The Big Bang Theory

A sitcom (with laugh track) about four scientists and their hot neighbour.
I’m still enjoying this show very much. I don’t understand why they broke Penny and Leonard up (especially because it felt like one of the most normal relationships on TV) but at least they didn’t put any bad blood between them.

Bones

Forensic anthropologist Dr. Temperance “Bones” Brennan and FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth investigate murders where only a skeleton is left of the victim.
Quite a few episodes of this season where just “OK” but it’s still watch-worthy and I assume that next season will have a totally new dynamic due to the “time leap”.

Burn Notice

Michael Westen is a former spy who has been “expelled”. He now works as a “problem solver” for people whom the police can’t help.
It’s a good show but I hope that one day they’ll drop the whole “I want to go back to the spy game” aspect of it and just run with the main plot.

Castle

Richard Castle is a best-selling thriller author who solves crimes with Detective Kate Beckett who has become his inspiration for his novel heroine “Nikki Heat”.
They are only in their second year and both characters already know they have feelings for each other. Progress! While the WTWT is certainly an aspect of the show that can’t be ignored, I tune in because of the crimes they have to solve and the ways they do it. For me, it’s the unofficial sequel to Murder She Wrote.

Chuck

A guy who works in an electronics superstore get all the secrets of the government uploaded into his brain. From now on he works as a spy and helps to put the members of the most dangerous organisations behind bars.
I enjoyed the first third of the third season but then disliked where the show was going with Shaw and Sarah. Not because I’m a Charah shipper (I am that, too ) but because it didn’t feel real that Sarah would tell Shaw (who just came into her life) things, she didn’t share with Chuck. But now the show is great again, and I can’t wait to see the finale and the fourth season.

Gossip Girl

A show about a lot of spoiled rich kids in New York’s Upper East Side and some “normals” who get caught up in the whole mess.
It took them a while to make the transition from high school to university, but they managed to do it. Bonus points for not having all the characters attend the same university (University of California in Sunnydale or Central Kansas A&M University in or near Smallville ).

House M.D.

Specialist for Diagnostic Medicine Dr. House leads a team of doctors that take care of patients that have rare or inexplicable symptoms and try to help them.
It’s still very formulaic but every year is still different. This year House actually tried to be a better person. That doesn’t mean he stops playing games but now they are means to a different end. And next year will be different, too. I’m watching it because House can still surprise you.

How I Met Your Mother

Ted tells his kids the story of how he met her mother. For that he’s going into greater detail about his early life.
The show as a whole is declining. The search for the mother has been put on hold for a while now and it isn’t as much fun as in the beginning. There are still good episodes in it but as a whole it’s getting more generic.

Leverage

If Burn Notice is the unofficial sequel of MacGyver and Knight Rider, this is the unofficial sequel to The A-Team. A group of con (wo)men who live somewhat outside the law try to help people.
I loved these kinds of shows in the 80s and should I stumble across an episode of The A-Team on TV, I’ll still watch it. And I watch this show for the same reasons. And Jeri Ryan (7 of 9 in Star Trek VOY) was a nice addition to the show this year.

Smallville

The myth behind this show is relatively unknown. It’s about an illegal immigrant who hides on a farm in Kansas. That is, when he’s not out in Metropolis and commits crimes of manhandling, B&E and malicious mischief while running around in a T-Shirt with a stylized “S” on it.
I really didn’t like seasons seven and eight. But this year was really good again and I’m looking forward to its tenth and last season.

True Blood

Vampires are real. And they live amongst us. And they want the same rights we have.
The second season was even more explicit than the first one was. I did not really care about the plot about the Pagan Goddess but that was just one aspect and I will tune in for the third season.

Two and a Half Men

A sitcom (with laugh track) about a man in his forties who lives in a beach house with his brother and his nephew.
It’s the same kind of humour this show had from the beginning but after seven years there are only so many jokes you can make about the same subject. I still enjoy it, but it’s not a priority anymore.

Since everybody seems to be starting to count at zero instead of one the first decade of this century and millennium is now over. So it’s time to recap these past ten years and take a look at the TV Shows it has given us.

Let me give my résumé at the beginning: Of the four decades I know TV Shows from (70s – 00s) this was without question the best decade for us TV junkies. When you read my review you might say in the end “Hey what about <insert your favourite here>?” (e.g. The Sopranos, Dexter, The Wire, Six Feet Under, …) but that’s exactly my point. This decade has given us so many outstanding shows that it was impossible to watch them all. Also, everybody has a different set of favourite genres but I’d say that every genre got their fair share of excellent series in the last years.

But let’s face it: There’s rarely any series (if there’s one at all) that could keep up the quality and its appeal for its entire run. Some had a bad year in between, some fell short at the end. But even in these “bad years” they had more quality episodes in it than entire shows from previous decades. So all the shows I am going to name have of course aspects that can be criticized and I invite you to do so.

For me the most outstanding characteristic of this past decade’s shows is that they are more often than not more about the “journey” of the character(s) than the actual events. It’s not the character who shines a light upon the unfolding events but it’s the events that shine a light upon the character and his development. I have to say that shows (hereby excluding comedy shows that work with stereo- and archetypes) that don’t have a real character development don’t interest me at all. But if the character development is interesting I might even watch shows from genres that usually don’t interest me at all.

If the character development is interesting enough I might even set the fact aside that my second favourite characteristic is missing: A real story-arc. The first TV Show in my TV universe that had a real story-arc, was Babylon 5. Later Star Trek: DS9 did the same albeit not in that quality and complexity. But these shows were two of the rare exception in the 90s (another famous exception would be Twin Peaks, but I never watched it). It seemed that viewers weren’t interested in either developing characters or story-arcs.

This drastically changed in this decade and one show had an early start to this:

Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997-2003)

I believe Buffy is one of the most studied TV Shows there is, possibly only surpassed by the Star Trek universe and comparing the age of both franchises one sees how truly amazing that is. Just take a look at Slayage Online to get a glimpse.
I had of course heard of Buffy but ignorant as I was I did not watch a single episode during its original run. It was only in the year 2007, three years after the show had ended, that I discovered it for me and it swept me of my feet. This show does not deal in black & white, every character is flawed and yet tries to contribute in the ultimate fight against evil.
For me there’s not one season I’d qualify as “bad” even though some of them are very different than the others.

Angel (1999-2004)

On the dawn of the new millennium Angel relocated from Sunnydale to Los Angeles and opened a second front against the apocalypse. The show was different from Buffy but the characters were still wonderfully drawn and the story was very good. The show had its down during the fourth season which I didn’t like that much but got better again only to get cancelled. But it went out with a BOOM. “Let them fight the good fight. Someone has to fight the war.”

And then the new millennium began.

24 (2001-)

“All Events Occur in Real-Time.” This show introduces a whole lot of concepts in a TV Show. Since everything happens “live” they depend heavily on split-screens to show multiple events in different places. It’s also one of the first shows that uses technology to a sometimes ludicrous extend. But its compact and thrilling story-telling totally makes up for it.
There have been years where the story absolutely jumps the shark, especially the fourth and fifth season. But then the writers manage to refresh it again end they’ve delivered a real highlight with the seventh season and I truly hope they can keep it up in the soon-to-begin eighth year.

Alias (2001-2006)

The show surely declined during its five-year run but overall it’s a fascinating piece of television, with its elaborate Rambaldi-arc and its shifting allies and enemies. It especially wins it fascination from all these grey characters where it isn’t certain on which side they’re on (for now) and what their hidden agenda is. It also uses a remarkable amount of plot locations all over the world that coincides with the number of wigs the main character Sydney Bristow seems to have.

Smallville (2001-)

Smallville is a complicated topic. The label says “How Clark Kent became Superman”. On its face it’s a show about teenage drama mixed with some action pieces. Many don’t like it because it often breaks with the official Superman canon (whatever that means in a comic universe that retcons itself all the time…). Others have problems with Clark himself who is not yet the iconic character he’s supposed to become. Still others had problems with the prolonged presence of Lana Lang and the very existence of the not-in-the-comic character Chloe Sullivan. And they are supported in their criticism by the often kitschy storylines and the Freak-of-the-Week episodes in the early seasons. The show also lacks a mastermind who has a clear idea of where the journey is supposed to end up. This was painfully obvious during the seventh and eighth season that fell flat on every aspect of story-telling.
But still, the show has something that draws me in – even though I never read a single Superman comic. Despite their problems the characters are really enjoyable and most of them undergo a real development. If I had to name a favourite character (excepting Clark) it would be Allison Mack’s Chloe Sullivan even though they heavily damaged the character in the last two years. The second one is Erica Durance’s Lois Lane who is slowly taking the place that is rightfully hers.
I have to admit I was nearly giving up on the show but the ninth season is developing really great so far – let’s just hope they can keep it up this time.

Firefly (2002)

Maybe it was so good because it was so short-lived but the 14 episodes of this series showed a potential worthy of a Joss Whedon (Buffy, Angel) show. This show literally brought the wild west into space. One has to wonder what this show could have achieved if it would have had a reasonable lifetime.

Two and a Half Men (2003-)

Sitcoms have always been era-bound for me. I’ve watched many sitcoms during their original run. When I watched them again years later I didn’t find them as funny as the first time or don’t find them really funny at all anymore. Maybe all the sitcoms in this list will fare the same fate. But for now I really enjoy the two brothers, their house-keeper, their mother and their son/nephew very much.

Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009)

Most sci-fi shows are plot-oriented. The spaceship that flies from planet to planet to go where no one has gone before. The station that is the last hope for peace. The team that searches for technology to protect Earth from the Evil Overlords. The fleet around the Galactica also has a goal: to find Earth. But the story is about the crew of these ships and about their robotic enemies who are as diverse as the Humans. In the end it’s not as simple as in the beginning: Humans vs. Cylons. The journey will re-shape all of them in a way none of them could have anticipated.
Unfortunately the end was a bit disappointing because the writers thought too late about where the journey is supposed to be going.

House M.D. (2004-)

House is a typical Procedural. Basically every episode has the same general plot. If that were everything to it, I would not bother to watch it. But it is more. All the other characters sum up to a counter-balance to House, to keep him in check. While House spirals down in his medication addiction they try to pull him up again and they manifest as a wall when he tries to go too far. Every one of them is necessary and due to recent events in the sixth season I fear that one element will be sorely missed in future episodes: Humanity. They have to find a way to restore the balance. House doesn’t work with just House.

LOST (2004-2010)

A great mystery show that will hopefully have an end this year that is worthy of it. For me the entire appeal of the show depends now on if they manage to give satisfying answers to all (or at least most of) the riddles they produced over the last five years. Otherwise it might have the same fate as Battlestar Galactica. They promised that they would have a satisfying end in mind – let’s hope they can keep this promise. If they do this will be one of the most memorable shows of this decade.

Veronica Mars (2004-2007)

After the 80s I was never to much into private investigation stories but this show was highly praised – even though German television dump-aired it in the middle of the night. And it rightfully got the praise. It combines teenage drama and crime/PI stories to an excellent mix and has an excellent cast, especially the ones of the Mars family. Unfortunately the third season deviated from the way the story was told in the first two seasons and the show never got a fourth season. But these three seasons are absolutely worth checking out.

Bones (2005-)

Another Procedural that combines technological overdose and a relatively strict plot pattern. But it has a fascinating set of characters who complement each other (both at work as well as emotionally). Just with House I do not watch it for the case of the week but to see how the characters grow and how they struggle with their past and try to find their future.

Doctor Who (2005-)

The Brits are different. But that doesn’t make them less interesting. The Doctor is a national institution just like the Queen. The show as a whole has been running since 1963 with a big break during the nineties. In 2005 they revived the show and the Ninth Doctor and his companion Rose took the TARDIS and travelled to the end of the Earth. The Tenth Doctor even took it to the end of the universe itself. And in 2010 the Eleventh Doctor will take command of ship and he too will travel to places and times one can hardly imagine.
In order to like Doctor Who one has to like a certain kind of humour and has to appreciate weird stories and ideas. To give you an idea: If you like/disliked the The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy book series by Douglas Adams or the “Thursday Next” book series by Jasper Fforde or the Australian TV Show Farscape you’re probably going to like/dislike Doctor Who.

How I Met Your Mother (2005-)

In one regard sitcoms are like all other shows: There are those that are episode-based and those that are arc-based and then there are those in the middle. While Two and a Half Men and The Big Bang Theory are more (though not strictly) episode-based, so is HIMYM more arc-based. The very title points to it. In this regard HIMYM is the successor of Friends; the life of the characters is actually changing and not a (relative) constant.
Although, now that the show is in its fifth year I feel that it is time that Ted actually meets his future wife. I don’t have the desire to drag out every show endlessly. I prefer a good closure over a never-ending story.

Supernatural (2005-2010?)

Two things brought me to Supernatural: Firstly my disappointment of Smallville over the last two years. While reading and writing in the KryptonSite.com forums I often read good comments about this show that otherwise totally went below my radar. Secondly my getting closer to the horror genre by watching Buffy and Angel. I’ve never been a great friend of the horror genre and probably never will be – but this show intrigued me. At first it looked like a standard Monster-of-the-Week show but soon it developed its own story-arc that is culminating in this year’s battle against the apocalypse and Lucifer himself.
According to the show runner, this will be the last year of Dean’s and Sam’s journey and I really like that idea because then the show has managed something many shows fail to do: To tell one big story and to bring that story to a defined end.

Heroes (2006-)

Heroes is now in its fourth year and it’s doubtful whether there will be a fifth. It started with great promise and the first year was really great. But then basically everyone lost their way and the characters started to act uncharacteristically and erratically and unpredictably and it all went down the drain. I am still watching it because I like the characters but it’s not nearly as much fun as in the beginning.
If you’re new to this show, buy the first season and probably leave it that.

The Big Bang Theory (2007-)

The best sitcom there currently is. The four geeks and their hot neighbour are a really great ensemble and the hilariousness goes up to eleven when Penny and Sheldon clash into each other. There’s nothing I can laugh more about than these five.

Burn Notice (2007-)

I don’t even remember how I stumbled across this show but Michael Westen is basically James Bond and Q in one person. He’s the spy who builds his gadgets himself. His entourage is also great: The trigger-happy ex-IRA ex-girlfriend, the now retired former spy and friend – and his mother. Since he can’t work as spy anymore he has become the local MacGyver / Michael Knight / A-Team of Miami, Florida. He still tries to get his old “job” back but there is someone who does not want him back and Michael has no idea, why.

Chuck (2007-)

Chuck is an action comedy about a guy who accidentally gets all the secrets of the CIA and NSA uploaded into his brain. What makes things worse: His knowledge is now the only copy in existence. He gets two personal bodyguards: The CIA agent Sarah Walker and the NSA Major John Casey. The three of them try to use Chuck’s knowledge to protect the country while hiding the fact that he knows what he knows and without getting exposed as spies by enemies and family.
This show is pure fun and I am really glad that they got a third season. The three main characters are great but all the supporting characters from Chuck’s family and the Buy More superstore form a great ensemble.

True Blood (2008-)

There are Vampires in the world and they live openly among us. But not only Vampires, but also mind-readers and shape-shifters and others. And in Bon Temps, Louisiana the waitress Sookie Stackhouse meets Bill – the very first Vampire in their small town. But mankind has still getting used to the idea that Vampires actually exist and there are quite a few animosities between both groups, especially when people get killed and it looks like Vampires were behind it.
This is a very graphic show based on the “Sookie Stackhouse” book series by Charlotte Harris. But it’s quite fascinating to watch all these different people and how they deal with life (and death).

Being Human (2009-)

A Vampire, a Werewolf and a Ghost are moving in together. What sounds like a joke is basically the question that what it means to be Human. All three struggle with themselves and their fate. The Vampire is the oldest one; he’s fought as a young man in the First World War. The other two have only recently become “different”. This British series is not a comedy although it is funny at times and as most British series relatively short (the first season has only six episodes). But the story it’s telling is really worth watching.

So, that’s it. Let’s hope that this new decade can at least hold the quality bar if not even outshine the last decade since the producers should have learned by now that high-quality television is something viewers do appreciate.

Disc 1

Saga of a Star World

Synopsis: For a thousand yahren the war with the Cylons has lasted. The Cylons are machines and their creators – the original race called “Cylons” – have died out long ago. But now an armistice was negotiated by Baltar and the fleet of the Twelve Colonies of Man meets with the Cylons to sign a peace treaty. But Baltar has betrayed his own species to seize power and the Cylons launch a large-scale attack on the colonial fleets and the colonies. Only one Battlestar – the Galactica – and a few refugees survive that holocaust. But there’s a myth about a thirteenth colony of Kobol. Commander Adama and his fleet of 220 ships leave the colonies behind to find that legendary colony: Earth. But it won’t be an easy journey and there are still those who believe that mankind should lay down its weapons and seek peace with the Cylons.

My Opinion: The show begins with an epic three-parter which was re-cut and re-published as a movie. The designs of that show are still great. The Galactica, the Cylons (“walking chrome toasters”), the Cylon Raiders, the Basestars. Although the deception of mankind and the destruction of the fleet was a bit too easy, it was a decent start for the story and it showed that Adama is an astute commander and that he has the best pilots in the fleet. I also liked their sense of humour: One of the ships had an advertisement printed on the side: “Colonial Movers – We Move Anywhere”. The characters are also good. They may not have the depth of nowadays’s characters, but they have charm: Adama, Apollo, Starbuck, Athena, Cassiopeia, Serina, … and of course the diabolical Baltar.

Lost Planet of the Gods

Synopsis: Starbuck and Apollo detect a vast electromagnetic void on one of their patrols. Once inside it, there are no more stars, no more anything. But Galactica hasn’t much choice because Jolly and Boomer have detected a cylon outpost on their patrol. And there’s another problem: Jolly and Boomer have brought some kind of disease with them and they have infected most of the fighter pilots during Apollo’s bachelor party. Now the shuttle pilots have to learn how to fly a Viper. Amongst them: Athena and Serina, Apollo’s fiancé.

My Opinion: It sounds a bit harsh but it would have been more realistic if they had killed at least one of the cadets. They’re sitting in a Viper for the first time and yet they destroy an antire squadron of Cylon Raiders. But I really liked it that they made no (verbal) issue about them being woman, just rookies. But one could see that Starbuck and Apollo felt a bit uncomfortable because “things had changed”.

Disc 2

Lost Planet of the Gods, Part 2

Synopsis: Baltar – who has been given a Basestar of his own – has been following the fleet for some time now. When they enter the void and he realizes that Adama plans to find Kobol, the planet from which the thirteen tribes set out. He develops a plan to lure the fleet into a trap. But for this he has to face Adama personally. But Lucifer – Baltar’s cylon second-in-command – has plans of his own. Meanwhile Apollo and Serina have married and Adama has found Kobol. He hopes that it will help him finding Earth.

My Opinion: Lucifer is cool! He and Baltar are the perfect couple. What I just complained about did happen in this episode: Serina was killed by a Cylon and Apollo has to raise Boxey alone. But I liked Baltar’s scheme, because it remained unclear to everyone (including the viewer) who he was trying to betray.

The Lost Warrior

Synopsis: Apollo tries to lure a cylon patrol away from the fleet and he succeeds. But then he runs out of fuel and has to land on a nearby planet. There he meets not only simple farmers but also a gangster and his henchman: Red Eye – a Cylon.

My Opinion: It’s fascinating to see how many settlements lay between the twelve colonies and Earth (see following episode, too). Yet none of them seems aware of the war at all or hasn’t heard that it was lost. But I liked that a Centurion was allowed to play a main role. And he was a great gunslinger. I liked it how his scanner always stopped the moment he shot someone. I remember his death/destruction very vividly because my VCR always overdrove when it played that scene (It was to bright I believe).

The Long Patrol

Synopsis: Galactica and the fleet have just past a dust cloud and entered a new galaxy. Starbuck is about to leave for a recon mission for which he will use a modified Viper: Doubled speed but no weapons. And a new computer system. But before he departs he has a double date: Starbuck with Cassiopeia and Starbuck with Athena. Unfortunately his luck doesn’t last and he gets lost in the new galaxy.

My Opinion: I liked this episode a lot for different reasons. First of all because it symbolizes the charm of the old show. Starbuck dating two women at the same time. Grandpa Adama having his grandson on his lap and telling stories of Earth – on the bridge of a Battlestar. Starbuck finding a treasure in the form of Ambrosia (a beverage) that’s several hundred yahren old. But also the way they used astronomical terms (light speed, galaxy) without a care in the world.
But I had forgotten that it was Starbuck who found the drawing of our solar system in a prison cell. In the re-imagined series Starbuck paints a picture of the “Eye of Jupiter” which will be later discovered to be a pointer towards Earth.

The Gun on Ice Planet Zero

Synopsis: Baltar and his Basestar is driving the Galactica and the fleet forward. And of course he is driving them into a trap. Starbuck and his patrol detect a Cylon-occupied planet on which a huge pulsar cannon is positioned. This gun could destroy a Battlestar with a single shot. Starbuck, Boomer, Apollo and a group of demolition experts (read: criminals who like to blow things up) try to destroy it, but they get shot down and have to fight for their survival on an ice planet.

My Opinion: Except for the cold it must be paradise for Starbuck: Countless nice women and they are all equally beautiful (because they all look the same ). I didn’t remember that the old fleet also had a prison ship. But it bothered me that Boxey could sneak in on the shuttle – that boy seems to be everywhere. And crash-landing (instead of just landing) also seems to be a recurring theme on the show. But I didn’t care much for this or the following episode.

Disc 3

The Gun on Ice Planet Zero, Part II

Synopsis: Having found help in the form of a group of Human clones the colonial fighters are still trying to destroy the pulsar cannon. But they are running out of time because the fleet is closing in on the shooting range of the cannon. If they fail the fleet will most likely not survive.

My Opinion: An OK conclusion to the story (of course they destroyed the gun). But I liked how Baltar toyed with the fleet and made them do what he wanted.

The Magnificent Warriors

Synopsis: The Cylons have attacked the fleet and destroyed two of the agricultural ships and damaged another. The fleet needs new seeds and they hope they can trade for it on a nearby planet. Even Adama is coming along on this landing mission. But Boomer and Starbuck get robbed and have now nothing to trade. Fortunately for Starbuck the people there play cards, too. Unfortunately that brings him in even deeper trouble and in the middle of a fight between the local Humans and another alien race.

My Opinion: A rather ridiculous story. The entire story about Adama and his “stalker” was absurd and the way Starbuck became the Constable was ludicrous. And on top of that all were these “pig aliens”.

The Young Lords

Synopsis: Starbuck gets shot down by a Cylon patrol and has to crash-land while Boomer returns to the fleet. Shortly after he got apprehended by a patrol of the local Cylon garrison he gets freed by local Human resistance fighter. But they are merely children, not warriors.

My Opinion: “Starbuck crash-lands” I should put this on a shortcut key. I really liked the banter between Lucifer and Specter (same production line as Lucifer), the commander of the local garrison. I also liked that he was able to lie and to deceive but I didn’t like that Baltar fell for it the whole time. But the story on the planet was again over the top. Starbuck attacks a garrison with a bunch of kids (some of them not older than ten) who ride on unicorns(!) and they win.
Interestingly the female lead was a young woman called Miri who had a crush on Starbuck. In Star Trek there was also an episode called Miri where the female lead was a young woman called Miri who had a crush on Kirk.

The Living Legend

Synopsis: “Commander, there’s a signal coming over Fleet Comm Line Alpha!” There’s another surviving Battlestar, the Pegasus, under the command of Commander Cain, a living legend. Now they have two Battlestars and Cain wants to use them to attack the outer capital of the Cylon Empire. But Adama can’t leave the fleet defenceless, he has to care for more than just revenge. And Baltar has now the force of three Basestars and wants to wipe out the colonial fleet once and for all.

My Opinion: Great start to a great two-parter. I always liked this Cain. At times he seems morally ambiguous but he has his heart at the right place and he takes a stand for what he believes is the right thing to do. I also liked that they made some new special effects shot for this and the following episode, especially when it comes to shooting down Cylon Raiders. And I loved Baltar’s face when he saw that second Battlestar!

Disc 4

The Living Legend, Part II

Synopsis: Thanks to the Pegasus Baltar’s attack failed miserably but the Galactica was heavily damaged. But the fleet is running out of fuel. They have to attack the Cylon capital and their fuel depots. Cain devises a plan where the Pegasus diverts the Basestars and the Galactica attacks Gomorray and secures the fuel. One Battlestar against three Basestars. This will be a battle to be remembered.

My Opinion: Cain is a great contrast to Adama. I always felt that Adama was more a member of the Quorum of Twelve and the leader of the fleet than a military commander. Cain is a warrior to the core. The greater the battle, the greater the victory. I really loved it when he charged that two Basestars (Baltar has of course retreated). And I loved it how Baltar shooed his Raiders from the Pegasus to Gomorray and then back to his Basestar and how he (inadvertently) made them totally useless.

Fire In Space

Synopsis: The Cylons have developed a new tactic. Instead of engaging the colonial Vipers in a dogfight and getting shot down they simply load their Raiders with explosives and ram the Galactica. And it’s working. The Galactica sustains heavy damages. One landing pod is burning uncontrollably, Adama is badly hurt and needs surgery and Boxey, Athena, Boomer and others are caught between burning sections of the ship. Every attempt to extinguish the fires is failing until there’s only one solution left: To blow holes in the outer hull and let the vacuum of space do the job.

My Opinion: This episode and the two previous ones were re-cut and released in european theatres as Mission Galactica: The Cylon Attack. I thought this was a good, dramatic episode that took its time to develop the characters a bit more – especially Boomer’s and the doctor’s character. I also liked Starbuck’s and Apollo’s “space walk”. It may not have looked perfect but I thought it looked fairly decent and not as if they were hanging on ropes or something.

War of the Gods

Synopsis: A patrol has gone lost when they were scouting a nearby sector. Suddenly there were bright lights and an eerie sound and they simply vanished. Starbuck, Apollo and Sheba (Cain’s daughter) land on a planet in that sector and discover a crashed ship – and what seems to be a survivor. He asks to be brought to the fleet and they agree. But once in the fleet he tries to become more: The fleet’s leader to Earth and he has very persuasive powers. He even promises them their arch enemy: Baltar.

My Opinion: Patrick McNee played a great Iblis. He has the charisma and when he threatens someone he is deadly serious. It became clear very quickly what Iblis was supposed to be, but I enjoyed it nonetheless.

War of the Gods, Part II

Synopsis: As promised, Baltar is now a prisoner in the fleet and Count Iblis gains more power every day. But since he has come aboard the spheres of bright light are always in and around the fleet and they seem connected to Iblis. Starbuck, Apollo and his father are amongst the few who don’t fall for Iblis’s charming personality. And Baltar has found out where he heard Iblis’s voice before: From the voice synthesizer of the Cylon Imperious Leader.

My Opinion: Funny thing is that Patrick McNee actually voices the Imperious Leader. But luckily neither is Iblis the devil in the literal sense nor are these light beings angels. They are just older than the Humans. One could compare it to the First Ones in Babylon 5. I liked the conclusion that even these higher beings have to follow the rules and that not even Iblis can break them. But I have to say that I didn’t like Anne Lockhart’s (Sheba) acting in the “ship of light”. Her mourning didn’t convince me. Granted the acting in this entire show isn’t the best, but that scene stood out for me.

Disc 5

The Man with Nine Lives

Synopsis: When Starbuck tries a new gaming system that “can’t lose” an older man starts a conversation explaining to him why it won’t work. As it turns out this man, Chameleon, may very well be Starbucks long lost father and both men get really exited about the idea. But Apollo is a bit more sceptical, especially since a group of Borellian Nomen warriors also seem to have an interest in that old man. Is this for real or just a con to get protected by colonial warriors?

My Opinion: I really liked Fred Astaire’s appearance in this episode. Even with the Borellians this was a nice change from the constant fight for survival. And it’s fitting that Starbuck’s father is a card player and a con man.

Murder on the Rising Star

Synopsis: Starbuck and Ortega have a long history of mutual dislike and every time they “meet” each other in a Triad ball game there’s bad blood between them. And when Ortega is found shot to death by a laser pistol Starbuck becomes the main suspect, especially since he was seen leaving the crime scene and his pistol isn’t fully charged anymore. But none of his friends would believe that Starbuck would kill someone and Apollo is going to be his defense attorney.

My Opinion: Huh. Couldn’t even remember that episode. Apollo defends Starbuck in a court of law. Yet another detail they will re-use in the new series (though it won’t be Starbuck who needs defending). And I liked it how Apollo used Baltar as bait who in turn wasn’t too happy about that.

Greetings from Earth

Synopsis: The Galactica intercepts a vessel in which six passengers are in stasis. And the ship uses technologies unlike any used in the colonies. But when these people awake they can’t breathe the dense atmosphere aboard the Galactica. Starbuck and Apollo are escorting them to their original destination in order to find out where they came from and if they know anything about Earth. But there’s a third party involved: The Eastern Alliance, the military force that rules this part of the galaxy.

My Opinion: An episode of it’s era. The good west against the bad Eastern Alliance with typical uniforms and bad accents. I also didn’t really like these two androids, they were too cartoon-like for my taste. And the acting was again below average. It didn’t feel natural.

Disc 6

Baltar’s Escape

Synopsis: Baltar, the Borellians and the soldiers of the Eastern Alliance plan to escape from the prison barge. And they succeed. Aboard the Galactica they take the Quorum members as hostages (except for Adama and Siress Tinia). Adama has to either let them go or he has to try to free the Quorum members with the risk of getting them killed.

My Opinion: I really liked the irony of this episode’s title and the fact that Baltar was the only one who didn’t escape. And the moment I saw the dismantled Cylons and Apollo stating that he had a plan I really believed (and hoped) that he and Starbuck would slip into the armour and pretend to be Cylon pilots. Too bad they didn’t make that move, that would have been fun.

Experiment in Terra

Synopsis: When the squadron is following the escaped prisoners to Lunar 7, Apollo is suddenly brought aboard the ship of light again. There he’s warned of a great danger Terra is in and that it’s important for them, for the people in the fleet and even for the light beings that he helps the people on Terra. When he lands there he’s recognized as someone else but he has little success in convincing them. Luckily Starbuck and also the Galactica aren’t that far behind.

My Opinion: I really liked Edward Mulhare (Devon in Knight Rider) in the role of John. He was a funny guy and yet recognizable as the father figure he would later become to Michael Knight. But I also liked that Terra wasn’t Earth, I didn’t like the Terra storyline very much.

Take the Celestra

Synopsis: During a ceremony Starbuck discovers that an old girlfriend of his is still alive and did not die on Caprica as he had suspected. Cassiopeia isn’t very thrilled but there’s also not much she can do. Starbuck and Apollo follow Aurora to the Celestra and run in the middle of a mutiny. And Aurora is of course among the mutineers. But not everything is as it appears to be.

My Opinion: It was an OK episode. But it was a bit constructed that the XO developed the plan to get rid of his captain and miraculously a mutiny started in just that moment and gave him the opportunity. The captain also seemed to have lost touch with his crew, otherwise he had to notice that his XO was a “slave driver”. But he still got a medal for his excellent leadership.

The Hand of God

Synopsis: The Galactica receives a signal that might have come from Earth but soon they detect a hidden Basestar that is looking for them. But Adama and Tigh are both tired of running. Adama develops a plan to attack and destroy the Basestar and its Raiders. Apollo and Starbuck get the most crucial role in that attack: They have to board the Basestar and to destroy its sensors. Both Cassiopeia and Sheba aren’t very happy about it.

My Opinion: I really liked that final episode of the old series. It had the right amount (and quality) of humour and charm in it and also a good deal of action – even though they re-used the FX shots once again, there were so many and even some new shots that it looked really good. I also liked the idea that Apollo and Sheba may become a couple, Apollo had been alone since Serina died.

The Series – My Opinion: I will miss these guys. I really like the new series. But it’s different there. The old series had its own charm and the characters are still great. Granted, a lot of the episodes have aged a lot and don’t hold up in comparison to today’s shows but it was still nice to see characters that aren’t burdened with a difficult past but are straightforward WYSIWYGs.

Galactica 1980

Knight Rider

What’s the show about?
Michael Knight works for Foundation for Law And Government. But he doesn’t work alone. He has help in form of his car: The Knight Industries Two Thousand, KITT. KITT is a bullet-proof computer on wheels and it helps Michael on his missions to help people who need help.

“Knight of the Phoenix”
Michael Long works undercover until he is shot by the industrial espionage expert Tanya Walker. Luckily he survices the attack but his face is totally destroyed and has to be surgically repaired. After that Michael Long is officially dead and Michael Knight arises. His surgery was conducted by doctors paid by Wilton Knight who also gives him his new identity. Additionaly Wilton’s engineers have done something to Michael’s car…

My Opinion
Another 80s classic one simply had to watch back then. Oh gosh, I definitvly watched too much TV in the 80s. And the 90s. And now.*g*

BTW: There was a cultural reference in the pilot: When Michael sees KITT’s interior for the first time he says that he feels like being in Darth Vader’s bathroom!

MacGyver

What’s the show about?
MacGyver is a very gifted man. He knows practically everything about mathematics, physics and chemistry. And he knows how to put that knowledge to practical use, he could build a bomb out of a ball-pen and a chewing gum. He is sent out by the Phoenix Foundation to help out where he is needed.

“Pilot”
After reclaiming a targeting device from a crashed plane and the pilot from the hands of the Russians, MacGyver is needed in New Mexico. In an underground science laboratory happened an explosion. A lot of scientists are trapped within, among them two Nobel price candidates. Additionally an acid leaks threatens to contaminate the groundwater of the entire area…

My Opinion
What could I write without repeating myself? Magnificent show, especially with MacGyver’s refusal to use guns. I’ll rewatch it this year, after I’ve got all the seven seasons complete.

ER

What’s the show about?
The ER is the Emergency Room of the Cook County Hospital in Chicage, Illinois. We follow the work and the private lives of the medical students, interns, residents and nurses who work at this oftern very chaotic place.

“24 Hours”
Dr. Greene is half-way through his shift when a building collapses and the ER has many incoming casualties. After hours of work handling this he has an appointment in a private practise. The third-year student John Carter has his first day. And then happens the inconceivable…

My Opinion
For me it’s the show about John Carter. The show started when he started there and I had always the impression he was more focussed on than any other character. And I really like Carter. I’ve only watched the first 7 seasons so far but I know there are currently 14. But we’ll have to see how long it will keep my interest, especially with most of the original crew having left in the last seasons or leaving over the coming seasons.

24

What’s the show about?
Jack Bauer works for the CTU, the Counter Terrorist Unit. He saves the United States more than once but he has only 24 hours to do so and not a minute more. And for this job he has to sacrifice everything: his family life, his health, his career and even his life.

“12:00a.m. – 01:00a.m.”
Today is the day of the California presidential primary. Jack Bauer’s unit has to prevent an attack on the black senator Palmer, a likely candidate for becoming the next president of the United States. Meanwhile Jack’s daughter has sneaked out of the house and has disappeared.

My Opinion
24 is a great show even if the stories have become absurd lateley. They are fast running out of threats they didn’t fight before. After watching the trailer to the seventh season I had the feeling it will be a mix of Die Hard 2 and 4, but I am willing to tune in.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer

What’s the show about?
Buffy Summers is The Chosen One, a teenage girl that was chosen by destiny to fight vampires, demons and other underworld beings. But she has help in form of her friends, her watcher and even vampires.

What happened before?
She lived in Los Angeles before. There she learnt of her status as The Chosen One and there she began to slay vampires until she had to burn down the school gym.

“Welcome to the Hellmouth” / “The Harvest”
Buffy and her mother have just moved to Sunnydale, California, after the events depicted in the movie. She wants to leave her Slayer days behind her but for that is Sunnydale the completely wrong place. Why? Because Sunnydale lies directly over a Hellmouth, an opening to the hell dimension and The Master has just been awakened…

My Opinion
Didn’t like the show. Was very boring with that vampire-killing and so on. Yeah right! That’s why I watched all 7 season within a month – and bought Angel afterwards.

Angel

What’s the show about?
To be honest, I don’t really know since I haven’t seen it yet. But I presume its about Angel fighting demons and vampires and saving the population of Los Angeles.

What happened before?
Angel left Sunnydale after the third season of Buffy the Vampire Slayer since there’s no way of him being together with Buffy.

“City of …”
After Angel has moved into his basement apartment he comes across Doyle, a half-demon. Doyle gets visions from The Powers That Be regarding people whose lives Angel must touch; true redemption lies not just in saving lives, but in saving souls as well. In an attempt to help a waitress who is harrassed by her former boyfriend he meets a powerful vampire…

My Opinion
Obviously I can’t have an opinion – yet.

Part 6

25 years ago Wilton Knight let people built KITT and Michael Knight was its driver. Today the creator of KITT has built a new one: the Knight Industries Three Thousand. The new KITT is a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR and is driven by Mike Traceur, the son of Michael Knight.

I don’t know. Back in the 80s I loved stuff like KITT, Airwolf, Street Hawk, but nowadays I have problems to activate my “suspension of disbelief“.

I have no problem to accept a great many things in a fictional universe but I’ve always thought it to be ridiculous when Superman stopped a train/bus by standing in its path.

I had the same problems with a lot of the details of the new KITT. Why the hell should an armour be dependent upon a computer? The new KR is a continuation of the old one, not a remake, thus I consider this a setback in comparison to the TransAm-KITT.

The new car body shell can change its colour? OK, that’s acceptable. But it can grow a new spoiler? WTF?

To come back to Superman: No matter how well armoured KITT is, when a SUV with a speed of 50-60 mph crashes into it, he must not stand still like a bridge pier.

The story is not exceptional, but acceptable. Although it’s not logical (from the old series’s POV) why Michael should have hidden the woman and his son).

Conclusion: One can watch it but one doesn’t need to.