Battlestar Galactica: Season 2 - SciFi US broadcast thread (2 Viewers)

[Hugh Jackes]

I've noticed SciFi muddier of late too, and I also have DirecTV.

 

[Eric_Connelly]

DTV continues to suck the bandwidth out of the average user.

My cable isn't much better but Dish is coming in 2 weeks.

 

[Gary Hightower]

I LOVE this show!!! I'm thrilled to see such a fanbase here.

 

[Charlie Campisi]

BTW, check the schedule, but I think Pegasus, Resurrection Ship and Scar are three of the coming episodes on Universal HD (ch. 74 on Directv). I haven't watched too many of the repeats on Universal, but those eps in particular, because they involve a lot of space time and dark backgrounds, are particularly appealing in HD and might be worth a repeat viewing. I know the miniseries on Universal HD has merited "save until I delete" status on my HD tivo. Even if it ran a few minutes long and the end got cut off. :frowning:

 

[Dave Scarpa]

If the show were'nt so dang good I'd wait for the eventual Universal HD airings, but unfortunately I cannot.

 

[dana martin]

hopefully we will be hearing about the 2.5 release soon, but with the 2 part season finale coming up, not to turn this in to a nit pick i still have some unanswered questions continuity wise, the Farm episode, Starbuck spends all that tie in the "hospital" opened up in pain, before she escapes, and it has never been addressed as to what was done to her, now from the forum on sifi this two parter coming up covers almost a 6 months to year in the two episodes combined.
what the hell kind of med experiments take a year to have something wrong??
continuity and story line need to have consequences.
on the topic of Universal HD on Direct TV , not willing to spend for that yet, regular package is about to go up in price, for that they should get it right, but part of the fault with that lies with Universal it's self; don't they own the channel, along with USA??

 

[Sam Favate]

Here is an article about a visit to the set and an interview with Mary McDonnell:

http://www.hollywoodnorthreport.com/...p?Article=2673"

Some good stuff here.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

That is an interesting interview. I wonder what would happen to Roslin if she loses this election. It'd almost be more interesting than if she won.

 

[TheLongshot]

It isn't just DTV. The image was very pixely last week watching it on Cox cable.

Jason

 

[dana martin]

got DTV because i hate Cox Cable service in VA

 

[Andrew Beacom]

Just think of the stories we could have with President Baltar.

 

[Eric_Connelly]

Don't read the article...It doesn't say too much that hasn't been alluded to in the prview but there is a picture there that is a big spoiler to me at least.

 

[Qui-Gon John]

IMHO, a most of the pic quality on SCI-FI is toward the poorer end of the spectrum. John Doe, SG-1, SG-A, BG and numerous movies I've watched on it. I know it's not my display, a DVD of SG-1 or SG-A looks worlds better.

 

[Mikel_Cooperman]

Looking forward to the first part of the finale tonight.
I hope Sci Fi fans here will give Doctor Who a chance when it premieres in Battlestar's timeslot in a couple of weeks.

 

[Charlie Campisi]

And the HD pack price is going down a dollar... it's not much, but it's something.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

After potentially totaling my car this evening one day into an Albany visit, it was nice to have "Galactica" to escape to tonight. Another stand-out episode from my point of view. I got my shit together this week and wrote a bonafide review. I get more political than I normally like to in a couple spots, but considering the political nature of the episode itself, it couldn't really be helped.

The issue of political fact facing off against political fantasy hit me personal because my uncle was a politician on the town level, a long-term incumbent, who lost the election for what was to be his final term largely for being the party of Bush (even though local party affiliations have literally nothing to do with their national parents). In the world of sound bytes and talking heads, true issues and truely divergent opinions are all too often drowned out in buzz words and outright manipulation of voter's prejudices. As this episode makes clear, Roslin will lose not because she has the weaker platform but because she has the weaker, less sexy spin. That is a troubling yet brutally accurate assessment of democracy at its worst.

On a less political note, this was our first real look at Apollo as commander. It's not a perfect fit, from his off-kilter prep talk to the Viper pilots that he has grown to know so well, to his moment with Starbuck in his massive empty new quarters. That he's so giving in the face of his replacement and she utterly refuses to thank him is pretty much the story of their relationship.

Finally we wrap up the lingering Caprica storyline. It'll be interesting to see how Anders has been changed by his interaction with Caprica Six and Boomer mk1. The fact that the humans on Caprica get the shit bombed out of them almost directly after the sweeping romantic reunion of Starbuck and Anders is just typical Galactica. This being the season finale, the only character we can really be sure is going to make it off Caprica is Starbuck. Helo only matters if Boomer mk2 survives, and Boomer mk2 doesn't need to survive now that the baby is delivered. If Anders dies, it will be really interesting. If Anders survives, it will be interesting — but also much messier which is what Moore and Co. love the most. The tension of having a bunch of key characters surrounded by fire and brimstone and just essentially left there until part is extrodinary. The definition of "cliffhanger" wouldn't be any more apt if they were actually pressed against the edge of a cliff. That the scene started with the forests
lit with heavenly light at the beginning makes the horror only that much more terrible.

I loved seeing Roslin freaking out before her first debate, with the tearing of the index cards, the instant adoption of Grandpa Adama's pencil breaking release, and the subsequent giggle fits. Even since her cancer got serious, Adama's affection for her has led him to take more of a backseat role since his key input had previously been one of conflict. This had in turn made Roslin seem almost too perfect, ruthless, and unerring. The antics tonight were a wonderful reminder that she is, after all, a member of the human race. Plus, we got to see Adama amused for once.

I also thus loved Roslin and Baltar's little jabs at each other as they smile and shake each other's hand. I've often seen the real deal exchange words over the handshake on televised debates and wondered what exactly it is they said. This was, I think, the most interesting answer.

It shows how long we've been away from Tyrol that such a huge decline in his character is not only possible, but also plausible. As he utterly pummeled Callie, he had the face of a monster. And yet, before during and after, I never felt like I'd been cheated. That it was Callie of all people makes it more tragic. I'd be like Mal pounding Kaylee into a coma on Firefly. A drastic turn, to be sure, but a necessary one, I think, to get one of my favorite characters more firmly back into the mix.

Dean Stockwell's priest, Brother Cavel, is a revelation. Unlike most priests on television who are at best well-meaning gentle reciters of empty words and at worse are barely concealed pedofiles, Cavel is also a human being. That he would have such a dismissive view of prayer rings absolutely true in light of the massive destruction of the human race that he has survived. How could prayer possibly make any sense in the face of that? And yet, he still fufills his role. He still gets Tryol to face his underlying struggle. And, I believe, he still has a good deal of faith in spite of himself. Though I never thought of Cottle as particularly kindly, Cavel is very much a Cottle with the kiddy gloves off. That he throws out the idea of him being a Cylon is perfect timing, since of course that was exactly what I'd been thinking right up until that moment. If Bill Duke is a tremendous actor that simply didn't jive with the Galactica world, Stockwell is a tremendous actor that fits the show like a glove.

More interesting than Roslin's struggles were Baltar's throughout all of the backroom scenes, we essentially see the John Kerry dilemma. What to do when you essentially agree with all of your opponent's talking points? Well, if you're morally bankrupt Gaius Baltar, you just change your own opinions to whatever sells — even if it's a 180 degree turn. Politics at its most stark and ugly.

Also interesting was how smoothly Zarek slipped into the role of Baltar's campaign manager. For such a cutthroat kind of guy, it's a perfect role him. The outcome is probably less important to him than the game. That his opponent is authority also pulls at the rebellious side of his ego.

It's also interesting that the serious idea of settlement came from Six first this time instead of merely her reinforcing what Baltar ponders. If she is a messenger of God instead of merely a mental breakdown, than God's hand in the proceedings is more direct than ever before. If so, He wants the planet debate front and center. Towards what end?

The planet debate is one of the show's most direct allegories. Fear vs. Hope. Ever since 9/11, American politics have been, without delving too deeply into my political opinions, utterly driven by fear. Baltar's a mouthpiece for key questions that resonate in the contemporary world. Can we afford to turn away from living in fear? Can we afford not to? Is a world that's not driven by fear possible in such a scenerio? These are fundamental questions that the colonial fleet would have eventually had to face, one way or another.

 

[Robert Anthony]

Adam's reviews are always hard to follow, but fun stuff I noticed:

Laura got all of the classic right-wing arguments and lines. She quoted both Reagan (There you go again) and Cheney (Go Fuck Yourself) in like, a 3 minute span. And I found Baltar's arguments seemed like the perfect execution of most left-wing arguments today. I know people dont' like to really acknowledge the political mirroring that goes on with this show, but this was a little too on the nose NOT to note. And there's a spoiler straight on the episode description on sci-fi.com that's even further aligning what's going on considering the theft of an election
and how that could go down. What's funny to me, considering my opinions on the current administration, that this show has me rooting FOR the people using the tactics and thought process of the people I DON'T like in real life. Again--a masterful employment of the grey area inbetween right and wrong, and making you understand why those areas are so busy. TV shows just don't do that today.

I swear to God Stockwell's character has to be a Cylon. I know Adam doesn't seem to believe that's the case, but it echoed Six's proclamation in the miniseries when Baltar fingers the Kevin Spacey cylon. The line was almost EXACTLY the same. That can't be coincidence. Plus his constant playing down of "The Gods," his negative opinion of prayer--it sounded like he wanted the human to LOSE faith in himself and the gods while trying to fix him.

I loved Roslin's pre-debate ritual and gigglefest. That was so humanizing. Which of course added the necessary contrast to add MAXIMUM impact to Tyrol's nightmare and aftermath concerning Callie.

And I was SCREAMING at the TV when Kara finally reunited with Anders. I wasn't screaming "Kiss him" or "Yes, about time" I was screaming "Stop with the fuckin kissy face and get back to the goddamn ship." and of course, the instant that left my mouth--bombs started dropping.

Honestly, I hope this episode is merged with part 2 as one single show on the 2.5 DVD. Because just off this setup--I believe this could possibly considered one of the best movies of the past year. Not TV shows. MOVIES.

 

[RickER]

I know one reason we dont talk about the politics of this show is because then it turns into REAL politics. We dont talk about that here. A few comments is all it takes and BAM...we loose this thread. I enjoy the political nature of the show, even if i dont agree, and i love to talk politics, but i think we will cross that line here if we are not careful. My 2 cents.

 

[Britton]

Great episode and yet another one that ended all too soon. If only this show could be aired for an entire hour, commercial free...

Dean Stockwell... what can you say about the guy? I hope he shows up more often, and I suppose he will since they didn't kill him like they did with Bill Duke, Dana Delaney, and John Heard.

My only qualm is that more and more of the clips from the "Previously on..." segment are from things that were left on the cutting room floor. I really noticed this before "Scar" and last night, it felt like half the things in it were scenes I'd never seen before. I know the extended version of Pegasus will be on the next DVD set, but perhaps extended versions of more episodes are in order.

90 minutes next week. Bring it on. The greatest compliment I can give this show is that it doesn't feel like any time has passed since Resurrection Ship Part One aired. The long, painful wait for the next new batch of episodes will be upon us too soon.

 

[Carl_G]

That is an understatement. I am refusing to watch. Waiting for UHD's delayed run of Season 2 is a far better experience.