Posted on by Joseph Mallozzi · 16 Comments

Stargate: Atlantis Virtual Season 6!

Images

Revised and updated!

Episodes 601-602 (two-part opener)…

Episode 603…

Episode 604…

Episode 605…

Episode 606…

Episode 607…

Episode 608…

Episode 609…

Episodes 610-611 (midseason two-parter)…

Episode 612…

Episode 613…

Episode 614…

Episode 615…

Episode 616…

Episode 617 (Payback)…

Episode 618…

Episode 619…

Episode 620 (series finale)…

So, which of these episodes would have looked forward to most?

Posted on by Joseph Mallozzi · 5 Comments

April 14, 2022: The Early Weekend Approacheth!

Remember this whiteboard AU season 6 of Stargate: Atlantis?

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I posted shortly after the cancellation and offered up quick summaries of each episode.  Since then, I’ve been going through my old hard drive in search of Stargate files and came across some of the notes I took on the-episodes-that-never-came-to-be back in the day.  And, over the last week or so, I’ve been posting more detailed, corrected versions o these synopses on twitter.  Tonight, after I post the synopsis for the summary, I’ll have all 20 virtual SGA season 6 episodes.  So for tomorrow’s blog entry, I’ll assemble them and post here for easy reference.   Time Travel!  Shep whump!  The surprising return of some old favorites.  And an EPIC virtual series finale!

Good cholesterol may keep some from developing Alzheimers

Doing my part…

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Today’s Yes/No…

Posted on by Joseph Mallozzi · 4 Comments

January 10, 2022: READING…(and reviews!)

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As promised, I would be picking up my reading this year.  Here are brief reviews of some of the 2022 releases I’ve read so far in January…

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The Insecure Mind of Sergei Kraev by Eric Silberstein

The year is 2100. The lack of trust that characterized the early Internet era is long behind us. Mathematical proof ensures neural implants can’t be hacked, and the Board of Reality Overseers blocks false information from spreading.

When undergraduate Sergei Kraev, who dreams of becoming a professor, is accepted into the Technion’s computer science graduate program, he throws himself into his research project: making it possible for neural implants to transmit information directly to the brain. If he succeeds, he’ll earn a full professorship.

But Sergei falls under the influence of Sunny Kim, the beautiful and charismatic leader of a K-pop dance cult. Sergei believes in Sunny’s good intentions and wants to protect her from critics, leading him to perform a feat of engineering that leaves billions of brains vulnerable to attack.

With the clock ticking towards catastrophe, can Sergei see the truth about Sunny and undo what he’s done?

REVIEW…

Okay, let’s get one thing straight right off the  bat.  There is no K-pop dance cult.  It’s dance cult based on Korea.  There is not even the remotest element of K-pop in this novel and, while most may not care, as someone who had my interest piqued for this very reason, it was a bait and switch.  The lack of this potentially kooky/fun (promised) story element aside, this book offers some fascinating world-building as it imagines a future where our lowly internet evolves into a cyberspace that links users via brain implants which offer convenience and comforts…but at what cost?  The set-up is great and fascinating aspects of the future tech off-sets the occasional info-dumps in much the same way most of the grounded, sympathetic characters that people this world outweigh the rather two-dimensional villain – Sunny, the dance-happy cult leader –  at the heart of the novel.  There are also instances where the author seems to be making a political statement about the dangers of misinformation and the need for state censorship which is ironic given that the antagonists of the story hail from the former North Korea.  Overall, a solid read whose futuristic ideas are stronger than its narrative whole.

3/5

***

1

Deep Dive by Ron Walters

Still reeling from the failure of his last project, videogame developer Peter Banuk is working hard to ensure his next game doesn’t meet the same fate. He desperately needs a win, not only to save his struggling company, but to justify the time he’s spent away from his wife and daughters.

So when Peter’s tech-genius partner offers him the chance to beta-test a new state-of-the-art virtual reality headset, he jumps at it. But something goes wrong during the trial, and Peter wakes to find himself trapped in an eerily familiar world where his children no longer exist.

As the lines between the real and virtual worlds begin to blur, Peter is forced to reckon with what truly matters to him. But can he escape his virtual prison before he loses his family forever?

REVIEW…

If you’re going to cover the same creative ground well-trodden by Blake Crouch in his exceptional novel Dark Matter, you better bring something new to the table, be it a fresh take on the same premise or, preferably, some sort of twist that subverts the reader’s expectations and turns the conceit on its ears. Unfortunately, Deep Dive does neither. Although the “device” that pompts Peter Banuk’s journey is different from a technological – frankly, more implausible – standpoint, it’s not enough to separate this book as a less interesting version of a very similar story. The set-up is interesting, the tale of a man who finds himself in an alternate reality, losing his daughters in the process, but there’s little emotional depth to our protagonist beyond his obvious despair over the loss of his girls. He’s a hard hero to care for, and “hero” is generous given that the major steps in solving his mysterious predicament come about mostly through the actions of outside forces. He is kidnapped, kidnapped again, and fed sporadic insights until a large chunk of the mystery is revealed when he suddenly, and fortuitously, recovers a chunk of missing memory in the nick of time. Overall, I feel like I’ve read it all before – but better.

2/5

***

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Mickey7 by Edward Ashton

Mickey7 is an Expendable: a disposable employee on a human expedition sent to colonize the ice world Niflheim. Whenever there’s a mission that’s too dangerous—even suicidal—the crew turns to Mickey. After one iteration dies, a new body is regenerated with most of his memories intact. After six deaths, Mickey7 understands the terms of his deal…and why it was the only colonial position unfilled when he took it.

On a fairly routine scouting mission, Mickey7 goes missing and is presumed dead. By the time he returns to the colony base, surprisingly helped back by native life, Mickey7’s fate has been sealed. There’s a new clone, Mickey8, reporting for Expendable duties. The idea of duplicate Expendables is universally loathed, and if caught, they will likely be thrown into the recycler for protein.

Mickey7 must keep his double a secret from the rest of the colony. Meanwhile, life on Niflheim is getting worse. The atmosphere is unsuitable for humans, food is in short supply, and terraforming is going poorly. The native species are growing curious about their new neighbors, and that curiosity has Commander Marshall very afraid. Ultimately, the survival of both lifeforms will come down to Mickey7.

REVIEW…

Stanley Kubrick once said: “Everything has already been done. Every story has been told. Every scene has been shot. It’s out job to do it one better.” And I would argue not objectively better, but exceptional in its exploration of the familiar subject matter. The premise of Mickey7, for instance, draws immediate parallels to Duncan Jones’ Moon but the novel sets itself apart by proving exceptional in its story-telling. The heart of the novel is Mickey7, the seventh incarnation of an Expendable, a human who can be expected to sacrifice himself for the common good because, after all, he can just return as a clone with most of his memories intact – provided he remembered to back himself up. A beloved friend and fellow crew member to some, an unnatural freak to others, Mickey takes on dangerous missions with a certain acerbic resignation. There’s a humor to the character that makes him not only instantly likable but very grounded and very human, navigating life on the Niflheim ice world colony, a reluctant replaceable cog in an unforgiving machine. There’s some wonderful world-building here and plenty of cool sci-fi concepts and technologies, but it’s the dialogue that truly sets this book apart. It’s smart, sharply comedic at times, and does a great job of realizing the memorable players in Mickey7’s life. Still, I did have a few quibbles. The haphazard plan hatched by the two clones to keep their duplicate existence a secret feels a questionable and highly problematic game plan doomed to failure, while the mystery of the planet’s dangerous denizens (the subterranean-dwelling creepers) isn’t really developed so much as it is touched on now and again before being abruptly resolved, but there’s a terrific twist in the telling and our hero’s clever actions ultimately lead to a dramatically satisfying conclusion. One of the type of books you take note of the author’s name so you can track down their other titles. Recommended.

4/5

***

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The Chosen Twelve by James Breakwell

There are 22 candidates. There are 12 seats.

The last interstellar colony ship is down to its final batch of humans after the robots in charge unhelpfully deleted the rest. But rebooting a species and training them for the arduous task of colonisation isn’t easy – especially when the planet below is filled with monsters, the humans are more interested in asking questions than learning, and the robots are all programmed to kill each other.

But the fate of humanity rests on creating a new civilization on the planet below, and there are twelve seats on the lander. Will manipulation or loyalty save the day?

REVIEW…

Alas, despite what the cover blurb may tell you, this book lacks the compelling life or death gamesmanship of The Hunger Games, the deliriously off-the-wall humor of The Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, the thematic depths of Lord of the Flies, and the provocative philosophical underpinnings of Phliip K. Dick’s work. It’s more a fairly straightforward (very) soft sci-fi novel that reads like Y.A. even though the varied players are much older. And yet, despite their age and surface smarts, they’re all surprisingly simplistic in their approach to each other and the challenges they face. For the most part, there’s not much depth to these characters beyond Delta, our protagonist, and even she is ultimately upstaged by a robot named Spenser. The humor ranges from the silly to the absurd and it unfortunately undermines the drama once things finally get going (about halfway through the proceedings). The premise is great, but the execution is uninspired. A quick, unremarkable read.

2/5

***

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The Liars Beneath by Heather Powell

After a tragic accident ends her best friend’s life, 17-year-old Becca Thompson succumbs to grief the only way she knows how: by wallowing in it. She’s a fragment of the person she once was-far too broken to enjoy the summer before her senior year. But when Ben McCain, her best friend’s older brother, returns home, Becca must face her new reality head on.

She isn’t interested in Ben’s games, especially since he abandoned his sister during the months leading up to her death. But when he begs for her help in uncovering the truth about what really happened the night of his sister’s death, Becca finds herself agreeing, hoping to clear up rumors swirling in the wake of her best friend’s accident.

An unhinged ex-boyfriend, secret bucket lists, and garage parties in the place Becca calls home soon lead her to the answers she’s so desperate to unveil. But nobody is being honest, not even Ben. And the closer Becca gets to the truth-and to Ben-the more danger seems to surround her.

Clearing her best friend’s name was all she wanted to do, but Becca is quickly realizing that the truth she craves might be uglier than the lies her best friend kept.

REVIEW…
*
This one is a standard small-town mystery with a YA slant. 17 year old Becca Thompson looks into the mysterious circumstances surrounding her friend Rose’s suicide. What was the secret Rose kept hidden from her best friend? Was her death really a suicide? And if not, who was responsible? Unless you’re a complete neophyte to the genre, you’ll have guessed the answers to all of these questions long before their respective reveals. There’s an angst-ridden romance at the heart of this story which, while also typical of the genre, is well-executed. Less so the book’s conclusion that sets up a potentially tragic outcome, only to have it all get conveniently swept away through a series of fortuitous events. A fine novel for novice younger audiences, but more seasoned readers may have their patience tested.
 
2/5

***

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Under Fortunate Stars by Ben Hutchings
*
Fleeing the final days of the generations-long war with the alien Felen, smuggler Jereth Keeven’s freighter the Jonah breaks down in a strange rift in deep space, with little chance of rescue—until they encounter the research vessel Gallion, which claims to be from 152 years in the future.

The Gallion’s chief engineer Uma Ozakka has always been fascinated with the past, especially the tale of the Fortunate Five, who ended the war with the Felen. When the Gallion rescues a run-down junk freighter, Ozakka is shocked to recognize the Five’s legendary ship—and the Five’s famed leader, Eldric Leesongronski, among the crew.

But nothing else about Leesongronski and his crewmates seems to match up with the historical record. With their ships running out of power in the rift, more than the lives of both crews may be at stake.

REVIEW…
*
As a huge fan of all things time travel, from chronal loops to temporal distortions, I loved the set-up here. It opens the door to an inventive sci-fi narrative that, while a lot of fun, also explores headier themes related to how perspectives shape history and the human flaws and frailties that reside within the heroes we worship. The author does a nice job of introducing a fascinating future world, its backstory and politics, while also offering up a cast of intriguing, mostly relatable characters. All of the pieces are there for an engaging adventure but, as the story unfolds, it becomes evident that one crucial element is missing: the clever plotting that typifies the very best of this SF sub-genre. Specifically… When it comes to writing, my pet peeves are something I call the Three C’s – coincidence, conveniences, and contrivances. They’re not quite as objectionable if they serve to complicate matters for our protagonist, but when they help our protagonist achieve their goal, it’s the equivalent of writing taking a shortcut. You’re robbing the reader of a dramatically satisfying journey in which our hero earns their victory rather than having it fall into their lap through fortuitous events.
 
3/5
***
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Five Deaths for Seven Songbirds by John Everson
*
When the star of the school’s piano program is strangled with a piano wire, the only clue to the killer is a grainy picture of the victim during her final moments, mouth wide and screaming, posted on the girl’s own Facebook account, alongside a classic music video. What does it mean? Eve soon finds herself taking the girl’s place as the enclave’s star pupil, in line for a coveted scholarship and a new member of the famed jazz combo, the Songbirds.

When Eve is drugged and another Songbird murdered at a campus party, she suddenly finds herself on the list of suspects. Another picture is posted online of the victim in her final moments, and this time, Eve is sure the hands around the girl’s throat… are hers! Could she have killed the girl while under the influence of whatever someone had slipped in her drink? The police and others at the Eyrie are suspicious; the murders began when she arrived. Her new boyfriend Richard insists that she could not be the killer. But who would want the Songbirds dead? One of the other Songbirds, like Gianna, the snarky sax player who seems to hate everyone? Or Philip, the creepy building caretaker and occasional night watchman? Or could it be Prof. Von Klein himself, who seems very handy with a camera and has a secret locked room behind his office where the light always seems to be on after dark?

Whoever it is, Eve knows she needs to figure it out. Because when a dead canary is left as a bloody message on the keys of her piano, she knows her own life may be in deadly danger.

REVIEW…
*
This book is described as “a modern Giallo”, an “homage to the stylish Italian mystery thrillers”, but its direct inspiration is clearly Dario Argento’s Suspiria, a movie about a young American student who enrolls in a prestigious dance academy in Berlin plagued by a series of dark events. Here, a young American student (Eve) enrolls in a prestigious music conservatory in Belgium plagued by a series of equally dark events. Whereas the original film (and its sequel) do a masterful job of conveying a sense of dread through its surreal setting and quirky characters, forcing our all-American heroine to negotiate a foreign, at times eerie landscape, this novel proves atmospherically challenged. There’s nothing particularly unsettling about the new world protagonist Eve encounters. The setting and her fellow students are so unremarkable that the story could have taken place anywhere in North America.

This casual tone is also reflected in the attitude of the characters who, in the face of a mounting body count, go on about their lives as if the bloody events are nothing more than curious developments rather than anything to be alarmed about. On her first day at the conservatory, Eve is informed that a student was murdered there the night before. But there’s no heavy police presence. The school is not shut down. No one is struggling with the emotional baggage of having to come to terms with the death of someone they knew. Instead, everyone is fairly nonchalant, discussing the murder as if it were the equivalent of a juicy piece of high school gossip. At first, I thought this was a hint that something was very wrong with these students, a red flag signaling some macabre conspiracy, but when Eve didn’t clock this as strange in any way, I began to have my doubts – which were cemented when, in a later scene, Eve and her new friends go to a cafe where they are welcomed by the barista. It’s been a while since he’s seen them. He greets them warmly, is introduced to their new member Eve…but there is no mention of the girl who died the night before. Surely, he would have known her too. And surely he must have heard about her death. Yet she isn’t even mentioned. Apparently, it just wasn’t a big deal.

These characters don’t act like real people. Throughout the book, these young women think nothing of walking through the dark environs of the conservatory, alone in the dead of night, despite the recent murders. And they pay the ultimate price, getting killed in grisly, over-the-top, often silly fashion complete with arch commentary on the part of the killer. Things reach a crescendo of nonsense late in the novel when a trio of characters, trapped in the building with a killer on the loose, elect to split up and search for a missing friend rather than get the hell out and contact the police.

This book would have worked better as a parody. In its present form, it reads like a half-heated tribute to a much more accomplished original.

2/5
***
Posted on by Joseph Mallozzi · 9 Comments

July 12, 2021: Second Vaccine Shot? Yes/No

Join us later today, Dark Matter fans, for our last Dark Matter Monday stream.  We’ll talk about those first three episodes of (our virtual) season 4 as well as what lies ahead.

Akemi: The stock is flat.  It’s flateaued.

Me: You mean plateaued.  There’s not such word as flateaued.

Akemi: WUT???

It pains me because her version does make more sense.  Like “Happy Delayted Birthday”.

Went to get my second vaccine today and showed up only to discover they were out of Pfizer and were offering the Moderna instead.  The CDC claims it’s perfectly safe to mix vaccines.  Now.  But about a month ago…

Cdc-mixing-vaccines

Did the science coincidentally change that fast around the same time certain places started running out of Pfizer vaccines?

I mean, this is the same CDC that was claiming there was no evidence of aerosolized transmission ((despite the anecdotal evidence) so they chose not to take action.  And before you trot out the ole “but science changes” argument, I would suggest their early stance was the equivalent of “Well, we have no proof that komodo dragons eat children so I’m just going to go ahead and let this komodo dragon babysit”.  This is also the same CDC of the “We don’t advise people wear masks because they’re too fucking stupid to know how to use them” school of thought.

The volunteer on site informed me that the Pfizer vaccines were in short supply and being redirected for vaccinating children.  My question is “What is it about the Moderna that has the experts so concerned they’re choosing to prioritize Pfizer over it?”

All great questions that I’m sure no one has the answer to.  In the meantime, I’ve rescheduled my appointment for Friday afternoon – at which time I will show up once again and they will no doubt inform me they’re out of Pfizer and, hey, how about some Moderna?

To be honest, if they had told me beforehand, I would have done the research and probably taken the Moderna, but the fact that they’re keeping people in the dark and springing the “You traveled all this way, so may as well…” strategy makes me inclined NOT to get it.

I’m more of an introvert anyway, so all good.

Today’s Yes/No…

Posted on by Joseph Mallozzi · 6 Comments

July 6, 2021: In case you missed it – Melissa O’Neil! Zoie Palmer! And the Dark Matter season 4 virtual episodes!

So, how’d you all enjoy yesterday’s Dark Matter Monday with super secret special guest stars Melissa O’Neil and Zoie Palmer?

What?  What do you mean you missed it?!  Didn’t I tell you it was NOT to be missed?

Well, don’t beat yourself up over it.  The gang at Orville Nation has you covered…

Next week, we’ll be discussing Virtual Season 4 Episodes 4.01, 4.02, and 4.03.

In case you need to brush up…

August 10, 2019: Dark Matter Virtual Season 4, Episode 4.01 gets the video treatment!

August 12, 2019: Dark Matter Virtual Season 4, Episode 4.02 gets the video treatment!

Dark Matter Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.03, Act 1

Dark Matter Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.03, Act II!

Dark Matter Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.03, Act III!

Dark Matter Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.03, Act IV!

Dark Matter Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.03, Act 5!

Today’s Yes/No…

Going to have to give this one a pass.

Pitch deck discussion on the Project F front tomorrow morning followed, hopefully, with some clarification on which K-Pop group(s) we’ll be approaching.  I have two in minds – one male and one female – but would love to hear from their man in Seoul.

Further developments on TimEscape have me feeling cautiously optimistic.  The team has a couple of potential homes in mind.

Once I’ve finished tweaking the pitch for the adaptation of the epic sci-fi comic book series, and follow up on the re-pitch of that classic science fiction t.v. series, I’m going to start beating out my take for the Dark Matter miniseries.

Let’s gooooooooo!

 

Posted on by Joseph Mallozzi · 26 Comments

July 21, 2020: Answering YOUR questions!

Alrighty.  It’s been forever since I’ve done one of these, so let’s get to it.  Opening the mailbag…

Egal writes: “A while back you tweeted that you gave your old stargate behind the scenes box to MGM.  Is there any news on that?”

Answer: Apparently, a lot of the digital files I sent over were duplicates of much of the material already featured as special features and behind the scenes footage for the former Stargate Command.  I’m still hoping they discover some gems.  In the meantime, I have my own copies of the dailies from a number of Stargate: Atlantis episodes that includes cool little unaired sequences like this one –

Joanne Verbeek: “Anymore word or progress on the TimEscape project?”

Answer: Half this business is waiting for a response – which is why it’s always a good idea to keep busy with multiple projects.  You know know what’s going to move forward or when.  The pandemic has only served to make a slow process even slower but I’m anxious to get a response from our Canadian broadcaster and start the ball rolling by taking it out to the U.S.   In the meantime, thinking of gauging prospective fan interest by letting a few of you read what I’ve got.  Who’s interested in getting an early sneak peek at a sci-fi series in the vein in SG-1, Atlantis, and Dark Matter?

July 21, 2020: Answering YOUR questions!

GForce writes: “Any further news on the Nick Cutter horror adaptation?”

Answer: Alas, our pitch trip to L.A. , while a lot of fun, didn’t result in a sale.  But I’m still hopeful that, with proper timing, the project can eventually find a home.

Alisa writes: “Last year you started posting season 4 of Dark Matter to give us a little closure to how the show would have gone. You made it to episode 3 and I was wondering if you were going to continue posting how the season would have progressed. I was so sad to see the show not get picked up for season 4 and 5. There were so many question left unanswered and I know you wanted to give us those answers but sadly the network did not let that happen. Also do you think you will get a second season for Utopia Falls.”

Answer: Yes, I do plan to continue posting the Dark Matter virtual season 4 episodes.  Eventually.  4.04 was going to be a Carl Binder special and I have no doubt it would have been a fan favorite.  As for Uoptia Falls – I think the biggest obstacle to a season 2 pick-up at this point is the lack of an international sale.  A show’s budget is made up of the licensing fees drawn from various broadcast territories and in order to move ahead with a second season of the show, the production company needs to ensure its investment in the series is covered by those sales.  Once that international sale is secured, a second season pick-up becomes a lot easier.  So, if you live in a part of the world that doesn’t air the show (or have friends who do), let your broadcasters know you want Utopia Falls.

Amybeth Gregory writes:  “My questions are Stargate Atlantis questions- you may or may not be able to answer.
1. Why was the Destiny shaped in the form of Thor’s hammer? The Ancients had their own civilization separate from the Asgard. So why so Asgardian?”

Answer: To be honest, this is a question for show creators Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper – and, possibly, Production Designer James Robbins – since they were the ones who envisioned and designed the look of the Destiny.  The fact that it was shaped in the form of Thor’s hammer might offer a clue to a bigger big picture reveal.  On the other hand, it could just be a coincidence.
“2. What prevented the Ancients from using Destiny? & it wasn’t Ascension bc they were still around in physical form for Atlantis & to flee to Earth.”

Answer: I would direct all Ancient-related questions, again, to Brad and Robert who were intimately familiar with the deep history and details of the Ancients and their mythology.  Got any questions about kooky time loop episodes?
“3. How far ahead had the writing gone? Did anyone actually write about who the makers of the drones were? (Us? Replicators?) or whether the crew wakes up from stasis?”

Answer: We would usually receive news of a pick-up near the end of the season, wrap production, then spend a month or two breaking stories for next season before heading off to write.  In the case of SGU, we never got the chance to do any spinning so no stories were written.  However, I do know that Brad had a plan for many of the outstanding storylines – as well as answers to a lot of the show’s questions, big and small.
“4. Was there an end point written re: the meaning behind the message in the fabric of the universe or were you all still up in the air (no pun) about what it meant?”

Answer: Yes, definitely.  Brad revealed it to me on one of the last days, after the cancellation, and I promised not to reveal it until he got the chance to do so – hopefully in a new Stargate series.

Wishing you a speedy post-op recovery!

Rick writes: “Will a lot of the actors from SG1, Atlantis and Universe be returning for major/minor roles in the new Stargate series?”

Answer: That would be up to Brad, but I know he does see the potential in rewarding longtime fans with possible guest appearances.  Time will tell.

Al writes: “I’m rewatching universe now. Are the planet builders the same race that left the pattern in the background radiation?”

Answer: If and when Brad gets that fourth Stargate series off the ground, he would be in a great position to answer that.

Kevin writes: “I hope you can answer this, but can you tell me what the third Stargate SG-1 movie, the one about O’Neill, was going to be about?”

Answer: The third SG-1 movie, Stargate: Revolution, involved the Stargate program going public and… to be honest, I don’t remember the details.  I remember reading the first draft and being awed by the deep space ship battles, action sequences, and Jack and Sam dinner scene.

Fuchsia writes: “Hi there, will you be doing a list of your top 10 horror novels? I am looking for some good recs! I enjoyed reading “The Destroyers” from your thriller/mystery list. My favourite genre is horror/gothic/supernatural.”

Answer: Yes!  I’ve put together a short list of about 25 and am having a little trouble narrowing it down to a Top 10 (or 12).  Look for it in the coming days.

Nathan Dionne writes: “When you first joined Stargate, did you ever look back at older episodes and think how you might have done anything differently? And were you a fan of the show and had been watching it before you joined the production?”

Answer: I wasn’t really a fan of Stargate before joining the production because I had the misfortune of watching one of the worst episodes of the franchise, Emancipation, as a my introduction to the series.  A year later, when my agent informed me that the show was looking for writers, I told him I didn’t think I would be a good fit.  But he forwarded me three scripts – that were fantastic and immediately changed my mind about the show.  As for looking back on older episodes and thinking about doing things differently – never.  Certainly not an episode I didn’t write or produce.

“There were a number of planets and races, especially in the early show, that felt like they should have been revisited but never were. Like the giant aliens Daniel Jackson’s grandfather stayed with, or the fish guy that wanted to know “What fate Omoroka?”, among others. Was there any particular reason to your knowledge that some of these places were never brought up again in the show?”

Answer: Not really.  At the end of every season, the writers would convene and toss around ideas for the following year, spinning and breaking, fleshing them out into full stories and outlines before going off to write scripts.  When Paul and I joined in season 4, our focus, as the new writers, was to come up with new story ideas – which we did: Window of Opportunity, Scorched Earth, The Curse, Point of No Return, Chain Reaction, Prodigy, Exodus.  They, for the most part, had only tenuous connections to past stories (ie. the NID, Jack’s late son, Daniel’s archeological background, etc.).

“Now for the big question, the one I most want answered. During Stargate Atlantis, was the idea of somehow having a Goa’uld take a Wraith host ever discussed? (I mean if the Trust got one in Colonel Caldwell it wouldn’t have been too big a stretch for it to happen) Because that would have been one formidable enemy. Unless the Wraith’s natural mental powers and healing abilities would have prevented a Goa’uld from taking over?”

Answer: We did discuss it at one point but it’s not something we pursued because, at the time, we were trying to set Atlantis apart as a distinct series with minimal crossover elements.  Although the goa’uld did appear in late season 2’s “Critical Mass”, it was a one-off and not something we did often.  I think the feeling was that having a wraith hosting a goa’uld would have been an unnecessary overcomplication.

Ruben A. Hilbers asks: “Ancients vs Daleks. Who would win ?”

Answer: Ancients, no contest.

July 21, 2020: Answering YOUR questions!

The Old Payroll Tax Lady writes: “Hi Joe, Would you have killed off the Asgard had SG-1 been renewed for another season or had a plan to resurrect them in season 11? I always felt that had SG-1 continued that the team would have eventually found Thor’s DNA stored in a freezer someplace.”

Answer: Every season of the show, we went in assuming it would be our last – only to be surprised with a pick-up.  Until season 10 when I was certain we’d be picked up for an 11th season – only to be cancelled. Having said that, there were no concrete plans for any season 11 stories (as we received word of the cancellation early enough that Robert Cooper was able to write a terrific series ender for the show).  I think the feeling was that the direction of the series had evolved past the Asgard storylines.  Still, the nice thing about science fiction is that nobody really ever stays dead – and especially not an entire alien race.

The Other One writes: “How did the Exoplanets of Stargate and Sound of Space panels go?”

Answer: It was great!  Probably the best panel I’ve done in years.  Moderated by the amazing Pamela Gay, with special guest, Composer David Joseph Wesley.  Oh, and me.

“I do have a question for your Q&A but Alisa has already pipped me to the post. I know you are really busy with all those projects you mentioned the other day, but is a virtual Dark Matter episode in the pipeline anytime soon, please?
I still miss our Raza Crew so much. If we don’t ever get a resolution on TV would there be a chance of ending the Dark Matter story as it started, in comic form?”

Answer: Yes to another virtual Dark Matter episode.  Eventually.  But, alas, no to continuing the story in comic book form.

Dr. Z writes: “My question is about the casting of Melissa O’neil in DM. She was so brilliant and perfect for the role that I still can’t believe she had done virtually no acting before that. It must have been a brave decision to cast her ( and a brilliant one). So who made the decision and were there any other big contenders for that role?”

Answer: We must have seen almost 300 actresses for the role of TWO.  One day, I received an email from our casting director, the wonderful Lisa Parasyn.  She was over-the-moon about a young actress who had never done any television, but was, at the time, part of the Les Miserables production on Broadway.  Her name was Melissa O’Neil and, when I watched her self-tape, I knew I had found my TWO.  She was pretty much exactly how I had envisioned the character.  I think that, at the time, her relative inexperience caused others some concern, but I had no doubt she would be fantastic.  I fought for her – and she proved me right.  I also fought for – and was vindicated by – Jodelle Ferland and Alex Mallari Jr. who were absolutely fantastic in their respective roles.

Shinyhula writes: “Any updates on a live action Masked anthology?”

Answer: Sadly, the update is that most broadcasters aren’t interested in anthologies.

David Issel writes: “How is COVID-19 affecting productions?”

Answer: All productions have ground to a halt and, although it is slowly starting up in some regions, most areas probably won’t see a return to normal until top of next year.

“Will everyone be wearing masks in next year’s shows?
– like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p1V6a2EeNwU”

Answer: Yes.  Part of the new regulations require everyone involved in the production to wear masks unless they are in situation where they absolutely cannot (ie. They’re on camera, shooting a scene).

“Will everyone be filming their own parts from the comfort of their own homes (under lockdown)?
– like: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYfqgI2fwdw
– or: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFUZM5ZZuHQ”

Answer: No.  While I’m sure you’ll see a few zoom-shot shows and the like, the vast majority of productions will have to find safe ways to move forward within the traditional production framework.

“Will everyone be expected to get tested daily and live together in a bubble?
– like some sports are doing?”

Answer: Unless everyone is off shooting on location, it is very unlikely cast and crew will be sequestered for the entire run of a production.  In the case of some shows, you’d be looking at months of isolation.  Forget the financial costs associated with putting everyone up in hotels and feeding them, what about the emotional costs of not seeing your loved ones for, in some cases, half a year?

“Is everything on hold until a vaccine is approved?
– https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RV2xlCHPclc”

Answer: No.  As I said, some regions are slowly opening up.  I, personally, doubt we’ll have a vaccine as soon as everyone else thinks.  I also doubt the efficacy of any vaccine we rush forward.  Finally, even if we do come up with a vaccine, fully one half of Americans polled said they would refuse to be vaccinated.  Make of that what you will.

Paloosa writes: “I’ve wanted to ask this question for years about McKay in Stargate Atlantis. He on occasion in a story would say “Oh, thank God”. I always thought he was probably thanking himself based on his ego. 🙂 But I’ve been curious, was this scripted and if so why would McKay say it. If not, was it an ad-lib? Is it just a phrase, or something about his personal beliefs we didn’t get to see much of?”

Answer: It was probably scripted with no real intention behind the line.  As for McKay’s personal beliefs – I think David would be better suited to answer this question.

Ian writes: “Who was the most influential when it came to the new tone and direction in SGU. I love SGU, curious if everyone wanted to change style. Or if there was a driving force?”

Answer: After 15 seasons (13 years and over 300 episodes) of Stargate’s SG-1 and Atlantis, Brad and Robert wanted to do something different.  They, as co-creators of Stargate: Universe, were the driving force behind the creative, everything from story to tone to conceptual designs and casting.

Posted on by Joseph Mallozzi · 51 Comments

June 30, 2020: Happy 5000!

Hard to believe, but this is my 5000th post.  Back on November 21st, 2006, in an entry titled, appropriately enough “The Beginning”, I started this blog, initially as a food journal to document at two-week trip to Asia.  When I returned home, however, I decided to keep it going.  I figured that it would be a good thing in that it would force me to write on a daily basis.  For as long as it lasted.  And, well, it’s lasted somewhat longer than I’d originally imagined.  Closing in on 14 years.  In that 14 year span, I have written an entry for every day (sometimes two) on topics ranging from film production to pugs to rambling rants.  And you have all been kind enough to come along for the ride.  So thanks for that.

Some interesting stats:

The #2 and #3 most popular search terms that led people to this blog were “Joe Mallozzi” and “Joseph Mallozzi” (for a combined 141,644 total searches)

However, the #1 most popular search that led people to this blog was “Julia Benson” (150,270 searches).

This blog’s most popular entries were this one:

May 12, 2011: Stargate: Universe, Beyond Season 2! What Might Have Been!

And this one:

Stargate: A New Hope

My second most popular month of blogging was May of 2011, which I believe coincided with the Stargate: Universe cancellation.

My most popular month of blogging was September of 2017, which I believe coincided with the Dark Matter online campaign.

5000 posts

12,613,867 views

2,216,351 visitors

185,711 comments

And counting.

So how to celebrate this milestone?  Besides virtual birthday cake?  I gave it some thought and came up with…a zoom call.  I mean, it’s all the rage so why not?

Simply leave a comment on this blog entry for a chance to be one of three lucky blog readers to be selected for the 5000th Anniversary Zoom call with yours truly (with a possible guest appearance by my pug, Suji, although her schedule is pretty tight so no promises).  Later this week, I’ll announce the three winner after which I will coordinate a time for all four of us to jump on a 30 minute zoom call during which we will discuss…well, whatever you like.  Stargate, Dark Matter, any of my projections in progress, food, current events, or why The Princess Bride remake is such an awful idea.

Happy Blog Anniversary!

And grab a slice of cake before you go!

Posted on by Joseph Mallozzi · 5 Comments

January 23, 2020: Two days to Stargate Tweetstorm Europe!

A little over two months ago, North American Stargate fans took point in a massive tweetstorm.  This weekend, Stargate fans worldwide will lead the charge for a new Stargate series.

 

Save the date!

In the lead up to our Stargate tweetstorm, I’ve been posting some concept art (by Production Designer James Robbins) from SG-1’s ninth season.

In case you missed it…

Ori-ship01 Flame-demon01 Grail Virtual-set-int-ori-ship02Screen-shot-2020-01-23-at-6.28.35-pm

Heavy sigh.

Looks like we’re pumping the brakes on adopting a new (old) dog.  The plan is to fly down with Suji, sometime in early March, and have her pick her perfect match.

I am, admittedly, very disappointed in the delay.

Posted on by Joseph Mallozzi · 20 Comments

August 6, 2019: Dark Matter – All the loose ends we want tied up!

This article was brought to my attention today: 

August-6-2019

Dark Matter: All the loose ends we want tied up

“Watching the closing moments of Dark Matter was a little like taking a book out of the library and finding out some colossal douchenugget had torn out the last chapter.”

Well, yes.  That WAS more or less it.  

Lucas Hill-Paul, the writer of the article, lists the following loose ends.

August-6-2019

The Black Ships

“An imposing fleet, their arrival promised an exciting new threat for season 4. Sadly, we’ll never get to see who or what were in the pilot seats.”

One of the biggest builds planned for the show’s fourth was the interior of one of these black ships as a mid-season episode would have seen our crew, under the direction of the Galactic Authority, teaming with a Stellar Defense Corps special forces unit (including black ops specialist Solara Shockley) to infiltrate and take out one of the enemy ships as it drains/draws immense power from a nearby star.  THAT episode would have given us a sneak peek inside the black ships – and a confirmed visual on the invaders.

August-6-2019-1

Aliens

The aliens were actually introduced back in season 2 (“Going Out Fighting”) when THREE became host to one.  They made another appearance in season 3 when the crew stumbled upon a secret Dwarf Star facility containing an army of bio-synthetic beings – as well as a gateway to…somewhere else.

August-6-2019-2

TWO is compromised

TWO is compromised by one of the aforementioned aliens and takes out our Android – only to be taken down, in turn, by Ryo Ishida.  If you’d like to find out what lay ahead for TWO, check out the –

Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.01

August-6-2019-3

SIX is dead?

Say it isn’t so!  Was that really a Goodbye Forever hug he shared with FIVE in the the final moments of the season 3 finale?  For the answer to that, I once against direct you to…  

Virtual Season 4 – Episode 4.01

August-6-2019-4

Sarah

And what of Sarah, THREE’s former love?  When last we saw her, her consciousness had been uploaded to an android body.  Well, the plan was to see her rise to prominence within the leadership of the android liberation movement – but a series of events would eventually lead to a schism, an internal power struggle, and Sarah’s accession as our Big Bad for the show’s fifth and final season.

August-6-2019-5

The Android’s Future

Late in season 3’s fourth episode, All the Time in the World, Android does a little time-skipping and experiences future flashes of herself: being stunned by THREE on the bridge (revealed, in a later episode, to actually be our AU Marcus Boone), in the mess with TWO grieving the loss of someone closer to her (planned for season 4), disassembled on an operating table (another season 4 story), and, finally, on the bridge of the Raza where she encounters a much older FIVE who offers her a few predictions.  She cites: the Dwarf Star conspiracy (that we begin to unravel later in season 3’s eleventh episode, the appropriately titled “The Dwarf Star Conspiracy”), the doubled deception (a hint at a late season 5 turn), Kryden (we are introduced to Kryden in the first episode of the show’s fourth season – see above), Carina (FIVE’s long lost sister introduced in our virtual season 4 episode here, here and here), the Accelerated (season 5!), the fall of the House of Ishida (witnessed later in season 3’s “My Final Gift To You”), “A meeting with your creator” (Episode 310, “Built, Not Born”), and the Black Ships (we glimpse in the season 3 finale).

It’s frustrating – like knowing a huge secret but not being able to divulge to anyone.

Anyway, stay tuned.  Dark Matter season 4’s fourth virtual episode will drop in the coming weeks – and it’s a terrific time travel tale scripted by none other than Stargate’s very own Carl Binder! 

[And a huge thanks to Tom Gardiner for all the awesome gifs!]