Stargate Universe

:

Season 1
  • Network: SyFy
  • Series Premiere Date: Oct 2, 2009
Season #: 2, 1
User Score
6.0

Mixed or average reviews- based on 498 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 282 out of 498
  2. Mixed: 33 out of 498
  3. Negative: 183 out of 498
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User Reviews

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  1. MichaelS
    Dec 7, 2009
    3
    I just watched the season finale. Look. It's real simple. This is incredibly boring! It's insulting really. We veiwers need tangible bad guys to root against! If I see one more episode of a dark ship with a dark plot and dark moody people walking around with sad faces I'm out! It's so sad to take a wonderful concept for a series and then totally mishandle it! Aargh! I just watched the season finale. Look. It's real simple. This is incredibly boring! It's insulting really. We veiwers need tangible bad guys to root against! If I see one more episode of a dark ship with a dark plot and dark moody people walking around with sad faces I'm out! It's so sad to take a wonderful concept for a series and then totally mishandle it! Aargh! Could have been awesome but instead it just makes me more upset that they canceled SG1 and SGA in the first place.… Expand
  2. StephanieC
    Apr 15, 2010
    3
    I can't wait for the next episode.
  3. ethanJ
    Oct 10, 2009
    3
    Ok this show hasnt made any sense. They should have made this more like SGA an lead up to this series. There was no mention of the 9th chevron in the past. Like i was sayiong before this show hast been making any sense we all know that the Deadulous class ship Hammond is one of the most powerful ships in the galaxy and would be able to withstand Orie ships. how come three Gauld could Ok this show hasnt made any sense. They should have made this more like SGA an lead up to this series. There was no mention of the 9th chevron in the past. Like i was sayiong before this show hast been making any sense we all know that the Deadulous class ship Hammond is one of the most powerful ships in the galaxy and would be able to withstand Orie ships. how come three Gauld could overcome the Hammond. it just doesn make sense. Also the thing that people enjoyed most about the SG was how people were familiar with the technology. This Rush guy seems to sound like he knows what he is doing but does not seem eligable for the role. Most of the characters seem be ok but if they do another desert like episode. im gonna proably stop watchng it and just watch reruns of SGA and SG1.… Expand
  4. JackL
    Nov 24, 2009
    3
    Is this really Stargate? Where is the hope, optimism, humor? I see none of it. I see no science or interesting technology, just bimbo lesbians and who slept with who. Too dark and edgy for me, it's garbage.
  5. AlexanderM
    Oct 11, 2009
    3
    Fans of Stargate and sci-fi steer clear of this one. Fans of Battlestar Galactica 2.0, take a look. With the renaming of the Sci Fi Channel to Syfy comes a similarly painful re-branding of Stargate, Stargate: Drama on a Spaceship. The premier was a mixed bag, the increased focus on inter-character drama was clear but it still appeared to have a reasonable amount of the Stargate focus but Fans of Stargate and sci-fi steer clear of this one. Fans of Battlestar Galactica 2.0, take a look. With the renaming of the Sci Fi Channel to Syfy comes a similarly painful re-branding of Stargate, Stargate: Drama on a Spaceship. The premier was a mixed bag, the increased focus on inter-character drama was clear but it still appeared to have a reasonable amount of the Stargate focus but the second episode has cleared up any confusion. Stargate Universe is a drama and the next few episodes appear to continue the character drama if the descriptions are correct. Fans of soaps will likely enjoy it but fans of sci-fi are in for a disappointment with poorly written characters, generic character drama, half-arsed sci-fi writing, and mediocre acting. The show has been summarized as Lost meets StarTrek Voyager but that's a misrepresentation because there doesn't seem to be any indication that they will run into other people anytime soon. SG-1's whole message about gods and the religions surrounding them being created by other mortal or once mortal beings, thus something to be avoided seems to be ignored in order to allow religion to work for personal conflict within one of the protagonists. While this generic drama tool can be used in many other series, it creates a conflict in overtones in the Stargate universe.… Expand
  6. kyleb
    Oct 11, 2009
    3
    Not impressed so far. I knew the second they canceled Atlantis they had a bad case of BSG envy. SGU shows every sign of being BSG light--the worst of both worlds. What they're sacrificing is the fun, humor and charismatic characters that were Stargate hallmarks. And what they're overlooking is that BSG was only fantastic 20% of the time and the rest was pretentious crap.
  7. SomeBody
    Nov 8, 2009
    3
    It's like the original SG1, but without the fun.
  8. AlanG
    Dec 9, 2009
    3
    Every week I keep hoping it will improve and every week I'm disappointed. It's far more soap than sci-fi. If they do decide to do another series I hope they read some of the comments posted here and get it right!
  9. PedroS
    Nov 1, 2009
    3
    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 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
  10. AdamG
    Nov 21, 2009
    3
    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
  11. carlT
    Nov 23, 2009
    3
    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
  12. RogerO
    Oct 14, 2009
    3
    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.
  13. JasonM
    Nov 21, 2009
    3
    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. 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
  14. NigelN
    Dec 29, 2009
    3
    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 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
  15. bluemoondog
    Oct 10, 2010
    3
    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,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
  16. John
    Nov 9, 2009
    2
    If people want BSG, then watch that... I hated it. Its sad that Stargate is now a soap opera. The first 2 episodes looked promising and I told myself that they were just building characters... nope, I need to find a new show now. Maybe someone will turn the new Star Trek movie into a series. And please leave out the drama!
  17. BruceM
    Oct 7, 2009
    2
    We loved Stargate Atlantis, Bring it back. Stargate Universe was terrible, poor plot, poor acting. What were they thinking. The dialogue is horrible.
  18. PaulI
    Nov 4, 2009
    2
    Tries to be Lost meets Star Trek but fails miserably (Lost in Space anyone?). Mediocre acting (Carlyle excepted), cardboard characters, bad scripts and poor direction. Episodes 1 to 3 should have been wrapped into just two. Boring and longwinded but can be forgiven as scene setting for the show. Episode 4 actually quite good. Entertaining. Carlyle starts to flex his acting muscles and Tries to be Lost meets Star Trek but fails miserably (Lost in Space anyone?). Mediocre acting (Carlyle excepted), cardboard characters, bad scripts and poor direction. Episodes 1 to 3 should have been wrapped into just two. Boring and longwinded but can be forgiven as scene setting for the show. Episode 4 actually quite good. Entertaining. Carlyle starts to flex his acting muscles and Eli's character is toned down a bit to make him more bearable. As the comic relief he is just annoying. Ship loses power and pops up in a star system supposedly so its passengers can head for nearby inhabitable planets but Oh No!..They're heading straight for a star! Hands up who realised immediately that it was the ships intention in order to refuel itself harnessing the stars power somehow..yup..nearly everyone. Will the writers acknowledge that its audience is reasonably intellligent and not spring this as the "surprise" conclusion to episode 5? Episode 5. Nope..they think we don't know. Oh dear. Perhaps an interesting side story will appear. Yes. A group can survive by heading for a planet on the shuttlecraft. Colonel young decides on a lottery system to choose. If you expect a group of humans to end their days alone on a planet you need a balance of men and women for obvious reasons. This could have been turned into an entertaining and comic vehicle for the actors and viewers (who gets the gal with big bazooms? etc), but no, as about 14 men and 3 women board the craft I knew within a year most of the men would have clubbed each other to death fighting over the women. When Dr. Rush realises what is really happening he explains the power loss is due to the ship diverting all its power to the shields in order for it to enter the star and reenergise itself. So how did the shuttle manage to leave the ship with its shields at full strength? Episode 6. Water is disappearing so the ship pops up at an icebound planet so the passengers can get more water. Colonel Young decides to head a 2 man team with second in command Scott in tow. Hang on!? In the last episode Young takes himself out of the lottery of survivors as he is crippled and weak and wouldnt survive the arduous nature of survival on a barren planet. This week he's going on a mission to carve up and transport chunks of ice to the ship. A task requiring great physical strength and endurance. Two of his strongest grunts would have sufficed for this one. One more of the shows inconsistencies in plot development. Bet next week he's back on his crutch , hobbling around the ship. Seems the writers threw in this one to as an excuse to put Lt. Johansen in charge and deal with the aliens discovered aboard the ship. Seems a swarming group of particle sized aliens are taking thousands of litres of water at a time. How? How do these tiny aliens take the water. Absorb it? they don't have the body mass! Why do they need it? Such small creatures with simple anatomies probably exist by photosynthesis, turning sunlight into energy. There was no water on the desert planet they originally came from so if they need water to survive wouldn't they have died out on that planet? How did Johansen get them into the barrel? They obligingly swarmed in and that was it? Also, with the ship reenergised they can simply dial Earth using the Stargate and go home. Hurray! No. The ship only got 40% power back. Why? And if the ship is partially sentient, constantly sensing the needs of its passengers and obliging by popping up wherever its needed, why doesnt it sense their need to return home, head for a star, get full power and let them use the stargate? All these inconsistencies and more make this show a real loser. It underestimates its audience on every level. Where is the science in this science fiction? The lazy writers need a science advisor desperately. Any 12 year old in any education system in the world will do... This should have been so good but is so bad! Enoughs enough for me. Can't see this getting any better. Time to jump ship I'm afraid.… Expand
  19. DanielC
    Oct 15, 2009
    2
    Oh my God. They turned one of the best SciFi franchises in a piece of crap like Battlestar Galactica. That hurts!
  20. zULUeCHO
    Oct 17, 2009
    2
    The biggest flaw of the show is it tries to take itself seriously using characters which don't have much depth by adding lots of useless melodrama.
  21. ScottK
    Oct 4, 2009
    2
    I knew they were taking the show in a new direction, and by new direction, they meant everything that has already been done to death. Instead of coming off as edgy or even sci-fi in any manner of the word, they turn around and are actually quite generic on the base where the previous installments although safe, were very story driven and kept people coming back for more. With Universe so I knew they were taking the show in a new direction, and by new direction, they meant everything that has already been done to death. Instead of coming off as edgy or even sci-fi in any manner of the word, they turn around and are actually quite generic on the base where the previous installments although safe, were very story driven and kept people coming back for more. With Universe so far, were left with the only thing in this sequel that actually resembles the show stargate, being the stargate itself. The cast are all young and their acting ability shows through with how green they can be. Your best bet if you want to enjoy this show, is to most likely forget that its stargate and throw all your hopes and dreams out the window, because its no longer story driven, its a soap opera drama now, going off the fights among the characters, and from what we have seen from the premier, .are all forced conflicts do to poor writing. Some things to consider if you have watched SG-1 and SGA... The new "geek" who happens to be a gamer who solved some impossible code that apparently the combine force of McKay, Daniel Jackson, and Samantha Carter couldn't figure out, this kid apparently figured out without much effort. Within 2 days, he had acquired more knowledge on the ancients than the combine knowledge of Daniel Jackson and Mckay and was able to control ship systems with relative ease. The military personnel were weak at best, being what appeared to be weekend warriors serving their 1 weekend a month. The show has no control, no real direction and was very sloppy for a premier that was meant to bring people in...The show will get 2 episodes more at best before being ditched completly if things dont "fix" themselves. No im not looking for a rehash of SG-1 or Atlantis, however, solid acting and a story are a requirement...This is wormhole extreme all over again.… Expand
  22. TristanM
    Nov 17, 2009
    2
    Teen drama in space. Very childish. Too much sex and voyerism. Not enough SCIENCE and FICTION. The producing are spitting on the old fans in favor of reality TV watching children. The show now panders to those who think with their hormones instead of with their minds. It won't make it til the end of the second season, unless it gets a major overhaul. I love stargate .. just not Teen drama in space. Very childish. Too much sex and voyerism. Not enough SCIENCE and FICTION. The producing are spitting on the old fans in favor of reality TV watching children. The show now panders to those who think with their hormones instead of with their minds. It won't make it til the end of the second season, unless it gets a major overhaul. I love stargate .. just not Stargate Universe.… Expand
  23. DanielW
    Dec 23, 2009
    2
    Stargate is a franchise known for it's humor and traditional sci-fi plot lines, not character development or drama. And yes, after a total of 15 years of that kind of show, a change was needed (the later seasons of Atlantis showed us this). Unfortunately, Stargate Universe tried to be too different. The show feels much more like a soap opera set in space. The best episode yet was Stargate is a franchise known for it's humor and traditional sci-fi plot lines, not character development or drama. And yes, after a total of 15 years of that kind of show, a change was needed (the later seasons of Atlantis showed us this). Unfortunately, Stargate Universe tried to be too different. The show feels much more like a soap opera set in space. The best episode yet was only on par with some of the worst SG-1 or Atlantis episodes. Like previous commenters, I watched this show hoping each week that it would get better; that it would stop focusing on the sex and the drama and actually have an episode with a real science-fiction plot. I've since given up. SGU continues to show a pattern of relationship drama and, well, sheer boringness. Perhaps this show will attract more mainstream viewers who aren't necessarily sci-fi fans, but I don't think even they'll be interested for that long. I'd be surprised if this show lasted longer than 2 seasons.… Expand
  24. Jackf
    Dec 4, 2009
    2
    Univertse is terrible. The charachtes are two-dimensional at best and the whole show has the look and feel of a soap opera. And why for god's sake haven't they found the lights yet. every scene seems to be shot in twilight.......... it's very depressing.
  25. PeterT.
    Oct 5, 2009
    2
    I don't know what was worse, the jumping back and forth in time (rips away any suspense), the recycled actors (glad they were only on the one show), or the Dr Suess dialogue.
  26. JonDoe
    Oct 5, 2009
    2
    What the hell! Battlestar Galactica/Lost/ kind of stargate show what happen? If this crap doesn't change just bring back atlantis. what a waste of stargate goodness.
  27. BenD
    Oct 8, 2009
    2
    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 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
  28. DoodleFace
    Oct 9, 2009
    2
    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 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
  29. LizH
    Nov 30, 2009
    2
    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.
  30. MikeM
    Nov 21, 2009
    2
    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 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
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Awards & Rankings

62
#62 Best TV Season of 2009
1
#1 Most Discussed TV Season of 2009
34
#34 Most Shared TV Season of 2009

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
61

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
  1. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Maureen Ryan
    50
    Stories aren't particularly dense or surprising, and some of the conflict feels quite contrived
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  2. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Marc Bernardin
    67
    Hopefully the story itself, which finds a band of alien-attack victims jumping blindly through a Stargate and landing on a mysterious spaceship billions of light years from Earth, will eventually transcend this premiere's BSG-lite-ness.
    Read full review
  3. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    80
    With 19 episodes remaining in this season, there's plenty of time for all this drama to intensify and the characters to sort themselves out as good and not-so-good.
    Read full review
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