review - Stargate Universe

"Stargate Universe" follows the adventures of a present-day, multinational, exploration team unable to return to Earth after an evacuation to the ancient spaceship Destiny (launched a million years ago), which is traveling in a distant corner of the universe.

One part "Lost" and a few parts "Battlestar Galactica" and "Star Trek: Voyager", "SGU" was a show I didn't expect to like, but do. I enjoyed the 1994 movie even though that was a bit thin on plot and the "Stargate SG-1" series on Showtime before it moved to what is now called the SyFy Channel. "Stargate Atlantis" lost me real fast and once I heard there was going to be another series I paid little attention, but glad I did.

To coin a tired Hollywood catchphrase this is a "dark and edgy" show, perhaps created to fill the dark and edgy void left by the excellent "Battlestar Galactica". Like "Galactica" and "Lost" these people are in a situation not of their making and their attitude towards this shows from week to week. The characters on "Star Trek: Voyager" were never true to their dire situation and that problem is ironed out nicely on "SGU".

The acting on the show is good, but their hasn't been a strong episode to showcase the obvious talent here. By that I mean the program is still in the establishment phase with star Robert Carlyle (Dr. Rush) carrying most of the dramatic load. The frequent flashbacks will remind you of "Lost", which took their flashback que from the 1954 John Wayne film "The High And The Mighty".

I have a feeling by toward the end of the current season we are gong to see some better stuff here. Right now, SGU is one of the better SF shows on TV. If it is given a chance to grow the way "Galactica" and 'Lost" did we may have another SF show worth remembering.