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(#27)

Tyrol: Yeah, well… it’s breakfast, lunch and dinner until someone finds a hot fudge planet.

That quote above has nothing to do with this post. I was just amused by it. I’ve been under the weather since Friday, so that’s why I’ve been MIA most of this week. I’m blaming the punchy humor in this post on the meds.

In the comments of last week’s BSG post, commenter Brian asked me to elaborate on the Ship of Lights and/or Beings of Light. So, here goes.

Below, the Final Five from the D’Anna Beirs/Number Three’s vision of the Kobol Opera house in the episode Rapture.

1. In scripts for the episodes for which they appear, the Beings of Light were also referred to as “Seraphs,” a term implying a connection to Seraphim, the highest ranking angels in the Bible.

Left, the Beings of Light from the Original Series episode “War of the Gods, Part 2.”

2. The Beings of Light appear in three episodes of Battlestar Galactica and Galactica 1980 and are represented not only by ethereal beings clad in white sparkly robes, but also by three specific characters: Count Ibis, Angela and John.

3. Count Iblis appears in the original series episode “War of the Gods,” as a rogue Being of Light who kills Apollo. The Beings of Light then take Sheba, Starbuck and Apollo onto their ship, resurrect Apollo, and give them directions to Earth. Watch part one and part two of this episode.

4. Angela appears in the Galactica 1980 episode “The Return of Starbuck,” which explains Starbuck’s final fate through a dream as retold by Dr. Zee. In this episode, Starbuck finds himself stranded on a planet, alone, after a dogfight with Cylon Raiders. Starbuck builds his own Frankenstein Cylon named “Cy,” who finds a mute and pregnant Angela on the planet and brings her to Starbuck as human company. After a few days of no conversation, Angela suddenly asks Starbuck “Would you die for me?” Angela remains enigmatic and refuses to elaborate on how she came to be on the planet. She also starts referring to her unborn baby as “our child,” meaning her and Starbuck, and indicates a vehicle must be built to transport the baby.

5. The Seraph/human hybrid Dr. Zee is referred to as “Starbuck’s godson,” who is described as having a “cerebral mutation.” (Cerebral Mutation, great band name.)

6. John appears in the episode “Experiment on Terra,” where he helps both Apollo and Starbuck avert disaster on an Earth-like planet named Terra. John enables Apollo to move about on the planet under an assumed identity, so that others actually don’t see what he really looks like. Viewers see both Apollo and Starbuck in the white version of their uniforms the entire time they’re on Terra. (Why am I hearing the Knight Rider theme song?)

7. Count Iblis is pronounced /ib-lee/. (I keep referring to him as Count Chablis.)

8. In these episodes, Starbuck, Apollo and Sheba wore nifty white versions of their uniforms, including white helmets. (Great Halloween costumes, but only about three people would get it. When do you think it will show up on The Big Bang Theory?)

9. At the end of “War of the Gods,” Starbuck, Apollo and Sheba blurt out the coordinates of the Sol system and of Earth. (The Beings of Light haven’t been so specific with Starbuck in the re-imagined series. Poor gal. “We’re going the wrong way!”)

10. Even though Starbuck ships both Angela and Zee off to the fleet in a makeshift escape pod too small for all three of them, Angela disappears before Zee reaches the fleet. (Not a very nice thing to do, stranding Starbuck on that planet when she had no intention of joining the fleet anyway. Evolved much?)

11. A never-filmed episode called “The Wheel of Fire” had Starbuck rescued from an asteroid by the Beings of Light, after which he becomes a Guardian of the Universe. (We can only hope Angela went back for him.)

12. The Ship of Lights can cross between dimensions, not just space. (But this one goes to 11.)

13. Even though he was a rogue Being of Light, Count Iblis’ true form was that of a horned ram/pig type being. (Pam? Rig?)

What does all of this mean for the re-imagined series? For starters, I doubt the writers will suddenly have new Beings of Light characters popping up in the third act, but I do think that Starbuck was with the Beings of Light while she was gone and that’s what she’s drawing over and over again. So, the Beings of Light have been there all the time, just no one recognizes them. The Final Five are intimately connected to the Beings of Light, possibly are them in some way, and we see a hint of this when they are shown in their white robes in the Temple of Five. Perhaps the Final Five have other models like the Significant Seven. I’m hoping we get to see a wholly intact Tigh at some point as one of them. It’s possible the Lords of Kobol are also intimately tied to the Beings of Light, and The One Whose Name Cannot Be Spoken is similar to the rogue Count Iblis, using his powers for evil. (I bet he has a lair full of ill-tempered mutated sea bass.)

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(#26)

The last Battlestar Galactica post was very popular, so this week’s Thursday Thirteen will explore what we know so far about the Final Cylon and Starbuck’s "special destiny." This post came out of a conversation with some friends and has actually been a collaboration between myself, the AppleJedi and my friend Scott B. — as well as some feedback from my writing buddy Betty. To recap, twelve Cylon models exist, eleven have been revealed. The twelve can be grouped into the Significant Seven and the Final Five. The big mystery as BSG winds down its last season is the identity of the Final Cylon. What follows is a compilation of hints that might reveal the identity of the Final Cylon. Be warned, what follows is complete and total BSG nerdiness, not to mention spoilers.

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Today’s Danger Gal profile is Barbara Gordon a.k.a Batgirl, most notably played by Yvonne Craig (pictured) in the 1960s TV series Batman.

While today’s profile concentrates on Gordon, there have been several other iterations of this character to wear the bat-cape, namely Bette Kane as the original “Bat-girl” who debuted in DC Comics in 1961, as well as Cassandra Cain and Helena Bertinelli, both of which are much darker characters than Gordon. According to Wikipedia:

The Barbara Gordon version of Batgirl has been adapted into all media relating to the Batman franchise, including merchandise, television, animation, and feature film. During the early 1970s, the character was also used as an advocate for women’s rights.

Not bad for a character originally concocted as a love interest for Batman’s sidekick Robin. More than just a strong super-heroine, Barbara Gordon has become an icon for people with disabilities. After an accident damaged her spinal cord, Gordon morphed into The Oracle, an information broker providing intelligence and computer hacking services to other superheroes.

The Birds of Prey comic book series also portrays her as the leader of a team of mostly female crime-fighters. The series depicts her as a great intellect uninhibited by her paralysis, skilled in the martial art of eskrima.

(#22)

1. Wash: “Everything looks good from here… (beat…playing with plastic dinosaurs over his console) Yes. Yes, this is a fertile land, and we will thrive.”
(as Stegosaurus) “We will rule over all this land, and we will call it… ‘This Land’.”
(as T-Rex) “I think we should call it…your grave!”
(Stegosaurus) “Ah, curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!”
(T-Rex) “Ha ha HA! Mine is an evil laugh…now die!”

2. Book: “I brought you some supper but if you’d prefer a lecture, I’ve a few very catchy ones prepped…sin and hellfire… one has lepers.”

3. Jayne: “Do you know what the chain of command is here? It’s the chain I go get and beat you with to show you who’s in command.”

4. Zoe: “Proximity alert. Must be coming up on something.”
Wash: (alarmed) “Oh my god. What can it be? We’re all doomed! Who’s flying this thing!?” (deadpan) “Oh right, that would be me. Back to work.”

5. Alliance Commander: “Seems odd you’d name your ship after a battle you were on the wrong side of.”
Mal: “May have been the losing side. Still not convinced it was the wrong one.”

6. Kaylee: (pointing to a pink frilly dress) “Say, look at the fluffy one!”
Zoe: “Too much foofaraw. If I’m going to wear a dress, I’d want something with some slink.”
Wash: “You want a slinky dress? I can buy you a slinky dress. Captain, can I have money for a slinky dress?”
Jayne: “I’ll chip in.”
Zoe: (to Jayne) “I can hurt you.”

7. Mal: “Sure. It would be humiliating. Having to lie there while the better man refuses to spill your blood. Mercy is the mark of a great man. (lightly stabs Atherton with the sword) Guess I’m just a good man. (stabs him again) Well, I’m all right.”

8. Jayne: (mock reading Simon’s journal) “Dear Diary…today I was pompous and my sister was crazy.” (flips page) “Today, we were kidnapped by hill folk never to be seen again. It was the best day ever.”

9. Mal: “Cut her down.”
Villager: “The girl is a witch.”
Mal: “Yeah, but she’s our witch-” (cocks gun, points it at him) “-so cut her the hell down.”

10. Simon: “So finally…a decent wound on this ship, and I miss out. I’m sorry.”
Mal: “Well, you were busy trying to get yourself lit on fire. It happens.”

11. Inara: “So, explain to me again why Zoe wasn’t in the dress?”
Mal: “Tactics, woman! Needed her in the back. ‘Sides, them soft cotton dresses feel kind of nice. There’s a whole airflow.”
Inara: “And you would know that because…?”
Mal: “You can’t open the book of my life and jump in the middle. Like woman, I’m a mystery.”
Inara: “Best keep it that way. I withdraw the question.”

12. River: “Also? I can kill you with my brain.”

13. Book: “Yes, I’d forgotten you’re moonlighting as a criminal mastermind now. Got your next heist planned?”
Simon: “No. But I’m thinking about growing a big black mustache. I’m a traditionalist.”

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A few weeks ago I mentioned the new TV show New Amsterdam starring Nikola Coster-Waldau in my Writers At Play group blog post.

I’ve been following reviews of the show around the internet, and today came across Sarah Stegall’s review of the latest episode “Honor”, where she said:

But I do have a two-fold problem with this romance. First, I see zero chemistry between Coster-Waldau and Alexie Gilmore. Sorry, but it’s just not there. I still see more sizzle between Coster-Waldau and Zuleikha Robinson, even if they’re sparks of antagonism. So far, the doctor comes across as vapid. Not even the use of The Decembrists’ Angels and Angles in a love scene could rescue it.

I agree with Stegall about the lack of chemistry between the romantic leads. I think this was most evident during the first kiss after the carriage ride scene, where it seemed like these two actors kissed because that’s what the script said to do. I didn’t see much emotional or physical awareness build-up between them to lead to that kiss. It just happened all of a sudden.

Second, it would be nice if John were actually showing signs of attraction to Sara as a person, rather than Sara as potential grim reaper. Because that’s what it’s starting to look like to me—John is rushing into a romance because he’s desperate to be mortal again. One feels he would seduce a fencepost if he thought it would grant him relief from immortality. I need to see more actual proof onscreen that this is a love story literally for the ages, rather than another quick roll in the hay by a master seducer.

I think Stegall is onto something here. This would actually be a great source of conflict between these two characters — that John sees Sarah not as a person or a woman, but as a means to an end. That could be a huge roadblock to meet the terms of the enchantment that their “souls are wed,” which implies a deeper connection than just rolling in the hay with a master seducer. In fact, it may be that all the skills he’s learned over the years won’t be enough to woo her, he’ll have even more to learn about love.

It’s an interesting hook that even after 400 years of studying people and love, John will still have more to learn.

No, not me. (TMI!) STARBUCK. Read on.

So, if you read the Weekly Roundup post yesterday then you’ve seen Sarah Silverman’s confession to boyfriend Jimmy Kimmel. Then there’s, Kimmel’s, um, rebuttal, explaining his infatuation with Ben Affleck. Kevin Smith got in on the game too (but his is completely uncensored, so not-work-safe.)

This continuing meme got me thinking of how this could apply to so many things. Like Battlestar Galactica and the love triangle between Starbuck, Lee “Apollo” Adama and Sam Anders. Hey, I’ve been completely honest about my geekdom, but if there was any doubt…click on the more link below. Just remember parody is the highest form of flattery.

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(#14)

Glam.com has put together their list of TV Nerds We’d Like to Date, so I decided to put my own list together of my favorite TV nerds (geeks, dorks etc.), just the guys. Next week I’ll cover who my favorite Girl Geeks are.

1. Dr. John Dorian, Scrubs (Zach Braff)
2. Sheldon, The Big Bang Theory (Jim Parsons)
3. Dr. Daniel Jackson, Stargate: SG-1 (Michael Shanks)
4. Dr. Meredith Rodney McKay, Stargate: Atlantis (David Hewlett)
5. Dr. Ross Gellar, Friends (David Schwimmer)
6. Xander Harris, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (Nicholas Brendon)
7. Fez, That 70s Show (Wilmer Valderrama)
8. Hiro Nakamura, Heroes (Masi Oka)
9. Beaker, The Muppets (Beaker)
10. Skippy Handelman, Family Ties (Marc Price)
11. Dr. Cooper Freedman, Private Practice (Paul Adelstein)
12. Chuck Bartowski, Chuck (Zachary Levi)
13. Marshall Eriksen, How I Met Your Mother (Jason Segal)

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–WIRED’s Clive Thompson thinks that “Science fiction is the last great literature of ideas.” Maybe because the root of the genre is innovation? Or because Science Fiction uses technology to examine possible futures and analyze the present? Thompson also makes the point that “many of sci-fi’s most famous authors — like Robert Heinlein and Philip K. Dick — have positively deranged notions about the inner lives of women.” I’d love to know what he thinks about the SF/R spectrum at the cross-section of Science Fiction and Romance, where most of the writers are female. I’ve wondered if the popularity of the character-driven novel in the Romance genre influenced other genres. Science Fiction then transformed from a plot-based emphasis (the one guy in a rocket ship trying not to burn up on re-entry scenario) to a character-driven one, which opened the door for Romance elements to appear. Ta da! Now we have Science Fiction and Romance novels wrapped up in a Literary style of writing. “It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma.”

–Jezebel points out that women are making inroads into Hollywood as writers, but they’re still hitting that glass ceiling when it comes to directing: “…the Best Original Screenplay category was female-dominated, with 4 out of the 5 nominated films boasting women writers…”

–Show Me SciFi has a nice screencap up from Friday’s Stargate: Atlantis episode “Quarantine,” where Ronon and Dr. Keller nearly hook up. The writers have done a great job of juxtaposing Ronon’s extroverted personality with a grief that he holds close and private. I thought this mix of Science Fiction and Romance was handled better than the issue of Sheppard and Larrin in Travelers. What has really been interesting is how the writers have dealt with Teyla’s pregnancy in the last few episodes. They’ve dealt with her going on a temporary hiatus from missions, but at the same time showing how Teyla has become a more valuable member of the team since her pregnancy. Her Wraith powers have increased, she can control Wraith technology better than before. She hasn’t just become a walking incubator like some other SF characters I know.

–There will be no more episodes of Moonlight until the writers strike is over. SFScope gives its usual weighty review as does The Recapist. I loved the episode, but am left wondering if Lance is so creepy smelling because he’s an old vamp, why doesn’t Coraline have the same parfum if she’s his sibling? At least now we know how Coraline survived that fire. I also would have loved to have seen Mick play guitar hero at Logan’s apartment.

–What am I reading this week? BLOOD PRICE by Tanya Huff (which is the basis for the now defunct Blood Ties TV show) and SPIN CONTROL by Chris Moriarty.

This week’s Danger Gal profile is of Lt. Jadzia Dax, played by actress Terry Ferrell in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.

Lieutenant Commander Jadzia Dax was chief science officer on the space station and a joined Trill, which means she carried a sentient, nearly-immortal creature called a symbiot in her body named “Dax.” Jadzia had access to the memories of all of Dax’s previous hosts, and their personalities were enmeshed.

To my recollection, there has never been a gender assigned to symbiots, and Dax has been joined to both men and women. Part of Jadzia Dax’s uniquely balanced personality comes from Dax’s experience of being joined with both genders, but also due to Dax’s sheer experience due to age. Jadzia possessed a wisdom derived from having lived many lifetimes and simultaneously experienced life naively for the first time. Revena over at Hathor Legacy makes a great point about how the Trill view gender, based on the fourth season episode “Rejoined:”

What’s interesting about this episode is what is not considered taboo by the characters. The current hosts of the Dax and Kahn symbionts are both female - and nobody has the slightest problem with that aspect of their relationship. . . What the episode “Rejoined” says to me about the fictional society of the Trill is that heterosexuality and homosexuality become non-issues in a society where people aren’t tied to fixed, binary gender roles. I don’t read Jadzia and Lenara’s famous kiss as a lesbian kiss — I read it as a kiss between two characters for whom gender plays no significant role in a romantic relationship.

Not only does Jadzia Dax have a basic confidence in herself, but she acts assertively in all areas of her life from work to romantic pursuits. Additionally, Jadzia’s outward femininity is juxtaposed with her ability to not just physically defend herself, but to excel at it. Case in point, she injures her Klingon husband Worf, while working out together. I don’t think Klingons are defeated very often by anyone other than fellow Klingons. Aside from the symbiot relationship, we don’t know exactly how Trill and human physiology differ, but it’s a safe bet that a Klingon would have much more muscle mass than either. Jadzia’s ability to defeat Worf has to come from technical prowess, not from physical strength. It would be an interesting exercise to compare the Jadzia-Worf/Trill-Klingon relationship to the B’Lanna-Tom/HalfKlingon-Human one in Star Trek: Voyager.

Overall, I agree with billz who said in a discussion over at Whedonesque:

Jadzia could meditate for hours or equally drink the Ferengi under the table or kick ass with her Klingon homies.

Jadzia Dax was a rare character, even more so because she was female. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine was, in fact, my favorite Star Trek series because it combined the best of the qualities that I’ve always liked about the Star Trek universe — equality among genders, ethnicities and races — but pitted those qualities against a darker universe not so evolved.

(#1)

I’ve seen the Thursday Thirteen meme showing up in several places, so I’m giving it a go too.

1. Alex O’Loughlin
2. Sophia Myles’ Beth Turner isn’t a damsel in distress. In fact, she’s saved O’Loughlin’s character Mick in two or three episodes now.
3. The show’s mix of angst and humor. (The ouch scene.)
4. Alex O’Loughlin
5. Jason Dohring. Never saw Veronica Mars. Now I wish I had.
6. To quote Sarah Stegall at SF SFScope: “Beth is strong, intelligent, and brave; Mick is sensitive and vulnerable and moody.”
7. The Fortress of Style that is Mick’s apartment.
8. Alex O’Loughlin
9. That I’m strangely not annoyed at Beth’s Fortress of Shabby Chic apartment.
10. Duran Duran. Just watch the second episode and you’ll understand.
11. Vampire solidarity. Rah Rah.
12. The anticipation of finding out who Josef’s sire might be. Down the road. In season two or something.
13. And oh yeah, Alex O’Loughlin

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The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!
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