I've been following SyFy's newest series, Stargate Universe, a lot more closely than I thought I would when it premiered two months ago. I've found the show to be surprising in a lot of ways and I think the risks it's taken in terms of characters and plot progression have mostly paid off, even if the show hasn't quite hit its stride yet. What's really astounding is that SGU has been capturing some pretty impressive ratings, averaging about 2.5 million viewers a week and holding as strong as the debut. So, why is this show, which I contend probably shouldn't be doing as well as it is, grabbing audiences better than practically any sci-fi show in the past five years?

It's possible that SGU is just an example of good timing. The viewers who got hooked on the darkness and desperation of Battlestar Galactica are certainly getting their gloom fix with this series, even if the bleakness is frequently tempered by the Stargate franchise's tendency toward kinder resolutions. I'm fairly certain we won't be seeing the unceremonious death of a regular character any time soon, so every time one of them is in danger there really isn't that much tension.

Of course, that may very well be the reason SGU is out-performing the likes of BSG or its current timeslot rival Dollhouse. Science fiction, up until recently, was more often than not light fare. The modern trend to make everything so deathly serious maybe hasn't resonated with audiences as much as critics have imagined. In the end SGU is about people on an alien space ship having adventures. It doesn't need to be an allegory or have a spiritual element.

That's why there's something comforting, if only because it's familiar, about things like the water-seeking micro-aliens from Episode 6. Sci-fi needs its monster-of-the-week, even if most of the show's drama comes from the existential despair of its human characters.

As for those characters, they've managed to steer clear of the genre archetypes that usually pop up in shows like SGU. At worst, they're more nuanced echoes of stock figures. Eli is the schlubby geek, but he's also remarkably competent and he has a visible depth of emotion. Louis Ferreira has done an impressive job selling Colonel Young's mix of doubt, determination and exhaustion beyond the usual hard-nosed commander routine. And, as previously noted, Robert Carlyle has lent a very understated version of his fiery talent to the role of isolated genius Dr. Rush.

Seven episodes in, Stargate Universe has proven that it's a lot smarter and less hokey than the other shows in the franchise. It spends much more time in the sullen, washed-out version of Earth than one might expect and it's done a nice job of keeping the potentially unwieldy cast of characters tight and easy to follow. If you're a fan of science fiction and you're not watching this show, I'd recommend hopping on before the mythology gets too thick. It's worth it (just don't skip on Dollhouse in the process).