Remember that time (it may have been yesterday) I said it’s more fun to visit the sets when no one’s around? Well, there is one exception. It’s definitely more fun to visit the sets when the cast and crew are around IF you happen to be a two month old puppy. Yes, today was Bring Your French Bulldog To Work Day. Little Lulu put in an appearance at The Bridge and that pretty much disrupted my entire schedule. Every time we would start spinning the season finale, someone from accounting or the art department would come by to cuddle and coo. Even Evil Kenny dropped in for some snuggles!
Despite the distractions, we (hopefully) have our final episode slotted. No title yet but, like most season finales, this one will be big – but very, very different. Alas, in response to many who have been asking, Daniel Jackson will not be making an appearance in season four (although Michael was on the lot today to do an interview for one of Ivon Bartok‘s upcoming DVD Special Features). But, if we get a fifth season pick-up, it’s definitely something we definitely aim to pursue.
Still looking for a title for the Sheppard on Earth story we finished breaking yesterday. To those of you who are using the bio on the Sci Fi website as a guide, stand advised – the reference to his father being a Cold War Colonel is not canon. I’m not even sure where it came from. So, expect some insight into Shep’s past relationships late in season four.
Oh, and I received an email from the President of Nigeria (!) the other day, assuring me that my latest correspondence from scammer/barrister James Williams is, in fact, legit and that I should send him the sum of $480 to facilitate the transfer of $3.5 million to my account. Sweet! Cookie Monster couldn’t be happier! He wrote back:
“Cookie Monster very embarrassed. Receive personal letter from President of Nigeria who vouch for James Williams! First F.B.I., den President of Nigeria say James Williams A-okay. How can not be true?!
So Cookie Monster have $480 and ready to pay up. Me can come to James Williams house and drop off cash. Maybe stay for grill cheese sandwich and Oprah. James Williams like Oprah? Cookie Monster big fan. Enjoy book club picks expecially House of Sand and the Fog that make Cookie Monster cry so hard he vomit and den fur smell like cheap carpet and muscatel for rest of week. James Williams knows book? If no den me lend you copy. Also smell like cheap carpet and muscatel but still good to read. Hey, maybe we start own book club. Is good tinking? Ask Bert and Ernie to join but not Grover because he very particular and only read letters to Penthouse and plays by Noel Coward.
Sincerely,
Cookie Monster”
Today’s pics: Is he having a laugh?, Lulu’s photo op with Kavan, BamBam shows off his new tat, Joe and Laslo make beautiful music together, lunch, Lulu catches a nap on Alex, Lulu with Linda-Lisa.
The mailbag is back –
Glenhh73 writes: “ Anyway if there is a season 5, any chance SGA gets trap in the stargate during transport. Just thought it would be cool to be stuck in the wormhole and being able to see out into space from that perspective.”
Answer: There wouldn’t be any perspective because the gate traveler is de-molecularized during transport.
Rebecca writes: “Will we ever see another runner like Ronon, if not in season four, then possibly in season five?”
Answer: We won’t be seeing another runner, but we will be seeing some kick-ass Satedans in season four’s Reunion.
Mags writes: “I was also wondering if you found yourself predicting the events of the final HP before they occurred? As a writer did you feel yourself connecting certain plot threads faster than a non-writing reader would?”
Answer: This is something all writers do, much to the displeasure of their significant others who would prefer to watch/read something unspoiled.
Amy Lynn writes: “And still waiting on that autograph I asked for…”
Answer: Oops. It’ll be out before week’s end.
Anonymous #1 writes: “It does make me wonder if he had not approached you with this plot, would we have gotten any Sheppard back story at all this season?”
Answer: Delving into Sheppard’s backstory was one of the things on our To-Do list at the beginning of the season, and Joe’s idea gives us the perfect scenario in which to do it.
Anonymous #2 writes: “Whenever you “break” a story, does that mean you’ve started it, or you’ve broken its metaphoric back and get a rush of ideas and it’s less uphill?”
Answer: When I refer to “spinning”, I’m talking about tossing ideas back and forth with the other writers. When I refer to “breaking”, I’m talking about actually putting the beats (individual scenes) up on the board and thereby structuring the script with its various act breaks. When I refer to “outlining”, I’m talking about fleshing out the beats into a more detailed blueprint of the story to be written.
Glennh73 writes: “Any chance this midway station has something to do with stargate universe?”
Answer: Nope.
Grey writes: “On the SciFi website, for Sheppard’s character it describes him as “the son of a respected Cold War colonel”. In the upcoming Sheppard-on-Earth storyline, might we learn anything about said father (ie: dead, alive, disowned) or is that something initially thought of that doesn’t fit the character anymore?”
Answer: That didn’t come from us.
Morjana writes: “I know that faction had splintered into separate groups, but this is the first time where I’ve seen one group completely disassociate themselves from the others.”
Answer: All I know is that Solutions has always been a first-class site run by intelligent and knowledgeable fans respectful of wide-ranging opinions. Some other sites…not so much.
Kdvb1 writes: “ Can you please recommend some chocolate for my unrefined palate?”
Answer: Amedei, Michel Cluizel, and Valhrona.
Wwlh writes: “ Could you offer a suggestion for something that you enjoyed that is either a finished series..or something, for lack of a better term, self contained in one book.”
Answer: Any of Iain M. Banks’s Culture Series can be read as stand-alones (check out Consider Phlebas and Player of Games). Some other stand-alones I really enjoyed – Thomas M. Disch’s Camp Concentration, John Scalzi’s Old Man’s War, China Mieville’s The Scar, Roger Zelazny’s Lord of Light.
Smileyface06 writes: “What’s the worst dining experience you’ve had?”
Answer: Hmmm. Off the top of my head, probably the one that resulted in the food poisoning I suffered through a couple of months back.
IB writes: “Any Dalmatian restaurants in Vancouver you maybe heard of??”
Answer: A what? Is that anything like a Pomeranian Café?
Flying Fig writes: “Don’t you guys have a commissary or meal wagon or something at the studio? Can you take pictures of that food?”
Answer: Yup. Check it out.
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