Technically there is supposed to be a spoiler alert in the title if you want to spoil.

Spoilers below
It's confirmed. Rhona Mitra is going to play an alien invader in the season finale. So much for the aliens not being human or speaking English

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There is a growing tendancy to think of Man as a rational, thinking being, which is absurd.- Marvin the Martian.

It's gotten to the point where careful investigation is needed just to tell parody from reality. I think that means reality is broken.- Noclevername.

They said that he had to quit MIT because of his Mother's illness, money not academic problems. I don't remember if they said how far he got, and frankly, I don't like the character.

David.

What's to like...he's kidnapped, and blackmailed, yet still wants to help the expedition.

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"The facts gentlemen, and nothing but the facts, for careful eyes are narrowly watching." Isaac Asimov

I like him.

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Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein

They did, didn't they. I don't know why I didn't recall that earlier.

Of course a moderator would say that.

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If it's just us, it seems like an awful waste of space.
Contact Carl Sagan

http://davidsuniverse.wordpress.com/

This past weekend, I finally got around to watching the first three hours of this the new Stargate Universe show. I used to watch the original Stargate show fairly regularly a few years ago, and I did watch many Stargate Atlantis episodes, especially in the last two seasons. Those shows seemed to be rather like Star Trek, in that individual episodes stood alone, and there was no need to watch all the previous episodes in order to enjoy that episode.

This new Stargate Universe felt more like the new Battlestar Galactica. It wasn't bad, but it was kind of boring to watch. It moved slowly and used flashbacks to highlight details in the character's lives. It also featured a pretty hot sex scene, which would have been right at home at BSG. It certainly didn't feel like the previous Stargate shows, which isn't always a bad thing; but it was too slow and uninteresting for the most part. Seems like the writers want to mix some of the elements of BSG and SG; mostly BSG from what I've seen in the first three hours. My wife, who used to love SGA, was not too happy with the direction of this new series.

I will probably record a few more episodes and see where it goes. If after 5 or 6 episodes, it doesn't improve, I will probably not watch anymore.

I probably should clarify this a bit...

It's not that I don't like the wiz kid and the Lt....I do...it's just that they don't strike me as lead characters...neither does the Dr., and he's the "star" of the show...

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"The facts gentlemen, and nothing but the facts, for careful eyes are narrowly watching." Isaac Asimov

I'm not thrilled with the dr but we are supposed to dislike him. He is a total know-it-all jerk.

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Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein

See that's what I don't get...we're supposed to dislike the star of the show?

Personally, I watch shows because I like the characters...why should I watch the show when I don't like the lead character?

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"The facts gentlemen, and nothing but the facts, for careful eyes are narrowly watching." Isaac Asimov

Yes. Soap operas have done it for years. I'm sure he'll have some wonderful trait that will make us want him to do well eve if we don't like him. The guy we love to hate.

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Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein

Stargate SG1 was of its time. The trend was to have story arcs, but in a much looser kind of way. That was a step different from the era of NextGen when stories existed almost totally in a vacuum. By the time of BSG, we are in the era of fully serialised story telling. Obviously, they're trying to keep up with the times.

Yes, the sex scene was gratuitous and out of place. It does betray possible problems with their mindset. If they're thinking is along the lines of "Showing coitus makes us a serious and deep show" they're in for trouble. Using it to show the temptation and subsequent fall of Gaius Balter or the confusion of identity of Starbuck is one thing. But what does seeing pretty boy getting some do for us, other than make us want to start hitting him.

I liked the way that the original series was done. As you stated, the episodes were connected, but in a loose kind of way. Star Trek did that as well, with the different story arcs that they introduced, such as the Klingon or Borg episodes. With Stargate, sometimes I would miss whole blocks of episodes, or even an entire season, and could come back and follow a new episode without a problem.

I don't have a problem with sexuality being a part of the show. Sexuality is a part of every sci-fi show ever made. SG1 and SGA used it, but the act itself did not need to be displayed, as if for shock value. In my opinion, it's best to show the sexual tension/situation leading up to a possible sex act; but leave the details of the act, in the mind of the viewer.

I think they wanted us to realize that soldier is a bit of a loose cannon, but they didn't really return much on that investment in the 2 hour premier.

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"What you think you thought you saw you did not see." Agent J, MiB - Manhatten Bureau

Who, pretty boy? No, no no. That makes no sense. After the third episode, I'm more willing to entertain the idea he's a Mary Sue than a loose cannon. He's well liked, well respected, clearly able, he saves the day, he's sensitive, fertile, intelligent, not possessing of obvious intentional character flaws like cockiness or arrogance and of course he harbours deep guilt about letting people down.

Fertile? Did I miss something?

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There is a growing tendancy to think of Man as a rational, thinking being, which is absurd.- Marvin the Martian.

It's gotten to the point where careful investigation is needed just to tell parody from reality. I think that means reality is broken.- Noclevername.

Maybe he meant virile.

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"What you think you thought you saw you did not see." Agent J, MiB - Manhatten Bureau

Syfy Set Report: ‘Stargate Universe’

http://popculturezoo.com/archives/4600

Flashbacks to the deep guilt TM in the third episode.

So far, its alright. Could be a lot worse.

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The last time I felt a warm fuzzy feeling, I was informed by my doctor that it was just gas.

Like it so far. Really liked the braking in the upper atmosphere of the gas giant.
I think the diving into the sun will be some kind of recharging for the ship.

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If it's just us, it seems like an awful waste of space.
Contact Carl Sagan

http://davidsuniverse.wordpress.com/

Kinda like the Enterprise rising out of the clouds in Star Trek this summer?

I agree about the sun recharge. I wonder if they will finish this mini-arc in the next ep or if it will be stretched out over more than one to see people freaking out at what they think will be imminent death.

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"What you think you thought you saw you did not see." Agent J, MiB - Manhatten Bureau

Nah, more like the Leonov rolling through Jupiter's atmosphere in 2010.

Hopefully the series won't devolve into "What breaks down this week" before introducing the "rubber mask of the week" hostiles.

We could be looking at a real subtle reboot of Space:1999 if it gets into too much of a rut.

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The last time I felt a warm fuzzy feeling, I was informed by my doctor that it was just gas.

I can't convince myself that passing through the atmosphere was an effective breaking maneuver, not with the needle-like shape of the Destiny. The more likely scenario to me is that the trajectory for the gravitational slingshot* maneuver had to pass through the atmosphere to get the desired trajectory under limited power.

*Yeah, it's a deceleration, but its the same type of maneuver.

I think there is a giant stargate inside of the star.

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Any comments in glorious red are to be considered in ModeratorMode.


善數, 不用籌策 (shàn shù, bù yòng chóu cè)
He who is good at counting, uses no counting tools
“A good scientist has freed himself of concepts and keeps his mind open to what is”
道德經, 二十七 (dào dé jīng, 27)

I yelled the same thing at my TV screen.

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"The facts gentlemen, and nothing but the facts, for careful eyes are narrowly watching." Isaac Asimov

I didn't yell, I just stared quizzically at the screen trying to decide if the writers were really trying to aerobrake a needle-shaped ship. There's these things called parachutes, ya know.

maybe the computer was just using the atmosphere and gravity of the planet to change the direction and velocity of the ship just enough to send it towards the sun. this would mean that it had taken the shape of the ship into account in it's calculations. the people inside just assumed it was a typical aerobraking maneuver, since they might not have a good grasp on the actual shape of the ship.

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"blacker than the blackest black... times infinity."- Nathan Explosion
The.. Best.. Thread..Ever...

I agree that the ship would have done that. I don't recall anybody saying that they were aerobraking, but I'm wondering if that was the writers' intention. If it was, the ship is apparently smarter than they are.