Sci-Fi GeekOut This Friday Night (USA)

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  • Reply 121 of 158
    midwintermidwinter Posts: 10,060member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by fng

    I hate comments like this. Of course it has a plot. Humans are attacked by the machines they created. In order to save humanity they have to find earth.



    I will make what seems to be a minor quibble: finding Earth seems to be an afterthought at this point. The main plot, thus far, as been this: HOLY SHIT WE'RE BEING ATTACKED. It was not until very late in the first season that we saw any serious attempt to deal with the "find Earth" side of things. And even the second season dealt with that sporadically. And now? What are we discussing? Some other plotline.



    That, as EM Forester would attest, is a story, not a plot. The essential weakness of BSG is that it is episodic?there is barely enough to string us along from episode to episode.



    Don't get me wrong. I'm enjoying BSG. But I'm only enjoying it because I've been willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. If they don't begin to build in some serious, serious arcs, I'm going to lose interest something fast.
  • Reply 122 of 158
    iposteriposter Posts: 1,560member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Aries 1B

    I believe that Baltar's Babe told him that.



    Then again, Baltar could have made it up vs. having it made up for him.



    Speculation is a signpost on the road to madness.





    V/R,



    Aries 1B




    And in the Miniseries, someone (Baltar?) left a note in Adama's cabin saying that also.
  • Reply 123 of 158
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    fair enough midwinter, but could you point out a few key arcs in Lost?



    okay, are these a few of them....??

    1. secret government experiment?

    2. black smoke

    3. monsters?

    4. locke regaining his walking

    5. doctor-leader-dude from party of five (that was a good series... neve campbell was yummy)

    6. crazy chick (minbari leader from babylon5) - how did she get there? who are the others? etc etc



    but i am indeed Lost on where the story arcs are, because it seems like the writers are exploring all 500 arcs at once in each episode



    your wiki is cool but only recaps the events in each episode... i guess what i'm saying is that i need a cheat sheet if i'm going to get anything out of lost season 2
  • Reply 124 of 158
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    i know, patience may indeed reward the viewer in the end. like deep space nine, where the dominion stuff really crescendoed to a peak over the final few seasons using all the elements that had been laid out before: the vorta, jemhadar, founders, cardassian, klingons aligning with humans in the dominion war, and the defiant always kicking ass in a very un-star-trek-manner*



    edit: also: kira and bajor and that evil bitch kai wenn... odo's link to the founders, falling in love with kira, bashir and section17(?) starfleet conspiracy stuff, worf and dax...



    i saw nana visitor at e3 2000 in LA !! she was signing autographs for a new star trek ds9 game (my friend from high skool was working with blizzard north at the time so i scored a pass to get in. man, e3 is out of control, even back in those days. it [seems like] a complete zoo nowadays ) (hardcore gamers scare me)







    *and hence here i will state for the record that the only star trek i really like are the movies (most of them) and deep space nine. voyager was somewhat naff, nextgen is a bit too geeky for me now, and enterprise.... hmmm.... it has struggled to find its feet, shall we say.
  • Reply 125 of 158
    jimmacjimmac Posts: 11,898member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by midwinter

    I will make what seems to be a minor quibble: finding Earth seems to be an afterthought at this point. The main plot, thus far, as been this: HOLY SHIT WE'RE BEING ATTACKED. It was not until very late in the first season that we saw any serious attempt to deal with the "find Earth" side of things. And even the second season dealt with that sporadically. And now? What are we discussing? Some other plotline.



    That, as EM Forester would attest, is a story, not a plot. The essential weakness of BSG is that it is episodic?there is barely enough to string us along from episode to episode.



    Don't get me wrong. I'm enjoying BSG. But I'm only enjoying it because I've been willing to give it the benefit of the doubt. If they don't begin to build in some serious, serious arcs, I'm going to lose interest something fast.






    Sorry couldn't disagree more!



    Why do you think they do the " Previously on Battlestar Galactica " at the beginning?



    BSG is about what happens when you create something that becomes self aware like the Cylons.



    Now the Humans are treating that creation in ways that if it were them they would call it shameful and barbaric. So who's the bad guy here the Cylons or the Humans?



    If you had listened to what the show's creator Ron Moore has been saying you'd be seeing the Cylons in a different light this season.



    This show is epic from it's good writing, great acting, ( the last 5 min of " Pegasus " was the most riveting I've seen in TV for a long time ) to it's great FX and music. And it is leading somewhere ( " And they have a plan " ). Think about it. B5 a show known for it's long arcs wasn't really clear about where it was going until the end of the second year.



    PS. I just love Edward James Olmos's acting! At the end of " Pegasus " the show down between him and Michelle Forbes was edge of your seat stuff! He tends to be able to show lot's of emotion without pulling a Shatner and chewing up the scenery. As he was walking down the hall after hearing the court martial was over he just had that " Don't frack with Adamma " look.



    Damn them for making us wait until January!
  • Reply 126 of 158
    midwintermidwinter Posts: 10,060member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sunilraman

    fair enough midwinter, but could you point out a few key arcs in Lost?



    okay, are these a few of them....??

    1. secret government experiment?

    2. black smoke

    3. monsters?

    4. locke regaining his walking

    5. doctor-leader-dude from party of five (that was a good series... neve campbell was yummy)

    6. crazy chick (minbari leader from babylon5) - how did she get there? who are the others? etc etc



    I have no idea how you get tyhat any of those could be arcs. Here's some stuff for you:



    1) People stranded on islands has been a common theme in philosophy and literature throughout the eighteenth century, and is generally used as a means of exploring both individual consciousness (Robinson Crusoe) and politics (Lord of the Flies) and, in general, the question of the nature of man. The show is very conscious of this, of course.



    2) The show is consistently preoccupied with relations between fathers and children. We are not yet sure why this the case.



    3) There are also clear concerns with fate/destiny (none of the pens Claire tries to sign the adoption papers with will work; all the various characters encountering one another. We are not yet sure why this is going on, but the show seems to be making an argument that, for some reason, this particular group of people are fated to be together.



    4) Names often associate characters with philosophies: John Locke, Christian Shepherd, Rousseau, and now Desmond (of the world).



    I won't even get into the various questions: what are the numbers and what do they do? Is Walt special? How is Locke healed? What is the hatch for? And on and on.



    Quote:

    but i am indeed Lost on where the story arcs are, because it seems like the writers are exploring all 500 arcs at once in each episode



    It is exploring a great deal at once, and when questions are answered by giving us more questions. So we find out what's in the hatch, only to get several more questions: what is quarantine written on the hatch? What is Desmond doing down there? What does Desmond inject himself with? How to the numbers figure into that countdown?



    Quote:

    your wiki is cool but only recaps the events in each episode... i guess what i'm saying is that i need a cheat sheet if i'm going to get anything out of lost season 2



    Only recaps the events in each episode? Did you not look at the themes section? the timeline? the thoughts and theories? unclassified bits? questions?
  • Reply 127 of 158
    midwintermidwinter Posts: 10,060member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by jimmac

    Why do you think they do the " Previously on Battlestar Galactica " at the beginning?



    Because it's episodic? Just like every other drama on TV?



    Quote:

    BSG is about what happens when you create something that becomes self aware like the Cylons.



    Are you sure? Maybe it's about whether or not civilization can be maintained in a culture that is homeless? Or maybe it's about whether or not a creator has an obligation to his creation (a la Frankenstein)? Or maybe it's about terrorism and paranoia? Or maybe it's about the dangers of technology? Or maybe it's about religion?polytheism (humans) vs monotheism (cylons)?



    Quote:

    Now the Humans are treating that creation in ways that if it were them they would call it shameful and barbaric. So who's the bad guy here the Cylons or the Humans?



    Indeed. That is one of the central questions that's emerged in the finale.



    Quote:

    If you had listened to what the show's creator Ron Moore has been saying you'd be seeing the Cylons in a different light this season.



    Different than what?



    Quote:

    This show is epic



    I really hate the way that the term "epic" gets used loosely, but you are correct. This is a show that is, indeed, epic. It is a tale of gods and monsters and an attempted journey home by a band of heroes.



    Quote:

    from it's good writing, great acting, ( the last 5 min of " Pegasus " was the most riveting I've seen in TV for a long time ) to it's great FX and music.



    No one is saying that it's a bad show. I'm just saying that it really seems to be a kind of plotless monstrosity. We'll see what happens. We have had a few story-arcs?Starbuck going after the arrow of Apollo, Hilo and Sharon, the breakup of the fleet?but the connective tissue? Seems to be "holy shit they're attacking us!"



    Quote:

    And it is leading somewhere ( " And they have a plan " ). Think about it. B5 a show known for it's long arcs wasn't really clear about where it was going until the end of the second year.



    Look, I believe that the show is going somewhere. I just think that right now, it's a plotless monstrosity. And also, please note that you have made two arguments here: 1) the show is not a plotless monstrosity and it has clear arcs and trajectories, and 2) the arcs and trajectories are unclear and may not emerge until the end of the 2nd year, like B5 (which I never watched).



    Quote:

    PS. I just love Edward James Olmos's acting! At the end of " Pegasus " the show down between him and Michelle Forbes was edge of your seat stuff! He tends to be able to show lot's of emotion without pulling a Shatner and chewing up the scenery. As he was walking down the hall after hearing the court martial was over he just had that " Don't frack with Adamma " look.



    Olmos is fantastic, yes. But please understand that whether or not someone is a good actor has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not the show has a plot.



    Cheers
  • Reply 128 of 158
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    *sigh* midwinter, if you are approaching these TV shows from a very literary perspective, then i have to hand it to you, you have the formal analyses of these "texts" down pat.



    in grade 7 and grade 9 i was the top student in literature in my high skool... things have not progressed much since then, i did consider doing a bachelor of arts/ bachelor of science combo degree in university, but i ended up doing mostly biology, some formal computer science, and learning multimedia by myself. post uni living in san francisco i enjoyed slipping into the california lifestyle and thought.



    well what i'm saying is that, i'm not sure if some of us just out to enjoy geeking out to sci-fi are in the same league as you in terms of your literary capabilities



    so i admit, i perhaps did not explore your wiki as much as i would have liked.



    i will say this though, the emotional connection one has with a particular tv show or movie is far too vast and intricate to be whittled down into various modes of formal literary analysis. however i do understand how attempting to deconstruct these texts may help one get more out of a particular tv series.
  • Reply 129 of 158
    trobertstroberts Posts: 702member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by sunilraman

    [i]prediction: somewhere in season3 the Pegasus will be used to slam into and thus annihlate the big badass hidden cylon thingy protected by the two base stars.



    That is what I am thinking, but it will be interesting to see how the writers are going to get the crew of the Pegasus onto the Galactica. The original series had the Pegasus take on the two base stars while its Vipers were defending the Galactica so it was a no-brainer that they would join the fleet, but the writers are not going to that route. Maybe the unknown ship will not get detroyed, but it will destroy the Pegasus. Remember, Starbuck took the black bird to do her own photo recon and if the unknown ship gets away there will be time to destroy it later after studying the photographs. When the Colonial fleet does destroy the ship then it will unite the two crews into one. Hopefully, they have both battlestars go in together so we can see how the Colonial fleets rolls.



    I was in Best Buy and I had season one, with the mini series, in my hand and a Best Buy employee said there is a UK version with more stuff on it. Does anyone have the UK version of season one that can tell me what the extra stuff is?
  • Reply 130 of 158
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    **raises hand** i have tha UK version! what do ya want to know?

    edit: oops, i only have the UK version of the miniseries, NOT season one.
  • Reply 131 of 158
    scottibscottib Posts: 381member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by midwinter

    I do not feel about Lost the way I felt about Twin Peaks?that they were writing by the seats of their pants. Give it time.



    TPTB of TP had it working fine until they gave us who killed Laura Palmer. After that, it became messy, but there was an underlying notion that Evil did, and it had come to roost in Twin Peaks (I won't give any info away to those who haven't received the DVDs queued at NetFlix, and it you don't; you should). And, there is nothing wrong with flying by one's pants--especially since TP was very avant garde for its time (1990 or so). It also showed some of the most visceral and shocking scenes (without resorting to actually showing them) that I've seen until Millenium.



    It was a fountainhead for The X-Files, Millenium, American Gothic, Lost, and Desperate Housewives. I'm not writing that you don't think it's good; it's that your comment reflects what a lot of critics have said about TP because it's been associated as a precursor to Lost in a few articles. Some forget how seminal the show was at the time (especially in soundtrack, cinematography, and saddle shoes) and that it was a certain phenomenon (and marketed as such--I have the audio cassette of Dale Cooper's messages to Diane).



    Regarding Lost, I am a huge fan, and I've been loving it since its kick-ass pilot: one of the most tremendous first fifteen minutes in TV history. I have, really, no issues with the show, and I've been happily enjoying the ride. I suppose I do have patience, but I also trust TPTB in running the show. They've provided clues to those that notice. The flashbacks provide character info and motivations, clues to the island (or certain circumstances in the current timeline), or both. I can see why some characters are tied to the island (Locke, Hurley), others that might (Walt, Claire, Jack), and others might not be (Kate, Charley, Sun and Jin, Boone and Shannon, Sayid) but were on the wrong flight at the right time--as far as we know, currently.



    I really don't care what the monster, hatch, Others, Black Rock are right now, but I will when the narrative tells me I should. While I enjoy spoilers, I don't like reading ahead. Lost is doing fine; I hope ADD-America allows it to blossom at its own pace.

    Quote:

    I'm just saying that it really seems to be a kind of plotless monstrosity. We'll see what happens. We have had a few story-arcs?Starbuck going after the arrow of Apollo, Hilo and Sharon, the breakup of the fleet?but the connective tissue? Seems to be "holy shit they're attacking us!"



    I agree with this, but I don't believe it makes BSG a "plotless monstrosity." The Cylon menace is the driving plot-theme (what is their plan?)--not finding Earth. Earth is the McGuffin. The same with Lost: its McGuffin is "Holy shit! We need to get off this island!" It's plot-theme is what the heck is the island all about? What is its plan?



    The shows are quite similar:
    • After a cataclysm, survivors find themselves away from home and civilization.

    • A pair of leaders emerges (one of each pair reluctantly). Each in the pair has different philosophies, and one betrays the other.

    • To keep the McGuffins fresh, each show has characters that leave the group and strive to achieve them.

    • Each antagonist (the Cylons and the Island), cause characters to see things which other characters can't.

    • Though originally established that each group is all that there is, new characters are introduced (Pegasus; The Others)

    • A misty menace is lurking: Boomer's baby; the disease on the Island

    • Character(s) that were thought lost (will) return to the group

    Obviously, I'm being a bit general; these are rather conventional narrative set-ups in having the fun of watching the characters deal with this stuff.



    Of the two, Lost has a longer shelf-life: the island, ironically, is larger than space to introduce new characters/ideas/tribulations. Eventually, as the Lost-a-ways finally leave island in 5 seasons, Galactaca and the rag-tag fleet will need to find Earth in 4. After which, Fonzie--start your engine.
  • Reply 132 of 158
    midwintermidwinter Posts: 10,060member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by scottiB

    Snip...all the stuff about TP and its descendants with which I completely agree



    (and perhaps X-Files or Millennium is the better comparison, since both of those left me feeling as if I'd been dutifully trying to piece things together only to find that the creators didn't seem to be sure where they were headed. My particular beef with TP is simply that I don't trust, nor do I particularly care for, David Lynch (with the exception of The Straight Story or whatever it was called...about the lawnmowers).



    Quote:

    I really don't care what the monster, hatch, Others, Black Rock are right now, but I will when the narrative tells me I should. While I enjoy spoilers, I don't like reading ahead. Lost is doing fine; I hope ADD-America allows it to blossom at its own pace.



    Well, I think there are enough of us who want a well-written drama to fill the enormous vacuum left by Sorkin's departure on The West Wing and the end of Buffy and Angel (which I liked less) to hopefully displace the mouth-breathers who demand more and more shows about cruelty. Er, I mean reality TV shows.



    Quote:

    I agree with this, but I don't believe it makes BSG a "plotless monstrosity." The Cylon menace is the driving plot-theme (what is their plan?)--not finding Earth. Earth is the McGuffin. The same with Lost: its McGuffin is "Holy shit! We need to get off this island!" It's plot-theme is what the heck is the island all about? What is its plan?



    Don't get me wrong. It's not that I don't think there are questions driving the thing. It's just that those questions don't seem to drive the plot. I'm hopeful that the appearance of the Pegasus will change things, if only by trying to push them to answer the questions you list rather than just run like hell.



    And I agree with you completely about the island on Lost. The brilliance of the thing, displayed in the Hurley episode, is that the show even points out the various McGuffins?Hurley rants about why no one seems to ask the obvious questions or try to look for the obvious things one would look for.



    Quote:

    Of the two, Lost has a longer shelf-life: the island, ironically, is larger than space to introduce new characters/ideas/tribulations. Eventually, as the Lost-a-ways finally leave island in 5 seasons, Galactaca and the rag-tag fleet will need to find Earth in 4. After which, Fonzie--start your engine. [/B]



    Agreed completely.
  • Reply 133 of 158
    ebbyebby Posts: 3,110member
    OK, maybe it is not Friday, but I just found out 3 stations have picked up Farscape and FOX is playing Stargate Atlantis. It is nice to see more Sci-fi on OTA broadcasts. (Even if it is old.)
  • Reply 134 of 158
    jimmacjimmac Posts: 11,898member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by midwinter

    Because it's episodic? Just like every other drama on TV?







    Are you sure? Maybe it's about whether or not civilization can be maintained in a culture that is homeless? Or maybe it's about whether or not a creator has an obligation to his creation (a la Frankenstein)? Or maybe it's about terrorism and paranoia? Or maybe it's about the dangers of technology? Or maybe it's about religion?polytheism (humans) vs monotheism (cylons)?







    Indeed. That is one of the central questions that's emerged in the finale.







    Different than what?







    I really hate the way that the term "epic" gets used loosely, but you are correct. This is a show that is, indeed, epic. It is a tale of gods and monsters and an attempted journey home by a band of heroes.







    No one is saying that it's a bad show. I'm just saying that it really seems to be a kind of plotless monstrosity. We'll see what happens. We have had a few story-arcs?Starbuck going after the arrow of Apollo, Hilo and Sharon, the breakup of the fleet?but the connective tissue? Seems to be "holy shit they're attacking us!"







    Look, I believe that the show is going somewhere. I just think that right now, it's a plotless monstrosity. And also, please note that you have made two arguments here: 1) the show is not a plotless monstrosity and it has clear arcs and trajectories, and 2) the arcs and trajectories are unclear and may not emerge until the end of the 2nd year, like B5 (which I never watched).







    Olmos is fantastic, yes. But please understand that whether or not someone is a good actor has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not the show has a plot.



    Cheers






    It's pretty clear after the last few episodes that one of the main points is about the Cylons and how they've been treated.



    They do the " previously on BSG " because one episode leads to another and are part of a larger arc.



    The Cylons are in a more sympathetic light this season because of what's going on.





    Sorry you never watched B5 because it's considered the king of plot driven, large story arc, SciFi tv shows and it started just like this with all the plot points being set up. Just like any good novel.
  • Reply 135 of 158
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    Originally posted by midwinter ....to hopefully displace the mouth-breathers who demand more and more shows about cruelty. Er, I mean reality TV shows....



    well, i think on this i agree with you, in so far as something like amazingRace and survivor ~ the former just exacerbates the image of the ugly american by having them stomp through countless countries screaming and just being generally obnoxious; and the latter featuring ever more anorexic-looking women and men doing these rubbish "challenges" when they haven't even had enough to eat or drink... survivor carribean was interesting with all the piratey-themes but the latest (survivor guatemala) was just like, kinda disturbing... all the women by day 2 were like stick thin, and at least 3 or 4 guys were all throwing up and passing out, and one old dude tore his bicep muscle in the very first "challenge". i don't think i'll be watching the next several episodes, yet the last few, where i swear one (or more) people will be airlifted out due to the physical and psychological trauma.
  • Reply 136 of 158
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    oh yeah midwinter: you gotta checkout babylon5
  • Reply 137 of 158
    sunilramansunilraman Posts: 8,133member
    Originally posted by Ebby

    OK, maybe it is not Friday, but I just found out 3 stations have picked up Farscape and FOX is playing Stargate Atlantis. It is nice to see more Sci-fi on OTA broadcasts. (Even if it is old.)




    hey... so would farscape on fox be available in 720p HDTV in some locales? that would be cool no? or do some of y'all get sci-fi channel in HDTV already...
  • Reply 138 of 158
    fngfng Posts: 222member
    Stargate SG1 started out on Fox. If I remember. One of the networks.
  • Reply 139 of 158
    aries 1baries 1b Posts: 1,009member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by iPoster

    And in the Miniseries, someone (Baltar?) left a note in Adama's cabin saying that also.



    I think that there's a DVD purchase in my future. Join the Demographic!



    V/R,

    Aries 1B
  • Reply 140 of 158
    hardheadhardhead Posts: 644member
    Midwinter, your LOST wiki is a spectacular labor of love. My complements. The fact that LOST takes place in a contemporary (assumed) setting gives the writers plenty of opportunity to tie in characters (in particular) to Classic literature and history in clever ways. BSG has neatly (I think) tied in some Greek mythology to its plotline/background.



    However, come on midwinter, the survivors as portrayed on LOST are STUPID. Frakken cripes, let?s go take a stroll through the jungle that Lostzilla uses to mark its territory? What an island full of dopes and crybabies. Yes, I realize that in itself is a plot device but sheesh?



    Man, I really, really wanted to like LOST.



    Now, some of your criticism aimed at BSG is valid. I agree with a lot of it. It is somewhat episodic although I disagree with you as to the extent. So be it. Both shows share some underlying ?survival? concepts interestingly enough. I just prefer BSG?s way of doing it. BSG can very easily slip into full blown ?solve the problem in one hour? TV fair. I have faith all involved will keep it high quality throughout its run.



    Just as an aside, I would like to see a scifi show just once show people floating about the ship if it was damaged. Imagine being in a space battle and your enemy manages to knock out your ?gravity? units! Now that would suck? I think the ONLY time I have ever seen that was in one of the Star Trek movies. Most of which by the way (sorry suni?) I felt stunk. The exceptions being First Contact and The Wrath Of Khan. Just my humble opinion.
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