Air (Stargate Universe)

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"Air"
Stargate Universe episodes
Episode nos.Season 1
Episodes 1-3
Directed byAndy Mikita
Written byRobert C. Cooper & Brad Wright
Featured music"Breathe" by Alexi Murdoch
Production code101–103
Original air datesOctober 2, 2009 (2009-10-02) (Parts 1 & 2)
October 9, 2009 (Part 3)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
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"Darkness"
List of episodes

"Air" is the three-part opening episode of the

Sci Fi Australia aired the two-parter on October 9, and the third part on October 16. "Air" was written by series creators Robert C. Cooper and Brad Wright, and was directed by Andy Mikita
.

In the episode a group of evacuees from Icarus Base, an offworld human outpost that fell under attack end up on the Destiny, an

Ancient starship located several billion light-years from Earth. Their first problems involve the ship's failing life support system, where the new crew are tasked to fix it. The episode features some of the well known characters from Stargate SG-1, a previous series in the Stargate franchise. Parts of the third part are filmed on location in White Sands, New Mexico
, which doubled as a desert planet. The first two parts received generally positive reviews, mainly commending the cast and the style of the episode. The premiere was seen by over 2.3 million Americans, and was considered a ratings success in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.

Plot

Part 1

The majority of the first part takes place in

Chloe Armstrong (Elyse Levesque), daughter of Senator Alan Armstrong (Christopher McDonald
).

At the top-secret Icarus Base, the group is introduced to Colonel

Lucian Alliance, attack the planet. An evacuation is begun while the Hammond which is crewed by Colonel Samantha Carter (Amanda Tapping
) and a squadron of F-302s led by Colonel Telford battle the enemy. Rush, desperate to see his project succeed, enlists Wallace's aid in figuring out what went wrong. Wallace suggests that the final symbol of the address is wrong, and that they should use the symbol for Earth. Rush aborts the dialing sequence to Earth, arguing that the energy release from the exploding planet could follow them through the Gate, and tests the theory, which succeeds. With the planet's unstable core about to go critical and lacking any other means of escape, the remaining survivors in the base (roughly 80 people) are forced to risk heading to an unknown destination. The planet explodes shortly after everyone is evacuated, destroying the three Ha'tak vessels. The Hammond survives, but the fate of those in the base is a mystery to Stargate Command.

Part 2

The unlikely expedition team ends up on the Destiny, an

FTL
and dials the Stargate to a desert planet with the necessary materials to repair the scrubbers. Four other locations are listed but locked out by the dialing computer. A 12-hour countdown begins, at the end of which the Destiny will continue on its journey automatically.

Part 3

On the desert planet, the search begins for a suitable source of

Franklin
(Mark Burgess), the member carrying the dialing remote, but the other two make it through. Rush is vehemently against the idea of exploring the other addresses, believing that the ship locked them out for a reason, and several failed attempts to contact the two lost expedition members seem to support his concerns.

On the ship, Chloe and Young use the communication stones to contact Earth, allowing Chloe to inform her mother of her situation and Senator Armstrong's death. Young, meanwhile, is encouraged by O'Neill to repair the ship; in spite of his protests that their expedition is not cut out for it, O'Neill insists that no one really is ready for their kind of work.

In his search for the lime, Scott discovers a strange, swirling cloud of dust that absorbs moisture. He follows it until he collapses in front of a lake bed. He has a brief hallucination where he engages in a spiritual conversation with a priest he knew on Earth. Meanwhile, the cloud moves up to him and condenses into water, waking him. Realizing what he's found, Scott shovels as much of the lime as possible into his bag and makes his way to the Gate. Greer, having set out to look for him, finds him along the way and helps carry the lime. Wallace sticks his arm into the wormhole to delay the countdown. The team returns with the lime successfully, which is used to repair the CO2 scrubbers. In the end, a recovering Scott tells Chloe that his parents and the priest died when he was young, and that the best way to deal with the grief is to keep moving forward. As everyone starts to breathe easier, a ship detaches itself from the Destiny.

Production

Conception

"Air" first surfaced in December 2008 as a working title for the opening episode of Universe, where it was suggested to be a three-parter, according to

Frozen" and Stargate Atlantis's "Rising".[4]

Filming

Parts of the third episode were filmed on location in White Sands, New Mexico.

"Air" was directed by Andy Mikita. When filming the first three episodes, Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper decided to hire the Director of Photography from The Shield.[5] The shooting for the episode started on February 18, 2009.[6] The show is filmed on stages 2, 4 (Destiny set) and 5 (Icarus Base set) at The Bridge Studios[7][8] Previous franchise series Stargate SG-1 and Stargate Atlantis were filmed on stage 5 and 6.[6] "Air (Part 3)" was filmed in and around Alamogordo, New Mexico from late April through early May 2009.[9] A couple of scenes were deleted from the actual outtake, the two most notable being a scene with Eli Wallace (David Blue) on the desert planet and a flashbacks scene featuring Chloe Armstrong and her mother.[10] The game Wallace played when solving the puzzle was a preview shot of Stargate Worlds, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game based on the Stargate franchise. The game was referenced throughout the pilot. The announcement of Stargate Worlds marked the first bit of news published on the game's official website since May 26, 2009.[11]

Reception

Ratings and viewership

The first two parts received a total household rating of 1.7, which represents 2.35 million viewers on

second season premiere of Stargate Atlantis. Among the figures, 1.32 million were viewed by adults in the 25-54 age demographic, and 1.12 million among the 18-49 demographic.[5] Part 3 gathered 2.4 million viewers, a small increase from the season premiere. In both cases, the ratings were higher than Fox's Dollhouse, which aired on the same time slot.[12] Plus the 7 DVR, the second part reached a household rating of 2.1, totalling 2.99 million viewers, including 1.7 million Adults 18-49 and 1.85 million Adults 25–54. This makes "Air" the most viewed Stargate episode since March 2005.[13]

After its premiere in

soccer match.[18][19]

Critical reception

"SGU marries many familiar sci-fi conventions with relatable emotional stories to create a non-genre spectacular. If you root for the underdog, you'll love this completely enthralling, heartbreaking and inspiring epic.

Curt Wagner of Chicago Now[20]

Reviews of the premiere were generally positive. According to Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the premiere has received a "generally favorable" score of 61, based on 9 reviews.[21] In all three cases the film ranks lowest in the series. Joseph Dilworth Jr. of Pop Culture Zoo praised the premiere of Stargate Universe, stating that it "feels less like a weekly TV series and much more like the beginning of a twenty part long form story," and is also described as a cross between Star Trek: Voyager, Battlestar Galactica and Firefly, though the series seems to be a spiritual successor to Battlestar. Dilworth also praised the cast, stating it as "one of the finest ensemble casts I've seen in a long time."[22] Curt Wagner of Chicago Now rated the episode 4 stars out of four, stating that it shares the optimism of Star Trek: Voyager, and the grimness of Battlestar Galactica, as well as playing homage to its franchise forebears SG-1 and Atlantis, but looks and feels new.[20] IGN reviewer Ramsey Isler gave the episode 8.8 out of 10, starting his review with "Yes, it's another Stargate show. But this might become the best of them all." Further saying the premiere had its "own unique tone."[23]

Being one of the few Stargate franchise releases that were well received by major media publishers, Mike Hale from

The New York Daily News gave the episodes four-out-of-five stars, saying that "Eli's not the only one playing a high-stakes game here."[28]

Among reviewers who were negative towards the new installments was Maureen Ryan from the

Eli Wallace (David Blue) and Nicholas Rush (Robert Carlyle).[29] Vince Horiuchi from The Salt Lake Tribune started the review with "Syfy Channel -- is one of the worst displays of the genre on television," and attacked the television series, "Battlestar Galactica". Having no interest in the previous Stargate series' including the feature film, while not overall positive to the series, he said the cast and characters were a "little more likable and interesting."[30] Reviewer Laura Freis from Variety magazine concluded her review with "Sure, SGU is grittier, darker and psychologically deeper than previous versions. But so far, it's also a lot less fun." While negative towards the show, she called Robert Carlyle an "excellent" actor.[31] The Hollywood Reporter noted a lack of "intelligent" and "surprising stories" and was overall negative towards Stargate Universe, and even more so on the previous Stargate franchise releases.[32]

Awards and nominations

See also: List of awards and nominations received by Stargate Universe

In January 2010, the episodes were nominated for a

Space" for the upcoming 62nd Primetime Emmy Awards.[36]

References

  1. GateWorld
    . Retrieved October 2, 2009.
  2. GateWorld
    . Retrieved October 2, 2009.
  3. ^ Cooper, Robert C., Wright, Brad, Blue, David, Smith, Brian J. (July 24, 2009). Stargate: Universe - Comic-Con 2009 Panel : SCI FI Wire Exclusive. syfy.com. Archived from the original on August 2, 2009. Retrieved September 29, 2009.
  4. GateWorld
    . Retrieved October 2, 2009.
  5. ^ a b Seidman, Robert (October 3, 2009). "Syfy continues ratings roll: Stargate Universe averages 2.35 million in premiere". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 27, 2012. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  6. ^
    GateWorld
    . Retrieved October 5, 2009.
  7. ^ Mallozzi, Joseph (March 20, 2009). "March 20, 2009: Promo Particulars, DeLuise Directs, and a Modest Mailbag". josephmallozzi.wordpress.com. Retrieved October 5, 2009.
  8. ^ Mallozzi, Joseph (January 20, 2009). "January 20, 2009: The Return of Norman Shuttlecock Junior". josephmallozzi.wordpress.com. Archived from the original on January 25, 2009. Retrieved October 5, 2009.
  9. ^ ""Stargate: Universe" to shoot episode in Alamogordo; will hire 75 local crew members". Las Cruces Sun-News. March 11, 2009. Archived from the original on March 18, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
  10. ^ "Activating the 9th Chevron: David Blue and Elyse Levesque In Stargate Universe". MediaBlvd Magazine. October 2, 2009. Archived from the original on October 4, 2009. Retrieved March 11, 2009.
  11. ^ "SGW Footage Shown in Stargate Universe Episode". ZAM. October 5, 2009. Archived from the original on February 10, 2013. Retrieved October 7, 2009.
  12. ^ Gorman, Bill (October 12, 2009). "Second Season Premiere of Syfy's Sanctuary Scores Double-Digit Increases, Stargate Universe Viewership Soars in Second Week". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on October 14, 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  13. ^ Seidman, Robert (October 26, 2009). "Syfy's Stargate Universe reaches new high with Live + 7 Data". TV by the Numbers. Archived from the original on May 31, 2012. Retrieved October 27, 2009.
  14. ^ "SPACE Soars to New Heights with Record Shattering Premiere of STARGATE UNIVERSE". Channel Canada. October 5, 2009. Archived from the original on October 9, 2009. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
  15. Broadcasters' Audience Research Board
    . Retrieved October 23, 2009.
  16. ^ "MGM's Stargate Universe Ratings Blast Off". Reuters. October 12, 2009. Archived from the original on October 15, 2009. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
  17. ^ French, Dan (October 14, 2009). "Latest Stargate Universe draws 765,000". Digital Spy. Retrieved October 15, 2009.
  18. ^ Pearson, Georgina (October 12, 2009). "Stargate Universe takes Sci Fi channel to ratings high". mUmBRELLA. Retrieved October 12, 2009.
  19. ^ ASTRA (October 12, 2009). "Stargate: Universe Takes STV Viewers to a New Destiny". eBroadcast Australia. Archived from the original on October 15, 2009. Retrieved October 12, 2009.
  20. ^ a b Wagner, Curt (September 27, 2009). "Stargate Universe: SGU Week: 'Stargate Universe' is outa this world". Chicago Now. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
  21. ^ "Stargate Universe". Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved October 28, 2009.
  22. ^ Dilworth, Joseph (September 19, 2009). "Review: The First Three Hours Of 'Stargate Universe'". Pop Culture Zoo. Archived from the original on July 23, 2012. Retrieved October 2, 2009.
  23. ^ Isler, Ramsey (October 2, 2009). "Stargate Universe: "Air" Review". IGN. Retrieved October 5, 2009.
  24. ^ Hale, Mike (October 1, 2009). "Extensive Portal-Hopping Out on the Final Frontier". The New York Times. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  25. ^ Weiss, Joanna (October 1, 2009). "'Stargate' mysteries play like a 'Lost' in space". The Boston Globe. Retrieved October 1, 2009.
  26. About.com. Archived from the original
    on September 7, 2017. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  27. ^ Owen, Rob (October 1, 2009). "Intriguing Stargate Universe needs to find its way". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  28. The New York Daily News. Archived from the original
    on December 17, 2009. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  29. ^ "Desperate survivors get lost in Stargate Universe". Chicago Tribune. October 1, 2009. Archived from the original on March 31, 2013. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  30. ^ Horiuchi, Vince (September 30, 2009). "TV: New Stargate worth going through". The Salt Lake Tribune. Archived from the original on January 8, 2010. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
  31. ^ Freis, Laura (September 30, 2009). "TV: New Stargate worth going through". Variety Magazine. Archived from the original on January 8, 2010. Retrieved October 7, 2009.
  32. ^ Garron, Barry (October 1, 2009). "Stargate Universe -- TV Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved June 30, 2012.
  33. ^ "VES Announces Nominees for 8th Annual VES Awards". visualeffectssociety.com. Archived from the original on May 7, 2010. Retrieved February 20, 2010.
  34. ^ "Official Stargate Website: News: 17 Leo Nominations for SGU!". stargate.mgm.com. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Archived from the original on April 28, 2012. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  35. ^ "LEO AWARDS, 2010 Winners". leoawards.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2010. Retrieved June 6, 2010.
  36. ^ "2010 Primetime Emmy Awards Nominations; "Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series"". emmys.com. Retrieved July 11, 2010.

External links

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