Lost: The Shape of Things to ComeLost's first new episode after the five-week hiatus and it's a doozy and a half, providing a few answers but opening up a few dozen more doors. I'll go ahead and say it--I think this season is shaping up to be the best since season one.
And with that statement, I realize I've doomed next week's episode to be one of the worst ever.
I don't care. I'll probably just watch this one again on the DVR.
So, here's some random thoughts:
- Ben shows up in the desert in a park with a Dharma logo. I am assuming that he doesn't leave the island with the Oceanic Six. Does he leave somehow via the station in the wintery conditions we've seen before?
- Anyone else think Ben was invovled in the death of Nadia in order to manipulate Sayid into helping him.
- Interesting that the storylines of Sayid and Desmond follow similar tracks. Both lose a woman they love, will find her again and have the potential to have her taken away. Sayid has lost Nadia...could Desmond lose Penny?
- Is the target Ben has Sayid going after Penny?
- Does Ben somehow control the smoke monster? Or did he make some kind of deal with Jacob/the island to slaughter the Whitmore soldiers?
- Kind of an interesting trifecta with Ben, Locke and Hurley going to find Jacob.
- The storyline on the beach where it's revealed the helicopter people are lying was interesting. More wackiness with time there?
- Is something wrong with Jack? I mean more than that he can't see past his obsession with Kate?
Battlestar Galactica: Escape VelocityThe last three episodes of
Battlestar have reminded me of a quote from J. Michael Stracysnki during season four of
Babylon Five. Stacynski pointed out that while space battles were great and he loved seeing them, you could tell just as great a story with two people in a room talking, if you wrote it right.
The last three episode of
Battlestar have shown just that. We did have a colossal space battle to start the season, but since then it's been about the characters and implications to them. And a whole lot of two people in a room talking.
And if it's going to be as good as it has been, I wouldn't have it any other way.
Now, I'll admit I have a natural bias toward the writer of this week's story. Jane Espenson worked on
Buffy and a whole lot of other Joss Whedon shows. So, naturally when I see her name, I figure it's going to be good. In fact, I expect it to be good. And the good news is that its rare that Espenson disappoints me.
I'm glad this week's episode picked up a few days later and showed us the impact Cally's death is having on Tyrol. Watching his slow descent into darkness is compelling and the scene with Adama at the bar where Tyrol lets loose, saying he never really loved Cally but settled for her was one of the more compelling in the episode.
But not nearly as compelling or fascinating as the scenes between Tigh and Caprica Six. I love how Tigh's guilt over killing Ellen for collaborating with the Cylons on New Caprica is manifesting itself here. The visions of Six becoming Ellen and Tigh seeking some kind of absolution or understanding from her were superb. Tigh's attempts to understand or justify what he did in the light of his new found knowledge that he is a Cylon is one of the best plotlines going on right now. And it just goes again to show how incredibly under-appreciated Michael Hogan is as Tigh.
And does anyone else find it interesting that while Tyrol and Tigh are crumbling under their new found knowledge and are plagued by self-doubt that Torri is the one who has become a blunt instrument, dark, cold and calculating. Her killing of Cally last week, her continuing to use Baltar and her overall attitude toward everything makes her utterly chilling.
Speaking of Baltar, I've heard that with the character you either love him or hate him. Put me firmly in the camp of loving him. The scenes where the guards kept hitting him, knocking him down were superb. And then to see Head Six pick him up and literally pull him up was a superb bit of work. Also, the scene where Roslin tells him she's no longer going to put up with his hijinx was a nice touch. I am loving the new direction for Baltar and I have a feeling he could be leading humanity toward its destruction.
Speaking of Roslin, does anyone else find it interesting that she seems to be consolidating her power and becoming more and more convinced of her unerring destiny each week? Also, she seems to tolerate dissent to her policies less and less. Is she being set up for a huge fall or blunder at some point? Or to have her approval ratings drop to a low point? Will Lee step up to challenge her with Tom Zarek pulling strings?
Man, I love this show and so far, it's been back with a vengeance this year.
Labels: battlestar galactica, Lost, tv shows
posted by Michael Hickerson at 4/28/2008 07:38:00 PM |
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