Battlestar Galactica - Daybreak Part 1

Battlestar Galactica started the beginning of the end with part one of Daybreak, and if last night's episode was any indication, it will be a huge frakking ending to the best frakking TV show out there. WOW! I am so hooked and was on the edge of my seat as things wrapped up in the first part of the finale. The series is going out with a bang (as promised) and it looks like our Battlestar will be doing one final mission and a one way trip to rescue Hera and fulfill a few prophecies.

The flashbacks back to Caprica before the fall were all fascinating, and it's an interesting way to go back to the very beginning and see some of the other impetus that brought our characters to where we are at in the story, that penultimate chapter before the end of this story. I know that there are other stories to tell and more of this fascinating universe that they have created and I am looking forward to more tales, but this story happening right now is so enthralling. We learn how Adama was reluctant to take on the Galactica, how Roslin was stricken with great personal tragedy and lost her father and sisters in a terrible accident and the transition scene from her dealing with her grief in the fountain transposing to her chemotherapy treatment was very well done. Seeing Kara and Zack (and her first meeting of his brother Lee) was poignant, and as it is history that we have not seen much of (but heard about earlier in the series) it gave even more insight into what makes Kara tick, and her ties with the Adama family. Seeing the first meeting between Gaius and Six was a shocker, Gaius was a complete prick with his infirm father, and after literally dismissing her, she turns around and in an very emotional turn of events get his father placed into a great nursing home to take care of him and worms her way into his heart. Six always surprises me with her level of emotion and empathy, pretty frakking awesome for a machine. Anders was the surprise of the flashbacks, showing his love of the mathematics of his sport and his quest for perfection which sounded pretty Cylon from way back when. The deeper you scratch the surface of all these characters the more and more you discover about each of them and how complex and fascinating each and everyone of them is.

With all of that going on, and the continuing dismantling of Galactica, Adama decides that they have a final mission, and they are going to rescue Hera from the Cylons. They draw a line down the center of the hangar and after a huge rousing speech, sides are chosen and they prepare for their final showdown with the Cylons. The biggest shock was seeing Roslin arrive, frail and dying but willing to fight with her last breath and I am in awe of the transformation of the character.

This is it.. the final act ... and I can hardly wait until next Friday to see how it all plays out. This was probably one of the best hours of television that I have ever seen and can now only wait for it to be surpassed with the finale. There are so many questions to be answered and I can hardly believe that it will all be over in just a week...

Weekend Rant - The Week in Review

This week went by in record speed (I think losing that hour had a bit to do with it but just as much was the release of Watchmen in Imax which I thoroughly enjoyed. If you want to see an amazing and complex film -- I highly recommend checking it out, the film blew my mind.

It was a great week for the tube ( or the LCD to be a tad more modern) and I was impressed with the quality of some of the shows and the great writing. Monday nights are still ruled by The Big Bang Theory and the hysterical nerds. My other nerd fare for the evening, Chuck and Heroes are not hitting as many balls out of the park this season (although I do have to say that Chuck has been improving the past couple of episodes), but Heroes is really leaving me lukewarm and wondering why they have gone in this direction more than anything else. Medium is still the best bet for the evening and with such a daunting schedule, I am still running way behind on 24. I'll catch up eventually.

RuPaul's Drag Race is the fiercest show on the airwaves at this time and I can't get over the way over the top outfits, the fabulous make up or the brutal honesty of our girls. Bebe Zahara Benet is the hottest thing and my choice for Queen of this Ball, but dear little Ongina was so real and honest that I was heartbroken when she was let go. I can only dream for a better world. You may be gone from the competition Ongina but you will survive and only one thing to say - you better work it!

Tuesday is still a mostly Canuck TV night, and the regular mainstays like the Rick Mercer Report and This Hour has 22 Minutes are as scathing and hilarious as usual, but Project Runway Canada is boring me with the same formula over and over in their second season. Unless some huge disaster happens, Sunny is going to win the competition as he is miles above everyone else, is not saddled with the ego problems that seem to be a requisite for the majority of the competitors and is the highlight of each runway. Sure, Jessica may have gotten the top nod this week (I didn't really care for her design and can not understand her whole urban vibe that she is trying to pull off, the girl is from Toronto and not some hood in southern LA) and Jeff got the boot for being a bad designer and by his bad executed reversible (wtf?) disaster. When you have to start glueing pieces together or drawing on stitching then you might think you are in the wrong competition. It's a shame though, I did like him at the beginning but quickly realized that he (and several of the other designers), are way out of their element and the competition has this weird symmetry to it.

Lost has my head spinning in different time paradoxical ways with the gang being back in the 1970's and part of the Dharma Initiative. I can see more why Daniel's mom was so reticent about the Oceanic Six being on that last plane as it seems to have drawn all of the players back together on the Island, albeit at a different time and in different circumstances and it opens up a whole new can of worms with Ben being there. There is of course all the issues of Locke dealing with Ben (who killed him), the new identities of the Jin, Sawyer and Juliet and the rest of the motley crew that have now become part of the Dharma group, the ever mysterious and ageless Richard and the sudden arrival of the Oceanic Six. Things are complicated, interesting and making my brain hurt. I literally had kittens when our gang was time shifting and we saw the giant statue for a few seconds before they shifted again and it was gone once again. I wonder if there is some ancient people behind all the unique properties of the Island (Atlantis maybe?) but still have the feeling that it was aliens and possibly a crashed ship that has been on the Island for a very long period of time. This season has been astounding and I can't believe how great the writing has been.

Make me a Supermodel came back with it's second season, and it is as addictive as ever with mix of competitors, great challenges and sexy boys and girls. I am really liking Sandurst and it's nice to see one of the boys out and married (Shawn), and it think of Clark Kent kind of guy, Colin is completely adorable. The very very very androgonous Chris is a bit too much, and our good Mennonite girl Salome is reminding me alot of last year's winner, Holly. I don't think it will be the same kind of girl winning this year but am looking forward to the competition. Let the games begin!

Survivor Tocantins is barreling along and I really like the mix of characters this year. Taj is really growing on me and I love the sneaky alliance that she has going with Brendan, Sierra and Stephen. Coach and his minion Tyson are starting to get on my nerves and I hope that their team wakes up and gets rid of Coach soon, he talks big but sure as hell has not been walking the walk that goes with all his talk. Tyson is just turning into a jerk that likes to see people suffer, that is a bit too sociopath for me and we'll have to see what happens when and if things are shaken up. Our hidden Immunity Idols should be coming into play soon (it looks like they are hidden the same spot as the first Immunity Idols) and they are sure to shake up the game soon. I love it when we get to merge time and it's everyone for themselves, let's just see if they can get rid of some of the deadwood before that time. The location is stunning and I can't believe how amazing this show looks in all of its HD glory. Nice work Survivor.

Burn Notice finished up the season and redeemed it's self over the past few weeks with episodes that ended up the current storyline and brought the series back to the fun and dangerous feeling that it had is season one. It's great having Fiona and Michael back together (and they make such a hot couple) and I love how well Sam and Michael's mom are playing off of each other. Here's hoping they bring the show back for another season as it is still Top Twenty at the least and no one else has such a great voice over explaining the tricks of the spy trade. Michael Westen is the sexiest spy on TV at the moment (not to mentioned best dressed) and it would be a shame to miss out seeing more of his adventures.

Battlestar Galactica is amazingly good and I can't believe that in a couple of weeks it will all be over. I know that the finale will be atleast 3 hours long but have the nagging feeling that it will leave more questions than answers and possible/probable sequel or follow up to the series. It's heartbreaking to see Adama losing all of his important women at the same time, Galactica and Roslin. There is so much going on but you can feel the impending sense of finality with all things, the end of Galactica, the end of the quest for a new home, the end of their current way of life. I think we are in for a huge final blow out, with the winners picking up the pieces and creating a new race of Cylon/humans. All I know is that I can only hope for something to follow this (in the spirit of Galactica 1980), showing the new home.. and I have the feeling that the other Cylon homeworld " The Colony" is a key to all of this. It will be a trip to see this all play out over the next couple of weeks. All good things must come to an end eventually.

Weekend Rant - Making up for Lost Time

Things have been running fast and furious for several weeks now, and as I continue playing catch up with a few shows (24 is one of those), I have been making sure that I keep up with my Best in Show favourites such as Lost and Battlestar Galactica. This has to be one of my favourite times of the year as both of those series are rolling out phenomenal seasons and the writing has been incredible. It is nice to see some complicated and enthralling story lines and both series have been keeping me on the edge of my seat.

Dollhouse has really sucked me in with after only 3 episodes and I salut Josh Whedon for creating another fascinating universe. Eliza Dushku is really having a chance to show her acting chops with her portrayal of each of the different persona's and as her fugue Echo in her Tabla Rasla state. The premise is intriguing, I am loving the stories so far and the back story with Alpha and the massacre at the Dollhouse. Casting Amy Acker as the resident doctor for the Dolls is more Whedon brilliance and is totally geek pleasing stuff seeing one of my favourites from Angel (Fred/Illyria) as the scarred Dr. Claire Saunders, and I have been thrilled to see Tahmoh Penikett (Helo from BSG) cast as the FBI agent trying to uncover the Dollhouse. This strange melding of both the Buffy and Galactica universes has me hooked and I can hardly wait to see more.

Lost and The Life and Death of Jeremy Bentham has my head spinning watching John Locke getting manipulated by all the different players surrounding his quest to return to the Island, and it's hard to tell who is actually telling the truth.Is it Richard (and Christian?) that are working together on behalf of the Island, or is Widmore and his quest to get the Island back or does it have something to do with Ben? The big reveal that John was going to commit suicide after visiting and being rejected by the majority of the Oceanic 6 in an effort to get them back to the Island, only to be stopped at the last minute by Ben. Of course John made the error of revealing a bit too much information and then was killed by Ben who staged John's suicide. Now that we have John waking up on the Island with a new group of people and an injured Ben makes me wonder what John did in a past life that he needs to make up for it now, or what is so damn special about him that has been alluded to by all the players. One thing is certain, they all seem to need him. The only thing that I can say is that the return to the Island was astounding with all those convenient coincidences.... but I can hardly wait to see Sun and Jin meet again once we figure out When everyone is. Damn this show is astounding.

Battlestar Galactica has me completely sucked in to the last few episodes and I am on pins and needles waiting to see how they will end things with our survivors. Will they finally find home? Is Hera truly the salvation they are looking for? Is Starbuck a clone or hybrid? Something else? Will Galactica hold together long enough to find a new home? Will the President live long enough to see her people safe? So many questions and so little time left...

Heroes is still boring me senseless with the current story line and if the ratings keep dropping like this we may not see any more after this season. Unfortunately this series has fallen victim to the biggest problem that hits sci fi shows ... it seems that it is a problem to try maintaining good writing or well developed story lines that keep the viewers coming back, and I have been bored silly since this story arc started. Wake me up when this snooze is over as they keep just rehashing the same things over and over. At least Chuck is still hanging in there quality wise, but it really has to be Medium which is the most gripping show of the evening. This show is an example of good writing that has made for some great stories so far this season. I love Alison being a bit more out of control and this past body snatcher/possession storyline is making me think that hubbie Joe is going to have a major meltdown soon if Alison keeps putting the kids in danger.

I wish the scheduling would get back to normal and shows like Bones and Big Bang Theory get back to airing new episodes,the occasional new episode is not enough and don't get me started about wanting to see the final episodes of Pushing Daisies. Some shows get no respect and I am furious with ABC for holding on to the last episodes and not even giving the crew a chance to tie things up with the storyline. MADtv finally had a new episode this week, and it was great to see the gang doing their very funny schtick after several months of repeats and compilation episodes. I hope they will air all the final season and let the cast say their farewells. It would be great to see some of the old gang to tie things up but I am not really holding out too much hope for any hooplah. For all we know, all the stuff has already been taped and we are just waiting for it to air.

Project Runway Canada is starting to become too predictable with pretty much the same formula being used over and over. Iman looks fierce, Challenge, at least one designer freaks out and is on the verge of a complete meltdown. There is tons of bitching and usually the biggest whiner goes home, and Sunny wins. Repeat. I bet ya Sunny wins the competition...

My biggest guilty pleasure at the moment has to be RuPaul's Drag Race, which is turning into one of the best shows ever. Not only are our contestants fierce from A to Z, but they are all such lovely and different creatures that you can't help but want all of them to win, except for the one that they are shamelessly promoting as the biggest bitch because the show has to have one. This show hits so many of the right notes with its over the top spoofing of other reality shows and having the balls to show the guys as much as the boys they are as their Drag counterparts. It's a shame that a couple of the more marginal girls have had to go, but I am routing for Angina. Drag is about being a parody or being a character and not necessarily about being a female impersonator. You go girl!

Weekend Rant - The start of something new

Things will be returning to normal after next week and I will have time to do more than one posting per week. There have been several times during the week that I have cheered for joy or been completely flabbergasted by something that happened on my viewing schedule. This past week was actually a pretty good one and I can't say that quality was lacking in the shows that I checked out.

Heroes returned with a sputter and has me completely bored with their return after the winter break. If this is the beginning of new storyline I am going to hate to see how it develops, they better get their writers in order soon as the show is really loosing it's luster. Maybe they will make up for it next week and get the ball rolling, but it appears stalled at the moment... I am not digging the start of this round and how we seem to be starting over again.

Chuck disappointed me with the 3-D episode, I watched it and just felt completely meh after ... it's a shame because I am a huge fan of the show, and I thought that if any show could pull of something fun it would be these guys since they are so geeky.... but they missed the ball on that one and took the attention away from an otherwise good story. It's kind of funny that our hobbit and dead ex-druggie rocker from Lost, Dominic Monaghan (Charlie) was a guest star playing another rocker... me thinks someone may get typecast if he is not careful.

The good news for NBC was that I was thrilled that Medium came back to the airwaves this week, and it was so nice that things felt back to normal (as far as anything can feel normal in this series) after that awkward turn of events last season. A large part of the success of this show is because of the characters and their interaction with each other that makes this show sing. I just love the kids and they are always finding interesting ways of working "the ability" into their everyday lives. It was a great balance of vision and interpretation and the story line and all the twists and turns made for a great season opener. Welcome back Allison, Joe and family and the gang at the DA's office. It's nice to see you all together again.

Project Runway Canada has more than enough drama queens this time around, and there is tons of delicious tension and bitching between the contestants. The Challenge this week was to create a look for "their special celebrity muse - Canadian sweetheart and Hollywood A-list celebrity Elisha Cuthbert." I think the A Listing is a tad exaggerated, if anything she is a B List celebrity and hasn't really been in the spotlight recently. The show seems to want to pull out the big guns to get the viewers in and I hope they haven't shot their wad too early... anyways, this group of competitors is pretty whiney and yet another of them is on the verge of a complete meltdown with all the pressure and all. Just shoot me -- I am always agah when I see contestants that are surprised that the competition is difficult and that others don't play nice. Welcome to reality TV, just wipe that nose okay? It's kind of gross when you have been crying like a baby.

Anyways, it all reads like your typical good season of Runway, only there aren't enough over the top gay guys nor a decent representation from Montréal (I am ashamed of you Project Runway Canada - is this your new conservative agenda?) and the end results so far have pointed out the big talent of Adejoké, Sunny and Baylor. Brandon is the one getting on my nerves (there is always at least one) and my underdog favorite was Christie until she freaked this week. I'd would have liked to shown my favorite ensemble made for our Canuck B Lister, but alas the GlobalTV website is crap and I can't get episode photos. Margarita got the boot after her stretch fabric nightmare, but Brandon was put on notice for his trashy dress. Iman is a stunning as usual and a real tyrant on the runway, we need more of her. I loved her Ziggy Stardust t shirt at the beginning, fashionable, classy and fierce.

Smallville shined a light at the end of the tunnel with Lana getting all juiced up on Kryptonite in her new super powered invisible armor that gives her powers and the incredible ability to be able to have hot sex with Clark and break the frame of a solid oak bed with their shenanigans. It appears that she is armored inside and out.... anyways, in her "final appearance" she saves the Daily Planet but can never be by our hero ever again. It appears that Lex orchestrated all this and is supposedly dead (again ) and once more I meh and know that Lex will be back and can only pray that Lana is off being Kryptonite Girl elsewhere and helping out those in need. I can hardly wait until Lois is back and Clark grows a pair. Seriously, enough with the stupid angst, it is not necessary, it's time to get our boy suited up and doing the good deeds and becoming the hero and legend that he is supposed to be.

Battlestar Galactica literally knocked me on my ass with the past episode. I can not believe how much happened in that one episode and the pacing was great. All of the multiple elements working together, the mutiny and resistance, the tenacity of Adama as he took back his ship, Zarek and Gaita and their struggle for power and the incredible strength of Roslin as she rallied the troops. Laura Roslin was astounding when she put it all on the line with Zarek and told him that she would hunt him to the end of the universe for justice, I literally had chills as she was giving him her ultimatum. It was all just an astounding episode and you could feel for the first time in these final ten episodes, a glimmer of hope. After all the disappointment and heartbreak there were feelings of pride and duty and a change in direction. It was the start of something new, and I can hardly wait to see what happens next.

Weekend Rant - Endings & Beginnings

Things finally wrapped up this week for Superstars of Dance, and while there were a few amazing dancer performances, I hated the format, the judging and have no interest in seeing another season. I hope it was the last time for that experiment, I don't think that they really thought it through fully enough before airing the series as it was just bad. Of course, TV karma has compensated for that piece of crap with the return of Randy Jackson presents: America's Best Dance Crew (ABDC), and some really tight and astounding dance routines. The judging is as urban as it gets (and I think the judges push that as far as they can), but there are some outstanding dance teams and I am always in awe seeing them perform.I have been loving the underdog Dynamic Edition team and their fusion of Clogging and Hip Hop. Talk about whack... and more.

The great white North is a step ahead of American friends with the return of Project Runway Canada this week and the second season started off pretty rough for our contestants. With in the first 4 minutes of the show we had our first contestant leave due to an anxiety attack, and not 10 minutes later (and several hours in to the filming), we had a second contestant leave due to other medical issues. I am not sure how the selection process worked for these contestants, but I have the feeling that Iman terrifies them in ways that Heidi Klum can never do and that had quite a bit to do with their stress level and the subsequent meltdowns.

The first challenge was interesting but I didn't like the military vibe. I am happy to see their official mentor Brian Bailey has lost the 70's porn star mustache and is now wearing a more contemporary look, and it looks like a few of the designers have some real talent. I think Jeff has a real chance to go somewhere in the competition, and I am calling Jason out as the biggest poser in the competition. If you saw his "now you see her, now you don't" outfit from the first challenge you would see why. As Iman says, " In fashion, sometimes you just don't measure up", and there are a more than a couple of them that have completely missed that boat. As usual it is absolute Must See TV and I can hardly wait for the next catty episode. It's just a shame that the original series is still stuck in legal limbo, but the Canuck version has almost everything that I want.... it's just missing Tim Gunn.

Scrubs had me in hysterics this week with their Sesame Street episode, and I loved the slightly more adult appearances of the Muppets. The show is hitting it's beat and I still think that NBC made a big mistake with letting it go, the writing is hilarious.

Smallville is still leaving that bad taste in my mouth with each episode that Lana appears in. I am tired of the teen angst portions of our production and I just wish the writers could get over it and get back to the adventure vibe that was happening at the beginning of the season. It appears that my hopes for Insect Queen are being dashed (red kryptonite anyone?), and I really hope they get back to the Lois and Clark thing quickly (no sign of Lois again this week...) and finish up with ninja barbie. Sorry, but not believing the whole Lana /boot camp/torture thing and really want this guest arc to finish up, now.

Supernatural is pulling out great episodes (I jumped several times this week in our ghostly possession episode) but want to see more of the story surrounding Lilith and the Seals. The writers need to combine those elements more or we will all be in Hell before May sweeps even happens. It's called story progression and I need a bit more.

Lost is the bomb (literally and figuratively with our Hydrogen bomb named Jughead) and is blowing my mind with our time travelling Island and the way they are filling in the missing pieces of the puzzle by revealing connections to the ever mysterious Island and even more mystery surrounding Richard. It looks like there might be some more heartbreak around the corner with Penny giving birth to Desmond's baby and naming him Charlie, and the realisation that some how they need to help set things right, but the biggest shock of them all had to be the reveal that Widmore is an Other and from the Island originally... and it wasn't that shocking that he is the one funding Farraday, but learning about the problems surrounding our scientist was fascinating (and probably terribly dangerous pour Charlotte who seems to be linked to all of this) and all this time paradox and radiation can not be a good thing. This show is such a mind cluster frack that I can not stop obsessing over some of the details, and I am all convinced that it has something to do with a crashed Alien ship and that Richard is the sole survivor. Time will tell.. our Oceanic Six were not around much this week (an hour is just not enough) and slowly but surely the pieces of the puzzle are coming together.

Battlestar Galactica is as enthralling as ever with the current mutiny and unrest with in the fleet and their uneasy alliance with the Cylons.The civil unrest following the huge let down of finding a scorched Earth was not that surprising, but the mutiny on the Galactica will have some serious ramifications for some of the characters and Adama's threats are not to be taken lightly... telling Gaeta that he will die with nothing will be a sight not to be missed. The pacing in the episode was phenomenal, and I loved seeing Starbuck & Apollo work together again and helping to hold off the mutiny. Starbuck looks like she has gotten back some of her kick ass attitude back after being pulled through the wringer. Apollo is just realizing what he is getting into with the current rebellion and it is so ironic that his nemesis is played by none other than the original Apollo (Richard Hatch). The re-appearance of Roslin as the President (finally ending her seclusion for the moment) on the Galactica and addressing the fleet was an astounding moment that may well turn the tide towards a better solution and the cliffhanger ending of Adama and Tighe trying to hold off the mutineers against all odds was classic. Don't count out the old dogs yet, they have a ton of tricks up their sleeves and may the gods help those who stand in their way. As things tie up (damn these episodes start and finish quickly) I really hope that there is a light at the end of the tunnel after all this, I can't believe that there are no other survivors of the human race and the 13th Colony.

Weekend Rant - The Week in Review

Things have started off pretty decently this New Year, and I was very impressed with the returning shows this week. Things are very busy right now so my rantings may be less frequent for the next month but I will do atleast one posting per week.

24 has turned out to be a pleasant surprise, and reminding me more of the early seasons of the series. I still have problems with the the time lag and not really getting much background about when and why CTU was shut down and what happened with some of the key players, but it feels better than the last season and I am always a fan of Jack.

The Big Bang Theory is really getting it's groove, and the guys are getting the geek sensibility down to an art form, but I am concerned that Sheldon is going to overshadow Leonard and I hope that his character will not just be the straight man to all the funny guys around him. The characters are hilarious, and Wolowitz was hysterical this week when his feelings got hurt by Penny. I was practically drooling over his figurine collection (it figures that a brilliant nerdy scientist that still lives at home would have thousands of dollars worth of figurines)and I can't get over the details in this show, there must be some serious geeks in that set decorating department.

I am not ashamed that I have been loving Momma's Boys and it is currently one of my Guilty Pleasures. My favorite boy has to be our man-whore/fireman/actor Michael who seems to really like those blond chicks with a huge rack, he also seems to like to take them for a test ride before buying, yet seems put off by girls that are too slutty. Go figure, the guy is getting to be hot after one of the girls (Erica) that was the Penthouse Pet of 2008. His mom thinks this is the perfect girl for him (no one knows her deep dark secret) and it is like a great soap opera. One of the other guys, JoJo, has a very bigoted mother, who freaks at the idea of her son being with anything other than a white girl, and thinks that none of the girls are good enough for her boy. Our last contestant, Robert, is a nice Jewish boy and Mom wants to keep it that way.She doesn't want her dear boy to be with anything but a nice Jewish girl and she has one all picked out for him, the problem is that he really likes one of the girls,and she isn't Jewish or Caucasian and Mom is having conniptions. It's all drama and over the top and terrible and I can't stop watching. I love seeing the moms freak out and how the boys are rebelling like crazy and I have to admit that a couple of the boys are pretty fine watching.It'll all be over this week but I don't predict a happy ending to any of these relationships.

Superstars of Dance can not end quickly enough for me, if there wasn't atleast a couple of really interesting dance numbers per episode it wouldn't get any of my attention at all but skipping over most of it and just taking in the real dance numbers makes it tolerable, but just barely.

I played catch up with Lost and got back in tune with the last 3 episodes of last season, and can hardly wait until Wednesday... seriously I am literally on pins and needles waiting for my next Lost fix.

Smallville came back in full force this week and I just loved the Legion of Super-heroes episode titled Legion. The episode was great due to guest writer Geoff Johns, one of my favorite comic book writers (he does has been doing some great stuff with Green Lantern and Teen Titans and ton of other stuff) and he tied things together nicely in the Smallville Universe. The characters were good adaptations of the original Saturn Girl, Lightning Lad and Cosmic Boy and fit the style of Smallville, and the story was excellent and even reflected the storyline that Geoff had done in Action Comics with Superman and the Legion.Great story and I liked how they tied up some of the stuff with Brainiac (for the moment)and how they hinted at bigger things for Lana. That I am not sure about as the character hasn't really been in the forefront for awhile and to me she will always be Clark's girlfriend when he was a teenager before Lois. In the older version Lana was a hero also, putting on an alien ring that transformed her into different insects and she became the honorary Legionnaire, Insect Queen.I do find it kind of convenient that Lois hasn't been around in the episodes that Lana is in, I am wondering if there is trouble between the 2 girls? In any case I hope they drop the "No tights, No flights" rule pretty quick ( I loved the comment about that in the episode)and get Clark in some tights.. some things are not meant to be hidden.

Supernatural pulled out one of those episodes Family Remains that was terrifying and even scarier because it wasn't ghosts or demons but humans, and unfortunately inspired by the terrible events that transpired in Austria with the father locking the daughter away and doing terrible things to her for years. Dean said it best when he said all this was worse than any of the demons and monsters that they usually deal with. It was a very creepy episode, I jumped quite a few times and thought the storyline was really well done. It was nice to see Helen Slater again on the tube, it seems that she is finding a place in the Sci-Fi/Horror genre. I am looking forward to seeing how the storyline develops with Lilith and how things will play out over the next while, this was a great episode to get back in the beat of things.

Battlestar Galactica came back this week and I loved the first of the final 10 episodes. The crew was so devasted about not finding the Earth that they were looking for but finding the nuclear wasteland that was some planet that had been inhabited by Cylons. I am still not convinced that this was the true 13th Tribe, but it certainly took the story in a different direction. I was shocked with how everyone was crushed, and the worse blow of all was when Dee blew her brains out. It was another example of how profound they will go with this series and how they will change things up so things are not what is expected at all.They keep spinning around who is the Final model, and were dropping hints back and forth about Starbuck (and her discovering her body and ship on the planet -- I still haven't wrapped my head around that one) and it looks like Tigh's dead wife Ellen is supposed to be the final model. The flashbacks with our Final Five have been fascinating, and I can hardly wait to see what happens next.  I bet there is a reunion around the corner with Tigh and his wife, and I can hardly wait to see some of our characters run into their duplicates. Damn this show is good!

Weekend Rant - Starting off the New Year

The arrival of the New Year heralded the beginning of new and exciting things, but unfortunately it also signaled the end of a few of my favorite series.

Just leaving the airwaves on New Year's Eve and after an incredible 16 years on the air and a total of 35 years of history,  The Royal Canadian Air Farce (a fun play on words of our air force) finished things up and it was a bittersweet finale. I will miss their parodies and political mischief and hope that some of the comedians will be seen in other shows or maybe another weekly variety show. It's always hard when you lose an institution like Air Farce and I will miss seeing Roger Abbott, Don Ferguson, Luba Goy, Jessica Holmes, Craig Lauzon, Alan Park and Penelope Corrin each week. There has rarely been a week that has gone by that they have not had a scathing commentary on the current political scene or some brilliant insight to Canadian Issues. They are as important to culture as Second City Television (SCTV). May the Farce always be with us!

It was also announced that MADtv is ending it's run after an impressive 14 seasons, surviving in a time slot that has seen many a pretender come and go and it has been the only viable competition to the long running SNL. I have been a huge fan of the show since day one, and have marveled at the brilliant parodies that they have pulled off over the years. No other show has been as biting and sarcastic as this crew, and they have had some very funny people that have stayed on for multiple seasons. The list of favorites is practically endless, but Mary Scheer, Orlando Jones, Bryan Callen, Michael McDonald, Aries Spears, Debra Wilson, Mo Collins ,Bobby Lee, Nicole Sullivan, Alex Borstein,Will Sasso, Stephnie Weir, Frank Caliendo, Phil LaMarr, Ike Barinholtz, Nicole Parker, Paul Vogt, Crista Flanagan,  Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Arden Myrin and Josh Meyers all made me laugh my ass off at some time and I will really miss having this show around. I always found it to be consistently funny and edgier than the last decade of SNL. They have also done some of the best music video spoofs out there, and I hope the rumors are true that they are trying to shop the show around to some other networks. If anything, I would just like to thank all the cast and crew for many years of funny stuff and hope to see them around in some form or another.

Wrapping things up, Stargate Atlantis ended with a whimper (not even close to a bang) and I am just happy that it is finally over. It's unfortunate that the series lost direction (and I have never liked it as much since the Doctor Elizabeth Weir character was written out of the series), and they really lost their direction with casting and interaction between the characters. I just hope the next series that the spin off of SG1 will fare better. I will miss  Joe Flanigan but imagine that he will pop up elsewhere (or so I hope).

Sanctuary finished up it's first season and I still keep waiting to get really interested. I haven't found the characters that interesting or enthralling and I am completely on the fence about future episodes. The concept is great, it is once more a question of writing, and getting some interesting and gripping story lines down.

I heard over the holidays that NBC has decided to pull the plug on American Gladiators and I am heartbroken. I was really enjoying the series and the herd of new Gladiators (there go favorites like Hellga, Crush and Toa) and still hold out hope that it might be picked up as a summer series .... one can dream. I can't believe that they keep Knight Rider and not this.

Starting back up this month are Battlestar Galactica and Lost, two of my favorite series and I am waiting with much ... (say it!) ...  anticipation to the series premiere this Friday of Galactica. I absolutely love the series and can hardly wait to see where it takes us in the final 10 episodes. The big reveal of the final Cylon model should be something, I bet the writers have been making us think that it is Starbuck but it will turn out to be Roslin. Lost has left a ton of questions in the air since last spring (it's a long time in between seasons of Lost), and I can hardly wait to see how things develop and I am thrilled that Bones is back this week, but hate the fact that it seems that almost everything is on Thursday night. Thank god for technology that enables you to record 2 things at the same time, but it means that I have to play catch up on the weekend to see some of my favorite shows.

Thursday is going to busy with Smallville and Supernatural coming back this week (I can hardly wait, both series have been great so far this year) and then the big return of America's Best Dance Crew, which is better than the almost tolerable ( I question the judging and what they qualify as dance) Superstars of Dance, which is filling a hole in the schedule and has enough good content to counteract the bland hosting and bizarre format. I have no idea who that South African Judge is, but I just want to reach out to my HD TV and smack him. Damn that man is irritating.

I will check out the season opener of 24, but if it is as dismal as the TV movie last month (24 - Redemption) that didn't really bridge the time span and missed season due to the strike last year. The end of the previous season (from a couple of years ago) had Jack taken hostage by the Chinese and the storyline was not really resolved. It was a crappy season anyways and is the reason I am looking at the big debut this week with a bit of trepidation. If the storyline is not gripping or interesting enough (or just plain stupid), I will not be continuing. The only thing that I have seen that was good and  24 related over the past while was a part of the Les Parent this past week on Radio-Canada. The whole real time feeling and incredible multi tasking done by mom, all while ranting about the impossible amount of things done by Jack Bauer in one hour was hilarious and great use of a camera. The writers have really been impressing me on this series and they deserves a shout out for that sketch.

Top Ten of 2008 - Best in Show

#1 - Pushing Daisies -
Being chosen as my number one show is bittersweet and ironic as the show has not been renewed and it will soon join the realm of other Brilliant but Cancelled shows. This modern day fairy tale is simply so different and quirky than anything else out there, it had to be at the top of the list for it's sheer genius. Each episode looks and feels so magical and has such a quick and brilliant wit about it. The playful banter between the actors that is punctuated by different surprises such as music or magic that I am in complete awe each episode. It is a shame that there is not a network that is willing to broadcast the rest of the series, and I still feel cheated by having a stunted season last year due to the strike and then cancellation this year. In all, we get the equivalent of one season and I feel ripped off. Bryan Fuller has promised to continue and end the story, even if it means going into another medium such as comic books, so I feel content that I can say how things develop but feel cheated at the same time. Such is the fate of shows that are out of the box and willing to be more creative... I long for a time when something well written and well produced can be shown just for the pleasure of sharing it's creativity -- unfortunately this is TV and it's the almighty dollar that makes the choices.

#2 - Lost - Even with a short season last year, the writers' have created such an enthralling tale that I can't wait to see what might/has/will happens next. No other show has such a story filled with such complexities and managed to keep us all guessing with a combination of flashback and flash forward sequences. I am still completely hooked and want to see more of what happened with the Oceanic Six, the disappearance of the Island, the mysterious Ben and even stranger Jacob.This show doesn't get the credit it deserves and I can hardly wait to see how things will be this season. It's great that they like to run the season so that there are no interruptions, but I hate having to wait so long to know how the story is going to develop ... with only 34 episodes left there is a lot going on and I know that there will be more twists and turns along the trail, and I can hardly wait.

#3 - Supernatural - The chemistry between the Winchester boys is what makes the series and the combination of dark humor and gripping story lines has made every episode a must see event at home. The guys are just too funny and sexy even with everything going to Hell around them, and the current storyline with Dean being pulled back to Earth out of Hell by Angels and Sammy playing on the dark side with Ruby reads like a Shakespearean epic. The big story of battling Lilith who is trying to destroy the Seals that keep Satan in Hell is astounding and the big battle with Archangels and demons has been off the charts. They have even being throwing out special treats to the viewers this season with Dean's hilarious air guitar sequence to Eye of the Tiger. Solid writing, sexy guys and good acting make for a good series and this one has not been disappointing.

#4 - Doctor Who - This past season was fantastic with Catherine Tate joining the fold as the new companion and impressed me with her dramatic acting skills. I loved the Donna Noble character and her development and ultimate loss over the season. Russell T Davies wrote a hell of a season finale that crossed over into the whole Who universe ( The Children of Time) and it was astounding to see the Doctor with Rose, Martha, along with Captain Jack, Gwen and Ianto from Torchwood and Sarah Jane, K-9 and Luke. They managed to throw in tons of other characters from the past couple of years and have a huge universe shattering ending. Since BBC TV doesn't have to be written with a conventional happy ending, things ended with Donna losing her memories of her time as a companion (as well as her personal evolution) and she can never have the memories back with risking certain death. It was a hard lesson and harsh ending to a character, and I curious to see if the issue will ever be addressed again. The writing and stories were astounding and refreshing, and although this upcoming season will be short I will relish every moment.

#5 - Torchwood - The story lines this year were very adult and things started off with a huge Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang and the introduction of James Marsters as Captain John Hart, Captain Jack's former colleague and lover. The stories delved more into Jack's life and his brother Gray, and we had the treat of seeing Martha Jones of Doctor Who fame make a guest appearance for a few episodes.The status quo changed around at Torchwood, and poor Owen was killed, but stayed on as a living corpse before being finally killed off (again?) in the season finale. Toshiko met her end in the final episode of the season, leaving only Jack, Ianto and Gwen at Torchwood. The new season will only be a 5 episode arc, but is better than no Torchwood at all. At least I got some more John Barrowman during this past springs How do you solve a problem like Maria? reality show that aired here in Canada but would love to see more. It will be a rough year with a reduced amount of Who Universe characters.

#6 - Battlestar Galactica -Things were put on hold since June and they will be airing the final episodes (finally) starting this January, and I am itching with excitement and very eager to see how things will be played out. The final Cylon model will be revealed (I just hope that it isn't the President -- that would be the biggest irony of all) and it will be interesting to see how things will change now that they have discovered Earth -- or is that really Earth or some other distraction? The acting and the writing has been phenomenal, the biggest complaint about the series has been the long wait time in between episodes and how Sci Fi seems to be milking it for all it's worth. It's still one of the best things on the tube and hopefully the spin off prequel series Caprica will be as interesting and engrossing as this one. It is still a definite not to be missed series and I can hardly wait to see how things finish off.

#7 - Bones - The show fumbled a bit this season with the separation of Hodgkins and Angela and the team was still reeling from the loss of Zack, but the show managed to hold on to it's core and even if things felt off a tad, they have churned out some great stuff so far this year. I don't think that breaking up our couple worked (I did like the tension when Angela's ex showed up) but I prefer it when the sexual tension is between Booth and Bones. Our reluctant lovers are still butting heads, but there are more and more moments that they seem to fit so well together that are unfortunately punctuated by Bone's lack of tact or just by her having no comprehension of the facts. I still find it humorous that a writer (Bones) who seems to not know much about popular culture is a popular author. It is just another endearing quality of Brennan. David has been killing this season with his very cocky Boothe strutting his stuff (I love the belt buckle) and his sly and subtle sense of humor has been creeping back in.I liked the idea of rotating interns (it reminds me of the good old days and the never ending stream of secretaries on Murphy Brown), but now that we are to the point of seeing some of the interns come back again, I am liking the idea less. The team is starting to feel like they are getting back in sync, but I am still convinced that Sweets is too good to be true and linked with the Gormogon. There are lots of unanswered questions and I am pretty sure that Sweets has the answers, it's just too convenient that he came into the picture at just the right time and has had some peripheral implication in pretty much all of the situations that involved the killer. I bet you he is the new Master and Daisy is going to be his new apprentice.

#8 - Terminator: the Sarah Connor Chronicles - Even with Fox bumping this show on and off of the schedule, the stories have been solid and the acting is tremendous. I absolutely love Lena Heady as Sarah Connor, and she is totally believable as the character. It is rare to find an actress that can embody a well established character, and she has really taken the torch from Linda Hamilton and made Sarah her own. She certainly knows her mission, and I really like how they have been adding new depth to the character, now that they have changed time and managed to skip over that pesky death by cancer. The addition of Uncle Derek was another brilliant move that has added more of a human element and created a bigger sense of family, and Cameron is a great choice as the enhanced Terminator sent back to protect John. Shirley Manson has been disturbing as the T-1001 that is working against our heroes, and it has been a great storyline this season. Hopefully all the time shifts and schedule changes won't get this one cancelled, it's a great addition to the mythos.

#9 - Smallville - I have loved and hated this series since it started, but this year I can honestly say that I have been enjoying the stories and have been really liking the development of things between Lois and Clark. Erica Durance is becoming my favorite representation of Lois to date, having the right balance of toughness and sensitivity, and she has such a commanding presence that you can't help but notice her. If she wasn't calling Clark Smallville all the time I don't even think that they could keep the title of the show as all the action has been taking place at Metropolis and at the Daily Planet. I have been not entirely happy with the storyline with Chloe (the part of her no longer being a reporter), but I like her in Control Tower mode (reminding me more of the Oracle character from Birds of Prey) and find it a good balance for the character. The season started off great with an appearance of the Justice League and the regular appearances of Green Arrow and the Martian Manhunter have added a new dynamic to the show. The Brainiac/Doomsday storyline that is currently running has been playing out well and I am looking forward to seeing how things play out over the next few episodes. I think it is time to dish the no tights/no flights rule of the show and for Clark to start playing dress up like the rest of his hero friends.

#10 -The Big Bang Theory - This is the only comedy that made it all the way up the list, and every episode this season has had me laughing on my ass. Not only is this one of the best written comedies on the air, but it has some of the funniest characters created for a sitcom ever. The character of Sheldon is sheer brilliance on every level and his Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock variation was another example of the mindset of the character. It should be noted that the concept was not the writer's idea but an homage to Sam Kass who developed the concept in 2005. I really like how they have been developing the relationships between the characters as well as fleshing out our gang of geeks and getting to know more about what makes them tick. Brilliant minds make for great writing and this show is always worth the watch.

Almost made the List: Chuck, Samantha Who?, The Sarah Jane Adventures

Fallen from Grace: Burn Notice, Heroes

Biggest Flop: Knight Rider, Fringe, 90210

Weekend Rant - Sometimes these re-makes actually work

I do have to give NBC credit for having the balls (and one might also think, lack of new ideas) in their recent wave of "re-imagining" 1970s TV shows. Since this has been (so far) very hit and miss as far as success goes, I had a lot of trepidation when I saw the first ads for Celebrity Circus. Would this be like the glorious " Circus with the Stars" that I fondly remember from my youth? Or will this fall in to the complete debacle territory that is populated by shows like Bionic Woman (RIP Jaime Sommers) and that really crappy Knight Rider movie that rumour has it is being green lit for a regular series.

I am happy to say that it is celebrities doing circus acts (and none of the easy fluff that they did when we were kids), and that the celebs are great (and who can go wrong with that Antonio Sabato Jr?), the routines and competition is fierce ... and the Judges are something else all together. I don't know where the hell they found them, but the combination of having a bitchy French trapeze artist/contortionist, an Olympic athlete and this way out there choreographer (Louie) that screams " gay gay gay gay gay gay gay". Literally. I mean he was coming on to hunky Antonio pretty heavy there...

I was pretty impressed and will be back for more -- now if someone could try to re -imagine Battle of the Network Stars (and not that crappy reality version) I would be a very happy camper indeed.

It was so thrilling to see Betty White being one of the guest celebrities on the last episode of Million Dollar Password. Talk about striking a great balance, not only did it thrill the fans of the original series but it showed the new viewers how it was done old style. Betty is still as phenomenal after all these years and and inspiration to us all.

Battlestar Galactica finished out this part of the season and have the gall to call it their " Mid- Season Finale" -- this is turning into the longest running final season ever and has me mildly peeved.... the storyline is so fascinating, the acting outstanding and we end up on Earth (? really?) that strangely reminds me of Planet of the Apes.... I was just waiting for that shot of the arm of the Statue of Liberty sticking out of the sand and was getting revved up to scream. I am pretty sure that things are not quite what they seem ... I am still stuck on the point that D'Anna said that only 4 of the final 5 are with the fleet ( I wonder if the other is already on Earth?) it will be interesting to find out next year what the hell happens ... damn this show is good.

Weekend Rant - Spring Boost

Thursday is turning into a 3 night event as there is wayyyyyyyyyy too much playing this particular evening to be able to see all of it "live". Case in point, this week I watched Survivor, Supernatural and Lost the actual Thursday evening, and caught up with Smallville, Step it up & Dance on Friday evening while getting my Battlestar Galactica fix and then finally got around to watching CSI and l'il Bush on Saturday while getting the latest Doctor Who from the BBC (another astounding episode)..... and getting treated to a new Mad TV things are getting a little out of hand with this up and down/back and forth season... and I am looking forward to things getting back to a more normal pace.

I still don't understand why so much has to play on one night -- and thank the gods of wherever for file sharing and DVRs, otherwise I'd miss out on a few things. Yeah I know, it's pathetic.

This season of Survivor is turning into one of the better ones in recent years (and now it seems, future seasons will be in HD -- watch out!) and the last episode hit another home run with yet another "stoopid move". Last week Ozzy got blindsided and eliminated with out playing the Immunity Idol, so it was "re-hidden" on Exile Island. Jason gets sent to the Island, discovers it, and after another chain of events (and the most creative use of the word "Bitch" by Natalie), Jason gets blindsided (dolt) and gets sent home just like Ozzy... and that damned Idol is going back in to hiding, and we will have to see if someone finds it again....

The guys are in short supply ( only James and Erik are left) and the girls will start fighting amongst themselves once again.... girl power can go so far but it all depends on who wins Immunity over the next few weeks... and it seems that James has a nasty infected finger so you never know who will get an advantage this game... I still say watch out for Cirie.

Smallville didn't hit as well this week, Clark seemed pretty whiny and intense (none in a good way) and if Chloe wasn't around to keep it all together I am not sure what would be going on. Umm next week is about Time Travel and going back to Krypton? huh? Secret Agent Jimmy was mildly amusing but I would have preferred a better follow up to last week's better written episode. Still... another Lana free episode and that is a good thing in it's self.

Supernatural came back (again) this week with an okay but not great episode. I liked the premise of the episode ( Ghost Hunters Facers) but it was missing all of the Sam & Dean interactions that make the show so great. The other characters weren't interesting enough and once all was said and done (and erased) all they had was some bad memories and a lost friend, and that seemed kind of sucky as far as endings go. I think I am expecting more because there haven't been as many episodes due to the strike, and in a regular season it would have been better received.

Lost keeps sucking me in further and further and I hate to say it, but I might actually be pulling for Ben (yes, believe it or not) after this week's stunning death (be at peace Alex) and this Ben-centric episode. Seriously.... first there is the whole phone call warning system (way cool) and then Ben has weapons stashed everywhere and he gets everybody where he wants to make his stand. Unfortunately, he tries to bluff his way out of a dangerous situation where there are holding his daughter(not?) Alex as hostage and he pushes too far, believing that his conviction that because Alex supposedly doesn't mean anything to him, will not be used as a pawn in this struggle.

Ben miscalculates, or as he sees it, the rules get changed and Alex is sacrificed as a result. Ben goes wild, disappears through a mysterious door with hieroglyphics and before you know it the Smoke Monster is taking care of the invaders (I guess he turned off the protective field) and the next thing we know he is in the desert in a Dharma uniform. After assaulting a couple of probable bandits (in a very nifty way), he is off to Tunisia where we learn it is 2005 and he is meeting up with Said (as one of the Oceanic Six) and we learn why Said is working with Ben.

On the island.... something is up with Jack but I am not too worried as he has been seen in the flash forwards. Our gang learn that their new friends aren't there to save them (thanks Bernard) and there was some general mayhem everywhere. With Smokey on the loose I worry for the rest of the gang, and we already had several casualties courtesy of the invading force and I worry that there won't be any survivors other than the Six at this point. Locke, Hurley and Ben are off to see the wizard... Jacob on Island time but in the future things end up with Ben getting into a private building and his warning to Mr.Widmore about changing the rules and now it will cost him his daughter (Penny) had me on the edge of my seat.

So this is the shape of things to come.... things are moving along quickly and I have so many questions, the biggest being How the frack can Ben travel in time? This show is too cool...


Battlestar Galactica continues it's final season with great episode after great episode. I loved all the freedom of religion undertones this time around, but also all about the intense feelings of redemption and guilt that are being experienced by Tigh. His projections of his dead wife on Six were most disturbing, and even more disturbing to hear Six explaining how pain makes her feel and how she shares it with Tigh. yikes.


The President, and her way of dealing with Baltar, impressed the hell out of me ( I loved her comment to him that she was no longer in the mood to indulge him) and the weird scene of Six helping Baltar make his stand and taking back his right was strange.... it makes me wonder how real Six is and how she is not seen by the others yet can physically manipulate Baltar. There wasn't enough action with the big group of cylons this week nor with Starbuck and her crew but there is always next week.


Doctor Who is still a fun a ride as ever with not one, but two companions this week. Donna and the Doctor run into Martha, and we have some fun and games with the Sontarans, some interesting green technology and a rotten child genius. I love the character development and interaction, and find it quite interesting that Donna keeps running into some of the other companions of the Doctor, first Rose (although she didn't know it) and now Martha. I like how things are tying together, and the episode is great fun with Donna's family realizing that they know the Doctor from different situations. Of course it's a big cliffhanger, and I can hardly wait until the next episode to find out how this one turns out.

Weekend Rant - Things are going to get a bit messy

Smallville pulled out one of their best episodes (of all time) this week with "Descent" and the episode really highlighted Lex as he continued down his path to complete evil. Killing your dad and then burning your manifestation of your "good" side makes for a very deep and disturbing character and it was an extremely well performed episode by Michael (Lex). I am still in complete awe with his portrayal and interpretation of the character. Lex is on a one way ticket to hell and he doesn't care who is in his way or what he has to do to get to his goal. Kudos to dear old Dad, who, unless there is some other miraculous resurrection, will be gone and the last "adult" cast member will be finished on the series.

I could have done with a bit less of the hokey Veritas crap and the Traveller stuff, but the episode was pure story without all the usual angst that is in a regular episode of Smallville.... could it possible have been the fact that Lana wasn't in this episode (Kara neither) made it seem less whiny? Things are tying up nicely this season, and now if they could finally start getting Clark "oomphed" up a bit and get him flying, (they are still avoiding that, but the time has come my friends-- you better go with it) but they have started upping the anty when it comes to Clark and his powers ( I thought his creative use of Heat vision was great this week) and I would really like to see him becoming more of his potential and less of the angst ridden whiny character that they often portray him as.

Cirie has reinforced (once again) my theory that you CAN NOT trust her in the latest happenings on Survivor:Micronesia ... and I have been saying for weeks to get rid of her-- and now Ozzy has been eliminated from the competition in a bone headed move that is way up there with "bad moves" in Survivor. (James is still the champ with having 2 Immunity Idols and getting the boot). It broke my heart to see Ozzy go, but let's be honest here... he was starting to get way too egotistical about the whole thing and he was outplayed in some major shenanigans. Erik is really growing on me after his visit to the Micronesian village (and after all that beer and Betel nuts) and he is quickly becoming my favorite player to watch with his whole "wide eyed innocent thing". The girls are getting their groove on in many ways and I think the claws will be coming out soon which should make for some good episodes. I still wish Ami was around to work that whole "girl power" vibe, but just seeing the look on Eliza's face when Ozzy got eliminated was worth the shock. Ozzy was less than graceful with his exit and he should have followed his earlier feelings and pulled out the Idol. Yet another one wasted... what is the use of having one if you don't use it? It's still a shame to see him gone and it looks like the guys are the endangered species this round.

Battlestar Galactica is so fracking good that I am now dreading the day it ends.

This week's episode "The ties that bind", continued rocketing our storyline into much unfamiliar and very disturbing territory.

The ties that bind - Cally & the Chief - besides the obvious;their child -- is their violent past and when Cally discovers, much by accident and suspicion, all about her dear hubby and some of his friends their shocking Cylon secret ("skinjobs") and she ultimately pays the price for this knowledge. Her discovery, the surreal scene that followed of Chief chatting with her and trying to explain the false truth and her violent attack on him before going off to try to commit suicide was astounding.

I was worried for the baby (probably some hybrid?) and you could feel the fear and tension that Cally had as she wrestled with the dilemma of Cylon hubby (and crew) and when one of our dear skinjob friends shows up (Tory) and tries to play nice before ultimately slapping her down and grants her death wish by blasting Cally out the airlock ... I was completely blown away. Just when you thought there was hope and redemption for some characters you realize that they are a lost cause. Tory has been mostly a background character, but since the reveal that she is one of the Cylons her storyline has been taking on a whole new direction and she has been given the chance to show some acting chops. Her sudden shifts have been very effective. Now of course... if Cally shows up next week on a Resurrection Ship we might have the identity of our unknown Cylon... and maybe that could explain why their baby has never shown up on the radar as important before... just a theory.

The ties that bind -- Starbuck & Anders -- the on again off again couple are off with a crew on the Demetrius looking for the way to Earth. Adama still has a spark of hope in Starbuck, and although our heroine is feeling disconnected and not quite herself (me thinks red herring, making us think that she might be Cylon when I think she will be the one that will save them all) and has some rough hot sex with stud man. Starbuck is painting some pretty pictures and going all Sistine Chapel in her quarters. The girl is not as crazy as anyone should think. The whole " Oh frack it let's just frack " scene should clear up any misconceptions about the word frack.

The ties that bind -- Six & the other Cylons -- and their ongoing civil war. Suddenly there is a vote and they want to unite the 12 models? I never imagined Cylons to have neither a spiritual nor such an emotional side and am fracking fascinated over the current internal struggles with in the machines. Seeing the trap that our friends just jumped into (and not a Resurrection ship around) might mean some change in the status quo.

There was still tons more (incredible to believe, all that in one hour) but I was less intrigued by the political stuff (although I love the President) and think that they are still wasting the Apollo character. I am sure this will all tie together in ways I could never imagine.