Stargate Universe never really had a chance to get a decent following, and, sadly, it’s understandable. I say it’s understandable because I believe there were a lot of people unwilling to dive into a show that — judging by its title alone — demanded prior knowledge of several seasons of several series of Stargate-branded shows, along with a movie or two as well. I know that held me back when the show was first announced several years ago. I’d watched the first movie and even visited the Stargate Atlantis set, but it wasn’t enough to make me think a new show in the series would interest me.
Luckily for me and for anyone new to the Stargate “universe,” the first episode of SGU filled in the blanks quite nicely. I never really felt like I was missing out on what’d gone on in the previous series; SGU felt very much like a show that could stand on its own. Unfortunately it’s just one of those shows that was plagued from the start with its name, and that curse lasted throughout its two seasons and likely caused its demise. It never had a chance of recovering.
Now, let’s get to the series finale. It’s such a shame to have to call it a finale of any kind because it did not at all end with any finality. There are a couple of classifications of “cliffhanger” when it comes to a finale. There’s the 50/50 situation, with the big “will she or won’t she” question hanging over everyone’s heads; and there’s the rather open-ended situation, which is what we got with SGU. It clearly marked the end of something, but not of the story for these people or the mission.
Series creator Brad Wright said some time ago that there was no wrap-up movie coming for the series, much to fans’ disappointment. That’s not going to stop many fans from guessing what might have happened to the Destiny and its crew after that long three-year sleep. I’ve got a few ideas of my own that I’ve been tossing around:
– The Destiny arrives at the next galaxy, as planned. However, greeting everyone is a now slightly-older Eli, who never made it into the stasis pod. It turns out that he never figured out how to get his pod working again within the several weeks he had, so instead he figured out a way to get around the command ships and drones and allow Destiny to refuel and to access the gates for supplies. While he was at it, and since he had three years to kill, he buffed up, learned every inner working of Destiny and a few more things … that now make him batshiat crazy and make Rush look tame in comparison.
– Like the first one, Eli did not enter the pod, and it was his plan not to all along. In fact, he knew how to fix it from the beginning, and he faked the command ship locations — there weren’t any more to worry about. So, instead of directing the ship toward that new galaxy, he refueled Destiny and turned it toward Earth. (Actually, I’m not even sure that would be possible, as it could take them a thousand years to reach Earth from where they are, and then what?)
– We see Eli fix the pod, get in, and then … Rush’s pod opens! Rush planned all along for his pod to open before everyone else. Now he has full command of the ship, all to himself. Everyone wakes up not three years later … but thirty. Nobody knows this until Lt. Scott decides to take another trip to Earth to see his son … who’s now an adult. Who the heck knows what else Rush did while they were out?
– I mentioned to Ivey that I’d be content with a simply kino recording from Eli telling the story of what happened to Destiny and its crew. No sets needed, and the rest of the cast would be optional. Just get David Blue to sit down and talk to a camera for 15 minutes or so and wrap things up.
I really hope Brad Wright comes out and spills what he had planned for the rest of the series, and I might have to try to ask him about it someday. I’m sure whatever he had planned is far better than what I can come up with. I’d love to hear what the rest of you have for ideas, too, though. How would you have liked to see the next season begin? How about a true series ending?
I admit that SGU got a bit slow at times, though this season really was one of the more enjoyable shows I watched this year. It only got better as the season progressed. The series may not have ended in a true ending, but that final shot of Eli was quite beautiful. Good luck to the cast and crew on whatever else you’ve got coming down the pike, but don’t stray too far — we still have hopes for that wrap-up movie someday.
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on May 10, 2011 @ 21:38 EST5EDT
#1 is closest to my mind. Eli ripped and head shaved, would be nice, in fact let Kal Drogo take his place. That is what my remote control is called now. Kal Drogo…..
I believe that we saw a twinkle in Eli’s eyes at the end because he alredy new what he was going to do. Eli is the only one that new where the minds of those previously pushed out of the main computer went. With no guarantee of a human body in the future he downloads himself into the main computer able to live happily ever after and keeping tabs on the crew and ship. The one thing that mattered to his mommy was that he was happy. Rush proved earlier that he could be happy separate from the physical body. 3 years or 1000 it wouldn’t matter.
Nice, and the “true” mission of Destiny continues, pushing people to get closer to ascencion ship?
Eli never figures out how to fix the pod. he gives up on that after he learns that he does not have the components to fix it. instead he trys to re route power, so that he is able to download his consciousness to the main computer with out using to much of it so the destiny doesn’t end up drifting into space. when eli figures out the work around and sits in the chair to proceed the stargate begins to dial in and contact with the SGC is made with the help of some new allies. the wormhole is only open for a short enough time to get supplies and a few new and improved naquadah generators. in the supplies many components were sent to upgrade destiny that were built using blueprints of the destiny given to the sgc by there new allies.
One stasis pod is always busted. Always. In any sci-fi show, whenever a ship with a stasis chamber is discovered, there’s always at least one pod with a dead person inside.
Anyhow, I figured that the broken pod would give Rush the chance to download his consciousness into Destiny, reunite with his girlfriend, and take complete control of the ship. But then Eli took his place, and I don’t see Eli going that far unless the alternative is death.
I would love to know if the writers had planned a resolution to the cliffhanger. I really appreciate the “Epilogue” episode now, because it was emotionally satisfying as a finale, even though plot-wise we didn’t get a satisfying ending to the series.
I was never a big SG1 fan though I enjoyed Atlantis. SGU was one of my favorite shows on TV. I loved the characters and the tension between Rush and Col. Young was great. It’s such a shame that this show is not being allowed to live longer as it seems that so many new shows are just remakes themselves and lack the budget or the quality to really make them worth of my time. SGU had the sets, the actors, the adventure and by gosh without an Federation Ship gracing the airwaves, Destiny was the only starship out there! I can’t believe that more true SCI FI (not SyFy) fans didn’t embrace the show. Well anyway, I do hope that Brad Wright finds a way to bring the show back in some shape or form. Maybe in 3 years audiences will be ready to watch again…
The one thing noone’s mentioned is that the shuttle has it’s own power and life support.
Eli doesn’t fix the pod, instead he moves into the shuttle, shuts down the rest of destiny and lives very leanly for the next 3 years. At the end of that time, he’s gaunt but alive and well.
I think this is very plausible and a desirable ending. He spends the entire time reading and learning so that he really is Rush’s superior in every way.
*POST AUTHOR*
Hm, so that wasn’t the final shuttle they sent on a collision course? Did they say they had one more? Life support, yes, but not food and water right? Well … maybe enough for one person, just not enough for all the others.
They actually mentioned in the dialog something like, “We can do this with one shuttle and still have another one.”
They were back up to two shuttles from the time traveling episodes when they found Rush, iirc.
I know the series was canceled, but I sure as hell would have preferred an ending with more finality to it. The ending itself seemed like a subtle protest from Brad Wright to the series being canceled. It left me asking my wife, “Are you sure that was the series finale? Is there one more episode next week?”
I liked the series, but that last episode was a real let down for me. It really feels incomplete, which I guess it is since it was cancelled. Brad took the old “leave the audience wanting more” and injected it as best he could in this last episode…
You do realize that the show was canceled way after this episode was written and produced?
The only thing I dislike about the last few episodes is they were just too contrived for the sake of tension (a sign of poor/lazy writing):
— They arrive on a planet that had been settled for over 2000 years, on the few remaining hours before its impending destruction? Puh-lease.
— With all of the people coming onto Destiny, leaving Destiny, dying on Destiny, they have the EXACT number of stasis pods for the current size of the crew? Really? I’d think a ship the size of Destiny could have accommodated a much larger crew.
And did no one think to check if a stasis pod that can hold a large man might be able to hold two small women?
But I will miss the show. :(
You’ve got to remember that, at this point, the majority of the ship is still inaccessible to the crew. For all we know there could be many more pods in other areas.
Plus, there was the exact number of pods for the crew because they had to repair (after the mission for supplies) several pods to get to that number
I will miss it. I downloaded and watched while riding the stationary bike. Back to watching SG reruns I guess. Please bring it back.
I was really into this series. I don’t understand how SGU was cancelled and an inane show like Sanctuary allowed to go on. Brad Wright, along with all those at SyFy should be shot for cancelling SGU and ending it with such a depressing ending:-(
Nice Article. I definately think there will be a movie but not a tele movie a full blown cinema epic where the ancients get involved, Rush dies and Eli goes psyco and has sex with Chloe. The replicants also show up and replace Tamara so she doesn’t die, Everett reveals that he was in love with Rush the whole time! (antithesis to Rush’s having control of the ship ‘the whole time’ – sheesh i wish i didnt have to hear that every frikken episode Eli). Matthew Scott fights off all maner of alien till his gums bleed. Ronald has a half blind baby…awe. Camile takes command and rams destiny into an alien ship killing herself and going down in history as the first gay earth woman to detroy an ancient ship so heroically.
And I’m spent…
Great show! In Jospeh Malozzi’s WebBlog there’s a funny one with the pods. He said there were a proposal where Eli can’t fix the pod and wakes up Chloe to sleep with her in one pod for three years :)
SGU is an astonishing sci-fi show in a long time and i hope they’ll resume it soon maybe on another channel. You may have a look at https://www.facebook.com/SaveSGU page.
Only 1 of your 4 options makes any sense… For the first one, that would defeat the purpose of the entire last episode. If one person could do it alone, then clearly the whole crew could. They mentioned even one person would kill reserves, which is why they didn’t want Rush to be the one to remain outside. For the 2nd one, you defeated your suggestion yourself. For the third, this is mildly better than the first two, as Rush could totally sabotage things, but that 30 year thing is kind of ridiculous. Mainly because interest in their connection to Earth would drop dramatically with that change. I for one wouldn’t care if Matt’s son is 30, and then the characters on Earth I might actually care for would be retired or deceased.
The only decent option was the last with the wrap-up by Eli with the keno. Or the movie that apparently can’t be done. With all of the other movies they’ve done, none of which interested me, they could at least do one more.
I accept that the ratings were low, though I don’t understand why. People can dislike the show all they want, but it was good enough that it should have enough fans to have stayed on for 4 or 5 years. Hell, even one more season to quickly wrap things up would be more acceptable than this.
Stargate Universe was a firm favourite. As with all of the stargate series, I loved the show. It would have been awesome to have more seasons. :-(
But I guess we need more experienced writers with a broader, more open mindset. Or perhaps the creators just weren’t happy with the few million followers who enjoyed the show.
Tv shows, series, seasons etc seem to be axed regularly if they fall below a certain number.
I guess we sci fi fans have been fortunate to have some good stuff to watch over the years. May a talented writer or writers come forth with the next wave of awesome sci fi. You’ll have to top startrek starwars,stargate,doctor who,etc.
Re Stargate Universe: being on a ship travelling the Galaxies – awesome.
Stargate Universe was a sy-fy favourite of mine and I was more amazed then sad that the show is over. I have have been a trek fan all of my adult life and enjoy diving into another world wonder for a while.
This show was well thought out and to see how humans can overcome adversity is amazing. Well done Stargate Universe, it is right up there with the classics but get someone else to write the fanale!