Earlier today on PlutoTV the episode titled Proving Ground played.  And yes, this more Stargate talk.  This is a great episode although, in my opinion not in the ways many would think.  Interesting though, looking at IMDB, I’m not only person who likes this episode.  With an average score of 7.7 the majority of scores are in the eights.  Now, obviously in my younger days this episode stuck out to me because of Grace Park and Elisabeth Rosen but I’m adult now!  I swear!  This episode portrays an aspect of life at the Stargate Command base that most people wouldn’t consider so much.  The training and preparation of younger and new soldiers.  I don’t recall whether that’s accurate catchall for US military personnel but I will be using as such in reference to military members in general, and am aware enough to use more specific terms when speaking specifically.  There are two key points I want to focus on with this conversation.  On-screen and off-screen implications.

     First, on-screen.  This episode shows us that there is apparatus and procedure for recruitment and training.  In an earlier episode, Elisabeth Rosen is introduced as Cad. Jennifer Hailey.  An Air Force Cadet with an intellect rivaling Carter’s and an attitude that O’Neill appreciates.  In this episode we see a bit of how certain individuals are identified and invited, let’s say, into this program.  Then in this episode, we see some of the training and certification of these individuals.  Things that are very important to the sustenance and continuation of such an endeavor as exploring the galaxy and defending a planet from threats like the goa’uld.  Throughout SG-1 we get a number of episodes highlighting some aspects of the research and development side of things in the SGC and even a few episodes showing us the casual day-to-day, but very few showing us the replenishment and training of SGC personnel.  There are miles of storytelling potential with just this tool alone.  And with that, in the beginning of SG-1 they start with nine SG teams.  We spend ten years focusing on principally one team.  There’s so much they could have done with this.

     To that point, the off-screen implications.  With more storytelling focused on training new personnel for the SGC we could have followed numerous characters from Stargate school to retirement.  And we wouldn’t even have to focus one team or character very long.  Especially with the more common television model of 10-13 episodes.  The Stargate franchise could’ve executed the Star Wars/Marvel model five, maybe even closer to ten years ago.  A series here focused on a new Major recently busted down for being too rash here.  And another series on a research team stranded on a goa’uld controlled planet there.  Adopting the process of extended universe of mini-series model of production, we could have been having a near constant stream of Stargate material for the last fifteen years instead of trying to rekindle it after fifteen years.

     I understand both sides of this argument.  “Whah whah whah, there’s so much to watch.  Fatigue this, fatigue that.”  Here’s the thing.  Sure, not everything is always great.  Usually the problem with things that is at one point or another, the reigns are given to people who may truly care about the thing and then drops balls because they don’t understand how to truly honor the source of whatever.  Look at Marvel Studios in the beginning.  They succeeded AND made wonderfully fantastic films.  Anyone paying attention will tell you that they succeeded BECAUSE they made such wonderfully fantastic films.  And if you watched any of the special features packaged with those films, you heard just about everyone involved say that their movies worked and worked well because of the care and attention put into those films.

     It’s possible to do the same thing with pretty much anything.  Stargate is certainly no exception to this ideal.  I more than dare say that I in particular am more than capable carrying on such work with this intent.  Ya know, to make more Stargate.  I’ve been talking semi-regularly for a few weeks now some of the things I would like to see in the new Stargate series.  Rather, I’d more prefer to make happen in the new Stargate series.  I don’t know who all is in the writers’ room right now nor do I have any idea what all they’re doing in the new series.  But there are very few things I want to be a part of more.  Sooooo, again I ask.  If anyone reading this can show it to Martin Gero, I would really like that.  My fantasy here is that he reads any of my posts, likes at least some of the ideas, and then I get a job writing for Stargate.

     If it helps, we can swing this like a ‘make a wish’ gig.  I mean, I don’t have any cancers or anything to my knowledge.  And I’m not so much a child as I am a single, middle-aged man what’s dying alone, but surely that’s sad enough that people may want to help me score a dream job, right?  Seriously, folks, I have exactly nothing else in my life.

As you know, I want to work on the upcoming Stargate series.  I’m also an avid fan of the Marvel Multiverse Roleplaying Game.  I’ve been writing up materials adapting elements of Stargate for this game.  I’m thinking that now I’m going to get together a game soon and play it Stargate.  I’ve created a couple characters modeled after concepts from the franchise and I’m thinking about modeling some analogues after established Stargate characters.  What I’m thinking right this second is setting up characters to save time, find some players or at least corral some of my friends to play out in effect an episode of Stargate.  Maybe THAT will get some attention.  Preferably not-so-much litigious attention.  Perhaps between job applications I’ll write up a quick little one shot and get this game going.  ALRIGHT!  You’ve talked me into it!  I had a job little bit and one week we were on a road trip so, one night I ran a game for a handful of guys who have never played any TTRPGs before.  We used a game format I came up with specifically for new players and then for shits and grins, I used some Stargate inspired material in that game.  These guys yoinked some jaffa armor and weapons and then one of them actually took on one of the symbiotes.  It was hilarious how these things played out.  Especially with a group of players first, unfamiliar with TTRPGs and then equally unfamiliar with Stargate.  It was a pretty fun little game.

Anyway, here I am again begging for a job writing Stargate.  I’m not sure what to talk about this time.  Here’s a topic, loose ends we could be addressing in the new series instead of rebooting.  Earlier I was watching the episode, The Fifth Man.  We’re introduced to a new character named Lt. Tyler.  Spoiler in coming, Tyler turns out to be an alien.  He’s of the ree’oll.  A people who secret a hallucinogenic compound that disguises them within the perception of those contact with it.  Creating intricate and profound memories of the ree’oll with a fictitious identity.  They do call back to this in a later episode but just the one time.  We could have characters from these people join SG teams as scouts, spies, and all sorts of interesting operators.

     Then there’s the incursion force form Foothold.  Somewhere someone called them the stragoth, I don’t know whether that’s canon but that’s seems to be the most efficient to look them up on line.  It would be great to see more of them.  Either they trying to take the SGC again, working with goa’uld cells, or just mixing up shit from time to time.

     In the episode, Grace we see a ship that doesn’t match designs of any other ships we’ve seen.  Maybe it’s a stragoth ship, maybe it’s a pirate tollanan ship that left Tollan before the cataclysm and the rogue crew has no such compunction about sharing their technology(one missile at a time), or perhaps they’re a group we haven’t seen at all.

     And these are just some loose ends from SG-1.  We have a few things throughout Atlantis we can play with and god damn it all, Universe has by definition, unlimited possibilities!  Such a rich history and lore we can be building on instead of rebooting.  In case it’s not so clear where I stand on matter of rebooting, I’d really rather they not.  Especially if I could get on board and steer things away from the possibility of rebooting Stargate.

     And again, if anyone has the means to get any of my texts in front of Martin Gero so that I can talk him into giving me a job writing for Stargate, please.  I would really appreciate that.  There are few things about which I’m this passionate.  And of course, if I could start paying my bills with a passion like writing this stuff professionally…oh how sweet that would truly be?

Mother’s day was yesterday.  I know a lot of good mothers who deserve recognition as such.  I would never say otherwise.  What I will say however, is that not everyone who has had children is a good person let alone parent.  Rule of thumb, if you’re asking yourself whether I’m talking about you, clearly you have given yourself reason to ask.  Work on that.  Happy mothers’ day to the mothers who’ve earned it.

     I finally got off my ass and got shit done for my California license.  Now I can kill myself happily knowing I’m not dying with utah driver license.  And yes, I leave utah uncapitalized on purpose.  I just have my interim license right now but within thirty days I’ll get the real thing.  It was so hot and I had to make two trips on the bus and in the heat but it’s done.  Now then, what to talk about.  How about some more of my nerving out about Stargate stuff so I can continue begging for a job writing on Stargate?

     I’ve touched on this briefly I’m pretty sure but the state of the Pegasus galaxy.  As things were left at the end of Stargate Atlantis, the city itself was on Earth in the Milky Way.  Michael is thought to be dead.  The wraith hive conflict is pretty well in full swing and at least wraith, Todd, if not his hive have the weaponized Hoffan drug and/or Beckett’s retrovirus, but as I recall still no effective means of delivery for either,  And the Tau’ri of Earth should now also have a few tons of wraith super-hive scrap to research, and possibly even one or two possibly usable ZPMs.  Anyone catch something I missed?  Please, I’d love to discuss any of this with someone else.  Feel free to reach out and we can talk about it.

     Moving on.  Like I’ve said before, in MY IMAGINING OF A NEW SERIES WHILE HAVING EXACTLY NOTHING TO DO WITH THE NEW IMPENDING SERIES…that is the point here.  I want to be apart of Stargate going forward and all my pining here would ideally get some notice and in turn, me a job writing for Stargate going forward.  So, Atlantis is back in Pegasus, on the most recent plant it occupied before flying to the Milky Way to fight the impending wraith threat there.  With another ZPM on Atlantis aside from more advanced naqudah reactors, regular commute between SGC and Atlantis is enjoyed by all.  Col. John Sheppard(Ret.) is the current leader of the Atlantis Expeditionary Coalition.  Dr. Rodney Mackay is of the Science Division on Atlantis.  Col. Anne Teldy is the commanding officer of military forces on Atlantis with her right hand, Maj. “Dusty” Mehra as Security Chief.  And this staffing is of course my ideal.  I would love for these performers to come back and reprise these roles but I fully understand that may not be an option in the big, stupid, real world.  Making everything stupid and not great.  At this point, Atlantis is effectively an extension of the SGC in Pegasus.  Exploring, researching, and for lack of a better word policing the galaxy.  More often than is preferred, more or less refereeing among various wraith factions warring and dragging humans into crossfire.

     There is essentially no more cooperation among many hives.  A few weaker hives clinging to their old ways and their very existence have joined together however, even then lack sufficient numbers to pose much a threat to any other hives.  Some hives manage to cull from time to time but that’s still pretty dangerous, what with their well poisoned and all.  Some hives turn to cannibalism, feeding on their brothers.  Some hives have found the means to turn wraith into human.  On occasion trying to use this technology on enemy hives and a little more often, using it to mean prep on board their own ships.

     One thing I’d like to see is some sort of return of Michael.  Sure, it looks like he died…again.  Sheppard even says right then some to the effect, we thought he was dead before.  Michael’s research and proven capacity for cloning leaves wide open the opportunity to return.  Even if Connor Trinneer doesn’t return, a Michael clone doesn’t have to be identical, given Michael’s work manipulating genetics.  There are many possibilities with this character and he was always one of my favorite things in this series specifically.

     Alright, that’s my Stargate daydreaming for today.  As usual, if anyone can get this in front of Martin Gero, please do.  If he knows I exist and that I’m doing this, I could have an opportunity to talk him into giving me a job writing for Stargate.  Until next time.

Ok, we took off a few days from my begging for a job writing on Stargate.  Time we get back to that I think.  I’m not sure what to write this time.  Another thing I’ve been thinking about is traveling to and from Destiny.  The issue has always power generation.  This is a topic explored all throughout the Stargate franchise.  One of my favorite characters has always been Jeannie Miller and only a little because I’ve always had a little bit of a crush on Kate Hewlett.  I imagine that Jeannie now, this much time later with her child grown and studying at university, Jeannie and her husband now live mostly on Atlantis, or at least splitting her time between Atlantis and the SGC.  Her greater focus has always been researching and practical implementation of new and prototype power generation.  So, of course, that’s been her work this whole time, or at least majoritively.  Over the years she helped advance the naquadah generator technology to the point where linking a dozen or so to the Atlantis gate, with some slightly more efficient internal power systems, can sustain a stable wormhole to Destiny for about 3.8 seconds.  Possibly long enough to send one person with considerable risk but we’ve worked out that we can well enough send through a couple crates of supplies in that time.  This touches on my earlier post about Destiny.  Accounting for refinement and production, this could allow for care package drops something like every seven to ten months or so.  All the same, Jeannie continues her research into Zero Point Module research.

     As I imagine all this, the ZPM research leads her almost directly to the original research programs for the Destiny’s power systems.  I like to think that Destiny’s power system drawing from stars is to start, a roundabout path to the Zero Point Energy solution.  It makes sense to me that Jeannie would find the older research documents while looking for the research we’re already familiar with.  What I’m thinking right now, over the season, with the information she’s found, she starts reverse engineering Destiny’s solar collectors so our newest ship the X-312 can start running some experiments.  I haven’t written up much yet on the newest Tau’ri spaceship but I imagine that by this time, we’ve started at least building a ship with a dedicated gate room.  We’ve seen this done on numerous Goa’uld ships, the Alkesh commandeered by The Trust, and oh yeah, Destiny.  It should be possible by this time with the advancement in naqudah generator technology to at least manage galactic gate travel.  Intergalactic gate travel, say from Milky Way to and from Pegasus may be pushing it still.  Ya know, until Jeannie figures out how to adapt stellar collection systems for the new ship…

     Anyway, this has been another installment of Tim begging to write for Stargate.  If anyone reading this has any way to put it this in front of Martin Gero so that I can talk him into giving me a job, I would really appreciate that!  Seriously, though, come on.  Just send him a link or something.  What’s the worst that could happen?  Pretty Please?

Yesterday I was thinking that it’s been awhile since I watched Alita: Battle Angel.  I’m pretty sure I wrote a review back when I first watched it in the theater.  If not, then what’s seven years late?

     If you haven’t watched it yet…what the hell?!  Seriously, it’s been like seven years!!!  First off, the entire film is extraordinarily beautiful.  The design of everything is not just true to the art of Yukito Kishiro’s original art style but manga and anime as a whole.  Much of the anime I’ve watched has been late eighties throughout nineties and this whole film looks like the truest love letter to that era of Japanese art.  For that alone I love this film.  There are so many scenes throughout where you can tell they’re panels straight out of the manga.  And then watching the bonus features James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez spoke specifically how they worked to honor the original work and recreating such iconic panels in live action.  They even invited Yukito Kishiro to visit the set and preview some of their work.  He gave his blessing for the project and even found himself on the verge of tears seeing his work translated into live action and done so by someone whose work he had enjoyed himself, particularly being a fan of Terminator for so many years.  It was really nice watching these interviews.

     I want to speak a moment on Rosa Salazar in this film.  Her performance is astounding!  To start, when Yukito Kishiro met her the first thing he said was that she looks exactly like Gally and she started to tear up a bit.  She was already a huge fan.  Much of this film, in particular Rosa’s work was Performance Capture.  For anyone not familiar, that’s the step beyond Motion Capture.  With this technology they record facial movement with the body movement.  They modeled Anita’s face on Rosa’s and every moment Alita is on screen that is precisely Rosa Salazar’s performance.  Yeah, there’s more than a few moments I teared up, shut your face!  It’s a compelling story to which I relate.  Again, she is an extraordinary performer!

     Now, I’ve never watched any of the Avatar movies.  Blue people not Last Airbender.  I’ve never had any interest but I’ve always appreciated the technological advancements made through the production that first Avatar movie.  Watching the bonus features for Alita: Battle Angel I learned just how important that first Avatar movie really is.  Turns out that if Avatar didn’t play out well we’d have never gotten Alita.  At one point James Cameron had to make a choice, finish writing Alita or move forward with Avatar.  He chose to stick with Avatar but then fortunately, he had a conversation with Robert Rodriguez.  Rodriguez was a fan of Alita and most impatiently waiting for Cameron to make it.  Asking him about it Cameron started to think about Rodriguez picking up the baton with Alita.  Lucky for us Rodriguez accepted and now we have this great film!

     One thing to always keep in mind, things always turn out the best when the people involved truly appreciate and love the work.  I can’t think of anything done that was done well when everyone involved hated what they were doing.