TV Reviews

Stargate Universe – Justice

Spencer is found dead by Greer and even though the evidence points toward suicide the gun used is missing. Lt. Scott had an alibi so he runs the investigation until the gun is found in Young’s cabin. Camille takes over on Earth’s orders.

Actually a pretty entertaining episode with a number of huge surprises most of which I won’t mention so you’ll have to watch it.

Young’s whole guilt seems to be trumped up, but he steps aside and allows Camille to take over. Of course the military are reticent to take orders from Camille. Rush immediately takes the opportunity to go after the tech using the chair. Which personally I found rather predictable. He didn’t tell anyone to use the chair, but he did point out to everyone involved it was the best and probably the only way to get the technology to get them home or to at least be able to control the ship.

I’m sure you can gather what happens. Interestingly enough things become even more complicated when the Destiny drops out of light speed and a suitable planet shows itself and has a stargate. Camille sends a team minus Greer and Lt. Scott to the planet and puts a researcher in charge. While on the planet they find something that causes Rush and Young to need to check it out.

We have a huge surprise to the end of this episode and with it being the first half of season one cliffhanger. I guess we won’t find out what’s what until at the least a few months from now.

There was an ad for the first season 1.0 DVD during the show so they will be selling this show in half seasons like quite a few shows these days. Ten episodes plus an extended version of the Pilot episode. Interesting episode with quite a few special occurrences. You’ll have to see it to believe it. Thanks for reading…

Jeffery Yarter
The Lizardman

Stargate Universe – Life

While a number of crew members are using the communication stones to speak with loved ones the crew continues to explore Destiny. Rush and Greer find an older version of the Ancients control chair and Young refuses to let anyone use it.

I have been a strong proponent of this show from the beginning. I have to say this and the last episode were steps in the wrong direction.

To start, I guess they got the message and aborted the situation, or went and got the cure right away during the first day, or who knows what? Oh, from the prior unfinished episode that some writer thought was very clever. In this episode we have a great deal of personal angst and character development which really has nothing to do with the circumstances of the people on the ship except it is suppose to make us understand how much these people need to get home. Especially as there are a large number of them that never signed up for this type of thing.

Not giving away anything major, Rush continues to amaze. One minute you think he might be a good guy, the next you want to throttle him for being a big liar. He definitely seems to have an agenda to all of what he does.

Telford really is a snake in the grass sowing seeds of doubt in Emily’s mind about her husbands fidelity. Obviously Telford has an agenda of his own. What that may be we can only guess. I loved the comeuppance at the end.

Eli is still a whiz and makes a few discoveries that are crucial to the situations at hand. Young and Rush sort of are doing a little dance around him to see who can control him. You almost have to think in the long run whomever does wins.

Touching pieces about Scott and Camille, but one has to wonder how crucial to the situation those deep seeded stories really. I am sure that each character on the ship has some kind of story. Are we going to be dragged through each of their lives one by one?

We’ll see where the episodes go from here. I would like to see some action and situations specific to the crew and their situation in the future with respect to other life forms or something similar. Wow, we’re on episode nine and nothing really has moved the story forward at this point. We know about the same things we did four or so episodes ago. Thanks for reading…

Jeffery Yarter
The Lizardman

Stargate Universe – Time

The episode begins as a group from the Destiny is coming through a Stargate onto a humid jungle type world. Shortly afterwords crew members start getting sick and the team quarantines itself on the planet. Then the real problems start up!

OK, a review of this episode is a little difficult. This is not a two part episode so…? It looks like next weeks show is based on the Ancient Comm stones and communication with Earth by various team members.

Let me say without giving too much away, I hate temporal worm holes, time warps, black hole time anomalies, or whatever excuse you want for manipulating a story because you just can’t come up with a good script. I always have believed time travel or anomalies are an excellent device when you have written yourself a story and have shot forty minutes of footage and realize you have painted yourself in a corner with no good conclusion. Other than that only 1 out of 10 or so stories using this plot device works. For example, it never worked in any of the Star Trek series or movies until it finally worked in the newest film.

This episode reminds me of ST:TNG Cause and Effect without the conclusion. It looks like the writers took license to create some crisis and strife, and we are left to try to figure out who or what is real.

The acting was excellent and the special effects really good. I especially like the little creatures as they remind you of another space story. 🙂 Well I must admit the story created anxiety. If that was the point? Well done! Thanks for reading…

Jeffery Yarter
The Lizardman

Stargate Universe – Earth

Colonel Young, Chloe, and Eli consciousness are stuck on Earth while Colonel Telford and two scientist try to force the power systems on Destiny to dial Earth. It may or may not work, but Rush isn’t about to let them take his toy yet.

I really don’t like the process of using the Ancient communication stones to switch consciousness through space between people. Also, I don’t like Colonel Telford played by Lou Diamond Phillips in the least. OK, so he’s doing his job, but boy do they characterize him as having a chip on his shoulder or what? Plus, it seems he just isn’t a nice guy. What was with the final scene of the episode!

So having a whole episode based on this technology and Telford is obviously not going to fly with me. I gave it an eight as I believe the story had some sound principals from the standpoint of method, but the distrust factor with Young is too huge to make sense at this point. Also Young really does know his people better than any one else. If this idea where to succeed I would think it would be under his watch.

The stories involving Eli and Chloe, as well as Young and his wife’s relationships were suppose to be for character development I suppose. In a way I didn’t find any of that compelling though. I will say if Young ever figures out what is going on with Telford I think Telford might end up being sorry. We’ll see.

Personally I think this was a throw away episode and maybe the worst of the season so far. We’ll see where all this goes again next week. Thanks for reading…

Jeffery Yarter
The Lizardman

Stargate Universe – Water

Mysteriously the water supply seems to be depleted faster than the group is consuming it. The Destiny falls out of light speed travel and presents a planet as a possible source of water. Young and Scott go looking for water/ice on the planet.

An interesting episode with a few different plots to look at. The first being the fact the water supply seems to be dropping at a radical rate based on use. Something like 40% more water was missing than actually used by the crew. So Destiny seems to recognize that fact and drops out of light speed and presents a possible planet that could have drinkable water on it. The problem is the planet does not have breathable air so Colonel Young and Lt. Scott must wear the two pressure suits that work on Destiny.

Jeffery Yarter
The Lizardman

Stargate Universe – Light (2)

The crew realizes the Destiny is headed for a direct hit with a star. Colonel Young announces that seventeen people, fifteen of which will be picked in a lottery will take the shuttle to one of the planets in the system. He will pick the other two.

Very solid episode with some excellent special effects and two great story lines. We’re still throttled by the restrictions of the situation we have been thrust into with the main storyline and Rush still seems bound and determines to be sneaky and withholding, but things seem to be looking up.

***** Spoilers *****

The two stories are as different as light and dark. We have the standard lottery pick for the survivors situation. Of course there will always be those that want to fight for their spot and those disastrous results that follow. I call that the Towering Inferno effect. A few could make it, but the selfish kill them all in the end. There is enough military presence to stop this from happening here. Not that a short lived attempt wasn’t made by one person. One thing that I really got out of this was the fact that the people who were saved almost seemed to take it harder than the ones who weren’t going to be. I’m not sure if they were portraying fear of the unknown or just regret. In the case of the people on Destiny, they seemed calm and collected like they were accepting of their fate.

As I predicted in last weeks review, one had to figure if this ship had survived as long as it had there was no way it was flying into the star by accident. The special effects were great for a show of this kind. I commend the producers and the special effects people for the fine models and filming it took to pull this off.

So we have power, now we need food and other staples of life as this cast of misfits moves forward in their journey. Did Rush know the ship would survive? Is he that dangerous a man that he would sacrifice seventeen lives that easily? What’s your thought? Thanks for reading…

Jeffery Yarter
The Lizardman

Stargate Universe – Darkness (1)

Rush is obsessed with the Destiny’s power systems and claims that almost all of the power has been depleted. Everyone is in some way coming to terms with life on the Destiny. Colonel Telford is convinced that Young is not fit to command the mission.

Looking at the first season of this show there are twenty episodes. Of the first season nine are part of multiple episode mini-movies. In other words stories that they can’t tell in about 42 minutes and need a full 84 to put them together. I’m just pointing this out as we have had two cliff hangers now and we are only four episodes into the first season. Plus this is a serialized show so they can tie story’s from one episode to another without these somewhat bogus cliff hangers.

I don’t want to conjecture and steal the shows thunder but I agree with those that feel this ship is so advanced that it would not make the mistake of sending itself directly into a star and I’ll leave it at that.

The only character I still don’t like is Rush. Other than him there are a number of characters to latch onto. Eli, Young, Lt. Scott, Chloe, even Greer. I don’t understand Telford’s rant as he is making snap judgments on situations he is billions of miles from really being able to effect or understand. Any reasonable commander would question someone like Rush’s motives and agenda. I’d be concerned that a man would just stand by and let someone obviously a little mentally unstable make the decisions all on his own without any input. So far Lou Diamond Phillips playing that part is sort of a waste. OK, as far as the show itself is concerned, I like it. Generally it is getting interesting, the characters are pretty well thought out, the production looks pretty polished, and the dialogue is not too bad as well. I look forward to a time when things get a little more put together and we understand the truth about how and why they are on the Destiny. Thanks for reading…

Jeffery Yarter
The Lizardman

Stargate Universe – Air (3)

Lt. Scott. Eli Wallace, M Sgt. Greer, Dr. Rush and another three members of the crew go through the Stargate to a planet covered in sand to look for a substance that should be present to filter the air system on Destiny. Young and Chloe report back to Earth.

Part three of the first three part episode of Stargate Universe. This was the slowest of the three 42 minute sequences. ***** Spoilers *****

The majority of the time is spent in futility walking on a desolate desert planet looking for something they may never find. In the end Lt. Scott’s heroism comes through for the Destiny crew as he manages to find something that will help them. We are left to wonder what it was that helped him find the materials on the planet as he was almost delirious by then and when he got back.

Rush is turning out to be the pompous problem we all thought he would be when he arranged all of this in the first place. His statement that the Destiny was their only hope of survival and getting home tells us something. How much did her know beforehand? It was pretty foolhardy of the two crew, the Botanist, and the other soldier to jump to the other planet. So we are losing personnel when we have precious few to lose in the first place. I guess less mouths to feed.

Eli did pretty well all and all in this first mission. Also it is good they have Greer there as well. It seems he and Scott are the only really competent military other than Young so far.

From reading some information about these episode I was under the impression something big was going to be revealed to us. Was that the craft taking off from the hull of the Destiny at the end while the credits rolled? That and most of the unknowns were not apparent. Matter of fact we now have more unanswered questions than we did before. At least they have breathable air. Somehow this looks more like a modern day Lost in Space without the Robinsons, but with Dr, Smith (Rush) than a version of Stargate.

Oh, I also found the scenes back on Earth annoying in general. Especially the wife of the Senator. She obviously does not deal with adversity well and has no concern for her daughters well being or feelings. I guess she never believed there was any risk in going on the adventures her husband took? Also what was with Telford trying to kill Young’s body?

Hopefully this will get better fast. The scenes with Scott, Greer, and Eli really carried this episode. Everything else was mediocre. I hope they improve it. Thanks for reading…

Jeffery Yarter
The Lizardman

Stargate Universe – Air (1) & (2)

When Icarus Base is attacked the people manning the underground base must stargate out. Dr. Rush programs the gate with a nine symbol address and the eighty or so survivors find themselves on a ship named Destiny billions of light years from home.

Another great example of the Stargate universe. This series has the promise to be a great new version of a long running science fiction saga.

Dr. Nicholas Rush played by Robert Carlyle seems to be a little single minded and maniacal at the same time. He programs a game with a solution to the ninth chevron for the Icarus Stargate. A young man and gamer named Eli Wallace played by David Blue solves the equation and finds an answer for the problem embedded in the game. So he is brought to Icarus along with a group of other people including Senator Alan Armstrong played by Christopher McDonald who funded the mission and his daughter Chloe played by Elyse Levesque.

When Icarus is suddenly and mysteriously attacked by several Ha’tak Mother ships everyone underground on the base is forced to flee through the stargate. They arrive on an Ancient ship called Destiny that is thousands of years old and starting to have system failures. Everyone seems distressed about this except Dr. Rush who seemed to know exactly where he was going.

The significant problems that the survivors are facing are failing systems, not enough supplies, the wrong personnel for a mission of this type, and injuries to some key people.

So far factions seem to be facing off as Colonel Everett Young played by Justin Louis was injured and put Lt. Matthew Scott played by Brian J. Smith in charge but Rush takes over when it becomes obvious that the science is what will keep them alive. Also Rush communicates with Earth and claims General O’Neill put him in charge.

A host of people refuse the supposed order lead by Camille Wray played by Ming-Na. There is some question raised back on Earth how the Ha’tak even knew the base existed without someone telling them. Scott defuses the situation when he backs Rush for the time being. Other important people on board seem to be M Sgt. Ronald Greer played by Jamil Walker Smith who was in the brig for some reason when the attack starter and 1st Lt. Tamara Johansen played by Alaina Kalanj who is a field medic thrust into Chief Medical Officer duties when the doctor is killed in the Icarus attack..

This premiere episode looks like a fine addition to the already proud Stargate series. I look forward to the crews weekly adventures trying to stay alive in another Galaxy. Thanks for reading…

Jeffery Yarter
The Lizardman

True Blood – Beyond Here Lies Nothin’

The hunter becomes the hunted and things are turned upside down at the end in a few ways. We really begin to at least understand that Sookie is more than human. Bon Temps attempts to return to normal whatever that may be.

So many things going on but joyfully the end of one storyline I am truly glad to see end. Unfortunately we were given some kind of foreshadowing of the fact that things were not completely done.

Sam and Bill work together to really save the town and the weird part is in the end only Sookie really understands the truth. Sam does the final deed that needed to be done with Bill’s help. For the most part the towns memory of what occurred is wiped clean.

We learn that Eric is involved with the Queen of the area in a venture that seems like it could be very dangerous on so many levels specially for Bill Compton.

Sam leaves for a few days to try to find out the truth about himself. We learn a little more about the disaster his life has been up to this point. Jessica truly feels alone as Bill is not paying attention to her and Hoyt acted like he abandoned her. It does seem that Hoyt did regret his actions but we don’t really know where that is going. We know its turning deadly for someone.

Jason and Andy believe they are heroes and in the end they saved the town. Of course that is based on what they knew their intentions were but in reality they are oblivious like the rest of the town. Andy does get his badge back though and we see a crazed tragedy at the end which will cause a tremendous amount of pain for Tara and possible Jason.

The cliffhanger for next year was excellent. We see Sookie calling out for Bill and not seeing anything but a fallen chair, a messed up table, and an open door. There are so many possible conclusions to come too and we will have a while to think about it.

Overall a good ending to the season. Pretty clear cut based on where things had been left the last few episodes. There are some huge problems we will have to see dealt with and then there is Sookie and Bill. It was nice to see in a moment of clarity Sookie say yes! Thanks for reading…

Jeffery Yarter
The Lizardman