Live Blogging "Stargate Universe"

And after all these months of waiting to see what the new Stargate series is going to be like, we're live blogging commentary as the the Stargate Universe premiere airs! The standard warning about spoilers (lots and lots of spoilers) applies . . .

9:02PM - Kinda liking the new theme song. And did they just list Lou Diamond Phillips as a guest star?

9:04PM - Note to self: never chuck things through or jump through a stargate. You never know who you might be conking on the head on the other side. Robert Carlyle's character seems far too satisfied and calm with this outcome (ie: them ending up on the ship Destiny).

9:05PM - Another note to self: never be the commanding military officer when coming through the gate. According to what just happened to the head military guy here and what happened to the guy in the same position during the Stargate: Atlantis premiere, it's a total red shirt position.

9:08PM - Yay! Richard Dean Anderson. As sarcastic as ever, I see.

9:10PM - *sniff* They're aboard the Hammond -- the ship they named in tribute to General George Hammond and the late Don S. Davis. And I'm not sure if it's funny they beamed up David Blue's character the same way they did Jeannie (McKay's sister) in SGA or if it's cliche.

9:12PM - Michael Shanks better not only be appearing in an orientation video in this ep!

9:20PM - Epileptic colonel perhaps? Have the feeling that he's not going to last long in these circumstances. Twenty minutes into the show and I'm not hooked yet . . .

9:24PM - E.T. not phoning home just this second . . . And Dr. Nicolas Rush is creeping me out. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to like having such a morally ambiguous character as the lead.

9:30PM - And now the senator is sick too? Is anyone on this ship not broken?

9:32PM - Rush is wearing a wedding ring. They wouldn't do the "scientist who lost his wife and has gone off the deep end trying to find an alt universe version/turn back time" storyline, would they?? Oh, please tell me they wouldn't.

9:35PM - Oh, they did. Weepy, desperate Rush with a picture of his wife. Immediately followed by the "accident" that propels them all through the stargate. Not crazy about this storyline. At all.

9:40PM - Love seeing Sam Carter commanding the Hammond. And so Ronald Greer's (Jamil Walker Smith) character sounds like he's the Tom Paris character on this ship. Yes, I'm busting out with a Star Trek: Voyager reference.

9:44PM - Okay, so I guess Rush isn't responsible for a bombardment from outer space.

9:46PM - Wow. That's a new Stargate record for killing off a head doctor.

9:53PM - Matthew Scott (first guy through the gate) has bigger cojones than just about anyone. Anyone who's been part of the stargate program knows that anything could be on the other side of that wormhole. On another note, what female military officer spends time doing up her hair in a fancy coif like Tamara Johansen? Wouldn't that be a great way to not get respect from all the guys?

9:56PM - So Rush gave intel to the enemy to get them to bombard Icarus base and force them to dial the ninth chevron. Peachy.

10:04PM - "Really? Do we really?" At least one guy on this ship has watched his Star Trek and his horror movies. Good on him for knowing better!

10:10PM - Okay, I know this is a motley crew assembled on this ship, but there seems to have been a heck of quick breakdown in the chain of command and in military discipline. This just isn't feeling like the Stargate I've watched and liked. Am trying to give it the benefit of the doubt still. Maybe I'm not picking up on enough details or getting engaged enough because I'm blogging while watching?

10:15PM - Mysterious Ancient crates that can be tapped for future storylines. Got it. Seeds so they can set up a hydroponics farming system to provide them with a sustainable food source (that I'm sure will also be tapped for future storylines).

10:17PM - Does anyone else feel like someone's going to whip out a lightsaber and start training when that kino flying camera starts floating around?

10:27PM - Now the show has started to get interesting. I think everyone yelling at each other and trying to establish their relative bad-ass-ness was turning me off. Now that they're working on the ship problems, I'm more intrigued.

10;39PM - Well, I guess we jus found out which character was committing suicide in the first episode. The producers had said that would be happening. I'd guessed it was the paralyzed colonel, with the senator as the second choice.

10:44PM - I still don't believe a word Rush says when he says he wasn't responsible for creating the situation that brought them to the ship. And I found it rather satisfying when Chloe was wailng on him in anger.

10:48PM - I'm liking this scene between Chloe Armstrong and Matthew Scott right now. I think they're the characters I'm connecting with the most so far. Anyone feel differently? Scott seems like a truly good guy doing the best he can in a mindboggling situation. And Chloe . . . it seems like she has a strength and intelligence that could make her an fascinating character to watch as she grows into her own.

10:55PM - Kinos = the SGU MALPs. Saw that one coming.

10:58PM - Hmmm . . . still not sure what I think of this series. I'm going to give it one more ep next week to see if it really hooks me in. Am definitely looking forward to next week's premiere of Sanctuary though!