Qu’est ce que c’est? Why, it’s the Stargate: Atlantis ultimate box set. It includes the entire series PLUS a bonus disc with all new extras. I’ll be giving it away to some lucky, random individual who comes to visit me between 4:00 – 5:00 p.m. this Saturday at the Dark Horse Comics booth (#2615). Whether you’re coming by for a free signed copy of the first issue of my comic book series, Dark Matter, swinging by to chat Stargate, or simply queued up assuming you’re in line for the concession stand, you’ll have a shot at winning this lovely prize and others (see past few issues, ed.).
Yep, that black eye is coming along nicely. Overnight, it’s progressed for a fiery red to a deep, royal purple and is now heading into dark green-black territory.
Concluding our trip down Stargate: Atlantis memory lane…
ALLIES (220)
Stargate: Atlantis’s second season ends in fine fashion with The Hive, an episode that pays off numerous elements that have been building over the course of the year AND sets up one hell of a cliffhanger heading into season three. That single hive ship headed toward Atlantis finally makes its arrival and – surprise, surprise! – it turns out that to be their old friend, Michael, paying a house call. Before you can say “No! Don’t trust them!”, Atlantis has entered into an uneasy alliance with their former enemy. Well, you know what they say, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend”, and on the surface that’s reason enough to set long-standing enmities aside in common purpose. Of course, it turns out their purposes aren’t common after all but, by the point that realization is made, Sheppard has apparently been blown to smithereens, McKay and Ronon have been captured, and the wraith have the location of Earth – “a fresh, new feeding ground”! It’s a hell of a season-ender, but getting there is most of the fun.
Great to see the character of Michael return to complicate matter for our heroes, even though he isn’t played by Connor Trinneer this time around. Due to scheduling conflicts, Connor was unable to reprise the role. As a result, actor Brent Stait (Andromeda’s Rev Bem and SG-1’s Major Louis Ferretti) stepped in – and did a great job. But Michael isn’t the only wraith personality in this episode. There’s the icy wraith Queen, played by Andee Frizzell, and the amusingly matter-of-fact wraith scientists played by James Lafazanos. It’s always great to see Mitch Pileggi put in an appearance as Colonel Caldwell, and equally awesome to have the irritable Hermiod show up as well. The Asgard’s exchanges with McKay are comedy gold.
Finally, to those who blame the Atlantis expedition for awakening the wraith, we finally receive confirmation that it wasn’t Sheppard’s murder of the Queen but the knowledge of Earth’s existence that lead to the grand awakening. Michael informs us: ” Over two years ago, every hive ship in this galaxy emerged from hibernation prematurely. We thought a new rich feeding ground had been discovered.”
Thoughts? Discuss!
A sad ending to the Lennox story. Despite offers to move him out of Ireland, Belfast City Council went ahead and killed Lennox this morning: Belfast dog Lennox at centre of animal rights protests put to sleep …
Meanwhile, supporters who phoned Belfast City Council to voice support for Lennox were mocked by city employees: Belfast City Council mocks callers protesting Lennox’s death
Belfast City Councillor Pat McCarthy and co. probably believe we will forget about their heartless actions, but I suspect that most will have very long memories of their shameful actions: “boycott Belfast”
Aha! We already have that box set. And it was a lot cheaper than a flight to San Diego. 🙂
Yeah, but there’s the added bonus of getting to check out my black eye up close!
Well, I received a picture of my brother in line at Comic Con this evening. He will be roaming for the next four days. As far as I know, he will be in your line on Saturday afternoon. Sounds like you have issues of DM to give away. I sent him my copy just in case you didn’t. Maybe he’ll win the DVD set?? And then send it to me?? Well, a girl can dream. 🙂
I liked The Hive. It was one of my favorite Atlantis episodes. Didn’t know Michael wasn’t played by Connor Trinneer for that one. The make-up was that good.
Have a great night!!!!
Lisa R
As far as you know? I suggest you keep in constant contact with him via cell phone to ensure he’s at my booth and not the Furries accessories booth.
@BaronDestructo: That’s actually a good idea since I’m in AL, and he’s there.
Watch for the commotion at the Furries booth when I yell at him to go your booth. 😉 He’ll be the one with the cellphone glued to his ear grimacing in pain.
Impressive shiner joe, but I think you should come up with a better story. Lol
I’m so sad about Lennox, I do believe however that he was put down a while back. Can’t believe these asshats. :((
I thought the season 2 finale was called Allies, not The Hive. Am I confused?
Oops. You be right. Fixed!
Wendy, I share your suspicions. The fact that they wouldn’t let the family see Lennox, say goodbye, or claim the body after they’d gotten through with it suggests exactly that.
Dearest Joe, do take care with your face. We love you for your brilliance, but your face is a close second! Hugs from afar!
LJ
Okay…NOW you look like a teamster. 😛
😉
das
I remember the night of the original airing quite well since it followed SG-1’s “Camelot”. By the end of the two hours, my roomies and I were horrified. The Ori and the Wraith were gunning for Earth simultaneously and we would have to wait months for the resolution.
RE: Allies. Really enjoyed this ep, especially Erik the Wraith. The one thing I really appreciated about James’ Wraith portrayals (besides their hawtness 😉 ) is how he managed to give each one a uniquely different personality. Steve will always be my favorite Lafazanos Wraith, but Erik probably comes in at a close second (with the Condemned Wraith on his heels). Loved the humor in this one, too. It was often subtle – just a look – but it worked so well, especially in the lab. And my favorite line? McKay: “He was guiding me down the hall, not sucking the life out of my shoulder!” 😆 Just cracks me up every time!
das
@BaronDestructo and Wendy on Lennox:
I had similar suspicions…for all the same reasons. I hope the family finds some closure in this sorry mess, and that they can rally with others to prevent this in the future.
@BaronDestructo on ComicCon:
I would love to come see you at the booth (the Ultimate Box set looks nice 😉 ), but my business trip to LA was cancelled and I couldn’t get ComicCon passes anyway, so maybe next time. Have a good trip though, and enjoy ComicCon for the rest of us!
For some reason, you look like Kevin Spacey in that picture.
I wish I could make it and have a chance at winning that beautiful box set!
@ Ponytail – Oh, my! He does!! 😆 (That’s not a bad thing, Joe. 😉 )
das
@Alisa Russell(lisarrr):
Sure, but you need to dress that up a bit to make it look more suspicious…can you maybe trip over a coffee table and add a bruise or two?
My own split-lip opens up now and then and then I get a copper taste from the blood. I think I’d rather have a black eye 😉 At least my mustache hides a little of it. Maybe I should grow a “Sam Elliott mustache” to hide the rest of it?
@Jeff W: I ran into the open dishwasher last night and now have bruises up and down the side of my leg. Does that count?? Sorry about your lip. The taste of blood wouldn’t be fun at all.
Very pretty. Purple is my favorite color.
Allies was a great episode and a great season ender/cliff hanger. That wraith queen is one mean looking lady…ur…alien. She wants Beckett’s retrovirus so she can use it on her wraith enemies. Turn them into “humans”, then feed on them. Gets rid of them and a hearty breakfast all in one. As Ronon says, “If they want our help killing other wraith, that’s one kind of help I’m happy to provide.” But it is like making an alliance with the devil. Glad to see Ronon still makes Michael nervous and instictively protects McKay when a wraith puts his hand on him. Of course it is all a double cross. Sheppard is missing, Ronon and McKay are captured, and the wraith know the way to earth thanks to their time spent with Zelenka on Atlantis. Great episode.
Trying to remember the big moments in Allies without looking back..
I remember really liking Weir in that episode.. I always loved the season finales on Stargate. They were always the highlights, not with most shows where they’re just another episode.
When i get time I need to rewatch SGA…
BTW the Week 2 Entry is up on Airlock Alpha.. Let me know what you guys think..
http://airlockalpha.com/node/9244/character-matters.html
Thanks so much,
Major D.
@Major D. Davis: I read your article. Wow! You are a good writer, and you do a great job talking about your passion for the film industry. It’s nice to hear people in Hollywood talking about the importance of being a “nice guy” and maintaining a good reputation. Sometimes it seems the only things we hear about Hollywood in the media are the bad things. It’s only through reading blogs like Joe’s that we hear about the good things and the good people. I wrote a blog entry about writing about your passions the other day,http://writewhatyouknowdotorg.wordpress.com/, but it didn’t get nearly as detailed as this. I will be bookmarking your site so I can read more of your experiences.
okay. so. I’m in “shock”. And You must be TOO!? — Like Joey, what’s the deal, huh? Don’t You have even ONE 6-Alarm-Ninja-Cajun-Chocolate-Carhood-Fried-Poisonous-Fish-Steak Recipe to slap on Your BOO-BOO??!! – You’re slipping, Brah!
Well, I suppose it could be worse… Airport Security and the Border Guys could complain about You not looking like Your Passport Photo and flunking the Facial-Recognition test…
Then again, that “Look” might help with *Sales* — Just tell those not “in-the-know” that one of Your Characters tried to “escape-off-the-page”! The Next-Generation of “Interactive-Graphic-Novels”… Or, that You just had a craving for genuine Mexican food..? 😀
BTW, a little ice-pack on it while You’re in the Air would be good to relieve any potential sinus swelling due to pressure-changes…
Ouch!
Have you tried a raw steak? But I have to say it looks impressive, and if it wasn’t for coming clean on this blog about what actually happened, you could have had so much fun coming up with a variety of stories as to how you came by the injury.
Personally, I favour one that would involve you saving a damsel in distress “I fought off 4 of them.” Or you could have curled your lip and used the old chestnut “I hit it on the edge of the cupboard.” Thereby giving a hint of something dark and dangerous going on in the home front. But never mind – keep smiling and swallowing those Tylenol!
Im furious about the Lennox case. That Belfast council would treat a dog that badly is deplorable. But they have also treated the family in a way no government should, never mind those who attempted to support the family. I will never set foot in Belfast, though I have long planned to visit that city someday. I do hope its residents take note, and give the Council the same treatement they gave Lennox’s family, and vote them all out(I wish worse for the Council, but I’m trying to be civilized).
As far as Allies, Great episode. Our heroes showed all due caution, but once again were simply outthought. Which makes sense. They are dealing with an enemy who is essentially immortal, and have a fair bit of experience handling humans(well, some Wraith anyways). The doublecross is nicely played out. The big question is, if and when this queen would have alerted the other Hives of how to get to the new feeding grounds. In the meantime, definitely a great season cliffhanger.
still drooling over the ever-increasing swag you are giving away. Good luck to those dropping in to see you(you should have a password or something to make sure that stuff goes to deserving fans of the show, rather than some clueless person who happens by for the free comic). Do be careful there, especially around traffic. I’ve seen the convention is marred by the loss of a fan(ok, so she was a Twilight fan, but still, she was attending comic con) and we don’t want to read of any other disasters.
@ Wendy & Baron D: I share your suspicions. That’s the only thing that really makes sense. This whole thing just disgusts me and makes me sick to my stomach.
As a pit bull daddy, and dog lover in general, I sincerely hope the BCC all die in a fire.
Yes, your battle scar is impressive, maybe no one will ask why the eye…
Its almost time for the con, are you there yet?> long lines it looks like, but you have a pass to the stage door. Have fun, enjoy yourself, wish I was going and winning prize giveaways.. and don’t forget to get some (lots of) photos to share.
-I never blamed Sheppard for waking the hive, and I enjoyed the episode and have forgotten parts, so its time for a rewatch, thanks. what great make-up for the wraith, chilling. maybe you want to get your face done in make-up, fav character stuff, and bruiseless, or just go as the tough guy. Looks better today. thanks for sharing and get packing.
Since you’re usually quite concerned for the welfare of animals, especially dogs, I’m curious what your opinion is of this case. Who should the dog be with?
http://mobile.oregonlive.com/advorg/pm_32330/contentdetail.htm?contentguid=K0drjBlW&rwthr=0
Oooh, nice box set. I will have to get one for myself for Solstice.
I’m off to the West Desert for the Utah regional Burn, four days of camping and a party the entire time, loud music, dancing art and more art and fire art and fire performers. Yes, we are very careful in this tinderbox time, all burns are attended by a water truck and trained crews. I get to handle fuels for the fire dancers, woohoo! Just wish I was done with the JP drain on (in?) my belly. Ruins the look of all my costumes. It ain’t comicon, but it is a good time. Cheaper too and lots more nudity.
The Hive: Too bad about Connor not being available but Brent did a great job. This epie kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved seeing inside Wraith culture. Pretty interesting. The makeup was well done also! Did anyone have problems wearing all that special effects makeup? It seems like it would be hard to breath.
I can’t think about the Lennox story…just too sad.
That shiner isn’t too bad. I’m a klutz, so I’m always sporting some impressive bruises. You just look so sad…stop it! Eat some chocolate or something. 🙂
Das: You’ve been complaining about your computer for a while. Have you thought about doing a rebuild on your computer (wiping-reinstalling programs)? Yes, it’s a lot of work. My hubby rebuilds his every few months. He backs up the hard drive to an external drive and saves the data for a while. I wished you lived closer, so we could “trade” hubby’s for a day or so 😉 . I sure could use Mr. Das to change the locks in our house. However, the South is too warm for you and the North is too cold for me…guess it wasn’t meant to be 😉 .
@ Tam Dixon – Hey, I can always sent Mr. Das down…as long as you feed him, he’s good. 🙂 However, be warned – he gets VERY cranky if he doesn’t eat on time, and he can talk the head off a penny. He’s like the human version of Todd. 😉
As far as the computer goes, it’s a miracle I can even turn this thing on, let alone ‘rebuild’ it! 😛 It may need something like that, but yesterday the glitch was due to an update, I believe. (My computer always gets stupid right before it updates.) Also, I’m on DSL and when the population increases around here in the summer, my computer gets slower. I know I need to update things, delete things, change things…but I would much rather watch rugby or play in the garden or write letters or dig up old bits out of the dirt. As long as this dinosaur lets me bug the crap out of Joe, look up pictures of lovely, long-locked pallid sorts, and do a bit of research on things I’m interested in, I’m good. And that’s mostly what I do on the computer. The one thing I do like about it more than anything else is that it’s one huge cyber reference section. I probably use dictionaries, encyclopedias (inc. wiki), and other reference sites more than anything else…even more than looking up pictures of lovely, long-locked pallid sorts. 😉
das
You can claim that the eye is your “look” for Comic Con. And it will lend an air of authenticity to your work. 😉
Have a good time at Comic Con. We expect lots of pics and look forward to your unique take on the atmosphere.
Holy Hanna Joe, what the … I get some time to catch up and what do I see? Wow! See that just proves working out can be hazardous to your health. Glad you’re ok, Joe, that could have been a lot worse.
@ Deni, sorry to hear about Elway, I know how much he meant to you.
I can’t speak for Gateworld voters, but here’s my take. Backing up a few steps:
I love Coup d’Etat. It’s a tight story, with some great dialog, twists and turns, action and character bits. Nobody is out of character, and the logic flaws (only half an hour?) are small enough that they could be typos. Great job.
The Long Goodbye – blech. I’ve commented that I hate it for basically the same reasons you mentioned. However, a lot of people can ignore the logic misteps and just enjoy the running and gunning. As previously discussed, the set-up could have been fixed and we still could have had the run and gun fun. Finally, let’s face it, it’s a filler episode – nobody’s bad decisions have any long term effects on anything (except to tease the Shweir shippers).
Then Michael: UGH! Yes, CT does an excellent job. Yes, using his POV made him sympathetic. But – and it’s a big but – we have two big problems. One, it’s an incredibly stupid, unbelievably underbaked plan. What would they have done if he hadn’t lost his memory? Why do they have this walking security breach IN Atlantis rather than at an alpha site? Why do they try to convice him he’s from Earth rather than some amnesiac Pegasus native they rescued? What’s their ongoing plan – drug the galaxy? What did they intend to do with him if he hadn’t escaped – keep him? “No Michael, you can’t date. Or live anywhere else. Or vote. Or shoot. Or…” But it gets worse.
It’s not only stupid, it’s horrific. Forcibly experimenting on someone – seriously, did nobody in the writer’s room have any visceral reaction to that? Nobody thought of Nazis/Jews/gays/Roma/Tuskegee/Guatemala etc etc etc? Decent people do not do this. Yes, we have rotton choices here – if the Wraith can’t or won’t feed on cows, then it’s either them or us and yes I’m rooting for us. But is forcible mutation better than genocide? (Is it even sustainable long-term? See above.) So ok, maybe decent people end up doing this. But we, the audience, *never see our heroes get there*. We don’t see the arguments, the pros and cons, the tipping points – all we see is that Carson has been replaced with Dr Mengele and all Atlantis thinks this is a-ok. Nobody represents the dissenting point of view (sorry, a C-list character like Heightmeyer doesn’t count, and Ronan just wants to kill them all). It’s horrific, then it’s over.
And now Allies. Ugh. This was supposed to be over, I thought I could pretend it was a one-off! Now we’re *back* to this unsustainable, horrific plan. And we’re working WITH WRAITH. Really? ON Atlantis. Really? And rather than acting like we’re in a cage with an unleashed tiger – these things EAT US – we’re just arguing and discussing with them? (Kudos to Zelenka at least for being properly disturbed.) When it all goes pear-shaped, it feels like “good, we deserved that.” Sadly, we only continue in that same direction over the next couple of episodes. Which, if I’m voting, is going to color my view of this one.
Anyway. Did I mention I really like Coup d’Etat?
And the Belfast Council needs to be hit long and hard with heavy objects. I wouldn’t entrust them with a hamster.
Yikes!