Ten Things to know about BSG "Razor"

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Ten Things to Know About Battlestar Galactica's Razor

Note from Kristin: When a coworker receives a copy of Battlestar Galactica: Razor and shrieks as if she's won the lottery and that John Krasinski delivered the check, shirtless, you gotta let her be the first to see it, right? Such is the case with WWK's resident cult TV expert Jennifer Godwin, who devoured the two-hour movie (I'm guessing more than once), and has this to report back...

Thank gods! Battlestar is back!

Battlestar Galactica: Razor, a two-hour TV movie premiering Nov. 24 on Sci Fi, is meant to tide us over until Battlestar Galactica the series returns in February 2008, and it absolutely delivers the BSG glories we've come to expect, with a little streak of Alien and Terminator 2 thrown in for good measure.

Preview copies were distributed to the press last week, and while we're not at liberty to disclose the entire story, I did feel it was my duty as a fellow fan to check it out and share what I could.

So, for your previewing pleasure, I've distilled Razor down to a list of the top 10 things you need to know. Enjoy!

1. Setting: Razor switches back and forth in time between Lee Adama's leadership of the Battlestar Pegasus and Admiral Helena Cain's (Michelle Forbes) leadership of the Pegasus immediately following the original Cylon attack.
2. Winks at the Audience: Gina's (Pegasus Six) last name is Inviere. Inviere is Old Gemenese for resurrection. Oh, those wacky Cylons and their name games.
3. Characters: Stephanie Chaves-Jacobsen—who plays the heroine of our story, Kendra Shaw—is a star of tomorrow. Casting directors, have your phones at the ready.
4. Mythology: DNA is sooo cool. Just like on Heroes these days, everything is about missing links, evolutionary dead ends and hybrids. Also, maybe a few zombies.
5. Cast: Razor features lots of Lee, Kara, Adama and Gina/Pegasus Six; a smattering of Roslin; Tigh and Sharon in passing; and no Baltar, Tyrol or Helo.
6. Pacing: The first 15 minutes are unforgivably slow.
7. Quote to Remember: "All this has happened before and will happen again."
8. Foreshadowing: Kara Thrace gets another prophecy. Girl's the most heralded thing since Buffy, I'll swear.
9. Themes: Cain, for all her robust leadership, is best understood as a "Don't."
10. Effects: Here's to the creation of the 12 humanoid Cylons for the reimagined series. It was an inspired choice, because as Razor reminds us, the original-recipe toasters really are kind of clunky and dumb.

Feel free to weigh in with your thoughts on Razor below, and send any BSG-related questions to tvdiva@eonline.com. So say we all!

BSG Update

Ronald D. Moore will direct 'Battlestar Galactica' episode
Cylon alert: The executive producer's show will mark the beginning of the series' final run.
By Denise Martin
Special to The LA Times

October 26, 2007

Ronald D. Moore, the executive producer who runs "Battlestar Galactica," is gearing up for the long goodbye by taking on a new task. He will take the director's chair for the first time next season as his dramatic reinvention of the hokey 1970s' space opera treks toward the end. The final 20-episode run will kick off in -- you read it here first -- early April.

Moore's work on the show as a writer-producer landed "Battlestar" its first Emmy nomination in the drama writing category, where he faced off against the writers of "The Sopranos" and "Lost." A veteran of the "Star Trek" series "The Next Generation," "Deep Space Nine" and "Voyager," Moore is also juggling writing duties for the upcoming feature films "The Thing" and the sequel to "I, Robot."

About his directing debut, Moore said, "It's the perfect opportunity to try and do it here with my family -- the cast and crew of the show -- who have been working together for years now.

"For all I know, I'll hate directing, but right now I'm hungry for it."

Last season ended with a stunning revelation: Four of the characters aboard Galactica who have been helping lead the resistance discovered themselves to be Cylons, the robotic race apparently set on destroying humans.

Moore said he's directing an episode set deep in the Cylon world, as well as aboard Galactica. "On Galactica, things have really begun to fall apart . . . and the relationship between President Laura Roslin [Mary McDonnell] and Adm. William Adama [Edward James Olmos] is going to get pretty interesting."

Moore's episode, however, won't air until after the show takes a midseason break and will kick off the remaining episodes in "Battlestar's" four-season run. Sci Fi Channel executives have not yet determined whether the final season will all air next year or be spread over 2008 and 2009.

"I'd probably prefer to see the entire thing air next year to maintain the momentum, to build excitement as it pushes to the end," Moore said, "not to mention it means less chance of spoilers getting out."

Lucy Lawless will be plugged back in as D'Anna, the rogue Cylon who was deactivated last season, for three episodes.

And as for that fifth "chosen" Cylon? "It's definitely been decided who that one is," Moore said, but it won't be revealed early. "I can't say when, but we're certainly not waiting until the last episode to tell you who it is."

In the meantime, the series' fans can get their fix from "Razor," an original two-hour episode that serves as something of a prequel to the existing "Battlestar" mythology. It premieres Nov. 24 on Sci Fi.

New BSG spoilers

Razor, Part 1 & 2; November 24, 2007

10/14/07: Minisode #2 Summary/Analysis Available
10/14/07: Adama sends Pegasus on a rescue mission to find a missing recon crew. From IGN Review
10/14/07: Helo, Tyrol, Gaeta and Dee do not appear. From IGN Review
10/14/07: Based on comments from the article, the Cylon "god" says the ending quote and our latest guess is: "Kara Thrace will lead the human race to its end. She is the origin of the apocalypse, the harbinger of Death. They must not follow her." From Eclipse Magazine Review
10/14/07: In its last 20 minutes, the film features a faction of Cylons who are responsible for protecting the "Guardian." This is something that carries over as a subplot into the fourth season. From Eclipse Magazine Review
10/14/07: The movie focuses on two periods in Pegasus' past: right before the Cylons first attacked the colonies and ten months later when Lee took over command. From Eclipse Magazine Review
10/6/07: Minisode #1 Summary/Analysis Available
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9/30/07: The mission that Lee sends Kara and Kendra on a mission to destory the "secrets of their enemy." Lee describes it as a legend, but Adama says it's not a legend. From SciFi Channel Previews [We're assuming that it has to do with what Adama saw on the Cylon base long ago... the hybrid?]
9/30/07: Young Adama came across a hybrid and possibly the first humanoid Cylons on the Cylon base that he found during the first Cylon war. From SciFi Channel Previews
9/26/07: Ausiello's claims that the following is spoken at the end/climax of the film: "*a*a ****c* **** **ad t*e ****n **** ** i** **d. *** is the ****** ** *** ***c*l****, the ********* ** *****. **** must *** ****** ***." [We're guessing that this is the hook that ties the film into the events of the fourth season and seems to be prophetic - spoken by Leoben?. Here's our try (well, actually our favorite guesses by others): "Kara Thrace will lead the Cylon/human race to its end/god. She is the mother/source/origin of the apocalypse, the harbinger/protector/destroyer of Earth/Death/Cylon. They/Kara must not follow/escape/reveal her/god.",.. take your pick. ]
9/22/07: Flashbacks will show Kendra back in the colonies and how she ended up on the Pegasus. An accompanying promo pic shows a very wounded Kendra being tended to by Kara. From EW.com [So maybe this is how Kendra's invisibility will be explained... maybe she dies on that mission that Lee sends her on with Kara.]
9/8/07: Bear McCreary's comments from his latest blog: "Much of the score is atmospheric and dark. The fun battle cues really only make up about 15 minutes of music." From Bear McCreary [Doesn't make the telefilm sound too action-packed...]
9/2/07: The Patriot Resource has finally posted information for the DVD, which is set for release on December 4th, ten days following the first airing. From The Patriot Resource
8/28/07: A preview clip shows a scene that starts with Admiral Cain and Kendra Shaw. Shaw reports dozens of Vipers destroyed or in need of repair. Cain comments that they took heavy losses for such a small tactical victory. Shaw reports that "she" - "it" had used the passcodes Shaw had given her to compromise the ship's defenses. It turns out that they are in Gina's cell as Gina is revealed kneeling on the floor in front of them. Cain comments that the greater betrayal was trust. Cain then calls in Lieutenant Thorne and basically orders him to torture "it" every way possible. From SciFi Channel [This clip can be viewed after registering for DVD information which comes up after voting for the DVD cover. The scene clearly indicates that Cain condoned the repeated raping and physical abuse of Gina. It also seemed to indicate that Gina had been highly regarded by both Kendra and Cain.]
8/28/07: A preview clip shows a scene between Admiral Cain and Kendra Shaw. Cain takes out a pocket knife and tells Kendra that she acted like a razor. Cain then says that for them to survive, the entire crew will have to act like razors. From SciFi Channel [This clip can be viewed after voting for a DVD cover. Not really much to this scene, other than hammering away again at the "razor" theme.]
8/28/07: You can help pick the DVD cover art. From SciFi Channel [Not really a spoiler, but give us a break on this one.]
8/16/07: Helo does not appear.
8/11/07: The title comes a line spoken by George C. Scott in the film Patton, "We'll turn these guys into fanatics. We'll turn them into razors." From BSG Comic-Con 2007 Panel.
7/24/07: The film also follows Lee's first mission as commander of the Pegasus. From Chicago Tribune Article [His first mission? So he sends Kara and Kendra out on his first mission.]
7/24/07: The first Cylon will be "glimpsed." The film also follows Lee's first mission as commander. From Chicago Tribune Article
7/17/07: SciFi Channel has announced that there will be an 8-week series of mini-episodes leading up to the November 24th premier. The episodes "will provide a sneak peek into the original Cylon War, when a young pilot named William Adama (Nico Cortez) discovers a dangerous Cylon weapon that will come back to haunt him and his crew 40 years later." These two to three minute long episodes will air during primetime, later turn up on SciFi.com and will be included on the DVD release. [Unlike the webisodes last year, these are being described more like deleted scenes that couldn't fit into the final cut. This news also fits with the previous news that the DVD would include extended content.]
7/15/07: SciFi Channel has now posted the first trailer online.
7/15/07: We've rewatched the trailer and there's still little to be learned, but here's what was shown: Kendra steps off a Raptor onto the hangar deck [Can't tell if it's on the Galactica or the Pegasus]. Cain visits the bodies of her crew in a temporary morgue [Much like Adama in the miniseries]. A sweaty Kara looks back at someone as the airlock closes. Lieutenant Kendra Shaw reports to Cain in CIC for the first time. On the hangar deck, Lee says, "Where the hell did they come from?" as Kendra stands beside him and Kara behind him. Kara tells Kendra that "fear gets you killed and anger keeps you alive," as Marines look to be fighting and retreating down a corridor. Adama says, "those are our people out there. We have to give them a chance." [We're guessing that he's referring to the mission that Kendra and Kara are on.] Gina disarms the first Marine who approaches her and faces down the others. Kendra says, "we are completing this mission. Am I clear, soldier?" Several scenes of the ships taking fire and explosions and one of an even sweatier Kara shooting. Cain closes the trailer with, "War is our imperative, so we will fight." From SciFi Channel
7/13/07: Jurgen Belzen is listed being a Colonel and played by Steve Bucic. From IMDB [Colonel Fisk's predecessor? Or at least the XO who Cain shot?]
7/11/07: The preview aired during the Eureka season premier last night and offered amazingly little. Lieutenant Kendra Shaw introduced herself, sporting an accent. Cain, Adama, Kara and Lee From SciFi Channel [Guess they are holding back the good preview for... ?]
7/8/07: A preview will air during the Eureka season premier on July 10th on The SciFi Channel. From SciFi Channel
7/8/07: As previously known, much of the film follows the Pegasus. This storyline is "framed" by flashbacks taking place during a mission that Commander Lee assigned Kendra (his XO) and Kara. Lee assigned them together because Kara doesn't like Kendra at all and he wants her to get to know Kendra. The mission itself regards learning some intel about the Cylons and apparently takes place around the time of the presidential election and/or the settling of New Caprica. From SyFy Portal [This is unconfirmed material that likely can be treated as more speculative than most tidbits that we post considering the source.]
6/29/07: The DVD release will include at least fifteen minutes of original content. From Film.com [The article assumes that this means an extended cut of the film, but we wonder if this is actually referring to behind-the-scenes or other supplimental material.]
6/23/07: According to Katee Sackhoff, Starbuck is around for about a "quarter" of the movie. [We're assuming that means that about a quarter of the film follows the Pegasus while it's in the fleet and that's the only part of the movie that Starbuck is seen.]
6/19/07: The original (1970's) Cylon Centurions, Raiders and Basestars will be featured heavily in the early scenes depicting the original Cylon war.
6/19/07: Before she was found out to be a Cylon, Gina and Cain were very close.
6/17/07: Gina says, "Trust me, in the end, we're all just human." The discovery that she's a Cylon is depicted. From SciFi Channel Q & A
6/9/07: Gina will be seen acting as a member of the Pegasus crew before she was found to be a Cylon. During the time of Lee's command, Kara leads some sort of mission. From SciFi Channel Q & A
6/3/07: The telefilm will focus on the Pegasus during the Cylon attack on the colonies, after it encountered Galactica and even after Cain was killed. From Lower Hudson Online Blog [This seems to confirm the earlier spoiler that included a scene between Kendra and Apollo.]
6/3/07: Kendra Taggert has apparently been renamed Kendra Shaw. Fisk's appearance also looks to be confirmed. From IMDB
6/3/07: There's a rumor that the original Pegasus first officer that Cain shot has been cast. [This one isn't much of a stretch since the telefilm is supposed to focus on the Pegasus.]
5/19/07: The Kendra Taggert character looks to be focus of the telefilm. Grace Park comments that the character was shooting twenty-four days out of the month long schedule. Grace herself only has one day of shooting. From Grace Park Article on Hollywood.com [For all the time that is apparently going to be spent on this never-before-seen character, we hope she doesn't completely disappear back into the woodwork when Season 4 rolls around. Also doesn't look like we can expect much Admiral Adama or Athena/Boomer/Number Eight in the telefilm.]
5/19/07: Additional guest characters include: Scylla Protestor, Sports Commentator, Op Officers. two teenages, Intimidated Young Marine and Flea. From Casting Calls [Just some extras, although "Flea" at least sounds intriguing.]
5/13/07: Young Adama is a lieutenant and a hot shot Viper pilot during the first Cylon war. He apparently is serving onboard the Galactica by the end of the war. He also ends up in a Cylon base where he finds that the Cylons have apparently been carrying out cybernetic experiments on humans. [The revelation that young Adama had seen the Cylon experiments helps explain why an older Adama at Ragnar Anchorage so easily grasps that Leoben is a Cylon.]
5/13/07: Young Helena in a young girl during the first Cylon war and loses her father and mother to a Cylon attack on Tauron. Her father tells her to look after her sister, but Helena apparently momentarily abandons her and Helena is unable to find her sister again. young Helena turned her fear of the Cylons into an anger.
5/13/07: Kendra was a lieutenant under Admiral Cain and as the Cylon attack first began, she allowed her fear to take hold of her. Later, she turned her fear to anger, which gained Admiral Cain's attention. After Cain's death, Kendra did not get along with Fisk or Garner and ended up busted down a rank and assigned to kitchen duty. When Lee took command of Pegasus, he promoted her to major and made her his XO. [From this info, Kendra is set up to be a younger version of Cain with the circumstances of a Cylon attack evoking fear, which is turned to anger. The question is whether Kendra ends up going down the same brutal path as her mentor.]
5/12/07: Admiral Adama's involvement with be "minimal." From Edward Olmos Interview with IF Magazine [Based on the young Adama role, Olmos is likely referring to his own participation.]
5/12/07: The film is set to air in November. From SciFi VP Mark Stern Interview with Crave Online
5/6/07: Guest characters include: Major Kendra Taggert, Young William Adama, Young Helena Cain, Helena Cain's father, Hybrid, Jurgen Belzen, Bruno the Bartender, Banzai, Hudson, Lucy, Deck Hand and Young Marine. From Casting Calls [Apparently, there will be flashbacks set well before the start of the Cylon attacks. We're guessing that a backstory will be revealed between Cain and Adama and possibly involve her father as well.]
5/6/07: A central character will be Major Kendra Taggert, who served on the Pegasus and expected to be in her late 20's. Her mother is a Quorum delegate who pulled strings to get Kendra on the Pegasus with the expectation that Kendra would one day command the fleet. However, when the Cylon war started, Kendra cracked with fear before turning angry. A young Adama is also described as a guest lead. From FilmJerk.com [Kendra sounds like a young Admiral Cain. One also wonders if Kendra will turn up during season four. Also, FilmJerk.com incorrectly describes the info as concerning the Season four premier when the filming dates coincide with the two-hour movie set for Fall 2007]
5/6/07: Episode title added. The episodes/telefilm is written by Michael Taylor and directed by Felix Alcala. From FilmJerk.com
[The news of Lee and Tyrol appearing simply confirms what was said about the regular cast appearing in the Pegasus-centered telefilm.]
4/17/07: Lee will appear. From Jamie Bamber at Creation Con [The news of Lee and Tyrol appearing simply confirms what was said about the regular cast appearing in the Pegasus-centered telefilm.]
4/17/07: Tyrol will appear as Aaron Douglas said filming starts on May 15th and he expects it to last until March 2008 for the entire season. From Aaron Douglas Interview with Brisbane Times
4/15/07: Shooting is scheduled to begin on May 15th. From Kevin Grazier, Richard Hatch and Bradley Thompson Interview with Military.com
4/15/07: Michael Taylor is writing the script. From Kevin Grazier, Richard Hatch and Bradley Thompson Interview with Military.com
4/15/07: RDM: "It's a separate budget that's not related to our episodic budget. They've set aside a specific pot of money for this release, and it is more than our usual parent show." From Ron Moore Interview with MTV
4/15/07: The script is being written and there have been discussions over having all the "established" Pegasus characters appear. From Ron Moore Interview with MTV [How many actually appear will probably come down to the availability of the actors.]
3/24/07: RDM explained that the Home Video division came to them with the idea of a standalone movie for DVD release in the long hiatus between Seasons 3 and 4. It was originally conceived as a straight-to-DVD project, but SciFi Channel decided to pick it up, so the SciFi Channel airing and DVD release will be nearly instantaneous. From Ronald D. Moore Interview with Salon.com
3/24/07: RDM's response concerning the 2-hour broadcast between Season 3 and 4: "That story will not pick up our cliffhanger at the end of Season 3. The story will be set on the Battleship Pegasus and will take place in the past, relative to where we are in Season 3. But the events set up in that story will then pay off in Season 4. " From Ronald D. Moore Interview with Salon.com [So the Cain/Pegasus prequel rumor has now been confirmed. TPR was wrong that the movie was shaping up like B5's Thirdspace. It's going to be like B5's In The Beginning.]
3/22/07: As part of their announcement about Season 4, SciFi Channel announced that there would be a "special two-hour extended event that will air during fourth quarter 2007 and be released on DVD thereafter." The entire cast is expected to appear. From SciFi Channel [The Direct-to-DVD movie is off, but at least there will be something to fill the long gap between the end of Season 3 and the start of Season 4 in January. Also, just because the entire cast appears doesn't mean that the movie won't be a prequel or focused on the Pegasus or some other 'side story'.]
2/24/07: The Direct-to-DVD movie was confirmed and is expected to center on "side-stories" that could not be fit into the series. Tricia Helfer (Six) and James Callis both expect to appear. From ign.com
2/13/07: SyFy Portal speculates that the storyline indicated by GeekMonthly.com would set the stage for returning character to be Admiral Cain and how the Pegasus managed to escape. From SyFy Portal
2/13/07: The movie might be a prequel set durng the original Cylon attacks. From GeekMonthly.com
2/8/07: The movie would be like a "bonus episode" that brings back a popular character for a one-off. From BuddyTV [Can we please say Billy?]
2/8/07: If the Direct-to-DVD movie is greenlit, filming would take place in March. From BuddyTV
1/28/07: The story is now finished. From Mark Verheiden Interview with Comic Book Resources [Guess that means they just have to wait for the renewal to work out filming the movie.]
1/8/07: The movie "may" include the return of a popular character.Moore/Eick Chicago Tribune Interview [That's pretty wide open... the "major" character killed off later in season 3? Or someone else like Zarek?]
1/8/07: The movie will only go forward if the series is picked up for a fourth season. It will not address the Season 3-ending cliffhanger. If the show were cancelled, the movie would be dead. It's not a backup plan to quickly tie off the series in case of cancellation. Moore/Eick Chicago Tribune Interview
1/8/07: The movie would be set between Seasons 3 and 4. It would explore a backstory that "might" be used later in the series. Moore/Eick Chicago Tribune Interview [So it would be a standalone film... reminds us of Babylon 5's Thirdspace, which had the characters promising not to talk about it as a way of excluding it from the series arc. However, the audience also wanted to forget the movie and its story.]
1/8/07: NBC Universal Home Video is interested in a straight to DVD movie. It might or might not end up airing on SciFi Channel after the DVD release. From Ronald D. Moore & David Eick Chicago Tribune Interview

BSG Season Four Spoilers

BSG Season 4 Spoiler Roundup (SPOILERS) in inviso-text.

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From the title, pretty self-evidently, there will be SPOILERS contained herewithin, taken from different sources. Most of these are of a very general nature rather than specific points (due to the fact that we're still 5 months from transmission) and naturally some or all may turn out to be pure BS:

As of now, the first eight episodes have been filmed, plus the Razor TV movie. The show is now on a brief hiatus and filming will resume in late September on the remaining twelve episodes. Apparently the first 8-10 episodes form the first of the final two 'acts' of the storyline that Ronald D. Moore has mentioned before. It is currently rumoured that there may be a transmission break between episodes 10 and 11 of the fourth season (probably just 2-3 weeks) and there will be another mid-season cliffhanger similar to the Eye of Jupiter/Rapture one from last year.

Spoiler:

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401: He That Believath in Me
402: Six of One
403: The Ties That Bind
404: Escape Velocity
405: Into the West
406: Faith
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General plot points:

Spoiler:

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The Penultimate Four are 'outed' a few episodes into the new season. It's unclear how, or if all of them are outed or just a few, or if it's publicly revealed or made known to a few individuals. Apparently there is a confrontation between Roslin and Tyrol in which she threatens to airlock him.

It is very heavily rumoured that Cally commits suicide upon learning that Tyrol is a Cylon. At least two recurring or regular characters will die in Season 4.

Roslin is fighting her returned cancer with chemotherapy rather than chamalla.

The general feeling from the crew and the fleet is that Starbuck is a Cylon, and her talk of leading them to Earth is just a lure to tempt them into a trap. Adama has major issues with Starbuck starting in the first episode. However, by episode 5 or 6 Adama decides he has to take a risk and has Starbuck lead a scouting mission on the Demetrius (apparently an old military ship in the fleet that has been serving as a refugee transport) to the apparent location of Earth. In a later episode Starbuck faces a mutiny, but gets unexpected help from her 'new allies'. Starbuck and Roslin apparently clash over which of them will guide humanity to Earth. According to David Eick, the significance of what happened to Starbuck in Maelstrom will be revealed, but not until much later. As of filming episode 7 or 8, Sackhoff confirmed she still didn't know what had happened to Starbuck after her apparent 'death' in that episode.

The extant seven Cylon models fall into a civil war once the existence of the Penultimate Four becomes known amongst them. Some of the models use Centurions to attack the others and general mayhem breaks loose. It has been hinted that as many as three models may be boxed or destroyed during the civil war. Eventually the Cylons choose to unbox D'Anna and use her insight to help guide them into making the right decision: to abandon the pursuit of the humans or renew their attempts to wipe them and the Penultimate Four out? Apparently D'Anna's unboxing will play a major role in the mid-season cliffhanger, as will Hera's fate. D'Anna will have a confrontation with Roslin. Lawless has only agreed (so far) to do 2-3 eps at the most, so D'Anna's return will be brief.

The outcome of the mid-season cliffhanger will lead the fleet to Earth a few episodes later. According to the producers, the last few episodes will deal with Earth. The fleet won't just turn up there in the last few minutes of the last episode.

Baltar will continue to be in his 'harem' for the first few episodes of the season at least.

One of the later episodes involves a major fistfight between Anders and Six.

At one point a 'splinter group' in the fleet forms (presumably opposed to Adama/Roslin's command). Apparently Gaeta and Helo are part of this group, or will infiltrate it.

Tom Zarek definitely appears in the first few episodes and will likely crop up later on. He is still Vice-President.

BSG news

« The TV Addict Goes SCI FI

BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Season Four Scoop

Dateline 4:50AM, Vancouver Time. — BATTLESTAR GALACTICA news. Not surprisingly, the cast, crew, costume designers, key grips and anyone remotely related to the show were tight-lipped with regards to what’s in store for fans this final season. I can reveal that fans should expect to see a new ship around episode five/six (called the Demitrius), Michael Hogan is not happy about being a Cylon and Aaron Douglas alluded to the fact that within the first few episodes of the season, his character Chief Tyrol may [or may not] find himself on the brink of being tossed out of an airlock. Presumably when President Roslin finds out about his little secret.

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« BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Season Four ScoopV.C. Andrews Gets A New Life(time) »More BATTLESTAR GALACTICA Scoop

At yesterday’s SCI FI Digital Press panel, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA fan favorite Aaron Douglas surprised the audience by revealing that he knew months prior that his character — fan favorite Chief Tyrol — was indeed one of the final five Cylons.”I found out months in advance, accidently,” divulged Douglas. ” I found a piece of paper lying around that I was not supposed to see.”Of course, when you’re one of twenty-five intrepid reporters desperate for any morsel of scoop with regards to the upcoming fourth season of GALACTICA, the phrase, ‘things we’re not supposed to see’ popped up far too often for our liking. Yet that didn’t stop this TV Addict from gathering as much intel as possible in an effort to uncover any info about the highly anticipated final season.First bit of scoop, episode four or five’s title is “Into the West.” Turns out Aaron Douglas isn’t the only person to see ‘interesting’ pieces of paper lying around the set. In fact, one couldn’t help but notice entire scripts lying inconspicuously around the gritty and cramped Galactica corridors. But rest assured SCI FI executives — not wanting to risk being ejected from the nearest air lock — this TV Addict didn’t dare pick it up. No matter how curious he was to discover what the episode’s title, “Into the West” really meant.

Another piece of intel one couldn’t help but notice was the name of the new ship currently being constructed for episodes five or six. Perhaps a more fanatical BATTLESTAR GALACTICA fan can let this TV Addict know if the ship name ‘Demitrius’ has any relevance?And finally, the massive bullet holes that riddled the Cylon Base Ship were pretty hard to miss. While brilliant tour guides Richard Hudolin (Production Designer) and Doug McLean (Art Director) were tight-lipped on what happened, one can only assume that episode four will include one helluva an angry Cylon. Or, dare we say, a human who isn’t pleased to have recently discovered that he may not be so human after-all.

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July 15, 2007

The Sci Fi Channel says it will air several "Battlestar Galactica" shorts this fall to tide fans over until "Battlestar Galactica: Razor" debuts Nov. 24.

The announcement came Sunday as the network unveiled its 2007-2008 development slate of programming at the Television Critics Association press tour in Beverly Hills.The eight-week, primetime series of "mini-sodes" are intended to whet the appetites of fans throughout October and November, in anticipation of the premiere of Sci Fi's two-hour event, "Battlestar Galactica: Razor."

"Razor" is a special extended installment that will provide a backdrop to events unfolding in the rest of season four of "Galactica."Filmed as part of the extended episode, the mini-sodes will be included in the unrated Universal Home Video release of "Razor" and will also be available on SciFi.com after their on-air debuts.

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July 16, 2007
Battlestar Galactica and Farscape fans will be receiving a gift from SciFi Channel this fall. The network has announced that they will be running minisode seasons for both franchises. A relief for Battlestar Galactica fans suffering a long hiatus, and a pleasant surprise for the rabid fans the Jim Henson company's ill-fated Farscape, which became the target of a revival campaign the Jericho folks would have been proud of.

The minisodes will air first on SciFi Channel, and then will be made available via the channel's web site. The Battlestar Galactica minisodes will feature a young Adama (played by Nico Cortez) as he discovers a Cylon weapon that will somehow have impact on future events. Cortez will also be playing young Adama in the Battlestar Galactica movie “Razor.”Aside from Cortez, it isn't clear if any of the Razor cast will be making an appearance in the minisodes. The minisodes are set to debut in October, a month in advance of the late November premiere of Razor.

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'Battlestar Galactica' "Razor" Preview During Tonight's Eureka

July 10, 2007

Battlestar Galactica fans will be able to get their first look at the highly anticipated spin-off movie “Razor” during tonight's season premiere of Eureka. “Razor” takes place months before the Battlestar Pegasus caught up with Galactica and her rag tag fleet. Returning for “Razor” will be Michelle Forbes as Admiral Cain. In other news, does Forbes contract with the show reveal a possible spoiler of epic proportions? Possibly. Read on.

SyFyPortal.com revealed that in addition to “Razor,” Forbes has been cast to appear in one more episode in the fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica. Beyond that bit of information, there is nothing explaining why so anything that follows is pure speculation.

On one hand, Forbes extra appearance could be a flash back sequence for any number of characters. In this case, her additional commitment would have no big impact for the show, other than the fact that we might get one more look at Pegasus and Cain.

On the other hand, we still do not know the identity of the fifth and final Cyclon. As SyFyPortal suggests, it very well could turn out that Forbes is set to appear as another Cyclon. Interesting proposition, if totally baseless.

SyFyPortal has been a source of more interesting Battlestar Galactica rumors today with some information that there may be a civil war brewing within the Cylons. Word will make it out that the final five are hiding among the Colonials and the resulting fracas over whether to attack or not will lead to the extinction of three of the humanoid models.

As previously reported, part of this unrest is caused when the mechanical Cylons find out the humanoid models have been suppressing their ability for independent thought. The toasters will remedy that by turning their individuality back on, and turning against the humanoid models.


- Jon Lachonis, BuddyTV Senior Writer
Source: SyFyPortal.com
-------------------------
Things Get Ugly In 'Battlestar' Season 4
SPOILERS: In-fighting will change the face of the enemy

By MICHAEL HINMAN
Source: SyFy Portal
Jul-10-2007

The following story contains possible MAJOR SPOILERS for the fourth season of "Battlestar Galactica."
Those Centurions have been nothing more than walking/shooting toasters, but apparently it's not because the Cylons were too dumb to make them as smart (and beautiful) as their humanoid counterparts.

Last week, Media Blvd. shared some tidbits about the upcoming fourth season of "Battlestar Galactica" talking about how the Centurions never evolved much because the human Cylons built in inhibitors that prevented higher brain function.

Once that inhibitor is removed, the Centurions apparently open fire on the Cylon base ship, parts of which were seen by those attending the SciFi Channel Digital Press Tour last month in Vancouver, B.C., soon after parts of the scenes were shot.

But who were the Cylons targeting? SyFy Portal dug a little deeper, and a source tells us that the Centurions weren't firing out of anger ... it was actually a calculated political move.

"Word about the existence of the Final Five starts spreading throughout the Cylon fleet," the source told SyFy Portal. "Since they may be hiding among the Colonials, the Centurions -- who are now able to think for themselves -- decide they can no longer fire on the fleet at risk of putting the Final Five in trouble."

Four of the Final Five were revealed in the third season finale, and it's unclear what kind of resurrection abilities -- if any -- these final Cylons have. But keeping a military force is important, and one of the Cylon human models removes part of the Centurion Raiders' brain function to remove that independent thinking to make them attack anyway.

What results is the equivalent of a Cylon civil war, or in this case, a skirmish as the battle doesn't last long enough to be a civil war.

"We're going to lose some Cylons in this battle," the source said. "And I don't mean the toasters. We're actually going to lose some of our humanoid Cylons ... as in lose permanently."

The humanoid models are split on if they should continue attacking with the Final Five in the fleet, and when a vote doesn't go the way one Cylon wants it to, the order is given to completely annihilate three models. Attacking all of them at once, and eliminating their ability to resurrect.

There are unconfirmed reports that this episode also will feature the return of Lucy Lawless to the program, as there is some chatter that the actress has signed up for a similar contract she did in her limited run in Season 3. Also, another source reports that a new "named" Cylon will be introduced early in the fourth season, presenting yet another character for Tricia Helfer to play.

When reporters visited the set last month, the multi-purpose set was designed as a dinner area with pristine white chairs, and some extravagant crystal table settings. The room -- which has doubled as Baltar's holding cell as well as where the hybrid pilots are kept -- was riddled with bullet holes that pierced through pillars, and a wall behind where the reporters were walking through. Debris was strewn everywhere, and "Battlestar Galactica" set crew made sure nothing on the set was disturbed, as it was still a hot set.

Of course, none of this has been confirmed by SciFi Channel or showrunners, so please treat this as you would any other rumor.

"Battlestar Galactica" returns in November with the telemovie "Razor," before making its fourth and final season premiere in 2008.

===================

'Battlestar Galactica' Season Four Begins to Take Shape

July 5, 2007

In the wake of the recent SciFi Channel Digital Press Tour, various details concerning the upcoming fourth and final season of Battlestar Galactica have begun to circulate the web. Ever since the announcement from David Eick and Ron Moore that season four would resolve the Battlestar Galactica story, for the time being, fans of the award-winning series have been clamoring for even the smallest nuggets of info. Here is a wrap up of some of the interesting twists awaiting us in season four. Be warned, minor spoilers will follow.
SyFyPortal.com is reporting, via MediaBlvd.com, that there may be a shocking turn-about in the Cylon community. Mutterings from the set state that the mechanical Centurion models might rebel against their human-styled counterparts after learning that their ability to develop free will is being oppressed. Plato would have loved Battlestar Galactica, nuff said.

A new interior set is being built for what is described as the submarine like Demetrius. The claustrophobic ship will apparently feature prominently in early episodes of the show, but no specific plot details are known as of yet.

One major revelation in the MediaBlvd piece is that according to series star Aaron Douglas (Tyrol) the mysterious final five Cylons are a completely different critter from the other iterations. In fact, Douglas said the final five were immortal and the equivalent of the Cylon’s Gods. If Douglas’ expose was accurate, the Cylons have risen over the colonists in the past, and the cyclical themes of the show will become a major part of season four.

Douglas surely overstepped the spoiler boundaries, but it is difficult to imagine a vigilant producer or writer resisting the impulse to clap a hand over his mouth. If the info is correct, it very well could mean that the arrival at Earth is also a part of the cycle. On the other hand, lets not forget the hard work the BSG producers put into convincing us that Starbuck would die. Now as to who is number five in the final five…


- Jon Lachonis, BuddyTV Senior Writer
Sources: SyFyportal.com and Mediablvd.com

Additions to the "Heroes" cast

Princess Keriyama? (Miss Universe 2007 from Japan, Riyo Mori)

06/11 - In recounting the assorted opportunities which have come her way since being named Miss Universe last month, the Japan-born Riyo Mori says one "super" job lead might find her on no less than NBC's Heroes, playing Yaeko, a new character whom she describes as a love interest for one of the main characters. "I went to the casting audition and read a script in English and Japanese, and they said it was really good," the 20-year-old dancer tells the Associated Press. "So I hope I can be in the show." Source: TV Guide Online [Note: Our guess is that she auditioned for the role of Princess Keriyama, which will more than likely end up being Hiro's love interest.]

Dania Ramirez has been cast as "Maya". You may have seen her in my blog previously, she played Callisto in "X-Men: The Last Stand"

David Anders has been cast as Kensei (the ancient samurai hero). Anders was previously cast as Sark on "Alias".

Aaaah, now we get to the "real" Feudal Princess Keriyama - Japaness pop princess Eriko Tamura!

-DB-

Smallville Spoiler - Supergirl casted

"Supergirl" Laura Vandervoort

07/11 - Clark Kent's cousin from Krypton is a Canuck. 22-year-old Laura Vandervoort (Instand Star) has been cast in the plum role of Smallville's Kara aka Supergirl. This superstrong - and airborne! - newcomer may prove to be a super pain to her kin, however. "We've wanted a character to shake things up," series creator Al Gough tells People. "She may be Clark Kent's cousin, but that doesn't mean she's going to be the obedient one!" Source: TV Guide Online

Zoom zoom

Whoa ... what's that driving in La Mirada?!


I think it's Mister Lamborghini!


what was funny, was some guy in a Buick had to race past the Lamborghini!


cough, cough .... lefted in the dust!


uh, oh pulled past Mister Lamborghini with my 10 year old Acura CL ...

yeah, I was bored!

-DB-

Exclusive: Supergirl Soars Into Smallville (TV Guide)

By Michael Courtney/The CW

Look, up in the sky: It’s a bird… It’s a plane… It’s Supergirl?!

When Smallville returns for its seventh season this fall it will be revealed that Clark Kent (Tom Welling) is not the only member of his family to survive the destruction of the planet Krypton. His cousin Kara “was sent to Earth in a ship that arrived at the same time as baby Kal-El’s,” reveals executive producer Al Gough, referring to Clark by his Kryptonian name. “But there was a problem and she’s been in suspended animation for the last 16 years. We’ll find out in the season premiere that the big dam break in last season’s finale is the reason she’s finally awoken.”

Gough says this latest visitor from the DC Comics universe “will help Clark get in touch with his Kryptonian roots. With his [adopted] father dead and his [adopted] mother moved to Washington [to become a U.S. Senator], and Lana blown up, suddenly there’s some family in his life.”

Like her cousin, Kara will have enhanced physical abilities generated by Earth’s yellow sun. “She has all of Clark’s powers and a couple he doesn’t have yet,” Gough teases. “She can fly. And her response when Clark asks why is ‘obviously girls mature faster than boys.’”

Kara, a teenager when Krypton exploded, was sent to Earth by her father, Zor-El (Kal-El’s uncle), to look after her younger cousin. But while in suspended animation she didn’t age and now it’s Clark who must be the mentor. “She becomes enamored with our culture: clothes and iPods and stuff,” Gough says. “We’ll have a lot of fun as she gets acclimated.”

Kara makes her debut in the season premiere of the CW drama and will appear in about half of this season’s episodes. A casting notice is set to go out shortly, and producers hope to unveil their new addition at July’s Comic-Con International in San Diego. –Rich Sands

Latest BSG news from TV Guide

Thursday, June 7, 2007
Starbucks to Go: Inside Galactica's Season 4 Preview Bash!
by Michael Maloney

Battlestar Galactica's Lucy Lawless, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackhoff and Edward James Olmos
Admiral Adama, President Roslin, Apollo and Kara finally made it to Earth. Well, at least to the Arclight Theater in Hollywood, California, where on Wednesday night stars and producers of Battlestar Galactica met with roughly 1,000 fans of the critically acclaimed Sci Fi Channel series.
Rather than focus on the recently announced sad news that the show's upcoming fourth season, which begins in January, will also be its final one, cast, producers and devotees of the show spent hours praising the space opera's past — and contemplating its immediate future.

Attendees were treated to a quick preview of next season's premiere (watch for more screen time for Michelle Forbes' Admiral Helena Cain, if the sneak peek is any indication) and a replay of the Season 3 finale, in which Starbuck (Katee Sackhoff) made a remarkable return from the great beyond. "[The producers] did a really good job of keeping it a secret," Sackhoff told TVGuide.com after the panel discussion. "Some of the crew still doesn't know I'm back!"

When producers first gave Sackhoff the news that they'd be killing her off, "They called me and said, ‘We just want you to know how much we love you,'" she recounts. "They said, ‘We're killing you off, but we're bringing you back. You can't tell anyone — not even your mother.'"

Keeping mum about upcoming specifics isn't going to be very difficult, since Sackhoff is as in the dark as viewers are about Starbuck's seeming resurrection. "I have no idea how I'm back," says the actress, adding, "There's a discrepancy between how long I've been gone and how long [everyone] thinks I've been gone.

"Producers tell me what they can," Sackhoff continues. "They'd tell me who the fifth Cylon is — if they knew, but they don't."

One question posed to executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick was why they ended the series after four seasons when it's such a critical success. "Ron's residual checks from Star Trek started coming in," Eick quipped in response.

Moore, who wrote and produced Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager, said he didn't want the BSG audience getting, well, "Lost," as some serial viewers found themselves in relation to an island-based mystery over on ABC. "We need to write an ending," he said. "We don't want to end it with a wink to the viewer [indicating there's a sequel coming]. We want to give the audience a satisfying conclusion."

When asked if the end of the series will be a happy one, Moore cautioned, "It's about the yearning, not the completion. You're [more] invested in that, the ‘can't quite find love [feeling].'"

How would the actors like to see Galactica conclude? "I'm hoping I stay alive till the end," joked Mary McDonnell, whose President Laura Roslin has battled cancer. Jamie Bamber (Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama) is more philosophical about the finale, saying, "I've sort of decided that whatever the writers decide [will be OK]. We've done everything, and this is like having reached the World Cup finals. [Our last season] can't help but be riveting. Whatever it's going to be is going to be great."

If Edward James Olmos (Admiral William Adama) ends up winning the California Super Lotto, however, BSG could go on forever. "I'd support the show [financially] myself if I could," said the actor. "I don't think the powers that be [at the network] will understand what the show is doing till 20 years from now. This kind of thing happens every once in a while."

"I know [Ronald and David] have the balls to end it at the right time," said an admiring Bamber. "I'll look back [someday at BSG] with such nostalgia that it will hurt." Added McDonnell, "It's a hard [role and show] to begin contemplating giving up."

The evening wasn't entirely somber. In fact, if the actors' responses to moderator Lucy Lawless (aka D'Anna Biers/Cylon Number Three) — who, by the way, is in negotiations to return for BSG's final year — are any indication, Bamber and his cast mates are looking at a future in sitcoms.

Examples: When the topic of Olmos' ALMA Award for Actor in a TV Series came up, the British-born Bamber quipped with mock interest, "Oh, were any of us also nominated?" Ah, Jamie, the ALMA Awards are given to Latino performers. "But I'm [James'] son!" he faux-argued.

In bringing to life this rendition of BSG, Moore said he wanted to pay homage to the late 1970s series, which starred Richard Hatch as Apollo (and who is now Tom Zarek in the current series) and Dirk Benedict as Starbuck. "I wanted this to be a version of that show," said Moore, who joked, "In this one, Apollo has the hots for Starbuck — although, he probably did [in the first series, too]."

The tribute session concluded with the producers and cast expressing their thanks to the loyal BSG viewers. "I've never run into fans who are quite as devoted and articulate," said McDonnell. Added Bamber: "Thank you so much.... You guys complete the process."

"Thank you," said Sackhoff, who almost seemed at a loss for words before adding (god bless her), "Thank you for accepting a Starbuck without a package."

Pirates 3 - review (MSNBC Critic)

'Pirates': More Is Less
By John Hartl, Film critic, MSNBC

Cliffhangers aren't what they used to be. Did anyone really consider that Johnny Depp's Capt. Jack Sparrow might NOT survive his battle with a ferocious sea monster at the end of last summer's "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest"?

Did we really have to wait a year to find out if the next "Pirates" film would be Depp-less? Could the many-tentacled villain, Davy Jones, played by Bill Nighy, be triumphant, kick Depp out and take over the franchise?

(That's actually a pretty cool idea but . . .nah.)

The low-budget, Saturday-matinee serials that inspired those last scenes in "Dead Man's Chest" were often more suspenseful and worrying because the B-movie actors who appeared in them were more expendable than Depp. They weren't top box-office draws appearing in blockbusters expected to hit the $1 billion mark.

For that reason, there was never much question that Depp would rise again, if somewhat worse for wear, in "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End," the third installment in the franchise that began four years ago with Disney's surprise smash, "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl."

No "spoiler alert" is needed before acknowledging that Sparrow survives the battle with the squid-style kraken. Or, that he goes on to star in the longest (168 minutes), most convoluted, most experimental and probably the most expensive entry in the series.

Whether it's the best or worst will be a matter of heated debate over the next few weeks, though even the most enthusiastic Depp fans may be put off by the length and the emphasis on action and special effects over story. It begins to feel like punishment, especially in the final reels, when the narrative appears to wrap up half a dozen times.

While Sparrow is definitely back, the movie begins not with him, but with a brutal mass hanging. This is accompanied by the announcement that habeas corpus has been suspended and apparently no one has any rights at all. Could this be producer Jerry Bruckheimer's attempt to introduce contemporary politics to the franchise? If so, he doesn't follow through, though there's a suggestion that the chief heavy has a New World Order in mind.

Sparrow's old enemy, Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) of the East India Trading Co., is up to his usual tricks, abusing his authority by indiscriminately stringing people up. He also means to do away with all pirates, including Sparrow. As in the second film, however, allegiances can shift and motivations may be fuzzy.

"Pretend it's all a bad dream," advises Sparrow. "That's how I survive." Maybe that's the best way to get through "At World's End."

Opposed to Beckett's plans are Will Turner (Orlando Bloom), his girlfriend Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) and the vampirish Capt. Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush). Stellan Skarsgård turns up again as Turner's father, and Naomie Harris makes the most of a key role as the ambiguous Tia Dalma.

The freshest touch here is the introduction of Keith Richards (the acknowledged inspiration for Depp's performance) as Sparrow's father, Capt. Teague. He drops by for a few minutes to give Sparrow advice about survival, and he has a memorably eloquent response to his son's question, "How's Mum?" If you take a bathroom break, you may miss his big scene entirely, but he turns up later for a curtain call.

Also new to the franchise is Chow Yun-Fat, playing a Singapore pirate, Sao Feng, who paws at Swann but otherwise has shockingly little to do. The original director, Gore Verbinski, teams again with screenwriters Ted Elliott and Terry Rosio but fails to develop the characters or encourage the relationships to grow and count. At worst, they risk turning sentimental.

Fortunately, Verbinski has not lost his gift for gallows humor. The makeup effects are as ghoulish as ever, and an episode about frostbitten toes is delightfully squirm-worthy. Computer-generated special effects make possible several cartoonish episodes, including one with a monkey blown out of a cannon and another with a tiny pirate who finds himself launched with his own gun.

Of the actors from the first two films, Bloom has improved most by avoiding self-consciousness and relaxing into his role. Richards, leathery and self-mocking at 63, is such a natural that you can't help wishing he had more to do.

This time around, Verbinski seems more interested in creating stunning visuals and playing games. A nighttime sequence in which the stars merge with the sea, while a ship stirs up the mirror-like water, is especially beautiful. Just as gorgeous is Verbinski's dramatic use of the "green ray" (celebrated in such movies as "Summer" and "A Flash of Green") that takes place under certain conditions at sunset.

Depp co-stars with several versions of himself in a couple of hallucinatory episodes, much like John Malkovich in "Being John Malkovich," but these are show-off moments. Just because Verbinski can do it doesn't mean he's found a good reason for doing it. And, there's already too much of Depp camping it up as Sparrow. This may be the third time, but the charm's worn off. No. 4 would really be pushing it.

Creating a successful sequel can be like trying to make lightning strike more than once in the same spot. It can be done, but it's especially hard to pull off a "threequel." Neither the new "Spider-Man" nor the new "Shrek" quite managed to do it, and the latest "Pirates" is even less successful.

In the summer of 2006, "Dead Man's Chest" set a new opening-weekend box-office record that has since been eclipsed by "Spider-Man 3." No doubt "At World's End" will give the latter a run for its money in the opening-weekend category as well.

Still, that doesn't necessarily mean audiences or critics were satisfied with what finally made it to the screen. "Pirates" No. 2 was a good sales job, and "Pirates" No. 3 is expected to duplicate it. No. 1 may trail both films in total box-office receipts, but it's the one most people will remember.

2006 - 2007 TV Recaps

2006 – 2007 Season / Series Recaps (SPOILER WARNING: inviso-text)

(Just some of the shows I keep up with)

American Idol – the 17 year old won!

Battlestar Galactica – Four of the final Five are revealed, Starbuck reappears in her Viper and tells Apollo that she’s been to Earth.

Dancing with the Stars – Apollo Ono won!

Grey’s Anatomy – Preston left Christina at the alter (Isaiah Washington is looking for a new job this fall), Derrick and Meredith on the fringe, Derrick unknowningly flirts with Meredith’s stepsister and new first year intern Lexie Grey (Chyler Leigh), George flunked his intern exam, Callie want to have a baby with George.

Heroes – Hiro saved Andro and finally did what Isaac predicted he would do, Jessica and Niki finally merged, Matt Parkman took four bullets to the chest, and Peter went nuclear and exploded (but not before Nathan flew him away from New York City).

Jericho – Johnston dies, the townsfolk fight off the assault from New Bern and Federal troops poise to intervene in the battle between neighboring towns. (Serie finale … let’s hope the DVD has an alternative ending).

King of Queens – series finale after 9 years (so is Carrie having a baby or not?).

Lost – Apparently, Mikhail is pretty hard to kill (even after Desmond puts a diving spear into his chest) but he did kill the three people that Ben ordered him to kill, including – yes (sob) Charlie! But Charlie did manage to save Desmond and relay a warning to Des that it’s wasn’t Penny’s people looking for the island. Lots of deaths on the island in the finale including 12 of “The Others”. Who would have thought Hurley’s would save the day for the left behind shooters?! French Chick finally met her daughter Alex. Jack beat the Crap outta of Ben. The ending was pretty surprising eventhough I kinda of guessed it (it wasn’t Jack’s flashback, it was a flashforward … after he and Kate made it off the island). ** Well, someone just told me, that it's been posted on the Internet of the identity of the person who died in the Jack's future (flash forward). It's Michael, Walt's dad who shot the two ladies last season and betrayed Jack, Kate, Sawyer, and Hurley to "the Others".((highlight to reveal)


NCIS – Tony’s girlfriend is La Grenouille’s daughter.

Smallville – Lana apparently got blown up in a car bombing, Lex got arrested for Lana’s murder. Lois got stabbed but Chloe using her metor freak powers transferred her life force into Lois. Clark’s encounter with the Phantom Zone Wraith caused him to split into two being one of which is Bizarro – Clark.

24 – Doyle get blown up by Pappa Bauer’s booby trapped micro-chip and is blinded, Joshua is grabbed by Bauer’s men and is taken to an off shore oil platform guarded by Chang’s men. Bill Buchannan and Jack Bauer launched a two man helo assault on the oil platform killing off all of Chang’s guards and taking Chang prisoner. Josh shoots grandpa Bauer, Jack lives his dad to die in the F-18 missile attack on the platform. World War III is averted as the Russians are satisfied that their secrets were saved by the airstrike. Jack visits Audrey and leaves. Standing cliff side with gun in hand, Jack pondering his future as “Day Six” ends.

Veronica Mars – Keith gets charged with destroying evident while protecting Veronica. Veronica learns all of the secrets of “The Castle” (series finale?).

"24" Day 6 (Season 6) - so far ...

Season / Day Six Cast of "24"

Warning: Spoilers in Inviso-text (highlight to reveal).

Season Six overview (thru April 2, 2007)

Season Six (2007) is set 20 months after season five. Show designers acknowledge that it should technically take place in January, 2013, but also that this is partially incorrect, as they avoid the use of dates in order to have the show remain in a "perpetual now".[1] Even though the phones in CTU show this, Wayne Palmer acknowledges that he has been president for a little over three months, and according to years past, the real date should be May, 2011.

After the events in season five and over the last 11 weeks before Day 6, the United States has been targeted coast-to-coast in a series of suicide bombings including a train bombing in Atlanta, casino bombing in Las Vegas, park bombing in Phoenix, hospital bombing in Detroit, a mall bombing in Baltimore, office building bombing in San Jose, hotel bombing in Chicago, a taxi bomb in New York City, bus bombing in Los Angeles, bombing at the airport in St. Louis and street bombs in San Antonio, Milwaukee, and Portland, Oregon. President Wayne Palmer has negotiated the release of Jack Bauer from a Chinese prison, under "high-price" terms that have not been revealed. A man by the name of Hamri Al-Assad is believed to be behind the attacks. A man named Abu Fayed agrees to give the U.S. the location of Assad in exchange for $25 million and Jack Bauer. Jack is turned over, but Fayed tells Jack that he is behind the attacks, not Assad. In fact, Assad is trying to stop them. Jack escapes, and tries to warn the President before Assad is killed, but Palmer refuses to abort the air attack. Jack quickly rescues Assad shortly before the attack.

Assad and Jack then work together, stopping a suicide bombing in the Los Angeles subway and tracking a suspect that they thought would lead them to Fayed, but didn't. Instead, he leads them to a computer that contained information that said that Fayed is planning to detonate nuclear weapons in the U.S. Curtis Manning appears and prepares to take Assad back to CTU. Jack then finds out that Curtis wants revenge against Assad and Jack is forced to kill Curtis to save Assad. Distraught at being forced to kill his friend, Jack collapses and vomits. He calls Bill Buchanan at CTU and quits.

The terrorists detonate a nuclear bomb in Valencia, California. The nuclear explosion is visible to Jack as he is lying on the ground, still sick over being forced to kill Curtis. It isn't long before Jack realizes that he wants to save lives and gets back on the job that would eventually lead him to his brother, Graem Bauer, and his father, Phillip Bauer. Jack would eventually follow more leads and stop another nuclear bomb from going off in Los Angeles. Jack now has the task of locating and disarming the remaining nuclear bombs. As of episode 16, two nuclear bombs are successful intercepted or disarmed by CTU.


[edit] Major Plots
Episodes 1-4: Jack Bauer, after being taken prisoner by China 20 months earlier, is released from China under a deal bargained by President Wayne Palmer. Jack is immediately asked to sacrifice himself to Abu Fayed, who has offered CTU Hamri Al-Assad, who is believed to be the terrorist mastermind behind the suicide bombings of the last 11 weeks, in exchange for Bauer. Bauer finds out however, the Assad is actually trying to stop the attacks, and Fayed is the true mastermind. Bauer escapes, rescues Assad, and then prevents a subway bombing in Los Angeles. Bauer & CTU then find out that the bombings of recent weeks were all designed to deviate the United States from Fayed's true objective: the detonation of 5 nuclear bombs across the United States. At the end of the fourth episode, one bomb is detonated in northern L.A.
Episodes 5-11: Jack discovers that his father, Philip Bauer, and his brother Graem Bauer, are involved in the plot. He also finds out that they were connected to the events that happened 20 months ago. After locating and diffusing one of the remaining bombs, Jack successfully rescues his nephew, Josh, from his father (who killed Graem). Philip escapes, but leaves Jack a lead to call former President Charles Logan. President Logan leads Jack to the Russian Consulate General, Anatoly Markov. Assad manages to lead CTU to Dmitri Gredenko, who provided Fayed with the bombs and is planning to arm RK-2 Arieal Drones with the three remaining bombs to attack the United States.
Assassination attempt on President Wayne Palmer: Back at the White House, President Palmer refuses to implement security measures that would suspend civil liberties, refuses to take military action against countries believed to support the attacks, and allows a former terrorist (Assad) to make a speech to the world asking people to give the U.S. information and move towards peace. As a result, Deputy Chief of Staff Reed Pollock devises a plan to assassinate the President and frame Hamri Al-Assad for the attack. Chief of Staff Tom Lennox tries to prevent the attack, but he is unsuccessful. The President's podium explodes at the end of the 11th hour, killing Assad and leaving Palmer unconscious.
Episodes 12-16: Vice President Noah Daniels assumes the powers of commander-in-chief and immediately implements the security measures and threatens to attack the Middle-Eastern country that Assad & Fayed are residents of. When Logan fails to blackmail Markov successfully into giving up Gredenko, Jack takes Markov hostage inside the Russian consulate and extracts the information himself. Jack is captured soon after discovering Gredenko & Fayed's location. President Logan convinces his ex-wife Martha to call the Russian First Lady, Anna Suvarov, who convinces Russian President Yuri Suvarov to authorize CTU action against the consulate. Jack immediately gives CTU the location of Gredenko, but it is too late, as one drone has already been launched and heads towards San Francisco. CTU manages to locate the drone pilot through a security breach at CTU (for which Nadia Yassir is blamed for, but later cleared), and Jack manages to crash land the drone. However, the bomb's nuclear core is compromised in the crash landing, releasing radiation. Daniels uses this as reasoning to launch a nuclear strike against the Middle-East. Sandra Palmer gives consent to wake President Palmer, who stops the attack and successfully fends off a challenge for the presidency by Daniels, but then, on adrenaline, he orders the attack. Jack Bauer & CTU capture Gredenko (who later apparently dies) and Fayed, but are still looking for the bombs.

[edit] Sub-plots
Abu Fayed tries to get his revenge on Jack Bauer for torturing and killing his brother. He is currently captured by CTU.
The bad relationship between National Security Advisor Karen Hayes and Chief of Staff Thomas Lennox forces Karen to resign. Karen later withdraws her resignation after the assassination attempt on President Palmer. Somewhat ironically, Hayes and Lennox find themselves allied with each other in opposition to Vice President Daniels' plans to launch nuclear weapons, though Hayes' opposition to Daniels' actions is apparently stronger. Their conflict ends when they agree to a truce after teaming up together to keep President Palmer in office.
The bad relationship between Morris O'Brian and Milo Pressman; each had been involved with Chloe O'Brian, and Morris ends up with her.
Former terrorist Hamri Al-Assad is accused of being the one detonating all of the bombs when he is really being framed and trying to create peace. He is later killed during an assassination attempt on President Palmer.
Jack Bauer is emotionally depleted after enduring 20 months of torture in China which ended just hours before Day 6 begins.
Walid Al-Rezani, boyfriend of Sandra Palmer (David and Wayne's sister), spies for the FBI inside a detention center in Washington D.C., only to be beaten and hospitalized for nothing as the suspected inmates are merely spectators.
The mysterious apparent mastermind who was seen - but not previously identified - as being behind the events of Day 5 of 24, turns out to be Jack's brother, Graem Bauer. He is killed later by his father Philip Bauer.
Phillip Bauer, Jack's father, mysteriously - but apparently intentionally - disappeared the day before the nuclear explosion in L.A. Phillip may have maintained ties with BXJ, the company from which the suitcase nukes were garnered. As a result, his affiliation with the terrorists is suspect. After killing his son Graem (to prevent him from breaking under interrogation) and trying to kill Jack, it is later revealed that he was behind Day 5's events. After closing in to kill Jack, Phillip escapes - inexplicably leaving a lead for Jack - and is still at large.
President Wayne Palmer rejects Thomas Lennox's executive orders for federal intervention in suspecting Muslim communities in front of the entire Cabinet.
Marilyn Bauer having mixed feelings when Graem Bauer dies as she has been trying to leave him for years, and appears to still have feelings for Jack, with whom she had a prior relationship.
Morris O'Brian being emotionally depleted and mired in self-pity after being tortured by Abu Fayed and forced to program a device that can arm the remaining nukes, tempting him to start drinking again. When Chloe discovers this, she is angry and horrified, but agrees not to have him relieved of duty. He later suppresses his habit by disposing his drink and focusing back on his work.
President Palmer's Deputy Chief of Staff Reed Pollock and his associate Bruce Carson plot to assassinate President Wayne Palmer using a cassette player bomb and frame Hamri Al-Assad for the deadly act. Pollock claims that Vice President Noah Daniels is not involved with the assassination plot.
Chief of Staff Thomas Lennox pretends to join them, and Pollock discovers him attempting to warn the Secret Service, so he kidnaps Lennox. Lennox pretends again to go along with the plotters and is released after the assassination attempt, but quickly turns in the two political operatives as well as himself. He is later reinstated by Vice President Noah Daniels.
President Palmer survives the blast, but is at least temporarily unable to continue his executive duties, so Vice-President Noah Daniels takes over. He later resumes his presidential duties when he is waken from his coma and stops Daniels from launching a nuclear strike against Assad's country.
Former President Charles Logan claims he has information about Dmitri Gredenko's whereabouts through the Russian Consulate in Los Angeles. With President Wayne Palmer's approval, he is temporarily released in Jack's custody and will help Jack to obtain the information on Gredenko's location. After failing to obtain the information he needs through Anatoly Markov, he turns to his ex-wife Martha Logan for help.
Martha Logan is romantically involved with ex-Secret Service agent Aaron Pierce. She has had some kind of psychological breakdown since her divorce from the former President.
Vice President Noah Daniels attempts to convince Lennox to suppress information about who was behind the assassination attempt and to lie to Hamri Al-Assad's country, telling them that it was Assad who planted the bomb to kill Palmer, in order to further Lennox's homeland security plan. Although hesitant, Lennox listens to Daniels to protect his job and lies to Assad's country's ambassador, causing Daniels to threaten them with a nuclear strike if they don't help with stopping Abu Fayed.
The bad relationship between Milo Pressman and Mike Doyle stems from their previous association in Denver. Nadia says that Doyle enjoys hurting people during her interrogation, which might be the source of their conflict. Their conflict is later resolved, however, when Doyle hands the evidence that prove Nadia's innocence back to CTU.
During the tense reunion between Charles Logan and his ex-wife Martha Logan, she becomes emotionally unstable and stabs Logan in the chest with a kitchen knife, critically injuring him or perhaps killing him.
Jack is told by Marilyn Bauer that Audrey Raines has died in a car accident in China when she was attempting to secure his release. Jack doesn't believe that it was an accident and vows to find out the truth after this crisis is over. Chloe tells him that DNA samples were sent to China to help identify the remains but has no official confirmation of this.
The trust between Abu Fayed and Dmitri Gredenko diminishes after Anatoly Markov's cover was blown, and the drone failed to reach its target. This leads Fayed to pull a gun on Gredenko, but he puts it down after realizing that Gredenko is the only one who can help him detonate the remaining bombs. Gredenko is dead after Fayed amputates his arm to try to avoid CTU detection. Nevertheless, Fayed is captured by CTU.
Though President Palmer is out of the coma, he still appears weak. So he orders Dr. Welton to inject him with adrenaline.

[edit] Preview
A 10-minute preview of Season 6 of 24 is available on the Season 5 DVD. The clip begins with a recap of Jack's capture at the end of season 5 before cutting to him now being held captive by the Chinese, 7 months later at an unidentified location. He is being tortured by several guards who inform Cheng Zhi that they are still unable to extract information from him regarding a Chinese government agent who they believe is working for the United States. Frustrated at his unwillingness to speak, the guards throw him back into his cell.

Shortly thereafter, two American covert-ops soldiers break into the complex, killing a guard, in order to free Bauer from his cell. They lead him through an outdoor complex, to a concealed vehicle nearby. After a brief chase, they come to a dark field where the men tell Jack that they will have a transport ready to pick him up shortly. The two soldiers then summon a man by the name of Hong Wai, who had been concealed in the shadows of the field, to greet Jack. Hong Wai is immediately recognizable as one of the men that Jack had been questioned about earlier, regarding the mole in their government.

As Jack flinches in recognition of Hong, several flood lights come on, and Chinese military vehicles swarm on the scene. Cheng Zhi walks into the field and thanks Bauer for his help in identifying Hong, whom he had apparently suspected all along. Zhi then executes Hong with a single shot to the head, and thanks the covert-ops agents for their role in the set-up, promising them that money will be transferred to their Swiss bank accounts. The guards are then ordered to return Jack to his cell where he will continue to be held prisoner.

Incidentally, this is the only sequence of 24 not exclusively utilizing the real time aspect of the show, with the possible exception of the flashback at the end of Day 1.

Starring: Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer), Tzi Ma (Cheng Zhi), and John Koyoma (Hong Wai).

Lost - March 28 Recap

The perfect crime: Before her life as a castaway, Nikki was an actress (working opposite this week’s guest star, Billy Dee Williams). When she wasn’t busy with her day job, she was having an affair with her much older and much richer director, Howie Zukerman. Although she professed her love for the old guy, he was nothing but a mark for her and her accomplice, Paulo. That’s right; Nikki and Paulo were criminal masterminds! They poisoned the old man and stole his diamond stash just days before boarding the doomed Oceanic flight.


The good old days: Flashback to the crash, as Shannon screamed hysterically, and the likes of Boone, Ethan and Dr. Artz were still alive. Amid the chaos, Nikki found Paulo, but she only cared about one thing: “Where’s the bag?” The bag contained Paulo’s nicotine gum and, more importantly, the diamonds. Later, Nikki got friendly with Artz, who schooled her in the Medusa spider, a variety whose pheromones could attract all the males of her species.


Personal effects: As for the current events on the island, the bodies of Nikki and Paulo were discovered. Everyone tried to make sense of it, with most fearing it was the work of the smoke monster. Trying to gather clues, Sawyer and Hurley sorted through Paulo and Nikki’s tent. They found some of Artz’s old bug collection and a working walkie-talkie, a souvenir Paulo brought back from an early trip to the Pearl Station.


Backlash: Suspecting it was the Others behind the deaths, Sun reminded the group that they would have killed her if she didn’t escape her earlier kidnapping. Charlie finally decided to come clean about the kidnapping, and how it was all Sawyer’s idea. A furious Sun approached Sawyer, who was busy prepping a double grave, and smacked him across the face. He got off easy.


Holding out: A few hours earlier, Nikki spied the nicotine gum on the beach. Knowing there’s no gum without diamonds, she devised a bizarre plan. Leading Paulo into the jungle, she confronted him about the gems. Her big plan to recover them? She tossed the Medusa spider on him. She explained that the venom would leave him paralyzed, seemingly dead, for hours. He barely had a chance to explain that he hid the diamonds from her to save their relationship, before she, too, felt a bite from one of the male spiders drawn to the scene.


Premature burial: Back to the present, Hurley and Sawyer put the finishing touches on the graveside service for Nikki and Paulo. After Hurley delivered the eulogy, Sawyer shoveled dirt over the bodies of the nearly departed. Yep, Nikki and Paulo weren’t quite dead yet. It was just the spider venom doing its thing. But the real deal wasn’t too far away. The dirt kept piling over them, as Nikki opened her eyes a little too late.

BSG spoilers and updates!

From TV Guide Feb 2, 2007

It's a Battlestar Galactica Scoopapalooza!

By now, you've heard the fraktacular news that Sci Fi has ordered a fourth season of Battlestar Galactica. Well, what you may not have heard is that producers have already lined up a big-name guest star for said fourth season that's so freakin' fraktabulus that Toasters everywhere are already strudeling on themselves in anticipation. The high-profile casting is one of several scoopy tidbits that executive producer David Eick spilled to me in this exclusive interview…

Ausiello: Clear something up for me: Will the fourth season consist of 13 or 22 episodes?
David Eick: At this point, I'm so confused about what I can say and what I can't say, I don't even know what to tell you. I would just ask [Sci Fi] that question, because it seems like there are so many moving parts to the answer to that question. [A Sci Fi rep says the exact number of episodes is still "under negotiation."]

Ausiello: Were you on pins and needles waiting for the pick-up?
Eick: I was not on pins and needles. I don't know if I'd say it was a foregone conclusion, but I was not on pins and needles because the network has always used as much time as they had to weigh the decision very carefully, not just in terms of whether they wanted it, but in terms of how to make sure we maintain the quality both economically and from a marketing standpoint. And those are big questions. It's a basic cable show that costs a great deal of money to produce. So those aren't slam-dunk answers. I'm actually glad we took the time to figure it out, 'cause what you don't want is for someone to come tell you, "OK, you're renewed. But the bad news is, we don't have the money to make your show." Or, "We don't have the money to market your show." Or, "You have to make the show differently." And, fortunately, because they took that time, we're gonna continue making the show just as we have, and I believe the marketing support will also be as strong.

Ausiello: In light of the renewal, is it safe to assume that the BSG movie is a go?
Eick: It's green light was predicated on this fourth season order, so that means we're making it. They're calling it a "bonus episode." It'll come between the end of Season 3 and the beginning of Season 4.

Ausiello: Which is the bigger episode — the one airing March 4, or the season finale on March 25?
Eick: I would say it's two sides of the same coin. What happens in the March 4 episode will greatly influence and inform what happens in the cliff-hanger. The last four episodes all kind of tie together as a piece. But I would say that Episode 16 and Episode 19 are the two tentpoles, and are really the most shocking and revelatory.

Ausiello: And what about 17 and 18?
Eick: That's where we continue the storyline [surrounding] Baltar's trial — establishing who is going to defend him and who is going to prosecute him, what the nature of the case will involve, how the judging works. We're trying to piece together some judiciary system amidst what are basically 12 disparate colonial points of view with different sets of laws, and that in and of itself presents a lot of problems. I can tell you that Adama's gonna find himself in what he believes at first will be a greatly advantageous position when it comes to the prosecution of Baltar. And we'll later realize he may've wished he hadn't.

Ausiello: Can you confirm that a major character will be revealed as a Cylon before the end of the season
Eick: Yes. And I wouldn't limit it to just that revelation. There are other revelations as well. But that's certainly one of them.

Ausiello: What are the others?
Eick: Well, I can't tell you 'cause they wouldn't be revelations.

Ausiello: And what about the other four Cylons?
Eick: [Answer appears in tomorrow's Ask Ausiello. Sorry, a guy's gotta cross-promote where he can.]

Ausiello: Will there be any movement in the Starbuck/Apollo romance in these last batch of episodes?
Eick: I would say the events of Episodes 16 and 19 will greatly impact the nature of their romance.

Ausiello: Sci Fi is teasing a major death on the show. Rumor has it it's Starbuck. I know you can't confirm that, but can you tell me that a series regular won't be returning for the fourth season?
Eick: It's fair to say that there will be definitely be changes to the cast in Season 4.

Ausiello: Are you viewing the fourth season as a possible wrap-up to the series?
Eick: I'm not sure about that yet. That's always a possibility, but no more or less than it was a possibility at the end of Season 3.

Ausiello: What's the status of the BSG spin-off, Caprica?
Eick: We're due to hear back from the network in March about whether they plan to go forward with that as a filmed pilot. We're very hopeful that with this pickup that gives us some wind that Caprica's back.

Ausiello: What's your gut telling you?
Eick: I would say it's pretty positive, because of the support for Battlestar, but also because it represents a pretty strident departure from the kind of show Battlestar is. Not that Sci Fi doesn't like the kind of show that Battlestar is, but I think if you're going to do a spin-off, you can do Xena or Stargate Atlantis, which are sort of variations of the same theme as their predecessors, or you can say, "OK, you had M*A*S*H, and then you had Trapper John, MD. Or you had Mary Tyler Moore and then Lou Grant. So I think this is more in the spirit of taking a portion of the mythos, the backstory of Battlestar Galactica, and then advancing it in a completely new direction with a different style and tone and just an overall different kind of show than Battlestar Galactica.

Ausiello: OK, last question: As you know, the BSG movie wasn't the only thing that hinged on that fourth season order. I'm reffering, of course, to my guest appearance.
Eick: Someone just reminded me of that.

Ausiello: It's probably a little premature, but have you and Ron Moore been batting around ideas for my character?
Eick: Yes. We definitely talked a great deal about how that character's untimely demise would be one of the more exciting aspects of your journey.