Battlestar Galactica

Last Friday marked the premiere of Battlestar Galactica's final season. In Canada, it is on the Space Channel, Fridays at 10 pm.

For the uninitiated, the premise of the re-imagined version of BSG follows that of the original 1970 version (which was really campy and obviously trying to play off the popularity of Star Wars, Star Trek and Bonanza). Somewhere in the galaxy are 12 planets, colonized by humans originating from the planet Kobol. The human race developed an artificial intelligence and manufactured machines to do their work called Cylons (a la Terminator, The Matrix, Blade Runner and a host of other science fiction plotlines). Realizing their lot in life was a bit of a raw deal, the Cylons rebelled, and a great war was fought. During the course of this war, the humans and Cylons reached an armistice (peace agreement); for 40 years they lived apart, the humans with their 12 colonies and the Cylons finding their own region of space. The truce is broken suddenly when the Cylons launch a surprise, all-out offensive that decimates the 12 Colonies in a flourish of nuclear strikes. Battlestar Galactica is the story about the survivors, a rag-tag fleet of ships being led in a glactic convoy to safe harbour and possibly a new home by the Battlestar Galactica, the sole remnant of a once vast military force.

What sets this show apart from the original (and the 1980s reboot) and other space exploration shows? Firstly, they nuked the campiness that drove the original to an early, merciful demise. Unlike most science fiction shows floating around, the technology and alien themes that litter those lesser shows take a backseat to true storytelling: character drama, political/sociological/moral/philosophical dilemmas and a rich tapestry of moods (primarily post-apocalyptic darkness). This show was developed around the same time Joss Whedon's Firefly was in production. There are similarities between the two, especially the way both shows eschew the clean cut sterility of 20th Century futurism, opting instead for a grittier, dirtier realism (through documentary-style filming) and exploration of current themes and questions against a backdrop of space. Also, the actors are all extremely hot.

There is a lot more that can be said, but I don't have the resources or the space to do so. There are professionals who can take you through a tour of the show and provide insightful commentary. I'd ask you all to watch it (because it awesomes like nothing else), but since it is a highly serialized show, you'd be frustratedly at-a-loss from the get-go.

Fortunately, SciFi Channel, the American carrier of the show, has done us all a solid by whipping up an 8-minute recap video. Needless to say, if you haven't seen the show before, spoilers ahead.

Other Links:
Official Site
TWoP Episode Recaps (warning: long winded)
Battlestar Galactica Wiki - a comprehensive compendium of all things BSG
Galactica SITREP - for all the latest news etc.

i am hesitant to get too excited about this

but i have good news.

Announcement: Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel, Firefly, Serenity) will be back on the small screen with a new show called Dollhouse.

the good news is that Joss will be a) back on tv; b) doing his own show; c) sidekicked by good buddy Tim Minear who was deeply involved in Buffy, Angel and Firefly; d) joined by Buffy and Angel alumnus, Eliza Dushku.

the premise is, like all Joss, part sci-fi, part social critique, and all quirk. there is an undergound (figuratively) facility known as the Dollhouse that houses an elite group of individuals who can be imprinted with a variety of personalities, abilities, skills, etc. to complete missions for the highest bidder. these missions can vary from sexual fantasies to clandestine operations. at the end of every mission, the 'doll' has his or her memory wiped and goes back to living a child's life within the Dollhouse. Duskhu plays the heroine of the show, Echo, who begins to retain snippets of her memory. it is a very Phillip K. Dick sort of premise, where the sci-fi takes a backseat to the story, but still permeates every level of it to serve not only as a plot driver but also a character builder.

what Whedon has done so very well in the past is getting his actors to play completely different characters within the reality of a particular show. there was an episode of Buffy in which Buffy and Faith switched minds, or when Willow encountered a dimensionally translocated vampire version of herself. Dollhouse provides that opportunity on a weekly basis. Dushku is a proven talent. her character on Buffy was originally intended for a five episode arc, but she was so good that they kept her for the rest of the season (and then some).

the bad news is that this show is slated to run on FOX. this is the same Fox network that showed Whedon's last gem (Firefly) out of order, changed the schedule willy-nilly and unmarketed it to the point where they felt justified in cancelling it. this is the same Fox network that gave Tim Minear's last project (Drive) two episodes before pulling the plug. this is the same Fox network that killed Arrested Development. i HATE Fox.

on top of that, there is some writers guild strike about to go down, so even though Fox has signed on for seven episodes, it will be quite some time before we see anything. and since i've finished rewatching every episode of Buffy and Angel and seen every episode of Firefly 3 times (at least) and Serenity about 5 times, i'm jonesing for some new Joss. speaking of new Joss, tonight's new episode of The Office, 'Branch Wars,' is directed by Joss Whedon.

Greg Edmonson - Inside the Tam House

My favourite piece from the Firefly Official Soundtrack. Click title to listen (as well as the rest of the OST if you so wish. I also recommend The Funeral and Inara's Suite. I also highly recommend watching the show).

A bit of backstory: Firefly was a critically acclaimed tv show, the brainchild of Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel) that got canned by Fox, but not before muckings-about at the executive level led to schedule juggling and showing the series out of order (who shows the pilot episode only after the show has been cancelled?). The fanbase flocked to the DVDs once they were made available and Firefly was resurrected as the movie Serenity, which -- for those keeping track of such things -- never happens. Ever.

Firefly is, on the surface a sci-fi Western drama (with a splash of the self-conscious comedy recognizably Whedon). It chronicles life in the distant future (when the US and China have colonized space) aboard a small transport ship, Serenity, whose captain and crew are just out to make a living (legal and otherwise) and get by -- Millennium Falcon style. They pick up travelers for a bit of extra cash. Unfortunately, two of them are wanted criminals with bounties on their heads worth more than the ship they fly in.

Simon and River Tam are brother and sister on the lam. River, a genuinely gifted mind and dancer, was abducted by a secret government organization that sought to awaken her latent psychic abilities and turn her into a brainwashed weapon. Simon, a promising young trauma surgeon at the top hospital of the Core planets gave up his career and personal wealth to fund a network of contacts and spies that eventually led to him rescuing his sister from the government facility.

"Inside the Tam House" is a sparse and beautifully flowing piece that annunciates the longing for the life and home that the Tam's lost. The piece is supported by the rippling arpeggios of the piano at the base. Soaring above with the melody is the violin, punctuated and augmented occasionally by the woodflute.

Throughout the show (and thus the soundtrack), the combination of piano and violin are used as signatures for River and Simon (209, Goltz). Where other characters are signified by Western mainstays, like the guitar, the fiddle, and banjo -- portable instruments befitting nomadic lifestyles, the originally wealthy Tams are represented by instruments with classical and aristocratic connotations. At the base is the piano, a large, stay-at-home instrument, physically representing the nostalgia for a past life that cannot be reclaimed. The piano ripples up and down, in and out, in an omnipresent and pervading way (like some sort of river). It is supported by the elegant, but flighty violin, characteristic of River's psychotic tendancies as a result of experimentation on her brain. The violin melody is wistful and has an Asian flavour (note the Asian surname). The woodflute is a distinctly Asian instrument, further reinforcing the Anglo-Asian blend seen on the show. It evokes a sense of pastoral landscapes (important in Westerns) and of freedom from the urban Core planets (also important in Westerns).

The creativity, deliberation, craft and genius that went into the composition and arrangement of this soundtrack testifies to the overall creativity, deliberation, craft and genius of the show itself. The idea of a crew of rag-tag nobodies in a ship flying around avoiding the Alliance and just trying to stay in the sky became an apt metaphor for a show brimming with potential, vision and talent that did all it and its fans could to stay afloat, but ultimately failing.

Goltz, Jennifer. "Listening to Firefly." Finding Serenity. Ed. Jane Espenson. Dallas, Texas: Benballa, 2005. 209-216.

Serenity: The Opening

this is the opening credits scene from the movie Serenity. it might not seem like much at first glance, but it is a masterful work of exposition and cinematography. for those unfamiliar with Firefly, these 5 minutes establish the ensemble's backgrounds and personalities all on a single take (well, there is one cut, but it's quick and subtle).

i wish i were this nerdy

this guy has a workroom with three walls covered in storage bins of LEGO. what is worth noting is that this guy has a wife =D there is hope!