What the Frack?

Blogging Vacation

2006-03-09T20:21:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry, I can't keep up with this. I'm going on a blogging vacation until my hunts for a new apartment and a new job are over. When everything is more settled, I aim to return. In the meantime, check out the blogs listed over there in the sidebar - they often say what I mean to say better than I can, anyway!

Battlestar Galactica: Downloaded

2006-02-26T18:35:00.000-05:00

Gee, the fates don't seem to look kindly upon my TV-critic ambitions. Between work, life, and other must-do projects, I've barely had time to jot down my notes for this week. And no, the hours I spent trying to get out from behind a locked non-locking door this weekend did not help.

In any case, I realize, looking back at last week's post, that my thoughts about this show really do much better in bulleted form than essay form because, well, they tend to be all over the place rather than focused on a single point. So I'm sticking with bullets for now.

To begin with, the subplot

Well, not a subplot. A not-at-the-moment-related secondary plot. Is that better?

Okay, the baby is finally going to be born. Does that mean that we'll finally be free of that horrid animation? And ooh, is Sharon going to die giving birth?
I really, really, really don't buy the "it's dead, let's cremate it" ruse. This baby is an essentially unknown half-human, half-cylon life-form. It's got to be worth studying in order to learn more about the Cylons and what they're trying to accomplish. And if that weren't sufficient reason, don't you think they'd at least try to figure out how to produce more of that cure-for-cancer Cylon Baby Blood, or maybe try to determine why it works so well?
Besides, when has anyone been cremated on this show? I thought the military dead were ejected out the airlock. Why would you do anything else for a dead cylon baby?
I wonder whether the baby gets tallied on Roslyn's whiteboard. She seems very attached to it.
I thought for a while that they might give the baby to the Cylon reporter (DeBeers, was it?). Well, there's no telling that this new woman isn't a Cylon, but maybe they'll let the baby be safe for a while. After all, there's very little she can do for the time being except be bait for an overblown MacGuffin hunt or two. Maybe once she's old enough to walk and talk she'll be worth watching.
Sharon's anger/grief is absolutely understandable, but I'm surprised she escaped that doctor-strangling episode unscathed.
Ouch, that's cruel. Baltar is already grieving over the baby's death, and you pile guilt on top of that. Now perhaps that's some of his misplaced guilt for betraying the Colonies, but still, that's some pretty intense emotional turmoil, there. I was about to be surprised that he didn't crack, but then I realized that he already had, a long time ago.
Still, I know he's going to turn up next episode a composed as ever, and there won't be any repercussions.
Why has the political power struggle suddenly become covert rather than overt again? Just a little bit of an allusion to it would really really go a long way continuity-wise.

OK, on to our Cylon friends on Caprica.

Ooh, I like that the re-awakenings are so traumatic. The last thing that each of these Cylons remembers is a traumatic death. Excellent.
Oh, more of them have numbers, now? Sharon's an Eight?
I find it fascinating to me was that each Cylon doesn't necessarily identify more closely with cylons of his/her (well, her -- we didn't really see much of the male cylons) own model than with others. Yes, Six and Sharon are unique, apparently, but whasser-face doesn't seem to be particularly interested in hanging out with other whasser-faces.
On which note, since different Cylons of the same model can evidently have different personalities based on their experience, that promises less unity among the Cylons than we might have thought.
Hey, it was the toasters that originally rebelled against the colonies, 50 years ago, right? So unless there's some human who took their side, the toaster must have created the humanoids, right? I wonder whether there's any resentment about being evidently second-class citizens (yes, of course, it's related to CGI budget, but really, did you see any chrome in that cafe?)
On which note, yes, I find the cafe scene creepy. Straight-up classic sci-fi image: a cafe where everyone looks alike.
And why have the humanoids be reborn but not the toasters? WOuldn't it be useful for your infantry to learn from experience as much as your fighter planes? And if that's such a central part of their religious belief system, does that mean the religion postdates the toasters? And if so, where do the toasters fit into all this, anyway?
If a Cylon's memories can only be accessed after she dies and uploads, how'd they manage to get Galactica-Sharon's memories into Caprica-Sharon? Er, when they were in the opposite places, that is. Dagnabbit. OK, they're now Helo's Sharon and Tyrol's Sharon. Kapiche?
Six hallucinates Baltar the way Baltar hallucinates Six. Clever. Maybe too clever, but I like it. Angels and demons on one another's shoulders. I also love the irony of Blatar serving as anyone's conscience. And that they are both pulling one another away from their own factions and into the others. If there can be peace between the two groups (unlikely, I know, and definitely not happening before the nd of the show's run), these are the two who could pull it off -- which seems a bit strange.
So does Six really feign her fear, or is it real, caused by her experience of death amid broken glass?
This is the first blatant continuity error I've seen: Sharon says her mom gave her the elephants before she joined the fleet. But in the mini, Sharon told Boxey that her parents died when she was a child. She had no reason to lie to Boxey, so.... Yup, someone didn't do their homework. And yes, I'm sure there have been other continuity errors, but presumably rather more subtle ones.
Cold Storage. Death. So there are two ways for Cylons to die permanently -- one is to be somewhere where they can't uplaod. The other is cold storage. Somehow it seems like they're more afraid of cold storage than the other death. Is that because there's shame associated with it? I'm curious.
Is death, or even murder, a big deal in a society where death isn't permanent? Yes, there's the trauma of re-awakening after the death (and Sharon points out in Scar that it's traumatic), but it can't hold the same weight as when death is truly permanent, can it?
OK, killing someone who can report it is sort of a stupid thing to do, unless the murder part isn't what's going to get you in trouble. I do have to wonder whether there will be more trouble about Anders escaping, or about whasser-face's murder?
Will anyone actually listen to these two "heroes of the Cylons"? If they have 36 hours to spread their message across at least a whoel planet? Is there any chance that they will not be, um, cold-storaged when the truth comes out? Will they end up running off and joining the human resistance? Is that the main reason they were stuck in a collapsed basement with Anders?
OK, a building is blown up and collapses, and hundreds die and are crushed by concrete, but the guy who set up the bomb is protected from it by a car, despite being only 20 feet away? And emerges essentially unscathed?
Oh, how sweet, a power-of-love theme. Barf.
And the big unanswered question, ever-so-closely related to the really big unanswered question is: Why was it so important to the Cylons, in the first place, to either wipe the humans off the face of the universe or take the Colonies from them, or whatever the heck it is they wanted?

This week we got to look at what's really going on with the Cylons -- a bit of their internal politics, a bit of what they're doing with Caprica, a bit of how they see themselves.

I thought that this week's episode was pretty solid and very interesting. I was a bit disappointed that it didn't really follow through on any of the interesting threads introduced last week, but at least we had another forward-looking episode. Let's hope that this one gets some follow-through. Stop playing catch up. Stop rushing through the important parts because you just wasted three episodes on throwaways.

This show really needs some more thought put into the long-term story and character arcs, rather than hastily thrown-together plot points. The beginning and end of Season 1, plus the beginning of Season 2 were so promising in this respect that it's extremely disappointing to see everything falling apart because it's been so hastily thrown together. They seem to have so many ideas that they're excited about exploring, but why not slow down and explore each one in a bit more depth?

Tags: battlestar, Battlestar Galactica, BSG, cylons, Entertainment, galactica, Rants, Reviews, Sci Fi, scifi, Television, TV

Battlestar Galactica: The Captain's Hand (for real this time)

2006-02-23T19:54:00.000-05:00

I really did mean to get this done earlier. Cross my heart. I won't bore you with the details but, as you know, sometimes real life intervenes.

I had a list of almost 40 points I wanted to cover in this review (in contrast, I had 7 or 8 for Sacrifice). I don't think I have energy to cover them all in any sort of detail. But here are some things to think about:

I didn't see the previews, but the start-of-the-episode spoiler scenes didn't actually give anything away, for once. Is it too much to hope that they're learning? And I could swear that some of those "previously on BSG" moments hadn't aired at all until just now. It works.
Lee and Dee work a bit better together in this scene than in some of their previous ones, although I still don't really see a spark.
Whoa, were those ab muscles I see? And have they decided that their audience is more female than they originally believed? Season 1 was all half-naked women. I don't think we've had an episode in Season 2 where we haven't seen Lee without his shirt.
Gee, they managed to almost make us forget the Pegasus existed during the last 3 episodes. Was that really intentional?
The idea of nicknames for the ships is great, and is such a natural thing to do, even if the introduction of it right her eis a bit forced. People are always nicknaming things -- heck, isn't that part of what all those pilots' call signs are about? I wish they'd do more of that.
OK, that was a sudden promotion to Major. For what, getting shot not in the line of duty?
Yeah, Kara' still getting in trouble....
OK, the watch.... What's up with the watch? Is it supposed to symbolize something? Time running out for this guy? Does the watch hand have to do with the title? And who's the captain, anyway? The commander (ship's captain)? Kara (the only officer we currently know of with "captain" rank)?
Politics. What is it about threats to survival that makes "conservative" stances seem less radical? I find it very interesting that they're here presenting the sinister political players as associated with science and the less sinister ones as associated with religion.
I like that they put Laura Roslyn between a rock and a hard place. Frankly, it's a much more compelling story than threatening to kill her, partly because you don't immediately know which way she'll choose (we knew she wouldn't die: she's signed on for Season 3!) and partly because giving a character a tough choice is much more interesting than just threatening to kill them off.
Yes, it is indeed a Cylon trap. Big suprise there.
Oh, look, Gaeta does indeed still exist!
So.... is Starbuck upside down because they ran out of bluescreen budget and needed a shot of her that was disorienting enough that we wouldn't notice that it wasn't a real action shot?
This Commander is clearly a doer, not a leader (when Lee says at the end that he worked with machines, not people, he only gets the personality type half-right, even if he's 90% right about the implications for leadership), I completely recognize a certain technical "If you want it done right, do it yourself" type in him (because I'm that way too). He should never have been put in a leadership position. Not because he thought people should work like machines, but because he couldn't trust anyone to do things as well as he thought he could. In the end he dies nobly to save the ship, with a wrench in his hand, which seems fitting for the character type, even if we haven't known the character long enough to know if it's fitting for himi in particular (by the way, when will they ever learn to at least mention the existance of some of these one-episode characters an episode or two in advance?)
So.... there is really such a leadership vacuum and a lack of veterans that this guy is the most senior, most capable guy the Pegasus has left, and Lee is the next in line (even accepting that there are plenty of reasons to keep Tigh on the Galactica)? Enough of a vacuum that Lee's promoted straight past the Colonel rank (days after going from Captain to Major for no apparent reason other than a general lack of senior-ish officers on the Galactica) and made the commander of a ship despite the limit of his experience being leading a viper squadron and hanging out now and then in Galactica's CIC during strategy sessions?
Lee's had issues with taking on responsibility in the past, and he looked scared as hell in this ep taking on responsibility for the CIC. So, he's now going to do this day in and day out? And calmly enough that his crew will trust him?
On which note, Tigh expressed concern about the Pegasus having problems after losing two COs in quick succession. Is losing a third going to make things easier? And with the insular us-against-them attitude of the crew, how is Lee going to accomplish anything? Well, at least it's a setup for plenty of conflict.
By the way, does the Pegasus have an XO?
Puting Lee in charge of the Peg really puts the writers in a straightjacket with regard to both Lee and the ship. First off, if he's on the ship, the ship has to survive, unless he's leaving the show. A captain goes down with his ship, and I don't think this is a character who would save his own life by fleeing the ship when it's in trouble.
On the other hand, they could theoretically split the fleet and have the two battlestars run off in opposite directions. In fact... now that I think about it, that sounds like Kara's best chance to get back to Caprica. I'm not sure how I'd feel about another split-fleet story arc, but if they handle it well, it does open up options.
Lee and Kara have the best scenes. I don't know if it's the writing or the way the actors gel, or what, but their two one-on-one scenes here remind me of the second reunion in the miniseries and the "stims" scene in 33. When they put these characters together, there's always so much going on that's unsaid. The way he immediately regrets yelling at her about being shot, the way that his explanation later is an apology and her sarcastic response says "apology accepted", and in particular, the way a friendly insult is exaclty the right way to indicate that things are OK between them, because it's how they normall interact, and because it's his way of avoiding actually saying what he's feeling. And then the way they shake hands and then don't let go. This promotion looks like it's going to open up a gulf between them, even if they're not angry at each other for now. No, I don't want to see a romance between these two. I think their friendship is one of the most interesting relationships I've seen portrayed on TV.
Back to the politics. Roslyn makes a deal with the devil, partly based on the advice of her new all-politics-no-ethics advisor (who came out of nowhere. Who is she? Is she a Cylon? How long has she been with Roslyn, and does Roslyn trust her?) and partly on the advice of Admiral Adama (Nice foreshadowing shot of the white board, by the way). Sure, they need to repopulate the fleet, but is coercion and unwanted babies really the way to do it? Might as well also outlaw condoms while you're at it, or mandate artificial insemination (no, I'm not equating those with abortion, I'm just saying, if you're going to go in that direction because you need people to reproduce, why not go all the way?). Looks like women's rights are going to be a big issue when women are needed for breeding stock. Ugh. At the very least, I sure hope Roslyn's little blank mandate makes exceptions for cases of rape, incest, and endangering the life/health of the mother. Or does repopulation take precedence over that? Oh, and the fleet's limited resources are evidently no longer a concern. They must have found a solution to their severe food shortage, or we'd have heard of 90% of the population starving to death 4 months ago (well, I take that back. With this writing crew, you never know - we might not have heard. )
If Baltar were to win the election..... what do you think would happen?

So... what did I think of this episode? It was solid. Despite some flaws, it was better than most of the episodes we've seen so far this half-season. Why? Because it looked forward rather than backward. Because it asked a lot more questions than it answered. Because it stood on its own, but was not self-contained.

Although the writers have moved themselves into a corner in some respects (Lee in charge of the Pegasus limits a lot of things you can do with either the man or the ship), they've completely changed the dynamic of the show and the relative positions of some of the characters by doing this. And the political landscape is suddenly afire again, too, with Baltar coming out against Roslyn -- for perhaps much higher stakes than any of the mess on the military side.

Whereas the previous three episodes were essentially filler, this episode was like a transition into a new stage of growth for the show, and I hope tomorrow's episode shows some of the same strength and promise. I'm looking forward to the rest of this season with a bit more hope than I did after last week's ep.

Tags: battlestar, Battlestar Galactica, BSG, cylons, Entertainment, galactica, Rants, Reviews, Sci Fi, scifi, Television, TV

BSG: The Captain's Hand (second impressions)

2006-02-18T02:00:00.000-05:00

Having watched this a second (much more sober) time, I still think this is one of the better episodes we've seen from this show in its first two seasons. In short, it was seriously fracking good. And it's sufficiently complex that I'm very seriously considering purchasing this episode from iTunes so that I can have a reference available while I review it. At the very least, I'm going to put off the full review again, until I'm more rested, in order to do it justice and not forget two thirds of what I wanted to say.

And if you haven't seen the episode, watch it before you read my review.

BSG; The Captain's Hand (first impressions)

2006-02-17T23:11:00.000-05:00

All I can say is "excellent fracking episode!"

Of course, I'm in a tipsy ecstasy right now (which makes it a bit difficult to type), but I did enjoy this episode. Very much. Even if it's only due to the wine. And I intend to do a full review some time when my fingers are obeying me properly.

OT: Pride and Prejudice

2006-02-15T19:47:00.000-05:00

Last night I finally found someone who both hadn't seen the latest Pride and Prejudice movie and wanted to see it. So I saw it.

It was pretty. Very pretty. Maybe the most aesthetically pleasing movie I've ever seen. All of the landscapes were extraordinarily beautiful. The music was gorgeous. And the interior scenes were staged to be perfectly picturesque, unfortunately frequently to the detriment of the action.

You see, the movie itself was sort of a failed attempt at a chick-flick-in-period-costume. All the characters took on modern attitudes and their motivations became modern motivations. But the stakes in the story are so 19th-century that they aren't compelling without 19th-century attitudes. If the reason they're upset about Lydia's elopement is that she's so young rather than that she ran away with a man who wasn't her husband, then how can that elopement ruin or even embarass her sisters?

Even leaving out the modern attitudes, the film failed miserably as an adaptation. Despite being more than two hours, it was rushed and didn't offer any subtleties or even the opportunity to get to know even the main characters. And somehow, they managed to turn an Austen comedy of manners into a Gothic romance -- which is a remarkable feat, mostly accomplished by dark scenery, dramatic lighting, overacting, carefully timed rainshowers, swooping cameras, and a superfluity of long, smoldering gazes.

Now, perhaps I'm being overcritical of this movie, quite possibly because the 1995 miniseries set so high a standard. After all, this film was easily better than any Jane Eyre adaptation I've ever seen. At least they made good choices of what to excise from the story, even if they did have to cut so much that they stripped the plot of meaning and lobotomized the characters. There were a few things I liked about this adaptation.

Collins was much more understated and obviously ridiculous. I thought he was a riot.
Georgiana actually looked like a young, innocent, naive, 15-year-old, and even if they didn't make the character timid, it was easier to believe she could be.
Wickham was a real fop. I found that entertaining (although we saw so little of him that Elizabeth's apparent attachment to him was unfathomable).
In a few scenes (most notably the first proposal scene), there was very good (very sexual) chemistry between Elizabeth and Darcy. I thought that worked out well. (On the other hand, the meeting on the bridge, and especially the closing scene of the movie, were so stupid that I wanted to throw rotten tomatoes at the screen.)
The scene where they show Bingley working out the proposal with Darcy was brilliant, and worth the price of admission.

As a parting shot, I'll leave you with my impression of the scene where Elizabeth and the Gardiners toured Pemberly:

"Where does this guy live, the Louvre?"

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Battlestar Galactica: Sacrifice

2006-02-14T20:26:00.000-05:00

Wow! So they finally killed someone!

It's stunning that in this "gritty" series it's taken until now to kill off any of the characters who have been with us since the mini. I mean, they managed to not kill Adama, Roslyn, Helo (twice), Tyrol, Apollo, Starbuck (countless times), Cally, and several Cylons. Sure, we've lost characters here and there, but most of them we'd known for only a few episodes, if that long. The closest they've come to killing one of the original characters is Crashdown. I was beginning to think they didn't have the stomach for it. Or do they? Who says Billy can't be a Cylon?

Kill Bill(y)

In any case, maybe they thought they had no choice but to kill Billy if they wanted to go forward with this Lee and Dee thing (just when I was beginning to have a glimmer of hope that they wouldn't subject us to that pair of names ever again). Personally, I would have preferred to see a love triangle and a bit of conflict there, but either the writers wanted the easy way out, or they were afraid people would accuse the show of being a soap opera in space. As if one more love triangle would be what made the difference?

In any case, it looks like we'll be seeing more of Lee and Dee. I'm not sure I'm thrilled about that. My biggest complaint is that I don't see much chemistry between the actors on-screen. I hope they'll prove me wrong, but so far I don't see much reason for optimism.

Meantime, speaking of love triangles, it's pretty evident that Starbuck is a bit torn here. Gee, if they'd kept Billy around, we'd have a love-rhombus (with miscellaneous additional line-segments sticking out at odd angles, but I digress). So, where we saw Dee listening in on Kara talking to Lee, now we have Kara listening in on Dee talking to Lee. (OK, that's it. I give up. I'm calling her Dualla or him Apollo from now on.) Kara, of course, has now added one more little burden of angst, for having accidentally shot Lee. It's as if they don't know what to do with her except give her reasons to be unhappy. I hope this all is leading somewhere.

Oh, Right, the Cylon

So yes, in theory, this episode had a plot that was not about love triangles, if you'd believe it. The fleet has got wind that Galactica is harboring a Cylon, and people are just now deciding to demand that she be destroyed. Once again, we are introduced to a small cast of characters with cardboard motivations, from whom we'll probably never hear again, in order to push along a flimsy excuse for an episode plot.

On the upside, at least they managed to tie this episode in, just a little bit, to the other things that were going on in the plot. We've got developments in the Apollo-Dualla plotline (ha! they don't rhyme!) , and this writer even managed to remember that Ellen TIgh was flirting (to put it mildly) with Lee last season and to make use of that history before it becomes any staler than it already is. And I'm glad that they gave all three of the top decision-makers (Adama, Roslyn, and Tigh) a personal stake in the hostage situation.

The thing I liked best about this episode, however, is that they finally managed to use a classic plot technique that seems to have been completely neglected on the episode scale in this series: the protagonists' attempts to solve a problem actually making it worse (in case you didn't notice it, that would be Starbuck coming in undercover to gather intelligence, Ellen Tigh giving her away, and her accidentally shooting Lee, making the hostage situation urgent and the hostage-takers more antsy). Seriously, when have we seen that lately?

The Living Dead

OK, seriously, were you fooled for a moment about the cadaver? Even assuming you didn't guess when Adama promised them a dead Sharon that he was going to send the already-dead one... did that face look like it could possibly have been alive within the past month? How stupid did those characters have to be to not notice until they pulled back the sheet? Wouldn't a fresh corpse drip blood when it had been shot, in a way that a recently thawed corpse probably wouldn't? Wasn't the whole corpse thing a cop-out so that the "fearless leaders" wouldn't have to make a tough choice between their friends and their military assets?

Nitpicks and notes

Wow, Gaeta still exists?
Where did they get all the photos of Sharon? Are they sneaking hidden cameras into the brig or something?
Are we ever going to meet the Pegasus' new commander?
With both Apollo and Starbuck on leave at the same time, who's playing CAG? Kat?
Better job with Lee's outfit this time. The absence of big preppy shorts helps.
That's an interesting outfit for Kara. Not sure I like the hair, or that it fits her character at all, but I suppose when you're out in space you can't just drop by the nearest mall.
Was the bit with the dry ice and the oxygen meter supposed to be an homage to MacGuyver or something? Or are we supposed to believe that Lee thinks quickly on his feet?
Noooooo! The baby animasturbation! Make it stop!!
Woot! No flashbacks!

Tags: battlestar, Battlestar Galactica, BSG, cylons, Entertainment, galactica, Rants, Reviews, Sci Fi, scifi, Television, TV

OT: Bleak House

2006-02-11T16:44:00.000-05:00

I've been watching the BBC Bleak House adaptation on PBS, and it's inspired me to read the book of Bleak House (thanks, Project Gutenberg!). I'd like to offer a very brief review of each (possible spoilers follow).

One sentence review of Bleak House, the book: Why does the male romantic lead have no personality whatsoever?

One sentence review of Bleak House, the miniseries: Why do they give away one of the biggest secrets of the whole story within the first 5 minutes of the first episode?

That's all.

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More Bloggy Galactica Goodness

2006-02-05T15:39:00.000-05:00

Just a quick note: I'm going to start collecting Galactica blog links. Look for a list of them in the sidebar some time soon. If you know of one that you'd recommend, leave a link in the comments!

Battlestar Galactica: Scar

2006-02-03T23:07:00.001-05:00

Gods, I always like Starbuck episodes the best, and this was a good one. I especially loved her being challenged -- although I didn't quite buy it. The actress who plays Kat just can't do the attitude that Starbuck oozes. But the rivalry played well, and for once it had actually been set up in earlier episodes (Kat's comments about Starbuck being late for a shift, and of course Kara discovering Kat's drug problem) -- so it didn't feel like it came out of the blue.

What I don't like, though, is that now that they've developed Starbuck's character a bit, they're essentially replacing her with another character who is what she originally was (cocky, trouble with authority, better than anyone else at what she does). I loved that character, but for that reason, I both don't like that they're replacing her just to fill that void, nor that they're giving someone else what was essentially her role (especially because the actress just doesn't handle it quite as well).

I understand that they're creating additional internal conflict (and irony) by giving Kat the exact same actions Kara made earlier in the series (angry about a superior officer making bad decisions because of alcohol abuse, expressing that with violence, questioning how a superior officer handles his/her subordinates). And yet. And yet. Maybe I didn't think that the combination of fear, jealousy, and resentment was sufficient to turn Kat into that character.

In the end, it seems to me that although Kat gets Scar and wins the bet, Kara gets the upper hand. Part of it is her dignity and her changing the subject in the scene at the end, but Kat has already lost -- in their earlier confrontation, she loses the fight by throwing the first punch and admitting both that Kara can see through her and that she can't control herself.

Starbuck being outdone in the vertigo thingummy.... Was her record a record for the first time in the machine, or a record overall? After all, Kat is now a veteran pilot. She should certainly be able to outdo anyone's first attempt. What would Starbuck do if given another opportunity? Or would she be too hung over to hit the target at all?

Now, perhaps, she sees what happened to Tigh. Will alcohol continue to play a part in her story? I hope so. I wish it had been set up just a tiny bit better (the scene with Cain had too many other reasons for her to be drinking to count, IMHO). And ouch, more deaths to possibly weigh on her conscience. Regardless of what redemption she may or may not get in this episode, those had better keep affecting her for the rest of the run of this show.

Still, I love that Starbuck can fly anything -- she can handle a crippled Viper well enough to evade and even get a chance at taking out the Cylon's ace. Nice.

Flashbacks

So they are going to continue with the flashbacks, I take it. That seems to be the theme for this half of this season. Now, mid-show flashbacks to ancient history are one thing, but I'm getting a little sick of starting off the show with the climax and then flashing back a few days. I mean, we already have spoilers in the "next week" teasers and the pre-show action sequences. Do we really need to start the show with a spoiler too?

Yes, it helps set the stakes, but I think really, it's a crutch to prop up the scriptwriting, which is for some reason unable to set up the stakes in the logical progression of the story. Shouldn't Kat and Kara's arguments, plus the precarious situation with the mining ship be enough conflict to carry us? Well, if it were written correctly, it might be. I'm just sick of figuring out, 5 minutes in, exactly how the episode is going to end. I'd like a reason to watch besides the chance that I might get a glimpse of Lee Adama with his shirt off.

What's a little sex between friends?

On which note, I'd like to point out for the third (or is it the fourth) time that Jamie Bamber needs to work on his abs. Even putting aside the topless scenes, remember that in Season 1 Ep 10, we learned that there is an incredible amount of inertial force in a Viper, and Kara needed to be able to leg press that much weight to be able to fly one. A viper pilot without the abs of a body builder would probably snap their spine.

OK, fine, I would just like to see him with nice abs, but it's an excuse, right?

Where was I? Oh, right. Lee and Kara. Again. It doesn't work out. Again. And yet.... it's perfect. You see, this sort of a not-quite-romance is a very delicate situation. If you let the audience forget about it, you lose a great source of conflict, not to mention the tease for the shippers. If they get together, the shippers no longer have the tease, you lose the tension, and the show, well, jumps the shark. If they sleep together as a one-night stand, well, you lose they "when will they finally do it?" suspense -- even if the sex leads to more conflict. If you end it for good, then for a lot of people, the entire episode becomes about that.

Well, they don't quite sleep together. And they don't get together for good, and although it's clear they're not about to, either, it's also clear that they've still got a thing for each other. It's so in-character for Lee to have just enough insight and just enough blindness to tell Kara that she's fine with the dead guys but has trouble with the living ones, and her slapping him in response is also in character. And I love that she responds to her own slap by kissing him, and to the kiss by storming out. Classic. Just leaves you wanting to see them interact more. THe interaction the next morning.... well, I sort of wanted them to be either awkward or still friends, and we didn't really get either of those, but I'll reserve judgement on that for now.

Outer space and bullets and planes and asteroids and bad guys

Oh yeah, there was an "external" plotline, wasn't there? This one worked for me because the external plot was neither a deus-ex-machina sudden emergency that had to be completely solved within a single episode. Instead, it was the setup and the background and the impetus for the real story -- Starbuck vs. Kat, and Starbuck dealing with losing Anders (so that's his name? I keep forgetting it). Besides, it also ties in a few hanging long-term plot threads by showing us that they're losing pilots, that they're sad about that, that it's taking a toll on morale, that they're training new ones, that they're aware of their shortage of Vipers, and that they've got a way to build new ones.

The Ones that Don't Die

I loved the scene between Kara and Sharon. I'm increasingly convinced that this Sharon is "good." Despite somewhat unconvincing acting, we see that she truly misses the "old days" and her friendships with the other characters. It's about time she got a scene with one of her old friends besides Tyrol or Helo. And I love how uncertain it makes Kara.

In any case, what an intriguing idea that the raiders don't die either, and that this radier might be the same one that Kara flew off that moon and eventually back to Caprica. Yeah, I'd hold a grudge too. But it can't reincarnate any more, either?

So are the Cylons going to be crippled and reduced to single lifetimes from now on, or do they have / can they build other "resurrection ships"?

Oh, right, that guy on Caprica

Unfortunately, I think the mid-season break made it too easy to forget that Starbuck had left a guy she loved (or at least had somehow fallen desperately for in the span of a few weeks) on Caprica. We get a hint when she and Cain talk about returning to the colonies, but in all the intervening stuff, it never really gets picked back up. My problem with that plotline, though, is not so much the long-term weaving, but that I'm still not sold on it in the first place. Kara's just getting over the fiance she thinks she killed, is running away from her lust for his brother, and so the next guy she meets just happens to be so much her soulmate that it only takes her a couple of weeks to get over the rest of it? I can see that they have points in common and couple be compatible, so maybe if we'd seen the relationship actually develop I'd buy it. But we haven't.

So now, Anders is the reason she has nothing to live for, and then the reason she has something to live for. And Helo is the only person who understands her, so now he's the friend with whom she has the playful friendship that we saw with Lee in Season 1 Ep 11. OK. Maybe.

Names

Lee can't remember the dead pilots' faces. Kara can't remember their names. Or can't she? It becomes clear in the end that she just doesn't want to, because it means that they're realy people, who have been lost. She spits beer at Lee to stop him from listing them because she doesn't want to think about them.

At the end of the episode, she maintains her dignity and her leadership (and takes a bit of a dig at Kat) by making the gathering as much a memorial service as a celebration of Kat's taking out Scar. It's also a good way to remind us that behind all this personal tragedy is a larger tragedy. Instead of a lot of forced wallowing in their sorrow, we get a dignified and understated reminder. Very nice. And I like that there's more than one thing going on in this scene.

Why does she get stuck at the end of the list? Guilt? Or is she thinking of someone in particular? I love that regardless of whatever resentment there may be between them, Lee comes to her rescue. One thing the writers do a very good job of is underscoring that regardless of what else may happen, these two have a friendship that's stronger.

What the Frack?

Yes, we know we're watching BSG, and that it's on Fridays at 10. We even know that there's a half-android fetus involved. Get rid of the fracking baby, and give us 20 more second of our show instead, how about that?

Um, infodump much? That entire speech where Starbuck reviews the situation is a very, very clumsy infodump. Come on, guys, you can do better than that.

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DVDs

2006-01-29T18:04:00.000-05:00

So my Season 1 DVD set arrived a couple of days ago. At some point I really want to go back through and start commenting on each episode beginning with the mini. Due to work, it looks like I won't even be able to watch them for a while, but there ought to be plenty of time while we wait for Season 3, right?

Battlestar Galactica: Black Market

2006-01-27T23:32:00.000-05:00

Notes in raw form. Make of them what you will:

Phew, I managed to avoid looking at the post-credit spoilers.
Lee's all about flashbacks these days, huh? What's up with that? And why can't they build tension without spoiling what the climax is going to be about.
What did I say two weeks ago about the topless scenes, Mr. Bamber?
Could we have had some hints that Lee's been visiting a prostitute on Cloud 9? And is he a rube, or what?
Lee is hot.
Why are we jumping back and forth between a subversive enemy and a black market one?
And *why* do they suddenly, out of the blue, start caring about the black market when it must have existed before and they didn't care?
No side effects yet from Roslyn's transfusion. Gee, that was a neat way to get her out. Too neat. Hello? Consequences? Foreshadowing of Consequences so they don't come out of the blue when they occur 6 episodes later? Anyone?
Oh, and nothing between Adama and Roslyn in this ep either. Was that one scene just a liberty taken by one of the writers? or by the actors? Or are we going to see some twists?
Can they cut it out with the cylon baby animation? Yeah, we know BSG is on Sci Fi at 10pm Fridays -- WE"RE WATCHING IT!!
Ooh, this can be a new recurring theme: anyone who removes their uniform jacket in the Pegasus commander's quarters dies shortly thereafter.
Who's running Pegasus now? Will they and Adama get along at all?
Lee is hot.
Oops, let the tension between Lee and Baltar slip for too long. It would have been useful during that scene to refer back to their, er, rivalry at the end of Season 1.
Jamie Bamber is not very good at pretending he doesn't notice the presence of a 6-foot blonde woman a few feet to his left (or rather, it's pretty durn obvious that he's ignoring her).
Well, at least the tension between Lee and Tigh is carrying through.
The fleet's been wandering through outer space for 6 months. Black market or not, where does ANYONE get fresh fruit?
Lee is hot.
Is it Lee who has a thing about blondes, or just the casting director?
What happened to the blood after the fall guy was shot?
Does Roslyn buy Baltar's comment about the Vice Presidency? How is what he said supposed to inspire anything but suspicion? And although we seem to be back in a classic place with his conversations half-with-Six, it's pretty half-hearted now and feels... off. And is it just me, or does she seem more cut-and-pasted in now, rather than being filmed live?
Lee is hot.
Um, the scene between Lee and Dee.... wooden much? Yeah, the wrestling scene a few eps ago worked well, but, um, especially considering how this scene went, I'm glad they didn't try to make more of it. At least (thank the gods, or the writers) we're not going to have to spend the next 6 weeks saying "Lee and Dee".
Is this going to turn into the BSG Does Lost half-season? Everyone's flashing back to Caprica. Yeesh!
Lee's going to be a much more interesting weapon now that he doesn't care about his own life, huh? But what about the lives of all the children on the ship? was he bluffing?
Lee is hot. But those shorts are not.
The blogger who said that Olmos and Bamber could be filmed eating bowls of cereal in separate rooms and still have on-camera chemistry had a point.
What does Zarek really want these days? How mixed up is he in the black market? A customer? A participant? More?
I miss Starbuck. Was there any particular reason not to give her *any* screen time in this ep? Or did they just need us not to wonder why she wasn't there with Lee at the climax scene to give him an easy out?
And Billy and Dee are still cute. I like that they're back together and will stay that way.
Phew, I managed to miss the spoilers about what next week's show will be.
Lee is hot. Oh, wait, did I say that already?

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Battlestar Galactica: Epiphanies

2006-01-22T12:20:00.000-05:00

OK, first off, I can't possibly be the only one frustrated that every week they give away the main plot point not just in the clips after the credits, but in the fracking teaser shown the week before?

I mean, oh, gee, the President is dying (but we know that she's already signed for Serason 3, so she's either a cylon, a ghost, a flashback, or going to live). And oh, gee, they're going to abort Sharon's baby. And oh, gee, Baltar is looking at what looks like notes from a molecular biology lecture. Hm. I wonder if the baby is going to help Roslyn survive the cancer? Oh, gee!

Enough sarcasm, here's the synopsis: Roslyn, on the verge of death, asks Adama to abort Sharon's infant because Cottle found anomalies in its bloodwork and it's a danger to the fleet. Helo and Baltar both, naturally, object (as does Sharon, of course), but can't do anything about it. Baltar's scared about taking on the responsibility of the Presidency, so he re-summons hallucination-Six (H6). Meanwhile, a domestic subversive group, supposedly agitating for peace, is infiltrating weapons production and threatening to damage other critical infrastructure such as the tillium refining ship. Meanwhile, Roslyn is flashing back to the day before the attack, remembering her diagnosis, mediating between President Adar and a teacher's union, and seeing Baltar making out with Six, who she now recognizes as a cylon. *Drumbeat*.

Actually, this is a nice, complex episode with too many subplots and changes of direction to easily summarize. Aside from the fact that they basically gave away the big plot surprise the week before, my one major complaint with this episode was the paucity of foreshadowing -- but that's something that's bugged me about this entire series for a while. This episode is just one example.

For instance.... Why couldn't Cottle have mentioned in passing, in the scene with Adama and Sharon a few episodes ago, that the bloodwork is a little odd? Why haven't we heard any hint until now of a movement demanding peace with the Cylons? Has it really only come into existance since Pegasus Six (P6) escaped? How does Baltar know enough about this movement or the people involved to send P6 to safety among them? Couldn't we have heard something before about how the munitions crew is short-handed and they were recruiting? Couldn't we have seen Sharon express a bit of frustration before this about not being trusted?

Please slow down! If the show went at half the pace plot-wise and spent the extra time on its strengths (character development) and shoring up its weaknesses (foreshadowing), it would be twice as strong. There's a reason the multi-episode episodes are usually the best: they have enough time to tell the whole story without feeling rushed.

Frankly, this episode is not even one of the worst offenders, and overall it was very good. So I'll have to let it go this time, but this is a topic I'll probably revisit.

What I liked

There's very little about this episode that I can pull out ans say "I liked that better than I usually like BSG". It was an average episode. Acting was as strong as we've come to expect from each of the principals.

I liked that this espisode didn't let plot threads from the last one drop completely: the resistance grows in part out of the previous attack; Kara asks Lee about his "spacewalk"; P6 is now causing problems of her own. In fact, it pulled back in at least one forgotten plotline: Baltar's nuclear weapon.

In fact, it makes me wonder what happened to a few of the threads from Season 1 (and Season 2 part 1) that we haven't heard from in a while -- for instance:

What happened to the tension between Tigh and Starbuck?

Why hasn't Ellen Tigh's flirting stirred up any trouble yet?

Are they making any progress towards Earth?

If Dee is interested in Lee, what happened to her and Billy? Did they break up?

Where did Boxey end up, anyway?

Is Tom Zarek just biding his time, or is he for one reason or another no longer a revolutionary?

What happened to the religious aspect of the conflict?

Do the survivors still think Laura Roslyn is a prophet?

Is Kara still pining after that Anders fellow?

That said, I wish more of BSG's writers would write episodes like this one, where old threads are not forgotten, and continuity is important. How could this writer help that many of his/her plot elements hadn't yet been foreshadowed? I still think BSG needs a smaller number of writers and greater consistency and continuity -- beyond physical wounds that don't heal overnight.

I do like that this episode left us with at least as many open questions as is answered. Although they seem to have copped an easy way out of Roslyn's death, I hope there will be unexpected consequences to her treatment. I like that P6 and her friends now have a nuclear weapon and we have no idea what they might decide to do with it. I like that we have a new political conflict to play with. I like that we're being prodded about what the baby will be like (although I absolutely hated the little interruption and mini-ad about the baby in the middle of the show. Talk about killing the mood. Talk about CGI masturbation. Talk about hinting too much before that part of the episode had aired. What the frack?)

I love that Roslyn has realized, if only subconsciously, that Baltar is mixed up with the Cylons. There's a potential conflict! But why doesn't she tell Adama? Does she not remember? Does she not think he'll believe her? Has her cancer treatment messed with her head in other ways?

I like that Baltar resisted before going over to the "dark side' once again. I wish his hesitation could be a bit less abrupt, but I suppose that, besides there not being a great deal of time, he's reacting to rejection. Indeed, every decision he makes seems to be fueled by a need for external validation.

What I didn't like

Well, I've already nitpicked plenty above, but there's always something else, isn't there?

First off, the actor playing the subversive leader in Adama's custody was not especially good, in my opinion. I just didn't buy the character.

Also, we, the audience, know that the Cylons won't accept peace or surrender -- in the mini, we're told that Adar offered unconditional surrender and didn't even receive a reply! The Cylons were bent on genocide, not conquest. Why doesn't Adama think this information would be persuasive to the subversive movement? Why doesn't he think it's worth trying? Is that information somehow dangerous to release?

Nitpicks and Notes

Hm, I wonder why Starbuck was late for her shift.... Did she have a rough night? With whom?

I thought Gaius Baltar was a computer scientist, not an expert biologist. Between the Cylon Detector and his insight into the fetus' biology.... yeah. What the frack?

I'm glad that if Adama and Roslyn are going to have a romance, they have the sense not to let on in public.

I'm glad Tigh and Lee still have no respect for one another, although a bit surprised that they'd go at it in the middle of CIC.

I'm also a bit disappointed that Lee was reinstated as CAG. First off, I really wanted to see more of the dynamic with Kara as the superior officer, and second, I wanted to see how Kara would handle that responsibility in the long term (it doesn't appear that she's still the Peg's CAG, seeing as how she's spending so much time on the Galactica.

Is the subversive movement leader a Cylon, or just an idiot?

I like P6's studious persona. It's a refreshing change from H6's one-note sex-and-headgames. I guess Tricia Helfer has a bit of versatility.

Tricia Helfer is really thin. I mean, scary thin. It makes sense for the starved ex-prisoner to be that skinny, but it cannot possibly be healthy for the actress playing her!

Why has Gaeta been MIA for the past several episodes?

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In Other News...

2006-01-19T18:15:00.000-05:00

It appears that selling episodes of TV show online boosts ratings (thanks to Slashdot for the tip). I could have told you that, but I'm glad that the networks/studios have noticed, too.

One major reason, I would guess, is that downloading episodes means you can catch up with missed ones (without waiting for the DVD or having to purchase a whole DVD to see two missed episodes), or pick up a show mid-season.

Besides, despite the low resolution, the video from iTunes is surprisingly high quality, and scales remarkably well. I watched a few clips at nearly full screen on a 1680x1050 monitor. From a few feet back, the quality was nearly as good as a DVD is on this monitor -- and actually seemed much better than what I get on my TV. I have no idea how they do it.

In any case, I decided I was interested in Lost, so I watched a couple episodes, and was hooked enough to watch the rest of Season 1 and the beginning of Season 2. I'm now caught up, and - yes - watching the show on the TV proper, as it airs. That's one new viewer who might not otherwise have ever watched that show. Imagine that happening in thousands of households across the country. Yup, higher ratings.

P.S. I found Lost quite intriguing, and saw a few interesting parallels and contrasts to BSG. I hope to blog a series of ~~rambling, pointless~~ pithy, insightful articles comparing the two.

Battlestar Galactica: Resurrection Ship, Part II

2006-01-16T19:09:00.000-05:00

Synopsis: Lee Adama floats in space, running out of oxygen, while Adama and Cain (and their subordinates) destroy the Cylon "Resurrection Ship" and two base stars, and then decide not to assassinate one another. Six (the Pegasus prisoner version) kills Cain instead.

My Take

Frankly, I was a little bit disappointed with this one, after how strong the two previous episodes were, especially Resurrection Ship Part I. This episode was too action-oriented, and had a few too many poorly-foreshadowed character developments for my taste.

The worst part, however, was the pacing. I mean, I understand the purpose of having Lee floating out there, untethered and detached and uncertain. It sets up the end of the episode, the revelation that he's feeling... depressed? suicidal? simply hopeless?

But (and there's always a "but") first off, there was too much of it. I'm the last person to complain about spending several minutes staring at Jamie Bamber's face, but there was simply no indication of what was going on in his mind. There was no indication that anything was going on except for the editing team ooh-ing and aah-ing about the fact that they could flip the footage upside down. And the peacefulness of these endless scenes killed the adrenalin rush and urgency of the action sequences spliced in between. Big no-no.

Apollo's Attempted Suicide

Based on the amount of time devoted to it, Apollo's suicidal tendencies are clearly the focus of this episode. What exactly is he depressed about, and doesn't it seem like this comes a bit out of the blue? I mean, they did a very good job of setting it up in this episode. First, the lackluster hug with Starbuck in the opening sequence (which was very subtle and well done -- I initially was surprised by it because there's usually such great chemistry between those two, but at the end it became clear that he's just depressed). Second, when he learns that not only his father but the President want to assassinate Cain, you can see him losing faith in the people he was depending on to maintain his belief in humanity (not to mention Kara, who he can partly excuse because she's taking orders) [more about that scene later, perhaps]. So the setup in this episode is good.

But we don't see anything leading up to it in the two preceding episodes. Yes, he has reason for angst. He's been demoted and is now reporting to one of his former subordinates. He's been pretty much betrayed (in the Season 1 coup) by the President, who was becoming a mother figure to him. But we haven't seen those things really getting him down before (and gee, getting all mopey and suicidal about a demotion is a bit pathetic anyway, don't you think?). Unrequited love? I don't see him as the type to kill himself because his best friend doesn't love him "like that". Especially with a hinted attraction with Dee [more on that at another time, perhaps]. Overall, a bit more introspection and a little more evidence of lack of enthusiasm in the lead-up episodes would have gone a long way.

At the end of the episode, however, when he's confessing to Starbuck, I'm reminded of why I love this show so much. Somehow they manage to communicate both the bond between those two and the fact that he's very depressed -- without going all sappy or melodramatic. Very cool (it's in the acting, and it's the small touches, like having a third party listening in). And it suggests a real reason for his depression.

I think that by the middle of the episode, after he's spoken to Cmdr Adama about the assassination (and discovered that the Pres. is also behind it), Kara is the one person he has left in whom he has any faith. He's counting on himself not to let her down. And he did let her down. Sure, it wasn't really his fault -- even if he hadn't given up on being rescued, the chances he'd make it back to the Pegasus in time for the "mission" don't seem like they'd be very good. And being out there in the first place was his fault only in the sense that he wasn't looking where he was going -- it's not like he wasn't trying to be there for her at that point. But clearly, he thinks he's failed her. The one thing that he apologizes for when floaating away, the one thing he says when communicating his sorrow is that he let her down.

OK, so what do I come away from this with? Mostly, I want to know how this is going to carry over into subsequent episodes? Will there be sufficient continuity that he won't recover immediately? What will finally make him feel better? How will this affect his position on the crew and his relationships with the various people around him?

Kara and Cain

I think one of the best aspects of the past two episodes, frankly, has been the relationship between Kara Thrace and Admiral Cain. First off, Starbuck really needs a strong female military role model, especially since her relationship with her own mother was apparently abusive (see "The Farm"). Kara evidently respects Cain and agrees with her decisions (would that change if she knew what Cain had done with the civilian ships in Pegasus' fleet?); Cain clearly thinks Kara has a lot of potential. The chemistry between the actors is excellent, especially in the scene where they share a drink and Cain tells Kara not to flinch. It makes me wonder, later on, if she realizes what Kara has been ordered to do, and if so whether she even momentarily regrets her advice (my guess? no. [more about that below, perhaps])

The Standoff

Which brings me to the assassination showdown. Very nicely done. With perhaps an exception.

You see, I love the setup. Adama and Cain each think the other's approach to the fleet's survival is not only wrong but dangerous to the survival of the human race. Each decides to assassinate the other and sends his or her most trusted officer to do the deed. Each will order the assassination over the phone.

There the similarity ends. Cain's assassination attempt is very carefully orchestrated, down to the last word. She relies on a loyalty born of blind obedience to carry her officer through. Adama must expect Starbuck to wing it, since once she shoots Cain, there is no plan to deal with the rest of the officers on the bridge, except that Apollo will have her back; and her loyalty to him comes not from blind obedience (ha!) but from a personal loyalty, obligation, and love.

Anyhow, I think Adama's decision not to kill Cain is entirely in character. He's spoken to Sharon, realized that the Cylons' doubts about humanity are the same as his own, and very closely related to the deed he is about to ask Kara to do. He doesn't think he can live with himself if he goes through with it -- and to do it would perhaps confirm, at least to him, that the Cylons are right to attack humanity.

Cain's decision not to assassinate Adama is less clearly motivated to me, perhaps simply because we don't know her as well. Does Cain simply have a human side and realize that she doesn't want Adama gone? Or does she think the fleet is actually better off with him than without him? Or does she feel ashamed of using an underhanded method of getting rid of him? Or does she notice Starbuck reaching for her gun and then backing off and decide to be mutually forgiving? I want a motivation for that decision, dammit! She's an interesting character, and I'm sorry we not only will never really know her motivation but also will not get to see her developed further (unless she's a cylon. Which I doubt.)

The Actual Assassination

Only too fitting that Baltar lets Six escape and Six goes after Cain. Despite the terrible "You're not my type" one-liner, I had to love the scene. Cain clearly knowing she's dug her own grave, but not flinching any more than she would let Kara; staring straight into the barrel of the gun and lashing out defiantly at the very end. Like I said, I wish we could see her developed further.

On the Soap Opera Front...

I like that the Chief has finally gotten over Sharon, it seems. Maybe now he'll finally turn around and notice Cally? Or is that too much to hope for?

Roslyn and Adama? OK, maybe it had to be done, since they're the only single leading man and woman of their age. And I'm not one to deny the older people their romances. But I'm not sure I like it. And I wonder how mama's boy Lee would feel about it, especially now that he's at least a bit disillusioned with Roslyn.

What's wrong with keeping Dee and Billy together? THey're cute? And Dee and Lee just doesn't work for me somehow. If they're doing this just for the sake of love triangles, or so he'll have someone by the time Kara reunites with her Pyramid boy-toy, I'm unimpressed.

Nitpicks and Notes

I thought there aren't explosions in space, due to lack of oxygen. I thought people were praising BSG for being aware of this in the mini and Season 1. I thought the only possible explanation for an explosion is a hull breach and escaping oxygen. I would think that a large number of hull breaches would seriously compromise the survival of a ship. So why do we see so much combustion in the shootout?

Jamie Bamber, if you're going to do shirtless scenes, you need to spend as much time toning your abs as your biceps.

How did Kara know that Colonel whats-his-name was going "hunting"? And if she had an inkling, why didn't she find a way to warn Adama? And was that sweat on her face or vaseline?

I will be very sorry to see the Blackbird gone.

I wonder how Baltar explained Six getting away from the cell. I mean, it's not like it would be difficult for him to simply say she overpowered him or whatever, but I still think it would be amusing. What I find most interesting about that character is his slimy side.

I wonder where Baltar is going to hide Six?

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Another Adminsitrative Rant

2006-01-16T18:40:00.000-05:00

Before I get started with "real" posts, I just want to cover a couple more things about what I intend to do here.

I will post real, actual commentary soon-ish, but I need to better organize my thoughts before I begin, and in the meantime, this administrivia is worth pointing out.

About Reviews

What I intend to post here, for the most part, are reviews.

However, by "reviews," I do not mean "synopses." That is, I'm not going to recount what happened in the episode, except as is necessary to explain my commentary. A synopsis is not a review, despite the constant misuse of the term online. Grr. A review comments on what did or didn't work about a creative work. It does not simply recount it. I'll try not to rant on this topic too much more.

About Spoilers

I intend to post on what has happened on the show up to and including whatever is the episode that has most recently aired in the U.S. That means that if you have not yet seen the most recent episode, you may want to refrain from reading the most recent post, because there may be spoilers.

I do not like spoilers. That's because I get a bit of a thrill from the suspense of wondering how the characters are going to get out of a jam, or how they're going to resolve a conflict. That means, I do not seek out information about what's happening in upcoming episodes. In fact, I sometimes even avoid watching the "Next week on BSG" trailers, because I think they spoil too much. I will never post information that has not yet aired in the U.S., either on an actual episode or in a trailer.

I would very much appreciate people not posting spoilers in comments, either. If you post a spoiler for an episode that has not yet aired here, you can expect your comment to be deleted.

A little bit about this blog

2006-01-16T18:12:00.000-05:00

First off, why start another blog about Battlestar Galactica? Mostly because I have a lot of thoughts about it bouncing around. And because none of my friends watch it (they mistakenly think it's another stiff, formulaic sci fi show). And because if I don't actually get some of this out of my head, I won't have room for anything else.

Why BSG?

I don't watch much TV. Or rather, there's almost nothing on TV that I consider must-see. Especially recently -- reality TV makes me barf.

Battlestar Galactica is the first show in ages I've liked enough to not want to miss a single show. More TV should be like this!

That said, BSG is not perfect. I intend to spend almost as much time nitpicking as praising. At its best, BSG is character-focused, intense, dramatic, hard-hitting, gritty, realistic, well-characterized, and absolutely absorbing. At its worst, BSG is inconsistent, pointless, episodic, silly, poorly written, and a haven for bad acting. Unfortunately, the balance of good and bad shifts dramatically from episode to episode. That's one of the things I'll be commenting on. A lot.

About me:

I'm not a typical Sci-fi fangirl. I can't stand Star Trek. I think the Stargate shows are a bit goofy. On the other hand, there's nothing wrong with Sci fi when it's good. Star Wars is a great adventure (well, episodes 4-6, at least.) I loved the X-Files.

I'm picky. That means I'll often nitpick and point out the things that are wrong with something, even when I think that something is very good. I also play devil's advocate a lot. Just because I nitpick soemthing doesn't mean I really think it's a problem. It just means I noticed it.

Disclaimers:

I'll admit right now that I think Apollo (aka Lee Adama, aka Jamie Bamber) is hot. Very hot. I'll also admit right now that I think Starbuck is one of the coolest female characters I've ever seen in fiction. I'm going to try not to let those preferences bias me, but you've been forewarned.

Oh, and I am in no way affiliated with anyone involved in the production of this show. I'm just a fan. A big fan.

It's Fracking Good to Be Here

2006-01-16T17:51:00.000-05:00

I've wanted to blog about BSG for a while. Don't know what finally motivated me, but here I am. I intend to spout plenty of nonsense in the coming weeks, whether or not anyone cares to listen. I have a few topics up my sleeve, but if you stumble across this and there's anything you want me to address, feel free to ask!