Category Archives: Prime

Battlestar Galactica S2 E17

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“The Captain’s Hand”

We’re back with more trouble aboard the Pegasus. Some of their Viper pilots disappeared and this led to conflict for Commander Garner and Starbuck, as well as Lee who arrived from Galactica as aid.

It seems like everyone on Pegasus has been hard-headed and stubborn, and Garner fell right into that category. Of course, Starbuck was not trying to keep out of trouble either.

It was clear that things were not going to go well for Garner as it seemed like every decision he made went against our main characters and that never is a way to ingratiate them into the good graces of the audience. Garner winds up dead at the end of the episode, showing that is the case.

Lee is appointed as new Commander of Pegasus by his father and that can only be a positive, right?

Lee and Anastasia Dualla’s relationship still feels quite forced to me. They kicked off the episode in bed together and I just am not sure where this entire relationship came from, outside of the last few episodes.

There was an abortion side plot going on that leads to Baltar to proclaim his candidacy for the Presidency. He surprised Roslin with his announcement at a press conference. Baltar has the backing of Tom Zarek, who realizes that Baltar has a much better chance to defeat Roslin than he does. Baltar really is a slimy dude.

Battlestar Galactica continues to be a fantastic sci-fi series with very few episodes missing the mark.

The Greatest American Hero S2 E4

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“Hog Wild”

Ralph and Bill are on the way back from a communication seminar and they come across a biker gang that was itching for trouble.

Now, Bill is anything but subtle and his borderline obnoxious personality ended up getting him three broken ribs and taken hostage by the gang.

Oh, and the gang wound up with the suit.

Of course, it only works on Ralph, but it still led to a whole bunch of trouble as the biker gang returned to a town that had run them off the day before and blackmailed Ralph into being their “muscle.”

Bill was really over the edge in this episode, displaying how he is too stubborn and hard headed in most situations. Ralph, although too involved with the communication from the seminar, does a great job doing what he could. I liked how Ralph and Bill used some other characters in the show to help the overall scenario. It was neat to see Ralph working with others without having to hide the suit.

I do think that Ralph could have taken this biker gang out much easier than he did, but I understand they needed to stretch the story to make it a full length episode. Overall, it was a fun show, but probably the weakest episode of the second season so far.

Battlestar Galactica S2 E16

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“Sacrifice”

Intense episode. Dana Delany took a longue full of people hostage in an attempt to get Adama to give over the Cylon onboard the Galactica… aka Sharon.

I thought this was a solid episode but I was not sure some of the plans that were hatched by Lee, Kara and Adama made a whole lot of sense.

I still feel as if the relationship between Lee and Dee came out of nowhere and this did not feel as earned as it could have been. However, the killing of Billy was shocking and put a serious stake on the episode.

I was not a fan of Kara shooting Lee during “friendly fire.” Starbucks just has not been portrayed recently as the kick ass pilot that she had always been and this error really brought that home. Perhaps it will lead to some serious drama between the pair, but we’ll have to see.

The other thing that I disliked was when Dana Delany told Lee that she did not believe that he would kill the man he held at gunpoint and Lee eventually dropped his gun. Did I not just see Lee shoot an unarmed crimeboss in the previous episode? I believed he absolutely would blow this guy’s head off, but he surrendered his firearm immediately.

I do believe that Lee’s character has been written inconsistently during this season, and I hope they can get him back on track, since he should be one of the top characters on the show.

Bates Motel S4 E4

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“Lights of Winter”

I’m having a tough time falling asleep, so I figured to give Norman Bates a chance to help with the shut eye. Should have guessed that it would not be the best choice.

Norman and his friend at the mental institution Julian sneaked out in the night and went to a strip club. If you knew of Norman’s proclivity to turn into his mother and murder women when he is placed in sexual situations, you could guess this was not the best idea. Thankfully, no one got murdered.

Of course, that was probably only because Julian got into a scrape with the bouncers at the strip club. Norman was in full blackout and in the personal of Mother at the time.

This led to Norman tearfully accepting whatever help Dr. Edwards was able to give him, as he realized that he was not sure what was real or not.

Meanwhile, the relationship between Norma and Alex picked up as they attended the “Lights of Winter” in town. Norma had gone to Portland to visit Emma and my first thought was… who’s running the motel? If Norma is gone and Norman is locked up and Emma is in the hospital, who is left?

Anyway, there is a woman from the bank named Rebecca, who had been having some kind of relationship with Romero prior to his marrying Norma. Rebecca had ties to Bob Paris and believed that Romero had killed him. She told Romero that Bib had a safety deposit box full of laundered money that was there for the taking, if Bob’s killer would just have the key. Romero is too smart to incriminate himself, but after the Lights of Winter, Romero and Norma discovered the house had been ransacked (perhaps someone looking for the key).

Well, that’s enough for now. I’m going to try to shut my eyes again. Here’s hoping.

Battlestar Galactica S2 E15

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“Scar”

A Battlestar Galactica Starbuck-centric episode is always great. Starbuck is simply been put through the wringer for this entire series and she has been slipping into the bottle more. Her guilt over Anders and being unable to get a rescue mission back to Caprica, as well as her guilt over the deaths of other pilots have pushed her into being very brittle.

Scar is that Cylon Raider ship that has been targeting and killing pilots in a manner unlike other Cylons. Scar is known as the “Ace of aces” and a master of sneak attacks.

The show featured the conflict between Starbuck and Kat, as the two women showed their anger with one another over just about everything.

Katee Sackhoff was exceptional in the episode, being able to play up the myriad of flaws displayed by Starbuck and still be a dominant force on Galactica.

The show told the story out of order, as it flashed from the confrontation of Starbuck and Kat with Scar, back to the time before they headed out.

There are some great action scenes in the episode too.

The Greatest American Hero S2 E3

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“Don’t Mess Around with Jim”

Did Tony flunk?

I ask because at the beginning of this episode of The Greatest American Hero, Ralph was getting after Tony to meet him at his house an hour after school let out in order for them to work together so Tony would not flunk. Tony wasn’t excited about the extra work, but he eventually agreed to Ralph’s pressure (Sure felt like blackmail to me). However, Ralph was kidnapped in the school parking lot after school and taken away.

And there was not one mention of Tony after that.

I really expected that there would be some kind of tag at the end with this dangling plot point, but there was not. So I can only assume that Tony was going to flunk.

The episode was pretty good in-between the fate of Tony. The man who had Ralph (and Bill) kidnapped was a man who had just faked his own death. A man who was big enough of a figure in the world whose funeral would be aired on live TV. This man had his will taken and needed Ralph and Bill to help him reclaim it.

The truth was mixed though. The man knew about the suit from the “little green guys” and his friend was able to tell Ralph how to use the suit’s telekinesis.

Turned out, the man who had faked his own death, at one time, had a suit of his own from the aliens. He apparently abused the power and the aliens took it away from him.

The idea that Ralph was not the first to be approached by the aliens is a fascinating idea and helped to build the world even more.

This episode was really solid and shows that this show had spent time doing more than just breaking cases. This episode was a development for both Ralph and Bill. This was the third really good episode in season two.

Bates Motel S4 E3

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“Til Death Do You Part”

Every episode that sees Norma and Romero getting closer reminds me of how much I loved them as a couple and how I wanted to root for them, despite the fact that I knew this was doomed from the start.

Their relationship feels as if it has been built since day one. While it may seem as if it were tossed together in one moment, the truth is that they have had interactions with each other since the first season and this all makes sense.

Norman is totally frightening as he is dealing with his anger at Norma for putting him in the psychiatric home. His ability to manipulate is being shown, and it is still up in the air if anyone around there believes him. Dr. Edwards seems to be very low-key and calm when dealing with Norman, but even he gave a look at the end when Norman was accusing his mother of murder that made me wonder where he was going to fall on it.

It was good to have Dylan return to lend an ear for Norma and to face off with Chick. His time with Emma has been great, but he belongs in the Bates craziness too.

Tension is building this season and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen once again.

Battlestar Galactica S2 E14

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“Black Market”

The black market of goods aboard the fleet is given some light in this episode that focuses on Lee and his recent struggles since the ejection of the blackbird.

Truth be told, the whole Apollo arch feels sloppy. Much of what was going on, things that seemed to be a huge problem for Lee felt like it just showed up now and did not seem to fit in to what I knew of the character. There were a bunch of things in this episode like that. One in particular is Lee who had been taking up with a prostitute on Cloud Nine, a prostitute who had a child. I was not sure where this was supposed to have come from and it was jarring when she was there.

It was the same thing about the flashbacks to Lee’s former girlfriend prior to the Cylon attack. I knew little to nothing about this woman and, because of that, I had little to no emotional connection to her.

I also was not sure about the relationship between Apollo and Dee. This did not seem like much of a relationship before. It always felt as if Apollo was more with Starbuck, and Dee was with Billy. Maybe I missed something important, but it just felt lacking.

The stare down with Apollo and black market head Phelan was intense and ended surprisingly. I kind of liked that, even if it felt like it went against Apollo’s character. At least that felt like a choice he made to make things better.

Overall, this was not a strong episode and felt as if it lacked the narrative that this show is used to presenting.

Bates Motel S4 E2

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“Goodnight Mother”

I really love the relationship that developed in this series between Norma Bates and Alex Romero. Alex, who is anything but an angel, goes to such lengths to help Norma.

Freddie Highmore is exceptional. You can see how he is slipping deeper into his own insanity with every scene. Despite what we know of the eventual fate of Norman Bates, you can’t help but hope he makes it through.

That said, Norman’s mental break this episode was absolutely frightening. You could tell that Norman really believed that Norma was the person who had killed all the other women, even though none of that made any sense. It just fueled his rage and Highmore was compelling the whole time.

The show then juxtaposed Norman’s story of downward spiral with the new hope given to Emma after the lung transplant. The scene of Emma taking her first breaths in the hospital was just as powerful and engaging as the scenes of Norman and Norma.

With all her flaws and lack of trust, Norma Bates truly loves Norman, which makes everything that goes down here even more tragic. Bates Motel succeeds dramatically at making Norma Bates a deeply three-dimensional character and the fact that she winds up dead and in an attic is even more tragic. It provided even more layers to the film Psycho than it had before.

The Greatest American Hero S2 E2

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“Operation: Spoilsport”

I think this was the best episode of The Greatest American Hero that we have seen so far.

I actually remember this episode from when I first watched it back int he 1980s because of what was different. In the episode on Amazon Prime that I watched today, there were several songs used as a soundtrack as Ralph and Bill raced around trying to prevent the launch of nuclear weapons via a computer program called Operation: Spoilsport. The nuclear weapons were intended to be a preemptive strike on the USSR and General Stocker (played by John Anderson) was behind the strike, bringing the story of Dr. Strangelove to The Greatest American Hero.

What I remember clearly about this episode was the use of the song “Eve of Destruction.” I believe it was the first time I heard this song and it was so much more powerful with this than the songs than the original songs that were on the version on Prime.

There was a definite thrill in this episode as the chance of a launch of nuclear weapons from a crazed general is a danger that loomed large in the 1980s. Ralph and Bill’s desperation fit right in with the tone of the episode, which still had its comedic flavor, but the humor was in its proper place and was not over used. The threat of nuclear war was real at the time and this story of two heroes doing everything they could to prevent it was epic.

Yes, the special effects are of the 1980s TV variety, but that is not the show’s fault. The storytelling was strong and these two characters reacted in ways that you understood.

Connie Sellecca was reserved for a phone call cameo, apparently since she was pregnant at the time.

We also saw the return of the little green guys who communicated with Ralph through the radio as well as through a dead guy (which was actually kind of creepy).

Great episode.

Battlestar Galactica S2 E13

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“Epiphanies”

I am officially unsure completely which side is the good guys on Battlestar Galactica.

The second season has spent much of it so far making it shades of grey. The Cylons are being shown not just as machines that are evil and looking to destroy humanity. And the humans are being shown potentially as warmongers. This episode did not do anything to dismiss that idea. In fact, when they were attempting to take Sharon’s baby against her will, I found myself completely behind Sharon.

As I said, this is absolutely not a show about good and evil. The shades of grey are all over the place.

VP Dr. Baltar surprised me in this episode with his last minute saving of President Roslin. I supposed someone could argue that he was doing this only to save the life of Sharon’s baby.

I was not sure if Roslin was going to be saved at the end, but it does not surprise me that she was. She has been a major character and letting her die off in the middle of the second season would be a huge swing. The show is starting to plant the seeds of problems between Roslin and Baltar as she was having memories of seeing him with Number Six making out.

Then, of course, there is the nuclear warhead Baltar sent to Gina on Cloud Nine. Where is that heading?

Bates Motel S4 E1

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“A Danger to Himself and Others”

Norman Bates has gone off the deep end.

In a show that takes the character of Norman Bates as a young adult, the main protagonist of this show is really Norma Bates. Her desperation in trying to protect her son is the driving force in her life, sending her off to do crazy things in the name of her son. Is she really helping him? No, not really.

Norma going to Romero and asking him to marry her so she could get insurance to admit Norman to a mental health facility is shocking. The disgust on Alex’s face when Norma said she’d sleep with him was actually more telling than you would think. It’s not as if Romero has clean hands. His hands were quite literally covered with blood at the episode’s beginning when he hid the body of Bob (who he had shot in the season four finale) by sinking his boat in the lake. Still, I know how Romero and Norma end up and they are destined for each other.

The show is also very much about parents and children as we meet Emma’s absentee mom. She tries to come see Emma as she is having her lung transplant, but Emma’s father Will sends her away. Emma’s mother then tries to go to the Bates Motel to have Norma help her, but Norma turned her away. Unfortunately for Emma’s mom, she came across Norman all blacked out and dressed up in mother’s robe. Norman strangled her to death, adding to his body count. As of this episode, we know Norman has killed his father, Miss Watson, Bradley Martin, and now Emma’s mother Audrey Ellis. Am I forgetting anyone?

This episode has a look at the state of mental health in the country as the institution that Norman is taken to after the farmer knocked him out (which was an epic moment) was shown as scary, overcrowded, and dark. The mentally ill have such a stigma connected to them that these types of places are operating to the best of their abilities, lacking the funds and the personnel to handle the cases that they have to handle. It’s the type of place where those without money or insurance, like Norma, have to send their loved ones who need help. meanwhile, there are lovely facilities that require waiting lists and lots of cash. It is just another example of the levels of class distinction and how it affects the people of the country.

This show has never shied away from the illustration of violence, in particular against women. In order to show the complexities of the character of Norman Bates, they must show a background that would lead him to the iconic character from Psycho. It can be difficult to watch at times, but it is always compelling.

The Greatest American Hero S2 E1

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“The Two-Hundred-Mile-an-Hour Fast Ball”

We start off season two of the Greatest American Hero with the happy return of Ralph’s original last name, Hinkley. Ralph Hanley is gone for good. At the end of the last season, they had to change Ralph’s last name because of the assassination attempt against Ronald Reagan by John Hinkley.

Ralph is going undercover on the California Stars, a MLB team (meant to be the LA Dodgers as it was filmed at Dodger Stadium), because someone is beating up the Star’s best players in an attempt to make them lose. Ralph and the suit are able to throw the fastest fast ball and attracts the attention of the bad guys.

This was a weird episode with Ralph using the suit to actually play major league baseball and not just go undercover. Bill got him a contract and everything.

Markie Post was guest starring as the Stars owner. Don Drysdale appeared too as the baseball announcer.

There was a scene where Markie Post told Ralph that Mike Douglas wanted him on his show, but every time Ralph said the word Mike Douglas, it looked like his lips was saying something else. Maybe “Merv”, like Merv Griffin.

Connie Sellecca only made a cameo appearance in the episode on the phone.

Kind of a strange episode. The Stars’ manager was involved in the plot and was trying to fix it so his team would lose. However, it is sort of a performance-enhancing situation with Ralph and his super powered suit. That does feel like he cheated in the end which did not mesh with the character of Ralph Hinkley.

Battlestar Galactica S2 E11, E12

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“Resurrection Ship, Part 1, and Part 2”

I had watched episode 10 the other day and I had intended on watching another episode right away. That was when I noticed that episodes 11 & 12 were two-parter and that I did not have time to watch both at that time. I made the choice to not start episode 11 and wait to watch the pair of them together. I am glad that I made that decision.

These two episodes worked very well together as the strife centering around the return of the Pegasus and the ascension of Admiral Cain over Adama filled the story significantly.

I did not expect President Roslin to tell Adama that he needed to have Cain killed. The show spent much of the time building Cain up as a bad guy, giving us details about some of her decision that may have been considered morally questionable. I did find Roslin’s comment to be inconsistent with her character, but with her getting sicker by the minute, I can see her wanting to have things settled as soon as she could.

The conflict within both Starbuck and Fisk over the orders that they had been given by their respective leaders was amazing. Neither of them felt like the order was the right thing to do, but they were both in position in which to do it if told to.

Having it be Gina who assassinates Cain felt kind of easy, but I am happier that it was her and not Starbuck.

The whole conversation and interaction with Gina and Baltar was tough to watch. The show has done a solid job of humanizing the Cylons that we know of and making them seem less evil. Gina had been so abused and tortured that she just wanted to die, but could not commit suicide as it is a sin. Sharon has also be made to be more human than what she started as and one wonders if this is real or still part of the plan.

The special effects of the episode were wonderful as the attack on the resurrection ship was impressive, especially for a TV show.

This two-parter did feel like a season finale, but there are several episodes to go in season two. I wonder if the show had an hiatus after this pair or if it just happened to feel that way.

Battlestar Galactica S2 E10

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“Pegasus”

A happy return becomes a tense standoff.

The Pegasus, a Colonial vessel that had been missing and presumed destroyed, arrived back at the fleet, with Admiral Helena Cain aboard. Admiral outranked that of Commander, so Cain took control of the fleet away from Adama. Adama was fully supportive of the order, showing his honor as a military man.

Even after Cain reassigned Starbuck and Apollo, Adama followed the orders and did what he was told.

Things got complicated. When the Cylon interrogator from the Pegasus went to find out what Sharon knew, things got bad. He was going to rape her during the violent encounter, but Chief and Helo came to her rescue, inadvertently killing the man.

Cain ordered Chief and Helo brought for trial, but she decided their fate without a trial and planned on executing them for treason. Adama wanted them to be brought back to Galactica for trial but Cain denied him. Adama launched viper crews and a Marine team to go get his men back and Cain ordered her vipers to stop them.

Hence the tension.

Major issues unfolding among the humans. I was excited about the next episode and I was going to start to watch it, but I saw the next episode was a part one, and I did not want to stop in the middle of the two-parter. So I stopped the next episode and hope to get back to it later this weekend when I can watch the two of them together.

This episode was really hard to watch as this crew of Pegasus had really been rough to the Cylons that they had in their control. They showed that they had a Cylon copy of Number Six, but she had been beaten and raped by many of the crew. This showed the Cylons in a new light, giving them more human qualities and almost made them sympathetic.

I thought at first that the Pegasus crew would turn out to be Cylons themselves, but this is even better. They are humans and showing the dark side of the race.