Battlestar Galactica: The Series Finale

Being a spiritual person, a Christian, the last episode of Battlestar Galactica made me remember just how vast our universe is. There's so much we don't know, so much history behind us and an endless tale before us. But at the same time we're able to hold onto what we do know and somehow etch out purpose and find meaning.

As for the show itself, the series finale was a brilliant piece of science fiction television. The characters I've grown to like said their farewells in a way that kept true to the tone of the show. That meant lots of bittersweet moments.

This is my quick reflection after watching the final episode and I'll eventually write a more detailed analysis/review on what made Battlestar Galactica so special.

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TV Review: Sanctuary

Sanctuary is pretty much a freak show.

The SciFi Channel's latest offering is loaded with weird creatures and at times tries too hard to create an eerie feel. The premiere wasn't spectacular but it did enough to keep me intrigued to see what happens next week. The story started off slow, too slow. But once we got pass all the lackluster cop stuff and onto an introduction of the actual sanctuary things got interesting.

As far as the production value goes there were a bunch of clique bits of dialogue and the writing isn't nearly as smart and subtle as Battlestar Galactica but the special effects were nicely done (aside from the cheesy mermaid). However some of the costumed creatures looked fake, like the monster butler and the creepy plant killer. But it wasn't that distracting from the storyline.

One nice surprise was seeing Kandyse McClure from BSG playing Robin's ex-girlfriend.

Bottom line: I'm not completely sold on this series but I'm going to give it a few more episodes to really impress me.

Did Sanctuary make a fan out of you?

***

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Season 3 of Heroes: Still Interested?

The second season left viewers in a shaky place. Characters were killed off and the aditon of new characters gave the show an odd balance. Storylines felt dragged out and I was wondering if Heroes could recoup after the Writer's Strike and prolonged periods of gaps of new episodes.

Here are some things I like about season 3 so far:

Suresh has a super power. And it's very X-Men Beast like but I'm not sure if he's turning into a villain or if he's fighting off his inner darkness. We'll have to see.

Ando and Hiro's friendship is in question. This makes things interesting. Will Ando turn on Hiro or will Hiro turn on Ando?

Maya and Suresh hook up. They make an extremely cute couple but I don't think it will last long. Plus, wasn't she just falling in love with Sylar last season? Girly needs to take a chill pill before she gets herself into more trouble.


They show seems to have landed on better footing. Hopefully things will keep getting better. And by all means, please don't drag out the storylines or what fans they have left will decide to TiVo something else.

What are you thoughts on the new season of Heroes?

***

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Season 2 of Terminator: The Sarah Conner Chronicles

I wanted to see how the first few episodes turned out before I posted my thoughts on it. Although the first season was a little dry at times I finally feel like the show has found its cadence. There's a more established vibe with characters so it makes it easier to follow the story without all the cumbersome explanations that seemed to bog down the show last season.


In episode 4 "Allison from Palmdale" Summer Glau offers a great portrayal of her character's back story. We get to see Cameron act in a way we've never seen her before: smiling and laughing. This little revelation sets the stage for what is to come.



And finally, I look forward to seeing John Conner's transformation from geeky guy to kick-butt leader. It's about time he gets some real training.

What are your thoughts on season 2 so far?

***

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Smallville Returns for Season 8

No Lana. No Lex. No Kara. And Clark is M.I.A. That's the scenario the Smallville 8 premiere brings us to. Things will never be the same on the Kent farm and that's exactly what needs to happen in order for Clark to grow as a character and for him to fulfill his destiny.



I must admit I'm already missing Lana and Lex, they were pretty much the back bone of the show for so long. But that last scene with Clark and Lois at the Daily Planet was a charming prelude to their inevitable relationship, which is the stuff legends are made of. Plus the scenes where Clark collaborated with the Justice League made me ecstatic to know that The Green Arrow (Justin Hartley) will be a solid member of this season's cast.

Also, the introduction of a new villain in Tess Mercer (Cassidy Freeman) could prove to be rather intriguing. Will she be able carve her own place in Lex's evil stead. I sure hope so! The battle between Clark and the dark forces is a big part of what makes Smallville so captivating.


What are you thoughts on the new season so far? Where would you like to see the storylines go?

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TV Review: Fringe

The series premiere for Fringe was layered full of intrigue, making it a prime example of a pilot episode done right. On every facade Fringe delivers from superb acting to impressive special effects all the way down to a solid plot that leaves the audience wanting more.

Most of the story takes place in Boston and its surrounding suburbs. The snowy setting establishes the show's vibe quite nicely. We're introduced to FBI special agent Olivia Dunham (Anna Torv) who's latest call to duty is about to change her life forever. As she follows the case and becomes engaged in a race to save her partner/lover's life she encounters a crazed scientist (John Noble), a rogue genius (Joshua Jackson) and a homeland security agent (Lance Reddick) who help her make sense of all the strange science that's happening around her.


Bottom line: Fringe has all the right ingredients to make a wonderful season. Let's hope they keep things fresh and captivating every Tuesday night.

What were your impressions of the show?

***

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The Gemini Division - A Review

It's intriguing listening to Rosario Dawson talk. In a matter of minutes she easily builds a rapport with the viewer through her natural storytelling style.

Anna Diaz (Dawson) is a woman in love who has a good dose of vunerability and paranoia. Even in one of the most romantic cities in the world, with one of the most handsome guys by her side (Justin Hartley) she senses that something is not right. It's that feeling that gives this series great potential. The eerie tone was nicely set, now I'm ready to see the action.

Dawson and Hartley have a charming onscreen chemistry and I wouldn't be surprised if they got paired up in a feature film.

Things I look forward to seeing: finding out who she's talking to and hearing some cool tunes for the soundtrack.



So what are thoughts on the first two webisodes of The Gemini Division?

[Hat tip to Wired for the pic]

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Battlestar Galactica: The Final Season

I never thought I'd say this but Battlestar Galactica is really good! I remember when the show first came out critics were giving it their seal of approval and some went as far as saying it was "the best show on TV". I highly doubted that because I figured it was just like Star Trek and none of those series grabbed my attention (except the episodes with the Borg and Seven of Nine, they're just cool).

If you haven't watched the show yet, Battlestar tells the story of the last humans in space trying to find their way to Earth as they fight off man-made artificial intelligence gone awry called Cylons. They're kind of like the robots in Jame Cameron's Terminator. And that was the main appeal for me, I wanted to see these Cylons in action. But they're not the only thing that makes this show so interesting. There's plenty of drama.

Starbuck is such an intriguing character, you never know what's she's going to do. Her relationship with the younger Adama is increasing complex. At first I wanted them to be together but now I'm not so sure. Then there's Admiral Adama played by Edward James Olmos. He commands every scene and whoever cast him deserves some major kudos. The love story between human and cylon is also delightful. And the episodes with Lucy Lawless are always fun. She looks so much different from her Xena: Warrior Princess days.

Grace Park (Sharon) and Kandyce McClure (Dee) are on my ones to watch list because with the right roles down the line they could become movie stars.

And I could go on...Battlestar Galactica is that impressive. I've only watched a couple handfuls of episodes courtesy of the SciFi Channel's marathon but they've made a fan of me.

The new and final season of Battlestar Galactica starts tomorrow at 10 p.m. on the SciFi Channel. Give it a shot, it might surprise you too.

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TV Review: The Sarah Conner Chronicles

David Nutter has seen better days.

He's my favorite director and although you might not know him by name, I'm sure you know him by his work. He directed the pilots for Roswell, Dark Angel, Smallville and Supernatural. His latest venture iss the two-part premiere for The Sarah Conner Chronicles that aired Sunday and tonight. I missed the beginning 15 minutes of the first installment but what I watched lacked Nutter's usual cinematic feel. The premiere wasn't bad but it wasn't exceptionally good either. And I don't believe that Nutter should get all the blame.

Lena Headey (Sarah Conner) is no Linda Hamilton, and I'm sure I'm not the first or the last person to say that, but I think that will work to her advantage in the long run. Headey has a toughness to her, but yet we sense the vulnerability in her eyes with subtle expressions that offer us a window into her struggles and make us care for her character. And in TV, we really need to care about the characters. That's what keeps us coming back every week. Sarah's voice overs are a nice touch, reminiscent of Dark Angel, but without the same spunk. I hope the show keeps that component and builds upon it.

Thomas Dekker (John Conner) is a nice replacement for the role of the soon-to-be leader of the future. He carries over his misfit role from Heroes but he has yet to do anything that has wowed me with his acting ability. Even so, I'm not counting him out, as his character develops he could end up really impressing me so we'll see what comes our way.


Summer Glau (Cameron a.k.a. The Female Terminator) is the one part of the show that really worries me. I'm just not buying her role as their protector. Sometimes her face is so blank, but not in a good way. Arnold Schwarzenegger's blank emotionless stare is classic, Robert Partick's metallic glance was deadly, and even Kristanna Loken's stare was wicked cool in T3, but Glau doesn't have that flare. And some of her action sequences are unbelievable. I keep wishing that somehow she would magically get the same kick-butt vibrancy that Jessica Alba had in Dark Angel or Kate Beckinsale had in Underworld. But it never happens. On the other hand, I do look forward to a romantic storyline that might emerge from her and John's relationship. That could be very interesting.

All in all, this show is not stellar but it's promising.

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Smallville: Lights, Camera, Action

Oh-my-gosh!!! Tonight's episode of Smallville was superb.

Christina Milian was looking totally fab as Rachel, an A-List actress, coming to town for a film shoot. She and Clark had some sparks flying when they "read through her lines". Watch out Lana!

There was some major foreshadowing going on through the storyline of Warrior Angel as to what is going to happen to Clark and his gang. We all know that Lana is going to get killed off at some point, this just served as a little reminder to enjoy the Clana days while we can.

Other coolness involved Clark getting a red cape as a gift from Rachel. The last scene when it blew in the wind as Clark walked back to the barn was pure sweetness. The director gets mad kudos for that.

And the BIGGEST scene of the night was when the Warrior Angel fanfreak threw Lana off the high-rise and Clark plunged off the building to save her. The look in Lana's eyes said it all: "Whoa!"

A guy like Clark can save me anytime.

So what where your thoughts on it all???

Oh--and check out The CW website to enter a contest to be the vlogger of the month.

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TV Review: Blood Ties

I'm smitten and Lifetime is the one to blame. Their new original series Blood Ties premeired last night and Vicki wasn't the only one bite by Henry's charm.

The IMDb's tagline for the show goes like this: "A detective to keep her cool. A vampire to keep her warm. Some women have it all..." And they're right.

Vicki Nelson (Christina Cox) is sitting pretty as an ex-cop turned private investigator who must team up with a handsome "man of the night" vampire and her studly "man of the day" ex-partner in order to solve a crime.

The cast has chemistry (oodles of it) and from all sides. The witty banter hit its marks. The show's pace keeps you engaged and the characters interaction is well-versed in subtleties. The Toronto setting is a perfect backdrop for the story. The special effects aren't over the top and Vicki knows how to rock a black leather jacket. All these ingredients combine together to make a really good pilot episode.

I enjoyed seeing a couple of familar faces, Dylan Neal from the CBS Soap The Bold and Beautiful as the sarcastic ex-partner and Kyle Schmid from The Disney's Channel's The Cheetah Girls as the charming vampire. Both guys have their hotness, but Schmid's portrayal of the playful yet seductive vampire graphic novelist definitely gives him the upperhand in my department.

Blood Ties offers some interesting spins on vampire folkore such as Henry (Schmid) is able to look at himself in the mirror, wears a cross and isn't afraid of garlic. The show touches upon several spiritual aspects, but one that really stood out was when Henry said the demons make the humans think they are in control but in actuality they are being taken advantage of. That's something the Holy Bible warns us about.

All in all, this show offers a solid foundation of possiblities to make it a winning series but I hope that it isn't reduced to a "freak of the week" cycle and it doesn't lost sight of its focus on the characters and get too heavy into introducing the audience to dark side folklore.

Head over to the official website to read the blog of Tanya Huff, whose books the series is based on.



Hat tip to SciFiChick for giving me a heads up about this show.

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