Holy smokes. I’m battling a headache of epic proportions. Those extra three hours of sleep (I woke up at a tardy 9:00 a.m.) did absolutely no good. In fact, they cut into my day, ensuring that I not complete the innumerable things I set out to do. Still, I did manage to accomplish a few things – like, make the custard for three ice creams (vanilla, chocolate, and coconut). The caramel sea salt will have to wait until I get back from dinner later tonight.
I realize it’s only May, but there’s no time like to present to start planning for my annual winter Japan trip – especially when I’m trying to book my flight on points. Looks like I’ve got a wingman this time out. Come December, I’ll be tearing up Tokyo with none other than Special Features Producer Ivon Bartok. I predict that those blog entries are going to be very interesting.
As promised, I’m dedicating today’s entry to catching up the mailbag…
dasNdanger writes: Joe, I asked a couple days ago if you’ve read The Unwritten?”
Answer: Yep. Ready the first couple of issues.
Shawn writes: “When people swap bodies via the stones, it’s not like they’re mind-melding or something, so wouldn’t their own natural accent move with them?”
Answer: Oddly, no.
Shawna also writes: “Is it my imagination, or have we seen that one Lucian thug who gave Rush food before? Wasn’t he a bounty hunter on an episode of SG-1?”
Answer: Yes. The talented Mike Dopud played a bounty hunter in SG-1, and the wraith quarry, Kiryk, in an episode of Atlantis.
RFVDevil writes: “I loved Subversion, but I have to ask, why the decision to use Daniel over Teal’c to follow Rush?”
Answer: Daniel is in a far better position to blend in, especially if his surveillance required him to follow Rush into public areas and engage in others in conversation as part of his cover.
steph writes: “do you miss doing children’s television/writing or are still involved in it at all?”
Answer: It was a lot of fun (especially shows like George and Martha) but I don’t miss it.
Echelon writes: “Whats this I hear about SGU changing time slots, can you go into that a bit?”
Answer: It was a network decision. Friday is the most DVR’d night on television. Although the competition will be tough Tuesday nights, I think the move will be good for the show.
Brian writes: “Have you watched the short stories by Rumiko Takahash?”
Answer: I did – and really liked the series. I’ve always enjoyed anthologies.
Major D. Davis writes: ”
1. Is there any new news on the movies… what happened to the rumblings on the SG-1 movie front? Have they died down or progressed?
2. Any news on the re cap music?
3. Is there any plans to include Major Davis in SGU. He said he’d love to do so as he really enjoys SGU’s(In a Gateworld interview).
4. When Rush broke into Telfords house, why didn’t the alarm go off? His house looked fancy enough that there would be some sort of security system.
5. Have you guys decided about bringing BAG back yet?
6. Is Will Waring directing Resurgence?”
Answers: 1. No word on the Atlantis movie but the rumblings on the SG-1 movie front have been consistent, touching upon a variety of possible interesting scenarios.
2. It’s certainly Joel Goldsmith scored, but I don’t have any further details.
3. No plans as of yet.
4. The cleaning lady forgot to turn it on after she was done. She was subsequently fired only because you pointed it out in the comments section. Nice going.
5. It’s been discussed, yes.
6. No. Andy Mikita will be directing Resurgence.
Jim writes: “I know the original plan was to talk about what happened with Atlantis in an upcoming movie, but since this has been postponed indefinitely is there any chance of introducing Atlantis and guest appearances of some of its characters into SGU towards the end of Season 2 or Season 3?”
Answer: There has been some discussion about this as well.
Lloyd67 writes: “thinks of you of creating a series in parallel of SGU?”
Answer: I can’t speak for Brad and Robert, but three different Stargate incarnations is the perfect number.
Randomness writes: “Anyway speaking of FMA Brotherood, I picked this up on Blu Ray too, wasn’t overly keen on buying as Episodes 1 – 13 are essentially 1 – 26 of the orignal FMA.”
Answer: What?!! Screw that. I’m returning the DVD on Monday and scratching the series off my to-view list.
Tothwolf writes: “I think they made a good choice to go back and reboot the Fullmetal Alchemist series…”
Answer: Hmmm. Okay. Maybe I’ll reconsider. Thanks for the info on FMA: Brotherhood, Gundam 00, and Shin-chan. And welcome to the blog.
imadaman writes: “Will there be any mention of Teal’c in SGU S02?”
Answer: No plans to work Teal’c into SGU’s second season as of yet.
Prior_of_the_Ori writes: ”
1) Is it safe to assume that the Lucian Alliance has managed to get another leader and stabilized when Ventrell came after Netan? Or have they splintered into rival factions? Is Netan even alive or was he killed off?
2) Will we learn anything more about the Ancients history on the show? Like the time period when they launched Destiny and possibly who sent the plague that nearly wiped them out?
3) Not an SGU question but more of an SGA one. I read in an earlier post by you about a plotline involving how Micheal got Beckett’s memories from the Wraith. Are there any other plotlines that were discussed before the show ended? Like, were the Lost Tribe and Daedalus Variations race going to appear again?
4) Do you watch the new V? What are your thoughts on it?”
Answers: 1) We don’t know either way. The Lucian Alliance is not unlike the mob, with its bosses, sub-bosses, and factions. Kiva is the daughter of an influential boss and runs her own sub-faction (featured in Subversion).
2) We will – over time.
3) The Lost Tribe were going to make a reappearance in season six. We were tossing around ideas for an episode in which they seek revenge on Atlantis when the series was cancelled.
4) Don’t watch the show but was very pleased to hear about the pick-up. I’m a big supporter of genre television, shows like V, Supernatural, Chuck – and Stargate: Universe!
MrS writes: ”
1) Which ice cream maker would you buy now, if you had none?
(2) You invite your new girlfriend over to your house for her first anime session (she has never seen anything like this, and she may be hard to convince, since the most likely will be in the opinion, that animated series are something for kids, not adults), which anime will you choose to show her, in hope that it will blow her socks off?
(3) What’s your secret for eating that much ice cream without gaining weight?
(4) Concerning the loss of too much footage on the cutting flour due to squeezing an episode into a too small timeslot: Who decides, if there will be extended cuts on SGU BDs?”
Answers: 1) A couple of years ago, I was eyeing something called the Gelato 3000. I think I’d like to get something restaurant’s use, a machine that will whip up a batch of ice cream in less than thirty seconds.
2) Grave of the Fireflies. I’ll console her afterwards over flourless chocolate cake and homemade ice cream.
3) Running in the morning, eating a sensible breakfast, and doing weights at night. And, by the way, I’ve put on five pounds since I got back into the ice cream swing of things. I’m thinking this week’s Throwdown may be my swan song.
4) That’s a studio decision – MGM.
Kevin writes: ”
1) Just watched ‘subversion’ since i’m a week behind in Canada. There is some talk between Young/Telford about Emily. From what we saw, nothing happened between Telford and Emily, but the dialogue here was a little unclear. Did something happen? or does Young think something happened? (which from his perspective could seem possible).
(2) Did you consider subjecting R.C or L.D.P to repeated taserings in order to get their acting to the desired ‘beliveability’ for their torture scenes? And would you have enjoyed seeing it had it been done?
(3) Is the texture in home made ice cream the same as store bought? or is it totally different?”
Answers: 1) Nothing necessarily happen in the physical sense. However, by insinuating himself into Young’s life, he certainly made things uncomfortable for his old friend, feeding Young’s paranoia and even attempting to undermine his marriage by hinting that there was still something going on with T.J.
2) Bobby and Lou? Nah. They’re too lovable to taze.
3) The texture of homemade ice cream tends to be creamier.
Mr stargate writes: “will there be many different types of aliens encountered during universe, or will this new alien be a frequent encounter for a while?”
Answer: Perhaps a bit of both.
Randomness writes: “Speaking of Daniel, I firmly believe he only followed Rush because he is probably one of few people Jack trusts completely without a shadow of a doubt, so in reality when faced with a possible mole from the Lucian Alliance and are unsure how far it spreads, you’d naturally want your best guy right? Correct me if im wrong Joe.”
Answer: Correct. Given that someone as high-ranking as Telford was presumably turned, it made sense for Jack to go with one of his most trusted friends.
Freeman writes: “How do you feel about the progress of Stargate Universe and do you think it will out last Stargate Atlantis?
Do you ever that any ideas from your fans and implement them into any of the scripts for the series?”
Answers: 1. Ideally, I’d love to see SGU do five years and equal Atlantis’s run.
2. Nope.
Scary writes: “When the guy drops off Rush, he pulls out a book to read. Was that book OLD MAN’S WAR?”
Answer: Yes, the book was Old Man’s War by SGU Creative Consultant John Scalzi. I read the book years ago, then lent it to David Hewlett who lent it to Brad who lent it to Paul who lent it to Major Davis who lent it to the guy escorting Telford/Rush. Presently, the well worn copy is in the hands of the Lucian Alliance.
Tom Jones writes: “I suppose that’s why I like Nanoha; it may have started as a magical girl genre, but it turned into something different, and something I like to see: Girls kicking ass with well-done fights, while still retaining touching emotions. It turned the entire genre on it’s head, by incorporating other genres.”
Answer: You intrigued me enough to try and track it down. So far, no luck.
Ahhh, Flake. Great for tossing in the freezer to harden and then “flake” it over and/or into ice cream. Great stuff to snack on even without the ice cream. Looking forward to the stories/reports of the competition.
Nice tasty mailbag. The teasers, hints, and implications of your answers are keeping my interest in SGU stronger than it might otherwise be. One of the strongest aspects of the franchise is its mythmaking ability. Good to see that you folks are actively engaged in continuing to weave those myths into the tapestry already laid out.
Good luck on the contest. Are you taking any measures to get objective judges, or are you trusting in the superiority of your products to overcome any bias that might otherwise be working against you? Anyways, thanks for the promised mailbag, and hope your dinner went well.
In response to the question about retaining your current accent during the body swapping with the stones, in the “Air” novel that came out, there was the scene where Rush uses the stone and goes into Dr. Lee. It says that Gen. O’neill is more accepting of the fact that it is Rush because Rush’s accent comes through even though it is Dr. Lee’s body. I assume this just means that some of the info in the novel is not cannon to the series.
Firstly, Joe…if you really have a ‘headache of epic proportions’, don’t screw around with it – get checked out! Back in 2002 I had such a headache, back before I realized I had high blood pressure. Couldn’t life my head off the pillow, and threw up if I tried to take anything for it even though I didn’t have an upset stomach. I don’t get migranes, so it wasn’t that. It was like…like I had been shot in the head. I didn’t go to the doctor, but now I wish I did because I suspect that mebbe it was a warning of something more serious. So…don’t monkey around – if it doesn’t get better, get it checked out.
And thanks for answering my question. I guess if you just read the first couple issues that means it didn’t captivate you or anything, eh?
Just got back from a day playing ‘tourist’ with Mr. Das. After a little bit of morning gardening, hubby and I went out for a late lunch overlooking the harbor, then this evening went out and played miniature golf at the same place we did the first night we met, back in 1988. After that it was ice cream (soft custard!) on the boardwalk, pinball in the arcade, and a stroll down the boards just enjoying the sound of the waves on the beach, and the moonlight on the water. It was a good day. 🙂
Have a good night, Joe…take care of that head of yours.
das
I can’t spell worth shit tonight. 😛
das
Hey, Joe. First, nice choice on Grave of the Fireflies; guaranteed to awe with its excellent imagery and reduce anyone to a puddle of tears – ripe for chocolate and consolation.
Second, if you are looking for Nanoha, try looking up Lyrical Nanoha on Amazon. And Netflix has them available to rent, if you get Netflix up there on the other side of the border…
Third, I hope your headache is better!
Hey Joe,
Have you read all of the sequels to John Scalzi’s “Old Man’s War” series (“The Ghost Brigades”, “The Last Colony”, “Zoe’s Tale”)? Watcha think of ’em?
What would you recommend starting with from Iain Banks’ collection?
Which author is your favorite – or one of your favorites – as far as it involves inserting humor into the stories?
Anyway, I went to the local bookstore the other day, bought Scalzi’s “Old Man’s War”, and read it in one day. I couldn’t put the book down! GREAT BOOK! I’m picking up “The Ghost Brigades” next. Looking forward to it!
Sympathizing on the headache front. Got to my client on Friday and almost fainted. Very unlike me. How’s your brain functioning? Mine is on fire bad, tree pretty level of operation.
I see you rate Supernatural. I’m finding I’m enjoying SGU for similar reasons to Supernatural. The season arc and more modern soundtrack. SGU just needs a classic car that makes you drool and want to tear across the country in. Any chance in upcoming episodes? No?
Spaceballs has just come on which I haven’t watched since I was a teenager so it’s time for me to get cozy under the blanket and let my brain drain out of my ears.
Hope your headache clears up. Thinking of your Japan trip might help 🙂
Thanks for all the juicy tidbits Joe! Really looking forward to seeing what comes next. I really must congratulate all the writers on a much better second half on the season. By the end of the first half I was more than ready to take off, but I stuck through, and you guys have delivered. However, this last episode does raise a question.
Everyone is always saying that Destiny is so important, and Rush even said it’s the most important discovery since the Stargate itself. What I fail to understand is why? Sure it may be way out in the universe and all that, but isn’t its technology outdated in terms of the Ancients. Would Atlantis be the most important of all their discoveries as it is the pinnacle of Ancient technology? What makes the Destiny so much more important than Atlantis, and why does the Lucian Alliance want so badly to get to it, when they haven’t made any attempt at Atlantis?
Thanks Joe, and I look forward to next week’s episode!
-Bryan
sff-hub.blogspot.com
Thanks for answering my questions…this time and others…your my new favorite SGU Exec Producer 🙂
I’m going to write this now since I finally remembered the question I was going to ask which I forgot earlier to ask.
Rush and Scott have both had these ‘visions’ of Telford some time after connecting thru him. Young has connected thru Telford as well, but to our knowledge, never had the ‘visions’. Should we read something significant into this?
Also, in the premier, Young has a seizure concurrently in both a dream sequence and in real life. Was he starting to have real seizures before Icarus and this is why he turned down the expedition? Or was the seizure totally related to the blow he took after being ejected thru the gate?
So… are we ever going to see someone make use of the fact that when they use the stones, they’re in a body not their own. I mean, we got to see the paralyzed woman get some time in a healthy body, and that was good, but will this be explored more? It would be neat to see them needing to use an alien body for some purpose or something. Or something where they just absolutely have to have someone who’s physically weak use a body that’s big and tough. Or (since you’re certainly not shy about exploring sexuality on this show), I’m a little surprised that no one has yet swapped bodies with someone of the opposite gender and decided to have some educational sex (since there’s apparently no rule against them using their borrowed bodies for sex, anyway, though there should be).
Actually, I think the true winner of this Ice Cream challenge is whoever gets to eat the ice cream. 😉
For those who wants to hear some of SGU’s background music played without voices or noises, search YouTube for the user baloznieks and look through the videos he’s posted. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.
@MJP: Wooohooo!! Another person who likes Avatar: The Last Airbender!! Finally, I’m no longer the only one who’s tried to convince Joe to watch it!
Seriously Joe, it’s pretty Awesome. It’s not anime, and it is more geared towards kids, but that doesn’t mean it’s in the same field as, say, Spongebob Squarepants or something (though, Spongebob did have a more mature streak in its earlier years, but I digress). There is pain, there is suffering, there is death, but there is also hope, humor, and triumph. It is a great series.
And hey, the entire series of 61 half-hour episodes is out on DVD, so why not go pick up a copy?
Question:
How did Rush know Kiva’s name when he was on the Cargo ship?
Oh, and just in case this matters to you: the Japanese performer Mako Iwamatsu is one of the stars in Avatar: The Last Airbender. In fact, it’s the last thing he did before he passed away from cancer. His character Uncle Iroh was incredible and on at least one occasion his performance was so good that I was in tears. I still can’t watch that scene because of how emotional it was.
Bonjour Joseph!!
ça va bien? Merci pour ces Q/A mais vous n’avez toujours pas mis de photo de vous =(?
Waou!!! Vous allez utliser tout ces ingrédients pour la glace!! Qui vous a appris à les faires? Je voudrai en réaliser vous savez où je pourrai avoir la recette?
Tiens, regardez ça!!
“La Chine invente une voitures volantes”
http://fr.cars.yahoo.com/28052010/387/la-chine-reve-de-voitures-volantes.html
Lol on dirait un peu un vaisseau Star Wars!
Passez une bonne journée!
Bisou!
Joe, any advice or links to info on adjusting sleep before travel?
I’m heading for Ireland…ohmygosh, is it really only two weeks from today? I’m not used to planning a trip several months in advance.
I’ve mentined that Ronny Cox is going on this tour. I’ll also see him this coming week at Kerrville (TX) Folk Festival. Any messages, gang?
Hey Joe
Funny you should mention your headache. I thought I was the only one that had one of those if I slept in. Almost always happens, enough that I set my alarm to get up even on weekends. Been headache free for quite a while now.
Elminster
Sweet! Thanks for answering my questions…
It’s kinda funny cause at first I was going to ask if Andy was going to direct Resurgence.. But then I thought he would be busy enough editing and working on trial and error, so I changed my guess to will. Lol 😉 I’m losing my touch at guessing these things. 🙁
Thanks so much,
Major D. Davis
Morning Joe, I hope your headache is better, not stressed over the contest are you? Never known there to be a competition b4, looking forward to hearing the results, rooting for you. How is your weather, is headache related to it, maybe, develop any new allergies? not to ice cream!! Maybe its that extra 5 lbs you say you are carrying, hmmm. When I first saw your line about a headache and b4 I looked at the picture under it, I thought maybe that was headache powders there, glad it was not.(food related-good), Couldn’t imagine that many on the market. I attribute it to tiny screen and foggy morning eyes.
Thanks for the mailbag.
Ivon will have a wonderful time in Japan, glad you have a traveling companion. It is good to go with someone with some prior knowledge(you) of things to do, and maybe some new adventures. I predict Ivon will have a blast.
Enjoy your day and relax a little, have fun at dinner later, maybe the headache will fade away.
You should stick with FMA Brotherhood though Joe, they made a few minor changes to episodes 1 – 13, and cut a few less important things. Basically this series was made to follow the manga, as Episodes 26 onwards of the original series was filler.
Everything after episodes 14 of Brotherhood is new unique material.
I get tons of migraines. If you drink caffeine with your OTC’s (Aleve, Tylenol, etc..) it will make them the drug more effective.
Good luck with ice cream!
Thanks for your answer Joe,
I just want to say, your Dog Maximus is awesome !
Do you want include Maximus in a SGU episode? lol
For Nanoha, sparrow_hawk already mentioned amazon, but other online retailers have it, too. Here’s some links to show you what to look for:
Season 1:
http://www.amazon.com/Lyrical-Nanoha-Complete-Viridian-Collection/dp/B002MXZYDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1275229534&sr=8-1
Season 2 (A’s):
http://www.amazon.com/Lyrical-Nanoha-As-Complete-Box/dp/B001K98M46/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1275229534&sr=8-3
Don’t let the box art fool you.^^ Season 3 (StrikerS) was never brought over, so the only way to watch it is via streaming online, or import Japanese DVD’s. But it is highly worth it, as Season 3 was very good.
Two fun games you can play: Spot all the car references (many characters are named after cars), and spot all the Gundam and Super Robot Wars shout-outs (a character in the 3rd season is a walking GaoGaiGar shout-out).
Are there any plans to, other than the Lucian Alliance, bring back any unresolved plot elements from SG1 into the show, like The Trust or the search for the Clava Thessara Infinitas?
I’ll put my .02 in on the FMA: Brotherhood series. Now keep in mind I haven’t watched it all yet, but from the first few episodes I’ve seen it’s a bit better, and grittier than the first series. And seems to follow the manga a bit more closely, which in most cases is a plus in my book. Definitley worth checking out.
So you and Mr. Bartok in Japan. Together. Alone. Sounds like it will be a fun and interesting time! Can’t wait for those blog entries!
enjoying the hot weather of the past week 😀 30 degrees almost every day
Here is a joke a friend e-mailed to me this morning. Kind of cute:
A local business was looking for office help. They put a sign in the window saying: “HELP WANTED. Must be able to type, must be good with a computer and must be bilingual. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.”
A short time afterwards, a golden retriever dog trotted up to the window, saw the sign and went inside. He looked at the receptionist and wagged his tail, then walked over to the sign, looked at it and whined.
Getting the idea, the receptionist got the office manager. The office manager looked at the dog and was surprised, to say the least.
However, the dog looked determined, so he led him into the office. Inside, the dog jumped up on the chair and stared at the manager.
The manager said, “I can’t hire you. The sign says you have to be able to type.” The dog jumped down, went to the typewriter and proceeded to type out a perfect letter. He took out the page and trotted over to the manager and gave it to him, then jumped back on the chair.
The manager was stunned, but then told the dog, “The sign says you have to be good with a computer.” The dog jumped down again and went to the computer. The dog proceededto demonstrate his expertise with various programs and produced a sample spreadsheet and database and presented them to the manager. Bythis time the manager was totally dumbfounded! He looked at the dog and said, “I realize that you are a very intelligent dog and have some interesting abilities. However, I *still* can’t give you the job.”
The dog jumped down and went to a copy of the sign and put his paw on the part about being an Equal Opportunity Employer. The manager said, “Yes, but the sign *also* says that you have to be bilingual.”
The dog looked at him straight in the face and said, “Meow.
Death masks; cool or creepy: http://www.elistmania.com/still/20_death_masks_of_famous_people/showall/
I don’t mind the time slot change, however I wish it wasn’t on Tuesday, you will be competing with NCIS. Wednesday on the other hand, there isn’t anything on.
Is it safe to assume that the time slot move will happen when the show returns from hiatus?
Have you ever ran across http://www.engrish.com/
When you’re in Japan do you often see strange translations like these? Would make for some interesting blog content.
I haven’t seen Nanoha, but it doesn’t look like a series you could watch amongst non anime loving guests, something like Soul Eater which in my opinion would amuse non anime lovers easily, lots of action, 51 episodes long, 3 of the boxsets of said series are out already.
I would love to hear your opinion on Excalibur Joe, it’s a character in the series that makes Ergo from SG1 seem like a plesant experience. Anyone else remember Ergo? That guy in Jack/Sams/Daniels/Teal’cs head? lol
Thanks for looking into the re-cap music for me Joe. I appreciate it. 🙂
Hey Joe,
Hope your headache is better today, if not, I find a Tylenol 3 and a head massage usually does the trick. Perhaps your dinner companion would oblige, unless it’s Ivon or Carl. Kinda awwwwwkward!! Although my headaches are usually tension headaches, but if you, on the other hand, are having an aneurysm, then yeah, that’s not gonna cut it.
@ Das – that was so not good that you didn’t go to the doctor, pain that bad could definitely be an indictor of something more serious. If it happens again DOCTOR. (Mr. Das don’t take no for an answer). I don’t understand why people want to gut through the pain, go to the doctor and he/she may even give you ze happy feel no pain pills!! *friendly scolding over* Sounds like you and Mr. Das had a great day!!
You and Ivon taking Japan by storm, sounds like trouble to me. Hopefully, you know someone over there willing and able to post bail. *giggle* Take lots of pictures!!
As for those 5 pounds you’ve recently put on, it’s probably just water weight, your time of the month, one of the dogs had their paw on the scale, you had clothes on, you need a haircut, the scale was dusty, the floor was uneven, you moved the scale and the floor surface was different. O.K. you may not be buying any of the above reasons, but think of all the calcium you ate, at least you won’t get osteoporosis…..
Have a good one!
Kymm
P.S. Nanoha confirms my blunder. Oooops. One more strike and I am out eh!
@Glider – re adjusting to sleep before travel… there is no such thing! 😀 You are always waaaaay to excited to sleep properly before going on a big trip.
My advice is to try to synch yourself as quickly as possible when you arrive at your destination. Stay awake until it’s time to go to bed – especially if you land in the morning. This is the fastest way I know how to get over jetlag.
But, having been a shift-worker for nearly 20 years, I can sleep anytime, anywhere! 😀
Shawn writes: “When people swap bodies via the stones, it’s not like they’re mind-melding or something, so wouldn’t their own natural accent move with them?”
Answer: Oddly, no.
Then why did Daniel’s body have an accent while being inhabited by Vala in SG1’s season nine’s Crusade.
I realize there is going to be continuity errors for a franchise this old, but the first step is admitting there is a problem. I don’t really care I just find it funny. One of the reasons I didn’t like Star Trek Enterprise was that they were too obsessed with continuity.
i was wondering how did you make stargate the entire series into a tv show. i am in the brocess in writing a book myself and i would love for it to published or even made into a movie or tv show any chance of help?
Yooo! Subversion is not only one of the best episodes of SGU so far, but it’s one of the finest episodes in the franchise. Well done to everyone.
ONE gripe though: the casting of Mike Dopud. It was only three years ago he was Odai Ventrell, (presumably) the leader of the Lucian Alliance after killing Netan (if that is indeed what went down). I understand his appearance in SGA, but that was another show, another galaxy, so it was alright.
But this is the same actor, appearing the same, and as a part of the same group. My logical guess when I saw him was that he was Ventrell in disguise, and that was going to be a whole other sideplot running congruent with everything else.
I do appreciate you answering the question though to clear that up within the fandom. And seriously, it was freaking amazing!!!!
Hang on a second –
Didn’t the bounty hunter (Mike Dopud) become leader of the Lucian Alliance after killing Netan?
Is he portraying the same character in SGU as he was in SG1, or a different one?
This is in relation to Shawna’s comment that you replied to (May 29th).
I’m asking because I noticed that too and wondered.
Really enjoying the show, and not looking forward to the break during the summer.
Kind Regards,
Laila.
Dammit, Kymm got to comment before I did about having someone on hand in Japan to post bail for you and Ivon. Ranks right up there with taking your passport, IMO.
Hope your headache is better. Advising someone online is often complicated at best. My primary doc says he no longer participates in “online doc” forums for that very reason. – Hard to not respond, though, if you think someone might possibly be in early stages of hypokalemia (low potassium), which can lead to fainting (among other things) if left too long. Sometimes you feel you’ve made things worse rather than better if you sound like you’re going a bit overboard with the issue.
– Oh well. Zombieland 2nite, burgers, beer, and a coupla pals. Should be fun.
Today: Services, visiting friends, home for a quick change, packed a picnic lunch, “Oh, look, honey! Squirrels! 🙂 Uh…squirrels…mating…onatelephonepole…” 😕 , lunch at an Italian-style vineyard (wine, bread, antipasto, fruit), and then off to another vineyard for a little jazz and wine festival. It’s been yet another good day! 🙂
das
A sudden jump of 5 pounds with a major diet change. I’d say that sounds more like the diet change causing different fluid retention … if you were a pregnant woman.
Do mailbags contain spoilers for those of us watching SGU on the 8 day Hulu delay? What about the rest of the blog entry? (I’ll cross my eyes and do a search for “DP” so I can still find an answer in the mailbag even if I’m avoiding spoilers.)
hi, do you think that a renewal of “SGU” season 3 is likely?
Because I know you loooove reading these kinds of questions, (hopefully I’m right…)
You got involved in season 4 by writing some pitches that were actually accepted (two at least if I remember right,) but it was only because you had an agent. To get involved in writing Stargate Universe, you HAVE to have an Agent? There’s no going around it, there’s no bypassing it, there’s no special code word to say, you absolutely HAVE to have an Agent in order to get even in contact with whoever hires new writers and/or reads Freelance pitches in between seasons. Is this correct?
You guys get Freelance writers, people with pitches for episodes, people who want to be able to write for this show; are there certain periods where you accept pitches from Freelance writers? (By accept, I mean skim through and/or read them.)
So, long to short:
1. Do you need to have an Agent to be considered for employment as a writer or freelance writer?
2. When do you guys read/skim pitches from freelancers? (With or without Agent.)
>do you think that a renewal of “SGU” season 3 is likely?
Daniel, that’s where faith comes in, I personally think if SGU can survive this year, it’l get a 3rd Season.
This year has pretty much been proven as a death year for TV shows, so many are either being cancelled or ending, if anything if SGU fell into that hole it’d be tragic.
Keep the faith Daniel. SGU deserves a 3rd Season, heck even a 4th, 5th, and 6th, as it’s the greatest piece of Scifi programing on the Syfy channel, with the best cast and crew and writers and everyone else.
Even if the ratings say otherwise. Let’s hope Tuesday yields better results.
Were you involved with the Stargate MMO (Massive multiplayer Online Game) ? Are you into anything like that ?
FMA: Brotherood actually does diverge quite a bit from the original series after after the first 13. Funimation’s website is streaming the subbed episodes. I recommend checking out it through there first.
Since I go stretches without visiting this site I would like to give a belated thank you to Alaina Huffman for being so quick to respond to our questions. I appreciate her taking time out of her busy schedule to be so prompt and thorough with her answers. It seems as if she answered everyone’s questions. It was particularly satisfying to me that she answered the questions I had written for her rather than having them ignored.
That’s a perfect segue to pointing out my disappointment with you, Joe. You have another mailbag segment in this thread and yet once again none of the questions I posed to you were responded to. I understand you are busy as well but still I would have thought by now you would have at least commented on my remarks at least once. I recall in the first months after SGU’s debut there was one guy who seem to pester you (and other posters on this site) a couple of times a week regarding how awful he thought SGU was. And yet you took the time to respond to this guy’s criticisms early and often. And when repeated critical posts flooded this blog regarding the roles of women on the show you deem them worthy of responding to as well. And yet here I am asking questions about problems I have with the show’s handling of Greer and I can’t get anything from you. That’s disappointing. Maybe some subjects are considered more appropriate than others. If you have responded and I somehow missed it then I apologize. But if you’re simply ignoring it for some reason (perhaps because of the quality of the questions themselves), then I hope you at least try to find time to write some type of response one of these days.
Now on to the one person who did respond. Its been weeks since a poster named Logan addressed my concerns regarding Greer. It took me awhile to see the writeup and I like to think Logan for sharing his/hers point of view. Here’s my response to Logan’s comments.
>>>>@Holloway
Like you, I care a lot about the Greer character, and find Jamil’s performance phenomenal. However, I disagree with the line of questioning you’re attempting to open up with Joe. I hope this doesn’t offend you, but I think you are reading more into the situation than is there on the screen.
Consider the following:
>>>> The prior 2 episodes before “Sabotage” contained major story lines featuring the Greer character. His backstory and current predicament were major plot points in both episodes.
Unless the two of us have a totally different view on what constitutes a “major storyline” I must disagree with you. The first ep was mostly about Rush, he was given the major storyline. Greer was just one of the four characters in the secondary plot and even in that episode he had less screen time and less dialogue than the other four.
In “Lost” his backstory was limited to flashbacks that, combined, lasted two to three minutes. Nothing major there. That ended up shortchanging Greer’s parents. The dad was saved from being a caricature only because it was alluded that he suffered mental ill effects that afflicted many soldiers during the Gulf War. Nonetheless he remained two dimensional at best. His mom was even less defined and came across as being irresponsible for keeping her son in such a household. Didn’t Greer say something previously about his mom being a drug addict? We got no sense of that in “Lost.” Greer’s parents weren’t nearly as defined as Rush’s wife. And in the episode itself more time was devoted to Scott, Eli and Chloe and their journey anyway.
>>>>While this is an ensemble cast, some character interactions are more pertinent to the unfolding of the plot at various points in time than others.
That’s a decision made by the writers. The writers are God and can decide which character are most important to the plot. Nothing is set in stone; all of decisions regarding character’s importance are made by the people behind the scenes.
>>>>I would say the primary character dynamics at this point are Rush-Young-Wray, Scott-Chloe-Eli, Young-Johansen, and Rush-Eli-Young.
Agreed. Thus my argument in the first place. One major character (major character meaning one of the primary regulars) is left out of the equation. Its Greer. Coincidence?
>>>>At this point, Greer’s character arc is a somewhat of a secondary consideration, but I think they have opened up a number of promising angles to explore with this character.
>>>>For example:
>>>>a.) What is the story behind the animosity between Greer and Wray, and Greer and Telford?
>>>>b.) What’s the meaning behind the picture that Greer was looking at “Human”
>>>>c.) How have things unfolded between Greer and Park?
>>>>These are just a few of the storylines (right off the top of my head) that have been proffered but are currently unexplored with this character. . In short, Greer’s character development (and by extension, Jamil’s contributions) has not been neglected, merely postponed. Storylines aren’t been slanted away from the Greer character in any way.
No offense but this is excuse making. No other character has to wait for the writers to get around to addressing their development and producing storylines for them. When the writers finally got around to giving us anything about Greer it was episode #15. And even then they gave us small morsels. Why is that?
>>>>1. Eli, Chloe, and Scott return to the ship and seem barely surprised that Greer is alive?
>>>>Answer: If you consider that Eli, Chloe, and Scott had just barely made it back to the ship themselves, they were more stunned by their own stroke of good luck than by the fact that Greer was alive and well. Completely appropriate.
Again I disagree. Those three’s joy of their unexpected rescue should not overwhelm their surprise that Greer is alive. In the real world one can be punched in the gut with one strong emotion only to immediately forget about it as he/she is punched suddenly by another strong emotion altogether. Eli, Scott and Chloe left Greer for dead. Not saying they were wrong to do so but that’s what they did. Seeing Greer on the Destiny should have generated emotions of disbelief, guilt and ultimately joy/relief. But barely any of that was conveyed. Scott hugged Greer as if he was casually running into a drinking buddy.
Now I will say the Kino Feature #25 (“Drop the Sirs”) that featured Greer and Scott did do a good job in addressing many of my concerns. But that makes it all the more frustrating that such a well written moment was not included in an actual episode.
>>>>2. Eli and Chloe barely seem to notice or care (about Greer)?
>>>>Answer: Greer is not exactly the most approachable individual – in fact, he’s perceived as a downright unapproachable…not Mr. warm and fuzzy
Neither is Rush who had been a downright jerk to crew members and his fellow scientists. He is also responsible for getting the folks on the wayward ship in the first place. And despite that TPTB played up how a number of characters were upset by Rush not having returned with Young after the events in “ Justice”. Turns out these folks were suddenly so attached to the cold and often sullen Rush that they were wiling to stage an attempted coup in part because of what had happened to him. That seems like a double standard.
>>>>3. It was Greer left for dead but it was Scott, Eli and Chloe who got the semi-eulogy from Young in front of the crew.
>>>>Answer: Remember, The crew never knew that Greer was presumed dead at any point before his return. How could they “eulogize” him when they didn’t know there was any event to eulogize?
You see I get that. My point was that the writers predictably set up a scenario in which those three would be eulogized in front of the crew while Greer (because he was rescued) wasn’t.
>>>>4. And this follows the lack of enthusiasm Lt James seem to display in finding Greer in the first place in the previous episode.
>>>>Answer: What you call a lack of enthusiasm I call relief. Lt. James was relieved to find Greer. No, she didn’t go up and hug him. No, she did not say anything to him. She just sighed with relief.
Call it what you may I will keep referring to it as a lack of enthusiasm. I’m pretty sure if James had discovered the other three the writers would have at least had her say something like “Thank God we found you” or “are you alright?”. Not a word though was spoken towards Greer. Not a peep. That’s her military colleague for God’s sakes.
>>>>If Jamil/Greer was being misrepresented, those of us who care about on-screen diversity would be raising hell right alongside you.
No offense but I think you’re missing some of the tell-tell signs. There are ways you can tell which characters the writers are more interested and invested in. The first is whom they choose to spread the wealth with. Take the episode “Faith” for example when many of the crew spent weeks on that planet. Almost every pivotal scene, moments in which characters talked about their lives or revealed secrets or spoke of their desires involved Scott. Scott with TJ, Scott with Chloe, Scott with Dr Caine. The lone exception was when TJ revealed to Chloe that she was with child. Couldn’t the writers have given one scene, one moment to Greer and showed him, outside of Scott’s presence, having a discussion of some significance with someone that pushed the story forward? Did all the important dialogue and conversations have to involve Scott? Greer being a loner and a man of action doesn’t mean he isn’t capable of engaging others about big issues or passing along friendly advice to a colleague when needed. It’s the writers though who decide to put Greer in a box when they don’t give him such opportunities.
Another sign to look for is the type of relationships the writers provide characters with members of the main cast, recurring players and guest stars. The regular characters played by the main cast have shown to have multiple relationships/bonds with other people. These other people may be characters whom they knew before they were stranded on the Destiny or characters they met after they boarded the ship. In fact as the series has progressed the main characters seem to be adding individuals as friends and confidants and lovers. I mean look how TJ bonds with now with Chloe, Lt. James and Dr. Park even though she already had a strong bond with Young and a solid friendship with Scott. That’s an example of multiple relationships and its something that the other characters are given. The lone exception? Again? Greer.
TPTB don’t invest any time in exploring any ties he may have with other individuals. Sure Greer has a solid working relationship with Young but it seems to go no further than that. His strongest relationship appears to be with Scott. However this bond is not particularly played up on the show (Has there been one time in which Scott sat with Greer and talked to him about something personal as Chloe will do with TJ or Eli? Answer: no). Another problem is that while Scott may be at the top of Greer’s list when it comes to the people he is most close with aboard Destiny, Greer certainly isn’t at the top of Scott’s list. Chloe and Young, based upon what we’ve seen in the episodes, would appear to be higher on that list. TJ could be higher as well.
This wouldn’t be as bad if Greer had been given an episode in which we see him spending time with someone he loved very much whom the other characters knew nothing or very little about (like Rush got with his wife in “Human”). But Greer is given nothing of the sort. Certainly his relationship with his mom hasn’t been explored like the one between Eli and his mother.
“Randomness” thanks, I hope Stargate universe will run for a very long time. I just wish those stargate movies will start production soon. I am 15 and live in the uk and i love stargate, its my favourite show, i have all sg1, and sga dvds, and when sgu comes out on dvd in the uk i’ll get that to(in the uk you can only buy the whole season box-set, not the 1.0 and 1.5 volumes that are sold in America), i just hope stargate wont end.
Bunny Grahams, eh? Going for the cute factor to win over the ladies? Not that (presumably) the coconut cream pie ice cream they went into wouldn’t do the trick on its own. 🙂
You would show her Grave of the Fireflies?! Uh, no offense, Mr. M., but if you want to show this hypothetical girl something that would interest her in anime and also make her understand that it’s not just for kids, I would go for one of Miyazaki’s movies. For example: ‘Nausicaa’ is perfectly serious and not at all cartoon-like, as well as having a weighty environmental message; but it also has an undercurrent of hope, which can at least leave you with a vaguely optimistic attitude after it’s done. Call me a hopeless romantic, but if Grave of the Fireflies happened to be my very first anime viewing, I would run away and never come back. I do agree that someone dubious has to be convinced that anime can be enjoyable for adults as well as kids, but I think you should ease people into it instead of throwing them headlong into something so dark!
Joe,
You’ve mentioned a few times that 5 years seems to be the magic number the producers are shooting for with SGU. SGU obviously has definative end to it in the same shows such as Battlestar Galactica and Lost did, both arc driven. Both shows declaired their end dates, Lost with a three year pick up and Battlestar with one and I would argue that they squandered those ending trying to wrap everything up in the final episode than spread that ending over several episodes. Does an outline exist of what the writers hope to accomplish with key plot points over five seasons, or are you winging it and making it up as you go? Given the delay between production and air dates, will the producers have enough forsight to be able to wrap up SGU in a satisfying way should the end come prematurely before those five years or is it a role of the dice with clifhangers?