Lost speculation!

In which I argue

Can I share with you three things I noticed about the Battlestar Galactica mini-series right quick? Then I promise we'll get to the meat and potatoes of my post:

Number one (and this is nit-picky of me): Tigh pronounces Gaeta’s name ‘Guy-tuh’. I could chalk this up to the show being new, but only the character of Tigh says his name this way. So it makes me wonder if Michael Hogan just couldn’t say Gaeta at the time. This is kind of the same deal with how Ron Moore says Kara’s name. Every single person on the show pronounces it one way, and he’s off in his own verse calling her Car-uh. I don’t get it – it’s his show, he could get everyone to pronounce it any way he wants.

Number two: This is my own personal happy moment, but every single time Adama and Laura bickered, and especially during their talk about running and having babies, I couldn’t help but think about how far this relationship has come. It has easily been one of the most natural progressions of a relationship I think I’ve ever seen. It wasn’t a rushed ‘hey let’s get together because it’s the end of the world’ thing. They hated each other for a minute, then started to like each other, and then the respect reached an all time high after New Caprica. Or maybe during New Caprica; we’ll never really know because all we ever got to see was the pair getting high. (I’m still bitter about not getting a reunion between them after the exodus, but I digress.)

Number three: The mini-series is shot in a way that is unique from the rest of the series. Now when I watch the show, it has dark undertones (because this is the most depressing show on television, maybe?) but watching the mini series it seems that the lighting is much better. The footage however, seems grainy, as if someone put a scratch texture over the camera lens. Has anyone else noticed that or is my DVD just playing tricks on me?

Recently, a mutual friend posted on her Livejournal 12 Reasons You Have to Watch BSG. I normally don’t advocate telling people they have to do something (hypocrite; see my post on 30 Rock and Mad Men) but there are a few things that were brought up within the comments of that post that I wanted to address here. Mostly because I never got a response from the people I questioned, but more over because I’m planning my own farewell post on the best and worst aspects of Galactica at the end of March. I have not linked back to the Livejournal post because I don’t want any specific user to feel ganged up on, and two, I don’t want the particular journal to suddenly be flooded with comments. These are simply my views and how I feel about some of the points made against the show.

One of the ‘points against BSG’ was the fact that it was an actual sci-fi show. I hate to break it to you, but I’m not sure what you thought a show called Battlestar Galactica would be about. I didn’t love the show right away; in fact someone had to force me to watch the mini series in 2006. I’ll tell you the exact moment I was hooked: As soon as Adama made the speech that [they] were at war. Admittedly the mini-series is long and it feels like it takes an extremely long time to get to that point, but once the Cylons actually attack it’s a roller coaster ride to the end. The final reveal that Sharon is a cylon just about threw me on the floor. The next day, I bought seasons one and two on DVD and got caught up just in time to start watching season three live.

Another point against watching the show was that ‘it has not satisfactorily ideal couples’ because love interests are swapped. For example: Dee/Billy/Lee, Lee/Kara/Anders…and you know what? I have no argument for that. It’s really not my favorite part of the show. I get that Lee and Kara are both messed up but really, please commit already. I’m not even counting Gaius as one of the people in this argument because it’s been pretty firmly established that he’s a whore. So, points go to you argumentative person. However, I don’t think the romance factor is a reason to throw in the towel on the whole show. If it were, I would have stopped watching when Billy was killed.

The fact that a reason against the show was ‘there are too many young and pretty actors’ to make it watchable proved to me that the person clearly has not been shown one single episode of the show and/or lives in a bubble. ‘Young’ definitely does not describe Mary McDonnell, Edward James Olmos, and Michael Hogan. And while Mary McDonnell is drop dead gorgeous, Edward James Olmos is not exactly ‘pretty’. I mean, I love that man to pieces and personally find him incredibly sexy, but these are the leads of the show; actors in their fifties and sixties respectively. I believe the person is probably referring to Tricia Helfer, Grace Park, Jamie Bamber, etc. when talking about ‘young and pretty’, but I don’t even understand why this would be something negative. Every show on television features ‘pretty’ people because we like looking at pretty people. Is that narcissistic of us as a species? Oh yes, you’re damn right it is. But I challenge you to find a show that doesn’t feature pretty, if not an all young cast. Please.

The show being liked by too many people on the internet made the list too, and I just sat in confusion looking at the screen. Is that a back handed compliment? Is someone trying to say that people on the internet have no taste and could therefore not watch a show that is intelligent? Or is someone trying to say that so many people like the show that there’s no way it could actually be that good? You know what? I’d love for someone to explain how people on the internet liking something is a bad thing.

The last argument worth mentioning was that the commenter doesn’t like the plot device of surprise pregnancies. Well, seeing as how one of the Cylon’s goals is reproduction, I’d say a surprise pregnancy or two is probably understood? I mean, I’m going out on a limb here…but it’s not as if Laura Roslin is going to pop into Adama’s quarters waving a pregnancy stick and demanding Maury Povich.

I know this has turned into a long winded post, but the point is: You can find something wrong with any single show on the planet if you look hard enough. Of course you as a viewer know what you do and do not like and I can respect that. But how - how - can you know if you’ll like or loathe something unless you give it a chance? That’s my biggest pet peeve; never making an actual informed decision about something. If you do decide to take a crack at the show, I suggest you start with the season one episode ‘33’. It explains the war, it gives you a good background on the characters, and is one of those ‘edge of your seat’ episodes. If you still refuse to at least try the show on for size, then that’s your prerogative, of course. We’ll just keep this television prize-winner all to ourselves.

uhhh whoops

I say it's time for a new post, how about you? I can't believe that I haven't updated in so long, time honestly did get away from me. What with LOST and Battlestar Galactica both coming back, I've been sucked into some weird alternate universe where the only thing that exists is a continuous loop of those two shows with 30 Rock sometimes mixed in.

Speaking of 30 Rock, congratulations for sweeping the awards! From Alex Baldwin to Tina Fey, my belated congratulations goes out to you. And also to Mad Men! Although, Jon Hamm, what was up with your hair on award night?

In other television news, Amy Poehler's new NBC show finally has a name. Parks and Recreation will be debuting...well, we don't know when yet, exactly. What we do know is that it is in the same vein as The Office, only it is 100% totally NOT a spin off. It will take place in Indiana of all states (I didn't know that state was known for its sprawling parks) and will also star Rashida Jones and Aziz Ansari. (His character was recently fired from Sacred Heart on Scrubs.) Read more about the upcoming show and see some previews right over here.

Apparently LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell (what a pairing) will be starring in a NCIS spin-off that is as of right now untitled. It looks like NCIS is joining the ranks of Law and Order and CSI with it's number of spin-offs. And really, LL Cool J and Chris O'Donnell? I just can't even imagine what that will be like. I'm hoping lots of sideways glances and LL saying cool things like 'TAKE ME BACK TO THE GHETTO' every other sentence. Read more about this here.

While I've never watched the show, HBO's Big Love did get a confirmed renewal. So yaaay polygamy! Renewal info is here.

BOB SAGET! He's back! No, not in a Full House reunion which is what everyone wants, let's face it. He's returning to the small screen to play a suburban dad. Wait a minute...I thought this wasn't a Full House reunion? Oh well CW, you may have just lost out on a show that could help your ratings on Sunday nights. Your loss! Read more about the show here.

That's all I have for you kids today, but before I go, how totally awesome is the feud between Etta James and Beyonce? Honestly, one of them is old enough to know better and the other should retire and give up singing. You guess who should do what in the comments!