Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 540

May 4, 2011: Transporter pre-production update! Canada's Space Channel pays us a visit! Further Stargate SG-1 season 5 reminiscences!

Al-most there!  I hit the 54 page mark of my second script for Transporter: The Series today.  I'll take the night to think about the big showdown, then write it tomorrow along with the final scenes (surprise, goodbye, flashback, and SHOCK – in that order) after which I'll be all done.  On the first draft anyway.  Paul continued work on his script for (what will now be episode 2).  And Alexander…oh, he kept busy as well…

The conference call scheduled for this afternoon has been rescheduled to tomorrow.  Rather than head home to consider the unique qualities of the episode 5 beatdowns, I hung around to do a quickie interview for Canada's Space which will follow up Tuesday night's series finale, Gauntlet, with a special Stargate-laden installment of Innerspace.  From what I hear, they got A LOT of interviews with Stargate personalities – David Blue, David Hewlett, Amanda Tapping, Christopher Judge, Louis Ferreira, Alaina Huffman, Brian J. Smith, and Jewel Staite (to name a few) – who'll be talking about the franchise and its fans. Don't miss it!

Producer Mark Askwith conducted the interview. Apparently, Mark is a huge comic book fan (he shares company with the likes of Warren Ellis and Neil Gaiman in the Batman: Black & White collection) and has alerted me to an upcoming comic book show this weekend.

Michael does the heavy lifting. And shooting.

Sweet ride, no?

Interesting editorial over at Gateworld today: http://www.gateworld.net/news/2011/05/how-wrestling-is-killing-science-fiction/

Also, file this one under "You just noticed?": http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/03/business/media/03television.html?scp=1&sq=tv%20ownership&st=cse Thanks to Chad for the link.

Also, couldn't resist including a link to one of the stupidest articles I've read in some time - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/eerie-links-between-harry-potter-184109  The "eerie links" cited?  Well, both Bin Laden and Voldemort are bad guys with bad minions (Al Queda and the Death Eaters respectively), Obama has been referred to as "the anointed one" by critics which is how Harry is referred to in the books (!), and Bin Laden died on May 1st while Voldemort perished on May 2nd (only one day apart!!!!).  Compelling, no?  No, I didn't think so either.

Continuing our trip down memory lane, I pick up where I left off in the middle of SG-1′s fifth season.

One of the things I'd often heard about was the toxic on-set atmosphere on certain other shows.  I remember being told that things got so bad on one SF series that, the second the director yelled "Cut!", the actors would march straight back to their trailers with nary a word or a look exchanged.  The crew was always on edge and it made for a very difficult working environment.  This was in marked contrast to Stargate where the mood was almost always relaxed and, dare I say it, a hell of a lot of fun.  Everyone enjoyed being there, and much of the credit for that rested with Richard Dean Anderson.  It's often been said that number one on the call sheet sets the tone, and it's true.  If your number one is miserable, he'll make every single person on set miserable as well.  If, on the other hand, your number one is a t.v. veteran who loves what he's doing and feels life is too short for petty on-set squabbles or power plays, then that positive attitude tends to influence the entire production.  Hey, I'm not saying it was always easy and that people never disagreed (ie. Boy, did Rick ever hate Prometheus) but there was always that mutual respect and sense that, in spite of any differences, all the parties would be back at it the next day, sharing a laugh and having a great time.  Rick, as I said, set the tone.  He was always good-humored and charming.  Amanda was an utter sweetheart, adept at pulling off the most challenging of tech talk in front of the camera, yet incredibly and down to earth behind it.  Michael was passionate and incredibly focused, but also kind and thoughtful.  Chris was the exact opposite of the stoic character he played: magnanimous, boisterous, generous.  And then there was Don, the southern gent, who, in many ways, was very much like the character he played: amiable, principled, and very likable.  And, over the years, through the show's many changes, that's how they remained.  Simply great people to work with.

DESPERATE MEASURES (511)

A couple of things stand out for me about this episode.  The first was that ridiculously long search sequence near episode's end that included endless shots of Teal'c and Daniel going up and down stairs.  Yes, the episode was short!  Another thing was a slight dialogue change in O'Neill's scene with the homeless man.  In the original version, O'Neill says "Yeah, and I've got a closet full of Playboys…", but after some consideration (aka – getting a note requesting we change it), we elected to go with "National Geographics" instead which, while less Jack O'Neill, was certainly more Richard Dean Anderson.  Also the original draft of the script had a couple of very funny exchanges between the doctors who perform the procedure but after further consideration (aka – we received a note that O'Neill provided more than enough comedy for the episode and we didn't need the guest stars delivering as well) we decided to love them.

WORMHOLE XTREME

Oh, boy, where to begin?  Over the years, I've referenced the multitude of in-jokes in this episodes, from the red spray-painted kiwis (a dig at Director Peter DeLuise who used those very alien-looking fruit in Beneath the Surface) to Hank Cohen's cameo as a studio executive who suggests the show needs "You know what this show needs is a sexy female alien." (art imitating life).  There's our faux t.v. hero trying to negotiate a veritable minefield of corpses (a call back to The Fifth Man), someone ridiculing the one shot stuns, two shots kills, three shots disintegrates abilities of the alien weapon (Hello, zat guns), further ridiculing of doing an episode involving "out of phase" physics (we did plenty), another character's assertion that they'll surely win an Emmy…for visual effects (the best any scifi show can hope for), and much, much more.  The part of Grell, the Teal'c clone, was actually played by Chris Judge's stand-in, Herbert, while the episode offered a host of cameos from behind-the-scenes personnel including a much heavier yours truly who demands to know "Hey, what happened to all the doughnuts?!".  I recall Director Peter DeLuise making me do three takes, directing me: "You're hungry!  You want some doughnuts!  But there are none!  You're really hungry!" then "No doughnuts and you're REALLY hungry!" and then: "Okay!  REALLY HUNGRY!".  The day that scene was shot, I found my wardrobe awaiting me in the office: a lime green shirt and a pair of atrocious lime green plants.  I wore the shirt but passed on the pants.  Apparently, our Costume Designer did not take the news well.   "Writers,"she apparently muttered with a roll of her eyes.

I would love to dig up the outtakes and extra footage on this one.  One scene that ended up on the cutting room floor involved the character of Teal'c.  SG-1 and Hammond are watching the Wormhole Xtreme trailer at which point we do a PAN OFF the screen, across the briefing room table to Teal'c laughing uproariously and enjoying the hell out of the show – much to the bewilderment of his fellow team members.

PROVING GROUND  (513)

Some episodes you hate at the pitch stage but end up warming up once the story has been broken.  Others, you hate at the outline stage but end up actually liking once the script comes in.  Still others, you may hate at the script stage but love once the episode is completed.  This is one of those rare episodes that I took issue with from start to finish and, to this day, ranks as one of my least favorites.  Why?  Because it's not about our characters.  That and the all-too predictable late twist that anyone who has ever watched television before will see coming a mile off.  On the other hand, the episode was notable for an appearance by a then relatively unknown Grace Park as one of the young cadets.

48 HOURS  (514)

The working title for this episode was Teal'c Interrupted, but later changed to 48 Hours.  I was extremely disappointed.  I figured, hey, if you can call an episode Watergate, you should be able to call another one Teal'c Interrupted!  The episode kicks off with the shocking death of Tanith, shocking insofar as he was a mid-major villain who suddenly and all too quickly buys it in spectacularly unspectacular fashion.  From what I recall, we were unable to reach a deal with the actor on another episode and, rather than leave the character dangling, elected to write him out instead.  This episode also saw the introduction of one Dr. Rodney McKay ("Rodney?"I remember asking Rob at the time.  "Is that the name you want to go with?"), an insufferable ass who, over the course of the franchise's run, ended up redeeming himself in surprising fashion.

SUMMIT (515)

Boy, the costume department had a field day with this one!  This episode was a try-out of sorts, an audition for future system lords.  I drew on a variety of different cultures, creating a colorful rogues gallery.  The hope was that if one popped, we could use him/her in future episodes.  Well, one did: the exquisitely evil Baal played by Cliff Simon.  I remember working on a rewrite of my first draft when we received word that actor J.R. Bourne would not be able to reprise the role of Martouf due to scheduling conflicts.  As a result, my rewrite was a little more extensive.  Rather encountering the Martouf we knew, we encountered his symbiote, Lantesh, who had taken a new host.  It worked but, alas, was nowhere near as powerful as it could have been.  I publicly toyed with the idea of not using a host body and simply having Carter bid a tearful, smooch-filled farewell to the little rubber snake – but it was more an attempt to irritate my fellow writer-producers than a serious pitch.

LAST STAND (516)

Back in the old days, SG-1 used to kill Jaffa with gay abandon.  They were little more than cannon fodder for our team, nondescript bad guys who deserved everything that was coming to them.  Except, as time wore on, knocking off the goa'uld's foot soldiers wasn't as easy as it used to be because we started to explore an aspect of the Jaffa that had been glossed over in previous years: the fact that they were essentially pawns.  Unlike the ruthless goa'uld who were motivated by a thirst for power, the Jaffa were misguided and knocking them off grew increasingly problematic.  At the end of this episode, we massacre a slew of them with the deadly toxin that targets their symbiotes and, while it may have seemed a smart strategic move at the time, like the food pyramid, asthma cigarettes, and Coca-Cola for kids print ads, it was the sort of thing that eventually went out of style.

Tagged: Stargate, Stargate: SG-1, Transporter: The Series

May 3, 2011: Skinny little Maximus! Stargate: SG-1 season five memories! The Refuel update!

So it was SG-1′s fifth season and our second year on the franchise.  After spending six months in the extended-stay suites of Vancouver's venerable Sutton Place Hotel (with its antiquated rooms and celeb-watering hole Gerard Lounge), we moved into a furnished apartment in the heart of the downtown area.  We would call that place home for a couple of years – until the day the concierge staff walked into our apartment and dropped off some mail while my wife was showering, bringing up all sorts of privacy issues that could only be addressed by another move.  As we settled, so did our pug Jelly who, in time, eventually took over as top dog at the local doggy daycare.  Every day, she would survey the action from her lofty perch atop the room's highest couch, occasionally descending to inject herself in any canine dispute that happened to arise.  On the home front, she was much calmer but, eventually, Fondy and I grew concerned about leaving her alone in the apartment whenever we would go out to eat (which was every night).  And so, we made the decision to get her a friend.

We answered an ad from a breeder selling a litter of pug puppies and took the drive up to Langley.  By the time we arrived, there was only one puppy left: a black, skinny little guy who would bolt every time Fondy went near him.  Well, while he may not have liked Fondy, he loved Jelly (who we had brought along for the ride), and Jelly loved the little guy as well.  I briefly considered calling him Crusty because of his unkempt appearance but, ultimately, decided to follow tradition and named him after a film character.  And so, we called him Maximus and he became the second member of what would become a furry foursome (and counting).

And this is the little runt now…

Yeah.  Not so little anymore.

On the production front, Paul and I were busy as hell.  We would follow an inaugural season, that saw us write seven scripts, with another seven script season.  And, when we weren't writing or producing, we were checking out Gateworld which was fast becoming THE one stop shop for everything Stargate. In fact, Gateworld was so impressive in its scope and detail that we eventually abandoned updating the show's massive bible (which, we joked, was longer than the actual Bible) in favor of directing prospective freelancers to the site.  It blew all other Stargate-related sites, even the studio's which paled by comparison.  Over the years, Gateworld evolved alongside the franchise, growing and improving.  In later years, I would roll my eyes and fans on other forums would accuse Darren and David – "the Gateworld guys" as we called them – of simply being a PR arm of the franchise.  The truth is, as incredible as they've been in the amount of support they've shown, there have also been incidences in which we've strongly disagreed with some of the decisions they've taken.  Nothing that couldn't be talked through but, still, enough to remind everyone that Gateworld was and would remain a strong and independent online entity. And, hopefully, even with Stargate as we know it coming to its premature end, Gateworld will continue to thrive and do what it does best: offer a forum where Stargate fans can socialize and express their opinions/praise/critique in a positive community.

RITE OF PASSAGE (506)

This one offered us the rare opportunity to give Dr. Fraiser some screen time and touch on one of Carter's few onscreen non-romantic relationships.  The unfortunately monikered Hanka children were named after then MGM studio exec Hank Cohen (who would make a cameo in this season's Wormhole Xtreme as, surprisingly enough, a studio exec).

BEAST OF BURDEN (507)

Dion Johnstone reprises his role as Chaka in this follow-up to season four's The First Ones.  While Peter DeLuise did the scripting honors on this one, Martin Wood assumed the directing reins.  This one is a bit of a blur but I remember being genuinely surprised by early discussions to offer the role of Burrock to Larry Drake.  His performance as the mentally challenged Benny Stulwicz on L.A. Law had been so damn brilliant and convincing, I'd actually assumed they'd hired a intellectually disabled actor to play the part!

THE TOMB (508)

The set for this episode was impressive as hell and, to this day, I regret not having helped myself to a faux stone before the whole thing was torn down.  One of the critiques directed at this episode was Jack's old world Cold War mentality directed at the Russian team.  This kind of mystified me because it was pretty clear in the episode that Jack didn't have a problem with them because they were Russian, he had a problem with them because they were operating under secret orders that seemed to run counter to SG-1′s mission.  The fact that they were Russian was beside the point.

BETWEEN TWO FIRES (509)

Man, this one had all sorts of problems at the outline stage, so much so that it earned the nickname "Between Two Acts".  Once the structural problems had been addressed, Ron wrote and delivered a first draft of the script.  I remember we were sitting in Rob's office, giving copious notes, when John Lenic's dog hopped up onto the couch and relieved himself on a copy of Ron's script.  "That dog pissed on my script!"said Ron.  To which Brad replied something the lines of: "He wasn't the only one.".  Anyway, in the end, the script came together – as did the episode which we wound up shooting on the grounds of Simon Fraiser University.

2001  (510)

The sequel to season four's 2010 sees the calculating race known as the Aschen make their first (chronological) appearance as seemingly genial, albeit suspicious, emissaries looking to forge a new intergalactic alliance.  The episode ends with one major story point unresolved.  What of Ambassador Joe Faxon?  I'm sure we would have received the answer to that question had the third part of this planned trilogy seen the light of a t.v. screen.  In part three, Brad imagined the remnants of the Aschen race, seeking revenge for the events of 2001, launching a ship-based attack on Earth.  Alas, I don't recall why the story never came to fruition, but I have no doubt it would've been great.

Hey, I received an email from my second family, the gang at my fave restaurant – Refuel – announcing the appointment of the awesome Jane Cornborough (formerly of such culinary heavy hitters as Le Bernafdin, Restaurant Daniel, and Aquavit) as their new Chef de Cuisine -

Congratulations to Jane!

Also in Refuel news: it's BC Spot Prawn season – and that means it's time for Refuel's annual BC Spot Prawn Boil:

"One night only, Thursday May 26th at 7pm guests will gather at communal tables at Refuel Restaurant and feast on a three-course meal of salad, the boil (spring vegetables, pork sausage & BC spot prawns) and dessert. There are 50 seats available for the boil. A credit card number and email address is required to reserve and 72 hours notice is required to cancel. Seats are $59 (tax, gratuity and beverages are not included)".  Check out the website for more details: http://www.refuelrestaurant.com/

Meanwhile, the gang will be opening another eatery, a sister restaurant to their super popular Campagnolo:

"Tom and Robert are at it again, introducing the third member in their restaurant family, Campagnolo ROMA, located at 2297 E. Hastings St. As it's name indicates, ROMA will serve Italian dishes inspired by Roman cuisine. Chef Ted Anderson has been developing menus for months and will be at the kitchen helm. Campagnolo ROMA will be a walk-in only restaurant. The website will be available soon at www.campagnoloroma.com."

And then, to top it off, they're putting the peanut and chocolate parfait (layers of chocolate ganacheand peanut butter mouse with honey comb, ground peanuts, vanilla ice-cream and chocolate sauce) back on the menu.  BACK on the menu?  I've been gone so long, I didn't even know it was OFF the menu!

Their email took me back to this meal to end all meals: http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/2011/03/18/march-18-2011-the-meal-to-end-all-meals/

Boy, do I miss that place.

May 2, 2011: You've Been Warned! More SG-1 Season 5 Memories!

Gratuitous sassy dog pic

Late last year, after watching the producer's edit of Epilogue, Carl expressed a sentiment that has echoed throughout fandom since the episode aired: "That would have made a great series finale.".  Yes, in hindsight, it certainly would have.  Unfortunately, that isn't the case and Stargate: Universe WILL end on a cliffhanger.  Now I've noted some discussion here and elsewhere on what, exactly, I mean when I refer to it as "a cliffhanger".  Am I, as some suspect, referring to it in the sense that SG-1′s finale, Unending, was a cliffhanger?  In a word: no.  Unending was NOT a cliffhanger by any stretch of the imagination.  We knew SG-1 was done and Robert told a story that (like, say, Cheers) suggested the adventures of the characters we'd grown to know and love would continue, whether we were witness to them or not.  Other fans have pointed to the Atlantis finale, Enemy at the Gate, and wondered whether the Universe finale, Gauntlet, is a cliffhanger in similar fashion.  In the same word: no.  Enemy at the Gate was NOT a cliffhanger.  While the episode certainly left some questions unanswered (what of Todd, Teyla, and Ronon who had taken the voyage to Earth?), it offered closure of sorts.  Atlantis finally returned the the Milky Way and our crew finally returned home.  At the time we wrote Enemy at the Gate, we were hopeful that we'd be getting that sixth season pick up (Hell, we had a batch of stories ready to go) and, when it failed to materialize, we were disappointed but took solace in the fact that, at the very least, fans wouldn't be left hanging.  No, the Stargate: Universe series finale, Gauntlet, is not a cliffhanger in either respect.  It is a true cliffhanger along the lines of a Camelot, Incursion II, and The Siege II.  The kind that, once it ends, will leave you asking yourselves: "How the hell are they going to get out of this one! Can't wait until the next episode!"  Except there won't be a next episode, much less a next season.  Also, in response to a question several have posed: Unfortunately, the last few episodes build upon each other so simply switching the airing order wouldn't have helped.  You could consider Epilogue the series finale and move on to some other show (I hear great things about Breaking Bad) but that would rob you of two truly awesome episodes in Blockade and Gauntlet.   Both deliver action, adventure, humor, and some terrific character moments.  Gauntlet, in particular, is very touching and its conclusion will no doubt you leave you…among many other things…frustrated, incredulous, outraged, offended, annoyed, vexed, saddened, distressed, bitter, aghast, irritated, unsatisfied, pissed-off, melancholy, miserable, confused, furious, dejected, riled, shocked, heartsick, angry, surprised, exasperated, indignant, enraged, despondent, bewildered, dismayed, incensed, stunned, and grief-stricken.

Fair warning.

Further reminiscences from SG-1′s fifth season…

As previously mentioned, when we geared up production for Stargate: SG-1′s fifth season, it was with the belief that it would be the final year of the franchise. Showtime had been very, VERY good to us but the prevailing wisdom was they wouldn't be picking us up for that sixth season.  And so, we vowed to go out with a bang.  And we did.  Sort of.  Late that year, I walked in on Brad and Rob in the midst of an involved discussion.  "What's up?"I asked.  Brad threw me a look and asked: "How does season six sound to you?".  I didn't believe him at first.  Nor did I believe him the following year when he informed me that the show would be getting a seventh season.  Hell, between all of the surprising pick-ups and shocking cancellations, I don't think there was a year that I WASN'T surprised.

ENEMIES (501)

I always found it interesting that, whenever certain fans took issue with a creative decision, they would always blame TPTB (The Powers That Be) as if we were one giant multi-headed monster.  In truth, we're individual little monsters who have had our share of disagreements over the years on everything from wardrobe decisions to major character arcs.  Season four had seen its share of minor debates, but this episode stands out as the first big blowout.  I don't even recall exactly what was being disputed; I only remember it had to do with story structure.  That and being really impassioned and, ultimately, very annoyed. In the end, Paul and I handed off the episode to Rob and shifted focus to another script, The Fifth Man – and Enemies turned out to be a terrific episode.  Also, FYI – the working title for this one was Serpent's Hat.  Don't ask.

THRESHOLD (502)

One of my favorite moments of these early fifth season episodes is the Larry David staredown Bratac gives Teal'c to discern whether he is lying or not (I believe it's in the previous episode).  That bug-eyed gawk would always leave me chortling.  A great Teal'c episode, though less so for Chris Judge who had to brave the elements on this one.  On the day they headed out to shoot the exterior scenes, they discovered a thick blanket of snow on the ground.  Oops.  It provided what I imagine must have been a somewhat uncomfortable bedding for the shirtless Chris to lie down on.

ASCENSION (503)

This was one of those episode's that hadn't sold me at the script stage but really came together once we started shooting.  Sean Patrick Flanery was great and had terrific onscreen chemistry with Amanda.  Another perfect example of writer-producer's remorse: an actor who does such a good job that one regrets killing off his character.

THE FIFTH MAN (504)

Actor Dion Johnstone assumed a number of very different roles over the course of the franchise's run.  He drew on his extensive theater background to play the part of Chaka in The First Ones (reprising the role in Beast of Burden), doing a brilliant job of conveying a wide range of emotion through some heavy prosthetic make-up.  In this episode, he plays another alien – of sorts – the mysterious Lieutenant Tyler whose existence no one but SG-1 can recall, and delivers another great performance.  One of the things I remember about this episode was the hell of a time editing had cutting around all the Jaffa bodies O'Neill has to negotiate on his way to the gate.  I mean, holy crap, does he kill a lot of 'em!  Apparently, Brad felt the sea of corpses put a damper on an otherwise happy ending.

RED SKY (505)

Ron Wilkerson's first and best script is a terrific SF tale anchored by one of Richard Dean Anderson's greatest performances.  It's a darker side of Jack O'Neill we rarely get to see – angry, intense, and deadly serious.  The episode also offers up a side of Carter we rarely glimpse as well: fallible and wrestling with self-doubt.  Many layers in this one and it all plays out in very counter-Star Trek fashion as the team attempts to force a solution upon the planet's inhabitants. Tres Anti-Prime Directive, no?

Back in the office today and things are beginning to take shape.  Andy heads off to Paris tonight to coordinate with the European unit.  And, oh yeah, practice his French.  Some progress made on the script front.  Page 43!  A couple of tough scenes ahead and then it's smooooooth sailing.  Speaking of scripts, Carl delivered the second draft of his first script and we're making plans to have him back for another week of story-spinning fun.  In the unlikely event Carl has second thoughts about coming back, Alexander has offered to sweeten the pot by offering him first dibs on the latest issue of German Times…

Check out the in-depth page nine leiderhosen expose!

How could he resist?

Today's entry is dedicated to the U.S. Navy Seals.  I hereby grant them their own SG team.

Gratuitous adorable dog-on-the-street pic

Tagged: Stargate, Stargate: SG-1

May 1, 2011: Catching up with Erika! Dinner at Scarpetta! Reflecting back on SG-1′s fifth season!

With the UFC in town, last night was fight night.  But rather than join the tattoo an weird beard crowd at the Rogers Centre for the various beatdowns, I elected to spend the evening with the lovely Erika Kennair, SyFy Executive and former SGU point person.  Erika was as disappointed as any of us by the cancellation decision and it was nice to catch up with her, reminisce, and enjoy a fantastic meal at my favorite Italian restaurant in town: Scarpetta.  To be honest, I wasn't blown away by my dinner at the Vegas location, but after watching an episode of The Best Thing I Ever Ate in which one guest (could have been Ted Allen) talked up the restaurant's signature Spaghetti, I decided to check out Scarpetta's Toronto location.  Ted was right.  The spaghetti is amazing (creamy tomato, burst of basil, and texturally toothsome delight).  And so are many of the pastas on the menu.

The night got off to a bad start however.  I figured Italian would be perfect because Erika is a vegetarian.  We placed our orders (multiple vegetarian dishes which we split, and an order of the tagliatelle with the guanciale on the side) and, while waiting, were served the bread basket.  "Try that bread,"I advised pointing out one particularly memorable slice.  "It's amazing."  She popped it into her mouth, took a couple of chews, then stopped and a perplexed look played over her face.

"What is that?"she asked, eyeing the bread stuffed bread on her plate suspiciously.

"Uh, fig jam?"I offered, hoping against hope.

"That's meat,"our waiter informed us.

Oops.

Come on! Who doesn't like meat bread?!

We started with two sides, both excellent: roasted carrots with lentils, and sweet roasted onions with raisins and goat cheese.

The house special Spaghetti with tomato and basil. Magnificent.

Tagliatelle with roasted vegetables, guanciale, and truffle foam. Very good but they did a version with rabbit a few weeks ago that was spectacular.

And then it was time for dessert.  Or, should I say, dessertS.  I love a female dining companion who can keep up…

Amedei Chocolate Cake. Hard to beat if you're looking for a major chocolate hit. And happens to make use of one of my favorite chocolates.

Ricotta Cheesecake. Surprisingly light. And tasty.

Caramel Budino. Erika's favorite.

A great meal with great company.  And, after dinner, Erika dropped by to say hello to the dogs.  Not surprisingly, they really hit it off.  Jelly, Bubba, and Lulu spent the entire time vying for her affection.  Maximus, on the other hand, who always plays hard to get, sat in his bed and snoozed.

Anyway, it was great to catch up and reminisce over old times.

Speaking of old times, I believe the last time I stepped off Stargate memory lane, we had just wrapped up y first year on the show: SG-1′s fourth season.

Moving on to SG-1 season five…

So, right after wrapping SG-1′s fourth season, the writers' got together (at that time, Brad, Rob, Paul, Peter, and myself) and started spinning ideas for what was intended to be the show's fifth and final season.  We broke stories through November and then, with December almost upon us, all headed our separate ways to enjoy the holidays – well, as much as could be enjoyed given that we had scripts to write.  For my part, I headed back to Montreal where I celebrated Christmas with my family.  After years of doubt, my parents had finally come around to the fact that maybe I COULD support myself as a writer after all. Years back, when I'd first informed them that I was leaving my 9 to 5 position at Cinar for the uncharted waters of freelance work, they were horrified.  My mother couldn't understand why anyone would leave the comfort and security of an office job for the uncertainty of freelancing.  When I explained that it would mean actually making more money (and spending less time on the clock), my father was dubious.  Especially after hearing what I would be earning in my first year.  "So you're telling me you're going to make more than the Prime Minister?"he challenged.  To which I shrugged and said: "It's not my fault the Prime Minister is underpaid." But finally, after years of freelancing, when it became evident that I wouldn't need to hawk my comic book collection or subsist on ketchup soup, my parents began to see the light – and it was after that initial year on Stargate that they finally came around.  Unlike the animated shows I'd worked on, here was a series that friends and co-workers were familiar with, a show they could actually watch – at least until my name popped up during the opening credits.  For some reason, it actually felt more real to them.  I'm sure I was as relieved as they were.

We headed back to Vancouver in early January and geared up for the big series finish.  Along the way, as we were wont to do every hiatus, we opened the doors to freelancers in our quest for a new staff writer.  Ron Wilkerson, who had SF experience working on both Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager, won the position on the strength of a terrific phone pitch.  We bought the story (what would later become the episode Red Sky), and welcomed him aboard.  Ron got the office next door to mine and, every morning, he would announce himself by stepping into my doorway, coffee mug in hand, double-stamp his feet to get my attention, and greet me with a cheerful: "Morning, Joe."  "Morning, Ron,"I'd say and then, with a big smile, he'd be off, working his way down the corridor.  He was a smart, incredibly nice guy and, over the course of his stay with us (and beyond) ended up writing about a half dozen episodes.  I later learned that his creative mind wasn't limited to script work.  In 2003, he invented the BreakMaster Digital Green Reader, a device used by golfers (many pros included) to locate the downhill direction of the green!  I salute his ability to actually put his golf knowledge to practical use.  If I could follow along the same lines and invent a device that could benefit fans of either anime, science fiction novels, or nutella.

Next entry, more season five memories: Serpent's Hat!  Puppy Maximus!  And more fandom rumblings!

Tagged: Scarpetta

April 30, 2011: The L.A. Breakdown: Returning on the Red Eye! A Ben & Jerry's Bonanza! Skirting the Picket Line! Dinner at Craft Restaurant!

Boy, if there was a fight on which I could have developed deep vein thrombosis, last night's red-eye from Los Angeles to Toronto was it.  I napped in about fifty five minute installments over the course of those four and a half hours, drifting off and starting awake, fingers numb, legs aching, back and neck sore.  You know what's hard?  Learning to play guitar!  You know what's even harder?  Trying to sleep sitting up!  By the time we got in at a little before 6:00 a.m. this morning, I was ready for bed.  A real bed.

But our dismebarkation would have to wait.     We taxied, rolled up to the gate, and then sat there, waiting.  One of the air hostesses informed us to remain seated with our seat belts on while an onboard issue was dealt with.  I automatically assumed it was either a medical emergency or someone was going to be arrested.  And, as our wait stretched from five, then ten, then fifteen, then twenty minutes, it became pretty obvious that it wasn't a medical emergency.  Sure enough, the door finally opened and two police officers stepped aboard.  One of the air hostesses pointed to a guy (mid-thirties, well-dressed) sitting in business class and the passenger was informed the officers were there to arrest him.  He seemed surprised, and quite flustered, as he struggled to remember where he'd secured his overhead bag and then was escorted off the flight.  By the time we hit the terminal, one of the officer had his pen and pad out, cheerily filing a report with one of the air hostesses.

I wondered what the guy had done wrong.  Smoked in the bathroom?  Argued with the cabin crew?  Swiped somebody's kosher meal?  Alas, with the heightened state of security surrounding air travel, there is zero tolerance for tomfoolery.  Also, fun.  Gone are the days when you could get super drunk, then surf the drink trolley, pantless, down the passenger aisle.  Let this be a reminder to all.

Anyway, it was a quick in and out, but much was accomplished (aka "eaten").  Here was my trip in pictures:

Sunshine is ready to go!

We flew in late Thursday night.  The next day, we went for an early morning stroll.  While Alexander opted for a mundane smoothie breakfast, I went off-book and picked up a garden burger, fries, and some Ben & Jerry's red velvet ice cream.

Alas, in the future, I think I'll stick with Cookie Dough or Haagen-Dazs Pralines and Cream. While I liked the cake bits, I wasn't a fan of the cream cheese/ice cream combo.

Look at the selection of ice cream! Ben & Jerry's alone! THIS is reason enough for me to move south! Oh, and, uh, hey there, Alex.

A car picked us up at the hotel.  The driver, apparently a huge film fan, kicked things off by asking whether we'd ever seen Once Upon A Time in the West.  Of course!  We started talking movies and he explained he was a huge fan of Hitchcock.  In fact, he was a fan of older films.  According to him, they just don't make them like they used to.  Back in the day, the emphasis was on story but, nowadays, it's nothing but mindless action.  And then, without missing a beat: "You know what movie looks good?  Fast Five!".  I stopped listening to him after that.

Eventually, we arrived at our destination and were immediately greeted the chants of what I assumed was an in progress military drill but actually turned out to be this -

Picket line!

I was relieved to learn they weren't picketing the network but the building manager that was using non-union drywall workers.  I expressed appropriate sympathy, whether it would be okay to cross the picket line.  Out of respect for the union worker of course.  And a desire to avoid being bonked on the head with an "Unfair Carpenters' Local 1506″ sign.  We go the all-clear and headed inside.

Alexander, in showrunner mode.

And there, we spent most of the day taking in the performances.

We wrapped early and, with three hours to kill, headed over a pre-dinner snack of chocolate fudge and smoothies.

Robert Cooper, relaxed.

Alexander M. Ruemelin, REALLY relaxed.

Check out this little porker. If Lulu likes short, squat beefy guys, then this little fella would be perfect.

I had my heart set on checking out Animal Restaurant – and the pig tails and pork belly sandwiches in particular – but it was booked so, on Martin Gero's recommendation, Rob booked a table for us at Craft, Top Chef Head Judge's Tom Colicchio's place.  A great call by Marty G.  Dinner was terrific:

Fisherman Carl turns his nose up at the thought of skate but on the rare occasions I spot it on a menu, I'll always order it. My sister makes a delicious caper butter version. The Craft version is equally great - buttery crisp exterior, tender meat interior, topped with a scattering of chive blossoms.

Alex raved about his flat-iron steak.

A magnificent side of sweet onions...

And sneaky-spicy shisito peppers!

The only misstep was the deep-fried headcheese which sounded great (Alex would no doubt dispute this) but ended up leaving me a queasy.

Since Rob and Alex passed on dessert, I had to pick up the slack…

Homemade chocolate chip cookies. Good, but I was missing the soft chewiness characteristic of freshly homebaked cookies.

Rich and intensely flavored homemade ice creams. From left to right: Mexican Vanilla, Pistachio, and Peanut Brittle.

While we were eating, a host of hot young actors filed past on their way to the private party being held at the back of the restaurant.  Tyler Lautner and a host of blond, spiky-haired boys everyone seemed to recognize but me.  Clearly, I need to watch more teen vampire movies.

Or, maybe Rob and Alex need to watch a whole lot less.

Tagged: Craft Restaurant

April 31, 2011: The L.A. Breakdown: Returning on the Red Eye! A Ben & Jerry's Bonanza! Skirting the Picket Line! Dinner at Craft Restaurant!

Boy, if there was a fight on which I could have developed deep vein thrombosis, last night's red-eye from Los Angeles to Toronto was it.  I napped in about fifty five minute installments over the course of those four and a half hours, drifting off and starting awake, fingers numb, legs aching, back and neck sore.  You know what's hard?  Learning to play guitar!  You know what's even harder?  Trying to sleep sitting up!  By the time we got in at a little before 6:00 a.m. this morning, I was ready for bed.  A real bed.

But our dismebarkation would have to wait.     We taxied, rolled up to the gate, and then sat there, waiting.  One of the air hostesses informed us to remain seated with our seat belts on while an onboard issue was dealt with.  I automatically assumed it was either a medical emergency or someone was going to be arrested.  And, as our wait stretched from five, then ten, then fifteen, then twenty minutes, it became pretty obvious that it wasn't a medical emergency.  Sure enough, the door finally opened and two police officers stepped aboard.  One of the air hostesses pointed to a guy (mid-thirties, well-dressed) sitting in business class and the passenger was informed the officers were there to arrest him.  He seemed surprised, and quite flustered, as he struggled to remember where he'd secured his overhead bag and then was escorted off the flight.  By the time we hit the terminal, one of the officer had his pen and pad out, cheerily filing a report with one of the air hostesses.

I wondered what the guy had done wrong.  Smoked in the bathroom?  Argued with the cabin crew?  Swiped somebody's kosher meal?  Alas, with the heightened state of security surrounding air travel, there is zero tolerance for tomfoolery.  Also, fun.  Gone are the days when you could get super drunk, then surf the drink trolley, pantless, down the passenger aisle.  Let this be a reminder to all.

Anyway, it was a quick in and out, but much was accomplished (aka "eaten").  Here was my trip in pictures:

Sunshine is ready to go!

We flew in late Thursday night.  The next day, we went for an early morning stroll.  While Alexander opted for a mundane smoothie breakfast, I went off-book and picked up a garden burger, fries, and some Ben & Jerry's red velvet ice cream.

Alas, in the future, I think I'll stick with Cookie Dough or Haagen-Dazs Pralines and Cream. While I liked the cake bits, I wasn't a fan of the cream cheese/ice cream combo.

Look at the selection of ice cream! Ben & Jerry's alone! THIS is reason enough for me to move south! Oh, and, uh, hey there, Alex.

A car picked us up at the hotel.  The driver, apparently a huge film fan, kicked things off by asking whether we'd ever seen Once Upon A Time in the West.  Of course!  We started talking movies and he explained he was a huge fan of Hitchcock.  In fact, he was a fan of older films.  According to him, they just don't make them like they used to.  Back in the day, the emphasis was on story but, nowadays, it's nothing but mindless action.  And then, without missing a beat: "You know what movie looks good?  Fast Five!".  I stopped listening to him after that.

Eventually, we arrived at our destination and were immediately greeted the chants of what I assumed was an in progress military drill but actually turned out to be this -

Picket line!

I was relieved to learn they weren't picketing the network but the building manager that was using non-union drywall workers.  I expressed appropriate sympathy, whether it would be okay to cross the picket line.  Out of respect for the union worker of course.  And a desire to avoid being bonked on the head with an "Unfair Carpenters' Local 1506″ sign.  We go the all-clear and headed inside.

Alexander, in showrunner mode.

And there, we spent most of the day taking in the performances.

We wrapped early and, with three hours to kill, headed over a pre-dinner snack of chocolate fudge and smoothies.

Robert Cooper, relaxed.

Alexander M. Ruemelin, REALLY relaxed.

Check out this little porker. If Lulu likes short, squat beefy guys, then this little fella would be perfect.

I had my heart set on checking out Animal Restaurant – and the pig tails and pork belly sandwiches in particular – but it was booked so, on Martin Gero's recommendation, Rob booked a table for us at Craft, Top Chef Head Judge's Tom Colicchio's place.  A great call by Marty G.  Dinner was terrific:

Fisherman Carl turns his nose up at the thought of skate but on the rare occasions I spot it on a menu, I'll always order it. My sister makes a delicious caper butter version. The Craft version is equally great - buttery crisp exterior, tender meat interior, topped with a scattering of chive blossoms.

Alex raved about his flat-iron steak.

A magnificent side of sweet onions...

And sneaky-spicy shisito peppers!

The only misstep was the deep-fried headcheese which sounded great (Alex would no doubt dispute this) but ended up leaving me a queasy.

Since Rob and Alex passed on dessert, I had to pick up the slack…

Homemade chocolate chip cookies. Good, but I was missing the soft chewiness characteristic of freshly homebaked cookies.

Rich and intensely flavored homemade ice creams. From left to right: Mexican Vanilla, Pistachio, and Peanut Brittle.

While we were eating, a host of hot young actors filed past on their way to the private party being held at the back of the restaurant.  Tyler Lautner and a host of blond, spiky-haired boys everyone seemed to recognize but me.  Clearly, I need to watch more teen vampire movies.

Or, maybe Rob and Alex need to watch a whole lot less.

Tagged: Craft Restaurant

April 29, 2011: A brief trip to L.A.

Our flight got into Los Angeles twenty minutes late and, by the time we hit baggage claim, it was past 11:00 p.m. local time (2:00 a.m. for us).  We were exhausted and looking forward to that nice, quiet, relaxing ride to our hotel.  Yessirree.  Once we'd located our driver, it would be smoooooooth sailing.  Well, after some twenty minutes of fruitless searching (we DID, however, locate the driver who had been dispatched to pick up one of the actresses we would be testing the next day), we double-checked our travel itineraries.  Under "Ground Transportation Los Angeles" were the letters: TBD.

TBD?   Who gets to decide?  Us, I guess.  So we decided on taxi.

$60 later, we were dropped off in front of our hotel.  We weren't permitted to pay by credit card but, fortunately, I had some American cash on me – once all those singles had been counted out, sixty dollars exactly!

Then, we checked in.  The place is possessed of unique character.  My room smells like a sweat lodge and for a five full minutes after opening and closing the mini bar, it makes an extended sound akin to tubular bells.  For some reason, I was given the option of having a key for the mini bar.  I opted to take it but, mysteriously, there IS no lock on the mini bar in my room.  I suspect what they've mistakenly given me is the key to the desk manager's heart.  Also – and I suppose I shouldn't be surprised – the amenities do not include toothpaste.  I'm brushing my teeth with a homemade concoction of Gilchrist & Soames hand soap and Jack Daniels.

As we settled in to our respective rooms, it suddenly dawned on me that while we knew what we were doing here in L.A., we didn't know where we're doing it or how we were supposed to get there.  And, while I was certain Alexander's powers of prognostication would no doubt magically divine the location, I felt less confident about actually getting there since I'd already committed the last of my cash to ensuring we reached our toothpasteless destination.

Fortunately, we received an email from production this morning.  There had been a mix-up last night but everything was on track.  We're being picked up at 10:00 today.  And Rob has made a reservation at Craft for tonight (sadly, Animal is booked).

Alexander and I took a morning stroll and I picked up breakfast -

Also missing from my hotel room: a spoon with which to eat my Ben & Jerry's Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream.  I ended up having to improvise with fries and a bathroom water glass.

See you in Toronto!

Today's entry is dedicated to blog regular Cherluvya!

I hit the mailbag during the flight.

Dustin Owens writes: "1. Many have asked if the scripts for the movies will ever see the light of day as books or just released online. Well does anyone know if MGM even knows the fans still want the scripts at least?"

Answer: I'm sure they do know but, alas, I don't think it's a priority for them right now.

"2. If they are taking down the sets, does that mean most of it all will be on that Propwerx auction? And I mean the Destiny sets and any other SG sets/props that have been in storage in case the movies were ever made?"

Answer: Probably yes.  Sooner or later, those elements will find their way to auction as well.

"3, And last… who gets the full gates?"

Answer: My guess is whoever makes the best offer.

El Floruso writes: "With Carl, and Brad Wright, you could write some novels with the stories of Stargate Revolution, Stargate Exctinction and the conclusion of Universe."

Answer: Someone could, but I fee I speak for both Carl and Brad when I say it wouldn't be us.

Gen writes: "Which are your favorites from Season 4, Joe?"

Answer: Looking back, I've got to say I was very happy with the work we did in SG-1's fourth season.  I very much liked Point of No Return and Chain Reaction, but I think Window of Opportunity and The Curse stand out as my fourth year favorites.

William Gallagher writes: "Can you talk about the decisions made going in to the second season, please? […]  Specifically, did you want to move the show more toward the feel of the previous series?"

Answer: No, there was never a conscious effort to shift the tone of SGU's second season toward that of previous Stargate shows.  I think it's more, as you pointed out, a progression of the shipboard relationships and acceptance of their situation.  The desperate search for such elementary requirements as food and water are met and the focus shifts from basic survival to exploration of Destiny and its original mission.

William Gallagher also writes: "What did you think in particular of the story that bridged the two seasons, please? I thought the last two in season one were nothing short of incredible: such a rich, exciting, challenging ride. But the conclusion didn't work so well for me."

Answer: I had a great time writing the first two parts of the three-part arc and, while I agree it was a fun ride, I have to point out that a ride has to end sometime – and often sooner is better than too much later.  And even though we wrapped up the main story, there were plenty of loose ends (the Lucian Alliance prisoners, TJ's baby, Chloe's sudden regenerative abilities) that offered terrific story potential for future episodes.

William Gallagher also writes: "I was similarly brought out of the story by the reveal of the bridge: the first time we see it, it seemed to me to be played as if it were the first time Rush found it. Now, that can't be so: he went straight there, he knew exactly how to get in. And I liked him not telling anyone else, yet something in the scene just played wrong to me. Off-kilter, somehow. Am I alone in that?"

Answer: Rush clearly knew there was something important behind that door (may have even known it held the bridge) but hadn't been able to access it until the tease of that episode.

Max writes: "Was there any serious consideration by the producers or writers of doing a mini-arc of the wraith taking on the ori?"

Answer: Alas, no.  While it certainly would have offered interesting story fodder, there was never any consideration given to going down that road.

Max also writes: "In the Ark of Truth, was the victor of the battle in the end (when both because pure energy) between Morgan and Adria decided?"

Answer: Nope.  Like Anubis and Oma Dessala, they are locked in endless mortal combat.

Shiny writes: "Are you hosting your chocolate party this year? Sounds like a great way to keep those reunions going."

Answer: Sadly, no.  Last year's chocolate blowout was my last – for the foreseeable future.

Gilder writes: "Joe, finally to Vegas next week. Any non-gourmet recommendations?"

Answer: Get the corn tamales at the Cheesecake Factory in the Caesar's Mall.

Dallas Marshall writes: "How many scripts for SGU season 3 were written before everyone left for end-of-season hiatus (never to return)?"

Answer: 0.

Dioxholster writes: "one thing though, how did you meet Paul? Was he with you in college or something?"

Answer: We actually met in a college creative writing class.

Lewis writes: "If season 3 had come to fruition were there any particular characters from the other Stargate shows that had been discussed for a guest spot… or even repeat guests like O'Neill or McKay?"

Answer: We hadn't gotten as far as to discuss potential guest stars.

Alabaster Runner writes: "Did you ever "aquire" any props or souvenirs from the show?"

Answer: Yes.  A goa'uld pain stick from SG-1's Serpent's Venom, some carnivorous prop bugs from SG-1's The Scourge, some oozy past-one pustules from SG-1's Lockdown, and an alien petri sample of Gadmeer DNA from our very first episode, Scorched Earth.

MNP writes: "Why did you quit with Vanessa Angel? I've heard she didn't get along with you guys that well but I have no idea if that's true."

Answer: Untrue.  She was terrific, both in front of the camera and off.  I remember watching her audition and coming away very impressed.  While most of the other actresses simply said the words, it was clear that Vanessa had actually LEARNED the dialogue.  There's a big difference.  In the end, the decision not to revisit the character had nothing to do with the actress and everything to do with our inability to find a proper, satisfactory storyline for her.

Oneil7 writes: "Where can we see the concept art of the exterior appearance of Destiny Ship ?"

Answer: They're probably archived somewhere in the Art Department offices.  Don't know what will become of them now sadly.

Lloyd67 writes: "I know you do not know the plans for MGM Stargate franchise. But you, do you think Stargate is frozen for the time like other projects at MGM?"

Answer: No doubt.  Stargate is too valuable a property to lie fallow for long.

J514 writes: "what would of happened in part 3 of the aschen trilogy if it had ever been made?"

Answer: The third installment of the trilogy would have seen the surviving Aschen mount a ship-based attack on Earth.

Tim Gaffney writes: "Since we know that T.J. will get sick in this timeline as well, does that mean that Volker will as well?"

Answer: The planet-bound Volker died of renal failure.  The Volker we followed aboard Destiny had a successful lifesaving surgical transplant in Hope.

mix-martes1986 writes: "Hey Joe, is Alexander aware that in that picture he was wearing a WW2 German dogtag (at least, that's the shape they had)? New sort of fashionable items?"

Answer: Actually, it's a German dogtag, circa 1987, from Alex's 15-month military service and has nothing to do with WW2.

StellaByStargate writes: "A question for later, relative to the ship. You noted that in your opinion it ended in a way that was unsatisfactory to everyone. (Agreed) Could you share a bit about why? […] I'm curious where the resistance came from, once the whole matter of the regs were out of the way? Was it MGM? SyFy? The lady on the park bench outside of Bridge?"

Answer: It was an internal creative decision.  I think Brad and Rob simply felt that if we did resolve the ship, where would we go from there?  Hard to disagree while O'Neill was a regular, but I thought it was a shame that we never offered closure even after the show had ended.

Dodoalda writes: "Of course, I understand that Mr. Goldsmith is working hard (and results of his work are outstanding), but as a fan, I would just like to know if the soundtrack is ever going to happen."

Answer: Unfortunately, I'm out of the loop on marketing decisions but, given the present situation, I doubt we'll see anything in the way of new Stargate-related merchandises hitting store shelves any time in the near future.

April 28, 2011: Maintaining my constant Defcon 1 status!

Taking a little break from my Stargate ponderings to shift focus to the new show, Transporter: The Series.  This morning, we welcomed our new continuity director…

Look at the fear in his eyes! We whisked him out of Vancouver late last night and he woke up to find himself in Toronto this morning. This weekend, we ship him off to Europe! From there, he's off to North Korea to shoot some propaganda videos for Kim Jong-Il's upcoming birthday celebrations - and get some cool 2nd unit car driving sequences.

Then, it was three successive interviews with some potential Directors of Photography, THIS massive lunch sandwich -

And a futile attempt to get some work done on my latest script, episode 5.  I've stalled out on page 30, the sudden halt to my creative flow uncoincidentally coinciding with my return to the production offices.  Well, hopefully I'll be able to get some work done tonight on the flight to L.A.

Right after I finish watching the last two episodes of The League's second season of course.

Well, while I maintain a constant Defcon 1 status, my dogs have settled in quite nicely.  I'm sure they miss the backyard, their awesome Vancouver daycare, and all the extra room, but they seem to be doing okay…

Hey, I ran into the lovely Erika Kennair (our former SyFy Stargate: Universe point person) while out walking the dogs this morning.  She's in town for a week, so we're going to get together and relive old times.

Akemi celebrated her birthday the other day.  Since I won't be hosting my annual chocolate party this year, we decided to have a smaller little chocolate-themed get-together, just the three of us: Akemi, me, and La Maison du Chocolat.

I believe I already mentioned that Fondy was kind enough to invite us over for dinner last weekend.  For dessert, she pulled out all the stops…

Macarons! My favorites!

She even picked up red velvet cupcakes (Akemi's favorites!) so we could sing a happy birthday.

Me and Stewie

Brie

Busy, BUSY day tomorrow, but will squeeze in an entry before boarding the red-eye back to Toronto.

P.S. Just received word the Audi's have touched down in Paris!

Magnifique!!!

April 27, 2011: Sunshine! And the SG-1 season 4 trip-down-memory-lane wrap-up!

Apparently, Alexander has discovered the source of all my recent problems (the jet flight I was denied, the payment I'm  yet to be reimbursed for, the recent damage to my car, my VISA being compromised – to name just a few).  According to Alexander, it's my attitude.  I'm just getting back what I put out there.  If I was as upbeat as him, my luck would certainly turn around.  "Toronto is a great city,"he insists – although, in my mind, this says less about Toronto and more about Paris, the last place he called home.  He assures me that he used to be a very negative guy, but things changed for the best after he adopted a new, positive attitude.  Instead of focusing on the negatives (My credit card information was stolen!), I should emphasizing on the positives (Think how much money I'll save while I'm waiting for my replacement VISA to arrive!).  Yep, it's working already.  And it's all thanks to the perenially upbeat Alexander who I've decided to nickname Sunshine for the duration of the production run.

"Grey skies are gonna clear up! Put on a happy face! VISA information stolen? Po-lice are on the case! Spread sunshine all over the place! Though life here's a big disgrace!"

Sunshine gets to pit his optimism-fueled luck against my pessimism-charged misfortune when we both board the same L.A.-bound flight tomorrow night.

That first season on Stargate was a memorable year and, looking back, we couldn't have asked for a better work environment.  We were on the other side of the country, far from the only home we'd ever known, yet the transition, while initially difficult, was ultimately a very rewarding one because of the people involved and the show itself.  And it certainly helped that the production we joined was, after three years, a well-oiled machine that simply required us to hop aboard and join the incredible ride.  Paul and I were very prolific that first year, writing seven scripts (roughly a third of that season's 22 episode run), and setting a pace we would keep up for seasons to come.

ENTITY (420)

The premise was fairly standard but, like most every episode, what set it apart was what made it special for our characters – in this case, Amanda who got to go all Terminator, and Jack who is faced with a very tough call in dealing with the threat.  What I found particularly interesting about this episode was that, after many stories in which Jack's military stance conflicts with Daniel's peaceful civilian position, invariably resulting in the latter being proven correct, the results are reversed here.  Jack was right.  He should have destroyed it when he had the chance rather than allow Daniel and Sam to attempt communication with the entity.

DOUBLE JEOPARDY (421)

SG-1′s fourth season finishes strong with two terrific back to back episodes.  This one saw the return of the team robots, last scene in Tin Man, and offered up one of my favorite act outs ever: Daniel Jackson's apparent decapitation.  No, wait!  Speaking of DJ, this episode marked Michael Shanks's directorial debut and it was a doozy.   With all the twinning and big action sequences, Double Jeopardy would have proven a challenge to even the most seasoned of directors, yet Michael stepped up and the result was spectacular.

EXODUS  (422)

Seriously.  How often do you get to blow up a sun?  So when the opportunity comes along, you take it!  And we did, taking out Apophis's fleet in the process.  I loved the sequence of the gate being jetissoned, its thrusters firing as it repositions itself on its way to its fiery end.  Another aspect of this episode that I recall was Rick's ad-lib of the line: "We're boned without water.", originally "We're screwed without water" in the script.  Paul walked into my office after viewing the dailies and asked: "Can we say "boned" on television?".  I remember shrugging back and saying: "Sure, why not."  We were airing on Showtime after all and, ultimately, boning wouldn't be an issue until the big move to SciFi, a network that would send us its Standards and Practices overview before every season.  Amusingly, it would offer up a list of acceptable, unacceptable, and "grey area" words and expressions.  The relative permissibility of the latter were entirely dependent on the context in which they were used.  For instance, "jerk off" was unacceptable unless, say, as Paul suggested, we used it in a line like: "Somebody push that jerk off that ledge!".  Paul and I dedicated an entire afternoon to crafting just the right dialogue context for a host of otherwise improper terms ("Boy, that cock kept me up all night.  It just wouldn't stop crowing!".  And such.).  Time well spent.

So Paul and I were kept very busy on the work front and the work front – what with seven scripts to write in addition to my burgeoning producing duties – bled into personal life.  At times, it was very hard to turn off script mode, particularly when much of my writing process involves me running dialogue in my head, over and over again, until I achieve the idea running rhythm of the scene.  I do my best work in the shower or while I'm driving, but have been known to come up with a nice run while lying in bed at night or just eating dinner.  I'm also the type of guy that gets antsy when I'm not being productive and that just exacerbated the problem.  Still, with one season under my belt, I was well pleased with the decision to accept the staff position in Vancouver (and I can only speak for myself here, obviously) and I was even more pleased knowing that we had that fifth, and presumably final, season of SG-1 to look forward to.  I had, at the time, no doubt we'd be going out with a bang.  Little did I realize that a different set of fireworks lay ahead…

In the days to come, I'll shift focus to my second year on the franchise, SG-1′s fifth season, that saw a new addition to the writers' room, a fresh round of fandom unrest, the return of some familiar faces, and the death of a major character/departure of a series regular.

Tagged: Stargate, Stargate: SG-1

April 26, 2011: Since arriving in Toronto I've suddenly become the protagonist in a Lemony Snicket book!

Looking forward to hearing everyone's comments on the latest (and one of the last remaining) episode of Stargate: Universe, Epilogue.  In retrospect, it would have been a nice way to conclude the show but, alas, at the time, we were looking at Gauntlet as the season ender, not a series ender (more on that when the finale airs).  Executive Producer Carl Binder's crowning achievement on the franchise, Epilogue also includes a little cameo by the man himself.  Well, not a physical cameo; more of a cameo in spirit.  That snippet of the elderly Brody complaining about those damn dancing kids?  He's actually channeling Carl Binder.  Come on!  Don't tell me the mustache didn't give it away!

Why does it take so damn long to drive anywhere in Toronto?  The biggest culprit is not the number of cars on the road but the ridiculous number of closures and single lane detours as a result of the presumed ongoing construction.  I say presumed because, even though I've been snailing past the same blocked off sections of roadway for weeks now, I have yet to see a single person actually working at the scene.  Akemi suggests they probably work nights, the better to inconvenience a wider range of people.

Oh and now it seems I'm coming down with something.  Sigh.  Since arriving in Toronto, I've suddenly become the protagonist in a Lemony Snicket book.

Check out this great interview with the screenwriter of the new The Fast and Furious installment, Fast Five.  It's true what they say.  Hollywood IS a young man's game.  Thanks to Carl for the tip:

http://www.theonion.com/video/today-now-interviews-the-5yearold-screenwriter-of,20188/

Exciting news!  The official script color code for Transporter: The Series has been released.  It breaks down as follows:

original: white
1st revision: blue
2nd revision: pink
3rd revision: yellow
4th revision: green
5th: Goldenrod
6th: Salmon
7th: taupe
8th: cyan
Isn't taupe a mole?  What color are they?  And wasn't Cyan the former name of the Kingdom of Thailand?
Wait!  Breaking news!  As I was writing this entry, I received an email informing me that had a change had been made.  Apparently someone took exception to cyan and a decision was made to replace it with double-white.  Seriously.  I defy anyone to be able to distinguish between white and double-white (even triple-white for that matter!).  In the interest of clarity and working within a system agreeable to all participants, I would like to suggest the following alternatives to the proposed Transporter: The Series official script color code:

original: white
1st revision: fallow
2nd revision: feldgrau
3rd revision: malachite
4th revision: rain
5th: metallic sunburst
6th: gristle
7th: two month old fig discovered in the back of the refrigerator's vegetable  crisper
8th: ennui grey
Great.  Now that we got that sorted out, let's shift focus to those SG-1 season memories…

One of my many, many fond memories of that first year on the franchise were the number of dogs that could would sniff and scamper the corridors of the Production Offices, whether it was N. John Smith's black labs, Molly and Tugboat, Rick's Australian shepherd, Zoe, Rob's multi-shit(?) Oscar, Amanda's bouvier Abby, or Don's lab, Midnight Lady.  It was a very relaxed, dog-friendly environment and, back then, I would spend much of the day in my office, typing away on my laptop, my pug, Jelly, perched on the headrest of the couch behind me, surveying the passing hall traffic and occasionally venturing out for a little stroll/adventure.  I remember one time when Michael Shanks poked his head into my office and, as delicately as possible informed me: "Uh, Jelly ate my tuna sandwich."  Apparently, he'd set it aside to deal with some issue and Jelly, no doubt assuming it had been abandoned, helped herself.  Another time, Jelly had managed to escape the production offices and I spent a good twenty minutes trying to corral.  Back then, she was quite nimble and enjoyed nothing better than a good chase.  I was at wit's end, exhausted, when Richard Dean Anderson stepped out of Stage 5 and called Jelly over.  She immediately jumped into his arms and he handed her over, problem solved.  And Rick cemented the title of Dog Whisperer.

ABSOLUTE POWER (417)
…corrupts absolutely.  Actors love to play bad guys and, in this episode, Michael Shanks delivers a terrific portrayal of our Daniel gone dark side.  Destroying Moscow is pretty bad, but one of the most unsettling acts he commits never found its way into the finished version of the episode.  In an earlier version, there is mention of the fact that Teal'c inexplicably vanished years ago.  The truth about his mysterious disappearance is revealed when Jack stumbles upon his old friend, a prisoner of Daniel who has been experimenting on him, transfusing blood from the Jaffa in an effort to master control of goa'uld technology.
THE LIGHT (418)
While the final quarter of the show's fourth season delivers some great hits (Entity, Exodus) it also offers up a few misses, this episode being a big one in my books.  The beat of Jack rushing Daniel back to the planet aside, the episode never really delivers – surprising given what was, up to this point, a fairly strong season.  In similar fashion…
PRODIGY (418)
This one was another disappointment.  I believe I've already mentioned elsewhere how the character of Jennifer Hailey was originally conceived as a younger version of Carter (Samantha Jr.) but, in the end, came across as petulant and unlikable.  Without a doubt, our weakest script of the fourth season, but an episode notable for the very first onscreen appearance of Ivon Bartok who plays the cadet, in opening tease, who asks: "Did you say TEN dimensions?". Brilliant.  The role of Hailey came down to two extras, Elizabeth (who eventually won the part) and an actress named Jennifer Halley.  It stuck in my head because, in my first draft of the script, the character had been named Jennifer Halley before Paul changed her last name to Hailey.  Anyway, Elizabeth was better suited to the role of the young ingenue, but Jennifer would later land the role of Lieutenant Tolinev in season 5′s The Tomb.  The seemingly distant cousins of the alien life forms (zapping bugs) that complicate matters in this episode put in an appearance in Stargate: Atlantis's The Defiant One and Stargate: Universe's Water.

Tagged: Stargate: SG-1