TV: Battlestar Galactica (3.12) - 'Rapture'

bsg rapture

(Please note: I'm sicker than a dog as I write this, but i have a TV Fodder deadline to meet. It's hard to focus, what with my head turning to mush and all. Please forgive the lack of insight or any Nyquil-induced dips into excessive hyperbole. My head, and my brain, are hurtin' bad ... Really.)

(Air date: 1/21/06)
Rejoice. This wasn't a filler ep, nor was it a gimmick ep like I feared it would be. After the slow grind that was "The Eye of Jupiter" and the Internet chatter about executive producer Ron Moore wanting to "shock" fans and kill off a major character, I was glad to see that "Rapture" stayed tense, smart and surprising almost from the outset. Even the supernova effects were impressive.

I was in-and-out for the first few minutes, but my eyes were locked on the blue glow after Helo went against the fleet's best interests and smoked Sharon. This, I thought, is what the series is all about. Galactica isn't just a simple political allegory set in space as many glossy magazines might have you believe -- it's about people and what they do to survive. This idea was played out perfectly in this ep and it was underscored in almost every plot thread.

Was Adama ready to nuke the planet to keep the Cylons from finding Earth? His actions prior to this would make me say no, but the opening scenes were still tense. This is a series where people are changed by circumstance and are sometimes governed by impulse. Even Adama must make sacrifices to survive. I was glad to see the nuke standoff ended soon, since there were many more plot points left hanging from the last ep, including D'Anna and Baltar's vision quest, Sharon's plan to find Hera and the fate of Starbuck.

How bad was Starbuck's crash? Bad enough to make me think "Man, Katee Sackhoff looks like crap." We catch up with the impulsive Kara Thrace sitting inside the smoky crash site with puffy bruises and sliced hands. It's fascinating how this series continues to cut, bruise and bleed its leading characters on screen. War is hell, and top billing won't save anyone on Galactica. The survival theme was played out here with Dee and Starbuck reluctantly working together to pilot the beaten ship back into orbit. I'm not a fan of the darker Dianne and Sam dynamic now hovering over Apollo and Starbuck, but I like the way it was played out here. Seeing Starbuck and Dee help each other and seeing Lee and Anders come to a shaky truce in the name of survival felt realistic -- miles away from the soap operatics that were on display in "Jupiter."

The question of "Will Sharon (Athena) betray the fleet?" weighed heavily in the first half of this ep. Grace Park really sold the emotion and ambiguity here, leaving space for the thought that, maybe, she'll side with the Cylons and deliver the goods on Galactica. Like Roslin warned, we still don't know if she can be trusted. But it seems Sharon only wanted to ensure her family's survival and -- in an applause worthy twist -- Caprica Six, who's now stuck in Galactica's brig, helped her do that.

Baltar -- who's looking more and more like Ron Moore in every ep -- is also, I assume, now stuck in the brig. It was great fun watching him subtly manipulate D'Anna to ensure his own survival and answer his burning existential questions. Is he a Cylon? i hope not. I'm not sure about most fans, but I'm rooting for the little weasel to come out on top somewhow. Maybe it's just James Callis' bizarre line readings and facial expressions, but I always look forward to the Baltar scenes, especially when he's on edge, as he was in this entire ep. Capping his mini-arc off with the death of D'Anna was a good kick in the gut.

I really wasn't sucked in by all the mythology people were babbling about. It was hard to make sense of it all, especially with a medicine head, but it seems the characters didn't know what to make of the Temple of Five or the Eye of Jupiter either. What did it all mean? That and some other very intriguing questions remain:
- What will come of the Chief's spiritual awakening?
- Why did Tigh put the wounded "civie" in the brig?
- Who is the Cylon that D'Anna apologized to? Is it Starbuck -- she who scribbles prophetic circles?

I can't wait to see what' will be done with Six and Baltar. It's about time they got back on Galactica and off that eerie base ship. And is it just me, or is everyone else glad that we won't have to endure that awkward crib on the base ship visual anymore?

SciFi should have the ep up for streaming, not to mention Ron Moore's podcast commentary, soon. Next week: Will Lee choose Starbuck?

Memorable quote
Tyroll: (To Baltar right before he knocks him out) "Welcome home, Mr. President."

TV: More on David Hewlett's Starcrossed

atlantis_hewlett
Originally uploaded by gold_teeth.

Rodney McKay fans are in luck. David Hewlett, the actor who plays McKay on the Sci Fi Channel's Stargate:Atlantis, will write an upcoming half-hour comedy for the cable network.

The series is called Starcrossed and, according to Sci Fi, it will go behind the scenes of a long-running space opera. Sci Fi's press release for the series makes comparisons to The Larry Sanders Show and Galaxy Quest.

This series is sure to be fun if Hewlett's wit and top par geekiness are behind it. No word yet on whether Hewlett will star in the series, but I'm guessing he'll at last pop up onscreen a few times if he's not part of the regular cast.

Read Hewlett's blog post about the Sci Fi deal here and take a look at a clip from the film he wrote, directed and stars in below. It's called A Dog's Breakfast and it also stars Atlantis cast members Paul McGillion (Dr. Beckett) and Rachel Luttrell (Teyla). It seems Starcrossed and Dog's share some themes.

Starcrossed is in development and is expected to air sometime this year. Stargate Atlantis returns with new episodes later this year.

Morning Dose: Lost end date; Sci-Fi shows; Whedon and The Office; Critics Awards

lost
Originally uploaded by gold_teeth.

Lost producers determine end date

It seems the creators of Lost don't want the series to wear out its welcome.
Producers told the Associated Press that they're in talks with ABC to set an end date for the series. With that end date in mind, the writers will be able to determine exactly how to cap the story.
"Once we figure out when that will be, a lot of the questions will go away," said Carlton Cuse, an executive producer for the series.
Apparently the end date will not be any time soon, but it's good to know that the people working on Lost would rather try to end on a high-note than drag things on way past the series' prime.
Lost returns to ABC with new episodes in Feb with an uninterrupted run through May. Also, the producers noted that the story will go "back to the beach," meaning we'll spend more time with the entire cast in the new episodes, not just Jack, Kate and Sawyer.


NewSci Fi shows announced

Do we really need a new Flash Gordon TV show? The Sci Fi Channel thinks so.
The network also announced a slate of new shows including The Diamond Age, a miniseries based on Neal Stephenson’s best-selling novel and produced by George Clooney.
Also coming to Sci Fi is a comedy written by Stargate Atlantis star David Hewlitt. The series, called Starcrossed, will be about the behind-the-scenes of a long-running sci fi soap opera. I'll definitely give this one a look.


Whedon, Abrams to direct Office eps

Joss Whedon and Lost creator JJ Abrams are slated to direct episodes of The Office. The eps are slated to run in late February.


Steven Seagal: My movies suck

Apparently, Steven Seagal agrees with most of the world and thinks the movies he makes are crap. He now wants to focus on his crap music instead.


Whitaker, Departed top Critics Choice Awards, Globe nods

Forest Whitaker, Helen Miren, Eddie Murphy and The Departed took top honors at the Critics Choice Awards last night. Borat was named Best Comedy and Al Gore's An Inconvenient Truth won Best Documentary.
Most of these performers and films were also nominated for Golden Globe Awards.

Now get to work and remember to read about the Martin Luther King Day events happening in your community.