Michael Shanks Phoenix Comicon 2015
Thanks to SciFiJaz
Thanks to SciFiJaz
I’ve watched the final three episodes of the second season of Eureka and well sort of a family affair, you’ll see what I mean:)
In the episode Maneater we had Lexa Doig (SG1) playing Dr. Anne Young who will return in the third season and also Richard Ian Cox (SG1 & SGA) who was Dr. Bob Stone. We then had Michael Shanks (SG1, SGA & SGU) playing Christopher Dactylos in the episode All That Glitters and you can’t help but wish Lexa and Michael got to do an episode together, could have followed the Andromeda and Stargate theme 🙂
Once again we delved into the IMDB lists of our family of Stargate actors and came up with an episode of Andromeda which not only starred Lexa Doig but had Michael Shanks and Christopher Judge as guest stars. As pure icing JR Bourne was also featured in the episode and it was directed by Allan Eastman who directed the SG1 episode Fire and Water so by anyones criteria Day of Judgement, Day of Wrath was perfect for a bonus show. The episode is from the third season and while it’s not purely standalone it can be viewed as such although even with a syndicated show such as Andromeda you still will benefit from knowing the characters and some of the back story.
In Day of Judgement, Day of Wrath we see the AI of the Andromeda Ascendant taken over by the former AI of a ship they had dealt with in an earlier episode, the crew unaware of the switch have to deal with the confusion surrounding not only the impact on the Andromeda but also the new ship Resolution of Hector as it is stolen by the new AI. The Andromeda is then with the consent of it’s Captain (Kevin Sorbo) has it’s AI replaced with the entity that was going to be controlling the Hector and they then go in pursuit of the stolen ship. As the episode progresses we get drama and action on both ships which works on the character traits of the existing crew and for Stargate fans the chemistry between the two AI’s (Lexa and Michael) on the Hector is obvious and on board Andromeda it’s new AI (Christopher) works well opposite Hunt. We get some pretty good action both CGI and the often use tactical displays (cost saving) but the core of the story is about what it’s meant to be to be an AI and in control of a High Guard starship and the consequences of theirs actions. In many ways it’s very reminiscent of what Gene Roddenberry would have intended and in the third season of the show that’s quite surprising but then again you look at the writing and directing credits and there is some serious talent there. Andromeda may have been a syndicated and restricted budget production but in this case they produced a gem of an episode made more so by some excellent casting of the guest stars.
Thanks to everyone that’s been listening to these bonus shows, we have one more left which will be the Amanda Tapping episode of Goosebumps and then we’ll return to the regular Stargate shows so until then we hope the new year has started well and maybe this year we’ll see some movement on new Stargate even if it’s a theatrical remake/reboot.
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Many congratulations to Michael Shanks for winning the 2013 Leo Award for Best Lead Performance by a Male in a Dramatic Series for Saving Hope. Also congratulations to Agam Darshi for Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture (Crimes of Mike Recket), Ian Tracey Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Television Movie (Ring Of Fire) and Gerard Plunkett Best Supporting Performance by a Male in a Motion Picture (Camera Shy). A good day for performers who have previously starred and guest starred within the Stargate franchise.
Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story has now aired in both the US and Canada the two nations which would recognise the man’s pedigree and status plus both big Hockey nations, the question of the movie crossing the pond has still to be answered. It does however come to Blu-ray as a Walmart exclusive on May 7th and a general release on the 9th of July so opportunity for all to see Michael Shanks in a role he seems to have embraced and may do more for his status than Stargate or Saving Hope.
Mr. Hockey: The Gordie Howe Story staring Michael Shanks coming soon to Hallmark.
The Bouquet is Michael Shanks latest movie, alas not a theatrical feature but a family friendly straight to disc/ondemand and television but there is a market for that and all actors want to work even if it’s not stretching their talents to the max. The movie stars Kristy Swanson and Danny Glover and tells the tale of a struggling family florist whose wayward daughter/sister returns to the fold to save the family and it’s business. Amazon US Best Buy
For the final bonus episode we are watching and discussing the Burn Notice season two finale Lesser Evil which has Michael Shanks as a guest star playing Michael Westens nemesis Victor, the episode also features Tricia Helfer. In this episode the season arc concludes as Michael goes on the offensive against the Management and their operatives in an attempt to win his freedom.
Michael Shanks only appeared in four episodes of Burn Notice playing the former spy Victor who is now the operative of the Management tasked by his handler Carla (Tricia Helfer) to corral Michael and convince him to play ball. Of course in Burn Notice the plot is full of twists and turns and it was Victor who was often pivotal in setting events in motion by appearing in the right place at maybe the wrong time. The finale of the second season finally gives us plenty of interaction between Victor and Michael which is full of good dialogue and acting from both performers and provides both drama and tension with lots of action. Carla was a recurring character in the second season and Tricia is always a delight to watch perform on screen, she was able to play the “bitch” with flare and style putting Michael in his place time and time again with a ruthlessness few could match and between Tricia and Shanks we got two very good guest stars this year. As always Gabrielle (Fiona), Bruce (Sam) and Sharon (Madeline) provide the strong support a complex spy/action drama requires, each of them brings something to the story which allows Jeffrey (Michael) to remain center stage and work his magic.
We can highly recommend Burn Notice, it’s just finished it’s sixth season and combines action, humour and drama with a spirit that in a small way echoes some of the 80’s serials as the “heroes” struggle against overwhelming odds making the most of every day items to fight off drug dealers, spies and simply some bad dudes.
Next week we return to the Stargate schedule with the SG1 episode “Icon“.
As always many thanks for your support over the holiday period, our feedback and numbers have been very rewarding during a period when everyone has something else to do than to listen to podcasts and we hope to keep the community busy via the social media portals and apps so let us know what you think about any aspect of our show and maybe more importantly about Stargate itself.
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Saving Hope is the new vehicle for Michael Shanks and Erica Durance, love the trailer and looking forward to the series.
Happy Birthday to Michael Shanks, we watched the actor and his character grow for well over a decade and branch out into other genres and productions. Guest roles on Sanctuary, Andromeda, Smallville, Burn Notice plus many a scifi/fantasy feature sealed Michaels place in our part of the world.
Michael Shanks and JR Bourne star in the movie “The Lost Treasures of the Grand Canyon” which airs tonight (3rd) and the 9th of January on Syfy UK in SD and HD. It’s not the best TV/DVD movie ever but it’s a bit of fun and has two of our SG family involved. The love interest is supplied by Shannon Doherty which can be a good thing of bad, depending:)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHT39qNWNTE
Michael Shanks guest stars on The Good Guys episode “SuperCops” as the commander of the crack SWAT like division of the Dallas police force the unit Jack applied for around the time he partnered up with Dan. It’s not a large role for Michael but he looks good in the uniform and is playing a bit of a jerk with lots of potential for a recurring role.