New Year Resolutions

Welcome to the last day of 2009. Not only that, welcome to the last day of the decade. I’m sure you’ve all been reading lists regarding the best television shows and best characters from the past 10 years, so I’m not going to focus on that. Instead, let’s talk resolutions. I gave up a long time ago on that gym membership, so instead I’m making more realistic goals for myself, all centered around – you guessed it – television.

Be brave; try more new shows
This one will be hard for me. Reason being that shows I actually enjoy inevitably get canceled before all episodes can be aired. Case in point: Eastwick. I enjoyed this show as a Charmed meets Desperate Housewives set up, and not only did ABC cancel it, they also skipped an episode before the last one they ever aired. Things like this and knowing how quickly shows get canned kept me from enjoying Modern Family and Cougartown when they premiered and I had to play catch-up. I understand money issues and advertising when it comes to airing shows, but there needs to be some way to keep those who actually enjoy television from becoming disgruntled. Maybe start with not skipping remaining episodes and airing them all before pulling the plug? I don’t know, just a suggestion.

Re-watch old favorites
With LOST ending this year, and Battlestar Galactica having ended earlier, I think it’s time to pony up and re-watch both shows from beginning to end. Of course, LOST will be a summer project (and hopefully by then the sixth and final season will be available on DVD). Another show worth re-watching will definitely be Arrested Development (something else cut down in its prime). I’m going to get lofty and say I’d like to re-watch all of The X-Files which means that I’d have to sit through seasons eight and nine, but maybe the sting of that wound has healed enough over the years. And to really overshoot my goal, I’d love to re-watch all of Will & Grace, because damn if I don’t miss the Jack and Karen show.

Don’t let the DVR pile up
I made the mistake of doing that this year more than once, and it took me weeks to get caught up. Television watching actually became stressful so clearly, I need to space out what I’m watching. If only Wednesdays and Thursdays (and coming soon in 2010, Tuesdays??) weren’t so jam packed! Instead of blowing off catching up when I have free time, it’s time to commit, commit, commit.

Finally, be more vocal about great (and even good) T.V.
You’d think that having a blog would pretty well have me on the right path, but the truth is (as anyone who reads this on a regular basis knows) that life gets in the way quite a bit. There are times I’d love to come here immediately and rant and rave with everyone, but my job beckons, and the one that pays me money actually sucks my soul. Sadly, as much as I wish this weren’t true, I don’t always have time for the blog. In a fantastic world, this is what I would do for a living, but since I neither know anyone who can get me into the world of professional (?) blogging or know anyone at Entertainment Weekly (seriously, someone from there feel free to call me) I come here when I can. I just hope that lengthy absences are rewarded with people wanting more updates, not wishing I would go away.

So, those are my T.V. driven goals – what are yours? Let me know in the comments, and let’s make this a great New Year (and decade!) for television.

Talking To Anyone Out There

It’s definitely been a while since I’ve posted here (not since the Emmys), and it comes down to two things: I overwhelmed myself with the amount of television I was watching, and the job I actually get paid to do went through a massive upheaval of changes. The first thing is completely my fault, but there were so many shiny and new things! Modern Family, Cougar Town, and Glee! The second thing – not so much within my control but it doesn’t matter anymore because it has finally calmed down. Somewhat.

Post Thanksgiving, I’m thankful for the great shows both renewed and new that have been able to keep me entertained: The three already mentioned, plus Mad Men, Community, Parks and Recreation, 30 Rock, LOST (final season coming soon!) and others. I’m still hoping that some shows will be let go. Shows like Heroes that have fallen to contrived plots and barely there twists in the story lines. And I’m mourning the loss of some early cancellations, most notably my guilty pleasure show Eastwick. What wasn’t to love about that show? It was Charmed meets Desperate Housewives, and it was delicious.

I wanted to compile a list of my top favorite quotes from the past year of television, and then I realized we have the end of a decade upon us. So, I’ve decided to go even further back. Here are some of my favorite quotes from 2000-2009, may most of these shows rest in peace. (And yes, shows that ended within the decade still count! But I am limiting myself to only the seasons that were within this decade. See? Tricky, silly blogger.)

Will and Grace

Karen: I'll never forget it. My fellow office workers and I were heading down to lunch, and, suddenly... The lights went out, the elevator dropped, and...Dennis Hopper said he would kill us all if his demands weren't met. I thank God Keanu Reeves was there to get us out!

Jack: Karen, that wasn't you, that was the opening scene of Speed!

Karen: Oh. You know, that movie was not at all what was advertised. You think you're going to see a feel-good movie about amphetamines, and, suddenly, you're on a bus?

Karen Walker: Grace! It's Christmas, for goodness sake! Think about the baby Jesus. Up in that tower, letting his hair down so that the three wise men can climb up and spin the dreidel and see if there's six more weeks of winter.

Battlestar Galactica

Bill Adama: As of this moment we are at war.

Laura Roslin: We need to get the hell out of here and we need to start having babies!

Baltar: Its all so pointless. We kill them, and they kill us, so we kill more of them, so they kill more of us. What's the point anymore?

Number Six: You, your race, invented murder. Invented killing for sport, greed, envy. Its man's one true art form.

Laura Roslin [after finding ‘Earth’]: So…much…life.

LOST

Jack Shephard: God knows how long we're going to be here. But if we can't live together—we're gonna die alone.

Hurley: Okay. See, we did crash, but it was on this crazy island. And we waited for rescue, and there wasn't any rescue. And there was a smoke monster, and then there were other people on the island. We called them the Others, and they started attacking us. And we found some hatches, and there was a button you had to push every 108 minutes or... well, I was never really clear on that. But... the Others didn't have anything to do with the hatches. That was the DHARMA Initiative. The Others killed them, and now they're trying to kill us. And then we teamed up with the Others because some worse people were coming on a freighter. Desmond's girlfriend's father sent them to kill us. So we stole their helicopter and we flew it to their freighter, but it blew up. And we couldn't go back to the island because it disappeared, so then we crashed into the ocean, and we floated there for a while until a boat came and picked us up. And by then, there were six of us. That part was true. But the rest of the people... who were on the plane? They're still on that island.

Mad Men

Bobbie Barret: This is America, pick a job and become the person who does it.

Don Draper: Advertising is based on one thing, happiness. And you know what happiness is? Happiness is the smell of a new car. It's freedom from fear. It's a billboard on the side of the road that screams reassurance that whatever you are doing is okay. You are okay.

Friends

Joey: Finished my recommendation, and I think you'll be very, very happy. It's the longest I've ever spent on a computer without looking at porn.

Chandler: I don't... understand

Joey: Some of the words a little too sophisticated for you?

Monica: It doesn't make any sense.

Joey: Of course it does. It's smart. I used a thesaurus.

Chandler: On every word?

Joey: Yep!

Monica: What was this sentence originally?

Joey: Oh, "They're warm, nice people with big hearts."

Chandler: And that became, "They're humid, prepossessing Homo sapiens with full-sized aortic pumps."

Joey: And hey, I really mean it, dude.

Monica: Uh, Joey, we can't use this.

Joey: Why not?

Monica: Well, because you signed it "Baby Kangaroo" Tribbiani.

Phoebe: I'm sorry I won't be able to make it to your imaginary wedding, but I'm really busy that day. I already have a unicorn baptism and a leprechaun Bar Mitzvah.

Desperate Housewives

Bree: As of this moment, Rex, I am no longer your wife. I am going to go out, and find the most vindictive lawyer I can find, and together, we are going to eviscerate you. I'm going to take away your money, your family, and your dignity. Do you hear me?

Rex: Bree...

Bree: And I am so thrilled to know that you still love me. Because I want what's about to happen to you...to hurt as much as humanly possible. I'm so glad you didn't die before I got a chance to tell you that.

Lynette: Listen to me. I forbid you to die. If you leave me with a mortgage and a restaurant and five kids, I swear I will track you into the deepest pit of hell and make you pay.

30 Rock

Liz: Why are you wearing a tux?

Jack: It's after six. What am I, a farmer?

Tracy: Jenna, we're the most important people here, right?

Jenna: Well, of course Tracy. We're actors. If we didn't exist how would people know who to vote for?

The Wire
McNulty: This is just us talking right? Just you, me, my partner and... what did you say your name was?
Bodie: I didn't say shit.
McNulty: Just you, me, my partner and Mr. Shit here.

Slim Charles: Don't matter who did what to who at this point. Fact is, we went to war and there ain't no turnin' back. I mean, shit, it's what war is, you know? Once you in it, you in it. If it's a lie, then we fight on that lie. But we gotta fight.

The Office (US)
Michael: Abraham Lincoln once said that "If you are a racist, I will attack you with the North," and those are the principles I carry with me in the workplace.

Jim: I was just, um... I'm in love with you.
Pam: What?
Jim: I'm really sorry if that's weird for you to hear, but I needed you to hear it. Probably not good timing, I know that, I just—
Pam: What are you doing? What do you expect me to say to that?
Jim: I just needed you to know. Once.
Pam: Well, I, um—I can't...
Jim: Yeah.
Pam: You have no idea—
Jim: Don't do that.
Pam: —what your friendship means to me.
Jim: Come on. I don't want to do that. I want to be more than that.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer
[Playing the game of Life]
Anya: Crap! Look at this. I'm burdened with a husband, and several tiny pink children, and more cash than I can reasonably manage…
Xander: That means you're winning.
Anya: Really?
Xander: Yes. Cash equals good.
Anya: Oh! [claps] I'm so pleased! Can I trade in the children for more cash?

Buffy: So here's the part where you make a choice. What if you could have that power, now? In every generation, one Slayer is born, because a bunch of men who died thousands of years ago made up that rule. They were powerful men. [points to Willow] This woman... is more powerful than all of them combined. So I say we change the rule. I say my power... should be our power. Tomorrow, Willow will use the essence of the Scythe to change our destiny. From now on, every girl in the world who might be a Slayer, will be a Slayer. Every girl who could have the power, will have the power, can stand up, will stand up. Slayers... every one of us. Make your choice. Are you ready to be strong?

Modern Family
Haley: Hey mom?
Claire: Yeah?
Haley: Can I have forty dollars for lunch?
Claire: Forty dollars?
Haley: I also need a book for school.
Claire: A book?
Haley: I want a dress.
Claire: Do you have any idea what a bad liar you are?
Alex: I'd be more worried that she couldn't come up with a single book title.

Phil: I'm cool dad, that's my thang. I'm hip, I surf the web, I text. LOL: laugh out loud, OMG: oh my god, WTF: why the face

Glee
Mercedes: Oh, HELL to the no! Look, I'm not down with this background singin' nonsense. I'm Beyoncé, I ain't no Kelly Rowland.

Sue: I empower my Cheerios to be champions. Do they go to college? I don't know. I don't care. Should they learn Spanish? Sure, if they wanna become dishwashers and gardeners.

This is just a mere sampling of what I think have been some of the most memorable quotes of the decade. I could go on forever; I could make this post so long it takes up the entire page. I love pop culture quotes, and I love 'em hard. So now, I want to know what you think. Share with me your favorite quotes from television shows in the past ten years. Spam the heck out of me with your quotes, because I love to read them. And I know you love to relieve them.

Breaking Radio Silence

T.V. shows are about to pick up again (Mad Men tomorrow - yay!) but right now, I have something to say about an article e-mailed to me by not one, not two, but FIVE people. A man by the name of Bryan Singer is going to helm yet another version of Battlestar Galactica.

My main argument was just going to go like this: No Mary McDonnell, no Edward James Olmos = NO DICE. But I suppose I have to be a bit more articulate than that, so here we go.

Battlestar Galactica (the re-imagined version) was by no means flawless, but it was epic. It was more than a sci-fi show, it was more than 'space drama', and certainly it was more than a campy show with special effects. Ron Moore and crew took this 80's (okay, late 70's) show and turned it into a show about the struggle of what it is to be human and why we deserve to survive as a species. The show didn't exactly end where I would have liked or where I think it could have gone creatively, but after 75 episodes with maybe…five or six out of those that just feeling like complete misses, there were too many that were poignant, meaningful, and carry a resonating message. I don't feel like the story needs to be told over again from anyone else's writing perspective yet. The dust hasn't even settled on my DVDs, and Bryan Singer wants to have a shot?


I'm all for people having their own ideas, hell, that's how BSG got done again. But in Singer's case it feels like he's more upset that instead of being the one to helm the re-imagined series, Ron Moore took over when Singer got busy with other things and was (probably) too nervous to start penning an idea for a show about the end of the world after September 11, 2001. So now that Ron Moore's show is over he can finally say: 'OKAY LOOK AT MINE NOW. LOOK WHAT I CAN DO'. It's like a case of sibling rivalry gone awry, only it's between two people who had the same idea about a sci-fi show.


Now, I know what most people are saying as far as having yet another re-imagined version of the 80's show. Ron Moore got a lot of flack from hard core fans of the original show and hated him for even attempting to do it. Even one of the original actors, Richard Hatch was against the idea. So yes, I know that people are looking at this the same way. However, there is one key difference between what Moore did, and what Singer is going to (attempt) to do:


There was a twenty-five year gap between re-toolings. Twenty five years is a long time for people to miss something. It takes about that long to think to yourself 'Hey, you know what would be kind of cool? If someone did that one show again'. However, FIVE MONTHS is pushing it more than just a little bit. That means this was being talked about as early as last year before the show was even done shooting its final episodes. It would be like someone now saying 'You know, I realize LOST isn't even done with its final season yet, but in January of 2012, we're doing it again!' WHY IS THAT NECESSARY? I mean, I realize there are absolutely zero new ideas in Hollywood, but this is ridiculous.


To wrap up: Bryan Singer is hoping to cash in on a show that was re-done extremely well. I think that fans loyal to Ron Moore's version won't be quick to embrace this idea after such a short period of time. I don't wish anyone to fail in Hollywood because God knows I'm trying to get a writing job in L.A. or New York, but I do wish Singer would take a step back and realize that he had his chance, and he didn't take it. Let it go, and talk to the fans again in twenty-five years or so.

EDIT: I'm editing to include a source for this article. Sorry about that; this is the link to the actual Variety article.

The only thing I learned from BSG was how to be an alcoholic

I have been trying to write something that can properly express how important Battlestar Galactica has been to me and no matter what, it always comes out sounding a little bit pathetic. That doesn’t matter to me, not really, I just want to write something more coherent than ‘OH GOD I LOVE THIS SHOW WHY IS IT ENDING?!’ Trust me, it would be easy to do, and I have been on my Livejournal. Here though, I want to try and explain how I ended up loving this show and why it has made such an impact.

Even though I would love for people to think I’ve been watching this show since the mini-series aired back in 2003, I have to be honest: I had no clue about this show or what it was even in the 80s. That’s how much I dislike the sci-fi genre. I’ve never seen an entire Star Wars movie completely through, I only saw Star Trek once when Whoopi Goldberg was a part of the cast and…honestly, I think the closest I ever came to sci-fi was the Power Rangers when Rita lived in space. When someone handed me a copy of the mini-series DVD in the summer of 2006, I waited until about the end of September to actually watch it. Actually making the time to want to sit still through some stupid outer space show was so not my cup of tea. I started watching, IMing snide remarks to a friend about how slow it was already, and then Six walked on screen, snapped an infant’s neck, and my away message went up, saying something to the effect of: ‘holy shit what am I watching?’

Lucky for me, season three had just started when I finished the mini-series. So when ‘Exodus Part 2’ aired, I watched and of course had no idea what was going on. I just remember incredibly vividly how intense it was to watch Galactica jump into New Caprica’s atmosphere and watch those Vipers launch. Talk about edge of your seat, folks. After an intense watching of seasons one and two and the downloading of the first two season three episodes I missed, by the time the next new episode happened? I was all caught up. Honestly I’m not sure how I did it, and I don’t remember doing it. My commitment to the show was that intense after seeing what I had. It then became my mission to convince everyone I knew that this show was for everyone, not just the people who love sci-fi. I was a smoker back then, and while watching the episode ‘33’ I think I went through an entire pack. Then I did the same thing when I got to ‘Epiphanies’. By the time ‘Taking A Break From All Your Worries’ came around I was a full fledged alcoholic.

Somehow, I managed to convince my dad to watch this show. And by ‘convince’, I mean he couldn’t walk due to a recent surgery and therefore could not prevent me from loading the DVD and forcing him to watch it. He yelled just as loud as I had that he would hate it, and then he was hooked as well. I think for him it was the smut within twenty minutes of the show starting but you know; to each their own. It became a tradition for the two of us at that point to watch the show together, and to date has been one of the only things we can debate about and not get all huffy over. Except when he told me that Adama just wanted to get laid on New Caprica and that he didn’t really care about Laura at all. We did argue over that; oh yes. My brother has been a more casual viewer in that when he watches, it’s once a season or if I’m having a marathon. He loves what he sees but has the attention span of Gaius Baltar, so it’s pretty pointless to corral him into the living room on Friday nights. I’ve recapped this show for a while now in one forum or another and that, combined with watching with my dad has been a tradition for so long that I’m not sure what I’m going to do come Friday the 27th. I’m almost positive I’ll be curled up in a ball on the floor suffering from withdrawals.

This show, for me, hasn’t simply been about who is paired together, or not being able to wait and see what struggle the fleet is going to be hit with next. That stuff is interesting yes, but I am so invested in the human story and emotion; the cylon’s story of life and creation; death and destruction. I need to know how Adama is going to eventually break down. It’s been scary to see him deteriorate from stoic leader to a man slowly losing everything and at the end of his rope. It has absolutely made my heart ache to see Caprica Six finally grow and learn what it truly means to have human emotion only to lose her child and the man she loves. (Because it certainly doesn’t seem like Tigh stuck around after the death of Liam.) It’s those personal story lines that I have to see resolved before the end of the show. Most importantly (for me) will be knowing where they all end up. There are only two possible scenarios in my mind: They all jump back to Kobol or New Caprica (but let’s go with Kobol since it didn’t look like a craphole) because those are the two planets that haven’t been nuked, or they all die. That’s all I can come up with in my head and it’s making my stomach twist up in knots just thinking about it. I’m trying to come to terms with Laura’s death; even though we may not see it. Even though it may not even happen at this point. Let’s face it, if they don’t show her death I’m going to pretend a magical unicorn cured her. And if she dies? Well, I’ll give out the directions to the shiva later.

I can’t explain anymore how important this show is to me by being serious, so let me give some examples. If I had the choice between watching a new episode of this show for one hour and going on an all expenses paid trip to Disney World? I’d watch the new hour. (Let’s pretend that I have no DVR for these scenarios.) If my friends wanted to go out and celebrate a sudden surge in the economy and a new episode of BSG was on? Sorry friends, I’ve got more important things to do. I suppose one good thing about the show ending will be the resurgence of my social life on Friday nights. In trying to come up with a way to cope, I’ve even formed crossover ideas. Here’s my favorite pitch: Galactica is using one of the few jumps it has left before it falls apart. The island on LOST is also jumping through time and it just so happens that Galactica jumps at a time the island is having one of its flashy moments. The crew crash lands and the island cures Laura’s cancer. It turns out the Oceanic Six are the important ones because they are the descendants of the Final Five Cylons. Laura and Bill become King and Queen of the island, they adopt Ben and Daniel, Jack cries a million tears after becoming part of the Lee/Kara/Anders affair, and Kate gets tossed out of an airlock. I like my idea.

It has been a blast and an honor talking about this show so often and recapping it over at The Two Cents.com. I’ve honestly not had a better time with any show, even my first real love, The X-Files. Battlestar Galactica trumps all in the end, and I suspect it always will. Until twenty five years go by and Bodie Olmos plays Adama, the kid who played Boxy plays Lee, and Amy Adams plays Laura Roslin.

So say we all.

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.

The Final 10

On January 16th, Battlestar Galactica will return for its final ten episodes ever. On March 20th, it will bow out gracefully, on its own terms which is what every great show hopes for. As of Friday, it has been 217 days since the last new episode. Somehow, through all of that, I have been able to remain spoiler free. Rumor has it we're supposed to find out who the 12th and final cylon is extremely early in the ten episodes but that's all I know. Apparently, someone leaked the information of who that final cylon is and I have to say: Shame on the people who can't wait through (at most) 10 episodes to find out something we've been waiting to know for what feels like forever. I've been guilty of the occasional spoiler, and I do know the saying about casting stones. At this point though, googling who the final cylon is will feel like cheating. It's one of the only times I can remember that I've been so adamant about staying spoiler free. (The only other show I'm like this with is LOST; it's so much fun to speculate theories and then slowly figure out which ones are right and which are wrong.)

But enough about how I feel regarding spoilers. No one came here for that; no...I have a confession to make. A confession, then a list of the 10 episodes you have to watch between now and Friday. My confession is this: Any time I tell people that I watch BSG or that I'm a fan, I preface with: "I know it's sci-fi but..."

Why, my dear readers, would I ever feel like I have to defend such an amazing television show? It might stem from how I originally felt about the show before I'd ever watched an episode: that sci-fi immediately equaled geeks who'd previously been Star Trek fanatics and a love for all things Star Wars. I definitely don't fit into that mold. I only know enough about Star Trek to recognize important moments in television history (the first interracial kiss on screen!) and Star Wars...well, that's right over my head. But with Battlestar Galactica, I strongly feel that if people would just give it a chance, they'd realize it was so much more than sci-fi. It's life and death and war and love. It's an amazing allegory for the state of the world and before people judge it, they should see an episode. Unfortunately, there is a bias against sci-fi, not just among my peers, but on the award show front as well - but that's a whole other post.

And now, the 10 episodes you have to watch before the Friday!

***

33 - This is the episode that I use to hook people on the show. It has worked 9 times out of 10. The only reason I make it a must see is because it not only gives you a good feel for what happens on the show without having to make a newbie sit through the two hour mini-series, it also gives you the raw emotion and downright amazing acting from all of the characters. To get back into the feel of Galactica, and to get your adrenaline pumping, watch this episode.

***

Resistance - Everything seems to be going to hell in a hand basket after Adama's been shot and is in extremely critical condition. We also get a number on how many cylons are in the fleet - eight. This episode also served as the introduction of Anders. Get ready to bump that number up to nine.

***

Home Part 2 - For the first (but not the last) time, Adama goes to get his woman off of a planet. After recovering from his gunshot wound, he heads down to Kobol to tell Laura that he's sorry for throwing her in jail. And he also tries to choke Sharon to death since that was the Cylon model that tried to kill him. The map to Earth is also revealed, in a scene that still gives me goosebumbs.

***

Resurrection Ship Part 2 - After the Pegasus, another battlestar, was found with the tough as nails Admiral Cain in charge, Adama and crew slowly realized that Cain was a killer. Hell bent on revenge against the cylons, she doesn't give two cents about the survival of the human race. Laura tells Bill that he has to assassinate Cain, while Cain comes up with a similar plan to assassinate Bill. Neither plan is carried out, and the cylon Cain's crew had been torturing eventually shoots and kills the Admiral. Laura and Bill finally kiss after she promotes him to the Admiral position. (Literally?)

***

Exodus Part 2 - For the second time on the show, Adama is going to get his woman. Okay, so he's going back for the rest of humanity too, but the rescue scene from New Caprica ranks as one of the best scenes in this show. Back story: Under the reign of President Baltar, a planet is found and humanity attempts to colonize. A year later the cylons find them and the planet turns into one big detention camp. The reuniting of the fleet is touching, though I still feel a little let down that there was no reunion scene between Adama and Roslin.

***

Unfinished Business - Nothing really happened plot wise; instead we go back to that time on New Caprica before the cylons came back. Adama with his pornstache got high with Laura as they cuddled under the stars, Lee and Kara slept together and screamed their love to the world, then Kara went off and married Anders. What the frak? All of this shown to us in flashback as everyone releases some tension in the boxing ring of Galactica.

***

Taking a Break From all Your Worries - Or, The Episode Where Laura Lost Her Mind on Gaius Baltar. Fed up with the man on a human level, she threatens to airlock him, then with the help of Cottle and Adama, attempts torture to get the information she's wanting regarding his part in the destruction of the Colonies. When all is said and done, as Laura lays in the Admiral's quarters, they decide that ultimately, they have to give the man a fair trial for crimes committed against humanity.

***

Crossroads Part 2 - Gaius gets a trial and is eventually found not guilty. Not innocent though, mind you. Starbuck was dead and now she's alive again, Laura's cancer is back, and Tigh, Tory, Chief and Anders are all revealed to be Cylons.

(This is where it gets kind of hard. I know that there were some amazing moments in the first part of season 4, but this is a top 10 list. And yes, I totally picked one of these because of my complete love of Adama and Laura.)

***

The Hub - Laura and Gaius plus some crew members are stuck on a cylon base star after the Hybrid jumps away from Galactica. Laura and Gaius try to get the Hybrid to stop jumping in a rare comedic display. When Gaius is hurt, he finally admits to Laura that he helped the Cylons in the initial attack on the Colonies and she almost lets him die. That is until, through a series of internal dialogues she realizes that she just can't let the man die. She also realizes that she loves Adama, and when he goes to get his woman (for the third time on this show!) she finally tells him so. 'Shippers everywhere rejoice. (But can we get a kiss?)

***

Revelations - Years of searching for Earth has come down to this: Caprica Six is pregnant and Tigh is the baby daddy. When Adama finds out that his best friend for decades is a Toaster, there is emotional fall out. Lee has been President due to Laura's absence and nearly airlocks Tigh, Anders and Chief, until Starbuck saves the day with the coordinates to Earth. The cylons and humans make a shaky agreement not to kill one another anymore and there is much rejoicing as they all head down to the planet that is to be their salvation...

...and it's a total nuclear wasteland. Frak.

***

What happens next?! Who is the 12th Cylon?! What happened to Earth?! Questions will be answered as we watch our show take its final curtain call starting this Friday, January 16th at 10/9 central. I leave you all with this quote about the upcoming episodes:

"I'm resigned to the fact that the final Cylon will be controversial. Some people will love the choice, some will really hate it. And I can live with that. But the revelation itself doesn't answer every question. The viewers still won't know what the Final Five's relationship is to the other Cylons or to the mythology of the show." - Ron Moore in the January 12-25 issue of TV Guide.

Who is the final Cylon - Part 2

There was an over-whelming response to my last post, so I figured I should actually do a part 2 even though I'm pretty sold on the fact that the final cylon is in my previous post. Let me reiterate that there are absolutely NO SPOILERS HERE. Speculation is a given but if you think you know something concrete, don't ruin it for everyone, okay? Now, let's get down to business.

Candidate number five:
















William Adama
I'm not sure how I would feel about this man being the final cylon. Actually, I imagine that I'd feel a little dirty somehow; like every thing I felt for this ultimate hero had been for absolutely nothing. This is the man who fights the war day after day after day. He's been beat up, shot up, risked his life countless times and has never said "You know what, frak this I WAS RETIRING." It would be crushing to see him revealed as a cylon, so let's hope that all this speculation is wrong.

Candidate number six:

















Lee Adama
I've never liked this guy, but that doesn't mean I think he's a cylon. It would seem impossible for him to be a skin-job based off of simple mechanics: He has a father and a mother whom we've seen. And unless the whole Adama clan is robotic, I'm not sure how Carolanne could push a pre-made cylon out of her who-ha. Unless she was a victim of cylon experimentation; but we've seen how well that goes. (Read: Not well.)

Candidate number seven:















Kara Thrace
Let's break this down.

Reasons for: She did that whole dying and then coming back thing, she's so awesome that she couldn't be anything BUT a cylon, she frakked Gaius and he's clearly just a toaster lover (see all the women he's slept with except that ultra religious cult chick. Times were tough; give him a break.), she was pursued very heavily by Leoben, and she adamantly insists that she knows exactly where Earth is.

Reasons against: Obvious choice is obvious.

Candidate number eight:


















Billy
UGH, BECAUSE I MISS HIM, OKAY? And Knight Rider SUCKS.

So, that's the rest of my list. There are obvious choices that I'm leaving out like Cally, Helena Cain and Rachael Ray, but that's because I want to hear your thoughts on this and I didn't want to take all of the good ones. Tell me what you think!

Who is the final Cylon - Part I

Let it be said that I do not know who the final Cylon is. I have avoided spoilers on this topic like the plague. Some things I do like to know, but this is one thing that I want to find out with the rest of the world; on David Eick and Ron Moore's dime. So, this is just going to be my thoughts on who I think the final Cylon could be.

I promise, no spoilers for the upcoming season at all.

Candidate number one:

Laura Roslin

Okay, now hear me out. You all know how deep my love is for Laura Roslin. And even though she's my number one option, there are good arguments that go both ways. Back in season one, Gaius Baltar was creating his cylon detector. Using a bit of DNA, it would purportedly reveal who was a cylon and who was not. (We saw this work in the case of Boomer, but Gaius lied about the results to keep her from going crazy on him.) When trying to decide who should get tested first, Adama and Laura held this exchange:

Roslin: So, who's going to go first?

Adama: Oh, the tests, right. Well, I think people in sensitive positions should go first.

Roslin: I completely agree. How about you?

Adama: Excuse me?

Roslin: If you're a Cylon, I'd like to know.

Adama: If I'm a Cylon, you're really screwed.

Roslin: Seriously. I do think that you should go first. Show everyone in the fleet that they can trust the people at the top.

Adama: Then maybe you should go first. [Pause] All right. I'll go first.

Roslin: I think that's good. I do.

Now, nowhere after that do we get to have a conversation or scene where Laura gets her test done. She pushed for Adama to go before her and really wasn't going to rest until he did. Did she ever get a test? We could argue though that the final five don't know that they're cylons, but what if some part of her programming was kicked on instinctively - self preservation and all that? My argument for why she shouldn't be the final cylon, and why I honestly hope she isn't is that she is the most human character out of all the characters on the show. (At least in my 'hardly ever matters' opinion.) She's had the very real struggle of breast cancer and her morality, and through those two things has had the most character development out of anyone in four seasons. I would hate to see all of that washed away with the revelation that she was just a skin job.

Candidate number two:

Felix Gaeta

There are a lot of pros and cons weighing against Felix. For one, he's been Baltar's biggest fanboy since the first episode they were in the same room together. Even on New Caprica when he could have left his position and gone to live with the rest of the fleet, he stayed by Baltar's side. Could it be because Gaius knows that Felix is a cylon? Could something like that have been revealed to Gaius? One could argue that Felix helped the insurgency by feeding them information, but then again, the insurgency was led by Tyrol and Tigh. We also had the Hybrid babbling on something about the final Cylon crawling out of the darkness. With Gaeta's leg amputated that could metaphorically be him, but it looks like he gets around pretty well with a crutch.

Candidate number three:

Anastasia 'Dee' Dualla

All I have for Dee is that back in season one, Leoben whispered in Laura Roslin's ear: "Adama is a cylon". He could have been frakking with her, and we saw that she was suspicious of Bill after that, but what if he meant a different Adama? It's true he could have been talking about Lee or even Zak...Carolanne? (Please, no.) But he also could have been talking about Dee who is now an Adama by marriage, even if said marriage is apparently over because Lee is...well, that's a conversation for another post.

Candidate number four:

Oprah Winfrey

She alone will have survived Earth's terrible apocalypse (and if it's the past; Oprah is a 2,000 year old oracle) and will be the one to surprise the fleet. "You're all getting BRAND NEW CAAAA-AAAARS! Welcome to Earth!"

Tune in next week for Who is the final Cylon part II!

Battlestar Galactica - Counting down to the end

You will never know how much it hurts to write that subject line. If you think back to when the mini-series originally aired which was back in 2003, we've been inundated with this show for a good five years. We've had four seasons, with the final half starting in January, and I'm approaching it now with mixed feelings. On one hand, I am glad that this show knows when to bow out. I admire Ron Moore and David Eick for being able to look at such an amazing show and decide that the story is coming to an end. It will wrap up on their terms and not because of an actor's contract expiring and temper tantrums over pay or the networks yanking the show early. That should give all of us something to be happy about. But on the other hand, it feels like there's this heavy weight in the pit of my stomach. I'm excited for the show to come back - in fact I feel like I'm starting to go through withdrawals right now. In the same breath, once it comes back, there will be no more hiatuses. No more waiting for the premiere date, no more counting the days on my calender. It will really be over.

Before it sings its final swan song, there are just a few things I want to see happen. Nothing major; not really. Just things that as a fan I've been hoping to see or at the very least see acknowledged on the show. In no particular order, here they are:

Bill & Laura

We got the 'I love you' in the first installment of season 4, and even my father (who has an exterior as gruff as Adama's) seemed to melt just a little. It was sweet and whispered, it felt like the right moment, and it was a perfect scene for the two of them. When that basestar jumped into view and Adama couldn't take his eyes off of it, in my head he was thinking I'm going to get my woman. (Am I alone in this train of thought?) The scene was just as perfect as their brief kiss way back in season two after she promoted him to Admiral. Tender and soft and with just enough emotion to make you get a lump in your throat. All of that being said, I'm not saying I want to see Bill and Laura getting hot and heavy in a rack (secretly; yes), but I am dying to see at least another kiss. Something that gives all us A/R shippers a little more validity to their relationship. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell are such phenomenal actors that they could pull off that scene with the classiness their characters deserve. So, before the end, I'd like more regarding their relationship.

Laura's cancer

Before you all skip over this one, let me make one thing clear. I am unbelievably attached to the character of Laura Roslin. I love the character, I love the actress, I love what she stands for and I feel sorry for the person who tells me they hate Madame President. That being said, my heart will not be able to take watching her die. I will end up having a nervous break down and probably call out sick from work. I don't care what they have to do to make it not so. A magical unicorn could be found on Earth and cure her for all I care. It could all be a dream or Earth could actually be the island on LOST. I. Don't. Care. I know that this would make the whole 'dying leader' thing a moot point but when it comes to continuity and her cancer it wouldn't even bother me. Adama has finally found a woman he loves who loves him back and she's going to get killed off - just like every other person he loves. I mean, except for Starbuck, but she's questionable. And I know that Lee's not dead but he flip flops so much between being pissed at his dad and crying over him that Adama needs the stability of Laura being a rock for him.

I totally forgot where I was going with this, but my point is, I don't want Laura Roslin to die, even though I know there are reasons for it and the writers would do it with dignity.

(At the risk of sounding like Seinfeld) What is up with Earth?

I'd like for there to be a way for the characters to find out why Earth is a wasteland. Is it future Earth, or are they stuck in between eras? Is that even Earth? I think it would be great if Laura pulled out her scrolls of Pythia and after a moment of silence said "Oh, guys...my bad. My bad, everyone back in the battlestar, we took a wrong turn at the Lion's Head Nebula."

Is it a boy or a girl?

I'm not talking about the final cylon because we know the writers won't end the show without telling us that. I'm talking about Six and Tigh's baby. I want to see her go through pregnancy and Tigh get all freaked out about fatherhood in his 60s. (Has to be early 60s, right?) I think the writers have a great set up on their hands full of potential tender moments from Tigh. Not that he's ever been a teddy bear, but it will be awkward and sweet to see the old alcoholic holding his own infant.

Aside from things like happy endings and Adama and Roslin riding off into the sunset (which I know will never happen) this is pretty much my check-list going into the end of the show. I know it's a shallow list, but a fangirl can dream, right?

Addendum: I also hope down to the last fiber of my soul that this show finally gets an Emmy after it's off the air. Please, please, PLEASE for the love of all that is good and just in this world, hand out Emmy's for outstanding actor, actress, writing and show. It's been over-looked for far too long, and is loved by too many people for it to be ignored.