The characters are good. It’s nice to have normal people mixed with the ‘best of the best’ of the US Military. This the way to do what Voyager tried to do. The only resemblance to previous incarnations is the gate mythology itself, and the few cameos.

Speaking of cameos, the way that the old-guard handed of to the new-guard was really good. It was handled so matter-of-factly. Any new viewer wouldn’t have even known Carter, O’Neil or Jackson were anything special; as opposed to the handoff between SG-1 and Atlantis. Anytime SG-1 characters were part of an Atlantis episode it was treated as a special event.

The character of Eli is going to be very polarizing. You’ll either love him or hate him. I for one love him. Bringing an everyman into the Stargate realm is just what is needed. Daniel was close, but was already an expert. Eli brings us into the show, and it works well. The only issue I had was that he should have been on the base longer before the event that puts them on the ship. A montage or wipe that shoots them ahead a month would have given more credibility to his character. But after a few weeks, we’ll forget about this.

I hope they don’t try to be too much like BSG. I like the grittier version of Stargate, but I don’t want BSG-Lite. I’m looking forward to this series. Especially more of the talented Ms. Ming-Na. What did you think?

After unlocking the mystery of the Stargate’s ninth chevron, a team of explorers travels to an unmanned starship called the Destiny, launched by The Ancients at the height of their civilization as a grand experiment set in motion, but never completed.

What starts as a simple reconnaissance turns into a never ending mission, as the Stargate Universe crew discovers the ship is unable to return to Earth, and they must now fend for themselves aboard the Destiny.

The crew will travel to the far reaches of the universe, connecting with each of the previously launched Stargates, thus fulfilling the Destiny’s original mission. Challenges will arise though as the ship comes into range of Stargates placed centuries ahead of the Destiny and the crew is unable to control the ship’s navigational schedule. If someone is left behind, there is no way to go back for them, adding to the drama of encountering new races, enemies and adventures.

Yes, it sounds a little like “Star Trek: Voyager”, but I think the Stargate-twist will make it much better, and different. I love the richness of the “Stargate” universe so this is great news for me. Also, having a premise that prevents them from interacting with Earth will keep the DVD movies from interfering with the TV show.

I still think they should have let Atlantis run another season while this new show got off the ground. What do you think?