While the previous two shows (yes, I'm ignoring the non-canon Stargate: Infinity cartoon) have had a much stronger focus on the science-fiction aspect of the series, this one takes a much more dramatic approach as each episode focuses heavily on the cast's ongoing survival and the issues that arise from having a group of people almost completely cut off from everything and everyone they know. One of the big differences about this new series is the lack of a big enemy race (like SG-1's GOA'ULD or Atlantis's Wraiths). Instead, their situation and environment acts as the show's main antagonist. It's that shift that really sets SGU apart and can allow it to reach new audiences.
The series starts off when an expedition figures out away to open a Stargate to a new location with a ninth chevron (SG-1 used primarily the standard seven, Atlantis discovered that the eighth could be used to get to another galaxy, and the ninth goes even further). When the very unstable planet the science team is on gets attacked, the group's lead scientist, Dr. Rush (Robert Carlyle), takes it upon himself to open the wormhole to this new location and make that the evacuation point. Imagine the survivors' disappointment when they find out it is a ship created millions of years before the dawn of man and hurtling through space for unknown reasons. To make matters worse, the ship, called The Destiny, is empty and the power drain of opening the wormhole has caused many of it's systems to start failing. Each episode of Stargate Universe focuses on whatever crisis is caused by the ship's sudden reactivation.
The first issue to be resolved is the lack of clean air. It seems after millions of years, the CO2 scrubbers that keep the air clean have been used up, and it's the main focus of the pilot episode to find the material they need to fix the old parts. Thankfully, the ship seems to be able to detect what it needs and stops traveling through hyperspace in proximity to appropriate planets, which is great since neither Rush nor the other scientists are able to get direct control over the ship in order to control it. After the need for air comes the need for power, then water.
These first 10 episodes don't diverge from their sci-fi roots too much though; there is an episode dealing with time travel (in the very unique Stargate way), and the use of Communication Stones (a technology Stargate fans should be familiar with) means that the stranded team can still visit Earth briefly by switching consciousness with people back on the home planet, but most of the focus of the series is on the small community that starts to develop on the ship and how much effort it is to maintain order. This is especially true in the power struggle between Rush, the ranking military officer, Colonel Young (Louis Ferreira) and the civilian IOA (International Oversight Advisory) member Camile Wray (Ming-Na). Caught between these three is the rest of the cast including math genius and MIT dropout Eli Wallace (David Blue), who was recruited in a very The Last Starfighter manner. Actually, most of the show is seen from Eli's perspective as the start of SGU is also his introduction to the Stargate. Actually, the way the show catches Eli up on the past dozen years of events through a series of instructional videos by Daniel Jackson (Michael Shanks) also allows any newcomers to the franchise to have a general idea of what's going on, and any necessary information not presented there gets explained to Eli (and the viewers) as needed.
Other main characters include rough and tough Sargent Greer (Jamil Walker Smith), Lt. Scott (Brian J. Smith) and Lt. Tamara Johansen (Alaina Huffman), a paramedic resigning from the program when everyone was forced onto the ship. Unfortunately for her, she is now the most medically knowledgeable of the survivors. On the civilian side of things is Chloe Armstrong (Elyse Levesque) as the 23 year-old daughter of a visiting U.S. Senator who feels she is completely useless on this expedition since she doesn't have any necessary skills, unlike everybody else who was hired and brought to the attacked planet for their vocations and talents.
There are quite a few other minor characters scattered throughout the show, but they are the equivalent of the rest of the cast on Lost. They are apparent only when the story deems it necessary; otherwise, they just blend into the background.
SGU 1.0 comes with a nice collection of special features that include everything from the videos Eli watches of Daniel Jackson to learn about the Stargate, to interviews with pretty much all of the cast members, commentaries for every episode, and a majority of the webisodes that were aired alongside this series. Unfortunately, not all of the "Kino Video" webisodes are actually in this collection (if you want all 20+, you'll need to buy the Blu-ray version), but what is available is funny. These webisodes are the various interviews that Eli records with the floating camera. What's funny is you can pretty much tell where and when they fit in as they happen right around, or sometimes during, the episode they were aired with. One webisode has the Kino trying to watch one of the military ladies in the shower, a scene that you see the aftermath of in the actual episode, "Darkness."
Like I said before, Stargate Universe does a good job of taking the franchise in a different direction that could very well appeal to more than just the existing fans. If you've had the lightest inkling to get into Stargate, but felt you were way too far behind to actually enjoy the series, then this could very well be your way in. I definitely recommend SGU 1.0 if you want to get caught up before the season continues in April, but it might be best to wait for the season's end when (I'm sure) the entire first season will be released.
