Who can I talk to about getting the last two days of my life back? No, wait! Don’t tell me yet. I have a feeling I may have to add to that tally before next week is through.
Yes, I’m sure that when most of you imagine the life of an executive producer, you envision all sorts of wheeling and dealing and wild partying in Ibiza and late night pictionary with the President of Burkina Faso. And while that much is true, there is a downside to running a t.v. show. Sadly, it’s not all “off with their heads”, gold leaf desserts, and robot butlers. Sometimes, days upon days of the job are comprised of hours upon hours of phone conversations in which much is discussed but little is concluded. It’s sort of like doing a jigsaw puzzle with some friends only to discover, well into the process, that one of your buddies has been removing pieces from the already completed portion and pocketing them, so you confront him and he puts the pieces back and just as you’re about to finish the puzzle, you realize that your other two friends have made off with the coffee table. And, oh yeah, the house is on fire.
About an hour ago, Paul called in from Hawaii to get the update. As I was filling him in, he interrupted our conversation to point out a whale to his family. “Hey, I see a whale!”he informed me. I was less than congratulatory: “How nice for you.". He’s sees a whale. I see the flashing red light reminding me to recharge the batteries on my cordless.
Now I know why Chevy Chase gave up show business.
Anyhoo, you have all/are/will to enjoyed/enjoying/enjoy tonight’s episode - Miller’s Crossing. What did/do/will you think? Inquiring minds (a.k.a. Martin Gero) want top know.
Oh, and Happy St. Andrew’s Day.and Stay At Home Because You’re Well Day.
Today’s mailbag:
J-Dog writes: “Would love to see an ancient toilet or urinal looks like.”
Answer: Yeah, that would be pretty fantastic. But, so far, we’ve come up dry on Ford, Genii, and ancient urinal stories.
Royal Nonesuch writes: “I would also like to see Atlantis bathrooms…”
Answer: Out of curiosity, is there a lot of fan fiction focused on the toilets in Atlantis? I get the feeling the answer is yes. Putting the finishing touches on my flush fic…
Emily writes: “If you don't finish a meal at a restaurant do you ask for a box/doggy bag and take it home?”
Answer: I have four dogs. You bet I do.
Elizabeth writes: “Do you know of any fairly cheap, really good restaurants in LA (preferably near Anaheim)?”
Answer: Sorry, I don’t.
Ascended Tauri writes: “how do you and Paul Mullie jointly write a script?”
Answer: When we first started working on Stargate, we would work in the same office, tossing out ideas as we wrote. In later seasons, we would pitch the script back and forth, rewriting each other’s work along the way. But for the past few years, we’ve been writing scripts separately.
199 comments:
I bought a new camera the other day and it has a setting on it where it purposely is designed to take pictures of food. Does your camera hav such a setting? Haha. Boring question! Also...my friend goes to uni with the daughter of a Lord from Nigeria, I told him to ask her dad if he knew Baron Destructo.
This is the life..."Miller's Crossing, the internet, a bowl of popcorn, and a bottle of Velvet White...
When you asked for two days back I thought it was because you were traveling across the dateline. :)
Know someone who was complaining that when you cross the dateline you never regain that day you've lost.
Hope you are enjoying the "quiet" of hiatus even without whales.
(Question for Martin Gero if he still is doing his post Q&A for Miller’s Crossing)
Dear Danger Beckett,
1)Have you mourned the loss of your brother?
2)Do you miss having your brother around?
3)(If answered yes to # 2) what do you miss most about your brother?
4)Has your accent improved?
Joe, every season has there stand alone episodes that don't have much to do with the season's storyline, can you make an episode where you find Ford and cure him and send him home to his grandparents and be done with it and not leave his storyline unresolved???? Before "The Hive" you shown that his character was ALWAYS able to get out of impossible situations, so any fan most likely believes he survived the events of "The Hive"!!!!
Hi joe... can you tell me, why on earth, we will never see a bed scene between Sam and Jack... while we saw a bed scene with Sam and Pete and another one with Jack and Ms. Johnson!!! It's SO UNFAIR!!!!!
J-Dog writes: “Would love to see an ancient toilet or urinal looks like.”
They look like the Ori space ships.
;)
Looking forward to tonight's episode.
Good luck with the jigsaw puzzle!
Keep up the great work.
Happyfan
I love John Wyndham’s books especially ‘Consider her Ways and Others’ it’s a collection of really excellent short stories.
The Kraken Wakes, The Chrysalids, The Day of the Triffids that still scares the hell out of me.
Can’t walk past large foliaged plant without hearing that clicking sound.
The Asimov Foundation Trilogy and I Robot (the movie did the book no favours) are a must read from a very prolific writer of classic Sci-Fi.
I think I’ll dig out my copies and revisit them.
Say it isn’t so Chevy Chase no longer in show business, oh be still my broken heart!!!
Pauline
Joe,
Why are the ratings for Miller's Crossing down? DirecTV aired dead air for the first 11 mins of the ep. Don't know if this was all of SciFi, but us DirecTV folks may have changed the chanel due to the black screen that appeared for the first 11 mins of the ep.. Don't know what the issue was, but I imagine only die-hard SG fans like me would stick around to see if it was fixed....
Hey, Joe,
Your reference to La Serpe D'Or in yesterday's blog brought these questions to mind. I apologize if they seem disconnected.
1) If you grew up speaking/reading/writing French, has that affected the way you write scripts (i.e. do you ever have to think about English vs French phrasing)?
2) What were your favorite childhood stories? Have you ever read David and the Phoenix?
Oh, and I will love and enjoy tonight's ep.
Thanks! :D
Is it me or does the SG-1 sets look reallllly clean? I am curious.. how does the Internet work from the pegasus galaxy to our galaxy? Does it go throught the midway gate or directly from Atlantis to Earth?
Have pity on me.. I live in Australia and I DON'T have cable tv..sucks.
So the doggy bag.. really for the doggies? hmmm?
Do you think Miller's crossing will get good ratings? I don't know if you include ratings from Australia..
Joe, you said that Brad came up with an idea for the mid two-parter. Was it for TMC or BAMSR?
Out of curiosity, is there a lot of fan fiction focused on the toilets in Atlantis?
Really? It's the showers, not the toilets, if you know what I mean. *wink*
I have to say though, from my observation, there seems to be a fascination with things domestic in the fandom. I mean seriously, they live in a city they can control with their minds (if they have the gene). How much of a telepathic interface is there with Atlantis? Because it would be pretty flippin' cool if my shower knew exactly what temperature to set itself at, and whether I wanted the shower massage setting or not. Heated floor for warm toesies? Dim the lights if it's been a rough day?
Yes, people really do wonder about these things. In part, I think, because it leads to pondering the deeper questions about how connected Sheppard and the other gene carriers are to Atlantis, and how sentient the city might be.
Had I seen nothing else of Miller's Crossing except the mess scene between Ronon and Walter, I still would have been happy.
So, the fact that the rest of it was so good too was just a bonus.
Give Martin a kiss from me, Joe.
Hi Joe,
Miller's Crossing was excellent! Truly a very angst filled episode. Martin can rest easy imho. Season 4 is truly turning out to be fantastic. Hard to believe there is only one more ep till the hiatus (blech). It's going to be a very long wait.
Kudos to all!
Arnise
Enjoyed Miller's Crossing. I was actually expecting the father to offer his dead daughter to the Wraith; I figured that what was going to happen was, since she had just died, her body would still be fresh enough for the Wraith to feed. But, the father offering his life works too.
Anyway, I have a production question; On average, what's the salary of any given main cast member and supporting actors per episode/season?
Best episode of the season. I loved "Miller's Crossing." The McKay/Sheppard scene was fabulous; Hewlett and the Flan really nailed it.
Ok, Miller's Crossing had me back on the edge of my seat.
The ending was definitely a look into the dark side of a character's soul.
Or was it really the light side of his soul ... as in being willing to sacrifice his own soul to save someone he cares for in his own way?
Which is, to me, means the writing was very good.
Congratulations to those responsible both for the words and for making it work on the screen.
I have direct TV (east coast) and didn't miss any of the episode? Although I was home about 15 minutes into the repeat from last week (Seer).
Question pertaining to ratings - why don't the direct TV ratings count? I heard that somewhere and wonder if it's true.
I thought the episode was really cool, but why did Ronan and John have identical "earth" outfits? That was a bit bizarre. The blue blazer, jeans and white shirt? Were the wardrobe folks on strike?
I didn't get the bingo joke that Walter was telling Ronan either. I'll have to rewatch it, but I loved Rodney's end line about being equal to Shep in looks :)
Still a fun episode. I like McKay's sister. Keep her in season 5 (although how come Rodney doesn't completely encrypt his email messages to his sister about top secret things??). Happy weekend!
Loved Miller's Crossing. I had chills when I saw the body bag. Good guy made a desperate choice to try to save his child and then gave his life to rectify his mistakes.
Thanks for making entertaining TV that makes me feel & think but without the heavy handed lecturing that some shows think their audiences need.
Simple solution. All you have to do is a come up with a plot that has Ford confronting the Genii in a bathroom on Atlantis. Or the Genii confronting Ford. Or maybe the 2 getting together and confronting Chuck (hey, he can be a hero, too!)
Looking forward to Miller's Crossing.
Wish I could see the latest Atlantis episodes. Not shown here in Australia at the moment. Stargate Sg1 just finished it's final episode here just last week. Sad to see it go but very much looking forward to the upcoming DVD movies. I hope they are realeased in Australia at the same time as the US.
Really enjoyed "Miller's Crossing" Loved the interplay between MacKay and sister. Wonder how Sheppard's act might be revisited in later episodes. Missed the women of Atlantis tho'
Also the SGC looked really bare and empty, weird not seeing the "regular" people there, except for Walter.
Also tattoo on Wraith's face did a flip in the montage scenes...
A few months ago you posted some production pics in your blog. A few of them included an "old make-up" Rodney. Naturally I thought this was going to appear in this episode when Rodney expressed his desire to be wraith fodder. Obviously it was not in this episode. Was the old-Mckay used for a different episode or was it for footage that was cut from this week's episode?
I also have a few questions for
Martin:
The TNT "lab" center console reminded me of a set piece from the original Star Trek. Was that used as inspiration for designing the "lab's" center console? Were there any ad-libs or new things done by David and Kate during the filming process?
Excellent episode Martin. Very emotional. I was tugged in many different directions both humorous and sad. I definitely walked away from the episode feeling very touched. Again, awesome job. Can't wait to watch the replay at 11.
Just finished watching Miller's Crossing, and...I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this episode. The teaser seemed a bit...forced. Ok, I know that circumstances had to be set up so that Jeanie could be kidnapped, but I thought it was a bit forced. McKay refuses to turn to the Wraith, who has the experience with replicator code, but blithely emails his sister? Yes, she's a genius, but she's starting the race years behind McKay. But ok, I'll accept it, because it does set up the main story nicely.
Good dialogue throughout, though the story unfolded about as I predicted through the first three acts. Enjoyed the acting, and the interplays between characters was enjoyable. When McKay appraoched Sheppard about sacrificing himself, the chemistry was terrific.
Then Sheppard showed exactly how ruthless he could be, and how far he will go for "his" people. That sent a bit of a chill down my spine. Kudos there. I was a bit suprised McKay took as long as he did to try and circumvent Sheppard's decision. Only to find out that Sheppard had already resolved the situation. I have to wonder what, if any, repurcussions this will have on Sheppard's career. Official report or not, its hard to believe his version is going to be accepted without question.
I still can't put my finger on why I can't just say "wow, another fantastic episode"(though it was).I do look forward to Mr. G's take on the episode though. And just one more week to the midseason finale. It's been a fun ride so far this season, and it looks like the rollercoaster is just about to go into overdrive.
Miller's Crossing = wow, Wow, WOW!!!!
Season 4 just gets better and better.
Question for you and/or Mr. Gero - were you nervous about the moral implications, or how it might affect perceptions of Sheppard? I've heard someone talk before (can't remember if it was you or not, sorry) that you have to "protect" the leading man's image. Just wondered what kind of discussions you had around the decisions in MC.
I LOVED it, though.
WB
Joe, Miller's Crossing was fantastic. We were riveted to the screen, and the Sheppard/McKay scenes at the end were perfect.
By the way, to anonymous...I have DirectTV and didn't miss any of the episode.
Living in the third world with an egg carton and a coat hanger for a television I haven't seen the episode yet, but rest assured the section of the internet I huddle in has ERUPTED in joyous glee over tonight's episode. So I'm thinking either its gone down incredibly well with the fans or there was a particularly compelling add for cleaning products that showed in the breaks.
Now I know why Chevy Chase gave up show business.
A couple of bad days, huh? Substance abuse and beating on the homeless normally cheers me up after a hard day.
Wow! Miller's Crossing was a great ep. A little humor, lots of tension, and a very nice Shepherd dark moment. I kinda felt like the guy should have picked up on it sooner. He had to be sucidal with what happened to his daughter, and everything else he threw into motion. A very painful way to die though. I thought it was a terrific episode, and I hope to see more like it.
Of course, anything with the Bobbsie twins is great. And Ronon in a suit. About as inconspicuous as Teal'c.
So I saw in the preview Weir is back next week. Should have the Weir fans jumping for joy.
Ya know, the Weir fanatics remind me a lot of the Sudanese demanding a teacher should die because the kids named a Teddy bear Mohammed. I see that name tons of times every day, but did a major FUBAR of the spelling.
I Tivoed and watched live. Not that it makes a difference. I hope you have a better day tomorrow.
Miller's Crossing was absolutely amazing. So far, my favorite episode of the entire series. Give Marty G. a big fat kiss from me. He deserves it!
Oh, Joe! Don't you know it's cruel to tease me so? I hear the word Daedalus during 'Miller's Crossing' and I think 'Finally, I'm going to get my Kirby Morrow fix!' Alas, no Daedalus in sight. Cruel. So, so cruel. You are a super-villian.
Aside from the sore lack of Kirby I really enjoyed tonight's episode!
I thought Miller's Crossing was dreadfully dull. I thought Culp gave a marginal performance at best, Kate Hewlett was better previously as well. The script was dry, melodramatic, and rather jumpy. The setup for how Mckay gets captured was totally unbelievable and terribly out of character for the SGC. Of course, screwing up is the norm for Barrett, so I guess it evens out.
Which brings me to my next point. I think Barrett was totally out of place and find it to be completely implausible that he's still in any sort of position after being so completely compromised. Speaking of which, I just loved how the guard wouldn't let Mckay into the lab without authorization. If only he'd have been working that day when Ba'al made everyone at the SGC, and Sam Carter especially, look like fools. If only.
Further, this season has been terrible with regards to any sort of equitable screen time for the characters. Wasn't that one of the things you were gonna address this year? Didn't you say that that was a priority of yours, now that you're finally "in charge". No Teyla? No Carter? No Keller? No Ronon? Yeah, I know, he was there. But he might as well have not been. Of course we then would have been robbed of that great stuff with Gary Jones. Oh noes! What would we have done then? I tell ya, between him and Peter Flemming you guys have got the buddy system covered in this episode. Can you guys not afford to pay everyone this year? Because after this one, Missing, and Travelers I'm having some suspicions.
Lastly, not having any character from SG-1 in this episode is inconceivable. Not even General Landy? Who's running the SGC when the Wraith walks through the door? Walter? You all need to let it go with that guy, because he lost whatever charm some folks saw in him long ago.
Hey, you asked what I thought. That's it. It won't bother me if you don't post it, though. If fact, I expect you won't. Prove me wrong.
Thoughts on Miller's Crossing.
I was impressed, Martin G has come a long way since “Childhood's End”.
I've always liked his McKay episodes, they're tight, nice character development and some cool humor and I often wished we got that type of development for the others. This episodes had a great amount of balance...the balance I felt has been absent in “Missing” and “Travelers”. You can have key character focused episode while keeping the “B” plot balanced.
Also big props for bringing Ronon to Earth and letting Jason and Joe burn the scene in those suits.
Eye candy aside this was another great episode showcasing Rodney's growth. It was his dumb move to go alone to find his sister and his poor choice of words with a semi-crazy, grieving dad that made him go for “extra leverage”. But he rose to the occasion doing anything to help his sister , including offering himself to the Wraith. His speech to the Wraith...just awesome, figuring out exactly what the Wraith would want to hear to do it.
See that scene was perfect. The gift of life was not cheapened like it was in Travelers. Loved how Sheppard pulled the CO card, even though you knew it was more than that...Sheppard can't lose another member of his team, of his family... not letting McKay sacrifice himself.... just great acting between Joe and David.
What impressed me the most was the character development between Sheppard and Rodney. I was shocked at the ending, how Sheppard convinced,/guilted the dad into giving himself up to the Wraith. Just awesome. I'm glad that we saw what Sheppard was willing to do to help Rodney and that neat bonus scene at the end, in Shep's quarters. Thanks for that growth between them, that we got more than just a McKay episode...this was a suspenseful episode that could have been cliched but was very nicely done.
So much love to Martin Gero for Miller's Crossing. I have to admit, I was hoping for more high peril - but a super-evil kidnapper would have made the superb ending impossible. Or, well ... pushed things from morally grey to murder, which wouldn't be in character, in this situation.
Made of win: Ronon and Walter. Rodney being willing to die for his sister. The scene between John and Rodney, discussing options for feeding the wraith. John. (He was used so well in this episode). And Kate Hewlett, all around.
I loved this episode on so many different levels -- both for the depth of character development, the lighter moments, the chemistry between the actors -- truly, flawless. I don't often buy television series on DVD, but this season has been so excellent, I am definitely adding it to my collection when it goes on sale in the distant future.
I just hope we get to see more of McKay's sister next season! Maybe for more than one episode...
Gary Jones would be nice, too. :-)
Wow. Miller's Crossing was amazing. Wonderfully suspenseful, with great twists and turns and lots of McKay! Two McKays! Sweet! They are so fabulous together.
And of course I was utterly delighted by that great angsty moment between John and Rodney. It was beautifully played.
I love when an ep can combine great, heartfelt character moments with action and suspense and humor. Truly AWESOME!
Sorry, but "Miller's Crossing" was a very good episode. Up until you had Shepard almost pure the dressing on Wallace. Bad guys got to die in Scifi shows, fine. I understand that. But they should be killed in a struggle, not allowed to commit suicide to pay for their error. There had to be another way, and to have a "good" character insinuating to another that their suicide would be the best option, without moral reprecussions is unthinkable. I like dark, and when characters make real mistakes, but to have them cross lines and not face consequences is wrong. If you had done it, and hinted that it was a mistake (have McKay or his sister get angry at Sheppard or something), I could tolerate it. But to end it with such a light, happy note was a bit of a waste.
But still the first part of the episode was good , and I like how McKay being kidnapped and forced to help his captors was compared to how the Atlantis people had put Todd in a similar position. So overall kudoos to Gero for coming up with some tough choices for the team to face, but boo to the execution.
Can Martin Gero write every episode, please? That was deliciously brilliant.
And to the whining anonymous: No SG-1 characters? I'm not sure how you figure that's "inconceivable" - THIS IS NOT SG-1. Also, I'm not sure who you thought was boring Ronan in the commissary. It certainly couldn't have been a popular recurring SG-1 character, could it?
LOVED Miller's Crossing. A great blend of character with just enough team support. Tell Mr. G that it's a hit with me!
"Miller's Crossing" was brilliant. Really.
I was expecting one thing and was given so much more. There was tons of humor, sarcasm and snark, balanced with astounding amounts of angst.
Rodney and John were so much more than they usually are, showing sides we had not really seen before. And the angsty conversation in the office was brilliantly scripted, performed and captured.
I was expecting the issue of the Wraith's feeding to come up eventually, but this was so much more than that. A fantastic job.
I also think Kate Hewlett did a wonderful job. The special Hewlett brand of sibling love is awesome.
A brilliant job was done by all!
Was there a reasoning behind brining the wraith to earth, it seems like a bad idea all around and couldn't they have accomplished the same thing staying in atlantis?
Originally posted by the teslan:
"Up until you had Shepard almost pure the dressing on Wallace."
Joe, I'm not sure, but I think this guy just said the same thing I did. You know, about all the shit. Either that or something way worse.
I loved it when Jeannie said, "you're no John Sheppard." & the McKay door part. I wonder if House & McKay would get along.
"Also, I'm not sure who you thought was boring Ronan in the commissary. It certainly couldn't have been a popular recurring SG-1 character, could it?"
No. It wasn't a popular SG-1 recurring character. That's what I was saying. Cripes, no wonder you people liked this dreck.
I can't stop squeeing!!!
Joe, I haven't forgotten that you told me to look to "Miller's Crossing" when i asked for some nice, angsty, non-humorous McShepness, and I am thrilled to report that it exceeded to my expectations!! (There was a pretty damn good one in "The Seer", too, so I'd been wondering how this one was going to be any better. That 2-week wait was a killer!) And I enjoyed the humourous bit at the very end, too.
Rodney's angsty talk with Todd was brilliant too! (Dying to see how you work out what they will do with him now, since letting him go is risky and they don't have more "bad guys" to feed him with. I will be very sad if he dies, though. Oh hell, you guys *are* gonna kill him, aren't you? *pout*)
Loved that Rodney was willing, however reluctantly, to feed himself to Todd (and that he even attempted to sneak past security to do it!)! Loved that John was so unwilling to lose Rodney that a) he refused Rodney's request even while it was obviously breaking his heart to basically tell Rodney he had to let his sister die, and b) that John even went so far as to guilt Wallace into being Wraith fodder instead!
Love the yo-yo storytelling with Sharon, the "She's alive! She'd dead! She's alive! She's dead!" I don't think I've seen anybody do that in a story before! (Superheroes don't count.)
I love that Wallace was so sympathetic, and loved the parallel between his asking Mckay for help and McKay's asking Todd.
Gero made all the characacterisation very plausible, too -- it made perfect sense why Rodney wasn't willing to help Wallace in the first place, for example. If the situation had been handled just a little differently, it could easily have come off as him being incredibly callous, but I don't feel that it did.
And while it was a bit shocking. John's willingness to give Wallace the opportunity to sacrifice himself to Todd made sense, character-wise, too, because I'm sure that, given the chance, John would willingly sacrifice himself to make up for having woken up the Wraith (even if it was totally an accident, and I don't think that he -- or any of the Earthers -- should be blamed for it). Some might call it murder, but I can see how John would only see it fitting that the man do it to make restitution for infecting Jeannie.
For that matter, I don't blame Rodney for Jeannie's kidnapping either (what, he should let the Replicators go on killing people because he can't email his sister? Like he was supposed to know her puter was being monitered?), so I was very happy that John told Wallace as much.
Loved how Rodney was assuring Caleb, being all determined and strong!
Loved all the little humorous Ronon moments, like his being tortured by Walter. :D (Disappointed that we didn't get to see Landry or Lee, though. Darn budget ....) Great to see Kate Hewlett again! (Please, please, please write her into the fifth season, too! I love A Dog's Breakfast, and would love any excuse to see her again!)
Okay, I gotta save something for my column! XD Big thumbs-up from me!
Would the Ancients have a sort of Roman baths setup through Atlantis.
Going with the "The teachers of roads. Romans were the first road builders" Roman mythology of course.
I'm not sure how I feel about the episode. I always love McKay's and his sister's banter!! The two getting lost in the hallway and then arguing was priceless... Some great moments between them and having Rodney ready to sacrifice himself was a great character moment! Sheppard not accepting it was another really good moment too!
The next part is what I am having trouble wrapping my brain around Sheppard making the guy feel guilty and talking him into killing himself in such a painful way ... seems way out of character for him. He talks about saving lives one week and then the next he is feeding the enemy.
I am enjoying this season very much!!! I even like this episode up until the end. I like how one episode generally ties into another. So I am hoping Sheppard doesn't get over what he did quickly, that there are some repercussions from it. Even if it's just himself trying to come to terms with it.
Ann
Barrett and McKay just decide to, or are allowed to, head out after the kidnappers alone? Nah! Weak, Martin! But I'm willing to suspend, um, whatever it is you suspend (I think the wine is getting to me), because the rest of it really worked. Geez, what IS it that you suspend??
Ronon's suit matching John's was hilarious. Um, that was intentional, right? Walter and Ronon in the mess--also hilarious! Walter would so NOT be intimidated by Ronon, and tell him boring stories.
If what's-his-name had volunteered to be Wraith-food, that would have been way too smarmy. But being guilted into it by Sheppard made it work. And Sheppard was so relentless about it--fabulous, just fabulous.
I was disappointed that Jeannie didn't smack McKay, not even once! What's the deal?
DISBELIEF! That's what you suspend, right? Going to bed now...
Oh, I had a conversation with a guy today on the merits of aluminum foil as a protection against laser beams directed at you from satellites. Not kidding. And I get paid for this. Hence the wine.
Miller's Crossing was fantastic. Props to Martin Gero! This episode has so many implications for the rest of the season. Was this episode written to further the story arcs, or was an original "McKay and his sister" idea modified to fit the arcs?
I loved this episode! The charachter interaction between Sheppard and McKay in this episode made it work for me. It reminded me a lot of Doppleganger when John thought Rodney had died when he's walking down the corridor. Jeannie getting injected with the nanites was something I totally didn't expect and was excited to see.
What I loved the most though was seeing the promised 'darker' sides to the charachters this season. Rodney willing to let a girl die whom he could potentially save, John 'presenting an opportunity' to a man with nothing to lose in order to save his best friends sister. And then saying it would be covered up in reports.
As it was Ronan's first time on earth I had hoped for more than a comment on clothing but since we've been told that he'll be on Earth again this season I hope to see more 'Ronan on Earth' moments then. Great Episode!
You know if you find out who's in charge of getting your life back, put in a good word for me because I've been trying to get mine back for a few months.
And LOoOoooOooved tonight's ep!! Just..wow.
Dad and I were conversing about the bedroom break in at the beginning and hearing weird noises at night. Countless times have I heard strange noises, gone to investigate, and there never is anything there. It got me thinking about how utterly shocked I would be if there was actually someone there! Much less a squad of jacked up ninjas with alien tech!
Always love to see Kate Hewlett on the show plus the additions of Agent Barrett and Harriman.
Basically I'm incredibly pleased with the whole episode. Development of characters' personal lives and of course, as I always say, the emotional impact.
Still love that wraith!
Joe, Sorry your had a couple of bad days! Dont worry christmas is coming, christmas is coming! Woohoo! Love christmas time! You can eat all the yummy food ya want!
Those picies of your pugs! Awww! How cute! Makes me want to say "cuddles"! When I say "cuddles" to my dog she lifts up her front legs & puts them on my lap!
Cathie
Excellent episode! It's always fun to see Rodney bounce off his relatives, and what a mess they're in this time!
Good scenes all around, Rodney and Kaleb, Rodney and Jeannie, John and Ronon, Rodney and John, and of course the beleaguered Henry Wallace. Steven Culp dies so well - that's why he was cast, right?
Kudos to Martin - I really enjoyed this episode.
Just saw Miller's Crossing and loved it. I must also say that I love that Elizabeth has been mentioned in the last couple episodes. It is so nice to have her still be kept alive in the series, if that makes sense. I am eagerly awaiting This Mortal Coil (with dread and fear, but the good type....if that makes sense)! I hope Elizabeth's character continues to be an integral part of Atlantis. Thanks again for a great show!
LOVED Miller's Crossing. The lighthearted moments were my favorite, I like it when they don't overide the storyline. Martin, that was FABULOUS. And John, OH John. It fits in perfectly with the character. He's a "good guy" but can go to extremes, especially for his "family". Makes him more human. And David and especially Joe rocked it out! Kate was awesome as well! I laughed at Rodney's non answer of the Katie question. I really, honestly think you guys are trying to hard on that front, no matter how cute she is. (I like the character, but not with Rodney- he'd roll right over her the minute he got cranky.)
But I have love for this episode, definitely.
Loved the episode tonight!
My best friend has never seen an episode of Stargate before and she agreed to watch tonight. She said she really enjoyed it and laughed at different moments between McKay and Jeanie. Now she is interested in seeing more episodes. Excellent job by all of the Stargate crew!
A big Thank You to Martin Gero for a wonderful episode!
Martin, how are you so awesome?
The chemistry between Hewlett and Flanigan is amazing. Those two consistently turn in knock-out performances and they act/work/play so wonderfully off of one another. I look forward to seeing them every week.
Kate Hewlett turned in another great performance---it was good to see her back and I hope to see her again!
Thanks Martin, for an excellent episode!
Wilson3Girl
So much for Shep laying down his life for his 'family'.
Miller's Crossing was amazing!! David and Kate Hewlett were fantastic. Excellent job to all involved! :)
Very emotional episode tonight in 'Miller's Crossing'. Loved the dark feel and the unsuspecting plot twists. You can only imagine the excitement I have for next week though!
Thanks for answering my question! And, alas, many of us would like to at least glimpse 'Lantean bathrooms and laundry rooms. I mean, they must be there... but we havn't seen them. Huge debate about this on the forums. I'd consider it.
Just another person who would love to see Martin Gero writing every episode for SGA. Miller's Crossing was fantastic and Sheppard's ethically dubious goading was so wonderfully dark. I feel like the show is really embracing a more mature approach and it's great to see.
I LOVED this episode. Meredith McKay is luv. Jeannie is luv. Radek, Shep and Ronon...you guessed it. They are luv too.
Okay...now in all seriousness...
I was fascinated by the obstacles our guys faced and how they responded to them. McKay shows once again that when push comes to shove, he really is not the selfish egomaniac he pretends to be. His willingness to sacrifice himself for his sister was extremely powerful...as was Shep's solution. He proves once again how important his team means to him as well as how he's able to make the tough calls when he has to *thinks back to his ordering McKay to throw the kill switch on Elizabeth in Lifeline*.
I've seen how what Shep did disgusts some folks but let's get beyond that initial reaction and consider the whole picture here.
They need Todd. Not only to save Jeannie, but also to continue working on the Asuran virus with McKay, thereby saving hundreds of thousands if not MILLIONS of lives. Like I said...they need Todd.
And the thing is...there is no pleasant alternative when talking about feeding a starving Wraith. The only way to save a Wraith is for someone to die.
Wallace recognized that Jeannie was dying and would die if he didn't give himself up willingly...and he didn't want that on his conscience. He wanted to make right what he made wrong and this absolved him in his own mind for the things that he did.
Tough, tough episode with some light-hearted beats:
Radek: I cannot sit here waiting for you to have an epiphany; I'm losing the will to live!
Jeannie: Nice detective work, Nancy Drew.
And of course WALTER!!! Man I was laughing so hard. Could you come up with a more perfectly opposite duo than Ronon and Walter? I think not. BINGO. *giggles*
Minor niggle...why didn't one of the scientists mention approaching Sam about the problem? She is a scientist after all...so why not suggest that they check with her for ideas? Or for one of them to say that since Carter was as baffled as McKay was that he should check in with his sister. Not a huge issue but I think it would have made sense for her to be mentioned in this context. Like I said...minor niggle.
I loved this episode (wait...I said that) and I hope we see LOTS more of Jeannie as the story calls for.
Two quick questions...
1. Would Martin be willing to answer fan questions?
2. Would Martin's wife mind terribly if I voice my undying luv for him and his genius writing?
Thank you and I can't wait for TMC!
Mary Beth :)
Absolutely loved Miller's Crossing. Ties with Tabula Rasa as my favorite SGA eps ever - though for different reasons.
Great job by both Hewletts and Flanigan. And Nykl's short piece was hilarious. Loved seeing McKay's relationship with his sister, the continued depth of his character, and another look at some of the dark/complex choices Sheppard makes. And all while still adding to the story arc of the season. Great writing, great work. I'll definitely buy the Season 4 DVD to hear David Hewlett's commentary on this episode.
If the Season keeps up like this you guys are going to have big shoes to fill for Season 5 - your own.
Joe Flanigan from Stargate Infanity came up with a good idea, to ask Marilyn Manson to come on the show and be a wraith.
I can just see him being some mutant 'anti albino' wraith with black hair instead of white and red eyes. He could have some weird power and is feared by the other wraiths. Feared so much he is pretty much a loner who wants to wreak havoc on the wraith for ousting him...
Sorry getting carried away there..
I know you don't use other ideas but I thought this one was a goodie :) Thanks Joe F for getting my imagination flowing.
Re- “Miller’s Crossing”: The teaser reminded me of an episode of House, with McKay just standing there looking at the whiteboard while his ducklings went on their way (in this case to get away from McKay and his lack of progress). Then we segue way into Jeannie’s kidnapping and--- I’m not sure. I felt like being taken hostage could have been played up more, or maybe my penchant for dramatic hostage scenes is coloured by American television/films. That being said, Kate Hewlett’s a terrific actress and I thought her character’s interactions both with McKay and Wallace were spot on.
Overall I thought this was a fantastic episode. My favourite scenes have to be McKay’s speech to the Wraith (and the Wraith’s yawn in response to McKay’s pleas), followed closely with McKay’s dialogue with Sheppard. I thought the ending was well done too. Oh, and that was masterfully done by both actors; Joe Flanigan and David Hewlett really brought their A game in that one. I also liked the fact that Sheppard (while willing to put his own life on the line to get out of a situation/help others) is not willing to let McKay do the same.
Was surprised that:
1. There was no mention of Teyla
2. Ronon didn’t punch (although mentally he might have) Walter
3. Everyone trusted Todd (before he fed and after) enough to let him free (sort-of)
4. McKay and Katie Brown have been “going out” for a year
About the Replicators/nannites: I’m not sure how everyone in the audience feels about the Replicators, but I’ve liked them since SG1. Yes, the Wraith are kind of the “big bad” on the block in the Pegasus Galaxy and used to be terrifying, but the Replicators are kind of like Skynet from Terminator.
Again, Mr. Gero really brought it home with this one, but what comic was Sheppard reading? (Batman? Issue number…?)
Dear Mr. Gero (If you do get to read this)
several questions:
1-)What do people say about medical enduced comas?
I know what they are but rodney said to his sister.."you are not the first one mention that they are weird".
2-)What comic book was sheppard reading at the end?
3-)Is Jeannie secret apple dumpling recipe something to brag about...why did you choose that in particular, do YOU have a secret apple dumpling recipe you want to share with us?
4-)Oh!!! love the bingo joke...how did that come to be?
I have to say I love the fact that you made it so we feel bad for the evil guy and understand his desperation, then you make us feel outrage when he infected Jeannie, then sad when his daughter died and then feel that what he did by becoming wraith food, was the least he could do to put things right...Bravo sir, bravo.
my only critic...to the wardrobe department...Wallace shirt....why? distracting, horrible and no self respecting millionare would wear that, like something that scaped a rodeo/circus tent, honestly.
My applause...to the the wardrobe department
for Sheppard and Ronon, International male model combo.
One more thing!!!
5-)Was the hotel scene filmed on of you offices?
The machine in the episode Tao of Rodney, and the way Beckett used Rodney's old bloodsample(?), could Beckett not be brought back the same way? They should have his DNA in the med.-lab
Your last couple of days sound a lot like what every day is for me in corporate America. You have my sympathies.
I'm still trying to order my thoughts about Miller's Crossing, but holy f***ing s**t kind of sums it up so far. Guess I'll have to stay up to watch the second airing.
It's a really great episode, with some truly outstanding moments. Since I do not know where you are taking the characters and show, I can only say I'm loving the journey. Tell Marty G. he can relax.
Why even bother having toilets at Atlantis... there's miles of ocean! Just hang your (__I__) over the edge :P
I loved the character aspects of Miller's Crossing. Kate, David, and Joe did a fabulous job with all their scenes, and Steven Culp was great too. The McKay/Jeannie and McKay/Sheppard scenes were amazing.
But I have to say in terms of the techy and plot logic side, it was sort of weak, to be honest. First, no way would Jeannie be allowed to read email from Atlantis at home, even if the email were encrypted. She'd have to go to a secure facility. And, was that wireless?? Second, McKay and Barrett going alone to that house when we already saw there were lots of personnel assigned to the case was silly. Third, why would it take modifying 3000 lines of code to turn on the nanite replication? Unless it's the worst code ever, it should be a one-line switch! And while we're at it, what programming language is the code written in that the Asurans, Wraith, Rodney and Jeannie all understand well enough to hack it like maniacs? Just try getting Fortran and Java programmers to work together. :P
Yeah, I know I should just ignore all that stuff, and I know Martin G is ambivalent about writing the techy bits, but... it sort of threw me.
I'll re-watch it for the character development and friendship moments for sure.
Hi Joe! Great Episode! Good job to all involved. But, one thing bothered me. Why was McKay sending classified info to his sister's home computer! Talk about security breach! Although that does explain how Steven Culp's character knew everything about the Stargate program...
Loved Steven Culp, great bit of casting there. Can't wait for next week.
I agree with thornyrose about the kidnap scene (along with a few other plot devices, imo) being fairly implausible. Given M. Gero's talent, I figured that if there'd been more time, the main storyline could've been set up more credibly. Also, I agree that developments for approx. the first three acts were somewhat predictable. (If I've misinterpreted any of thornyrose's remarks, apologies.)
Still, the final part was worth what seemed to me sporadic weakness in plot and dialogue up till then. Kudos to the actor who plays "Todd"; I thought he was excellent, and loved what was written for him. And, I'll be very glad to have on DVD the scenes in which Sheppard pulled rank on McKay, then "presented the scenario" to the bereaved father, and used a little mild coercion on a more-or-less willing McKay to accept all that as a good and logical solution/explanation - since it very definitely was in the grey area of morality. Dark grey. To me that seemed like a *very* well-written, well-played sequence of what leaders sometimes have to do in situations that haven't turned out as they should, especially those that concern their comrades.
At the end, despite some early misgivings, I was very happy with a tight, effective script where it mattered the most; John, Rodney's, Jeanie's, and Todd's characterizations; and a storyline that left me thinking about areas that fall between right and wrong - as well as possible implications for the future after what happened in this episode.
AN: I was glad to see Zelenka, even if only for a short time. He's a wonderful character.
PS: I thought the writing about the replicators was fascinating. The fate of the daughter with ALL seemed quite grim, but not without hope - more grey areas re. nanites, more possibilities re. nanites, more to think about - very relevant right now and for years to come, without being at all preachy.
Hi, Joe! Happy first day of December! Wow, this year has flown by fast...
"Miller's Crossing" -- wow!
Absolutely terrific, fantastic, excellent, stunning, three hankie episode. Joe Flanigan goodness gracious, he's just...just the FLAN! David Hewlett ROCKED!
Both John Sheppard and Rodney McKay were enthralling to watch, and to listen to...they were just mesmerizing.
Oh, yeah, I LOVED this episode!
Season Four is magnificent.
To everyone at Stargate Atlantis - THANK YOU for all your hard work.
Best wishes, Morjana
Nancy Drew - LOL!
So does your comment about not have any Ford, Genii, or toilet stories mean you guys are not sticking with the genii story?
Wonderful episode. Really loving the season so far. The scene between McKay and Sheppard was excellent. David H. and Joe F. just brought it to life. Very powerful. Thank you. Love Kate H. Good to see McKay's sister again. Hope you bring her back again next season. Oh, and please, please, don't have McKay marry Katie Brown! Let's so not go there.
Question for M. Gero: Was there a scene cut from the episode that you really wished you had time to keep in? Or a scene shortened?
Joe:
I finally got to read your:
why kids are fun:
http://josephmallozzi.blogspot.com/2006/12/december-26-2006.html
blog.
And I just Can't wait for my brother's son to grow up enough to try this on him, he is just a baby now but I know he will grow in to the little monster his parent will raise him to be (crosses fingers)
I'll wait eagerly for xmas with the noisiest toy I can find, thanks for all your wonderfull ideas.
Wow, I really enjoyed this episode. I liked that it was earth-based, a little change of pace from most episodes. It seemed kind of separate from other episodes, but then it was about Replicator nanites and a Wraith came along so there was no mistaking it was an SGA ep.
I missed Teyla, was the lack of her pregnancy related (for her character or Rachel) or just because there were already a lot of characters running around and she wouldn't have necessarily contributed much?
Yowza on the suits. That's what they had for civies lying around SGC? Not that I'm complaining at all, I'm all for more Earth clothes (though I'm hearing a lot of people complain about McKay's pants in the beginning. I didn't notice them myself but I'm sure they'll show up in screen caps somewhere).
As much as I love Jeannie/Kate (love love love her. Please bring her back for more, the sibling stuff is just golden), the episode really got good towards the end after she was out of it. Really great scene between McKay and Sheppard about sacrificing. And when Sheppard went to talk the guy into dying I couldn't believe it! I was chanting to myself that he couldn't possibly be doing that, it's just soooo wrong, but I don't think it's at all out of character for him and I had been wondering how they were going to feed their guest. He definitely has a darker side that's generally not seen but he doesn't seem afraid to use it when necessary. I'm not entirely convinced the kidnapper guy was actually willing to die. He didn't seem to be picking up the hints Sheppard was dropping... But maybe I'm trying to make Sheppard too dark.
I liked how the situations kind of repeated themselves. First, the kidnapper is begging McKay for a life to be saved, then McKay is begging the Wraith (who to me looked more hungry/sickly than unwilling to help), then Sheppard convincing the kidnapper. All came full circle there.
Also with the willingness to sacrifice for a loved one. The kidnapper is willing to throw away his freedom for his daughter's life, McKay is willing to trade his life for his sister's, Sheppard is kind of trading his soul to guilt the guy into feeding the wraith, and then the guy actually dying to undo what he did. Really very nice.
Another thing I like is the time references that seem to be getting thrown in. Maybe they've always been there and I didn't notice (another excuse to break out the DVDs after finals), but in the last two eps at least it seems like the passage of time has been specifically noted like the 3 month review or it being a few weeks since the wraith ate. In the past I've found myself a little confused about how much time was passing in eps and between them.
This is my first time posting here, sorry it's a bit long. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season! Keep up the great writing (for next season I suppose since this one is already done)!
I'm not even sure where to start with the all flowery (but genuine) compliments on "Miller's Crossing."
The entire SGA cast is fantastic, but David Hewlett's talent blows my mind episode after episode. His chemistry with Kate and Joe was perfect. All sorts of kudos to Mr. Gero for creating amazing character moments for those three actors.
And speaking of character moments, loved seeing Rodney's growth as a person front and center in this episode. There was so much heart in "Miller's Crossing." It was great to see how much McKay's relationship with his sister has improved, that he's "Uncle Mer" to his little niece and has a good relationship with Caleb . . . and of course there was the genuine, heartfelt thanks to Sheppard at the end.
And I don't know how the situation with Todd can turn out well for all involved, but I have my fingers crossed that this Wraith will stay a "good guy" (as much as a Wraith can be a good guy) and won't betray the Atlantis team. It was telling that the work on the virus is so important to Todd that he passed out from hunger when he was in a room filled with humans. Granted, Todd would have been shot if he'd made a move to feed on anyone, but I'm assuming that his hunger made resisting the urge to feed a pretty herculean effort.
My question for you is: are there any plans to have Ronon grow beyond his role as the team "muscle?" Ronon did make a comment in the S3 finale about how he needed to learn some science because he's not much help in situations that don't involve shooting something. The character doesn't strike me as being unintelligent and I'd be interested in seeing his character slowly contribute more and more to the team's scientific discussions. The Ronon "call me when you've got something to shoot" moments were the only moments in "Miller's Crossing" that I didn't completely enjoy.
Thanks for all the time and effort you put into this blog!
Hello Joseph =)
sa va bien jespert.
oh, moi j'adore votre métier! je le trouve trés intéressant!
Aie, cette nuit j'ai mal dormie, le docteur m'avais fait un vaccin a chaque bras...et sa était trés difficile pour trouver la bonne position pour dormir, car j'avais mal au 2 bras.
Moi aussi je fais pareil quand il y'a des restes au restaurant, je prend pour mon chien. Mais en général mon pére mange tout les restes de ma mére et moi XD lol
Ce soir, l'épisode 7 et 8 de la saison 10 de sg1 sera diffuser sur M6.
Je suis vraiment trés impatiente de les voirs=D
Ouii!!!!moi aussi je suis fan des toilettes d'atlantis lol!
Ofaite j'ai une question:
Si il n'y a pas prise pour brancher les chose éléctrique sur atlantis, comment marche t"il?
Voila merci =) Gros Kisouu!! je vous love!!! a ce soir je pense! Bonne journée!
ps: oula!! trés bientot les 750000 visites!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
As everyone else did I loved Miller's Crossing this was best episode of the season so far. The team interactions were great - though I missed Teyla not sure why she was missing it would be really interesting to see her perspective on all of this. I had two questions after watching this though one directly related to the episode and one not
1) Are we supposed to like Jeannie or not? because she was really compassionate except when it came to her own brother. She told Rodney this was his fault and it is clearly not his fault at all to even say that, especially since he is blaming himself is so unbelievably mean for a sibling I was stunned.
2) Why is MGM fixated on scifi channel ratings? SGA is such a perfect business opportunity to explore new media distribution methods that it would be worth running a loss just to get the information on how it does on amazon and itunes. - Why yes I am an MBA ;)
Cute dogs! :)
We always see that in Atlantis city there is service of catering but I believe that would be fantastic to see the kitchen of Atlantis, and how the cooks cook there.
Excuse me but, the Ancients what ate?
Joe, I congratulate you because in Stargate series we can see the people eat, I think generally there are few movies, tv shows... to see the people eat!
And I like it! :)
Re: Miller's Crossing - Oh, wow. Just, wow. You guys are brilliant. Thank you for giving us EVERYTHING that we could ever possibly want, especially showing us that Sheppard will cross into the morally gray area for someone he loves and cares about. (THE MCKAY/SHEPPARD JUST KILLED ME. SO AMAZING!)
You guys are fantastic for not pulling any punches. Just, so much love.
After the episode ended I spent a lot of time just wondering if that really happened, if I really saw everything I could possibly want in an episode happened. Just, yes.
Great job!
Miller's Crossing was a good episode generally speaking, but a great episode emotionally speaking.
Congrats to M. Gero for writing such a great Rodney centric episode. The character growth was something I had been looking for in previous episodes and was finally done here to what I consider Rodney's best line...him loving his sister.
The plot of the episode was very well done, except the mess hall walter/ronon joke which had not the intensity of the rest of the episode.
Many awesome scenes: Rodney/Jeannie, Rodney/Todd the Wraith, Rodney/ Sheppard.
The great emotional scene with Rodney volunteering to be the Wraith food source to save Jeannie was perfect. Great acting from both David and Joe.
However, the next scene is a bit of a controversy on the GW forum and for me too. I didn't like Sheppard talking Wallace into a suicide by Wraith feed as I call it.
I obviously didn't want Rodney to be wraith food but what Sheppard did with the pictures of the Millers and the talk was a mind manipulation and that's just wrong.
We know that Sheppard has a dark side but I just felt is was evil of him to talk someone into comitting suicide even if it was to save Rodney.
So... my question to Martin is: Why did you choose that solution? Was is the easy one or you wanted to have this bit of controversy? (like a battlestar galactica episode!)
It was good to have Rodney talk to Sheppard about his action but I still think that Rodney should have not thanked Sheppard so quickly.
Thanks for the great storyline!
Hey Joe, I just rewatched Season 8's Threads. And even now after so long I am still blown away by it, what a great way to tie up the Goa'uld/Replicator stories.
ANYWAYS the Sam/Jack shipping in this episode is so strong that I find it impossible to believe that they did not get together after the events of the episode. What's your take on this? Did Sam and Jack get together? Are they together even with her being in command of Atlantis? And do/will the movies and future episodes/seasons of Atlantis provide any more Sam/Jack ship?
-Ben
Great episode!
Did you ever consider allowing the wraith to feed on Jeannie? Maybe using the nanites to heal her?
PG15 posted the following on Gateworld - "Darn; now that Carl Binder's on strike, we won't get that stick-fighting, toilet 3-parter in Season 5!" - surely, there's still a chance we'd get it in the second half of the season?!
I don't think I coudl keep on watching Atlantis if it won't happen at all.
I *heart* Rodney, so no need to ask whether I liked this ep. I especially enjoyed the contrast in how each character asked for help: Rodney, Wallace, Jeannie, and Sheppard(!). Were those parallels intentional or an accidental byproduct of the writing process? Either way, very nice characterization. Cookie for you.
If you or Marty G will be doing a post-ep commentary, it'd be AWESOME if any of these questions were answered.
1. After this, how does McKay's perception of Sheppard change? More gratitude? Respect? Trust? OMG PSYCHO!?
2. Does Sheppard actually believe that all he did was "presented the situation"?
3. Would he have talked Wallace into saving Jeannie if McKay hadn't offered his own life?
4. Who did Hewlett piss off to get saddled with those pants?
Hope next week will be better. I blame it on the weather. When it's cold enough that I can't go barefoot in my own house, there can be no good in the world. Toesies just want to be free!
So if the change at the end of Continuum is nothing to write home (or blog) about, what about the Sam/Jack ship potential...? Can you throw us a bone, Alternate Timeline or otherwise...?
And speaking of S/J and bones... Is there any chance the dialogue from the cut scene in Trio will make its way to your blog after the ep airs? I'd quite happily pay you in chocolate! (Thorntons choccie from the UK is a must.)
I loved "Miller's Crossing"!!
Best Episode Ever!
Writting was excellent, you can tell Martin G that from me!!
David and Joe's acting WOW and OMG spring to mind!
And Kate! My god! She has become my new favorite actress!!
And you Joseph Mallozzi are 'A Golden God!' (To quote "Almost Famous"!)
bonjour
Pourquoi vous repondez pas au question que je pose sur daniel et vala? A moins que vous vouliez cacher un enorme spoiler qui pourrer decevoir ou rendre heureux les telespectateurs ?
Anonymous said...
I thought Miller's Crossing was dreadfully dull. .... (etc, etc, cut because it was tremendously long and just plain nasty.
Dear Anonymous,
You are a wanker. There's having a negative opinion, and then there's being a bitch. Guess which one is you. Get over yourself.
signed,
Me.
I, by the way, was quite taken by the episode. I found it really strange for the whole thing (almost) to be on Earth. Atlantis is so different, it felt really odd for those characters to be in an ordinary environment. I loved seeing Gary Jones there. For someone who's never watched SG1, I do love that guy a lot. The John/Rodney stuff around getting dinner for the wraith - ARGH! So intense! Just .... ARGH!
However, I must make note of two quibbles: 1) WTF was with Rodney's pants??? They looked like the spawn of some unnatural mating between jeans and sweatpants. Ew. And 2) Why is Jeannie so horrible to Rodney??? She's way meaner than I'd ever be to a sibling. Seriously, with the put-downs and the still calling him Meredith? It's just a little too mean to be funny.
Anyway, now that I've gone on as long as my dear anonymous (yet less toxically), I'm off to bed. Night!
Hey, Joe!!
Great ep tonight!! Loved the story... kept me wondering if Jenni was really going to die. The DARK side.. never would have dreamed it.. different!! Loved it!! Missed Carter.. thought she would have did a great job in this one!! McKay showed out.. wanting to give his life for his sister, so not Mckay, but nice to see true feelings for his sister. Loved it all!!
Hi joe... can you tell me, why on earth, we will never see a bed scene between Sam and Jack... while we saw a bed scene with Sam and Pete and another one with Jack and Ms. Johnson!!! It's SO UNFAIR!!!!!
Because they don't want to have viewers all over the world tossing their cookies in their living rooms?
good grief your job sounds very much like the committees that run our local vilage hall, the committee forms a sub committee which then proceeds to form even subber committees and the end result is always the same absolutely NOTHING gets sorted. So much for democracy and rule by consensus LOL.
I hope they are realeased in Australia at the same time as the US.
Obviously, you haven't heard of this nifty thing called amazon.com then...?
Martin Gero is a genius (not to beef up his ego, but it's deserved praise:)
I had some thoughts about what this episode might entail. Small thoughts before it came on (with all the tantalizing promises from Joe M about the angsty McShep and the being blinded in the promo shots over the travesty that was McKay's pants;) There is no way I could have even come close to thinking up the awesomeness that this episode presented. HUGE HUGE LOVE.
From the beginning with the quirkiness of Zelenka ("I'm losing the will to live") and the McKay sibling banter (the Hewletts are amazing together) I was loving this episode, but then...THEN!
We were promised McShep angst and we got it in a huge way. The moral ambiguity of John Sheppard constantly amazes me. I like the selective use of John's first name because Rodney's only done it in canon twice and both times it was used in a moment of high emotion when he's trying to convince Sheppard of something he knows John won't readily agree to. Perfect time to use it. Also, Joe Flanigan deserves accolades for that performance because he can create so much emotion in just two words ("I can't") and he plays dirty, but he does it for a really good reason. Just...amazing.
Some questions--
1. Giving Jeannie epilepsy was a very smart choice. How did that come about?
2. Were there any particular scenes that played out differently in interpretation than was originally scripted?
3. I think I remember that the episode had to be cut because it was running long? What was some of the stuff that couldn't make it?
4. I commend you for the evolution of Jeannie and Rodney's relationship. In the past year, what strides has Rodney made to let them reach this point?
5. I'm guessing Jeannie helps out Rodney on an unofficial basis or does she have an official connection to the expedition or SGC?
This is my first time commenting, but I have been reading your blog since March on a daily basis. I really liked the storyline of Miller's Crossing. I also like the character of the Wraith. The twists and turns were great! Thanks for all the info on SG1 and Atlantis as well as chocolate. I am learning a lot about different dishes too!
Miller's Crossing was amazing. Completely, completely amazing. I absolutely love where the story went, and I love where Sheppard went. I love that there were no good choices to make, and that there was no miracle to save them from having to make a choice at the end. I love that Rodney was willing to sacrifice himself for his sister, and I love the way Flanigan showed so much of what was going on in Sheppard's head. Kate Hewlett was fantastic, and. Just. Holy crap, that was an amazing episode.
Can I ask, will there be fall-out of some kind from the choice Sheppard made? Or follow-up of some kind? Other reactions from the people around him, or will this somehow play into his interactions or his relationship with Wraith in the future? I'm deadly curious, though also completely willing to wait and see.
And, a question specifically for Martin Gero: ...okay, no, I can't come up with a question. All I can come up with is: holy cow, dude, you rock! You let your hero take a really dark turn, a very, very believable dark turn, and I'm just. In awe.
Tanya said...
Hi joe... can you tell me, why on earth, we will never see a bed scene between Sam and Jack... while we saw a bed scene with Sam and Pete and another one with Jack and Ms. Johnson!!! It's SO UNFAIR!!!!!
Two words. Air. Force.
The better question is why haven't we seen a 'bed scene' between Daniel and Jack.
Two words. No. Guts.
Miller's Crossing = old Gabriel Byrne movie & current terrific, excellent, great SGA episode!! Kudos Martin, VERY pleased. Hewletts fantastic as always. The only disappointment is that Teyla was missing from the "team" rescue, can only conclude she was too sick to 'gate because she would absolutely have been wanting to find Rodney too. Our Wraith friend questions answered, plenty of suspense & plot twist, BRAVE McKay and Sheppard the "Storm & Eye" leader I like to see him be- heavy is the burden of command and the choices that must be made- and made quickly because he knew Rodney was going to defy his order because John would've done the same thing. I don't blame Sheppard for the father's death, in the "eye-for-an-eye" mentality I considered it fair payment for his "crime" when it would save Jeannie AND Rodney and yes being one I understand the desperation of a parent and why he did the terrible thing he did to Jeannie to try to save his kid. This episode was very emotional = again super writing & acting. PS I kept yelling at the screen in the Ronon/Walter scene "Ronon's gonna shoot you!" DD
"Out of curiosity, is there a lot of fan fiction focused on the toilets in Atlantis? I get the feeling the answer is yes."
You've got the right feeling. Because all the Atlantis members seems to be quite clean (their hair and all that), so we just HAVE to wonder how ancient hygiene facilities work... Not necesarily the toilets, but the whole bathroom ! Do they have showers ?
I mean, it's not vitally important for the show, but for the fanfictions writers, it is ! I mean, if you want to write for instance 24 hours of the life of your fave character, you have to wash him somehow... Unless you want to describe a very smelly character.
And think about all the porn writers ! I mean, a SciFi geek has the right to write and read some slashy porn about his fave series sometimes, and it's very unhygienic to not even mention the shower after the intercourse... It may sound incredibly silly, but for those who don't have any life, like me, writing slash fiction is the only hobby we have ! And we have to invent plexiglas showers, and take the risk to be mistaken if, one day, you introduce a different shower in the show ! And nobody will ever take us seriously after that... Seriously, Mr. Mallozzi, superhero without hygiene is an incredibly bad exemple for the kids. And the slash writers.
PS : I'm joking, I don't mind plexiglas showers. But as a slash (sometimes porn slash) writer, I've been confronted to this problem many times...
It was different to get an Earth based Atlantis episode, but not a bad thing and it's good to have that difference. I thought Sheppard filled in the role there very well. Ronan on Earth yeah maybe not a productive thing but still good to have him there and to see what he's like in Earths culture, we know he's been there before in Sunday but we didn't get to see him there, and I think Sheppard needed someone other then Barrett to talk to, someone he did rely on and trust.
The ending with Sheppard basically feeding the guy to the Wraith, I liked it. I thought it was good, it was dark but then again it's not just all happy in worlds like these and the fact is you are presented with choices like this and it's good to see them taking that difficult decision and not taking the easy way out. I wouldn't believe the guy simply sacraficing himself for Mckays sister, so I think the way it was handled was good, and it was a good thing to be there
And again while we're on that guy it was also good to see him not just being an evil bad guy but just someone looking out for their family, they have good reasons for doing what they were doing, which weren't cheapened by episodes end.
The overall theme of this episode about family and what they would do for each other (also reflecting on what Sheppard would do for Mckay being a kind of 'family' in his mind) was strong and it was good having most peoples dilemas about their family ties being reproduced for other characters later on (such as the guys willingness to go to prison to save his daughter which Mckay didn't understand, and then putting him in that situation at the end being willing to sacrafice himself to the Wraith if it came down to it for his sister) and it was good, I think you can tell most of the writers have kids themselves based on how it was handled and written tbh.
Overall I liked it. A good episode that presented new angles on situations and didn't stray away from what made it stand out and quite strong. Probably an 8/10 for me.
Also while I'm here, there is one thing I've been curious about for a couple of weeks now. Was the decision to not reveal Teyla's pregnancy at the end of Missing something that was written before hand or was it filmed and then chosen in post production that it would be good to cut where they did?
OMG!!!! Please tell Martin G. that Miller's Crossing ROCKED!!!
I almost died when McKay had to explain CSIS to John. I had to rewind and watch that scene again. That was beautiful. Speaking of beautiful, Ronan looked amazing in his new earth clothes. : )
Then Jeannie saying McKay was no John Sheppard. LOL!!!!!
Of course McKay telling Sheppard he wanted the wraith to feed on him and John telling him no and then convincing the guy who kidnapped them to sacrifice himself made me all teary eyed. That was just intense acting and brillant writing.
You have to have Jeannie back in S5!!!!!!!
I do hope that we get to see a lot more of Kate Hewlett on SGA. She's wonderful!
Miller's Crossing was an awesome episode. Loved it from beginning to end.
I LOVED Millers Crossing!
It has leaped to the front of my most loved episodes!
It had the perfect mix of humour and drama (as is stargates specialty) and I just overall loved the storyline ^^
You guys did good! Props!
When you go to a restaurant, do you ever feel sorry for the waitstaff? Only I had to work last night, and let me tell you... running around with a water pitcher is not half as easy as it seems! Especially when there are people who have been sitting there talking for two hours past when you were supposed to leave, and haven't ordered or eaten anything for the past fourty-five minutes!!
Sorry about that. My feet are still throbbing.
If I could somehow package up and send my utter GLEE over Millers Crossing, I would. Unfortunately, I can only sit here and flail incoherently.
Ps - STEVEN CULP. If I knew the internet-savvy trick to making those little heart pictures show up, I would put quite a few here.
Miller's Crossing. Wow. Pleased to say that, despite knowing the general basics of the plot (Jeannie's abduction, Wallace's sick daughter, Rodney's abduction etc) the way this story played out was not at all what I was expecting. Lots of twists and turns and developments that I didn't see coming.
The rescue came a lot quicker than I expected and I absolutely didn't foresee that the focus of the episode would end up being much more about saving Jeannie than about the capture and the situation with Wallace's daughter.
I have to say, I loved the way it played out. McKay's decision to sacrifice himself, Sheppard pulling rank and refusing to allow it, and Sheppard taking matters into his own hands with Wallace. That's really quite dark. "Presented the options" or not, he did effectively do what McKay said - he talked Wallace into it. Wow. Just... wow.
Season 4 just keeps on getting better and better. Am enjoying these stories so much.
I admit though that after all the twists and turns of the plot - and the progression of Sharon's condition etc - I was on tenterhooks during that final conversation between Jeannie and Rodney, waiting for her to drop dead! :lol:
So.. did you say that Martin was going to do a guest-spot Q&A for this ep? If so, here's a coupla questions for the Gero-meister:
Ronon's comment of "sweet!" in this episode made me laugh as, having seen him at a convention recently, it seems a very "Jason" thing to say. Do you find that as time goes on your naturally write more of the actor's personality/mannerisms into the characters? Or was this a case of Jason ad-libbing/amending Ronon's line?
The intimation in this episode seemed to be that Jeannie is smarter than Rodney - she having a better grasp on the nanite problem etc, he turning to her for help when stuck. What's your thoughts? Is Jeannie smarter or is it that she and her brother complement each other and work well together and therefore the sum is greater than the two parts, as it were?
I loved the darkness of Sheppard's actions in this episode. And the fact that McKay tried to talk about that with Sheppard. D'you foresee any repercussions for Sheppard and/or his relationship with McKay? Not in terms of formal repercussions from e.g. the SGC but in terms of dealing with the personal consequences of that action.
P.S. Loved the ep - big thanks to all involved! :D
Gah! I haven't seen Miller's Crossing because I was out and my @#$%@#$#$% DVR recorded nothing but black screen. I HATE Time Warner. This is the third time this season they've done this to atlantis. Never happens for any other show. Hope SciFi plans on doing a rerun next week before the new episode airs.
I think the fascination with toilets comes from the discovery that the plans for the original starship Enterprise did not include any toilets (or so I've heard). That has always bothered me, and I think I'm not alone.
And yes, there are fanfics revolving around toilets: having to find the toilets on Atlantis when they first come through, fixing plumbing problems; I'd give you links, but you aren't allowed to read them, right? (No, none of these stories are mine.)
Since Marty G. wants comments, here are a few thoughts (in brief):
Whoever was in charge of security for Jeannie's computer should lose his or her job. It's not Rodney's responsibility; it's not Jeannie's. That should have been a secure computer on a secure connection.
The scenes where John persuades Wallace to do what he does, and the scenes afterwards with Rodney, are very powerful.
I understand you want a darker feel for Atlantis than for SG-1, but I had hoped for a bit more happiness and humor in an episode with Jeannie. I hope she'll be back in a more cheerful episode!
So now Sheppard isn't much better than the people who put prisoners on the island for the Wraith in Condemned? I know that at least Wallace was guilty of some things so what is next? Getting Death Row prisoners for Todd? I think the Moral Compass for the show is spinning out of control or at minimum on the preverbial slippery slope. AT LEAST there has to be reprecussions for Sheppard? Oh that's right, can't touch the GOLDEN boy of the series. *sigh*
Too bad because the rest of the episode was pretty good. Not as good as Doppelganger or Tabula Rasa but not as bad as Travelers of the episodes so far this season.
Best to worst so far:
Doppelganger
Tabula Rasa
The Seer
Reunion
Lifeline
Adrift
Miller's Crossing
Missing
...
...
Travelers (Had great potential too, but ultimately failed in my opinion.)
FANTABULOUS! Miller's Crossing was a home run, IMO. DH, JF & KH put in marvelous performances! Joe just has a knack for delivering the "unspoken dialogue" with his eyes, giving what John DOES say that much more punch. Adore the real-life sibling chemistry between David and Kate translating over into Rodney/Jeannie. :)
Kudos to Martin G. & the cast for hittin' one out of the park, so to speak. :D
Hi Mr. M.,
Returned to lurking for a while, but after watching last night's ep, I just wanted to say that I thought "Miller's Crossing" was another great S4 ep. I really think we're being spoiled thus far this season :)
What worked:
--Opening: Radek losing the will to live and the scientists scurrying away. Hilarious.
--As always, the banter between McKay and his sister. Rodney would probably never admit it, but they're two halves of the same coin, and considering they're almost polar opposites, they balance well when together and temper each other. The episode needed Jeannie's empathy as a mother to work, and it definitely came through. Overall, the two of them are just great fun to watch. If there's ever a chance, I would definitely love to see more of KH.
--The scene were Sheppard is trying to get Wallace to "volunteer" to become dinner for the Wraith. This has been quite an emotional season thus far for Sheppard, and it's really interesting to see this darker side of his personality come out. The refreshing thing, though, is the way JF plays the scene at the end, with that look of "please don't praise me for this," you can tell what Sheppard did isn't sitting quite right inside -- he's responsible for losing yet one more person to the Wraith. I'm looking forward to seeing what (if any) are the reprecussions of all this "stress," if you will, later on.
-- Ronon and Walter. I still chuckle thinking about that scene.
-- Scene with Sheppard and McKay where McKay volunteers to be fed on and Sheppard says "no." Again, another side to Rodney, seeing that he actually explicitly cares about someone enough to make such a sacrifice.
-- McKay's impassioned speech to the Wraith. Hopefully we'll learn some of those answers about Wraith families later on.
-- Final scene with Sheppard and McKay; Rodney is unable to come up with something to say to John's little revelation and says let's get food. Such a Rodney thing to do, loved it. Again, though, that's a whole other side to Sheppard he's seeing, and I'm curious to how he'll deal with being at least partially responsible for the measure John took to save his sister.
-- I also like how Atlantis and Co. are getting themselves deeper and deeper in with Todd. Now he knows about Atlantis, about Earth. At this point, he's much more dangerous than even Michael,and they're in serious trouble if Todd ever gets away....
On the other side, the one thing that just didn't sit right was McKay being able to email the code to his sister. I'm assuming something like this would be classified, and we're talking about her personal and obviously unprotected PC. Seems like a serious security breach -- if that's the case.
Also would have thought Ronon would be a little more surprised with that he saw on Earth despite his usual stoic personality. If I remember correctly, he hasn't been to the SGC before right?
Anyhoo, considering those last two items didn't hit me until after the show had ended, can't say they were huge negatives by any means.
One question,though: what was Sheppard reading at the end?
I know this sounds like a broken record, but thanks again for another great evening of Atlantis.
Best,
Jenny
Loved the show.
The climax was a bit dark. It's quite the conundrum, having a live Wraith, bringing it to Earth, and then having to feed it somehow. It was a fitting end, no doubt. A step in a direction that I don't care for, but hey, it's fiction, right? Right? RIGHT????
The thing about bathrooms has been going on since TOS.
You're just not pushing the edge like JMS! He showed Sinclair and Garibaldi in a unisex john, and even got away showing an alien penis.
Anonymous #2 writes: “Yeah I would have written more intelligent dialogue and better plot devices that stayed true to established canon and not thrown the canon out the door…”
Answer: Bless your heart. You remind me of my sister-in-law who once said: “You have the best job in the world. You just sit around all day, making stuff up.” Yep, our job’s are that easy. So easy, in fact, that even someone like you could do it. Maybe I’ll come over to your office and work accounts receivable for you. Let me know when’s good for you. I’ll make sure to pack my abacus.
Hmm, looks back at previous posts...
Nope, can't find anywhere where I said your job was easy. I was replying to your correct statement about what I meant was not poor writing, but really I meant it was not how I would have written it or would have liked to have seen it written. I know I don't have the experience your writers do, but I do know what I do and don't like and I was just trying to point out what I thought was wrong with Travelers.
By the way when you come to do my job you had better bring more than an abacus. You will need proficiency in AutoCad, Statistical Processing, Failure Mode Analysis, and Design of Experiment software. Then there is that pesky minimum Bachelors degree in Engineering (preferably Mechanical or Materials,) with a Masters degree in same and a Professional Engineering license a plus. I'm not sure you be up to it with your admitted problems with cars and washing machines, but you are welcome to try. Fortunately or unfortunately, however you want to look at it, my work results are not easily visible to the public as your's is, but in the end, my job insures the safe transit of people from home to any other location farther than walking distance which affects more people than your show does.
By the way, Miller's Crossing was good and I am looking forward to This Mortal Coil which I hope is as good or better than your last episode Reunion which I thought was great!
Hi Joe!
Sorry you had a bad couple of days. My family and I watched "Miller's Crossing" last night. Really enjoyed it. I so enjoy watching Rodney go to the extremes. He prepares himself to be the brave guy and then the next moment he winces. I love that he would have sacrificied himself for Jeanie but at the same time has a hard time saying "I love you". I love Ronon with his just give me something to shoot. Poor Ronon with Walter. I think that may be his new nightmare. LOL!!!
What was your favorite Christmas cookie from childhood and today?
Thanks!!! :)
Jen
So sorry to hear you are having a bad few days, Joe. Here's hoping they improve for you.
I was only able to watch the first half of "Miller's Crossing" before I had to go to work, so I'm downloading it from itunes as I type this. What I saw last night was very good. I did guess a bit of it, but that's fine. As I haven't seen the whole show yet, I only really have two questions so far:
1) It was established in "The Seer" that the IOA had deemed there be a one day quarantine on the Midway Station when traveling between the Pegasus and Milky Way galaxies. So, was someone sympathic to McKay's situation to allow him to return to Earth right after Jeanie was kidnapped? I ask only because they have always seemed too...bureaucratic...to break their own security/safety policy.
2) Does/has Martin (or anyone else) know someone who has/had luekemia? A very close long time friend of mine has had luekemia for a number of years and I've seen him go throughgood and bad times.
Maybe skip the Sam/Jack bed scene and go straight to the Sam/Jack-on-Atlantis shower scene since there seems to be so much fascination with Ancient bathrooms (!)
No...? Oh, well, my own 'flush' fic for you... *flexes fingers*
It was a bad, bad day. Very bad.
It started when McKay and his team of eggheads decided to play around with some of the secondary security systems of the Atlantis mainframe. That alone should've told him it was a good day to call in sick or, at the very least, catch up on the ton of paperwork Carter kept insisting he have ready for their bi-weekly meetings.
To be fair to the scientists, how were they to know that by pressing that button there and turning that handle just so would result in a lockdown that affected every single damn door in the city?
Including the bathrooms.
Especially the bathrooms.
There was only so much a person could do to distract from the need to pee - only so much hopping on the spot and avoiding anything that resembled running water...
Four hours after the problem had first arisen - and who knew knowing you couldn't go would make you really really need to go - McKay and his geeks got the city back on side and the doors to the all-elusive washrooms began to unlock.
'Course there was a queue for the nearest one, but being one of the highest military-ranking officers had to have its privileges sometime.
This was definitely sometime. Sheppard ignored the glares and the mutters and marched into the washroom - securing the door behind him only as an after-thought to unzipping his pants and then...
Ahhhh... Relief...
Hi Joe:
I soooo hate waiting until Monday to see the latest episode. When I read the feedback, it just really gives me the urge to do the "D" word.
You said: Out of curiosity, is there a lot of fan fiction focused on the toilets in Atlantis? I get the feeling the answer is yes. Putting the finishing touches on my flush fic…
Does that mean you are getting into writing fan fiction??? I sooo can't wait for that too!!! (j/k)
With no end to the writer's strike in sight, you have become strangely quiet about any work at Bridge. Is there a reason?
(hugs)
Patricia
Well, it seems to me that Millers Crossing is designed to provide fanservice to fans of the Shep/Mckay show. And in that regard it was apparently successful. But it's also why there's virtually no one tuning into Stargate anymore.
There was nothing in this to appeal to anyone not already tuning in. It was hard to follow without having watched previous seasons AND SG-1, and there were no other characters. There was nothing bright about the actions or dialogue or characters. And that bit at the end with Shep was a real turn off. I'll check back next time Teal'c shows up, but for now I'm off Atlantis. Too much of the same every week.
Mick
I find it interesting that the Gateworld Fan Poll ratings do not reflect the network ratings (in the cases that I observed at least). How do you feel about that?
*waves*
What did I think? Well instead of me boring you endlessly on here, like I normally do. ;) Here you go, for what it's worth. I was (surprisingly very long winded)! So unlike me. :P Read at your own peril! ;)
MCreview.
Now I need to go and watch it again! :o) Oh by the way Mr M, could you have a word with the wardrobe department about Shep and Ronon's very smart attire and say well done, they looked very handsome. :o) Although I think Shep should have been wearing Ronon's shirt, as it had less buttons done up. ;)
*hugs* And don't be bitter and twisted because you're working. Suck it up and think of us minions doing more boring jobs. :P
I enjoyed the episode millers crossing. I love seeing McKay and his sister working together to solve a problem. Is there any chance for a return of Kate Hewlett in the future!?!
I WILL say this about Miller's Crossing. It was well thought out, beautifully written, and well performed.
The moral implications and family dynamics are only the tip of the iceberg of what goes on in the family unit where a chronically or terminally ill child is concerned. The line between what was shared in the episode and what would have bogged it down was brilliant.
Of the families I know who have children in "Sharon's" position, the overwhelming majority would gladly give their life if it would save the life of their child.
I know also that these parents fight the overwhelming desperation to make anything happen to save the life of their child every single day as the clock counts down to the inevitability of death.
Sometimes the indecision about morality and legality cuts as close as a moment to moment struggle waged between logic, love, desperation, need, pain, morality, legality and sacrifice.
In the story line, John Shepherd did not encourage the sacrifice. He presented a life situation and allowed the father free will.
He did not stand in the man's way once the decision was made. The father could have chosen the alternative.
Brilliant and tactful insight.
Miller's Crossing has created conversation and that's a good thing.
I am interested in Mr. Gero's insights on the episode and look forward to his comments.
I didn't think what Sheppard did with Wallace (I remember his name this morning) was that bad. Jeannie was going to die as a direct result of Wallace injecting her with the nanites. He deliberately put her life in danger. Sheppard was telling him to fix what he'd done. Chilling, yes, but "morally ambiguous"? Not so much, I don't think.
I really disliked Miller's Crossing. It shows a lack of creativity when you resort to torturing the characters without any real cause, IMO.
Rodney's reactions were lame, and I'm not really interested in his relationship with his sister, who annoys me.
SG-1 did enough "technology comes to earth" stories, this felt like a cliche, and I watch SGA to see something different.
Loved Ronon and John's scenes, tho, and the tag. I'm still a fan of the show, just not this episode.
Hey Joe. I watched Miller's Crossing last night with my sister and we both thought it was great. Rodney McKay is one of my favorite characters so any episode featuring him is a good one. By the way I have already read Princess Bride. It's even funnier that the movie!
In the UK we get to see MC on Tuesday so can not ask any Q for Martin. But next time they come to Earth Teyla needs come to after all she needs to do a lot of shopping at Mothercare.
Riley said...
Why is Jeannie so horrible to Rodney??? She's way meaner than I'd ever be to a sibling. Seriously, with the put-downs and the still calling him Meredith? It's just a little too mean to be funny.
As a sibling myself... that seemed perfectly normal to me! :lol: The world will end the day my sister or my brother and I ever say anything genuinely caring to each other face-to-face. We convey our love by way of carefully chosen insults and put-downs and more often than not end our phone calls with a sincere and loving "Get lost, geek." :D
Anonymous said...
By the way when you come to do my job you had better bring more than an abacus. You will need [etc etc etc etc]
Don't forget that certificate in self-importance... ;)
Great episode last night. I really enjoyed it. It was funny, sad, touching, surprising. It was also nice to Earth, the SGC, and Gary again.
Now, was that joke Gary was telling Jason in the script or did Gary totally make that up?
Bonjour Joseph,
Je commence à être réellement jalouse de tous ceux qui peuvent écouter SGA 4, je dois attendre à l'automne prochain... Ce qu'il a de merveilleux avec les différents commentaires c'est que certains posent des questions auxquelles on osait pas demander: les toilettes, les pitons bizarre sur Atlantis qui servent à je ne sais quoi et dont on ne sait pas le nom... Environnement Canada annonce un hiver extrêmement froid pour tout le pays cette année, même dans le coin du BC. Pourtant normalement vous êtes épargnés par la position géographique du coin et les montagnes. Un peu de neige peut-être ? En tout cas dans l'Est on peut vous en vendre sans problème !! lol
Bonne journée
Wow.
Lt Col John Sheppard channelling Capt. Mal Reynolds. Shiney.
I loved it. John Sheppard DOES have a ruthless side that has found a home in the Pegasus Galaxy. This is the kind of complicated character stuff I love in Sci Fi.
Keep up the good work.
Gate_Strider
I found this episode incredibly disturbing. And I mean in that in the best possible way. It was an episode that made me think - made me wonder just how far I would go to protect my loved ones.
Some high points - I loved that Wallace wasn't really a bad guy - just an incredibly desperate one. Maybe I am to much like Rodney in that all the time I was excepting him to turn around and kill Rodney and Jeannie or at least continue to keep them hostage. I am not sure if his actions warranted him become Wraith chow but the fact he seemed to consider it shows that he really wasn't an evil man. And I love when the "bad guys" are not evil.
I also loved that Sheppard was the one who got Wallace to offer himself up. I do think it was bit much to do right after the man lost his child, but it was something I could see him doing. And that is a bit scary - that while I may have problems with the moral choice John made - it was something I could see him doing. And that is another thing I love - when our heroes are not perfect and make hard, difficult and sometimes morally ambiguous choices - but are doing so with the best of intentions. (I was also glad that John told the guy that this isn't McKay's fault, it's yours.)
So, all in all a very good episode all around. A good story, great script, a wonderful developed antagonist, and great acting from pretty much everyone.
One question though. Why didn't we see Teyla in this episode? Was Rachel off filming other stuff - things that needed to filmed before "baby bump" became to noticeable? Or was there some other reason why RL was not available for filming?
You can tell Martin that it was a really, really fabulous episode. And I'm not just saying that because it cemented for me that McKay and Sheppard are totes in love.
This whole season has been just top-notch; easily as good as the first season (my previous favorite), and very possibly better overall. Sure, some of the plots are a little, ahem, familiar, but they've had great twists, direction, dialogue, and character growth that I barely notice. I can't wait to see what's next!
Miller's Crossing was excellent ... thank you ... and you and you and well, so on. Loved Ronon and Walter, anyone who has ever filled out a military supply chit should be rolling on the floor. Love The Wraith, I'm developing quite a thing for him. The less said, the better, hmm? And the choices, over and over again, hard choices. Most excellent!
I'm enjoying the blog, but I'm beginning to enjoy the comments too .. so fascinating what people have to say and the passion with which they back their thoughts.
And on a total tangent ... Did you catch Survivor? Did you notice the bottle of bubbly on the private plane was turned so as not to show the label? Did that make you crazy, because I know I wanted to see what they'd been given to drink ... champagne or a cheap sparkler?
I need more of a life, and less snow to shovel off my walk and drive today.
"
The better question is why haven't we seen a 'bed scene' between Daniel and Jack.
Two words. No. Guts."
Or perhaps a sense of decency. After all, the show is being watched not only by adults and even among us there are some for whom such scene would be completely unacceptable and unforgivable. I know I'm one of them.
Hi Joe,
could you please clarify whether Tim Guinee (Tomin) is in "Continuum"? Somebody from France was asking you about it recently and your answer was yes. IMDB.com isn't listing him for "Continuum", only for "The Ark of Truth".
Loved, loved, LOVED Miller's Crossing. Kate and David are absolutely wonderful together and I can't help but laugh a little every time Jeannie calls Rodney "Meredith." May I ask where the idea to reveal Rodney's name as "Meredith" came from?
About Miller's Crossing...
Who decides about the show's soundtrack? I found the light music at the end of the episode completely... incongrous, if I may say so. The scene was too light to me...
And I was so shocked to see John doing this to Wallace. I mean... I absolutely LOVE Sheppard, but that was... Disgusting... Telling darker stories does not mean making a main character a total bastard... He basically killed Wallace... I'm still shocked by this...
I may be a little sensitive, but this is not the John Sheppard I know...
I hope we'll see how guilty he feels (and should feel) about that...
Thanks for answering my question. I thought I'd ask if you knew of any good restaurants in LA because you seem to know a lot about restaurants and food.
I rewatched Memento Mori recently and it says that you wrote it. Good job! It's one of the best episodes in season ten.
Who does the laundry on Atlantis? It's never been mentioned (that I know of) on Atlantis. The Fandemonium Stargate Atlantis books give an explanation for the laundry (can't remember what book it is, they are my sister's books and she doesn't like me messing with them, it might be #7) but I was kind of wondering what the official answer was.
random question:
how are thing progressing with the second stargate spin-off?
Absolutely brilliant episode! Easily my favorite of the series so far. There were so many things I adored here.
I loved the interaction between Rodney and Jeannie. David and Kate play so well off each other that it's always a joy to watch them. Seeing Ronon on Earth was a treat as well and I loved that dry comment, "Doesn't matter what you dress me in, I'm still not going to fit in." Perfect, and so true. It was GQ meets Tribal Warrior Chic.
I so wanted to hate Wallace, especially when he injected Jeannie with the nanites, but really? He was desperate.
I was shocked and thrilled with the extent that John would go to save Rodney in this one. That scene with Wallace was carefully planned and cleanly executed. He very coldly said and did exactly the right things to convince Wallace to kill himself. I got chills there.
My overall impression was a kind of linear sense to the theme of this episode, which seemed to be, "How far would you go to save the one you love?" How far Wallace went to save his daughter. How far Rodney was willing to go to save Jeannie. How far John went to save Rodney. There was a strong sense of symmetry in the fact that all three examples went to extremes that they normally wouldn't, for the same reason in differing circumstances.
Like I said, absolutely brilliant writing! I'm heading over to Amazon Unbox to buy the episode right now.
P.S. - We really appreciate that you guys listened to the results of that poll on the MGM site. ;-)
Farscapefan said...
Or perhaps a sense of decency. After all, the show is being watched not only by adults and even among us there are some for whom such scene would be completely unacceptable and unforgivable. I know I'm one of them.
I see. Whereas the scenes showing Sam and Pete and Jack and Kerry in bed weren't 'unacceptable' and 'indecent'?
Are you planning on seeing I am Legend?
And I just wanted to tell you me and my husband love your show, he's missed all of this season (because he's in the army) so when he's home for Christmas we will have a SGA marathon at the house :)
Miller's Crossing was amazing! Awesome job!
My thoughts on Miller's crossing
* Loved the scenes with Rodney and John. Kudos to David and Joe. Amazing chemistry.
* Loved the scene with Rodney and the Wraith
* Loved the scene with John and Wallace. I'm a huge fan of this kind of gray areas. I'm a big fan of the retro virus story arc for this same reason. I loved to see this dark side of John. Hope we see more of it in future episodes!
My only complaint: hated the scene with Ronon and the bold guy in the comissary. I love Ronon. No idea who the other character is, but I find him cringe-worthy (no offense to the actor himself, whoever he is)
Question: how can they send emails between Earth and Atlantis on real time? Or are the emails sent in batches when they establish contact with Earth for weekly reports?
Minor nitpick: isn't a huge security breach to talk about alien technology and anything related to the Stargate program by email?
Me revoila!
Oh je vous est envoyez plusieurs commentaires, mais sa na pas marcher=( mince.
Je voulez vous montrer jusqu"ou les fans de stargate etaient prés a aller pour assouvire leur passion:
http://atlantisfannew1.skyrock.com/article_1381264722.html
Si sa ne tiendré qu'a moi, je ferais pareil^^!
Je compati avec Morgia! snif ici aussi les épisodes de la saison 4 ne sont pas prés d'être diffuser, il va falloir attendre un an ou méme plus =(
Bon Josehp Bonne nuit, a demain, <3 Kisou Kisou!
Alipeeps said...
Anonymous said...
By the way when you come to do my job you had better bring more than an abacus. You will need [etc etc etc etc]
Don't forget that certificate in self-importance... ;)
Hmm... Pot, meet kettle.
Your "self-importance" seems to be the blog police for Joe since you seem to do it so often.
The last time I saw an episode of Atlantis where I thought "Oh my god, he's not going to do what I think he's going to do!" was in The Eye, when Sheppard very ruthlessly and efficiently dispatched the Genii soldiers. Incidentally, that's when I decided that this was a show I wanted to watch every week.
It was so easy for the good guys of SG-1 to BE good guys; I love how SGA takes the idea of heroism and "goodness" and stands it on its head. Team Atlantis seem to face such personally desperate situations that don't easily offer neat and ethical solutions, and that's what makes an interesting story, IMO.
The parallels in the storyline between the characters were what got me in the episode, though. How far would you go for someone you cared about, whether it was parent to child, brother to sister, or friend to friend? And the fact that Rodney knew fully well the situation Todd was in, since he'd been in that situation himself with Wallace, was a brilliant touch. BTW, I don't know if I'm giving you guys too much credit, but I like how it's stated over and over again that the Wraith really don't care about humans because humans are FOOD to them, and yet Jeannie is a vegetarian, and some vegetarians choose that route because of ethical reasons -- they care about their food source. I know Kate's a vegetarian and that probably influenced her character's eating habits, but still, it came together nicely in comparison to the Wraith!
All in all, I think Martin Gero deserves a raise and more episodes to write, because his stories are almost always my favorites.
Question for Martin Gero:
How many re-writes of the Scenes between Rodney and John near the end did you go through before you got it right?
NZJ
Re: Miller's Crossing
LOVED IT!
Rodney acting like Rodney and John going all darkside and Jeannie trying to negotiate with the bad guys!
Even mentions of Katie Brown didn't mar this ep.
Now please excuse me, I need to blow my nose for the bazillionth time today.
I don't believe the ratings are low only because of DVR's. They are low because of uninteresting and boring episodes. You can't expect high ratings if you write episodes such as Tabula Rasa, Doppelganger and for example Missing. Many fan-fiction stories are far more interesting than S4, you should read a few of them.
David
Since you asked, I thought Miller's Crossing was wonderful. Kate and David are just so entertaining and endearing together, and it was nice to change up the traditional scenery (and wardrobe on John and Ronon) and see the team working in a different location. I appreciated the mentions of Elizabeth and the decision John had to make at the end. Those moments where the writers remind us how dark John's character can be are so good, because it makes his character about so much more than weekly heroics and one-liners. More Dark!John, please! ;)
This episode and Missing are the only two I've really enjoyed since Lifeline, so kudos for deciding to bring Kate back and expanding upon Jeannie and Rodney's relationship.
I’ve now read the script for Miller’s Crossing and this is truly a thing of joy.
Being a philosophy graduate it dooms you to a life of being unemployable, the most boring person at the party, and being forever disappointed in formulaic television that gently spoon feeds morality to the drooling lumps that we the TV viewers are. And it takes guts to step out of this, because lets face it, given the amount of lawyer, cop, and hospital shows that are on TV people like to see the same things ad naseum each week; they like not to have to think about what they ingest.
So when a script comes along and says, you know how your hero is meant to do x and the villain is meant to be motivated by y and it’s all wrapped up nicely by the time the last attempt to sell you crap you don’t need comes on? Well we’re not going to do that. In fact we’re going to have the hero manipulate a man into sacrificing his life so that he doesn’t lose a friend and end up back in the therapist office discussing his abandonment issues. It’s so deliciously grey, what’s not to love? Plus you get to see lots of angry 18 year olds with their world views altered, walking into walls while yelling, “But…but heroes don’t do that!”. Ahahaha! There are no heroes, just people who do heroic actions. Though of course the tooth fairy does exist.
On a sidenote the Sheppard character by any rights should have been a bland one note cardboard cut-out, because lets face it, most heroes are. The fact that he’s a virtual onion of screwed up issues just makes him so interesting – you peel back a layer and hidden dorkiness falls out, you peel back another layer and he’s a Casanova who’s perfected the hug of awkwardness - you cut him, he makes you cry. /But he’s invaluable on pizza. No, hang on, that’s just the onion.
I know Martin Gero already hit his peak with writing during his Punky Brewster years, but if your going to go on a downward spiral, this is the way to go. My hat, if I was wearing one but I’m not so this hair tie will have to do, goes off to him.
Loved Miller's Crossing - all of it! It was a great one for McKay fans, though I suspect some (not all) Sheppard fans will be having problems with the talking Wallace into (or just presenting the situation to so that he could decide to) sacrifice himself to the Wraith.
Personally, I can so see this happening - Sheppard has shown himself to have a darker side, but only when protecting his people (and their families in this case as well). He's not a bad person - and they've all had to make hard choices before about 'morally difficult' things.
I love how it's all 'done and dusted' so's to speak before Rodney gains access to the lab - so he can't protest or interfere. And the talk back on Atlantis between John and Rodney is pure gold.
Oh, oh, and I love how Jeannie is going on about Katie etc - it is a bit mean, but she is very, very angry with him at that point, so I can let her off - and anyway, it shows she has some flaws as well Rodney, perhaps because of their shared childhood? She's not all sunshine and light, and I think that fits better for his sister.
I love the growth we're seeing from all of the characters, particularly with Rodney. But then, I'm a bit biased there!!
Oh, I could go on and on and on... but I won't! Tell Martin it was a great episode!
And if he can tell us any behind the scenes stories about this episode, I'll be more than happy to hear them - Go on, Martin, you know you want to!
Why do people who hate the show watch it? And why do they read blogs about it? Why do they take the time to post comments about how much they hate it? Seriously, life's too short. Some critiquing and frank discussion is fun for everyone, but if you really hate the show, for heaven's sake, do your blood pressure a favor and go somewhere else! Find a show you DO like and have some fun, instead of making yourself crazy.
The only reason I'm leaving a comment here is because I just heard a rumour that Gero was being celebrated for this script.
I hated the episode, not because the ending was dark, but because it was a cowardly cop-out. The wraith needed to be fed, you wanted another McKay episode, the SG-1 sets and actors had to be used, whatever - putting the death-penalty on the bad guy of the week was more revolting than previous attempts at "darkness" because of it all hinging on the young woman being a sister and wife and mother, while the one to be killed had conveniently not only lost his wife and daughter but was also bad and knew too many secrets.
You didn't make Sheppard deeper or more dangerous or complex, you made him a nasty hypocrit. I'd have hated this all much less if they'd used a random prisoner.
I was rooting for SGA and wishing for another season or four, giving Sam a chance, saying the new producers weren't necessarily a bad thing. I had disliked certain aspects of the show in the past, of course, but never expected the recent boring, illogical stories, bad, illogical use of actresses and unfettered ego-wanking that is now ruining the few strong points SGA had going for it.
I really hated this episode. The Coen brothers should sue you.
IMHO the last 10 minutes of Miller's Crossing really made the episode. The stuff between Sheppard and McKay was fantastic, and Todd the Wraith is great, but to me the rest of the episode moved too quickly. However, Kate Hewlett is awesome and I hope she's in more episodes! Sheppard's emotional manipulation of Wallace for the purpose of saving McKay's life was deeply compelling and I hope more McKay/Sheppard friendship episodes are in our future. Joe Flanigan did a really top job here.
Anonymous said...
Hmm... Pot, meet kettle.
Your "self-importance" seems to be the blog police for Joe since you seem to do it so often.
:lol:
Oh I love how people like you always trot out that blog police thing any time anyone ever calls you on your rude behaviour. Touched a nerve perhaps? C'mon. You read Joe's blog. D'you really think he needs anyone - least of all me - to "police" his blog?
Of course, the interesting thing about the police is... if there were no crime, there'd be no need for them... ;)
Martin, were you on set during the filming of this episode?
Were you pleased with the outcome?
Finally, during my favorite SGA scene EVER (the scene with John and Rodney discussing Rodney sacrificing himself to the wraith in order to save Jeannie)---Joe and David looked very moved, even a bit tearful. They both have stated at cons and in interviews that they laugh and joke together right up until the director calls "Action!"----can you tell us a bit about how they behaved before/after such a heavy scene?
Job well done Mr. Gero!!!!!
I really enjoyed every bot of "Miller's Crossing"!
Good job Martin!!
Iv
The episode was fantastic! I'm a big fan of the most "moral gray" episodes, and this one goes right up there with "Michael". I couldn't believe you were willing to let Sheppard go down that road, but as soon as we cut to the room with the other guy I suspected what was about to happen... and my jaw dropped.
I thought the network wasn't all that comfortable with letting their heroes having a darker side?
Have you read Earth Abides by George R. Stewart? It's also about an enormous plague, but it's about the after-effects, not the...during-effects. I just finished it and it's surprisingly enthralling. Although, I have to admit, it is a bit outdated in terms of political correctness (some sexist undertones, for example). Anyway, if you haven't read it I recommend reading it.
"Miller's Crossing" was awesome. I know I'm repeating a lot of what's been said before, but I really thought that it was one of the best episodes so far.
I think my favorite thing about the episode was the interlocking motivations of all the characters that drove the plot, especially Wallace's. The loss of his wife, and his desire to not lose his daughter, didn't justify his actions, but it made him a more sympathetic character. It also made his blindness to the suffering and loss he was willing to inflict on others that much more disturbing. A very real commentary about love as a powerful force, for good or worse.
I'm also going to agree with the other posters who've pointed out the theme of "How far will these characters go?" in terms of protecting those they care about. Wallace's line was clearly at a different point from Rodney's, and Sheppard's different from either of them. In particular, I found it interesting that both Wallace and Sheppard had shown themselves capable of self-sacrifice, but at the same time are also capable of sacrificing the lives of others in order to protect the ones they care about. No easy choices or easy answers, and I loved that.
I do have a question for Martin Gero:
Which scene/moment/character was the most difficult to get "right"? You were juggling so many characters with differing and conflicting motives. Did you worry in particular about any aspect of that, and if so how did you end up resolving it (or not)?
It has to be said, that it takes one special type of petty person, to write the petty little comments that are written trashing SGA for everything that is not what "they" in their pathetic miserable minds think the show should be.
Not been enough that they are perfectly capable of changing a channel, this type of people whos lives are SO EMPTY that they have a real need, a need!!! SO powerfull it drives them...not to better themselves...not to fight for a just cause or anything positive for the good of humanity, No, Not that! what do this people do?
Well, their lives are so pathetic that they just have to be heard even if is just to trash a tv show with all the power their mighty keyboard can summon, and this is when you know you HAVE issues, because no been happy with the average "this show sucks!" they go on and on and on (on several websites and blogs) about every little thing, and how they hate their life...I mean the show, and why the world doesn't revolve around them and they should be personally consulted about every single thing that happens on television. GET A LIFE!
Sure I am ranting! and sure I better get ready since I have to go out in 1 hour, but I have to say I love reading this blog, Joe makes me laugh with his funny stories about dogs, SGA, Ice cream bars etc...
I actually enjoy reading peoples comments about the show, the script, the lines, funny little critics about crazy wardrobe and some plot holes. I love the fact their is a on going joke regarding a season 5 episode with, fighting sticks,
genni, ford and for some bizarre reason...urinals?
but what I don't get is this people who are so miserable they feel the need to poison everything!
and to top it all with an anonymous! how coward is that? is the internet!! is faceless enough as it is!! make up a name at least, Or better yet, get a life to go with it!
Miller's Crossing was great fun to watch. Great chemistry between Rodney and Kate as always.
Loved the Sheppard and McKay scene where they were discussing the hungry wraith. This season you've finally given JF the opportunity to show what he can do as an actor. He's been somewhat limited these past three years, unlike David Hewlett.
Sheppard looked sizzling hot in his street clothes. Ronan didn't look half bad either. The scene where Shep and Ronon jumped out of the SUV with their guns
drawn...oh, myyyy...thermonuclear!
Seemed like you couldn't end the episode neatly so you took the easy way out and decided to feed the bad guy to the wraith. Couldn't believe you had Sheppard of all people be the one to suggest it. Don't you know your characters? Sheppard would NEVER do that!
Gee, I find it endlessly fascinating that so many of the negative "anonymous" posters seem to post their opinions as if they speak for *everyone* instead of just themselves, yet seldom have anything constructive to say and can't be bothered to put in a name of any kind. They also seem oblivious to the fact that you ship Sam/Jack and Daniel/Vala yourself, and unable to accept that there are people in this world who enjoy things that they do not, or vice versa. *shakes head* I've always felt intelligent and civil criticism should always be quantified as personal experience, rather than stated as a declaration of fact.
One another note, I don't have a problem with the pinstriped pants, personally. And I didn't see Ronon as being a "twin" with Sheppard -- Barrett was wearing the same jacket too. It's a common jacket -- my father had one that looked ptretty much identical.
As for any potential darkness/hipocrisy in John's decision -- well, I think he'd be pretty dull if his decisions were never questionable. I also think it's clear he wasn't confrotable with the choice he made anyway, which should count for something! It's not like it was an easy, non-morally-ambiguous decision to make, either -- I would call into question anyone who *wouldn't* present Wallace with the opportunity to correct what he did and would just let Jeannie die. And in the end, while it was a dark moment for the character? I still would have done the same in John's shoes.
Oh, as someone who like to both write and read shower scenes in fanics, I too would appreciate the inclusion of a bathroom. There's been some interesting fics out there that focus on issues with the overall plumbing, too -- both as a threat and just a "day in the life"-type scenario. And, well, public restrooms are a great place for characters to gather and gossip. ;) Still, I'd rather see you spend the budget on the cast than on a new set for the show -- I can just keep using my inmagination for the fics! LOL
Hope you're having a good weekend, Joe! :)
Miller's crossing was a masterpiece, it made me cry so hard, tears were leaving my eyes at an alarming rate, it was so epic and wonderful, my room was flooding, and just before the end i had to unplug the electricals for risk of a fire from my tears, and even then my tears just wouldn't stop, the episode was that good, all i could do was cry and clap and say bravo! bravo! bravoooooo!
Martin Gero is my hero!
Chill out amy. Damn.
LMAO Shep reading what probably BATMAN/FATMAN comic books at the end. Wow what a guy. Can't wait to meet the family.
Miller's Crossing was an enjoyable episode. It's always a pleasure to see the Hewlett's together but I have some huge misgivings about Sheppard's actions.
Having Sheppard's trading Wallace's life for Jeanie's without being arrested for murder seemed completely out of character, obliterated moral lines and was way too dark. Its one thing to slaughter 200 hundred, faceless, nameless ex-Wraith and another to talk a man to his death. Wallace was not evil, it was clear he never intended to kill anyone and his actions were that of a loving parent and desperate man. He did not deserve to die for his mistakes. Surely Gen. Landry and any of Sheppard's superiors would not have permitted this to happen even on simple legal grounds, nevermind moral. No matter how valuable Jeanie might be.
Not only did Sheppard use Wallace's guilt and emotional irrationality against him (he told him his daughter was dead and followed it up by 'suggesting' a way to fix things, blatantly manipulating him). Essentially he aided the man to suicide, putting the metaphorical gun in Wallace's hand.
Assisting someone to suicide is considered murder by law. Whether you view it as 'self sacrifice' its still crossing moral lines and walking dangerously close to making your heros the bad guys.
Rodney offered his life to save Jeanie's (loved that bit, so good to see the softer side of McKay!!!). Sheppard took the easy choice and looked for someone elses life to trade to protect his friend. He acted as judge, jury and executioner. It was down right disturbing and not in a good way.
I just cant believe that Shepard would feed a human being who wasn't evil merely misguided and desperate, to a wraith and watch the man die a horribly torturous death no matter the good that might have come from it. And more importantly, not even be punished in any fashion.
Will you be following up on this? Will Sheppard suffer the consequences, or do his actions take their toll? Even if he did it to save his sister, McKay seems a man of conscience and should be disturbed and frightened by Shepards ruthlessness. Does Sheppard actually have a conscience? Do you consider the consequences of character's actions and how they may be viewed and reacted to by the audience? And why didn't we see Wallace make the choice and go to face the Wraith? Time maybe an issue but I feel that scene was essential for Sheppard's character because it leaves me with the question, did he agree or did Sheppard force him? That last question puts Sheppard in an awfully dark light. He did EXACTLY what Wallace did, only without the consideration or worry of punishment. It makes him the bad guy no matter his intentions. As they say, the path to hell is paved with good intentions.
Alipeeps said...
Anonymous said...
Hmm... Pot, meet kettle.
Your "self-importance" seems to be the blog police for Joe since you seem to do it so often.
:lol:
Oh I love how people like you always trot out that blog police thing any time anyone ever calls you on your rude behaviour. Touched a nerve perhaps? C'mon. You read Joe's blog. D'you really think he needs anyone - least of all me - to "police" his blog?
Of course, the interesting thing about the police is... if there were no crime, there'd be no need for them... ;)
Well I was just trying to be sarcastic like Joe was belittling someone who works in an Accounts Receivable office with what I actually do.
As far as being rude, it sounds like a double standard that Joe can be rude but the rest of us can't? As far as the "blog police" comment, yes I have read Joe's blog and know that he can take care of himself with the people who write on his blog. If he didn't want people to make negative comments, he could always not approve them. So I have to ask then why did you feel the need to comment about my post? I'm sure Joe will have a good reply if he chooses to.
Now if you wanted to debate my earlier comments about how I thought Travelers should have been written different (i.e. better in my opinion,) then I would like that debate even thought I am few weeks late with my comments on it.
From what I have read and remember of your comments, you probably liked it due to how it focused so much on Sheppard and him getting beat up by a woman. That is fine when it doesn't make Larrin look stupid (IMO) for worrying more about punching Sheppard then getting him to move the ship away from the area so the Wraith wouldn't find them. Even if there was not time for Sheppard to actually do that before the Wraith arrived, it would have shown me more "leadership" ability in Larrin that what actually was shown. She has to be used to the most important thing a leader has to do for her people and that is to avoid the Wraith. That should have been her #1 priority and not punching Sheppard. Being a leader means keeping your cool when it is necessary and then doling out punishment later if necessary. The way she was written, I would not have had her for a leader. Then the scene when she was "convinced" that the other life sign Sheppard saw was Silas made her look like a scared child looking for her parents after she got lost or maybe that is just how it was portrayed. Also, I generally like the Sheppard character, but I don't know why when Larrin told him about the radiation flooding on the bridge, he didn't grab Silas' or Nevik's radiation detector, drop the ship out of hyperspace, move to an area not being effected and then wait for Larrin to find out he still wasn't on the bridge and then tell her to put the shield emitters back on or risk killing only her own people. That would have been more like the Sheppard from The Storm/The Eye then the one written in Travelers. Of course, that would have meant changing the rest of the episode from then on (unless Larrin got lucky and stunned him before he could stun her), but it would have been more in character for Sheppard than just giving up like he did.
I'm not the only one who had problems with this episode, if you look around at the various fan websites, all of them have Travelers ranked by fans near, if not at, the bottom of the episodes so far in season 4.
I loved Miller's Crossing. The writing, acting, production, everything was wonderful. I especially enjoyed the Rodney-Kate scenes, and the Rodney-John high emotion scenes. David and Joe were fantastic! Kate H. is fantastic! This whole season had been a real pleasure to watch. :)
Another good episode! I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the first time we sake Mrs. Miller. Nevertheless, I'd like to see Kate Hewlett come back in season 5!
Hi Joe. Is it too late to pipe up with my two cents worth of opinions about Novembers books? If so, proceed no further...
THE GUNSLINGER: I purchased the unabridged version of this book on CD to keep me amused on my long drive over Thanksgiving Holiday. I was profoundly disappointed. The tone of the book was too coarse for my taste and left me very unsettled. The setting of the story was interesting though; it kept me listening through chapter seven any way. I found myself morbidly curious about what happened, but I got the feeling that it would be many more unsettling chapters - or even books before that event was unfolded to the readers. So I decided to cut my losses, put on some music and keep on driving.
THE WHITE PLAGUE: This book I experienced in the traditional print form. At first I found the lack of chapter numbers unnerving, and unlike several fellow readers, found the first hundred pages or so after the bomb to be rather slow; but what an interesting read! I was both horrified and fascinated. I wonder how Frank Herbert would have framed the story if he had written it today, in the post-Soviet, post- 9-11 climate, instead of twenty five years ago. I’m certain that my reactions to the story would have been much different had I read this book in 1999 or 2000. (I’m afraid I would not have understood the book had I read it in 1983 when it was first published ;-)). Then, I probably would have thought that most of the story was too far fetched. Now though… I kept remembering the anthrax packages that showed up at various locations in the US in late 2001 and that brief period of public fear of a smallpox epidemic. As I read this story, that nagging little question kept repeating itself in the back of my head… WHAT IF…? What if a highly infectious and deadly disease swept across the globe today? Would the governments of the world be forced to quarantine, abandon, and even kill their own populations by the thousands? By the millions? Could the nations of the earth really disintegrate into a series of small feudal states? How would we react to such a terrible thing? I sincerely hope we'll never find out.
It was interesting to track Father Michael's spiritual journey. Who hasn’t experienced a spiritual crisis in one sense or another? I also thought that O’Neill’s fate was poetically just, extremely unrealistic, but somehow satisfying.
There were a couple of things near the end that I didn’t understand though: Why did Kevin O’Donnell kill Herity? And what was it that Beckett was trying to do before Wycombe – Finch stepped in? Was he still in some “researchers must take over the world” mode? I didn’t get it.
I have long thought that a good question is worth at least a dozen good answers. This book has given me a lot to think about. A nice choice for the BOTM.
Changing the subject here, I just downloaded Miller's Crossing. Looking forward to seeing it soon.
The way we comment here has changed, and I hope I'm doing this right!
Miller's Crossing was excellent. Though a few bits were slow for me, (scenes of exposition between McKay and Jeannie), I loved this episode.
I loved where MG took Sheppard. I loved what he did for McKay. At the end, I thought Sheppard is going to find it difficult to live with, but I like that. I like the darker feel to season 4, and I welcome the moral ambiguity this episode brings.
Well done! Especially to JF, who just stole the show for me. The way he portrayed Sheppard's feelings was so powerful, yet so controlled and understated. I just love that! DH was his usual great self too, and while what I say next won't please some, this episode really epitomises why Sheppard and McKay, and Joe and David are the stars of the show for me. They play off eachother so well, and have amazing chemistry.
I like what MG did here, I loved the performances, and I'd love more of the same please!
Please pass on my thanks and admiration to JF, DH, MG and to director AM. Great performances all round! :)
Wow! A lot of comments today. I guess that is what happens when there is a moral question that is not black and white given in an episode. My biggest question is if we will see any "fallout" from this in later episodes? Even if just to bring it up at a crucial time when another moral question comes up. I thought it was better done (so far) than the moral dilemma of the retro-virus in the Michael through Misbegotten storyline. It will be interesting if this will ever show up again with all the other stuff that happens in the mid-season three-parter. Maybe something will be mentioned (even vaguely) about it during Outcast when John is talking to his family or ex-wife?
Good episode that really makes you stop and think about the moral question of assisted-suicide.
Wow. 169 comments as of my post. Is that a record? I really enjoyed the episode and can't wait till next week. Congrats to both of you and the rest of the cast and crew on another winner!
Loved Miller's Crossing, especially the scenes with Shep and Rodney. Loved Shep in this episode. I want more dark Shep. Thanks!
David said: "I don't believe the ratings are low only because of DVR's. They are low because of uninteresting and boring episodes."
When you count the Live+7 ratings, it shows that Atlantis has held its audience. So, by your logic, the show has always being uninteresting and boring. In that case, why you watch it? And if you don't watch it, why you go online and talk about a show you don't watch?
And if you think high ratings = interesting show and low ratings = uninteresting show, then I guess you think all those reality shows that get so high ratings are the best/high-quality shows produced ever?
Since when good/bad ratings have anything to do with the quality of a show? There're so many crappy shows/movies out there that get high ratings that makes you want to tear your hair out.
David also said: "You can't expect high ratings if you write episodes such as Tabula Rasa, Doppelganger and for example Missing."
Well, all I can say is that all these episodes you mention are top favorites of mine. We certainly don't have the same likings.
David also said: "Many fan-fiction stories are far more interesting than S4, you should read a few of them."
Sorry, but no matter how good a fanfic is, what works in a fic, would never work on TV. A TV episode has to have a very specific timing and format. I know I would never want to have any fic, not even the ones I thought were great, turned into episodes. Ever.
Wow, last time I checked, 183 comments. Is that a record? I think people are trying to get to the 75,000 comment really quickly.
Do you eat whats in the doggy bowl or do the dogs?
"Anonymous is feeling exceptionalyy grouchy today and has said...
Hmm... Pot, meet kettle.
Your "self-importance" seems to be the blog police for Joe since you seem to do it so often."
Actually, the policing we kinda leave to Crazymom, she's our resident expert here on the blog... but bear with her she's a bit pissed at the moment after drinking a bottle of Velvet white, but i'm sure she'll get round to you shortly. :D
*hides from the normally quiet, but today's exceptionally vocal resident occifer.* ;)
And lastly before I head to bed. i can't remember who it was and my hurts now, but as a Shep fan, I was not in the least disappointed. Infact quite the opposite. I love Shep's dark and the whole ethically dilemma he was in, and would love to see lots and lots more. Oh by the way, Mr M that was as subtle as I get. :D
*hugs*
Going now :D
If Martin is taking questions.
We all know you likes to write heavy Rodney episodes and that character has gotten the lion's share of character development.
After seeing the nice twist to Sheppard's character in this...would you ever write a heavy Sheppard one?
Hello joe, firstly i would like to say i thought millers crossing was a great episode and wanted to ask if we would see any consequences to shepard allowing the wraith to feed off of Wallace?
Could you please tell the visual effects guys that the CG gate they're using always has the wrong number of chevrons on it.
I have no choice but to dl the show.. (but I DO buy the dvd of each season, so please forgive me as I'm in Aussieland).
Great episode. Nice to see Jeannie again. I was wondering about the change of her clothes though... how did she get that outfit after being in her pjs? Just a continuity thing, that's all. Seemed rather odd.
Joe,
I have mixed feelings about Miller's Crossing...let me rephrase that, as an episode it was interesting and surprising. It started off boring and boy did it changed the tone towards midway there....I think the juicy part, for me anyways, started after the Wraith was brought to Earth. I guess the whole controversy for me was Sheppard's decision and although I see where it came from, it was still very shocking and hard to swallow. I know that we've had plenty of other scenrios where we've seen Sheppard show this side of him, i.e. The Ark, Poisoning the Well, The Eye, etc...and I might even add that Teyla, Weir, Carson and Ronon have to some degree also acted in such dark tones. But it was still surprising and a bit dissappointing to see my hero go down that dark road. I guess for me, it's almost like a side of Sheppard that I care not to see even though I know why he did it and I even think that the only reason why he did it to begin with was because in my view he turned the ties onto Wallace. He understood what Wallace did and he brought it to the table for him but in another way, sort of John's way for also Wallace to almost make up for what he started...Oh, I don't know, I'd like to read your view point to this one. Very interesting indeed. I would like to see Sheppard somehow deal with this at some point. Or at least see some remorse and humanity in him as a result.
And I have to say the previews and new spoilers for This Mortal Coil has me anxiously waiting for next week!
And I missed Teyla in Miller's Crossing!It would have been interesting to see her side of this and how she would have handled it or not and also I wanted to so badly to see Teyla on Earth this season! *sighs*
Another good one, Joe!
Thanks,
Camy
LOL--For some reason, my comment seemed positively odd they way you quoted it.
As for your query, I don't think there is a large amount of Atlantis bathroom fic. If there is it would be news to me. ALthough, there probably will be now lol.
I'm just curious to see what that might be like. If you would like to avoid the whole bathroom bit, I would like to see an Atlantean kitchen.
Tell Martin Gero that "Miller's Crossing" was quite good. The two McKays are a joy to watch together. Seeing McKay so caring (albeit in his snarky way) is fun.
Favorite line would have to be"You're no John Sheppard". McKay's reaction was great. My favorite moment of the episode, though,would ave to be Sheppard's conversation with Wallace. Joe Flanigan really did a nice job there. Frankly, I couldn't believe Sheppard went through with it! I have a feeling it may haunt Sheppard.
Btw, what comic was he reading in teh close?
Thanks,
Royal
I loved Miller's Crossing, I just got done watching it off the DVR has I had work last night... Can I vote now for some more episodes where the boy's go to Earth? More specifically Ronon? His outfit was very...Hot, but made much better that he had a gun holster :] What made wardrobe put a gun holster on him anyway.....
Hey i just watched the SGA Episode Millers Crossing and found it very sad, pure guy all he wanted was to safe his daughter.
Another note I hope to move to Vancouver someday visited it for a few months and loved the place how lucky you are..
"By the way when you come to do my job you had better bring more than an abacus. You will need proficiency in AutoCad, Statistical Processing, Failure Mode Analysis, and Design of Experiment software. Then there is that pesky minimum Bachelors degree in Engineering (preferably Mechanical or Materials,) with a Masters degree in same and a Professional Engineering license a plus."
Dear Anonymous,
It's rather amusing that with your much-vaunted degrees and proficiencies in multiple complex programs, you have gained only knowledge and not wisdom. Trying to prove your intellectual superiority by rattling off the above list doesn't make Mr. Mallozzi look less intelligent -- it only demonstrates your incredible pomposity.
Was that your house?
When are you hosting your next souvre(chocolate party thing)?
On "Miller's Crossing": I think it was really good. This whole season as a far I think has shown a great improvement (not that S3 sucked, I'm just saying, there's always room for improvement). The stories are better, the dialogue is better, the characterization is better, etc. I still like "McKay and Mrs. Miller" better, maybe because the brother/sister back and forth between Dave and Kate was fresher and seemed a bit more natural (plus there was more of it, since they weren't in mortal danger), but I still really liked this episode.
I liked that you didn't spend too much time on Sheppard's and Ronan's role in the rescue. The story was about Jeannie and Rodney, and of course Steven Culp's character, and you focused the majority of the time on them, and didn't waste it on the chase, but only briefly cut to the chase so we knew how they got there, we weren't left wondering, but it wasn't a prolonged scene, you kept the focus where our hearts were, which was with Rodney and Jeannie.
I wouldn't have minded leaving the Wraith out of it, and spending more time on the brother/sister relationship, but I did like both the sacrificial redemption of Culp's character and then the moral weight that appeared on Sheppard's mind later on.
All in all, very well done, and I REALLY look forward to seeing a Miller in the title of a Season 5 episode or two.
I really enjoyed Miller's Crossing. Kudos to Martin G. for the writing! It was very intense and had some good shocking dark emotions. Since I avoided most spoilers, I didn't know it was going to be as dark as it was, but I'm glad the ep went that way.
Loved Shep and Ronon in civies. They were gorgeous. :) :)
From what I've read of fan comments, this is one of those controversial eps, which is great, as long as people realize they are expressing their own opinions, not everyone's opinions, and that they are only opinions, not facts.
I have to watch the ep again to figure out exactly how I feel about each character's dilemma and actions, but overall, I'm fine with how it played out. The whole thing was sad for sure, but everyone was choosing from a short list of very bad options.
Krahnauhk said...
The better question is why haven't we seen a 'bed scene' between Daniel and Jack.
Two words. No. Guts.
Two more words. Not. Gay.
If they were, then go for it guys, I don't care, but canon is Daniel and Jack are both hetero.
Rock on, Joe!
eddy
Je me suis rendue compte qu'à raison de 20 épisodes par saison, l'épisode numéro : 520 devrait être le 100ième épisode...
Avez-vous déjà quelques idées de scénario pour cet épisode ? Y a-t-il une petite chance de vous voir apparaître devant la caméra ?
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