The tone is much darker, and the character dynamic is much more like a soap opera than a group of professionals working together. Seriously, if you were selecting an elite group of people to work together on a world in the far reaches of the galaxy wouldn’t you pick some people that wouldn’t be at each others throats constantly?

The presentation is also quite different. The sets are much darker, and worn looking. Apparently the SGU people are stuck on what is possibly the most advanced piece of technology to ever be on the show, and it looks to be the least advanced. Sadly, it looks like something straight out of Battlestar Galactica.

Camera work is just dreadful. One of the things I have always liked about Stargate is the wide open camera shots. I always felt like I knew where everyone was, and what was going on. Sadly, so far in SGU they have opted for very tight shots. This only adds to the soap opera feel of the show, and makes me feel like I am missing out what is going on off camera.

These changes, among other less obvious ones are why people are beginning to polarize around the show. Right now, people seem to be falling into three camps: hate it, love it, don’t know what to make of it.

The people who have been following the show for years, and loved it the way it was are leaning towards the hate it camp. Too many things have changed in such a way that the show does not even feel like Stargate. It is something else that has elements from Stargate in it.

The love it crowd seem to be the people that were BSG fans. I loath that wretched re-imagining, so it is fairly obvious why my opinion would clash with theirs. I also think some of these people are those that came onto the show towards its end, and didn’t really care for it. Most of the changes have made it filmed in a more contemporary way at the show’s detriment.

A vast majority of the people are still in the don’t know what to make of it group. I think these are people that have been watching the show for a while, but are only casual fans. They recognize that there are differences in the new show, but they are waiting to see how it all settles together before they make a decision on it.

I intend to keep waiting the show, and will watch the whole first season to see if it improves. Hopefully I will warm up to it, because there are not a lot of options for science fiction right now.

“Major subplot is prematurely ended prior to the finale (thus, the finale will have pretty much nothing to do with the 22 hours we’ve already experienced). Jack beats the piss out of subdued Tony. Jack fails to kill Tony. Kim is waiting at the airport. Kim gets captured by a cougar and her husband. Jack is forced into the cliche hero’s dilemma.”

The episode actually ends with Jack facing the decision to either save his daughter by freeing Tony and slaying his pet project, Renee. Or, make sure Tony gets what he desires and let terrorists slaughter his daughter. Sadly, I think the only safe character is Renee which is just too bad. Tony will probably die, but it is unlikely to be done by Jack’s hand, again unfortunately. Kim is immortal as has been repeatedly demonstrated throughout the series so I don’t think that she will end up getting waxed.

I know that vanlandw is hoping to see Kim KO’d, but I highly doubt that will happen. Does anyone else have any thoughts on the matter prior to the finale?

Regardless of what happens, I half expect for 24 to become dead to me after the finale.