Brief SGU Premiere Review

So, I just watched Stargate: Universe on Hulu because I was watching children’s programming at the behest of my son while the show was on. I also don’t have a DVR in my office, and I like to watch down there, especially if I’m not sure about what’s going to show up on the screen.

Final verdict? Not bad. Still Stargate in many elements, not as much Battlestar Galactica as I had feared. How it goes from here remains to be seen. They did an adequate job of differentiating the characters, which is tricky when you jump from a series with a handful of “opening credits” characters to around a dozen.

Some of my military quibbles remain. Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) is much more believable as a Sergeant or Staff Sergeant in just about every facet–including potential discipline problems–and really doesn’t need the extra rockers. There’s nothing, otherwise, about his character that requires him to be of such high rank. But I am glad that, aside from the one instance of him drawing down on Rush (Robert Carlyle’s character), he’s otherwise a contributory and positive member of the expedition. Well, and the thing with Camile Wray (Ming Na), but I think that’s more natural animosity/tension.

The other quibble, kind of new quibble would be Lt. Tamara Johansen (Alaina Huffman) claiming that she’s a medic. Unless she actually is self-trained, as the character sketch on the website suggested, she should be enlisted, not an officer. Doctors and nurses are commissioned officers, while the EMT/Paramedic types are all enlisted. But, we’ll see more as her character is revealed, I suppose.

Overall, I’m cautiously excited. If the show maintains the largely positive and optimistic tone of the franchise to date, I am readily onboard. If it indulges in “gritty” and “realistic” just for the sake of it, I’ll probably be turned off. Likewise, if Greer’s character trends more one-dimensional in the direction of his “troubled” nature/short temper. So far, they’ve stayed on the other side of that road, and I’m cautiously pleased.

Mirrored from Bum Scoop.