BROS WATCH FOREVER: BSG Season 1 Concludes

Episodes 9 - Finale

Episode 9
This episode, one of my favorites so far, treads the line between psychological thriller and comedy of manners. It's tight, funny and suspenseful. It also lets us know that Jamie Bamber (Lee Adama) makes for an excellent straight man--his reaction shots are some of the best things here. Starbuck walks in on Baltar's mind sex! Tigh's estranged wife arrives on Galactica, tempts him with booze, and puts lies in his brain. She may be a Cylon, but she definitely SUCKS. Adama also comes under Roslin's suspicion, but so much evidence is stacked against him in the first 20 minutes that you know he's actually innocent. In an earlier post, Tom mentioned that Grace Park's acting sometimes isn't at the level of her co-stars, and in episode 9 Park gives us the series' best bit of bad acting so far:

- Helo: You never get tired!
- Caprica-Boomer: It's...ADRENALINE!

Episode 10
How is news disseminated across the fleet? Can you transmit radio broadcasts in outer space? I wonder this with every press conference BSG features. Episode 10 is about as different from 9 as BSG episodes get, structured almost like a military procedural. Edward James Olmos (Adama) grows like a total badass as the fleet prepares to attack a Cylon stronghold for fuel, and then Apollo blows their shit up after shutting off his targeting system Skywalker-style. This episode also examines how Starbuck, Galactica's star pilot, handles being grounded as she recovers from injuries suffered earlier.

Episode 11
Baltar's ability to b.s. ended up saving the fleet in episode 10, and here the breaks keep coming: after observing his popularity, Roslin selects Baltar to run for vice-president against ex-terrorist d-bag Tom Zarek. On Caprica, Helo discovers that Caprica-Boomer is a Cylon, and she insists she's still in love. At episode's end, viewers are tempted with thoughts of Olmos busting out some Zoot Suit moves.

Episode 12 + 13
Good god dude, they crammed everything into these ones. The two-part season finale contains a whole season's worth of big moments, including: Baltar and Starbuck do it! Massive Cylon attack! Crash landing! Roslin's drug-induced prophesysin'! The president's aide grows a pair! Starbuck-Apollo fight! Adama's military takeover! Apollo's mutiny! Starbuck vs. 6! Galactica-Boomer meets other Boomers! Galactica-Boomer nukes 'em! Caprica-Boomer pregnant? Baltar a father? And IS ADAMA DEAD? (Regarding the last item: there are rare moments when something will literally make my jaw drop, and I'll remember that one's jaw dropping is a figure of speech in the first place because ocassionally it actually happens when a person sees or hears something that totally freakin' shocks them.)

Bros Watch Forever: BSG Pilot-S1E3

Wow, big day for the the Brog and me. The internet is easy when you're home all day.

Anyway, hope you all got started on Battlestar Galactica, because it picks up quick. Perhaps a little too quick--I'm sure the 3-hour pilot discouraged a lot of potential casual fans early on--but anyone who sticks the early going out already knows it's well worth it. Not that the pilot is a chore--actually, it's one of the most entertaining pilots I've ever watched.

There's no way to summarize the thing, or the other three episodes, effectively. The basic premise of the show is as follows: Humans make intelligent robots, called Cylons. The Cylons become self-aware and war with humans. Humans and Cylons sign a treaty, and the Cylons disappear. 30 years later, the Cylons return, much stronger, and kick humanity's ass. The last of the humans rally around the last human warship, the Battlestar Galactica, and set out into deep, uncharted space, looking for a new home, the legendary Earth. I won't waste any more time with a summary, because it would probably fill many pages. Instead, here's what I like about the show so far:

-Humanity loses. Fast. Seeing as we're already awash in epic tales of unlikely underdog victories, it's nice to see the good guys get their asses kicked. The Cylons have the upper hand. They keep it. End of humanity (almost).

-Morality is complicated. I guess this is true of most good shows, but I think BSG does ambiguity particularly well. Even a few episodes in, it's clear the the Cylons aren't necessarily wrong--they're just not human. Even in the early episodes, this special boundary is starting to blur. Number 6 (who may or may not be a figment of Gaius' imagination) may or may not be in love with Gaius (who seems to have no morals, at all), and may or may not be trying to help him. Number 8 manages to triumph over her Cylon programming when scouting for a new water source (a source that she necessitated with her blackout bombing of Galactica's water tanks). Apollo has to choose between the path of the diplomat and the path of the soldier, but has he chosen a side, yet? Does he have to?

-Apollo. While I'm on the subject, the dude is way more interesting than I thought he would be. He's a great soldier and a great negotiator. He can't be both--at least not all the time. Episode 3 ("Prison Break") is the first real treatment of this conundrum.

-:33. What a great concept for an episode. The white board tally of the whole of humanity is an incredible touch. Best "second episode" I've ever seen, hands down.

There are a few bones to be picked thus far--the really mediocre acting of Number 8 (Grace Park), and the odd bones that the script sometimes throws to the viewer ("we're draining our water supply out into space!")--but the series already feels like it's hit its stride, and we're only a few episodes in. This bodes well.

The next five episodes, as well as a google search that should supply you with all of season one, are in the comments section. Hopefully, next week will lend itself better to a more comprehensive summary. In any case, it's not my burden to bear. Alex is taking next week's post. Comment if you want to help with posting...

Whet Your Television Whistle

Here are a few screen grabs from the first episode of Battlestar, in case you needed a little push to get you watching the show.

Space Battles! The Band!












Wow! That boy agrees with me, she is CUTE!










Stress is B-A-D. Take a nap, buddy.











But Beware of WHAT Blast!?










Random Numbers, for the LOST fans.

Bros Watch Forever: Battlestar Galactica

Welcome, bros, to the inaugural post of Bros Watch Forever, the TV club to end all TV clubs. Given that Greg, Dan, Aaron, and Lindsey are the only people I've talked with about this, there may or may not be some consternation among sci-fi (or TV club) skeptics about our first show, but hear these words: Battlestar Galactica will rock your fucking face off. It is that good.

Before we get there, though, let's go over the BWaF format: this Friday, I will write a post upon the equivalent of five episodes of BSG (the 2.5-hour pilot and first three episodes of the first season). The following week, someone else will post on the next five, and so on, until, sometime in September, we finish the series out.

Here are links for downloading the pilot (parts 1 and 2):

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=snv4mnid
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=UQEP7ZR2

And the first three eps:

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=HCMGHRHI
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=SW9HAUFW
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=GLSBAFF0

Netflixers, I'm sure this is all on instant watch.

I haven't seen past S1E5, so this will be new for me, too. Comment if you'd like to post. Also comment on how you'd like the format to change . Keep in mind that we want as many people participating as possible--marathon TV-watchers, no complaints about the light episode load, please. That's all for now. More on Friday. Try to catch up before then!