In Which I Make A Perfect LiveJournal Post By Ranting About SciFi TV Shows And My Breakfast

[fj]

No, there won't be a spoiler cut here. Just glance overt his post or trust me to not ruin your fun if you haven't caught up yet to Sunday's Season Finale.

Battlestar Galactica (current TV version) [BSG] is the anti-Babylon 5 [B5]. While I had great interest in B5 when it first came out -- right up until the Telegothis thing and then I dropped out -- I can't stand to watch it in re-runs. Once I am no longer surprised by the twists and turns of the story, the actual lines of dialog that flatten every character into a caricature, coupled with the embarrassing incompetence at, or lack of desire to, actually work said lines into something worthy of being called a performance on the part of most of the actors, just becomes too painful to watch. Once I know you will flatten a planet three episodes from now there is no point in watching you say single-minded crap without a hint there's more to your character than a vessel for getting the morality play from point A to point A-and-a-half in this particular episode.

In contrast, the last couple of episodes of BSG have had atrocious sequences of situations, but god are the actors running with what they got. The best example is the character Lee Adama delivering a speech in a situation where the fact that he was delivering that speech was so insultingly absurd it almost seemed a dare from the production staff to turn the TV off and never watch the show again, if it wasn't for the fact that the actual lines and progression of the speech was so good, and Jamie Bamber was working so hard, down to the faint almost-crying croak in his voice, with such great results (as always) that turning off was impossible. The actors all have been doing riveting portrayals of actual people trying to stay sane in an impossible situation, or entities looking for order but being corrupted dealing with these messy emotions foisted on them by interacting with messy humans. I am buying who they are, something half the cast in B5 never did for me.

The Season Finale is doing a down-the-line BSG Season Finale, though:

Adama clan at each other's throats.
Laura's mysticism dialed up to 10.
Crippling environmental circumstances any space-faring nation should have encountered before.
Cylon revelations that time-wise make no sense unless divine intervention was involved.

It was all there. And if you couldn't predict the last minute the moment Lee went off to check out the sighting, you have just not been paying attention.

I hope all these ideas and coincidences start getting put into a coherent framework with some answers next season. I have it on second-hand personal account that Ron Moore is not that interested in a strict description of 'reality' as much as telling a great story; supposedly even he hasn't decided what the Six is in Balthar's head as long as the episodes stay good. He'd better start making up his mind fast; as Lost and Twin Peaks showed, there's only so much dicking around the audience can stand before they want some satisfying answers for their investment in the mystery.

Ok, so now that I ranted about science fiction television as if anyone cares, I might as well go all the way into LJ minutia: breakfast was a smoothie of a splash of OJ, a splash of cranberry juice, a splash of blueberry juice, a banana, frozen blueberries and frozen dark raspberries, and 40 grams of whey protein powder (natural flavor). Then I had a bowl of a combination of muesli and a flax-based cereal with milk, and a glass of water with my vitamins.

I did not cut myself today, not that I have that habit. But this is LJ after all, and if I am going all the way I thought I should mention that too.

Comments

[rsc.livejournal.com]

So now I know what both you and pinkfish had for breakfast.

[fj.livejournal.com]

Stalker.

[legalmoose]

And you didn't cut yourself, why?

[fj.livejournal.com]

The corporate culture here doesn't think it is in line with its values.

[legalmoose]

Oh, so the rat disapproves?

[fj.livejournal.com]

No, the jumpsuit fashion designer does. We get one consult with her a year. She also won't let me wear a cape, tells me they are out.

[theoctothorpe.livejournal.com]

And they get sucked into jet intakes.

[purejuice.livejournal.com]

they're out!!????? dang.

[auntieruth.livejournal.com]

I'm kinda off Battlestar Galactica these days; too many imaginary conversations in characters heads.

I haven't had breakfast in more than a decade. (Unless coffee counts.)

[fj.livejournal.com]

You wouldn't like my brain.

[auntieruth.livejournal.com]

Does it have a lot of things you can cut yourself with in it?

[fj.livejournal.com]

Yes, mostly words.

[dendren.livejournal.com]

BSG started *so* well, then they started tripping over themselves trying to prove how wonderful and deep they are. Haven't watched the finale yet but pretty easy to guess the ending. Such a shame, truly enjoyed the show the first couple of seasons but season 3 was just terrible :P

[dr-memory.livejournal.com]

It was no "...one year later", that's for damn sure.

[fj.livejournal.com]

Now that was spectacular.

[jpeace.livejournal.com]

Commenters say what? Is it cool to not like Season 3 now? That was the most delicious and expansive season finale yet. I watched it three times just for the Roslyn and Bill Adama scenes.

Also: Blinking image from a meme script, gym talk, a blogger you had lunch with, weather, George W. Bush, this one bitch at work, public transit story, and something the pets did. American Idol.

[fj.livejournal.com]

I loved and hated this season. I love exploring the sociology of sentient machines, but found the occupation and aftermath hard to watch because it was so realistic and bleak. But I never thought it was dismal or bad TV.

There's just some issues with these last two episodes, but you bet I can't wait until 2008.

[fj.livejournal.com]

And oh god you are so demanding. Where's the innocent time that ranting and cutting was enough?

[mattycub.livejournal.com]

Lee's scene in the witness seat was spectacular. I had hated the ridiculous turn they had forced his character into over the last few episodes, but the writing and performance in that one scene, almost (almost) redeemed it and got me on board.

But, damn, I'm tired of the back and forth on the relationship between the two Adamas. They hate each other, they love each other, they're worshipping each other, they're at each other's throats. Static relationships are boring, but at least give them some kind of consistency.

[stealthpup.livejournal.com]

have it on second-hand personal account that Ron Moore is not that interested in a strict description of 'reality' as much as telling a great story; supposedly even he hasn't decided what the Six is in Balthar's head as long as the episodes stay good.

Grrr.

IOW, he's going to pull a Wachovski Brothers move a la Matrix 3. Good to know now, so I won't spend any more time, just knowing that I'll eventually be grinding my teeth.

[fj.livejournal.com]

"Wachovski Siblings", these days dear.

[purejuice.livejournal.com]

deus ex machina, he's our man. if he can't do it, noone can.

[fj.livejournal.com]

Now he should get a cape.

[purejuice.livejournal.com]

you one very funny guy.

[thaaang.livejournal.com]

Wait. There's no gratuitous prick-teasing! An LJ post isn't an LJ post without the gratuitous prick-teasing!

Also, pictures of gardening/handicraft/pets.