James Callis at Comic Con: The Eureka Panel

And the panel is online! The Youtube direct links are in the titles ("Part 1" etc) so just click on those if the Blogger frame doesn't allow for a wide enough view. The problem won't go away if I switch layouts, unless I take a layout that is so wide the text will be unreadable. But I want to embed when there's a James video, godsdamnit!

You can also go into my favorites page and watch them there.

So I'm going away for the weekend and I have to make some preparations today, and I may not be able to write much anything about this until Sunday. I have watched the panel; James is very sweet, very cool with the others, the panel host is squeeing over him. (And does a pretty good Tricia impression with "Gaius"!) He doesn't answer that many questions, but he's very animated and listens carefully when the others talk. Lots of great expressions too. (And he takes sips of Coke!)

They didn't ask my question about James' accent, but I don't mind because he answered that so well in the interviews. I will probably provide a transcript with commentary after the weekend. Meanwhile, enjoy the videos! :)

Part 1


Part 2


Part 3


Part 4

James Callis on Eureka: "All The Rage"

Season 4, episode 3. I didn't love this episode, to be quite honest. I didn't hate it; it wasn't a bad episode, but it felt a bit like classic Eureka, and not in a good way. I.e., it followed the story frame of "scientific experiment goes awry; chaos ensues and Carter/Allison/Lupo have to figure out which experiment got messy and why. After this, return to status quo." This kind of story arc is a bit disposable. If you miss an episode, it doesn't matter, because nothing really happened. I loved the fact that the two first episodes tied together so well. Oh, I've got to give kudos for the "previously" by Carter though. It was fun. He refers to Grant as "Dr Old Spice", and mentions him as an afterthought, which I loved.

Wil Wheaton's guest spot wasn't as overpowering as I had expected, and he was integrated to the show pretty organically. He's not visiting the town, or someone's long lost uncle, or anything like that. He simply works at General Dynamics as a scientist, so he's always been there and just hasn't been shown. This was good. (He will be doing more episodes, as was announced at Comic Con, and I'm actually pleased.) Carter worries over Tess' feelings and ends up breaking up with her in a nicely understated scene. I also liked that Fargo is kind of a douche in this timeline, and his tyrannical leadership has caused problems at Global Dynamics. But the "everybody becomes possessed with a violent rage" part? Not that keen. James is not even in that storyline, though, so I'm going to gloss over it here. I didn't mind it, but would have preferred some time-travel/alternate reality discussion.

This episode did feature a B story with James that addressed the time travel stuff a bit, even if it didn't turn out to lead anywhere much. But I don't care, because

a) We got Grant admitting how lost he feels in this time, and

b) James and Joe Morton are SO GOOD together. Seriously so good, I hope they get to do many more scenes. Joe's face is apparently a treasure trove for great expressions, just like James', and they really played together seamlessly. Loved their scenes to bits.

But first, a brief scene with Carter. (Still no one-on-one with Allison. But some people have theories about Grant getting wounded and being treated by her, so maybe soon?) Carter's just been talking to Tess who is moving in with him. Even if they broke up in the "real" timeline, and he's got feelings for Allison again - it's a mess.

As Tess walks out, Grant shows up with a mug from an unidentified coffee house. I've seen James with one of those mugs so many times - he likes Starbucks - but somehow, since this is Grant from 1947, I felt like the mug looks futuristic and out of place in Grant's hand. I think I really believe in this character on some level. Good sign.

Grant likes the ladies, as we already know. He seems to particularly approve of Tess, whom he ogles and then declares "peach", whatever that means. Hee! Carter, for whatever reason, tells him about the whole moving in thing. Grant tells him - calling him "sport" again! Hee!!! - that Carter should tell Tess, not him.

"Not that it's any of your business - but I don't want to hurt Tess," Carter says. "Sometimes you can't be the good guy," Grant says. "Not that it is any of my business."

I hope Grant isn't going to be one of those characters who sit around spewing wisdom at the regular characters. Like, you know, the cowboy in The Big Lebowski. He's pretty awesome and it's an awesome movie, but he doesn't do anything other than drink sarsaparillas and say wise things. This scene read a little like that: Grant only shows up to give Carter something to think about, because the universe is all about Carter. But then, James got his very own B story in this episode, so I'm happy.

Should I confess to something? *ponders* OK. I found the accent a little bit distracting in this episode. In the two previous ones, it seemed less noticeable. I wonder why it suddenly seems thicker here - maybe just a bad accent day? Do actors have those? *feels bad* I have to stop being so soft. I hate criticizing anything about his performance.

Grant shows up at Henry's workshop. Um, wasn't he mayor now? Or was that just something he played for Founders' Day? I'm confused.

Now that he has a "new name and a new identity" - when did this happen? -, Grant wants something to do. Specifically, he wants to work on the machine that sent them back in time, and see if they can fix it.

"What do you say buddy - for old times' sake?"

Grant already has a trademark "charming smile" when he wants something. He did this with Carter in the cell, and now this. This is what James can do: building a character through faces and gestures in three episodes. I love him.

Henry agrees, and Grant takes his coat off. And there is no vest this time! So he's really stripping gradually, episode by episode. First the hat, which he hasn't had on since episode 1. Then coat off, like it was last episode. Now vest off. The next logical step is shirt off, and his belly is looking pretty juicy, so I'm all for it. I'm hoping we'll see him naked by the end of the season, but I can be patient.

Henry's wife-in-this-timeline, Grace, walks in. Henry introduces Trevor as "Dr Charles Grant", who has just been hired. And that's how we know he's now Charles. It doesn't really feel sufficient. Maybe it's because I'm a name nerd, but just a brief scene would have done, for goodness sake.

Questions:

-Why Charles? Is it his middle name? His father's name? Just a regular enough name that it doesn't arouse suspicion? (Trevor isn't equally common.)

-Why are they keeping Grant? Is he supposed to be a descendant of Trevor Grant, in case anybody asks?

-If Grant never was there to found Eureka, in this timeline, how come Eureka exists and is almost exactly as it was and they still celebrate Founders' day... Sorry, am I applying too much logic into the time travel arc? ;)

(I do actually enjoy the time travel arc. But still. I do feel like Grant would have needed a few more exposition-y scenes.)

Grace asks if they're building an electrone (electrode?) gun, and wants to join them. Henry says suuure, but it's not very interesting, ehh... Grace gets the hint and leaves them to it.

One more thing - she apologizes to Grant for these old, old tools. (I wouldn't worry about things seeming old to him, dear.) "Sometimes Henry acts as if he's been a bachelor his whole life!" Grant laughs rather too forcefully at this: "Ha ha ha!" Grace leaves.

"If I was married to a gal like that and knew how to build an electrone gun...," says Grant and rolls his eyes as if he's saying something very naughty. Grant, this is 2010. We talk about sex a little more candidly these days.

"But I'm not the man she married," Henry says.

Grant gets excited as they unveil the machine and turn the power on. "We're in business!" (Is that a 40's phrase? Actually, maybe it is. I don't know what phrases were in use then.)

But when Henry applies a tool to the machine - the tool disappears. It got a bit Twilight Zone-y here, which is cool. Of course, they first think it's the machine doing this.
Later, they've figured out it's not the machine. Grant suggests he try it.

He tries to touch an object.. and it also happens to him. (I did take a screenshot, but it doesn't look awesome at all when you don't see the thing disappear. What does look awesome: James' belly, that tie and those suspenders. So feast your eyes on those.)

Grace brings the boys some lunch. I don't seem to have any pictures of Grace, but that just means she didn't stand next to James in any pictures, and I reserve the right to be James-centric in a blog dedicated to him. That's some of her hair though. It is black and curly.

The guys ask her what she thinks, theoretically, might cause for things to evaporate..? She rattles out a few scientific reasons. The guys say it could be that, yes...or possibly a rift in space-time...? "Well, yeah... but that's impossible," Grace laughs. Riight, right, impossible, totally so. How do James and Joe hit the same exact looks like this? Did they rehearse it?

Grace leaves and Grant is devastated that he may have no way home.

(There's something I really like about this picture. The distance between them, the camera being a fair bit away from James, all creates an idea of how alone Grant is and how desolate he must feel.)

A big emotional moment for Grant: he's looked himself up and - he hasn't done anything in the past, because he wasn't there. "I was here. I mean, I am here." He's all alone, everyone he knows is dead. It's like it finally hits home, how dumb it was to come into the future.

"This machine - is all I have."

Poor sad Trevor. (L) I feel like through this episode, he really becomes more of a character. Apparently I define character by "someone I can relate to". These would be precisely my concerns if I were stuck in the future; his scientific excitement over the new gadgets wasn't as relatable to me. (Even if it was amusing.)

"Don't come closer!" They panic as Grace walks in. Watch these two make faces in this scene. I love love love how they play together.

Grace immediately knows what the problem is. For a moment it's like - she knows about the time travel thing? But no. Turns out she has painted all of Henry's tools with [science babble] and human body heat and that thing will make them evaporate! Whew! (What? I didn't get that and maybe it's not even really possible, but hee! Didn't see that coming.)

Nice symmetry here. James' face covered by hand, Joe laughing...

Joe's face covered by hand, James... not laughing but looking damn relieved anyway.
Grace says she's getting back at him "for magnetizing" her pots and pans. It's a good thing she said that, because of course, Henry wouldn't know he's done it in this life.

Henry: "You see... this is something we do."

Grant: "Oh, is it? Okay."

(James is pretty good at pretending to be acting within the show while he's acting in the show argh whatever.)

"If I didn't know better... I'd say you have a little crush on your wife." Hee!! I'm not a huge fan of the "if I didn't know better" only-on-tv phrase. But this use of it I heartily approve of. I love how he works those eyebrows.

Next week, when Eureka airs, I will be out of town, so I won't be able to watch the episode until Sunday. In the meantime, looking forward to more con updates!

James Callis at San Diego Comic Con, 2010

Last updated on Thursday, 29th of July, 11:15 PM Finnish time.

Thursday update 2: Ooh, PanelJames x 4!!

We've got the entire panel up on Youtube! Yay! (Syfy seems to be posting full panel videos also, so probably soon, we'll have it in one piece.) I've embedded and linked in a separate post, because I want to transcribe and comment when I come back home. The post is here.

A couple of new photos as well: photo with a fan here - James was especially friendly, apparently (L) - and two more from the Syfy party here. Is he wearing the party suit with the cap in that fan photo? :D It's a lovely cap but come on.

Aand that's about it. I'm going away tomorrow and will be gone the weekend, so if there are updates during that time, I won't report them until Sunday. So if you're still hungering for more James con goodies, you're gonna have to hunt yourselves. It's possible the updates are done for now though. I didn't expect this much video footage - I'm very happy with what we got. A good con coverage online is almost like you were there, but without the crowds and lines and high prices.

Thursday update 1: Ooh, PanelJames.

Photos from the Eureka panel here!

His Coke can does seem sugary - also, it has some kind of soccer theme. So we can assume that in his life, James has seen the picture of a soccer ball. (Ehh?? How would he live in the UK without ever seeing one? That one was a bit strange even for me.)

I've decided that I love this cap. It's my favorite cap ever. It's cute, tiny, and makes him look boyish. Aww, CapJames. (that's Jaime Paglia next to him. His face looks even thinner than James'. That's quite unusual.)

Can't see a lot of other updates.. *skims thru Google search* Haha, someone's spelled Baltar as "Baltzar"... That's hilarious but I don't think there's anything worth noting in that link. Frankly I'm getting lazier as the days go by. It's almost been a week, after all. I will be away this weekend, so today's updates are the last ones for a while.

Wednesday update 4: One more for Wednesday.

A couple of photos of him here! Hee! I thought first he must be drunk, but I think it's just a silly pose, because he looks sober in the last one. And very stylish. I'm liking that black coat better than the white ones he had on. Somehow it goes well with his hair color/general look.

There have been quite a few updates today, haven't there? We'll see what tomorrow brings. If it doesn't bring anything new, I'm still happy with how much we got, especially the two interviews. Con time is always good, I get a whole new energy tracking down James updates.

Wednesday update 3: Another Interview! Yay!

Direct link here. It's not quite as long and squeeworthy as the other one, but he's adorable. The interviewer is a little fangushy, and James seems to take it in stride and be very nice. He's also a bit hot and touches his neck and/or hirsute chest a few times. Drool! (What is he drinking? I thought in the other int it might be ice tea, but it looks more like another Coke. I should have some myself, it's a hot day.)

My favorite bit is when the guy asks if Grant sees people that isn't there and James admits that does happen once, but not like on BSG. Hee! Well, Eureka has had ghosts and androids and god knows what, but I don't think they will have angels sent by god(s).

James mentions, as he did in the other int, that he's been Gaius for five years, so it's understandable that ppl write "I don't like him doing that", or "I didn't expect him to do this". Interesting. I mean, I've seen those comments, mostly on Twitter, but I didn't know he read that much. Maybe that's because I'm tired of reading the comments already, and prefer to look at what the James fans are saying, because we know him from other stuff too. He sounds confident though, and it seems like he thinks about not only the comments people write, but the reasons for those comments. It's a pretty empathetic way of dealing with criticism. I would probably be a little pissed off by now that so many people said my accent sucks.

In other news, Flickr seems to have some kind of tracking system for links, because well, check out the comments section again. :D Sorry about the crappy camera comment; I totally understand if it's the SCREEN that's distorting.

I almost feel like apologizing to Lomara for saying that his/her picture was the worst ever taken of James. I did get a good laugh.. and it's not thier fault the screens were bad. But it's a bad, bad picture still. So I'm not aplogizing.

Wednesday update 2: Random Thoughts on the Interview.

Some very cute panel pictures in this post.

Also:

James conducts an orchestra.

This looks like a cool look, but the camera is too crappy to tell. (I can relate. I, too, have a crappy camera.)

James at the... is this at the panel? I thought it was at the Eureka screening. I also thought that was Salli Richardson-Whitfield, not Erica Cerra. Not to nitpick. But James looks cool either way. I love the way his hair falls over his ears. (L)! That's a very sexy shape.

I don't want to discuss the interview below (under EEEE!) in more detail yet, but it touches me how much he really thinks of the characters. "I had two days", and then he talks about watching 40's films, wanting to be a man's man, and how, after World War II, people had seen the best and worst of mankind. O.o

Cue this conversation on LJ where we talk about how cool it would be to have a James con - but instead of panels and autographs, it would be all... "what do you think of deep topics?" We'd just sit and listen as he talks about this stuff, and get an intellectual education. He has the intellect and that warmth behind it and it's just irresistable. I really think that I'd like a good conversation with James more than anything else - and that includes validation for my blog and general James kindness.

Wednesday update 1: It's already Wednesday in Finland.

Nothing big has shown up during Tuesday, after the *sparkle happy joy joy* interview. But a few nice photos:

James introducing the Eureka episode, here. He looks so happy and so does Salli R. Another view of the same situation. I love his expression here but it also kills me because I don't know what he said that was so funny.

And here's Salli talking and James looking on, looking attentive and kind.

Eureka panel! Setting up, the cap on, and fiddling with his microphone (to take it lower, hee). Why do I love it so when he has downcast eyes like that? It makes him look humble, and sensitive, and somehow very boyish. Awww.

And Nicole's not-at-all stalkerish picture of James' back (and some other people's) in her blog comments, here. (And I managed to squee at it too.) (What is he carrying?! What does his cap say in the back? Ah, mysteries and questions abound.)

There are so many aspects of the interview below that I want to discuss, so I will probably make a separate post about it soon. But it's so hot in here that I have to flee into airconditioned places and I don't always have internet there. So you know, I hope you can enjoy a James interview without my unique observations. ;)

Tuesday update 2: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!

Sorry for the screaming but there's a 7-MINUTE JAMES INTERVIEW HERE!!! So beyond cool! James talks about the accent - he's been reading people's responses and says it's funny that they don't "believe" him to be from the 40's but they do believe he's travelled in time. :D

He would have loved to keep the hat on all season! :D We all would have loved that, James.

I think I'll make a transcript of this later, because it's all really cool. Awesome.

Edit: ah, it's also on Youtube. So this is Maureen Ryan talking to James.

Oh, and look into comments, there's a note from the person who took the photos I linked to last night! James was apparently laughing, not trying to pose for the camera. And he linked me to this photo - LOL!! Watch out, Neil - James will eat you!

Also - this is not con-related but James is apparently in LA doing post-production. So here's a picture of him, re-recording lines in the studio. A man of sorrow? I think he must just be posing.

Tuesday update 1: The mystery of the cap - revealed.

Two new photos. Thoughtful, smiley boy. The smile looks almost a little overdone, like he's specifically posing for someone. But I always love his eye-squint when smiling. (L)! The color in these pictures is very good, so I'm assuming this photographer was sitting near James. (lucky bastard.) Also: chest hair!

The cap says IRONHEAD! But why? I googled "ironhead" and came up with nothing but motorcycles. Is James into that stuff? I knew Tricia and Katee are, but I didn't really associate that with James. It could be the caps are completely random, of course, but I'm curious.

The can of soda looks specifically sugary to me, being red at least at the top. Which is good, because I hate diet Coke. Um, not that I pick my soda simply based on James' preferences, or anything.

With these two mysteries unraveled, I'm about ready for bed.

Monday Updates 2: Quiet day.

Yeah, not many updates are coming in. It could be that, since he wasn't giving autographs or photos this time, there may not be a lot.

But he's being quoted from the panel, regarding why he joined Eureka. This site has a transcript of the answer. He wanted to do the role because of the challenge - the whole 1940's time travel thing. Which is also why I'm happy he did it. It's something new and exciting for the fans also, to see him like this. (Even if some people are - insert eyeroll here - already saying he's soo much like Baltar.)

And another version of the Twitpic we earlier saw: James posing with some other Eurekans, in this gallery. He looks happy and relaxed, like he loves these people. I'm glad. There's a positive energy about him in all these photos, and it feels good to see that. I feel like telling the Eureka people a big thank you for welcoming James like that. A few of them are on Twitter... OK, I just did it. I hope it's not odd.

Monday updates 1: Love you Nicole!

There are no updates. Except - a really big one in my LJ from Nicole_Anell who was there! YAY! So I've decided to use her whole response. (It's in public, so I'm sure she won't mind. -Right?)

* I guess you've seen some Saturday pics already - yellow hat, chest hair, drinking a soda (diet coke?), looking good. (I like him skinny, grr.) Also looked friendly with the other people on the panel, occasionally talking on the side to them and stuff.

LOL, I like his face skinny too! I just miss the belly. ;) Hmm, if it was diet soda, maybe that would explain the weight loss. I think he looked positively glowing with the Eureka people, and it felt good to see that. Like he feels right at home with them, friends already, something like the BSG cast. I suppose I didn't expect it yet!

* First of all, the moderator of the panel (Allison Scagliotti of Warehouse 13) was adorable and a total Callis fangirl. She introduced him with "You knew him as sexy Dr. Baltar on Battlestar, and now he plays sexy Dr. Grant." XD

:D :D!!! Honestly, so weird to hear so many people suddenly admit he's sexy! Have I ventured into a parallel universe where everybody loves James? I think I like it here.

* And again the first time she addressed him, she joked about "geeking out" that he was there and said, "There's something I've always wanted to say to you... (lowers voice, doing a Six imitation) Gaius... (normal voice) That's it!" LOL.

LOL!!! :D :D That is awesome.

* Let's see... he was asked a question about the fact he's doing another sci-fi show, and he said he wasn't looking to do sci-fi again but he really liked the character and the idea of him coming from the 1940s into the future.

That's the same reason that I like him doing it. That's awesome! (James and I are totally on the same wavelength about, well, everything. This just proves it.)

* The cast was asked something like "if you could change something about your character's reality, what would it be?" James was totally befuddled by the question and made a series of hilarious "...?" faces. The other panelists started joking about wanting to look younger, have more hair, etc. and he was like "I don't get this question at all. Like, for our characters?" Eventually he kinda realized that everybody was just giving silly answers, so he made a joke about wanting to keep his '40s car.

LMAO!!! :D :D Poor James, he always overthinks things. (I can relate.)

* The most he talked during the panel was a long riff he went on about the tone of the show. He admitted he used to look at the show as "simple" in the way the plots moved and stuff? But he has a lot more appreciation now for how they're all so quick and funny and it really is hard to do that kind of tone while also showing emotions, etc. And then in this Jamesy way he started talking about how the show is not just fun but kind, and it has this homey atmosphere of people being good to each other. And then he ended it like "unlike something else I've been involved in." (Which left me going UM, DID JAMES CALLIS JUST INSULT BSG? for a minute or two, but I think it came out a little worse than it was intended, lol.)

Awww. :D Kindest guy in the world wants to be on a kind show. I don't think he meant to insult BSG. Probably he meant that on BSG, people were petty and showed their most negative sides. (Which I'd call realism in that situation, but if the show were set on Caprica before the fall, they may not be that way.) Or he could even have meant that Baltar often wasn't nice to others, or others to him. He had to play a universally hated character for a few seasons, after all.

I wonder if James has a much more rosy view of human nature than Ron D Moore. He probably does, coming to think of it. That's fascinating. Maybe he should do more "feel-good" shows, because he probably has that kind of sweet-yet-naïve side that wishes we could all just be friends.

* Funny moment I'm not sure I can really explain: They were mentioning a story about the actor who plays Zane (who wasn't there), and Jaime the show creator joked that he wasn't sure whether to believe it or not because he heard it from Gaius Baltar. The guy who plays Fargo confirmed it, and James did a comically snotty voice: "Yeah, now you've heard it from Fargo" and stuck his tongue out at him like a five-year-old. Heee. It got a big laugh.

LOL!!! :D :D Don't worry, it sounds really funny.

* As you already heard, yes, he revealed that his "name was in the mix" for Eleven on Dr. Who, but he implied he was reluctant to do it right after BSG. Wow.

Wow. O.o In one way, I feel like saying DO IT JAMES DO IT!!! On another level (;)), I dunno. If he does BSG-FlashForward-Eureka-Dr Who, that's a lot of sci fi for one career. He should really do something else in between. But Dr Who is, I hear, a solid show, and it would probably be a good choice in that sense. I know he'd rock it - oh DO IT JAMES DO IT!!!

* A little moment but you'd probably appreciate it. A bunch of the Eureka writers were standing in the room and the creator was acknowledging them by name. When he was trying to remember if he was leaving anyone out, James jumped in with another name. I thought it was sweet that he JUST joined the show this year but he knows all the writers' names. :D

Awww!!! :D :D He really cares about the people he works with. *Snuggle*!!!! Kindest Guy in the World.

* Lots of "on that level", "in some sense", etc. XD

LOL!! :D :D He didn't use them so much in the latest interviews so I thought he had kicked the habit! Maybe it's creeping back in, like addictions tend to do. ;)

Sunday updates part 3. Slim pickings, slimmer James.

OK, this LJ has the WireImages in bigger size. Very stylish indeed. Mmmm. I still can't decide if I like him better with or without glasses. And - hmm. Maybe he's actually lost some weight since the Eureka pictures, because his belly doesn't look at all remarkable here. He's not skinny but he looks more like last summer. It's a good look, but... Oh well, I'll always have Eureka. (I reserve the right to call him James Cuddles though, unless he's completely skinny.) This is my last word. I won't go back anymore. I promise. :D

From the press roundtable. (We can probably expect some interview snippets soon!) He looks a bit depressed here, but maybe it's just the effort of trying to hear what they're saying. That room was noisy. I know because I tried to watch a Colin Ferguson interview, and the background noise was pretty distracting.

Sunday updates Part 2: Slim pickings.

WireImages has two pictures of James here, but you apparently have to purchase them to see the bigger size. Anyhow, in the thumbnails: stylish in black, and we've got English gentleman glasses! (I wonder about those glasses. Does he really need them? If so, does he wear contacts most of the time? I'm an all-glasses kind of girl, but I know many people prefer contacs.)

I must say his con getup was all stylish this time. Even the cap looked new and good. No too-tight boy next door shirt; no trucker chic. I'm impressed! I love his "white shirt with rolled-up sleeves" panel style, as well. Kind of between casual and formal wear.

From the panel: James talking. You can see him twice in this picture but both angles are a bit off. But still, he looks happy and kinda wistful. Oh James. (L)

The updates are simmering down now. Live tweets and twitpics are pretty much done for, and the con people will be sleeping for some more hours. I think I'm off duty and going out for a good con-celebratory meal. If I can pry myself off the comp. *pries*

Sunday Updates Part 1: Con hangover. (And I wasn't even there.)

This will be the last time I stay up til 4 looking for updates. The last time! Ever! It wasn't worth it since the updates don't come that quickly. I dissolved into a puddle of stupid jokes in the end. Here's one: James Callis walks into a bar. The bartender says "What will it be?" James says: "As Shakespeare once said - a beer please!" ..Yeah. I was that tired.

So the updates. There are some beautiful, beauitful photos on Flickr. But before that - and I thought I'd never say this - a remarkably UGLY picture of James. He looks so bad in this one, horsefaced and...unnatural. I know what happened here: the photographer was watching a screen, and was in a slanted angle to it, and somehow that made his face look odd. But I mean, is this really worth sharing? He looks positively EVIL. I showed it to my girlfriend and she laughed and laughed and then linked to this. So you know it's bad. Sorry, James. You're not remotely horsefaced in reality.

OK, onto the actually good pictures. The Eureka screening - James apparently got on stage. Charming smile, standing in the back. Looking very stylish indeed. (And chubby. Why was I worried about that? James Cuddles! (L)) Anybody know what he was saying?

A couple of panel pictures in this stream. Swoon, he looks dreamy! And friendly and happy. Plus chest hair! His cap seems to read... something HEAD. (Union head?) Hee - and also what? I wonder why he chooses to wear caps for cons. It's a fascinating part of his image.

A photo from the goodbye party! James with @BambolaBambina aka Alessandra Torresani (from Caprica): dapper in a black suit. With a really tall guy next to him. It always emphasizes how cute and tiny he is.

Nabbing a few tweets from Sproing, because she seems to adore James and is thus sane.

Will James be on Doctor Who? - not sure! #eureka

1. James: hanging out with these guys is like hanging out with a bunch of comedy writers. #sdcc #eureka
   
2. James and @neilgrayston wondering what's making so much noise in 6A behind them. #sdcc #eurekaabout 9 hours ago via txt

People asked him about Doctor Who again? ...but he said "not sure" instead of "no"? O.o Maybe he will be on the show! Wouldn't get my hopes up just yet though.

LilFerret: @gatedialer OMGOMG He was asked about Dr. Who, and he said he WAS approached...

O.o!!! He was approached! That's... What if he really does it? wow. I've never watched the show but I hear it's GOOD.

Also - lots of people are loving the way he looks! It feels new and unexpected, yet exciting. There are some comments about how as Baltar, he wasn't sexy at all (what?) but now as Dr Grant, yum!

No real details aside from those yet, but there seems to be a buzz that James will stick around for a while - and that may be very, very promising. As in 20 episodes rather than 10 promising, but then not everyone knew he was doing more than a few eps. *trying not to get my hopes up* This sounds good though:

James Callis is sticking around for the rest of the season of Eureka. I’m happy about that! The show runners emphasized that they don’t want to change the world back, which personally I’m glad.

Yay!! That might mean he's there for good. :) And I can honestly say after seeing some - I'm happy, and he really fits the show well.

On a less James-related note:

They had to drag Colin off the stage. Wow!

I was hoping Colin would have been drunk or stoned and there was some drama. But in fact, the panel was just ending. Sigh. (My girlfriend was particularly disappointed. Can you blame her? She listened to my increasingly sleepy/ditzy comments about James updates with remarkable patience.)

Saturday updates

A new photo: the panel is starting. James is ready with his cap (a new one!) and his sunglasses and chest hair. And what appears to be another Coke can! Hee!

And.. he looks thinner to me again. Damn. See, I keep going back and forth and I have to stop doing this. Someone once said to me that I pester him with pictures of the fat guy in Ace of Base like, "Does he look thinner or fatter? I must know. These photos were taken five minutes apart." I'll try to focus on other aspects. (Chest hair. Coke. Hair. Mmmm.)

I may have to give up and go to bed, because LA time is so far away from Finnish time. So don't expect panel details just yet.

Jaimepaglia Tweeted a few photos from the "Café Diem" at Comic Con:

http://tweetphoto.com/34627289Hanging at Cafe Diem with Allison Scagliotti from WH13, James Callis and Neal Grayston.

And here's the other one, where James seems to be something funny to Neil! (He can stand still for a photo, but not TWO of them! ;)) He looks like he's having fun and feeling at home with these people. Aww. Also: the white shirt and coat (beige? off-white?) look pretty stylish. Not a bad con look!

Just a few things, not real updates:

-James has been spotted circulating the floor in "various disguises" but the source didn't specify WHICH ones and now I've lost the link. He could be anyone! This is too exciting! Edit: oh, there it is! We want PICTURES of James in disguise!

-If you want to send a question to the Eureka panel, you can do that on Twitter: Use the hashtag #ScagsEurekaPanel.

I asked how James came up with his accent, although I want to ask so many more things. "What were you eating at Café Diem just now?" Or... "Do you always have your cigarette in the left side of your mouth?" Or some other, censored questions... :D But really, I won't bombard them with silly question ideas. I'm not sure how many people are going to ask stuff, so they won't have time for everyone.

Two photos posted by SyFy on twitter. These are from last night.

James waiting for the screening of episode 3, All the Rage! He has such a mischievious look on his face. Hee!

Other observations:

-His hair is longer.

-He has the trademark sunglasses on his head.

-I think he's still chubby. Yip yip yip! OK, I'll try to be really calm about this. Really really calm. *tries very hard* Ooh he's so cuddly! He's like James Cuddles! I'd love to cuddle with him! Eeeeee. :D :D :D

And the Eureka cast eating at Café Diem. Looks like James has Coke again! But what is he eating? Something orange - and high... Looks mysterious. Others are having soup and salad, so I'm guessing this is the starter, not the main course. So it's probably not a strangely orange hamburger. If you have any guesses, please post in comments.

Either way: he is wearing suspenders!!! :D Why so! It's just unbearably cute.

James Callis on Eureka: "A New World"

OK, episode 2 of season 4, A New World.

(Click to enlarge each photo.)

This episode wasn't as good as the first one, but I still enjoyed it a lot. It makes me hopeful - two good episodes in a row (written by different people too) could mean the show has improved and will make for fun watching. This week, James got to do some fun action stuff, and he had great expressions. I've got quite a bit of gushing to do, so I'll start with the negatives and then go onto the more detailed/fun part.

THE NEGATIVES

-The beginning of the episode was, James-wise, disappointing. We last saw him tell someone that he's looking for Allison, but he never shows up at her door. Instead, we simply see him at the fair where we left him. (And that almost ten minutes into the episode.) Now, somehow he's found out that Allison is a doctor, and he isn't at all surprised that she has two children. There must have been a deleted scene in there somewhere. Knowing they handled Carter and Tess's breakup in a deleted scene that was then used as a "previously" bit - what?! - I shouldn't be too annoyed. But if Trevor Grant is going to have something with Allison Blake, this episode certainly didn't get them any further down that road. They talk to each other for like a minute, and he spends the rest of the episode interacting with other characters. That's a bit disappointing.

-While there were some fun moments and we got to see the scientific side more, I still feel like Trevor Grant is a mystery. What do we know about him? Basically nothing. I expected to find out a little more this week.

-There is still no explanation to "Charles" Grant. I'll just call him Grant for now.

-Generally a bit annoyed that the scenes with James keep cutting away from his face. He does awesome expressions in every scene and tends to steal the show, no matter who he's acting with. (Depending on the skills of the co-actor, of course; when he was with, say, Mary McDonnell and Tricia Helfer, he had to compete a little. But on Eureka, I think you can safely say he steals.) For a viewer, it can be frustrating that they keep cutting away from him. It's natural to start focusing your eyes on his face if he's the one with the most animated expressions. I had considerable trouble catching his expressions in the screencapping phase. Hopefully that will change.

-Non-James related nitpick: I understand there needed to be scenes about Allison's autistic son not being autistic anymore, and about Carter still being with Tess, and Fargo being the new head of General Dynamics. I did feel, however, that there were too many scenes with Jo Lupo, whose fiancé in the "real" timeline has no feelings for her in this one. I'm sure she's heartbroken, but the moping gets old, especially since the fiancé was only discussed and not there for most of the episode. You'd think Henry Deacon's new life - the mayor now, and married to someone he had barely met in the "real" time - would have been more interesting to explore.

OK, on to the

THE DETAILED AND/OR FUN PARTS (with picspam)

Grant is very cocky and casual in the first scene. He seems to enjoy the surprise momentum, especially in public where the others can't show much of their shock. He's really a bit of a show man.

The future's fine and all, it's just that he expected "more flying cars - robot servants - superhighways strecthing to the sky..." (Sounds terrifying, but then that's what I expected of the 2000's, too, when I was a kid.) He seems disappointed that there are 1940's cars on the street, and instead of saying they're all for the Founders' Day, Carter says he's sorry. You can tell he's getting annoyed with this guy. Grant says he ended up with one of the "doohickeys" - hee! - that moved them in time. Carter said it was in his pocket. "Please, don't blame yourself," Grant says incredibly patronizingly. "I wasn't planning to!" snaps Carter.

(I can kind of see why Carter hates him; he's so patronizing and cocky, especially at Carter. Yet that's what makes him hilarious. I'm not sure if I like him, it varies from scene to scene, but he is funny and engaging.)

Grant doesn't waste any more time; he wants to woo this lady. I'd love to see more of him interacting with Allison, but I think they wanted this scene to be all about Carter and how much he's hating the rivalry. As you can see in this photo:

Grant asks Allison out on a date, but Carter's quick to stomp in and say Grant needs to stay with them and they need to figure out the temporal anomaly. Allison agrees. "OK, for you," Grant says to Allison, with another charmer's smile.

(More nitpicks: It doesn't make sense to me that he'd just want to go off on his own. He has no modern money or place to go. I think I need to take off my realism goggles when I'm watching this show. )

Some nice flirtation going on between James and Salli. I think I'll enjoy their scenes together.

While Henry and Carter discuss the situation, Grant seems to have found someone else to woo on the side. Oh Trevor, you're looking too cocky for your own good! Watch out or you'll end up in...

Yeah. Carter tells him he didn't appreciate almost being left in 1947! Grant says he's disappointed in the future where he's being falsely accused and locked up. "It's a damn shame, Jack!" Carter: "Yeah well. My cell, my time, my rules. Get comfy."

He plays a good game, acting all indignant, but, well, see below for his next scene. (Is he wearing suspenders under the vest? I think he is! So cute!!!)

He is quickly distracted by the robot Deputy, Andy. This is more like the future he was envisioning.

Perhaps slightly overdoing the boggle eyes? I can never really tell if this is good acting or overacting. I need to be critical of James but how can I?

The scene is hilarious, that I'm sure of.

"Come closer, Robot Man," Grant says. Hee! I love how they make him sound all ignorant because he's not used to talking to human-alike robots.

"I prefer 'synthetic coworker'," Deputy Andy says good-naturedly. Hee!

"You're extremely lifelike," Grant marvels. Andy seems to take this as a compliment, although it's more a compliment to the person who made him. Either way, he's utterly cute.

Grant (very serious): "I would love to take a look under your uniform."

Andy (freaks out): "Boss?"

I love how Deputy Andy apparently has some feelings of privacy regarding his body.

Jumping over a few scenes. Non-James things I loved in this ep: Deputy Andy guessing they come from 1947; Allison's son Kevin wondering if his mother is on drugs, wanting to talk to him so much; a robot with weapons running around shooting things - but it's only a runaway robot from a crazy scientist, not some alternate timeline robot war. I loved that little mindfrak; and Fargo having to enter a secret area and give a password that he can't know. "Guess," says Carter. Fargo: "Buffy the Vampire Slayer!!!" Computer: "Voice recognition complete." Hee!

Oh, and I almost forgot: Allison wanting to stay in this reality because she finally has a connection with the earlier autistic Kevin. Loved, loved, loved that scene. So beautiful.

Later, Grant has summoned Carter back, excited that his phone can pick up transmissions anywhere!

The tongue! I love the tongue!
He confesses: "I may have... maneuvered... things so that I would end up moving in time, into this time."

What about Carter?

"Sometimes scientific development requires sacrifice." Look at his face! It says: "I am brilliant, aren't I? You didn't even notice!" I'm not sure what to make of him in this scene. Good guy or not so good guy? He doesn't show any repentance, even if his actions were very selfish and even quite cruel. But maybe we need to let him slide because he is a big science nerd, and just seeing people from another time and having the chance to go with them... Like he says, "I've been chasing after the future my whole life." (Maybe this is why Salli Richardson-Whitfield said you wouldn't be able to tell if he's a good guy or bad guy. But James said good guy, repeatedly, so I believe him.)

So now that they're "square", or so Grant thinks, he'd love to get out of this cell. This scene is a gem for James' expressions. Watch him try to be extra charming so nasty Sheriff Carter would get him out of the nasty cell.

Pleading eyes.
Faking camaraderie.
Turning on the charm.

All of these expressions come and go in a manner of seconds and I had such a hard time getting especially that last, most hilarious, one captured. How does he do this?

However, Carter isn't charmed and just walks out. Grant is actually disappointed and upset: "I thought we were square!" Is this some kind of army thing? You're not supposed to be offended if someone screws you over? Weird yet funny.

They never show him be released, but he must have been, because:

In a later scene, Dr Grant marvels at Global Dynamics, and I marvel once again at James' physique. How can you have sunken in cheeks and a potbelly?? Don't they cancel each other out? Dare I believe in his belly, lest I become disappointed as it's all muscle or a bunch of clothes..? Somebody at GD should investigate his physique... yeah, OK, the scene.

Because he's from 1947, Grant casually lights a cigarette. Lupo tells him to put it out, but thankfully she's not all "Tut tut, how can you smoke?!"

Also - belly or no belly, I'm loving the chest hair and the casually opened white shirt. *drool*

A non-smoking robot (hee) shows up. Here's her view. LOL at "Martha"!! (Note that all the carcinogens in the cigarette are listed and highlighted.)

Martha: Global Dynamics is a non-smoking environment. Please extinguish your smoking materials.

Grant is too "Yay, a ROBOT!!" to really focus on the issue at hand. (Or literally in his hand. Heh heh.)

Grant: Excuse me... ma'am... what kind of propensity system do you use?

Martha: Please extinguish your smoking materials.

*squirts water onto his cigarette*

Martha: Have a pleasant day! *flies away*

Grant: ..I think I'm in love with this time!

For a moment there, I thought he'd say "I think I'm in love with that robot!" which would have been both hilarious and really inappropriate.

(Nitpicking again! He could have acted a little more surprised, since smoking wasn't prohibited basically anywhere in 1947, and I doubt they even knew of its health effects. But let's just say he's too into the exciting robot to think of anything else. He is a science nerd first and foremost.)

And in the very next scene, he gets to be all crazy scientist! He's so excited about modern technology, trying to save the device that brought him into this era.

(Arrogantly, at Carter) "I don't supposed you've heard of the LASER."

This was really funny, although they did it first on Austin Powers. They kinda ruin it by having Carter say, "I have it in my printer, actually", with no response from Grant. Is he supposed to be familiar with printers? (Maybe James made a good face at that, but they don't show his face. Should I stop nitpicking? I know it's supposed to be fun and light, so I can't scrutinize it like Galactica.)

And now... ACTION JAMES!!!

This is a new thing for me. I've seen most of James' roles, and he hasn't done a lot of action (thankfully since I hate that genre). But here, he volunteers to do a risky science experiment thingy, and he's just... amazing. It feels exciting that he's in this scene, that he gets to run and jump and shout and be done just at the nick of time.

Look at that outfit! Safety goggles! Moonwalking boots! Silvery outfit! His hair coming out of the do! He is ... Science Man?

Sooo cool. Fun to watch and probably even more fun to do. He'd like to do James Bond, and suddenly I kinda see why.

But alas, their experiment fails. The temporal anomaly or whatever.. did not get fixed.

They meet at Café Diem to contemplate on this.

There's a military protocol in place for these situations. Which is: don't talk about your time travels or you are dead. A "don't ask, don't tell" sort of policy?

Trevor Grant finally realizes he is in this time for good. And he's sad about it, which makes him more relatable and likeable. The camera doesn't zoom at him or anything, but I did get a few nice shots: Puppy eyes James!

Aww, James, don't cry! I'll pet your sweet luscious hair. (This character is already giving me maternal feelings. Also happened with Gaius Baltar. And Guy Curran. And.. .possibly all of his characters..?)

Next week, it's Wil Wheaton's stupid guest episode. I don't have anything against WW, but he's been advertised sooo much and he's only doing ONE episode. He's been discussed more than James. Apparently he was Wesley Crusher on the Next Generation and the 11-year-old inside me yells "Eeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Wesley! He was so cuuuuuuuuuuuuuute!", but I still think they could have been a bit more low key. Anyway, next week for Wil. And hopefully a lot more details about James' character.