Rewatch : Rising

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

 
Yay!  Time to start.

Synopsis of the Pilot:  When SG-1 discovers what it believes to be the remnants of the Lost City of the Ancients, the originators of the Stargates, Stargate Command launches an investigation. A new team of explorers, headed by civilian Dr. Elizabeth Weir, travels to the distant Pegasus Galaxy, where it discovers an advanced but deserted city on the ocean floor, a group of nomadic humans and a deadly enemy that feeds on humans as an energy source.

Comments

[margec01.livejournal.com]

Oh, McKay was pretty much an asshole in the SG-1 episodes. David Hewlett says that himself! I believe he auditioned for the role of Dr. Ingram, who they had intended would be black. They liked David for the part, but were a bit worried that everyone would be confused since he'd played McKay on several SG-1 episodes. So somebody came up with the idea of just making it McKay who goes to Atlantis. David has said at conventions that he was very suprised by this, "since McKay was such an asshole." From my con report at Chicago last August: When he was chosen to be in Atlantis, David said he saw threads on Gateworld such as “Why Mckay?” and he had to kind of admit to the same feeling. “Ten years of SG-1, and THIS is who you bring over?”

Anyway, McKay on SG-1 wasn't ACTUALLY played as a total asshole, but he was played as a guy who thought he knew better than anyone else, especially Sam Carter. He was mostly brought on as someone who could cast doubt on her theories, and who would then be proven incorrect. On the other hand, both times, he did actually come through at the end and do what was needed to save the day. They also gave him a small bit of sympathetic backstory--as in he wanted to be a concert pianist, but when his instructor told him he was technically proficient but without any heart, he gave it up totally and became a scientist instead. This is why you'll see fanfic stories with that backstory. They also had Rodney smitten with Sam Carter, which is one of the reasons they had her appear in Grace Under Pressure.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

Sounds like maybe he was a hopped up version (or more intense version) of what we get on SGA. Also, he wasn't as fleshed out a character, which he wouldn't be, as he wasn't one of the main cast. Still, it sounds like he had a bigger role than I expected. I thought that perhaps he was like Daniel appearing on SGA.

[margec01.livejournal.com]

I believe they have said that McKay was totally intended as a one-shot when he first appeared. But I think that David is a good actor, funny, pleasant to be around, and funny (LOL), so when they would think of having a similar character on they decided to have him back.

Hey, you can go back in time and read this interview with David in 2008:
http://scifi.about.com/od/stargate/a/SGA_hewlett.htm It's not Rising, but I remember it as being a pretty good one.

[twinsarein.livejournal.com]

I forgot to thank you for the article. I really enjoyed it. David does have a great sense of humor, and I love that he considers himself a geek in real life.

[margec01.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed the interview. David has indicated several times that if he weren't on the show he'd just be geeking along just like us. In fact his favorite show when younger was Dr. Who and he's mentioned a couple times that he'd love to play the Doctor.

If you don't mind me spamming you with my old con reports, here is where I reported on that from last August. http://margec01.livejournal.com/32898.html#cutid1

I hardly write in my lj anymore, so this will bring up some of my con reports from Chicago and LA: http://margec01.livejournal.com/