Joseph Mallozzi's Blog, page 541

April 16, 2011: Catching up with the mailbag!

Heading out for dinner tonight after which I've got to hit the gym, start The Wise Man's Fear, and finish up the last two episodes of Eden of the East.

Here's a long overdue mailbag for you to peruse…

Chevron7 writes: "Now onto Colonel Cockblock – love that name Joe. Did you write in the closed eyes swallow Young gave once Varro left his quarters or was that an actor choice? Said all that needed to be said."

Answer: That reaction was all Louis Ferreira.  Prior to shooting, we discussed the scene and he wanted Young to demonstrate maturity and acceptance in an instant where lesser men would have responded with jealousy.  Given everything T.J. has been through, Young pushes his personal feelings aside to focus on what's best for her.  And, at that moment, best for T.J. meant showing her the support she so desperately needed.  Still, that "closed eyes swallow" reaction makes it clear that, despite what he may be saying, it hurts him to think he may be losing her to another man.

Chevron7 also writes: "Was the inspiration for the creature a crocodile? "

Answer: No.  My original inspiration was a komodo dragon.

Chevron7 also writes: "The creature vision and ratchet scenes were fantastic…certainly created a sense of panic, confusion, drama. Do you do the ratchet stunts all in one day?"

Answer: No.  It's all location dependent.

John D. writes: "For what it's worth, I didn't buy the "Rush cares" stuff at all. It really doesn't play that way. Trying to teach Eli a lesson came off just as Rush being mean-spirited, which was further reinforced by Rush being vile to Volker and pushing him toward a relationship that doesn't make sense anyway."

Answer: Rush is not the type of guy who would waste his time.  You can certainly view his actions with regard to Eli and Brody as mean-spirited if you like (that's certainly not the way it was intended given the humor of the situation and his secret smile at episode's end), but there's no arguing with results.  Argue against his methods all you like but there's no denying it proved very effective in snapping Eli and Brody back in line.  As for his conversation with Volker, I don't know what you mean by "pushing him toward a relationship that doesn't make sense anyway".  Why wouldn't it make sense?  I think Volker and Park would be very sweet together.  Volker is in love with Park but prepared to let potential happiness slip through his fingers.  There's nothing worse than a missed opportunity.  And I'm sure Rush would agree.

Sue Jackson writes: "And…what rotten thing to have Young knock just as TJ and Varro were gonna kiss. That was just mean. Who's idea was that?"

Answer: As I said in yesterday's entry, the "almost kiss" was a compromise in response to a note I received. The general feeling in the room was that things needed to progress a little more slowly with these two.  In the original draft, they actually do kiss.

Randomness writes: "Speaking of SGU, I hope you and Paul do a thoughts on Episode 20 – Gauntlet entry. Would be interested to know what you think about the episode too, although Paul wrote the thing."

Answer: Actually, Paul and I co-wrote Gauntlet. I wrote the first draft, he did the rewrite, then I added the Last Supper speech.

Randomness writes: "Sorry about the mistake Joe, just everywhere including Gateworld has creditted Paul as writing the script for Gauntlet. Easy to forget when every Stargate Universe website credits just Paul"

Answer: Well, that's…annoying.

KevinNS writes: "…does this mean that Varro is the last remaining Alliance member on board now?"

Answer: That he is.

Randomness writes: "1. Did you prefer writing for SG1/SGA over SGU?"

Answer: While I enjoyed writing for both shows, I think I had an easier time writing for SG-1, particularly during the Vala years.

"2. Were you trying to give off a fatherly vibe with Rush when he messes with Eli/Brody after telling them not to touch the Stasis room stuff."

Answer: Yes.  I've always viewed Eli's relationship with Rush and Young as a "my two dads" situation.

"3. As the series was ending, why did you not kill off a main cast member?"

Answers: There's still time, no?  Four more episodes to go.

"4. When you wrote this episode, did you put Young on the planet because you know he has a thing for TJ or was it more him looking after his own?"

Answer: Both but, clearly, this was special circumstance.  The only other times I can recall Young heading off-world were in extremely perilous circumstances (Time, Water).

"5. Were Varro and Greer originally planned to be friends in Season 3? Or at the very most two comrades in arms?"

Answer: Nope.  I wanted to have Varro redeem himself in Greer's eyes, which is why I teamed them in this episode.

"6. Why do you believe Greer was so hostile towards Varro on the planet, and what do you think Varro was thinking when Greer was treating him that badly?"

Answer: Greer is naturally cautious and Varro WAS a part of the incursion that took Destiny, however briefly, at the end of season one.  He never trusted the Lucians but Varro went a long way toward proving himself in this episode.  As for what Varro thought – I'm sure he was somewhat disappointed but not at all surprised.

"7. How do you think Volker was feeling at the end of the episode when he saw Park and Greer, and why do you think he went to see her with what he had in his hand at the end?"

Answer: Well, obviously he took Rush's speech to heart and decided to "man up" and tell Park how he felt about her.

"8. Do you believe Volker is more looking for a shoulder to lean on, a female friend of sorts, instead of a romance with someone?"

Answer: No, he is definitely interested in pursuing a romantic relationship with Lisa.  Again, it's pretty clear in the episode.

"9. What do you think Young was thinking when the Lucian Alliance joined them on the planet to hunt the beast?"

Answer: I think that, while Young may also be cautious, he's also logical.  He saw the benefit of having the Lucians assist in the hunt and genuinely appreciated their willingness to help.  After all, Tamara's life was at stake.

"10. Is Mike Dopuds performance good enough in this episode for you to cast him as Frank in your new Transporter series, or at the very least, give him a decent role?"

Answer: Mike is a terrific actor and a pleasure to work with.  I wouldn't hesitate to bring him in to audition for any role I thought would be a good fit for him. However, unilateral casting decisions don't happen.  In the case of the Transporter series, about a dozen different voices will be weighing on casting.

RFVDevil writes: "1. What happened to Wray? I didn't see her at all in the episode and it seems like it would have been easy to work her into the script. Does Ming Na only have a contract that allows her to appear in a limited number of episodes like Picardo and Amanda on SGA, or did her scenes get cut."

Answer: Yes, like Woolsey and Carter in Atlantis, the character of Camille Wray doesn't appear in every episode.

"2. Was this episode at all inspired by The Host? It's a Korean monster movie."

Answer: No, the episode wasn't inspired by any particular movie.

"11. Why did Matt Scott although injured, not join Varro and Greer hunting the beast?"

Answer: Because Young leaves him in charge of Destiny when he leaves to head up the rescue op.

"12. Was there any scenarios out there that involved Young ignoring Varros comments and staying on the planet because of TJ?"

Answer: Nope.  As much as Young wants to go on, he sees the logic in Varro's argument and elects to leave the rescue to Varro and Greer rather than risk slowing them down.

Joan001 writes: " Robert Carlyle has not been heard of since the cancellation notice. Has there been any word or opinion from him. Does he keep in touch with anybody in SGU?"

Answer: Actually, I hear he's got quite a few projects on the go.  And he has been in touch with both Brad and Robert.

Michael A. Burstein writes: "Do you use Movie Magic Screenwriter as your primary software? I have Final Draft on my Mac."

Answer: Yes.  We used Movie Magic Screenwriter on Stargate and have convinced Alexander to switch over from Final Draft for Transporter: The Series.

Ashleigh writes: "I was woken up at 7:00 AM by Joe this morning with a question I had answered last week via email. When I thought he was done responding he had found his answer…but he obviously became distracted."

Answer: Still sleeping at 7:00 a.m.  Talk about lazy!  No wonder I had to register my own Cavco number!

Paloosa writes: "1) Will Transporters be as post production heavy as SGU or Atlantis was?"

Answer: Not as heavy although the Transporter: The Series will have limited visual effects.

"2) Is there a date by which you have to have the first episode in the can?"

Answer: Still solidifying our production schedule.

"3) How many episodes are being produced?"

Answer: The show's first season will consist of 12 episodes.

"4) What network will be airing it?"

Answer: Stay tuned for the official announcement.

"5) Will entire episodes be filmed in Europe, or are only different segments being shot there?"

Answer: Elements of most every episode will be shot in Europe will main unit photography will take place here in Toronto.

Randomness writes: "How's the casting side of The Transporter going Joe? I realise you can't say any names or anything, but is it going well? Like do you have ideas as to who you want for each character?"

Answer: Yes, casting is going very well.  A lot of terrific candidates to choose from.  We're narrowing down our selections and meeting to discuss this week.

BoltBait writes: "So, Joe, am I to understand that the flashback scenes were filmed? Or, did you cut them before production began?"

Answer: No, they were shot, then cut in editing.

Renegard writes: "Does stargate travel guarantee continuity of consciousness? Or could one argue that the person is killed on one end and an exact replica is recreated on the other end?"

Answer: I think it's more an interruption than a death.  The traveller is disassembled at the molecular level, then reassembled to his/her original form.

Debi writes: "Concerning THE HUNT that was aired, was that Cpl. Marsden that was killed? Say it isn't so! :O"

Answer: Alas, 'tis so.

Holloway writes: "Joe, I can respect your opinion that Varro is a better fir for TJ than Young. But did you have to play such favorites by having Young go down with injury leaving Varro to be the guy who has to work with Greer to save TJ?"

Answer: Actually, there was one scenario in which Varro teamed with Young to rescue T.J. but, ultimately, I decided to go with Greer.  I think Young's decision to turn back showed great maturity.  He places T.J.'s well-being over his own pride and that says a lot about the man's character.

Holloway also writes: "That's a nitpick. The other nitpick is that I would have love to have seen those TJ flashbacks. Time could have been made for them if you had jettison the whole Rush/Eli/Brody subplot."

Answer: While the T.J. flashbacks were informative, the Rush/Eli/Brody subplot serviced a bigger arc.  It addressed the emotional fallout from the previous episode and established the stasis pods for…the not too distant future.

Holloway also writes: "Also was there really a need for another nerd vs soldier for a woman's attention storyline? I'm referring to Volker's subplot. Even though it ended badly for Volker in this episode there seems to be little doubt whom your sympathies were with in this episode."

Answer: Not sure what you mean by whom my sympathies were with.  The subplot focused on Volker and his feelings for Park.  If I'd written a story about Greer and his feelings for the same woman, I'm sure one could argue that my sympathies lay with Greer.

April 15, 2011: Some thoughts on "The Hunt"!

My thoughts on "The Hunt"…

VARRO AND T.J. – OH, AND YOUNG!

Red Card!

Near the end of season one, while we were finishing shooting the last few days on Incursion I and II, I ran into Alaina on her way to set.  "So, is T.J. going to be getting together with any of the handsome Lucian guys next season?"she asked hopefully.  Wellt, if I had my way, in season two, we'd be seeing just that. In fact, I had planted the tiniest seeds of a potential relationship in the season-ending two-parter.  It was subtle, nothing romantic – merely the suggestion of mutual respect and, perhaps, somewhere down the line, something more.

I like T.J. and Varro as a couple.  I think they're good together, as opposed to T.J. and Young.  Understand, there's a difference between being a good person and being good for someone.  I think Young is a good person, but I think he's bad for Tamara.  Although he obviously cares for her, his decision to pursue a relationship with her while still married was, in my mind, unforgivable.  It was selfish and demonstrated a disregard for both T.J. and his wife.  Yes, it takes two to tango but Young was in the driver's seat.  And, to further complicate the issue, he was her commanding officer.  It showed extremely poor judgement – granted, on both their parts – and the fallout of their ill-advised tryst is apparent throughout the show's first season.  Varro, however, offers a relationship of equals.  He represents a hopeful future; Young, a painful past.  Ultimately, I also felt strongly that having T.J. fall back into a relationship with Young would be a step back and be a disservice to the character.  A relationship between Varro and T.J., on the other hand, beside offering great story potential and shipboard conflict, I saw as good for both characters.  Of course, not everyone agreed (For instance, the "almost kiss" at the end of "The Hunt" was a compromise.  In the original draft, they actually shared a kiss which was interrupted by Young – aka Captain Cockblock) and it would have been interesting to see how things developed in season three.  It's too bad we'll never get the chance to find out.

RUSH SCHOOLS ELI

Recent events leading up to this episode had led to a shift in, if not the unspoken command structure of the ship's science team, then a perception of said hierarchy.  Eli, already reeling from Ginn's death, is dealt another blow when Rush's actions deny him a second time (at the end of "Hope").  Eli is pissed and, suddenly, prepared to challenge Rush's leadership while Rush, off-balance, wrestles with self-doubt (note his sudden reluctance to investigate the stasis chamber until precautionary diagnostics have been run).  Let's be clear: Rush cares about Eli.  Hell, he cares about everyone on board Destiny.  Of course, it's questionable as to why, exactly, he does care.  Is it sympathy or merely a pragmatic approach to ensuring the ship's crew continue to operate at optimum efficiency? Either way, we do see Rush – who normally holds his card very close to the vest – reach out to Eli in "Resurgence".  In his roundabout way, he tells Eli that he's special, that he has potential, that he respects him.  In so doing, he gives Eli – battling depression in the wake of Ginn's death – the shot of confidence he needs to move on.

On a personal level, Rush is someone who accomplishes more with an indirect approach.  And so, when faced with a challenge to his authority, he doesn't confront his doubters.  Instead, he changes their minds through indirect influence – like, say, allowing their rebelliousness to trigger some very serious consequences.  Was Rush responsible for Brody's deep freeze?  Hell, yes.  Was Brody ever in danger?  Certainly not.  You may argue over whether Rush truly cares about Brody, but there's no doubt that he values his worth and would never risk such a valuable asset.  No, Rush knew what he was doing.  He was teaching Eli a valuable lesson and re-establishing his authority over the science team.  Harmless but highly effective.

RUSH OFFERS ROMANTIC ADVICE

Rush also adopts an indirect approach in his dealings with the lovelorn Volker.  On the surface, he's telling Volker he should be happy with his lot as "the good friend" and "scientist" but the obvious subtext of his speech is: "Get off your ass and tell her how you feel or you risk a miserable, lonely existence!".  Yes, in his roundabout way, Rush is giving Volker unsolicited relationship advice.  Why?  Well, when it comes down to it, only one answer makes sense: Because he cares.

CHANNELING EXEC. PRODUCER CARL BINDER

I love the character of the curmudgeony Morrison because he reminds so much of everyone's favorite curmudgeony Executive Producer, Carl Binder.  I remember watching the "Faith" dailies way back when, and noticing Morrison standing off the side, arms crossed and glowering.  "Hey!"said Carl.  "It's me!" And sure enough, from that day forward, whenever I read "Morrison" in a script, I always imagined Carl delivering the dialogue.  And so, when it came time to write the infirmary scene in which Volker pays Park a visit, I decided to add a dash of Carl by including a kevetching Morrison in the scene.    Had the scene also included him going off on air travel and having to order the toppings on his hamburger, it would have been just like the writers' room.

April 14, 2011: The search for a Script Coordinator/Exec. Producers' Assistant Begins! The Transporter Summit Concludes!

We've started interviewing for a Script Coordinator/Exec. Producers' Assistant, partly because Ashleigh refuses to upend her life for us by moving to Toronto (Selfish, no?), but mainly because we don't like the attitude of our present temp Script Coordinator, Alexander M. Ruemelin.  Instead of embracing these new and exciting (albeit unpaid and time-consuming) duties as part of a wonderful learning experience, Alex, instead, chooses to complain about them (ie. "I really should be working on my outline instead of proofreading your blog entries.").  And so, we are casting a wide net in our search for the perfect Script Coordinator/Exec. Producers' Assistant, meeting with ALL THREE potential candidates.  We're looking for someone with script coordinating experience (working with Movie Magic Screenwriter in particular), someone who is tech savvy (we're computer unsavvy, with the exception of Alexander who considers our devotion to Mac OUR problem), and someone who is able to fit in.  The latter is of chiefest important.  I evaluate a prospective candidate's relative "fit in-itness" by gauging their responses to a few curveballs I threw their way during the interview:

ME: So, I see you have experience as a script coordinator.

CANDIDATE: Yes.  I've worked with both Final Draft and Movie Magic Screenwriter.

ALEX: Things will get crazy here.  We're a co-production with Canadian, American, French, AND German partners.

ME: So we're going to need you to brush up on your French and German before you start on Monday.

CANDIDATE: Uh, okay.

PAUL: Would you say you're also knowledgeable with computers?

CANDIDATE: Yes.  Both PC and Mac.

ME: What is your greatest weakness?

CANDIDATE: Um, German. ("I care too much" or "I'm a perfectionist" would've been acceptable responses as well).

PAUL: Your position may require you to get lunches for the writers.

CANDIDATE: I'm fine with that.

ME: Your position may also require you to occasionally drain my pet baboon's anal glands.

CANDIDATE: That's fine.  I have experience with that.

ME: Great.  Well, thanks for coming in.

In addition to holding a couple of interviews, we also sat down with our head of transport to discuss European cars – specifically, police cars and trucks (because, apparently, the trucks in Europe look completely different from the trucks here in North America).  I also got the opportunity to rewrite a whopping 1.5 pages of the second script.  At this rate, I should be done by the day we complete production on the episode.

Well, the big Transporter summit concluded yesterday with everyone heading back to their respective home bases to regroup, decompress, and discuss my affinity for animal-theme cufflinks.  Among those who attended…

Julien - who gets bonus marks for also being a Stargate fan.

Alexandra

Julia

Ulrike





Julien – ready to hit the road.





Alexander – Almost all smiles after two days of meetings.

Thanks for coming, all.  Next time, your place?

Tomorrow, I offer those promised thoughts on The Hunt.

April 13, 2011: Those deleted flashbacks from SGU's "The Hunt"!

Back when I first envisioned this episode, there was no beast.  No hunt.  It was a story about T.J. trapped off-world, displaying great courage and inner strength in keeping a group of scientists and wounded soldiers alive in an inhospitable off-world environment while Varro and Young headed the rescue op to save them.  Initially I was thinking freak alien sandstorm – whipping wind, low visibility.  Perhaps the team had to hunker down in tents.  Had they brought tents with them?  What other challenges might an off-world sandstorm present?  Hey, why not ask the expert?  And so, I fired off an email (titled: Up on your xenometerology?) to the show's Creative Consultant, author extraordinaire John Scalzi and asked him for some input.  John responded with a few reasons why the sandstorm would make sense given the alien setting (atmospheric pressure), their unpredictability ("usually due to a cold front sweeping across hot, dry land setting up vibrations in dust/sand that cause the sand to "leap" and become airborne"), their potentially lengthy duration ("(because of convection currents between the warm ground and cooler air") and also threw out some cool suggestions for added complications:

"1. Although any sand at high speed will mess with you, for extra added danger think of some sort of igneous, glass-like sand/dust, which would be extra sharp and slice-y;

2. Sand storms can create and hold a negative electrical charge, meaning that you have an excellent excuse for apparently random, plot-complicating lightning strikeswithin the storm itself."

Pleased, I sat down to hammer out the outline.  Unfortunately, the more I thought about it the more apparent became the challenges of staging an on-set sandstorm.  Sure, we'd done it in the past (SGA's "The Last Man" or, more recently, next week's episode "Common Descent"), but those instances had been fairly self-contained and, more importantly, brief.  I could, of course, stay in whatever shelter they'd managed to find but, in that case, the story became more about the rescue than about the attempt to return to the gate (which, in the end, is what it ended up being anyway).

Ultimately, it was Brad who offered the key to the solution – dropping the potentially pricey sandstorm for a beast hunt, a different direction that would allow me to explore the Greer character as well.  And the story fell into place.

Given that the focus of the story would shift to Greer, I nevertheless wanted to explore the T.J. character.  While she would still display the courage and inner-strength that makes her an excellent soldier, the more intimate setting would afford me the opportunity to find out a little more about her – her life before she stepped through the Icarus gate, maybe a suggestion of the events that helped shape her.  And so, as I built the story, I built a little Tamara Johansen backstory as well, drawing on some of what had been established in past episodes (particularly in one of Exec. Producer Carl Binder's episode in which T.J. happily recalls going camping with her father) to create some flashbacks I interspersed throughout the episode.

Unfortunately, the episode ran long and, as much as I hated to do it, I had to cut the flashbacks.  At the end of the day, they were the one element that could be extracted without really affecting the story.  I broke the news to Alaina but promised that flashbacks would find their way into a season three episode or, at worst, onto a dvd special feature.

Alas, with the show's cancellation, I'm not sure if and when those flashbacks will see the light of a t.v. screen.  But, just  for you blog insiders, here they are:

The first flashback isn't so much a flashback but a quick flash that introduces the conceit in the first act by having Tamara coming to in the cave to glimpse her father standing over her:

SCENE 15

INT. OFF-WORLD – CAVE — DAY

The cave is dark and dank, illuminated by the daylight streaming in through the opening.

WE FIND –

Tamara on the ground, eyes shut, hears the voice of her father

STEVEN (O.S.): Tamara.  Tamara.

Tamara stirs, open her eyes.  Looks up at -

Her father's reassuring face looking down on her -

STEVEN: Tamara?

TAMARA: Dad?

Tamara blinks, looks up again to find -

An agitated Reynolds crouched over her -

REYNOLDS: Lieutenant.  Thank God.

The next flashback establishes the strong bond between father and daughter and suggests how much of T.J.'s strength of character developed from this relationship.  Her father pushes her to keep going, to not give up.  She perseveres and ultimately succeeds.  Later in the episode, she's the one who assumes her father's role, pushing Reynolds to stay strong and not give up hope:

SCENE 24

TAMARA: I'm not leaving you behind.  And I'm going to need your help when the time comes, so you're going to have to calm down.  Pull it together, right? Can you do that for me?

REYNOLDS (takes a deep breath): Yeah.

Tamara redirects her attention to the radio, forcing open the casing and setting it down on the cave floor.  She considers the exposed components, then throws a look at a shivering Reynolds trying to keep warm.

FLASHBACK TO:

EXT. FOREST – CAMPSITE – NIGHT

A family outing.  Twelve year old Tamara looks on as her father, STEVEN JOHANSEN, teaches her to make fire.  Steven looks on as Tamara attempts to generate enough heat with her bow drill to produce an ember.  She grows quickly frustrated, sets the tools aside.

STEVEN: Tamara -

TAMARA: I can't do it.

STEVEN: Of course you can.  Like most things in life worth having, it requires a little patience. (beat) Do you want me to show you again?

TAMARA: No.

A determined Tamara takes up the tools and tries again -

STEVEN: That's it.  Keep going.  Keep going.  Okay.  You've got it!

An ember glows.  Tamara places it in the bird's nest-like tinder bundle, blows on it.  Smoke.  Flame.  Then fire.

STEVEN: Great job, sweetie.

An ecstatic Tamara nurtures the fire with twigs and branches.

FLASHFORWARD TO:

INT. OFF-WORLD – CAVE — DAY

Tamara eyes the shivering Reynolds.

TAMARA: It's getting cold.

She gets up, starts gathering twigs and branches.

Having established T.J.'s relationship with her father, I use it to explore a little more of Tamara's backstory – specifically, why she ended up in the military instead, of, say, medical school…

SCENE 36

INT. OFF-WORLD – CAVE — DAY

Tamara finishes starting a fire in recessed part of the cave.  She throws a look to a shivering Reynolds.

TAMARA: Here we go.

He moves in closer.

OFF the fire -

FLASHBACK TO:

EXT. FOREST – ANOTHER CAMPSITE — NIGHT

An older Tamara, out on a camping trip, sits by the fire.  Her father joins her.  We see camping equipment, tents in the B.G.

STEVEN: Your mother and sister are exhausted.  They're already asleep.

TAMARA: Well that just means more smores for us.

They get to toasting.  Beat.

STEVEN: Not getting that scholarship isn't the end of the world, sweetheart.

TAMARA: No, but it is the end of medical school.

STEVEN: Not necessarily. (beat) I really should wait until morning and tell you when we're all together but…

Off Tamara's look -

STEVEN: You're still going.  Your mother and I are going to pay for it.

TAMARA: No.  You can't afford it.

STEVEN: Actually, we can.  You'd be surprised how much we managed to save up over the years.

TAMARA: That's YOUR money…

STEVEN: That was always meant for you and your sister if ever you needed it.

She looks at him and it's pretty damn clear he's not going to be talked out of it.  She gives him a huge hug, barely able to contain her emotions.

TAMARA: I'll pay you back.  I promise.

STEVEN: You can pay us back by getting that degree and being happy. (beat) And acting surprised when your mother and I tell you again tomorrow.

They share a smile and get back to the smores.

FLASHFORWARD TO:

INT. OFF-WORLD – CAVE — DAY

Tamara deep in thought.  She snaps out of it, renews her tinkering with the exposed radio.  She steals a glance at her watch.  Reynolds catches it.

REYNOLDS: How're we doing for time?

TAMARA: We've got six hours before Destiny jumps.

Of course, even the best-laid plans…

SCENE 46

TAMARA: You've got two choices.  You can either suck it up and make it back to Destiny with your head held high, or you can force me to save your sorry ass, and live with the shame.  Understood?

REYNOLDS: Yes, ma'am.

He drops his gaze, ashamed.  Tamara, clearly pissed, throws a look to the cave entrance -

FLASHBACK TO:

INT. JOHANSEN HOME – STEVEN JOHANSEN'S BEDROOM — DAY

SARA JOHANSEN, Tamara's younger sister, is packing some of her father's personal items to take to the hospital.  We hear the O.S. front door slam shut and -

TAMARA (O.S.): Hello?!

SARA: I'm upstairs in dad's room!

She continues packing.  Beat.  Tamara comes in.

TAMARA: I tried you from the airport.  How is he?

SARA: Better.  He's in intensive care.  Mom's with him.

She shuts the suitcase.

SARA: I want to bring him some of his things, make him more comfortable.

TAMARA: Okay.  Let's go.

SARA: Tamara.

Tamara holds up.

SARA: It was a serious stroke but the doctors think Dad'll make a full recovery.  The thing is – he's going to need rehabilitation and constant care when he goes home.  It's going to be expensive.

OFF Tamara as she realizes what her sister is saying -

FLASHFORWARD TO:

INT. OFF-WORLD – CAVE — DAY

Tamara redirects her attention to the radio.  As she fiddles, the radio STATICS IN AND OUT.  Reynolds perks up.  She fiddles some more, snaps the back casing shut, and keys the radio.

TAMARA: This is lieutenant Johansen.  Over. (beat) Is anyone out there?

Which, ultimately, sets up our final flashback – and the reason behind Tamara's decision to choose the military over med school -

SCENE 70

YOUNG: How're you doing?

TAMARA: Good.

Young nods.  He looks like he wants to say something, thinks better of it, and leaves.  Tamara takes a seat at the foot of the bed, clearly conflicted.  Deep in thought -

FLASHBACK TO:

INT. JOHANSEN HOME – STEVEN JOHASEN'S BEDROOM — DAY

Tamara stands in the doorway, watching her sister feed her  bed-ridden father.  She steps in.

TAMARA: I'll take over.

Off Sara -

TAMARA: I want to tell him.

Sara nods, hands Tamara the plate of food, and leaves.

STEVEN: Tell me what?

Tamara takes a seat bedside and offers up a brave smile.

TAMARA: You're getting a private nurse.  She's going to help us take care of you.

STEVEN: We can't afford that.

TAMARA: Yes, we can.  He realizes -

STEVEN: No.  That money is meant for you, for medical school.

TAMARA: I'll still go to medical school.  I've found another way to pay for it.

Off Steven -

TAMARA: I'm joining the Air Force.

Her father gauges her, realizes that there'll be no talking her out of this.

STEVEN: Sweetheart, are you sure this is what you really want?

Tamara puts on a brave face for her father, taking his hand.

TAMARA: What I really want is for you to get better.

FLASHFORWARD TO:

INT. DESTINY – VARRO'S QUARTERS — DAY

Tamara, sitting on the edge of the bed, emotional.

So that's what you missed.

April 12, 2011: Talking Transporter stories! More behind the scenes pics of SGU's "The Hunt"!

We kicked off the day with a four hour meeting followed, after a thirty minute lunch break, by another three hour meeting.  Over the course of these seven some hours, we discussed scripts and stories with our four broadcasters, covering everything from page notes on episodes #1 and #2 to big picture arc for the first season of Transporter: The Series.  I'm pleased to report it all went very well.  I've been in similar meetings in which I've actually had to pinch myself to keep from dozing off but today's session was informative, amiable, and spirited.  There was no insane input.  No one made any outrageous creative demands, offered bizarre story suggestions, or proposed the addition of an adorable mascot to drive shotgun with Frank on his various missions.  It went, as they say (and by "they" I mean "I"), swimmingly.  The room had a nice, positive vibe and there was never a moment where I wanted to throw anything, burst into tears, or quietly pack up my laptop, stroll down to my car, and drive all the way back to Vancouver.  There was one moment when Alexander exited the room, leading me to assume he had left to jump out the nearest window, but it turned out he only gone to the bathroom.  Regardless, Rob was quick to point out (when I suggested someone try to talk him down) that we were on the second floor and he probably wouldn't do himself much damage anyway.

Tomorrow = more back to back meetings as we shift focus from the creative to casting!  A lot of familiar faces so far in the audition process.

Top Gun Klaus holds the fort while the rest of us turn in for the night.

A final round of behind-the-scene pics of Stargate: Universe's "The Hunt" as the episode airs in Canada tonight.  Tomorrow, I start weighing in with my thoughts on the episode.  Tune in tomorrow to find out:

- Why I think this episode goes a long way toward, not only rehabilitating Rush, but making him downright lovable.

- Why Varro is a better match for T.J. than Young.

- How I channeled fellow writer/Executive Producer Carl Binder to write one particular scene.

- What happened to those planned T.J. flashbacks and what did you miss?

 

April 11, 2011: Behind-the-scenes on The Hunt!

$%&@!!!!

"Why is the floor wet?"asked Akemi.  I walked over to investigate, assuming one of the dogs may have peed on the floor.  They hadn't.  It was worse.  Much worse!

Apparently, the outlet hose of the air conditioner had slipped in from the window, pooling water onto the hardwood floor (Yes, that's right.  Even though it's unbearably cold outside, it's unbearably hot in my apartment so I have to keep the air conditioning on at all times).

When I left Akemi this morning, she was on her hands and knees, trying to dry the floor with her hairdryer.

And the hits just keep on comin'!

Big dinner tonight with the networks (all four or five of them), so enjoy an early entry!

Behidn the scenes pics and vids from The Hunt…

 

 

 

 

April 10, 2011: Pre-Hunt Entry! Recommend me a comic book series!

When we gathered to discuss stories for Stargate: Universe's second season, we went in with the goal of giving each of our main players at least one spotlight episode and some sort of arc or issue.  And so, over the course of those first few days, we put all our characters' names up on the board and, underneath each one, jotted down an idea or two – either a personal issue, a character trait, a relationship or an external threat that could serve as the springboard to a story idea. In the case of the Greer character, we had jotted down "Superman complex".  Here was a soldier's soldier, a guy willing to lay down his life for the cause – cool, composed, dedicated, and courageous.  The kind of guy you want to have your back – or, preferably, your front depending on what you happen to be facing.  And yet, the kind of guy who leaves you wondering: "Yeah, he's beyond brave.  But isn't beyond brave just one step short of crazy?".  Maybe.  Maybe not.  Of course, there is one way to find out, and that's by placing our Greer in a situation in which his safety net stripped away.  What if it wasn't business as usual?  What if something happened that caused him to question himself?  What if, instead of responding instinctively and rushing headlong into the breech, he actually stopped to think about it?  To question himself and his mortality?

So that was the germ of a notion that eventually became the heart of this week's episode "The Hunt" although the idea for the story came much earlier and had nothing to do with Greer.  After watching Alaina's brilliant delivery of T.J.'s "This is war and that's what we do" speech in "Divided", I knew I wanted to see that side of Lieutenant Johansen.  Not the sympathetic caregiver but the soldier, the trained professional who could pull it together and survive at all costs, possessed of a strength so great she would carry others along if she had to.  I wanted to place T.J. in a situation where she was cut off, isolated, facing a threat head-on and relying on her smarts and stalwartness.

Eventually, those idea came together to form the core of this episode.  Story A was going to deal with Greer and that Superman Complex.  Story B was going to deal with T.J. and her inner-strength.  But those who are familiar with my work know I love juggling storylines, so it should come as no surprise that an A and B story weren't enough.  And so, this episode contains multiple sub-stories, from the discovery of a hitherto locked-down section of Destiny that will have implications for our crew later on down the line, to Eli's relationship with Rush and how very much like a father-son relationship it truly is (It's no accident that Paul coined one of the bridge dialogue's "Rush's Darth Vader speech"), to a potential burgeoning ship-board romance (any Parker shipper out there?).

And finally, speaking of potential burgeoning ship-board romances, there is one couple I've been actively campaigning for over the course of the show's second season.  And, by campaigning, I mean pushing the ship in my episodes while badgering the other writers to, at the very least, hinting at it in theirs (or, at the very least, not doing anything to undermine it).  I've always liked the Varro character and, from the moment we introduced him in late season one, I've worked at fashioning a character who possessed an inner strength and nobility, a certain pragmatism that set him apart from his fellow Alliance soldiers.  From the get-go ("Incursion"), he appeals to T.J., tells her that, in essence, they're all on board and in this together – a thought he echoes in "The Hunt" when he is brought in to assist in tracking down the missing Lt. Johansen.  Like I said, I like these two together.  Some may (and have disagree), but I think he's a far better match for T.J. than Young ever was (or ever could be).  So it would be interesting to put both men in a situation where they must work together to save someone they care about deeply…

Anyway, a lot of things going on in this episode and, back when I was trying to nail down the core of the story, it was Exec. Producer Brad Wright who came up with the idea that brought it all together.  I'd been wracking my brain, trying to come up with the off-world threat that set things in motion and Brad suggested "the beast".  And, with that, the final piece of the puzzle locked into place and the rest of the story came together.

Speaking of coming together, the progression of the beast from concept to finished product was a fascinating process to watch.  Kudos to James Robbins for developing the initial concept, then giving it life in ensuing design and sculpts, before passing it on to Mark Savela and our brilliant VFX team who gave it life.

As you can see, the initial concept for the creature was far more reptilian.  There was concern, however, that the ossified plating would prove challenging for the animators, so we opted for a more feline look, first testing out a compromise, then going full feline – which I thought was going too far.  I wasn't a fan of the fur and liked the sleekness of the hairless hide because it showed off the creature's musculature.  The ensuing sculpts only served to solidify my opinion…

James Robbins at work.

A few more tweaks to the ears and eyes…

And we're in business!

Well, actually a long way from actually in business.  Needless to say, the actors had to use their imaginations when it came time to shoot the scenes because the creature wouldn't be making an appearance until much later in the post-production process.

On the day, Jamil and Brian ran through their characters' initial encounter with the beast…

More behind-the-scene pics of the episode tomorrow – time permitted.

Little update on the super-secret comic book project.  As some of you may (or may not) know, Paul and I are finishing up the opening four issue arc of an SF-based comic book series set to launch in early 2012.  It was originally a t.v. pilot that I always thought would make a terrific comic book and when the opportunity arose to take it in that direction, we jumped on the chance.  We're teaming with a major publisher and the plan is to establish the series in print and then try to set it up at a network.  Anyway, after checking out a slew of very talented artists, we've short-listed a couple of promising candidates who would, in our opinion, be the best stylistic fit for the project.  Hopefully we'll be able to close the deal in the coming weeks.

Speaking of comic books – I need some trade paperback recommendations.  To give you a sense of what I'm looking for, these are the ongoing series I am currently picking up (in TPB format): Scalped, The Walking Dead, Chew, Sweet Tooth, and Secret Six.  I am about to add Uncanny X-Force based on blog regular Das's recommendation.  So what else should I absolutely, positively, be reading?

April 9, 2011: Reading, eating, watching. And you?

So what are you guys reading?  Watching?  Before leaving Vancouver, I loaded up my kindle, stocking up for the long months ahead.  I figured I'd blaze through the selection in no time.  Instead, I've managed to read a whole half book since hitting T.O.  The fact is I just haven't had the time.  Between the show and the settling in and the walking of the dogs and the blogging and the trying out of the new restaurants, I've been lucky to have any time for much else. Still, I have been enjoying my latest read -

With the exception of The Gunslinger, the first book in his Dark Tower series, Stephen King has never disappointed.  His latest is a collection of four novellas.  I've only read the first two – " Big Driver" (the one I started with because, inexplicably, my kindle opened the book on the second story) and "1922″ – and both are classic King: creepy, often grisly, and deeply unsettling, mainly as a result of his ability to craft believable characters with whom the audience can sympathize.

Would love to be watching more but, alas, the crappy DVD player in the apartment is pretty damn finicky and will only play one of every four dvd's.  We were working our way through Top Chef Masters which, alas, I thought was going to a lot more fun than it actually is.  Also today, I swung by Anime Extreme and picked up a few titles I won't be able to watch anytime soon unless I get a new DVD player…

I believe one of you recommended this one.  Anyway, Akemi can't wait to start watching.  Which she'll have to, of course.  Also…

Watched the first volume of this hilarious over-the-top series a couple of months and loved it.  Haven't been able to track down volume 2 yet but snagged volume 3 when I saw it sitting on the shelf.  And…

An Akemi request. Any Sgt. Frog fans out there?

We took a walk through Chinatown, stopping to check out a barbecue restaurant for lunch.  The service was perfunctory (typical of most casual Chinese eateries) but the food was quite good.  While Toronto apparently can't serve up a sushi platter to save its reputation, it DOES do Chinese well…

The barbecue platter. We went with the barbecued pork (very good), the soy barbecue chicken (tastiest of the three, but cold), and the barbecue duck (lacked the mahogany crispness of ducks I've had elsewhere). That dipping sauce of minced green onions, ginger, and oil was killer.





I'm not a huge congee fan but this version, with scallops, was outstanding.





My papaya shake.

Playing tourist in Chinatown.

After lunch, I put prepped my port-raised short ribs, then headed downstairs to the Senses Cafe where I met up with an old friend -

Anne-Marie!

I hadn't seen her since leaving Montreal for Vancouver some twelve years ago.  And she hasn't changed at all.  Loved working with her back in my animation days and enjoyed catching up over desserts -

Of the three desserts we shared, I thought the coconut and white chocolate cake was the clear winer.

Anyway, she's in town for some Writers Guild of Canada to-do and we'll be meeting up again tomorrow night for dinner at Lai Wah Heen, purported to be the top Chinese restaurant in the city.

Hey, my second to last episode of Stargate: Universe, The Hunt, airs this week.  It's an interesting episode in that I tried very hard to make sure most every character got the opportunity to make a contribution.  I'll be interested to hear your thoughts and will make it a point to field your questions after the episode airs.  Tomorrow, I'll upload the pics of "the beast", from concept design to sculpt to almost finished.

April 8, 2011: An early start to my day!

Ah, apartment life.  This morning, at a tick past 5:30 a.m., we awakened to this:

The dogs were freaked out by the alarm, Lulu in particular who just sat at the top of the stairs, refusing to move until I went up and got her.  At one point, a voice came over the P.A. to inform us that they were investigating and stay tuned for another announcement in two minutes.  Back to the soul-quaking blare. I took the time to brush my teeth and put on pants.  Five minutes later, when the second announcement came, it went like this: "The fire department has been called."  And nothing else.  No "Stay put while we investigate further." or "Guests are urged to make their way down to the lobby." or "RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!!!".  I was leaning toward heading back up to bed to wait for the next announcement but noticed that Akemi already had her coat on and was headed out the door with all four dogs.  I followed her out into the empty hallway.  Had everyone else already made their way down?  While Akemi attempted to coax a skittish Bubba and Lulu down the stairs, I scooped up Jelly and Maximus, a pug in each arm, and followed.

Not surprisingly, in the end, it was all for naught.  Akemi and I (and the four dogs), along with the other dozen residents who bothered evacuating, cooled our heels for about an hour (And I do mean cooled.  It was fucking cold outside!) before we were allowed back upstairs.

 

Akemi: "The sky is so beautiful." Joe: "$&@$ the sky. I want my beautiful bed."

 

At one point, Akemi popped into Starbucks for a cappuccino and a quick warm-up. Bubba parked his furry butt down and refused to move until she came out again.

One week in the new place and one fire alarm.  That's some average.  On the bright side, given that we were up so early, we had the whole day ahead of us.  Theoretically.  I went back to bed and slept in until 9:30 a.m.

Today, it was back to St. Lawrence Market where we picked up more produce – and partook in another terrific Mustachio's sandwich, this one the chicken parmsean -

 

Now THAT is a sandwich!

After dropping off our purchases back at the place and taking the dogs for their second walk of the day, we headed out for my location scout to Casa Loma, the possible sight of the big episode 5 climax…

 

Built at a cost of 3 million dollars about a hundred years ago, the comparative cost today would be 100 million.

This would be perfect for the "Frank comes crashing through the skylight in his Audi, lands on the bad guy, and races off to save the gal" scene.

Lots of room to pull some doughnuts in here.

And plenty of racing room down this corridor.

Then Frank drives his Audi down this set of stairs with two wheels riding the handrail.

Suitably creepy bad guy interrogation room. ("Is it safe? IS IT SAFE?").

The climb up to the tower. It's freakin' me out, man!

Back down on the ground, safe and sound. And much relieved.





Give up all hope, ye who enter here. Apparently.





Scary, no?





Oui!





Akemi assumed this was the international sign for Bee Room: Beware!





Pretty scary too.

In a perfect bookend to my day, I locked myself out of my apartment tonight.  Fortunately, the affable security guard had the master key and was kind enough to open my door for me – while informing me that Stargate: Universe didn't have enough action and was too complicated for him.

 

April 7, 2011: The Mystery of the Chewed-Up Chapstick! Stargate links! Pre-Production Update!

Look at 'em.  So easygoing and laid-back.  Little angels they appear to be.  Certainly not the type capable of something like…

THIS!

I'm baffled as to who the guilty party is.  In The Big Red Chewing Gum Incident, Jelly's cinammony breath was a dead giveaway.  In the Mystery of the Missing Curry Fusilli, the fact that Maximus was suddenly incapable of fitting into his hitherto roomy harness proved his undoing.  And in the Case of the Disappearing Chocolate-Covered Almonds, Bubba's eyes whispered "Innocent." while his explosive diarrhea screamed "Guilty!".  In this case, I'm not sure. Although I have to say Lulu's lips have never looked more lustrous.

Three links to three different Stargate-related interviews for you to check out, compliments of Steve Eramo over at SciFiandTVTalk:

A chat with Alexis Cruz: http://scifiandtvtalk.typepad.com/scifiandtvtalk/2011/04/sci-fi-blast-from-the-past-alexis-cruz-stargate-sg-1.html

An interview with Kavan Smith: http://scifiandtvtalk.typepad.com/scifiandtvtalk/2011/04/stargate-atlantis-eurekas-kavan-smith-wants-to-hear-from-you.html

And a sit-down with the lovely Carl Binder: http://scifiandtvtalk.typepad.com/scifiandtvtalk/2011/03/stargate-universe-writers-room-carl-binder.html

We were back in the office today to give/get notes on the outlines and one pagers for episodes #3-8.  It ultimately fell on me to tweak the one sheets, reformat them, and then send them out.  As much as I enjoyed the experience, I must admit to enjoying the experience of passing these duties on to an actual script coordinator even more.

Tomorrow, I'm off to Casa Loma for a little location scout after which I've got a slew of auditions to check out.

Hey, did I mention I'm working on Transporter: The Series?

No?  Well, I'm sure you already figured it out.

Tagged: Transporter: The Series