Nah, I don’t want to get into it today either. Soon though.
Despite another sleepless night, I was able to contribute to a fairly productive afternoon spin session in which we cemented the first half of season 2 and worked out further details on those initial five stories. Looks like I won’t be doing episode 2 after all which is a shame as I was really looking forward to tackling what will be a wonderfully multi-character-centric story with a tough ethical dilemma at its core. Instead, I’ll be switching over to 3 which, to be perfectly honest, would have been number five on my list of choices only because of the tech component of this particular story (techy scripts are on my personal No Fly list, coming in somewhere between Ancient storylines and anything involving replicator duplicates of our team reaching out to Atlantis). Still, the late addition of another story element (which I initially pitched out for another episode) has certainly made 3 far more intriguing.
Hey, look who dropped by the other day to pick up his crew gift. It’s Director Peter DeLuise!
One of the great things about working on the lot is that you never know what you may stumble upon. One day, it could be a someone torching a stuntman with a flamethrower (http://josephmallozzi.com/2007/05/02/may-1-2007/), and another it could be something entirely different…
Hey, check out this terrific take on SGU by Curt Wagner over at Chicago Now: http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/show-patrol/2009/10/defending-my-series-stargate-universe.html
Mailbag:
Debra writes: “I don’t care about Chloe and who she has sex with… but your blowing off criticisms points out again that when it comes to any type of romantic relationship, the SG writers miss far more than they hit.”
Answer: I’m not blowing off criticism, merely pointing out that it doesn’t make sense to take the opinions of one small group as representative of general viewership. Sure, it’s great to receive feedback and fan response does give us food for thought, but that doesn’t mean we need to start second-guessing the creative every time someone posts a critique. To be brutally honest, there are there is the occasional fan input that does make us stop and consider while, on the flip side, you’ll have opinion that says more about the critic’s frame of mind or agenda than the actual episode.
Sylvia writes: “Heya Joe, mystery man is David Blue. And, since you showed it to us, enquiring minds want to know – please, what’s in the bag?”
Answer: Correct! The mystery man WAS David Blue – who gifted me a nice bottle of wine. Super guy. And nicely done. Now I’ll have to seriously argue for Eli’s survival.
DasNdanger writes: “And, finally – so then did you read the Old Man Logan arc, or not?”
Answer: I picked up the last half-dozen issues and did enjoy it. I’ll pick up the trade paperback when it comes out. My list of titles I’m reading has dwindled to a mere half dozen, not counting Scalped and The Walking Dead which I pick up as collected volumes.
Shadow Step writes: “Answer: There were several seed ships.”
Can you seed something of metal? Shouldn’t it be construction ships?”
Answer: Actually, we refer to them as seeder ships or, as my writing partner prefers, cedar ships – big honking ships made out of wood!
Shadow Step also writes: “ “You say “humanity”. I say “idiocy”. ”
I say humanity, because I assumed humans are flawed, I forgot there are exceptions.”
Answer: Oh, we are flawed – some a lot more than others. Still, there’s a difference between having an opinion and being willfully obnoxious.
DasNdanger writes: “Usually if I read before bed, or distract my mind with some kind of mental puzzle (sudoku, for instance), I find it easier to come down and fall asleep.”
Answer: I read anywhere from 1-2 hours in bed every night. Maybe I should be watching t.v. instead.
Simon writes: “1) Did the aliens that attacked Shepp and co. in ”The Daedalus Variations” have a name?
2) Were there going to be any episodes of SGA that involved Alternat Realities? Not counting ”The Last Man” and other previous eps.”
Answers: 1) No, they didn’t. 2) I don’t recall. Just do a search of this blog for my entry titled An AU Season 6 in which I break down the story ideas we were considering for Atlantis’s sixth season.
36:9=4Symbols writes: “Hey Joe is there a full length “Opening Credits” Scene existing for SGU?”
Answer: Nope. Sorry.
Cat writes: “Have you ever had the chance to check out the Cannery Restaurant?”
Answer: As a matter of fact, yes. My wife took me there for my birthday. We had a wonderful time and a terrific meal. The late Don Davis loved The Cannery.
Ravenfur writes: “Why are the Kino scenes split apart from the main direction? Not that I don’t love what Ivon is doing (I think the Kino scenes are some of the best parts of these episodes) but I’m confused at the division of labor. Is it because they’re just too different from the main action? Wouldn’t it have been easier just to lump everything under the main director? With they way things are right now, does the episode’s main director have a lot of say in how the Kino scenes are created?”
Answer: The kinos are not considered part of the standing episodes so it doesn’t make sense to have our regular directors direct them within the body of a scheduled main unit production.
Boookal writes: “Joe the CG in Universe is freaking awesome. Is there a new team that was brought in or has the existing team just stepped up a lot?”
Answer: With the exception of the cast it’s been, for the most part, the same team.
Chair writes: “I LOVE the dog in your header, is it yours?”
Answer: Yep. That’s Maximus – who was in the office today recuperating following minor surgery.
Col. Mustard writes: “Since the Destiny has just been recharged, does it now have enough power to dial earth?”
Answer: No, it doesn’t. If it did, they certainly would have tried.
Gilder writes: “Ever seen an actor replaced during rehearsal?(on any production, not just SG)”
Answer: I’ve heard it happen on other productions.
Otros Ojos writes: “Could you be induced to take a couple of days off from doing your blog entry, or at least from modding mega-comments like mine?”
Answer: And break my streak of consecutive days blogged? Never!
Ponytail writes: “If that doesn’t work, do what I did when I was 10 years old. I would pretend a burglar was in my room. I had to act like I was asleep and lay very still or he might kill me. It worked for me!”
Answer: Replace burglar with monitoring aliens and that was me at 10.
Milmer writes: “Are there any plans for you to explain how Earth managed to create it’s own version of the ancient long range communication device, or should we just accept that they did in the interests of making the show accessible?”
Answer: This is one of those givens that we have no plans to explore or elaborate upon, the conceit being that over the years, Stargate R&D has made technological inroads based on its many off-world discoveries. Of course some have been easier to replicate than others, which is why you can’t hop online and order yourself up a working goa’uld sarcophagus.
Shadow Step writes: ““If Brian Smith is getting the Wil Wheaton treatment, ” As far as I can see he’s just a bit too sensitive.”
Answer: Right. As far as you can see. You haven’t been privy to the idiotic messages he’s received from fans who have decided to take their displeasure with the show out on him.
In the future will we see a big smack down between Greer and the bald guy (is that Spencer)?
TJ is toughening up. I like!
“Water” was a pretty good episode, but I’m still not feeling the love towards Scott. The boy needs to quit turning off his radio (on duty no less) and zip his pants. He keeps coming across as a boring man whore.
Aww, Joe… I’m rather upset that you keep ducking my “How’d they plug in the ‘At’ point of origin on Icarus Base’s gate without towing the Earth gate all the way out there” question.
Might I suggest you do that rant on Halloween tomorrow? I’m not a big fan of little kids coming to my doorstop and hitting me up for my candy… IT’S MY HORDE! NOT THEIRS!
Anyway, a different question for you today since you seem so resistant to my point of origin question: For the swarm of alien microbes in this week’s ep, why did they pitch it through an outbound wormhole and then have Young dial in? Some of them could’ve decided to hop right back onto the ship and it was my understanding that there was a very unpleasant (but effective) death awaiting anyone who tried to enter a wormhole the wrong way?
Ryan
Oooooh, nice one! Greer and TJ: outstanding scene! I also really liked Lt James’ reactions in this one. She’s a grownup, and not stupid. Also not petty. Scott is still 14, and I’m NOT talking about hormones, I’m talking about having a clue about women. He’ll learn, poor guy.
No way should Spencer have gotten away with brushing past Young like that! I believe the Colonel’s authority (and stability) may be slipping…understandably. He needs to lock himself in his quarters and break a few things!
Nice spotlight on TJ tonight. And it was great to see Lt. James handle the Chloe/Scott thing so well. Why is it that Scott keeps having to get rescued? LOL. Can we have someone else get placed in mortal danger for a change?
Also, does Eli know about the discovery of Atlantis? I know in “Air” the video with Daniel Jackson mentioned the 8th chevron opened up to a new galaxy, but he didn’t mention Atlantis by name. Wouldn’t Eli be a bit excited to find out that the legendary “lost city” was found?
BTW, at which point (or episode) does Ming-Na go from being a guest-star to a regular cast member? There was a lot of press about her joining the show and being a regular, but so far she’s only been listed as a guest-star. Looking forward to seeing more of Camille and how her status as the IOA rep is handled in regards to the “power struggle” (if you will) between Young and Rush.
Been doing a lot of heavy sleeping, I do have the flu, very mild case, but enough to wipe me out and make me forget to ramble on. Or not. Something like that.
I heart flamethrowers, except we have to call them “flame effects” or Homeland Security gets cranky.
Flashback: Ah, the sex hat. I’ve been to those parties, in the 70s.
Dang, you mean my As Seen on TV Goa’uld Look Young Forever Sarcophagus is a fake? Like I’m going to shell out for the Replicator Cat Feeder anytime soon.
Are you planning on having a soundtrack come out for SGU? I absolutely love the music and I would totally buy it if there was one.
Hmmmm, so if you want to sleep, catch the flu. Nah, not so much fun. I do have a light box with blue lights, when my sleep patterns get out of whack, it says to set it up so the light hits your face for a half hour every night at the same time, about two hours before bedtime. Takes about a week. Works for me, but I haven’t had to use it recently.
Enjoying the new stargate alot, Joe. I like it so much that me and some friends have been able to create a SGU drinking game so far. Some of what we got…have a drink when….
1. someone says FTL
2. The pentagon is shown
3. someone says we’re not supposed to be here
4. someone says these are the wrong people
5. someone records a message on the kino
6. the kino is shown
7. rush is in a pissed off mood
8. someone uses the communication stones to body swap
9. telford starts giving orders as soon as he’s onboard destinty
just a little of what we’ve got so far, im sure we could come up with more. but keep up the good work joe! looking forward to hearing the good news about a season 2 renewal
Man that is not cool if people are writing idiotic messages to Brian Smith. The fans are jealous because he gets to make out with two beautiful women (Julia, and Elyse). I like his character on the show, and he is doing a great job. I see his character gaining experience as the show continues to grow and progress. I’m enjoy watching SG-U. Keep up the good work.
Could you be dreaming that you can’t fall asleep?
Oh, also, are we ever going to find out why the dust cloud seemed to hover and try to communicate with Scott?
Are you trying to fatten us up on mailbags to get us through the lean times of your trip? Whether or not the answer is yes, thank you. Pictures also enjoyed.
A few comments on Water. SPOILER ALERT……….
All in all, not bad. This time I felt the tension a bit more, enjoyed the mystery of the alien entity, and loved the ongoing civilian/military tension, as well as the scumbag hoarder touch. TJ didn’t do badly as a leader, though I was sorry to see that there was no attempt at communication with the alien(given its face-making behavior I wonder if it were sentient), but given the circumstances I can see why that was not tried. Solid performances all round. My opinion of Scott is still low; physical courage is common enough, but he lacks the moral courage to control his libido, to the point of turning his radio off. Given he’s now one of the command officers, that kind of behavior is troubling. I really am waiting for Chloe to become more than a woman-girl who has to cling to a man. I saw hints of a powerful female in the first part of Air, but not seen anything since. Really loved Rush’s slapdowns of Eli. Got to wonder when we’ll see Eli begin to slap back. Still waiting on Volker and Brody to come into their own. As Young has pointed out, they are scientists in their own right, even if not on the uber-genius of Eli and Rush. Solid job by Mr. Binder. Next week’s teaser actually has me just a wee bit interested. So, keep up the good work. Meantime, any chance of a guest appearance by Baron Destructo? Inquiring minds want to know what his Evil Evilness is up to. Anyways, thanks for keeping the streak going one more day.
Tired…hope I make sense…
First of all, I’m vrey disappointed (and angered) by the so-called fans who have taken it upon themselves to target Brian J. Smith. Brian – if you’re out there – don’t let it get to you. You’re doing a fine job. Water was a great episode – well done!
That said…Joe – tell everyone (writers, directors) enough with the mushy stuff! Blow something up already!!! I think in this you are starting to hurt Scott’s character. People are not taking him serious because they can’t see beyond the sexual situations you keep putting him in.
Can we see him do something else?? By this I mean on a personal level – of course we’ve seen him in heroic situations that involve his position and duty, but more insight into the character’s personal nature – apart from his libido – would be nice.
I recall one of my favorite scenes of Nuada in Hellboy II – it wasn’t a fight scene with his white hair flying about, or when he was hitting on his sister, but this brief little scene where he was delicately assembling a golden egg.
That’s the type of stuff that makes viewers fall ‘in love’ with a character. What they do when no one is looking. Just look at the effect that scene with Greer alone in his room had on people – it made folks take notice. I think people need to see this in Scott. Give him a hobby or something…maybe he molds toy soldiers out of spent shell casings, or plays tunes on a homemade flute, or writes poetry in a old ratty leather journal…stuff like that works wonders with an audience because it helps to make the characters ‘real’.
And on that note I will express one concern I’ve been holding off on. When it comes to ‘character moments’ – nothing works better (imho) than what I’ve said above. I know you guys know this or you wouldn’t have included that wonderful Greer moment that so many loved. But I’ve noticed that we’ve had very few of these moments. Flashes here and there, but not enough to really get to know the characters. I want to know what Eli does in his room when he’s alone (within tasteful reason 😉 ). I’d like to see cut-away scenes of people beginning to make Destiny their home. I wish I could explain myself better – I’m really tired, though. But I think you know what I mean. It’s something Stargate never really seems to have time for. Such moments were rare in Atlantis, and though Universe does have those moments, I think there could stand to be more, especially if this is supposed to be a character-driven show.
Eh, maybe I’m tired, or just grumpy because I spent the last official day of my vacation doing 4 loads of laundry, and paying the household bills. I’m broke now. 😛
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..
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Heya, Joey…wanna lend me a few bucks?? 🙂
@ Joe and Ponytail – Um…since it’s true confession time… I STILL imagine I’m in some sort of predicament to help me fall asleep – usually shipwrecked and stranded on an island, or trapped in a snow cave during a blizzard, or in a barn, passed out in the hayloft after running for my life from a bunch of townsfolk who think I’m a horse thief…
And I’m NOT 10! 😀
I act like it, though… 😛
Joe – I think Old Man Logan just came out in hardcover. If you did read that, then did you read the two-ish arc that came just after (two stories per issue, one by Way and one by Aaron – #73 & #74, I think)? Just wondering if you had read that Aaron story, knowing that you enjoy his writing so much. I just re-read it – it was pretty good.
I don’t know how you can read in bed and not fall asleep. I read on the sofa, and fall asleep after about half an hour. It’s one reason it takes me so long to finish anything. Some stories will keep me awake (the Elric saga certainly did), but most of the time reading relaxes me and soon I’m off into lala land.
Heh…reading what I just wrote has made me sleepy…
Nitey nites.
das
hey joe
Have you ever been to Southwest Florida. it is a nice place to visit after working hard all year and warm. We have some good resturants down u might like
You know, if you can’t sleep I have a slew of boring textbooks for you. Mainly my books for sociological theory. Or I could tape the lectures, as I fight sleep almost every class. Seriously, I’m getting tired thinking about my professor go on about Emile Durkheim.
Anyway, I thought Water was good. I’ll venture into my own little minority of fandom by saying that I may like Universe more than Atlantis.
Jenny
Mr. Mallozzi, sir, I have a couple questions for you.
1. How long was Eli on Icarus Base before the Lucian Alliance arrived and made a mess of things? It seemed like maybe a day to me.
2. Through the end of “Water” (which was a damn cool episode… I loved the planet), how much time has passed since the team got onto Destiny. I’m just trying to keep the days and hours in some sort of framework.
It seemed like there might have been a bit of a gap between “Light” and “Water.”
Thank you for your blog and your work on the series!
Hi everyone, up in Orlando with the daughter and NOT having lunch with the Florida crew tomorrow due to illnesses. We have rescheduled for Dec. 5 th, -waves- “Hi girls”. 6 days ’till con. and I can’t wait. @Joe , did the chestnuts come yet? I just want to know they DID get there!! Thanks, Sheryl.
Water. Best episode so far. Waiting to see what the complaints from fandom will be this week. One would think they would be running out of reasons to whine but their attention spans are far greater than I would have guessed. Truly impressive performances tonight from the entire cast. I’m sure the best is yet to come . . .
Hey Joe, what´s going on with Rush? Is he a good guy or a bad guy? Is he knowing more about the Destiny than he is telling.He´s a very difficult character,will we get more information about his past,his intentions and his (maybe) wife shown on the Picture in Air I?
Just watched WATER,it was a nice episode but there is one thing i don´t understand…Why was the rescue of Scott so easy in the end (Young just pull him up)?First it was looking like it was to hard for young to pull him out and then he had no problems like Superman.
Anyway the whole Team did a great job on SGU,and i will stay tuned for the next Ep.
Cheers everyone i got a lot of work to do.
Will we see the crew using any Ancient personal weapons in the series?
We’ve seen drones and we’ve seen pistol style weapons that the Ancients used in Atlantis but we haven’t really seen widestyle “Tauri” usage of handheld energy weapons.
Since bullet supplies are going to be an issue…it’d make sense to use them if they’re there.
But in the meantime…cool move with Greer making a homemade flamethrower. I liked his line where he said “..your not the only one that can build things”…good dark humour moment.
Hey Joe:
I have been giving SGU a chance. While I am enjoying it, I find that the episodes are a bit slower and the stories so far have not been “edge of your seat” good.
I will continue to follow it until the end of season 1, but I am really missing SGA. Some things just cross the line of being within the realm of “believable” as far as SciFi goes. (For starters, that they would “recruit” a young man using a video game and then proceed to take him to a different planet without any sort of prep. and the idea that anything technological would survive a million+ years really bugs me)
Anyway, I DO enjoy your blog immensely and I am a big fan of your work. Hopefully after a bit more character development and some interaction with the “ship database” to fill some of the gaps I will be able to get into SGU more.
Thanks for the daily blog entry. You are the only non-work blog by an individual that I look forward to daily.
Loved the episode. I know. You’re surprised, right?
TJ was amazing. Alaina Huffman really got to shine this time around.
Also found myself really impressed with Lt. James. Her interactions with Chloe and Scott were meaningful. She said a lot with just her expressions. That’s good acting.
Wow, water topped light by far. Amazing. Just sad gorman had to die. Loved his character. And stop killing off redshirt marines. I love their uniforms, and you guys are killing off extras wayyyyyy to fast. Your going to run out of people!!
Lol
Thanks so much,
Major D. Davis
If I read before bed, I stay up way too late and end up too keyed up to fall asleep easily. I love reading but I have to find other times.
I, too, slept really good when I had the flu.
Have you tried melatonin?
Sorry to hear you didn’t get your episode of choice, but I guess there’s a reason for everything. . . like sleep-deprived writer/producers refusing to break a “consecutive days blogging” streak. (I have to wonder if that drives Fondy crazy sometimes, as it does me.)
Down to business: I’m blown away by how SGU keeps kicking it up a notch or five with every episode. On Twitter, Mark Savela, among others, has encouraged fans to trust cast/crew assurances that “it gets even better.” I’m now firmly convinced of that. Water, like Light, had my eyes riveted to the TV (new technology; don’t ask) from first to last — only riveted even tighter, with the addition of more action, and the perfect scoring that got my adrenaline pumping with my just barely being aware of it. Superb VFX as promised, and photography/cinematography again is also hit out of the park. As well, the change-up looks we get from one ep to the next are incredibly impressive.
Character moments: My impression was mostly of tension of one sort or another — but then the closing kino scene with Col. Young was very moving in its understated dialogue and overall minimalistic effect (very appropriate given the circumstances); and as Young stalked down the hallway, I remembered to breathe. Still, tension was seen in his frustration over not knowing how to turn off the kino, and in his tight posture while going down the hallway with loud footfalls, and the camera going abruptly to black. That kind of attention to detail is part of what makes SGU such a standout for me. But, again from my POV, it’s mostly about the characters. TJ and Chloe both step up. Chloe’s time in the spotlight is brief but significant for character development. Lt. James, same thing — tough job for her vis-a-vis Chloe, but she did the right thing. Young, Scott, Rush, Eli, Greer, Spencer – everybody seen in this ep gets insightful development, whether at length or briefly, and many kudos to the actors/directors/writers/producers, and all crew for that, and for making the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
I would gladly pay to see any two eps of SGU on the big screen in lieu of the overwhelming majority of movies that’ve been out in recent memory. (Normal memory, not my Swiss-cheese variety [ty, Quantum Leap].) To me, it’s just that good. And better. As posted on Twitter, I’ve run out of superlatives for this show.
Looking for the line to save Eli/David…I want to get in line!
Regard negative comments: If I may put in my two cents and not ask for change either.
Those a bad enough as an opinion stated on your blog, Joe, but when comments go directly via Twitter to an individual – that is personal. How can anyone hold an ACTOR responsible for the script written for a show and NOT their own individual spontaneous and voluntary action is beyond me!
Climbing off soapbox.
By the way, Water was a bit of a nail biter. We need to learn more about those flying buggie thingeys.
Oh dear. I admit, I was having a bit of a laugh reading some of the teeth-gnashing comments about Scott/Chloe, but if people are going after the actor(s)… well, that takes me back – in a very unpleasant way – to a time not very long ago when this crazy group of fans took it upon themselves to rescue their favorite show by insulting the competence of the people who created it…
Although, Joe, you guys should have realized by now that if someone on Stargate is ‘getting some’, and it’s not the resident geek, (Daniel, McKay, Eli), then the fans who identify with the resident geek to an unhealthy degree are going to take it personally.
Anyway, while I’ve been languishing in bed (flu *and* sinus infection; aren’t I lucky?) I enjoyed tonight’s episode. Glad to see TJ being less of a Debbie Downer and getting some real dialog. Glad to see James being portrayed as a decent human being with regards to Chloe instead of the Stereotypical Jealous Female. Curious about why the water monster took such a shine to Scott. Greer is definitely growing on me, and I felt Young’s personality was more fully formed this week than it was after all the angsting over his (ex?) wife. Liked that Rush, Eli and Chloe took a bit of a backseat this week — I can’t imagine what a challenge it must be to juggle all of these characters!
I do have to admit that I always find it hard to believe that some mistake actors in real life for the fictional characters that they play. I think it’s good to see the actor as the actor and the character as the character.
Best wishes to Maximus.
P&L,
j
@Jenny R I’ll venture into my own little minority of fandom by saying that I may like Universe more than Atlantis.
I LOVED Atlantis, and while I still miss Rodney, John & and the gang, I think Universe is fabulous. I don’t think they compare very well, which is a good thing, if you ask me. Atlantis has its own place. I expect I’ll be buying the DVDs for Universe every year just like I did with Atlantis.
I meant to say before that I like the Earth-made communication-stone interface. I never thought the Ancient hooka would sit well with the brass. Too flashy.
Has it been worked out how much weight a single kino can bear? Because that’d be funny to see somebody hanging on one in mid-air.
Joe,
I loved watching the episode “Water” tonight. It showed a certain strength in T.J. and then there is Dr. Rush…do we hate him, do we trust him, or do we maybe like him a little…hmmm. What a quandary! From what I’ve seen so far the whole cast deserves kudos for the portrayal of their characters. Are we going to see more of the exploration of the Destiny itself…like maybe a medical bay? And what is in all of those Ancient crates? Even though it was sent out unmanned, the ancients did plan on boarding it at some point right?
Sorry to hear you are having sleep problems. I use to have problems falling asleep and then my uncle, (a doctor), told me about a method he uses, which is the muscle relaxation method a stage of Autogenic relaxation, laugh if you want but it works…really.
How do I send mail to this mail bag? Cuase I got questions I would like to read a reply too.
Eli seems to have gotten over the whole Chloe/Matt thing pretty quickly. Has he really accepted the current state of affairs, or should we anticipate more awkward tension resulting from that love triangle?
Was James trying to convey something to Chloe when she told her about Matt’s predicament on the island, or was she simply being gracious?
Quite enjoyed the action on Destiny with TJ, Greer and Rush (and the other crew). Using the sand alien from Air was nice. Strangely, I have no problem not nowing what it really was; I suppose in reality none of us would understand the alien in the short time that has passed on the ship.
Eli got a nice dose of “harden up” from Rush, which he deserves. Their survival doesn’t just depend on his tech skills. Eli doesn’t understand what someone, like say Col Young, has to deal with to ensure the survival of everyone onboard Destiny.
will the Destiny be in a space fight this season? the swarm cloud thing reminded me of the black energy sucking thing from “Hide and Seek” from SGA. Not a good or bad thing…just sayin.
I agree with that comment about Eli, he still has some grwoing up to do. Which is the only reason I don’t want him getting with Chloe yet.
While Water is better than the previous episodes, SGU is still slow pace with a predictable storyline. Again top marks for the SFX & VFX, but much less for the cinematography. The dark dimly lited scenes of the Destiny interior still remind me of the really bad sci-fi movies from the 50s and 60s. The characters are reveal more in depth. Waiting for future reveals on the characters, especially their back stories.
I second Alphawox‘s notion of a timeline for SGU. May the TPTB would insert a date counter in the teaser scene at the start of the episode to get the viewers a hint.
Joe, I’m sorry to hear you have been trouble sleeping… a couple of suggestions, if I might : if you exercise late in the day, try moving it to an earlier time. Any changes in medication? Some of them have insomnia side effects.
It may sound silly, but try meditating or saying a mantra over and over until your mind stills. It can be anything you choose, at long as it doesn’t annoy you ;).
Poor Maximus, extra pats. Hope he’s okay.
Liked “Water” very much, good VFX (did they build a crevasse?!? OMG). “Anti-grav” kino sled, very cool – as was Greer’s flamethrower. Good creepy alien mist for the day before Halloween!!
I feel like ranting after reading some of the comments, too – and the fact that people seem to EXPECT answers/ explanations. I have questions, too, and feel privileged if they get answered- not everyone who blogs even allows comments!!
Wishing you a sleep-filled night, off to peep at (hopefully) fall-colored leaves tomorrow. It’s AZ, no guarantees….
Lisa
When I heard that John Scalzi was going to be a creative consultant for the series I bought the Old Man’s War trilogy and read them. I loved the books and immediately thought that Scalzi was a great author.
Do you have any examples from the episodes we’ve seen so far of John Scalzi’s input on the show?
In the first part of Air Colonel Young collapses in his kitchen – has the reason for this collapse been explained (and I missed it) or is it still to be explained??
Whilst I don’t enjoy SGU nearly as much as Atlantis it is still a good quality programme.
Hey Joe,
QUESTION:
Will SGU this season be split into two? 10 episodes now and 10 later?
Best to you Joe,
Cheryl 🙂
P.S. Do you have an iPhone? (another question) hehehe
Gah, forgot something yet again….
Greer once again rocks! He never disappoints.
😀
Joe –
I have to say, it was nice to see a bit more happening in this ep. Finally they encounter some alien life forms. And that guy who got brutally killed was a nice touch. Also nice to see TJ and… um, the black dude (still having trouble remembering the names) getting some more time. The whole ‘angry young man’ thing kind of irritated me at first, but he’s becoming kind of cool. I’ve got a few questions:
1. Once a wormhole is open, can things only pass through from the dialing end to the dialed end? Because I thought that’s how it was, but in a couple parts at the beginning it looked like things were going back and forth through the same wormhole without redialing.
2. Will we be seeing more of those little lifeforms?
3. Were those space suits used before, or am I imagining things?
Das – I read the Old Man Logan comics (at least, I think I read all of them). I thought they were pretty cool. Although the end did have me wondering if the Marvel Zombies comics might not have bled over into some of the others. What’s with all this people eating each other suddenly?
Coucou Joseph!
Joyeux Halloween! =P
J’espere que cette nuit vous avez un peu plus dormi, il est temp que les vacances arrivent!
Merci pour ces photos, ça fait bien plaisir de revoir des personnes de la production comme Peter, qu’ai t’il arrivé à Robert.C ? il a des béquilles..
Je rêve de devenir violette!! =P c”est trop beau je trouve, certe on à l’air un peu idiot mais bon lol…
Gros bisou =)
et encore bon Halloween!
Just read your comment about being10 and imagining aliens in your room..
So now you have me wondering, what do you think about the stories of alien abductions eg from the story ‘Communion” by Whitley Strieber. Do you believe it?
Regarder Joseph, j’ai mi mon blog en “mode Halloween”
http://atlantisfannew1.skyrock.com/
Il à trop le style =P!!
i have good tastes, i know that for sure even if no one thinks so, so when i say SG-1 and Atlantis were great, i mean it. sure they had flaws sticking out and some episodes were painful to watch. but in the end they were great, now why do you guys hate your own past work? SGU as good as it is now, seems to take a stab at everything that made the previous shows great.
Why do you keep avoiding the questions about SGU’s suitability for a family audience? Surely it’s not too difficult a question.
When the concept for SGU was first being discussed you must have had a target audience in mind and presumably viewer age was one of the factors discussed. So I’ll rephrase the question –
What is the age range of SGU’s target audience?
Well I have finally watched Universe…Watched Air 3…ok so what can I say…script good, some of the acting is good..production as always is great..BUT I really don’t like all of that Zooming of the camera…sorry but with someone with vertigo does not work for me….
Kriss 🙂
Je viens de regarder l’épisode 6 ! Je l’aime beaucoup !!! Je suis impatiente qu’ils réouvrent la porte et qu’il découvre d’autres formes de vie=)
@hendrixtl
Waiting to see what the complaints from fandom will be this week. One would think they would be running out of reasons to whine but their attention spans are far greater than I would have guessed.
Or they simply aren’t commenting on a show they no longer watch. 🙂
@ SupremeLegate – Just post your questions here – Joe selects the questions from our comments that he wishes to address.
And speaking of Joe…
JOSEPH MALLOZZI!!! (Hey – do you have a middle name? What is it? Come on, tell me…or I’m making one up. I really need to call you by your entire name right now. Joseph Michael? Joseph Edward? Joseph John? Joseph David? Sounds Jewish. How about Joseph Mortimer? Yeah, you’d be sorry if I stuck you with that one…so, do tell! Certainly you have a middle name!)
Anyhoo…
JOSEPH MALLOZZI, I’M CALLIN’ YOU OUT!!! Come on, sucker…put up your dukes…yeah, yeah…that’s it…try and catch me! *duck-bob-weave* Ha! You can’t touch this… ’cause I ‘float like a butterfly and sting like a bee’! *Pop-pop-pop!* Ha! I score first with three bunny punches to the nose! Woo!
*BAM!!*
ouch. Thath’s noth fair! Youth punthed me in the moufth. Now I hath a fhat lisp. 🙁
Okay…why am I so mad?? Because all of this insomnia talk had me AWAKE ALL NIGHT! 😡 Fell asleep – slept like a rock…woke up to go potty (all that water, remember), and tried to go back to sleep…but everytime I started drifting off, my cat started licking my face (I KNOW you secretly programmed her to do this!). The she start walking on my face. Sleeping and purring on my face. Staring at my face like a possessed Stephen King cat. So, I decided to watch Monk because – remember – when I really WANT to watch something, I will inevitably fall asleep. Well, it didn’t work! You put the whammy one me!! Monk just woke me up even more!! The more awake I got, the more I thought, ‘and I told Mallozzi how great I’m sleeping these days!’ ARRRGGGHHH!! YOU were in my head all night, mocking me and my sleeplessness!
I have to go to a winery today for a luncheon, and I’m gonna be late now because I stayed in bed until after 9, trying to fall back to sleep! AND I have to take Mr. Das with me, just in case I get too sleepy to drive. You know what that’s like…dragging the husband to an event he can’t attend (it’s just for the ladies), and then sending him off on his own, relying on him to come back at the right time to pick you back up? Then having to hear him gripe all the way home about how he could have been doing such-n-such today instead of playing chauffeur? Ugh.
It’s ALL YOUR FAULT!!! 😡
…
..
.
Have a good day, sir. May you bask in my misery. I’ll getcha back, just you wait and see… 😀
das
Hi Joe,
For the sleep issues, I suggest melatonin. Take 3 mg about half an hour before you are ready to sleep. It works best if you take it at the same time every night for a week or two to get your sleep cycles regulated. It has pretty much the same effect as the blue light therapy that maggiemayday mentioned.
And I did find your comment about the “sex hat” very funny the other day.
I hope you sleep better tonight.
I liked the episode. But I’m still nostalgic for my Friday night escapist sci-fi. While I do enjoy SGU, it is in a very different category than SGA for me in that it stresses interpersonal relationships more than adventures in a strange new world. More drama, less fun. Just my take on it.
Spoiler alert for Water.
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Nice to see the sand creatures again and I wonder if they really all left the ship… it was kind of sweet of them to check on Scott before they went on their merry way.
Although I never really felt a sense of danger and urgency while Scott and Young (who had some funny lines) were on the Hoth planet, it did make for some interesting developments back on the Destiny.
My admiration for TJ has grown tremendously. TJ stepped up to command and handled a difficult situation brilliantly!
The interplay between Rush and Eli was wonderful!
Eli displayed his immaturity and lack of experience dealing with crises and was reprimanded for it. I hope he learns a positive lesson from what happened.
Rush was his analytical self, but showed that he can be sympathetic to the plight of others. And I loved the way he dealt with Eli. A bit harsh, but in character. And very necessary. Eli needs criticism as well as praise.
Greer did his shoot first and don’t bother asking questions thing (loved the home-made flamethrower!).
About Chloe and Lt. Spencer: Was Spencer really being nice to Chloe by telling her of Scott’s plight? I’m not entirely convinced. Maybe that was a time when it might have been kinder to hold back the truth for a little while.
@36:9=4Symbols: It was easy for Young to pull up Scott because the last tremor had shifted the ice and
Scott was finally free – which was also why he was suddenly falling into the crevasse. Or so it appeared to me.
Drat! I meant James not Spencer talking to Chloe. Spencer is the antisocial bald guy who was hoarding food and James is the female soldier who in previous episodes was fooling around with Scott and leading the band of ship’s personnel pressuring Eli for information and being kinoed in her wet tee-shirt. Arrrggggg!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’ll learn their names eventually.
Let’s try again:
About Chloe and James: Was James really being nice to Chloe by telling her of Scott’s plight? I’m not entirely convinced. Maybe that was a time when it might have been kinder to hold back the truth for a little while.
I never cease to be amazed at how truly terrible Stargate fans can be online.
Honestly. In person, you will not find a more kind and fun group of fans. But get a segment of them online? They’re awful and hateful.
You can’t compare SGU to SG1 or SGA. Very different show. I loved both SG1 and SGA, but this show is just as fascinating.
I will also remind people of the gnashing of teeth over SGA in Season 1. But folks sure got protective of it after that. I suspect much the same will happen here.
On a completely unrelated note, you need to get into a doctor about your insomnia, young man. It can sometimes be a sign of other physical issues that need to be managed. My mom didn’t realize that she was having a thyroid issue.
And good sleep habits are key:
http://www.umm.edu/sleep/sleep_hyg.htm
@Das. Any critiques I make about characters are not aimed at the actors. If anything, I’m very impressed with the quality of acting by this cast., So, all the blame falls to the writers… I know your comment was not aimed t me, but it always helps to make it clear where I stand.
@ Mr. M. do hope Maximus is doing well. Are you going to share what was wrong, or is it of a too personal nature that you don’t want to embarrass him>
Hi Joe, some questions for you If you don’t mind 😀
1. Do you know If there’s any plans to release SG-1 and SGU on Blu-ray disc in the future?
2. Will we see Young going through the Stargate any time soon?
3. Is there any plans to add a full opening credits in the future? I miss It 😮
I’m loving the music for SGU, Joel Goldsmith is a musical genious 😀
Hm, Peter DeLuise seems to get thinner and thinner – you aren’t eating his lunch are you? 😉
“Still, there’s a difference between having an opinion and being willfully obnoxious.”
I think people too often assume obnoxiousness when its just another point of view – the more the view differs from their own the more the likelyhood increases.
“Answer: Actually, we refer to them as seeder ships or, as my writing partner prefers, cedar ships – big honking ships made out of wood!”
Yes! Treeships!
Ever read Dan Simmons’ Hyperion? The Templars from God’s Grove grows spacecraft out of single enormous trees (like a distant relative to Dyson trees) – 5 of these enormous tree ships are in existence and ply their way through the stars.
“You haven’t been privy to the idiotic messages he’s received from fans who have decided to take their displeasure with the show out on him.”
Well, I was only talking about what i saw on twitter – but if one asks what people think about the show, they are going to tell you, you can’t expect to only get praise (well you could, but it would be unrealistic) (And I haven’t told him anything in case you wonder – that would seem like being unfaithful to you 😉 – that said, show your proof and I’m prepared to be outraged!
@Ryan
“I’m not a big fan of little kids coming to my doorstop and hitting me up for my candy… IT’S MY HORDE! NOT THEIRS!”
Give them some sort of sugary energy drink – that’ll teach their parents not to do it again next year *g*
I miss Atlantis so much!
Any news about the movie?
Alaina Huffman is definitely the breakout here. Her TJ is excellent, especially since we seem to have gotten past “she’s not supposed to be here.”
Chloe is so cute when she stamps her foot and pouts.
Hi. I just found your blog while I was looking for Stargate Universe info after watching ‘Light’ and ‘Water’ back to back. Since you actually seem to read these comments (!) here’s my reaction to SGU so far…
I used to watch SG1 & Atlantis occasionally but not religiously. I prefer the darker & grittier tone of SGU.
When Eli was teleported in his pajamas in the premiere I was worried that there’d be lots of self-conscious ‘we’re not taking ourselves too seriously’ humor. That was something that had been a barrier to my becoming a bigger SG1 fan.
(I’m not dissing SG1. It’s just a matter of temperament. I’ve a friend who found BSG too depressing to watch.)
At this point, SGU (with FlashForward & Modern Family) is in the running for my favorite new show this season. The main draw for me is Dr. Rush. I’m looking forward to getting more of his backstory (dead fiancee p’haps?) and watching his character unfold. Carlyle is doing a terrific job! Kudos on casting him.
I also like TJ. I get the impression that she jilted Camille, but I’m more interested in seeing her grow into a capable 2nd in command for Col. Young.
I agree with the comments about the Scott-Chloe hookup seeming jarring. Until I remembered that the events at the beginning of ‘Light’ would need to follow immediately the end of ‘Darkness’, my initial reaction was to wonder if the relationship had progressed offscreen in the interim or even if there’d been an episode between the two which was going to be aired out of order. (I hate when that happens!)
Lt. James reaction to seeing Chloe doing what she’d been doing in the pilot made me wonder if (despite the choirboy beginnings) Scott grew up and turned into a ‘Capt. Kirk- type.’
Finally, a quick question: Was the name of Peter Kelamis’ character an in joke? I’m wondering if it was an allusion to a Seth & Ryan relationship growing up between Eli & Scott.
Cheers
Congrats to the actors behind Scott, Young and TJ for last night. Well done! It was especially gratifying to see TJ step up and hold her own.
Regarding other matters: Joseph Mallozzi has generously taken time to give us a behind the scenes look at the production of the Stargate shows and films (not to mention BoTM and other fun stuff along the way). But more than that, he’s given everyone here a chance to do something which I think is kind of rare: we get to take part in an ongoing conversation with the diverse group of people behind Stargate.
I guess you could say that the conversation has been lively at times. The cool thing is, some people are able to share a criticism constructively and with class, keeping firmly in mind that behind each show and each character there are hard-working human beings.
Unfortunately, a few folks remain utterly clueless in that respect.
I tend to visualize this particular blog as a community. And if members of this community (like actors and their families) are feeling that they are no longer welcome here because of the actions of a few others, then that is truly a shame.
Here’s the problem with going on holiday – I missed “Light” (my sister was kind enough to TiVo it, so I’ll be watching it straight before “Water” on Sky One on Tuesday!) – but it’s meant I have to stick my fingers in my ears and lalala my way through your blog this week!
Looking forward to seeing those space suits of yours this week, though!
– – –
A quick question type thingy (kinda):
In “Daedalus Variations”, the Daedalus had one of those wooden plaque things; I noticed that the Apollo, Hammond and Odyssey have them as well. From some poking around on the internet, I see that Daedalus has “Fast Attack Wing” underneath its name, while Apollo and Hammond both have “Second Tactical Wing”.
1. I haven’t managed to find a decent screenshot of the Odyssey plaque. Any idea what the “Wing” for Odyssey is?
2. Is that anything to do with the “1st TFW” that Colonel Caldwell wears on the sleeve of his jumpsuit – the Daedalus had the “First Tactical Fighter Wing”; Apollo had the “Second Tactical Wing”; etc? Or does it represent different branches of the Earth “Fleet”?
Sorry for the anality of the question, but it’d be extremely helpful for a wiki I’m working on.
Much appreciated!
– Cap’n
I hope Greer and Spencer go at it soon. That would make my season. Promise me they will? Furthermore, gotta love the foreshadowing from Air with Spencer stealing the food. Had to figure there was a reason for showing that on screen (even though some people mistook him for Greer, lol)
As for “Water”, here are my thoughts:
This was kind of a yay and nay episode for me. Some very high highs, but some very low lows.
Lows: I’m absolutely sick of Chloe. I honestly hope she gets killed off. I like the actress for the most part, but the character is just…. pointless. But that is the intent of the writers right? For her character to be pointless? Sadly she’s pointless to the point of annoyance and showing her on screen only leads to negativity because she simply can’t do anything.
She’s attached herself to Scott so that she gets looked after and she obviously only cares about herself. I would have been so happy if Rush blew up on her when she started whining to him. All she did all episode was cry about her beloved boyfrannn being stuck in a hole and berate people into saving him, no matter what the cost. How emotionally touching….. not.
This leads to me saying that her character is NOT developing, it is in fact simply shrinking into a common stereotype. Useless, pretty girl attaches herself to male of high status to ensure that she gets what she wants. I admire that the writers want her to feel useless and feel like she has to prove herself, but is she doing that on-screen? No. She’s just… there. Being annoying. Doing nothing. Kissing alpha-male. There’s no point to her character if she’s not going to be written as at least *TRYING* to become useful. Look at Eli.
The good? James being mature. That was a shock, to be honest, but I loved it. Rush was great again–telling Eli to grow up made me really happy inside. TJ/Greer was the best part of this episode. Those two need more screen time. They’re awesome characters.
Honestly, my favorite part was the preview for next week. A bit sad I guess, but I’m really looking forward to “Earth”. It looks like a good one.
I found a cure for mot sleeping. Watch SGU. Now wait let me explain. Because I usually am out on Friday nights, when I get home, even tho I have it recorded I watch the later episode in bed and well of course the barrage of commercials lose me a I fall asleep until 3:30.
Having the opportunity to stay home on a Friday night… I think ok, I’ll watch the earlier episode in the living room. The 9:30 assault of commercials came around. I WOKE UP AT 11:45!!!!!!!!!!!!! Completely missed Sanctuary ( the first one) and woke up to the second showing of SGU !!!
Now I understand we need commercials, I like some commercials, Geico has some great ones, I loved the KIA commercials with the hamsters…. but Holy Hannah.
I have to say it felt good, it was a pretty sound sleep.
@Ryan– “Aww, Joe… I’m rather upset that you keep ducking my “How’d they plug in the ‘At’ point of origin on Icarus Base’s gate without towing the Earth gate all the way out there” question.”
Ryan, try going back and looking again at Air I. Eli suggests that the final symbol isn’t point of origin but a code. Rush tries it and the gate opens on Destiny.
As to moving the Earth gate, why would they need to? The gates don’t care where they are. They respond when the proper coordinates for the position they’re in At That Moment are dialed. The Earth gate would have responded no differently than the one they took to Icarus Base.
Hey Joe, quick question here
If you are now writing episode 3, does that mean that Rob Cooper is now on episode 2?
I am curious, or it the correct word nosey, where everybody comes from.
I live in Scotland – beautiful country with terrible weather.
Is anybody living in a non-English speaking nation? We speak English in Scotland – but we mangle it until it is almost unrecognisable.
I can’t hear an accent when Robert Carlyle speaks but that may be because I hear similar accents daily.
Susan
Best wishes to Maximus. I hope he is recuperating well from surgery.
Joe,
About the sleeplessness…..
I am not a fan of pills when they can be avoided.
However, I do a 2 tablespoons of concetrated cherry juice in a glass of water when the inflamation in my need gets bad. It’s largely tasteless diluted with the water.
I’ve learned to take it just before bed because it inevitably makes me drowsy.
Lol!
“need” SHOULD have been “knee”
Don’t blame Brian for wanting to take a break from Twitter. If I was getting critizing remarks about the show that myself and everyone else had put their blood, sweat and tears into. I would take a break as well.
BTW…that reminds me. Got to watch the Rebroadcast of SGU on Space this morning!!! Relax myself before I go to work tonight.
Interesting article on Trolls in Social Media: http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/are_trolls_ruining_social_media.php
Hi Joe,
I’ve been avoiding making comments as I am enjoying SGU and waiting for a meaty character episode involving Rush – can’t wait. However, this is a shout out to Brian J. Smith –
Brian – Please ignore ignorant Twitter-bullshit.
The web is a truly great thing in that it gives everyone access. But the web is also a truly bad thing because it gives everyone access. And some people are incredibly thoughtless about what they say and shouldn’t post silly and hurtful things. For me, this stuff falls under the heading “Just-because-you-can-doesn’t-mean-you-should”.
There are many of us out here who think you are doing a fantastic job with your role as Scott. Keep up the great work and know – there are many more who appreciate your performance than do not.
Joe – for insomnia I watch dvd’s of old shows or movies that I love and know well. That lulls me to sleep. But if your insomnia persists, you should see a Doc. You need all your strength for the Japan dining gauntlet. We are counting on your full witty attention to detail. But please, no pressure.
Cheers
@Gen – I agree that all people should feel welcome to read the blog, post an opinion, or both. I hope that the actors know that when most people post concerns about the characters, it is not aimed at them. I also think that sometimes when a person expresses a concern about some of the characters, it can seem like that person is just taking a jab at the actors or their work. I think that most of the time, this is not the case.
For me, most of the comments I have read here (even some of the playful ones) have seemed genuine. I think that myself and others have tried to convey real reactions/feelings about our viewing experience, be it good or not as good as we’d hoped. And, I will say that for me, it has had nothing to do with the actors and their abilities whenever I‘ve had a concern. I do hope everyone can continue to feel welcome, all casts and their families included.
Peace & Love,
j
P.S. I don’t know about twittering people, but the puppies sure are cute!
The Arabs have a saying… If one person tells you that you are a jackass, ignore it. If 2 people tell you, look in the mirror. If 3 people tell you, get a saddle. Overwhelmingly public comments have been that SG writers don’t do romantic relationships in a believable manner. I haven’t seen segment saying otherwise. I have seen many who don’t WANT romance so don’t care and are glad it was minimal. Take it for whatever you think it is worth, but whether it is here, on Gateworld or SyFy boards, the most comments are against the believability. Fortunately you are all so good at the rest of it, shows still great. But when you say new series is relationship oriented, I expected a step up in that area.
I want to send a gold star to Carl. Water was awesome, the best yet. As promised this show is improving as we get to know the characters though I do agree with some of the other commenters. I could use a little on-world action soon. A little Scott, Greer, and James with some P90s and a seemingly implacable foe.
I do think I am falling in love with Young. Though I have always had a thing for dependable, responsible older men. If I were stuck on a ship, billions of light years from home, I’d want him in charge.
On a side note, I’d like to preface this question with a disclaimer. This comment is in no way a criticism or a complaint, but rather an exceedingly sarcastic observation that I am choosing to share. Ignore as necessary.
Where exactly do you find all those fabulous shades of lip gloss on Destiny? It’s like someone threw a box of Maybelline through the event horizon with the communication stones.
Alright. Sarcasm done. Have a lovely day Joe. I hope you get some sleep.
Comments…
Rush seems to take a particular delight in having his crewmates think the worst of him or at the very least doesn’t deem himself worthy of even refuting charges against him… Low self esteem, anyone? Sure, academically speaking he’s got a high one, but what about the rest of his person?
Ah yes the mandatory fall through the ice scene. Every plot involving ice has to have one, right… How about getting an icicle on their head, or freezing their tongue to something metal like the stargate? 🙂 Chloey (? the ambassador’s daughter?) should’ve frozen her hand to the (metal?) environment suit grabbing his hand like that, at least.
Right off the bat I am going to say that the following questions are in regards to the Eli/Chloe/Scott triangle, which I am not happy about but that is on me. Also I realize that these questions will most likely be ones where I just have to watch and see.
1: Is this triangle meant to go on the whole series or does it have a shelf life?
2: Assuming that Chloe does not realize Eli’s feelings toward her, this is where my money is, am I correct in also assuming that she will find out at some point? Possibly from Eli himself?
3: Given the obvious tension that would develop between these characters, as well as Scott and Vanessa, will we get to see any of that come to a head in a confrontation?
A couple Eli centric questions:
1: At some point is he actually going to stand up for himself to all the characters who keep treating him like a kid?
2: When is he going to get to save the day?
This last question just has to be asked, though I fully expect it to be completely ignored.
1: Is there actually a possibility of Eli and Chloe getting together at some point in the series? Or is this just going to be one of those things that those of us who want it to happen will never see?
So those are my current questions, thanks for taking the time to read them. I hope to read the answers, but I will understand if I don’t get them…yet.
Joe, the mailbag is getting a bit boring with all the Scott-Chloe-Eli questions, how about something else? And instead of just complaining about it, I have decided to address the situation by submitting non-Scott-Chloe-Eli questions.
1. Lt. James has a nice butt, will this be addressed in an upcoming episode?
2. How long in Earth days is the span of Air Pt.1 through Incursion Pt 2?
3. In Air Pt 1, Carter claims there are 12 KIA and about 80 MIA.
Air Pt. 2, Greer and Scott have 23 weapons, giving one to each group of three, which is about 640.
In Light, Chloe’s odds of getting 1 of 15 spots on the shuttle are about 1 in 16, meaning about 240.
Approxamitely how many people are onboard, or will it be properly addressed in an upcoming episode?
4. I saw big guns on the exterior of Destiny during Darkness/Light, are they energy based or use physical ammunition.
5. Are your dogs freaking out with the fireworks going off lately or can they deal with it? Khula is hiding under the desk in the basement, shakin like a leaf. I try everything to calm her down but nothing works, any suggestions?
@Susan: I’m from the Midwestern United States. We speak a sort of English here, too. 🙂
What is it about that stairwell that you like so much for photos and videos?
Love the pic of the purple extra. So, when is Ba’al going to show up?
Hope Maximus is feeling ok. give him a hug for me!
I was not disappointed in “Water”, although I don’t think it was as strong an episode as “Light” or “Air III”. But I think it will be hard for me to be disappointed in any SGU episode if they are as good as what’s been shown so far.
Chloe didn’t annoy me this time out, at least. I may begin to warm up to her as the character develops. This time, I was a little annoyed at Eli, and thought Dr. Rush’s questioning his maturity was spot on. He wasn’t truthful with his mom, after all… and surely, being an irresponsible computer nerd still living in her house, it wasn’t the first time.
I was a dedicated fan of Atlantis, but SGU is not Atlantis, nor is it SG1. It’s its own animal, and I like it a lot so far. The carping about who’s sleeping with who, “Ooo, he/she is a slut”, and the personal attacks by fans on the actors are reasons why I seldom check out the forums of fan sites like GateWorld and SyFy (I still hate that pretentious name).
Finally, the rant must be a doozy if it’s taking this long to cool down and think about it. But I’m a patient sort. I can wait.
Hi Joe, is Maximus ok? You know that soft squishy part on a dog’s muzzle? Give him a kiss for me, right there 🙂
@ susan the tartan turtle
Robert Carlyle has an accent, believe me. It’s soft, but it’s there.
The rest of the cast have ‘American accents’. I find it almost impossible to distinguish a Canadian accent from a USA born accent.
To me, the actors in the movie District 9 have no accents. 🙂
Hi Joe,
I have a question about the episode The Seed. It felt like Joe played the scenes between John and Keller slightly “shippy”. Was that intentional, or just how it came across or, the more likely answer, just in my head? Also could you describe their relationship as you perceived it?
Thanks
Bobby
Good luck sleeping tonight Mr. M and Das. I’m looking forward to my extra hour! Now……. if I could just keep my cats from waking me up near breakfast time.
I suppose all the fans complaining to Brian Smith are just a tribute to his great acting skills?
Ryan: “IT’S MY HORDE! NOT THEIRS!” Sounds like a a dragon or Gollum impression “My precious” 😀 .
I keep hearing my hubby and son make trips to the candy box. I want to get all this candy out of MY house!!!!
Back to work. Have a great Halloween!
T
@Debra: Keep in mind that people are more likely to take time to post negative opinions. People who don’t care or think it’s fine are less likely to speak up. Humans are just like that. We’re more vocal when we’re riled up.
I love that saying about the jackass, by the way.
@susan the tartan turtle
I’m from Scotland too 😀
As for Robert Carlyle’s accent, he probably does have an accent but because we’re Scottish and we’re probably used to It we don’t notice it as much as others do 😉
@SG-1 Lover: I’m definitely not Scottish, but I have noticed that Robert Carlyle’s accent is much milder on the show than in interviews. I’ve been wondering if that’s intentional, or a result of speaking scripted lines.
Hey, folks, do the delayed viewers a break and use a
SPOILER ALERT
o
o
o
o
o
and spoiler space as shown when discussing the episode just broadcast in USA. Our friends who tape-delay or are outside USA will appreciate it, and Joe probably doesn’t have time to do it himself.
“You haven’t been privy to the idiotic messages he’s received from fans who have decided to take their displeasure with the show out on him.”
Speaking of, I have no idea what fanwank went on, but tell him he does still have fans who don’t blame him for…whatever others are blaming him for. I loved reading his tweets and my page will be a little more sad without him. He’s obviously a sweet guy and it stinks that he’s not being treated well, especially since he is a fairly newcomer to the scene (certainly to rabid fans). There’s no pleasing everyone; I just hate it when fans take it out on the actors.
Off to catch up on Water! (Also, loved the idea that Rush might have known about the star and Destiny’s power. I guessed that was where the ep was leading when no Ancients suddenly showed up to rescue them right away, but it was still pretty darn cool.) Although, I am wondering, if the sun didn’t power up Destiny enough to dial Earth, what does? Will we find that out soon? I suspect it’s gotta be metal of some kind or ZPMs?
@Susan — I’m in the Southern United States. Of course, we Southerners don’t have accents, everyone ELSE does! 🙂
Yo, yo, Joe. Just rewatched the new episode. Great one, though ‘Light’ still takes the cake for me so far. Keep ’em coming.
First of all, still enjoying SGU! You guys have all outdone yourselves and I thank you for doing such a great job!
Recently I’ve been browsing the forums and other websites and then read one your answers to someone else in how Brian J. Smith has been treated. It saddens me really that people are saying the things that they are, and in some cases to the actor himself, as if he is to blame for the reason why they dislike his character. I’ve had beef enough in the past with this franchise, but no matter how much I disliked something going on with the show, I left the actors alone. They are real people and deserve some respect. I’ve been following Mr. Smith on Twitter and he has shown himself to be very intelligent and a sweetheart. I can understand why some people don’t care for Lt. Scott (frankly, I think he’s a nice addition to the list of characters), but I cannot fathom what these people hold against the actor. Can you let him know that there are some of us out here that DO like him and wish him well. I know he said that this week was his last week for a while on Twitter, and I’m afraid he wont get the message.
I look forward to watching the rest of the season, and see just what happens next to all the characters. And thinking lots of postive thoughts for season2! This is something I didn’t think I’d be able to say about SGU, after how I felt with the latter part of season 5 of SGA.
PS- hope mom is doing well!
Wow !
I’ve just seen “Water” for the second time, and a hearty
“Well Done” is due to all in the ep, IMHO.
Let’s give credit where credit is due, and applaud all those
crew behind the scenes, I’m sure you see their hard work in every frame, if you look for it, and not just the fine acting.
Thanks to all for an enjoyable time spent in a faraway galaxy, and I sincerely hope you get picked up for S2…
SAG member, hanging out by the Best Boys…
@ Shadow Step
Duly advised on the sugary energy drink… next year I’ll be passing out monster!
@ Reefrunner
I understand that it was a code, my issue is that the Icarus Gate didn’t have the Earth Point of Origin anywhere on it. Going by the logic that in the first attempt to dial the address, the ninth chevron was Icarus’s point of origin – my question is along the lines of ‘Given that the DHD doesn’t have a button for this particular symbol, and also given that the manual dial doesn’t have this particular symbol, and also given that the first attempt to dial the nine-chevron address had the Icarus Point of Origin put in by default, how did they do it?’ I’m sorry if I confused you (or Joe for that matter!) as to if I was asking why it WORKED. I know that it worked because it was a code, I was just wondering how they (metaphorically) pushed the button for ‘Å’ on a US standard keyboard? (This is a minor issue, I know, but it really, REALLY annoys me.)
Hey Joe
Just finished watching ‘Water’ for the 3rd time.
I just gotta say the eps are getting better and better.
Which is just the way they are supposed to be. At this rate one of the writers should be up for a nobel prize for literature at the end of the season. Wait.. you’re writing the last one…
Elminster
I can’t read the comments since I haven’t seen Water and don’t want to be spoiled (Sky1 makes me wait till Tuesday) but no matter what stupid things Scott may be doing, it’s hardly Brian Smith’s fault. No matter how good any actor is, they can only do what the writers and the directors tell them, and that’s exactly what he’s doing – following his script and direction. Besides which, much as I love Stargate (and I really LOVE Stargate), I just don’t see it as something to get all worked up and upset over.
I’m particularly embarrassed as a fan to hear about morons who can’t tell the difference between an actor and the part they play. That’s part of why I *never* approach actors or celebs when I see them in the street. They do their jobs on tv or whatever and deserve to have their privacy the rest of the time.
I’m guessing the idiots concerned never saw Robert Carlyle in Trainspotting or Cracker. Then again, maybe they did and that’s why they’re not saying anything to him… 😉
@Ryan If I understand correctly, the Point of Origin location on the Stargate is the only symbol that changes. So saying that I think you could use any gate on any planet you just press that key for the Point of Origin irreguardless what symbol is on it.
Elminster
I liked Water; it felt more like Stargate to me than other episodes have. There was a lot to like, starting with a story that kept me interested. Although the basic story had similar elements to certain SG1 episodes, particularly with the angry little buggie flying things (i.e., Prodigy), the flying things and the situations and solutions were enough different that they really worked in the story. Same with the fall down the crevasse.
What I liked the most: TJ. She was great in command; while she’s young and at times was a bit uncertain, she very visibly pulled it together and did what she needed to do. She was strong enough in command that the others listened, and I liked the TJ-Greer interaction over the “you don’t trust me” thing. Great stuff; terrific character interaction. TJ showed smarts and courage and really good judgment. I hope to see a lot more of her, and I think that Alaina Huffman was terrific.
I liked it that women were on the whole stronger in this episode and had parts that drove the action, from the scientist explaining things to TJ being so good in command and so instrumental in dealing with the cranky aliens.
James was also good; she was solid with Chloe. It’s going to take a lot to get me to like Chloe, although I am receptive to character development that makes her more than I have seen so far or I wouldn’t still be watching the show. However, I’m going to try to give the whole Chloe thing a rest because I’ve said my piece on it. Any more is just irritating me (and no doubt others) because I feel that my concerns about this character (and similar concerns of other viewers) are being dismissed out of hand. As a result, I get angry and say things more strongly than I want to (final time for the record: I don’t expect agreement; However, I am disappointed to have concerns dismissed without any consideration that the reactions of so many people might have a point. But I’ll live.)
I thought James was good with Chloe – which shows that James is more grown-up, IMO. I also liked the snarky comment to Scott about the broom closet.
I liked Greer as always, and Jamil Walker Smith impresses me more with every episode. I liked the Eli-Rush interaction; while Eli is very smart and obviously learns quickly, there is a difference between genius and education and experience. He’s got the first but not the last. He also needs to grow up a bit. I think Young is going to be really helpful to him in that.
I liked Young, although I’m not certain it was the best judgment for him to go on the trek across the ice with Scott because he still isn’t at full strength physically. Still, getting off the ship must have been necessary for him. Young is obviously getting exhausted by everything he has responsibility for, and I really feel for him. His kino log at the end was moving; keeping a recorded log like that is a good use of the kino.
Scott is best when he’s with Young. It’s too bad that there are fans going after Brian Smith because they don’t like or have respect for the character. I know it’s got to be hard for an actor whose character is getting a lot of criticism, but no one should take it out on the actor. From the way it looks to me, the acting is solid with Scott.
The only actor I think has been weak on the show (IMO) was the person who played Chloe’s mom. I was not convinced by her histrionics. Maybe that was writing and directing, I don’t know.
The cast on the ship, however, is really quite good. They’re all impressive and believable in what they’re conveying. When I have said that I don’t find a character believable in particular situations, the problems I have seen have not been the actors.
Enough with the characters. Something I didn’t catch by the end of the episode is whether they think they have enough water now. They don’t, or shouldn’t, because what Young and Scott brought back was actually very little.
The visual effects and CGI are lovely, among the best I have ever seen. I loved the night sky from the ice planet.
What I didn’t like in Water: the herky-jerky camera moments on the ship make me sick to my stomach. Super tight face close-ups on people making out I find embarrassing to watch. The darkness on the ship is too dark. I don’t expect the ship to be lit up with stadium lights or Star Trek like ship lighting, but trying to see gives me eyestrain and a headache. Literally.
On the whole, between Light and Water, I think that SGU is getting significantly stronger and more enjoyable to watch.
(Another show that’s getting better, btw, is Sanctuary. I liked it last year, but this year, I’m starting to love it.)
Mary (the one with the green monster avatar, not the Mary with the purple one with orange arms)
@Joe – from a comment you made a couple days ago (catching up here; it’s been a long week and weekend with work, and will be for the next several weeks): I was one person who was initially critical not directly of Greer, but of the way he was described early on in the casting sheets, and also the way he was in the first episode. I, for one, don’t have amnesia about it; I’m quite aware of what I feared then but see now. Greer definitely is my favorite now. This character has turned out to be much different from the way his character was initially described. I’m happy to see that the character is much more than the painful stereotype that was originally described in the casting sides.
When you get understandably critical of people complaining early on about certain things, please remember that people weren’t reacting in a vacuum but were reacting to statements that were coming from official places, ie, the character casting sides. That people who had concerns then but like the character now means that they gave the character (and you and the other writers) a chance to see what was done in the end, as you asked. I don’t say this to cause another go-round of the fighting, but merely to point out that there was a little more reason in the concerns about Greer as a character than I think you’re indicating now.
I’m *happy* that what we were concerned about turned out to not be the case in the end, and I know I’m not the only one. We who aren’t in your line of business didn’t really have any way of knowing that what is said in the casting sheets was as superficial and perhaps even meaningless as it turned out to be, any more than people in your line of work would necessarily understand what I was talking about if I discussed here, for example, the role that many in the business and banking world feel that FAS 157 and fair value accounting may have had on the global economic crisis of the last two years, not to mention, the reasons that others disagree.
IOW, we all know our own line of work. We who are not in your business now know more about the superficiality of casting sides than we did, and as you asked then, we gave the writers and the show a chance with this character. We now like a character we were terrified would be as was presented in the casting sheets. There is no amnesia there for some of us. Also, I’m not sure how productive it is to bitch about fans who now like a character they were worried about because of casting side that really did depict a stereotypic angry black man: we did what you wanted, we showed up and watched SGU and gave this character a chance. I can understand some snarkiness, but really, we did what you asked us to do. We tuned in, and we gave the character a chance.
I’m sure it would have been much more pleasant for the writing staff had we just not reacted to those casting sides and waited until we saw the show. However, it’s a little unrealistic to expect people to not react to what is coming out of somewhere in the Stargate shop about a new show that is getting lots and lots of pre-premiere publicity. That said, we in the viewing audience probably should be a little more sensitive and less engaged to criticize with bludgeons the product of others’ creative efforts. None of us like to have something we’ve worked on so hard taken a way we didn’t intend.
Mary (the one with the green monster avatar, not the Mary with the purple one with orange arms)
@Rose (formerly OhioAnne) – do you have arthritis in your knee? Does the cherry juice/water thing have an anti-inflammatory effect as well as helping you sleep? I ask because I’ve got very bad arthritis in both knees, but my ortho says to wait for the replacement because I’m relatively young. I’m certainly on meds for it, but sometimes the pain is really intense, especially have a really active day, and it just throbs at night. I’d certainly be willing to try something else on those nights especially if it doesn’t involve more meds.
Mary (the one with the green monster avatar)
Stars: 3/10
Ya know, Joe…I take it back. I don’t think anything the writers/creators do will ever that particular moronic element of the fandom happy.
@Thornyrose – – Oh, I know it’s not you – no worries. I have avoided most negative comments (except those I’ve read here – which are mostly directed at the writing and not the actors), but I know the type. Afterall, I got my forum sealegs over at IMDb a few years back. 🙄
das
@Ryan
When you look at Air Part 1 (timecode 35:36), you can see the Earth symbol put in by the dialing program. The stargate itself has the symbol, but usually it wouldn’t work as point of origin. In this case, however, it’s a code and therefore it works.
@susan the tartan turtle
“In the first part of Air Colonel Young collapses in his kitchen – has the reason for this collapse been explained (and I missed it) or is it still to be explained??”
I think the flashback was a mix between his memory and his seizure, more a hallucination thingy. I doubt that he would be commander of Icarus base if he had such a medical problem. In my opinion, Col. Young didn’t really collapse in the kitchen. It was the seizure he got because of his head injury while aboard Destiny.
Comments to “Water”.
SPOILER ALERT
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As in Light, I loved the VFX. The view into the night sky with this Saturn-like planet and the snow flakes was beautiful.
Colonel Young remains my primary favorite character, even though I think he’s making some mistakes which will cost him his control over the group. He should have long established a civilian leader to keep the civilians in line. Camille Wray would be the right person for this. It doesn’t matter that he thinks he is not the right person to be on the Destiny. He was the right person to command Icarus Base. So he should do at least this. I guess this will be addressed in the following episodes.
2nd Lt. James stepped up on my character list. She treated Chloe fair. Shows a strong character.
I didn’t like how Rush told Eli off. I understand why Rush didn’t want to tell Col. Young everything about the alien bug situation. But Eli would have understood this if someone had explained it. The way Rush and TJ lied, leaves an Eli who will distrust them now in the future. After all, when do you know when a liar doesn’t lie?
The way Eli nodded agreement when Col. Young decided to stay with Scott instead of coming back to the ship, shows that Eli has a high moral codex. If the groups splits into camps, I think Eli will go into Col. Young’s camp.
I could only shake my head about Lt. Scott in the beginning and no, I don’t mean that he was alone with Chloe. He can do what he want, but why did he turn off his radio? He is part of the commanding crew, 2nd after Col. Young. He should be reachable any time. And no one would be able to eavesdrop on him if the radio is on, so reason to turn it off. He is a strange character. When he gets orders and has a mission, he does everything to fulfill his mission, but other times he shows his immaturity.
All in all. I like the character development in SGU. I miss the curiosity of the average SG team to discover and find out about alien things. The military guys still think to straight before acting. No one tried to communicate with the alien bugs.
I hope Eli keeps his humor, curiosity and his liking to play, so that he can come up with unconventional ideas in the future.
Loved his explanation for the flying sled. His attempt to fly? Hilarious 🙂
Rush was too weak this time, though adult line was good, but he should have used it on chloe as well.
@Jeff
Don’t forget, When scott kisses fondles, or talks all adult-like with the LadieZ 😉
@Alfred
“the idea that anything technological would survive a million+ years really bugs me”
We’ll probably see an episode (“Repair”) where they encounter replicators/droids repairing the ship (right after “Bogroll” *g*)
@Abby
“Oh, also, are we ever going to find out why the dust cloud seemed to hover and try to communicate with Scott?”
It wants to get to know him intimately 😉
@otros ojos
“Mark Savela, among others, has encouraged fans to trust cast/crew assurances that “it gets even better.” ”
But is it PR? That would presume they agreed that it wasn’t so good now – but I don’t see that – on the contrary, TPTB seem perfectly content with that it is now -f or it to “improve” it would move away from what it is, and thus become less good for them. So I think what it is now is what it will be.
“Chloe’s time in the spotlight is brief but significant for character development.”
Really? How? She behaved exactly like she has from day one.
@DemonHunter
“Why do you keep avoiding the questions about SGU’s suitability for a family audience?”
Because it depends on how you define, and which family and how uptight they are. In some places swearing and nudity is fine whilst the kids are watching, others ok with people getting slaughtered but no nipples or they freak out. This time there was close up kissing (see the molars in HD! *g*) but will it pan down a future episode? Probably not. Is that a hint?
@Paula
“In person, you will not find a more kind and fun group of fans.”
Perhaps that’s because the people who gave up on a show isn’t going to conventions?
“But get a segment of them online? They’re awful and hateful.”
What did you hear? What did you read? What do you know?
Or are you just making something up so you (and others) can act all outraged?
@Ryan
I haven’t examined pictures of that gate or of the dialing device–but if they dialed the symbol for Earth, and the address locked, the gate had it on it. I guess I’m confused about why this would confuse you. Why wouldn’t the symbol be there as a navigation point for other gate addresses?
I guess what it comes down to, was the ‘point of origin’ supposed to represent a planet, or a galaxy? If this address to get to Destiny was good from somewhere other than Earth, it might be meant to represent the point of origin galaxy rather than planet. Eight symbols, plus the key ninth symbol that authorizes the gate system to establish that extra-long wormhole to get to Destiny.
In other words, this is not a normal gate address, and can’t really be expected to function in exactly the same way as all other addresses do.
Just my own speculation on the matter, in any case.
LOCATION ROLL CALL
Pls cut and paste to your new post, then add your info. List is in random order. Entered some locations based on earlier posts. Feel free to correct my errors.
Joe M. Vancouver, Canada
Gilder Texas, USA
PBMom Texas, USA
Susan the Tartan Turtle Scotland
SG-1lover Scotland
Dasndanger New Jersey, USA?
Charlie’s Angel Southern USA
Pastrygirl Arizona, USA
Montrealer Montreal, Canada?
Rose/OhioAnne Ohio, USA?
Sparrow_Hawk Midwest USA
deeinsouthafrica South Africa
So many comments, so little time…*sigh*
It seems the online fan community has picked up new members with the new show. It wasn’t so long ago (2002) that I was a newbie. So besides my spoiler space comment above, a few other suggestions for the newer folks:
–Google “Internet etiquette” for some basic do’s and don’ts
–Take advantage of Gateworld’s resources; your questions may be answered by the Omnipedia entries or episode transcripts.
–If you can, watch the episode a second time. I often find something I missed the first time.
–Tolerate English errors unless the errors interfere with understanding. English is not the first language of some of the commenters. Also, some of us are dealing with Mac or iPhone keyboards. 😉
–Conversely, please preview and edit your posts. You might have a great thought, but it might get lost if you use a paragraph instead of a sentence.
–Remember, Season 1 is DONE as far as scripts and shooting are concerned. There is little we fans can say that will affect the finished episodes.
You’re welcome to take or leave the above advice.
As for the trolls on Twitter, *sigh*, one of my favorite sayings is, “Never try to teach a pig to sing. It will frustrate you and annoy the pig.”
@JoeM. Pls translate following for Anais33.
@Anais33 Thank you for posting in French! I read Spanish and am now starting to understand some of your comments on first reading.
LOCATION ROLL CALL
Pls cut and paste to your new post, then add your info. List is in random order. Entered some locations based on earlier posts. Feel free to correct my errors.
Joe M. Vancouver, Canada
Gilder Texas, USA
PBMom Texas, USA
Susan the Tartan Turtle Scotland
SG-1lover Scotland
Dasndanger New Jersey, USA?
Charlie’s Angel Southern USA
Pastrygirl Arizona, USA
Montrealer Montreal, Canada?
Rose/OhioAnne Ohio, USA?
Sparrow_Hawk Midwest USA
deeinsouthafrica South Africa
Severus, Los Angeles, USA
Hi 🙂
Does Sgt. Spencer have a first name yet on the show yet? Or is he going to be SGU’S Evan Lorne?
I really loved Water for the action and an encounter with those alien critter things. I really do enjoy watching the series and all the characters evolve as the series moves on. I have one question though, when will we see Rush portrayed as a nice person and not an evil person?