Post by koenigrules on Jan 17, 2005 1:16:00 GMT -5
IGNFilmForce gives these episodes a thumbs up:
filmforce.ign.com/articles/579/579710p1.html
Battlestar Galactica: Episodes 9, 10 & 11- TV REVIEW & SPOILERS
The war between the Humans & Cylons heats back up.
Source: ignfilmforce
January 14, 2005 - The first 13 episodes of the Battlestar Galactica comes near the end of its run and as the finish line to what will be either the end of its run or the end of its first season (8 scripts have been ordered but no firm decision has yet been made on whether or not they'll go into production) approaches, we start to see more of what the series hopes to offer viewers if it is to continue.
In episode 9, Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down (an obvious reference to the film, Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down), Adama is behaving strangely which seems to play directly into the warning the captured Cylon gave President Roslin in the previous episode. As the fleet goes into alert status due to a lone Cylon fighter entering the sector, a stunned Galactica crew finds that their Commander isn't on board. Colonel Tigh takes command during the situation and is in the mood for direct answers when he goes down to the flight deck to meet Adama's ship. The Colonel is shocked when Adama steps off his Raptor and presents Tigh with his wife, Ellen, thought to have been killed during the Cylon attack on the 12 Colonies.
Privately, Adama explains that he has been keeping tabs on Ellen since she was discovered comatose on one of the ships in the fleet. Adama and Ellen clearly don't care for each other; Ellen Tigh represents everything destructive in Colonel Tigh's life while Adama is everything Ellen hates about the military. Both Roslin and Adama are afraid that Ellen is a Cylon and a beleaguered Dr. Baltar is told to make Ellen's blood test that would confirm or disprove her humanity.
Tigh Me Up, Tigh me Down has moments of genuine humor that help break up the general bleakness of the series' tone. Ellen Tigh is as emotionally destructive as a hurricane and clearly thinks that Humanity's current situation could put her husband and, by association, herself, into a position of greater authority. The episode also points out Galactica's strength in telling stories centered around how humans are adapting to their current situation. When the series is trying to pontificate about God, it falls flat on its face but when it shows the flaws and the greatness of humanity, it's dead on target.
Episode 10, The Hand of God, is the first episode that sort of re-makes an episode from the original series. As the fleet's fuel supply drops dangerously low thanks to the constant faster than light jumps it has to make to keep away from the Cylons, Adama has ships scouring the area for any possible fuel supply. One of the ships in the fleet happens to be a fuel processor / freighter so if they can even find the raw materials, the Galacticans can make fuel for the fleet. Boomer (the one on the Galactica, not the one currently running around Caprica with Helo) and her co-pilot get lucky and find an asteroid with enough raw materials to keep the fleet flying for years. The only hitch: it's crawling with Cylons.
Adama calls on Starbuck to help create an audacious plan to take the fight to the Cylons which, if it works, could make the Cylons think twice about picking a fight with the remnants of humanity and may also be a sign of greater things for the outspoken lieutenant.
As with Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down, The Hand of God fires on all cylinders as we see the Galactica and her crew do what they're best at, making war. With easily some of the best battle sequence since the mini-series, Hand of God even manages to entertain as Number Six, the Cylon living in Baltar's head that we still don't know whether or not is an implant or just a manifestation of Baltar's guilt, convinces the greatest traitor in the history of humanity that he is really an instrument of God. Meanwhile, the multi-deity religion practiced by the citizens of the 12 Colonies also gets a little more explanation as President Roslin has a vision brought on by her cancer treatments that parallels the "Pythian Prophecies" in one of the "sacred texts".
Episode 11, Colonial Day, sees the welcome return of original Galactica star Richard Hatch as the terrorist or freedom fighter, depending on who you ask, Tom Zarek. The President has decided that it's time to restore more of the civilian government including a Quorum of the 12 Colonies. The citizens of the 12 colonies each vote a representative to speak for them in the quorum and Gemenon elects Zarek. Most of the people in power, including Adama, distrust Zarek and his motives. Those fears appear to be met when Zarek's first action is to propose an election be held for the position of vice-President. Since President Roslin got the job by being the only surviving member of the Cabinet, there is no plan of succession should something happen to her. While they can't argue Zarek's logic they aren't overly surprised when Zarek is nominated for the position.
Meanwhile, an assassination plot seems to be taking shape but appears to be stopped by Apollo and Starbuck. The actual plot is never found out by the Galactica officers or the audience and one can only hope that something will be made of it before the end of the series' run.
Galactica seems to really be hitting its stride with these episodes and it looks like Ron Moore is discovering just how important it may be to have Hatch on his side for the run of the series. Richard Hatch as Tom Zarek adds an electricity to the plot, knowing his opposition to this "re-imagining" of the series he starred in only adds to the irony of Zarek's back story. If there's any failing to Colonial Day, a reference to the 12 Colonies version of something like the United States' Independence Day, it is that Zarek seems to be getting a shift from Nelson Mandela-ish freedom fighter of conscience to more of a Yassir Arafat-ish terrorist that will stop at nothing to accomplish his goals. If this is an attempt to somehow turn Hatch into the villain in the fold, it is ill-advised. Hatch is an asset to the series and Ron Moore should look seriously at expanding his presence if the series is picked up for a second season.
You can read more at the above link.
KR
filmforce.ign.com/articles/579/579710p1.html
Battlestar Galactica: Episodes 9, 10 & 11- TV REVIEW & SPOILERS
The war between the Humans & Cylons heats back up.
Source: ignfilmforce
January 14, 2005 - The first 13 episodes of the Battlestar Galactica comes near the end of its run and as the finish line to what will be either the end of its run or the end of its first season (8 scripts have been ordered but no firm decision has yet been made on whether or not they'll go into production) approaches, we start to see more of what the series hopes to offer viewers if it is to continue.
In episode 9, Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down (an obvious reference to the film, Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down), Adama is behaving strangely which seems to play directly into the warning the captured Cylon gave President Roslin in the previous episode. As the fleet goes into alert status due to a lone Cylon fighter entering the sector, a stunned Galactica crew finds that their Commander isn't on board. Colonel Tigh takes command during the situation and is in the mood for direct answers when he goes down to the flight deck to meet Adama's ship. The Colonel is shocked when Adama steps off his Raptor and presents Tigh with his wife, Ellen, thought to have been killed during the Cylon attack on the 12 Colonies.
Privately, Adama explains that he has been keeping tabs on Ellen since she was discovered comatose on one of the ships in the fleet. Adama and Ellen clearly don't care for each other; Ellen Tigh represents everything destructive in Colonel Tigh's life while Adama is everything Ellen hates about the military. Both Roslin and Adama are afraid that Ellen is a Cylon and a beleaguered Dr. Baltar is told to make Ellen's blood test that would confirm or disprove her humanity.
Tigh Me Up, Tigh me Down has moments of genuine humor that help break up the general bleakness of the series' tone. Ellen Tigh is as emotionally destructive as a hurricane and clearly thinks that Humanity's current situation could put her husband and, by association, herself, into a position of greater authority. The episode also points out Galactica's strength in telling stories centered around how humans are adapting to their current situation. When the series is trying to pontificate about God, it falls flat on its face but when it shows the flaws and the greatness of humanity, it's dead on target.
Episode 10, The Hand of God, is the first episode that sort of re-makes an episode from the original series. As the fleet's fuel supply drops dangerously low thanks to the constant faster than light jumps it has to make to keep away from the Cylons, Adama has ships scouring the area for any possible fuel supply. One of the ships in the fleet happens to be a fuel processor / freighter so if they can even find the raw materials, the Galacticans can make fuel for the fleet. Boomer (the one on the Galactica, not the one currently running around Caprica with Helo) and her co-pilot get lucky and find an asteroid with enough raw materials to keep the fleet flying for years. The only hitch: it's crawling with Cylons.
Adama calls on Starbuck to help create an audacious plan to take the fight to the Cylons which, if it works, could make the Cylons think twice about picking a fight with the remnants of humanity and may also be a sign of greater things for the outspoken lieutenant.
As with Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down, The Hand of God fires on all cylinders as we see the Galactica and her crew do what they're best at, making war. With easily some of the best battle sequence since the mini-series, Hand of God even manages to entertain as Number Six, the Cylon living in Baltar's head that we still don't know whether or not is an implant or just a manifestation of Baltar's guilt, convinces the greatest traitor in the history of humanity that he is really an instrument of God. Meanwhile, the multi-deity religion practiced by the citizens of the 12 Colonies also gets a little more explanation as President Roslin has a vision brought on by her cancer treatments that parallels the "Pythian Prophecies" in one of the "sacred texts".
Episode 11, Colonial Day, sees the welcome return of original Galactica star Richard Hatch as the terrorist or freedom fighter, depending on who you ask, Tom Zarek. The President has decided that it's time to restore more of the civilian government including a Quorum of the 12 Colonies. The citizens of the 12 colonies each vote a representative to speak for them in the quorum and Gemenon elects Zarek. Most of the people in power, including Adama, distrust Zarek and his motives. Those fears appear to be met when Zarek's first action is to propose an election be held for the position of vice-President. Since President Roslin got the job by being the only surviving member of the Cabinet, there is no plan of succession should something happen to her. While they can't argue Zarek's logic they aren't overly surprised when Zarek is nominated for the position.
Meanwhile, an assassination plot seems to be taking shape but appears to be stopped by Apollo and Starbuck. The actual plot is never found out by the Galactica officers or the audience and one can only hope that something will be made of it before the end of the series' run.
Galactica seems to really be hitting its stride with these episodes and it looks like Ron Moore is discovering just how important it may be to have Hatch on his side for the run of the series. Richard Hatch as Tom Zarek adds an electricity to the plot, knowing his opposition to this "re-imagining" of the series he starred in only adds to the irony of Zarek's back story. If there's any failing to Colonial Day, a reference to the 12 Colonies version of something like the United States' Independence Day, it is that Zarek seems to be getting a shift from Nelson Mandela-ish freedom fighter of conscience to more of a Yassir Arafat-ish terrorist that will stop at nothing to accomplish his goals. If this is an attempt to somehow turn Hatch into the villain in the fold, it is ill-advised. Hatch is an asset to the series and Ron Moore should look seriously at expanding his presence if the series is picked up for a second season.
You can read more at the above link.
KR