If you say anything about the first season of "Stargate: Universe" it's that it was harsh.

People died, some vanished, and even more were left behind. Throw into the mix the dire straits that the first ended in and you can't help but have a very bleak outlook for the second season. Well, that attitude is justified and fans can expect to see more of the same harsh reality affecting the crew of Destiny when the series returns next week.

According to series star Alaina Huffman, who was last seen shot in the stomach at the hands of the Lucian Alliance, the second season will force the characters to deal with their new circumstances on the ship of the Ancients in very different ways ... and not all of them will sit well.

"They have some hardships in Season 2," she told GateWorld. "All of them. And because, again, weve developed the characters and their personalities, were able to play on that. Were able to play with each other and off of each other."

And it's those kinds of moments that makes the series worth being a part of for the actress, who has not only managed to take on the role of a compassionate doctor and sometime counselor on the ship, but she has the added twist of the being a home wrecker thanks to her affair with Col. Young (Louis Ferreira). Those are depths that previous incarnations of the franchise shied away from and are all part of what makes SGU a unique and moving series, both for fans and for its cast.

"I think for the series, Im really proud of the time we took to develop the characters," Huffman said. "I know there was a little bit of negativity surrounding that, and [some saying] that it was too character-driven. But I feel like the consequences are greater, and the story is told more [richly]. Now its a story of these characters we know and love and the circumstance they are in, instead of just the circumstance.

"So Im really proud of that, and Im really proud of the transition that some of the characters have made, particularly my character. I think she strengthens and matures into her role a lot, and I think you see that in Season 2."

When the series returns, the show will take something of a course correction when Dr. Rush (Robert Carlyle) locates Destiny's bridge and unlocks several key controls that will make life onboard change. However, in doing so he also learns of the ship's true mission and purpose, leaving the crew with a difficult choice to make.

Get another look at what's to come in Season 2 of "Stargate: Universe" by clicking on this video link.

"Stargate: Universe" returns Sept. 28 on Syfy.