BSG 3.01: "Occupation/Precipice"

[hsapiens]

To borrow a phrase from Stargate...Holy Hannah! I wasn't much fond of the last 10? minutes for the season ender for S2 but I trusted the writers enough to know that how S3 opened would decide for me whether I ultimately thought the weird ending for S2 was good or not.

Some things I'm having a little bit of trouble with, still, but oh my god. That is so the way to open a season. So many very interesting references to current events but all twisted in a way I'd never expect to see on American television. I'll write more when I've watched it again and can wrap my brain around the two hours of dark goodness. Holy Hannah!

*hugs beloved and bedraggled Stargate* So sad to say, but if you want your audience to understand why it's imperative to fight the soul-crushing peril that the Ori theoretically are, THIS is the way to do it.

Comments

[ml-spikie.livejournal.com]

*tries to remember which episode that was* Oh hell, I'm too old and feeble. I'll have to look it up. I think it was geonncannon who said that the Atlantis mid-season cliffhanger reminded him of the old days of SG-1. There are glimpses of those old sparks in the current episodes, but when I go back and watch old episodes, I really think how much I love it. I really think the potential is there with the new cast additions and the new villain. I just wish the SciFi channel felt the same way. *sigh*

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

Oh, I'm not babbling about Stargate; I'm stealing from homaging Stargate. This was a response to that show I think you don't like, Battlestar Galactica.

I wish I could love Atlantis. Maybe if they can capture an old style SG-1 vibe, I'll be hooked. It just seems like so many of the things that I disliked about later SG-1 were even more pronounced in SGA because it was the same writers but unencumbered by the preceding 6 years of strong storylines to tether them to what makes good television.

[ml-spikie.livejournal.com]

After replying to your comment in my LJ, I realized that I never replied to this comment. I wouldn't say that I "don't like" BSG. I just never got into it. I suppose mostly because for a time I was afraid to commit to many new shows because I did not have time to keep up with them while I was finishing school (accelerated program while working full-time - insanity at its finest)...and graduating with a 3.99. *brags a little and provides clue about OCD tendencies* I don't think I watched anything on television except Stargate for those two whole years - and most of Stargate was caught up on through the DVDs. Anyway, it's quite clear to me that you are very sharp. Your writing and insight into things is quite impressive. As for me, I think I have a tendency to be somewhat less critical of television shows that I watch. When I compare earlier SG1 to newer SG1, yes, the quality is definitely not the same. At the same time, though, I just get caught up in enjoying watching SG-1 and Atlantis because I enjoy the Stargate concept and the actors. I think my major disappointment occurred with the 200th episode - it just didn't do it for me - and that is probably one of the first times I can say that an episode was really exceptionally disappointing.

Is there anything wrong with your critical eye? Absolutely not. I have an incredible tendency to be very critical of live theatre since I used to do so much of it. I guess just not so much with television - I must just be getting lazy!

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

*blush* Thank you for the compliments. You are too kind.

I didn't just comment in your LJ, I spammed your LJ. Sorry 'bout that and that my rambling didn't annoy you. :| I do hope that today is a better day for you.

I don't see how anyone has a television when in school. I had a hard enough time themselves, after all. (Congrats on a 3.99!)

FWIW, BSG is definitely a show worth catching up on if you ever find a really good sale on the DVDs. It's much darker than I normally like but it's a very interesting, thought-provoking series that asks lots of interesting questions like, "What makes humans worth saving?" Anywho, I won't proselytize. It most definitely is not anything like the old BSG but I have no trouble making room in my head for well-written AUs in fanfic; this isn't really so different. It has a few flaws but the positives outweigh the negatives by leaps and bounds.

I'm fairly critical of television if I like a show. If it's crap, there's no point critiquing; I'll just turn the channel or turn the tube off entirely. Mostly if I'm watching, it's a documentary or CNN (especially now that the political news isn't so depressing).

I admit that I bring the same set of expectations to any show I watch: I want it to challenge me, perhaps make me think in new ways, and open my horizons. It's nice if it can also make me laugh, feel a little lust, and generally enjoy myself. Old school SG-1 worked on those levels. Now, I get my fix from BSG.

I'll admit that I enjoyed the 200th episode far more than I expected to. Certainly more than the 100th episode. Mostly, I've given up on SG-1 providing truly meaty social commentary or even storylines that make me re-examine my outlook/opinions. I'm hoping for good character moments and not so much really bad writing that my brain hurts. I'm still watching because I've "met" a bunch of the actors/behind-the-scenes folks at cons and it feels like "keeping in touch" with friends. Well, okay, and the concentration of pretty people. It's sort of my RSS feed of sci-fi lust. ;-)

[betacandy.livejournal.com]

This is totally irrelevant, but I've just realized my friends page on LJ hasn't been showing your entries for a few weeks now (not sure how long, as I've been crazy busy).

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

Hahahahahahahahaha! I'm sorry it wasn't working but I'm glad for it in a tiny way because I got to see THAT icon. Love it!

And, of course, it's seemingly solved so that's cool. If you ever want another round of M.A.D., just let me know. ;-)

[betacandy.livejournal.com]

Oh, that icon is by _tayler or an LJ user called _tayler if I've messed up the LJ code there. She's AWESOME! I have about 15 of hers. :D

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

Oooooooo! Shiny! Thanks for that lead. _tayler makes funny, very clean icons. (Clean referring to style, not content.) I noticed that (he?/she?) posts over at retro_icons and promptly joined that community. Lots of gorgeous work over there.

[betacandy.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! Somehow I missed retro-icons! This is like a buffet of great icons!

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

Isn't it, though? I was giddy to find the community. That's an aesthetic I didn't yet have represented in my icon friends. I'm a sucker for those 50s graphics with snarky verbiage. I'm also a fan of a lot of "classic" stars, so it's always nice to see Audrey Hepburn and Robert Redford pop up on a page of icon posts.

[selmak.livejournal.com]

Yes, Yes, Yes. BSG, what an incredible show. I'm so glad that it's NOT heading toward NBC as a season replacement series as NBC would dumb it down and turn it into TV accessible to the mindless masses.

Lordie, the only show that made me yell "OMG" was B5, up until now. I think the first time I saw Edward James Olmos as Adama, I literally thought, "Lorne Greene who?". Michael Hogan's Tighe took me a little longer to get hooked (maybe because as a young fangrrrl geekette I had a major crush on the old Tighe), but he's absolutely scary as Saul Tighe, damaged goods.

And I truly believe that while Saul Tighe is fracking Ellen, his heart truly belongs to Bill Adama. :P

Can't wait to see you in NJ!

[hsapiens.livejournal.com]

Was that its planned fate?!? Gods, I'm glad it dodged that bullet. I just don't think they'd be able to show the heroes strapping bombs to themselves and blowing up the marketplace in today's US political climate.

And oh yes -- B5 was a sci fi junkie's dream. (OK, when one disregars the deleterious effects of the yearly uncertainty as to whether B5 would actually get its entire 5 years filmed.) It's still my gold standard in terms of plot, continuity, and character development. BSG ranks with it in my books. The production values are superior in BSG and, well, I'm just totally in love with the show. At least, when we're focusing mostly on human/Cylon conflict or Cylon/Cylon. Human/human? Not so much.

EJO totally walks on set and owns Adama. I never once looked back in fond rememberance of the other. In fact, this show is so different that I don't really equate or compare the two. It really is like a wonderfully written AU fanfic for the original. And, just like in fanfic, sometimes it's better than what I'm getting in the source material. ;-)

I'll admit, I spent a lot of time the first season watching the development of Baltar and enjoyed watching them put together a character who I knew was destined to betray humanity. Other than that, I just didn't care how the new related to the old because it was fully satisfying all on its very own.

I think I had crushes on damned near every cast member of the original series. It didn't hurt that my first crush is life was on the Greek God Apollo (hey, being a nerd/archaeologist is in my blood, baby!) and there was a show with Apollo. :) Starbuck was hot and had plenty of 'tude. The women were pretty. Even the kid was cute. (Hey! I was young. Honest.) Shit, I even wanted my own robot dog.

Now I'm older, I think I have a crush on just about everyone on BSG, and I may replace my aging dog with a robot version if he doesn't stop peeing on the floor when Joe goes out of town on business. ;-)