If you have never seen Stargate Universe then you owe it to yourself to check it out. The story is ‘different’ from the other Stargate shows and that pretty much has been the entire reason why Stargate purists despise it. Instead of leaping from episode to episode into a different planet or meeting different types of aliens (see Star Trek: The Next Generation if you need a comparison), Stargate Universe contains one ongoing theme; survival.
Here’s the story for you if you need to catch up. Stargate Universe’s story surrounds the activating of the ninth chevron. Nearly impossible to activate, in an act of desperation, mainly out of survival, the chevron is activated and the stargate is opened to an unknown origin. The troops, scientists and civilians of a planet called Icarus are in the middle of a devastating attack when they must decide between living (going through the gate) or dying (blowing up with the planet). Most decide to live and find themselves transported to an ancient ship called the Destiny. While you might assume that the previous residents of the ship are still there, the new residents soon discover that it is abandoned and, worse, the ship is badly damaged. The new owners must find ways to repair the ship before their very lives become endangered. Along the way they find different solutions and different problems (including a very nasty alien race), but most of all they have to figure out a way to coexist.
If you are looking for an intense storyline that is filled with just day-to-day survival needs then this show is for you. It will instantly catch you and you’ll go along on Destiny for the journey. Trust me, I’m not a Stargate fan by any stretch of the imagination. I disliked the movie and didn’t have much love for the other shows. In a sense, Stargate Universe is for people like me; the other three-fourths of the country that never got into the other Stargate components. It tells a story that is on a very human level and one that is less far-fetched than the other shows.
Now, the strongest attribute that the show carries is the character development. You’ll be fascinated by Robert Carlyle’s Dr. Rush, who seemingly has a death wish, but at the same time is trying to help preserve the lives aboard the Destiny. You’ll also be intrigued with Colonel Everett Young (played by Justin Louis) and his risky decisions made in hopes of getting the ship back to earth. Finally, you’ll be amused by the comic relief of David Blue’s Eli Wallace. He brings a bit of humor to each episode when the chips seem to be down for the crew/residents, but also plays a great serious role. All of these characters/actors shine in a very constrained environment that seemingly can’t be disjointed in anyway.
I warn anyone that hasn’t seen this series to be careful, as you might watch the entire season in a weekend. Once you watch it I almost guarantee you will be hooked. If the story doesn’t get you at first, the ending will hook you right into it all.
Anyway, you can read more about the season in my two part review of the original releases on Blu-rays here:
SGU 1.0 review — SGU 1.5 review
So what’s so special about this set? Well, you get both of those Blu-rays (reviewed above this sentence) in one package. What’s even better? It’s about $10 cheaper to purchase this than just one of those; that’s a pretty big deal. On top of this, you get the same quality you would in those Blu-rays, plus you get all the features that come with it. Now, understand that the quality of the video/audio in this series is pretty high-end. You get some great HD in this show. The audio works well, too as you get to hear all the wonderful explosions, creaks and yelling that you can stand. Both aspects of this Blu-ray are spot-on.
You get all the wonderful commentary on every episode (not many television show releases do that), some great kino interviews (it’s a video ball (no laughing) that records and follows characters in the show), a boatload of great featurettes, which include interviews of the director and cast, and you also get an interesting survival game. I had actually considered listing all the features, but this is one of the few releases that have a extra large list; it would seem like I was just trying to make the review longer. That’s not the case, as the list is just too damn huge for this review to look respectable.
Trust me, you get some quality goods with this release.
Anyway, you get special features on every disc, so you won’t be bored or have to go put in the last disc to watch the features. As you go through the episodes you’ll be entertained from disc to disc.
