What are you doing reading this blog? Shouldn’t you be watching SciFi Friday? And if it’s too early to start watching, shouldn’t you be out and about telling people to watch? And if you’ve already watched, what did you think?
Well, I’m finally down to my fighting weight – essentially what I weighed when I first joined the Stargate production some eight years and eighteen pounds ago. Looking back over that time, I can pinpoint several reasons for my chronic chunkymonkitis: a more sedentary lifestyle, delicious catering, and all those damn birthdays and their requisite supermarket-special artificially-sweetened butter-fat frosted creations. I can only assume it started innocuously enough and with the best of intentions… Someone in the production office learns its a fellow co-worker’s birthday and thinks it would be a good idea to throw them a surprise party. Everyone else in the office supports the wonderful idea because this person, let’s call her Imogene, is much-loved, so the plans are made and, come the fateful day, the surprise sprung. Imogene is touched, everyone downs a piece of cake, end of story. Until word gets out that someone else’s birthday is just around the corner – Aldo from accounting who is not as well-liked as Imogene but, gosh, it wouldn’t be right to ignore this poor schlub’s birthday after having gone through so much fanfare for the infinitely more likable Imogene. And so, once again, the plans are made and the surprise spring, the cake is eaten, and everyone is happy. Until the next birthday – another co-worker, maybe even one of the producers (!), and so again the party-planning committee gears up and someone inevitably trundles off to Safeway to retrieve one of those remaindered sugar-whipped Crisco logs – and on and on it goes, birthday after birthday to the point where hardly two or three days go by without someone poking their head into your office to gleefully inform you something like: “Hey, it’s Charlie the office-dog’s birthday today! We got a carrot-cake in the shape of a milk bone!”.
After a while, I would just casually stroll up to the kitchen in time to join in the final refrain of the Happy Birthday sing-along, and then turn on my heels without missing a beat and head back to my office before the eating began. Even though I’m fairly certain those cakes were made up of one hundred percent synthetic ingredients that passed right through my system undigested like Olestra or Fondy’s friend’s Chicken Parmesan, I don’t think it was mere coincidence that I began to lose weight around the same time I started skipping the polyurethane devil‘s food rolls. In the end, it wouldn’t have really mattered as someone, no doubt fed up with the endless celebrations, thankfully put an end to the proceedings, making the production offices a “birthday party free” zone.
In retrospect, the real problem with these planned events weren’t so much the cakes or even the singing which could be easily avoided, but those damn cards which proved all but impossible to dodge. And, to everyone’s frustration, it wasn’t limited to birthdays. “Hey, would you mind signing this big oversized card for Penny? She’s going on maternity leave.” or “Herve the assistant boom mike operator is in the hospital with a fractured fibula and we’re sending him a card to wish him a speedy recovery. Would you mind signing?” Well, I can’t be expected to know everyone who works on the show. On the surface, wishing Herve a speedy recovery would seem like the right thing to do but, in truth, I wouldn’t know Herve the assistant boom mike operator from Lamont the substitute third best boy. What kind of man is he? For all I know, he leaves the set everyday to set fire to warehouses in his neigborhood and watch them burn. Really, is this the type of person I want to wish a speedy recovery?
And the worst part is that, as a professional writer, you’re expected to produce witticisms to far surpass those of the “less poetically-gifted” masses – which is incredibly annoying because, really, professional writers make for the worst of card-signers. Hemingway was a notoriously terrible well-wisher and it’s rumored that T.S. Eliot’s postcards from his Club Med vacations were damn near unreadable. Still, expectations run high and the cards are dropped off, then set aside and ignored along with the Rigging/Lighting Manpower report, yesterday’s hot cost sheet, and that movie script you were asked to read as a reeaaallly big favor. And then 4:00 p.m. rolls around and someone comes by to pick up the card and you suddenly, in instant of true inspiration, you come up with: “Best Kawooshes and Have a Gate Day!”. Proust would’ve been green with envy.
No mailbag today as I’m off to tend to my sick wife, but I have included some pics: Dr. Zelenka and Chuck the technician kicking back during the Tabula Rasa shoot, extras and crew on the move, the “piano” all lit up, the gate, Carter and this episode’s extra-special guest villain, Carl “racing” down the stairs, McKay finally gets his hands on that Scalzi book.
Wheeee! It’s Chuck! *waves to Chuck* Chuck was an absolute sweetie at P2 and his many fans are obsequiously grateful for the fact that “Chucknician” now officially has a name! 🙂
Sorry to hear Fondy is not well. Is this still the killer cold of which you spoke? I hope she’s feeling better soon…
I can’t watch Stargate here in Italy…no chance to do so. Don’t blame me 😉
But believe me, I would watch it, or running up and down the street to tell people about (and even forcing them to watch 😉
Uhm…I hope Aldo does not read this blog (…)
Birthday after birthday…party after party, convention after convention…sounds like Stargate, does it??
Tell your wife to get well soon…We have questions! And me too! No, seriously. My grandma is in hospital, so these times don’t seem to be the best.
Siba
AND BTW: I love the pic with you and Amanda!!! keep such pics coming, please!
Squeeee!! First comment!! I feel special.
Loved the photos! Especially the first one… I have a soft spot for our Czech contingent. Oh, and the last one… I have another soft spot for DH. I’m just covered in soft spots, actually.
Don’t worry, I am watching The Premiere as I type. Thank God for commercials and the ADHD that lets me multi-task!
Missed the first half of SG1, sadly, because I was working. So I’ll be staying up late to watch it later. What I did see, I *loved*: Cam telling Vala she had to let Daniel take that risk, Daniel jumping in front of his friends, Baal getting zapped (been waiting to see someone do that! I cheered!), lovely angst amongst the team.
I’m really looking forward to Friday nights again.
Hey joe i am sorry to hear about your wife.
I was just wondering what order the movies are set to come out and if you have any more titles for new episodes you could share.
yay first comment!! i know i SHOULD be watching but i’ve already seen them, and i don’t have the space channel :/, but anyways they were great, especially RDA! o btw, dont u think that O’neill and Shep have a similar “bad boy” thing going on and/or similar humour? and since sg1 and sga have different humour aspects, is it hard writing sg-1 characters into sga? or do they fit right in?
Photo requests:
1) Joe
2) Torri
3) Joe
4) The Davids together!
5) Joe…
Did I mention Joe?
And OMG! Sanssong, defensive much?
Hello Joe,
Hope you get the ratings you need for Stargate Atlantis today. Keeping my fingers crossed!!
I just noticed that in the pictures you took of the gate, the bottom of the gate goes into the ground. The gate is not a whole circle (Unlike the one at the SGC where it is on a ramp). Would that not interfere with a worm hole being formed or in other words how does a worm hole form if part of the gate is under the ground?? I have never noticed that before on the show. Do they show the gate that way on the show? Have to go take a look at my DVD’s right away 🙂
amanda! you have a photo of amanda!!! 😀
thanks. hehe. :p
sally 😀
ZOMG! The Return II FTW!! I just got done watching it I must say, that was amazing. Richard Dean Anderson was totally fabulous…I didn’t realize how much Stargate misses O’neill before. He and Woolsey and Mckay should get an episode together. “Next time send Carter”—Classic. Thanks for a great premiere, Joe. Is there another guest appearance by RDA in store for us in the new season?
A True Fan
Hey Joe,
Hope your wife gets better soon.
Question of the day: What’s the closest you’ve ever come, in all the episodes you’ve written, to attributing some miraculous scientific fix to reversing the polarity? If you can’t think of any particular example of that, can you think of any other explanations that you feel you’ve “copped-out” on over the years?
Ohhh, Joe, you have no idea how much I laughed, reading this. You are far too funny.
Pictures are always enjoyed, and Ms. Tapping looks so happy! She’s such a lovely lady. A friend met her when she did the Vagina Monolouges in Ontario – I was very jealous, lol, she seems like such a sweetheart.
And Chucknician! I’m really very pleased that he’s named now, even though it was by accident – and hey, it’s the name we’ve all been using anyway!
Have you noticed that Chuck Campbell and Joe Flanigan both have elf ears?
And it looks like Mr Hewlett is fairly pleased to have the book in his hands, lol. Nothing like seeing people who love to read fondle the books they’re going to love to read.
Best wishes for Fondy, I hope she feels better quickly.
Ayla McKay
Nova Scotia
Quest Part 2, very good episode. I enjoyed it greatly. I’m still laughing at ‘puff’.
pettygrew
Both shows were great! Thanks!
FABULOUS! Return, Part 2 was terrific! I am usually very good at predicting what will happen, but this one had me. Way to go Martin! Hey, but first the drones don’t go underwater, and then they do? What’s that about?
Which is not to take away anything from The Quest, Part 2, which we also thought was great, but I like it when a plot(writer) outsmarts me. Ba’al was so much fun–they just left him? Atlantis needs a Ba’al. He’s just such an entertaining villain!
I should stop typing now. The wine was really good, too.
You and Fondy should drink plenty of water. Not only will it keep you both hydrated, but its also a natural expectorant.
Thanks for all the photos. Amanda Tapping looks as gorgeous today as she did 10 years ago. SO not fair! 🙂
You know, it’s turned out to be pretty decent week.
My Season 2 DVDs came in the mail. I didn’t get fanatical about SGA until mid Season 2, so I’ve enjoyed buying Season 1 and now Season 2 on DVD so I can find out all the good stuff I missed out on early on.
Second half of Season 3 started tonight. Great episode – loved the team interaction.
Got some confirmation on episodes for Elizabeth/Torri in Season 4. And, while it’s not as many as I would love to see – for some reason I have renewed hope that all is not lost for us Weir supporters.
And, of course, the great news about Carson. He is just such a lovable character – glad to see he’s not gone for good.
So, no question from me tonight. Just a heartfelt thanks to Joe and the team who make SGA happen.
Cheers!
SMB_BOOKS
Happy Friday the Thirteenth!
(I hope you’re not triskaidecaphobic.)
Love the reinstated Sci-Fi Friday. I have dish so the first round is already done and we’re startin’ on the second round.
I’m sorry Fondy caught your cold or whatever you had. I wish her a speedy recovery.
Oh, by the way; you do realize that your anti-cake rant appears in an entry adjacent to a photo of a chocolate cupcake with smooth, buttery frosting and multi-colored sprinkles of doom?
I loved the Behind the Mythology Special. I have been excited about since you mentioned it the first time. It’s one of the main things I love about Stargate. As an Anthropology student, I study alot of mythology. I took a class last semester that we had to write about the modern uses of Myth. I picked to write about Stargate. You guys made alot of the same insights that I did in my essay, but also many that I didn’t think of. It was very entertaining.
There are so many classic moments in this epi. Merlin taking Ba’al’s voice. Sam punching Ba’al. “Darryl”. “Smokey”, and “Puff”…Puff was the best.
But I think my fav scene though was the new bonding that Cam and Vala did over Daniel. Emotional and heartwrenching.
And I did spread the word about the new Scifi Friday all over Myspace. It was the only way I could think of to connect to the most people at once.
Oh…one more thing…in a few of the promos Scifi did for Atlantis…they spelled Ronon’s and Sheppard’s names wrong…I thought that was interesting…
Finally got to see The Return Pt. 2 and The Quest Pt. 2 tonight. Bravo to everyone for two great episodes!
And whoever it was who wrote Daryl Dragon into The Quest is indeed an Evil Paronomasiac of the First Order…
Hi Joe!
I’ll send happy thoughts to Fondy and hope she feels better very soon.
Thanks for the fab photos! They are wonderful. 🙂
Australia just isn’t on the ball Stargate-wise, but seeing as we only got the SciFi channel this year, I can forgive for the time being. I’m looking forward to seeing Season 3 and beyond with much anticipation.
So you want opinions on tonight’s episodes, eh? Ok. Here are my thoughts.
I thought Quest 2 was pretty good. The effects for the dragon were kinda cheesy, as was the whole scene. But Teal’c was cool out alone in the field. And the cave switching locations was very cool. The Merlin stuff was excellent, especially the part where he talks about Oma. The best though was when Carter clocked Baal. There hasn’t been enough kickass Sam lately. I liked the mystery of the ending. The only thing that seemed to stick out was Mitchell. I just can’t warm up to him. That last scene where he got all up in Vala’s face was wierd. Overall, it was a solid start to this run of episodes.
Return 2 was awesome! I had forgotten how fantastic Jack O’neill was when he was on SG-1. Even being out of the action for so long, Richard Dean Anderson is still the best leading man. It made me miss the old days. And the last scene with Jack and Elizabeth was very sweet. I’m a little worried that Atlantis can’t be this good all the time because Jack really made this episode great. But so far, the start of both shows has been good.
Kirk Aleid
Hey Joe! I already watched The Return Part II online, but my lone Stargate friend and I had a party tonight to celebrate the return of the gates anyway! My Friday nights just got even better. Great episode, though I must say the advertisement for “Echoes” next week is terrible. Someone really needs to speak to SciFi about better commercials….
Watching “The Return Part II” sparked a question about the Gate Bridge – what happened to it? Did Landry really blow it up or is it still there? If so, will we be seeing more of it in S4 or will it be mentioned at all? You guys kinda forgot about it in the last half. Sorry if you already answered this – I haven’t scrolled all of your posts quite yet. 😉
Also, are the Genii aware that we have other ships besides the jumpers? In “Coup” they weren’t aware of the Daedalus and I’m wondering if that has changed since we sorta kinda have an alliance with them.
Thanks and keep up the good work!
How long can David Hewlett keep his eyes wide open like that without them drying out?
Picture request:- Mars the movie star, maybe with your pugs – one presumes that they are at least acquainted with each other.
I really enjoyed both episodes. They were great!
1) Joe F
2) RICKi D
3) David H
4) You
5) JOE AND YOU AND RiCKi D AND DAVID.
“SMB_BOOKS said… Got some confirmation on episodes for Elizabeth/Torri in Season 4. And, while it’s not as many as I would love to see – for some reason I have renewed hope that all is not lost for us Weir supporters. “
Definitely not as many as we want. We all (Weir fans so certain people don’t think I’m speaking for everyone… *insert rolling of eyes here*)
So Joe, how far along is planning for the second half of the season? Apart from Joe F’s story, that is.
And is Joe going to get to direct? He said he wants to but the Canadian union might not let him….
hi, joe,
i watched ‘the quest, pt 2’. my fave part was sam punching baal in the face! :p
they’re a fun pair. 😀
sally 😀
Aww, I hope your wife gets better.
Also ZOMG Carl Binder, I fangirl him. Yes I do. LOL.
I want to agree with the poster above about Scifi’s commercials. They truly are abysmal.
For Line in the Sand, it’s all action shots and vis effects. Nothing about Sam being wounded at all. Nothing about Vala and Tomin aboard the Ori ship. Nothing with any emotional value or character based. Just a bunch of shots of knives, spears, and explosions. Just terrible. If I wasn’t already watching this show I’d never tune in based on the stuff advertised. It would actually be a turn off to me.
Can you give us any hints on who this extra special guest villain is? Are you planning on coming up with any villains for Atlantis that have as much character as Baal? Any chances on getting detailed info on the Asurans next season? Thanks man, you’re the coolest, if you were a villain on Stargate (technically you are, considering they come out of your head) you would be my favorite.
Hey Joe,
Just wondering if chuck is going to be in Season 4 more then season 3?
I hope Fondy gets well soon! Are you feeling better? If you aren’t, then get well soon to you too! <3
My workplace decided to limit birthday parties to one a month at which all birthdays that month are celebrated. It keeps the calories down a bit.
And hey, if you’re resurrecting characters these days, how about bringing Janet back (again) in a future movie, if there are any?. Some of us still miss her. 🙂
The Quest I & II aren’t my favorite eps (I suffer from Arthurian overload in the fantasy genre so it’s a bit annoying to have it creep over into my science fiction), but I loved Sam punching Ba’al. Kudos for that scene. Adria has grown on me as a villian. I expected “Puff,” but not from Teal’c, so that made me smile. The dragon was cheesy, but I have yet to see a dragon on screen that I really bought into, and that includes big-budget movies, so I realize it’s not an easy thing to pull off.
I thought Atlantis was very good.
I’m looking forward to next week’s eps!
Yay, Friday the 13th has come and gone:D
Really enjoyed Stargate:SG-1 (although I don’t have cable, I read the transcript while the episode was suppose to be on;p) Team interaction seemed much more at ease and fun.
Hope you and Fondy are feeling better!:)
Have a lovely weekend:)
~Anna~
Thanks for the photos of Chuck and David. No episode can have too much David Nykl in my oppinion. As an Aussie fan I am (officially) far behind with both Stargates, just saw The Hive this week. But I own both seasons of Atlantis on DVD as well as all 9 of SG1. I won’t talk about my season3/10 disks though.
Please can we have that promised pic of Jason Momoa in his caddy? And more Flanigan, lots more Flanigan
Crazymom said: “Which is not to take away anything from The Quest, Part 2, which we also thought was great, but I like it when a plot(writer) outsmarts me. Ba’al was so much fun–they just left him? Atlantis needs a Ba’al. He’s just such an entertaining villain!”
You see? We are all on the same page! Ba’al rocks! Please, please, use your great super powers to make Ba’al a regular on the next Stargate series. I will buy you all the chocolate you can eat (in one sitting).
Have a great day. And give Fondy some chicken soup.
Patricia
You asked for our opinions…
I only watch Atlantis, so I can only give my opinion on The Return II. I liked it, but it will never be a fave of mine due to the huge amount of screentime the guest stars got. Don’t get me wrong. I do like the episode and I think it’s good, but since I don’t care for SG-1 and its characters, watching a character from SG-1 for something like 20 minutes it’s way too much. No matter how great the scenes with guest stars are, I watch the show for John, Elizabeth, Rodney, Ronon, Teyla and Carson. Not for O’Neill, not for Woolsey.
I love when Rodney is outside the cell trying to get O’Neill and Woolsey out of there, and John comes and hits him in the head, like he did in Instinct. I want to see more of that!
The underwater jumper bay was so cool!
All the CGI was fantastic.
I didn’t like that comment O’Neill made about Carson. Maybe someone thought it was funny as comic relief, but it made me cringe.
John, Ronon, Rodney, Elizabeth, Carson and Teyla were all fantastic. Excellent dynamics. I love the interaction between all of them.
In short, very good epi, but I prefer The Return I by far because, despite having some scenes with Landry and Dr. Lee, those scenes were short, and the main focus and screentime was on the SGA people, as it should be.
In the second image, that guy in the background behind the glass resembles Paul McGillion.
I wish your wife a speedy recovery, only if she doesn’t burn down warehouses and do other mischievious things for personal satisfaction!
I’m sorry that Fondy is under the weather. Thank you for posting pictures of the cast, crew and the pugs. They are all much appreciated.
The Return Part 2 was wonderful. Congrats to Martin, Brad, cast and crew. Will be watching the repeat in about 15 minutes.
Hey–I watched the new episodes today and I must say that they are two GREAT episodes. I particularly enjoyed The Return (O’Neill fan + I found their ‘Plan D’ wondrously clever. Please send my compliments to Martin Gero for the great writing).
Anyhow, thanks for the pics and hopefully I’ll be able to watch again next Friday.
Hi,
I was wondering if we’re gonna see either the Apollo or the Daedalus or maybe both of them in season 4 ?
And one other question about the Wraith, will we find out what was the beam in “Letters from Pegasus” ?
Dunno if it has already been asked.
Thanks for you answers. 😉
“professional writers make for the worst of card-signers”. Do you think this works the other way round because I always get slagged rotten for my ‘to whoever, happy whatever, from me’ cards and I’m looking for a change in career?
e.g To Fondy, Get well soon, from Pugly.
Woohoo!!! First comm……..Damn!
Whoa! Nice pics, thank you so much! Loved especially David’s photo with the book…*hehe* 😉 Unfortunately I love in Germany, so no SGA for me…*sniff* But I hope the ratings were bombastic! 🙂
Ah, and best wishes to your wife!!!
What is David wearing? Is there a word for that?
Um, anyway, if you get a chance, Joe, could you help out Miss Cellany? That would be excellent of you.
Dear Joe,
Best wishes for Ms. Fondy, hope its nothing serious. Ciao..
your montreal fan
Loved, loved, loved The Quest II – just fantastic. It balanced all of the old and new characters (Jack even got mentioned – YAY!), the Stargate was a major player in the plot, it wove the mythology in brilliantly (Sam as Guinevere and Daniel as Galahad – perfect!), humour and angst, Adria chasing them added tension, drama and excitement, the fight scene was suitably marvellous…and have I mentioned the priceless moment of Sam punching Ba’al!
Brilliant! *standing ovation*
Hello Joe,
First of all, I hope Fondy is feeling better soon!
You said that you’ll inform us as soon as you get the ratings for the new eps… Just wanted to remind you 😀
How long does it usually take and what would you say is neccessary for a fifth season?
Hi,
This will be my first response to your blog although I have been lurking for 3 weeks and have thoroughly enjoyed your blogs. Having originally sought out your site owing to Stargate and Atlantis I have to admit that I have stayed because I have found much laughter and joy in your observations about just about everything. In particular recently your toying with your nieces and nephews while on a visit with family had me laughing outright. I am currently backtracking your blogs and vicariously enjoying yours and Fondy’s travels through Hong Kong and Japan. In response to last nights Stargate and Stargate Atlantis, yes I did watch them. Loved them both. The Return II was fun and action packed and I especially enjoyed the inclusion of Jack. I especially wish to convey my gratefulness that he actually seemed to have some reason for being there other than to make fans happy. The 200th episode made me want to scream I kept thinking “thats it?” I realize that there was a lot of winking at the audience in that particular episode and poking fun at yourselves, but I still felt a bit cheated that his presence seemed without real purpose. His presence in the Weir sanity episode gave me hope, but by far last nights episode had me saying “Ahh, thats the ticket”. Stargate, I think the Vala and Cam characters were a great addition, although when I first heard that they were crossing over from Farscape I was pretty skeptical about how successful you and your staff would be in creating characters that would let me forget, at least temporarily the John/Aeryn characters. Well, I must say I was wrong, you did very good job. I truly appreciate that you have tried to keep loved characters in the mix even if story arcs or life did not otherwise permit you to keep them permenantly on. Thank you. I apologize for the sloppy writing, length of this response and for the lack of questions to which you could respond, but am a busy wife, mom, daughter whose had about 3 hours sleep. I wanted at some point to say thank you for blogging and sharing a little humor and passion (for food of course). I’m into the Mediterranean cooking, Borek, Baklava, stuffed grapedleaves, have you tried them? Hope Fondy is feeling better. Peace. SusanB
Hope Fondy starts feeling better. She’s in my prayers.
Thanks for the wonderful pictures! I read your blog first thing in the morning…..after Scifi-Friday. Lol
Was watching Sateda the other night and I was wondering about the main Wraith villain. He seems to rank higher than other male Wraith (the ones with masks and the ones with long leather coats)and he appears bigger with some slight alterations to his Wraith appearance. We’ve seen queens in charge of hive ships and so forth, but what was this guy? Is he a King? Is there any particular ranking you guys have come up with for the Wraith?
i know what you mean about the card signing! We have cards go around at work all the time and i have no idea whe half of these people are. My last job i worked in a place with 40 people and so you could know everyone and it was nice….. where i work now there are at least 1000 people if not more, and i have no idea who they all are. Apparently a few weeks ago some one at work died (heart atack during a rehearsal) which was wierd becasue i didn’t even know his name … so its hard to feal upset about it!
I love you card message… i wish i could find funny things like that to say!
Hope you wife gets better soon!
You were so right about the Stargate special Joe, Michael and Chris did a great job. Loved the dark suits *thunk* and you looked pretty dashing yourself.
I also really enjoyed the Quest Part 2. The entire cast did a great job in this episode. I loved the scenes between Daniel, Cam and Vala. It was nice to see the bonding between them. Great episode and I am really looking forward to the Shroud.
Saw the US premier last night – I have one word to describe it:
Wow!!!!
Like the pic’s, too! Yay Chuck! (though nobody can replace Siler, Chuck’s pretty cool).
Hope Fondy gets better soon!
Atlantis needs a Ba’al. He’s just such an entertaining villain!
Atlantis needs Ba’al ;D.
Heh. Thanks for all the adorable pictures. Amanda, the Davids. Cute! ;D I like how you started and ended the picture line with a David.
Although I had already seen the remaining episodes, I wanted to absolutely watch them all again. I had had a fever all day so when I got home from school, I was ready for my happy time :D. All snuggled down in a mountain of blankets on the couch, I waited ever so patiently for the commercials to end.
As it was about to start, a crash of thunder tore through the sky and -BZTBEOOP!- the power goes out. I don’t know how many things I threw at the tv before I became exhausted and remembered I was sick. -snap- Too bad! ^_^;
Hope Fondy gets better now, not soon XD. Sending her lots of Austin sunny energy I had stored in my closet, just in case it was overcast, like today :D.
Wonderful SG1 and SGA episodes last night! Loved the “You two work well together.” line on SG1 and the “Plan F” comment by RDA on SGA. The SG1 scene with Cam talking to Vala about watching others take risks was very well done. I love those two characters and they are finally coming into their own. *kicks Skiffy*
Question of the day – RDA is known for his improvisations. How many of those catchy quips on SGA were actually written, and what did he make up on the spot?
Thanks for the pictures of Chuck, David H, David N and Joe Flanigan! I love cast pictures. (Any chance of a few more?)
Is it just me, or does the guy standing outside the window in the second picture down look like Paul McGillion…?
What is David Hewlitt wearing?
Is that a new uniform?
(I think I see the Atlantis patch on his exposed arm)
LOVED THEM! BTW-You were great in the Mythology Special 😉
Classic moment when Carter popped Baal in the nose! Fell out of my chair laughing! Also, a little moment when the jumper started leaking and Rodney said,”Oh no, not again…” Good to see Jack, too!
Did you attend a party? Did anyone have a party? Did you even watch??? We had a mini-party that was quite enjoyed by all.
John Sheppard in Home to Elizabeth: “Wouldn’t be the same without you.”
I agree with John, Joe! 🙂
Joe,
LOVED Return Part II. It was well structured and, action packed and best of all FUN! I’ll admit to already seeing the rest of season three, but since it was so awesome, I’ll be watching all of them again (and again, and again… well you get the idea)
I’m crossing my fingers on those ratings!
Oh, and since you didn’t answer questions the other day, I’ll re-ask mine here. I’m curious to know if there are instructions in the Atlantis database on how to make a ZPM? And if there are, will the gang ever find them and be able to make use of them?
And on an unrelated note….
Anonymous said.. And OMG! Sanssong, defensive much?
Nope. Just sick and tired of people like you.
i totally agree with LISA on here who said the return part 2 was too focused on jack and woosley.
part one was so great but this ep fell flat…we didnt get any repercussions for shep disobeying landry and i wouldve loved a scene at the end with the team.
dont get me wrong i loved all the teamy bits, CGI was fantastic when shep was flying…but everything else….meh.
i just hope in the future we wont get anymore episodes like this…this episode should have been about the atlantis gang, but it felt more like an sg1 episode instead.
now next week’s ep is brilliant..classic atlantis (im in the UK so ive already seen season 3)
hey joe!!
so can you give us any more hints on joe f’s angsty shep script?? please?? we’ve been speculating about it but still dont have a clue really!! anything you can throw us would be greatly appreciated!!:D
also any more shep whumpy tidbits you wanna give us…thats good too!!
oh and thanks for the behind the scenes photos!!more please!! especially mr flanigan!!:D
Hi Joe
Sorry to hear Fondy isn’t well, I hope she gets better soon.
Bear with me, i’m in a rambling mood. :o)
I was thinking, we don’t see very many ‘poorly people’ on Atlantis. Shootings and stunning don’t count, but they are gratefully appreciated.;) Some of us love to see how much people care for each other, and that tends to come out more when people are sick and injured. Hence the reasons the whumpers love the infirmary scenes you kindly give us.
I can just picture it now, Sheppard delerious with a high fever, having to be restrained from going nuts as he acts out his nightmares caused by the high temperature. Having to be sponged off… *goes to her happy place* ;o)
Just wanted to say that I loved the return part II…shame on you for not giving us ‘Wet Sheppard’ though. And it’s an even bigger shame that my viewing does not help with the ratings.
Anyway I digress from the most important subject of Wet Sheppard, and therefore must head off befors I actually start talking sensibly!
Thanks for the wonderful piccies of the cast and Amanda looks positively glowing ;o)
Having slept off the wine now, I wanted to say that the Cam/Vala interaction was great. And Cam’s reaction when the C4 didn’t work on the dragon had us rolling. As I said earlier, Ba’al was fun all the time. Merlin’s hiding place/system was perfect.
As for RDA in Atlantis, I say if you’re going to have him there, give him something significant to do instead of standing around being a cameo parody of himself–so I was pleased with his role in the episode. He got to be O’Neill instead of RDA-playing-O’Neill.
Can’t wait until next Friday!
Thanks for the great photo of Amanda!
Best wishes to your wife for a speedy recovery.
Very off topic, but anyone who loves humor will love the Harvard commencement speech alum Conan O’Brien just gave: read it here.
I loved the Stargate special with all you boys in black. I think you look great without a tie, Joe! Very sleek. It was cool to see the little sidebar facts on the races and technology. We’re checking it against our wiki :). Kudos to whoever wrote it. I couldn’t say who that is, since Sci Fi squashed the credits so they were undreadable, the losers.
Quest Part 2 ended up being my fav ep of Season 10, I think. Return 2 was awesome as well. Very clever and fun. Let’s hope the ratings bear it out!
dear joe,
What percentage of the seasonal budget for Atlantis goes towards special and visual effects; and how much towards Salaries ( all included). Thanks
your montreal fan
Dear Joe,
Hope your mrs feels better…. I recopied and paste what I said yesterday here for you to read.
Will the city of Atlantis return to Lantia after the ordeal is done and fix or will they make M12-578 a permanent new home. If so will the changes affect the overall relations of allies and friends they established in the previous seasons whom know the old adress and won’t be able to contact Atlantis.
Also, I have very much enjoyed the books THE ART OF WAR by Sun Tzu and Candide by Voltaire; I recommend you read them in your free time. Heck, might even inspire you for future episodes… tell me what you think.
sincerely,
The Lantian philosopher
EEEEE!!!Thanks to anonymous for reminding me of that scene in Home. It was too cute and now I’m all happy.
I will be watching Echoes next week because this episode was AWESOME. WHALES!!!!RONON/TEYLA.
Joe,
I really loved The Return part 2! It was great to see Jack again, and the story and the graphics were awesome.
SG-1 was good, too. The part when Cam talks to Vala was very touching, and I love the way you’ve made the gate teams on SG-1 and SGA so close. The team love is what draws me to shows.
Man, can’t we let go of the fandom hostility on this blog? I mean, I can’t see what’s so threatening about one person in particular disliking a certain character. She certainly has that right. That people who are non-fans of certain characters are infiltrating a blog and pretending to like someone they don’t like to whatever ends- that’s just bizarre. Why can’t we all just say what we like and don’t like and leave everyone else alone?
Thank you so much for the picture with Amanda!
I hope your wife gets better soon.
Ouch, I guess I’m a bit late to ask a question but here goes!
One of SG1’s greatest strengths and IMO, part of the shows backbone of success was its use of egyptian (and other cultures) mythology. Atlantis is probably one of the greatest myths ever to capture human imagination. Archaeologists, historians, myth hunters and loonies alike are still to this very day facinated and seek to prove (or disprove) its existence. Barring the minor quote about Plato’s books in the pilot, why hasn’t SGA sought to capitalise on at least some of the rich library of material out there? Be it the crazy crystal hippies, or the various archaeological digs and historical text? There are many cultures around the globe who have variations on the more westernised versions of the’Atlantis’ myth. And other related legends, like the rich Irish Celtic mythology which could tie very interestingly into your etablished story of Atlantis (and SG1 with the Arthurian theme), such as the Ancients return to earth (check out the stories on the ‘Tuatha De Danann’).
Oh and this has been bugging me for a while, do you know if BW and/or RC have read Peter James’ book ‘The Sunken Kingdom’? Its a non-fiction novel but its a cracking good read and contains a huge amount of reference material on everything to do with Atlantis, Plato and more! I’ve always wondered if it helped inspire them to start dropping hints about Atlantis as the lost city, and got the title for SG1 – season 1’s episode ‘The Torment of Tantalus’.
You should check it out, balance out all that fiction! Oh and if you have time, check out anything by recently deceased British author, David Gemmell! He knows how to spin a damn good yarn which is heavily character focused but jam packed with plenty of action and adventure. ‘Legend’, ‘The Knights of Dark Reknown’ and The Reganti Series being my favourites.
Big applause for last night’s premiere. I loved both SG1 and SGA. They both had such a great spirit to them.
What excited me about SG1 was how there was so much tying in to previous episodes in order for them to move forward. Brilliant and quite the nod to the long-time fans.
I was, however, waiting for Sam to break into her “Just because my reproductive organs are on the inside…” line with Ba’al, though.
Others have spoken more eloquently about the other great bits, but Vala was brilliant in this episode.
As for SGA? What a fun episode! And I loved it that someone finally had a real reaction to stress. (Carson wanting to get sick in the puddle jumper.) And the way they solved the situation brilliantly showed off how good these people are together. Well done!
As for the mythology show? Totally loved your choice of clothing. Quite dapper.
It was also great timing as I had talked someone in my office into watching the 6pm SG1 syndication (since it’s just gotten going from Season 1 again). That mythology show will be perfect to get him oriented.
Please send my wishes to Fondy for feeling better. My “creeping crud” took 10 days to go away. ::sigh:: Hopefully you don’t have the same thing!
Sorry to here about the colds and flu goin around your family, hope Fondy is well soon.
The Stargates were so good, i enjoyed them alot…but i watched them on Sky1 scince i am in the UK lol.
Just wondering, how much is the electricity bill for the atlantis set? With all the lights and computors, it must cost a ton!
Hope Fondy gets well soon!
Thanks so much for sharing those pics. I love BTS pics from the sets and Atlantis actors. Keep’em coming.
Regarding The Return II, since I’m not in the States, I already watched it weeks ago. I think it was a great episode BUT I agree with what others pointed out. In my opinion, The Return I was much better because it was about the SGA characters. For those who are fans of both shows, I guess they didn’t mind so much Jack and Woolsey, but for those of us who only like Atlantis, it was too much time dedicated to guest stars. I watch for the SGA characters, so something like 20 minutes out of 43 dedicated to Jack and Woolsey doesn’t make me very happy.
The shows last night rocked!
I’m ecstatic to know that my Sci-Fi Fridays are finally back! Oh how I missed them.
Loved the pics. I like how everyone looks so happy. 🙂
Hope your wife gets well soon!
-Danielle
If you think you’ve got it bad with the birthdays, just be glad your work doesn’t do the same as mine. The birthday boy/girl is the one who has to bring in the cakes from the bakery. Thankfully though it’s a small business (in terms of staff I mean) and so there’s only about 15 of us, but then you factor in the cakes brought when some other company bosses and sales reps come to visit…
Clearly my natural laziness and chocolate addiction have no effect on my fitness and weight, it’s all those damn cakes they make us eat in work!
“Best Kawooshes and Have a Gate Day!” LMAO! Seriously, I’m not kidding. Total gigglesnort moment! You may not think it’s witty, but we all do!
Hope Fondy gets well soon.
For those who have not heard/read..
Last night’s Behind the Mythology of Stargate SG-1 is available as a free download on Itunes.
Can’t hurt the numbers if we all download it and it looks good on the video IPod.
SG Atlantis Return II was absolutely awesome!!!
Can’t wait for the rest of the season.
Hope your wife feels better soon.
Where should I sent the chocolate for bringing Carson back? And if you bring him back full in Season 5, how much chocolate are we talking about?
I hope your wife is better very soon.
Thank you for the picture of Joe Flanigan a couple of days ago, he’s my favourite SGA actor 🙂 Also, thanks for the picture today of David N and Chuck, and the the pic of David H clutching a book LOL.
Being in the UK I couldn’t watch Return part 2 live, but I was with you in spirit as I watched my recording of it while eating my breakfast early this morning.
Hope Fondy gets better soon, and thank you again for the great pics 🙂
Get well soon to your wife!!!!!!!!
I would like to ask you a question about Torri.
Many fans are afraid of seeing the character of Elizabeth Weir disappearing this season. Could you reassure them? Have you the intention to dismiss Torri? Or could we hope to see again her in a possible 5th season ?