That’s a bummer. They could have released it in 2010 to reference the episode of the same name.
I guess I can give them some slack for doing a reset button if this wasn’t supposed to be the last movie. It’s just a victim of bad timing.
The Stargate Franchise - A First Timer's Watchthrough
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That’s a bummer. They could have released it in 2010 to reference the episode of the same name.
I guess I can give them some slack for doing a reset button if this wasn’t supposed to be the last movie. It’s just a victim of bad timing.
Yes, I meant the filming in the Arctic.
The guy who is responsible for this all is Barry Campbell. Has anyone here been at Gatecon in Vancouver 2008? He gave a panel there and showed lots of pictures, telling about the filming.
He was working (as a scientist?) at the Arctic station, and he was a Stargate fan. At every convention he went to he gave his business card to the producers, telling them about his unusual job and if they ever wanted to film there, he could arrange it. And then one day they took him up to his word.
He gave the production team and the actors a thorough briefing at what filming in the Arctic would mean. At the mention of Polar bears Christopher Judge was like, no way, I'm out of this meeting, my brown skin will make me stand out in the snow so I will be eaten first. That's why Teal'c does not appear in the Arctic scenes. I think Michael Shanks as well? Amanda Tapping, Ben Browder and Richard Dean Anderson embraced the experience though.
At first the scientists had been reluctant about having a filming team there. Because in such circumstances, you have to be a close-knitted team, there can't be any extra treatments. But right the first evening Amanda Tapping and Ben Browder offered to do the washing up, and so the ice was broken. They became full team members, doing everything everyone was doing.
I don't know why I don't have anything about this panel in my convention report so I have to go by memory. I also remember Amanda telling about eating a lot of calories each day and still not getting fat as you lose so much energy with the cold. Barry also said that in the Arctic, as ironic as it sounds, you have more chances to die from sweating than from the cold. Because if you start to sweat, and it will turn the wet clothes to ice, that's not good for your health. So they had to wear several layers, and if working physically out there take off the layers one by one when they started to sweat.
Here's Richard Dean Anderson recounting in his usual funny way how they would go to the bathroom. That's a transcript Kate from www.rdanderson.com did of his panel.
"So anyway, the ritual that you have to go through to go to the bathroom was... Do you guys mind me talking about bathroom stuff? [voices call out no] Going "number one" was fine. For the men they had a pole, out, like, about 50 yards outside the camp, and it was just a pole with like a rim of snow around it, and you would... The pole was there for you to hang on to, lest ye be blown away while you were... watering the lawn. [laughter] And "number two" was another situation altogether. Trying to keep this very... Kids? [looking around to see if kids are in the audience and notices a few] Uh, "number two"... Usually you had to brush off at least three inches of snowdrift off of the seat. And the remnants... [A voice from the front row calls out "Eeww!" and gets his attention as he turns directly to her.] Too much? [loud laughter] I can take it back. We needn't go there! Needless to say, when it's like 60 below zero, it just becomes a rock. You know, nothing special... it didn't move... it just sat there. [laughter throughout] I think I'll leave this story right there. [laughter and applause] But anyway, if there was any moisture at all on the lock, which was just one of those hook and ladder things, if you spent too much time in there... [directing his attention back to the woman in the front row] I know you probably would... you like outhouses, I can tell... take you on that next trip... Everything got done rather quickly. Unlike this answer to that question... Let's move on! [looking for the next question indicated by paddle #2] Yes... Number two! [laughter at the double meaning] Timing!"
It was also at this convention where he told us about his heart troubles. He had been playing with his daughter in the pool and felt funny in the chest so he went to the doctor as he had planned a diving trip. He ended up with heart surgery and two stents and when he asked the doctor what would have happened if he had gone to the diving trip, the doctor replied "If you had gone deeper than 10 foot you would have died."
And he casually tells this to a room of convention goers. I've never seen a convention room so silent and shocked. That was after the Arctic filming and I was thinking, what if something had happened there, with no rescue team nearby.
There had also been ideas kicked around for a big team-up movie with SG-1 and the Atlantis team, possibly the Universe characters as well. Sadly, none of it came to be.
I hope RDA is going to write a biography one day
Was it supposed to reveal the Stargate to the world? I figured it was Jack heavy and have him and Sam finally getting married at the end. But it wouldn't have been the end, they were planning a group movie after and then probably several after that.
I still am glad they never revealed the Stargate, I figure that's the way you bring the franchise back. In the pilot episode of 'Stargate Command' then can reveal everything and have a new base for the gate, king of like 2010.
I remember being rather harsh on Continuum when I first saw it. On subsequent rewatches I've developed a bit of leniency towards it, though it really is basically just variations on ideas they had for Lost City back when the plan was to do that as an actual movie as opposed to a two-part episode.
Regarding "THE DAEDALUS VARIATIONS"...
That was one of my favorites of season 5, and I was excited at the prospect of those new aliens possibly appearing again.
That was one of my favorites of season 5, and I was excited at the prospect of those new aliens possibly appearing again.
Hey @Astra
Thanks for the behind the scenes write up on Continuum. I now understand the question if if I knew where it was filmed, which at the time I read it, I thought it was rather weird. I can't believe they actually went to the arctic to film some of this movie, and the arctic shots did look really cool. I especially liked the scenery with the sun in the background and then the sub breaking through the ice.
Thanks for the behind the scenes write up on Continuum. I now understand the question if if I knew where it was filmed, which at the time I read it, I thought it was rather weird. I can't believe they actually went to the arctic to film some of this movie, and the arctic shots did look really cool. I especially liked the scenery with the sun in the background and then the sub breaking through the ice.
I liked the movie but it's kind of bittersweet we get to see Hammond one more time but also the last time and when it first aired I think we had just recently found out Don Davis had died so this might have been his last role in anything.
Jason
Ghost in the Machine
That was incredibly sad. It had to be done, sending the Replicators, especially Weir, through the space gate, but I was actually shocked they went there and didn't show any compassion to them. I've been looking forward to this episode ever since the ending of BAMSR and we saw Weir on the ship in command and it did not disappoint. I loved the idea that Niem's group, through wanting to ascend was still a threat and the leader of this group was able to break out and show that yeah these replicators couldn't be trusted. I also enjoyed the interactions with this Weir and Morgan did a great job imitating Torri Higginson. Still, what a downer of an ending.
I talked about this earlier in a spoiler, but I'll transcribe the relevant section of an interview Higginson did with Big Finish after recording an audio drama starring Weir around the time season 5 was being filmed that was included on the album. It was an off-the-cuff kind of thing, so I've lightly edited for clarity, as they say.
Interviewer: Do you miss [Weir], as a character? You played her for a while. Is she someone that you think about, or is it just another roll that you've made done from?
Higginson: I definitely think about her. This last year, it's been so strange, I hadn't known if I'm coming back. There's been no clarity as far as far as what her story goes. So, it's been hard to put it to rest. Yeah, she crosses my mind a lot, and I wish her well, and for all I know, she'll be back again next year with red-haired actress playing her. [Laughs] And I'll tune in to see how she's doing.
I: Have you heard any more about whether you're going to be asked back?
H: Honestly— Actually, I'll just come out in the open now, so I think I can say it. Uh, I'm not coming back. They did come to me and ask me to come back this year, but it was very unclear as to what it was going to be they were going to ask her to do, and it was unclear as to if it was going to be a tidying up of her, or if it was going to continue to be a vague, "is she or is she not there," and so with that, mixed with other contractual things, I chose not to do it. And it was sort of tough, because I felt a responsibility towards the fans, I wanted to give them a sense of closure. And I felt I was sort of betraying them by saying no to it, but I didn't feel it was going to be a closure. I wasn't convinced that it was going to tidy it up. So I thought, "Well, then, if we're just going to continue this sort of vague, dragging it on every year...." And I wanted a clarity, and thought that, at the end of the day, however much the fans would be disappointed to not have [me] do it for another episode, they would appreciate my reasons why. I hope so.
Ghost in the Machine
That was incredibly sad. It had to be done, sending the Replicators, especially Weir, through the space gate, but I was actually shocked they went there and didn't show any compassion to them. I've been looking forward to this episode ever since the ending of BAMSR and we saw Weir on the ship in command and it did not disappoint. I loved the idea that Niem's group, through wanting to ascend was still a threat and the leader of this group was able to break out and show that yeah these replicators couldn't be trusted. I also enjoyed the interactions with this Weir and Morgan did a great job imitating Torri Higginson. Still, what a downer of an ending.
I don't know whether I'm being naive or simply an optimist when I say that from Nyam forward, I really wanted to believe that there was a path to redemption for the Replicators, and I really wanted that splinter group to be able to, if not outright ascend, at least find peace for themselves. It frustrated me to see Our Heroes screw them over on more than one occasion, and while I know that it would be a huge risk, I can't help but remember another franchise's great line, "Risk is our business!"
While I believe it is somewhat telegraphed if you're looking for it, I'm pretty sure the first time around I was shocked and numbed by the ending of the episode.
It kind of seemed like they were leaving it open just in case. I mean I think about what they did to Niem, freezing him in space, and they basically did the same thing to GITM Weir. She could have been revived if they wanted to bring her back. The more I read about what really was happening behind the scenes mainly because of the lack of clarity, the more I think the writers screw Higginson over. That's really not cool.
All throughout GITM, they were pointing toward the possibility of redemption for this group. I guess it was more personal because a character we spent 3 years with was now a part of this group and they did, originally come across as genuine. I guess the adage in this series is true. Never trust a replicator, no matter its intentions.
I believe in the post-finale Atlantis novels (which I've not had any real desire to read, what with all the Wraith being given names straight out of My Immortalhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Immortal_(fan_fiction), but are treated as the official continuation of the universe by the Stargate wikia and no one else), they did have Weir ascend, and then pull a Daniel Jackson and return to human form permanently.
You're very welcome! I didn't want to spoiler you if you didn't know, but of course at the time there was huge talk about this before they even started shooting and it was a big deal.
The sub breaking through the ice was an especially difficult scene, they had to set up all the cameras, and then the ship needed to hit an exact spot, which with such a huge thing is not easy to do, but they nailed it.
Yeah, at the convention I mentioned there was a memorial for him, they also showed a video where we all had sent in our pictures with him, and his wife came on stage to thank the fans for all the beautiful messages.
In 2003 I attended a convention in Germany where I got to meet him, and he was very much in love at the time, I think they were only married for a year at that time. And he said he never thought it would happen as she was way too beautiful for him.
Later Teryl Rothery told her side of the story. He had been out for dinner with Teryl and her husband, and when she went to the toilet with the other woman she revealed that she loves Don but doesn't think he'll ever do anything about it. So Teryl gave her the advice to make her own move if she really wants it. Later they went all to Teryl's house to continue for drinks and then her husband came out of the kitchen and said, what have you done? They are french-kissing in our kitchen! So in a way Teryl Rothery is responsible for this nice late marriage. The whole room was like Awwwwwwww.
I read the first couple of those. They were rather meh. I don't remember anything about the Wraith names, other than Todd's real name apparently being the Wraith word that translates as "shepherd" meaning him and Sheppard sort of have the same name.
There was also a separate post-finale comic series, which was even worse. Especially painful, they decided to incorporate SG-1 characters despite clearly not having the rights to use the SG-1 actors likenesses, creating such awkwardness as Cameron Mitchell only contributing to the story through radio communications or Jack O'Neill having once again been turned invisible.
According to the SGCommand wiki, Todd's real named was given as "Guide," while Michael was called "Lastlight." Other Wraith names from the books include Bonewhite, Precision, Ember, Ease, Farseer, Quicksilver, and, unforgivably, Queen Death.
Ah, right. I seem to recall at one point there is a parallel drawn about guides and shepherds being the same thing.
The Shrine
Atlantis tugging at the heart strings two episodes in a row. This one was really really good, with some great acting from Strait, and the two Hewlett's, especially David. I loved the interspercing of what was going on present day with his "memory" log, and how you can see what the parasite was doing to him each day. I also really loved the shot of the flooded Stargate. We were talking about great shots of the Arctic last night for the movie, this episode had a great shot of the cold freezing water with a Stargate glowing in it. I almost thought they were similar shots, but they probably didn't go to the Arctic to film an episode of Atlantis. I love that it was Ronon's idea to take Rodney to the Shrine and I have to say Ronon speaking out more and having an outgoing personality is something I've been liking lately. With the excitement of all these episodes, I haven't really talked about Ronon very much but I've been really enjoying his development. He was so quiet and "gaurded" when we meet him but now he's as personable as John is.
The only thing I didn't like about this episode was the very ending when McKay says he loves Keller. I'm still a little numb on him letting Katie go so maybe that is clouding my judgement, but I just don't see anything between McKay or Keller at all.
Still, great episode and great acting from all involved. Also, Woolsey really is starting to come around the last few episodes. He isn't as pushy as before, and I love that he actually is listening to those around him and dropping his guard. His Alzhiemers story was pretty poignant.
Atlantis tugging at the heart strings two episodes in a row. This one was really really good, with some great acting from Strait, and the two Hewlett's, especially David. I loved the interspercing of what was going on present day with his "memory" log, and how you can see what the parasite was doing to him each day. I also really loved the shot of the flooded Stargate. We were talking about great shots of the Arctic last night for the movie, this episode had a great shot of the cold freezing water with a Stargate glowing in it. I almost thought they were similar shots, but they probably didn't go to the Arctic to film an episode of Atlantis. I love that it was Ronon's idea to take Rodney to the Shrine and I have to say Ronon speaking out more and having an outgoing personality is something I've been liking lately. With the excitement of all these episodes, I haven't really talked about Ronon very much but I've been really enjoying his development. He was so quiet and "gaurded" when we meet him but now he's as personable as John is.
The only thing I didn't like about this episode was the very ending when McKay says he loves Keller. I'm still a little numb on him letting Katie go so maybe that is clouding my judgement, but I just don't see anything between McKay or Keller at all.
Still, great episode and great acting from all involved. Also, Woolsey really is starting to come around the last few episodes. He isn't as pushy as before, and I love that he actually is listening to those around him and dropping his guard. His Alzhiemers story was pretty poignant.
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