Stargate started off the night with, "Ethon." On balance, it left me very, very happy. Random memories...

- I'm with just about every other fan I've read, Michael Shanks was back in character; the Daniel whom so many of us fell in love with was in the house. Huge, relieved fangirl squee. I love the Daniel who doesn't give up on people, even when he thinks they've killed his team. Although, Daniel is sure sounding Canadian these days. That accent is creeping through more and more for him and for Amanda Tapping, though hers is less egregious. I suppose I'll have to fanwank it as the accent Daniel acquired when he was passing for Canadian while backpacking through Europe as a young college lad.

- Speaking of that, I wibbled when Daniel was in the jail after the Prometheus was destroyed. Damn, it's such a pleasure when Daniel is present. But can I say that I soooooo do not appreciate this crap about yet another inappropriate relationship? Sam and Jack (I know, a couple people here will disagree) was inappropriate and Daniel and Leda-the-Married-Woman was inappropriate. That scene wouldn't have bugged me if Daniel had reached out in sympathy, to comfort the widower instead of shrinking in on himself. Grrrrrr. Since the writers' idea of romance really bugs me, I wish they'd just not write it.

- Yay for team! Woot! The reunion amongst Sam, Teal'c, and Cameron was exactly the sort of stuff that makes me happy. *sniffle* Excellent, excellent.

- I think by now my love of slash has been established, though my dirty secret is that with very rare instances, I haven't ever seen the Jack/Daniel subtext. But even I am being hit over the head with the Cameron/Teal'c sparkage. Not that I want anything on screen - see my previous bitchery about writers not writing what I consider satisfying romance - and frankly I like it left for the viewers to interpret. But that Cameron has got the fanboy man-crush thing going on Teal'c. ;-)

- Strangely cute way for them to wrap it up, with Daniel eyeing the can of Coors with a head-tilt mannerism remininscent of my very cute dog. Having seen Michael suck down the beers in rapid succession, I know that was acting. ;-) Seriously, though, weird juxtaposition of his body language and the topic under discussion. Very dark, very realistic.

- In no way sorry to see the Prometheus blown up. I don't like abandoning the Stargate for the stupid ships. I was, however, very sad to see the captain die. They finally figured out a way to film someone's death in a way that touched me, though I really wish they'd quit the character slaughter they've been on since Season 5.

- Minor quibbles: Couldn't they at least have stuck in a, "General Landry gave us the go" line? It's really weird for a team to just decide to go on a mission. I'd really have preferred to see Carter as the Cassandra here. "But these plans don't indicate power source and we know it's coming from the Orii...maybe we should be a little cautious?" and then getting overruled by an overzealous military member. SOMETHING to show that Sam has learned to be a little more cautious? Then again, maybe not; one of her endearing qualities is her self-assuredness. Um, if the first shot goes right through your shields and your engines won't let you retreat, maybe maneuvering around instead of sitting in one place would defeat the satellite's targeting system? At least try it? If you have Asgard beams, why not beam the satellite itself out of the control range of the planet? At least try it? There were lots of options that even I, totally at sea in all things military, can think of that weren't tried. I don't mind that they take some shortcuts, but I'd like our highly competent military teams at least look like they are.

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-Very short notes on Stargate Atlantis (haven't a clue what the episode name was). I'm not generally a fan and I thought the plot entirely too predictable. Read above bitchery about the writers' way of writing romance/sex and my views. *yawn*

- Peter Woodward!!!! Loved him in Crusade. Love the weapons and fighting show he has done for the history channel. Has a mesmerizing voice and I didn't give three figs that most everything else around him, down to the obvious budget-conscious "duplicate city," was just stupid and annoying.

- The only other thing that wasn't annoying? HARLAN!!!! er, the King. :) I sooooo wanted to hear him ask Carson if he was there to make him, better.

- ETA: Oh yeah, should I bitch about the fact that only men have this ancient gene, thus far, or should we just take it as I thoroughly snarked about this stupidity with its cliché "princess must shag John to produce progeny with a 'strong' Ancient gene to save herself from a forced marriage worse than death" storyline *barf* *barf again* *barf a third time* and not torture anyone with my extreme annoyance?

- The writers' complete ignorance on all things biological has always made this show impossible for me to enjoy. I sure hope the SGC has shared this new form of 'gene therapy' with leukemia and sickle cell anemia patients. Especially seeing as it's so rapid and painless and all. *sigh*

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Battlestar Galactica was back in fine form. Last week's episode left me wondering if the Stargate writers had wandered into the wrong offices and left a romance script there. Blech.

Anyhow, we now learn that Starbuck is also battling suicidal tendencies. Struck me as annoying at first - after all, Apollo has got that topic covered and couldn't we come up with some different problems to explore? - but on giving it thought...it would be a HUGE problem for people stuck in space, running from the "toasters" who just blew up most everyone they ever knew. So, um, yeah, depression and substance abuse in more than one lead seems realistic.

I kinda wish I'd seen the alcohol, the angst, and the depression coming with Starbuck but I won't know how truly it is out of left field until I get the DVDs and sit down and watch them in rapid succession. Not so impressed with her falling into alcohol abuse seeing as she was riding Tighe for the self-same problem. Pot, meet kettle.

Cat is developing into a character and I find I like her - and hate her. She's wrong to undermine Starbuck's authority at every turn but then she's not actually wrong in her accusations. I hate seeing her kick Starbuck when she's down but it's not as if handling Starbuck with kid gloves would be effective.

A lot of fans are happy over the Starbuck/Apollo almost-sex. I liked it for Apollo's insight into Starbuck's ability to deal with live men - and it had some real heat, the two have chemistry - but I'd rather pull back from their conflagration. I find a little dose does me, really. I liked them more together when they're buddies, watching each others' backs. Besides, too many "almosts" and it gets annoying and coy.

The Starbuck / Sharon scene could well be my favorite. It's fascinating to ponder a shifting emotional landscape in which your best friend turns out to be the enemy. I still haven't figured out the individual Cylon motivations but I watch in fascination each week, hoping to fogure them out. Lots of good angst potential and they know how to use it. The guards' reaction to Sharon reaching for Starbuck ripped my heart out. Beautiful, beautiful stuff.

No real Adama, Roselin, Baltar, or Six this week. And I didn't even notice until it was all over.

I know I've missed the more referential, allegorical aspects of the show - I don't seem to get those on the first watching. It's the sort of thing I have to let simmer in my brain and stew before I decide what it means to me re. everyday life and the current geopolitical landscape. For now, it's all surface.