Ask Joe Mallozzi - Spoilers for SG-1 (S8, 9, 10) and SGA (S1, 2, 3)

[Token]

Hi, Joe!

"Grace" is one of my favorite episodes! It's actually the one that brought me into the online fandom because I needed to discuss it with other fans. To me, the episode hit all the right marks in writing, directing and acting!

"Grace Under Pressure" is slated as a SG-1/SGA crossover. Is there a connection with the "Grace" episode? If so, please give me any tidits of spoilers you can.
Thanks!

[JMallozzi]

So you're saying Martin Gero is a Furling? (A really tall Furling?)

He's not that tall.


Would that be Dixon, by any chance? Or has Makepeace finally been let out of the brig?

Nope and not that I know of.

[JMallozzi]

Hi Joe,

I have a question for you regarding some of those great inside jokes you guys put into the show, mainly how you guys manage to think up so many and put them in so well. For example, I was watching Covenant the other day and realized that you had Alec Colson (a name from MacGyver) meets Captain Sheffield, and Shaunessy played Mr. Sheffield on The Nanny. Can't forget about naming the Trust members after super heroes. Oh, and speaking of MacGyver, was John Sheppard named after the producer from there? How do you guys manage do it so well? Is there someone on the team who just constantly manages to write these little things into the scripts?

Depends on the writer. And, to be honest, some of them are merely coincidental. Though you did notice the superhero (actually superhero alter ego shadow names) for the various Trust members in Full Alert.

[DelTrax1]

Because of the fact that O'neill will not be on the show will his name still be brought up quite often? I mean with Ball on Earth....wouldn't that mean that he is going to make it a hard life for O'neill because of the hatred they both have for each other? What about Thor.....It really seems that there needs to be a relationship between both of them still. With all the chem they have.

I also was wondering what someone would do to get a job on the set of Stargate or any set for that matter?

[oragans]

Hi Joe thanks for answering all these questions.
1) I was just wondering if we will see the return of Vanessa Angel(Anice) or Peter Stebbings(Malek) in season 9.

2) would you continue to work on stargate if you thought that it is getting a bit boring (i think it's still great) and does Vala ever meet Carter.

[JMallozzi]

Dear Joe,

Question vis a vis ratings...how high do they have to be to get renewed? And what is considered competitive these days since there are so many channels?

That really depends. When we moved to SciFi Channel, we were hoping for 1.5 - 1.7 average and ended up with slightly higher. After the SciFi Channel expanded its viewer base, we expected those numbers to drop slightly but, instead, they inched higher. Last year, we were hitting 2.0's, 2.1's, 2.2's consistently. If that keeps up, I would think chances are good - but who knows. There are other variables that go into making that sort of decision - chiest of which is the economic viability of continuing to produce the show. In the end, if it becomes a money-losing proposition, then the plug will be pulled. However, if DVD sales are any indication, the show seems to be doing alright in that respect.

[UnSheDxTeaRs]

Hey Sammy,

Welcome aboard.

Entropic Cascade Failure, huh? The multiverse theory of quantum physics posits the existence of endless alternate realities co-existing with our own. Some hold that the proximity of these realities is dependent upon the similarities between the various universes - ie. the more similar the realities, the closer together/easier to access via an inter-universal bridge, while the more disimilar, the further apart/more difficult to access. Some theorize that the temporal effects of entropic cascade failure are directly proportional to the proximity of the "universe of origin" from which a given element is introduced, ranging from dangerously high impact in distant, off-setting cases where the elements are more likely to be "out of sync" to negligible in closer, more attuned elements.

Guyver. Got it but haven't watched it yet.

Thanks a bunch Joe! That really cleared things up for me!

[Avatar28]

Joe, will we learn more about Vala this season? A lot of people complain that she's just there for eye candy and the sex factor b/c of the way she acted in Prometheus Unbound, flaunting her sexuality to try and get her way with Daniel. Obviously we will probably learn some, but specifically, will we learn more about her history and what's made her the way she is?

[jckfan55]

I'm wondering how hard or easy it is to write with a partner. I've always thought of writing as a pretty solitary affair. Do you and Paul M. ever radically disagree about the direction of a story or story elements? If so, how do you resolve disagreements--arm wrestle, flip a coin?

[golfbooy]

Hi Joe,

Hopefully without being too much of a pest, I'm going to repost a question that you "overlooked" earlier. If for any reason whatsoever you don't want to answer it, that's fine. But I figure I might as well give it a shot.

Any word yet on who will play Khalek in Prototype? Word was you were looking for a classically trained, fairly well-known name.

Oh, and are you sure you don't want to give golf a try? It's nearly as infuriating as reading some posts on these boards, but much more satisfying when you get it right.

Oh, and just to echo the sentiments of some earlier posters, you guys really are doing a fantastic job with SG-1, in spite of what you may read on the internet. The vast, though perhaps sometimes too silent, majority of fans still find the show quite engaging and enjoyable. And we hope for many more seasons to come. Thanks.

[Gilder]

I read all of the emails sent to that account, time permitting. The truth is, you're more likely to get me to answer your question if you post here as, all too often, the questions sent to my yahoo account get lost in the shuffle.

Hi, Joe,

Per the above, please check your email for mine of today? Have some ChimaeraCon business to discuss with you. Thanks.

[SueS]

[QUOTE=JMallozzi]

2. I'm a little concern that a lot of the spoilers I've read seem to have Sam paired off with someone other than a member of the team. In Ex Deus, she's working with Agent Barrett and in 4th Horseman she's working with Dr. Lee. So, is there any significant Sam/Daniel, Sam/Teal'c, or Sam/Mitchell scenes to look forward to?

There will be.

I'm something of a Sam/Daniel fan, so I was wondering if you can expound on any Sam/Daniel scenes. Can you name any S9 episodes that have good Sam/Daniel interaction?


SueS

[binkpmmc]

[QUOTE=JMallozzi]

1. With all the emotional turmoil Sam has gone through, and with all the chances that she will be confronted with when she returns to the SGC, will there be any sense of her struggling to fit in or trying to cope with the changes?

One of the reasons Sam took some "time off" was to deal with some of the events of last season. She'll return with a clearer mind, ready to resume her duties.

Hi Joe:

Re: Carter's story in early S9; thus far we have been told that the team was disbanded and they went their own way, that Carter was "far, far away", then that she was at area 51 (not really far, far away), than it was for "personal and professional" reasons, then that it was "more personal than professional", then that she was with Cassie, now it is that she "took some time off" to deal with some of last seasons events.

These all seem to be jumping around - AT has been back for several weeks now and several of the later season stories must be written with some filmed already. Why was Carter gone and where was she and what will be the focus of the reason she was gone. Is it a combination of having taken "time off" and professional by being in charge at Area 51 upon reassignment after the team was disbanded? What will be "backstory", as the Cassie story was described, versus what will be the filmed, verbal story?

Thanks Joe.

[Livi2Jack]

That really depends. When we moved to SciFi Channel, we were hoping for 1.5 - 1.7 average and ended up with slightly higher. After the SciFi Channel expanded its viewer base, we expected those numbers to drop slightly but, instead, they inched higher. Last year, we were hitting 2.0's, 2.1's, 2.2's consistently. If that keeps up, I would think chances are good - but who knows. There are other variables that go into making that sort of decision - chiest of which is the economic viability of continuing to produce the show. In the end, if it becomes a money-losing proposition, then the plug will be pulled. However, if DVD sales are any indication, the show seems to be doing alright in that respect.

So, to continue the ratings query... there are other venues besides Sci Fi channel, such as the ones abroad...I wonder how they weigh the viewership results between each. And I wonder if they consider in the decision mix the potential for syndication everywhere or do they not really consider the syndication value when making more shows considering how many they already have? It would seem that whether they are losing money depends on more factors than just the first run base numbers.

[binkpmmc]

[QUOTE=JMallozzi]

1. With all the emotional turmoil Sam has gone through, and with all the chances that she will be confronted with when she returns to the SGC, will there be any sense of her struggling to fit in or trying to cope with the changes?

One of the reasons Sam took some "time off" was to deal with some of the events of last season. She'll return with a clearer mind, ready to resume her duties.

Joe - in keeping with the one question per post rule:

I assume that by your statement

ready to resume her duties

and the definition of resume, we will see Carter resume her duties in her position as leader of SG1. Correct?

Thanks.