[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
[B]I think more of the blame for lack of serious future planning falls on David Eick. He has commented on interviews he's always more interested in getting into the now rather than tighing himself down in a story with future planning. He's also the mastermind behind such heinous crimes as the violent assasination of Adama's past in Hero. :D [/B][/QUOTE]
If Moore lets him still do things, I consider him equally to blame.
I recall Moore talking in an interview about how happy he was to get a Firefly writer, Jane Espensen, to write an episode of Galactica, how much he respected her work and her career, etc. And, hey, what's wrong with that? I liked Firefly. I liked Galatica. Both had flaws, but this could be good. Then I looked up which episode Espensen wrote. [i]Heart of Gold[/i]. The worst fucking episode of the show. Some day, perhaps, Moore will do something to restore even a small amount of respect I once foolishly held for the man.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
[B]Galactica actually never found Earth in TOS. That abomination known as Galactica 1980 is not considered part of, or having any relevance to TOS by anyone. [/B][/QUOTE]
Creating something considered too terrible even for the lofty standards of the original Battlestar Galactica is.. something of an accomplishment.
Creating something considered too terrible even for the lofty standards of the original Battlestar Galactica is.. something of an accomplishment. [/B][/QUOTE]
G1980 is not considered possibly the worst TV show in the entire history of television for no reason.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Arethusa [/i]
[B]Then I looked up which episode Espensen wrote. [i]Heart of Gold[/i]. The worst fucking episode of the show. [/B][/QUOTE]
Actually, the episode she wrote was Shindig. She also wrote quite a few episodes of Buffy and two of Angel, most of which were good.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Arethusa [/i]
[B]If I recall correctly, Moore has said they'll never find Earth. Whether that is true or reliable, I don't know, but if they do, Earth will likely be neoprimitive (some kind of post apocalyptic, vapid morality play, I guess), genuinely primitive (which will launch the sequel show, Stargate BSG-1), or equally advanced (launching the other show, which it practically already is, at this point: Battlestar Trek). [/B][/QUOTE]
I feel fairly certain that they will find earth. But, as you have pointed out, what condition it will be in is up in the air.
While I normally hate warm an fuzzy endings, I hope they do find earth at a similar level of technology. It would be nice for them to have a home after all they have been through.
Had the show been handled differently, I personally would have preferred they never find it and the story (although not the show, obviously) not end. I'm attracted to the idea of space nomads, to oversimplify. And, moreover, none of those three options is particularly good.
ShadowDancerWhen I say, "Why aye, gadgie," in my heart I say, "Och aye, laddie."London, UK
is BSG having one of those supremely annoying mid season breaks?
personally, i think it would be interesting if they do find earth, but it would just be dull if it werent at a comparable tech level
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Arethusa [/i]
[B]Had the show been handled differently, I personally would have preferred they never find it and the story (although not the show, obviously) not end. I'm attracted to the idea of space nomads, to oversimplify. And, moreover, none of those three options is particularly good. [/B][/QUOTE]
This is what I found attractive to the story for Homeworld, until you get there... :p
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by ShadowDancer [/i]
[B]is BSG having one of those supremely annoying mid season breaks?[/B][/QUOTE]
It was a break for Thanksgiving... but they also are changing the air date to Sunday now...
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by ShadowDancer [/i]
[B]
personally, i think it would be interesting if they do find earth, but it would just be dull if it werent at a comparable tech level[/B][/QUOTE]
I agree, and I suspect that all the references to ancient greek gods, Egypt, and the clashing of Cylon theology of "One God" may play a part in the Earth that they find...
Time/History seems to be circular in this universe (not like a ST:NG time loop though) where the future can be forseen because all of this has happened before etc.
It may very well turn out that Earth (in the past) is REALLY the origin of the twelve colonies instead of the other way around...
;)
but then maybe I am putting too much faith in Moore...
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by JackN [/i]
[B]This is what I found attractive to the story for Homeworld, until you get there... :p [/B][/QUOTE]
I never finished that game. Perhaps it is for the best.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by JackN [/i]
[B]It was a break for Thanksgiving... but they also are changing the air date to Sunday now... [/B][/QUOTE]
No, the timeslot doesn't change until after the winter break. They just took a week off for Thanksgiving. Boxingstar Galactica is tonight.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by JackN [/i]
[B]I agree, and I suspect that all the references to ancient greek gods, Egypt, and the clashing of Cylon theology of "One God" may play a part in the Earth that they find...
Time/History seems to be circular in this universe (not like a ST:NG time loop though) where the future can be forseen because all of this has happened before etc.
It may very well turn out that Earth (in the past) is REALLY the origin of the twelve colonies instead of the other way around...
;)
but then maybe I am putting too much faith in Moore...
:D [/B][/QUOTE] Oh, I think it is rather clear at this point that any faith is rather unearned and unwarranted.
The circular nature of time is an interesting concept, though I don't think it's ever been developed and I'll likely be disappointed beyond measure when it is. But as loose scripture/prophesy, it's open to interpretation. Among other things, it could be a literal time loop, a reference to the circular nature of cosmological cycles (eg big bang, big crush, big bang again, etc), a pronouncement on human (and now cylon) nature and our repetitive history and inability to learn from what is wrong with us, etc.
As I am finding with more and more certainty, nearly all of the things I liked about Battlestar Galactica were [i]in my head[/i] as I filled in the gaps and vague concepts left by the writers. Whenever they finally get around to developing concepts themselves, they invariably suck at it beyond reason. I guess I'll have to write my own thing some day. Suffering artist and all that.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Arethusa [/i]
[B] Oh, I think it is rather clear at this point that any faith is rather unearned and unwarranted. [/B][/QUOTE]
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by ShadowDancer [/i]
[B]is BSG having one of those supremely annoying mid season breaks?
personally, i think it would be interesting if they do find earth, but it would just be dull if it werent at a comparable tech level [/B][/QUOTE]
6 weeks only this time which is fairly standard on every channel over the new year. Midseason finale is Dec 15 and returns Jan 21 on sunday nights at 10. No more of those incredibly stupid 6 months breaks for now.
I dunno I find it hard to think that we should just take the mini series with a pinch of salt. Surely it was written with the idea of a series in mind and surely Moore would have added elements/threads which could be picked up later. Yes I think we may be reading far too much into the show because of the depth B5 had. But I wouldn't dismiss it at all like that.
Up until the last 3 episodes I felt that the show had actually tightened up a little, felt that it had a bit more direction, much more than season 1 and 2. But now it has certainly strayed. Personally I think Eick is a fool if he thinks that writing epsiodes on the fly so to speak is the way to go. Look at what happened to Alias and whats becoming of Lost... no direction, just a vague idea of where it might go but thats it. So instead of a series of wandering space nomads we might as well have a series based on wandering writers who really haven't got a clue. I still have faith in the show but there is a nagging doubt that it could spiral downwards from here.
Perhaps they won't find Earth, maybe the circular idea will take them back to the beginning, back to Caprica or even Kobol itself. On the other hand if they do find Earth maybe they will find a society living in peaceful co-existence with cylons? But thats probably a mad idea to think that the 13th colony would have gone down a similar tech path as the other 12 and come up with AI robots. Maybe they'll turn up on Earth to be met by Face and a bunch of the old show cylons :D
I didn't actually notice 6 look at the sky when she turned around. Perhaps she was contacted by the fleet and as a result she knew she would probably die on the planet. I'm sure some of them would have been apprehensive of dying and resurrecting for the first time (assuming this was the case for this version of 6). And regarding wireless, when Adama went to Sharon in the morgue and asked her "why?" it was bloody spookey when the other Sharon said "and you ask why" on Kobol when Adama tried to choke her. Some freaky transmitting going on there or what?!
Right finally got that all out, been itching to post all day but the frackin site was down for ages! Did Dax pull a plug or something?! ;)
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Falcon1 [/i]
[B]
I didn't actually notice 6 look at the sky when she turned around. Perhaps she was contacted by the fleet and as a result she knew she would probably die on the planet. [/B][/QUOTE]
Oh great, now look what you've all done! Now I need to go watch the mini again because I need to make sure I'm not just forgetting details.
As for the shows style, I've just learned to live with it. I think my biggest mistake was to expect a B5 style arc were everything plays a part in the grand scheme of things. Here, not so much. I've just stoped trying to hope it is what I want and just enjoy it for what it is. The lack of tight foreplanning is mostly made up by the shows intensity and usually good production value. I still really wish they didn't twist things around like they did last episode and indeed I really hope it doesn't totally loose direction and end up like X-Files or what I hear is happening to Lost.
As for tonight, I'm not expecting any worse than TKO so I might even be please by setting my scale so low. Will they finally show Lee getting it on with Kara or will she yet again leave him with blue balls.
Heee... you know I didn't actually like the mini series when it first aired on Sky. And it took me ages to get into season 1. Funny how it goes. Yeah I'm not that hung up on the shows style. As with yourself things bother me but I still tune in and enjoy it. Its one of the few shows that has a reasonable depth that warrants debates like the ones we've been having. Used to be like that with Lost but now especially with my colleagues at work when we discuss an episode we always finish by going "well thats lost for you these days...sigh"... a far cry from the first season I can tell you!
In spite of everything I've said and all my thoroughly broken expectations, that was a solid beginning. We'll see if it develops into anything of substance.
Well, it was better than TKO. We finally see what happened. No major established plot points were murdered. Helo did not get his ass kicked, thats a minus, Kara did not outright win... and had to cheat, thats a plus. Even though technically no matter how bad ass they want to make her I don't see how a 110 pound girl can hold on to a guy with a 60 to 70 pound lead in a ring, but we'll let that slide.
In Lay Down Your Burdens 2, when Kara calls Lee for Anders antibiotics, Dualla says I can't believe she has the guts to call after what she did. Uhm, does that mean Lee confessed to her? It seemed like Dualla had a pretty good idea of what was going on in their little grudge match.
On other news, Blanders has been signed on as a series regular.
Well, I have to say that I'm pleasantly surprised. I was expecting a blah episode but think it turned out to be pretty good.
Spoiler: It was nice to see a "business as usual" episode. Pretty much all of the others this season were dealing with "big" issues (looking for earth, Cylon plague, and, of course, escape from New Caprica). This one was about relationships--both romantic and not.
Also, for those of us who felt the big jump in time at the end of last season was jarring, it was cool to fill in some of the blanks, even if they weren't eart... er... Caprica shattering. ;) Having parts of that year filled in with flashbacks was also a good use of storyline... rather than getting bogged down with too many episdoes on the planet they can keep a faster pace and get back to what happened later.
The only problem I had was Adama and Roslin watching the stars...I thought New Caprica was surrounded by an opaque cloud, or nebula, or whatever the heck it was?
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
[B]Helo did not get his ass kicked, thats a minus[/b][/quote]
I thought it was a plus, but then, in AMOS, I wanted him to slam Lee's face into the desk as soon as he made the crack about "Cylons don't have daughters." Now, they're even, and that makes me happy.
[quote][b]In Lay Down Your Burdens 2, when Kara calls Lee for Anders antibiotics, Dualla says I can't believe she has the guts to call after what she did. Uhm, does that mean Lee confessed to her? It seemed like Dualla had a pretty good idea of what was going on in their little grudge match.[/B][/QUOTE]
Well, she might've noticed that he was pissed at her, even if she didn't know exactly why.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
[B]"A few months ago you would've had to roll him in here" :D [/B][/QUOTE]
Haha! I loved that!
Spoiler: I also enjoyed how when they first got to New Caprica they all had plans to build houses and start new lives. Yet, even before the Cylons arrived, it was clear that those dreams had been given a strong dose of reality. They were still living in tents right up to the occupation and it seems that those grand ideas for the new city (you could see plans in the background when Baltar was giving his speech) had also fallen by the wayside.
The bright sunny days in this episode were a nice touch too, when contrasted with the gray overcast skys pictured a year later. Also, if you noticed on the day they escaped, it was a clear and sunny once again. Nice touch. :)
Spoiler: Well, it was weak, but by the standards of the last three episodes, it was quite good. I wish I could give it higher praise, but there were serious problems. The writing was iffy. Too much handholding narrative at the beginning, and the New Caprica stuff was well acted but very badly written (Lee yelling at the sky? Who really thought anyone could take that scene seriously?). This had the rather unfortunate result of making the entire scene and what Kara did to him almost emotionally empty.
The directing, in general, was strongest in the ring and weakest by far in the flashback stuff. I wonder if that was done second unit or something, as they really were jarringly different. It wasn't all great in the ring, though. The final scene between Kara and Lee in the ring could have been better if only Kara spoke.
I guess, ultimately, I find myself ambivalent. There was a lot of promise in this episode, and it only partially delivered. But, to be quite fair, partial delivery beats the last three episodes of cataclysmic, thoroughly embarrassing disaster.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Arethusa [/i]
[B] Spoiler: The final scene between Kara and Lee in the ring could have been better if only Kara spoke.
[/B][/QUOTE]
Spoiler: Kara did speak...they both said 'I missed you'
This episode was quite obviously a money saver to go big on the next ones. All of the NC footage was filmed during the first episode shoots and the rest was all in the boxing ring which must have cost close to nothing. It lent itself to a good character driven episode and for the most part I think it succeeded. Ultimately though I find this filler episode closed off a lot of unfinished business and they can now get to moving the plot along again. Lets see it they do.
I was particularly glad to hear Adama's little speech which was something I wanted to hear for a while exactly like he said it. Everybody got soft and they became a bunch of whining sissies. It cost them almost ten thousand lives and their best battlestar. As Adama said, "that can not happen again!".
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by RedAssAg05 [/i]
[B] Spoiler: OH! See, when I read that, I read 'if only...' as 'I wish she had...' rather than 'I wish she was the only one who had...' heh. [/B][/QUOTE]
Spoiler: Honestly, it wasn't [i]that[/i] bad a scene, but this reminds me of the story about Lucas' original draft of Empire Strikes Back. Among other embarrassing passages, it originally had Leia and Han's original exchange as "I love you" and "I love you too". [i]This is really bad writing.[/i] It develops virtually nothing about the characters, their context, or their situations. "I love you" / "I know" may be cliche, but it is orders of magnitude stronger, taking the exchange from mindless reciprocity and a waste of screen time to a juxtaposition of loss and stoicism. In that respect, maybe Lee should have said something different, but it still would have been vastly improved if he had simply said nothing at all.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
[B]All of the NC footage was filmed during the first episode shoots and the rest was all in the boxing ring which must have cost close to nothing. It lent itself to a good character driven episode and for the most part I think it succeeded. Ultimately though I find this filler episode closed off a lot of unfinished business and they can now get to moving the plot along again. Lets see it they do.[/B][/QUOTE]
Spoiler: Yeah, part of what really bothered me about this episode was its distinct style in the ring contrasted with the flashbacks, which were weakly directed second unit garbage. Except the obvious question is that if the cast is the same in both settings, why use a second unit? In any case, it was [i]really[/i] weak there. As was the writing. Lee shouting at the sky? Who [i]wrote[/i] that? Who honestly expected anyone to take that seriously? Adama and Sam announcing the marriage was also quite forced and weakly directed. I wish I liked the flashbacks more, but it was another case of good acting struggling to keep bad directing and writing aloft. At least Adama and Laura together managed to pull it off. Does not come easy, though.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
[B]I was particularly glad to hear Adama's little speech which was something I wanted to hear for a while exactly like he said it. Everybody got soft and they became a bunch of whining sissies. It cost them almost ten thousand lives and their best battlestar. As Adama said, "that can not happen again!". [/B][/QUOTE]
Spoiler: I really hated that speech. It was an important theme, but the writers just came out and beat you over the head with it. Again, bad writing. I find myself frustrated, really, at the often weak execution of an episode that could have been a lot stronger. The potential was certainly there, and a small amount of it worked, but mostly, it really was weak. Still, after the last three episodes were unbelievable show breaking disasters, this was an undeniable improvement. Who knows. Maybe the show can recover.
Comments
[B]I think more of the blame for lack of serious future planning falls on David Eick. He has commented on interviews he's always more interested in getting into the now rather than tighing himself down in a story with future planning. He's also the mastermind behind such heinous crimes as the violent assasination of Adama's past in Hero. :D [/B][/QUOTE]
If Moore lets him still do things, I consider him equally to blame.
I recall Moore talking in an interview about how happy he was to get a Firefly writer, Jane Espensen, to write an episode of Galactica, how much he respected her work and her career, etc. And, hey, what's wrong with that? I liked Firefly. I liked Galatica. Both had flaws, but this could be good. Then I looked up which episode Espensen wrote. [i]Heart of Gold[/i]. The worst fucking episode of the show. Some day, perhaps, Moore will do something to restore even a small amount of respect I once foolishly held for the man.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
[B]Galactica actually never found Earth in TOS. That abomination known as Galactica 1980 is not considered part of, or having any relevance to TOS by anyone. [/B][/QUOTE]
Creating something considered too terrible even for the lofty standards of the original Battlestar Galactica is.. something of an accomplishment.
[B]
Creating something considered too terrible even for the lofty standards of the original Battlestar Galactica is.. something of an accomplishment. [/B][/QUOTE]
G1980 is not considered possibly the worst TV show in the entire history of television for no reason.
[B]Then I looked up which episode Espensen wrote. [i]Heart of Gold[/i]. The worst fucking episode of the show. [/B][/QUOTE]
Actually, the episode she wrote was Shindig. She also wrote quite a few episodes of Buffy and two of Angel, most of which were good.
Worf
[B]If I recall correctly, Moore has said they'll never find Earth. Whether that is true or reliable, I don't know, but if they do, Earth will likely be neoprimitive (some kind of post apocalyptic, vapid morality play, I guess), genuinely primitive (which will launch the sequel show, Stargate BSG-1), or equally advanced (launching the other show, which it practically already is, at this point: Battlestar Trek). [/B][/QUOTE]
I feel fairly certain that they will find earth. But, as you have pointed out, what condition it will be in is up in the air.
While I normally hate warm an fuzzy endings, I hope they do find earth at a similar level of technology. It would be nice for them to have a home after all they have been through.
personally, i think it would be interesting if they do find earth, but it would just be dull if it werent at a comparable tech level
[B]Had the show been handled differently, I personally would have preferred they never find it and the story (although not the show, obviously) not end. I'm attracted to the idea of space nomads, to oversimplify. And, moreover, none of those three options is particularly good. [/B][/QUOTE]
This is what I found attractive to the story for Homeworld, until you get there... :p
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by ShadowDancer [/i]
[B]is BSG having one of those supremely annoying mid season breaks?[/B][/QUOTE]
It was a break for Thanksgiving... but they also are changing the air date to Sunday now...
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by ShadowDancer [/i]
[B]
personally, i think it would be interesting if they do find earth, but it would just be dull if it werent at a comparable tech level[/B][/QUOTE]
I agree, and I suspect that all the references to ancient greek gods, Egypt, and the clashing of Cylon theology of "One God" may play a part in the Earth that they find...
Time/History seems to be circular in this universe (not like a ST:NG time loop though) where the future can be forseen because all of this has happened before etc.
It may very well turn out that Earth (in the past) is REALLY the origin of the twelve colonies instead of the other way around...
;)
but then maybe I am putting too much faith in Moore...
:D
[B]This is what I found attractive to the story for Homeworld, until you get there... :p [/B][/QUOTE]
I never finished that game. Perhaps it is for the best.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by JackN [/i]
[B]It was a break for Thanksgiving... but they also are changing the air date to Sunday now... [/B][/QUOTE]
No, the timeslot doesn't change until after the winter break. They just took a week off for Thanksgiving. Boxingstar Galactica is tonight.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by JackN [/i]
[B]I agree, and I suspect that all the references to ancient greek gods, Egypt, and the clashing of Cylon theology of "One God" may play a part in the Earth that they find...
Time/History seems to be circular in this universe (not like a ST:NG time loop though) where the future can be forseen because all of this has happened before etc.
It may very well turn out that Earth (in the past) is REALLY the origin of the twelve colonies instead of the other way around...
;)
but then maybe I am putting too much faith in Moore...
:D [/B][/QUOTE] Oh, I think it is rather clear at this point that any faith is rather unearned and unwarranted.
The circular nature of time is an interesting concept, though I don't think it's ever been developed and I'll likely be disappointed beyond measure when it is. But as loose scripture/prophesy, it's open to interpretation. Among other things, it could be a literal time loop, a reference to the circular nature of cosmological cycles (eg big bang, big crush, big bang again, etc), a pronouncement on human (and now cylon) nature and our repetitive history and inability to learn from what is wrong with us, etc.
As I am finding with more and more certainty, nearly all of the things I liked about Battlestar Galactica were [i]in my head[/i] as I filled in the gaps and vague concepts left by the writers. Whenever they finally get around to developing concepts themselves, they invariably suck at it beyond reason. I guess I'll have to write my own thing some day. Suffering artist and all that.
[B] Oh, I think it is rather clear at this point that any faith is rather unearned and unwarranted. [/B][/QUOTE]
I respectfully disagree.
[B]is BSG having one of those supremely annoying mid season breaks?
personally, i think it would be interesting if they do find earth, but it would just be dull if it werent at a comparable tech level [/B][/QUOTE]
6 weeks only this time which is fairly standard on every channel over the new year. Midseason finale is Dec 15 and returns Jan 21 on sunday nights at 10. No more of those incredibly stupid 6 months breaks for now.
Up until the last 3 episodes I felt that the show had actually tightened up a little, felt that it had a bit more direction, much more than season 1 and 2. But now it has certainly strayed. Personally I think Eick is a fool if he thinks that writing epsiodes on the fly so to speak is the way to go. Look at what happened to Alias and whats becoming of Lost... no direction, just a vague idea of where it might go but thats it. So instead of a series of wandering space nomads we might as well have a series based on wandering writers who really haven't got a clue. I still have faith in the show but there is a nagging doubt that it could spiral downwards from here.
Perhaps they won't find Earth, maybe the circular idea will take them back to the beginning, back to Caprica or even Kobol itself. On the other hand if they do find Earth maybe they will find a society living in peaceful co-existence with cylons? But thats probably a mad idea to think that the 13th colony would have gone down a similar tech path as the other 12 and come up with AI robots. Maybe they'll turn up on Earth to be met by Face and a bunch of the old show cylons :D
I didn't actually notice 6 look at the sky when she turned around. Perhaps she was contacted by the fleet and as a result she knew she would probably die on the planet. I'm sure some of them would have been apprehensive of dying and resurrecting for the first time (assuming this was the case for this version of 6). And regarding wireless, when Adama went to Sharon in the morgue and asked her "why?" it was bloody spookey when the other Sharon said "and you ask why" on Kobol when Adama tried to choke her. Some freaky transmitting going on there or what?!
Right finally got that all out, been itching to post all day but the frackin site was down for ages! Did Dax pull a plug or something?! ;)
[B]
I didn't actually notice 6 look at the sky when she turned around. Perhaps she was contacted by the fleet and as a result she knew she would probably die on the planet. [/B][/QUOTE]
Oh great, now look what you've all done! Now I need to go watch the mini again because I need to make sure I'm not just forgetting details.
As for the shows style, I've just learned to live with it. I think my biggest mistake was to expect a B5 style arc were everything plays a part in the grand scheme of things. Here, not so much. I've just stoped trying to hope it is what I want and just enjoy it for what it is. The lack of tight foreplanning is mostly made up by the shows intensity and usually good production value. I still really wish they didn't twist things around like they did last episode and indeed I really hope it doesn't totally loose direction and end up like X-Files or what I hear is happening to Lost.
As for tonight, I'm not expecting any worse than TKO so I might even be please by setting my scale so low. Will they finally show Lee getting it on with Kara or will she yet again leave him with blue balls.
In Lay Down Your Burdens 2, when Kara calls Lee for Anders antibiotics, Dualla says I can't believe she has the guts to call after what she did. Uhm, does that mean Lee confessed to her? It seemed like Dualla had a pretty good idea of what was going on in their little grudge match.
On other news, Blanders has been signed on as a series regular.
Spoiler: It was nice to see a "business as usual" episode. Pretty much all of the others this season were dealing with "big" issues (looking for earth, Cylon plague, and, of course, escape from New Caprica). This one was about relationships--both romantic and not.
Also, for those of us who felt the big jump in time at the end of last season was jarring, it was cool to fill in some of the blanks, even if they weren't eart... er... Caprica shattering. ;) Having parts of that year filled in with flashbacks was also a good use of storyline... rather than getting bogged down with too many episdoes on the planet they can keep a faster pace and get back to what happened later.
Put simply, I liked it. :D
[B]Helo did not get his ass kicked, thats a minus[/b][/quote]
I thought it was a plus, but then, in AMOS, I wanted him to slam Lee's face into the desk as soon as he made the crack about "Cylons don't have daughters." Now, they're even, and that makes me happy.
[quote][b]In Lay Down Your Burdens 2, when Kara calls Lee for Anders antibiotics, Dualla says I can't believe she has the guts to call after what she did. Uhm, does that mean Lee confessed to her? It seemed like Dualla had a pretty good idea of what was going on in their little grudge match.[/B][/QUOTE]
Well, she might've noticed that he was pissed at her, even if she didn't know exactly why.
[B]"A few months ago you would've had to roll him in here" :D [/B][/QUOTE]
Haha! I loved that!
Spoiler: I also enjoyed how when they first got to New Caprica they all had plans to build houses and start new lives. Yet, even before the Cylons arrived, it was clear that those dreams had been given a strong dose of reality. They were still living in tents right up to the occupation and it seems that those grand ideas for the new city (you could see plans in the background when Baltar was giving his speech) had also fallen by the wayside.
The bright sunny days in this episode were a nice touch too, when contrasted with the gray overcast skys pictured a year later. Also, if you noticed on the day they escaped, it was a clear and sunny once again. Nice touch. :)
The directing, in general, was strongest in the ring and weakest by far in the flashback stuff. I wonder if that was done second unit or something, as they really were jarringly different. It wasn't all great in the ring, though. The final scene between Kara and Lee in the ring could have been better if only Kara spoke.
I guess, ultimately, I find myself ambivalent. There was a lot of promise in this episode, and it only partially delivered. But, to be quite fair, partial delivery beats the last three episodes of cataclysmic, thoroughly embarrassing disaster.
[B] Spoiler: The final scene between Kara and Lee in the ring could have been better if only Kara spoke.
[/B][/QUOTE]
Spoiler: Kara did speak...they both said 'I missed you'
[B] Spoiler: Yes. Operative word being [i]only[/i]. [/B][/QUOTE]
Spoiler: OH! See, when I read that, I read 'if only...' as 'I wish she had...' rather than 'I wish she was the only one who had...' heh.
I was particularly glad to hear Adama's little speech which was something I wanted to hear for a while exactly like he said it. Everybody got soft and they became a bunch of whining sissies. It cost them almost ten thousand lives and their best battlestar. As Adama said, "that can not happen again!".
[B] Spoiler: OH! See, when I read that, I read 'if only...' as 'I wish she had...' rather than 'I wish she was the only one who had...' heh. [/B][/QUOTE]
Spoiler: Honestly, it wasn't [i]that[/i] bad a scene, but this reminds me of the story about Lucas' original draft of Empire Strikes Back. Among other embarrassing passages, it originally had Leia and Han's original exchange as "I love you" and "I love you too". [i]This is really bad writing.[/i] It develops virtually nothing about the characters, their context, or their situations. "I love you" / "I know" may be cliche, but it is orders of magnitude stronger, taking the exchange from mindless reciprocity and a waste of screen time to a juxtaposition of loss and stoicism. In that respect, maybe Lee should have said something different, but it still would have been vastly improved if he had simply said nothing at all.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
[B]All of the NC footage was filmed during the first episode shoots and the rest was all in the boxing ring which must have cost close to nothing. It lent itself to a good character driven episode and for the most part I think it succeeded. Ultimately though I find this filler episode closed off a lot of unfinished business and they can now get to moving the plot along again. Lets see it they do.[/B][/QUOTE]
Spoiler: Yeah, part of what really bothered me about this episode was its distinct style in the ring contrasted with the flashbacks, which were weakly directed second unit garbage. Except the obvious question is that if the cast is the same in both settings, why use a second unit? In any case, it was [i]really[/i] weak there. As was the writing. Lee shouting at the sky? Who [i]wrote[/i] that? Who honestly expected anyone to take that seriously? Adama and Sam announcing the marriage was also quite forced and weakly directed. I wish I liked the flashbacks more, but it was another case of good acting struggling to keep bad directing and writing aloft. At least Adama and Laura together managed to pull it off. Does not come easy, though.
[QUOTE][i]Originally posted by Vorlons in my Head [/i]
[B]I was particularly glad to hear Adama's little speech which was something I wanted to hear for a while exactly like he said it. Everybody got soft and they became a bunch of whining sissies. It cost them almost ten thousand lives and their best battlestar. As Adama said, "that can not happen again!". [/B][/QUOTE]
Spoiler: I really hated that speech. It was an important theme, but the writers just came out and beat you over the head with it. Again, bad writing. I find myself frustrated, really, at the often weak execution of an episode that could have been a lot stronger. The potential was certainly there, and a small amount of it worked, but mostly, it really was weak. Still, after the last three episodes were unbelievable show breaking disasters, this was an undeniable improvement. Who knows. Maybe the show can recover.
[B]Oh, lets not forget Starbucks plumbers crack. [/B][/QUOTE]
Oh that ain't nothin'...
Out here it's more like Continental Divide...
;)