Yep. I’m the one who’s going to be reviewing the Caprica series. I know, I know, I know, I’ve been pretty damn vocal about the creative crash-and-burn that the RDM Galactica became, the massive disappointment that was its entire final season, and how the finale was ultimately kind of a betrayal of the fans. Obviously, those of you who are aware of my stance on the show are going to be pretty nervous about me reviewing the new spinoff/prequel.

Let me calm your not-entirely-unfounded reservations before we begin:

If you’ve ever wondered why it is that I always end up with the short straw around here, and end up reviewing the RDM Galactica, a show I’ve loved and been betrayed by, well, so have I. It’s not particularly germane to the review itself, but as this is probably my last opportunity to explain, the bottom line is this: As an 11 year old, I was obsessive about the original Galactica. I dreaded the remake, and hated the pilot for reasons that I still think are valid. Our Own Republibot 2.0, however, raved about the series every week during its first season, and cajoled me to watch it.

Batman returns to finish out the season with more Kirby inventions.... was it any good?

Well, Yeah!

Spoilers ahead. Unless you're a Canadian Hooker and you've already seen it.

These are trying times for Republicans. Not only did we lose the election, we got pantsed. Control of both houses and the presidency have been lost. We’re involved in two unpopular wars, we‘re bordering on a third, the government is deeply in debt, the international economy is in the crapper, and whether wrong or right, the strong public consensus is that it’s entirely our fault. Whether you’re a die-hard Bush supporter, or a moderate who feels mistakes were made, I think it’s pretty obvious that the party and its members are having a bit of an image problem right now.

I’ve never quite understood the concept behind the ripoff or the knockoff. Perhaps it’s simply because I’m a moderately creative person myself, and hence it’s fairly easy for me to come up with my own ideas, or perhaps it’s because I’ve never made a dime on any of my creative pursuits, and hence I’m just kind of ignorant of the financial realities involved, but I just don’t get it.

Back in July, Brad Templeton published a VERY lengthy essay on his site about how the finale of the ne Battlestar Galactica is beyond a doubt the *WORST* ending in the history of any televised SF series ever.

Episode three wasn’t quite as good as the two they debuted last week, but mostly only due to the lack of any particular narrative tension. The ship wasn’t in peril, the crew weren’t in (imminent) peril, there’s not a lot of risk, hence not a lot of tension, but it was still a pretty solid episode, if rather low key. A character episode rather than a major arc episode. Still pretty as hell, well directed, solidly acted, if perhaps not exactly compelling.

PLAY BY PLAY

In 2047: