Beware discussion for 1001: "Flesh and Blood."

Well, we're now back into the thick of things again this year. Between breaks of working on GateWorld 2.0 and DJing at the radio station I've had a chance to watch both Stargate premieres twice -- and the Adria scenes more than that.

This is a terrific new villainess. Our first major villainess on SG-1, I think. I applaud Coop, and really look forward to seeing this creation mature, pardon the pun. Darren recently did a very special interview with Claudia Black which explores that new dynamic in Vala's life. I hope you enjoy it.

My only fear is that because of Adria, we won't have any need to see the Doci. That is an exceedingly cool character. He stared down Daniel like a snake watching a bird in "Origin." Despite the fact that Mr. Sands must be flown up from LA, I really do think that character has potential, as I will be suggesting in my S10/3 wish list a blog or two from now.

Now with Vala joining SG-1, I think it was a stroke of genius to make the arch villain her spawn. If all else fails, it gives us a reason for keeping Vala around. And it's unlikely that all else will fail. If Adria is the key, and Vala is the only person she resonates with, then it's a shoe-in.

The scene with Adria #2 is probably my favorite from "Flesh and Blood." The child goes on this propaganda diatribe, denouncing all that Orlin has said. Vala gets down to her level with "Do you really believe that -- or are you just hoping I will?"

You can see Adria's reaction. 'She's got me. Switch to Plan B.'

I never saw Firefly, but I did see "Serenity" at the 2-dollar movie theatre with my cousins in LA. Frankly, I don't really recall Morena Baccarin, but I will trust that the producers did a good job at filling Adria's fresh, adult shoes with an actress that can deliver.

So where will Adria take us? Well, I haven't read any spoilers, but let me pull out my crystal globe and see what I can see for the ultimate fate of this character.

If we are to believe Orlin, then we know the Ori do not ascend mortals.
Adria is a mortal.

On top of that, "She knows the score." I believe the ultimate outcome for this character will be -- after playing with her for a season or so -- a combination of Vala reaching through to her, plus Adria's realization that she is rooting for a side that will ultimately smite her in the end. Now, you may argue that she is almost Ori, and that because of this they may grant her a special Get Into Ascension Free card.

But she isn't an Ori. And we have established that they are extremely covetous of their limited energy field. And, again, Adria probably knows this. (She may not -- it's not necessary for her to to carry out her mission -- but probably). If Vala can make her realize that her daughter's life after death is just as empty as any nonbeliever (or any believer for that matter), I think we'll have a really, really cool villain-turned-ally.

That is if she can keep herself from going up in flames.

I'm going to open up the floor to this one. What do you think? Do you like this character? How do you think she'll turn out?


5.
If I hear "et cetera" pronounced with a "K" in it one more time,
I will go postal.

It is simply the biggest project I have ever attempted. And that's saying a great deal, because I've attempted a lot. And I am very pleased to say that it is nearing completion. We launch soon.

Fans of GateWorld have been wondering when 2.0 is going to be released. Darren and I were hopeful to launch when the shows return, but at this point that seems unlikely. What is more likely is nearer to the end of the month, but we'll have to see. One thing is certain: We don't wish to short-change Stargate (and GW) fans by releasing something that isn't completely ready for them.

I know there are a few among you who are not pleased we're getting rid of the present interface. But when StarGuide became GateWorld I think everyone realized the benefits of moving forward. I sincerely believe that Web sites which do not change, die. This new interface is slick. It is mean. It is cool. And it is clever. Not to mention, it is entirely CMS-driven. We will no longer have to hand-code everything. This will cut down on time immensly, and will allow us to generate material at (sometimes) 3x the capacity that it is being churned out now.

I, for one, cannot wait to have complete control of my own interviews and (almost) complete control of their release dates. It's something I've wanted to do from Day One, and now I'll finally have that ability. With Darren going back into school, it will become a necessity. We both feel I've become proficient enough in the development phases that this will not be a problem. What does this mean for GateWorlders? More interviews more often. In some ways, more features more often. And we're talking good stuff on the way.

It is extremely exciting.

Aside from additional sections which I am not willing to spill just yet, current sections have been upgraded [in the new site] and are now busting at the seams. Content we didn't even know was produced long ago has been added, and a lot of it you'll have access to without going to eBay and buying yourself (which you may be inclined to do after the sample, anyway). As for exclusive content currently available on the Web site, I will say that we're changing file types around a little bit to types that are more reliable. We're also looking forward to giving the user more of a voice in the say of what's to come by utilizing more polls that they can vote with.

But what about the interface itself? Well, I will tell you something we've already spilled on the Forum. We're switching from a 3-column layout to 2-column. The left column will be slightly larger (horizontally) than the right one. As one may be able to tell by the little thumbnail, we're keeping with a blue theme, but we're going with multiple shades. We're also making the drop-down menu more compact and sleek. It already handles better than the one on the current site.

One of the big things we wanted to change was the main page. When you visit, we want it to deliver something completely different to you every time you click on it. Several elements will be installed to make your experience as unique as possible.

I think that's all I'm going to say for now. I'm glad I finally had time to drop in and write a new blog, but I really must get back at it. 2.0 won't be released by itself, after all. Fortunately, computers still need us.

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