So I was tackling another round of mailbag questions last night when I came across a query that asked how we achieved the Park in Boiling Water sequence for SGU’s penultimate episode, Blockade. In the sequence, Park, sporting a protecting spacesuit, takes refuge in the hydroponic dome’s collection pool as Destiny plunges into the outer surface of a star. She waits out the wild ride, holding on for dear life as the heat intensifies, the plants burst into flames, and the surrounding water boils away. I was going to direct the curious reader to a past entry in which I’d revealed how it was done – only to realize such an entry didn’t exist!

Apologies. Here ya go…

Testing the waters…

And the effect from within the collection pool, looking up at a panicked Park…

Today’s entry is dedicated to all of the long-time lurkers/first-time posters who have taken the time to leave a comment over the past week.

Mailbag:

Jon writes: “Was Park’s submersion in the water in Blockade a practical effect?”

Answer: Thanks for reminding me. See above.

AD writes: “If you had unlimited time to tell the story of Atlantis, do you think they would have rebelled against earth and become independent? They always make me think of the American colonies dealing with Britain pre-Revolutionary War.”

Answer: I would have liked to see Atlantis exert its independence, not so much through a willful severing of ties with Earth but more of an agreement that would have seen it acting more like, yes, an independent colony. Having Atlantis more isolated (ie. without the ability to dial Earth or receive resupply runs from Earth ships like the Daedalus) would have certainly helped as well.

Scott Hander writes: “Are the sets for Universe being struck and stored, or struck and destroyed?”

Answer: I would imagine that certain pieces will be auctioned off and everything else, sadly, destroyed.

SupremeLegate writes: ” In the beginning Eli was a slacker and Chloe, for lack of a better term, was a spoiled daddies girl. But by the end they had both changed a lot. Which leads me to wonder, what was the intent for them, where where they meant to end up?”

Answer: Pretty much where they ended up by the end of season 2: fish out of water who had started to develop the skill set and character that made them valuable members of the Destiny crew.

“Now this next question is a shipper question, previously you gave some insight into the Young/TJ/Varro triangle. So now I am asking for some insight into the Eli/Chloe/Scott triangle.”

Answer: As much as she cared for him, I just never saw Chloe developing feelings for Eli (although the idea of downloading Ginn’s consciousness into Chloe’s body which I outlined in this entry – May 12, 2011: Stargate: Universe, Beyond Season 2! What Might Have Been! – would have been pretty close. Rather – besides the the obvious Young/T.J./Varro triangle – I wanted to explore a possible Chloe/Scott/James angle in season one, but no one else seemed quite as enthusiastic.

Guy writes: “Any chance un-filmed scripts can be published as book or books, or is MGM restricting this option?”

Answer: If you’re referring to the movie scripts (there are no unfilmed scripts for any of the shows), that is again up to MGM. For what it’s worth, I dropped them an email on the subject a couple of weeks ago.

William Francais writes: “My question did anyone ever suggest exploring the history contained in the core? ”

Answer: Nope. It was in the hands of R&D, undergoing extensive testings – like the goa’uld healing device and the time-jumping puddle jumper from Good to Be King – that made it impossible to figure into future stories until research had been completed.

nm writes: “The one thing that’s always bothered me is re s9 and I always wanted to know if it was an oversight and intentionally. Why wasn’t a single mentioned of where O’Neill went and why in all of season 9?”

Answer: I believe it was an oversight at first and then, mysteriously, intentional.

Moritz writes: “Would be great, if you can give some information about the storyline of the moonbase Carter was talking about on Continuum. What was the plan for?”

Answer: I’m not sure if she was kidding or not, but Atlantis is the moonbase – as we reveal in Stargate: Extinction.

@iom666 writes: “Joe, I got the feeling that you wouldn’t go back to a Stargate show even if you had the choice (I mean from your current situation as you now moved to Toronto)? If so is it because you considered you had enough of Stargate or do not want to do business again with MGM/Syfy… or your consideration is purely on business AKA “why not if there is money to make with Stargate again, i’m in” ?”

Answer: I’m simply being realistic. As much as I would love to see the franchise come back with a series in the very near future, I don’t think that’s very likely. Similarly, I don’t really see a movie being greenlit either. If I’m wrong (and nothing would make me happier) then it would more than likely be a movie – in which case Brad and Robert, as the series co-creators, should be the guys to write and produce it.

Anat writes: “1. Ronon’s gun is the same as the Travellers gun (correct me if im wrong) so where did he get it from? Did he trade/steal it from the Traveller’s directly or did he get it from someone who got it from the Travellers?”

Answer: I would imagine he either scavenged it from a dead Traveller or had it given to him by someone.

“2. Also how many technologically advanced races did you guys imagine inhabited the Pegasus Galaxy?”

Answer: The technologically advances races of the Pegasus Galaxy were few and far between. Unless they had a way of shielding their technology from wraith detection, they would have presumably all been culled.

JDale writes: “…we could have seen a earth ship catch up with destiny (using maxed out hyperdrive?) or an earth expidition with a earth ZPM? come to destiny?”

Answer: No, giving a ship that kind of capability would have totally undermined the enormity of Destiny’s long mission. The only way Earth could have reached Destiny was through the gate.

flib writes: “Is it for certain that any novel/comic continuation will be strictly non-canon?”

Answer: I suppose it depends on the fan. Given the fact that it’s unlikely we’ll see any new adventures of SG-1, Atlantis, or Universe, then why not consider the books canon if it allows the characters to live on?

Adam writes: “Anyway, I’m curious, at the beginning of season 7, was it ever considered to keep both Jonas and Daniel around, and have a five-person team?”

Answer: Unfortunately, SG-1’s budget couldn’t support a five person team.

fsmn36 writes: “I admit, I’m a little behind on SGU eps…but why would Destiny have non-aging stasis pods and the later-created ones, like on Atlantis, didn’t?”

Answer: What would be the point of having non-aging stasis pods? The whole point of being in stasis is that your body enters a hibernative state that significantly slows down the aging process.

Lyle writes: “1) Will your Transporter series still need to be green-lit after a network has seen the pilot? Any idea, if all goes as planned, when the series will air?”

Answer: Nope. We have a U.S. network on board (as well as a Canadian, German, and French broadcaster).

“2) I know there’s been a lot of people wondering about what would have happened when Destiny reached it’s final destination, but is it possible that Brad/Robert will not reveal anything at all just in case Universe (or another SG show in the future) is revisited? Have they told you whether or not they will?”

Answer: I can’t speak for Brad and Robert. I’ve extended an invitation for Brad to visit the blog and do one final fan Q&A.

David H writes: “Are downloads (iTunes, Amazon, etc) considered at all when looking at ‘DVD’ sales?”

Answer: They certainly are by the studio, but the network doesn’t have anything to gain by increased online sales.

myhelix writes: “I would love to know your opinion about your perfect SGU team that would go through the gate together, like in SG1 and SGA (choose 4-5 people)?”

Answer: I believe I already answered this question in a previous entry: Greer, Vala, McKay, T.J., and Ronon with Woolsey overseeing the action.

Shiny writes: “…but can we now surmise that the reason so many of the gateworld people we’ve met in SG1 and SGA speak English is because they are the descedents of the Destiny crew? Kinda like Destiny descendents are the prequel to everything that came later?”

Answer: Interesting theory but not one that we considered.

Chad: “Were we ever going to get an official name for the blueberry aliens?”

Answer: Yes. From now on, let’s refer to them as the Nakai.

Chad also writes: “Were there plans to encounter human decendents in the next galaxy?”

Answer: Yes, like the military force I mentioned here: May 12, 2011: Stargate: Universe, Beyond Season 2! What Might Have Been!

Tom writes: “Did the writers have any idea what the message in the the background radiation was going to be?”

Answer: Yep.

DatDude writes: “Would Eli and scott have had to take rush and youngs places after a while?”

Answer: When we were originally arcing out season 2, we were planning to have Scott take over when Young hit rock bottom. It would have been interesting to see him run assume command.

Lisa R writes: “For those who are interested in our job news, hubby has two phone interviews tomorrow—one for a job here in town and the other for the job in CT; they have a whole hour scheduled for this one.”

Answer: Good luck!

max writes: “Do the SG fans recognize you by sight?”

Answer: Not usually but I was once recognized in Montreal, in the dead of night, on an almost deserted street corner while looking for a restaurant.

James writes: “Why didn’t Destiny’s Stargate have a security measure in place like the Earth Iris or Atlantis’ Shield?”

Answer: It was an early model.

Duptiang. writes: ” I was left with the impression the Corin Nemec also did not fit into the cast nor some of the upper staff, or am I off the mark?”

Answer: Can’t speak for anyone else but I always found Corin incredibly polite, gracious, and easy to.

dasNdanger writes: “…dated a few lunatics,” Do tell, DO TELL!!”

Answer: Three words – talking teddy bears.

RFVDevil writes: “Where there any plans to follow up on the “Other Rush” who sat in the chair in Twin Destinies?”

Answer: Nope. It was assumed he perished aboard the twin Destiny.

Kevin writes: “Are you going to go over the entirety of Stargate that you’ve worked on?”

Answer: That’s the plan. Next up: SG-1’s Season 7!

JoanieC writes: “Have they cast the series yet, or did I miss that post?”

Answer: Official announcement to come!

trybutez writes: “Maybe I missed it, or maybe it was implied, but what was the ship/craft that detached from Destiny at the end of Air?”

Answer: A scout ship/drone placed there by the Nakai (Blueberry aliens).

PJR writes: “1 – “Of course I’d pitch to the UK. In fact, one of the projects presently on the stack is a potential Canadian-UK co-production.”

Any more info? Heading to UK for it at any stage?”

Answer: Nope. It’s still out there but was a project in development in search of a broadcaster.

“2 – How many Acts (plus Teaser, always?) to an SG episode, or does it depend on which series?”

Answer: Stargate = Teaser + 5 Acts.

“3 – How many for Transporter: The Series? How long will each episode be? How many in a season?”

Answer: Transporter = Teaser + 4 Acts, 12 episode season.

“4 – Being interested in the nut n’ bolts of story creation, what constitutes story spinning, breaking, etc? What are the differences? Only done per episode? Or arcs too? Then, after those, the assigned writer sweats the first draft, submits and awaits the notes?”

Answer: Someone throws out an idea and we proceed to “spin it”, throwing ideas around until we feel we have enough to work with at which point we “break it”, sitting in the room and breaking it down into its story beats, Tease and five acts. Once we’ve boarded it, the writer heads off and works on an outline.

“5 – Transporter’s stories seem to be coming together very quickly. More so than SG?”

Answer: Stargate’s scripts came together quicker than any show I’ve ever worked on. Since Transporter: The Series is a new show, we’re looking at more rewrites than the well-established Stargate.

“6 – What, if any, protection did the Ancients design or put in place for their long chain of Stargates through the cosmos, for, surely, they wouldn’t have expected them to sit unmolested or no-one to suss how to block them (like Destiny suffered)? Were there ideas among writers to address this as a reveal of some kind if the SGU had run on? Hell, the drones weren’t birthed by them? Or, were the Ancients never expecting to take too long out in space and, anyway, way back at that time all other life was too primitive so wasn’t an issue – only became an issue for SGU?”

Answer: Presumably the Ancients intended for the gate network to be used by future generations/species, so I don’t think they would have put “safeguards” in place.

“7 – By the grand end, the cosmos would have been cracked as a mystery enabling the FTL and stargates to be obsolete, in effect, because transfer through space-time would be able to happen instantly, with vanishing and re-appearing, no needs for ships (but can take!) and dimensional explorations beginning, on the fringes of which Rush would have encountered those he’d lost to death – and this yearning, this need, this hunt is what was driving him all along to try to crack the mystery. Big. And, spin-off potential! Any chance of comment on how what chimes with what Brad and Rob dreamed?”

Answer: As I said, I leave the details of the big end of series reveal to Brad and Robert.

“8 – Dark Matter – what came first to you – a character, or characters, of scenes with potential to weave, or ‘What if…?’ story question. Given that it is original to you and so differs to the pre-existing worlds you are making (Transporter) and have made (SG) into series, it’d be interesting to know how this works for you.”

Answer: I actually started with the ending of the pilot (first episode), a huge WTF?! moment, then fleshed out the rest of the series from there. When you see it (actually, the end of issue #2 in comic book form), you’ll understand.

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