rose_griffes (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rose_griffes) wrote2007-07-19 08:04 pm
rose_griffes) wrote2007-07-19 08:04 pm
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Go me! And, um, Go BSG too!
Today I: swept and vacuumed the floors, including under some of the furniture, flipped the matresses, washed bedroom curtains, did other laundry, sorted through another file in the filing cabinet, worked on the shelves in my classroom at school for an hour, walked with some friends, did a few weights to exercise my arms and swam for fifteen minutes.
Then I fell asleep on the couch during the news. Heh. (Disclaimer: this is NOT a typical day for me. Hence my bragging.)
Oh, I also rewatched Occupation/Precipice (season three opener for BSG) in honor of the good news that the episode was Emmy-nominated for writing.
First we see a whole bunch of previouslies--two seasons' worth. Then credits, then my FAVORITE opening scene--those quick cuts of hands and faces, with that haunting quiet music (two female vocalists) in the background. It's awesome. Glimpses of Ellen, Kara, Tyrol and Anders, Saul, Adama, Roslin... it's a fabulous hook for the episode. The way it was edited, the visual nature of everything that was happening--I like it that we get to absorb what's going on a little bit at a time, without huge amounts of exposition.
The complete scene with Ellen and Cavil has to be one of the squickiest (non-gory) things of any show I watch... and I'm amazed every time that this is the moment we realize just how much Ellen really loves Saul.
Oh Kara. Every time I see her eating the steak, knife in still-bloody hand, I'm stunned. That slight tilting of the camera to show how truly unbalanced she is--wow.
Rats. Exposition. It's a good thing I like Mary McDonnell; the diary reading is not my favorite thing but it works to get us caught up and at least we don't have a whole lot of it.
I like the cylons together arguing. All those scenes are done so well, the multiple copies blending seamlessly (to my eye), the timing of their lines. Cavil is direct (and funny, in a very grim way), the eights and sixes look so defensive.
Little hints for later in the season--D'Anna is asking Six if love is worth what they're going through. Three is looking for love in all the wrong places. (Sorry, couldn't resist. *g*)
I know everyone has said this before but Gaeta looks great with the longer hair. I think it just forces us to pay more attention to him--he's a good-looking guy, but it's easy to get lost in the background in CIC, wearing the same blue uniform that Lee and Helo wear extremely well.
Tigh's line to Anders--"Any word on Kara?" It speaks volumes. Poor Sammy.
And back to Kara... "Honey, I'm home." It's both funny and sad: Leoben is so pleased to be playing house with his pretty 'wife.' Leoben, you are so weird, thinking God has sent you to Kara to help her. And that line about how either way she'll be spending the night with him. Heh.
Rennie and Sackhoff just blow me away in their scenes together. They're so expressive--fleeting expression on their faces, the in-your-space body language. They both have that quality when onscreen with other actors, so putting them together creates some intense scenes.
Up in space!
News flash: Kat is annoying. Why did they flatten Helo's hair?
HAH! The fat Apollo towel shot makes me laugh--that camera lingers on his gut.
Admiral Adama has formed a connection with Helo's Sharon. I still don't like it. I understand that we're supposed to appreciate how loyal she is, and how she works for the good of the humans now. Trusting her and taking that risk of putting her on the ground helped to save the humans on New Caprica. Doesn't mean I like it, though.
Lee whines to Dee and she gives him a speech. That line about how much he's like his father, and that's one of the reasons she married him--it didn't bother me at the time, but now I realize it was supposed to be a big clue about their marriage.
Baltar tells Gaeta that he's not going to the ceremony. That tone of voice, the look--I've always wondered if Baltar knows that Felix is leaking information.
Duck prepares for death. That image of him strapping on the bombs, ugh. This whole part of the story is set up very well--I feel sorry for Duck and horrified by what he's about to do.
Shoeless Laura talks to Baltar in the detention center. I love Roslin's opaqueness here. She hates Baltar and she hates the suicide bombings but we only see hints of both of those; it isn't until later that we find out her true feelings.
During that conversation between Galen and Felix I didn't realize at first that Tyrol was unaware of Gaeta's role as the mole in the President's office. Galen's rather terrifying in his later speech to Jammer about "tying the knots... making them tight." (And he had to work to be scary, 'cause he's so cuddly with that beard!)
Leoben has a surprise for Kara! Chocolate cake! Oh... darn. Leoben lies and lies and lies about Kacey--Kara sits there, freaked out. I don't know that we've ever seen her sit so still before. Lots of speculation about whether Leoben made sure Kacey got hurt while Kara was in the bathroom--who knows, but it definitely works faster than anything else might have to get Kara to accept her 'daughter.' (And how sad it is that self-loathing is part of the key to getting Kara to accept Kacey.)
Lee's angry about Sharon being part of the plan! Go Lee! Papadama listens for once, mostly--not about Sharon, but about keeping the rest of the fleet safe.
Right before Jammer talks to Boomer, she and Six are having a conversation--why aren't these tactics working? Why won't the humans love us?! The same thing Leoben is wondering, but on a larger scale. It doesn't matter if the contact is very personal or in large groups, the humans won't accept the cylons and they don't get it. Clueless cylons.
Boomer's visit to Cally in the detention center is very divisive. The anti-Cally faction see it as proof of how awful Cally is. I don't feel much sympathy for Boomer, though. She really is a frakked-up toaster. Cally is just being Cally--she's scared and powerless, except for being able to menace the cylon who remembers being shot by her before.
A second suicide bombing, so it's time for stronger measures from the cylons. Baltar gets to play the role of puppet. James Callis is crazy-versatile. He's hilarious at times and pathetic at others. This scene of him being forced to sign the death order is well-done, especially with Doral shooting Caprica Six. (By the way, I always thought the first act of cylon-on-cylon violence was when Sharon shot a Six on Caprica. Maybe D'Anna was unaware of that when she accused Caprica Six of being the first. Or maybe the writers didn't care, heh.)
Sharon A. gets sworn in as an office aboard Galactica. Even though I think Helo is deluded for loving Sharon, I like Helo (except when he's put in the role of savior). He's loyal. Misguided but loyal. (And thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
alissabobissa's ficlet about comparing arms, I really want to know who has bigger guns--Lee, Anders or Helo. Go read it, it's funny!)
It's getting close to the end and they're ramping up the tension--Ellen being blackmailed into retrieving more information, stealing the map; Laura being taken out her classroom; Zarek and Roslin bonding over how they both H8 Baltar.
Sharon finds Anders and his resistance fighters. His reaction to her hug is priceless. *g*
Brief break from the fast-paced moments--Kara's in the hospital, praying for Kacey. (pataka02 and I once exchanged comments about what Kara touching Leoben's hand meant.)
Back to the high-tension stuff--Zarek chats up Roslin; Anders and Sharon are ambushed; Jammer frees Cally and we see the line of bulletheads across the ditch. Oh noes, not our beloved Roslin! Tune in next week, when all the shots of Cally running away will be replaced by different shots of Cally running away. It's no wonder she forgot that someone freed her before she got shot--she lived through two different escape experiences!
And now I shall go eat Oreos with milk! Huzzah!
p.s. I liked the Adama pornstache--but I might be biased, my dad had a mustache for many years.
Then I fell asleep on the couch during the news. Heh. (Disclaimer: this is NOT a typical day for me. Hence my bragging.)
Oh, I also rewatched Occupation/Precipice (season three opener for BSG) in honor of the good news that the episode was Emmy-nominated for writing.
First we see a whole bunch of previouslies--two seasons' worth. Then credits, then my FAVORITE opening scene--those quick cuts of hands and faces, with that haunting quiet music (two female vocalists) in the background. It's awesome. Glimpses of Ellen, Kara, Tyrol and Anders, Saul, Adama, Roslin... it's a fabulous hook for the episode. The way it was edited, the visual nature of everything that was happening--I like it that we get to absorb what's going on a little bit at a time, without huge amounts of exposition.
The complete scene with Ellen and Cavil has to be one of the squickiest (non-gory) things of any show I watch... and I'm amazed every time that this is the moment we realize just how much Ellen really loves Saul.
Oh Kara. Every time I see her eating the steak, knife in still-bloody hand, I'm stunned. That slight tilting of the camera to show how truly unbalanced she is--wow.
Rats. Exposition. It's a good thing I like Mary McDonnell; the diary reading is not my favorite thing but it works to get us caught up and at least we don't have a whole lot of it.
I like the cylons together arguing. All those scenes are done so well, the multiple copies blending seamlessly (to my eye), the timing of their lines. Cavil is direct (and funny, in a very grim way), the eights and sixes look so defensive.
Little hints for later in the season--D'Anna is asking Six if love is worth what they're going through. Three is looking for love in all the wrong places. (Sorry, couldn't resist. *g*)
I know everyone has said this before but Gaeta looks great with the longer hair. I think it just forces us to pay more attention to him--he's a good-looking guy, but it's easy to get lost in the background in CIC, wearing the same blue uniform that Lee and Helo wear extremely well.
Tigh's line to Anders--"Any word on Kara?" It speaks volumes. Poor Sammy.
And back to Kara... "Honey, I'm home." It's both funny and sad: Leoben is so pleased to be playing house with his pretty 'wife.' Leoben, you are so weird, thinking God has sent you to Kara to help her. And that line about how either way she'll be spending the night with him. Heh.
Rennie and Sackhoff just blow me away in their scenes together. They're so expressive--fleeting expression on their faces, the in-your-space body language. They both have that quality when onscreen with other actors, so putting them together creates some intense scenes.
Up in space!
News flash: Kat is annoying. Why did they flatten Helo's hair?
HAH! The fat Apollo towel shot makes me laugh--that camera lingers on his gut.
Admiral Adama has formed a connection with Helo's Sharon. I still don't like it. I understand that we're supposed to appreciate how loyal she is, and how she works for the good of the humans now. Trusting her and taking that risk of putting her on the ground helped to save the humans on New Caprica. Doesn't mean I like it, though.
Lee whines to Dee and she gives him a speech. That line about how much he's like his father, and that's one of the reasons she married him--it didn't bother me at the time, but now I realize it was supposed to be a big clue about their marriage.
Baltar tells Gaeta that he's not going to the ceremony. That tone of voice, the look--I've always wondered if Baltar knows that Felix is leaking information.
Duck prepares for death. That image of him strapping on the bombs, ugh. This whole part of the story is set up very well--I feel sorry for Duck and horrified by what he's about to do.
Shoeless Laura talks to Baltar in the detention center. I love Roslin's opaqueness here. She hates Baltar and she hates the suicide bombings but we only see hints of both of those; it isn't until later that we find out her true feelings.
During that conversation between Galen and Felix I didn't realize at first that Tyrol was unaware of Gaeta's role as the mole in the President's office. Galen's rather terrifying in his later speech to Jammer about "tying the knots... making them tight." (And he had to work to be scary, 'cause he's so cuddly with that beard!)
Leoben has a surprise for Kara! Chocolate cake! Oh... darn. Leoben lies and lies and lies about Kacey--Kara sits there, freaked out. I don't know that we've ever seen her sit so still before. Lots of speculation about whether Leoben made sure Kacey got hurt while Kara was in the bathroom--who knows, but it definitely works faster than anything else might have to get Kara to accept her 'daughter.' (And how sad it is that self-loathing is part of the key to getting Kara to accept Kacey.)
Lee's angry about Sharon being part of the plan! Go Lee! Papadama listens for once, mostly--not about Sharon, but about keeping the rest of the fleet safe.
Right before Jammer talks to Boomer, she and Six are having a conversation--why aren't these tactics working? Why won't the humans love us?! The same thing Leoben is wondering, but on a larger scale. It doesn't matter if the contact is very personal or in large groups, the humans won't accept the cylons and they don't get it. Clueless cylons.
Boomer's visit to Cally in the detention center is very divisive. The anti-Cally faction see it as proof of how awful Cally is. I don't feel much sympathy for Boomer, though. She really is a frakked-up toaster. Cally is just being Cally--she's scared and powerless, except for being able to menace the cylon who remembers being shot by her before.
A second suicide bombing, so it's time for stronger measures from the cylons. Baltar gets to play the role of puppet. James Callis is crazy-versatile. He's hilarious at times and pathetic at others. This scene of him being forced to sign the death order is well-done, especially with Doral shooting Caprica Six. (By the way, I always thought the first act of cylon-on-cylon violence was when Sharon shot a Six on Caprica. Maybe D'Anna was unaware of that when she accused Caprica Six of being the first. Or maybe the writers didn't care, heh.)
Sharon A. gets sworn in as an office aboard Galactica. Even though I think Helo is deluded for loving Sharon, I like Helo (except when he's put in the role of savior). He's loyal. Misguided but loyal. (And thanks to
alissabobissa's ficlet about comparing arms, I really want to know who has bigger guns--Lee, Anders or Helo. Go read it, it's funny!)It's getting close to the end and they're ramping up the tension--Ellen being blackmailed into retrieving more information, stealing the map; Laura being taken out her classroom; Zarek and Roslin bonding over how they both H8 Baltar.
Sharon finds Anders and his resistance fighters. His reaction to her hug is priceless. *g*
Brief break from the fast-paced moments--Kara's in the hospital, praying for Kacey. (
pataka02 and I once exchanged comments about what Kara touching Leoben's hand meant.)Back to the high-tension stuff--Zarek chats up Roslin; Anders and Sharon are ambushed; Jammer frees Cally and we see the line of bulletheads across the ditch. Oh noes, not our beloved Roslin! Tune in next week, when all the shots of Cally running away will be replaced by different shots of Cally running away. It's no wonder she forgot that someone freed her before she got shot--she lived through two different escape experiences!
And now I shall go eat Oreos with milk! Huzzah!
p.s. I liked the Adama pornstache--but I might be biased, my dad had a mustache for many years.
no subject
You think Galen’s cuddly? I actually think he’s cuddlier without the beard. I like Chief. He’s Chief, don’t know why I like him. But he scared me a little with the knot speech. Whoa. Something in the Chief is a little . . . off. And we now know what that something is.
BSG has the best teasers. My favorite was KLG1. I watch that thing over and over. This one comes in second. I love, love the acting on this show. Sometimes I hate a character but it can always be turned around. I actually found a journal entry recently where I hated Ellen Tigh. I had totally forgotten that, she won me over so completely in these episodes. I know all these characters can win me over, at times I’ve been moved by Baltar, Dee, Cally, hey, even Kelly.
I’m eating Breyers Triple Chocolate ice cream. Regular, dark and white chocolate. I have died and gone to chocolate heaven.
no subject
I guess for me the fundamental problem is that even though I like the idea of exploring when is something a person, not a machine, I just don't think the cylons can do it. They have a fundamental misunderstanding about humanity, and they can't achieve human status. And I still don't care about all her statements about having no hidden programming--how could she possibly know that?! Add in the downloading to a new body process and anything could be programmed into her. (It kind of makes me sad to admit this, because poor Leoben won't ever be a real boy. Heh.) I don't think I would have said this back when I was really new to LJ--writing about BSG and chatting with other LJ-ers has forced me to be more analytical than I would have been on my own. And I'm guessing that season four is going to force me to go back on my own conclusions, with the newly identified cylons. We'll see.
I like Chief. He’s Chief, don’t know why I like him. But he scared me a little with the knot speech. Whoa. Something in the Chief is a little . . . off. And we now know what that something is.
Yeah! I was fairly freaked out by how hardcore our sweet guy was... actually all of the new cylons are pretty extreme. It's not just that they were all part of the Resistance--they have all shown themselves to be extremists for the causes they advocate. Stealing elections, blowing up humans, going back to a cheating wife over and over again...
Sometimes I hate a character but it can always be turned around.
Yup. Hm, I thought I had more to say, but I guess not. How about: BSG has a great cast! That'll do.
no subject
This is so at the crux of the whole series. Are the Cylons really alive? Do they have souls? Can they be treated as humans? Should they be? I think about Caprica still in jail. I think about Gina. Boomer, who tried with that baby. Why are they less human than Baltar?
Because they are unknown. We just don't know. They just don't know either. I want to believe there is some purpose for the Cylons. I read one of your sentences wrong above. What if God sent Kara to Leoben to help him? But not to get distracted. Maybe they weren't just created to serve, to love. Maybe the Cylons have something to learn. Even if they never reach human status (if that's what they want, Cavil would beg to differ), they should keep on trying. One thing about real humans, they never give up on trying to be better.
Maybe the newly revealed four are part of that. They are extremist but they seem more 'human' than the seven. I really want there to be a Plan.
no subject
I really want there to be a Plan.
The whole storyline of cylons who want to be human/think they're human/think they're better/think they're machines trying to 'cover their existential asses' is an interesting idea. It's definitely part of why I watch--I like humanity on the run, trying to put together a civilization instead of a mob, and so forth. But the cylon story has such posibility. I just want the show to have some way to pull it together that makes sense.
This is part of what makes me willing to put up with such a long hiatus. Maybe the show's producers will have a coherent plan by the time they're ready to start filming. *hopes*
no subject
I went in search of videos. It was interesting. I rewatched one video where the Cylons were scary. It was a great video. They have done terrible things. There was a glimpse of the women hooked up to machines, mushroom clouds. Very, very bad. Then I watched a video that was somewhat sympathetic to the Cylons (the seven) and the humans were the monsters. Gina's scars, the attack on Sharon, torturing Baltar. I never know who to root for on this show.
Aliens (on TV or movies) in general. Can humans ever trust them? Can humans ever know them? I want to say, sure. How can they do worse than what humans do to each other? But that alienness is slightly squicky. I've seen too many movies like the Terminator or Signs. The best aliens can hope for is self-awareness. To admit that they don't really know their own nature and that it worries them too. Gosh, now I feel like Roslin. That this can only end one way. Except for super-enlightened and future societies (like in Star Trek), aliens don't get to be real boys and girls. I don't know whether that makes me feel sad for the aliens or glad other characters can be 'safe' if they can be separate from the aliens.