Stargate Universe: “The Greater Good” Reveals The Greater Story

“THE GREATER GOOD” Airs Tuesday, November 9 at 9:00 PM on Syfy

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I think the term “game changer” is used too frequently in television nowadays. To quote the famous ambidextrous Spanish fencer, I do not think it means what you think it means. Alias had a fantastic game changer in its second season and Lost had several game changers, even if we didn’t understand them all. A game changing episode needs to significantly alter the setting of a show, the character relationships, the cast or the overall tone of a series. Preferably, more than one of those will come in to play. All of that is so that you will understand what I am talking about when I say that “The Greater Good” is a game changing episode of Stargate Universe.

This is a very significant episodes in the sense that it redirects the tone of the series and does alter some fundamental character relationships. A secret is revealed and a purpose is discovered and transforms the show from one of survival and dwindling hope to one of determined purpose and a sense of destiny (pun intended), even if it ends in stark tragedy. A few plot threads come to a head and collide and the resolutions and fallout are very much unexpected. There is a lot going on here and the script by the great Carl Binder handles it all masterfully. Nothing feels forced and the full episode is a wonderful ride.

The acting is also stellar. Jamil Walker Smith’s Master Sergeant Greer continues to earn his place as my favorite character, but just barely. David Blue does a tremendous job this week, but the standout performances remain with Robert Carlyle and Louis Ferreira. Carlyle and Ferreira have a very unique chemistry in the scenes that they play in together, most especially this week, that it’s almost scary. Of course, Robert Knepper creepily oozes throughout to provide just the right amount of dread that your blood runs cold as you realize the final scene seconds ahead of it unfolding. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the terrific, if all-too-brief, performances by Brian Jacob Smith, Elyse Levesque, Ming-Na, Alaina Huffman and guest-stars Julie McNiven and Kathleen Munroe.

Stargate Universe is nothing like its predecessors in the franchise, yes, but it is still irrefutably Stargate and this episode furthers that in a way that could not be done previously. I am a die-hard fan of both SG-1 and Atlantis and at the same time I love the way the cast and crew of Universe have continued the franchise while pushing the boundaries of the human condition and the stories they tell. I find it a shame and disheartening that some Stargate fans have actively campaigned against this show either because of the cancellation of Atlantis or because they felt that the creators were purposely creating a premise to spite them in some way. The creation of Universe had nothing to do with killing the previous show and nothing about it alienates the spirit of discovery that is the core of Stargate. If you’ve been away or unwilling to give Universe a chance, this episode and the next are great chances to give it a try.