Stargate’s Destiny




Image Credit: FusedFilm.com

I only recently started exploring in depth the world of Stargate, and while I will not say that it has captured my heart the way that the desert planet Arrakis did, or the moons of Endor do, it has a special place in my life. When I want a rip roaring good time with lots of funny quips and some silly action, that is when I turn to Stargate. I joined in the wonder of new sci-fi with the movie, bought in completely to the SG-1 series, and even enjoyed the oddity that was Atlantis. So when I finally caught up to the new series, Stargate Universe, I was expecting much the same from the new crew of wacky misfits.

And that is pretty much what I got. No surprises here. Take your classic jock, nerd, smart/pretty girl, grizzled commander combination and run with it as far as you can until that juicy ad revenue dries up. This new series is ultimately colored by the machinations of Battlestar Galactica and has a little bit of the humor of Firefly, but is remarkably true to the Stargate formula. The writers once again have figured out some reason for there to be a monster of the week format, in this case a countdown clock that limits each of the off-ship missions. Add in some classic struggle against aliens/ourselves/the universe and there you go:  Stargate. It isn’t really that hard.

What is hard is making the whole thing seem fresh and new, but somehow new is exactly what is delivered. Everything looks new. New stargate, which has been the same since the movie came out in 1994. New places, new aliens. New toys and tech from the old ship in which the characters wind up traveling. One of the things that is also new is the drama. This series is full of drama, both political and personal. In fact, halfway into the new season, it is a wonder that there has been any action at all with all the personal stories and interpersonal conflicts that have permeated the crew of the Destiny.

So here is the deal folks, if you are a fan of Stargate, watch. If you are a fan of Battlestar, watch. If you are a fan of Firefly, watch. If you don’t understand why cheesy sci-fi is so great, don’t watch, go and find your sense of humor, it is lonely out there in the universe by itself.

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