I knew little about the place. I thought I had heard something about it being a comfort food restaurant but, given that it was located only steps from Lucky Diner, Yaletown’s premiere comfort food eatery, I assumed I’d heard wrong. I arrived at a little after 6:00 p.m. to a deserted and dimly lit room. It was unnervingly quiet. I looked around. Hello? Had I been a character in a horror movie, this is the point where the audience would have been screaming at me to turn back and run for my life. As it happened, no serial killers on this night. Just a pleasant hostess who swept in out of the back, checked my reservation, and escorted me to my table.
As I settled in, I asked the waitress about the menu. She informed me that LK Dining Lounge, formerly LilyKate, had, in fact, started out as a comfort food restaurant. But, a year and a half ago, the owner decided to change things up and go with a Latin-American theme instead. “It was a great idea,”she assured me with a commendably straight face. “Business really picked up after that.” I resisted the urge to cast and obvious glance over the empty surroundings and, instead, redirected my attention to the drink list.
Carl finally arrived and, following a quick perusal of the menu, we decided to forego the entrees in favor of what we hoped would be a Latin-American culinary tour, assorted tapas-style. We started with the Jerk-spice mini sirloin burgers. Despite the advertised jerk spicing and the tiny dollop of orange-chipotle aioli that topped it, the bite-size burger was dry and devoid of any real flavor, the occasional price to be paid for working with the less-forgiving lean beef . The ensuing Pincho, a chipotle-glazed chicken skewer, while moist turned out to be disappointingly bland as well. The dry-cured chorizo sausage skewers that followed was a definite improvement over the first two plates – the smoky and spicy slices served with a good roasted yellow pepper aioli – but it was a dish that would have rated a solid average at any other meal. Next up was the house ceviche – cilantro-lime dressed tuna with tomato and avocado served in a soft tortilla cone – that was unusually cold and, again, bland. Unlike the dishes that preceded it, however, we elected to set this one aside after our initiatory bites. The crab-plantain fritters that came next were undercooked and lacking any significant crabmeat, but the final two plates made partial amends: tasty crispy coconut-prawn skewers, and a Mexcian-pizza style Adobo Chicken Tinga which was topped with roasted corn, cheddar, Serrano ham, salsa, and cream, offering a delightful mosaic of southwestern flavors.
We chose to end on a high note, skipping dessert in favor of the short walk to Chocoatl.
Service was excellent and the dining area was comfy, almost romantic, with its dark hues and tropical greens but, unfortunately, the food is the weak point here. Perhaps a change in menu may be in order. Third time’s the charm?
By the way, the new Bridge Studios pace cards are out. Collect ’em all, kids!
Let’s see what’s on your respective minds…
Lorr54 writes: “I use Scharffen Berger semisweet chocolate, plus heavy cream, vanilla and Godiva Chocolate liqueur. They are very simple but I don’t take the time to make them look fancy. I’ll send you a couple of dozen when I make them again, probably in May.”
Answer: I’m not a big fan of milk chocolate but two I do like are Michel Cluizel’s 45% and Scharffen Berger’s exceptionally creamy 41%. As for your truffles – I thought they looked great. And huge.
4ps writes: “The ball has already begun rolling… no turning back now!! But chocolate and doughnuts you say? I’ll keep that in mind! Oh, and I also noticed you conveniently forgot to answer the question.. ;)”
Answer: Well, more chocolate than doughnuts. As for the pics – sure, go ahead.
Patricia writes: “Can you be bought?”
Answer: Of course not. (Quick! Behind the alley! Bring the foie gras!)
Anonymous #1 writes: “After SG1’s cancellation, Mark Stern made an announcement that one or more characters would move to SGA. That tells me “X marks the spot” where it was decided to dump Weir.”
Answer: It breaks my heart to do this, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to burst the idealized notion you have of the magical nature of this business. Simply put “t.v. don’t work that way”. As much as I’d love to say that we were a well-oiled machine making snap decisions and moving forward two, three, sometimes four steps ahead, the truth is, at the time in question, we were scrambling. We were focused on the SG-1 finale – much, much, MUCH less on any creative decisions that would impact the following year’s Atlantis. I appreciate the compliment, but you give us way too much credit. As for the quote from Sci-Fi – this may come as a shock to some but SciFi has always liked the idea of a character from SG-1 crossing over to Atlantis as it gives them the best of both worlds. In fact, it’s common knowledge that we even considered crossing Carter over as far back as a year ago. But having a notion is one thing; actually following through to make it a reality something completely different. Of course the network would have loved to have “one or two” SG-1 characters cross over but, if this was a done deal at this point (which you seem to suggest), then why be so vague and not name the character making the move? Moreover, I’m very curious about this potential second character. Who was he/she?
Anonymous #2 writes: “So if it wasn’t Amanda Tapping, then we’d have seen Michael Shanks or Chris Judge? […] For curiosity’s sake, who else were you considering besides Carter?”
Answer: Many, many years ago, I attended “a special evening with Sherwood Schwartz and Bob Denver”. Sherwood was, of course, the creator of Gilligan’s Island and Bob it’s star. It was an fun and informal opportunity for fans to hear about some of the behind-the-scenes goings-on, discuss burning issues such as The Professor’s spectacular ability to cobble most anything together EXCEPT a sea-worthy boat, and answer trivia questions for prizes (Quick! What was the name of Gilligan’s favorite band?). One of the questions that came up during the Q&A touched on the actors originally cast in the pilot – who didn’t end up making the cut when the show went to series. Sherwood refused to answer the question out of respect for said actors. Even though there was no audition process in this case (in fact, the other performers we considered didn’t even know we were considering them), it would be bad form for me to name names.
Anonymous #3 writes: “Is that midseason two parter a crossover episode with SG-1?”
Answer: Nope.
David McKee: “Where would you say “The Departed” ranks in the Scorsese canon?”
Answer: Not among his best, but I liked it (except for the unnecessary on-the-nose shot of the rat scampering across the rail at movie’s end) – although I preferred the original HK version, Infernal Affairs. Was it the best picture of 2006? I can’t really say. I haven’t seen either The Queen or Letters from Iwo Jima. I did see Little Miss Sunshine which I thought was okay, but didn’t love (unlike Carl). I also saw Babel which I liked but, again, did not love (Why is it that whenever Western movies tell the story of an Asian protagonist, over half the time, he/she is suffering from some sort of sexual dysfunction?).
Anonymous #4 writes: “What does the sarcastic 8-ball say about the chances of seeing Kinsey in a movie?”
Answer:
Anonymous #5 writes: “And do you think you’ll ever get the chance to write an SG-1 movie?”
Answer: If these two movies prove successful and we get future orders for more and provided I’m not busy with another production – I’d love to.
Anonymous #6 writes: “Did the news that SG1 is canceled affect in any way the decisions you are making about the stories in Atlantis?”
Shawna writes: “What comic book supervillains’ powers would the main Atlantis characters have?”
Answer: I’ll pair the characters with their supervillainish counterparts and you can figure out the powers yourselves. Sheppard = Deadpool, McKay = Brainiac, Ronon = Kraven the Hunter, Teyla = Elektra.
Iamza writes: “Of all the Stargate Atlantis scripts (all seasons) you’ve been involved with, which has been your personal favourite so far?”
Linzi writes: “Adrift (desperation), Lifeline (gamble), Reunion (roots), Travelers (rivalry), Missing (missing). Is that the order you expect the episodes to air in?”
Answer: Yes.
Ankhmutes writes: “I was wondering if there were any plans to continue the Ford story arc.”
Answer: No Ford stories in the works so far.
Nathaniel writes: “What is your favorite type of Donut and what unusual flavors can you get?”
Answer: To be honest, I’ve cut down on my doughnut-eating. Given the choice though, I’d probably hit the classic honey-dipped.
Grey writes: “I had a costume question, mostly because it was the only thing that was visually irking me in “First Strike”, are the SG-1 type uniforms here to stay?”
Answer: Check out the new and improved Atlantis uniforms in season 4. As for the jalapeno jelly you mentioned – I love jalapeno AND habanero jelly.
NightSpring writes: “I know you must be tired of hearing questions about Weir by now, but can you at least tell us if we will be seeing her at all in the first half of S4?”
Answer: Yes, she will.
Anonymous #7 writes: “Well this years annual Masters of Food and Wine at the Highlands Inn in Carmel has come and gone. The piece de resistance being the $5000.00 8 course Rarities dinner.”
Answer: Bad timing for me. Any idea dishes comprised the Rarities dinner?
NightSpring writes: “I know you must be tired of hearing questions about Weir by now, but can you at least tell us if we will be seeing her at all in the first half of S4?”
Answer: Yes, she will.
Are you worried at all about the number of people saying they’ll stop watching because of the decision to drastically reduce Weir?
You say that fan opinion doesn’t influence you, but surely seeing this many people angry about it must give you some inkling that ratings may suffer.
Carter’s a done deal. A lot of us are very, very unhappy about that. On the other hand, we could possibly handle that if we weren’t also losing Torri. Why is there not room for both of them to do 14 or so episodes??
I really shouldn’t look at your blog when I’m sitting in class with no hope for food in the near future! Thanks for answering the question though!
Joe,
I think you misunderstood the question about Mark Stern and crossover characters, but you kind of answered it anyway. Basically, we’re getting Carter on Atlantis because Scifi wanted a crossover. That is what you’re saying, right?
What kind of ratings numbers do you think the last half of season three needs to get in order for season five to go ahead?
When writing about a subject matter or culture that isn’t highly familiar to you (excluding made-up aliens for whom you can call all the shots) what sort of research do you do to lend its expression an authentic voice and avoid clichés?
In regards to Grey’s question about the costumes. According to Hewlett’s blog, the team is wearing leather in S4. He may have been teasing us… but those of us in the shallow end of the pool are hoping he isn’t.
Hi joe, glad you like the name! I was listening to some of the commentaries on the SG1 DVDs and was wondering if you ever considered making an album with your lyrics to the theme. Also, have you ever thought of making lyrics to the Atlantis theme?
I’m reading some troubling spoilers about Ark of Truth, basically indicating that there’s a whole lot of Mitchell face time. Can you let Rob Cooper know that pushing Mitchell as was done in Season Nine is likely to cost a lot of viewers. I don’t think the show ever recovered from the focus on Mitchell in season nine, and I love SG-1 too much to want to see this movie cost SG-1 even more fans. Please, Joe, let Rob know that many fans just want to see Carter, Daniel, and T up front, finally getting to shine in the movie they earned. Thanks.
Hi Joe.
I’ve always loved the SG-1 episodes where something was going on with the gate itself, like a problem which prevented the team from returning home. In the past years, we’ve seen a shift from these gate-related stories to more spaceship-based stories which is something I feel is unfortunate. Having vented about that, I have to ask you: are there any gate stories in the works for Season 4?
Cheers,
Patrick
Here’s a question to the billions of Weir fans (are you all named anonymous?) who are so distraught about the character being recurring and not starring.
Since its the character of Weir that you love and is so essential to the show and what brings you back every week… would you all apologize publicly and thank the shows wheelers and dealers if the character was brought back into a starring role reprised by Jessica Steen?
When can we expect the first season 4 publicity photos showing off the shiny new outfits?
Sheppard = Deadpool, McKay = Brainiac, Ronon = Kraven the Hunter, Teyla = Elektra.
Heehee…oh, yes. Yes, very nice. Oh, and now I’m picturing how much fun it would be to actually see them become supervillains (perhaps one of those AUs?).
But you know, I skimmed the movie Elektra recently. I knew it would be terrible, and I wasn’t disappointed. I think the main reason this movie didn’t have a chance with me is that I could never ever see Jennifer Garner as Elektra. Okay, I haven’t seen Alias, so I don’t know about her “tough” side, but I’ve seen her in interviews as herself, and I’ve seen her in 13 Going on 30, so I can’t really buy her as anything other than a really sweet, smiley girl. So, Elektra? No. Just no.
As promised, here is your super-secret action adventure question. You’re gonna have to work to get to it, though:
-… .//… ..- .-. .//- —//-.. .-. .. -. -.-//
-.– — ..- .-.//— …- .- .-.. – .. -. .//
–. — – -.-. …. .-
This will be my last comment for a while, as I am traveling to Colorado for a short vacation followed by a work conference. Yes, yes, I know you shall miss me. Try not to be too upset. I will return, and I expect to see that you have enjoyed much frivolity at work, much cuisineolity at dinner, and much pugolity at home.
Ever tried Kosher cuisine?
Now, one SG-1 quesiton–Is there going to be some good Daniel-Sam interaction in the films? They really have a great rapport, but it’s not showcased too much on the show.
Thanks,
Royal
In reference to Top Chef – apologies I have no connections, however, if you do make it to San Diego for ComicCon I can give you a few restaurant recommendations. Sigh – the joys of going back to grad school (molecular biology and genetics) – no money for eating out, but I do have a few profs that run a lab like McKay (one of them had a grad student faint on him -from anxiety- during a conference and didn’t realize it – the prof was staring at the ceiling while asking something to the effect of, ‘Surely you considered…’), and a few other fun stories – let me know if you need inspiration.
I was wondering if you were ever interested in/watched Star Trek (any series/movies), MacGyver, Quantumleap, and SeaQuest? Thanks for taking time from your busy schedule!
What does your sarcastic 8 ball say about the possibility of the Trust/exNID in atlantis (again)?
Another vote for Daniel/Sam interaction in the movies. NOT VALA, Daniela and Sam or MITCHELL, Sam and Daniel.
Just Daniel and Sam. I miss them together. Just watched Orpheus and loved them in it. Too sad that its gone.
Here’s a question to the billions of Weir fans (are you all named anonymous?) who are so distraught about the character being recurring and not starring.
Since its the character of Weir that you love and is so essential to the show and what brings you back every week… would you all apologize publicly and thank the shows wheelers and dealers if the character was brought back into a starring role reprised by Jessica Steen?
So you admit there are billions of us, hey? Slight exaggeration. Possibly tens of thousands, but hey, we’ll take billions if you like.
Let’s get something straight. Part of the problem that’s been stirred up with Elizabeth from the beginning has been people getting angry about the fact that Torri replaced Jessica. The nastiness that was written about her by Jessica fans was appalling.
Add to that certain Sheyla fans who see the chemistry between Joe and Torri on screen as a threat to their own ship (not all of them, but a select few nasty types) and choose to slag her off all over the internet, and that’s likely a big reason for this change. TPTB can’t see past a few bitchy people making nasty comments about an actress.
And no, I wouldn’t watch if Jessica was brought back in because she is not Elizabeth Weir. She played the part for two episodes, Torri’s had it for three years. She’s made it her own and she’s done so brilliantly.
What you’ve failed to take into account is that Brad Wright said that Torri would be recurring “for some time”. It’s that “some time” that’s the sticking point, because it points to her likely dismissal completely, much in the same way as Ford.
All you people who have a go at us about wanting Torri to stay, you need to consider how you’d feel if it was Joe Flanigan or David Hewlett.
In fact, JM, can you please kill one of those off so that we can see all the self-righteous people who tell us to get over the Weir decision spontaneously combust? It would be a fun spectator sport…
Oh and just for you, ‘purp’ (yean that’s a great name, really tells us that you’re ‘real’) I’ll sign my name.
Purp, which one is your favourite character? Because I’d like to start off a “Kill Purp’s favourite character” campaign, just so you know how it feels.
And no. I won’t watch if Jessica Steen is brought in to play Elizabeth. How can you compare someone who played two episodes to someone who did three years? It’s like saying “well Kurt Russell did the original movie, let’s get him in to play O’Neill in the new movies, and forget about RDA”. What a stupid suggestion. Torri’s been insulted enough by being dropped to recurring without the role being recast.
Oh, thanks for admitting there are billions of us, too.
I liked the comment ” We in the shallow end of the pool” and for one who occasionally wallows in the shallow end of the pool.. I would like to see more of Mitchell.. his acting abilities are superb and talk about eye candy. Why all the fuss about Weir? I’ve seen all the episodes and she is just so so as a leader of an dangerous outpost like Atlantis.. Just my humble opinion of course.
Joe Do you like Italian Food?
Dori
If there were a Joseph Mallozzi food pyramid, what would be the base food group?
Of course the network would have loved to have “one or two” SG-1 characters cross over but, if this was a done deal at this point (which you seem to suggest), then why be so vague and not name the character making the move? Moreover, I’m very curious about this potential second character. Who was he/she?
You would have to ask Mark Stern at Skiffy as he was the one who spouted moving multiple characters from SG1 to SGA. Of course, if you had bothered to visit any of the Save Stargate sites, you would have seen his quotes. He obviously wanted to move more than just Sam, and since that was the first any fans had heard of a move of character, and since the Beckett and Weir “going” rumors didn’t surface until fall, everyone pretty much assumed the command to bump the two and replace them came from Skiffy execs (in their infinite wisdom).
I always wondered how the whole ‘sauce on the side of your plate’ thing came about. I imagine a chef just spilt some by accident then thought ‘hey, its alright, I’ll just drag a spoon through it and call it pretty – we can charge extra’ What is the point? I don’t get it and its annoying!
On the Atlantis front – Carter crossing over doesn’t really bother me. I like AT and I liked The Pegasus Project and Grace Under Pressure. I think there’s a good chemistry between Carter and McKay (and I don’t mean that in a shippy way) but what is her actual job going to be? If McKay is the scientist with the off world team and Zelenka is kind of the ‘lab based’ scientist what does that leave for Carter?
My contribution to the Brobdingnagian Leaps of Logic debate:
Last weekend, I was lucky enough to attend a film festival where a certain Kibble Productions movie was being shown.
Not once, but twice, I stood in line for this movie, SGA fans in front of me, SGA fans in back of me. Not once did I hear a rant about the treatment of a character or an actor, or the behavior of a writer. Nor did I hear of mass abandoning of blogs or websites or other trappings of fandom. I heard enthusiastic conversation about the show, with spoilers politely avoided and all ‘ships welcomed.
From these couple of hours, I choose to infer that there are billions and billions of SGA fans who are content to take the show as it comes and enjoy it for what it is.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.
I’ll sign my name too, I’m just too lazy and usually forget. Just for you “purp”..
And to answer you question, no I wouldn’t apologize, why would I, it won’t be the same character. Actors make the character what they are and I don’t think Steen’s Weir would be anything like Torri’s. It’ like Doctor Who, I love CE’s Doctor and just stand Tennant’s.
But you know if Weir is brought to starring back played by Torri, hell I’ll take 16 episodes, I would buy the s2 DVD’s, mmm sparky episodes.
Goes to watch The Real World and Echoes, because they makes me happy… Joe can you tell Carl that he has fangirls 🙂
Are the Asurans related to the original replicators from the Asgard home galaxy in some way? If not, then how did the ARG’s come about?
I know that Martin Gero likes to create difficult situations for McKay(at least that’s what David Hewlett says). Will there be any McKay whumping or angst in season 4?
I have just discovered your blog and would like to thank you now for single-handedly destroying any chances I had at succeeding at Weight Watchers. Those pictures!
As for Stargate? I have been around internet fandom entirely too long now and have noticed that Stargate fans have a particular tendency to get pretty violently opinionated about things while online. (Thank goodness for the refuge of David Hewlett’s website.)
I have seen the episodes about which many are upset (please don’t ask me how) and found them all to be brilliant. And as much as I adore Carson Beckett and Elizabeth Wier, I will leave my heart in Atlantis and look forward to seeing all the new stuff.
How do you stand all this abuse?
Hi, I have seen “Dominion” recently and I have to admit it was awesome! Great episode! So I have to ask if are we going to see Morena Baccarin (Adria) in the first movie? And are there also plans for the Doci appearing in this movie?
Also about Atlantis… There are some spoilers which say that Carter will arrive in her own space ship to Atlantis. So is this ship earth-based (Odyssey) or is it totally new technology (ship)?
Hi Joe:
I am getting caught up on your older blogs. Your December 29, 2006 blog about a Montreal Smoked meat restaurant made my mouth water. You can’t beat Montreal for smoked meat. I don’t believe that even New York does as good a job.
I got a kick out of your description of the antics at the board game party. Did you know that there is also a Canadian version of Trivial Persuit called “Canadian Trivia”, so as not to infringe on copywrite, no doubt. I must admit to being a bit of a board game fanatic, myself. Speaking of silly games, have you ever attended the Just For Laughs Festival in Montreal? If so, do you prefer the French or English version?
Joe, could you please tell Rob Cooper that this season 9 and 10 FAN wants Mitchell and Vala (and Daniel) to be front and center? I just can’t believe how frelling selfish Gaters are. You folks had your 8 years of SG-1 and S, D, T characters front and center. The new characters deserve to shine in the movies much more now.
How does he stand all the abuse? I’d hardly call it abuse, it’s people wanting answers about why TPTB have disposed of two characters fans see as essential.
There’s that, and if you can give it, you have to be able to take it (see reference to Shrill and Ill Informed Lemmings! We’re so ill-informed we dare to judge the status of Carson before the ep’s gone to air in the US — despite the fact we know the result from the Canadian screening… how irrational is that?)
For the person who says they heard nothing about the cast changes at the A Dog’s Breakfast screenings, have you considered that may be due to anticipation of being one of the few people so far to see that movie?? Or the fact that there are plenty of poor mainstream people who just don’t know about the changes? They’re the ones I feel sorry for, because they’re the ones who don’t have the luxury of getting their views out there now in the hopes of saving Elizabeth from the black hole of recurring status in the Stargate franchise.
Oh, and Joe, you guys are getting some free publicity. Not that great, though. Check it out: http://i51.photobucket.com/albums/f389/Suzotchka/Readers_Forum_TV_Zone.jpg
Logged onto GW this morning to see wonderful pics of the fabulous Paul McGillion on the front page. Nice to see someone still sees him as having a place in the franchise…
And like the other Elizabeth fans, I’m signing my name. Not that it proves anything, Purp. I’m sure you’re a sock, and the fact that you sign your name means nothing. Either that or you’re a certain Sheyla who’s part of the crew that bitches about Torri and Jason because you see them as a threat! You’re not related to Pam, by any chance, are you?
Joe,
Will there be any interaction at all between Daniel, Sam, and Teal’c in either Unending or the movies? I was really disappointed that Dominion was YET AGAIN all about Vala and everyone else was ignored. I hate that Danny, Sam, and Teal’c don’t even talk to each other anymore. How come you guys don’t show them as friends and pretend that their whole past doesn’t exist?
“Joe, could you please tell Rob Cooper that this season 9 and 10 FAN wants Mitchell and Vala (and Daniel) to be front and center? I just can’t believe how frelling selfish Gaters are. You folks had your 8 years of SG-1 and S, D, T characters front and center. The new characters deserve to shine in the movies much more now.”
OMG! I love this comment from Farscapefan. I feel exactly the same way about the cast of SGA.
They deserve their time to shine without interference from the ghost of SG1 in the form of Samantha Carter.
Elizabeth Weir is too important a character to lose. Torri Higginson is too good an actress. She’s a Helen Mirren style actress of the future, if given the right opportunities.
I’d love to see her in some amazing role in 30 years time, much like Mirren, winning Emmys and the like, and sending a great big ‘screw you’ to whichever shrill and ill-informed lemming thought that reducing/dumping her from SGA was a good idea.
The only thing is, she has too much grace and class to do that.
Joe,
Will Vala be used to the exclusion of everyone else in the movies? I’ve really grown tired of seeing her front and center so much these last two years. No one else even has any story or part in the show.
Grace, I have to admit that I’m not much of a Weir fan, but that’s no reflection on Torri. I do sympathize with your disappointment, but don’t assume that the move is an insult to Torri. I don’t think she’s been given much to do, to be honest, so perhaps this will be a chance for her to keep her foot in Atlantis and also have time to pursue something more meaty.
To Alyssa: I confess, I was imploring a degree of sarcasm with the “billions” remark. 😉 You are quite correct, Torri has had the part for three years and she HAS done brilliantly. I don’t see how y’all seem to think I’m not a Weir fan. I am. But didn’t you use the key word yourself? LIKELY, its points to her LIKELY dismissal. That’s not set in stone. We just simply don’t know what the future holds. What I have a problem with is the bullying and gang tactics being used to make others feel bad. “There are lots of us on my side, therefore we should get our way.”
I’m not having “a go” at anyone. I can understand the being upset by the decision. Its the giving up on the show entirely because of what MIGHT happen to one character that seems absurd to me. I’m trying to engage in conversation and dialogue, getting people to express WHY they feel how they feel, and not just “I’m not going to watch anymore!” Think of a play, multiple actors portray the same character, each adding something unique, but the basic outline of the character is the same. So when you say you love Weir, why not be honest and say you love Torri’s portrayal of Weir? Oh and Alyssa, Purp is short for Purple which IS my REAL NAME.
To Grace: My favourite character ever? Augustus McCrae. And he WAS killed off. If you are referring specifically to Stargate Atlantis, I don’t HAVE a favourite character. It’s an ensemble show, which is what I have always enjoyed about both SG shows. But I love the CONCEPT of Atlantis, how they executed the mythical city and tied it in. I enjoy the characters they chose to use, but think of this: Ben Browder was the one they originally wanted to play Sheppard. If Sheppard’s character was killed off to advance the plot and some other military guy was brought in to fill that function on the team, I wouldn’t stand and say “I’m not going to watch a show I’ve claimed to love for three years on principle.” I would give it a chance and then decide based on what they ACTUALLY end up doing whether the show had lost its signifigance to me. I don’t consider what I said a stupid suggestion at all, I consider it a thought-provoking question. But if your not willing to take the time to consider it and put the thought into it, why respond? I was a huge fan of the movie, and I loved the character of Daniel Jackson as portrayed by James Spader. But I gave Michael Shanks a chance without going in prejudiced against him, and have come to love his interpretation of the character even more. As I stated earlier, I think it is MORE insulting to Torri to boycott the show than to give it a chance. Do you really think she wants people to stop watching?
To everyone: I’m not saying you shouldn’t be upset, I’m questioning how you have been going about expressing it. “I’m losing LJ friends over this!” How elementary school does that sound to you if you take 5 steps back and look at it from an outside perspective?
Every show has to have change, especially a show that depicts something as taxing and dangerous as Atlantis and its mission. Without loss there is no gain, if the stakes aren’t real then there’s no emotion you just know that whatever happens things we’ll be resolved and you end up back where you were to start with, and thats not a journey. That’s four left turns. When Frasier was killed, its was poignant. It wasn’t expected, it added weight and relevance, it connected emotionally, it made SENSE to the STORY. It was sad to see her go but at least it gave her character and thus all the people who had relationships with that character relevance and a new level to play on.
So here’s what it comes down to: if you are ONLY watching the show to see Torri Higginson (and I wouldn’t even blame you for that, I’m quite taken with her myself) and as far as you are concerned her role on Atlantis is over, then why come here and talk about it? SGA is over for you, its dead, you have nothing more to do with it, and now you get to move on and wait to see what she’ll be in next. I find it rather bemusing all this talk about the ratings suffering over this. I honestly, (and this is just what I think will happen) think you are setting yourselves up for dissapointment. I think the show will do at least as good even if her character is completely killed off. If not, then the show was never that strong to begin with and would have been canceled anyways.
So why can’t y’all leave with grace and wish Stargate Atlantis your best without you and without Weir? Because it sounds like if you can’t have Torri’s Weir in the limelight, that you WANT Atlantis to fail, in which case I stand completely behind my statement that you were never truly a fan.
I’m not trying to attack anyone, can those I’m talking to say the same? Thanks to everyone that chose to respond, and to Pati’s response in particular. I also thank you for signing a name, because otherwise all I see is one anonymous fan trying to speak with a “billion” voices.
(Oh and to specifically comment on if Sheppard were killed off, I think it would be a fantastic idea. Like Harrison Ford wanting Han Solo to sacrifice himself for the others. How many times now have we seen Sheppard in that position? Would you not agree that if the character died to save all the others it would be entirely fitting for the character and a noble end? Sure it’d be sad to see the character go, but I wouldn’t say “you know, now that there’s no chance Sheppard is going to hook up with *insert anyone* the show has no meaning”)
Look, I like Torri Higginson just fine, but she is no Helen Mirren. The notion that she could create a character as layered and complex as Jane Tennison is just laughable.
Is there any interest in doing a Big Block of Cheese Day (Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Block_of_Cheese_Day) type of episode sometime in the future that will let us see some of the other groups working on Atlantis?
Hey Joe,
I just found out about this new blog of yours. I bet someone has beat me to the question before, but will Richard Dean Anderson be in the Stargate movies? The show hasn’t been nearly as good without him. Thanks!
If you don’t know how many episodes Weir will be in because the back half of season 4 hasn’t been written yet, how do you know that Amanda will be in 14 episodes?
Wow, 40 comments. And a couple of those are novels, too. Other people have said that they’ve been catching up on past entries in your blog. I have been, too. I’m not sure where they came from, but I got a bit more interested Atlantis after reading in Maureen Ryan’s article about Amanda Tapping (whom I always loved) joining the cast. I wandered off SG-1 when the new guy got put in charge instead of Carter and Jonas wasn’t put on the team. A bit of poking around brought me here. I have two questions.
One: Is this place always so heated? Some folks need to give it a rest. I’m sure there’s plenty of people who like or don’t like your favorite aspect of the show. I didn’t like Mitchell at all. I just left. If the show doesn’t interest you anymore, try taking a break from it. Here I am, and two years later I’m excited about Stargate again.
Two: Can there possibly be any restaurant you haven’t eaten at yet? I would think that Vancouver is out of new and fun places to dine after your culinary adventure.
Thanks for reading this (if you do) and thanks for changing things up a bit. I’ll be watching. Atlantis. I’m still off Mitchell, sorry. 🙂
Sox Chica
To John Treman: nobody is forcing you to watch. Don’t like Vala? Stop watching and go away. Good bye.
To everyone: I’m not saying you shouldn’t be upset, I’m questioning how you have been going about expressing it. “I’m losing LJ friends over this!” How elementary school does that sound to you if you take 5 steps back and look at it from an outside perspective?
This may look that way to you, but believe me, any fan of Torri or Paul can tell you that th people on their LJ flists are no longer watching the show.
We’re not doing this as an “Oh woe is me”.We’re doing this to let someone who may actually have the power to do something (if he chooses, which I doubt he will because he’s made his views about fan reaction pretty clear) know that this is happening. And if it continues to happen, it will affect ratings.
The people on my flist who are quitting are loyal to the actors to the point where if they feel they’ve been badly done by, they can find something else to watch. There’s nothing “elementary school” (or primary school where I come from) about saying that. It’s simply saying “I’m a consumer, you’re no longer producing a product I wish to consume, therefore I’ll go and find another product.” It’s the way of the world.
Bottom line we know that Paul didn’t want to go. It’s getting more and more obvious Torri didn’t want out either. There’s nothing wrong with supporting them. It’s the fans who claim to love them and then sit there and do nothing who are the ones with the problem.
Especially the Sparky fans. I mean really “Our ship will live on in fanfiction”. Yeah right. It’s going to live on with nothing to inspire it. Please. Your ship is dead without Elizabeth. Wake up and smell the coffee.
Purp – Well said.
Less vital:
Check out the new and improved Atlantis uniforms in season 4.
ankhmutes said of the leatehr jackets “those of us in the shallow end of the pool …”
Well those of us just a bit further down are wondering if the new costume also includes dog-tags? 🙂
I’m a bit feeble-minded, but I don’t think Jessica Steen was ever on SGA. She played Weir for two episodes on SG1 though, and between Torri and Jessica, I felt Torri was an improvement. I’m just sorry that the writers couldn’t do much with her from day one. I guess its just easier to dump a character than try to make them more interesting.
As for Janet Frasier, I still feel her death was a mistake. No Janet is a hole that has never been filled, especially with that unendearing Dr. Lam, who is even less interesting than SGA’s robotic Teyla (yeah, I know, she has good boobs, and boobs are always more important than characterization, right?).
I’d love to see Sheppard bite the dust. He is boring as heck once one gets past the purdy looks. At least Mitchell can make a wicked omelet and strips down to his shorts. Besides, Flanigan wouldn’t be caught dead in Browder’s bunny suit, and that’s a shame. ;o)
Uh, I dunno if you’re going to say the answer to this right out, but… is Elzabeth going to be horribly injured, ascend, and then be a recurring character? Only that’s what I immediatly thought upon seeing her being horribly injured.
Also, we all know how you feel about truffles and chocolate, but what about pastries? And have you ever had a fish called “talapia”? It’s an African freshwater fish with a sweeter taste and smoother texture than saltwater fish, but it’s extremely hard to pick side dishes that compliment it.
So much dislike of the new characters going on. Well, I for one adore all the members of SG-1, past and present (not as much as I love Carson and McKay, but hey). I’ve liked Vala from the start, and I can see why y’all are using her so much (there’s more unknowns with her, after all, more to develop and play with). As long as there continues to be great interaction/team moments between all the characters, I’m happy. (As far as SG-1 goes, anyway. I’ve got a couple other things on my Atlantis “wish list”.)
I just saw Dominion, and I have to say, this is the first time in many years that the goa’uld have been scary for me, and I loved it. That moment where Baal goes all flanged and glowey-eyed…chills. However, I’m concerned for the future of Baal. He’s grown on me considerably in the past seasons, and is pretty much the last bastion of goa’uld power, terror, and humor. I do hope we’ll see him (the real him, not a clone) again.
Two Wraith questions for you:
1) Will be seeing more of Michael and 2) Will that Common Ground Wraith be returning? After all, Shep didn’t have a chance last time to give him a name!
Shall I send you some vegemite then? Always have it in small doses mind you, too much vegemite on a piece of toast is a very, very bad thing…
Do you find it amusing that pepople think that they can change the outcome of the show simply by whinging and bitching and making themselves look bad? Do you think that they realise they are just making it worse for themselves? I’m no Weir hater, but after reading all this, if I were you I’d kill her off in the first ep back just to shut everyone up
Sometimes it must suck to be you….
*hugs*
Joe,
I watched Dominion today, and the titles showed the name “Peter Flemming” (between Cliff Simon and Eric Breker). imdb confirmed my belief that there is only one Peter Flemming – Stargate’s Agent Barrett. But Barrett never showed up in this episode. At the same time, imdb listed a “Peter Fleming” (only one “m”) who seemed to have acted in a couple of Canadian productions ten years ago. (I couldn’t find photos of him anywhere though).
So my question is: Was there a deleted scene in Dominion with Barrett, did you have a Flemming/Fleming typo in the credits, or is imdb missing another “Peter Flemming”?
Ignore my last comment. 🙂 I must have watched Dominion three times (a fourth time by now), and didn’t notice Barrett. No-one on gateworld forums mentioned Barrett either in the last 1.5 days, so I took that as proof for my not noticing him. *blushes*
Joe, to save you some time I think I have decoded the first few lines of the message from Jenny. If I am right, it seems to be the same message that was decoded in the bathroom scene in the movie “A Christmas Story” (and has nothing to do with the BB gun or the lamp).
Folks..
This bog is beginning to be a heated as Joe’s Season 9 blog. Just change Weir’s name to Carters, absence to “loss of command”, Vala to Vala and Mitchell to Mitchell.
The end result was that Joe closed the blog.
Lets all take a deep breath, eat a big piece of Chocolate, drink some wine and relax.
Thanks
Joe,
Mitchell’s Cordon Bleu comment in Dominion sounds like the work of a true foodie, was it yours?
Vala, Vala, Vala.
I miss the other characters. Especially Sam and Teal’c.
Every writer can go back and say “hmm, could have done it better.”
Which SG1 *and* SGA episodes might you say that about? And why?
TheOldOne said…
Folks..
This bog is beginning to be a heated as Joe’s Season 9 blog. Just change Weir’s name to Carters, absence to “loss of command”, Vala to Vala and Mitchell to Mitchell.
The end result was that Joe closed the blog.
Lets all take a deep breath, eat a big piece of Chocolate, drink some wine and relax.
Thanks
Agreed. I’m not going to defend JM, he does that pretty well and I’m sure he can handle the questions fine. But the whinging is annoying…Especially I’m sure JM and other people sit and make the final decisions, not just him.
Oh, JM, I found where there might be a bathroom…I was watching the Return when John went to see Weir in her room, there are two other doors in her room, I’ll assume one leading to a closet, the other a bathroom. My piece of mind is now in tact. 😀
Question for you…
1)Are we going to find out more on Wraith children? I’m just remembering Ellia, I’d just like to see where they are and what they’re like, if possible. It was also interesting that they lived on human food until a certain age.
2) Is it possible that Teyla’s dad was macking a Wraith Queen? 😀 (I had to ask, since there is never any mention of her; but Teyla appears more human than wraith).
Teyla as Electra? You are my man, a Marvel lover too. The retconning is notorious, but I love them still and of course DC. I always figured the best Electra, physically, is Jennifer Lopez. That being said, I have a post on the RL/JL resemblance— http://www.stargateomega.com/forum/showpost.php?p=19936&postcount=27
Take a gander. RL (is so super hot)! She makes me question my sexuality. 😀
Laters JM.