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#296523 - 29/05/2007 11:32 Re: Lost on 5/16 [Re: hybrid8]
Dignan
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Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
Yikes, man. Spoiler tags!

And I respectfully disagree

*edit* And I'm surprised you haven't offered your two cents on the season finale of Heroes over in that thread yet *edit*


Edited by Dignan (29/05/2007 11:42)
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#296524 - 29/05/2007 12:36 Re: Lost on 5/16 [Re: Dignan]
hybrid8
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Registered: 12/11/2001
Posts: 7738
Loc: Toronto, CANADA
The episode (of Lost) is almost a week old now... I'll visit the Heroes thread now...
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#296525 - 26/06/2007 17:07 Re: TV sucks [Re: hybrid8]
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
I struggled with whether I should start a new thread, but decided I just wanted to add an opinion on a show.

I just recently started watching Battlestar Gallactica. I hadn't gotten around to it because I'm not the biggest "Sci-Fi" fan. I go more for the supernatural/superhero stuff, I was never into Star Trek, and I like the original Star Wars trilogy, but the whole mythology of it doesn't hold much interest for me. I felt I needed to check BSG out because of all the rave reviews, but I wasn't sure what to expect.

I was very pleased to find that I absolutely LOVE the show. I started with the miniseries, thankfully, and was very pleased that of the approximately three hours, the majority of it was character development. I'm so please that this appears to be the main focus of the show, and not the nitty gritty of how their "universe" works. It's much like Firefly in that way. They don't explain much at all in terms of the technology, aside from the very first few lines of dialog aboard the Gallactica (the technology is old as a defense - that's all). I also enjoy the liberal use of the word "frak" (frac? frack?), alla Firefly (though surprisingly the cursing in Chinese seems more effective). But it's the characters that I love about this show, and how potentially-cliched plot elements don't turn out how you'd expect them to.

I'm not very far in, but I've seen the miniseries and the first seven episodes. So far there are two things I don't like:

1) Lee Adama - maybe he gets better, and I think he's well written, but miss-cast. The writing portrays him as intelligent and occasionally wise, and in the prison-break he certainly kicked some ass, but I don't think he delivers the lines well. For example, when he first appeared, I thought he was some spoiled brat, and I really don't think that was the intention. I don't know, maybe the problem is that I had a lower voice than he does when I was 13, so it's hard to take him seriously when he says "Good hunting" like a 10 year old My apologies to any big Lee Adama fans out there. I've been going back and forth on this one, but I'm just not sure I buy the actor in that part.

2) The beginning of each show - I don't know what the episodes were like when they first aired, but the DVD episodes are annoying. They start off with the same wrap-up of the back-story (alla The 4400), then show you some previous scenes (which, in any show, gives obvious clues as to what's being touched on in that episode). After that you get some opening scenes, followed by the opening credits. THEN for some unknown reason they show you clips of exactly what's going to happen in that episode! What the hell is that??


These are only minor problems, given how fantastic this show is. I can't wait to see the rest. And as much as I'm enjoying it, I'm happy that it'll be ending soon. I'd really like to see a show of this quality wrap up its story in a smart way, and not drag it on two seasons too long.
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#296526 - 26/06/2007 17:21 Re: TV sucks [Re: Dignan]
andy
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Registered: 10/06/1999
Posts: 5916
Loc: Wivenhoe, Essex, UK
Quote:

I just recently started watching Battlestar Gallactica.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4Kve1oGPjf8
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#296527 - 26/06/2007 17:49 Re: TV sucks [Re: Dignan]
drakino
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Registered: 08/06/1999
Posts: 7868
Quote:

2) The beginning of each show - I don't know what the episodes were like when they first aired, but the DVD episodes are annoying. They start off with the same wrap-up of the back-story (alla The 4400), then show you some previous scenes (which, in any show, gives obvious clues as to what's being touched on in that episode). After that you get some opening scenes, followed by the opening credits. THEN for some unknown reason they show you clips of exactly what's going to happen in that episode! What the hell is that??


The intro with the look back at previous episodes helps more as you get farther along, as they have gone back and touched on some old stuff here and there. So while most of it is likely what happened in the previous episode, as you get into the second season and beyond it will be more useful to you even watching on DVD.

The clips of what happens in the current episode has always annoyed me though, and I tend to just look away when it happens. When I was watching the last season at the Alamo Drafthouse, it made for the perfect time to pay more attention to my food then the screen.

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#296528 - 26/06/2007 18:13 Re: TV sucks [Re: Dignan]
wfaulk
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Registered: 25/12/2000
Posts: 16706
Loc: Raleigh, NC US
Quote:
Lee Adama - maybe he gets better, and I think he's well written, but miss-cast

IMO, he gets better, but he's never as good as he ought to be, especially considering a large portion of his dramatic scenes are against Edward James Olmos. It's not as signficant when he's working against other actors on the show, depending on the actor.

Quote:
The beginning of each show

I usually fast-forward through that stuff, which is easier with a TiVo than on the DVDs, I'm sure. There's some show I watch that does this -- it might be BSG -- and sometimes in the "previously on" segments, they will show stuff that has never happened. That cracks me up. I wonder if they're scenes that were cut.

One thing that occurred to me that was less obvious than it should have been is to, rather than trying to fast-forward through a short period like that, just mute it. BSG is talking-heads enough that you can't really tell what's going on just by seeing characters converse.

As a prophylactic, don't expect it to be as good as it is for the first season throughout the entire series. There will always be off episodes in any show, no matter how good, but BSG's writing quality takes a significant dive at some point. I'm not going to tell you when, and it's not like it's terrible (again, except for a few isolated episodes here and there), but don't let yourself get set up to be as disappointed as I was when it happens.
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#296529 - 26/06/2007 18:57 Re: TV sucks [Re: wfaulk]
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
Quote:
considering a large portion of his dramatic scenes are against Edward James Olmos

That certainly could be it. That's a pretty unfair match-up.

Quote:
As a prophylactic, don't expect it to be as good as it is for the first season throughout the entire series.

That's too bad. It certainly starts out strong. Hopefully they'll return to form in the fourth season. Lots of shows seem to be stumbling these days, but I think Lost showed that it can always be turned around. Hopefully Olmos and McDonnell will be enough to carry me through the rough patches.
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#296530 - 26/06/2007 18:58 Re: TV sucks [Re: andy]
Dignan
carpal tunnel

Registered: 08/03/2000
Posts: 12338
Loc: Sterling, VA
Quote:
Quote:

I just recently started watching Battlestar Gallactica.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4Kve1oGPjf8

Brilliant. Just brilliant. I don't know why, but I cracked up the most at the "A-shaped halls" part.
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