The Other Two
OK, I’m behind because I’ve been busy and using the PVR heavily to watch shows when I can. Lost amidst all the discussion of a frankly fantastic Heros episode were the other big two. Battlestar Galactica and 24. So without further adieu off we go.
Battlestar Galactica: Dirty Hands
I’m way behind of this one. (It was shown Sunday night and it is Wednesday morning) I know others have discussed the episode. So probably lots of the regular readers here have read Ivan’s comments. My own feeling was that this was a very interesting plot that was very poorly written and directed. The idea was that we look at some of the backbone of the fleet: the ships producing fuel and so forth.
What was confusing to me was the luddite way these things are made. Very, very little automation. Now I recognize Ron Moore is going for the idea that the 12 colonies went luddite after the initial Cylon war. Thus there was a return to more primitive technologies largely due to Cylon attacks on computers. (If the rumored prequel goes through we may see more on this - although I half wonder if work on the prequel may explain the rather lackluster season this year) However it really is kind of weird to see folks working in a spaceship on refining in a manner more suited for the 19th century. Heck, I watch Dirty Jobs and most things I see there sure seem superior to what the humans in BSG are doing. Now I know they are sort of stuck with the tools they had with the escape from the initial Cylon attack and then the occupation on New Caprica. But the way things were done was silly. (Odd considering how great last week’s episode was in thinking through things)
My next problem was the actions of Roslin and Adama. Surely they of all people would know working people 12 - 18 hour days in dangerous conditions with no breaks for months was stupid. One would really have to be a horribly bad manager to do that to start with. So the setup is a tad silly and unjustified in the story. (I could buy this situation if more was explained) This wasn’t the only problem though. The shift from fixing things to striking was abrupt with little thought given to things. The Chief sees a kid get his arm torn up on a conveyor belt and suddenly starts a strike. What??? I’m going to make a guess that if the production line was as badly designed as it appears (quasi 1920’s mining - clearly the allegory they were going for) that this would have been a common event. Why not fix the technology? But that’s never even brought up.
Then the end. A silly abrupt change with the Chief put in charge of a union for all the colonies. But why a union? Why not simply make the Chief part of the government to ensure these things are fixed? Why wasn’t there representation from the workers at all?
The other complains. The attempt to make the planets a big class structure with no mobility. It felt clumsy. The whole show was very jerky from scene to scene and just didn’t flow. It was without doubt one of the weakest episodes of the season. (And that’s saying a lot)
There was one great scene though. The interplay between Baltar and the Chief worked and gave some very nice background to Baltar. However it’s hard to see everyone in the space of three months become as sympathetic to Baltar as the producers are trying to make them.
Here’s hoping next week we finally get back to the plot. The plot driven episodes this year have been reasonably strong. It’s these other episodes that work so poorly. I hope they can get the show back to what it was the first year and a half. I’d hate to see this go the way of Alias with each season being significantly worse than the one before after an amazing initial season and a half.
24: 4 PM
I love 24 but this has definitely been a weak season. The saving grace has been the interplay with Jack’s family. The weakness is reusing a lot of old tropes from prior seasons. Tonight’s episode actually improved the pacing with the plot on the President’s life. We also saw the return of Logan who was behind the nerve gas plot with the Russians last season as well as assassinating David Palmer with (as we now know) Jack’s dad. Logan claims to be able to get information from a Russian at the consulate to find the Russian nationalist Gredenko who is ultimately behind the nuclear attacks. (He’s using the Al-Queda like Arabs to do his dirty work)
Yes it’s an even more complex plot than previous years which ultimately works against it. If 24 returns next year I really hope they shake things up a bit.
Tonight’s episode clearly was setting things up for further revelations. So not a lot happened until the last 5 minutes when Assad, the former Al-Queda-like head notices the bomb and rushes to save Pres. Palmer. The bomb goes off and both are left in unknown straights although presumably alive. The previews for next week have the Vice President in charge even though presumably he was behind the whole thing. So it looks like we have a kind of repeat of last year where the President becomes the bad guy.
The really bad: Morris’ alcohol problem is tedious. Does anyone really believe they’d let him back? And does he really look like he was tortured with a drill put through his shoulder only a couple of hours earlier? Silly subplot clearly designed to give the folks at CTU something to do. At least we don’t get yet an other mole as in most previous seasons. The whole “let’s show Logan dressing” was padding of the worst sort.
The good: the Presidential subplot which had really been dragging was actually tense today. Still it seems too much like a repeat of season 2 and season 4. Here’s hoping they shake things up and don’t make the VP the obvious villain.
Like you said, 24 is in serious need of a shakeup. This season has been way too predictable as well.
(It’s still better than Heroes, though. Well, at least so far)
Comment by Tim J — February 28, 2007 @ 12:03 pm
Hmm. I have a hard time seeing 24 as better than Heroes. Despite a weak patch in the firs three post-Christmas episodes, Heroes is still great. Not quite Lost great. But great.
I’d rank them as follows in quality and enjoyment.
1. Lost
2. Heroes (thankfully - I was worried for a bit)
3. BSG (although it’s been very hit or miss this season)
4. 24
5. House (I wonder if I should add this to my “others” writeup)
There are a few others I kind of enjoy. Monk, Dresden Files, The Knights of Prosperity (which is quite good), My Name is Earl and then the Discovery shows. But none are as good as the above although both BSG and 24 come close to falling out of the “great” list.
Comment by Clark — February 28, 2007 @ 1:27 pm
Monk is funny.
My favorite shows right now are:
The Office
Heroes
American Idol
And the crappy stuff I can’t get enough of:
Criminal Minds
Numbers
I was totally into Beauty and the Geek (and what a great ending, Nate rules), and I actually can’t wait until America’s Next Top Model starts up again.
Comment by Susan M — February 28, 2007 @ 1:33 pm
I still think Heroes has several glitches to work out and I don’t think it’s headed in the right direction–but I’m willing to admit I’m wrong if things change. I’m not going to downgrade 24 for a weak start after it’s solid run of a few years.
I agree with you on Knights of Prosperity. It’s a shame nobody’s watching.
I’ve grown a little tired of Earl, it needs to reinvent itself a little. The Office is strong as ever after making its way through an odd start to the season.
Oh, and Friday Night Lights is a great, great show that will be cancelled soon. And Studio 60 is really getting good after dropping all of the political nonsense.
Comment by Tim J — February 28, 2007 @ 1:43 pm
Earl is getting a tad stale, and there have been some very weak episodes this season. Although the whole flashback about the pregnancy episode was great.
I didn’t know Knights of Prosperity isn’t doing well. That’s kind of sad if it gets cancelled as it’s among the best written shows right now and very original.
The Office is one of those shows that’s incredibly well written and acted yet is so painful I just can’t bring myself to watch it. I have about six episodes on my PVR I just can’t bring myself to watch.
Comment by Clark — February 28, 2007 @ 1:51 pm
Knights is up against Idol, so it’s a Dead Man Walking. ABC ended up finishing fourth in the network ratings the hour it was on. Not good. It’s too bad.
Comment by Tim J — February 28, 2007 @ 2:15 pm
The Office hadn’t had a really painful episode in awhile, until a week or two ago, when Michael is a guest speaker in Ryan’s business class.
The thing about the painfulness of it is Michael always ends up semi-redeeming himself.
Comment by Susan M — February 28, 2007 @ 3:20 pm
I don’t know why ABC did that. Knights really was a show that should have been put elsewhere. I think it had a real chance to be a hit. Sounds like they didn’t know what to do with it so they condemned it to die.
Comment by Clark — February 28, 2007 @ 3:46 pm
That’s a problem that is really hounding the networks right now. It’s not like it was 10 years ago when you could put a show on right after a top hit to get the lead-in. Or use the “sag effect” and put a mediocre comedy between two hits (NBC was famous for this with Friends and Seinfeld).
People have all of a sudden learned how to use a remote.
Comment by Tim J — February 28, 2007 @ 3:52 pm
And PVRs which are getting more and more popular. I almost never watch a show when it comes on.
Comment by Clark — February 28, 2007 @ 4:10 pm
What’s a PVR? We have a DVR.
Comment by Susan M — February 28, 2007 @ 4:42 pm
LOL. Typo, although a lot of people do refer to them as PVRs rather than DVRs.
Comment by Clark — February 28, 2007 @ 5:44 pm
Why, oh why, are people still not mentioning the funniest show on TV? Please, people, give Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin a chance. My wife, in the kitchen, couldn’t believe how hard I was laughing last Thursday night.
And by the way, Clark, I think “without further adieu” has to be the most charming malapropism I’ve seen in a long time. Much better than PVR. It almost works.
Comment by Ryan Bell — February 28, 2007 @ 6:33 pm
LOL. I don’t think it counts as a malapropos. Without further goodbyes means no more telling folks I’m about to stop my intro and start on the meat of the topic. I’ve used that phrase for years, although the actual saying everyone else uses is “without further ado.” But I like mine better.
On the other hand you should hear me in person I mispronounce words left and right. It’s downright embarrassing to hear me try and pronounce the names of German philosophers I talk about all the time.
Comment by Clark — February 28, 2007 @ 6:49 pm
Awesome. You should do a podcast, Clark!
I’ve caught bits of Thirty Rock during commercials on other shows and it looked good but not great. When’s it on?
Comment by Susan M — February 28, 2007 @ 6:55 pm
I watched Thirty Rock once but it wasn’t quite my cup of tea. Ditto with Studio 60. I watch too much TV as is. So I try and narrow down the shows I watch.
Comment by Clark Goble — February 28, 2007 @ 7:32 pm
I know it’s not what we’re talking about (yet), but can I just say that tonight’s episode of Lost was the worst yet? My wife summed it up in five seconds: Hurley finds a car and breaks the curse. Oh, and the Korean guy is learning English.
Yawn.
Comment by David J — February 28, 2007 @ 10:27 pm
Friday Night Lights is a great, great show that will be cancelled soon.
This show has not had a weak episode all season. I consider it the best “down-to-earth” show on TV ever. (Heroes and Lost don’t count as “down-to-earth,” and 24 is arguable–nobody’s life is really like that.)
Comment by Last Lemming — March 1, 2007 @ 9:05 am
I think 30 Rock is strong becasue of Fey and Baldwin, but the true strength of any hit sitcom (think Cheers, Seinfeld, The Office) is in the supporting cast. 30 Rock’s supporting cast I find very weak.
I almost didn’t give FNL a chance because I thought the movie was mediocre and I thought the show would be a little juvenile. I was wrong. And I think Kyle Chandler has done the best acting job this season.
Comment by TIm J. — March 1, 2007 @ 10:20 am
Kinghts of Prosperity has been cancelled.
Comment by Tim J — March 5, 2007 @ 1:41 pm
I kind of figured it would both after that last episode (which was weak) and the ratings. Good idea. I was curious as to how they’d handle it once the initial heist was over.
Comment by Clark — March 5, 2007 @ 1:59 pm