Another installment of: seriously, how is Trin not fired already?

[trinityofone]

Things are craaaaaaaazy here at work. We're approaching deadline, and suddenly last-minute, I have to write a bunch more entries for our "12 DVDs of Christmas" feature. (Slings and Arrows made it in, BTW. WIN.) This is harder than it sounds, first because I have to write for a very different audience than I'm used to. For example, I'm doing House, and I'd like to say, "In Season Two, House and Wilson somehow managed to be even more gay for each other, and it was awesome." But I can't say that. I really can't say that. *sigh*

Also, I'm suddenly in a position where I have to write about shows I've never seen. (I almost got stuck with doing The Sopranos, and that would have been disastrous.) This is where you come in. Anyone want to volunteer some thoughts on why the second half of the second season of Battlestar Galactica was cool? Just so I have some real emotion, even if it's borrowed, to shove into my 100-word description. Otherwise I'm going to sound like I'm regurgitating the press release, which I really hate. I'd much rather regurgitate you guys.

I say that with love.

No, seriously: *her flist = the only reason Trin is not unemployed*

Comments

[slodwick.livejournal.com]

Well, for me, it wasn't even the second half of the second season of BSG that was great -- parts of it were really bad, in fact, and I might have despaired the death of a potentially great show, if not for the last three episodes. The creators took some really phenomenal risks with the storylines, both from a internal mythology and a storytelling standpoint, creating even deeper mysteries and adding unexpected twists... which is saying a lot, considering some of the things they'd already done (e.g. the genderbending and the "haunting" of Gaius), and they literally left me breathless. And honestly, the season finale last year was one of the most ambitious and original things I've witnessed in my tv-watching life; I can barely stand the anticipation for the premiere this week.


Does that help? At... all?

[amalthia]

when you say genderbending...what do you mean? I'm thinking role reversal for Caprica Six's Gauis...but I could be wrong.

[slodwick.livejournal.com]

Actually, I was referring to the creators' previous risk-taking in the Galactica universe, by making the Starbuck character a woman.

[amalthia]

ah yes I get you now. :) Um I think it was brilliant casting. at this point I can't imagine anyone else as Starbuck. Though from a slash pov...it was a bit dissapointing...however then they gave us Helo...and Jamie Bamber is really hot...um and there are a lot of other guy characters and the funny thing is I really love the women characters in this show too, which is rare for me. The last time I liked this many women was in Farscape and Firefly/Buffy...

[slodwick.livejournal.com]

Oh, absolutely... though, to be honest, I never watched the original BSG, so I really can't imagine anyone but Katie as Starbuck. And honestly, there are so many couples I dig on this show, slash & straight, that I would be happy with just about any of them! *g*

And YES. Six and Starbuck and Roslin and Sharon... I am SO HAPPY to have women I adore on my tv!

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

That helps SO MUCH. Not to mention, it kind of makes me want to finally start watching. Thank you!

[slodwick.livejournal.com]

Oh, honey... you really should. It's seriously some of the best television out there, and it honestly blows my mind sometimes. I have a sort of apocolypse-story kink, I think, so that helps. Plus, as amothea said, I am a huge fan of most of the women characters, which is a rare treat for me. Also, there's eye-candy for everyone. *g*

[risha]

It is a fabulous, compelling, realistic, heart wrenching show that everyone mature enough should watch. With that said, I don't watch every week - it can just be too painful sometimes! I can't consider it my favorite show on TV. It's certainly the one I respect the most, though.

[amalthia]

Okay parts of the second season sucked...and most of those episdes were in the second half...but there was a lot of coolness too.

I loved seeing the pov of the cylons, the last episodes of the season took my breath away, can't wait to see where it goes, the potential is there.
I think it's finally hitting everyone what they've lost. The first season and the first half of season two is just people trying to survive one day at a time and now you're really seeing the effects of being cut off from resources they used to have and still trying to survive and keep running from the cylons.

More issues are brought up like Sharon's baby...abortion if it should be illegal considering the human race is almost extinct...okay I loved the issues this show brings up.

but in terms of coolness factors...I really thought it was revolutionary to take the show in a competely new direction like they did with the last two/three episodes even with the time jump I was immediately sucked into the new story.

really, if you haven't seen this show yet..it's probably worth checking out.

[randomeliza.livejournal.com]

The second half of last season on BSG was FREAKING AMAZING. There were plot twists I wouldn't have seen coming given a million bagilion years and a thousand monkeys with typewriters! There was an episode from the cylon's point of view! There were sexy fighter pilots in space blowing up evil robots! There were a few crap episodes, sure, or ones that didn't really make me explode with glee, but all in all, it was pretty damn awesome. Plus, Apollo and Starbuck almost did it. And that was damn sexy and oh so fucked up and made me jump up and down with glee. (And Helo was hot. A lot. No, seriously, all the fucking time. YUM.)

...how was that?

[setissma.livejournal.com]

If you need feedback for House, Bones, or Grey's Anatomy*, I will gladly help out.

Sadly, my Battlestar Galactica watching is basically at an all time low. That is to say, I have never seen a single episode!

* Even though the temptation is pretty strong to have the summary on that one as, "Everyone hooks up with everyone else! Repeatedly!" and Bones could be, "No one hooks up, but my god do they know what to do with a body!"

P.S. and possibly off topic.

[amalthia]

I mainly started watching House because so many people on my f-list were like omg!!! House/Wilson and season two is so slashy! um too bad you can't print this stuff in magazines...though honestly I don't see why they can't. I mean aren't slash relationships just as valid as ship ones?

I was dissusing this with icarusancalion in terms of talking to actors and asking about ship relationships or slash..and how most people feel it's more okay to ask about the heterosexual possiblities but not homosexual ones. And by silencing these viewpoints (um slash questions) in front of actors and writers and hiding them from the public. We're basically saying being gay is wrong and only okay in our hidden communities. I don't think that means people should shove either ship or slash questions at the actors or writers in a rude manner...but I question the belief that one is more okay than the other.

I know in some magazines I've read people theorizing if so and so will hook up but it's always with male/female characters. I think it'll be nice someday where it's just as okay to wonder if House and Wilson will hook up as it is to ask if Starbuck and Apollo will ever get together. (for the new BSG)

Re: P.S. and possibly off topic.

[trinityofone.livejournal.com]

In general, I am in agreement with you, although I personally think that actors shouldn't be harassed with ship questions—het OR slash. (Creators...well, maybe.) As for magazines printing ship (and again I mean het or slash here) speculation, I'm all for it; however, I'm not in charge of what kind of content we print at this particular magazine, and therefore I'm kind of limited in what I can say. But I still attempted to imply that House and Wilson are in loooooove...because they so are.

Actually, it's a kind of contest for me: how much fannish content can I sneak into the magazine today?

Re: P.S. and possibly off topic.

[amalthia]

I agree about not bugging the actors...though I think politely worded questions to the creators...that has potential. :) I haven't seen enough House to get the slash vibe yet...though it's kind of telling that Wilson spends X-mas with House instead of his wife....

[neery.livejournal.com]

Do you at least get to say something about how deep and meaningful House and Wilson's friendhip is?

You know, there are some mainstream articles about The Fast and the Furious that mention how totally, obviously gay these two are for each other, and all this time it never occured to me that those must have been written by a reporter whose boss probably looked at her like she was really strange. No wonder there are so few slash-friendly reviews. *g*

[no-detective.livejournal.com]

For House, you could say that the process of pushing the limits becomes personal - involving members of House's team even beyond the increasingly difficult decisions they have to make while working for him. As for Wilson, his storyline in season 2 demonstrated that House is not the only emotionally messed up person in that relationship friendship. Plus, their take on The Odd Couple is priceless.

Or something. Man, it's hard to curb the slashy enthusiasm. *bites nails*

[mirabile-dictu.livejournal.com]

I adore BSG, and you've already received some great reasons why the last bit was so amazingly good -- for me, it was primarily the risks they took. My mouth literally fell open when I saw they'd jumped ahead a full year, and all the changes they'd made to the characters, just assuming their audience would follow them. Which we did.

But I have to make special mention of a moment that genuinely moved me; I actually stood up in shock. Chief became a union steward and was giving a speech and Jesus God but it was Mario Savio's speech on the steps of Sproul Hall. Even the gestures! When I listened to the podcast, it turned out the writer had called Lynn, Mario's widow, and got permission to use the speech, even though legally there was no requirement to do so, and Chief's actor (sorry, can't remember his name) watched tapes of the speech and copied Mario's gestures.

Man. Great moment.

Also, the podcasts are freaking brilliant.

What a totally cool job you have!

[darcydodo]

Since I've finished now, hoping it's not too late for you to use:

The second half of the second season wasn't 100% good; in fact, there were some episodes that left me cold, and they made a few decisions that if they'd set them up better would have been really dramatic but as it was seemed like a last minute "let's throw in something shocking!" Some of the character decisions made me go "buh?" But on the other hand, there were the last three episodes, which went in entirely unexpected directions and brought the show back to its original manifesto, as it were. And episodes like "Scar" that just had really good character interaction.

[darcydodo]

Oh, and bringing back the mythology! :) Anyway, you can look at my own recent posts for that. :P