"First Contact" (510) Pre-Airing Discussion/Speculation Thread

[PG15]

Writer: Martin Gero
Director: Andy Mikita

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Alright, enough is enough. I think it's about damn time we get a thread going for the mid-season finale, don't you think? Yes, it's still untitled...or maybe not:

http://josephmallozzi.files.wordpres...3/dsc05806.jpg

From: http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...us-all-around/

Naaaah. Hopefully they'll come up with something soon. Meanwhile, I've already collected everything JM has posted about the mid-season 2-parter (from earliest to latest):

3. Daniel Jackson will be guesting in some episodes.
So far, we’ve got a terrific, BIG two-parter planned. I suspect that the page count in the Daniel/McKay scenes (featuring the two fastest-talking actors in show business) will have the scheduling gurus doing back-flips. Remember that new enemy I mentioned? Oh, and Marty G. will be doing the honors on this one.

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Grace writes: “ You can say that Michael Shanks will ‘guest star’ in several episodes, but you can’t give the same statement for Torri.”

Answer: Yep, that’s about it. Michael Shanks will be in two episodes. So far.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...-all-about-it/

While Marty G. is on the set of his episode (Search and Rescue), and Paul is prepping his episode (The Seed), and I’m writing my script (Whispers), Carl is doing another rewrite of his script (Ghost in the Machine), and Alan is mulling over a possible story to slip into the #9 slot as the script originally envisioned for that spot ran into a “creative snafu” that a) moved it into the back half and b) may necessitate a change in perspective. Brad is, of course, penning #6 (can‘t wait to see the grotto), Carl is going to jump on #8 (interesting developments in this one that had Priscilla and the gang at MGM very excited), and Marty G. will do the honors for the mid-season two-parter (Welcome back to Atlantis, Dr. Jackson).

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Julia Justina writes: “Any news yet on how many episodes Michael Shanks/Daniel will be in next year?”

Answer: Right now, we have him for two.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...tion-progress/

PG15 writes: “…2. Is the mid-season 2-parter going to have 2 names (like Season 4), or just one name with “Part 1? and “Part 2? (like Season 3) at the end of them?”

Answers: …2. Marty G. has yet to come up with a title.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...ude-awakening/

I received notes on Whispers, worked on the rewrite, and took a tour of some of the new construction on the FX stage. Jason came by the office about a half dozen times today, each time popping up to discuss Broken Ties for all of two minutes before being called back down to set. Then, I rounded out my afternoon by skimming past scripts for appropriate flashback sequences. Alan is off and running on the new episode #9, The Queen, while Paul does a pass on Ghost in the Machine, Carl works on Tracker, and Marty G. gets a head start on the mid-season two-parter. Looking way ahead, I’ve talked myself into the #16 spot with “a very special Stargate Atlantis” (apologies to James Stewart), while we’ve got some other potential stories floating about in search of definitive slot.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...colored-pages/

In other production news - Will Waring is working on his director’s cut of The Seed, Broken Ties is shooting the Solen scene, looks like the Visual Effects department is going to have their hands full with The Daedalus Variations, Carl just put out the blue pages on Ghost in the Machine, Brad and I await the network/studio notes on The Shrine of Talus and Whispers, Carl continues work on Tracker, Alan has gone to script on The Queen, while Marty G. hammers away at the still untitled mid-season two-parter.

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mom2398 writes: “Did you say, in an earlier post, that Michael Shanks will make two appearances in Season Five?”

Answer: Michael is presently scheduled to appear in our mid-season two-parter.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...e-with-flares/

PG15 writes: “1. Would you say that there are hints/foreshadowing in any of the first 9 episodes of the season of the new race/enemy introduced during the Mid-season 2 parter? […]

Answers: 1. I would not. […]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...pers-in-peril/

And today we add (besides that pic), the following:

Thank you to Marty G. who had us spinning in the writers’ room for about twenty minutes over lunch today, trying to come up with a title for the mid-season two-parter. I kind of liked A Smattering of Scenes - but no one else did. So - still nothing. But that didn’t stop him from putting out a first draft of part one.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...us-all-around/

Ok, discuss!

[Crichiel]

Ok, that first quote makes me smile! The prospect of Daniel/McKay scenes has me drooling, specifically for the reason that I (being an insanely fast speaker myself) have been dying to see (hear) the two of them together. Then we can begin the debate as to which one speaks faster!

[Guest]

Awsome!!! Cannot wait to hear more on this and part 2

[Jumper_One]

Awsome!!! Cannot wait to hear more on this and part 2

how long will it take them to come up with a title?

[JakeGreen]

They should name the two parter Space Monkey Parts 1 & 2

[Guest]

how long will it take them to come up with a title?

I don't even want to speculate on that, I might jinx it

...Hopefully TPTB already have an idea though

[Jumper_One]

I don't even want to speculate on that, I might jinx it

...Hopefully TPTB already have an idea though

they do A Smattering of Scenes

[Guest]

they do A Smattering of Scenes

Yup

[PG15]

A mention:

Oh, I also found time to join with the other writers in giving Marty G. notes on the (still untitled) first part of the mid-season two-parter and watch half of Paul‘s producer‘s cut of The Seed before the dvd froze on us (Ah, the wonders of modern technology!). Between giving Alex notes on his revised version of Inquisition and reading Alan’s first draft of The Queen, I’ll no doubt be in editing all day tomorrow as well. But not before heading down to stage 5 for the new and improved creepy creature test.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...trimming-tail/

[ussrelativity]

I'm speculating that we wont hear the real solid info until just before the episode airs.

It seems that we have been learning how Part 2 goes first, if the last two seasons of information have been any indication.

[Ltcolshepjumper]

It's got a name now- First Contact. and it involves Daniel, Mckay, and Janus.

[Jumper_One]

It's got a name now- First Contact. and it involves Daniel, Mckay, and Janus.

source? (sounds cool though )

[licia]

here

http://www.gateworld.net/news/2008/0...s_first_.shtml

Loads (relatively ;D) of plot details -

"The premise is that Daniel shows up in Atlantis to do some research. He's been excited to come to Atlantis for five years now, and things have finally calmed down on the S.G.C. side to give him some free time. So he's coming to Atlantis to do some research on Janus. And that's all I'm going to say."

Janus, introduced in Season One's "Before I Sleep," was an Ancient scientist who fled the city with the last of the Ancients 10,000 years ago, during the first war with the Wraith. Among his inventions is a Puddle Jumper capable of time travel, seen also in SG-1's "It's Good To Be King" and "Moebius."

"First Contact," however "is not a time travel story," Gero assured us. Jackson will be doing historical research on Janus and his scientific advancements.

"McKay finds it very frustrating, because McKay feels like he's followed up any leads that are promising. So McKay is kind of angry -- he thinks it's someone coming over to check his work, basically, and is not the happiest that Daniel is coming to Atlantis. Also McKay is very territorial. He likes being the 'head Ancient guy.'"

The episode will introduce a major new race to the Pegasus Galaxy, about whom little to nothing is currently known.

As in previous years, the concluding episode (number eleven in the 20-episode fifth season) will bear a different title, rather than a "Part 2."

[the fifth man]

Just the fact that Daniel will be in it peaks my interest for this episode.

[Jumper_One]

here

http://www.gateworld.net/news/2008/0...s_first_.shtml

Loads (relatively ;D) of plot details -

thanks