Friday Night TV: BSG; Sarah Connor; Dollhouse

[butterfly]

Battlestar Galactica
Or, at least, my tv claims that's the title.

*pokes title suspiciously*

Islanded in a Stream of Stars? Is this a pun or an accidental adding of 'ed' on the part of people who put the title into circulation?

Anyway, as might be expected, I loved the Boomer & Hera scenes and was very glad that they took the time to give them to us. The Baltar/Caprica scene was... kinda sad, really, because I thought it was obvious he was sincere, but I could understand why she would take it the wrong way.

Roslin is just kinda taking up space and being annoying, which I find very sad after how awesome she was, once upon a time. Adama... really is drinking quite a lot (I would like to believe that this contributes to how selfishly he thinks and acts, but he's been like that from the beginning so... not so much). I felt so badly for the way he treated Helo.

On that note, beccatoria has funny macros. The 'weed' one might be my favorite.

Sarah Connor
Oh, fantastic. Riley's character comes to a dead end (which I expected), but she also figures out what's going on and attempts to seize agency (which I didn't!). Jesse and Sarah came face-to-face. I can't wait until Sarah finds out the truth.

Cameron got some really good stuff this week as well and the promise of more next time.

That was a whole lot of awesome.

Dollhouse
Ooo, very good. Several great twists in the heist plotline apart from the one already spoiled in the preview. Again, things are sticking inside Echo's head that are supposed to get wiped out (her brief attempt at art at the end). I'm so glad that she saved the non-jerk, as well. One of the traits that Echo has consistently shown in her wiped state is a sense of compassion. I'm very glad that she didn't leave him.

Getting to see two Actives with the same imprint was also very useful. They were similar, but with slightly different takes on the 'character', which follows from what I'd been thinking -- that, whether the Dollhouse realizes it or not, the Active's true personality colors their imprint. There's always a bit of Caroline in whoever Echo gets imprinted with; there's a bit of who Sierra originally was in who she gets imprinted with.

Comments

[tafkarfanfic.livejournal.com]

Getting to see two Actives with the same imprint was also very useful. They were similar, but with slightly different takes on the 'character', which follows from what I'd been thinking -- that, whether the Dollhouse realizes it or not, the Active's true personality colors their imprint. There's always a bit of Caroline in whoever Echo gets imprinted with; there's a bit of who Sierra originally was in who she gets imprinted with.

Huh. And here I'd just assumed it was bad acting.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Interesting. We clearly start from different assumptions about the show.

[bastetseye.livejournal.com]

I loved the theme of this episode of people not being what they seemed, the proffesor, the two thiefs, Echo, Victor and Sierra (both to the outsiders and the people inside the Dollhouse, and even to an extent themselfs)

And I'm loving Eliza's acting, the subtleness she brings to Echo's evolution is incredible and so believable, if she was completely aware all in one episode I wouldn't buy it, nor do I think I would care so much.

Baby that I am, I almost cried at Boyd and Echo's "I'm not broken" "no your not" exchange. He knows shewon't remember, and yet he still took the time to reassure her.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Yes, I'm really enjoying the layers put into the show.

Baby that I am, I almost cried at Boyd and Echo's "I'm not broken" "no your not" exchange. He knows she won't remember, and yet he still took the time to reassure her.

I love the way their relationship is managing to develop.

[boniblithe.livejournal.com]

I love their relationship so much, I'm convinced Boyd is dead meat, or secretly evil. I DON'T TRUST YOU, JOSS.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Oh, don't say that! Eep. I Do Not Want. No dead Boyd allowed. I will take refuge in the non-death of Giles.

[bradcpu.livejournal.com]

It was a terrific episode - one of the best so far, I thought.

The whole art metaphor about expressing who you are inside was just so perfect and heartbreaking. How could people be so bitter and blind in their attitudes about this show?? Ugh. I can't even read my flist these days (present company excluded).

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

Yes, I've found myself... somewhat baffled by the general reaction on flist to the show (not everyone on my flist is reacting the same way, but enough that it feels weird). There are several people whose responses on the show I can't read because they make no sense to me -- they might as well be commenting on Desperate Housewives, for all the sense it makes to me.

Many people seem surprised that the show is creepy (when I thought it was obvious that it was supposed to be, even from the previews) and thus interpret that what they see as creepy is actually seen as desirable by Joss, or that the ways the Actives are portrayed is a sign of bad acting rather than an actual choice by the show (which reminds me of how hard Amy Acker got slammed as a bad actor by a lot of people before the Illyria change happened and people went, "Oh, my bad, I guess she's good, after all.").

[bradcpu.livejournal.com]

they might as well be commenting on Desperate Housewives, for all the sense it makes to me

I totally agree. And I don't mean to belittle anyone's opinions. I just can't relate at all, and some people seem so angry and vehement about it that I'm afraid to even say anything. I just get the impression that a lot of people (not all, but a lot) made up their minds about the series and the acting quality before it ever started airing. Now it's almost like those people are looking for a reason to hate it... almost desperately, and then trying to reassure each other about how awful it is week after week.

One thing's for sure: I've never seen such a vocal negative reaction to a TV show on LJ. Not even for the worst of the worst mindless t-and-a shows.

Bah. All that's beside the point.

I'm really looking forward to ep 6 and seeing where it goes from there. All of the interviews and stories have said that's where it really takes off.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

One thing's for sure: I've never seen such a vocal negative reaction to a TV show on LJ. Not even for the worst of the worst mindless t-and-a shows.

I would normally guess it's because people hold Joss to a higher standard but that really doesn't seem to be the case with most people. Like you said, a lot of people seemed to have made up their minds before the show started airing.

I'm really looking forward to ep 6 and seeing where it goes from there. All of the interviews and stories have said that's where it really takes off.

Yes! And the overall story is building throughout, so that's only going to get stronger.

[kiki-miserychic.livejournal.com]

The BSG title bugged me too. I didn't know the noun could be turned into a verb. It's from a book, "The Outermost House" by Henry Beston. "For a moment of night we have a glimpse of ourselves and of our world islanded in its stream of stars - pilgrims of mortality, voyaging between horizons across eternal seas of space and time."

And yes to Dollhouse. I've stopped watching the previews because I think they give away too much. I'd rather watch the episode in blissful ignorance. I like that there's a slight bit of difference within the Active's imprints. Even if it's slight, there's something to the individual.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

The BSG title bugged me too. I didn't know the noun could be turned into a verb. It's from a book, "The Outermost House" by Henry Beston. "For a moment of night we have a glimpse of ourselves and of our world islanded in its stream of stars - pilgrims of mortality, voyaging between horizons across eternal seas of space and time."

Thanks for the reference! I didn't know that.

I like that there's a slight bit of difference within the Active's imprints. Even if it's slight, there's something to the individual.

It goes right to the heart of the show -- the idea that, no matter what the company may try to do, the essence of the person remains.

[kiki-miserychic.livejournal.com]

I googled and found it. The title seemed so odd to me.

I agree about Dollhouse. That's part of the point. There is a part of the Active that colors the imprint, which means something of the person remains. You can't erase a "soul". The show itself is a gradual progression shown in degrees. The characters evolve and change with the episodes. The Echo in Ghost is going to be different than the Echo in episode 12.

[silviakundera.livejournal.com]

The Baltar/Caprica scene was... kinda sad, really, because I thought it was obvious he was sincere, but I could understand why she would take it the wrong way.

That scene totally broke my heart. He was just so tearfully horrified at how she took that, and I do think it was obvious that he was for once being sincere and also that she has no reason to trust him. They had a real (fucked up, but real) relationship once, the second time, and I kept thinking of the awkward comfort that they tried to give each other on New Captrica. I know that there is, like, no time to do it. But I hope that they get another couple seconds on a show to make a semblance of peace with each other.

Re: Boomer/Hera. I am maybe setting myself up for big disappointment, but I really really want to believe that Boomer will end up rescuing Hera.

[butterfly.livejournal.com]

That scene totally broke my heart. He was just so tearfully horrified at how she took that, and I do think it was obvious that he was for once being sincere and also that she has no reason to trust him. They had a real (fucked up, but real) relationship once, the second time, and I kept thinking of the awkward comfort that they tried to give each other on New Captrica. I know that there is, like, no time to do it. But I hope that they get another couple seconds on a show to make a semblance of peace with each other.

Exactly so, yes.

Re: Boomer/Hera. I am maybe setting myself up for big disappointment, but I really really want to believe that Boomer will end up rescuing Hera.

The fact that Hera came around to liking her gives me hope (in fact, that Hera didn't fuss the moment she saw her). Last time, Hera wasn't nearly so willing to let Boomer hang around her (of course, last time Hera had, like, a blocked intestine or something so... IDK).

[shardsofblu.livejournal.com]

Riley's character comes to a dead end (which I expected), but she also figures out what's going on and attempts to seize agency (which I didn't!).

That fight was absolutely brutal. And I honestly didn't know who was going to bite it.

My favorite scene in that episode would be when John was surrounded by Sarah on the balcony, Cameron on the ground and Riley in front of him. It's just so... hilarious and epic at the same time.