Stargate Universe S2E20 "Gauntlet" [spoilers]

[Alyeska]

On a side note, I just found out why Corporal Barnes' actress has seemed familiar for a while -- she played a Rebel Aide in SG-1's "Icon" and Lia in SGA's "Ghost in the Machine". Good old Canadian casting pool.

She also had a role in The 4400. Kavan Smith played Major Lorne in SGA and Jed Garrity in The 4400.

Vincent Gale portrayed Laird in BSG and Morrison in SGU.

Canadians were well represented in the Stargate series along with a couple other shows that also filmed near there.

[JME2]

Canadians were well represented in the Stargate series along with a couple other shows that also filmed near there.

Yeah. I know a number of SG actors have also appeared Smallville and several BSG actors appeared on SG-1.

Joel Goldsmith's score in that moment was wonderful. He is every bit the great composer that his late father was.

Hell yes. He may have used David Arnold's themes as his starting point, but Goldsmith really helped to define the musical style of SG-1/SGA and was bold enough to alter it for SGU. I'm glad he was a part of this for 14 years.

[Alyeska]

Sucks that the Stargate themes and music aren't available on Amazon (not even disk form) except for the main theme itself. I rather liked the piano themes to SGU.

[JME2]

Sucks that the Stargate themes and music aren't available on Amazon (not even disk form) except for the main theme itself. I rather liked the piano themes to SGU.

The closest we have is Goldsmith's website.

But yeah, I'd love to see more Stargate music releases; I love the Asgard theme, for example.

[hongi]

Wray-Started out as your typical IOA bitch, but ended up being an empathetic member of the crew, often times functioning as councilor, ensuring the mental health of the crew. Her goodbye to Sharon was a particularly sad one.

She turned out to be my favourite actually, possibly behind Greer. Despite her lack of technical knowledge or competence, she had kindness and that goes a long way in a cooped up ship full of depressed people.

I found it touching and affecting that Eli looked out from the observation deck and smiled at the sight. Stargate for me from the very first was about wonder and discovery. To see that Eli was still awed, despite every horrible thing, by where he was and what he was a part of, just made it all so much better.

So this is it, a permanent end to SGU. I think this 'ending' may have been better than a cliffhanger battle. It would have gotten me all excited to see a resolution that would never come, and then that would turn to disappointment and it'd just piss me off. But this makes me sad and happy. Also, very strange how it fit the requirements of a series finale so perfectly even though they hadn't planned on it. If SGU hadn't been cancelled, would there just have been another episode occurring after they reached the next galaxy?

[JME2]

So this is it, a permanent end to SGU. I think this 'ending' may have been better than a cliffhanger battle. It would have gotten me all excited to see a resolution that would never come, and then that would turn to disappointment and it'd just piss me off. But this makes me sad and happy. Also, very strange how it fit the requirements of a series finale so perfectly even though they hadn't planned on it. If SGU hadn't been cancelled, would there just have been another episode occurring after they reached the next galaxy?

According to Wright, "Gauntlet" was crafted to serve as both a season finale and a series finale in case they got canceled. They knew the show wasn't doing well, but thought they were going to get one more season to wrap things up.

Interestingly, it wasn't the original ending intended, according to Mallozzi. The finale was supposed to come down to Rush, Young, and one pod left.

Mallozzi's blog also lists some interesting ideas as to stories for Season 3 and the SGU DTV's that Wright was trying to get off the ground.

[Alyeska]

According to Wright, "Gauntlet" was crafted to serve as both a season finale and a series finale in case they got canceled. They knew the show wasn't doing well, but thought they were going to get one more season to wrap things up.

I knew it. That ending fit as a series finale way too well for chance. They knew their ratings were slipping and they planned their stories accordingly so as not to leave the fans with something less than ideal.

That to me says that the writers actually cared.

[JME2]

According to Wright, "Gauntlet" was crafted to serve as both a season finale and a series finale in case they got canceled. They knew the show wasn't doing well, but thought they were going to get one more season to wrap things up.

I knew it. That ending fit as a series finale way too well for chance. They knew their ratings were slipping and they planned their stories accordingly so as not to leave the fans with something less than ideal.

That to me says that the writers actually cared.

Yeah, imagine if we'd gotten the Stargate equivalent of "These Are the Voyages".

Despite what the SGA fans are screaming, Wright cares about Stargate. He helped take a B-movie from 1994 and turn it into a 14-year television franchise. He and the other writers have made mistakes and been lazy at times, but they cared about the Gate-verse.

And the ending of SGU works, as noted on the first page. It doesn't matter that we'll never know if they make it home. In SG-1 and SGA, the Tau'ri ventured where the Ancients had gone before. In SGU, we went where the Ancients had never gone. The closing scenes are a reaffirmation of the show's central themes, of journeying into the unknown. Seen that way, it's not unlike the ending of Angel.

[Ahriman238]

Post subject: Re: Stargate Universe S2E20 "Gauntlet" [spoilers]

JME2 wrote:
According to Wright, "Gauntlet" was crafted to serve as both a season finale and a series finale in case they got canceled. They knew the show wasn't doing well, but thought they were going to get one more season to wrap things up.


I knew it. That ending fit as a series finale way too well for chance. They knew their ratings were slipping and they planned their stories accordingly so as not to leave the fans with something less than ideal.

That to me says that the writers actually cared.

Yeah, I feel all warm and fuzzy. I'd have still liked more, but you can really tell the difference it makes when the writers and actors and directors care about the story and how it's told. It's one of the things that made Sg-1 special, even on the lamest of filler episodes, they tried, they had fun. Seeing that here really makes me wish they could have kept going a while longer.

Was I the only one who was reminded of the B5 finale when the lights started going out?

[JME2]

Speaking of creators, I'd be curious to see reactions from Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin as to the end of the franchise's current iteration.

It's no secret they did not approve of or support SG-1 and I assume that extended to both spin-off's.

[Themightytom]

Speaking of creators, I'd be curious to see reactions from Roland Emmerich and Dean Devlin as to the end of the franchise's current iteration.

It's no secret they did not approve of or support SG-1 and I assume that extended to both spin-off's.

Last I heard they were still pushing for sequels. If MGM canned the SG franchise, in terms of webisodes or DVD movies, in favor of sequels to the original movie... I'm gonna boycott it. Those guys couldn't manage to get their vision realized for ten years I see no reason to terminate an existing franchise with a solid fan base to do so. it would smack of trendy reboots that have become the fad nowadays, but it would suggest reboot before the franchise had run it's course, and rather as a stimulus to grab attention.

That is why I hate comic books. There is a reboot every five years, explained by some kind of cataclysm. I was excited when they did it with bsg. That had run it's course, and was not coming back. I was nervous when they did it with Star Trek. Um yes. Voyager sucked balls, and Enterprise was necrophilia, but there was some room for new stories, with new leadership.

If they pull that with Stargate, I probably won't want to play ball because BEST case scenario, they reboot an awesome product, I get attached, and they learn they can reboot it at whim to increase fan base. Check please.

Set the clock for three years. If SGU isn't back by then it's truly dead. I'd even say set it sooner because the cast is already finding other work Alaina Huffman is breaking into reality shows for instance and Robert Carlyle won't be idle for long, especially after success in TV.

Lou Fererria might be around doing Trump impersonations as well as Brian J. Smith who is due to be replaced by a more advanced robot model next week, and they can always just retcon Sgt Harriman in by pretending he was always there and played a pivotal background role we never saw. because Gary Jones is always up for Stargate

[JME2]

If they pull that with Stargate, I probably won't want to play ball because BEST case scenario, they reboot an awesome product, I get attached, and they learn they can reboot it at whim to increase fan base. Check please.

Here are my thoughts on the future.

"Gauntlet" works as a series finale, but I think it's in MGM's best interest to wrap up SGU's story in the long-term if they want to keep the franchise alive. Thanks to the set-up, they've got 3 years to get their finances in order, get the Bond films running again, and then turn attention to their 2nd most important property.

If they do, however, then I kinda hope that's it. Like Star Trek, you can only recycle and tweak the premise so many times and I honestly can't figure out what a 4th series would entail.

A reboot also has other negative connotations. One of the things I love about Stargate is the unique nature of the franchise. SG-1 was a spin-off of the original movie and continued the story. SGA was in turn also a spin-off, continuing a major plot-line of late SG-1. SGU in turn followed both series' continuity and explored the last major mystery of the Gate-verse: the 9th chevron.

The whole thing, together, feels like one extended narrative and story arc, of the Tau'ri reopening their gate and progressing from inferior nobodies to an advanced presence in the universe.

This, incidentally, is why I prefer the TNG-era over the rest of Star Trek. All three shows (yes, even VGR) overlapped and led into each other. TNG set up the Bajoran Occupation, which led into DS9. Then TNG and DS9 set up the Maquis story, which led into VGR. Regardless of execution, it also felt at times like a combined narrative.

Anyway, rebooting it means wiping out that continuity and portrayal of characters. It generated controversey with Trek XI and it would do the same here.

[Alyeska]

If we get a new series, I want Stargate Command. The show that was supposed to replace SG1. Instead of just following one specific group of people, why not something that jumps around a bit and shows us all of whats going on in the SG Universe. Stargate Command could cover a variety of plots and we could jump from the Milkyway to Pegasus to Destiny even. It could tell different but connected stories with a variety of crews and people.

[JME2]

That would have been an interesting way to go. It could work in another medium too.

[Ahriman238]

Was going to mention it before, but forgot.

I was impressed when, in the first ten minutes two things happened that simply never happened on this show.

1. The Destiny crew picked a fight.

2. They actually won a fight. Unambigiously. I can't truly say it was worth the wait, but I'll own up to a small fist-pump when Greer took out the command ship.

[JME2]

One last SGU-related note.

Courtesey of Joe Mallozzi, we now have an official name for the Blue Man Group:

The Nakai.

[Ahriman238]

Too late. They're always going to be 'Blue Man Group.'

[JME2]

Too late. They're always going to be 'Blue Man Group.'

True.

I actually prefer that name, too.

[JME2]

Wray-Started out as your typical IOA bitch, but ended up being an empathetic member of the crew, often times functioning as councilor, ensuring the mental health of the crew. Her goodbye to Sharon was a particularly sad one.

I've been thinking a lot about Wray's character arc and I'm satisfied with how it turned out.

I said back in early Season 1 that Wray, was going to have a choice: she could remain a typical IOA bureaucrat or she could change and adapt like Woolsey. She definitely ended up as one of my favorite characters too.

[Themightytom]

One last SGU-related note.

Courtesey of Joe Mallozzi, we now have an official name for the Blue Man Group:

The Nakai.

That's stupid, they are obviously wearing clothes.

[JME2]

One last SGU-related note.

Courtesey of Joe Mallozzi, we now have an official name for the Blue Man Group:

The Nakai.

That's stupid, they are obviously wearing clothes.

[PREDATOR490]

Atlantis was the moonbase... now we know where Atlantis went.

[CaptJodan]

I've been thinking a lot about Wray's character arc and I'm satisfied with how it turned out.

I said back in early Season 1 that Wray, was going to have a choice: she could remain a typical IOA bureaucrat or she could change and adapt like Woolsey. She definitely ended up as one of my favorite characters too.

I'm satisfied that she turned into something other than what she was in the beginning. I never felt she was fully fleshed out, but she certainly wasn't the least fleshed out either (Scott ended up with a pretty short stick). If Wray would have been a more competent leader of some kind, she might have been interesting to see in a leadership role for a few episodes (if she and Rush had had more successful takeover attempts). Whenever she had power, though, she seemed unable to wield it effectively, and suddenly became timid. She simply could never be a leader in that context. Where they finally led her character was much better than trying to make her character want power like Young or Rush.

[JME2]

Atlantis was the moonbase... now we know where Atlantis went.

And with 3 ZPM's, they could maintain the atmospheric shield indefinitely.

Looking over Malllozzi's comments there and for earlier posts, it's interesting that he was against res-establishing contact with Earth. He feels Atlantis should have been cut off longer, have become more of an independent colony than a base.

It's not hard to see some of those feelings reflected in the Destiny's crew.

[Alyeska]

Atlantis as a moon base is a very bad idea. 3 ZPMs or no, its a waste of resources. Needless energy spent just to keep the shield up. And any potential failure causes instant death for everyone. Its all or nothing. No backup or anything else.