Joseph Mallozzi's Blog! (SPOILERS For All SG Shows and Dark Matter)

[jelgate]

Actually, Joe has posted email addresses that you can use to talk to him on numerous occasions.

I just don't remember what it is.

But your the JM fandboy. Your know everything about his blog

[Pharaoh Atem]

But your the JM fandboy. Your know everything about his blog

but remember he's slipping didn't evil space alien make the last 3 sgu pre air threads????

[Jumper_One]

Actually, Joe has posted email addresses that you can use to talk to him on numerous occasions.

I just don't remember what it is.

Tina writes: “I was just wondering is there an email address where a friend could forward something on to you?”

Answer: [email protected]. *He’ll make sure I get the email.

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...or-kage-baker/

[Jumper_One]

http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...-first-season/

January 31, 2010


I asked. You answered…

20) The race back to the gate (Air III).

With time ticking down, Greer rallies Scott and, as both men scramble to get back before Destiny can jump to FTL, Eli buys them time by holding the gate open for them, quite literally risking life AND limb.

19) The Senator’s sacrifice (Air II).

With Destiny’s oxygen supply dwindling, Senator Armstrong locks himself within the damaged shuttle, sealing the venting breach and buying the rest of the crew time to save themselves.

18) The sacrifices made by our team (Time).

Cut off from Destiny, with a horde of menacing aliens lurking in the shadows, the team make a heroic last stand. And then do it all over again.

17) The evacuation of Icarus Base (Air I).

As Earth’s top secret off-world base comes under attack, desperate guests and personnel scramble through the gate to safety – and one big WTF?!

16) Discovery of the alien ship (Justice).

The Destiny crew makes an awesome off-world discovery: a downed alien vessel. It’s Rush’s lucky day!

15) Eli realizes Chloe has fallen for Scott (Light).

As the gathering of crew members within the gate room disperses, Eli scans the crowd for Chloe and finds her – in Scott’s arms. The look on Eli’s face says it all. Bummer.

14) Young beats the crap out of Telford (Life).

Young doesn’t like the fact that Telford has been spending time with his wife, and he lets him know. With his fists.

13) Now that is one sweet po-ta-to! (Justice).

Greer taste tests an alien tuber, much to the delight of his fellow crew members who happily follow suit. What were they thinking?

12) O’Neill takes on Young (Earth).

Jack O’Neill was always the easy-going comedian on SG-1 but here he demonstrates his tough military side with a dressing down of the Destiny commander.

11) Eli opens up to a dying Chloe while an emotional T.J. looks on (Time).

A distraught T.J. can barely keep it together as Eli opens himself up to Chloe, only to realize she has died. Gut-wrenching.

10) The crew prepares for their seemingly inevitable deaths (Light).

Taking part in a prayer service, playing cards, reading a truly mediocre book – the crew of the Destiny live out what they assume will be their final moments.

9) The crew watches their own deaths (Time).

All are stunned. Chloe is sick. Eli turns to the others and says what we’re all thinking: “What the – ” And we cut to commercial.

8) Rush pulls off his secret plan to rid Destiny of Telford and co. (Earth).

Alarms sound. Destiny is doomed. As Telford and his people flee, Rush gives Brody a nod. The alarm’s cease. Destiny’s been saved. But was it ever really in danger? According to Rush, it could have been.

7) The suggestion that Rush knew all along Destiny wasn’t doomed (Light).

As everyone celebrates their close call, Young posits the possibility that Rush may have known they were in no danger all along. Everyone else dismisses the notion. Everyone, that is, except Dr. Rush.

6) Eli visits his mom (Earth).

Eli pays his mother a visit under an assumed name – and body. He opens up to her and, all the while they talk, she remains oblivious to the fact that he is, in fact, her missing son.

5) The lottery (Light).

With Destiny headed toward certain doom, a lottery is held for the precious few available seats on the ship’s shuttle – and a shot at survival.

4) That WTF? ending (Time).

No narrative spoon-feeding here as viewers are dealt an ending that had some thrilled, others livid.

3) The Young/Rush throwdown (Justice).

No cartwheeling acrobatics or spinning roundhouse kicks here. It’s down and dirty when Young and Rush finally go at it.

2) Destiny’s solar encounter (Light).

Incredibly, Destiny does not go out in a blaze of glory. Instead, it skims the surface of the star, gathering the energy it will need to continue its journey.

1) Rush gets left behind (Justice).

After his tussle with Young, Rush awakens to discover he’s missed the last bus.

Yes, great moments all, but I have a feeling that as the back half episodes start airing, this Top 25 list will change…

Finally, I conclude today’s entry on a sad note. As many of you may have heard, author Kage Baker passed away today after a long battle with cancer. I didn’t really know Kage, my association with her was limited to some emails we exchanged leading up to the reader Q&A she did with us back in July of 2008, but even those brief interactions conveyed a personality that was compassionate, clever, and delightfully humorous – traits reflected in the many works she leaves behind, from her short stories to her popular Company series. Tonight, my thoughts are with Kage’s loved ones and her many, many fans.

[Pharaoh Atem]

14) Young beats the crap out of Telford (Life).

Young doesn’t like the fact that Telford has been spending time with his wife, and he lets him know. With his fists.

i loved that scene

[Jumper_One]

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February 1, 2010


I asked and you answered. These were the top 15 most popular requests:

15) Stargate touchstones: And by that, you mean cameos by the likes of such favorites as O’Neill and Daniel. Well, you’ll be pleased to hear both will be putting in appearances in the back half of season one.

14) Alien tech: Over the course of their many adventures, SG-1 and the Atlantis team encountered numerous alien technologies, from Ashrak rings to zatarc devices, Ancient stasis pods to zero point modules, and you’d like the SGU crew follow suit. Well, they’re off to a good start with Destiny, but there are plenty more discoveries ahead, but onboard the ship and off.

13) Scientific phenomena: Black holes! White dwarfs! Pulsar belts! Wait, what was that last one? Well, you get the idea. And, more importantly, so do I. You want a dash of real world (off-world, and deep space) wonder with your science fiction. Duly noted. Also,

12) Acceptance: Yes, being stranded millions of light years from home can be a bit of a bummer, but it’s not all food rations and endless corridors. There’s new friendships to be made, new adventures to be experienced, and new alien life forms to flee. Over time, many of our heroes will grow more comfortable in their newfound roles and, yes, acceptance will follow for most.

11) Wonder: Remember that scene near the end of Darkness where everyone gathers on the observation deck to view the gas giant? More of that!

10) Action/Adventure: Space battles! Shoot-outs! Seat of your pants’ escapes! When? When?!! Try the back half of season one.

9/8/7) Ancients/Mythology/Destiny’s history: These three go hand in hand in hand and, as the series progresses, we’ll definitely be discovering more about Destiny, its mysterious mission, and how it’s all inexorably linked to what we already know about the Ancients in both Pegasus and the Milky Way.

6) A Central Villain: Many of you are clamoring for a Big Bad to rally the troops, a villain akin the goa’uld or the wraith. Hmmm. Let’s just that in the not too distant future, the Destiny crew will be pissing off some mighty ornery, not to mention persistent, aliens.

5) Hope/Optimism: Who wouldn’t delight at the opportunity to travel the universe?! Well, for starters, anyone with loved ones back home. To be fair, ending up on Destiny wasn’t really what any of them had in mind when they joined the Stargate program but, as time wears on, many will grow to accept, maybe even like their new lot. And along with this newfound attitude will come, yes, hope and optimism.

4) Exploration: Whether they’re checking out the ship or heading off-world, you want to see our heroes investigating the unknown. Some interesting discoveries upcoming including a truly impossible world and what’s in crate number one?

3) Teamwork/Friendship: It’s one of the things many Stargate fans loved about SG-1 and Atlantis, and they’d like to see it on SGU as well – camaraderie, loyalty, support – like Greer’s determined effort to bring Scott back to the ship in Air III or the communal celebration that closes Light. As they get to know each other, bonds will form, sometimes between the unlikeliest of people…

2) Humor: It’s there (usually compliments of Eli Wallace) but you want more of it. Well, while it’s unlikely we’ll see episodes the likes of Harmony or Family Ties on SGU, there will hopefully be more opportunities for humor as our crew settles into their new roles as space explorers.

1) Aliens: You want our heroes to encounter new alien life forms? You got it. The back half of season one returns with THE BEST sentient alien beings our Visual Effects crew has ever produced.

[Jumper_One]

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February 2, 2010


Hey, they revealed the official Oscar nominations today and, while perusing the Best Picture category, I couldn’t help but notice a few notable omissions. Where was The Hangover? And Coraline? Thirst? Ponyo? Zombieland? Fantastic Mr. Fox? Sadly, handcuffed by the fact that they are only able to nominate a very limited number of films in the Best Picture Category, the Academy has once again overlooked some very worthy candidates. It’s unfair and I think steps should be taken to see that this doesn’t happen again. To that end, I would strongly suggest expanding the Best Picture category to twenty nominees. Being more inclusive would not only generate interest in more movies, but it would ensure fewer producers with hurt feelings at the end of the day.

Of course as most of you know, this year the Best Picture category was extended from five nominations to ten (Not good enough, I say). According to Sid Ganis, President of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences: ““After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year.”

I applaud the Academy for this decision and would love to see them return to their roots by also bringing back a few more of the classic elements that made those Oscar’s of yore truly special. Specifically, the following retired categories:

Best Assistant Director

Best Dance Direction

Best Film Tinting

Best Short Subject, Two-Reel

Best Title Writing

Best Pantomime in a Silent Film

Best Vitaphone Recording

Best Unique and Artistic Quality of Production in a Talkie

Best Photoplay Music by a Pianist or Organist

Finally, given that these extra categories may add a few extra minutes to the show’s time and that the biggest complaint about the Oscar telecast is its length, I’d like to propose the following suggestions to help speed things along:

Move the opening monologue and dance number to the commercial breaks.

Condense all five Original Song nominees into a 3 minute medley.

Choose: Best Sound Editing OR Best Sound Mixing. You can’t have both. Unless someone present can explain the difference.

If you’re not there to pick up your award – too bad! Next winner gets two!

Final Oscar of the night is awarded in the category of Shortest Acceptance Speech

A big thanks to everyone who took the time to offer up their list of SGU likes, dislikes, and general wish list for what lies ahead. Many of your responses confirmed what I’d suspected while others came as a bit of a surprise. I can reveal that a significant number of your requests and issues will be addressed in the back half of season one, specifically with regard to character and backstory development, set-ups and pay-offs, pacing and plot, exploration and extraterrestrials, and even those damn communication stones! Others have garnered some serious in-room discussion. Would love to let you know how it all turns out but I figure it might be best if you simply tuned in and found out or yourselves. In the meantime…

Have I mentioned yet that the first ten episodes of SGU’s first season hits store shelves February 9th? Extras include actor commentaries, Destiny SML, kino video diaries, and Stargate 101: Presented by Daniel Jackson.


Mailbag:

Deni writes: “Right now, I’m SO enjoying “Arthur’s Mantle” and can’t help but miss the story-telling in SGU. I understand SGU is a completely different thing, just saying I still would love to see a bit of the old humour back once in a while. Who came up with the idea of using Arthur and the Knights of the Round in Stargate?”

Answer: That would have been Exec. Producer and idea-man Robert Cooper.

Michael A. Burstein writes: “But pulsar belts?”

Answer: Wait! Not pulsar belts. Photon belts. Much better!

Thunder writes: “Happy Birth Month to little Miss Jelly!”

Answer: Jelly thanks you. And wants to know if you’re planning on finishing those leftovers.

Bloomgate writes: “If I used the stones and entered a normal person’s body, would I be able to eat anything I want without consequence? Have you guys considered anything like that?”

Answer: You could eat anything you wanted, but would still suffer the indigestion-related consequences. Or the host body would anyway. We will be exploring the pros and extreme cons of body-swapping in episodes to come.

Tawny writes: “Will what happened and its consequences of Rush and Young seeming to trust any Earth based scientists less continue to affect the way they handle and major problems, and make the ship based crew the first option in the remainder of the first season, and into the second?”

Answer: The events of Earth certainly soured Young on having so-called experts onboard and calling the shots. Rush is equally reluctant – but has his own reasons. That’s not to say they wouldn’t bring in experts on an as-needed basis however.

Tawny also writes: “Seeing as though you enjoyed the Haggis, what are your top 5 foreign cultural foods you would most like to sample? And are there any you are adamant you never want to taste?”

Answer: I don’t really have a top 5. I’m a fairly adventurous eater and have covered a lot of ground in that respect. As for anything I’d probably never want to try, it’s unlikely I’ll ever sample the Peruvian delicacy of roasted guinea pig.

PJR writes: “viewers are only 10 eps in but you see the arcs, so do you think we’re (mostly) where you’d expected? Pleasant surprises on our take? Disappointments?”

Answer: To be honest, a little of all three. But that’s been the case with every season of Stargate to date.

Niall Mcnamara writes: “i only asked because it’s wat i wanna do when i am older i am olny 14 and it would be my dream job”.

Answer: Hi, Niall. The best advice I can give a new writer is to write! Read, get feedback from people you can trust and keep writing!

Kabra writes: “Someone a few days ago had a question about belly fat, I found that drinking green tea helped me.”

Answer: Yep. I do green tea first thing in the morning and then again before dinner. Don’t forget to add a squeeze of lemon juice as the citric acid apparently makes it easier for your body to absorb its beneficial properties.

Alexander of Houston writes: “hey joe, you think you could set up one of the viseffects directors for interview?”

Answer: http://josephmallozzi.wordpress.com/...rought-treats/

pilotjeff writes: “After the dust settles with MGM debt can we expect some definitive statement on the SGA/SG1 movies?”

Answer: At this point, you’re guess is as good as mine.

Overmind One writes: “I have my snarky attitude because I was insulted by Mr Mallozi’s rant a few months ago where he basically said he was going to do this the way he wanted, and our Stargate format was passe. We were going to be in for a “loooooooong haul”. He implied that “old” Stargate fans were IQ challenged.”

Answer: Really? Did I kick you in the nuts and steal your wallet too? I love how, on the one hand, those posting critiques of the show decry the fact that the show’s producers aren’t pay enough attention to them and yet, on the other hand, are prone to silly generalizations or quick to wholly dismiss any comments made by said producers. If you’ll go back to my “rant” and actually read what I had to say, you’ll note that my issue was not so much with the criticism but the way in which that criticism was being expressed. Furthermore, the show is the show. It will continue to develop and evolve (and, judging from the input of many fans over the past few days, I’m happy to say it will do so in ways that will please many), but don’t expect a complete overhaul of the premise, style, or tone. Also, do direct me to the quote in which I “implied that “old” Stargate fans were IQ challenged.” It sounds to me more like you’re allowing your own insecurities vis-a-vis your television viewing preferences to color your interpretation of my remarks.

Kevin writes: “The element I’d like to see changed most is that I’d like to see the word “Stargate” dropped from the show’s title. Let it stand alone as a independent soap opera in space.”

Answer: Stargate mythology? Stargate elements and characters? Check. Stargate? Check! If we lose any of the aforementioned, I’ll let you know.

[Jumper_One]

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February 3, 2010


Empire Magazine has put together their voter-generated list of the Top 10 Worst Movies of All Time. Leading the pack by a wide margin was Batman and Robin, outdistancing runner up Battlefield Earth which, quite frankly, would have gotten my vote. You can check out the entire rundown here: http://ca.movies.yahoo.com/news/movi...batman-reuters. Of course, whenever someone puts together one of these lists, the same questions always arise: Is it possible to generate a list of this nature using purely objective parameters? What constitutes a “bad film”? How come Showgirls didn’t make the list? Check the Terrible Ten according to Empire, then come back here and give me your list. Mine would certainly include Battlefield Earth and The Happening, but would also find room for the aforementioned Showgirls, Barb Wire, Color of Money, Boxing Helena, 88 Minutes, Meet the Fockers, Howard the Duck, and Caddyshack II. In all fairness, I’m sure there are worse films out there but I’ve obviously limited my selections to movie’s I’ve actually seen – and those that have left the most recent/painful marks on my fragile psyche.

What’s worse than getting caught surfing the net for porn at work? Getting caught surfing the net for porn at work – on live television: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUST...rpc=22&sp=true (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Bj82KZPRvE).

Whew! Looks like we dodged that whole Global Warming thing and the world can finally breathe a sigh of relief. Wait. Not so fast...http://www.cracked.com/article_18387...ee-coming.html

Superbowl contenders hoping to avoid an 11th hour playoff: http://www.theonion.com/content/news...ing_to_resolve

Too cool. 16 anti-theft gadgets and designs to deter thieves: http://www.walyou.com/blog/2009/12/2...theft-gadgets/. Put me down for a couple of anti-theft lunch bags.

I’m looking into a vacation home: http://oddee.com/item_96912.aspx

[Jumper_One]

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February 4 , 2010


I’d like to kick off today’s entry by apologizing for a serious oversight made in yesterday’s entry. While listing my Top Ten Worst Movies of All Time, I failed to include Tim Burton’s Planet of the Apes. I sincerely regret the error.

The Winter Games are just around the corner and even though I couldn’t care less, they ARE happening here in Vancouver so I thought it would be nice if I took the time to offer interested parties the occasional Olympic update. Well, here ya go. Even though the games are going to be a major pain in the ass for most Vancouverites just looking to get around town, they will, apparently, be a boon to the city’s sex trade industry as thousands of visitors descend on the city, looking to get laid: http://www.vancouversun.com/sports/2...932/story.html. Olympic workers and volunteers, on the other hand, have adopted a novel approach to scoring. They’ve taken to strolling around the city with their Olympic badges in full view in the mistaken belief that this will somehow make them more alluring or interesting. I wish them luck. So ends today’s Olympic Update.

In response to PJR who asked “With us 10 eps in and you knowing the arcs, what did you think of where we’re at: 1) we’re (mostly) where you’d expected? 2) Some pleasant surprises on our take? 3) Disappointed in part?” -

To be honest, most of what the fans had to say didn’t come as a surprise – with a few notable exceptions.

Question #1: Which SGU character would you like to see more of in the back half of season one and beyond?

While I wasn’t surprised that T.J. made the list, I was surprised that she topped the list – and by a fairly wide margin as well. Many of you see a lot of potential in the character and want to see that potential exploited. As I wrote in my January 27th post, one of the things that really impressed me about Tamara in season one (and this has everything to do with Alaina Huffman’s performance) are the flashes of inner strength she displays, marvelous instances that instantly trigger: a) a desire to know more about her and, b) a desire to see her in a scenario where she can truly step up. Anyway, some interesting developments coming T.J.’s way…

Question #2: “What aspect of the show would you like to see further explored in the back half of season one and beyond?”.

No real surprises here either and I was pleased by the fact that all of the elements you’ve expressed an interest in seeing developed WILL be developed. If anything, I was impressed by the number of fans clamoring for us to peel the onion on Destiny’s mission and the Ancient’s agenda. You want answers? Sure. Some coming your way. Others may take a while – unless you enjoy piecing puzzles together.

Question #3: “What aspect of the show would you prefer to see minimized?”

The responses received on this one confirmed what I already suspected. That said, it was interesting to have many of you elaborate on the fact that your sticking point with the stones is not the technology itself but the way in which said technology is being used. You want to see less home visits and more SF complications stemming from the use of the technology – which is exactly where we’re headed.

Question #4: “What was your favorite “story moment” from the first half of season one?”

As it turned out, many of your favorite moments were my favorites as well – Rush getting stranded, Destiny’s solar encounter, the lottery, the ending to Time, Eli’s confession to Chloe in Time, and the rush back to the gate in Air III. To those, I would also add Wray’s “red room” discussion with Young in Light, the Greer/Rush confrontation in Air III, T.J. informing Greer she doesn’t trust him and Greer simply accepting the fact and moving on in Water, the teams “first” last stand in Time, Wray’s quiet moments with Sharon in Life.

Questions #5: “What element would you like to see added to the show?”

A great cross-section of requests and suggestions here, but a couple really resonated with me. For instance, many of you pointed to that sequence at the end of Darkness where the crew gathers in the observation deck to witness Destiny’s encounter with the gas giant. It’s an incredible moment because of the reactions of our people. And that’s what you want to see more of: that sense of wonder. So I made a mental note: More Holy Crap!

Another element many of you stressed that I think is obvious given the roots of the franchise’s success – but bears repeating – is the need to see friendships develop over time, that sense of camaraderie and support that typified SG-1 and Atlantis.

An early entry today as I’m off to have barbecue with Carl. I’ll tell him you said hi.


Mailbag:

Jo writes: “Since Stargate has made parodies of other sci-fi shows… I wonder, do they ever caricatured their own world (or their writers or producers or…)?”

Answer: Yep. We paradied our own show in SG-1’s 100th episode “Wormhole X-treme” and then again in SG-1’s 200th episode “200?.

Dodoalda writes: “I remember, you talked about the first version of your Space´s script and it was too long. Where those scenes filmed for some possible extended version?”

Answer: The first draft was long, but the script was shortened in the revision.

Dodoalda also writes: “Any new info about Brad Wright´s long script? Will it be divided into two episodes?”

Answer: Brad’s script was long only as a result of a printer screw-up. No two-parter.

Brian M. White writes: “I’m probably going to get ripped apart for this but “Transformers” (the first one) ranks up there with “Escape from LA” as one of the worst movies ever. Personally, I liked the last Indy film. I liked the whole “Chariots of the Gods” story.”

Answer: You’re probably more likely to get ripped apart not for putting Transformers and Escape from LA on the list, but for NOT putting the last Indiana Jones movie on the list.

Jen writes: “Alas, Color of Money will never be on a “worst of” list because of the soundtrack.”

Answer: Whoops. My bad. I meant to write Color of Night, the Bruce Willis “thriller”. Heaps of badness.

Kabra writes: “Thanks for the green tea tip. Will orange juice work too?”

Answer: It should, yes.

Gilder writes: “Joe, I see the Spurs go up against the Pistons on Feb. 21 at Detroit. Seeing as that’s the last day of San Antonio’s three-week “Rodeo Road Trip”, are you up for a bet?”

Answer: Alas, Detroit is my fave NBA team only insofar as I used to root for them when they were the Bad Boys. Since then, however, my interest in the NBA has waned to the point where I’d sooner watch Bosom Buddies reruns.

David D. writes: “This is a tough one because of the division between “worst movies” and “movies I hate”.”

Answer: True. Moulin Rouge would top my list in the latter category.

Artdogspot writes: “So, I don’t keep a “worst movies” list in my head anymore but I do remember my favorite scenes in certain movies that make me laugh every time I see them. The following is a link to my all time favorite scene from Deep Blue Sea where Samuel L. Jackson dies.”

Answer: Yes! This one definitely makes my Top Ten Favorite Movie Deaths list.

PoorOldEdgarDerby writes: “So are you waiting until the DVDs come out or are you watching Lost more or less as it airs this season?”

Answer: Carl and Lawren are watching Lost. I think I’ll wait to hear their reaction to the finale before picking up the DVD’s.

Michael writes: “In theory, do those ships that are ahead of Destiny send data to Destiny through a subspace link and populate its database with the new address for the stargate they just seeded a planet with?”

Answer: We’ve yet to know for certain but a future incident will strongly suggest that Destiny does not communicate with the advance seeder ships via subspace communication.

Quade1 writes: “Joe I loved the mythology aspects of Stargate from the beginning, Egyptian, Norse, Arthurian. Will we be seeing this in one form or another in SGU?”

Answer: We won’t be seeing any of these influences in SGU. Rather than touching on Earth’s history, SGU’s off-world encounters will focus on the alien.

Tim Lade writes: “I appologize if this has been asked already…but do you have an end game in sight such as the creators of LOST? Do you have a vision of how long SGU will last for say….four seasons or whatever and then it’s all over? Or do you view this like SG-1 where in theory it can on forever with no finite end in sight.”

Answer: We always had a creative end in sight but it wasn’t until we were making preparations for the show’s second season that we finally agreed on exactly what that end would be. Now it’s just a matter of getting us all there. Coming?

Stargate fan writes: “As always you removed my questioning comment from your blog so I have decide to do some deleting of my own.”

Answer: It rarely happens, but I do delete the occasional comment if: a) it’s spam, b) it’s a repeat post, c) the poster asks me to delete it, or d) someone’s being a dick. Since it seems unlikely yours was a repeat post or that you requested the post’s removal, may I inquire as to whether or not you were attempting to sell me Viagra?

[Jumper_One]

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February 5, 2010

Photos: The Memphis Blues Barbecue House, Carl Binder, Lawren Bancroft-Wilson


We made plans to go out for Peking Duck and, as usual, extended the invitation to Ashleigh who, as usual, blew us off, trotting out the old “But I’m a vegetarian” excuse. I pointed out that, in point of fact, she wouldn’t be eating any duck meat, only the crispy duck skin. ”Look at it this way,”I told her. ”Imagine there’s a duck that gets burned in a fire. A crack medical team removes its useless, roasted skin and replaces it with skin grafts, saving its life. Then, rather than go to waste, the skin is served in a pancake with a spring onion and a dab of hoisin sauce.” (All completely true by the way, except for the part about the crack medical team, the skin grafts, and the whole saving its life thing). Incredibly, even after that, she found the prospect of eating the duck skin off-putting. As a result, we were only three for dinner last night: Carl, Lawren, and myself.

I gave Carl directions to the restaurant and told him it was located right beside the Memphis Blues Barbecue House. His eyes lit up. ”Barbecue?”. Flash forward several hours and we were at the Memphis Blues Barbecue House.

The place was packed, but we were more than happy to wait.

Actually, no. No we weren’t. What made the wait particularly frustrating was the fact that all the tables that eventually started freeing up were two-seaters, while the bigger tables and booths remained occupied – by couples! Honestly, would it have killed them to make their invisible dining companions stand for the duration of this particular meal?

Eventually, we were seated. We had beer and the always excellent Memphis Feast comprised of smoked sausage, pulled pork, brisket, ribs, riblets, smoked chicken, coleslaw, beans, and cornbread. I also ordered the night’s dinner special – lamb shoulder with collard greens.

No leftovers on this night. We finished up and headed out – unlike those two lingerers at the next booth who sat their and nursed their beers, oblivious to the crowd of waiting patrons at the front of the restaurant continued to swell. What a couple of jerks.

Dinner on this night was compliments of Lawren who treated us to a wonderful meal and thereby ensured himself gainful employment through the rest of SGU’s second season of production.

In today’s Olympic update – the IOC tries to force Australian athletes to take down their beloved kangaroo flag: http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2010/s2810920.htm. For real. These are the same idiots who have had various sporting venues in town renamed because venues must be “clean”, devoid of any corporate advertising (because, of course, the Olympics is not about cash-grabs and opportunism), ensuring that the city’s taxi drivers have an even harder time getting people around the city.

In preparation for the upcomingStargate: Universe season 1.0 dvd release, I’ll be holding a trivia contest for anyone interested in either winning a region 1 dvd or other cool prize. Early Monday, I’ll be posting 20 questions on those first ten episodes. First posters to answer all 20 questions correctly will win the grand prizes.


Mailbag:

06untouchable writes: “In other words… Are you – or anyone else in the Stargate family – a Hockey fan, Joe?”

Answer: Yep. Pretty much everyone in the writers’ room. Except for me and Carl.

Jojo writes: “There were many activities around town, most free!, that we got out and really enjoyed the events. You might be surprised and actually enjoy it. Even better, you might get some tickets and go to an event.”

Answer: I’ll be entertaining a friend from Tokyo for ten days during the Olympics so, yes, it might make sense to attend one of the free (hopefully food related) events or get tickets to winter Olympic events like ice sculpting and freestyle tubing.

PJR writes: “And, as a supplement to that, going i the other direction – looking backwards – what were the first concepts, mental images, feelings and ideas that would lead to SGU?”

Answer: This one is more of a question for Brad and Robert who created the show.

PJR also writes: “can the Ancients’ tech extend beyond creating wormholes to using natural black holes? Step into the other side(s)?”

Answer: Given all we know about the Ancients and their technology to this point, the answer would be no.

Christelle writes: “Sport’s Medias, here in france, say that there is not enough snow in Vancouver. Is it truth ?”

Answer: Actually, there is NO snow in the city and very little on the mountains. I hear they’ll be supplementing real snow with a mixture of coconut flakes, shaved ice, and mayonnaise.

Paula writes: “As for the traffic? It’s usually not as bad as feared.”

Answer: It will be as bad as feared given that they’ve closed off city access to all most cars.

Airelle writes: “How is your mom getting along at rehab? Ready to make it home if not yet? Felix votes for sooner and Baby. How are the pups feeling with out Brie?”

Answer: Mom is doing fine. She’s doing some walking but it will be a while before she heads home. Brie is still in town. She leaves for good this Sunday.

ZoSoAir writes: “Any idea if you will hold another contest entry any time soon?”

Answer: Funny you should ask. See above.

JenniferG writes: “Hi Joe, So how is ReFuel doing?”

Answer: It’s been doing very well since the change.

Shirt ‘n ‘Tie writes: “I notice that you have read both Freakanomics and SuperFreakanomics….any particular reason?”

Answer: They were recommended by my writing partner.

Kabra writes: “Did I miss the Patrick Gilmore Q&A???”

Answer: Nope.

Shiloh writes: “What’s your take on the Super Bowl?”

Answer: Saints all the way! In fact, everyone I know is rooting for the Saints – except for Peyton Manning-loving Carl.

Quade1 writes: “And we don’t wear the Vanoc accreditation badges to show them off, we wear them because you HAVE to wear them virtually everywhere you go.”

Answer: Really? They make you wear them a full week before the start of the actual Olympics when you’re walking around town or having dinner?

Overmind One writes: “The comment I made is based only on factual information. The ratings HAVE declined to almost half (season 1.0)…”

Answer: Actually, the ratings were steady, maintaining most of its audience from the season premiere, until the final episode. Was it a blip? Can’t say. The numbers for the back half will tell the story. More telling, on the other hand, would be the erosion in Atlantis’s ratings over its third and fourth season. By your own logic, this would suggest fans were tired of the old formula and wanted something new.

Overmind One also writes: “the DVD sales are flat…”

Answer: Actually, DVD sales in general have taken a major hit across the board (which may explain the delay in moving ahead on the movies). It’s not a phenomenon exclusive to SGU.

Overmind One also writes: “…and the reviews of the DVD (both BluRay and Regular) are negative. This indicates that a majority of people who have watched the show do not like the new direction. Most of those messages are very well written, but intelligent, educated people.”

Answer: Fan reviews have been mixed (as, quite frankly, they’ve always been when it came to the Stargate franchise). All the same, negative comments generally tend to outweigh positive comments. That’s not to say some criticism of the show isn’t valid, only that it’s kind of silly to point and say: “Hey, all these people agree with me, therefore I must be right!”

Overmind One also writes: “Mr Mallozi simply reacted in the same way to me as he did to Maureen…with hissy retorts.”

Answer: I’ve never reacted to you prior to your appearance here on this blog. In fact, I’d never even heard of you prior to your posts here. As for Maureen – again, feel free to point out where I reacted to anything she said with “hissy retorts”.

Overmind One also writes: “I have a right to be snarky when the show which I have paid money to a cable company to watch turns from an science fiction/action/adventure show into a drama/soap opera/reality show.”

Answer: The show didn’t change. SGU is simply a different show. You seem to be implying that you tuned into Universe expecting Atlantis and were disappointed. That’s unfortunate but hardly our fault.

Overmind One also writes: “Many are surprised it has gotten a season two, but I know how things go with contracts.”

Answer: Clearly you don’t. Certainly not in this case. If we’d had a two season guarantee from the outset (like SG-1 had when it premiered on Showtime), we would have announced it from the get-go or, at the very least, not had to impatiently await word from the network on a pick-up.

Overmind One also writes: “The style is derivative…too much BSG. Stargate HAD its own style, you sacrificed it to be more like BSG and Lost and Firefly…but BSG came out the most.”

Answer: The shooting style is far from exclusive to BSG, but I can understand how viewers who fixate solely on SF programming would draw that conclusion. You should check out The Shield. Great show.

Overmind One also writes: “But when people turn your show off, it affects your future as the producer of Stargate and its ancillary products and movies. Your reputation is at stake, and I know that is VERY important to you.”

Answer: Of course it is however, after 16+ seasons of television and two movies, I think our reputation is fairly solid. I certainly would be delighted with another fifteen years or so on the air but when the franchise finally runs its course (or, more likely, I end up running my course), rather than bemoan the end, I’ll instead look back on all we’ve accomplished – on all three shows – with great pride and the satisfaction of knowing that while we were respectful to fans and receptive to their opinions and critiques, we nevertheless remained true to our creative vision.

[EllieVee]

BSG didn't invent shaky cameras and zooming jump cuts.

[Egle01]

BSG didn't invent shaky cameras and zooming jump cuts.

Some people just won't get over it. On another note - yay for DVD contest!

[EllieVee]

BSG ripped it off Firefly anyway.

[Jper]

Some people just won't get over it. On another note - yay for DVD contest!

Not if you live in Europe.

[Egle01]

He said it's for anyone interested. I left a comment asking if it's for everyone from all over the world, maybe we'll know more tomorrow.