When Stargate Universe went on hiatus, I along with other fans, were devastated that we wouldn’t find out the repercussions for Col. Young leaving Rush knocked out on a planet until April 2, 2010. While I couldn’t find an airlock to throw myself into after hearing that airdate, I was glad to know that a DVD of the first ten episodes would be available to own before the last ten aired. I know what you are asking: why buy the first ten episodes when you can have the full set this summer/fall? A great question which I will hopefully answer in the next few paragraphs.
I am not a tech specialist so I don’t know about grains in the film and all that jazz. I am just going to give you a run through of the special features and the extended version of the entire “Air” three-part pilot. I will say that the picture was way crisper than on SyFy and my DVR. I can practically see the insanity that surges from Dr. Rush’s head, the picture is that clear.
The Extended Version of “Air”: The Three Hour Pilot Episode
The runtime for the entire pilot, uncut, ran nearly two and half hours long and this includes extended and deleted scenes. What those deleted scenes entail are a couple of character moments and a set up for the back ten episodes that will be a treat for those who read SGU spoilers and fans of the original series. One character moment comes from what really happened when Dr. Rush used the communication stones for the first time and spoke with General O’Neill about their whereabouts. The scene was wonderful and to not spoil anything else I will shut up now. But as a whole, the pilot worked great and it gave other characters moments to shine when they didn’t have the time to in the broadcast version.
So in conclusion, I give the Extended Version of “Air” an A.
Stargate 101: Presented By Dr. Daniel Jackson
Remember the “videos” that Eli had to watch of Dr. Daniel Jackson explaining the Stargate in the pilot? Well, it’s on the DVD. All six minutes of it.
What could have been a SG fanboy’s dream come true (especially when trying to explain Stargate to someone else), turned out to be a beginner’s guide to anyone who is not into the previous shows, but want to try this one out. The subjects at hand are the essentials (Stargates, Ancients, Goa’uld, the Lucian Alliance) to understanding Stargate Universe, but again if one looks closely and connect the dots, then you can see that thing are about to get very interesting in the last ten episodes of the series. I recommend everyone who watches the extended pilot to watch this right afterwards. Or before. Your choice. B+
Kino Video Diaries featuring 5 Never Before Seen Entries
One of the things that I love about SGU is the Kino Diaries that were released at the end of the episode. This DVD has all those and then some. Yea, I thought the back of the DVD lied about new Kino episodes, but it turns out that some of them were either extended clips of previous ones or all new Kinosodes all together. They were entertaining, especially the one dealing with everyone’s favorite meal they ever had. I wonder if these would ever be released on the MGM site? B.
Cast Interviews and Commentaries
The former were standard cast interviews that you might could find anywhere else, but this is the first release that I have owned where there is a commentary for each and every episode. Again, I won’t delve into those if you plan on buying the release. A for effort.
Conclusion
For $30, this release was well worth my bucks. The extended “Air” pilot is a movie in itself, which probably would have cost $15 bucks if released on its own, and to me the other episodes and the extras are ‘bonuses’ in my eyes. With that said, I will say again that it was worth my money, but as far as yours? I say do it if you are a fan, but if you are a beginner then Netflixx it and give it a try before buying it. It’s a great sampler for the newbie, but most people would best hold out for the complete season set, because unlike FlashForward, another ten episode release, this three-disc set does not come with a voucher for a full season release. Which is a bummer, but hey, there is always eBay.
So again: Fan? BUY IT! Newbie? Rent it!
See ya April 2! And until then read the TVO Report Card of SGU So Far!
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I just watched the next two episodes, "Space" and "Divided", care of SyFy. Divided isn't a third part, but it's really a nice companion to what happens in Space, so I think it's fair to think of the mid-season finale and the three of them a de facto arc.You'll get your answers in Space, though. So don't fret about having to wait until April 9th for the full goods.Anyone who wanted some space action will be pleased. I'll say that much. The rest will have to wait for my preview.