TVSquad Talks To David Blue about "SGU" Season 2

[JamesG]

David Blue on "Stargate Universe" Season 2, Eli Turning Into a Hero and Exploring Destiny
by Chris Jancelewicz
posted Sept 28th 2010


Of all the "Stargate Universe" characters struggling aboard the Destiny, David Blue's Eli is arguably the person who's changed the most.

Over the course of the first season, we watched him grow from introverted computer geek into one of the more vital members of the ship's crew. We left Eli at the end of last season's cliffhanger finale as he and injured shipmate Chloe were stranded in an undiscovered part of the Destiny.



TV Squad caught up with Blue – who's actually a lot taller (and slimmer) than he looks on TV – and chatted about season 2 of "Stargate Universe", what's in store for Eli, and what he thinks about the constant comparisons to "Battlestar Galactica".





This one's for all the gamers and computer geeks out there:

When I saw that pilot episode of "SGU", I wanted to be Eli. All of us dream of having NASA show up at our door, asking for our expertise, all because we're good at video games.

Have people come up to you said that sort of thing?

That was the idea! No one's specifically said that to me, but whenever someone comes up to me and says, "I love your character!", I know it really boils down to that.

Being a gamer and sci-fi fan myself, I completely understand it. And I'm not lying when I say that I'm a huge "Star Trek: The Next Generation" fan – especially when I was a kid. I used to dream that I'd be at an ATM and Patrick Stewart would come up to me, ask me to come with him, and then beam me up to the Enterprise.

That's what sci-fi and fantasy is: Dreaming about the world you want to exist.













Your character went through quite an arc – from nerdboy to hero.
How was that for you?

I loved it. I've loved Eli from the beginning. I think they wanted to explore the naïve side of Eli's character. Like, he'd see a stargate and go, 'Oh my God!' They wanted to hold onto that for a while.

I like how we see these shining moments with Eli's character. He's starting to grow, he's starting to take on more responsibility. He's learning that he can be a hero in his own way.

In season 2, he's even starting to surprise me. He's coming up with ideas, pitching in, and growing up.







Are there any specific things that happen to Eli in season 2 that you can share?

There are a lot of things. There's a lot of growing, and a lot of shrinking – physically. Losing weight, I mean. [Laughs] He goes through tons of stuff, very quickly.

One thing with a survival show, there isn't a lot of winning the lottery. You're struggling for survival, you're surrounded by people who you don't know that you can trust. Whenever you have a spare moment to yourself, something happens.

In season 2, Eli definitely returns to more of his humor, and really takes on more responsibility.







I smell a love interest.

Yes, there is a love interest.







A new love interest or an old love interest? Or perhaps a triangle?

A new one. I will say that you shouldn't count out something between Chloe and Eli. There's something there and it's there for a reason.

You'll see. It's a really genuine and interesting thing that happens.







Do we learn more about Destiny itself?

We certainly do. It's bound to happen with Eli and Chloe on the other side of the ship. We explore more of the ship, for sure, we discover new places.

In one of the best parts of this season, we discover the way to get to the bridge. It's an amazing set. Even more than that, it sort of becomes its own character on the show.

I think the driving point of this coming season is trying to figure out just what the ship is doing.













What do you think of the critics who say "SGU" is trying too hard to be like "Battlestar Galactica"?

First of all, these days, when you're a writer you pitch a show by comparing it to other shows. It's one of the worst moments as a writer, because you start to feel so derivative.

The problem is the writer needs an anchor to describe something. When you have a darker-feeling show, it's inevitably going to be compared to "BSG". I kind of take it as a compliment – I loved "BSG"... up until the ending, of course. [Laughs]

It's pretty funny that when people compare a show to another show, it's always something recent. What about "Lost in Space"? "Quantum Leap"? "Star Trek: Voyager"? They kind of all had the same premise.











Why should I watch the second season of "SGU"?

I think people are starting to get to know what our show is all about. If you loved the first season, you're going to really love the second. It feels like we're starting to get into the groove. It picks up the pace in a good way.

There are more aliens, more action, more excitement. We find out more about the universe, about who we are, and what we're doing. There are also some good guest stars and guest directors coming in.



I will say one thing: The conflict between Young and Rush continues, but there comes a point where they actually have to hash it out. It happens in a big way, and it's awesome.

http://www.tvsquad.com/2010/09/28/da...eli-interview/