Stargate: Universe Series Review

 

Stargate Universe is what happens when your favorite sci-fi franchise decides to go full brooding space drama and cast Robert Carlyle as the shadiest genius in the galaxy. And honestly? It kind of works. Carlyle plays Dr. Nicholas Rush, a man so morally ambiguous he makes Loki look like a motivational speaker. If there’s a secret to be kept, a button not to be pushed, or a betrayal to be had—Rush is already three steps ahead, sipping tea and watching it all unfold with that smug little smirk.

The premise? A bunch of scientists, soldiers, and civilians get stranded on an Ancient spaceship called Destiny after dialing the mysterious ninth chevron on the Stargate. Instead of ending up on a beach planet with fruity drinks, they’re light-years from Earth, stuck on a ship with failing systems, limited supplies, and enough interpersonal drama to fuel a Bravo reality show. It’s like Gilligan’s Island, but with more airlocks and existential dread.

Louis Ferreira plays Colonel Everett Young, the reluctant leader who’s constantly trying to keep everyone alive while Rush is off playing 4D chess with the ship’s systems. Then there’s Eli Wallace (David Blue), the lovable nerd who solved a video game and got yeeted into space for his troubles. He’s basically the audience surrogate, asking all the questions we’re thinking—like “Why is this ship so dark?” and “Is Rush trying to kill us again?”

The tone is a major shift from SG-1 and Atlantis. Gone are the quippy one-liners and weekly alien shootouts. Instead, we get slow-burn tension, moral dilemmas, and a whole lot of “Are we the baddies?” vibes. It’s more Battlestar Galactica than Stargate, and that rubbed some fans the wrong way. But if you stick with it, there’s a lot to appreciate—especially the character development and the way the show leans into the psychological toll of being stranded in deep space with no idea how to get home.

Sure, it’s not perfect. The pacing can drag, and sometimes you just want someone to shoot a space bug and call it a day. But Stargate Universe dared to be different, and Robert Carlyle’s shady, brilliant, emotionally damaged Rush is the chaotic glue holding it all together. He’s not the hero we asked for—but he’s definitely the one who’ll reroute life support to win an argument.

And let’s not forget the bitter cherry on top: we never got another season. Just when Stargate Universe found its rhythm—bam, canceled. No closure, no final “aha!” moment, just Rush staring into the void and me yelling at the screen like I was personally betrayed. The show ended on a note so cliffhanger-y, it might as well have come with a parachute. I would’ve gladly signed up for five more seasons of dark corridors, moral ambiguity, and Robert Carlyle’s smug little smirk. But alas, the Stargate closed before we got the full journey we deserved.

I love this series and anything that is Stargate-related will automatically rate high. This gets 5 out of 5 acorns.