[Kyle Nin]

With the unfortunate cancellation of Stargate Universe, the future of the Stargate franchise seems uncertain.

If there were to be some new installment of Stargate sometime in the near future, after the end of SGU, what would you most like to see? Stargate: Revolution (the planned third SG-1 movie), Stargate: Extinction (the planned Atlantis movie), an SGU movie (to wrap up the upcoming series finale cliffhanger), or an entirely new series (new characters, new setting)? You can only pick one.

[maneth]

Definitely Stargate: Extinction. I'm on the second season of Atlantis and love it, and from what I understand it ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, or at least with lots of unresolved plotlines...

[Kyle Nin]

maneth, on 19 December 2010 - 12:44 AM, said:

I'm on the second season of Atlantis and love it, and from what I understand it ends in a bit of a cliffhanger, or at least with lots of unresolved plot lines...

It doesn't really end on a cliffhanger (at least not like the previous seasons), but there are a lot of plot lines on the series that weren't given a conclusion. At the top of that list, of course, is the Wraith.

[ensign edwards]

I voted for something to wrap up SG:U, cause if it's left unresolved (and I'm sure it will be), I'm really gonna be upset. Such an epic and interesting plot deserves a conclusion.

That said, though, I'd prefer it if all the options came to pass, except maybe the fourth series. As weak as the final season of Atlantis was, I'd still like to see the series get a better conclusion than the finale. Plus, I'll probably get around to watching the entirety of SG-1 eventually, and once I do, I'll want to see the movies. It would be better if there were more of them.

[Kyle Nin]

ensign edwards, on 19 December 2010 - 11:11 AM, said:

Such an epic and interesting plot deserves a conclusion.

I'm not sure I'd consider SGU epic. It could have been, but they chose to focus more on the characters than on the situation they were in. Atlantis and SG-1 were epic from the start. You could feel it, like they were starting a great adventure and it was only the beginning.

ensign edwards, on 19 December 2010 - 11:11 AM, said:

As weak as the final season of Atlantis was ...

Actually, I thought Season 4 was the weakest Atlantis season. Way too many sub-par episodes. SG-1's weakest was Season 8 and SGU's weakest was Season 1, for the same reason. And in my opinion, SGU's first season was the worst season in the entire Stargate franchise. At least it won't end on a down note.

[ensign edwards]

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I'm not sure I'd consider SGU epic. It could have been, but they chose to focus more on the characters than on the situation they were in. Atlantis and SG-1 were epic from the start. You could feel it, like they were starting a great adventure and it was only the beginning.

Maybe it didn't start out that way, but that's how it's turned out. I mean, if a message written into the very fabric of existence isn't epic, I don't know what is.

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Actually, I thought Season 4 was the weakest Atlantis season.

Aside from the lack of Weir and Carson, I'd say it was the best. Best plots, best writing. Actually, I'd say the show hit its peak during that arc at the beginning of the season when they still had Weir. Those episodes were awesome.

[Kyle Nin]

ensign edwards, on 19 December 2010 - 04:57 PM, said:

Maybe it didn't start out that way, but that's how it's turned out. I mean, if a message written into the very fabric of existence isn't epic, I don't know what is.

But it's not the concept that makes it epic, it's the journey there. And at the moment, there's not much of a journey. This new turn of events with the Ursini, however, does make the series have more of an adventure feel, giving the overall story a more epic feel, especially if their actions carry a lot of weight. I suppose the whole "looking for God (or something equivalent)" concept could be epic, if there was more to it than just going along for the ride. If there's no struggle, I'd hardly call it epic. At most, it's just an interesting idea.

ensign edwards, on 19 December 2010 - 04:57 PM, said:

Aside from the lack of Weir and Carson, I'd say it was the best. Best plots, best writing. Actually, I'd say the show hit its peak during that arc at the beginning of the season when they still had Weir. Those episodes were awesome.

Yes, the first few episodes were awesome, but throughout the rest of the season, there were far too many mediocre or just plain bad episodes (some were even worse than SGU's fare), like "Travelers", "Missing", "Miller's Crossing", "Harmony", and "Trio". That's a quarter of the season! Season 5, however, only had two mediocre episodes: "Outsiders" and "Inquisition". Then you have SGU Season 1: "Air" (Part 3), "Darkness", "Light", and "Life". That's less bad ones than Season 4 Atlantis, but Atlantis' fourth season had a bunch of "A" episodes to balance things out, whereas SGU didn't (and still doesn't, yet - I hope there's at least one before the end).

[ensign edwards]

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But it's not the concept that makes it epic, it's the journey there. And at the moment, there's not much of a journey. This new turn of events with the Ursini, however, does make the series have more of an adventure feel, giving the overall story a more epic feel, especially if their actions carry a lot of weight. I suppose the whole "looking for God (or something equivalent)" concept could be epic, if there was more to it than just going along for the ride.

Actually, I'd say this Ursini business is pretty un-epic. I suppose it is from the aliens' perspective, but considering how little build-up it had and how little importance it has for the humans (at least compared to the message in the Big Bang), I'd hardly rate it highly on the epic scale. Though I will grant it has the potential to maybe go there.

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If there's no struggle, I'd hardly call it epic. At most, it's just an interesting idea.

No struggle? Just existing on Destiny is a struggle.

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Yes, the first few episodes were awesome, but throughout the rest of the season, there were far too many mediocre or just plain bad episodes (some were even worse than SGU's fare), like "Travelers", "Missing", "Miller's Crossing", "Harmony", and "Trio". That's a quarter of the season! Season 5, however, only had two mediocre episodes: "Outsiders" and "Inquisition". Then you have SGU Season 1: "Air" (Part 3), "Darkness", "Light", and "Life". That's less bad ones than Season 4 Atlantis, but Atlantis' fourth season had a bunch of "A" episodes to balance things out, whereas SGU didn't (and still doesn't, yet - I hope there's at least one before the end).

"Travelers" (that's the one with the space nomads, right?) and "Harmony" did kinda suck, but I think the rest of the season was pretty flawless.

[Kyle Nin]

ensign edwards, on 19 December 2010 - 05:44 PM, said:

No struggle? Just existing on Destiny is a struggle.

Yes, but that's just par for course. The struggle to stay alive would happen whether Destiny had its mission or not. Adding in the Ursini situation gives the crew of Destiny the unique (on the previous shows, it was happening every other week, but on SGU it's unique) opportunity to have an effect on the goings-on in this area of the universe, for better or worse. Hopefully, for the better, but on the Stargate shows, it's usually for the worse ... at the beginning. When watching this series, one important question comes to mind: Why is this story important enough to be told? For me, it was constant disappointment, since the humans didn't seem to have much of an effect on anything. It's almost like they weren't even there. Until now in the second season.

ensign edwards, on 19 December 2010 - 05:44 PM, said:

"Travelers" (that's the one with the space nomads, right?) and "Harmony" did kinda suck, but I think the rest of the season was pretty flawless.

The only season I thought was flawless was Season 3. In fact, I think that was my favorite season of the entire franchise. I'm not sure what could have made it better. Okay, maybe Dr. Beckett not dying would have, but his last episode was beautifully done. Sad, but beautiful.

------

As for the poll, I picked Stargate: Extinction. It was supposed to be the consolation of having Atlantis canceled (as if something like this would make up for it - but better something than nothing). So I feel like fans kind of deserve this one more than any of the others. But my second choice would be an SGU wrap up movie. As far as series finales go, there's nothing more that I hate than a cliffhanger conclusion. It's possible that SGU may get one. Look at Farscape. That got canceled, but then later got a miniseries to wrap things up. Hey, maybe they could talk Syfy into doing that for SGU. A miniseries is better than a movie, right?

This post has been edited by Kyle Nin: 19 December 2010 - 06:42 PM

[Hal]

I just can't believe they cancelled SGU. I hate networks. What are they replacing it with, UFC?

[Kyle Nin]

Hal, on 20 December 2010 - 10:28 PM, said:

I just can't believe they canceled SGU.

Actually, with the low ratings, I can believe it. But I've come to believe that Syfy was a little more forgiving when it came to the Stargate franchise. I mean, they canceled Atlantis and that had much higher ratings than SGU, yet it still got a second season anyway. But maybe their patience had finally run its course.

Hal, on 20 December 2010 - 10:28 PM, said:

What are they replacing it with, UFC?

Well, there are some new Syfy shows coming next year. Alphas, for one, and Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome, for another. I'm guessing that maybe some Star Trek (specifically TNG and DS9) fans may gravitate towards Alphas, considering who the showrunner is: Ira Steven Behr (he was also the showrunner of The 4400).

And then there's a bunch of other Syfy shows that didn't get canceled: Eureka, Warehouse 13, Sanctuary, and Haven. When you add in the two new shows (and the upcoming Being Human), that's almost two-thirds science fiction for the network. So, it's still mostly sci-fi. (I just pretend that the reality TV and wrestling don't really exist.)

[ensign edwards]

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The only season I thought was flawless was Season 3. In fact, I think that was my favorite season of the entire franchise. I'm not sure what could have made it better. Okay, maybe Dr. Beckett not dying would have, but his last episode was beautifully done. Sad, but beautiful.

Season three was very mixed. It produced some of the best episodes, but also some of the worst. Lucius, anyone? But I do gotta give it props for the whole retrovirus arc. That was another high water mark for the series.

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Actually, with the low ratings, I can believe it. But I've come to believe that Syfy was a little more forgiving when it came to the Stargate franchise. I mean, they canceled Atlantis and that had much higher ratings than SGU, yet it still got a second season anyway. But maybe their patience had finally run its course.

Yeah, for once, I'm not inclined to blame the network. I'm not sure who I do blame, but Syfy really had no choice with ratings like that.

Mind you, I still think Syfy are a bunch of idiots.

[Kyle Nin]

ensign edwards, on 22 December 2010 - 01:10 PM, said:

Season three was very mixed. It produced some of the best episodes, but also some of the worst. Lucius, anyone? But I do gotta give it props for the whole retrovirus arc. That was another high water mark for the series.

You have a very strange idea of what is good and bad. Everything in Season 3 was either an "A" or "B" episode. Whereas, Season 4 was everything across the board - "A", "B", "C", and even a "D" or "F" in there. Then Season 5 was a little bit of an improvement - "A", "B", and "C". But the height of Atlantis and all of Stargate overall was Season 3. You can't get much better than that. I don't know how anyone could not see that. Because it's pretty frickin' obvious to me.

And, by the way, I really liked that Lucius character. I wanted him to come back in a future season, but nothing happened.

ensign edwards, on 22 December 2010 - 01:10 PM, said:

Yeah, for once, I'm not inclined to blame the network. I'm not sure who I do blame ...

I think that's fairly obvious. Blame the creators. They changed the style of the show, turning it away from what viewers have come to expect from a Stargate series. Is it really a surprise that people stopped watching? I personally know a bunch of people who loved watching SG-1 and Atlantis, but after watching the first few episodes of SGU, they gave up on it. They said it was too boring, or too slow, or too sexually explicit. And now I'm the only one who watches it. Not because I think it's must-see TV, but because I'm just giving it the benefit of the doubt, like I do with everything I watch. If I don't like what I see, I just won't watch it again ... like those five episodes from Atlantis Season 4.

[Kyle Nin]

For new information on the future of Stargate, click here: http://www.gateworld...ing-sgus-story/

SGU co-creator Brad Wright comments on how he and the other producers have not given up on continuing Stargate Universe in some form or another. There is hope. In the news story, it's also explained why SGU cast members and crew didn't know about the cancellation until they saw it on Twitter, basically from their fans.

The turn of events concerning MGM (click here: http://www.gateworld...ew-productions/) also gives fans hope that the two Stargate DVD movies that were put on hold (Stargate: Revolution and Stargate: Extinction) will actually finally be produced.

[ensign edwards]

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You have a very strange idea of what is good and bad.

Right back at you, buddy.

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Everything in Season 3 was either an "A" or "B" episode. Whereas, Season 4 was everything across the board - "A", "B", "C", and even a "D" or "F" in there. Then Season 5 was a little bit of an improvement - "A", "B", and "C". But the height of Atlantis and all of Stargate overall was Season 3. You can't get much better than that. I don't know how anyone could not see that. Because it's pretty frickin' obvious to me.

It's called personal taste.

Quote

SGU co-creator Brad Wright comments on how he and the other producers have not given up on continuing Stargate Universe in some form or another. There is hope. In the news story, it's also explained why SGU cast members and crew didn't know about the cancellation until they saw it on Twitter, basically from their fans.

The turn of events concerning MGM (click here: http://www.gateworld...ew-productions/) also gives fans hope that the two Stargate DVD movies that were put on hold (Stargate: Revolution and Stargate: Extinction) will actually finally be produced.

One can hope, but I doubt anything will come of it.

[Kyle Nin]

ensign edwards, on 25 December 2010 - 11:23 AM, said:

Right back at you, buddy.

Well, I associate "entertaining" with "good", and "not entertaining" with "bad". I thought that's how the rest of the world did it too.

[Kyle Nin]

Here's some bad news for fans waiting for Stargate: Extinction to ever be produced: http://www.gateworld...d-indefinitely/

SGU executive producer Joseph Mallozzi states that the Atlantis movie has been shelved indefinitely. He says that the end of SGU does not mean that time and money has now been freed up to put the Atlantis film into production. (Which is odd, to me, since a movie is no longer than two episodes in length, and a season of SGU is twenty episodes. Am I doing the math wrong or am I missing something?)

He also states that a fourth television series in the franchise is not on the table at this point. It's not even being considered. All focus is on getting a continuation or conclusion to the one that's on right now: Stargate Universe. He said that all options are being considered at this point, but a third season would be ideal.

[ensign edwards]

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Well, I associate "entertaining" with "good", and "not entertaining" with "bad". I thought that's how the rest of the world did it too.

Dude, different people have different ideas of what constitutes entertainment. To you, entertainment seems to largely mean exciting action and light-hearted story-telling. To me, entertainment can mean those things, but can also mean mystery, atmosphere, and human drama.

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SGU executive producer Joseph Mallozzi states that the Atlantis movie has been shelved indefinitely. He says that the end of SGU does not mean that time and money has now been freed up to put the Atlantis film into production. (Which is odd, to me, since a movie is no longer than two episodes in length, and a season of SGU is twenty episodes. Am I doing the math wrong or am I missing something?)

He also states that a fourth television series in the franchise is not on the table at this point. It's not even being considered. All focus is on getting a continuation or conclusion to the one that's on right now: Stargate Universe. He said that all options are being considered at this point, but a third season would be ideal.

Well, I'm probably the only person who's happy about this, but I am happy about this.

Which is not to say that I'm not upset Extinction may have gone the way of the dinosaur. As unimpressed as I was with the final season of Atlantis, I would like to see the show get a better ending, and it would be nice to see Sheppard and the gang one last time. But if it has to be one or the other, I'd sooner see Universe continue.

[Kyle Nin]

ensign edwards, on 28 December 2010 - 11:09 AM, said:

To me, entertainment can mean those things, but can also mean mystery, atmosphere, and human drama.

Well, sure. But when those things outweigh the others, then I'm unhappy. The best entertainment is the thing that mixes all of those together. And while SG-1 and Atlantis did that, SGU hasn't. At least, not yet. The way the first half of Season 2 has gone, I'm more confident than I have been before that we might get to see at least more of an inkling of what made the other two shows so great. But even then, I'll still rank SGU as last place.

What they need is some real suspense. I know they've tried before, but they've mostly failed ("Space" and "Malice", for instance). The biggest problem is that the characters are too bland. On SG-1 and Atlantis, the characters were larger-than-life and likable. Maybe the problem is that the SGU characters are too realistic. Maybe that would be fine on a show like Law & Order or CSI, but this is a series about people on a spaceship encountering aliens and weird sci-fi things. It's fantasy, so why can't the characters be a little more like the same thing? Anyway, suspense only works if you care about the characters, and for most of SGU (so far), I didn't. But recently, I have found myself caring more about the characters, so maybe there's hope for some real suspense afterall. Too bad there's only ten chances left.

[Ezri Dax]

Its dead Jim