syfy stargate universe premiere

When word broke that the Stargate franchise was moving into darker territory with Stargate Universe, fan reaction ranged from cautiously optimistic to downright angry. The anger mostly came from fans who felt jilted by Syfy's sudden cancellation of the veteran show Stargate Atlantis (it didn't help that Syfy announced the new series in a press release that also announced the cancellation of Atlantis). To some, it seemed like the fan favorite (Atlantis) had to die so the edgy new experiment (Universe) could live.

Universe –- a fine, scrappy show packed with great actors – might now be facing an uphill battle with some of its target audience members. Stargate fans unwilling to give the show a chance should know one thing: The franchise's spirit of adventure remains intact in the first three episodes of Universe. It is different and darker than Stargate: SG-1 and Atlantis – even blatantly dreary at times – but it's still Stargate.

The series stars David Blue as Eli Wallace, a pajama pants-wearing slacker genius who, by accident, unlocks the latest missing key to Stargate travel. As portrayed by Blue, Eli is a sardonic but loveable manchild who reacts with fanboy delight at the sight of the Stargate. Thankfully, the character is a lot less clichéd and grating than he sounds (and he's not just Rodney McKay minus fifteen years).

Eli ditches his basement-dwelling lifestyle to join Stargate Command and Dr. Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle), who are trying to unlock the Stargate's ninth chevron, which will allow man to boldly go ... you get the idea. Things go horribly wrong when Eli, Rush and a team of military personnel and civilians are trapped on an Ancient ship, the Destiny, with no way to return home. The ship, which is almost falling apart, is programmed to keep jumping to new worlds on the far end of the universe.

Read the rest at TV Squad, and stream a four-minute preview below.