(For those of you who haven’t seen any of BSG’s season episodes but want to, this post contains spoilers - be warned. I’m talking to you, and you.)

Battlestar Galactica’s first season began and ended with a bang. It was an amazing collection of thirteen episodes (well, “Tigh Me Up…” was pretty bad) that exemplified the best of an hour-long dramatic television series. Even with the super large cast of main and recurring and not-so-main-or-recurring characters it became impossible to not become super involved in their collective plight: avoiding extinction. And all the plot points! So many threads, woven together expertly — then again, show headwig Ron Moore worked on Deep Space Nine, and that paid off — and then the finale. Even though everything was already pretty much in the shitter for these characters … hey, you can always be more in the shitter: the Chief and Baltar stranded on Kobol; the President arrested; Boomer under guard after shooting Bill Adama; Apollo in chains for turning on Tigh; Starbuck on Caprica after stealing the cylon raider.

That said, Battlestar Galactica’s second season premiered tonight on the sci-fi channel and … wow.

I was, I will admit, a little worried that all of this would be wrapped up in one episode and everyone would be all good and friendly with each other by the end of the hour. Boy is that ever not the case. This is very much Tigh’s episode, all about the pressures of command and the rapidly deteriorating situation — picking up right where “Kobol’s Last Gleaming Pt. II” ended, a Cylon basestar shows up and the fleet scrambles to jump. In the confusion, Gaeta forgets to transmit the recently-updated escape coordinates, so Galactica jumps to one place, and the civillian fleet to another. In addition, the Doc was off on one of those civillian ships when Adama was shot, so the surgery Adama needs to survive has to be carried out by … a medic.

I don’t want to give away too many plot points except to say that this episode is a great example of “for every foot you step forward, take two back.” Every accomplishment achieved by the characters in their various situations is accompanies by a series of setbacks … all major. The second season is off to just as exciting a beginning as the first season was, and it’s going to be a fun several months watching everything unfold. This isn’t Star Trek, where everybody likes each other … particularly after the conclusion of this story arc, everybody is going to be at everyone elses’ throat. It’s brutal, murderous … it’s hard to relax and watch, y’know? You so want to jump up and try to help make things right even though … y’know … it’s a tv show.

Everybody’s got a part in this episode, and as a result, a lot of people don’t have much screentime at all. I think Starbuck is in one scene, but that’s fine: this episode’s major plot points are with Galactica … there’ll be time enough for the others later).

(If you’re reading this, don’t be all “Oh, no, I missed it!” Sci-Fi is going to reair the episode at 1am tonight - er, tomorrow morning? and will undoubtedly repeat it later in the week. Check yer’ listing.)

Tidbit:

Captain Kelly — a character seen in the miniseries — is back after an unexplained absence in season one. His main purpose in the episode is to be Lt. Gaeta’s nemesis. Anyway, I’d noticed Kelly’s absence in the first season and wondered what’d happened to him. He’s back!

Also: Ron Moore had hinted on his blog that there would probably be a new recurring character via the Colonial Marines … I think anyone who has seen this episode knows what Marine I’m talking about.

Next Episode:

Cylon deathbots on Galactica! Fuck the office building, this is Die Hard in space, baby!

At the bottom of his post, Andrew Sullivan wonders, “If we kept our heads against the Nazis, why can we not remain sane and moral against today’s fascists?” I would put forth an possible answer — when you couple righteous anger with the power of the presidency and the belief that you walk in God’s footsteps and hence can’t do wrong … well, you’ve created a monster. Read the whole thing.

Last night on a delivery, to a regular customer who orders at least twice a week and always tips well, she addressed her dog — a big big big creature, don’t ask me what kind, I’m amazed myself that I can identify a Golden Retriever from a Yellow Lab — as “Guiness.”

I inquired if the dog was named after the beer.

“Yep. He’s black and tan and very stout!”

Dear Carl,

I understand that you work in a garage, but if you aren’t going to tip me, could you at least pay me with a bill that isn’t stained with grease, oil, and dirt? I’d like to keep my wallet clean. Thank you.

-Your Loving Pizza Guy

Danny Deckchair

Ever see “The Majestic?” Similar. Film about an Aussie who rigs a lawn chair with a ton of balloons, gets carried into a storm, and finds himself in some remote town where he learns about himself. Meanwhile, his girlfriend back home is having sex with the reporter who is orchestrating a massive media frenzy surrounding his dissapearance. Oddly, there’s sympathy for his bitchy girlfriend, and a touching feeling when they break up (awwww…). Could use less initial exposition and more time in his new home for the ending to be believable, and speaking of the ending, it is rushed. Even with that, it’s still better than most of the dreck out there.

Lemony Snicket’s …

Imagery very Tim Burtonesque, over the top in mangling the old with the new, particularly in Count Olaf’s car. Jim Carrey’s a bit of a drag, and while the kids might enjoy it, it doesn’t really have anything for the adults — unlike the Harry Potter films which just dragged me in and wouldn’t let go! I was cleaning while watching this so you know how much I enjoyed it.

Sweet Liberty

Alan Alda writes a book about the American Revolution and Hollywood turns it into a movie. Here’s a picture for you: Continental Soldier on a motorcycle. Didn’t get to see this because heading to the mailbox, I grabbed this film in place of Danny Deckchair and either mailed it or lost it out the window. Yesterday was busy busy busy and I just don’t plum remember.