June 13, 2012: Dark Matter at Comic Con! Save Lennox the dog! Days of Stargate Past, Atlantis! The Eye and The Defiant One! Vote on our favorite Stargate mid-season two-parter for a chance to win!

It looks like I will be in San Diego for Comic Con, signing copies of my SF comic book series, Dark Matter, at the Dark Horse booth (conveniently located steps away from where former Stargate scribe Remi Aubuchon will be overseeing the action at the Falling Skies booth).  I’ll have the space for about an hour starting at 4:00 p.m. the afternoon of the 14th (after which it becomes a lemonade stand to raise money for vertiginous raccoons) so swing on by to get a comic signed, say hello to Akemi who’ll be working crowd control, have a shot at winning some awesome Stargate giveaways, and, of course, help the woozy raccoons.

Belfast receives worldwide attention – and not the good kind.  A family fights to save their dog from being euthanized by the local authorities: No Justice, No Mercy for Lennox the Dog in Belfast.  And you can go here to leave a comment: http://www.facebook.com/belfastcitycouncil

Back to our Stargate: Atlantis reminiscing…

THE EYE (111)

The big mid-season two-parter concludes in thunderous fashion.  As the storm of the century rages, Atlantis is assailed from without and within.  McKay struggles to save the city while Sheppard pulls out all the stops in an effort to save the lives of his people.  Amid all of the surprises The Eye throws at you, the biggest shock is the body count. Sheppard kills some 60+ Genii soldiers over the course of this episode, gunning down a half-dozen and then killing 55 reinforcements by raising the Atlantis shield.  One could argue that Sheppard is operating under the assumption that Kolya has executed Weir, that his actions are influenced by grief and anger, perhaps a desire for revenge.  In my mind, however, Sheppard never has a choice.  It’s kill or be killed.   For me, far more telling is not the decision to turn on the shield and kill the reinforcements but the decision to take down Ladon without killing him.  Sheppard demonstrates restraint and, in this pivotal instant, makes it clear he is not just out for revenge.  He’s a man doing everything he can to rescue his friends.

A terrific character moment for McKay as well when, in the episode’s opening moments, he actually steps in front of Weir to face down a gun-toting Kolya.  Rodney has come a long way since his introduction back in SG-1 and he continues to grow over the show’s five year run, but this moment is certainly one of the biggest steps in the evolution of his character.

As cool as the set looked with that driving rain battering the outskirts of the city, it was downright miserable for the cast and crew – but especially the cast.  It was cold, wet, and damn hard to see and hear. And, to top it all off, in one outtake that didn’t make the gag reel, actor David Hewlett was on the receiving end of an errant punch that knocked the wind out of him.  But in decidedly unMcKay-like fashion, David shrugged it off and kept right on going.

THE DEFIANT ONE (112)

Peter DeLuise’s last script for the Stargate franchise is a terrific episode with the feel of an old Western – a duel to the death between two worthy warriors, battling it out against a dusty desert backdrop.  We see a return of a life form surprisingly similar to one we’ve encountered before (back in SG-1′s Prodigy), a species that figures into a clever conclusion.

Here, we see the horrifying effects of the wraith’s feeding process – not death but pretty damn close.  Another step in the evolution of the McKay character as he wrestles between staying safe and watching over a fallen comrade, or going out and helping Sheppard.  And, when that fallen comrade takes his own life, Rodney doesn’t hesitate, putting his own life at risk to make a timely intervention and save John.

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