Michael's 24 & Stargate SG-1 Blog

Well, its all come down to this: 10 seasons. Over 200 episodes. Adventure. Laughter. Tears. And as this is the last episode of our journey together, I will make this my last TV Guide blog entry.

Thanks be to all of you who have grown with us over the years. It has been a true pleasure, and one I’m sure I will not see the likes of again. The years have gone by so fast… so fast. So much has changed, in my life, and in the lives of those around me. And I’m sure of yours too.

I was reminded as recently as yesterday how much can happen in 10 years. I shared a conversation on the plane with Katee Sackoff (of Battlestar Galactica fame — for those living under boulders) who enlightened me that she used to watch the early seasons of Stargate with her father… when she was 17. Holy crap. That aged me.

I was a single boy of 26 years when we took our first steps through the gate, and now I speak to you as a father of three at 36 years old. It really does fly, doesn’t it?

“Unending.” An appropriate name for a show that has ended, been critically bashed, changed its cast and been written off by so many. And still we survived with a new tomorrow. Forgive me, but…NEENER-NEENER-NEENER! I am so proud of the cast, the writers, the crew, the producers, and yes, even the executives who endured many whips and scorns, only to show up ever day and make this journey possible. But most of all, I am proud of you, the viewer, who really has made all of it feasible. Without you, we as ‘players’ truly have no purpose. You are sincerely what has made the gate spin week after week. Be proud.

I know that not all of you have supported every decision that the storytellers have made. Fandom, has become over time like a dysfunctional family: separated in agenda, but united in a love for what is, what was, or what simply could be. It’s all OK now. I believe that the entire family can now embrace, mourn or celebrate the end of an era. Together, whether some like it or not, we have made television history. Be very proud.

Today, we keep our chins held high, or faces turned clearly toward the sunset and can acknowledge with a clear conscience that “we made this.”

I cannot comment too much on the episode itself as a final episode. Its not a final episode. It’s a beginning point for the further adventures of SG-1. I’m so happy that Robert Cooper chose to end the series with the team just climbing up the ramp again for “just another mission to save the universe.” That way, these characters will always live on in our collective imaginations, doing whatever it is that you want them to do. I was equally grateful that it was made a point to film that scene last, so that everyone involved in the production could be there to say goodbye together. Trust me, this was not an easy task either, as both booze and tears were flowing at any given moment (Chris Judge was blubbering like a preschooler). We did eventually get the shots required (at close to midnight, if memory serves), hugged each other, shook hands and reluctantly went our separate ways. Ouch.

I think that it is a colossal understatement to say that I will always treasure this experience. Personally, I have spent the majority of my adult life working with these people, and only time will tell what life will be like without seeing them every day. Chris Judge’s pranks, Amanda Tapping's infectious smile, Ben Browder’s optimism, Beau Bridges’ "Tales of Hollywood," Clauda Black’s untold friendship, Don Davis’ tall stories, Teryl Rothery’s giddy laughter, and of course, Richard Dean Anderson’s relentless humor, sarcasm and massacre of everything cliché or mainstream. The dogs on set, the growing army of children on set, golf balls whizzing in every direction, gallons of coffee, reading scripts, Ivan Bartok shooting endless B-roll, Stargate hockey, Mallozzi’s suits and chocolate, prosthetic puppets, thousands of rounds of P-90 ammo, and rubbing the DHD’s red centre in just the right way. I could go on, but it might just be… unending.

So, as we say goodbye, and move on to whatever happens next, I leave you with these borrowed words: “Life is too short.” I aim to really enjoy the rest of my years. Hopefully, as much as I’ve enjoyed the last 10.

For more on the Stargate SG-1 TV finale, see Friday's Interviews & Features.

Wow.

I have not gotten into so much trouble for not completing my homework assignment since grade 9. You have no idea how many people have been riding me like Zorro for not keeping up with this blog. Thanks for caring. "I'mmmmmm back!"

Well, not to make any excuses, but we have been shooting the second SG-1 movie, Continuum, for the last three weeks and things have been a bit hectic. Not to mention the fact that the first shooting week overlapped with my wife's last week of filming her movie on Vancouver Island, so I was working during the day and being both mother and father at night. This wouldn't have been that much of a chore if my daughter Mia hadn't gotten a bad cold in Victoria, and happened to keep both her and I up through the entire first night before filming. Zero sleep is not the best way to kick off the work week. "Tough darts, Batman."

Anywho, the filming for Continuum has been great: frozen sets, Air Force F-15s and Richard Dean Anderson's return all crammed inside two hours of movie magic will be a fantastic way to finish. There is already talk of doling some more of these SG-1 movies, so keep your finger's crossed....

As for this week's SG-1 episode [airing Friday at 8 pm/ET], "Dominion," I thought it turned out really swell. That's right — "swell" (I'm bringing that word back). Multiple Baals (Cliff Simon at his gloating best), Morena Baccarin in black leather and Claudia Black let loose make this one of our better episodes this season. (Watch for bad guy "Cordon Bleu" appearing soon at your local deli.)

Previous episodes I hadn't commented on were "Talion," the Teal'c revenge episode, and "Family Ties." "Talion" was a great story, an episode that I was a little worried about at first. When I heard that it was kind of a Man on Fire ripoff, I was a little skeptical. Sometimes in the past we have not done homages very well. However, after seeing the finished cut, it is a great ride. All the team has something to do, Tony Amendola returns in all his glory, and there are some great fight sequences. Special kudos go to CJ and Ben Browder, who did all of their own fighting in their scene together. The boys had fun and a few bumps and bruises to show for it. Although this was another episode that ran over by about 20 minutes in the original edit, it still holds up very well. One of the best Teal'c episodes to date.

"Family Ties" was a bit disappointing, I felt, and I'm not sure why; the script was a good read, the casting of Fred Willard as Vala's con artist father was a windfall, and there was a poignant B-storyline with "General Landry" and "Dr Lam" finding a resolution to their family conflict. It just seemed to be lacking something in the final cut, and I really can't put my finger on what it is. Maybe I'll address it next week, when I have more time to think about it. Perhaps more emotional fleshing out could have been done with Jacek.... I don't know.

As for current events: I will refrain from talking about them, because if you've watched the news lately, there seems to be only one thing to talk about and you already know how I feel about that.

By the way, keep the comments coming! It's nice to read feedback — good, bad or just honest. Talk again next week for the finale. There may be tears....

Later!

Whatever….

Sorry. I realized over the weekend that there were a few things I had forgotten to do before I started this blog. The first was to introduce myself to the people who aren't already familiar with me:

Hello. My name is Michael Shanks. I am an actor.

I am an extremely sarcastic person. Meaning, that everything I say should be taken with a large grain — if not a huge boulder — of salt. I realize that sarcasm doesn't necessarily translate to the written word as well as it does the spoken. Such is life. Tough noogies. I am also an incredibly self-deprecating person. So much so in fact, that if you never hear me praise anything I do, it is because I regard most of what I do as un-praiseworthy. Meaning, I regard what I do as crap, for the most part, and not worth dissecting. I, of course, am not referring to the projects as a whole, because that is a commentary on others; I am referring to my role and worth within those projects.

On the other hand, I am blessed with a wonderful life, career, friends and work relationships that constantly have to deal with me as I struggle to find the worth that will allow me to contribute something positive in a collaborative way. Bless the people that have to deal with my crap. At the same time, the standard that I hold myself to I also hold to the world around me. Which means, it's all subject to my opinion and/or my standard, which is also my benchmark for the world around me. Basically, what I'm saying is that I am colossally flawed, so if you don't like my opinions, exercise your freedoms and disagree. Or, quite frankly, don't read any further, as that is also your right.

All that being said up front, now here are a few of my opinions on the week of television that I have been privy to in TV land (this is what this is about, after all):

Episode 22 of 24 was pretty damn good. My story line was, quite frankly, miniscule relative to the entire show. I watched it as a viewer, basically thinking that I wish I had been more involved in the action-based story line that was (in my opinion) for more compelling and defining than what was happening back at Mark Bishop's apartment. What we were doing in that story line was a bit distracting to the overall drama that people were tuning in to the show for. At the same time, I had a wonderful time with both cast and crew filming those scenes that I have rarely experienced. I remain incredibly grateful for the time spent in that world. Great crew, great cast, great people.

As for the Stargate SG-1 episode that airs on Friday: wow, not so good. The people involved — cast, crew, writers, etc — as always, fantastic. The episode… not one of my favorites. Shooting it was great, as one of the highlights was actually working (for a change) with my costar, Ben Browder. We often joke that for some reason, since he joined the show, we haven't been allowed in the same room, let alone the same scene together. We enjoy working with each other, and this is one of the few times we have been allowed to interact on any level. This moment, unfortunately, proved fleeting, because in the movies we are shooting, more of the same. Don't ask me the reason why, because we are both at a loss. Maybe it's because the TPTB feel that the audience will become confused: I'm the one wearing the glasses; he's got the southern drawl (although, he's apparently from Kansas). Go figure.

Anyhow, I do know that there is something like 22 extra minutes of the episode that ended up on the cutting-room floor. That's amazing, given a 44-minute delivery time. However, in my opinion, it weakens the overall impact of the episode. It seems to vacillate between being serious and/or comedic in a very strange way. And, for the first time in a while, I can honestly say that it renders my performance appalling. Note that when Daniel goes off the deep end to the hostages — something completely out of his character and purposely meant as such — there is a missing scene in between there that helped make the outburst a little more sensible. I'm not making any apologies or passing blame, but the inclusion of that would have made it all jive more. Such is the nature of episodic television, in which sometimes you just have to put it out there and, as Andy Mikita says, "just see what falls off the truck." Not overall one of our stronger offerings, but such is life.

On a separate note, this was also the episode we were filming when we found out the series had been cancelled. Who knows if that affected the overall focus of the human beings involved?! Again, not making excuses, but ya catch my drift? Tough noogies.

Wow, that was incredibly earnest and responsible of me. I'll have to remember to be more irreverent and sarcastic in the future. I blame it on my being between movies, at home and playing "daddy day care." My lovely wife is off filming the Lifetime Channel movie Killer Eyes on Vancouver Island, which puts me home alone with the kids.

Love her. Come home soon! Then we can both get back to being more irreverent and self-deprecating than this chapter seems to demonstrate.

As always, mean what you say, and (damn it!) say what you mean. I promise to get back to that next week.

Listen. If you concentrate, you can hear it: the sound of some enterprising young lad in their basement, printing off T-shirts that say "Free Paris." Timely. Give me a frickin' break. Honestly, if I hear one more thing about this chick, I'm gonna commit hari-kari with a spatula in front of my children. Why a spatula? "Because it will hurt more, you idiot!!!" Think Alan Rickman in Robin Hood, and you'll get the gist.

Well, Week 2 of this blog and a few things have happened. First, my beloved Canucks were knocked out of the playoffs by the Anaheim Ducks. I'm not angry. I actually went to Game 5 in Anaheim with one of my favorite people in the whole world to watch the game. Honestly, if Vancouver had won that game, it would have been a crime — they were so outplayed it was ridiculous. Poor Roberto Luongo (the Canucks goalie) is in therapy right now, he had so much rubber flying at him. I actually had to go drink for him. The Anaheim Ducks were simply a better team. That's right, "Ducks." Thank you, Disney. What an intimidating name.

Anyhow, did anybody catch this week's episode of 24? I did. Blink and you'll miss me. All the promised nudity, or almost-nudity, was clipped, just when the gettin' was good. Honestly, did we shoot it all for my benefit? You spend two hours bumping uglies with an actress, you at least want a little of it to end up onscreen. I'm the last person to say it, but I feel like a piece of meat. It brings whole new meaning to the term "warm prop."

As for this week's episode of Stargate entitled "The Bounty" — again, blink and you'll miss me. My role was shot over two whole days, and I'm not in it that much. I enjoy the episode, though, as I get to watch my favorite actress Claudia Black chew enormous amounts of scenery. I love her! Seriously, I could watch her read the phone book. She's so entertaining to watch when they let her off the leash. However, as an episode? Kinda filler. I've always had enormous problems with the notion of "space corn" being a strong genesis of drama. My opinion. Some may disagree. Oh, and watch for Daniel's line, "and you would have gotten away with it if it wasn't for us meddling kids!" Completely improvised. Thought that it would be cut for sure. Obviously, Scooby Doo, but I hate it when a character has to explain to the bad guy what the audience obviously implicitly understands. Pet peeve. Moving on.

Not a bad week overall. Made out with Kari Matchett on 24. Made out with Morena Baccarin in The Shroud. Seriously, I'm one project shy of making out with Treat Williams, and I've gotten nookie from the entire cast of TNT's new series Heartland (shameless plug). (Note to casting directors: I jest. Love Treat, but don't wanna go there.)

Well, if anyone wants to ask the obvious question, "Who is the better kisser?" the answer is me (shameless plug). For god's sake, it's my blog, I have to say something positive, damn it! Tune in next week as I shamelessly plug my next project (fingers crossed), Rage of Angels, written by my friend and coconspirator Chris Judge. This television pilot, directed by 24's Brad Turner, promises to blow the doors off of any evil character I've played before now. Sorry, not evil. Just misunderstood. You get my gist.

World events? Well, one of the most famous parks in the world, Griffith Park in Los Angeles, was burning down this week, but you wouldn't have known it. CNN was too busy covering — yes, you guessed it — Paris Hilton.

Maybe I'm just bitter because I'm one of the few white actors in Hollywood that she hasn't slept with. Or maybe I'm grateful. You get my gist.

Holy flaming monkey skat! The Vancouver Canucks cannot hold a lead. Up 2-0 going into the third period at home against Anaheim, and it should be lights-out time. But no, not for these guys. Its tied 2-2 at the end of regulation, and of course as expected, they go on to lose in overtime. Good god, how much of this suffering can a hockey fan expect to take?!

Oh, right, this is a TV Guide blog, not ESPN. Well, this is the first time I've ever done one of these things, so bear with me and my random thought processes as I attempt to make this halfway coherent.

I managed to catch the last episode of 24 on Monday. If any of you out there did, I'm pretty sure it's safe to say that you know almost everything about me. Believe it or not, there's actually more male almost-nudity in the following week's episodes as well. Oh well, it's a living. I can say that it's more fun to watch yourself on TV like this — especially when seated beside your lovely wife — making out with and tearing the clothes off of another woman. Lord knows my wife understands; that was how we first met. Maybe I should shut up now….

This Friday on Sci Fi Channel is the Stargate SG-1 episode entitled "The Shroud," where Daniel Jackson makes his anticipated return as a "Prior of the Ori." Is he evil, or is he just dressed that way? I tell ya, this one was as much fun to shoot as a colonoscopy. What with five hours of makeup each morning for a seven-day shoot, contact lenses that blind you (literally) and feel like needles coming into and out of your eyes, and mountains of expository backstory, I was fit to be tied. Oh, yeah, and they did that, too — strapped me to a chair for 25 out of a 44-minute episode, and had me speak techno-business and hoo-ja-ma-whatzit mythology. It was a pure recipe for Tylenol 3. But I watched it the other day, and it's not half bad! Richard Dean Anderson makes a comeback appearance, and we get to verbally spar a little bit. Overall, I think it works. I won't tell ya the ending, but I will say my favorite part of the episode got cut out — watch for when Woolsey (Bob Picardo) gets thrown up against a wall. Andy Mikita, the director, had filmed him in a shot with pee running down his leg.

I guess it was too risqué for prime time.