In honor of my buddy Errol who was in town for two nights only (Book now to avoid disappointment!) we had dinner at Kamei Royale on West Broadway. All in all, not a bad meal – although Fondy may disagree as she started feeling ill on the way home. I don’t know if it was anything she ate because we shared the same dishes with the exception of the yakitori mayo which she skipped (that, in retrospect, may well have contained the antidote). We had an alright cod roe and kimchi noodle dish and a very good Rapture Roll that proved both spicy and tasty. There was a grilled beef tongue dish with green onions that I really enjoyed, and various overcooked robata selections. For dessert, Fondy had the matcha parfait which was made up of green tea ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce and cornflakes (?!) in an inventive though not wholly successful dish. I went with the Kamakura sundae – vanilla and coconut ice cream with coconut shavings and chocolate sauce. As we were heading out the door, we were offered the opportunity to win a random door prize. Fondy scored a free order of edamame. Quick, time to buy a lottery ticket while our luck is still hot!

Spent the day spinning – Alan’s story which is looking more like a third part to the mid-season two-parter. Another revelation in a season full of surprises, an unlikely alliance, and things develop for Teyla. We also discussed Carl’s new story which we’ll probably break next week – potential for a lot of nice character moments in this one. And for those of you asking – after much heated discussion, it was decided that the story Joe Flanigan pitched had elements that were too similar to stories already in the works. As a result, this story will be pushed to season five.

A few more pics to wrap things up: Kerry McDowall from post shows off her enormous Stargate watch, Martin Gero puts on the suave, and the playback ladies gear up for the meeting.

Questions –

Stacy Donaldson writes: “She’ll be too busy working on The Seer and the big midseason two-parter to be available for SG-1. Any words to allay my fears?”

Answer: Sure. Don’t worry. She’ll be doing both.

Jason writes: “Just in time for your Chocolate party. A controversy about Chocolate.”

Answer: Not really an issue so far as I’m concerned because I’d stick to the real thing.

JJ writes: “So, what do you do when you hit up a friend’s place for supper and the food isn’t as great as the wonderful dishes you have shown to us?”

Answer: I try to focus on the positive – like that beautiful throw pillow in the vestibule!

M writes: “So those cool watches – was Martin the only one who got them?”

Answer: Nope. We got ours today.

Anonymous #1 writes: “There was no attempt on my part to summarily dismiss your opinions as worthless or not “worthy of respect”.”

Answer: Oh. It’s just that when you wrote “Eh, it may take me a minute to get going, Joe. I’m still a bit dizzy from all the spinning going on.”, I erroneously assumed it was an in-context criticism of my opinion rather than a literal reference to the fact that you were actually spinning – arms out, twirling round and round like a whirling dervish.

Anonymous #1 also writes: “Your contention, however, that the first half season numbers for Atlantis and SG-1 aren’t useful as an indicator or future basis for ratings comparisons is a bit beyond the pale.”

Answer: I didn’t say they weren’t useful. I simply disagree with your belief that they are the best indication of where the series numbers will head.

Anonymous #1 also writes: “Yes, it is quite possible that the first half numbers for both shows are indeed anomolies representing a one-time or limited lag in ratings. That being said, the debut ratings for the second half premiers are in keeping with the drop off that was seen at the beginning of the seasons.”

Answer: True. They matched those numbers despite the fact that the episodes have aired everywhere else in the world and have been available online for months. I think this is a significant factor to consider as well.

Anonymous #1 writes: “But to effectively slaughter the Stargate franchise all at once would have created a stigma for Scifi that no amount of good PR would ever overcome.”

Answer: Really? You actually believe that the network would have been better off PR-wise risking two fan-uprisings rather than weathering one?

Anonymous #1 writes: “Yeah, there’s a sizable difference between shows averaging 1.3’s and 1.6’s. But my previous point is that that gap is closed somewhat by the money NBC Universal makes back on DVD sales, itunes downloads, various licensing and marketing avenues, and the like from shows they own outright. Also, the vertical integration of those productions is a boon to the network.”

Answer: All true. Which begs the question “what is the magic money formula when it comes to said gap?”. Only the network knows for sure.

Anonymous #2 writes: “Will there be any Atlantis-based episodes in season 4?”

Answer: Yup.

Anonymous #3 writes: “What do you think, script-wise; is it better to write something you are passionate about/know intimately, or just try and get your stuff noticed?”

Answer: Always write about something you’re passionate about. Like spindly grey aliens.

Zannah writes: “Chocolate protein powder? What kind/brand do you use?”

Answer: ISO 100.

Anonymous #3 ecrit: “ Vous n’avez pas de problème de crise de foie avec tous ces chocolats que vous mangez ???”

Reponse: Nous verrons Dimanche matin.

TLF ecrit: “Qui choisit les voix de doublage de SG1 et SGA ? les auteurs, les producteurs ont-ils leurs mots à dire ?

Answer: Je ne sais pas. Il me semble qu’il serait la responsabilite du diffuseur.

Steven Goldman writes: “…my fiancee and I are going to be honeymooning in Vancouver and Vancouver Island this June… any particularly great and/or romantic recommendations you could make for dining/sightseeing?”

Answer: I’d probably hit Stanley Park, Steveston Village, and have dinner at the Seven Sails.

Anonymous #4 writes: “Are the actors allowed to ad-lib or change a line here and there, or do they strictly adhere to the script?”

Answer: Sure, they’re allowed to ad-lib, but it rarely happens.

79 thoughts on “April 20 , 2007

  1. Hi Joe,

    I am a big Kavan Smith/Major Lorne Fan. I was wondering how many episodes he will appear in during the first 10 you guys have written so far. Thanks for answeing all our questions.

  2. Hi, Joe!

    My compliments to you and the rest of the gang for another two great episodes tonight!

    Line in the Sand has thus far proven to be one of my favorite season 10 episodes (that, and Memento Mori). I especially liked the dynamics between the various characters. Though, I confess, I was at first dismayed by the loss of O’Neill (who is my favorite SG-1 character), I must say that I believe you guys have constructed a great team for the last two seasons. The addition of Ben Browder and Claudia Black has truly proved ingenious, IMHO.

    And Echoes!!! I’ll just be concise for once and say that the episode as a whole has reinforced in my mind how much I am in love with the whole Atlantis team. I really liked it.

    Anyhow, I just figured I’d share my thoughts. Have a good evening and kindly send my thanks to all the others.

    ~Mel*

  3. i have a question about TEYLA.
    Did her father die or was he taken by the wraith?
    Are you going to explore that side of her past?

  4. Who made the decision to write out Ford?
    Would you considering bringing him back for an episode that has a happy ending(e.g. he goes back to earth)

  5. Any more information about TABULA RASA because i haven’t heard much about it.

  6. Hey Joe i just got a perfect score on sci-fi’s Atlantis Quiz on Hard for the first shot at all of scifi’s quizs its not abad try it and tell me your score.

  7. Question that your recent “baby picture” brought to mind…

    From the sounds of things here, you and Paul generally write your scripts separately, yet are still credited as if they were cowritten. Is there any particular reasoning behind this that you can share?

  8. Oh that’s great to hear that everyone has finally received their watches. They are so neat, but really big! 😀

    What other kinds of things has the crew received as gifts for the end of a year?

    Any fist fights because of an entree?

    Is it a big deal for presentation of food? Does it make you less likely to eat it?

    -JJ

  9. hello joe.

    you told us that in the second part of season 4 we will see something that came from the legacy the asgard left behind.

    that made me also wonder will the legacy of them all there knowleadge left to the humans be the new bases of human technological development.will we see the steps of the technology evolution in atlantis and/or the third series.

    will we also see something like the EMH from star trek voyager but the a asgard.

    how many enemy’s will atlantis have.

    you dont take ideas for story’s from fans what about concept art from fans that you can use.

    the asgard gave everything to us for becoming the fifth race will we see earth uphold the promiss to the asgard.

    thanks for the possible answers.

    and good luck with the show and great future stories.

  10. Hypothetically speaking, if SG-1 has higher average ratings then Atlantis in the back half of the current seasons airing, would you find it odd that SG-1 as a TV series was cancelled and Atlantis renewed? Odd call by Sci Fi perhaps?

    But what’s done is done, I hope Atlantis gets many more seasons and that SG-1 will have many more movies.

  11. Was Torri add-libbing when she called Chuck Chuck?

    And green tea icecream is a wonderful thing.. it is made of awesome (actually it’s made of green tea.. but you get the idea…) With cornflakes though? And chocolate sauce? Someone lost their mind when they made that concoction….

  12. And for those of you asking – after much heated discussion, it was decided that the story Joe Flanigan pitched had elements that were too similar to stories already in the works. As a result, this story will be pushed to season five.

    Sniff! I had a feeling. I knew it was too good to be true. Oh well, that’s life, I guess. 🙁

  13. Honestly, even though the show has been available online for months. I still believe that most Americans who unfortunately chose to download them to see them, are still going to watch them on SciFi just to support the numbers. Something I must say I have done. But only because I could download them or get them on DVD from a friend. I can’t afford cable here, I barely afford internet. But I need the internet for school. And waiting for the episodes to air on regular television at an inconsistent time isn’t very nice at all. I just wish Stargate wasn’t on a cable only channel. But no matter what I must say keep up the good work. I love the shows and look forward to the movies. Wich I will be buying when they come out.

  14. “Anonymous #2 writes: “Will there be any Atlantis-based episodes in season 4?”

    Answer: Yup.”

    Will there be Elizabeth present in all of those?

  15. I was wondering if you guys would consider giving Dan Payne a more lasting role on SGA.. =] Make him recurring maybe? I would love to see more of him.

  16. I get to register the first comment – something must be wrong with the world.

    What do the numbers 1.4, 1.6 etc mean if you ain’t from the US? Is this the number of chocolate bars consumed per episode?

  17. In the hopes of pissing off anonymous #1 I’m hoping to steal his/her place on the leader board. Unfortunately I’m not going to stay up until about three in the morning to do it though so this probably wont make #1. I have a question anyway – When I’m reading fanfic sometimes its funny how you can tell a persons writing style or notice that they use the same phrases all the time like someone’s ribs are always protesting (I just imagine little ribs with placards singing we shall not, we shall not be moved) Anyway, do any of the writers have such different styles or use the same dialog that would make them easily recognizable as writing an episode? What are they? and do you make fun of it?

  18. “Really? You actually believe that the network would have been better off PR-wise risking two fan-uprisings rather than weathering one?

    LOL.

    Enjoyed Friday night. Had guests over, so it was even nicer when the eps re-aired and I could relax alone with a double dose of my sci-fi fix.

    I am such a geek.

    The news about Doppleganger has me inching closer and closer to the edge of my seat. With the new season so far away, please promise to continue blogging and sharing photos. Both are very much appreciated and very much enjoyed.

    EC

  19. Strangely, these pictures remind me of a tearoom, the Moshi Moshi, which also serve food in Nice. If you ever go there, you must try this tearoom, the teas and the delicious chocolate cake — fondant au chocolat, sauce Fudge, caramel, mikado et fraises Tagada en morceaux (how do you say that in english?) — are wonderful.

    Anyway, I was wondering: Can Atlantis land on the ground or is she only supposed to float?

  20. Hi Joe:

    This is a first for me, stopping at your blog and finding zero, nadda, zip, comments. And it’s 2:00AM mountain time. I think I had better check out my window to see if the earth was destroyed and no one told me.

    Anyway,how did you decide on an agent to represent you as a writer? How much of a percentage does he or she receive, and what exactly do agents do for writers? In short, what services can you expect from an agent?

    Have a great day.

    Patricia

  21. Hi! Did the Wraith use Iratus bugs to create their technology? And were the oldest Wraiths real Ancients at some point of their lives, or just humans? Thanks:)

  22. Hello,

    I’m writing you a letter. Which language do you prefer : English or French ?

    CM, a French fan.

  23. Good to hear that you guys got your watches after all! An doens’t Martin look shift in that photo!

  24. Hey Joe, you couldn’t get a picture of the cast together could you please?

    Also because of the wraith’s technology being based on mainly of an organic nature, does it have to be grown? and if so would you be willing expand this with an episode?

    Thanks so much. P.S Any chance of having a sample of your food, but don’t post it. Thanks.

  25. *waves*

    No JF script in season 4? *sniff* What’s the liklihood of S5? You sound pretty confident, can we take that as a good sign? 😀 😀

    With Dopplegangers, RC mentioned the nightmares aspect which related to the team, are we going to see Shep experiencing his own nightmares as a result of this entity? *insert lots of begging*

    Thank you Mr M you’re a very wise and kind man 😀

  26. I imagine it must be extremely difficult to even attempt to answer all the questions that come your way through this blog. I’m disappointed that my question about shopping the Gates to other networks didn’t make the cut, but I have two more this morning…

    1. Do you use a Mac? Are there many Apple computers at Bridge Studios? Would you happen to know if the FX people use Macs to produce those awesome special effects?

    2. Has anyone suggested that MGM put out a 10-Season deluxe DVD package for all SG1 seasons? Even though I own all the seasons so far I’d be willing to fork out about $350 or so for a 10-Season, custom boxed, extra features, super-dupper DVD collection of the entire collection of SG1. Has this ever been discussed?

    Finally, about last night. SG1 was excellent all the way around. Solid writing, story, production, etc. Absolutely up there with the finest SG1 days. A 10 out of 10 in my book!

    Atlantis was, as usual, a great episode as well. Season 3 is shaping up to be an incredible season, not a single episode yet has disappointed me. Bravo!

  27. 1.)Is SCI FI or MGM suing youtube for showing Stargate episodes?
    2.)Did SCI FI or MGM give youtube a hard time about the episodes?

  28. Hi Joe

    Seeing as I took the time to correct you last time you used French in your blog, I thought I ought to give credit where credit’s due and praise you this time! There were a couple of anglicisms where I would have worded it differently to make it sound more idiomatic in French, but the French was MUCH better. Impressive, even. Plus, of course, the little things I picked up on could very well be stylistic differences between Quebecois French and Parisian. You successfully used a very difficult irregular verb in the future and another in the conditional (though I might have used the subjunctive). Awesome. I am suitably impressed.

    Sorry to hear that Fondy was feeling ill, I hope she feels better soon.

    Take care.

    Tracy H

  29. Just to clarify, this is the anticipated Shep angst story, right?

    And for those of you asking – after much heated discussion, it was decided that the story Joe Flanigan pitched had elements that were too similar to stories already in the works. As a result, this story will be pushed to season five.

    So, will there be any Shep-centric story in season 4 for Shep whump fans?

  30. Have a blast at the chocolate party tonight! Can’t wait to hear the tales.

    The episodes that finally aired in the US were, again, brilliant.

    SG1 – I particularly liked the storyline with Tomin. That actor is to be commended for showing the eventual crumbling of his belief system. And Cam. Aww. He’s just so passionate about everyone on his team.

    SGA – I particularly enjoyed this episode because it gave us a little of the fantastical element that can be so much fun in sci-fi: that whale-like creatures could be taught and genetically remember that Atlantis was safety. This would have been a perfect episode for Halloween. Creeped me out in a couple of places!

    Two thumbs up. (I know you were anxious about that.)

  31. Hello! I have recently discovered your blog here and am finding it quite interesting. I’m a huge fan of Atlantis and I can tell you that I’m really looking forward to season four with its darker themes. Very excited!! 2 questions if I may: 1 – I’m so intrigued by McKay’s statement in SG1 that his parents didn’t get along and blamed him for it. Will we ever see him address that either in flashback or dialogue? 2- Do you think he will ever refer to Sheppard by his first name? He seems to call most everyone else by their first name at least some of the time. Might be a cool character moment if/when he ever does. Thank you again for taking the time to post and answer our questions!

  32. Watched Echoes last night. Again. I’m one of the ‘seen it on the net’ viewers that still looked forward to the premier. Atlantis is my only “must see” TV.

    Any chance we’ll see Sheppard in his role as a competent military commander? I love the team but we don’t often get to see Sheppard showing us why he was made, and kept on as, military commander. Indeed, I’ve wondered why all the furor at Carter coming to Atlantis and ‘taking over Sheppard’s role’ when we don’t see him that role very often.

    Great show.

    Suzann

  33. Bonjour Joe,
    Maintenant que je sais que vous parlez français, je pourrai arrété de me casser la tete à traduire les messages que je vous écrit(des fois c’est incompréencible)
    J’ai quelques questions a vous posez: pourquoi Elisabeth est passée du statut de personnage principal, à celui de récurrant. C’est Torri qui à décidée ou les producteurs?

    ps: On dirait que tout le monde à eu ses montres Stargate, où est ce qu’on peut en trouver?

  34. Hi Joe

    Dervish?? What exactly is that? Really enjoyed “Line in the Sand” particularly Mitchell’s and Carters conversations and Vala and Tomin were good. Did you know that Stephen King rarely used adverbs in any of his writing?

    Enjoy your weekend

    Dori

  35. Yay!

    A pic of martin gero 😛 lol

    if you could create a charcter or race tat could appear in *Atlantis*, what/who would they be and what would they be like?

    (I hope that made sense :P)

    Shelley

  36. C’est super, je ne savais pas que vous compreniez le français!
    Je sais que le fait que vous parliez francais va faire plaisir a beaucoup de fans francophones qui ne parlent pas anglais… Ils sauront qu’ils pourront quand meme poser des questions meme sans connaitre la langue 😉
    Bonne continuation dans l’écriture!!
    PS: This watch Martin Gero got the other day is way cool!!!
    PS2: Do you know any links of Myspace/Blogs from Stargate cast and/or crew that you wouldn’t mind sharing with the fans?

  37. Cornflakes??!! I mean, those should only be for breakfast. I thought it was the law!!

    Awww…got to say, I am disappointed we’re not going to get Joe Flanigan’s angsty story this season. Oh well and hey ho! I guess that’s the way it goes sometimes.

    I think us Shep fans are very enthusiastic and keen to see more development for the character and I’m sure you’ll come up with something else for him!

    Hope you’re feeling better now!

  38. Last night we watched “Line In the Sand” (pretty good), then “Echoes” (very good) and then Teenage Space Vampires (I hope Martin had a nice time in Romania, or got paid a lot, or something).

    The dialogue wasn’t cheesy enough to mock too much, but the sets were so NOT small town America, and we mocked them a lot. The big game, the big rivalry was SOCCER?? Yeah, that happens in America. Right. We had fun with it, which was our intention when we rented it.

    So what will you do with all the leftovers from the party tonight?

  39. Another revelation in a season full of surprises, an unlikely alliance, and things develop for Teyla.

    I am a huge Teyla fan. She is a wonderful character, played by a wonderful actor. I’m very excited about Teyla playing a significant role in S4. More than wanting to discover who her secret crush is, I’m hoping to see her fighting off Wraith–and other evil things–and winning. Also, she has great chemistry with Sheppard and Ronon, but we haven’t seen her interact with McKay very much. Will be see more of her and Rodney together this season?

  40. Hey Joe,
    Fondy’s ill feeling came on too fast to be food poisoning. The fastest of food poisoning is Staphylococcal and that usually takes 6 hours and lasts about the same time. Really nasty though short in time.
    Mike

  41. Hi Joe!

    Sorry to hear you decided not to use JF’s story idea. I was interested in seeing his idea for some Shep angst.

    I was watching S-2 DVDs last night and came across Martin Gero’s “acting” video. Any chance we’ll be seeing you doing some acting of your own on SGA?

    Have a nice weekend.

  42. I thoroughly enjoyed Line in the Sand and Echoes.

    In Line in the Sane, there were some great moments between Teal’c and Vala and Carter and Mitchell. Great episode!

    When Grace Under Pressure was written, was there an intention to bring the “whales” back in Season 3?

  43. If i’m not mistaken you enjoyed the episode irresistible alot. So what was it about irresponsible that you disliked soo much? Was it the script itself?

  44. OK, my critique:

    I watched Line in the Sand last night and thought it was OK. Not great, but OK. Amanda Tapping was excellent (as always), and Claudia Black was great as well.

    What I didn’t like was Mitchell, specifically that he left all those people to die. When he and the villagers are trying to hold off the Ori soldiers, he just runs away from them and they end up slaughtered. Watching it all I could think was “Jack would never abandon people he was protecting.” Then, he shows up in time to shoot the guy before he kills Sam. So he was running to what? Help Carter with the device? Doubtful given that he doesn’t know how it works. That sort of tainted the whole episode for me, made me think Cam was a bit of a coward. I liked some of the stuff between him and Sam, but just couldn’t shake the feeling that those folks were dead because the guy they were relying on abandoned them.

    I really liked the village leader and her stuff with Teal’c. I love Teal’c. All those muscles and all that heart. In fact I want to marry Teal’c. Any chance of that Joe? I didn’t like the guy from that other episode, Rogers, thought he could have come off better.

    That’s about it I guess.

    SandyL

    PS I think Sam should have mentioned Jack too especially since he was in last weeks episode.

  45. Oh I am also sorry to hear that JF’s idea has been put back to s5. For some reason I had assumed(probably incorrectly) that this may have included some of the back story for Shep that we so crave. Will we be getting some backstory for Shep in s4 as promised? It would be terrible if the worst happened and we didnt get a s5 only to find we never got to know much about his past!

  46. Who will have the most character growth over season four?

    And Sam coming to Atlantis. How will her arriving effect Sheppard’s position as military commander?

  47. We’ve converted another one. My nephew is a big SG-1 fan, but never really was interested in Atlantis. Then last week he had to stay home from school on Thursday with strep throat and laid on the couch all day watching the Atlantis marathon on SciFi. He called me several times (long-distance) to ask questions. Then last night his mom called me twice during “Echoes” commercial breaks to ask questions. Next they’ll be wanting to borrow my DVDs…

  48. Who sustains the most injuries on set? I.e. Who’s the most accident prone of the bunch?
    Who ad libs the most?
    Have you got any funny onset stories, pranks etc?

  49. Salut Joe,

    Est-ce qu’il y a une chance pour que Torri refasse partie du cast principal de la saison 5 ?

    Merci.

  50. Dori said: Dervish?? What exactly is that?

    I say: The were Turkish monks who would spin, or whirl, in a sort of dance as a form of religious experience. Hooray for grade eight history.

    Dori also said: Did you know that Stephen King rarely used adverbs in any of his writing?

    (Bold is mine, and I chuckled at that.)

    Hey Joe,

    Where you going with that…wait, this is neither a poem nor a Jimi Hendrix song.

    I had already seen Echoes (because Canada is awesome), but there was one thing I particularly enjoyed about Line In The Sand: the story from the Book of Origin. It was actually a really well-crafted parable, so kudos to the writer there.

    Obligatory Question: If I were willing to work for free, which is far cheaper than any Hewlett, would you guys have a job for a student stuck in Winnipeg for the spring with nothing to do? I don’t start my summer job until July and am looking for a way to kill some time while still learning something new.

    Sincerely,
    Copernicus

    PS. I hate to be a naysayer, but your poem, as amusing as it is, does have some rhythmic inconsistencies.

  51. Hi Joe,

    Just finished watching Sateda (for about the 10th time ;)), and I just wanted to thank you and the other writers for giving us that wonderful scene between Sheppard and Teyla on board the Daedalus. It gave us so much insight into Sheppard’s character, and into what he truly thinks of his team. It’s a very well-written scene, and beautifully acted out by JF and RL. I really hope there will be more of these little (friendship) character moments for Sheppard and his team in season 4, because they are an important part of what makes SGA special for me.

    Thanks again!

    Jenn

  52. 1. Is there any chance to see extended episodes with the deleted scenes on DVDs (42-50 minutes long)?

    2. How many episodes will Michael be in season 4?

    3. If Weir, Beckett can have episodes in season 4, will we see Ford too? Please, they should mention them at least.

  53. I’ve already watched Echoes many times (I’m not in the States, so I watched it for the first time months ago) and I’m still in love with it.

    Plot wise, it kept me guessing and wondering what was going on and how they were going to solve it.
    Character wise (the most important thing, IMHO)… OMG. Brillant character moments.

    The begining in the jumper, with John, Radek and Ronon was great. Nice to see Radek out of his Atlantis uniform, and Ronon’s facial expressions were priceless.

    Fantastic Ronon/Teyla moments:

    – the scene with Teyla teaching Ronon meditation, and Ronon snoring. So funny! Teyla’s face was priceless.
    – Teyla beating the crap out of Ronon with the fighting sticks. Yay! Go girl! *grinning madly*
    – Scene in the infirmary. Awww.
    – the ending, with Teyla and Ronon back to meditation lessons, and Ronon giving her a fighting stick to keep him awake if necessary. LOL

    Great John/Rodney/Liz moments:

    – Liz and Rodney and emails. Hahahahahahahaha. Priceless.
    – Can’t believe Rodney named the whale Sam
    – Deaf John and Deaf Rodney. ROTFLMAO.
    – John carrying Liz. Awwwww.
    – Deaf Liz at the end. OMG. More ROTFLMAO.

    Other moments:

    – Radek and race pigeons. LOL
    – Carson. You’re the best doc.
    – Great to see Caldwell and Kate. I had no idea they were going to be in this epi, and it was a nice surprise. Although I think Kate was much better in past episodes. I’m in no way a pyschologyst, but I thought her lines were odd. *shrugs*

    In short: Brillant. Brillant character moments. Everytime I watch Echoes I end up with a huge smile on my face.

  54. Don’t you ever get tired of all the negativity in SG fandom? I often leave for months at a time just to keep my sanity. I’m sad to lose Torri, but people are taking it too far, especially with regards to Amanda Tapping. I’ve seen absolutely disgusting things posted about her recently. There’s always been those nutjobs at that “other” board, but I’m seeing it from SGA fans too. Livejournal is particularly brutal currently and it’s making my search for fics rather unpleasant. Next time you see her tell AT that she’s got tonnes of fans out there who love her and look forward to whatever she does. Tell Torri she’s loved too.

  55. Hi Joe
    Just Wondering if you know when they will put season 3 of Stargate Atlantis on DVD.

    I think they just started airing the second half of teh season last night in the states so will that cause the DVD release to delay In canada?

  56. Y’know, those awesome wrist watches make me think of those transforming devices in Power Rangers ;D *does complicated twirling and arm movements* “Go, go Power Rangers!” ;D

    Quick random Q: If you could dine alone with anyone from any period in history, which person would it be?
    Hope you’re feeling better!

  57. You mentioned that Ark of Truth was going to start filming this past week… did they get started on time? Is filming on Contiuum wrapped?

  58. Mr. Mallozzi, why do you believe that the early online availability of Atlantis episodes has a significant effect on ratings now? The percentage of viewers who download episodes is very small. The percentage of viewers who are part of the ratings system is also very small. Multiply that together and the percentage shrinks. Then subtract out all those fans who love the show enough to download it early but also love the show enough to watch it live with their boxes. That’s a very small percentage of total viewers.

    I can’t see how internet downloading has any major affect on ratings. Did you have the same stance last year when the Atlantis episodes also aired early in Canada? There was no significant drop in ratings between the first and second halves.

  59. LITS = Great | Echoes = good

    I’m really looking forward to seeing AT in S4. I’m quite disappointed if all or most of her scenes are just behind the desk. She was just great in LiTS. I want to see that sort of talent being ‘tapped’ ;). AT and DH are just wonderful to see together. McKay/Carter relationship is something I look forward to most in the new season.

  60. *blink*

    You ATE a tongue????

    As for Stargate, Line In the Sand and Echoes are among my favorites for their current seasons…each episode really capitalizing on the strengths and quirks of the characters’ interpersonal relationships.

    Line In the Sand benefited from stellar guest characters…the village’s leader in particular stood out as being a woman of deep conviction and strength. She could have been a cliche but the actress played it with just the right amount of passion and resolve. And Tomin? Wow. He was fantastic against the Prior. Terrific performance.

    Mary Beth 🙂

    P.S. I haven’t seen any mention here yet but if you missed SciFi channel’s teaser for The Road Not Taken, the voice-over announcer says that, “Amanda is trapped in another dimension with time running out.” AMANDA…not CARTER. 🙂

    P.P.S. You REALLY ate a tongue???

    :S

  61. Joe,

    While watching Line In The Sand last night I kept thinking how much more I would have enjoyed it if instead of Mitchell and Sam it had been Daniel and Sam. Everytime I watch Mitchell and Sam together I am so afraid of them being shipped. I know that sounds silly, however, after this episode more Sam/Cam shippers came out of the woodwork.

    Most Sam/Jack shippers look at Daniel and Sam’s relationship as brother/sister so when they are in scenes together S/J shippers can relax. Not to mention that both Michael and Amanda have made it clear that they also see Daniel and Sam as brother and sister and will do everything they can to keep it that way.

    When Mitchell brought Sam the cookies in the last scene my memory went straight to Forever In A Day and what a nice throwback to that episode it would have been if it was Daniel instead of Mitchell. I’m probably just being paranoid about you guys(or the directors) throwing in little ship hints between the two – lets not forget Ripple Effect – or maybe I’m just missing the brother/sister relationship between the science twins.

  62. I want to thank you and the gang for Echoes. On my Top Favorite Episodes list this season! Right up there with Sateda, Real World, and Common Ground.
    Great moments shared between the team. I was surprised about how close Teyla and Ronon really are. It was nice to see a very soft side of Ronon that I think we haven’t really seen that much of.
    Will we be seeing more of Ronon’s softer side in Season 4?

  63. Usually thoughts of hot and sweaty semi-nekkid Shep, turn my brain into mush. But more recently it’s been the thoughts of Evil Shep *squee* that have made me forget what I was going to ask earlier. ;o) So, now that i’ve remembered what I was going to ask, and my brain is not on *cough*other things*cough*;) What would your definition of whump be?

    Thanking you Mr M, as usual you’re a very wise and kind man.

  64. Joe,

    1. I was wondering if you can tell us the exact size of atlantis ( radius of the city and height for central tower). I dedicated some of my spare time to a website giving technical details on ships and space faring vehicules in the Stargate Saga.

    2. Will we see Atlantis on the move in later eppys in season 4, kind of like Progeny and First Strike, Adrift.

    3. Am I right to assume that Zpms are not going to be consequential to Atlantis in season 4 as they were in the past seasons.

    thanks

  65. As a result, this story will be pushed to season five.

    As one who is fervently hoping for season five, and still mindful that we are only two episodes into the back half of season three, may I ask how confident you are that this will happen?

  66. Joe,

    Alex Levine has said in his blog at SciFi’s SG-1 website, that “the teaser (the first scene before the title) dealt specifically with Daniel’s absence, but had to be cut for time.” Will this scene be back in the deleted scenes area on season 10 DVDs?

  67. (And that there were no projectile-vomiting pugs post-chocolate extravaganza. ;))

  68. Bonjour Joe:

    Moi aussi, maintenant, que je sais que vous parlez français. Pourquis pas regardez “Jus pour rire” en francais a Montreal?

    Have a great day,

    Patricia

  69. Hi Joe! Could you give away any little spoiler about This Mortal Coil, involving Weir? Anything, anything at all would be fantastic. Just please don’t say that she will be wearing red and black. 😀

    Thank you! I hope you are having a good day/evening.
    Catherine

  70. Joe – LiTS was a good episode but 2 questions –

    1- why did Mitchell and the rest of the team leave Carter and the all-important Ori fighting weapons completely unprotected while the attack was taking place? It seems odd that Carter, the one who understands and can work the devices, and who would be otherwise occupied fixing the machines, would be left alone because she would be in the worst position to defend herself since she would be working on the devices and the devices were their only hope at that moment?

    2 – why couldn’t this episode have been used for some long overdue Carter/Teal’c bonding?

    It is so rare in the past two seasons to see the original 3 together in any meaningful way it almost seems like Mitchell is being pushed too hard – look see how great he is you MUST like him – and IMO it seemed very forced here, Teal’c and Carter would have been much more natural and believable.

    If the scenes with Carter injured had been with Teal’c and Carter they would have been a whole lot more meaningful and moving because of the history between the two, especially when Carter talks about the last ten years and false Gods and hoping that there is a God out there . . . especially based on Teal’c’s history with Apophis (the king of False Gods) and the history of Carter and Teal’c for 8 years and the incredible chemistry (in a respect and friendship way) between AT and CJ – those two are phenomenal together.

    Jeremy

  71. I too agree with what everyone is saying about this weeks epis. Line in the Sand and Echoes are also my favs so far in the season. And they were great back to back. But

    I disagree with whoever was talking about it earlier…I veryvery much enjoyed the Cam and Sam scenes. There has been some here and there since Cam’s character was introduced, seeing as how before he was on SG-1, I got the feeling that he knew Sam best. But I think by far…the scenes in Line in the Sand are the best between them two so far. They really bring out what I think is the best trait Cam gives the team, more than they had before, which is an undying determination and drive to never give up…even to your dying breath. Something I have always loved Cam for, because it is so much easier to just give up. I think one of the best scenes of the epi was when they were talking about belief. And some fantastic guest stars too.

    But I also loved seeing Tomin again. The scene where he hits Vala was very intense, and one of the best scenes of the episode.

    And this is something I’ve been meaning to ask…will Lexa be in the SG movies??

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