Well damn. Little did I realize the firestorm reaction I would elicit when I mentioned that I would be making Philly Cheesesteaks this weekend and serving them in focaccia. Apparently, there are some Philly Cheesesteak purists among this blog’s readership who would sooner smack me upside the head than eat a Philly Cheesesteak with focaccia. They have made it clear that a Philly Cheesesteak is NOT served on focaccia. Nor is it made with anything but shaved rib eye. As for the cheese, I can take my pick between provolone, American, Cheese Wiz and, in extreme cases, mozzarella. Apparently, there is some leeway on the toppings. Fried/grilled onions are standard but, in some circumstances (not clearly detailed), green peppers, hot peppers, and even mushrooms are acceptable. The addition of tomatoes, lettuce, ketchup, hot sauce and even mayo remains a highly contentious issue.
Got it! Thanks or the outraged input. I’m going traditional this Sunday. Nevertheless, I might put the focaccia on the side and look the other way.
Continuing our trip down Atlantis memory lane…
REUNION (403)
This one was a memorable for a number of reasons, but chiefly for actor Jason Momoa’s dedication to the material. Understand, Jason always did a great job on the show but, in episodes like these in which we explored Ronon’s backstory, he always worked especially hard, studying the script, asking the right questions, making suggestions, and then throwing himself wholeheartedly into his role (literally throwing himself as, at one point during production, he jumped out of the gate and scraped the hell out of his arm). He was always very passionate and committed, especially to those very demanding fight sequences that saw him acquire some pretty remarkable skills in a relatively short period of time under the guidance of our fantastic Stunt Coordinator James “Bam Bam” Bamford. In fact, check out the trailer for Stallone’s new movie (at the end of this write-up – just skip ahead to the 2:00 mark) in which Jason plays the bad guy. That’s some nifty axe work!
This episode was also notable for the appearance of Mark Dacascos (Brotherhood of the Wolf, The Crowd, Iron Chef America) who had been recommended for a part on SG-1 by actor Ben Browder. I was a big fan of Mark’s work and, for that reason, didn’t cast him on SG-1 because he would have played the role of a Jaffa who ended up dying at episode’s end. Instead, I kept him in mind and, after this script was written, immediately thought of him for Tyre. And, he was perfect – likable (which made his turn all the more shocking) and a seasoned martial artist (his fight scenes were terrific). In an early incarnation of the story, Ronon kills all of his former friends but I had a change of heart after casting Mark. He was not only great as Tyre but simply a great guy as well, very well-liked by the crew. All the more reason to write a sequel the following season (Broken Ties) and have him back for a little revenge and redemption.
I’ve spoken extensively about this episode in past blog posts so, rather than repeat what has already been said, allow me to direct you here (October 13, 2007) for a rundown of my thoughts on the episode, covering everything from scheduling conflicts, my favorite scene (the Ronon/Sheppard talk), and the loss of my favorite line: “Who’s Hootie now?”.
More goodies here (October 14, 2007) in the form of scenes and excerpts that didn’t make the cut.
BTW, that garish painting Ronon had up in his room adorned my office for that entire year. I always wondered where it wound up. I can only assume it was purchased at auction by some discerning art collector.
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