Hello everyone!

Two new episodes in a row! Can you stand the strain? I really need to gear up for the next several weeks to keep up with this constant flow of new product. Anyway, down to business.

Can we all say it together…

Wow!

I think I’ll just go out on a limb and say that this was a great, great episode. Judging by your posts, I’d say you agree. I had it all: humor, action, drama and best of all great acting! I think everyone involved needs to take a bow for this one (although I’ll reserve mine out of humility!).

Now to the ‘bits’

As Oboecrazy pointed out in one of her ever-informative posts, this script is a spin on Flowers for Algernon. Nice synopsis, BTW.

Location scouting is a difficult job. Scouring the country and city to find just the right spot for the script. Then having the director and Line Producer show up with you to make sure you a good job. While I’m not sure who was responsible for it, finding the office with the giant Washington monument-esque statue in the window as the Nobel Sperm Bank was a work of genius.

Originally in the script, the Sperm Bank was in Washington, D.C. We dubbed my lines later to sound like "City".

Also dubbed was my listing of the students infected. I had a little trouble remembering the names. Fortunately, I had a pad of paper so you figure it out. I haven’t asked Craig how he gets those names, but I always have the feeling they’re friends of his I’m rambling off. The hardest was Scott Selfon. To me it sounded like "Cell-phone". Craig?

Jonathan Glassner places yet another hat on his already crowded head this episode as he took a turn in the director’s chair. He’s like Batman’s utility belt: director, writer, exec Producer, always sometime new!

I forgot to mention that we added a new director of Photography! Paul left to work on a feature film and thus ushered in the talents of John Conolly (And I know that it’s probably misspelled, but I just know him as john!). He’s got a superb eye for shots and always works well with the directors.

I missed another scene because of a commitment to "You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown". Initially, I was in the final lab scene, however, because my understudy was not ready until the next week, I was omitted from it. I really would have loved to give Hobbes a little attitude after he returned to normal, but the stage called. Oddly enough, the only performance I missed out of the whole run was to shoot the hallway confrontation scene between Darien and Hobbes, and in that I’m not in focus and don’t speak!

Credit Paul for pulling off the impossible. How do you play someone smarter than anyone else in the world…including yourself! His slow burn approach really made this episode as good as it was.

The only thing Paul couldn’t do this Episode was throw the Rubik’s cube at me! Through several takes he missed me by a safe distance. I kept insisting that he just chuck it and I’d dodge. I think he broke one as well. Ask josh. When I was younger and had one of those I pealed off the stickers and put them in the right spots.

The college campus was San Diego State University.

My favorite exchange is -and this may be different from what they showed:

Official:"Where were you?"
Hobbes: "Where I was; in a place you wouldn’t understand"
Official: "Well you were there too long! Now you’re late. Make a note"

The writing, timing and delivery were all perfect. I had a hard time keeping a straight face.

Because you have to sync the camera speed with the speed of the film projector, a different projector was brought in that could be set to the exact speed of our cameras and this allow the sex ed. film to not look jumpy. The machine was huge! It also looked like it was made in 1950, which it probably was. Still, it worked great and made the gag.

Jeannie Chinn was marvelous as the first student that died. I’m not sure what she was wearing, but she was great! Bring on the retroviruses ;-)

For the true fans out there: I just finished reading H.G. Wells original "Invisible Man". Wow, I’m sorry I waited! Do yourselves a favor and read the 104 year old ‘pilot’ to this series. It’s short and easy to read and puts you one step closer to that Mensa application!

Well, that’s all I can think of tonight. As always, thanks for tuning in. We’re in a tough new time slot, so anything you can do to drum up support is always appreciated. Maybe Eberts should draft you all into service under Fish and Game. I’ll ask the official. Until then, thanks!

Mike