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January 12, 2013: Continuing our trip down SGA Memory Lane with The Daedalus Variations!

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Congratulations to Akemi who has been bestowed the highest honor one can achieve as a tourist visiting Yellowknife willing to pay three dollars for a certificate.  She is now and forevermore (unless she misplaces this piece of paper and doesn’t buy herself a new one) “an honorable member of the exclusive North of 60 Chapter, Order of Arctic Adventurers”!  All good – until Russia invades, of course, in which case she is legally bound to fight on behalf of the Northwest Territories.

So, we were discussing Stargate: Atlantis’s fifth season.  Where were we…  Where were we… Oh, yeah!

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THE DAEDALUS VARIATIONS (504)

Near the end of the show’s fourth season, writer-producer Alan McCullough had an idea for a story which would see our crew trapped in a room that would travel through different parallel universes.  EP Robert Cooper, our resident idea man, suggested a slight but significant alteration: instead of being trapped in a room, our heroes should be trapped aboard the Daedalus.  And thus, our SF version of The Flying Dutchman was born.

Alien ship design.
Alien ship design.
Alien fighter design.
Alien fighter design.
Alien design.
Alien design.
x
Yes, you!
Yes, you!
(Photo @MGM Television)
‘Splosion!  (Photo @MGM Television)
(@MGM Television)
Firefight! (@MGM Television)
David Hewlett and Director Andy Mikita in discussion (Photo @MGM Television).
David Hewlett and Director Andy Mikita in discussion (Photo @MGM Television).
(Photo @MGM Television)
Always nice to see Teyla packin’ (Photo @MGM Television)
(Photo @MGM Television)
Rodney McKay is smokin’ (Photo @MGM Television)

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29 responses

  1. Tim Gaffney Avatar
    Tim Gaffney

    This is one of my all time favorite episodes. Loved the story and all the bouncing around the universes. A couple things: I think you should have let Sheppard keep the cool new gun. He drops it when the alien attacks, but had plenty of time to get it later. I guess you didn’t want to do any more CGI on weapons than you had to.
    Also, even though I like Teyla becomming more knowlegable on Earth technology, I don’t think a few lessons from Marks would let her be so proficient on the Daedalus systems.
    Loved Rodney’s “I got shot!!!”, and Sheppard’s “Easy Chewy, the buttons are your friends”, and the music after Rodney’s “That’s it, go go go!”
    Great work by everyone on this episode.

    Reply
  2. Ganymede Avatar
    Ganymede

    So. Now that Akemi has been NORTH of 60 – [hmm..what great name for a TV show..] – to be under the Northern Lights, does she glow in the dark and attract fridge magnets!?? [hehe! – Bad Canuck-mess-with-the-Tourist joke…]

    Reply
  3. bailey Avatar
    bailey

    This is one of my favorite episodes of Season 5! Great team action. I love the episodes where the four of them work together and this was terrific! That was the best part of SGA – The Team at the core of it all. Episodes where they were spit up were never quite as satisfying.

    Reply
  4. Debra Avatar
    Debra

    I suspect after her freezing experience, she’ll honor that requirement to fight only once they get into warmer regions. 🙂

    I don’t know how writers and actors do it, but much less actors. You can write, work, even if you have to then struggle to pitch/sell. Actors get to wonder if they’ll ever be hired again. I miss SG, all of them. But I also miss knowing those great actors have regular work. When you look at IMDB and see some have maybe one guest shot a year, how do they financially and otherwise survive. All you folks are made with sterner stuff than I am made from.

    Reply
  5. StellaByStargate Avatar
    StellaByStargate

    Hi Joe,

    I was wondering if you could recall if there was any specific thought given as to where SGA’s Rising fell relative to SG-1’s (Season 8) timeline…obviously it takes place after New Order, as Jack is in charge of the SGC, but aside from that, it’s sort of difficult to place. Someone who knows about such things pointed out that both Lost City and Rising occur during Antarctica’s summer months, given the sun is shining in both episodes–suggesting there’s at most 2 or 3 months between those two events. I know it’s a long shot asking…but if you could share any insights, I’d be most appreciative!

    Thanks!

    Stella

    Reply
  6. Alexis Avatar
    Alexis

    Congrats to Akemi, 😀

    Reply
  7. sg1efc Avatar
    sg1efc

    Thanks once again for the very cool behind the scenes details. 🙂

    Reply
  8. Deborah Rose Avatar
    Deborah Rose

    still having issues getting my messages to post. Ah well. See if this one goes through. Or maybe i am living in my own version of daedalus variations, where most of my posts are disappearing into alternate universes.
    This was a case of two really solid back to back episodes. Humor, action, some creepiness(though our dead team looked a tad more peaceful than i would have expected). Reviewing these episodes drives home how frustrating it was for the show to have been cancelled. One of the few quality works on tv at the time. Still, it is nice to see the pictures and remember those good times.
    Thanks for sharing, and if this post goes poof, I will continue to follow your blog and keep trying to participate in discussions.

    Reply
  9. gforce Avatar
    gforce

    Yay, Akemi! The certificate calls her a “bold adventurous spirit”. A girl after my own heart! Hopefully we’ll get more pictures soon.
    “Daedalus Variations” was such an enjoyable episode. Mark S. and his team must have been working the OT in this one! I had always hoped to see more of the aliens, but of course, that was not to be.

    Reply
  10. Patricia Stewart-Bertrand Avatar
    Patricia Stewart-Bertrand

    Selling certificates to tourists. What a great idea to make a few extra bucks. When I was a kid, we took a trip to P.E.I. The community of Cavendish did the same thing, selling tourists a square foot of Prince Edward Island for a dollar. My mother bought four feet – one foot for each of her kids. I have no idea what ever happened to my square foot. If I ever find it, I guess I could stand within it forever. 😉

    Reply
  11. Joanie. Avatar
    Joanie.

    Loved that episode, but wished we could have seen more of the alien. Now there would have been a nemesis! Like Michael only with futuristic superpowers! As for Mark Damaecos – brilliant actor. He’s currently rocking the part of Wo Fat in H50. But kudos to Jason for doing such a good job in that episode.

    As for one of those days. I’m in one. I should be writing, but the muse has gone awol…Never mind, it’s given me the chance to catch up with your blog!

    Reply
  12. Maggiemayday Avatar
    Maggiemayday

    Deb, that’s why they charge so much for pictures at cons. A living is a living.

    Reply
  13. Tam Dixon Avatar
    Tam Dixon

    Das: Maybe it’s Grave Vengeance? 😆 How far have you gotten in the series. I remember you said something about waiting until a few more books came out.

    Mr. M: Very funny post. I’m glad Akemi had a great time. In a war against Russia? I’d vote “Cannon Fodder”. We are all just chess pieces to politicians.

    All of Season 5 was a goodie! I’ll have to begin an SGA marathon to refresh. It’s amazing how close the alien sketch is to the actual makeup! How uncomfortable did some of the make up get for the actors?

    G’day all!

    Reply
  14. Kevin Roberts Avatar
    Kevin Roberts

    I absolutely love the Daedalus! Every episode that involves it or the Prometheus….I end up watching over and over, even more than the others. lol If i had the money i’d actually like to build a home inside and out that looks exactly like The Daedalus. Could you imagine driving along and all of a sudden, coming into a valley and seeing a Daedalus sitting there on the ground! lol I Can! lol I’d pull my vehicles up into one of the hangar bays. The other would be for lounging and possibly a pool. lol Something like that. I’d even have the Hangar doors work. The bridge,…I’d love to have the Captains chair! I’d have the windows made into screens where i could look outside or a program made to take off and go through space and even watch a little tv or video games as well. Maybe even get my own Stargate game made etc. and have my own Daedalus Simulator with it! lol I’d love to atleast have a computer system built exactly like one of the centers inside the Daedalus or Atlantis “either one”. Built like the picture above that David is sitting at. One other thing i LOVE is the Atlantis Control Chair. That is so amazing! I’d love to have it or atleast a replica. I’d have it in my tv room. It’d be my personal LazyBoy. HaHa! I absolutely would have to have the floor area that it sits on as well. I’m sorry again,…I keep rambling on. I’m hooked on Stargate. Congrats to Akemi! You seem more grounded when she is home. lol “No Offense”. Most of us are completely unstable without our “better-halves” around.

    Reply
  15. Elminster Avatar
    Elminster

    Hey Joe
    Saw “The Generals Daughter” the other day. Great story. Yours and Paul’s influences ran throughout. Who choreographed the fight scenes? They were very tight and fast.

    Elminster

    Reply
  16. Elminster Avatar
    Elminster

    @Ganymede hehe, Yes, I remember when I was in Moosenee we would have a line when ever a tourist would saw how beautiful and quiet it was but no wild animals to be found. “Ya, except for the Snow Snakes, they burrow under the snow and nibble on your legs”

    Elminster

    Reply
  17. Randomness Avatar
    Randomness

    Enduring freezing cold weather for a certificate? She got a bad deal there Joe lol

    Reply
  18. Deni Avatar
    Deni

    Congratulations, Akemi, I think you’re very bold and adventurous! More pictures, please! 🙂

    Reply
  19. Marsha_R Avatar
    Marsha_R

    Loved The Daedalus Variations for stories of the alternate teams and seeing our team trying to second guess themselves.

    Akemi, it’s a perfectly lovely certificate and I think some people are just jealous that they don’t have one too. 😉

    Reply
  20. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    1. Congratulations, Akemi! 😀

    2. Joey, I wouldn’t make fun of Akemi achievement. I’m pretty sure she can beat the Russians collective arses…and yours, too! 😉

    3. @ Tam Dixon – I’m all caught up with Pendergast. I delayed reading Cold Vengeance because I didn’t want a long wait between reading books 2 and 3 of the trilogy. Once Two Graves was within reach, I hurried up and read CV. Also, I just read the e-book only Pendergast short story, Extraction. So, I am VERY caught up…and Doug and Linc have really got to write faster!! 😀

    das

    Reply
  21. Ponytail Avatar
    Ponytail

    The Daedalus Variations was a fun episode. Alan McCullough did a great job. The final alien look was much better than the concept drawing. I bet the special effects guys loved this one. Everything looked awesome. Poor Rodney got shot and his little arm was on fire! A great adventure for the team. Ronon’s hair needed to be lighter, shorter, not so much, less around his beautiful face, and varied lengths. MGM blew it. Jason is a gorgeous man and having shorter hair would not have hurt his character. They must have remembered when Keri Russell cut her long hair and the ratings for Felicity immediately took a dive bomb. But Jason was not Keri and Ronon was not Felicity. It would have been fine MGM. Okay, I’ll quit bitch’in and won’t say anything else. Just darn…what could have been… (A 6th season could have been too! Double darn!)

    Reply
  22. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    @ Ponytail – Just wanted to say that I laughed out loud (for reals) at this comment of yours from yesterday:

    Duuhh. Are we suppose to be surprised at this or something?
    Half the time you’re even in the wrong year!

    😆 . 😆

    😀

    das

    Reply
  23. for the love of Beckett Avatar
    for the love of Beckett

    Congratulations, Akemi!

    Now see, Joe. Akemi is pretty and funny, like Audrey Hepburn and Lucille Ball, but she is tougher than you think! Best behave… 😀

    Daedalus Variations was a great episode. Continuing to enjoy the pics. 🙂

    Reply
  24. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    Geez…I pretty much screwed up with the apostrophes and the ‘esses’ and stuff in that one post, didn’t I? That’s what I get for mercilessly harrassing our illustrious host, eh? Mebbe I better start behaving…

    das

    Reply
  25. Randomness Avatar
    Randomness

    Ah Yellowknife is that Aurora place? Lovely views I’m sure but not worth treking into the frozen abyss to view, pity the Northern Lights can’t appear some place warmer lol

    I’ve seen them elsewhere. In less hellish freezing places lol

    Reply
  26. Ponytail Avatar
    Ponytail

    @ das – No, please, don’t behave. Keep “mercilessly harrassing our illustrious host”. Someone has to keep him in line. 🙂

    Reply
  27. dasndanger Avatar
    dasndanger

    (Ya hear that, Joey? Anything that happens from here on out Ponytail gets the blame for, k? K. 😀 )

    das

    Reply
  28. PBMom Avatar
    PBMom

    Welcome home Akemi. She only paid $3 for the certificate. That is not bad at all. Adding to Patricia’s comment above, my husband bought me a star for $75. While romantic and I now have star charts on where it is, I still haven’t seen it in the sky. Like the people who are selling these stars have any rights to them either. Reminds me of Travelzoo. When they first started up, they were giving out 3 free shares of the company to anyone who wanted it. Just received a notice this year that they want to buy back my 3 and Jeff’s 3 shares because the paperwork for this is such a hassle for them. Tsk, tsk. Too bad.

    Reply
  29. stargateatlantisseasonsix Avatar
    stargateatlantisseasonsix

    Welcome home Akemi!

    And I have to admit, this is one of my favorite Atlantis episodes. I love the new villian. For my blog as a story idea for an Atlantis Season Seven episode, I’m thinking of bringing those guys back and bringing back Weir and her Replicators in the same story. Boo-yah. It’s also one of my favorites because of Sheppard and Ronon playing out the whole Han Solo and Chewbacca piloting the Millenium Falcon bit even featuring Ronon banging on Daedalus’ controls exactly like Chewbacca in Empire Strikes Back. This might be one of the top episodes of the Fifth Season.

    Reply

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