June 4, 2011: A sneak peek at the standing sets for Transporter: The Series! They eyes (don't) have it! The Stargate: SG-1 season 8 wrap-up!

Yesterday, we took walk through the preliminary standing sets for Transporter: The Series.

Granted, they still need a little work (and Paul, Alexander and I did have a few suggestions) but here's a sneak peek at what we've got so far…

Frank's garage

House access from the garage

Kitchen and living room

Alexander takes a dip in the pool

Widen the pool, lengthen the back patio, a few tweaks here and there, and we're ready to roll!

Yesterday, I went to see the optometrist to get my eyes checked (Why else?  Did you actually think I was going there for an oil change?).  After a number of tests that culminated in her giving me some eye drops that almost instantly had me resembling an anime character -

Actual photo of me taken yesterday.

- I was informed I had a slight astigmatism and racy optical nerves.  I assumed the latter was a compliment (my optic nerves are notoriously sexy and vivacious) but, sadly, it turned out to be a red flag for high blood pressure and other unpleasantness.  Fortunately, I remember having a full physical only recently that included passing grades on my full blood panel, blood pressure, and cholesterol tests (although I did lose marks mispronunciation of the word "awry" that I pronounced "awwwreee").  I don't remember how recent but I'm sure a quick check of the blog will turn up an approximate date that ends with 2011.  Of course that was back in Vancouver but I can't think of anything that may have caused me undue stress over the last, oh, three months.

Anyway, the optometrist suggested I was Libra on the cusp of Scorpio needing reading glasses but suggested I could wait and see.  Unfortunately, that's the problem.  I can't see – especially when I'm reading in a dimly lit room after a day of computer work.  So I ordered a pair of reading glasses.  I lucked out and took advantage of a sale to score a very cool pair complete with horn rims, rhinestones, and a beaded aquamarine chain to keep from losing them.   And they came with a free cardigan!

So, where was I when I last left off my SG-1 reminiscences?  Oh, yeah!  The end of season eight…

Well, it was a bittersweet conclusion to the season – although, yet again, we were heading into those last few episodes assuming they would be SG-1′s last.  The plan was to pass the torch to young upstart spinoff Atlantis and transition SG-1 from the small screen to occasional dvd adventures.  Of course, plans change and, as a result, after a grueling year of producing 40 episodes of television, we were looking forward to another 40 episode year.

RECKONING II (817)

Baal, Anubis, the tok'ra, the Jaffa, the replicators, uneasy alliances, surprises, death and destruct – this episode has it all, concluding a multitude of outstanding stories in grand style.   For all the inter-galactic splendor and ship to ship battles, my favorite moments comes when O'Neill and co. blow the door to free Siler and others trapped inside.  Seconds after the explosion, Siler pokes his head up out from behind the table he is hiding behind – and discovers an enormous piece of shrapnel embedded in the tabletop only inches from his head.  The part of Siler was played by longtime SG-1 stunt coordinate Dan Shea who parlayed the occasional background role to an actual speaking part on the show.  To this day, he's still doing the con circuit, traveling the world to meet his many, many fans.

THREADS  (818)

And almost every story thread that wasn't wrapped up in the previous episode gets wrapped up here: Anubis, Oma Desala, the Jaffa quest for freedom, Jacob/Selmak, stalker Pete, and Jack and Sam.  Well, sort of in the case of the latter.  We know both Jack and Sam end their standing relationships for. presumably, each other – but it's not all that overt which, on the one hand, leaves the door open for future will they/won't they but, on the other hand, is somewhat disappointing given that if there was ever an episode in which to get them together, this would have been it.  That aside, it was a terrific episode and Exec. Producer Robert Cooper packed so much into the script that the usual 42 minute running time wasn't able to contain it.  As a result, a special 90 minute version was released (and later mistakenly omitted when the season 8 dvd was released, much to the displeasure of most fans).

MOEBIUS I (819)

What ever happened to all that cool tech SG-1 amassed over the course of their many adventures: the sarcophagus, the healing device, that time-traveling puddle jumper from It's Good To Be King?  Well, glad you asked because the jumper makes a return appearance in this episode – before heading back for continued R&D (or, in our timeline, just staying right where it is).

Sabrina Gosling, Catherine Langford's niece, is named after Sharon Gosling – author, editor, and freelance writer – who interviewed the cast and crew on numerous occasions over the course of SG-1′s lengthy run.

Alt. Carter's "Now, just because my reproductive organs are on the inside instead of the outside doesn't …" is a callback to the SG-1′s opener, Children of the Gods, and what has long been considered one of the most cringeworthy lines in the history of the franchise.

MOEBIUS II (820)

The end of an era!  Although the series continued, it did so in radically different fashion.  As far as finales go, this one ranks as one of my very favorites.  Given that it was a time travel story, there were plenty of arguments in the writers' room on exactly what could and couldn't work within the two-parter's SF constraints but, in the end, we managed to get it all worked out and my writing partner, Paul, avoided a nervous breakdown.

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