Storytime with Rachel F Hundred

Not big on action, just an intriguing beginning

When last we left the crew of Destiny, all were facing mortal peril after an invasion by the Lucian Alliance and generally stumbling around in the dark. Question after question was posed in the finale: would Rush wrest control of the ship from the Alliance invaders? Would Eli get to the airlock in time? Would Scott and Greer get fried? Would Chloe die from bleeding out? Would Young get executed? And would TJ lose the baby? All these, and other questions, are answered as Stargate Universe opens for its second season but more are posed making this an intriguing beginning if lacking in action.

I think I complained in my review of “Insurrection Part 2” that for a finale, the episode was heavy on drama but light on action, and actually I have the same complaint about this opener. There is action: Young and Dannic fight in the mess, Scott and Greer fight in the infirmary, Ginn kills Dannic…but really that’s about it. Even the action-oriented montage of perilous situations that closed season one, are all wrapped up and dealt with so quickly in this episode that it’s a bit of anti-climax. As a season opener, it’s definitely missing the high excitement of Goa’uld motherships or Wraith hive ships exploding in bright balls of pretty fireworks. Maybe it’s just me, or years of SG-1 and Atlantis, but I was expecting fireworks and this didn’t deliver. What it does deliver, which has become a key characteristic of this new variant of Stargate, is very good drama.

The continuation of the story arc with the Lucian Alliance is solidly worked out. The stranding of the majority of the crew on a barren planet including Young is well done (if a little reminiscent of Star Trek: Voyager) and again, love the alien landscapes that they’re continuing to show. The power struggle within the Alliance is well-played too with Varro unable to maintain control, Dannic being wildly OTT and Ginn stepping up (go girl power!). The drama evoked by Rush’s plan: give up or die is well-paced for the most part and there are some really lovely notes: Rush’s struggle to convince the others of the necessary sacrifice of their people outside of hydroponics, Scott’s order for him to do it, the tension as Telford argues with Dannic. It’s an interesting note that most of this tension is down to Dannic and Rush being equal to each other in fanaticism. Both are not prepared to give up.

On a totally shallow note, can I just say that I love Scott and Greer padding about Destiny and acting like military men, loved it. I love them sneaking up and killing the Alliance guys who’ve just found Rush, Brody, Eli and Chloe. I love them taking control of the infirmary. Two hot young guys in action was very welcome. More of that, please.

What is also very welcome is the focus on TJ. My favorite character from season one, TJ proved to be the most sympathetic of the crew of Destiny. The story was always going to have to deal with the baby situation and the prevailing view of fandom was that the baby would die. The producers and writers give this a nice twist though, using it to expand the storyline from “Faith” and pleasing fans of the yummy Doctor Caine, with a return. Has the baby been transported to the planet? Or is baby Carmen dead after all? Which will TJ believe? There’s a beautiful lyrical, mystical quality all through this sub-plot although the pacing drags in places. The visual of the gorgeous space nebula at the end to give TJ hope is just stunning though and Alaina Huffman gives a wonderful performance.

Indeed, most of the cast pick up right where they left off in terms of performance; all of them delivering quality including those playing the additional recurring Lucian Alliance characters who are set to rock the boat in the coming episodes. The production value also remains high with everything from the costume design to the visual effects (which are as fabulous as ever) being slick and well-made. But then quality of production has never been the issue with Stargate Universe.

There are signs that criticisms of the first season have been heard; for all the male posturing in this episode, the women are very much front and centre – apart from TJ, James and Wray both get good moments as does the Lucian Alliance character, Ginn. Although Chloe isn’t given much screen time there is a hint that there is a storyline for her beginning to be seeded. There’s also nice use of the communication stones to bring in actual doctors to assist with the wounded (including a nod to SG-1 with the recurring use of Doctor Brightman). The teamwork between the military and civilian crew left on Destiny saves the day. Unfortunately nothing has been done about the lighting – it’s still too dark! Are the tweaks going to be enough to keep fandom happy? It’s hard to say.

In conclusion

The struggle Universe has always had is that it’s not the Stargate that was loved by fandom during the twelve years SG-1 and Atlantis aired. It’s missing the lightness both metaphorically and literally of its predecessors and it’s missing the fireworks. But taken on its own merits, “Intervention” is a classy season opener filled with quality drama and maybe it’s time to stop expecting Universe to be anything else.