How Outraged Fans Destroyed Their Own Sci-Fi Franchise, And Turned SyFy Into A Wrestling Channel

Written by Joshua Tyler and Jonathan Klotz | Updated 2 hours ago

In 2009, with Battlestar Galactica At the height of its pop culture success, the SyFy Channel began planning a new show as its next big thing. They were all so busy that they canceled another long-running sci-fi series, Stargate AtlantisTo make way for the debut of their new show.

Their new show was bold and dramatic, and they spared no expense for special effects. It was a new take on an existing franchise, and it seemed poised to push that universe into the rarefied sci-fi realm that made pop culture icons like Star Trek and Star Wars so successful.

Or at least that’s what they thought. This is it Why the Stargate Universe failed

The Stargate Universe arrives and gives fans a tonal feel

Stargate has never been as popular as Star Wars and Star Trek, but both Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis They ended up finding a large fan base precisely because they were different from the big two. By embracing a fun adventure spirit and a cast of characters who bond and learn to work together and accept each other, both shows have maintained a degree of positivity even in their darkest moments.

This is the reason for the sudden transformation of the book with Stargate Universethe third series in the franchise, was annoying to fans. It ditched everything that was most familiar about the franchise in favor of embracing a dark and gritty aesthetic Battlestar Galactica. Regardless of the “planet of the week” formula of the first series, universe You’ve dealt with one story for most of each season, so you’d better get used to hearing about the ancient communication gems.

The dark, gritty visuals weren’t the only change. To match the new aesthetic, the writers dropped the “action” portion of the first two shows and turned it into a straight “sci-fi drama,” which would have been fun, but they also forgot to include instantly likable characters.

Instead of exploring new worlds, Stargate Universe He was confined to Destiny, an ancient starship built for a mysterious purpose, which constantly hinted at exciting off-world adventures, but which never happened. Viewers were stuck in close quarters with a group of characters who seemed to hate each other, and watched everyone stab each other in the back at least once a season, alternating with attempted romances that seemed more like… Riverdale from SG-1.

For example, Colonel Everett Young, played by Luis Ferreria, is the ship’s captain. His fall and subsequent rise could have made for compelling television. Unfortunately, before the show gets there, we see him cheating, lying, and arguing with the rest of the crew in a way that former Stargate leader O’Neil would never have approved of, even if Alien Spirits possessed him.

Young was dissatisfied with one crew member in particular. Dr. Nicholas Rush, played brilliantly by Robert Carlyle, was supposed to be something new to the series: a character with shades of grey. Robert Picardo Richard Woolsey of Stargate Atlantis He seems like a hero compared to Rush, who the audience can understand as acting for the greater good (mostly), even if his actions are (mostly) questionable.

The problem with including a complex character who, to put it politely, owes a lot to Baltar from Battlestar Galactica, is that it doesn’t work if everyone in the Stargate Universe considers him a villain. Rush charges Young with murder, defies his explicit instructions not to tamper with ancient technology by doing exactly that the moment he has the opportunity, and yes, exploits Chloe Armstrong’s alien infection to further his own research.

Despite all this, the seeds of great character were there. Stargate Universe He tried to do something different, with Rush as the physical embodiment of embracing the dark side of Science fictionbut it lost the adventurous spirit of the franchise in the process.

Stargate fans are ruining their own franchise

Existing fans of the overlooked franchise didn’t want high school level drama; They wanted bold new worlds, alien encounters, and a dash to uncover the mystery of the galaxy. They revolted and abstained from the show.

Stargate fans may have thought that by doing this, they would get a new series more suited to their tastes. In response to their exodus, the show’s ratings dropped by 25% during its first season. SyFy noticed this, and began de-prioritizing programming that catered to sci-fi fans.

The network thought they gave the fans a gift Stargate UniverseBut the fans who worked so hard to please said no. So SyFy went looking for a new audience, and settled on wrestling fans. Stargate Universe It was canceled after only two seasons, and SyFy stopped producing serious science fiction.

What’s worse is that the entire Stargate franchise has been tossed in the trash. There was nothing else, and at this point, there probably never will be. You have to wonder if part of the reason for this is simply because no one in Hollywood trusts the Stargate fans, many as they are, to support it.

Stargate is now a dead property. Nothing new of consequence has happened since the fans were killed universe With their complaint, no sign will appear Change anytime soon.

The universe may have been Stargate’s ninth deep space

While I understand the concerns fans had about it Stargate UniverseIf they had stuck with him, I think they would have loved him in the end. By the time the second season of the show ends, SGU He started meeting. Even the most disliked character in the series, Ellie Wallace, has developed into something special.

The point of Eli is that he’s very smart, but emotionally, he’s still a teenager who needs to grow up. This is one of the best subplots of Season 2, and by the end of the series, it’s clear that if Season 3 had happened, Eli would have been the main character.

Star Trek: The next generation It set the bar for the entire genre, but even Wil Wheaton admits that Wesley is an annoying character from beginning to end, as are most genius characters. Stargate Universe He added a wrinkle to what could have been a generic character by allowing Ellie to grow up and challenge Rush, providing a counterpoint to the scheming Doctor. Even if they often agreed, they clashed, and Eli was the only person Rush considered an intellectual peer.

The Stargate Universe has been punished for daring to be different

Stargate Universe He was flawed at first, but he dared to be different. Not every character is supposed to be likable, and SGU It allowed its complex characters to grow and develop, overcome mistakes, discover new ones, and act like humans struggling to survive surrounded by annoying coworkers. the offer Stargate Universe It is at the end of its second season, and is on its way to developing into the greatest sci-fi show of all time.

Stargate Universe It had the potential to turn Stargate into the next Star Trek, a massive sci-fi franchise that would last for generations. The impatience of early Stargate fans killed it, depriving the world of the Star Trek alternative we need in an age where Trek is self-destructing.

Stargate may never recover.