Let’s kick off today’s entry with a BIG guest blogger announcement. Actress Elyse Levesque, Stargate: Universe’s Chloe Armstrong, has kindly agreed to swing by and field your questions. So if you’ve go ’em, post ’em!
- “Okay. Shoot.” Elyse is ready to field your questions. (Photo courtesy and copyright MGM Television)
I’ll be sending them her way later this week!
It’s funny. Just last week I was telling Carl that Survivor: Heroes vs. Villains is the only show I won’t watch time-shifted. I HAVE to watch it on the night it airs. Alas, my excitement for the show took a nosedive after last Thursday’s episode in which my fave was voted off the island. After careful consideration, I’ve decided that the best course of action would be to start an anti-forum where like-minded individuals with lots of free time on their hands can gather to criticize a show we don’t watch anymore. I’ve also started a campaign to try to bring this character back. In a similar vein, I’m also starting a campaign to rectify a devastatingly disappointing development on another show: CBS’s NCAA March Madness. Please head on over to SaveTheWestVirginiaMountaineers.com and sign the petition to bring the Mountaineers back form elimination (and give me another shot at overtaking Ashleigh who would otherwise win the office pool). Thanks.
Hey, not bad! Check out the chocolate haul:
- Like I said. The chocolate haul
Yesterday, after showering and attempting to shave using an old razor I found in the back of my mother’s medicine cabinet (I probably would have been better off taking mom’s potato peeler to my face), I headed out to St. Lambert for a family lunch at cousin Marilyn’s. Among those in attendance…
- Finnigan, who is incredibly camera shy.
- “Damn paparazzi!”
Some highlights…
- Mom’s timballo
- Mom’s Friendship Cake
- Aunt Antoinette shows off her assortment of meds.
- Aunt Jeanette informed me I need to get more sun. “You’re like a white asparagus!”she chortled before launching into a detailed account of the white asparagus-growing process in Germany.
- Spooooooon! Actually, Sugar Man.
- Finnigan reflects
Then, today, another family gathering – this one at mom’s. Fondy drove up from T.O. with the dogs and I finally got to meet Stewie. The highlights…
- Stewie
- Stewie
- Sis and Stewie
- Brie and Stewie greet Aunt Antoinette
- Stewie says hi to Aunt Jeanette
- Baby curls up in Stewie’s comfy carrier.
- Mom’s lasagne
- Sis’s veal paprikash
- Me and Stewie
- Baby, conked out
- Brie in a rare instance in which she is actually standing still.
Today’s entry is dedicated to Elway. Get better, buddy!
Mailbag:
RedFlames writes: “Is it just me [or coincidence] or do the Destiny’s guns [the shots at least] look and sound like those from the Hatak?”
Answer: Hadn’t noticed. It may just be you. Or it may just be me.
RedFlames also writes: “I get the feeling Rush is pulling a ‘Scotty’, making things seem more complicated than they are so he looks like a miracle worker when he gets… whatever… working. It’s been mentioned several times he’s in no rush to leave. Your thoughts?”
Answer: Interesting theory. Wouldn’t put it past him.
Montrealer writes: “TPTB should seriously think of winding up the SGU experiment as soon as possible.”
Answer: Oh, I think we’ll keep tinkering with this little experiment we put together out of garage sale cast-offs and ammonium nitrate. After all, the state science fair is right around the corner and I have a feeling we got a shot at the first prize ribbon.
Arctic Goddess writes: “Are there any questions that you think I should ask David, Brian or Elyse while they are on stage?”
Answer: Sure. “What is it like working with Joseph Mallozzi?”. Please report back their answers as they’ll inform how I develop their characters in my script in progress.
HBMC writes: “Spaceship shields that are powered by ‘plot’. We’ve seen Destiny descend into a star – a *star* for crying out loud – yet after a few blasts from Mr. Bad Alien ship the ’shields are about to fail!’.”
Answer: But when Destiny is in the star, the power they are gathering to fill their capacitors is also supplying energy to maintain the shields.
Gilder writes: Question for BC dog lovers: In your climate, is it generally safe to leave one’s pet in the car, with open windows, for an hour or so?”
Answer: Regardless of the weather, I would NOT leave my dog alone in a locked car – even if I was just running in for a minute.
Sean D. writes: “1. What’s your favorite sushi?
2. Spelling question: Lantian or Lantean?”
Answer: 1. Tsukiji Market o-toro nigiri. 2. I go with Lantean.
Kevin writes: “Will we get a chance to see the crew find some kind of weapons locker on Destiny?”
Answer: Can’t be specific, but plenty of discoveries to come.
Madwelshboy writes: “Was there a lot of stuff cut from the final episode because that would explain that rather choppy pacing in the centre of the episode?”
Answer: Nope.
Orange Crush writes: “Where did the seeds for the hydroponics lab come from?”
Answer: The crew mention finding seeds amongst the items they’re cataloguing in the pilot. Also, some of the planets they’ve visited have provided them with the opportunity to grow their own exotic produce like space cucumbers and cosmic papayas.
E writes: “How did Robert and Elyse handle their time in the water tank?”
Answer: They were both awesome.
Shadow Step writes: ““the “mission” Rush refers to is actually Destiny’s mission, the very reason it was built and launched by the Ancients.”
Does he knkow what that is or is he guessing?”
Answer: He’s making some assumptions based on what he knows so far. As the series progresses, we’ll be learning more about this mission.
Aurora writes: “But she was crying because of losing Scott?!”
Answer: The stress of recent events could well have been the trigger, but letting go of Scott was certainly a huge cathartic moment for her.
Shawna writes: “Will we see shipping of any sort happening with Rush in the near future?”
Answer: There could be a possible romance in Rush’s future.
Tanie writes: “Question Joe: would you rather eat at a high-end resturant or a mum and dad hole-in-the-wall?”
Answer: Depends on my mood. I love both.
Shadow Step writes: “Was there ever any thought of making the alien ship have a water atmosphere? (But perhaps scrapped because of finances)”
Answer: Yes. And yes!
dasNdanger writes: “When Young told Eli to send a message to the aliens, why didn’t he dictate what was to be said in the message?”
Answer: Not sure I understand the question.
dasNdanger also writes: “Joe, is there a military consultant on Universe?”
Answer: Yes.
Light writes: “My only gripe was when they are under attack, an alien space ship attaches itself to the Destiny, that’s pretty much the only thing it can be, and yet Chloe is stupid enough to go right up to the giant hole in the ceiling!”
Answer: In an original draft, Chloe and Dunning were further down the hall when the alien ship attaches to Destiny, causing the corridor to decompress. In the mayhem, Chloe loses her hold and is drawn back, down the corridor, into the alien ship. Given the already high VFX budget of the episode, it was decided to go with a simpler sequence: ceiling drops in front of a stunned Chloe.
Anthony writes: “Just wondering when will eli get some balls and step up to the plate, and stop being so scared about running the ship when needed.”
Answer: Eli has performed very heroically given that he is the biggest fish out of water, a civilian with no off-world experience charged with the task of spearheading the crew’s survival efforts. Granted, someone like you would have no problem embracing the role of hero, risking your life without a second thought, but we can’t all be Anthony’s.
The pictures of the food looked great. My son loves lasagne, and I always have to make sure I fix plenty cause there won’t be enough for the rest of us if I don’t.
Questions for Elyse: How did you like being in the water tank? Was it difficult reacting to what else was going on in the scene when you were in the water?
Joe, just a quickie for now…
The Eli thing…just wondered if he was so concerned after the fact, why didn’t Young specify exactly what message he wanted Eli to send to the aliens?
das
Hello Joe.
Hope you and your family had a nice holiday. Sure looks like it from the food! I am doing Lasagna next week when I host movie night. Bad news is that I will miss SGU because of it. Is SyFy planning on doing a re-airing of the episode the following week? Anyway, back to the lasagna, that looks better than I could ever hope for mine look.
It looks like Brie was happy to see you. Give her a big hug for all of us. Best Wishes.
Bryan
Almost forgot!!!
Quick question for Elyse. I have heard in interviews that many actors struggle with (or become effected by) the stress of emotional scenes. Now Chloe is in a difficult situation because she just lost her father, she found out that her boyfriend is cheating on her, she is constantly questioning whether she belongs on the ship, and she has been though a lot of trauma in “Space”. Sorry for the pun. I didn’t realize till after I typed it. But my question is whether those feelings of losing faith have ever had an effect on you while playing this role? How do you deal with that stress at the end of the day?
Thanks for your time. Best wishes,
Bryan
Hi there!
I’ll include 2 parts within this message:
Part 1 for Elyse.
Part 2 for Joe & SGU writers/producers.
—————————————————-
Two questions for Elyse:
1. What was one of the most heart-felt moments for you with the rest of the cast and crew during SGU’s first season?
2. What was one of the funniest moments for you and the rest of the cast and crew during SGU’s first season?
Thank you for your response! 🙂
Sean
—————————————————-
A pineapple question and pineapple request for Joe & fellow SGU writers/producers:
1. Any chances of seeing any pineapples in SGU (on Earth or elsewhere)?
2. Can we please, at some point in the future, have some kind of space-pineapple grow in Destiny’s hydroponics lab? (Please!) 😉
Thank you for your response too! 🙂
Sean
Oh my goodness, Finnigan is so cute! Is he a Scottie? I want one.
Okay, questions for Elyse:
What are you most hoping for or looking forward to in regards to future character development for Chloe?
Also, if you could choose, what role (if any) would you have her develop on the ship (as far as how the others are scientists, soldiers, etc.)?
What do you think Chloe’s opinion of Eli is? (Is she oblivious to the fact that he has feelings for her, or what?)
If you personally had to choose between Eli or Scott (or any of the other male characters for that matter) who would you choose?
I’m sure Ashleigh wouldn;t dream of rubbing in her victory over the coming weeks. …..ok, so I couldn’t keep a straight face saying/writing that. Sorry about the loss, but once more woman’s intuition preempts men’s supposed cold logic and calculation. I anticipate your campaign of vengence and redemption with great excitement
Looks like you indeed had fun back home. thanks for all the pics, and the suprisingly hefty mailbag. If the treadmill of life i’m on will slow a wee bit, I’ll try to get some questions in later in the week. Thanks for posting before my already too long delayed bedtime
Joe,
Yes, a petition to force the NCAA to allow WVU a do over with Duke using an NBA point guard and a shooting guard to take over Truck Bryant and Da’Sean Butler, respectively.
Or, better yet, use a time machine to go back to the year 1979 to pick up Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, so they would have the chance to play on the same team in their primes.
The Hugo Awards have made their nominations:
http://www.thehugoawards.org/2010/04/2010-hugo-award-nominees-details/
Please convey my congratulations to Ashleigh.
Jim of WVa
Woo! The Eagles traded McNabb to the Redskins.
Now…why am I happy about this, since I hate football? Well, for one, I think it would be sweet to see the Redskins whoop the Eagles behind now…and second, I am so sick of hearing the debates over whether or not McNabb should go. Now maybe Eagles’ fans will find something else to gripe about. 🙂
Oh, and Sherlock Holmes was GREAT! So much fun! Really wish I had caught this in the theater, but it just didn’t work out for us. It was a fun ride, and I loved all the science-y stuff, and the steampunk atmosphere. Good stuff!
Have a good evening, sir…I’ll have to catch up with your comments later. I’m still not feeling great (seem to have a low-grade fever, too 🙁 …I don’t think yogurt will fix that), and tomorrow my roof gets ripped off. Ugh. Wish me luck.
das
In a similar vein, I’m also starting a campaign to rectify a devastatingly disappointing development on another show: CBS’s NCAA March Madness. Please head on over to SaveTheWestVirginiaMountaineers.com and sign the petition to bring the Mountaineers back form elimination (and give me another shot at overtaking Ashleigh who would otherwise win the office pool).
ROTFLMAO….ya wanna bring back Ark-Pine Bluff too?
Meanwhile I never thought I’d congratulate Ashleigh for anything but *high-five* …..you go girl!!! How will you be spending your winnings? I hear the iPad is pretty cool…..lol…make the boys jealous 🙂
GO DUKE!!
Cheers, Chev
Mmmmm. French Bulldog ears.
You really will eat anything!
I don’t think you’ve ever told us who won in Ashleigh’s bracket? Did she pick Duke? I can’t remember. Wasn’t it sad to see WVa lose? Poor Butler.
Stewie is such a cutie. He looks like he’s a little love bug too.
Here’s a question for Elyse:
Of all the actors you work with on SGU, who tells the best jokes? With all the seriousness of the storylines, I’m sure it’s great to have someone who can lighten the mood, if just a little.
Here’s a few questions for Elyse.
First off, thanks soooo much for taking the time to answer fan questions. I really appreciate it! =D
1. Did you always want to be an actress? If not, what other careers were you interested in?
2. Are you reading any books right now? Which ones?
3. How did you get into acting?
Thanks again!
Hiya Joe,long time no post,1st-Loved space, bet epi. yet in my opnion! I saw the scottie in the pic’s. I grew up with one named Bonnie, loved that dog. @deni- no wonder I haven’t heard from you in 2 days, why didn’t you call me?? Get on the phone in the AM girl!! Ya know I’m ALWAYS here for you!!! Hey,did ya see about the contest mgm is putting on? Very cool!! And I’M gonna WIN!!! Sheryl.
Cooking question ‘cos I don’t know much about cooking….if that’s your mom’s lasagne, what does he macaroni look like? ‘cos over here that’s macaroni and lasagne is made with flat lasagne sheets.
God love Aunt Jeanette….*shakes head* I suppose you’re lucky you got out of it with just that.
Thx for the dog pics….the one of you kissing Brie is my fave….can you please upload a new banner for the blog? I liked the one of Max as a little pup on the pillow from the other day if you still want to go with Max. *all of the other dogs grumble*
Cheers, Chev
any particular prop you are fond of from the show(s)? other than the gates.
I had to laugh when I read your “anti forum” etc. idea. It sounds so ridiculous, where did you ever come up with such an idea? LOL
Loved the pictures, your Aunt’s look like such fun, I can just imagine the questions and advice you get when you visit!
Loved every minute of “Space”. My favorite line in this one, other than everything Lt. Scott said, was Greer “I am already here” I love me some Greer!!!!!
Best to you and yours,
Sherry
I have some questions for Elyse ^_^
What would you say was the hardest scene to shoot in the first half of season 1?
What is your favorite episode that you’ve shot so far?
And, last one i promise,
Do you think that Eli has a shot at being with chloe? I really hope so because I love the Eli/Chloe pairing ^_^
Thanks btw you are awsome 🙂
~Danielle
Hi Joe, thanks for the dedication 🙂 I read it to Elway and he gave it a good tail wag. He’s such a ham. Everybody at the ER is 100% head-over-heels in love with this guy, and he gets away with stuff nobody else ever would. Right now, I’m just praying everything will turn out ok, but for now, he’s home for the night. Will keep you posted.
@Sheryl: You know, I’ve been going non-stop all weekend and really didn’t get a chance or was of right mind to call anybody. We’re off to the regular vet or to UF in the a.m., so we’ll be in touch at some point. Call me if I haven’t called you 🙂
@Narelle: Thank you again for the email and kind thoughts. SO very appreciated.
Same to all here who have expressed their concern, I can’t thank you enough. Please keep my Elway in your prayers, and have a good night 😉
Re the Hugos: Hooray! Two past Chimaeracon guests were nominated! San Antonio-based artist John Picacio and “Schlock Mercenary” cartoonist Howard Tayler.
Great pictures of the dogs. Your aunts are so cute. Yay for some picture time for Baby.
Your mom’s house is like a zoo! How do the animals get along when they’re all there? Also, Stewie is so darn cute!!
Ok, my one thought with Space was…the aliens cut holes into Destiny, and there was a vacuum that sucked out Chloe…how was that entire section of the ship not airlocked? Presumably the shields are somehow keeping in all the oxygen in despite the gaping holes? But then how did the ship land in the first place? Sorry, I don’t usually ask random questions as though I’m trying to say you did something wrong (because I’m not!), but that just kind of confused me.
Joe,
Looks like we are backing different individuals on Survivor. I was elated when your guy was voted off. Seemed to me he tried relying too much on his prior Survivor stardom to attract a social alliance that he didn’t even bother to keep together. He got bested by a better player! No denying that in my mind.
I probably wont watch Amazing Race until tomorrow, I look forward to it! I’m hoping the two models (male/female) get axed.
Regarding the surprise twist(s) in “Space”
that practically no one seems to be picking
up on.
It’s a good one and it should be very
interesting to watch as it all…”develops”.
Maybe it’s real..and maybe it’s not.
…but I am betting that it is real…and
I have a big goofy smile on my SGU liking
face.
I’m wondering if anyone even bothered to
tell the actors about exactly what was
happening. (…giggle giggle.)
Bravo to the writer’s room!
….they be way tricky tricksters.
Hey Joe! Glad you had what appears to be a wonderful holiday weekend.
That being said, your blog always make me hungry – even for things I would never think of eating.
Just wanted to let you know Space was great. I can’t wait to see how the series progresses and find out more about Young & TJ. They remind me of Jack and Sam, albeit in a more screwed up way.
And thanks for the pics of Brie and Stewie. They are adorable and I really missed seeing Brie. But I have to ask, how do you think Stewie feels about being carted around in a pink carrier? He is a boy, isn’t he? 😉
Questions for the extraordinarily lovely Elyse Levesque:
1. What is it like doing the DVD commentaries? (I’ve always been curious about that.)
2. Would you like your character to have a more specific role on the ship like how Eli’s become integrated into the science team?
3. What do you think of the series’ music?
Thanks for taking the time to answer some of our questions.
-Cody
Hey my first question to a cast or crew person!… Ever.
Sheryl said:
Yeah I saw it….”Sweepstakes is open to legal residents of the U.S.” ….’cos no-one else watches Stargate Universe, right MGM? …lol
I honestly don’t have much faith in MGM & Fox re competitions after the SGA Fans Choice muckup.
So good luck to you Sheryl. I really hope you win.
Cheers, Chev
RedFlames – The ha’tak thing crossed my mind as well. But Goa’uld tech is based off Ancient tech, so it fits…
Joe – absolutely pointless story, but the potato peeler comment brought it to mind. Years ago, my mom went to Australia, where she bought what she considers the best potato peeler in vegetable history. She used it for over twenty years before it finally ran out of life. So what does she do? She finds them online, orders about forty of them at (I believe) a buck fifty each and pays a rather overpriced rate for freight from Australia to Colorado so she can get her potato peelers. All forty of them. So, if you ever are in need of a razor…
Sometimes ya just gotta get away for a while to rediscover an appreciation of the finer things in life. Like this entry. Dude, I missed your blog. “Damn paparazzi” – LOL! – and laughing even more at you nibbling both Stewie’s ear and Brie’s neck. (Missing your reflection in mirrors these days? Are people taking to wearing garlic around you? [Doesn’t work on Italian vampires – hope they didn’t find out the hard way. . .] ) Anyway, really enjoyed all the great pics of family and furry friends. Thanks for posting all of them.
About Space: Even with the aliens and the space battle (loved the battle; I’m bloodthirsty — oops, I didn’t say that), there was an abundance of very good character moments. You guys do *so* well at paring down dialogue when necessary, and still having something affecting, or stirring, and memorable – plus necessary for story development – to present to the audience. Just one example: I strongly related to Lt. James’s crying episode, which I saw as a deeper layer of her character, and not at all out of character. We still have a lot to learn about these people. Some vent in public, some in private; some are incendiary devices waiting to go off (thinking of Sgt. Spencer, but wondering about a few others, and eager to see how everything plays out).
To be honest, I also saw Chloe as very foolishly approaching the hole in the ceiling. I appreciate your sensible explanation, but that first impression remains. I just figured it was a necessary plot device, and – since I have no problem with Chloe – moved on from there.
Kudos to all of you. Crew, cast, writer-producers and directors, you’re a great team. — Speaking of . . . How about Duke?! Gotta love ’em. More Final Four wins than white-towel lint on dark t-shirts. (Hey, I was tired – hasn’t everybody had times when they did laundry on automatic pilot?) Will echo Chev in cheering on Ashleigh to win big, and to devise some delightfully diabolic denouement for the tourney, deliverable to you and anyone else who doubted. *grins wickedly*
I have questions for Elyse Levesque, and will submit them soon. Or sooner.
Egad – shaving with old razor blades . . . worse, no pics.
Dear Joe:
Some questions for your mailbag:
a) I have been watching Atlantis for the first time and a random question occured to me: Why does Teyla bother to wear an Atlantis uniform and Ronon does not? Is it because Ronon is too cool for it?
b) If could could go back and change one decision you creatively made over the past many years of production of the SG franchise what would you choose? It’s cool if you don’t have one I was just wondering.
c) Less of a question more of an observation…I am loving SGU. Don’t change a thing at all and keep on trucking…I would probably sit in my room and cry all night long if I had to handle all the negativity. I am impressed with the fortitude everyone has demonstrated.
Peace!
–
–Tim
I am with you, Joe, Bring back Boston Rob! That would sure rub ole Russell the wrong way! They have done that before: bring back voted out survivors. So, Bring Back Boston Rob! I love to watch him.
Brie has really grown and is still so cute. Wow, Stewie is just as adorable. I bet those two really create a party ever time they are around. Brie looked like she was so happy to see you. I am glad you got to see them. Did you get your laptop back? Maybe the missing outline was hiding in the cover of it.
That lasagna looks so good. I know why you love going home. with good food like that, and the company of such fine women, what else could be more fun than that?
Space: loved it! It took a lot of twists and that was so enjoyable for me. I am curious why Young would chose to save Rush, rather than go search for Chloe. Did Rush read Young’s mind with the device and know that Young saved him on the alien ship? I think Young realized he made a mistake in leaving Rush on the planet and rectified it by trying to save him on the alien ship. At first I did think it was strange that Chloe would continue to look at the hole, however, her lack of military training and her immaturity would make her curious to see what was happening, if only to report it to Scott or Young. So I get it that she would be there looking at it. I like Greer being Scott’s sidekick. I think those two will be good together.
Hi,
My question is for the mailbag and not for Ms.Levesque… In light of yesterday being Easter, easily one of the most important holidays to a great deal of Western Civilization (a happy belated to everyone) it occurred to me that I could not recall having seen any religious celebrations on SG-1 or SGA – not even Christmas or Easter. (I do not include SGU for the simple reason that I have never seen it; I left for college in Germany two and a half years ago and sadly my contact to all things SciFi has been limited since then). Anyway, I was wondering a) did these things really never happen or am I just forgetting them b) why did we never see any sort of earth-religious influence (other than the dubious beliefs of the senator in SG-1)? Much of the Atlantis populace is of course very scientifically minded, but you’d think with so many people at least a handful would have strong religious convictions.
Thank you, and sorry this got so long!
Just wondering. Any word on an SGA movie???
As I said Joe, my point about shields is not Destiny or even SGU specific. I’d just like the shields to be consistent, rather than rock-solid or weak as paper when the plot demands.
Elyse,
What are some ways you prepare for your more difficult scenes? Is there a particular ritual you go through? Any superstitions?
Joe,
You are such an asset to the Stargate franchise, but you don’t know jack about college basketball. Never bet against Duke!
Coucou Joseph!
ça va bien 🙂 ahh ça fait plaisir de vous voir aussi heureux, entouré de votre famille et des chiens ^^…comment c’est passée votre sortie au “Pied de cochon “hier?”
Ahahah j’adore Monsieur Sucre, mais où avez vous trouvé ça?
Alors…mes questions à Elyse !
1. Avant de jouer dans SGU aviez vous déjà vu un épisode de la franchise stargate?
2. Vous devez vraiment bien vous amusez sur le tournage, qui est le plus comique dans le cast?
3. Quel scéne dans sgu a était la plus difficile a jouer? Pourquoi?
4. Je sais que vous parlez bien français 😉 pouvez vous dire un petit message aux french fans?
Gros bisou Joseph!!!
ps: n’oubliez pas mon autographe;-)
Thanks for the very adorable puppy pix – all of them. And, of course the food feast offerings. Chocolate in any language is always good…yum.
Deni – sorry to hear of the daily trials you go through and hoping for some good news for you and poochie.
Joe, you and Brie – just like old times – gives the appearance of Brie laughing and enjoying you as much as you are enjoying her company.
Well, you and any one or more of the puppies – as well as any combination of your family and puppies – make for great photos.
Thanks to all for being such great sports to “sit still” and “pose” to be immortalized in your blog!
Arrrgggh!! We just lost power for a few minutes and I lost my review of the episode!
Alright, well, as I said before, I loved it. I’m still amazed by the continuity carrying over from the previous episodes, and the action sequences were very exciting indeed! I think the SGU brand of camera work really heightens that experience. The score also helped; Maestro Goldsmith hits another one out of the park!
Yes, it was a slight return to Stargates past with the upped action quotient, but the battle had a distinct “SGU” feeling to it – these people were over their heads; there was no real “structure” to it like with the others – Young didn’t even have a Captain’s chair for goodness sake! The commands were those from a person who didn’t really know the ship (basically just “keep firing!”), the ship itself was crippled already and was hardly battleworthy. Basically, it made everything that much more desperate and suspenseful; at any moment, every system could fail and they’d be all screwed. Even the ship was killing the crew with its defective systems (i.e. the electrocution). Like I said, all of these things just made for an extremely heart-pumping sequence.
Now, the aliens – my goodness, they were incredibly realistic. I felt like I could touch them! Thing is, I wasn’t scared of them or felt threatened by them – I was intrigued by them. Sure, they growled and fired at us, but when you actually see them in their natural environment, like that shot of the alien going up to look at Chloe – they almost seem curious, and inquisitive. Very cool. Can’t wait to see more of them!
Mark Savela’s team deserve an Internet’s worth of Emmys for this. Seriously.
As usual, the characters remained at the forefront. Young was really the star of this one, IMHO, and we can see him really starting to unspool. He’s clearly disturbed by what he did to Rush, and having to keep a secret from the crew seems to unhinge him somewhat. However, like Rush, I can no longer tell what he is capable of and whether what he says is the truth. That makes him extra interesting.
A big debate going on at Gateworld at the moment is what Young’s intentions were near the end of the episode, when he ordered Eli to continue to fire on the alien ship, despite the fact that the latter was retreating. A lot of people are saying (as some have said here) that it was Young’s last ditch effort to silence Rush once and for all.
I disgree with this; if Young really wanted to off Rush, then why didn’t he do it when he found him on the alien ship? Furthermore, why would he volunteer to go back in after he was brought back by the mind probe thing? No, it doesn’t add up.
What was your intention behind writing that bit? Why would Young continue to fire on the alien ship even though the aliens were retreating? And why did Young say “I have no choice!”?
Eli also started to become unhinged; I was shocked by his backsass to Young during the battle. His frustration at being used as a pawn is shining through, and I think he may be nearing his “snapping moment”. Remember the innocent, kind Eli we saw in Water, who grew angry at the concept of lying? How far we’ve come. If only he can see himself now, used as a spy for a person he can no longer trust. Poor Eli.
Loved the sorta-strawberry scene! Especially Chloe’s “that’s odd” – Elyse delivered it in such a hilarious way. 😀
There were so many little moments in the episode that I loved: the changed-up “previously on” sequence at the beginning – I always love it when show’s do this, as it shows the clear evolution of the series; the reference to Riley; the crew watching the alien ship on the Observation deck; the “sock conversation” – Young seems to have a specific way of dealing with Wray, like he’s constantly making fun of her for being melodramatic; Greer’s “I’m already here”; Greer’s smile at the mystery photo (glad to see something making him happy for once); Rush being a total badass and killing the alien and rescuing Chloe and running around with a pipe ready to BASH SOME NOGGINS IN!!; James’ little mistake near the beginning and her adorable “Sorry!” when she found out about it; seeing the alien ship for the first time just sitting there silently, creepily; etc. etc. etc. There were so many.
The one complaint I have is in the montage at the end. Don’t get me wrong, it was a good montage by itself, but I just felt it was out of place in this episode. I’m not sure why this episode warranted one. I mean, the one at the end of Air III was good since it nicely wrapped up the exciting pilot, and the montages in Life were good in showing the establishment of a routine for the crew on the Destiny. This one was just…so sudden and unexpected, and it left me wondering “why?”.
I think it might’ve fitted in better if Space were the mid-season finale – then both the pilot and the finale would have a musical montage and it’d be a good bookend.
Meh. I’m sure I’ll grow to like it, as I usually do.
Oh, I gotta add just how much I love the Observation deck. That one scene in the montage where Dr. Caine was staring out at the swirling wind and drinking sorta-booze (yay booze! It was about time. Any chance seeing some drunkeness on Destiny? ;)) was simply amazing. It might have had something to do with the low angle that it was shot with, or the fact that the shot was moving. It felt like I was there with him.
And, of course, gotta put in a shoutout to that last scene. Some heavy stuff is about to go down. Can’t wait!!
Amendment: I just rewatched the montage and, as I expected, I loved it. I’m also more sure than ever that if this were the mid-season finale, it would’ve been that much more fantastic; a nice wrap up of the first half.
You did good, Joe. 😉
Now, regarding that Chloe-alien thing. I gotta say, I think there are ways to do that scene without having Chloe seem like the proverbial murder victim of curiosity.
I was thinking – perhaps Dunning can tell Chloe to leave (really, she shouldn’t have been there at all), but before she can, the ceiling drops, and the aliens toss in some kind of stun grenade and knocks them both out. You can then have the aliens dropping into the corridor – only showing their legs landing – before cutting to black, as sort of a tease.
Just a thought.
For Joe:
I noticed that for Justice and Space, Ming-Na was credited as a regular. Dose that mean as of those episodes shes now part of the main cast rather than a guest star?
For Elyse:
1) What’s you favorite season 1 episode and why?
2) What yous favorite Chloe momment or line, so far?
3) Other than Chloe, which character is your favorite?
4) If you could use one word to discribe each of your fellow cast mate, what word would you use?
5)I’m sure a lot of people want to know this, Brian J Smith is he a good kisser?
Question for Elyse: If someone really did offer you a chance to go to another planet via a stargate or spaceship would you take it? And if you did go, what would you take with you on the trip (for survival purposes or just as “comfort items”)?
Great pictures! How is Brie dealing with being the more “mature” dog?
Thank you, for clearing up the Chloe being snatched by alien scene. That makes much more sense!
Questions for Elyse: What is the most physically uncomfortable scene you have had to do in this or any show?
Dog, or cat person?
Also, a big thanks to Elyse for volunteering to do a Q & A!
Hey Elyse,
1. There has been a lot of criticism directed towards the under-development of female characters on SGU. What’s your take on that?
2. I have high hopes for the development of your character on the show. What are your hopes for character development? So far through the production of Season 2, are they coming to fruition.
3. How has the being on SGU changed your life?
Oh my, Brie has grown up so fast, she was just a puppy, she doesn’t remember you I can tell(not), now Stewie is all puppy, thanks for sharing the critter pix. Are all your family members animal people, how great!
The food looks delicious, and I know your family are fantastic cooks! Can they share any of the recipes, **drooling** Just hand me a fork for the lasagne please.(or i could use the sugar spoon)(cool)
Sorry about your brackets, and remember when you return to the office, the apr 1st jokes may be waiting, just a warning,,(don’t think the bracket busting was the joke)sorry. Maybe you need a hot tub time machine to go back and change your picks…
-Got up early this morning to see the space shuttle take off, from my back yard you can see(although far away) the shuttle do the breakaway(fire) from the booster rockets. It really is a sight even from this distance.
-Safe journey home for you.
Question for Actress Elyse Levesque: What do u see your character doing since she doesn’t have any technical or science backround or Military training?
thank u for your time
skyejag
Thank you for answering my question :), but I’d still like to know more about it. Maybe Elyse is willing to talk about her experience.
My questions for the gorgeous Elyse Levesque –
What aspect of your character would you like to see explored more?
What’s your favourite Chloe-moment in S1?
Could you describe what was it like to be filmed in a water tank (“Space”)? It sure looked scary.
Chloe is starting to grow on me. I feel for her, because she doesn’t think she’s useful. Is Chloe going to find something to do on the ship?
How much similarities are between you and the character you play?
You’ve said that your favourite character is Rush. What’s it like working with Robert Carlyle?
Questions for Elyse.
1. What is her favorite sci-fi show/movie?
2. How does she feel about Chloe suffering from Damsel in Distress Syndrome or B-movie-chick-about-to-be-killed-for-her-stupid-curiosity-itis?
…and where is Sis’s Siberian???
hahah poor Aunt Antoinette being ambushed by pooches! She doesn’t seem upset about it 🙂
Love your sis’s hair – nice and funky!!!
How does Ear of Brie taste???
A question for Elyse..
Congrats on the role of Chloe – you do a great job! You’re very young (and pretty too) so did you find your role as Chloe challenging? First of all, dealing with the death of your character’s father and secondly the intimate scenes .. I know you would have realised that scenes like these would have been a step in a different direction for the Stargate series. Did you feel a bit daunted thinking there’d be some reaction to them (by the anal in my opinion hahah) or were you surprised that there was any reaction at all?
Keep up the good work!
Awwww, critters. So darling! Even Baby, who seems to be missing a face.
Mmm, food. I really should read the blog after a meal.
Relatives, I miss mine … most of my aunts have passed on; I have one left in California who wont’ speak to me because we cremated mom. Seriously, she thinks we stole her sister’s chance at eternal life. My other, much cooler aunt has run off with her boyfriend and we rarely hear from her now. Sigh, pill boxes. I can relate to that!
I never did like Boston Rob, and Coach is so sniveling I want to smack a spine into him. I despise Russel, but must watch him, like one must watch the giant snake in the Syfy original movies. Take your gaze away and he’ll swallow you whole! But I’m a Rupert girl, so I’ll keep watching. Have fun in the anti-forum.
For Elyse: I rarely have coherent questions which no one else has asked… so incoherent question time: dark or milk chocolate? Do you think bacon is a food group? Thanks for all your hard work on the show!
Agree Joe with your take on Eli handling the space battle. He’s so young and totally inexperienced in Space battle (unless it’s on the computer in his bedroom) so his reactions to me were totally expected. Rush wasn’t there, so he felt daunted and challenged having to save Destiny and its occupants from death and destruction.
If he were calm and efficient, I would have called bullshit on it.
Yeah, I gotta’ take Light’s side on this one. There are situations where you can be too stunned to make a decision, but, when the ceiling falls, your muscles know to RUN, no decisions or curiosity involved.
Question for Elyse: Chloe could use a job on the ship; any chance we’ll see her character be assigned a duty on the ship or get some weapons training?
The home cooking looks great and Brie is cute as ever. Stewie is such a sweetie! The aunties are a hoot, they could have their own show!
Just got to watch Space after being out of town, it was very kick ass, congrats to cast and crew. Feels like the show has found its groove. I still wish there was a smaller crew on the ship; the civilians all kind of run together in a whirl of khakis and white shirts.
James and Tamara were charming in that scene with that guy in the white shirt and khakis that James liked. The tension btwn Young, Rush and Camile is brewing nicely and I don’t even mind Rush as much as I used to now that he’s not foaming at the mouth over his headaches. Calm cool and evil Rush is way more interesting than PMS Rush.
The rock video montage at the end surprised me; it was very Dawson’s Creek. Kept expecting Michigan Frog to pop up and introduce Charmed. I was about to check out on the rock video when the snippet at the end with Rush plotting away in hydroponics popped up. I vote for no more rock video montages unless it’s a training montage set to Looking for a Hero, which is always ok by me. That was screen time that could have gone to more Eli.
Hi Joe, some good news on Elway! Had his chest x-rays this morning and all appears normal! He still has the abdominal ultrasound tomorrow, but so far, so good. Seems the new antibiotic is doing the job, but we’re still a little guarded, waiting for the other shoe to drop and his temp to spike again. He’s home today, still a bit out of it, but just hoping this resolves itself somehow.
I fell asleep last night watching “Space”, and the worst thing is that it happened at the very same spot I missed it on Friday. So, still not reading spoilers and I’ll catch it again on Tuesday, I hope!
Stewie is too cute, and Brie has certainly grown to be a lovely young lady. Can’t believe how big she looks! Glad you got to spend some time with her – both of you look thrilled to be together again. I can’t imagine how much you must miss her!
Have a great day!
Feel like I’ve been outta touch for a few days, trying to catch up… but before my break is over I just have to say that Friday’s episode was very interesting, entertaining and making me more curious. It does appear the back half of SGU will have more action, I hope. I occurred to me SGU really isn’t a spin off, it’s more like a graftting, y’know like they do with plants. SGA was a branchin g, SGU has some characteristics of SG-1/SGA but it is totally different.
ok back to work.
Glad you n yours had a nice Easter. *Paprikash*!!!! guess I better make some this week.
OK, SPACE was a good ep. Actually some action in my scifi! If the series could get this kind of vibe/tech etc you’d have my 100% interest back. The tank sure looked like the one from Empire Strikes Back 😉
DD
Such wonderful pictures of your family, dogs, and food! Thanks for sharing so much of your personal life. I see you are surrounded by women. Only boys besides you are all dogs! (Haha) Your mother looks fabulous! Glad to see she has recovered so well and its good to see Auntie Jeanette again. Enjoy your visit! (we do!)
I watched “Space” 3 times, now, and enjoyed it every time. However, a couple of questions….
MAJOR PROBLEM – HOLES IN DESTINY…
Now really, starting from the original to the latest Star Trek series, they were able to beam people up and down, left, right and centre and had tractor beams. SG1 & SGA were able to do the same… even the Goa’uld had the transporter rings.
1-> How can TPTB explain an alien ship attaching itself to another and having to cut a hole into another ship when other technologies exist…?
2-> How can TPTB explain how Destiny can fly with a couple of holes in her, open to space elements, with no detriment to its passengers? Chloe’s father died because of leaks in the hull.
For me, this is a major problem that needs to be explained. Well, I know it’s just a show, but I’m wrapped up in the show, really like it, and am concerned with the people inside the ship being able to cope with 2 large holes in the ship that need to be plugged. I would like the whole thing to seem as real as possible. I need a plausible explanation and some time given to repairing the holes, or addressing the situation.
Saying that Destiny could repair itself won’t work because Destiny did not repair itself when there were leaks causing someone’s death.
_____________
Chloe: How long did it take to film the water tank scene? I like how your character is slowly unfolding and learning new things.
_____________
This is a new situation that everyone has found themselves in and it takes time to come to the realization that this is possibly the rest of their lives. I, personally, think that things are unfolding as they should as far as the personalities are concerned – No one will easily find their niche on the ship without a lot of trial and error. I can see, in about a year’s time (maybe sooner), a scene where some of them are sitting together, having a drink and discussing how far they’ve come. At that point, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw more loyalty amongst themselves and that whole “comraderie” thing developing, as well as the Marine mantra of not leaving a man behind.
Anyway, I loved the episode – but please explain the holes in the ship.
Regarding the twist at the end… Rush is such a complicated character who has an agenda and seems to use people to make it happen. I think, though, that in spite of what we saw between Rush and Camille, Rush will develop some sort of alliance with Young. I think that they will all come to the realization that “together they’re strong”.
“Elyse Levesque wants to hear from YOU!”
Are you sure about that? 😉
“But when Destiny is in the star, the power they are gathering to fill their capacitors is also supplying energy to maintain the shields.”
So when they are under attack the best course of action is to fly into a star? 🙂
“Regardless of the weather, I would NOT leave my dog alone in a locked car – even if I was just running in for a minute.”
Because it drives of with your car and wrecks it(again)? 🙂
“dasNdanger writes: “When Young told Eli to send a message to the aliens, why didn’t he dictate what was to be said in the message?”
Answer: Not sure I understand the question.”
As in:
Young: Eli, send this message to them: We come in peace, take us to your leader.
As opposed to:
Young: Eli, send them a message.
Eli writes on computer: “yo dudes, wanna play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare ?”
“Shadow Step writes: “Was there ever any thought of making the alien ship have a water atmosphere? (But perhaps scrapped because of finances)”
Answer: Yes. And yes!”
—— that explains alot and if that happened the episode wouldve been explosive to say the least.
“Answer: Eli has performed very heroically given that he is the biggest fish out of water, a civilian with no off-world experience charged with the task of spearheading the crew’s survival efforts. Granted, someone like you would have no problem embracing the role of hero, risking your life without a second thought, but we can’t all be Anthony’s.”
you tell em Joe! i have not the slightest clue why the fans are so demanding from a character, a kid that just learned about the stargate including everything else! in fact its astonishing how he was able to handle the whole thing rather well.
and another thing, why hasnt Rush targeted Eli yet? if he really wants to take Young down, he could easily do so by harming Eli in some way. Young is nothing without Eli, and in this ship, whoever knows ancient tech is the true leader. if Young loses Eli then there isnt much he could do considering that the other scientists seem incompetent and not so trust worthy, i love how Young trusts Eli, its like i can be in Eli’s place and have a cool military leader have faith in me kinda thing. this whole thing can boil down to trust, something that people have issues with and can relate. i just think Rush could do a checkmate by pushing manipulating Eli, “Survivor” style.
Joe, will we ever see an appearance from the P90 on SGU?
Oh wow! Your pictures look FANTASTIC on my new HD computer screen (an HPw2338h). Everything looks every better than they did. Awwww. Brie. She just has the “I love you and missed you SO much” all over her face. And Stewie is just too cute for words. Brie has grown up fast. They do that, don’t they? One minute they are puppies; then you turn around and their puppy look is gone. Looks like you are having a lovely time and your family are such good sports. The food looks awesome. Our Easter dinner was: Quinoa pasta with peppers and onions and seasoning. I was working this weekend; it was the best I could muster up after a long day at work. Are you sure Finnigan was reflecting and not just escaping from Brie?
FANTASTIC! ELYSE is in the house: My questions:
1. Did you hurt Robert Carlyle when you mowed him over in Air after Chloe’s father died?
2. In the scene with Chloe’s dad dying, did you draw on any particular life event or is it more acting in the moment. Gosh, that scene just ripped my heart out in sympathy and pain for Chloe. It was so real.
3. Twitter: Blessing or curse or a little bit of both?
4. Where were you when you heard about season 2 getting picked up?
5. Do you like a particular yoga method over another?
6. No question, just a thank you for doing so many commentaries. They were fantastic and I hope you loved doing them as much as we have enjoyed them. I have missed the actors of the Stargate franchise doing commentaries for a very long time. I hope we’ll see more during 1.5 and 2.0 and 2.5 and 3.0, etc. And thank you for doing this Q&A. I was just telling Sherry (Brian’s mom) the other day that there is no other TV show where the stars of the show (so many of them, too) are so accessible, gracious and generous to the fans. You rock.
I have never seen a spoon quite as cool as Sugarman. I definitely want to try and find one of my own now!
Aww, what a lot of dogs you had around you! Did they all get on ok?
And a strange-ish question I’m hoping you can (and will) answer: I’m starting to look for pa type work in Vancouver, and links or companies you could suggest for me to approach? I’m at a bit of a loss with the best way to find film-based jobs in Canada…
Cheers,
Amz/Amy
I forgot to mention this before, Mr. M…. Before our greyhound passed away at 13-and-a-half years old, her hips were extremely weak, and she would almost collapse if she stood still for more than a minute or two. One thing that really helped her, and probably extended her life for at least a year or more, was something called DGP. After she took it a few times (disguised in balls of cream cheese to keep her from spitting it out ;)) she immediately showed a lot of improvement.
So, since your poor Jelly seems to be having some problems, maybe you should give DGP a shot. It might be a little hard to get her to actually take the pill, but then again greyhounds are really picky…
Here’s the link: http://www.americanbiosciences.com/dgp.asp Hope it helps 🙂
@ Chevron 7 Thanks,girl,keep your fingers crossed for me!! @Kabra me too, saw the launch this EARLY AM-Beautiful!! @Deni, I will talk to ya later!! Yea, you too, Hi Joe!! Hope your visit w/ the fam. was great! Sheryl.
And by the way, why do you spell lasagna with an e? I’ve always spelled it with an a! Is that the Italian way of spelling it, or just your way?
To Elyse: What’s it like working with Brian when your characters are in such a close relationship? Do you ever have really akward moments off-camera?
Wasn’t going to post today. But, I figured, it usually takes me 1/2 second to write something… and why waste my precious post area ( now thinking about the funny little bald man in the Lord of the Ring. The one that keeps saying “my precious”.)
14h24, I need to run 😀
Hi Joe!
Love the 2 & 4 legged family pics! I hope everyone is doing well!
Really enjoyed Space. I need to watch it again as we were watching it via Hulu and the video kept getting buggy, then my mom called, and so it was a very disjointed viewing.
Loved the exchange between James & Caine. After he said, “I can hear you,” it felt like a real conversation (apology).
I thought Young/alien comm stones scenes were very cool. Total WTF moments for both! My theory is at one time or another, the particular alien Young linked with had been aboard Destiny or another Ancient ship and had touched a communication stone, a la Citizen Joe (SG-1).
The aliens were very cool. Not sure about the water tanks, but they kept Rush and Chloe fresh! LOL! I thought the aliens would have a different breathing atmosphere too.
My hub in particular was disappointed that Chloe walked right up and stood by the hole made by the alien ship. It felt a little weird to me. If she had sneaked up and maybe peeked out from behind the doorway, we would’ve liked that better.
I thought Rush and Young had a semi-truce, at least they weren’t going to try and kill each other, but based upon the ending scene, guess not!
I found Young’s insistence that they destroy the alien ship interesting. One could argue he wanted to make sure aliens with info about Destiny (gleaned from Rush) couldn’t take it back to their planet, which makes sense, but there’s also the urge to keep anyone from knowing Rush is alive. Weird.
Wray seems to have taken a big leap back into the Anti-Young camp, and the mutiny she’s proposing probably won’t go well. Like Volker said, the military people have the guns.
Why did the alien body/Young conscience react in such pain when the mind reading device was put on him?
@ Deni So glad Elway’s x-rays were good. I’m keeping him in my healthy dog prayers.
@ Elyse Thanks for answering our questions!! When shooting Time, did you have to keep in mind “which Chloe” you were for each scene and was it confusing? Does working on a sci-fi show bring challenges or skill sets that you don’t find on Earth-based, modern time shows?
Have a great day!
eddy
@Joe – SaveTheWestVirginiaMountaineers.com – if you neeed any help with your campaign I would be glad to help. “Saving” Carson was fun but it was such a long time ago.
Stewie is drop dead gorgeous and looks like quite handful. Brie is looking well and as pretty as ever.
Have you noticed that the older members of your family are all female?!
@ Sheryl – huh? what launch?
Re: Survivor – the thing is that though I liked Rob and his personality and the fact that he was the only thing that was allowing the Villains to win as long as they did, you have to give it up to the troll, the guy is intimidating and ruthless. When he just said that Courtney and Sandra needed to go ON the beach IN FRONT OF THEM. I was like woah! He is in it to win it. But I don’t think the Villains win anything now. I think the final three will be J.T., maybe Colby (if he starts dominating like last week) and one of the ladies. Love it!
Questions for Elyse Levesque:
1) Have you ever seen the Jolly Roger on Regina’s mighty shores? 😉
2) On Wikipedia it says you traveled the world modeling between high school and being a full time actress. Can you share with us any awesome world travel experiences/stories?
3) You deliver some lines/beats that could be taken as either serious or comedy in a very subtly comedic fashion, which makes them that much more hilarious. Do you have a background or training in comedy?