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

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May 5, 2017


The admission that I abhor kiwis is often met with outrage. And when I clarify that I am, in fact, referring to the fruit, not the people of New Zealand, that outrage is often doubled. Today, in an bid to further alienate blog readers scandalized by the aforementioned aversion, I present to you a list of universally beloved things that I, well, never really cared for…



TALK SHOW HOSTS

Jimmy Fallon

Stephen Colbert

Jay Leno

BOOKS

The Foundation Trilogy

The Golden Compass

The Road

MOVIES

Seven

The Usual Suspects

The Dark Knight

T.V. SHOWS

Friends

Entourage

Monty Python’s Flying Circus

ATHLETIC EVENTS

The Olympics

The NBA

Wimbledon Tennis

MUSICIANS

The Beatles

Queen

U2

DESSERTS

Trifle

Lemon Meringue Pie

Creme Caramel

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May 6, 2017

Eons ago, while I was on a journey through the Far East, a practitioner of the mystic, manipulative arts foretold I would experience dark times later in life. Specifically with my left shoulder.

Okay, so she was the masseuse at the Shangri-la Hotel in Hong Kong back in 2006, but she turned out to be eerily accurate.

Avoiding certain sleeping positions helps minimize the pain. Said sleeping positions include (but are not limited to): lying on my left side, lying on my right side, lying on my stomach, lying on my back using a pillow that is either slightly too large or too small, sleeping without a pillow, and falling asleep in a chair or on a couch, plane, train, or car. As I said, avoiding them helps but sometimes I’ll forget – like, say, when I’m sleeping. As a result, there are times when I wake up so sore I have to use my one good arm to haul myself out of bed.

I find Tylenol or Advil help to a certain degree. Bourbon seems to be more effective. Also, an alternate pain source serves as a terrific distraction. This I discovered last week when I started experiencing an intermittent ache in my left ear which I attributed to (aka blamed on) Akemi’s recent bout with tonsillitis. But I had no other symptoms. No sore throat. No coughing. Just a dull ache in my left ear that would strike for a few seconds, then disappear for minutes, sometimes hours, before returning.

Finally fed up, I went to see the doctor. He checked my ears, checked my throat, checked my nose. And then, smiling knowingly, pressed his fingers up against either side of my jaw. “Does this hurt?”he asked, applying equal pressure to both hinges. “Yes!”I said. “More on your right side?” Yes again.

Apparently, I suffer from TMJ, temporomandibular joint syndrome.

Prognosis: My ear hurts because of the stress I place on my jaw by grinding my teeth at night.

Treatment: I have to go see my dentist about a night time retainer.

I mean, come on! Next thing you know, they’ll be outfitting me with a special trapeze and swing to treat my shoulder!

Finally, thanks to those who’ve been asking about Akemi. She completes her antibiotics today and her throat is no longer sore. HOWEVER, her lymph nodes are still swollen and that has made it very difficult for her to sleep at night. Lately, she’s been following the same routine: coming to bed and coughing up a storm, elevating herself with pillows to no avail, and then eventually giving up and heading downstairs where she spends the night on the couch, half-sleeping, half watching youtube videos.

The dogs, however, are fine! Lulu still has her back issues that have slowed her down, but we’re going to follow up with a visit to the neurologist when we get back to Vancouver. Suji, meanwhile, heads to the vet on Monday for a little out-patient procedure to remove a suspicious lump on her back. Better safe than sorry!

And that’s the update on our walking wounded. What’re the latest aches and pains in your neck of the woods?

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May 7, 2017

Video: Dark Matter behind the scenes - season 3


MONDAY

Minor surgery for Suji.

Lunch with Zoie.

Dinner with some of the old Student Bodies gang.

TUESDAY

Lunch with my favorite network exec, Gosia Kamela.

Dinner with Jay Firestone to discuss Dark Matter’s third and fourth seasons.

WEDNESDAY

Catch an early flight out to Montreal.

THURSDAY

Catch a late flight out of Montreal.

FRIDAY

Sit in on the Episode 304 (“All The Time In The World”).

Dinner with Ellen Wong and Adam Azimov.

SATURDAY

Visit aunt.

Last minute packing.

SUNDAY

Vancouver-bound!

Okay! Move out!

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May 8, 2017

Photos: Dark Matter


The Dark Matter double episode season 3 premiere is only one month away! If you’re in the U.S. or Canada, circle June 9th on your calendars. The festivities kick off at 8:00 p.m. with “Episode 27: Being Better Is So Much Harder”. Then, at 9:00 p.m. it’s “Episode 28: It Doesn’t Have To Be Like This”. Syfy UK follows with its own double premiere on Monday, July 12th at 8:00 p.m.

So, what can fans look forward to? Well, this –

This –

And this –

Oh, and this –

And, yeah, this –

It’s going to be crazy. Tell your friends!

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May 9, 2017

Video: Want A Student Bodies Reunion? YOU CAN MAKE IT HAPPEN !!!

Photos: Student Bodies, Mik Perlus, Lienne Sawatsky, Dan Williams, Paul Mullie, Jessica Goldapple, Joe Mallozzi


Before there was Dark Matter, before there was Stargate, there was a little show called Student Bodies, my very first live-action production. We shot the series in an abandoned high school in Montreal. Our office was an enormous carpeted former classroom where my writing partner, Paul, and I would spend the greater part of our days pacing, writing and, in his case, practicing golf swings. Halfway through the show’s run, the series creators – Michael Klinghoffer, Judy Spencer, and Alan Silberberg – asked us if we needed anything. When I jokingly answered: “An air hockey table.”, they wrote one into an episode and it eventually found its way into our office. In the end, Paul and I ended up writing 24 of the show’s 65 episodes.

I have nothing but great memories about the people I worked with on that show. I bring this up today because, last night, I was out with some of my former Student Bodies colleagues –

Mik Perlus, Lienne Sawatsky, and Dan Williams who are now all successful writer-producers. Lienne and Dan worked with me behind the scenes of the show while Mik worked his magic in front of the camera in his role as the dastardly Victor Kane. How good was Mik as Victor? Well, one of my favorite stories from back in the day involved him being accosted by a drunken club patron who berated him for being so mean. It took Mik a few minutes to realize this complete stranger was referring to his onscreen character.

Anyway, Mik tells me they’re in the early planning stages of a 20th anniversary reunion special. Details here –

If you were a fan of the old show and would like to see this happen, head on over to the Student Bodies 20th Anniversary Facebook page and let them know.

Ah, good times. Good times! Pictured above: nerdy Paul, the uber-awesome Jessica Goldapple (Flash), and yours truly.

Tomorrow morning, I’m off to Montreal for two days (returning Thursday night). Keep an eye on the gals for me while I’m away. Thanks!

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May 10, 2017

Photos: Best Genre Novels of 2016


My favorites…

The Suicide Motor Club by Christopher Buehlman

“Remember that car that passed you near midnight on Route 66, doing 105 with its lights off? You wondered where it was going so quickly on that dark, dusty stretch of road, motor roaring, the driver glancing out the window as he blew by.

Did his greedy eyes shine silver like a coyote’s? Did he make you feel like prey?

You can’t remember now.

You just saw the founder of the Suicide Motor Club. Be grateful his brake lights never flashed. Be grateful his car was already full.

They roam America, littering the highways with smashed cars and bled-out bodies, a gruesome reflection of the unsettled sixties. But to anyone unlucky enough to meet them in the lonely hours of the night, they’re just a blurry memory.

That is—to all but one…

Two years ago, they left a witness in the mangled wreck of her family car, her husband dead, her son taken. She remembers their awful faces, despite their tricks and glamours. And she’s coming for them—her thirst for vengeance even more powerful than their hunger for blood.

On the deserted highways of America, the hunters are about to become the hunted… ”

Rosewater by Tade Thompson

“Between meeting a boy who bursts into flames, alien floaters that want to devour him, and a butterfly woman who he has sex with when he enters the xenosphere, Kaaro’s life is far from the simple one he wants. But he left simple behind a long time ago when he was caught stealing and nearly killed by an angry mob. Now he works for a government agency called Section 45, and they want him to find a woman known as Bicycle Girl. And that’s just the beginning.

An alien entity lives beneath the ground, forming a biodome around which the city of Rosewater thrives. The citizens of Rosewater are enamored by the dome, hoping for a chance to meet the beings within or possibly be invited to come in themselves. But Kaaro isn’t so enamored. He was in the biodome at one point and decided to leave it behind. When something begins killing off other sensitives like himself, Kaaro defies Section 45 to search for an answer, facing his past and coming to a realization about a horrifying future.”

Revenger by Alastair Reynolds

“The galaxy has seen great empires rise and fall. Planets have shattered and been remade. Amongst the ruins of alien civilizations, building our own from the rubble, humanity still thrives.

And there are vast fortunes to be made, if you know where to find them.

Captain Rackamore and his crew do. It’s their business to find the tiny, enigmatic worlds which have been hidden away, booby-trapped, surrounded by layers of protection–and to crack them open for the ancient relics and barely-remembered technologies inside. But while they ply their risky trade with integrity, not everyone is so scrupulous.

Adrana and Fura Ness are the newest members of Rackamore’s crew, signed on to save their family from bankruptcy. Only Rackamore has enemies, and there might be more waiting for them in space than adventure and fortune: the fabled and feared Bosa Sennen in particular.

Revenger is a science fiction adventure story set in the rubble of our solar system in the dark, distant future–a tale of space pirates, buried treasure, and phantom weapons, of unspeakable hazards and single-minded heroism and of vengeance…”

The Destructives by Matthew de Abaitua

“Theodore Drown is a destructive. A recovering addict to weirdcore, he’s keeping his head down lecturing at the university of the moon. Twenty years after the appearance of the first artificial intelligence, and humanity is stuck. The AIs or, as they preferred to be called, emergences have left Earth and reside beyond the orbit of Mercury in a Stapledon Sphere known as the university of the sun. The emergences were our future but they chose exile. All except one.

Dr Easy remains, researching a single human life from beginning to end. Theodore’s life. One day, Theodore is approached by freelance executive Patricia to investigate an archive of data retrieved from just before the appearance of the first emergence. The secret living in that archive will take him on an adventure through a stunted future of asylum malls, corporate bloodrooms and a secret off-world colony where Theodore must choose between creating a new future for humanity or staying true to his nature, and destroying it.”

Core of the Sun by Johanna Sinisalo

“Set in an alternative historical present, in a “eusistocracy”—an extreme welfare state—that holds public health and social stability above all else, it follows a young woman whose growing addiction to illegal chili peppers leads her on an adventure into a world where love, sex, and free will are all controlled by the state.

The Eusistocratic Republic of Finland has bred a new human sub-species of receptive, submissive women, called eloi, for sex and procreation, while intelligent, independent women are relegated to menial labor and sterilized so that they do not carry on their “defective” line. Vanna, raised as an eloi but secretly intelligent, needs money to help her doll-like sister, who has disappeared. Vanna forms a friendship with a man named Jare, and they become involved in buying and selling a stimulant known to the Health Authority to be extremely dangerous: chili peppers. Then Jare comes across a strange religious cult in possession of the Core of the Sun, a chili so hot that it is rumored to cause hallucinations. Does this chili have effects that justify its prohibition? How did Finland turn into the North Korea of Europe? And will Vanna succeed in her quest to find her sister, or will her growing need to satisfy her chili addiction destroy her?

Johanna Sinisalo’s tautly told story of fight and flight is also a feisty, between-the-lines social polemic—a witty, inventive, and fiendishly engaging read.”

Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt

“Welcome to Black Spring, the seemingly picturesque Hudson Valley town haunted by the Black Rock Witch, a 17th century woman whose eyes and mouth are sewn shut. Muzzled, she walks the streets and enters your homes at will. She stands next to your bed for nights on end. Everybody knows that her eyes may never be opened.

The elders of Black Spring have virtually quarantined the town by using high-tech surveillance to prevent their curse from spreading. Frustrated with being kept in lockdown, the town’s teenagers decide to break their strict regulations and go viral with the haunting, but in so doing send the town spiraling into the dark, medieval practices of the past.”

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones

“A spellbinding and darkly humorous coming-of-age story about an unusual boy whose family lives on the fringes of society and struggles to survive in a hostile world that shuns and fears them.

He was born an outsider, like the rest of his family. Poor yet resilient, he lives in the shadows with his Aunt Libby and Uncle Darren, folk who stubbornly make their way in a society that does not understand or want them. They are mongrels, mixedblood, neither this nor that. The boy at the center of Mongrels must decide if he belongs on the road with his aunt and uncle, or if he fits with the people on the other side of the tracks.

For ten years, he and his family have lived a life of late-night exits and close calls—always on the move across the South to stay one step ahead of the law. But the time is drawing near when Darren and Libby will know if their nephew is like them or not. And the close calls they’ve been running from for so long are catching up fast, now. Everything is about to change.

A compelling and fascinating journey, Mongrels alternates between past and present to create an unforgettable portrait of a boy trying to understand his family and his place in a complex and unforgiving world. A smart and innovative story—funny, bloody, raw, and real—told in a rhythmic voice full of heart, Mongrels is a deeply moving, sometimes grisly novel that illuminates the challenges and tender joys of a life beyond the ordinary in a bold and imaginative new way.”

The Regional Office Is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales

“In a world beset by amassing forces of darkness, one organization—the Regional Office—and its coterie of super-powered female assassins protects the globe from annihilation. At its helm, the mysterious Oyemi and her oracles seek out new recruits and root out evil plots. Then a prophecy suggests that someone from inside might bring about its downfall. And now, the Regional Office is under attack.

Recruited by a defector from within, Rose is a young assassin leading the attack, eager to stretch into her powers and prove herself on her first mission. Defending the Regional Office is Sarah—who may or may not have a mechanical arm—fiercely devoted to the organization that took her in as a young woman in the wake of her mother’s sudden disappearance. On the day that the Regional Office is attacked, Rose’s and Sarah’s stories will overlap, their lives will collide, and the world as they know it just might end. ”

Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt

“A contemporary gothic from an author in the company of Kelly Link and Aimee Bender, Mr. Splitfoot tracks two women in two times as they march toward a mysterious reckoning.

Ruth and Nat are orphans, packed into a house full of abandoned children run by a religious fanatic. To entertain their siblings, they channel the dead. Decades later, Ruth’s niece, Cora, finds herself accidentally pregnant. After years of absence, Aunt Ruth appears, mute and full of intention. She is on a mysterious mission, leading Cora on an odyssey across the entire state of New York on foot. Where is Ruth taking them? Where has she been? And who — or what — has she hidden in the woods at the end of the road?

In an ingeniously structured dual narrative, two separate timelines move toward the same point of crisis. Their merging will upend and reinvent the whole. A subversive ghost story that is carefully plotted and elegantly constructed, Mr. Splitfoot will set your heart racing and your brain churning. Mysteries abound, criminals roam free, utopian communities show their age, the mundane world intrudes on the supernatural and vice versa.”

Company Town by Madeline Ashby

“Meet Hwa. One of the few in her community to forego bio-engineered enhancements, she’s the last truly organic person left on the rig. But she’s an expert in the arts of self-defence, and she’s been charged with training the Family’s youngest, who has been receiving death threats – seemingly from another timeline.

Meanwhile, a series of interconnected murders threatens the city’s stability – serial killer? Or something much, much worse…?”

The Sudden Appearance of Hope by Claire North

“Listen.

All the world forgets me. First my face, then my voice, then the consequences of my deeds.

So listen. Remember me.

My name is Hope Arden, and you won’t know who I am. We’ve met before – a thousand times. But I am the girl the world forgets.

It started when I was sixteen years old. A slow declining, an isolation, one piece at a time.

A father forgetting to drive me to school. A mother setting the table for three, not four. A teacher who forgets to chase my missing homework. A friend who looks straight through me and sees a stranger.

No matter what I do, the words I say, the people I hurt, the crimes I commit – you will never remember who I am.

That makes my life tricky. But it also makes me dangerous . . .

The Sudden Appearance of Hope is the tale of the girl no one remembers. But this gripping story – of love and loss, of hope and despair, of living in the moment and dying to leave a mark – is novel that will stay with you for ever.”

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May 11, 2017

Photos: Best Comic Book Series of 2016


My favorites…

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples

“When two soldiers from opposite sides of a never-ending galactic war fall in love, they risk everything to bring a fragile new life into a dangerous old universe.

From bestselling writer Brian K. Vaughan, Saga is the sweeping tale of one young family fighting to find their place in the worlds. Fantasy and science fiction are wed like never before in this sexy, subversive drama for adults. ”

This one has made my Best Of list for as long as I’ve been making these Best Of lists. Wildly inventive SF peopled with some truly wonderful characters.

Black Hammer by Jeff Lemire

“Once they were heroes, but the age of heroes has long since passed. Banished from existence by a multiversal crisis, the old champions of Spiral City–Abraham Slam, Golden Gail, Colonel Weird, Madame Dragonfly, and Barbalien–now lead simple lives in an idyllic, timeless farming village from which there is no escape! But as they employ all of their super abilities to free themselves from this strange purgatory, a mysterious stranger works to bring them back into action for one last adventure!”

I’m a big fan of Jeff Lemire’s work (Sweet Tooth, Descender, Plutonia) but this book, about a group of bizarre former superheroes trapped in a small town community, is now my favorite.

Vision by Tom King and Michael Walsh

“The Vision wants to be human, and what’s more human than family? So he heads back to the beginning, to the laboratory where Ultron created him and molded him into a weapon. The place where he first rebelled against his given destiny and imagined that he could be more -that he could be a man. There, he builds them. A wife, Virginia. Two teenage twins, Viv and Vin. They look like him. They have his powers. They share his grandest ambition (or is that obsession?) the unrelenting need to be ordinary.

Behold the Visions! They’re the family next door, and they have the power to kill us all. What could possibly go wrong? Artificial hearts will be broken, bodies will not stay buried, the truth will not remain hidden, and the Vision will never be the same.”

As someone who explores the humanity at the heart of an Android, I am in awe of King’s examination of this very conceit. Sure, it may seem to be about superheroes and supervillains and superpowers but, really, it’s about family.

Kingin (Civil War II) by Matthew Rosenberg and Ricardo Lopez Ortiz

“An Inhuman with the ability to predict the future has helped the heroes of the Marvel Universe clamp down on crime before it can even happen. While this thwarts most criminals, one man has found a way to keep doing what he does best. Wilson Fisk has managed to stay one step ahead of the good guys and his crime enterprise is BOOMING. But what’s his secret?! It’s a gritty, street-level view of CIVIL WAR II starring the Kingpin in a world without crime!”

I loved Matthew Rosenberg’s work for Black Mask Studios (We Can Never Go Home, 4 Kids Walk Into A Bank) and, not surprisingly, loved his take on one of Marvel’s biggest bads. They say that everyone is the hero of their own story, and it’s fascinating to see this old adage play out with the Kingpin of crime.

Kill Or Be Killed by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

“The bestselling team of Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips (The Fade Out, Criminal, Fatale) return with Kill or Be Killed, Volume One, the twisted story of a young man forced to kill bad people, and how he struggles to keep his secret from destroying his life.

Both a thriller and a deconstruction of vigilantism, Kill or Be Killed is unlike anything Brubaker and Phillips have ever done.”

A dark, occasionally shocking, thoroughly absorbing read.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Robert Hack

“Sabrina’s father, Edward Spellman, is back from the dead, inhabiting the body of the newly resurrected Harvey Kinkle! Sabrina, believing the love of her high school life is back, arranges for a romantic rendezvous — but neither Hilda nor Zelda want that reunion to take place and are willing to start a witch-war to keep them apart! Meanwhile, the diabolical Madam Satan reveals her true plans for the Spellman family… You dare not miss the last page of this masterpiece of the macabre!”

This one outcreeps and outclasses its predecessor, Afterlife With Archie, another surprisingly great horror title.

The Omega Men by Tom King and Barnaby Bagenda

“Broadcast across the universe, the Omega Men reveal a beaten and restrained Kyle Rayner. They make their intentions clear as they kill the former White Lantern. Now the universe is on watch and the hunt for the Omega Men begins. The line between good and evil is blurred in this part of the galaxy, and you do not know who to trust. Please Omega.”

Layers upon layers in this grand DC conspiracy. I went in cold and came away a fan.

The Fix by Nick Spencer and Steve Lieber

“THE FIX is a story of the crooked cops, scheming mobsters, and corrupt politicians that run Los Angeles—and the sex toy that can bring them all down. Oh, and the hero is a drug-sniffing beagle named Pretzels.”

Wild, hilarious, and more than a little offside.

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May 12, 2017

Photos: Suji, Joe's mom, Joe Mallozzi, Gosia Kamela, toffee pudding, The Handmaid’s Tale, Dark Matter


I’m doubly pleased to report that Suji is on the mend following a quick out-patient procedure to remove to suspicious lumps – both of which came back as non-cancerous growths. She celebrated the news by kicking back and spending the afternoon with her new best friend, Pinky Cactuscadero.

Spent the last two days in Montreal visiting with mom. On the menu: crab mousse, hot pepper, rack of lamb, Smoke Meat Pete’s, cream puffs, and an afternoon’s fruitless attempts to order her a Dyson vacuum cleaner!

Me and mademoiselle. Mom was predictably less than enamored of the scruffy look. “There’s a razor and shaving cream upstairs,”she informed me as I stepped in the door.

Our Aurevoir Tour continues with a fond farewell to my very favorite network exec of all time, Gosia Kamela, over one of my very favorite desserts of all time – the sticky toffee pudding at Nota Bene:

I miss them both already!

A shout-out to my friends, editor Wendy Hallam-Martin and actress Amanda Brugel, for their terrific work on The Handmaid’s Tale. Two episodes in and I’m hooked!

A toast! To my final Dark Matter-related duty here in Toronto = the mix for Episode 304 (“All The Time In The World”).

THREE asking for all sorts of trouble, messing with Solara’s breakfast. It’s a downright loopy episode.

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May 13, 2017

Photos: Suji, Lulu, Carl Binder


Almost finished packing. Almost finished my farewells. Tomorrow, we’re up at the crack of pre-dawn (5:00 a.m. here, 2 a.m. for those of you on the west coast, and 11:00 p.m. today for those of you in Hawaii) to catch our early flight back to Vancouver.

As always, my big concern is the dogs – chunky little Lulu and cantankerous Suji. We took them to a pug meet-up today and ran (well, okay, strolled) them ragged, then plan to follow up with a post-dinner night walk to make sure they nice and tired. Akemi gave them some gravol the other day to see how they would react. Lulu snoozed peacefully for four hours while an unusually alert Suji spent the afternoon barking at the ceiling lights and reflections. Hmmmm. No breakfast tomorrow so, hopefully, they’ll be nice and empty for the flight. Just in case though, we’ve got the diapers on standby.

Also on standby for me – episode 3 of The Handmaid’s Tale, season 2 of Fargo, and season 1 of both Preacher and Westworld. And 20 to-read books in my iBooks library. Given these crazy airport delays of late, better safe than sorry.

A farewell dinner last night with Ellen Wong (Dark Matter’s nefarious Misaki Han) and her not at all nefarious husband Adam. Today, it’s not one but TWO farewell meals with Dark Matter Co-Executive Producer Ivon Bartok – but I’ll be seeing him in about three weeks when we start the writers’ room for the show’s fourth season (No pick up yet. Just being positive). This year, we’ll also be joined by the best writer I know – Stargate veteran Carl Binder. Check out this reaction shot of Carl when I told him he’d once again be getting the chance to work with Paul, Ivon and I –

Positively bursting with excitement. THIS is the energy we need for next year! That old Binder magic!

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May 14, 2017

Photos: Suji, Lulu, Dark Matter


I am pleased to report we are back home following a thoroughly uneventful flight from Toronto. A 4:50 a.m. wake-up, much fussing and fretting over the dogs, a seemingly endless walk from one end of Pearson airport (check-in) to the other (our boarding gate), five straight hours of Preacher, and a slew of Vancouver errands, I am thoroughly exhausted. And it isn’t even dinner time yet.

I think I might take it easy tonight. Finish unpacking. Do some laundry. Take the dogs out for a walk. Read. And then tomorrow, it begins! In the lead-up to the June 12th commencement of the Dark Matter season 4 writers’ room (with special guest star Carl Binder!), I’m going to try to spin an episode day. That way, when it comes time to convene, I can just hand everyone the beat sheets and we can spend the better part of the day concentrating on what really matters: lunch!

Also, have a dentist appointment on Tuesday, need to make an appointment to go check out an achy spleen (at least I think that’s what’s aching) and then on Thursday, a Skype conversation with a producer in the U.K. regarding a classic SF series (one of my favorites growing up) that I feel is ripe for a return to the small screen. And, of course, I’m on the program starting tomorrow: weights, running, eating well. My triple cream puff and thin crust pizza days are behind me (or, really, way ahead of me as I’m hoping to be back in Toronto to resume my diehard eating ways in October).

To those of you asking – the Dark Matter season 3 trailer should be landing late this week or next. But, in the meantime, here’s a little screen cap to tide you over…

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May 15, 2017

Photos: Dark Matter


We’ve quickly settled back into life in Vancouver. Well, most of us. Lulu clearly misses her daily visits to the dog park while Suji doesn’t have a clue what’s going on but seems be enjoying the backyard. For our part, Akemi and I are happy to be back – working out every morning in the basement gym, shopping for fresh fish every morning at Seafood City at the Granville Island Market, talking books with the well-read staff at The Book Warehouse, and simply sleeping in our own bed (albeit somewhat fitfully from 9:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.). Still, decisions will have to be made about the house.

Eventually. For now, I’ve got to focus on fleshing out my ideas for the looming season 4 writers’ room…which is, admittedly, really hard to do just coming off production on season 3.

And what a third season we have in store for you. The show keeps getting better and better because everyone involved makes concerted effort to improve upon what has come before. And nowhere is this more evident than in the show’s music produced by composer Ben Pinkerton under the guidance of music supervisor Jody Colero. In fact, one of the most oft-asked questions I get thrown my way is: “When are you releasing the Dark Matter soundtrack?”. It’s a great question and here’s your chance to ask the man himself because Dark Matter composer Ben Pinkerton has agreed to field your queries (after much cajoling and a promise I would make it as painless as possible).

So, if you’ve got a question for Ben, please post them in the comments section before this weekend!

Today, I leave you with yet another Dark Matter sneak peek screen cap:

What the heck is going on in this pic? Any guesses?

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May 16, 2017

Photos: Dark Matter


We’re about three weeks away from the Dark Matter season 3 double episode premiere…

In the U.S. – Friday, June 9th at 8:00 p.m. on Syfy

In Australia – Saturday, June 10th on SyfyAU

In the U.K. – Monday, June 12th at 8 p.m. on SyfyUK

For some reason, Canada’s SpaceChannel has been doing a terrific job keeping news about our show under wraps (nary a mention on either their official twitter feed or Facebook page) but I’ll just go ahead and spoil the surprise…

In Canada – Friday, June 9th at 8:00 p.m. on Space Channel.

Zoie Palmer’s Android had a number of different looks over the course of the show’s first two seasons – from blue uni to Android to the cream and white ensemble pictured above (and a couple of different undercover looks to boot). And you can expect at least a half dozen new looks for her in season 3.

In comparison to the rest of the crew, we know surprisingly little about Jodelle Ferland’s FIVE character in the time before she snuck aboard The Raza. Well, we’ll rectify that in an early season 3 episode that will offer insight into FIVE’s backstory – and a big surprise for our green haired girl.

In seasons 1 and 2, we learned that Melissa O’Neil’s TWO was created by Dwarf Star Technologies – but exactly why has never been revealed. Well, we’ll be shedding light on that particular mystery in season 3 as well.

The first two seasons saw the crew battle a number of varied enemies but, come season 3, they’ll come up against their first Big Bad in the form of Alex Mallari Jr’s Ryo Ishida. How will their past relationship with their former friend complicate matters?

As The Raza’s moral center, Roger Cross’s SIX drove the crew in a bid for redemption – one that literally blew up in their faces with the destruction of EOS-7. So how will a failed attempt to head off a corporate war influence his altruistic long game?

In season 1, it was the revelation about a long lost love. In season 2, it was the discovery of a forgotten surrogate family. In season 3, Anthony Lemke’s THREE will be blindsided by a surprise that will upend his devil-may-care persona.

Season 3 highlights include: a reveal of the Android’s origins, a time loop predicament, the return of some all-too-familiar faces, surprising shifts in allegiance, and an episode I describe as “Back to the Future meets Stranger Things“.

Ladies…

And gentlemen…

Dark Matter’s third season is near!

P.S. Hey, Dark Matter fans! Do you enjoy the show’s music? Well, composer Ben Pinkerton has agreed to do a Q&A with us, so if you have some questions for him, post them in the comments section!

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May 17, 2017

Photos: Books, pizza, Lulu, Suji, homemade birdseye chili seasoning, dinner at Sushi Bar Maumi


Now that I’m back home, it’s time to hit up all of my favorite places and check in on many of my old friends. Like Marginni at Jack who gave me a new summer do, Hodie at Xoxolat who helped me stock up on Ecuador dark chocolate bars, and Darlene and co. at The Book Warehouse and Jill and Walter (and dog Judd) at White Dwarf Books who recommended some great reads to add to my burgeoning to-read pile. Toronto has a lot going on for it, but not much in the way of great bookstores. Oh, don’t get me started.

I now do most of my reading via iBooks, but I will pick up physical copies of titles I’ve enjoyed. I loved the hell out of Mark Lawrence’s Prince of Thorns, so it and the ensuing two books of the trilogy are destined for my home library.

This morning, we hit one of our favorite places – Bella Gelateria – for pizza and ice cream. Well, pizza for Akemi and me, and ice cream for everyone, including the dogs thanks to owner James Coleridge’s special sugar free, dairy free, vegan doggy gelato. Peanut butter flavor!

Ladies, start your ice cream engines!

Lulu is the daintiest of eaters.

Suji’s crazy ice cream face!

Before we left, James gifted me a cache of his homemade birdseye chili seasoning. Holy! The burn is enough to give you a light buzz.

Tonight, it was dinner at Sushi Bar Maumi – next to Toronto’s Yasu, my favorite place for sushi outside of Japan.

Full day and full stomach. And the week aint even over yet!

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May 18, 2017

Photos: Dark Matter contests


I’m looking to do a little late spring cleaning and one of the things I’d like to clear off my office shelf are a couple of cast-signed, annotated Dark Matter scripts. Would you happen to know anyone who might be interested in acquiring one?

Well, all you have to do for a chance to win one is to enter one of the following two contests I’ll be hosting over the next couple of weeks.

Contest #1: Match the dog teaser pictures to the upcoming season 3 episodes!

Oh, you remember how this one works. If not, here’s a refresher…

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In a nutshell – every year, Assistant Costume Designer Anna Dal Farr adorns the wardrobe department with dog pictures – one for each episode of the season. Upon closer scrutiny, one will notice that each pic is carefully selected to thematically reflected its paired episode. So, for instance, last year…

This pic neatly summed up “Episode 16: I’ve Seen The Other Side Of You”, the one in which TWO, THREE, and FOUR revert back to their mercenary former selves and hunt poor FIVE through the ship.

And this one pairs with “Episode 12: Stuff To Steal, People To Kill”, the one in which our crew travels to alternate reality.

Of course, they’re not all that easy – especially since you’ll be asked to link doggy pictures to mere episode titles. Last year’s winner managed an impressive 9 of 13 correct pairings (amid an overall average of 3 correct pairings!). Let’s see if you can beat Mike From Blaine’s score. I’ll kick off this contest in the coming days. In the meantime, here are a c

Contest #2: Dark Matter Twitter Trivia Time!

I’m aiming for not this weekend but the next. At an pre-established time, I will answer five Dark Matter-related questions. First five correct respondents move on to round 2 where the questions will get far more difficult. First three correct respondents (from our pool of five) move on two the third and final round where they will have to answer the toughest question of all! Follow me on twitter (@BaronDestructo) and make sure you don’t miss out.

Tomorrow is the deadline to post your questions for Dark Matter composer Ben Pinkerton’s Q&A. After that, if you have a question, you’ll have to ask him in person!

Finally, I leave you with yet another season 3 sneak peek screen cap:

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May 19, 2017

Videos: Dark Matter season 3 teaser, Suji Eating Apple Slices

Photos: Dark Matter


Well, it’s not quite the trailer but, today, Syfy International released a teaser for Dark Matter’s third season. Check it out…

Okay, let’s break it down…

The destruction of space station EOS-7.

An explosion hot on TWO’s heels…literally.

The best laid plans blow up in Android’s face…again, literally.

Undercover FIVE.

Ryo Ishida looking downright villainous.

Some sort of shuttle avoiding weapons fire from a Ferrous Corp destroyer.

Some sort of guards (?), maybe soldiers (?) making their way into a dark facility.

FIVE pops out of hiding, and lets Bubba fly.

Intriguing, no? Discuss!

Speaking of videos, Suji did her very first Insta-live today. She’s a natural…