Stargate: Atlantis 10.5.07 *spoilers*

[PJO1966]

Interesting way to get rid of Weir, while still maintaining the possibility of bringing her back later. I think adding Carter is going to be a great dynamic. You can't have too many geniuses around.

[sushikitten]

What happened the last minute or so? I forget I have to pad this. Carter and Sheppard were out on the balcony and he was commenting on the 2 moons... Do we find out Carter is going to join their crew? (In the show, it was said she wasn't.)

[busyba]

They just chit chat for a while. It is mentioned in conversation that Sam had been promoted to a full colonel, and that she's heading back to the SGC for a debrief. No mention of her returning back to Atlantis.

[busyba]

Wasn't the entire replicator city made out of replicator blocks? So shouldn't the anti-replicator field have dissolved the building it was passing through as well as the people?

[Idearat]

Wasn't the entire replicator city made out of replicator blocks? So shouldn't the anti-replicator field have dissolved the building it was passing through as well as the people?

Yeah, I wondered that too. One of the archways they passed through had the shiny, crystalline look that had been seen in other replicator constructions.

Later I assumed that since the ZPM was real, not replicated, that they were mimicing the Ancients and building things the old fashioned way.

[sushikitten]

They just chit chat for a while. It is mentioned in conversation that Sam had been promoted to a full colonel, and that she's heading back to the SGC for a debrief. No mention of her returning back to Atlantis.

Okay, I saw all that, thanks. :up: Must not have missed anything.

[Sadara]

I kept saying to the TV, don't do it.... don't sacrifice Wier that way!! But, I also knew it had to be done! Can't wait for next week!

[Anubys]

ah...glorious HD :up:

is it me or did Sam lose about 20 pounds in the final scene with Sheppard?

the whole ep, she was bursting out of her flight suit...then in the last scene, the suite was too big for her (and her face was much skinnier)...

[TiVoLance]

I believe they have talked before about these replicators not building everything from replicator blocks. Not sure what the rational is.

[vertigo235]

The rationale is that they are trying to be like the Atlantians.

[atrac]

So did Torri Higginson want to leave the show, or was she shuffled out to make room for Amanda Tapping?

If it's the latter, that's pretty rotten of the SG producers. :(

[Anubys]

So did Torri Higginson want to leave the show, or was she shuffled out to make room for Amanda Tapping?

If it's the latter, that's pretty rotten of the SG producers. :(

why? Sam was under contract and most people didn't think Torri was very good anyway...Sam is much more popular...

[vertigo235]

You mean Amanda was under contract.

[Anubys]

You mean Amanda was under contract.

yeah...I noticed that but was too lazy to fix my post :)

[busyba]

So did Torri Higginson want to leave the show, or was she shuffled out to make room for Amanda Tapping?

If it's the latter, that's pretty rotten of the SG producers. :(
I forget where I heard it, but I believe Torri wanted out.

[bootedbear]

I heard the opposite (from my partner who read it somewhere) -- that she was blind-sided by the whole thing.

I'll see if he can remember where he read this.

[Rob Helmerichs]

I've also heard that Amanda was not pleased at being moved over to Atlantis (she was relieved that Stargate ended), and her early interviews seemed to indicate that. On the other hand, more recently she's sounded enthusiastic, so either she's changed her mind about staying or she's being the good soldier.

But from all the changes they've been making in recent years and actors' responses, it seems that what the actor wants is not something they take into consideration...

[DLL66]

I've also heard that Amanda was not pleased at being moved over to Atlantis (she was relieved that Stargate ended), and her early interviews seemed to indicate that. On the other hand, more recently she's sounded enthusiastic, so either she's changed her mind about staying or she's being the good soldier.

But from all the changes they've been making in recent years and actors' responses, it seems that what the actor wants is not something they take into consideration...

Richard Dean Andersen seemed to get what he wanted.

[Rob Helmerichs]

Richard Dean Andersen seemed to get what he wanted.
Sort of (he wanted to leave years before he finally did, but they kept bribing him into staying by handing him more money and less workload). But Rainbow Francks, Paul McGillion, and apparently Amanda Tapping and Torri Higginson didn't.

[busyba]

Richard Dean Andersen seemed to get what he wanted.
Wasn't he also a producer? I'd imagine that would help.

[Hoffer]

I got all caught up on Stargate Atlantis this weekend. I noticed Samantha Carter was in the opening credits and from talk here, seems like she's on the show for a bit. I was wondering if Weir was being removed from the show, or if they'd rescue her in a week or two. Sounds like here she is off the show, or just not on very often. Kinda like the Rainbow dude.

I had a slight headache earlier. I watched 22 episodes of Stargate Atlantis in 2 days. :)

[Tangent]

Ugh, can anybody recap the last few minutes for me? My recording got cut off right after they contacted the SGC. Zelenka said "Rodney...?" and then it cut. Since when do we need to pad? Is it all Sci-Fi channel shows or only ones that air after that god-awful Flash Gordon that they seem to run long now?

[IndyJones1023]

Uh, they can't force an actor to be on the show. So I'm betting Amanda wanted to come back, or was at least enticed to do so.

And this episode was really over the top with the mumbo jumbo. I hope they lessen the hoop jumping that Rodney has to leap thru even though there's no possible way for him to do so.

[needo]

I think it would've been cool to have the city just in orbit around a planet.

[bonscott87]

Uh, they can't force an actor to be on the show. So I'm betting Amanda wanted to come back, or was at least enticed to do so.

And this episode was really over the top with the mumbo jumbo. I hope they lessen the hoop jumping that Rodney has to leap thru even though there's no possible way for him to do so.

Amanda still had 1 year left on her contract so when SG1 ended the studio still had her for another year and they decided to put her on Atlantis, probably to try to migrate SG1 fans over to Atlantis that haven't already tried it. It wasn't her idea at all. This much is 100% fact.

What I'm not totally sure about is Torry and I believe she and the cast were a bit suprised by the move to reduce her to "recurring character" role. But again, producers can do what they want.

[Rob Helmerichs]

Amanda still had 1 year left on her contract so when SG1 ended the studio still had her for another year and they decided to put her on Atlantis, probably to try to migrate SG1 fans over to Atlantis that haven't already tried it. It wasn't her idea at all. This much is 100% fact.
And in the early interviews, she did NOT sound happy--her attitude seemed to be, "Well, I have a contract and they're holding me to it even though my show was canceled."

She just had a kid, and I suspect she was looking forward to some at-home time...

[MasterCephus]

I think this episode was a little better than the first. Kind of settled things for Weir...I just wonder how they are going to pull off the "It's now a military operation" and not have a general at a "major" military outpost...it seems like a general would run it...not to mention that Carter has no real experience in leading an SG team, let alone a massive outpost.

[IndyJones1023]

If Tapping still had a contract in place, then they're not "making" her do it. She's still under contract.

[JimSpence]

I think it would've been cool to have the city just in orbit around a planet.I had the same thought. Why land the city? Well, keeping the force field up would drain the ZedPM faster, requiring another shopping trip. :)

[mportuesi]

So is Doctor Weir (Tori Higginson) going to make recurring roles as a replicator villain?

If so, that'll be the third time they've had an Atantis character go AWOL and come back as a bad guy. First Ford as a pseudo-Wraith, then the Star Trek guy as a full wraith, and next Weir as a replicator.

I'm also happy the writers finally realized the Wraith are lame-o bad guys and found a way to write them out of existence.

[ihatecable]

I had the same thought. Why land the city? Well, keeping the force field up would drain the ZedPM faster, requiring another shopping trip. :)I thought about that as well but then again it seemed to cost an aufull lot of energy to get the city airbourne (or spacebourne) perhaps keeping the city in a parking orbit wouldnt cost as much energy as landing it like a leaf kissing a pond (gota love that line,lol) and then taking off again

[IndyJones1023]

If so, that'll be the third time they've had an Atantis character go AWOL and come back as a bad guy. First Ford as a pseudo-Wraith, then the Star Trek guy as a full wraith, and next Weir as a replicator.
No...

Trip started off as a Wraith, was turned human, then reverted back - mostly.

[Anubys]

I don't think the Wraith story is dead...right now, they're on a new planet with nothing to do!

[Rob Helmerichs]

If Tapping still had a contract in place, then they're not "making" her do it. She's still under contract.
But most contracts end when the show is canceled. She had a reasonable expectation that she would be free when Stargate SG1 ended.

I don't think I've ever heard of another case where an actor is held to a contract after the show ends.

[busyba]

I don't think the Wraith story is dead...right now, they're on a new planet with nothing to do!
Nothing to do besides defend themselves from the replicators, that is. :)

[marrone]

Yeah, all we know is a bunch of replicator ships are headed towards a wraith planet. For all we know, they might be going over there for dinner.

Who's doing the eating is another question....

-Mike

[busyba]

Yeah, all we know is a bunch of replicator ships are headed towards a wraith planet. For all we know, they might be going over there for dinner.

Who's doing the eating is another question....
I don't think Wraith would find Replicators particularly palatable.


(Or visa-versa, now that I think about it).

[MrGreg]

Wasn't the entire replicator city made out of replicator blocks? So shouldn't the anti-replicator field have dissolved the building it was passing through as well as the people?

Why didn't it kill the replicators keeping Weir alive?

[mportuesi]

Why didn't it kill the replicators keeping Weir alive?

Weir left the puddle jumper *after* the replicators had figured out how to breach the anti-replicator field. Presumably she had the benefit of that breach as well.

[DianaMo]

Just before leaving the house yesterday, I set up Atlantis to record to DVD so I could free up some space on the hard drive.

Yep, someone turned on the tv, "rewound" Atlantis (slowly) and watched the show.

So the DVD recording I got was the first half in regular speed and then it played backwards s l o w l y. I checked the dvd recording in 5 minute increments and had some very strange results. "It should be going forward, but its traveling backwards".

Arrrrrgh!

[bonscott87]

But most contracts end when the show is canceled. She had a reasonable expectation that she would be free when Stargate SG1 ended.

I don't think I've ever heard of another case where an actor is held to a contract after the show ends.

I'll bet that for whatever reason her contract was not specific to the show SG1 but to the production company or to the studio. Kinda like an actor may sign a "3 picture deal" or have a contract to develop 2 pilots, things like that. Also could be that Shanks and Judge also had another year but the producers didn't want to bring everyone from SG1 over and just choose Amanda for that.

Although Judge I believe is supposed to be in at least one episode later on this season.

[Anubys]

let's just be happy that we get Sam for another year...she's a great character, her interaction with Rodney is fantastic, and she & Sheppard should play-off each other very well...

I can't see the downside to it...she's professional enough (and isn't famous enough) to pull the same crap the "other guy" pulled...I suspect she'll be great...

[Hoffer]

What kind of money do people make on shows like Stargate? I’m just curious what kind of money she would be turning down by not doing this season. Based on other shows like this, you don’t seem to see these actors ever again. You’d think they would milk this cow for as long as it lasts.

[JustAllie]

Just before leaving the house yesterday, I set up Atlantis to record to DVD so I could free up some space on the hard drive.

Yep, someone turned on the tv, "rewound" Atlantis (slowly) and watched the show.

So the DVD recording I got was the first half in regular speed and then it played backwards s l o w l y. I checked the dvd recording in 5 minute increments and had some very strange results. "It should be going forward, but its traveling backwards".

Arrrrrgh!
Doesn't the "Save to VCR" function have a warning that's intended to stop people from doing this sort of thing?

[JimSpence]

Yes it does, but it can be overridden. Or maybe he didn't use the Save to VCR function.

[Rob Helmerichs]

What kind of money do people make on shows like Stargate? I’m just curious what kind of money she would be turning down by not doing this season. Based on other shows like this, you don’t seem to see these actors ever again. You’d think they would milk this cow for as long as it lasts.
On the other hand, there are some women who like to be around for the first year of their first child's life...

(And if she actually planned the pregnancy to coincide with the last season of SG1, that would REALLY suck!)

[HiddenSky]

What kind of money do people make on shows like Stargate?

Joe Flanigan makes $992,250 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ib429a97580f60ae2e0d25379a7b16bd1).

[JustAllie]

Joe Flanigan makes $992,250 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ib429a97580f60ae2e0d25379a7b16bd1).
Wow, sweet deal for a job that doesn't require you to comb your hair. :cool:

[HiddenSky]

Wow, sweet deal for a job that doesn't require you to comb your hair. :cool:

Or tie your boot laces. :up:

[Anubys]

Joe Flanigan makes $992,250 (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/television/news/e3ib429a97580f60ae2e0d25379a7b16bd1).

geez...couldn't negotiate that last $8,000? (I know, I'm rounding up!)...

[JustAllie]

geez...couldn't negotiate that last $8,000? (I know, I'm rounding up!)...
The extra $7,750 would have required him to comb his hair and tie his boot laces.

Totally not worth it.

;)

[Amnesia]

Joe Flanigan makes $992,250.geez...couldn't negotiate that last $8,000? (I know, I'm rounding up!)...What are you talking about?!? He makes a million dollars! (I'm rounding up, too)

[Church AV Guy]

I'll bet that for whatever reason her contract was not specific to the show SG1 but to the production company or to the studio. Kinda like an actor may sign a "3 picture deal" or have a contract to develop 2 pilots, things like that. Also could be that Shanks and Judge also had another year but the producers didn't want to bring everyone from SG1 over and just choose Amanda for that.[/spoiler]
Yes, in light of what has transpired, I can only surmise that her contract was with the studio. I believe that I read somewhere that due to complex contract negotiations that I will never, EVER understand, she had an extra year on her contract that none of the other SG-1 actors did, so the studio, contractually obligated to pay her whether she did anything or not, decided to put her to work on Atlantis and release someone whose contract was up for renegotiation. From the studio's point of view, since she was going to be paid, at least she is working for her salary. If she had refused the work, the studio would be released from its obligation to pay her.

[Jebberwocky!]

If she had refused the work, the studio would be released from its obligation to pay her.

Yea, you couldn't force her to work against her will - she could have said no and stayed home.

Maybe she thought she was going to get paid for not working and that is what hanked her off.

[Rob Helmerichs]

Yes, in light of what has transpired, I can only surmise that her contract was with the studio. I believe that I read somewhere that due to complex contract negotiations that I will never, EVER understand, she had an extra year on her contract that none of the other SG-1 actors did, so the studio, contractually obligated to pay her whether she did anything or not, decided to put her to work on Atlantis and release someone whose contract was up for renegotiation. From the studio's point of view, since she was going to be paid, at least she is working for her salary. If she had refused the work, the studio would be released from its obligation to pay her.
That can't be entirely accurate, since NOBODY has a guaranteed contract in Hollywood. But she DID have a year left, and while they didn't have to pay her since her show had been canceled, they decided to hold her to the contract, no doubt to infuse a very popular character into a show that was having to stand on its own for the first time.

I also suspect that other Stargate actors had time left on their contracts (Browder, probably several years, since they normally don't sign people short-term) but were released when their show was canceled. Bringing Tapping over is probably also behind losing Weir and Beckett, since she would have overnight become the highest-paid member of the cast, and they no doubt had to free up some budget for her.

If she had refused the work, they could have sued her.

[JimSpence]

The extra $7,750 would have required him to comb his hair and tie his boot laces.

Totally not worth it.

;)Nah! That would put him into another tax bracket. :)

[Anubys]

The extra $7,750 would have required him to comb his hair and tie his boot laces.

Totally not worth it.

Nah! That would put him into another tax bracket. :)

combing your hair puts you in another tax bracket? :eek:

finally something bald men like me have over the hair-gifted :p

[mitkraft]

I had the same thought. Why land the city? Well, keeping the force field up would drain the ZedPM faster, requiring another shopping trip. :)

Ok, did NOBODY else think (since it hasn't been mentioned) how monumentally STUPID it was to go ahead with the "reprogram the replicators" mission when the lives of so many people hang in the balance? I mean, they had the ZPM, it was all safe, they should have just headed back to Atlantis. They risked the lives of all people on Atlantis and the City itself on an impossible mission with high risk of failure and capture. That was so very very very wrong.

[JustAllie]

Ok, did NOBODY else think (since it hasn't been mentioned) how monumentally STUPID it was to go ahead with the "reprogram the replicators" mission when the lives of so many people hang in the balance? I mean, they had the ZPM, it was all safe, they should have just headed back to Atlantis. They risked the lives of all people on Atlantis and the City itself on an impossible mission with high risk of failure and capture. That was so very very very wrong.
This is the Atlantis team we're talking about. The guys who woke up the Wraith on their first away mission in a new galaxy.

Heck, even in SG-1, they took incredible risks with our entire galaxy... all the time. Millions... billions?... have died as a result. Oops.

:p

[Jebberwocky!]

no guts, no glory!

[Anubys]

Ok, did NOBODY else think (since it hasn't been mentioned) how monumentally STUPID it was to go ahead with the "reprogram the replicators" mission when the lives of so many people hang in the balance? I mean, they had the ZPM, it was all safe, they should have just headed back to Atlantis. They risked the lives of all people on Atlantis and the City itself on an impossible mission with high risk of failure and capture. That was so very very very wrong.

I didn't think of that...and I still don't think it!

everyone on Atlantis is part of the mission and is aware of the risks...getting the replicators to fight the wraith is a good enough goal to risk everyone on the mission, IMO...

risking all the people on the mission to save everyone on Earth is a very worthwhile gamble...

[busyba]

Ok, did NOBODY else think (since it hasn't been mentioned) how monumentally STUPID it was to go ahead with the "reprogram the replicators" mission when the lives of so many people hang in the balance? I mean, they had the ZPM, it was all safe, they should have just headed back to Atlantis. They risked the lives of all people on Atlantis and the City itself on an impossible mission with high risk of failure and capture. That was so very very very wrong.
"[The universe is] wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross; but it's not for the timid." :D