TV: Battlestar Galactica music video

dr. baltar, bsg

Like all things in nature, Battlestar Galactica has earned its own silly but affectionate parody song/video. I don' t know who made it, and I don't think I want to know, but it's up for streaming here at SciFi.com.

The clip is called "A New Crew in Town" and it points out the differences between the old school Galactica and the new version and features clips from both. It's mildly entertaining, if only for lines like "Sorry Dirk Benedict/Don't want you to lose face/But I'd rather share my space with Kara Thrace."

TV: Battlestar Galactica (3.13) - 'Taking a Break From All Your Worries'

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(Air date: 1/28/07)
Battlestar Galactica returned to form on Sunday with one of the best, rawest and most compelling episodes of the season.

Episode writer Michael Taylor -- who penned the great "In the Pale Moonlight" ep of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine -- crafted a tense, edgy story worthy of the series that some say has faltered in its third season. Edward James Olmos' urgent direction only drew me in further as Baltar and Apollo were tortured in very different ways.

The dark-sounding nursery rhyme that opened the first scene was a nice choice. "This ep is something different, and it's not for everybody," the rhyme seemed to whisper. This episode was different, fiercely different, than anything else on prime time TV. It reminded me of why I love this series. At its best, Galactica goes for the mind and the gut, ditching most superficial notions of sci-fi to focus on conflict and character. This time aboard the Galactica, we focused on Dr. Baltar, one of the series' richest and most captivating characters.

It was a smart move to follow up all the Final Five and Eye of Jupiter junk with an economic ep mostly about Balter. It's always fun getting in side Baltar's head, whether we're given privy to his lurid fantasies-turned-nightmares about a slew of Sixes, or diving into even darker territory. It's been obvious for months now that Baltar wanted to be a Cylon so that he could absolve himself of his guilt. It turned out he's probably not a Cylon, but his conscious got a nice rubdown anyway thanks to Roslin and Adama's brutal, mind-altering interrogation method.

Watching Baltar spill his secrets and confront his demons made for great TV. Lost in a drug-induced black sea, he claimed his innocence, questioned the loyalty and existence of Imaginary Six and came up feeling his soul was absolved.

Did Baltar betray humanity? The answer remains ambiguous, and we were given the chance to consider both perspectives. From Baltar's point of view, As Adama pointed out, he's the victim. He was forced to aid the Cylon occupation of New Caprica and was deceived into abetting the destruction of his home world. He never intended to hurt anyone and, in his mind, he did not conspire with the Cylons. From Roslin and Adama's points of view, Baltar is a traitor. He contributed to the attempted genocide and lacked the strength, character and humanity to stand up to the Cylons, allowing many humans to be murdered on New Caprica. He spent months on a Cylon base ship possibly helping the Cylons find Earth. Also, they really really hate the guy and want to see him suffer. At least Roslin did, but she eventually felt sympathy for the man. Adama stayed militaristic throughout. His objective was only to retrieve information that would help the fleet.

It was intense watching an incensed Roslin drag Baltar out of his cell and to the Caprica memorial. The treatment of Baltar was ugly and extreme in this ep, but it was also fascinating to watch. I was glad to see the Starbuck-Apollo arc take a backseat, since the Baltar arc is what's really driving the series right now, but both stories complimented each other well.

Apollo is now in a world of pain. He's in love with Starbuck, but he loves and respects Dee. His marriage is crumbling and he's resigned to drinking with Tyrol and spinning his wedding ring on the wet bar. Sure, having to choose between Katee Sackhoff and Kandyse McClure might not sound like a tragic situation, but Jamie Bamber really sold Apollo's torture and self-pity. I felt sorry for the dude, especially in that tail-end scene where he's trying to patch things up with Dee.

And what about Starbuck? Why did Sam bring up points that will eventually lead to the big question: Is Starbuck a Cylon? I'm not sure about that, but I will agree with Starbuck in that she's a "two-timing bitch of a wife."

Is Gaeta a Cylon? It makes sense. In another searing scene, Gaeta attempted to kill our man Baltar after Baltar whispered something in his ear. He only succeeded in stabbing Baltar in the neck (thank the gods), but ot looks like he's still out for blood. Baltar's definitely on to something here, especially if he's accusing Gaeta of being a bigger traitor than he is. Also, it was interesting to find out that Baltar allowed Gaeta to feed information to the resistance on New Caprica.

In the end Baltar is hauled off to sick bay, again, and Roslin visits Caprica Six in an extended bonus scene that SciFi.com is streaming in its entirety here. It seems Six will only talk if Baltar is given a trial. Roslin seems pleased with that response, since she was already planning to give him a trial anyway.

With Baltar back on the Galactica and major suspicion cast on major characters, Galactica is showing signs of a late season rally.

Memorable quote:
Starbuck: Kara Thrace and her special destiny? That sounds like a bad cover band.

TV: Battlestar Galactica updates

In a recent interview with Backstage.com, Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell (pictured) chatted about their relationship on the set of Battlestar Galactica and about how rewarding the series has been for them as actors.

Olmos said the pilot script for the series reminded him of Blade Runner, the 1982 Ridley Scott film in which he appears alongside Harrison Ford. Olmos says he also liked the post-9/11 themes inherent in the script.
Read more here.

TV: Battlestar Galactica (3.12) - 'Rapture'

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(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: Battlestar Galactica updates

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Originally uploaded by gold_teeth.

Fanboys rejoice. Playboy has announced that Tricia Helfer, who plays Six on the Sci-Fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica, will pose nude for an issue due out next month. “On Battlestar Galactica she's known as Number Six, but we can't think of her as anything less than a 10,” read Playboy’s predictably tacky press release.

Dynamite Entertainment has released a new limited comic book series about Richard Hatch’s character Zarek. Battlestar Gala-tica: Zarek No.1 focuses on the life of Zarek, the political extremist, terrorist and one-time presidential candidate on Galactica. The series is written by Brandon Jerwa and illustrated by Adriano Batista.

Finally, Sci-Fi will run a Galactica marathon on Jan. 15. The marathon will air all of the first half of season three starting at 8 a.m. The marathon will feature a crawl with selected fan comments starting at noon. Also, Sci-Fi will give away a Galactica prize pack to a few lucky fans who can answer trivia questions during the marathon. Click here for more info. Galactica returns with new episodes Jan. 21.

Check out this season three gag reel that popped up online a few days ago.

Morning Dose: Sebadoh's back; New Modest Mouse track; Optimus Prime time; Spidey, Galactica news

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Originally uploaded by goldteethblog.

Sebadoh announces new tour dates

Just when you were getting over the shock brought on by the Dinosaur Jr. reunion, Sebadoh has announced a six-week reunion tour. Lou Barlow and crew will start out in San Diego on Feb. 26 and play a few more west coast dates after that. The band will hit Houston on Feb. 13 and Austin on Feb. 14. Here’s the itinerary.

Listen to new Modest Mouse track

A new Modest Mouse track called “Dashboard” was leaked online today. It sounds like Issac Brock has been digging his David Byrne record collection. Download it here.

Optimus Prime speaks

Everyone knows I’m giving the finger to the upcoming Michael Bay Transformers movie, but at least it brings back some nice nostalgia. Head over to the upcoming crapfest’s official Web site to hear Optimus Prime (Peter Cullen from the original series) say cool stuff like “It’s Prime Time.”

New Spider-Man 3 trailer

This new Japanes trailer for Spider-Man 3 (in English with Japanese subtitles) features Harry’s Goblin transformation and more on the black suit.

Sci-Fi renews Battlestar Galactica

Some fans were nervous about the fate of the Sci-Fi Channel’s best series, but I never had any doubt. Sy Fy Portal reports that Battlestar Galactica will be given the green light for a fourth season before the show returns to finish out season three later this month. Momentum for the announced Galactica prequel show Caprica is losing steam though. A source tells Sy Fi Portal that the show won’t turn up until 2008.

That’s all I have time for now. Well, that and this rockin’ Thermals track (“Here’s Your Future”) from Sub Pop. Enjoy.

News: 'Heroes' snags Globe nods; 'Galactica' honored by AFI

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Originally uploaded by goldteethblog.

Hooray for Hiro!

Sorry about the lack of updates today, it's been a busy one. By now, most of you have probably heard about "Heroes'" surprise Golden Globe nomiation for Best Drama. Also, "Heroes" cast eamber Masi Oka (Hiro) scored a much deserved nomination in the category of Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a TV Series (whew!). View the complete list of nominees here here.

'Battlestar Galactica' named one of AFI's top 10 for 2006

As usual, the Golden Globes failed to recognize the other great sci-fi/genre shows on TV, only giving a few nods to "Lost" and completely ignoring "Battlestar Galactica." The good news is that "Galactica" was named by the American Film Institute as an "AFI TV Program of the Year" today.

Coming soon on Gold Teeth
And now a few local updates. Gold Teeth will soon get a spiffy new site redesign, we're picking out the colors and talking to plumbers and contractors as I type this. Also on the horizon is an exclusive interview with singer/actress Krystan Ritter. She played Gia on "Veronica Mars" and currently stars as Lucy on "Gilmore Girls." And, for those of you waiting for "Veronica Mars" coverage, it's almost here. You can look forward to an analysis of the first half of "VM" Season Three very soon and contstant coverage when the series returns from hiatus in January. OK, I sleep now ...

TV: Battlestar Galactica (3.10) - 'The Passage'

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Originally uploaded by goldteethblog.

(Air date: 12/8/06) I must admit that the catalyst for this episode felt a little contrived. How could the fleet suddenly be on the brink of mass starvation, facing a famine that could wipe out humanity?

The opening scenes rang more hollow than what I've come to expect from "Galactica," but that's how I felt about the start of last week's episode. By that ep's end I was moved and captivated and ready to name my first child (or at least a pet) after executive producer Ronald D. Moore. I wasn't as spellbound this week, but I almost got there.

"The Passage," written by former "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" scribe Jane Espenson, relayed one of "Galactica's" primary messages: the fight for survival aint pretty.We witnessed the fleet marines literally falling apart after guiding civilian ships through dangerous radiation in search of food. The fleet's dire straits were underscored by its savorless holy grail, edible algae. It was intense watching Sharon wilt and witnessing her radiation meter spore up during her recon mission through the deadly star cluster. I like that she, once again, proved her worth to everyone on Galactica. Sharon's good deeds don't just solidify the character, they display the fascinating complexity and individuality now apparent in the Cylon race.

Back on that suspiciously speckless Cylon ship, Baltar -- who awakes after another threesome with Three and Caprica Six -- gets wise to Three's suicide game and milks her for information. It seems that in the place between death and resurrection she can almost make out the faces of the five missing Cylons. Is Baltar one of them? I love how Baltar clings to this idea out of a desperate need to absolve himself of his crimes. Like the Cylons, and the humans, he's trying to find his way, a central theme in this ep.

Maybe it's because of James Callis' brilliantly offbeat performance, but Baltar has to be the most compelling TV weasel ever. The guy exemplifies selfishness and immorality, but he's one of my favorite characters. Even when he' s not given much to do, Callis makes every moment count. His discovery in this ep -- human and Cylon religions might mix and the missing five exist on some unknown planet -- was slightly intriguing at best (confusing at worst). I dig most everything happening on the Cylon ship, especially that slinky piano score, but I really want to see Baltar return to Galactica. Am I alone here?

Back on Galactica, Starbuck figures out that former "stems" addict Kat was a drug dealer on Caprica. She stole someone's identity in order to start a new life after the attempted genocide. I like the way Espenson really fleshed out Kat in this ep. Beefing up peripheral characters seems to be one of Espenson's hallmarks (see the "Buffy" ep "Superstar" for the best evidence). We focus on Kat through most of the grueling jump trips in search of food. Her mini arc comes to a head in this ep when, confronted by Starbuck, she has to decide -- is she a corrupt opportunist or a person of integrity? Like most things on "Galactica" it's not that simple, and she mostly ends up being both. She visits her old sinful life by rekindling a sexual relationship with a drug supplier, but in a selfless act she braves a deathblow of radiation to save a civilian ship. Her return to Galactica, beaten and dying of cancer, was heartbreaking. She takes a nasty fall off the walkway and ends up in the sick bay.

Showing Starbuck handing Kat a fatal bottle of sleeping pills on her death bed was a bold move. The real heart of Kat's final scene came when Capt. Adama, surprisingly, decided to sit with her until she died. Believing the credo that people are defined by their actions, Adama brands Kat a hero and promotes her to KAG before her death. Edward James Olmos, who's found the role of a lifetime here, played his tender scenes with grace.

This ep served to quickly move forward some other plots going on this season, including Tigh's return to Adama's side. It was great, and funny, to see these two make light of their terrible situation in another one of "Galactica's" honest, candid scenes of camaraderie.

Many questions remain, including a few big ones about the details of Lee and Starbuck's relationship. And what about the controversial use of stems to keep the fighter pilots centered in this ep? Will there be a fallout from that decision? Next week, we discover the Temple of Five, another possible road map to Earth, which leads to a deadly standoff with the Cylons.

Download Ron Moore's podcast commentary and watch the ep again.

Memorable exchange:
Adama: I hear they're still eating paper. Is that true?
Tigh: No. Paper shortage.

Catch up:
If you're new to "Galactica" and want to catch up with the story, check out SciFi.com's recap and primer videos here. There's also this handy "Galctica" wikki that should help fill in some blanks.

TV: Watch, and read about, 'Battlestar Galactica'

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Originally uploaded by goldteethblog.

Slate.com has posted a great feature about the writers of The Sci-Fi Channel’s "Battlestar Galactica." If you've been avoiding the show because of that goofy title, well, you need to get over it.

Remember, "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" was arguably an even more ridiculous title, and that was one of the best and most critically acclaimed shows, like, ever. This season, “Galactica’s” third, alone has aired some of the finest television I’ve seen in years.

The show is a reimagining of the campy 1970s space saga of the same name, which I’ve never seen. The update follows the last human survivors of an attempted genocide. The humans organize a fleet of ships, lead by the Battlestar Galactica, and flee into space pursued by a synthetic race called Cylons. Yeah, it might sound like standard sci-fi stuff, but the quality of this show is unprecedented in sci-fi TV. It’s resem-bles “Firefly” in that it’s a space saga without the cheesy alien costumes or lazer blasters.

Executive producer Ronald D. Moore, a veteran of “Star Trek: The Next Generation” and “Roswell,” delivers a smart, dark and impactful series driven by flawed and relatable characters, smart social commentary and absorbing ideas. “Galactica” can be read as a bold examination of post-9/11 America. The first major storyline of this season was in-formed by the current Iraq war, with humans acting not unlike Iraqi insurgents under the thumb of the op-pressive Cylons. The show manages to examine all the major tenets of our culture — politics, religion, faith, friendship — without being cloying or losing its visceral kick.

The Slate story is essentially a review of the “Battlestar Galactica Writers Meeting” podcast. The podcast is an unedited four-hour recording of writers David Weddle and Bradley Thompson “breaking” a story for a season two episode with Moore. The story and the podcast might interest non-“Galactica” geeks, since it details what TV writers go through when creating an episode. Read the story, and then buy the show on DVD. You have to start with the miniseries, then season one and so forth. Fans of quality TV will be sucked in in no time.