How outraged fans destroyed their own sci-fi franchise and turned SyFy into a wrestling network
By Joshua Tyler and Jonathan Klotz | Published
In 2009, with Battlestar Galactica At the height of its pop culture success, the SyFy channel began planning a new show that would be its next big thing. They agreed so much that they canceled another long-running sci-fi series, Stargate Atlantisto make way for the debut of their new show.
Their new show was realistic and dramatic, and they spared no expense on the special effects. It was a new take on an existing franchise, and it seemed poised to propel that universe into the rarefied realm of sci-fi mega-hits from pop culture icons like Star Trek and Star Wars.
Or at least that’s what they thought. It is why Stargate Universe failed
Stargate Universe is coming and giving fans a tonal boost
Stargate was never as popular as Star Wars and Star Trek, but both Stargate SG-1 And Stargate Atlantis ended up finding a large fan base precisely because they were different from the big two. Embracing a fun spirit of adventure and a group of characters who bonded, learned to work together, and accept each other, both series maintained a degree of positivity even in their darkest moments.
This is why the sudden change of screenwriters with Universe carries starsthe third series of the franchise, shocked fans. It abandoned everything that seemed most familiar about the franchise in favor of the dark, gritty aesthetic of Battlestar Galactica. Leaving aside the “planet of the week” formula of the first series, Universe has dealt with one story for most of each season, so you’d better get used to hearing about ancient communication stones.
The dark, grainy visuals weren’t the only change. To match the new aesthetic, the writers abandoned the “action” portion of the first two series and moved towards a simple “sci-fi drama”, which could have been fun, but they also forgot to include immediately likeable characters.
Instead of exploring new worlds, Universe carries stars was confined to Destiny, an ancient spaceship built for a mysterious purpose that constantly hinted at exciting, off-world adventures, but they never happened. Viewers were stuck in the middle of a group of characters who seemed to hate each other and watched everyone backstab everyone at least once a season, alternating with an attempt at romance that felt more like Riverdale that SG-1.
For example, Colonel Everett Young, played by Louis Ferreria, is the leader of the ship. His fall and subsequent rise could have made for fascinating television. Unfortunately, before the series arrives, we see him cheating, lying, and arguing with the rest of the crew in ways that former Stargate leader O’Neill would never have sanctioned, even though stranger the spirits possessed him.
Young was opposed to one member of the crew in particular. Dr. Nicholas Rush, brilliantly played by Robert Carlyle, was supposed to be something new for the franchise: a character in shades of gray. Richard Woolsey by Robert Picardo by Stargate Atlantis seems like a hero compared to Rush, who audiences can understand as acting for the greater good (mostly), even though his actions were (mostly) questionable.
The problem with including a complex character who, to put it politely, owes a lot to Baltar from Battlestar Galactica, is that it doesn’t work if everyone on Stargate Universe considers him evil. Rush accuses Young of murder, defies his explicit instructions not to mess with ancient technology by doing just that every chance he gets, and yes, he takes advantage of Chloe Armstrong’s alien infection to further his own research.
Despite all this, the seeds of GREAT character were there. Universe carries stars tried to do something different, with Rush as the physical embodiment of the dark side of science fictionbut it lost the adventurous spirit of the franchise in the process.
Stargate fans are destroying their own franchise
Existing fans of the neglected franchise didn’t want high school drama; they wanted bold new worlds, extraterrestrial encounters, and a touch of uncovering a galactic mystery. So they revolted and gave up the show.
Perhaps Stargate fans thought that by doing this they would get a new series more suited to their tastes. In response to their exodus, the show’s ratings dropped 25% in its first season. SyFy noticed this and began prioritizing shows aimed at science fiction fans.
The channel thought it had given its fans a gift with Universe carries starsbut the fans they had worked hard for rejected it. SyFy therefore began looking for a new audience and turned to wrestling fans. Universe carries stars was canceled after just two seasons and SyFy stopped making serious science fiction.
Worse yet, the entire Stargate franchise has been thrown into the trash. There was nothing else, and at this point, there may never be. One has to wonder if part of the reason is simply that no one in Hollywood trusts Stargate’s fans, however many there are, to support it.
Stargate is now a dead property. Nothing new of note has been done since the fans died Universe with their complaints, and no sign will change soon.
The universe could have been Stargate’s Deep Space Nine
While I understand fans’ concerns about Universe carries starsif they had stuck with it, I think they would have ended up liking it. At the end of the second season of the series, SGU begins to come together. Even the show’s most hated character, Eli Wallace, became something special.
Eli’s point is that he is very intelligent, but emotionally he is still a teenager who needs to grow up. This is one of the best subplots of Season 2, and by the series finale, it’s clear that if Season 3 were to happen, Eli would have become the main character.
Star Trek: The next generation set the bar for the entire genre, but even Wil Wheaton admits that Wesley is a boring character from start to finish, as most genius children’s characters are. Universe carries stars added a wrinkle to what could have been a generic character by allowing Eli to grow and challenge Rush, providing a counterpoint to the scheming doctor. Although they often agreed, they argued, and Eli was the only one whom Rush considered an intellectual peer.
Stargate Universe was punished for daring to be different
Universe carries stars is initially imperfect, but he dared to be different. Not all characters are meant to be liked, and SGU allowed its complex characters to grow, develop, overcome their flaws, discover new ones, and behave more like humans struggling to survive surrounded by their annoying colleagues. The show Universe carries stars is at the end of season 2, is poised to become an all-time great space sci-fi show.
Universe carries stars had the potential to make Stargate the next Star Trek, a mega sci-fi franchise that would last for generations. Stargate fan impatience killed it in its early days, robbing the world of the alternative to Star Trek we need in an age where Trek is self-destructing.
Stargate may never recover.
