Well, just a quick blog entry today as I’m off to have dinner with author John Scalzi and wouldn’t want to besmirch the image of the polite and prompt Canadian. Suffice it to say that today was an interesting day. We walked through Stage 4, the Destiny standing set, and it’s looking mighty impressive. And big! Over on Stage 5, it was a bittersweet stroll through what was once the SGC control room and briefing room.
Brad and Rob put out the revised Air two part opener. Paul has apparently finished his outline. I’m motoring along, hitting the sixteen page mark of the first part of the mid-season two-parter. I’ll be writing from home tomorrow as Brad and Rob are in meetings all day tomorrow as prep begins on Air I, II and III.
Yes, I’m still on the program (Sugarless Day 10) and don’t plan on abandoning it so close to the finish line despite the fact that we have reservations at Fuel.
Finally, to anyone surprised by the enormous cost overruns suddenly presented by the upcoming 2010 Olympics = told you so. To those who, like me, made a point of voting against the games, I feel your pain. To those who voted for the games and are now whining about the fact that taxpayers will have to foot the half a billion dollar price tag for construction of the Olympic village = Suck it up. It’s your fault we’re in this mess.
And, on that note, let’s move on to some On Basilisk Station discussion:
Jon K. writes: “I also like the way Weber handled the role of gender in this novel, i’ve read many scifi/militray novels that make most women the “had to face all the hardships of being a woman in the military type”. Yet in this novel all respect Honor earns from her crew is all earned on her actions.”
Answer: Yes, this is an aspect I really appreciated. Honor is unique not because she’s a woman in a command position but an exceptional individual in a command position…who just so happens to be a woman.
Iamza writes: “One of the things I like most about Honor Harrington’s universe is that gender doesn’t seem to be a huge issue. Women are captains and soldiers and engineers and doctors, and some of them are great at their jobs and some of them (the doctor, for example) suck.”
Answer: Exactly. With the exception of Pavel, no one ever targets her for the fact that she is a woman in the military. Those who admire her, like those who despise her or take issue with her, do so because of her character and not because of her gender.
Thornyrose writes: “I love the loathsome evil of Pavel Young, and the type of aristocracy he represents.”
Answer: Agreed. One of my favorite moments in the book comes when Pavel learns of Honor’s successes in clamping down on smuggling in the region. Utterly humiliated, he is desperate to return to Basilisk Station but, with his ship under repairs, he’s screwed.
Antisocialbutterflie writes: “The thing that stuck out to me was that the “captain” barrier was always maintained. It would have been simple to let her turn emotionally to her XO or her chief engineer, seeking more personal interactions, but like a true captain she kept her pride and pain separate from the crew.”
Answer: Yes, which made our glimpses into her thought processes all the more effective in allowing us to get to know her. The fact that her tough, by-the-book exterior belied a very human capacity for self-doubt made her that more endearing.
Antisocialbutterflie also writes: “My one complaint was in the character of Nimitz. While normally I am all for semi-sentient non-human characters, Nimitz didn’t exactly seem to serve a purpose. Any of the parts of the books where he might have been significant, Honor left him in her room. I suspect this may be one of those situations where he will be a bigger player in a later book…”
Answer: I liked the fact that Nimitz, as a creature empathically bonded to Honor, reflected her inner thoughts, in a sense tipping her true feelings despite her otherwise unfathomable front.
Shirt ’n Tie writes: “ I loved the character of Dame Estelle, perfectly drawn as the faded and jaded doyenne of the system though politically isolated, a very capable politico.”
Answer: Next to Honor, my favorite character in the book.
Sparrow_hawk writes: “I felt like I could really understand McKeon: he had been hoping to finally be given command of the ship he loved, but found himself passed over in favor of the younger, less experienced Honor Harrington.”
Answer: My next favorite after Dame Estelle. I appreciated the fact that, exactly as you said, he resented the fact that he had been passed over by someone younger and less experienced. The fact that she was a woman was never an issue for him.
Today’s entry is dedicated to birthday fan Specter177.
Today’s video: Paul laments his pairing in the show’s finale scene…
Waaaait…… are you saying the SGC set is GONE?! nooooooooooo! That’s so not right …
Helloooo, Surgerless Joe!
But…even if you voted against it, don’t you have to, in part, foot the bill? That part sucks. Of course, I’m still trying to find some creative financing so I can attend in 2010. (And have some cash left over for a side trip to Fuel.)
Hey Joe.
Wow, just watched Enemy at the Gate……all I can say is….AMAZING!
Let’s hope SGU is just as good!
Well, I’m only a little pver a hundred pages into the book, so not much has happened so far. I’ve found that there are times when the author goes into great detail on the scifi verse that just goes straight over my head, so I’m hoping that the rest isn’t like that, or at least it doesn’t happen as often.
However, so far I’m really liking Honor, I’m a sucker for strong, independent female characters. I’m really looking forward to getting to know her character more. I’m just mad that I left the book for so long (to read Twilight… worst mistake ever… what a nightmare!).
Hmmm…what about us who didn’t give a fig about the Olympics and didn’t bother to vote? What shall we do? 😉
It’s incredible that prep for Air is starting so soon! It’s hard to imagine that we won’t actually see it for at least 6 months. That’s just depressing to think about. But you won’t let us down, right Joe? You’ll capture a preview pic here or there? Yes? Please? Pretty please with suger-free cherry on top?!
Deal.
Also…dinner with John Scalzi, eh? After the little hint you dropped about potentially having authors pitch for Universe, I can’t help but feel that this is more than just a friendly chat between two wordsmiths. 😀
Great video!
I know it’s a little early, but do you know if you’re going to Comic Con in San Diego this year? I bought my ticket (or badge/pass) today and found out that I will get the week off from work, unless someone with more seniority decides to take it away from me. I’ve never been to San Diego let alone Comic Con and I’m so excited. My brother’s already giving me a list of people that I have to get my picture taken with because he can’t go.
Hope you enjoy dinner.
Poor Paul. 😀 Maybe we could have convinced Bob Picardo to sling an arm around him at the end, too. “And I’ve got YOU!”
Thanks for the videos and pics, by the way.
I should add to my last post that I’m going to the Creation con in Vancouver in April (I’m in Australia so it’s a big deal) and was looking forward to the set tour as much as anything else 🙁 very sad indeed. “Honestly, there could be tears” (10 points for getting the quote)
LOL! Love the video. Well, that’s what he gets for being a clone.
Incidentally, I did quite enjoy the Ronon/Banks bit at the end, though, with no eps later to develop their relationship or fill in what may have transpired that we didn’t see, it seems slightly out of place. Let’s hope there’s room in the movie(s) to develop that a bit. Because I really do think she’s the best match for him (at least of the women we’ve seen so far).
“Antisocialbutterflie also writes: ‘My one complaint was in the character of Nimitz. While normally I am all for semi-sentient non-human characters, Nimitz didn’t exactly seem to serve a purpose. Any of the parts of the books where he might have been significant, Honor left him in her room. I suspect this may be one of those situations where he will be a bigger player in a later book…’ ”
Don’t worry, Nimitz becomes much more of a player in the story line, particularly in “The Honor of the Queen”, and some of the late series books.
Aww, see Beckett needs Teyla, since Teyla and Sheppard cannot be matched up. 😉 Beckett deserves to get the hot girl, poor guy has been through so much. He’s definitely a very handsome guy. 🙂
Thanks for the updates and the videos. I also loved the behind the scenes pictures of the final scene. The cast seems very close.
I’ve been busy accomplishing my new year’s resolution of applying to a job a week. Three jobs applied to so far, and should have another two by the end of the day.
The temperatures here are nearing 100 degrees Fahrenheit, so anyone will cooler temps, please send them south!
I’m looking forward to hearing more SGU news. It sounds like the ratings were very high for the SGA finale…and unless scifi hyped it too much, I don’t think ratings were the reason for the cancellation anymore.
I hope you have a great dinner and that it’s not too difficult to stick to your diet. =)
Ack! I missed the Honor discussion! I’m not too late am I? I started reading the Honor series about two years ago and I’ve really enjoyed it so far (just finished Ashes of Victory). What really attracts me to it is what’s already been mentioned, in that Honor’s gender is not made an issue. As a former female Air Force officer, I never wanted my gender to define me as an officer so it’s nice to see that reflected in Weber’s writing.
A question or two for Mr. Weber if it’s not too late (or already been asked), what made you choose to make Honor a female character? And I’ve noticed that the Manticorian Navy and the warfare described is very reminiscent of the 18th-19th century English Navy and naval warfare of that time. What inspired you to create the Manticorian Navy this way? Thanks!
PS. Joe, haven’t had a chance to comment lately but I’ve loved this last half season of Atlantis. I’m sorry to see it end.
Have a good night.
Ahh, Olympic debacles. When will we ever learn? My sympathies to your city. I just hope your local city government doesn’t get it in their minds to start jacking up sales or restaurant taxes. That would put a crimp in any of your readers’ plans to head that way.
I hope the folks at Fuel are aware of your current dietary restrictions. Otherwise they may call for an ambulance for you, assuming you’re suffering from altered mental status. But how cool is it to be able to have dinner with a writer like Mr. Scalzi? Is it safe to say that such dinners are an unexpected dividend to your BotM club work? Enjoy dinner, and meantime I’ll go grind my teeth as my computer refuses to run your video clips. Guess I’ll stop by work tomorrow to get my fix…
Dear joe,
Well buddy great 5 seasons of SGA and I’m impatiently looking forward for the SGA movie. I hope you guys deliver the same quality in story telling as you did in the series. A question please:
1. How many ZPMS are within our possesion? ( 3 in Atlantis, one in the Odyssey, Does that seem right)
2. Was the Zpm that was given to power the ancient chair of Antartica or might I say Area 51 destroyed along with the chair?
3. Are the ZPMs powering Atlantis nearly depleted?
Thanks buddy
Hey! If the SGC control room and briefing room have been taken down, will they be put back up for future SG1 movies or crossovers, or will they no longer be written into material?
Oh, and if you want to double your hits, include tags for “Stargate Universe” and “Stargate Atlantis” without colons IN ADDITION to the tags that have them.
I can’t wait until SGU!!
Ah, the Olympics. Always fun to watch, but not as much fun to pay for.
In regards to the video, I noted that while watching. I turned to my dad and said, “they have everyone all nicely paired up, but then that means Beckett and Woolsey are together.” He just kind of stared at me. I personally think the fanfiction writers should leap on this new development, however. Or it could at least give everyone something new to complain about.
@ Narelle – That friggin’ spider o’ yours looks like a type of Huntsman (hard for me to tell if its front legs are longer, though…I don’t really want to stare at it that long…):
http://museumvictoria.com.au/spiders/detail.aspx?pid=6
http://amonline.net.au/factsheets/huntsman_spiders.htm
AND thankyouverymuchformakingmelookthatupforyou! I am terribly curious by nature, thus my inability to walk away from the horrific task of identifying that creepyass sucker! You should see how I ‘look’ at the screen when I do this…through my fingers and squinty eyes – with my head turned away for fear one will jump out of the monitor at me – like I’m watching a horror movie! My husband tells me I really need to stop torturing myself… 😛
Yeah…about Goggles. What did me in was looking at the pics in the rest of your album, and seeing Goggles. 🙁 So sorry…
I’m bracing myself for a loss – one of my cats is losing weight – had her blood work done, and everything came back fine. I really thought it was thyroid – outside chance it was diabetes (she’s never been fat though) – but that’s all negative, and she eats pretty well. She’s 15 years old, so…yeah…she’s getting in that old age range for cats, when just about anything can happen. She’s the only one of my cats whose age I actually know – we’ve had her since she was a kitten. All the rest were cast offs, and we were never given ages for them, so I have no idea of their age. But at least I’ve given them a nice home, with lots of bedspreads and pillows and area rugs to puke on. 😛
das
Dame Estelle — how could I have forgotten to mention her! She is another great example of the exceptionally well developed side characters in On Basilisk Station. I liked her a lot, too. And she had a great name: Matsuko Estelle. Interesting multicultural mix there.
Reading through the reviews really brought home how rich in detail the book was. It provided a fully fleshed-out universe complete with explanations of how the galaxies had been populated, background on the politics of some of the major powers, and extensive scientific rationale for why things worked the way they did. And then there was all of the naval protocol, explanation of tactics and the detail of the space battles. Pretty amazing when you stop and think about it.
And lots of good names, too. I like creative, well-thought-out names for characters.
While I appreciated the explanations of the tactical decisions and the background science, I found the story of how mankind spread out among the stars, the intergalactic politics that influenced the goings on around Medusa and how the various factions gained their power much more interesting. And other people that read the book loved the naval stuff and glossed over the political/cultural details. But there was something there for all of us.
I may have to pick up the next book after all… just to see what happens next.
My thanks in advance to David Webster for taking the time to visit and answer questions.
@das: Well, while the Age of Sail comment wasn’t aimed directly at you, I did hope you might pick up on it and maybe consider browsing the book at some later date. Once you get caught up with Elric. 😉
PS @ Narelle – I got so flustered over that damn spider, I forgot everything else! Did you name him Edward after *my* Edward Sleazyhands? 😉
RE: the other stuff – I’ll e-mail ya soon…
@ ytimynona – RE: NCIS – Tori wasn’t the only Atlantis alumni on that show tonight, so was David Dayan Fisher as Trent Kort, who played ‘Baden’ in The Game, one of my favorite eps.
das
Dear Joe,
Now that you guys at Bridge Studios have a better grasp of the complexities of Stargate Universe:
1. Do you know roughly, the size and scope of The Destiny? Is it comparable to an Aurora Class ship, or more in the range of a mega ship such as Anubis mothership or Atlantis like ship.
2. Do you know where we can get Pierre Herme Macarons in Montreal?
Thanks Joe.
“Sugarless Day 10” Sounds like a Skiffy Original Movie. Will there be blood?
I got a copy of The Living Dead from our library, but GeekBoy pounced on it as soon as I came in the door, and he’s in no hurry to give it back. He is fascinated by everything zombie at the moment (okay, it’s been almost two years now).
For Fannish – Malcom Reynolds as he discusses the heist and in the event River is hurt.
Looking forward to the dinner photos.
Re: the Olympics – there is always Curling for which there are already arenas built.
Forgot to mention about OBS – Nimitz. In this book, there were times Honor left him back in her quarters because his reactions might be a give-away to whomever she was meeting with. So for these events, Nimitz was more of a liability. But from the cover photo…he is a cool cat.
LUCKY!!!!
Scalzi never said exactly where he was going, only that he was gonna be “light” on posting on his blog until January 26th. So he has gone to meet up with you!!! Awesome. If the dinner was about not-so-secret things, can you regale us with tales of his (and of course, your own) meal and dinner conversation? Otherwise, just the meal 😉
@dasWow I totally missed him… haha possibly because I didn’t recognize his name in the opening credits (I saw Tori’s name and freaked out… haha I got so excited I came here and posted like right away… before her character had even shown up). I’m so ridiculously happy to see so many Atlantians on NCIS, which is up there on my list of favorite shows!!!
Any chance that if Atlantis gets a second movie it would be Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow? I personally thought it was a great idea, possibly the best time travel concept Stargate has come up with.
I enjoyed On Basilisk Station for a fun bit of old-time Sci Fi, heavier on the Sci than other book-club reads so far. Having real all of the Master and Commander books, I loved the parallels to the sailing age too. Although from what I’ve read, the series might be more based upon the Hornblower series, and the life of Admiral Lord Nelson.
Questions for Mr. Weber:
— are you still hopeful of a TV series or movie(s) based on the books, and has there been any progress on that front? Do you have an update on whom you’d like to see play Honor (wikipedia mentions Claudia Christian as one possibility…)?
— are you happy with your life as a sci fi novelist? What are some of the most interesting experiences your career has brought to you?
das – I’m sorry about that! And I can definitely see you not wanting to even touch the keyboard because it’s awfully close to the monitor where THE BIG SPIDER IS! But if it helps, that first link to Victorian Spiders is EXACTLY the spider.
Huntsman’s are ok. Gentle giants of the spider world. There was one in our house for ages I couldn’t reach to catch. Each morning I’d walk past it, “Morning Fred”, not that he’d say “Morning Ralph” back, but in my nutso brain he was.
No Edward Sleazyhands inspiration for his name. Although Nuada now means something to me 😉 Nath just came out with “Let’s call him Edward”. I shrugged my shoulders and nodded in agreement not being able to think of a more fitting name other than “Manthatsabigfreakingspider”.
Hope kitty is ok. It’s always in the back of your mind as they get older. Yay to you for taking cats in. I’m sure they are most appreciative. I’d love to be able to take more animals in, but I’ll have to settle with my Kelpie and whatever fish get brought over having outgrown their tanks. Although, amongst the fish orphanage it may now be known as “The tank of death” and they tell scary night-time stories about other fish that have been adopted only to die horribly… or something like that.
@ Sparrow_hawk – Wolverine…then Spidey…THEN Elric…then whatever else I have piled up. The rate I’m going, I’ll never get through my reading.
But on a good note, I now have a new Marvel character that I am quite intrigued by (I’ve cropped out spoilery bits since this is a new character):
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v54/dasNdanger/mongrel.jpg
Loved the way he was introduced – seducing a [male] S.H.I.E.L.D. agent and suffocating him in a motel room – just to steal his ID – then poisoning the girl he had hooked up with (and mocking her as she died)…all to get to his pops, and gut him. Nice kid. 😉
I’m not sure if they’re going to make this character a villain, or eventually turn him into an antihero (I can’t see him ever being a true hero), but right now, I’m liking the kid. He’s in a grey area right now, and – well – I’m glad I got caught up with some of my reading when I did because it really helped me get over the end of SGA. Not sure I’ll get over Todd so easy, but the show – yeah…this really helps.
das
@ ytimynona – Yeah…now to get Chris Heyerdahl on NCIS…THEN I’ll be truly thrilled! I wonder who I can pester about that…??? Joe…got any connections?? 😉
das
Aw…Cap’n Mallozzi, Sir….Here ya are, givin’ us another lovely video. This one has me by tha heart. Of all our friends I’m na ready to let go of, t’would be Paul McGillion that I’m missin’ the most. Seventeen seconds of our darlin’ Pauly will never, ever be enough. But if a pairson were ta click “pause” at the very end, they could catch a glimpse of a gorgeous grin…and a sweet, sweet soul.
G’night, our Pauly.
Thank you, Cap’n M.
@CAITLYANNA
Hope you booked your hotel room too if the rez system is up?! They fill up fast! 80,000 plus people attend this thing and most of them are from out of town! If you’re flying in, best to fly home on the Tuesday instead of Monday if you can swing it — waaay less hassles!! Seriously, you’ll end up spending more time stuck at the SD airport!
Otherwise, despite the crowds, it IS an event that every true SciFi fan should experience at least once in their lives!
FYI: Prepare to spend *much* time IN lines, wear GOOD walking shoes, carry a smallish knapsack for your stuff – we’re talking Away Team mission here Okay? – plenty of water AND snacks [limited food closeby], sunscreen for those outside lineups [and a hat!], something to read or knit while in said lineups, be there EARLY for said lineups, *really* good *comfy* shoes! [and wetwipes, bandaids, etc. for blisters…] Much mileage WILL be done at this thing – the place is ginormous! — Someone really should write the event up as the COMIC CON WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMME.
The Horton Mall is good. There’s a Ralph’s grocery behind it – best place to buy “supplies”…. Oh, and *really* BOOK your room ASAP!! And if you’re into collecting freebie stuff, the SCIFI CHANNEL booth usually passes out silly stuff every hour or so. But BE there when they do, things are gone in seconds! That whole media section is the best place to gets things… Although, not as much as past years… [had half a suitcase full of cool freebie crap one year!]
@ Narelle – I do think fish talk to other fish about the ‘bad’ places. Like I had told you before (I think I told you) – the fish in my mom’s one pond always hide after the the egret visit, while the fish in the other pond that wasn’t affected are very bold. If you switch them between ponds, they still always hide in the one, and not in the other. Fishes ain’t dumb. 🙂
I’m glad I found your spider (I think)… And it does help to name them. My sister is petrified of snakes, and living in Florida she’s surrounded by them now. One lives right near her front door – so she named him (forget the name). She also named the baby alligators – one was ‘suitcase’, one was ‘boots’, and one was ‘wallet’ – or, ‘Wally’. Sometimes she’s just as weird as me…
I’ve had a few ‘resident’ spiders – a funnel web that was living between one of my porch windows and the screen. I didn’t open that window all summer! 😆 Finally, in the fall when we cleaned the windows, we relocated it…it was probably near the end of its life anyway, but if not, I’m sure it found a nice cozy place in the garden around our house. I really DO torture myself by looking at them…it’s like…it’s like when you see a car accident, or a dead animal in the road – as you approach it, you tell yourself NOT to look, but as you go by, you just can’t help it…and you look, often regretting it as you do so. That’s me with spiders…my brain is screaming ‘Don’t look!’, but my curiosity is poking at me, saying…’looklooklooklook! MAYBE it’s not as scary as you think!’
Yeah, it’s always just as frightening, no matter how many times I sneak a peek…I guess I just can’t resist scaring the bejeesus outta myself. 😛
das
SGC gone??? Where is the Stargate??? Put the Stargate on E-bay see it would bring in alot for Charity….Joe!! you voted agaisnt the Olympics?? the Games??? Shame on you.
Hi Joe
You think that is a lot for the Olympics…our village has just been granted and extra £250mil…..not to sure about what the final bill will be…so far £9.2billion!!!!!
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/olympics/london_2012/default.stm
It is going to fun though watching yours next year and then ours 2 yrs later….although I must have to admit I prefer the winter olympics to the summer…LOL
As to the voting I don’t think we had a choice…I can’t remember voting to have it here all I hope is that we do a good job…
Kriss 🙂
Its the same over here with regards to the 2012 Olympics. Because of the recession many companies have pulled out or gone bust. Its going to take several generations to pay for it. How many countries are going to bankrupt themselves for the Olympics. Surely it would make more sense to have a permanent Olympics base in Greece where they originated, with each country taking turns at doing the opening ceremony and all chipping in with cost ,maintenance and upkeep.
joe
how did Atlantis keep from flowing out to sea when it is in SF bay? does seagull poop land on the cloaking shield thing and show up to people on the outside. do birds fly into the cloak thingy and knock themselves silly then slide off and drowned? did they get permision first before landing in such an enviromentaly sensitive area? just you know wondering.
Hi Joe,
It sounds like they’ve dismantled the SGC, is that correct? If so why isn’t filming scheduled to start for the 3rd movie sometime this year? Also if the Atlantis set still standing.
Oh and I was wondering if you are someone else that read has some advice on moving with pets (I know you’re a dog guy and I have a cat but maybe you can still help). I just signed on my first house and will be moving in over the 3 day weekend. I have a cat that doesn’t like change and has never seen the outside of my apartment unless in my arms on the way to the vet. Is there a way to make the move less traumatic for her? Thanks, Karen N
Funny how the news about the doom-and-gloom economy and bank bail-outs and government debts etc. has almost inured me to the value of money these days. Somehow, half a billion dollars doesn’t sound all that outrageous, anymore. And yet, even as little as a year ago, I’m sure I would have been boggling at the sum…
Man, I just can’t wait till it’s our turn and the bill for the London 2012 games comes due. Heh.
Hi again Mr M!
Watched EATG last night. What a truly gripping epiosode. I felt it delivered on many levels and certainly was a very fitting finale. Small touches that are so Mullie… the Woolsey/Teyla/Ronon chat ; “We can drop you off?”, that is soooo Paul Muliie (seeing it from the alien angle)
Other touches which I liked : Loved the refit ship Gen Hammond (very sweet and appreciated touch!)
On that note, Could the Oddysey be a startoff point for SGU??
I felt this was more of a classic SG1 type episode with shades of “Within the Serpent’s Grasp” and old-style Anubis-attakcs-Earth ep. Very satisfying!! Bit miffed about the whole Ronon dead and back to life issue, but meh…
I watched the pilot just before the EATG, so was delighted (in a completion way) that Beckett got to fly the city home…Very nice style!!
With the loss of the Chair in Area 51…Does Carl Binder know?? SG1 are sure going to be bummed!!
Great to see Sam back in action (and in charge!) I’m sure Miss Tapping enjoyed the break back at SGC from hunting demons in her great show Sanctuary!!
Also Maj Davis…Cool dude!
Space battles great, use of Stargate to solve probs (very old school…LOVE IT!!)
Send more please!
THanks to all for a WONDERFUL 5 years!!!!
Roll on SGA : The Movie
Shirt’n’Tie
PS : If it’s not too late for a question for Paul Mullie:
Thank you for answering these questions Mr Mullie. I have a slightly left-of-centre question : We know that Sheppard is a Johhny Cash fan, in your mind, what music/artists do Rodney, Beckett, Keller, Teyla and Ronon like (assume that Ronon and Teyla have borrowed earth music for this!!)
Thanks
Shirt’n’Tie
Can say I am totally happy with the Enemy at at the Gate premature series finale. There’s one huge logical misstep in the episode. Is there no one capable of using the ancients command chair that Stargate Command can station in Area 51 on Earth? Never mind the waste of Sheppard in a F302 cockpit. He should be hustle to the chair as soon as he gate through to Earth by a squad of surly bodyguards/minders. The combined Earth Air Defense assets would would grind down the Wraith Darts, even a Super Hive can only carry a finite number of Darts. Speaking of Air Defense, where are the USAF/USN/USMC interceptors that’s station near Area 51? Never mind the mobile surface to air missile batteries in Area 51.
I found the aerial and spatial action sequence fun to watch. As are the character interaction scenes. This should have been a 2-parter. There’s too many story tidbits in play for one episode.
As to the posters who think there would be a tidal effect from Atlantis cityship touching down in the ocean. The cityship got a force field. Which can be shaped to negate the generation of any wave action from water displacement. After all the ancient don’t want to wash away alien shorelines on planets they visited.
In summary, I would only rate this episode a weak 7 out of 10. Spectacular battle scenes with flimsy storyline with illogical twists. Guess the episode need more development/research.
Question for David Weber on the Honorverse
The character of PO Harkness the missile non-com in On Basilisk Station. Did the character grown from his original role to his later role in the Honorverse. He is a role archtype I notice quite a bit in fantasy and somewhat in sci-fi . That of the indestructible non-com that steals a lot thunder from the main characters. Was really surprise to see him survive after the demises of much of the supporting cast in the Honorverse over the years.
.
Question for David Weber about adaption of Honor Harrington to movies/mini-series.
What is the status of a Honor Harrington film or series in the works? Also is there a front runner for the Honor role in your mind?
.
Finally what is next title in the Honorverse after Storm from Shadows?
Hey Joe!
I really sympathize with you about the Olympic games. Tampa was in the running for having the summer ones here. THANKFULLY we lost the bid.
We’re not totally lucky though. Guess where the Super Bowl is going to be?
Yup in less than a month Tampa is going to become NFL central. I would be more excited but I’ve already lived through a Super Bowl here. It SUCKS! And Jeremy’s work wanted him to fly out somewhere. He downright refused saying he’s not going anywhere near the airport on that weekend.
@PG15: Oh you didn’t vote! Bad boy! 😛 I think Joe would blame you, too. Maybe you were the ONE VOTE they needed to not have the Olympics there. Or maybe you would have voted for them and Joe would blame you still. Guilty either way. 😉
@Narelle: Yes, links to scary spiders MUST come with warnings. No exceptions to that rule. Thank you! 😀 And I had a friend who was bitten by a bird eating spider. It dropped out of a tree to do it. She said she was walking through the woods and next thing she knows she’s lying on the ground with all her friends starring at her. She’s very happy she never saw the thing. Everyone else had horrible nightmares. I guess it bit her as soon as it landed on her head and she passed right out. She has fang mark scars on her scalp. *shudder*
@Tami: Don’t worry about the late reply. Sebastian had weighed about 120 pounds in his prime. He was such a big boy. I think when we stood him on his hind legs he was taller than me. I’m 5’5″. Annabelle (the half golden half pyrenees) is not that tall on her hindlegs. She does weigh 100 pounds, though. And the vet says she’s a healthy weight. Ziggy weighs 80 pounds and is growing every second of every day. While Annabelle’s a sweetheart, Ziggy is a monster. He *thinks* he’s a lapdog. And he doesn’t care who he smooshes into the couch. He doesn’t care he’s not allowed on the couch. He’s a work in progress. 😀 I’m sure when he’s done being an annoying teenage puppy he’ll be a good adult. Annabelle drove me crazy. Now she’s calmer and the *good* dog. 😯 Wow! I never thought I’d consider Annabelle the good dog. Hey! There is hope for Ziggy, then! 😆
Trish
@ Fannish, That’s easy – Firefly/Serinity movie , well at least for us SCI-FI GEEKS!!
Wow Mr M!!
So Mr Scalzi is the newly minted “Creative Consultant” on Universe!!!!!!!!! Excellent! Delighted that such new blood is being added to the mix for Universe. I have been a fan of his work for many a moon and am delighted he is on board!!
Hope you had a great meal, Mr S says you will be spilling all on today’s blog entry!!
Best to all
Shirt’n’Tie
j
When you go back to sugar try stevia. It’s a sweetener that”s not suppose to raise the insulin blood level like sugar and artificial sweeteners do.
mary
“We walked through Stage 4, the Destiny standing set, and it’s looking mighty impressive. And big!”
So, By big… Do you mean “Atlantis set” big, “SGC” big or “Atlantis and SGC set combined” big?
Oh… And how about some vague sneak peek pictures that don’t spoil much of anything? 😉
So it seems that Scalzi is the consultant for the sci-fi side of the house. How about making Abercrombie a consultant for the Bristish side of the house?…hmmmm. Now this is just so you can get proofs of John’s next book isn’t it, like “Last Argument of Kings”….come on tell the truth.
Aww, they took down the SGC set? Man, that’s depressing as hell. Hm… could this mean that Earth’s stargate operation will be moved to Atlantis?
Re 2010 Olympics: I understand, Joe. I voted against the Alamodome. It looks like a giant armadillo, dead, feet in air. Within a few years, the Spurs asked for…and got…ANOTHER venue. *sigh*
PS–Better late than never, I found the Baen Free Library and started ON BASILISK STATION last night. I’m reading on my iPhone, however; may take a while due to small text.
Dinner with Scalzi! Jealous. He was GoH at our local LA con and I spent the con stalking him … uh, hitting all the panels he was on.
But – do they have In-And-Out Burgers in Vancouver?
We had the same concerns and worries and cost overruns at our Olympics too — and it the end, it didn’t matter. I was working at a location that was situated between the Athletes village and the Colliseum (the main venue for track & field, opening and closing). It was the best 2 weeks of my life. Spending breaks and lunch hours mingling with visitors from all over the US and with the Australian swimmers. Us locals were very worried about the games, the cost, the inconvenience == and in the end it was a 2-week long party. I’ve never seen so many genuinely happy visitors just floating around. So take heart — it may just turn out to be wonderful.
One minor question for Paul M or whoever about EATG: how come poor Paul Davis was still only a Major after 10 years? He get on someone’s wrong side not to get a promotion?
Thanks again for so many years of Stargate, and here’s to Universe being a great new chapter in the saga.
Love the fact that Scalzi will be Creative Consultant on the show, I adore his books. I’m sure he’ll bring something different to it. Did you bring him on board or were the rest of the team also fans?
Joe! Please tell me I misread the sentence and the SGC rooms are still there and they won’t be taken down until there are no more SG-1 (nor SGA) movies coming! PLEASE!
Joe,
tell Brad Wright that Christian Slater might make a good Everett Young on SGU. With his NBC show axed he might be up for it. That or in a different direction with the role, Chi McBride of “Pushing Daisies”, another unfairly cancelled show. I know this just sounds like “ooh cast my favorite actors” but they could really be good.
Oh and why call the ship ‘The General Hammond’? That seems weird to me. Like his rank was who he is. I would think ‘The Hammond’ or ‘The George Hammond’. But after all you don’t see Navy ships being called ‘The President Reagan’ or ‘The Admiral Nimitz’. It’s ‘The Ronald Reagan’ and ‘The Nimitz’. Just a thought
Joe,
I’ve realised why Season Five disturbs me so much: Teyla’s been emotionally excised from the team.
After Search And Rescue, not a single episode shows care for Teyla and any situation she’s in.
In The Shrine, everyone’s worried over Rodney, yet in The Queen, Sheppard and Keller’s visiting her seems more functional than friendly. The person who threatens Todd over Teyla’s safety is Ronon.
Even in Prodigal, after she’s dealt with Michael, Sheppard and McKay are all “Who cares that you just dealt with your bete noir and can’t get your son to sleep – we’re PLAYING! That’s more IMPORTANT than you and your life.” Which is why that episode disappointed me so much.
You had to verbally highlight the fact that Teyla and Ronon are “part of the team” in Enemy At The Gates, while Sheppard and McKay barely spoke to either of them, gave any reassurance, or thanked them for coming out of Pegasus to help Earth – possibly permanently.
In Season Four, Teyla was physically absent a lot, due to Rachel Luttrell’s pregnancy – but Sheppard, McKay, Carson, Keller all showed concern about her pregnant state, her state of mind, her people – there was reassurance and concern.
In Season Five, there was nothing.
This spells out the core of my discontent with Season Five – that while all the other characters were allowed to be friends and show care about each other, Teyla was emotionally sequestered, even at the end of Prodigal – an episode which should have dealt with her, her son, and what she’d done at the end.
Action- and plot-wise, I enjoyed Enemy At The Gate. Emotionally, I feel that you gutted the team and Teyla’s place in Atlantis at the expense of a whole lot of other stuff, and I’m disappointed.
I suspect you’re not listening to any criticism fans are offering, but I really loved “the team” in the earlier days of Stargate Atlantis – all four of them, and Teyla especially; so this last season has been heartbreaking for me.
I’m hoping that you rectify this emotional absence of Teyla in the movie you’re writing – small scenes that show the friendship McKay holds for her, Sheppard holds for her, Keller holds for her. Don’t *tell* us that she and Ronon are important, the way you did in Enemy At The Gate, *show* us through their interaction! Isn’t that the first law of writing – show, don’t tell?
On the discussion of Weber and his universe in the Honor Harrington series, I’m beginning to find it highly ironic that you admired Cordelia Naismith and Honor Harrington, but found it so difficult to admire Teyla in your writing.
Sel.
Okay I have to ask….Wormhole Drive? Who’s idea was that and why?
There was opportunity to vote? No one asked me. 🙁
Hehehehe..love the Paul video! 🙂
So watched Enemy at the Gate last night and wow. As final episodes go, this was a pretty darn good one. Loved all the special effects, watching the city fly “home” was stunning….Loved all the funny Todd scenes, he’s such a great character…The Ronon gets stabbed scene packed an emotional punch, even though I knew he was gonna be ok…Loved seeing Amanda Tapping back and the mention of Hammond was extremely touching tribute to Don S Davis.
All in all I completely loved it but it does make me realise how very much I’m gonna miss this show and how impatient I’m going to be until the movie arrives! 🙂
WOW SGC is down ! I repeat SGC is down ! we never leave a man behind get in there and pick him up and get him back into the fight. The only thing more powerful than the system, is the man that will overthrow it. Plz rethink SGA as a series.
How cool, dinner with Mr Scalzi, and of course the devine Mr M….. Since I read his books, and told my husband about them he is now reading The Old Mans War and following books, I told him how good they are, so thanks Mr M. He is enjoying them. Have a wonderful day!! 😀
Me revoila Joseph je me poser une question….
Pourrai t’il y avoir un jour un dessin animée de stargate sg1 ou sga?
Hey Joe,
In Enemy at The Gate, how come we didn’t see Landry at all (I know that he was heading up a task force) or O’Neill in the episode because wouldn’t we have heard or at least seen either one of them during the Wraith Attack or before it?
@Tami: Don’t worry about the late reply. Sebastian had weighed about 120 pounds in his prime. He was such a big boy. I think when we stood him on his hind legs he was taller than me. I’m 5′5″. Annabelle (the half golden half pyrenees) is not that tall on her hindlegs. She does weigh 100 pounds, though. And the vet says she’s a healthy weight. Ziggy weighs 80 pounds and is growing every second of every day. While Annabelle’s a sweetheart, Ziggy is a monster. He *thinks* he’s a lapdog. And he doesn’t care who he smooshes into the couch. He doesn’t care he’s not allowed on the couch. He’s a work in progress. I’m sure when he’s done being an annoying teenage puppy he’ll be a good adult. Annabelle drove me crazy. Now she’s calmer and the *good* dog. Wow! I never thought I’d consider Annabelle the good dog. Hey! There is hope for Ziggy, then!
Trish
@Trish: My dog weighed about 120 when he was younger as well. He also tried to get in my lap on an occassion. Now he is skinny due to old age. He is 12 now. You live in the Tampa area right in Florida? Can you give me an idea of what the weather maybe like at the end of March, 27 through April 4? My husband and family are going to Disney World then. I’ve heard different stories about the weather at that time. I hope its warm, because it will still be cold back home.
@das: What did you think of the last episode of Sanctuary? Its hard to believe their season is done as well, but at least we have more to look forward to. I didn’t see the end coming did you, about Ashley. I am liking Chris Heyedrehl more and more each episode and Henry.
@Joe: Just a thought. What happened to Torrin? I am assuming he is with his father, Kanaan? Again thanks for an awesome episode.
Tami
@Trish: Ignore the first part of my blog please. I just copied and pasted your response so I could remember what you wrote back. I forgot to delete it before posting it.
They generally say that throwing an Olympic bash will get a lot of money in from tourists 🙂
Iamjohn said
“Antisocialbutterflie also writes: ‘My one complaint was in the character of Nimitz. While normally I am all for semi-sentient non-human characters, Nimitz didn’t exactly seem to serve a purpose. Any of the parts of the books where he might have been significant, Honor left him in her room. I suspect this may be one of those situations where he will be a bigger player in a later book…’ ”
Don’t worry, Nimitz becomes much more of a player in the story line, particularly in “The Honor of the Queen”, and some of the late series books.
That’s great to hear. I really wanted to like him as a character but as it stood, in this novel, I just couldn’t find it in me.
On the topic of the Olympics, I have heard that London is having just as many problems. As I understand it they are building the new stadiums and Olympic village on what is essentially a toxic waste dump. The area is too contaminated to allow long term occupancy. How do they pick these locations?
Hope you had fun at dinner. I’m very jealous.
You don’t mean that the SGC set is no longer there, or replaced, do you?
I just heard – John Scalzi on SGU!! I can’t believe it! Thanks to you, I read Old Man’s War, and loved it, and continued reading the whole series.
This summer can’t come soon enough.
Joseph could you clarify have the SGC standing sets been taken down.
With Atlantis back on earth it defiantly appears as though it is going to become a permanent base for earths stargate program in the future.
I hope you aren’t just going to take this chance to destroy the SGC.
Also for people who are interested in what big means here is Bridge Studios website which includes floor plans of the each of the stages. http://www.bridgestudios.com/
Check.