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.