Episodes: 40 (hour)
Seasons: Two
TV show dates: October 9, 2009 — May 9, 2011
Series status: Cancelled
Performers include: Robert Carlyle, Justin Louis, Brian J. Smith, Elyse Levesque, David Blu, Alaina Huffman, Jamil Walker Smith, Patrick Gilmore, Peter Kelamis, Julia Benson, Jennifer Spence, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, Mark Burgess, Ming-Na, Josh Blacker, Haig Sutherland, and Lou Diamond Phillips.
 |
TV show description:
This science fiction series is part of the Stargate franchise of film and television shows like Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis. The premise revolves around a “Stargate,” an alien device that is ring-shaped and creates a wormhole used as transportation to extraterrestrial civilizations. This particular series, sometimes known as SGU, begins when a diverse team, evacuees from a human outpost called Icarus Base, go through a Stargate. The diverse team of soldiers, scientists, and civilians become stranded on an ancient spaceship called Destiny. The Destiny is locked on an unknown course and cannot be maneuvered to allow the team to return to Earth.
Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle) is the group’s Machiavellian-minded scientist. The others believe he is losing his mind, but also recognize that he does things for a purpose. He started to explore the galaxy after the death of his wife. He’s not the most agreeable person and is unwilling to bend to any military rule, as his focus remains on finding out the secrets behind the Destiny.
Camile Wray (Ming-Na) is the highest ranking member of the International Oversight Committee to be stranded aboard the Destiny. With a background in Human Resources, she has a particular insight into all those who are stranded with her.
Colonel Everett Young (Louis Ferreira), took a step back in order to spend more time with his family. Now back in a leadership role, he oversees those that are stranded, both civilian and military. He sometimes has great conflict with Rush and Wray and is a father figure to First Lieutenant Matthew Scott (Brian J. Smith) who lost his parents at a young age and was raised by priests. Young’s dedication brought him through the ranks quickly, and he sees himself as a leader to the others that are stranded.
Another First Lieutenant, Tamara Johansen (Alaina Huffman), had just graduated medical school when the Icarus Base was attacked and now finds herself as the chief medical officer aboard the Destiny. She commands great respect from the others, but deals with her own insecurities.
Master Sgt. Ronald Greer (Jamil Walker Smith) was raised to be in the military and hides his troubled past. He was on lockup from a court martial when Icarus was attacked, and Colonel Young releases him, looking for more leadership, leaving Greer with something to prove. As a high ranking Colonel, David Telford (Lou Diamond Phillips) was chosen to lead the Icarus team through the 9th chevron gate address. He is a career military man, and he and Col. Young have a rocky past.
U.S. Senator Alan Armstrong (Christopher McDonald) is in the branch of government that oversees the Stargate program. As the ranking political member of those that are stranded, he insists on making the decisions on how to get home. Injured during the escape from Icarus, he sacrifices his own life to be sealed off in a damaged section of Destiny. He dies there, but leaves his aide and daughter Chloe Armstrong (Elyse Levesque) behind. She now wants desperately to be more than just the Senator’s daughter and wants to help find a way home. She connects with Eli Wallace (David Blue), a video game nerd who gets beamed aboard the Destiny to try and solve the ship’s problems.
Episode 40 — Gauntlet
T.J. (Alaina Huffman) examines Lisa Park (Jennifer Spence) to see if she has recovered her eyesight. However there is no improvement on her situation. Colonel Young (Louis Ferreira) is called into a meeting with Dr. Rush (Robert Carlyle), Eli and Camile (Ming-Na). Dr. Rush and Eli inform them that they have found a way to track the Command Ships. But despite this tactical advantage, the data show there is a Command Ship in the vicinity of every Stargate from where Destiny is to the edge of the galaxy.
Colonel Young reports the situation to Colonel Telford and asks for a supply line. However Telford in turn informs him that the Langarans are still refusing the use of their Stargate and that Destiny’s crew will have to solve the supply issue by themselves. With no choice left but to fight, Dr. Rush modifies Destiny’s shields to block only the energy based weapons of the drones, hence making the Destiny more efficient as it goes into battle. At first this seems to work but the drones quickly adjust and begin kamikaze runs at Destiny. Despite destroying a Command Ship, Destiny takes a lot of damage and a recent expedition has not yielded sufficient supplies.
With battling the drones no longer an option Eli comes up with an idea. He informs Colonel Young of a plan to do one continuous FTL jump, skipping the rest of the galaxy (two thirds of it) and the void beyond it, to the first Stargate in the next galaxy. This journey would take at least three years and with only a month’s worth of food and water, the crew will need to use the stasis chambers for the duration of the journey. Dr Rush disagrees and does not think this is a good idea, as even a slight problem with power would cause Destiny to drop out of FTL early and drift the rest of the way; potentially making the journey a thousand years. It takes Eli a day to prep the chambers and Dr. Rush is given that time to come up with a new plan. Chloe (Elyse Levesque) tells Dr. Rush that despite the very low margin for error, it is the best course of action; as even if they were to die in the chambers, Destiny would continue without them, but if they stay and fight they and the ship will be destroyed.
As each member is allowed one last visit back to Earth, they are subsequently put into stasis. However a problem arises after a section of the chambers is found to be non-functional after taking damage in the battle with the drones. This problem leaves the crew eight chambers short of the total which would require whoever was left out to commit suicide. To fix the chambers they need a material called palladium hydride, which is available on a planet the Destiny is near. However because there is a Stargate on the planet the drones are in close proximity and a battle would severely deplete the power rendering the whole plan obsolete. Lisa comes up with a plan to remote pilot a shuttle and broadcast a signal to mimic a Stargate activation, luring the Command Ship to its position. The shuttle’s shields are modified to give it a better chance of surviving and the engines are rigged to go critical to destroy the Command Ship as it rams into it. The plan succeeds and Eli, Colonel Young, Sgt. Greer (Jamil Walker Smith), T.J., Lt. Scott (Brian J. Smith), Chloe, Camile and Dr. Rush share a final meal together.
Colonel Young makes his final report to Colonel Telford, whilst Eli and Dr. Rush make final preparations and put the rest of the crew into stasis. However upon Colonel Young’s return, Eli informs him of a problem with one of the chambers. It is more damaged than first thought and will not stay online. Power reserves are such that one person can stay outside for two weeks, maintaining minimal life support to fix the problem before it will affect power for the FTL jump. Dr. Rush volunteers to do so, but Colonel Young confides in Eli, telling him he cannot trust Dr. Rush to do what is right if he fails to fix the chamber; and therefore he will sacrifice himself to ensure the plan succeeds. Eli does not accept this, and volunteers to be left out, declaring himself to be smarter than Dr. Rush and having the best chance of surviving.
Dr. Rush and Colonel Young say their goodbyes to Eli and take their place in the chambers. Eli is left to power down Destiny before taking his place on the observation deck. He looks out over the stars as the series comes to an end. Courtesy Wikipedia.
First aired: May 9, 2011
What do you think? Are you sorry that Stargate Universe was cancelled?
You are currently viewing the mobile version of our site. View the full site to get free email alerts, vote on your favorite shows, comment, and more.