Tag Archives: science-fiction

Battlestar Galactica S3 E6, E7

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Torn”

“A Measure of Salvation”

A virus that can kill the Cylons is discovered aboard a ship. The Cylons discovered it first. Baltar went to investigate. He was told that if the infected Cylons were to die, and return to the resurrection ship, the virus would follow.

This set up this two episode story arc that dealt with the idea of some dark ideas, Specifically, genocide.

The show has never been about black and white. There are shades of gray everywhere on here. President Roslin has been showing those shades quite a bit recently as she approved the plan to try and destroy the entire Cylon race with the infected prisoners that they had brought back. Helo objected to the plan and wound up sabotaging it.

The concept behind the virus felt a little weird, and easily dismissed afterwards.

Highlights of these two episodes included:

  • Baltar’s scenes of torture at the hands of Deanna.
  • The continuing downfall of Kara and Saul from their experiences upon New Caprica.
  • The announcement of the “Final Five” Cylons that have not yet been seen. That feels like a big time plot coming.
  • The fact that they think they are on the right path for earth, but that the Cylons want earth too, as a place to start over.
  • Lee got his abs back. Easier than it was for Fat Thor.

Silo S2 E1

Posted on by

Spoilers

“The Engineer”

Apple TV + series Silo returned for its second season. The first season was an unexpected treat when it first came out on Apple TV + so I was excited to see what a second season had in store for us.

Juliette (Rebecca Ferguson) who was sent out of the silo in the first season finale, set up by those in power to get rid of her, went walking across the outside world. She discovered that there were more silos than the one that she came from. As she went to the nearest one, she had to walk through a field littered with skeletons and rotting corpses, belonging to a group of people we saw at the episode’s beginning, who were forcing their way out of their silo in a revolution. A revolution that did not go well. Looks like the air is toxic after all.

As Juliette entered the next silo, she discovered that it was abandoned and run down. She went into the silo, exploring the structure as we got flashbacks of Juliette as a child, learning to work the recycle center.

The episode had a ton of tension and nervous energy as Juliette made her way through the darkness and decay of this silo, picking up on signs as she went. Part of the reason these scenes were as unnerving as they were was that most of the episode was silent. Except for the flashbacks, of course, most of Juliette’s time in the silo contained little to no dialogue.

That is, of course, until she heard that music playing and went to find a big vault door, which she tried to open. Failing, she was ready to leave when she heard a man speak to her, telling her that he understood why she tried to open the door, but if she tried it again, he would kill her.

For me, I would say, sure thing… no problem… enjoy your life in there. I get a feeling that Juliette is not going to just let this guy live his life behind steel doors. Or at least her curiosity will get the better of her. Who is this guy and why did he respond to her in such a way?

We did not see any of the characters from the original silo we had been introduced to in season one, but there was plenty of story taking place here to satisfy. A solid season premiere from a solid sci-fi show that more people should know about.

Battlestar Galactica S2 E18

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Downloaded”

This episode showed us what it was like for the Cylon resurrection. We saw the rebirth of Six after the initial attack on Caprica and the rebirth of Sharon after she was shot aboard Galactica. Both were very traumatic for the Cylons.

Sharon had her baby on Galactica and President Roslin decided that the baby girl could not be raised by a Cylon and so she had the doctor pretend that the baby died, and she had the baby given to another person, secretly. This felt like a cruel decision from Roslin because the show has done such a good job of redeeming Sharon from the early days of her betrayal.

However, Sharon had serious reaction to the baby’s supposed death as she believed that they had killed the baby. She had no idea about the truth of the situation.

We also got some connection between Six and Sharon on Caprica. Funnily, the Six that was reborn after the initial explosion was also seeing Gaius Baltar in her head just like he was seeing Six in his aboard Galactica. That was not what I was expecting and it changed my POV of that character as well. Six and Sharon both admitted to their love for human men and have decided to try and make it better. Not sure how that is going to come about or how the news of the baby’s ‘death’ will change that perspective.

It had been a long time since I saw the last episode of Battlestar Galactica, so it was awesome coming back to the series.

Battlestar Galactica S1 E12, E13 S2 E1, E2

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Kobol’s Last Gleaming, Part 1 and Part 2”

“Scattered”

“Valley of Darkness”

I had planned on watching the two part season one finale for Battlestar Galactica, but it was so compelling and engaging that I found myself bleeding over into the first two episodes of season two. Battlestar Galactica has become a must see series. For the longest time, I had no desire to see this show, despite the positive word of mouth I had heard. Now, I see exactly why this is considered such a classic.

There are too many major things happen over these four episodes to do any real recap, so I am just going to hit upon some of my thoughts as we move through.

The shooting of Adama was shocking. I literally cried out ‘oh no’ when Boomer shot him. The blood and the desperation of those around him really made the tense moment feel tragic. In the back of my head, I kept saying to myself, ‘they won’t kill off Adama,’ yet I had serious doubt about it. It appears as if Adama is going to wake up at some point, but this was extremely suspenseful.

The crew that crashed on Kobol had so many thing going down, but with the two deaths, we really proved the danger that they were in. Chief had a tough couple of episodes for sure.

I had made my decision about Dr. Baltar. He was an antagonist and I was going to consider him a villain in this piece. And then this happened. I can’t decide if he is someone I am supposed to hate or someone who is just being manipulated by the Cylons… or perhaps even the real hero of the piece. The whole thing with his daughter felt like it was more than just another trick. The dream where Adama drown the child was horrifying and definitely made Baltar look more like the positive force. If this were any other type of sci-fi show, I would know what it was trying to do, but Battlestar Galactica seems to be a deeper story with something more developed.

The conflict between Roslin and Adama is still very much brewing, having Tigh as Adama’s surrogate. The split between the survivors looks to only cause more troubles. Starbuck’s betrayal to Adama was rough, as is her fight with Number Six. Starbuck and Helo in Starbuck’s apartment, listening to a recording of her father playing the piano was very emotional and gave us even more depth to Kara.

The Cylon Centurions in “Valley of Darkness” (as well as at the very end of “Scattered”) was amazing and looked fantastic for a TV show. It would have been excellent for a big screen film too. Understandably, they have limited the use of these robots because of costs, but these were certainly worth whatever they had spent on them.

This was an epic little run of four episodes that provided an amazing sci-fi adventure with excellent characterization. Things really began to happen quickly through these episodes and the storyline is solidly in place for the foreseeable future of the show.

Battlestar Galactica S1 E11

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Colonial Day”

How can an episode from 2005 feel so relevant to the political world of today?

A terrorist making a run at a political office with eyes on the presidency? Hmm.

Richard Hatch returned to the show as Tom Zarek, who had become a representative for one of the colonies by his words and his outsider position. The episode featured a meeting of the Quorum of Twelve, the representative body of the colonies. Zarek proposed that the position of vice president be the first item on the agenda.

Zarek manipulated others into nominating him with the idea of being elected VP and then taking out President Roslin.

I could not help but see echoes of the current day political discourse in this show, which is amazing considering this was nearly 20 years ago.

I am also amazed at how many of these characters on Battlestar Galactica are characters that I truly dislike. I have been going on about Dr. Baltar the last few posts, and his being eventually elected vice president does not put him in a better stead for me. Ellen Tigh is simply a horrendous character that I despise every second she is on screen. Zarek is a terrible character, but at least he interests me more and his compelling performance by Richard Hatch is fun.

Major events on Caprica too as Helo and Sharon were going to steal a ship to escape when Helo saw doubles of Number Six speaking to each other. He then saw another copy of Sharon (Number Eight) and he ran off, putting together what had been happening this whole time.

Battlestar Galactica has been very consistently entertaining this entire first season although I worry what havoc a VP Baltar will bring. I look forward to the eventual return of Richard Hatch once more as he brings an energy to this show unlike any others, as well as an awesome antagonist outside of the world of Cylons.

Battlestar Galactica S1 E9

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down”

Oh, the paranoia… it is so lovely.

This episode did a great job of planting seeds all over the place, making everyone feel as if they could be a Cylon. The concept of making the Cylons look human is paying off big time with this as you are never quite sure who could be a machine.

Before going on, I have had thoughts about Gaius Baltar. His charm and humor has made me want to root for this guy, even though I saw him making bad choices everywhere. That is over for me now. This guy is officially a villain in my eyes from this point forward. Intentionally not revealing the truth of the Cylon identification testing and just making everyone pass the test because it is easier that way is the worst thing I think I have heard. I was willing to give this guy a pass before but that not the case moving forward. He may not be a Cylon sympathizer, but he is not too far away from it.

The character of Ellen Tigh is over the top. She is very unlikable as well. I found her annoying immediately and I had enough of her antics well before Baltar gave her the questionable test. I do not see any real chemistry between her and Saul Tigh. This is not the picture of the character of Saul that I had drawn up to this point. I’m not sure Ellen is someone that will build better story.

I do love the tension between Adama and President Roslin. The questions about if Adama could be a Cylon has affected the relationship and the anxiety building is awesome.

It is fascinating seeing the Cylons starting to wonder about the feelings, particularly love, that humans have, Number six’s response to “Sharon’s” behaviors on Caprica is telling and will probably become a major theme of the show. When will the first Cylon switch sides officially? I think it is destined to happen.

I am very pleased that I have started this series. I can absolutely understand why so many fans loved this show when it aired. It is top notch sci-fi and has already developed a crew of intriguing characters.

Battlestar Galactica S1 E8

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Flesh and Bone”

A Cylon is captured hiding aboard one of the ships and it falls to Starbuck to try and find out what its mission is.

The Cylon hints that there is a nuclear warhead aboard one of the ships. Starbuck used some “enhanced interrogation techniques” aka torture to try and get the truth out of the machine.

The idea of the episode is wondering what makes one human and how close to human is the Cylon?

Dr. Baltar discovers that Boomer is a Cylon, but his mind Number Six convinces him not to tell her that she is because she may attack him and kill him. Baltar is such a coward. What is he going to do with this information? Just forget it?

Our captured Cylon is using its manipulative tricks and whispered to the President that Adama was a Cylon. She did not believe it, but you could see the slight doubt in her eyes when she was talking to Adama.

The Cylon pretending to be Lieutenant Valerii on Caprica seemed to be maybe falling for Lieutenant Agathon.

This seems to be starting to question how human these machines are now that they have these human bodies. I have a feeling this theme is going to continue over the seasons.

Battlestar Galactica S1 E6

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Litmus”

It has been awhile since my last Battlestar Galactica episode so it was awesome to dive back into the sci-fi series. Especially with an impactful episode as “Litmus.”

A suicide bomber, who was a Cylon agent who was a copy of Aaron Doral, made it on board Galactica and set off the bomb, killing three and injuring many others. This set off a flurry of events including releasing the information to the public that Cylons can now look human.

It also targeted the relationship between Chief Tyrol and Boomer, as it came front and center. Boomer is a Cylon sleeper agent, though that has yet to be revealed to the crew of Galactica. The tense break-up that this situation led to was a powerhouse scene in the show.

It was fun seeing Dominic Zamprogna as Jammer this episode. I am not sure if he has been there before, but I noticed him for the first time here. Zamprogna has been a long time cast member of General Hospital as Dante Falconeri.

The episode had set up a tribunal to investigate the bombing, but Adama brought it to a close when he started sensing that it was becoming a witch hunt, which President Roslin had warned him about. Adama just ending the tribunal is a major point of this episode and may have an impact over the span of this series.

Battlestar Galactica S1 E2, E3

Posted on by

Spoilers

“Water”

“Bastille Day”

With just a few episodes in, I can see why Battlestar Galactica was such a classic and beloved science fiction series. These two episodes are very strong.

Whoever stole the detonators and blew up the water containers is a neat little mystery. I, of course, have some ideas, but the fact that I am not 100% sure makes this even more enjoyable.

Then, I was shocked to see Richard Hatch walk into a scene as one of the prisoners that was being held. Richard Hatch was the original Apollo on the 1978 Battlestar Galactica series on ABC and seeing him as this terrorist was cool. Even better was putting him face to face with this new series’ version of Apollo, Lee Adama, played by Jamie Bamber.

That third episode, with the basic idea of a prison break with hostages, was well done and it built a lot of suspense as the episode progressed.

Hatch, as Tom Zarek, was a fascinating character and provided a real antagonist outside of the Cylon threat. He was solidly stuck in the grey area as his philosophy seemed to include good things, but he was taking bad steps to reach them. It was compelling.

However, I am already tired of Gaius Baltar and the image of Cylon Number Six that he sees and tells him what to do. I want him revealed sooner rather than later.

The show has been fantastic so far. I am looking forward to continuing on.

Battlestar Galactica S1 E1

Posted on by

Spoilers

“33”

Starting the actual series with season one of Battlestar Galactica, there was a real tense episode where the survivors only have 33 minutes after they executed a jump away from the Cylons before the would fins them and try to attack again.

I can’t imagine what that would be like for the people on these vessels. Almost immediately after an escape, you would need to prep for another escape.

The Galactica crew had to stay awake in order to execute their plan in 33 minutes. The show had them awake for 132 hours, which is insane.

It led to a difficult decision that had to be made by Adama and President Roslin. One ship was being tracked by the Cylons and, through a twist of fate, they were able to discover the truth. They had to destroy the vessel despite how many lives might be on board.

It was a tough choice and it highlighted the pains of war and the loss of bystanders very well.

This episode shows what a dark and gritty show Battlestar Galactica would be and as an opening episode in the first season, it really laid the groundwork for what would follow.

Battlestar Galactica mini-series

Posted on by

Spoilers

Tonight I started the next TV program to add to the watchlist. I have been doing rewatches of The X-Files and Bates Motel, but it felt as if I needed another one. However, this was not a rewatch as I have never seen any of the episodes of Battlestar Galactica.

I used to watch the original series back in the 1970s with Richard Hatch, Dirk Benedict (Face from the A-Team) and Loren Greene, but it was never one of my favorites. So when there was a new version of the series starting on Syfy, I was not interested. I have heard tremendous praise for the series from lots of different sources, so when I was looking for a new series around the time that I finished up with Man from Atlantis, Battlestar cam eon my radar.

The thing is… I discovered that there was a mini-series that aired prior to the series and, when I found it on Amazon Prime, I saw that it was over 3 hours long. That was preventative to starting it and it was going to require a certain spot to watch this lengthy of a show.

I was able to find the time tonight to watch this show (which was presented originally in two parts, but just in one full episodes on Prime).

What an amazing three hours it was.

This mini-series took time to present a group of characters, a few of whom I recognized names (Starbuck. Apollo. Both names from the 70s show). I was aware of Katee Sackhoff was playing Starbuck as one of the standout characters of the series. Even I, who did not watch the show but was aware of its cultural place, knew that. I recognized the actor Edward James Olmos who was playing the role that Loren Greene had originated. Other than that, the cast was full of actors whom I did not know.

The cast was excellent and I started learning these characters. The show does a decent job of providing enough development to know who these people are and why I should care about them. Such as Mary McDonnell, who played Laura Roslin, who becomes the President after the Cylon attack of earth killed everyone ahead of her in progression. It was Battlestar’s own Designated Survivor moment. Giving this important character cancer before she had to step into this leadership role was quite ballsy of the show and connected the audience to her immediately.

The show was a war show, which was also something that I was not expecting. I knew that it would be sci-fi, but I did not know how much of a war show this would actually be.

The special effects were tremendous throughout the show, specifically with the moment at the end when the Galactica was holding off the Cylons so the civilians to ‘jump’ was amazingly shot. The final moment when Starbuck used her own ship to push Apollo into the Galactica before it jumped as well was exceptional.

Making the Cylons look like humans for this series is a stroke of genius. Not that the design of the robotic Cylons was bad, but this gives you more than just unexpressive robots to be antagonists. It was a wonderful decision for whomever made it.

This was a tense, exciting, anxiety-filled adventure with some new characters that I really liked out of the gate. I am excited to learn more about these people as this series moves along.

Battlestar Galactica has four seasons of around 74 episodes and I will be adding this to the watchlist starting this summer. It was a great start with this mini-series.

Doctor Who Special 2: Wild Blue Yonder

Posted on by

I am not a long time viewer or fan of Doctor Who. My knowledge of the character and the shows are limited. Last week’s special was fun. This week’s second special, Wild Blue Yonder, was unbelievably awesome.

The Doctor (David Tennant) and Donna (Catherine Tate) crash landed the out-of-control Tardis on a seemingly deserted spaceship at the end of time. The Tardis then dematerialized, sensing a danger, stranding The Doctor and Donna on the ship to face the mystery of what had happened.

I do not want to spoil anything here. Let me just say that this was one of the best science fiction stories I have seen in ages. The cleverness of this episode and the creativity of the situation that The Doctor and Donna found themselves in is steeped in sci-fi history yet provided some much originality and pay off for those who have watched the franchise.

The only thing that I would criticize about this special would be that someone like me who has just come to the franchise now, with a very limited amount of Who knowledge, would not understand as much as those who have watched them all. That is not a bad thing and I do not think it is required viewing to watch this special. I just think that it would have made this a richer experience.

However, I thought the last 25 minutes of this special was just spectacular and I was completely thrilled with the story. The cliffhanger made me ready to see the thrid sepcial next week.

4.6 stars