BSG 411 - The Hub

SPOILERS. Good grief, go watch the show for crying out loud! What else do you have to watch? (I have my shiny new John Adams DVDs waiting for me! Huzzah!)

This is almost it. In fact, by the time you read this, it's over until next year. Wonder what horrible cliff-hanging atrocity they'll visit on us this year? (Some of you know. Soon, I too will know. Arrrgh.)

So, it was expected, but it was still cool. "Two days ago". We get to see what happened to our wayward babes. The hybrid takes the gang hub hunting. Interesting mission for the hybrid to be on. Wonder what her motive is? Airlock hooks up with old, dead friends. GB preaches to the toasters and then goes to confession. Helo finds the weirder parts of being married to a Cylon. D'Anna gets in touch with her REALLY sarcastic side. Husker doesn't get to finish his book. Jane gets to write some funny stuff for Airlock and GB.

Skipping ahead, they did it. They really did it. They got rid of Cylon resurrection. (Mind you, I'd think they'd be working their shiny toaster butts off to rebuild it, but I'll go with it for now.) And Helo managed to do it. ("You are not married to the entire Eight production line." Hee!) Good for Helo. Yes, you're guilt ridden. Sorry about that. Yes, you're very, very decent. We know that. Congrats on turning down the Eight that isn't Athena.

Elosha! Awesome! (Wish they'd bring back Billy. Maybe on her next vision.) I think that we've seen the end of the show, right here. Galactica is empty because everyone has left (probably for Earth). It's just Bill, Lee, Kara, and Laura. If you watch B5 you probably get this right away. Or maybe not. We'll see next year, won't we?

Laura and Baltar yelling at the hybrid was hilarious. Very Giles and Anya. (It's a Buffy writer, I make Buffy references.)

Mary McDonnell is terrific. The total paralysis she shows when Baltar tells he that he gave the Cylons the access codes. She knows that she HAS to do something. Something awful, irrevocable, and immediate. And she's so overwhelmed by this that she can't even breathe. And then she saves his life. This will be interesting to say the least.

Bye bye red-shirt Pike. We knew you were for it sooner or later.

Um. Did they just kill Boomer?

Three comes out of the box and is mad at everyone. Gotta love that. Baltar used to be that kind of unpredictable. I miss that. We'll see where it goes. Laura the final Cylon: Didn't buy it for a second, Ron. Not in the preview. Not in the show. Better luck next time.

So I wonder when / if they'll start showing a Cylon survivor count? And if all the Cylons are "mortal" now, will they continue to reproduce? There are two-and-a-half human/cylon children now, right? (More if you count Lee. Kidding.)

I'm not sure how Laura thinks that she can contain Three in the middle of a baseship. Seems the odds would be the other way. But that's our girl, always the gutsy move. What's going on with the non-plotting sixes?

Still no Leoben. I cry fowl.

"I love you."
"It's about time."
So say we "awwwwwww".

BSG 410 Sine Qua Non

Look, Ma, LATIN!

Wow. I had an easier time keeping track of this show when it wasn't as good. Huffin' and puffin' to get curren'(t).

SPOILERS. But good grief, I'm writing these so late (and posting even later) that you should be caught up by now. The show might even be over by this time. (I'm a small voice from the distant past and the like.)

So the president and co. have been whisked away on a Cylon basestar. Wild Bill has to find out what happened. The red-shirt from Demetrius finally buys it (under unseen circumstances). Lee becomes president thanks to the return of Romo "Badger" Lampkin. And Husker reads a book.

Nicely done guys. Sometimes it's cool to just let a cliff-hanger simmer. We also realize (She Who is My Wife and I) that we had NO idea who was on the baseship. (I'll still call them baseSTARS thanks much.) We swore up and down that Starbuck was still on board. Guess not.

So we get to see everyone in the fleet do what we did at the end of the episode last week. "AAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEEE!" And then we get to see the aftermath of events that we didn't even get to see. With any really cool luck, we WON'T get to see them. Just cause I'm ornery that way. I'd rather catch up to everyone in real-time rather than have the time-worn (oh so worn) BSG tradition of "48 hours ago".

Hey look, Wild Bill is going crazy over people he loves again. I think Laura is the bomb too, but will you stop risking the whole human race for your personal interests? Just saying. I'm looking forward to the episode where it's one of his closest loved ones vs. the safety of the fleet and he actually chooses the fleet. He's like a really stoic version of Helo when you get right down to it. Of course, that one time it would be Lee. Poor Lee.

ROMO LAMPKIN! Huzzah! Ok, how many people do you know that see imaginary people, robots, pets? Not many? Well, on BSG I think that if you're NOT seeing imaginary people (robots, pets) that you're the odd one. I think they could have done just fine without the Fight Club cat.

Dead Natalie. Very sad. If I was a more bitter, petty man I'd say "Here's that mortality you were after!" And there are almost consequences for Athena. Very nearly. So close.

So, did the resurrected sixes, twos, and eights get boxed by the Cavils? (Did Natalie die before or after they found the remains of the hub? Did she resurrect just in time to be blown up?)

There has been a depressing dearth of Leoben in these eps. Are we ever going to see a Simon or a Doral again? Other than right before they say "All Will Be" (heh heh HA HA HA HAAAAA HAAHHAAA!) "Revealed"?

iTigh is acting with his whole eye this ep! Michael Hogan rocks. Still think he should tell Bill. So Admiral Tigh, huh? (And why is he Admiral? Why not Commander? Why is Bill still an Admiral?) And it doesn't seem like the end of the world like last time. Wow. He should still tell Bill. (In case you missed it - and I did - Tigh was wearing his Admiral's pips a couple of weeks early a few episodes ago. Oops.)

Where's Anders? Anyone seen Tyrol lately?

President Leland Adama, eh? Well. This will be exciting. Especially when (if?) Laura comes back. It's interesting the WAYS that the Colonial government is falling apart. Laura does what she wants (and can) for the protection of the fleet and the whole quorum is up in arms. Leaks to the press, disregard for her authority, etc. But when Wild Bill just flat out will not deal with a civil leader (Thomas Zarek) then everyone scrambles to throw the poor sod overboard. So let me get this straight: Laura is president again, not by election, just because she's not the one who dragged them all through New Caprica. Yet despite this popularity, everyone is deeply troubled by her "unchecked power". But when it comes time to put the guy who's really in line of succession for the job, that won't stand. I know it's been a long hard four years, but this is the group that put a school teacher, 43rd in line of succession, in the office of the presidency, not because they were happy about it, but because it's the rules. Now they're going to give the job to Lee "my daddy gave me a battlestar" Adama? I'm a little confused over the will of this people and this legislature.

So Wild Bill isn't going to be Admiral anymore. (Kind of solves the whole "he won't talk to Zarek" problem, doesn't it?) "I can't live without her." Awwwwww. Nice to see Bill in the pilot jammies. "Nothing but the rain." I don't know why that line gets me every single time. Godspeed, Husker.

So say we all. Boom boom boom.

BSG 409 Guess What's Coming to Dinner

Aw, this show just rocks. Fourth season is still (IMHO) firing on all cylinders.

BTW, um, SPOILERS. If you haven't seen the eps, this is not the place
to be looking. Go get the DVDs and then watch the season four eps on Sci-Fi.com. We'll wait. (Sci-fi only has the latest five eps up. Sorry.)

Yes, this will be the third review I'm writing without actually posting anything. Have to fix that. (If you're reading this, I've already posted the other two, problem solved.)

I'm already mocking "All Will Be Revealed" at least as enthusiastically as I did "And They Have a Plan". Just so's you know.

This ep not only had me on the edge of my seat, it had me off of it. iTigh saves the day! Huzzah!

Ok, RDM, the "final four" thing has been a lot more interesting than I ever thought it would be. Especially since you pulled it all out of your backside last season. Kudos.

These episodes are just popping. If they can keep this pace for a whole season we're in for such a ride. It's like the last ten minutes of season 2 ALL the time! They've pretty much chucked the idea of getting new viewers in the last year, so it's ALL for the fans. There's a lot of "connect your own dots" this season. If Tyrol and Baltar are in a scene then it's up to the viewer to remember all of the baggage those two have.

Also, they've gotten back my trust this season that if they don't hit a story every week that they WILL come back to it.

When Demetrius FINALLY jumped and then jumped right into the path of a viper I almost knocked over a table throwing my hands in front of my eyes. THAT's good TV.

The Cylon plots are the opposite of the Cylons last season. i.e. INTERESTING. Every few minutes there's a twist you didn't see coming. And very few of them are stupid. Even better: Just when you think they will be stupid they aren't. Six's double-cross. Well, that's predictable. Wait, Six's DON'T double cross? Whoa!

Laura Laura Laura Laura Laura! They're finally addressing that this isn't a stupid game for power and prestige. Or at least that Laura knows it isn't. 39,673. And FALLING. And Lee seems to be figuring it out again. Go Lee. And the scene with Tory. Heh. Take THAT you toaster!

The show only works best when Laura and Wild Bill talk to Kara and Lee. Seriously. Loved the scenes with Kara and Laura and with Lee and Laura.

It's funny, when they don't use Lee enough I think he's being shafted (and that it's Starbuck's fault). When they don't use Wild Bill I think they're letting him "simmer". Maybe it's because when he IS on screen these days he's kind of a "presence". It's not about him, it's about who he's with. He feels like he's biding his time. It works. Plus they're just setting him up to find out that iTigh is a toaster. Poor Bill. (Three Bills on this show. None have fared too well.)

So the "four" know that the Cylons know that they're there (and now the Colonials do too). And now the Three will out them. So who's going to try and screw THAT up? My money's on Tory. This will get SOOOOOO ugly.

Felix. The latest entry in "TV stars who sing". Nominee for "most messed up man in the fleet" (a favorite against stiff competition). Biggest "Awwwww" moment of the ep: Baltar looking in on Felix. SOOO much better than when Laura ignored Lee for a season and a half.

Hey look! It's ADxA! Don't blink or you'll miss her.

Not enough Leoben for my taste. But he's on a MISSION, so that's cool.

Now THERE's a cozy crew on the basestar. I'm sure it will all go well.

It's a basic rule: Don't give a Boomer a firearm on Galactica. But it was a nice moment with Athena and Tyrol. Tyrol has SO much dignity (in a don't mess with me or I'll kill ALL of you! kind of way) these days. Poor Natalie.

"JUMP!" See ya in two weeks, suckers!

Oh, and by the way, SO SAY WE ALL. (Boom boom boom.)

John Adams - w00t!

Netflix will be sending us HBO's John Adams mini-series today. I'm am many orders of magnitude more excited about this than I was about Indiana Jones and the Big Green Screen.

LAAAAAZERS!

Boeing: They love to fry, and it shows!

So, where do they go for their picutre of laser technology? Goldfinger? A phaser? A blaster? No! They go RIGHT for the DEATH STAR! Yowza! I think they overestimate their chances.