Just getting it started. So...how about that "Exodus, part II?"

I'm still recovering.

I was blown away by the entire episode. I think Michael Hogan is an amazing actor. He played Tigh's last scene with Ellen beautifully.

'Twas awesome. Tigh's "handling" of Ellen was so starkly and simply done it was breathtaking. And flaming Galactica falling out of the sky was a stunning image. As was the long pullback from Galactica's losing standoff with the four base stars just before Pegasus arrived.

I still don't think I've processed the entire thing, and I've watched it twice in its entirety, and one piecemeal. I'm still somewhat put out that there wasn't a reunion scene between Adama and Roslin, but considering the episode was full to bursting, and I can't imagine wanting to lose anything that was there, it's such a minor, minor quibble.

I just got into this show near the end of last season, shown on Space here in Canada, so I only know the gist of what happened in the first season and a half. Luckily, CityTV is showing the series from the beginning. Episode 6 Litmus just aired tonight. It's a little strange seeing the series from the beginning and simultaneously the current shows. For example, I knew about the two Sharons, but I didn't know whether or not Caprica Sharon knew she was a Cylon or not while she was with Helo. Gah, this show can be a tough confusing. Nonetheless, I freaking love it. This new season is just mindblowing.

I talked to my uncle, and he said the new series is really different, that there was more emphasis on the search for Earth. And, the Cylons weren't in human form, they were talking robots, but that part I knew. Anyway, I find the religious aspect really fascinating. I had a friend who wrote a paper on the spiritual in Star Trek, how there wasn't any for the humans, just the aliens. I love all the mythology tied up in the location of Earth.

While this isn't really a complaint about the first three episodes, which in general I really liked, I was mildly disappointed that we never really got to see a faceoff that I had been looking forward to since "Downloaded" -- namely Baltar and Caprica Six, each flanked by their respective alter egos. I've always figured that the cynical, suave ChipBaltar, for lack of a better term for the Baltar in "Caprica's" head, would have some fairly sharp observations about the flesh-and-blood counterpart.

Instead, the show tends to have ChipSix -- and now presumably ChipBaltar as well -- disappear for long stretches of time often without warning. It's not clear to me if this is for any reason other than narrative convenience, although I suppose they could always flashback to flesh it out -- showing us, for instance, if there was any particular incident that led CapricaSix's Baltar to vanish for a while.

Or maybe they just decided that it would be way too confusing to have all four of these characters in a room together. It would take some explaining, and they didn't have a lot of slack in these episodes to give over to exposition.

This is my first full season of watching. I got bits and pieces from previous seasons, but decided to watch this season after my Tivo randomly recorded "The Story So Far". I think I'm hooked. I'm old enough to remember the original series, and this is so totally different.

Spike, you're in for an interesting ride. So long as you don't expect this series to be anything like the original, except for carrying forward some of the character names and the overarching plot, you should have a great time.

So far, I am. I'm loving my Doctor Who/BG doubleheader Fridays.

It is a great night for my geekery!

It's almost like too much goodness at once. Of course, since I've been burned by Sci-Fi before, I don't like getting used to something.

Over in the Jacob thread, people were talking about Cally and Chief's marriage and whether or not Cally married her abuser and why Chief gets a free pass for that, and since my reply isn't really about Jacob, but about the show, I moved it over here.

I had problems with Jacob refering to Chief as Cally's abuser. I think that by doing that, he's taking one fucked up event totally out of context. Chief didn't abuse Cally. He didn't hit her because she was a girl. Or because he wanted to prove that she was weak and he was strong. Or because he was angry at her. Or because he wanted to control her. Or because of a dozen other shitty excuses people for hurting the people who love them. Chief beat the shit out of Cally because he was having a really fucked up dream and when he was pulled out of it, his mind couldn't deal. It had absolutely nothing to do with Cally. She just had the misfortune of being the one who woke him up. Chief would've responded the exact same way if it had been Starbuck or Apollo or Helo or Kat. Chief gets a pass from me because he's not an abuser.

And I don't hate Cally for marrying the guy who beat her up. Mainly because it wasn't an abusive situation. Cally is annoying and stupid, and while I don't actually have a problem believing that in her past she has uttered the phrases "You don't know him like I do" and "He's usually real nice, it's just when he gets stressed or when he's been drinking", that isn't what happened with the Chief.

Their marriage is fucked up because the Chief knew that Cally loved him and would forgive him of anything, and he allowed the guilt he felt about that persuade him into giving Cally the one thing she wanted; him. And Cally knew that the Chief was only marrying her because of his guilt, but her self-esteem was so low that she believed it was the only way she get him, so she accepted.

The problem isn't that Cally married the guy who beat her. The problem is that Cally married the guy who beat her without dealing with what happened, so she's now in a marriage with a guy who she believes doesn't really love her, but just wants to make up for hurting her in the past. That's why she's still jealous of Boomer. She knows that the Chief actually loved Boomer, and she is afraid of the day when the Chief decides that he has finished his penance with Cally and will go back to the one he really wanted. (Not that I think the Chief will do that, but I do think Cally believes that).

The basestar looked like an IKEA show-room, but I've got to say, that was wonderful set design. And the hybrid at the heart of the basestar was not only a wonderful idea, it made for a great mental image. Long strings of gibberish that climax (no pun intended) with the orgasmic "JUMP!" That's going to haunt me for a while.

I am confused about something - is the hybrid part human, part cylon, or part Centurion/part human-looking cylon? Because if they need human parts to make their Resurrection ships, that would explain the harvesting of ovaries to try and create more, and the importance of Hera for their own future.

Also, the 5 models whom the ones we know of don't talk about: was this a schism before or after the nuclear attack? Or after the cylons decided to go to New Caprica? And why have they decided to search for Earth to make it their new home, after laying waste to the 12 Colonies and claiming them for their own? Were they basically excommunicated by the 5 We Don't Talk About?

I have many questions! But damn, I love this show.

I don't think they specified what exactly the hybrid is. Six said that she *is* the ship, which I interpreted to mean that she's like the brain of the ship and happens to look human, but I'm confused as to what exactly is going on there.

I'm very intrigued about that metal contraption that the Cylons found floating out there, and whether or not it's as ancient as Baltar thinks it is.

I'm totally heterosexual, but these are just wow.

I cannot WAIT for this show to start up again. Don't forget it's on Sundays now, Canadians!



~~~~~~~~~~~~

You should tag those types of links as NSFW.

pmk

Finally, the sole remaining four square inches of her body that I've never seen.

If I looked like that, I'd go around naked all the time.

PS It's on Sundays for Americans, too.

Rome at 9, BSG at 10. I could die now. Or when the season is over.

I don't know why I'm so curious, but do you think her breasts are real? I've been trying to figure it out on the show, but even after seeing her naked I can't tell. Because they look pretty natural, but she's so thin that it's hard to believe they can be. If they are implants, I'm even more confused why anyone would go the Tara Reid/Ivanka Trump route when they could look like that.

I'm sorry if I sound creepy.

I've been wondering if they're real, too, ladybird, and I agree about the thinness thing. In Canada, we got BSG on Saturdays for the first half of the season, and for the first two frakkin' seasons we were months and months behind. Thank god for the internet!

Sorry about the NSFW thing, guys. My firewall at work doesn't let us look at most anything, including msg boards (we couldn't even read newspapers for months); I forget that others can access these things at work. It won't happen again.

little melly, someone posted a link on TWoP to a summary of Howard Stern's interview with Tricia Helfer from a few days ago. She says they're real, and that if she'd gotten implants they'd be much bigger. So one mystery solved.

Aha, so now we know! God, I envy her. And I admire her greatly as an actress, so I can't even hate her, dammit.

I cannot wait for the rest of the season to resume. I can't read the BSG forums on TWOP anymore, because they've gone a little wiggy on the Starbuck/Apollo hate, and I find that annoying. You know, people DO have relationships; why is it always taken as jumping the shark when two characters hook up on a show? I don't see Starbuck/Apollo as some big betrayal, because the whole thing is so fucked up and tormenting that it's hardly a fairy tale relationship. Oh, how I love me some angst.

I read the TWoP forums every now and then to find out what other people are thinking because none of my real-life friends watch it. But yeah, it's kind of scary how much some of the posters there hate her, and Lee, and both of them together. She's supposed to be a flawed character. All of them are screwed up. Its what makes them interesting and in some cases tragic. And human, which is the whole point.