager Sci-Fi audience. Such a disappointment. The characters are just bad tempered, mean, some of them irrelevant--I end up thinking, "Who cares about these people?" Some have called SGU "dark" and "depressing" I think the "dark" aspect is just plain bad writing. I think the "depressing" aspect is that it leaves the viewer depressed because it so just so bad. It is so bad, it can't even be funny bad. I do watch this regularly because I am a big Sci-Fi fan, and I am persisting in my belief that a turnover in writers and actors could save this show. So I watch every week with hope, and end up disappointed. I won't stop watching--because I love Sci-Fi, have loved the SG series, and because I seem to be pathetically optimistic that next time will get better.… Expand

After becoming a big fan of SG1 and SGA, I was looking forward to this series. I still watch every week simply because it's Stargate, but if it had no affiliation to a franchise and was simply called "Destiny," I probably would not be watching it by now.

I loved the prior two series' because of the humor, action and right amount of drama... and the premise obviously. SGU lacks humor, lacks action, but I guess it's heavy on the drama. I guess. I come away finding it dark and boring. Dark, as in, crank up the brightness and contrast on your HDTVs. And yes, the dark and gloomy atmosphere makes it depressing. I understand their plight and everything, but this is supposed to be entertainment, isn't it? It feels more like a documentary about travelers stuck in outer space where nothing ever happens. And even in those sparse moments when something does happen, it still feels like nothing ever happens because the show it lacking a pulse.

I give it a 5 based solely on the fact that it has Stargate in the name. I think it still has potential, but they would really have to go in a different direction. They easily could, but I don't think they will.… Expand

It's a rip off of Battlestar Galactica without being nearly as interesting. Thing that annoys me the most are the soundtracks. Normally I'm almost completely oblivious to such a thing but in this case some of the selections are so horrible that I'm pointing it out. And do we really need to put lesbian couples in every series now days? Come on guys, at least try to step outside the box & be original (except you sound engineers). Sounds like they get drunk and edit the tracks at an Irish pub. If this is just another attempt to rip off Battlestar Galactica; for the record, they used Scottish bagpipes. Big difference. put the beer down.… Expand

The series started off a little slow, and soap-opera like, but season two has set the show on track to follow a story-line similar in style to previous incarnations of the Stargate franchise. It's a real shame that the SyFy is risking its identity by not renewing the series. It has been showing a lot of promise, and has a huge fan-base. It's my personal favorite out of all of the Stargate series, it's simply more realistic.… Expand

Took a bit to get into it's grove (good half of the first season), but once it hit it's stride, been quite good- to the point where it's one of the few shows I watch despite lacking cable.

Waste it's been cancelled...

Just loved it, shame it's ended when it finally became excellent... :-(
Especially liked the second season when they cut the boring cr*p and went on with the story.

A very, very good sci-fi show - Season 1 is as good a show as any. Very different to the other Stargates (which are basically cartoonish and I'm not personally a big fan of). SG-U has taken the same 'universe' including some of the same characters (albeit largely in cameos) and crafted an utterly plausible action-drama (exceptionally realistic at least by sf standards). Brilliantly acted - Robert Carlyle as always is simply superb but the other actors do a very good job keeping up. The absence of eye-rolling stupidity that seems to plague characters of other scifis is unbelievably refreshing. Will be interesting to see where the plot goes (or even if there is one and it doesn't simply drift off into meaningless like BSG) but right now it's theirs to lose.… Expand

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Plot overview:

a group of civilians and military personnel step through the stargate after dialing the ninth chevron [each stargate works with a dial containing nine symbols called chevrons and thirty-six constellation pictures] and arrive somewhere they were not supposed to go. The plot deals with the way these people cope with their situation and how it affects them. This spin-off stands away from the original plot paradigm of the series it focuses character development rather than the creation and usage of numerous contraptions typical of the science fiction genre.

FULL REVIEW:

I'm a true sci-fi fan, I've been watching science fiction for 23 of my 27 years of life and that gives me enough authority to say that, for the moment, Stargate Universe is the best North-American Sci-Fi show around. The reason is very simple: IT ISN'T STUPID. Do not get me wrong; SG1 and Atlantis were great (Atlantis not so great, they shouldn't have killed Weir since she was the only true and believable human-being in that expedition); SG1 was cool but it depleted itself and they gave too litle importance to the Ori arc which should have been the main reason for Atlantis' existence. SGU doesn't deal with sides (Goa'uld vs Tauri; Wraith vs Tauri, Ori vs Tauri); it's like populars vs losers in high school, ABSOLUTELY CHILDISH. This show deals with real people problems and adults with problems; there aren't any last-moment farfetched solutions to any of the inconveniences the crew finds, if they can't fix it, they just don't as it is in real life; GATE-BUSTER NUKES don't have any place here; they don't shoot like crazy and they don't go around blowing things up as if they had the same amount of infinite ammo that Schwarzenegger and Stallone had in any of their pointless flicks. And finally, we get to know how people in the stargate universe reproduce; they don't come out of cabbages as I supposed, they do "Fornication Under the Command of the King" like we do... SURPRISE, they posses and use their bananas and muffins too!!! I do think at first, they over-emphasized coital interaction between "the hottest" characters but apparently, writers have cooled down the script a bit [except for the body swiping episode though I don't know for how long].

One thing I really like about this show is the main cast [except for cute soldier boy], they really know how to bring to life their characters: Robert Carlyle and Alaina Huffman are amazing, they blew my mind in the pilot [Rush's reaction to see everyone's eating like animals in the base's mess hall and Johansen's disappointment when failed to resuscitate her bleeding comrade... superb and I've only seen such performance level in Sci-Fi from Mary Macdowell and E J Olmos from Galactica; Luis Ferreira plays the first believable Sci-Fi terrestrian army officer I have ever seen, I got really surprised by him as well as by David Blue, his Eli is a plausible nerd, both characters are really well played... and this SHOW is ABOUT CHARACTERS, immensely small human beings placed in a overwhelming situation that is far superior to their own capabilities: the Stargate is just the pretext to have them put in this place and I'm glad because we have already had 16 years of space cowboys and tin soldiers, It's time we, Gate Nerds, grew up.… Expand

The biggest fault of this show is its insistence on focusing on the characters, who are not at all well-written, making some of the episodes littered with utterly ridiculous decisions. It is a sad thing when a sci-fi show centered around hyperspace trouble is written in such a way that it makes you not believe it not because of the settings, but because of the the everyday behaviour of the heroes. Most of the characters are boring, useless, flawed and without sense of humour - why, indeed without any redeeming qualities at all, making you largely indifferent to the fate of the expedition as a whole. The sluggish pace of the narrative somehow quickens towards the season 2 finale, but there still wasn't enough to make me regret the cancellation of the show. I won't miss any of the characters, and none of the actors save the talented duo Ming-Na and Elyse Levesque, who sadly were rarely given more to do other than be kidnapped, useless, or just wrong.… Expand

Their were so many things wrong with SGU, I just don't know where to begin. I guess, I will start with the main cast of unlikable characters, that were stuck on ship. I found most of the main characters to be unlikeable, but three did stand out (that being, Rush, Wrary, and Greer- they did stood out from the others but Rush was an SOB and they really didn't do anything with Wrary and Greer), and I just didn't care about any relationships on the show. Second, like what happened on Caprica, the plot didn't really go anywhere and most of the time we were left with seeing people moping about how screwed they are, screaming at each other, having random sex, and sometimes plotting against each other (which I guess was supposed to be the drama on this show). Third, if you liked the other two Stargate shows, just skipped this one. You will end up offended at what the writers did to some of the most beloved characters and established canon, from the previous two Stargate shows. This list just goes on, but I will say, do not watch this show. Instead, you will have a better time watching the other two Stargate shows, which are Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis.… Expand