^Stargate^ *Appreciation Thread* Last episodes start May 7th.

[techs]

Well, SyFy announced that the final episodes of Stargate:Universe will air starting May 7th, Monday.

I believe there are still 10 episodes to go.

Since SG-1 premiered in July 1997 we have not been without a Stargate show. Now it's 14 years later, and the shows are ending, not with a bang, but a whimper.

To me the "Glory Days" were the three season overlap of SG1 and Atlantis. Adding in Dr. Who or later Battlestar Galactica on Friday nights, it was, for me, the heyday of tv science fiction.

Despite a terrible first season SG1 quickly improved to be one of the greatest televison shows ever. Not just scifi, but of all shows.

Richard Dean Anderson was the only regular who had any kind a resume, and he carried the show on his shoulders all the way thru the glory years. Outside of Don Davis, Anderson was the only one who had even really acted before.
But, as O'neill (with two L's) he made the rest of the team look really good.

Whether Stargate:Universe could have survived its very slow start and made a long run of it, we will never know. It certainly improved the second season, but by then it was clear SyFy wanted to get rid of it. Maybe the times have changed and shows that start slowly won't ever recover. Would Seinfeld have made it in todays you must be successful immediately climate?

So, gather round your kids, tune in to Universe and tell them you used to know Stargate when it was great. And when they don't believe, stream a few episodes.

Goodbye, Stargate. It's been great.

 

[Jadow]

SG1 Ruled
SGA Good show
SGU an abomination, it was basically BSG but with lousy annoying characters you don't care about and no plot.

 

[darkxshade]

Stargate Universe sucked chunks... I would really like to see a new Star Trek series though. :\

 

[ravana]

I think if SGU started doing what they in the second season in the middle of the first, they would've probably made it farther.

That & more of she who shall not be named.

 

[mcurphy]

I had never watched any of the Stargate TV shows until last summer when I found it on Netflix streaming. I started with SG-1 and made my way through every season and every episode, then the movies, and then all of SG-A. I loved it!

I have recently started SG-U, but I just can't get into it. Is it worth it to continue watching?

 

[techs]

I had never watched any of the Stargate TV shows until last summer when I found it on Netflix streaming. I started with SG-1 and made my way through every season and every episode, then the movies, and then all of SG-A. I loved it!

I have recently started SG-U, but I just can't get into it. Is it worth it to continue watching?

It does improve, but its still not up to even SGA.

 

[lupi]

I killed SGU to scifi on their surveys when they sent the promo trailers and stuff on it as you had no idea of what was going on based on what was shown other than the name relation. Seems they were too slow to respond to similar criticism post launch and down she goes. A shane cause with them getting better control of the ship and a mission more important than just getting home it's finally started to pick up in pace.

 

[Malak]

I killed SGU to scifi on their surveys when they sent the promo trailers and stuff on it as you had no idea of what was going on based on what was shown other than the name relation. Seems they were too slow to respond to similar criticism post launch and down she goes. A shane cause with them getting better control of the ship and a mission more important than just getting home it's finally started to pick up in pace.

Very similar to what happened with Enterprise. They tried to make big changes to the established tradition and ended up alienating the fanbase. I personally liked SGU, but maybe it should have been a new franchise instead of Stargate.

 

[cronos]

I started watching Stargate with Atlantis when it was off the air already, didn't even finish season 1 until I jumped to season 4 and finished it off. The ending seems abrupt and I was a little bit disappointed, but in general I really liked it. Someday maybe I'll find the time to finish watching all the episodes in season 1-3 that I missed.

Now that I'm intrigued about the franchise, I thought I'd start with the whole series of SG-1 (the episodes just started to be available at Hulu at that time), got to watch about half of season 1 until my impatience took the best of me and I skipped all the way to S-9 finale and start from that until the series finale, and Ark of Truth and Continuum. I loved SG-1 so much so I went back to watch the second half of season 7 and then season 8 and 9. I then went back to where I left season 1, and slowly catching up on Netflix to watch the rest of episodes that I missed (currently about half of season 3).

I like Universe and don't really mind the total change of direction (of seemingly copying the 'darkness' of BSG), but I thought it was a bad move as I was pretty sure that a lot of the longtime fan of Stargate would not like it. It seems like I was right. The only thing I'm personally pissed off about SG:U is when

Spoiler

they killed Ginn off. Wtf writers? what did Eli ever do to you?

Anyway, cheers to Stargate!

 

[Glitchny]

Very sad that the series will not be on the air any longer. I've been watching since SG-1 started and it's just disappointing Stargate wont b on air any longer. Universe changed too much of pacing and format of the other Stargate shows. Personally I found Atlantis to be more interesting, mostly because McKay is one of the best SG characters, and felt that it should have been continued and Universe should never have been made.

 

[mcurphy]

Now that I'm intrigued about the franchise, I thought I'd start with the whole series of SG-1 (the episodes just started to be available at Hulu at that time), got to watch about half of season 1 until my impatience took the best of me and I skipped all the way to S-9 finale and start from that until the series finale, and Ark of Truth and Continuum. I loved SG-1 so much so I went back to watch the second half of season 7 and then season 8 and 9. I then went back to where I left season 1, and slowly catching up on Netflix to watch the rest of episodes that I missed (currently about half of season 3).

Season 3 and 4 had some of the best episodes! Towards the end of Season 3 you will see "Urgo" which guest stars Dom Deluise. Season 4 includes "Window of Opportunity" which is hilarious! RDA is a riot in that episode.

 

[techs]

I started watching Stargate with Atlantis when it was off the air already, didn't even finish season 1 until I jumped to season 4 and finished it off. The ending seems abrupt and I was a little bit disappointed, but in general I really liked it. Someday maybe I'll find the time to finish watching all the episodes in season 1-3 that I missed.

Now that I'm intrigued about the franchise, I thought I'd start with the whole series of SG-1 (the episodes just started to be available at Hulu at that time), got to watch about half of season 1 until my impatience took the best of me and I skipped all the way to S-9 finale and start from that until the series finale, and Ark of Truth and Continuum. I loved SG-1 so much so I went back to watch the second half of season 7 and then season 8 and 9. I then went back to where I left season 1, and slowly catching up on Netflix to watch the rest of episodes that I missed (currently about half of season 3).

I like Universe and don't really mind the total change of direction (of seemingly copying the 'darkness' of BSG), but I thought it was a bad move as I was pretty sure that a lot of the longtime fan of Stargate would not like it. It seems like I was right. The only thing I'm personally pissed off about SG:U is when

Spoiler

they killed Ginn off. Wtf writers? what did Eli ever do to you?

Anyway, cheers to Stargate!

If you start watching from the next to last episode of season 2, "1969" you won't get bored out of your skull like you did the first season. While there are still stand alone bummer episodes, I have found that when you hit a bad one, especially on streaming, just go to the next one. The little updates at the beginning usually tell you all you need to know.
In fact, if you start from season 2 "1969" I would suggest you watch these episodes in order:

Out of Mind (1)
Into the Fire (2)
Fair Game
Point of View
Foothold
Shades of Grey
Crystal Skull
Nemesis (1)
Small Victories (2)

By then you're into the 4th season and the show is peaking.

EDIT:
I noticed the poster above included Window of Opportunity(although thats season 4) and Urgo. I would also watch those epi's. Also The Fifth Race

 

[cronos]

Season 3 and 4 had some of the best episodes! Towards the end of Season 3 you will see "Urgo" which guest stars Dom Deluise. Season 4 includes "Window of Opportunity" which is hilarious! RDA is a riot in that episode.

Awesome, I'm actually really close to 'Urgo' now, probably two episodes from it.

Oh and techs, your post made me want to power through them this weekend. From what I've been reading from random comments all over, seasons 4-5 of SG-1 are what most people considered to be the best. Can't wait!

 

[DisgruntledVirus]

Very sad that the series will not be on the air any longer. I've been watching since SG-1 started and it's just disappointing Stargate wont b on air any longer. Universe changed too much of pacing and format of the other Stargate shows. Personally I found Atlantis to be more interesting, mostly because McKay is one of the best SG characters, and felt that it should have been continued and Universe should never have been made.

Definitely concur here. I loved Atlantis. SGU was enjoyable, but for different reasons. It wasn't the same vein as SG1/SGA was, but still good. If the first half of S2 was put into S1 instead, then the show would have been much better. Too many "filler" episodes IMO.

 

[mcurphy]

Awesome, I'm actually really close to 'Urgo' now, probably two episodes from it.

Oh and techs, your post made me want to power through them this weekend. From what I've been reading from random comments all over, seasons 4-5 of SG-1 are what most people considered to be the best. Can't wait!

If I remember right, season 4 and 5 is where they really started carrying the same story through several episodes, and there weren't as many "stand alone" episodes as was common in the first few seasons. I found it much more enjoyable to watch several episodes covering the same adventure or topic. And some things carry on through the whole season.

And then once in awhile you get those "clip" shows which I really disliked. Especially when you are watching the episodes one after another on Netflix, you don't need a whole episode of recaps. But I can see why they were made to help the viewers when the series was first on TV one episode per week.

 

[SunnyD]

imho, if they NEVER plan on making another series... they should wrap the franchise up with a peek at the future. Tie everything up with a bow...

1. Atlantis is on earth. Sure, it's cloaked, but they can't hide it forever.
2. What happens in Pegasus? Atlantis is gone, the humans are gone, but there's still a galaxy of population to cull, and no SG teams to save them. The wraith ARE still there afterall, and evolving.
3. You can't tell me that the Tau'ri and Jaffa, among other allied races don't eventually become public... we're not alone out there.
4. What became of the Tokra? Are they still at a dead end?
5. What becomes of the remaining Go'auld?
6. What have we learned from the Asgard core?
7. We are the 5th race. Have we actually earned that designation?
8. Figure out what happened with destiny, and get the people home.
9. What the fuck happened to the furlings?!

 

[DaveSimmons]

SGU made me appreciate Torchwood. (Not even SGU can make me appreciate the Sarah Jane Smith show though.)

It had moments of potential, but too few and too far between even in the less-awful season 2.

StyFly should have made Scalzi's novels into a series instead of paying to ignore him as a "creative consultant."

 

[techs]

The only drawback is the first seven seasons are in standard def. Atlantis looked fantastic in HD, though.

btw some of the effects in SG1 and SGA rival feature film effects.