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astri13A few thoughts on
It wasn't bad but of all the Pilots of the SG shows, I found it to be the weakest one. I'm not sure the non-linear storytelling - jump in the middle and explain the beginning later - was the best choice in the end. Such things can be quite effective but it was a bit confusing in the beginning and the flashbacks dragged a tad.
Then again, I assume it was done to avoid more comparism with the SGA Pilot because they pretty much started at what as the middle in SGA, the arrival at the strange alien place - Atlantis. If they had structured the SGU Pilot with the set-up of the travel and than the actual travel and then, lo and behold, the alien place looks to be breaking down because it is too old and a scientist yells to consume energy, eyes would probably have rolled.
As it was, it was a mixture of SGA, Voyager and BSG. We will see how that union turns out.
The mark of a good Pilot is usually two things, it establishes a whole new "world" or at least the setting of the show - a bit easier for spin-offs - and it introduces characters in such a way that you feel compelled to root for at least one and preferably do not wish to kill everybody of them.
In that vein, this Pilot was...so-so.
The end was actually what I would have expected at the end of the first hour, that is to say, I would have liked a lot of nothing on the ship that came before. But as a premise it isn't uninteresting. I am, of course, waiting for the inhabitants of the galaxy millions of lightyears away to live in a medieval village in Canada just like everybody else in SG.
And the characters? I'm a bit hard-pressed to say who will be the main cast. Scott. Rush. Eli. Young. The medic whose name escapes me, Tamara/TJ? The Psycho - I will not even touch the ethnic casting here because boy oh boy when even I notice that stuff negatively, you really have done something wrong, writers. I just remember the casting breakdown from way back when and that sounded more like a Ford with a temper, less Silence of the Lambs. The Senator's daughter - and, to use Dr.Rush's validation system here, what the hell will she do in the show? Though they didn't make her the party girl from the casting call either.
From the credits I also know the buerocrat will be main cast though I wouldn't know it from the show exactly. And maybe that soldier Scott banged? Whatever.
So, whom did I like? Hard to say, Scott seemed okay if very young. Rush could go either way, with the occasional Baltar-ishness. Eli? Depends on where they go with the chubby, slacker nerd stereotype. He wasn't offensive at the least. The Psycho was too psychotic. Dial it the hell down, show. As it is, I have to fear he will axt-murder the whole ship. Young is at least another adult.
The medic? Oh, I foresee lots and lots of funny dilemma on how she isn't a real doc - and lets be honest here, such an "expedition" without a fully trained doctor is TOAST. They'd be better off with even Keller. But of course in no time she will perform complicated surgeries and the likes because again, TOAST. The Voyager had the Holodoc for a reason. It might be dramatic to kill the Doctor off or never have one in first place but it is the one plothole you can not get around in a show like that.
Anyone remember Earth 2? They played on that by having Jessica Steen only be the start-up doctor or something. But even so they made a point to say she was fully trained AND genetically engineered to be better at medicine.
Really, I can not stress it enough that in a strange galaxy on a dying ship with none-trained, inexperienced personnel where you have to go out on super-dangerous missions all the time to get your essentials and will surely contract lots and lots of severe injuries and exotic diseases, without a genius doctor you are T.O.A.S.T.
Okay, moving on, Who else? Oh, the daughter. Well, I will see what they do with her. Same goes for the buerocrat.
Won't even get into bang chick because she had like four lines or so at best.
Cameos by O'Neill, Carter AND Daniel? Holy crap, that was baton-passing overload. You usually need one of the old show to introduce the new one.
And why did they cast Lou Diamond Phillips for such a marginal role? Was that supposed to be Sumner-esque? Because in that case, he should have been Young and Young killed off so that an "inexperienced" officer could take his place, in this case clearly Scott. Now, I realize why they didn't do this here - apart from the obvious SGA plot again, Sheppard did look old enough so you could say "ah, well, he probably can handle a military commando this size". Scott looks 20 years old and he said it was his first posting so it wouldn't really be believably.
On the other hand Rush as commander? Not a stellar choice either.
And btw, those goddamn stones will get used a lot, won't they? Because they suck. They are convienent - they are always out there with someone on the other end, yea? they can cross ANY distance? - and it's the cheapest way to stay earth-bound. Voyager was cut off from Earth for several Seasons. SGA at least was for one. SGU won't be for even an episode? Man.
So, all in all, I will keep watching for a couple more episodes to see where it's going but I haven't gotten this "wow" feeling I had after the SGA Pilot.
It wasn't bad but of all the Pilots of the SG shows, I found it to be the weakest one. I'm not sure the non-linear storytelling - jump in the middle and explain the beginning later - was the best choice in the end. Such things can be quite effective but it was a bit confusing in the beginning and the flashbacks dragged a tad.
Then again, I assume it was done to avoid more comparism with the SGA Pilot because they pretty much started at what as the middle in SGA, the arrival at the strange alien place - Atlantis. If they had structured the SGU Pilot with the set-up of the travel and than the actual travel and then, lo and behold, the alien place looks to be breaking down because it is too old and a scientist yells to consume energy, eyes would probably have rolled.
As it was, it was a mixture of SGA, Voyager and BSG. We will see how that union turns out.
The mark of a good Pilot is usually two things, it establishes a whole new "world" or at least the setting of the show - a bit easier for spin-offs - and it introduces characters in such a way that you feel compelled to root for at least one and preferably do not wish to kill everybody of them.
In that vein, this Pilot was...so-so.
The end was actually what I would have expected at the end of the first hour, that is to say, I would have liked a lot of nothing on the ship that came before. But as a premise it isn't uninteresting. I am, of course, waiting for the inhabitants of the galaxy millions of lightyears away to live in a medieval village in Canada just like everybody else in SG.
And the characters? I'm a bit hard-pressed to say who will be the main cast. Scott. Rush. Eli. Young. The medic whose name escapes me, Tamara/TJ? The Psycho - I will not even touch the ethnic casting here because boy oh boy when even I notice that stuff negatively, you really have done something wrong, writers. I just remember the casting breakdown from way back when and that sounded more like a Ford with a temper, less Silence of the Lambs. The Senator's daughter - and, to use Dr.Rush's validation system here, what the hell will she do in the show? Though they didn't make her the party girl from the casting call either.
From the credits I also know the buerocrat will be main cast though I wouldn't know it from the show exactly. And maybe that soldier Scott banged? Whatever.
So, whom did I like? Hard to say, Scott seemed okay if very young. Rush could go either way, with the occasional Baltar-ishness. Eli? Depends on where they go with the chubby, slacker nerd stereotype. He wasn't offensive at the least. The Psycho was too psychotic. Dial it the hell down, show. As it is, I have to fear he will axt-murder the whole ship. Young is at least another adult.
The medic? Oh, I foresee lots and lots of funny dilemma on how she isn't a real doc - and lets be honest here, such an "expedition" without a fully trained doctor is TOAST. They'd be better off with even Keller. But of course in no time she will perform complicated surgeries and the likes because again, TOAST. The Voyager had the Holodoc for a reason. It might be dramatic to kill the Doctor off or never have one in first place but it is the one plothole you can not get around in a show like that.
Anyone remember Earth 2? They played on that by having Jessica Steen only be the start-up doctor or something. But even so they made a point to say she was fully trained AND genetically engineered to be better at medicine.
Really, I can not stress it enough that in a strange galaxy on a dying ship with none-trained, inexperienced personnel where you have to go out on super-dangerous missions all the time to get your essentials and will surely contract lots and lots of severe injuries and exotic diseases, without a genius doctor you are T.O.A.S.T.
Okay, moving on, Who else? Oh, the daughter. Well, I will see what they do with her. Same goes for the buerocrat.
Won't even get into bang chick because she had like four lines or so at best.
Cameos by O'Neill, Carter AND Daniel? Holy crap, that was baton-passing overload. You usually need one of the old show to introduce the new one.
And why did they cast Lou Diamond Phillips for such a marginal role? Was that supposed to be Sumner-esque? Because in that case, he should have been Young and Young killed off so that an "inexperienced" officer could take his place, in this case clearly Scott. Now, I realize why they didn't do this here - apart from the obvious SGA plot again, Sheppard did look old enough so you could say "ah, well, he probably can handle a military commando this size". Scott looks 20 years old and he said it was his first posting so it wouldn't really be believably.
On the other hand Rush as commander? Not a stellar choice either.
And btw, those goddamn stones will get used a lot, won't they? Because they suck. They are convienent - they are always out there with someone on the other end, yea? they can cross ANY distance? - and it's the cheapest way to stay earth-bound. Voyager was cut off from Earth for several Seasons. SGA at least was for one. SGU won't be for even an episode? Man.
So, all in all, I will keep watching for a couple more episodes to see where it's going but I haven't gotten this "wow" feeling I had after the SGA Pilot.
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(no subject)
Date: 2009-10-05 03:03 am (UTC)I think it was so-so but solid enough pilot. I wasn't attracted to any of characters but at least it didn't feel like it's kids show as i always felt for sg1. the taste of BSG was there but i'm not sure if it was a good thing. I think i need to watch more (maybe like you a couple of eps) to decide if i'll continue to watch the whole series.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-10-05 11:01 am (UTC)Yes, my feeling exactly.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-10-05 03:58 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2009-10-05 11:03 am (UTC)Apparently, yes. And of course they will use it for sexcapades. I can already see that. *groan*
Man, not one lousy episode where they are truly cut off. I think that is a new record for any show playing on the castaway-motif.