Stargate Universe Delights Us at Comic Con

The “Stargate Universe” panel at Comic-Con had a few reveals, a few secrets, a few surprises and a whole lot of good natured wise-cracks.

While Robert Carlyle who plays Dr. Rush on “Stargate Universe” was trying to be the serious one on the panel, even he cracked a few smiles at his co-stars antics — particularly Ming Na who was trying to not give away any of the deep dark secrets on the show and who came prepared to ham it up with her “iPrecious” cellphone.

Ming Na also had everyone nearly in stitches with her inadvertent slip that she loved the scenes they filmed about getting “stoned” — which was her way of describing how the characters use the communication stones to transmit their consciousness across space into a waiting body on Earth. The body-swapping is a familiar storyline used in the Stargate-verse, but for those unfamiliar with the show, it does sound a bit peculiar.

Ming Na, David Blue and Alaina Huffman

Trying to tame Ming Na’s wild ways and outrageous comments, co-stars David Blue and Alaina Huffman shared that both their characters would be getting new love interests this next season. This took fans by surprise as it was no small secret that during the first season of the show that David Blue’s character Eli was smitten with Chloe and Alaina Huffman’s character T.J. was in love with Colonel Young, whose baby she is carrying. So this was a major surprise and a very tantalizing tid-bit about the upcoming new season. Just who are the new mystery love-interests set the fans a buzz.

Ming Na was still using diversion tactics to avoid talking about what is next for her character, and it is suspected that it has to be juicy for her to work so hard at distracting everyone from the fact that she was not saying a word about what is going on with her character.

Playing the gentle mediator of the group, Robert Knepper tactically steered the conversation to safer subjects and shared that his character will make a major discovery early on in the second season — a discovery that he will be reluctant to share with his fellow Destiny-mates out of fear that they will exploit his discovery for their own self-serving needs. In addition, Dr. Rush will have a formidable foe to face in the form of a villain to be played by Robert Knepper (best known for his roles on “Prison Break” and “Heroes“).

Now that the Lucian Alliance invaders are trapped on board the Destiny, an awkward alliance will be forged amongst the Lucians and the Destiny-ites. They will have to work together not only to survive, but also to find a way out of their mutually dire predicament.

Carlyle also happily shared that he was given the opportunity to direct the 4th episode of the next season — which, for scheduling reasons, had to be shot first. He was like a giddy kid recalling the experience — even though it meant putting his castmates through a grueling filming experience in some sub-temperature weather. To help keep spirits up, he even contacted David Blue’s parents to get them to send a picture of him holding an “E.T.” doll as a fun surprise. While this story undoubtedly has a richer backstory than they elaborated on, it showed that Carlyle was thinking of what he could do to make the filming experience better for everyone. Blue generously said, “[Carlyle’s] an actor’s director — [he] makes it a safe place to play.”

Another big opportunity was for Carlyle to play up against himself in an upcoming episode entitled “Twin Destinies,” where a future version of Dr. Rush returns to warn himself about a deadly future — unless he can change it.

As a special treat for long time fans, upcoming special guest-stars, in addition to Robert Knepper, will be both Robert Picardo and David Hewlett from “Stargate SG-1” and “Stargate Atlantis.”

Taking a moment to reflect on the first season, Alaina Huffman shared that her favorite scene was the one in which Eli believes Chloe is dead. It was cool for her to be a part of such an emotionally charged scene and she felt that by being in the scene it added another layer to it — it created more emotional resonance. She also noted that it was amazing how it was filmed because she never knows where the cameras are at any given time.

Co-creator/producer Robert Cooper chimed in to add that it is their job to stay out of the way in those scenes and just let the actors try to capture the moment. It is only then that the audience will feel the pain and undercurrents that are trying to be expressed. He felt that freedom is essential for creative expression and it fosters those organic moments that are so elusive on film.

Talking a bit about the second season, Ming Na shared that emotions really escalated for their characters. It had become necessary to show that when people are stranded for so long, that it is easy to give up hope of ever getting home. The time factor, isolation and loneliness just wears on everyone and frays their emotions. Cooper clarified that whatever happens to one affects them all. It is only once they grasp that that they realize the importance of having a greater purpose — a mission so that they do not lose all hope entirely. Na added  that their characters will finally recognize that they should be challenged by what the ship Destiny has to offer them.

Cooper concluded by sharing that for “Stargate Universe,” the show is less about military protocol than the prior two “Stargate” series. They wanted instead to break from that influence and hierarchy so that they could explore what happens when you remove the rules of society — how will people behave when they must make their own rules. Will they be constrained by the morals and ethics that our society has created, or will they become more like characters from “The Lord of the Flies.”

“Stargate Universe” is not just about a group of survivors whining about going home — it is about a group of unlikely people forced to work together to both survive and find a purpose while living on the other side of the universe. Life as they know it has radically changed and it might be forever. So while season one was all about finding a way home; the second season will be about making a new home. It is time to find a way to make Destiny their home.

“Stargate Universe” will return later this Fall on Syfy.