09:30 Battlestar Galactica
10:30 Battlestar Galactica
11:30 Lost
12:30 The Office
01:00 The Office
Battlestar Galactica. Season 4, Episode 5. "The Road Less Travelled" One of the most intense and satisfying episodes thus far. Aaron Douglas does some amazing work as (the now bald) Tyrol gets proactive with his grief over Cally. His showdown with Baltar is particularly gripping (James Callis continuing to give stunning performances).
Over on the Demetrius, tempers flair as the crew grow tired of Starbuck's strange quest to find earth. Katee Sackhoff and Tahmoh Penikett are typically superb, but guest star Callum Keith Rennie blows everyone away. The scenes between him and anyone pull you into the screen like nothing else on TV. And so much that happens between the crew members (they attempt a mutiny at episode's ending) is underscored by the knowledge that Anders is a Cylon. Even better (even more ironic): so is Athena. Not that that bothers anyone anymore. Awesome writing.
Battlestar Galactica. Season 4, Episode 6. "Faith" So much for that! A few minutes into the second hour of the story and someone throws a racist comment at Athena! Never mind, Ander's secret is still safe. And wasn't it fascinating to watch him in this episode?
Most of the stuff with Roslin and the sick lady bored me to tears. It was good stuff, yes, and it makes for significant character development but it was dropped into the wrong episode. My interest lay with Starbuck's crew and their time with the rogue Cylons. Everything time the episode moved away from that storyline I totally lost interest.
This was an amazing episode. Again. The death of Jean Barolay was probably the highlight. The underused (but still great) Alisen Down is a favourite of mine and the follow up to her character's death was remarkable. Tricia Helfer (playing two characters) does some of her best work. Later on, Grace Park gets to do the exact same thing: play two characters, while one of them is dying a violent death. Extrordinary television, very affecting.
Then, there is the whole business with Roslin. What the frak is going on? Who is right? Kara or Laura? Who will lead them all to their deaths?
While Lost and Battlestar are very similar in many respects: both have large casts, lots of mystery and ambiguity, a clearly defined story-arc and end-point, and lots of twists and turns along the way, Battlestar seems to wear it's heart more on it's sleeve. This is clearly a show about redempton and faith. So is Lost, but I think the depth of Lost will only be fully apparent when the journey is over and all of the characters have found their place. Battlestar is telling us now what is happening. Baltar has changed, Starbuck has changed, Adama has changed, and - in this episode - Roslin seems to be about to change, too. Yet, at no stage is the show preachy or whiny about anything that it has to say. In fact, at times, it is rather inspirational and affecting.
Remarkable.
Lost. Season 4, Episode 12. "There's No Place Like Home, Part 1" The other "best show on TV" delivers the usual thrills and surprises in this latest episode. The flashforward shows us the return to civilisation of the Oceanic Six. Emotional stuff. Particularly for Kate. Evangeline Lilly manages to convey a lot in this episode. One moment she's a kick-ass gun-wielding hero, and the next she's a vulnerable little waif all alone in the world. Sometimes I'd happily go into battle with her at my side, and other times I just want to throw my arm around her and protect her from the big bad world. Nice work.
The joys of this show (and this season in particular) has been the watching of all the threads coming together. Keamy is one of the great bad guys of the show and it's been a rush watching his plan come together this past few episodes. I so can't wait to see Ben take him down. Hard. I hope.
The Office. Season 4, Episode 13. "Job Fair" The biggest laughs in this episode came from Ed Helms on the golf course. Brilliant. While Michael and the department heads (plus Pam as eye candy!) went to a local job fair, the rest of the office staff played hooky and went home. All of them except Dwight and Angela. Clever. Finding a way to leave the two of them alone in the office. Nothing happened, but it was great fun to watch. John Krasinski, meanwhile, brought a new dimension to Jim as we watched him start to care about his job.
The Office. Season 4, Episode 14. "Goodbye, Toby" Okay, before I lavish praise on this fantastic season-ender, I have to start with a complait and a spoiler: Jim didn't propose!! What gives? What's up with that? He can't tease us (and Pam) for weeks and then do nothing! Crazy. The writers can't do that either. That was mean. I was all set for the big romantic finale (yes, I'm a wuss, leave me alone) and they didn't give it to us. Frak!
In other business... What a great episode! So many highlights that I don't know where to begin. Amy Ryan joins the cast as Holly: The new Toby. Who is sorta a milder version of Michael. She's sweet and adorable. And she seems to "get" Michael. Her Yoda-voice joking with him on the floor was simply adorable, and if the show intends to keep this romance going then they have found a way to make the show even better. The only thing sweeter and more romantic than that was when Michael didn't say: "That's what she said." That was awesome. Has he finally found the woman who might enable him to change? Gosh, I hope so.
Next: A misunderstading/prank led new girl Holly to assume that Kevin was "special" and nothing that Kevin did for the rest of the episode did anything to dissuade her. Comedy Gold!
I could go on and on. Toby, Ryan, Phyllis... Everyone had great scenes and major story developments. Dwight and Angela got the best-ever shock ending. Wow. And, except for Jim's non-proposal, it was pretty much a perfect episode. Again.
Highlight? Battlestar Galactica
Sat, May 17th, 2008 - BSG, Lost, The Office
