I finished Season 1 of BSG and the ending was quite irritating. I will be ordering Season 2 from Amazon tomorrow, but I want to make sure this is the right one to order. Not sure what all this season 2.0 and season 2.5 shenanigans is all about, but let me know if that is the right one.
Also, I saw There Will be Blood over the week-end and loved it. Daniel Plainview was quite the detestable character, but Daniel Day-lewis is simply amazing.
maddie
Season 2 was broken into two sets for the DVDs. Season 2.0 is the first half of Season 2, Season 2.5 was the second half.
Care to comment on why you found it irritating? The first few episodes of season 2 are really good.
Rick Taylor
There’s something wrong with that link to “There will be Blood” above.
chuck
You need them both… 2.0 is the first half of the season 2.5 is the second.
Not sure why they did that, since I started watching at the beginning of S3, they might have split that season with a long hiatus like they are doing with s4, or they might be greedy
Billy K
What maddie and chuck said.
And I, too, want to know what you found irritating. S02 is pretty good. You’ll like it. Let us know when you get to S03 so we can all complain together.
BarneyG2000
The ending to season one blew me away.
John Cole
The ending was sloppy and all over the place with lots of unnecessary ginned up cliffhangers.
maddie
And then let us know when you get to season 4 so we can all go WTF?!?! together.
Billy K
Had to check what was going on back then (I haven’t watched S01 in a long time).
You’re nuts, Cole.
Billy K
Oh, and “unnecessary ginned up cliffhangers” is the heart and soul of this show. Sorry.
tBone
Originally the producers were planning on a longer season – the “true” season finale for season 1 doesn’t actually come until several episodes into the second season, and it’s a lot more satisfying.
It’ll be interesting to see what you think of the season 2 and season 3 finales. Mwuh-ha-ha.
I saw “There Will Be Blood” this weekend too, and I totally agree. Day-Lewis is amazing, and that final scene is one for the ages. So many great lines in there.
maddie
tbone – I hadn’t heard that. Which episode was supposed to to be the “true” season finale?
NR
“I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!”
srv
Just use Netflix, BSG will be streamed like Trek by the time you want to watch it again. Unless your PJ income is so huge you can blow money like that.
tBone
Home Pt. II. Ron Moore talked about it on the podcast – now that I think about it, I’m not sure if he said they were planning on a longer season 1 or if the story just ended up taking longer to tell than he had originally planned. Either way, he said he considers that episode (or pair of episodes) the culmination of the season 1 story arc.
Liberal Masochist
Re: evil oil tycoons
Sure most of you all saw this a few months back
http://www.sadlyno.com/archives/8800.html
Incertus
I agree. I’ve got the first two seasons on DVD and haven’t watched them since the first time. Didn’t go back for season 3 even though I had them DVRed. 4th Season is okay so far–the latest episode was the best of the bunch since it seems they’ve gotten all the melancholy out of their system and are back to storytelling.
Ninerdave
Why buy when you can rent via Net Flix? I suppose if you are going to watch them over and over and over again, but, even still…
Tom
There Will Be Blood and The Assassination of Jessie James By The Coward Robert Ford were my favorite movies from last year… and are two of my favorite of the decade.
Desert Rat
John,
There was a break of about 4 months between the first 10 episodes and the last 10 episodes of Season 2. So they broke the season up into two DVD releases.
Regarding the last episode of Season 1, give it a chance. Most of the 10 episodes represented by Season 2.0 wind up tying all that f**ked up stuff at the end of Season 1 together.
Buy 2.0 and 2.5 at the same time…if the Season 1 cliffhanger left you upset, just wait until the midseason cliffhanger of Season 2.
I’ll echo what others have said in this thread. Season 1 ties up into a nice neat bow…by about episode 8 in Season 2. As it is, it’s one hell of an end season cliffhanger.
If you don’t like the Season 1 finale, you REALLY aren’t going to like they way they leave you hanging at the end of Seasons 2 and 3. Then realize that those of us watching it in real time had to wait like a year after Season 3.
gypsy howell
I gotta admit, I really took a liking to Plainview in that last scene.
Jeff
The correct order is Season 2.0 and then Season 2.5. I got into the show between seasons 2 and 3, and was also confused by the division. Season 3 was divided up into two sections as well, but aired only a few weeks apart, so they put the whole S3 package together.
Season 4, sadly, will probably have a LONG wait between the first and second halves of the season… partially because of the writer’s strike, and partially because of Sci-Fi wanting to extend the time that they have new BSG episodes airing on the network without actually having to pay for a 5th season.
Btw, what was “annoying” about the end of S1? I loved it.
Jeff
People complaining about S3? Man, I loved S3 as well… like, the first 7-8 episodes are extremely strong, if I recall. The season slows down slightly in the middle, as did S2, but I don’t think I remember anything as bad as “Black Market” from S2.
DougJ
This is bad news for Democrats.
t jasper parnell
But good news for Hillary!!
BarneyG2000
I’m just happy that SciFi network is now in HD.
montysano
“There Will Be Blood” is high on my queue. For another gripping movie about unpleasant people, don’t miss “No Country For Old Men”. I thought about it for days after.
Jack H.
I always save the last episode of a season until I have the following season. The cliffhanger thing irritates the snot out of me.
Billy K
To support good TV in the hopes we get more series like Firefly and BSG in the future.
Billy K
How about the “Helo-centric” episode? Ugh…
Liberal Masochist
So how are Starbuck and Apollo doing? I miss those Alpo commercials with Lorne Greene too. Four seasons sounds like a lot. I didn’t think there were that many before they reached Earth…
Ranger 3
BSG is full of improbable plot twists and contridictions. I actually have started to not like the show, although I’ve seen every episode and will probably stick around for the ending. It certainly has had it’s moments, but I think I would’ve enjoyed it alot more if they hadn’t gone so overboard with plot twists.
My opinion at this point is that it’s a total mess. But like any good trainwreck, it’s hard to take your eyes off of it.
An yeah, I’m hella pissed at the death of a certain character in the last episode and manner in which the death occured. Don’t give me any crap about it, either. It was completely stupid and unrealistic and out of character for those people to have behaved that way. And it contridicts previous episodes and the various plot twists that came before.
I put up with the nonsense bits before because the good bits made uip for it. Now I’m just watching because I’ve watched this far and want to know how it ends. But after last weeks nonsense, I wouldn’t be surprised if it is revealed that Adama is a child molester or something. It’d make as much sense and be about as entertaining. JMO.
garyb50
If you have a brain, ‘There Will Be Blood’ will stick with (on) you forever.
Delia
The main problem with BSG as opposed to the other high quality scifi series is that it has no sense of humor. I mean, I enjoy it. I’ve caught all the episodes and will watch faithfully to the end, and it has a lot of interest and a lot of tension, and I’m quite curious as to how this whole Cylon-human dichotomy is resolved. But there is absolutely no humor anywhere in the show. It takes itself way too seriously.
My all-time favorite scifi series was Farscape, which combined high adventure, wonderful aliens, and enough moral seriousness for the genre with tremendous wit and humor. The execs at The SciFi Channel should be charged with high crimes for canceling it one year before it completed its five year story arc. The miniseries they eventually did to finish it up shows they had a good plotline, but not enough time to do it right.
scrutinizer
Which is something I appreciated about Josh Whedon’s shows. Except for that one season of Angel (3?), he always tied up the main story-lines at the end of the season in both Buffy and Angel. The consequences of one season might bleed into later seasons, but we didn’t have to suffer through any of that “tune in next season!” crap to find out what happened. In great contrast to, say, The X-Files, which never did tie up their continuing story-lines; they just got murkier and murkier.
Speaking of, anybody planning on seeing the new XF movie? Not me! I buried my love for that show long about season 6, and I’ve never gone back.
Desmond
“Unnecessary ginned-up cliffhangers” are what these shows are all about! It’s how they get you to tune in for next year.
Not sure why you found any one of them unnecessary, though.
That may be your opinion, but most people liked the episode, me included.
Desmond
It had more of a sense of humor in season 1. The episode “Tigh me up Tigh me Down” was completely comedic, and the scenes between Baltar and HeadSix were often played for laughs.
It DEMANDS to be taken seriously, unlike other sci-fi shows. There is no winking at the audience on BSG. Either you’re with it or you’re not.
Martin
Well, civilization is effectively wiped out by a mass of genocidal robots of your own making. I think Adama should have taking to calling his XO ‘little buddy’ and introduced a running gag with Boomer making him coconut cream pies.
Yeah, that’s the ticket!
Martin
Well, civilization is effectively wiped out by a mass of genocidal robots of your own making. I think Adama should have taking to calling his XO ‘little buddy’ and introduced a running gag with Boomer making him coconut cream pies.
Yeah, that’s the ticket!
jake
That may explain why I only watched the first episode. Realistic depictions of human[oids] require someone to slip on a banana peel, step in Wookie crap or take a wahooni pie to the face every so often or it just ain’t believable.
maddie
I’m generally just a lurker here. Who knew I would stumble onto a good BSG thread here at Balloon Juice.
For the most part I would agreed with this. But…”You slay me, you really do, Gaius,” from the Six of One episode…funny.
Desmond
I would also volunteer the scene from The Passage in season 3; they’re really low on food supplies, and then Tigh mentions the paper shortage and Adama bursts out laughing. “That’s not a good sign!”
nightjar
For those who like documentaries and don’t already know about this site streaming docs for free. or a donation.
Cain
Is this the one that ended in the movie theater? I thought that episode rocks, especially with the end music. Nostalgia.
cain
Desmond
Opera house, actually.
maddie
I don’t want to reveal any spoilers, but as a sneak preview for John, I’ll simply add the following: I can’t think of many (or really even any) current, mainstream TV shows that try to lead the viewer to seriously contemplate the morality and pros & cons of suicide bombings and secret military tribunals.
Ed Drone
Redundant.
Ed
Eural Joiner
For all you guys (and gals) complaining about the unnecessary ginned-up cliff hangers and other such shennanigans I have some advice:
Switch to “Lost” – its easy to follow and the writers always wrap up all the loose ends at the conclusion of each episode.
Ha.Ha.
r€nato
I did not see Daniel Plainview as, ‘quite a detestable character’. Yes he had some major flaws, but he also took in that orphan (with ulterior motives, sure), cared for the boy, made sure he got a proper education after he was deaf, and he treated the half-brother humanely and well… until he found out the truth about him of course.
I saw Plainview as a portrait of one of the titans of the era, or any era really. A gigantic man who also possessed gigantic flaws.
I loved this movie. It’s quite a pleasure to watch and I am taking it on my iPod during summer vacation to watch repeatedly.
Delia
One last note. I want to know where, after three years lost in space (so to speak) and the horrible interlude on that planet ruled by the cylons, the men are getting all those nice suits, ties, and/or military uniforms. And Laura Roslin and her attendants have some fairly nice dress suits as well. I mean, where is this stuff coming from? I would think bespoke tailors as well as the necessary materials would be in rather short supply.
Pseudofool
John,
I’d compare the price of shipping the DVDs with downloading the entire season(s) via Amazon Unbox or iTunes (I prefer the former). Here’s the Amazon link: Unbox. And if you want to catch for Season Four that’s the way to do it Or the Scifi website (but they only back log five episodes).
If you insist on going to with the DVDs you’d be best to order (or pre-order) Season 3 along with Season 2, because as others have mentioned the cliff hanger there is so much more unnerving.
Punchy
Ovechkin was a friggin monster tonite. Cant wait for game 7
Rhonda
I would add “No More Mr. Nice Giaus!”
I think Giaus Baltar frequently is the source of comic relief on BSG.
Original Lee
Ranger 3, I was plenty pissed off at the character that died last week for almost the entire series, so I respectfully disagree with you on that piece of the story arc. In fact, I punched the air, shouted “Yes!” and danced in my seat a little. (I’m a sad, sad person.)
Original Lee
Delia, I believe that some of the clothes these people are coming up with are from the closets and storage areas belonging to colonists who died. I also seem to remember something from one of the early Season 3 episodes where there is a discussion about use of resources for something as “frivilous” as new clothes, so it’s likely that most of the clothing is made from synthetic fiber and can be recycled. Probably some of the colonists have sewing skills and equipment somewhere.
What bothers me right now is the apparent shortage of medical professionals. Why do they appear not to have some kind of program to create new doctors? They certainly spend a huge chunk of time worrying about pilots.
OriGuy
Too weird not to share: The Red Army Choir and the Leningrad Cowboys (from Finland) singing Sweet Home Alabama.
OriGuy
The link didn’t make it in the last post; the embed shows up on the preview. Anyway, here it is:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lNFRLrP014
PanAmerican
Edward Doheny, Harry Sinclair and Teapot Dome were the source for Oil!. I detected elements of Elmer Gantry, East of Eden, Treasure of the Sierra Madre,and Giant weaved into TWBB. I’m sure there is plenty of other stuff to be mined from repeated viewings. The scope and story arc brings to mind Sergio Leone.
Brilliant work from Day-Lewis. As detestable as Daniel Plainview is portrayed the real life saga of Doheny is even stranger. The final scene was filmed in the Doheny Mansion in LA where his son and son’s assistant died for reasons the DA decided not to investigate.
Raymond Chandler was working in the California oil industry at the time and the sordid tale is believed to have inspired Philip Marlowe’s work environment of money, power and corruption in his crime fiction.
myiq2xu
Much of the sordid history of Los Angeles (and California in general) has never received much attention because:
1. It was so far from the center of power in the early 20th Century that it wasn’t “newsworthy”
2. The movie industry was deeply involved in the corruption and kept the lid on scandals
3. When political power moved west (during & post WWII)there was a conspiracy to whitewash the past.
LAPD was one of the most corrupt police departments, but with shows like Dragnet and Adam-12, it was portrayed as squeaky-clean.
BTW – Doheny was involved in the “Teapot Dome” scandal, and was convicted of bribing Albert Fall, the then Sec. of the Interior. Fall was aquitted of accepting the bribe that Doheny was convicted of paying.
Tom in Texas
Daniel Day Lewis is the finest actor of our generation. Period. I got nothing against Pacino or De Niro, but Lewis is astonishing in everything he does.
Jeff
I know a lot of people hated it, but I didn’t find it that bad, honestly… Helo hadn’t had the focus of an episode for a long time. I found that episode to be an interesting expansion of his character. The Black Market Episode… Not so much. That was more off-character and was, frankly, just boring.
Everyone has a right to their opinion, though. =)
Jeff
Funny, I turned to my fiancee after last Friday’s episode and said “You know, they should really have an apprenticeship program for doctors… only
(MINOR SPOILER, DO NOT READ, JOHN)
38k people left, no schools… Dr. Cottle is old and smokes”. I think we’ve heard of at least 1 other doctor, and presumably there are maybe a few more… but I’m guessing out of the 38k, there probably aren’t a ton more. They really do need to figure out how to train more people, unless, of course, they’re able to get to Earth and there are people there. =)
Punchy
Holy. WOW.
Even Cheney hasn’t gone this far. To my knowledge. WTF?
4tehlulz
Slowpoke.jpg.
I eagerly await the defense of this comment from the usual suspect.
cleek
is it too much to ask that the Dems stop cowering in fear of the military bona-fides of Big Daddy War Hero McCain ? why the fuck do they insist on not only conceding the (undefined) “national security” issue to him, but on constantly reminding people of the fact that they’ve conceded it ?
Hillary, since you’re so obviously enamored of McCain’s big shiny gun, why don’t you made a bid to be his VP ? then you could worship him up-close, for four years.
Krista
Pfft. They could air an episode with nothing but shirtless Helo reading from the phone book and it would still be better than 99% of everything else on TV.
And I’m with the others about Gaius providing much of the humour. Although Gaeta has his moments too, as does Cavil. But overall, it’s a very dark show — that’s just the way it is. Most character-based post-apocalyptic dramas aren’t really known for being full of yuks.
cleek
Boomer can be pretty funny, too.
Billy K
I wondered the same thing. I think they made an effort is S01 to make the clothing look slightly rumpled and re-used. Laura and Billy were in the same clothing for the whole season.
Why do people keep linking this as something new and noteworthy? It’s like 15 years old.
Now don’t get me wrong; Helo is one of my favorite characters, and he needed more screen time. I just think that episode sucked, and the moralizing was trite and predictable.
I swear you Farscape people are worse than Browncoats. It’s impossible to have a conversation about television – let alone Sci-Fi – without someone wailing about their beloved puppet show.
Desmond
Absolutely. It’s the worst episode of BSG, hands-down. It would have been much more interesting if Helo turned out to be wrong.
Dan
Daniel Day-Lewis is Al Pacino 2.0. Somewhere he lost his way and now his “acting” is all bluster and spittle. Can’t wait for him to re-make Scent of a Woman. Hoo-hah!
dj spellchecka
“holy wow”
i checked out that “i’ll nuke iran” story and she’s really off the rails. she’s talking about how iran is “bullying” all the other countries in the mideast. i hadn’t noticed them threatening anyone lately. besides, israel DOES have the bomb. what do they need us for?
Billy K
Roslyn is off her rocker on Kamala tea!!! She wants to nuke teh Cylons!!!1
Delia
It’s Chinatown, Jake.
WisDem
It’d be interesting to learn how much of this was delibrate conscious decisions and how much was programming imperatives.