The season 1 finale of Stargate Universe left the family we've come to know and love aboard the Destiny in a very sticky situation. The Lucian Alliance have invaded the Ancient ship and home to the characters we follow, and now both sides have hostages, causalities and the goal of keeping the Destiny to themselves. To make matters worse, the Destiny sits in a dangerous binary pulsar system which is literally frying the ship and its systems. If those in control can't manage the shields accordingly, everyone dies.

Lou Diamond Phillips' Col. Telford has finally emerged as his true self, a hero and ally of the stranded Stargate team, and gets shot - a lot of people got shot in the finale - while managing to help transfer control of the ship to Dr. Rush (Robert Carlyle) and shooting the Lucian Alliance leader (played by Rhona Mitra). Meanwhile, Col. Young (Justin Louis) and the rest of the military personnel (sans Lt. Scott and Sgt. Greer who are stuck outside of the ship with the next radiation wave inbound) are held captive.

Let's find out what happens to all of these characters in the premiere of Stargate Universe season 2...

The premiere episode of Stargate Universe season 2, titled "Intervention" represents what is essentially the last act of a three-part miniseries, beginning with the final two episodes ("Incursion" parts one and two) of season 1. We start right where we left off, at the cliffhanger conclusion of season 1, except we're no longer aboard the Destiny where the action is taking place. Lt. Tamara Johansen (Alaina Huffman), the ship's by-default medic who was shot in the finale, awakens in what appears to be a dream state, one where her baby is now born and she's back on a beautiful and habitable planet from an earlier episode of season 1 where they left some of they civilians.

While Johansen and her unborn child fight for their lives on the operating table aboard the Destiny, we are taken back and forth between the happenings of Rush, Greer, Scott and the others attempting to take back the ship and this dream state where Johansen and her baby are at peace. In the end, you'll be left questioning the significance of these plot thread and what really happened.

There are many plots all happening at once during this very time-sensitive and tense situation. Eli and Chloe are together and Chloe strangely heals almost immediately after being shot in last season's finale. We also learn more about the Lucian Alliance leadership after Kiva was shot and it's here where we're introduced to two new key characters played by Robert Knepper and Julie McNiven who will guest star in five episodes each this season. Knepper plays Simeon in his typical sly and creepy villainous ways (a la Prison Break and Heroes) and McNiven plays Ginn, the softer and seemingly good-natured Alliance member (similar to her character from Supernatural). Varro, who rightfully should be leading the Alliance now has a fondness for the safety of their enemy, notably for Lt. Johansen, and exiles Col. young and the rest of their captives to a nearby planet outside of the dangerous rays coming from the binary pulsar system.

As the remaining "free" survivors aboard the Destiny do what they can to hide and take back their ship, Rush aims to play hardball in negotiating with the Lucian Alliance's new self-appointed (and more volatile) leader Dannic in the wake of Commander Kiva's incapacitation at the hands of Telford. The destiny is protecting itself with its shield systems, long enough for it to make the jump out of the dangerous star system but Rush realizes that if the Destiny should escape to safety, they have no bargaining chips or strategic advantage over the invaders.

From here, we're treated to a high impact premiere that brings back all of the characters at their best from season 1, facing their most dire situation yet. Greer and Scott are at their heroic best as the two most loyal soldiers you could ever ask for on your side and Dr. Rush will, at all costs, protect the Destiny for his personal goals and develops his own usual on-the-fly diabolical plan to save the day during an epic struggle for power on several levels.

The premiere of season 2 serves its purpose of maintaining the drama and intensity we've come to expect from each episode of Stargate Universe, and it launches viewers in the new direction the series will take along with several new characters who will be sticking around for at least a few episodes. If you're a fan of SGU, you will love the premiere of season 2 and if you're new to the show, head to Syfy.com to watch the final five episodes of season 1 while they're still available.

What did you think of the premiere?

Follow us on Twitter @rob_keyes and @screenrant.

Stargate Universe season 2 premieres tonight on Syfy at 9/8c.