Chat with Stargate Producer & Writer Joseph Mallozzi

December 7, 2002

Stargate Executive Producer and Writer Joseph Mallozzi joined the members of the Our Stargate Forum to chat and answer questions for three solid hours. What follows is a transcript of the questions and answers. Be warned that there are major spoilers for the remainder of Season 6 and portions of Season 7.

Due to an unknown bug in the Delphi chat software (well, it was unknown to us before the chat but we certainly know about it now!), our chat logging failed. Heartfelt thanks and appreciation are due to Darren of Gateworld, who kindly sent us a transcription of Joe’s answers. With help from Biblio and several others, we have recreated the questions. There were a few that we had to paraphrase. If those happen to be your questions and you want to send me the actual wording, I will be happy to update the transcript.

Please feel free to link to this transcript or to pass the URL along.

Without further ado, here is the chat…

Any hints you can share with us about the mythologies you'll be exploring in Season Seven? Will new mythologies be explored, and if so from what cultures?

JOE: Although we have half the season mapped out, these story ideas are far from fleshed out. As a result, specific guest characters have yet to be established. In some cases, the mythological backgrounds of certain cultures has yet to be established.

That said, I can tell you some possible mythologies we may be exploring ...

And in no particular order ...

Asgard mythology. We'll finally be bringing you "Fragile Balance."

Egyptian mythology, of course. Although my Sobek story didn't make it past the room, there are other aspects of Egyptian mythology we will be exploring. Osiris, dare I say it, may make a return.

Other cultures/mythologies we may explore (again, it's kind of early to tell) could include: Minoan civilization, Roman, the cult of Meleatas, Baylonian.

Imhotep is another name that has been bandied about in our story meetings.

And, of course, in addition to mythologies, we'll also be checking in on old friends and wrapping up other storylines.

*****

Will we be seeing past characters?

JOE: With regard to old friends and past characters -- the reason we bring and do not bring back certain characters are varied. They range from not having the right story for them, preferring to write for other characters, a dissatisfaction with the character's first appearance, etc.

*****

Why is Sky TV (in UK) airing episodes out of order, and will this impact the season?

JOE: I have no idea what order Sky is airing the episodes in. I don't think it will impact the season, however.

*****

Greetings from Barcelona (Spain). My question is, how will ascension affect Daniel's character when he descends? After being a year ascended, it should affect his way of being, shouldn't it?

JOE: Yes, there certainly will be repercussions. It certainly won't be business as usual on the base. In fact, Peter D. is working on an early episode which will address this very topic. Daniel wrestles with these repercussions while Teal'c wrestles with the repercussions from Season Six's "The Changeling."

It's a terrific story that parallels both men's internal conflicts.

****

Any possibility of an episode seen from the pov of one of the minor players, Sgt Siler or the Chevron Guy, perhaps?

JOE: There is a "very different type of episode" in the works which does exactly that. It won't be Sgt. Siler or Chevron Guy, though.

*****

Are you aware of how important the "human" elements and emotions of the characters are to fans? Is character interaction, particularly of SG-1, going to be an important part of S7? That's not to say that we want romantic interaction, but just to see the 4 (plus Hammond and Janet) show that they're friends and care for each other.)

JOE: Of course. The human elements are key to the show. We want to demonstrate that these people respect and care for one another. That said, we also want to challenge the relationships as we've done in the past. Sometimes those moments are in the script and don't make it onto the screen. Other times they're not in the script and the tiny moments are ad-libbed -- and do or do not make it onto the screen. They're a very important part of the show and these human elements are not something we want to give short shrift to. That said, I personally find these demonstrations of caring/friendship are much more powerful when they are delivered in a subtle way.

******

Will Season 7 be scientific or Military?

JOE: As in past seasons, we try to offer a variety of storylines. So, yes -- we'll be going off-world and exploring, meeting new cultures and aliens, also returning to visit/help out past friends -- dealing with the burgeoning threat of Anubis, inter-Goa'uld rivalries, Earth-based adventures.

*****

Will the Stargate be made known to the public?

JOE: Made known to the public? Well, a major step is taken in that direction in a later Season Six episode entitled "Disclosure." With ships crashing into the Pacific, other ships blowing up in Earth's orbit, still other ships coming and going, it gets increasingly difficult to convince other countries of the increase in weather balloon activity.

*****

What's going to happen to the Daniel & Sarah relationship?

JOE: Excellent question. And that's a story we're planning to tell in Season Seven. It's a story that deals with relationships and answers two questions: 1) Can DJ save Sarah, and 2) Is Carter really a black widow?

*****

Will we see the Nox or Tollan?

JOE: We don't have a story involving either the Tollan or the Nox. Still, we're just in the planning stages, so it's possible.

*****

Will friendship between Teal'c and Daniel be explored in Season 7?

JOE: Yes, the Teal'c and Daniel friendship will be explored (in the episode I've already alluded to). With regard to the painful history between them -- that will have to wait for the script. There is opportunity to address it in a couple of episodes this season.

*****

Will McKay be back?

JOE: We would love to bring McKay back. It all depends on finding the right story and David's availability.

*****

How will season 7, and Brad Wright being gone, affect the movie and spin-off?

JOE: In spite of the fact that he has set aside his producer hat, Brad is going to be damn busy this year. Not only will he be writing scripts, he'll be working on a rewrite of the feature plus fleshing out the spin-off. He may take time off for Christmas, I'm not sure. The future of the franchise is in good hands.

*****

Were you expecting a Season 7 or were you surprised?

JOE: I was very surprised to hear we were getting a Season Seven. Initially, I was surprised to hear there was interest in doing a seventh season before moving onto the spin-off. And, as I've stated before, Paul and I were convinced there would be no Season Seven after the show wrapped and were planning to go to L.A. when we heard the good news.

*****

Joe, you told us that the majority of your story pitches this year are for mythology-based, team-focused episodes. May I ask where and how you do your research into the mythologies you're planning to write about? Do you use the internet or hit the books in the library? Does the Stargate crew include a research assistant or is it purely down to the writers to burn the midnight oil?

JOE: We do not have a mythology specialist on hand. We have to do our own research -- book and net-based. I own a good collection. Just picked up another one on Thursday -- The Illustrated Anthology of World Myth and Storytelling. We also have a research assistant who's job it is to fact-check and ensure we get it right.

*****

Are we going to see Chaka and the Unas again and see what has happened to all of them since "Beast of Burden?"

JOE: Yes. Peter D. will be writing a story that will focus on the Unas -- and see the return of Chaka.

*****

Why can't there be five members of SG-1? Jonas has a lot to offer.

JOE: Yes, Jonas does have a lot to offer but, realistically, the two characters cover a lot of the same territory. Plot-wise, it would seem odd that we've established the fact that SG teams number four members. From a production standpoint, it is preferable to stick with the four-person team as established.

*****

Is it true Amanda Tapping will direct on episode? Which one?

JOE: Amanda will be directing an episode but I have no idea which episode she'll be directing.

*****

Is Narim is alive?

JOE: We don't know for sure. I've worked under the impression that the Tollan were wiped out (except for Schroedinger of course).

*****

I'd like to ask if certain writers are tasked with writing for specific characters when the season's scripts are mapped out. Thanks.

JOE: No. No writer is tasked with writing for a particular character -- although certain writers have their strengths in terms of the type of stories they tell. Brad has more of a scientific heart. He also excels at subtler, character-oriented storylines. Robert is Mr. Action / Goa'uld. Peter D. comes through on episodes that explore the show's rich mythology (the Jaffa, the Unas, etc.). Sometimes, we pitch out story ideas and write the scripts. Other times, we assign scripts based on a writer's previous track record.

*****

How much Sam/Teal'c interaction will we see this year? Will that friendship be explored on screen, or even hinted at, in any way? What about Daniel and Skaara?

JOE: Sam/Teal'c: Very possible. No particular story has been pitched that exclusively focuses on their relationship -- but their friendship is something that we can explore in a variety of different storylines. As for Skaara -- check out "Full Circle."

******

What's happening with the favorite lines/moments that you requested a couple of months ago? Is the plan to put them as a feature on a DVD?

JOE: Yes, that is in the works. Originally, we were planning it as a sum-up of the show, highlighting SG-1's most memorable lines / scenes and including outtakes. At the time, we assumed Season Six was it. With the pick-up, we'll have to wait another year for the montage which, I assume, will be included in a future DVD release.

*****

Are there any new writers (or old writers we haven't seen for a couple seasons) coming on for season seven?

JOE: New writers? Well, there's this hot young kid, Michael Shanks. He looks promising. As for new/old writers -- it's tough. The truth is, unless you're on staff, it's very hard to get a story approved as you end up pitching a) stories that have been done, b) stories that we're already doing, or c) stories we would never do in a million years.

****

Will we perhaps see an episode revealing more of Jack's past and perhaps affecting a future mission decision?

JOE: Oooh, that sounds suspiciously like a time travel episode. No plans for a time travel episode although there is a story in the works that will touch on Jack's youth.

****

Who has the final say on scripts? The writers, Producers, MGM or Sci Fi?

JOE: MGM and Sci-Fi have been very good about letting us do our thing. That said, if we wanted to do an all-nude Stargate, there's no doubt the hammer would come down pretty quickly. In terms of final say on storylines -- the writers sit in the room, pitch out ideas and, as a group, decide where we want to go.

****

What prompted the writers to make a change in the direction of Maybourne's character as he was originally presented? Will he be in Season 7?

JOE: Characters have to evolve. What makes Maybourne such a fun character is his evolution and yet, although his motivations may have changed, he is still, essentially, the same snake in the grass. Check out "Paradise Lost" for much more Maybourne. As for Season Seven -- well, there has been talk of bringing him back.

****

Michael's writing an episode???

JOE: Yes, Michael will be writing an episode. He directed in Season Four and will be writing in Season Seven. He'll be overseeing the catering for Season Eight.

****

Does Jack have a degree or something, as he's a colonel? If so, in what?

JOE: That actually is a question for Brad. He seems to know Jack inside and out and has even surprised us on occasion with details of O'Neill's past.

*****

Have your perceptions of the show changed since originally seeing the series almost 4 years ago? If so, how will this influence your script-planning for season 7?

JOE: I don't know if my perception of the show has changed. I think the show has certainly changed over time and will continue to change. Characters and storylines evolve, we gain new friends and enemies and lose others. I hope that we can continue to surprise our audience in the types of stories we tell and the way we tell them. Take nothing for granted. This is the show's last season.

*****

Will Laira come back?

JOE: No plans to bring Laira back, although I did catch Michelle Green in Thursday's episode of CSI.

*****

Will we find out more about Daniel's childhood?

JOE: No plans to explore Daniel's childhood as of yet.

*****

Are the scripts all written before a season begins filming?

JOE: The scripts are written as the season moves along. Ideally, we try to have a good half-dozen written by the time production starts as the production machine eats them up pretty quickly. As the season moves past hiatus, things can get pretty hairy and the mad scramble is on. As for Martouf -- sorry, no plans to bring him back.

*******

Why is continuity so...fluid? Is there someone who is supposed to be responsible for checking for problems in continuity? For example, in season 6 there was a Goa'uld queen who turned into what was basically a giant slug to give birth, yet Hathor, in season one, was probably a size 2, even when giving birth. Why? And Hathor tells Daniel that she needs the code of life to make little Goa'ulds. In Cure, we learn from the Tok'ra that the Goa'uld can reproduce asexually. How do Goa'ulds reproduce, sexually or asexually?

JOE: Brad and Robert have been with the show from the beginning so they're the continuity guys. "Cure" came about when Damian pitched an idea involving a super drug. It was Robert that tied it into Goa'uld mythology. Re: the size of the queen. Yes, that's something Paul brought up in the story meeting. Hathor was a considerably smaller queen. As far as Goa'uld reproduction -- I've always operated under the assumption that they reproduce asexually as evidenced in "Out of Mind" / "Into the Fire."

*****

Any chance we'll see the third episode of the Aschen trilogy?

JOE: No plans to bring the Aschen back although Brad did have a story idea for this past season he never got around to writing. "Fragile Balance" kicked around for a couple of seasons before he found a way to make it work. The Aschen storyline could find its way into the latter half of the Season Seven line-up.

*****

Will the existence of the Stargate become known?

JOE: Check out Season Six's "Disclosure" to see how other countries react to news of the Stargate program.

*****

Will we see Prometheus or the Replicators again? And will Sam and Jack get together in Season 7?

JOE: Yes, we'll be seeing the Prometheus again. As for the Replicators -- time will tell. No changes in the relationship between Jack and Sam because, as in previous seasons, they are both serving in the Air Force and he is her commanding officer.

*****

Should Meridian / Jonas' intro have been handled differently in hindsight?

JOE: I don't think so. Daniel's death/ascension was linked to the introduction of Jonas because we wanted Jonas to feel somewhat responsible for DJ's death. Given this set-up, Jonas has to step in and not only convince the team of his worth but gain their acceptance and put his guilt over Daniel behind him. That is Jonas' arc in the show's sixth season.

*****

Hi again, can you tell us if we'll see another evil evil enemy on season seven, or with the goa'ulds and the replicators all the baddies are accounted for?

JOE: There is always the potential to meet new baddies. The evolution of the Replicators was a step in that direction.

******

Have you ever thought of going into other areas of production, such as directing? Is there a job on the show that you'd love to try for a day?

JOE: Costume design would be cool. I have no desire to direct.

*****

Is Anubis someone we know well, or is he a completely new character?

JOE: He is a new character.

*****

Will we see more of Ba’al in upcoming episodes? Other System Lords?

JOE: Yes, more Baal. The infighting between the System Lords and the internal rivalry with Anubis will see at least one major Goa'uld player on the losing end.

****

I read somewhere that you and Paul started out in Animation. How does that affect how you write live action?

JOE: One of the things animation writing teaches you to do is to keep things tight and keep things moving. Animation was also terrific in that it got our foot in the door (re: live action) and also proved a great training ground for scriptwriting in general.

*****

Do the cast get any say in things like decisions over wardrobe? And do you think RDA might re-think his decision to "dumb down" Jack and have him act more like a Commanding Officer in Season 7 rather than a stupid child?

JOE: Yes, the cast get decisions in everything from wardrobe to dialogue to, occasionally, the direction of a given scene. The actors understandably feel that the characters are a part of them so if they feel strongly enough about something, we try to reach a happy compromise.

*****

Will Michael Shanks direct in Season Seven?

JOE: No, Michael will not be directing in Season Seven.

*****

Are you going to try to keep the team together in season 7 or will we see them going out singly or in pairs?

JOE: Good question. The fact is -- with Rick's compressed schedule, Amanda planning to direct (one episode prepping and one episode shooting), and other production considerations, keeping the team together will be a challenge. It's something we will set out to do as much as possible but, realistically, we're going to have to find creative ways to keep all of our characters involved without, necessarily, seeing them together.

*****

I had a serious question chosen for your next one, Joe, but I have to admit to being horribly harassed by someone who demands her question be asked. So, to save my sanity: Since Daniel left his bandages behind when he ascended, will he be descending naked. Happy now, Leah?

JOE: Actually, that's something we discussed. Peter pointed out that exact point of logic -- he did leave his clothes behind. Now, of course, the real question is what are the circumstances in which we are reunited with Daniel. Has he been descended a while? Do we see him descend? I don't want to give too much away but, suffice it to say, he DID leave his clothes behind.

ASHTON_7: Leah is passed out behind me on the floor.

DANA_JEANNE: Those dripping sounds are the sounds of thousands of Daniel fans drooling.

*****

Thanks Annie. Hey Joe well you knew I just had to ask this. Is there any possible way that there will be redemption for Col. Makepeace and his return to the SGC? I've been waiting very patiently.

JOE: There are no plans for his return. For what it's worth, I liked Makepeace a lot and was equally disappointed to see his turn.

Ok, but it you can work it in there it would be nice. Glad to hear you liked him too.

*****

Which episode do you think is the best work you've ever done, and why?

JOE: That's a tough question. I like different episodes for different things. "Window of Opportunity" was a blast because it was our first script produced, an opportunity to do a big comedy, and a fan favorite. Loved "Point of No Return" because, in terms of tone, the episode ended up exactly as we had envisioned it. "The Curse" was terrific in that we got the opportunity to explore a different facet of the DJ character and tie it into a fun Goa'uld plot. Technically, "Descent" was a challenge and impressive from a production standpoint.

*****

What kind of car do you think Daniel drives?

JOE: I honestly don't know. That's a question for Michael. Amanda actually drives a Volvo. I wouldn't be surprised to see DJ driving a Jeep Cherokee. Or a Range Rover.

*****

Will Lord Yu be returning? Any more new system lords popping up?

JOE: Yes, we will see Yu in Season Seven. And we will be seeing other System Lords and underlings in the second half of Season Six and Season Seven.

*****

Joe, what is your favorite moment for each character? That one scene where they really show something about who they are? We all have our favorite, I was just wondering what yours were? Any season, any ep.

JOE: Teal'c -- his father/son on the steps of the gate in "Redemption"

DJ -- "Menace," to me, really delivered in terms of letting the audience know exactly what type of person he was and the difficult decisions a non-military, caring individual like him must face.

Carter -- Her chat with McKay in "Redemption, Part 2." Despite all the back and forth sniping, she's able to let her guard down and connect with him -- before putting him right back in his place.

O'Neill -- "Window of Opportunity." We got to see both ends of the spectrum -- over the top funny O'Neill and dead serious O'Neill.

*****

How will your day-to-day duties on the show change now that you're an executive producer?

JOE: As co-exec producers, Paul and I will be running 11 of 22 episodes (overseeing everything from prep to post).

*****

Will we see the Rhee'tou come back?

JOE: No plans as of yet. There is some resistance to seeing a return of the Rhee'tou, I'm not sure why.

*****

In the 'Tok'ra part 2', Daniel suggested that Earth might be able to provide hosts. Did this ever happen?

JOE: It's a definite possibility but not something we are actively pursuing.

*****

In your article on the MGM newsletter, you stated that some of the on-line resources are more effective as a 'bible' than the actual one you used in the past (loosely paraphrased, apologies). Do you still believe this is so and, if so, do you think any fan offered resource could ever be totally unbiased?

JOE: Yes, definitely. The bible is outdated and, quite frankly, a real pain in the ass to go through. Why sift through a five-page synopsis when you can just go online and read a nice capsule overview in an eighth of the time? Unbiased or not, they're a great source of handy information, as concise or as detailed as you want.

*****

Will we see the Gadmeer, or Aris Boch's race? Apophis?

JOE: No plans to revisit either. We may see a return of the Apophis character -- but perhaps not in the way some would expect. Check out the second half of Season Six.

*****

What about the Harsesis Child? [Shifu, Shau'ri's son]. Will he come back soon?

JOE: That's another possibility. No definite plans but this will all tie in to the events of "Full Circle" and "Fallen."

*****

Will we see more Alternate Universe (mirror) stories?

JOE: I love alternate world [universe] stories but, unfortunately, there is resistance to pursue these types of stories.

*****

In earlier seasons, Daniel and Sam used to play off each other so well in collaborative scientific problem-solving. Will we get to see that kind of interplay between them again in season seven?

JOE: There will be opportunity for that this season. Again, it's still too early to tell when the exact opportunity will arise.

****

What is "Fallen?"

JOE: Episodes 1 and 2 of Season Seven: "Fallen" and "Homecoming."

****

How are episode titles chosen?

JOE: The hardest part of writing a script is coming up with the episode title. Either we'll come up with them individually or we'll say something in the room and someone will say, "Hey, that's a good title!" (i.e. "Going to Other Planets").

****

In a recent interview RDA said Jack and Daniel are "best friends." Will this now make it officially canon?

JOE: I'm not sure what you mean by officially making it into canon. I think its pretty obvious that the two are very good friends. They're very different, have disagreed on various occasions, but that friendship remains strong.

****

Do the writers put many in-jokes into the scripts?

JOE: Yes, we do it on occasion -- especially in the Peter D.-directed scripts. I wrote the Latin book. Peter D. puts in a guest appearance as Lt. Dagwood in "Descent" (the character he played in Seaquest). Paul's framed picture adorns the desk of the military commander in "Prodigy."

****

And so ended the chat, with Joe Mallozzi off to see to his new puppy and to rest for an hour before conducting another chat with Gateworld! Thank you for your time, Joe.

You can also read a transcript of the Gateworld chat. This link kindly provided by Gateworld.

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