Friday, September 01, 2006

BSG Season 3 updates (3 articles)

Thursday, August 31
Season three - an early look

Source: TV Squad

Battlestar Galactica season three -- an early look

When I returned home last night, a package awaited me that I later knew would most definitely define a good portion of the near midnight hours of my night; a large, thin, hard bound book containing beautiful pictures, text and DVDs for the first four episodes of Battlestar Galactica's third season.

It's extremely difficult to tell you too much about the new season and the episodes I watched without spoiling things for you, especially when I'm such a hardcore member of Spoilers Anonymous as it is. Sorry in advance if I'm giving too little or too much away, but I think this will be a good start to get you even more excited for the new season, which starts Friday, October 6.

Let me start by saying that you won't be disappointed. I admit I was afraid things were going to be pretty sketchy this season, with the show's creators taking a leap of faith by transplanting the series a year into the future. I'm extremely pleased at how well it's working, and there are lots of hints of promise for what's to come.

The opening scenes of the two-hour premiere (called "Occupation / Precipice") are almost poetic, and they definitely give you that excited feeling that "holy crap, BSG is back!" That haunting, ethereal music, teasing shots of people we've come to know on the show. It only keeps getting better.

The opening credit scenes, though they looked a little unfinished, are a bit different than last season. In the opening "they have a plan" intro, they've thrown in a few scenes from last season. During the opening credits scene, they've stuck with the format of teasing us with future scenes from the episode, while also changing the scenes prior to those teases. Nothing major, but they're there.

My tired eyes only allowed me to watch the two-hour premiere, the following episode and about ten minutes of the next. Oh, you can bet your ass I'll be finishing up the last two episodes tonight. But here's some teases I can give you from what I did see without giving anything too spoilery away:

We start about 134 days later than we last left the show. I'm reasonably sure this isn't news, but I can now confirm it. The colonials have been living amongst the Cylons for all this time, and you'll see all that's changed because of it. And I think there are things that will surprise you.

Someone who many suspected to be a Cylon last season looks not to be one. It's not explicitly stated, but when you see just the opening minutes of the two-hour season premiere, you'll likely come to the same conclusion.

Starbuck's situation will surprise you. Not only will her whereabouts surprise you, but when Starbuck meets someone named Casey, you may be surprised at her reactions toward her.

Lee Adama's state of body and mind is a bit shocking. Remember, he's back on Galactica and Pegasus with his father and a paltry skeleton crew. He hasn't had a whole lot of motivation, to say the least.

Colonel Tigh isn't taking things laying down. Maybe it's just me, but I've always felt Tigh acted very much like an old seasoned sea captain, who'd take no crap from the bad elements thrown at him. I was disappointed when we saw a lot of his weak side on Galactica in the past two seasons, especially when he couldn't do a whole lot without Adama around. He's acting more like that seasoned sea captain now, along with the battle scars to earn it. Put it this way -- the promo pictures for season three showing Saul aren't quite accurate (yet, at least).

There are dogs on New Caprica. Not really a spoiler, but I found it odd that there was a domesticated dog on the planet, when they've only been there less than two years. Did they really have dogs on Galactica?

I'll leave you with that for now. I'm sure there will be more to mention once I watch the two-parter I've already started (and then the following episode after that). I'll leave those for my next Spoilers Anonymous entry, though I'll be just as cryptic if not moreso.

So yes, be excited for season three. Very excited.

posted by Blade Runner @ 15:02

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Wednesday, August 30
Season 3 promotion Images

The marketing department of Sci-Fi have released 33 very high resolution promotional images of the main cast of Battlestar Galactica ready for the Season 3 premiere on October 6th.

To view all these images please visit the Season 3 Gallery of Galactica Station and be prepared to wait for them to load

posted by Blade Runner @ 05:45
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Ron Moore's Blog Updated

August 29, 2006

Source: Sci-Fi.com

Big Scary Disasters and You

It was a year ago, as I watched the Katrina coverage, that I first thought about doing this blog entry. Now that we're on the first anniversary of that catastrophe, it seems like as good a time as any to at least talk about this subject.

The subject is the one most likely to inspire yawns and rolling of eyes, so ready your mouse to click onto something else: Disaster Preparedness.

Still awake?

Okay, look, I'm not writing this because I've been sentenced to doing PSA's off some DUI conviction or something, but I do work on a show that's premised on the idea of an apocalyptic event actually happening to group of people and their struggle to survive in its aftermath, and so the idea of being ready for the unexpected does actually occur to me on occasion.

I won't make this a rant or a sermon, but I will ask anyone reading this blog to take at least a moment to think about the idea that maybe, just maybe, something really bad can happen to you and the people in your life that you care about. Your life can be upended by any one of a litany of disasters and in that moment of maximum peril, the one thought that should NOT be going through your head is, "I wish I had thought about this ahead of time."

And don't think for a moment that just because you don't live in a hurricane area or an earthquake zone or next to a potential terrorist target that something bad can't happen to you. It can. Houses burn, cars crash, and sometimes things just fall out of the frakking sky. That's life and it sucks, but you can at least help yourself by waking up to the idea that bad things happen to good people all the time and that means YOU.

Get some supplies. Get a plan. Get a clue.

There are plenty of websites out there to help you, I'm not going to hold your hand and give you a list of things to do. Battlestar Galactica is all about the precious few survivors of a holocaust and how they cope with the reality of their lives in its aftermath. Give yourself a fighting chance to be a survivor.

Get some supplies. Get a plan. Get a clue.

Thank you. This site will now return to its regularly (or intermittently) scheduled programming.

posted by Blade Runner @ 05:03


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Death comes to BSG
August 29, 2006

Source: Sci-Fi Wire

Ronald D. Moore, executive producer of SCI FI Channel's original series Battlestar Galactica, told fans that the upcoming third season of the hit SF series could see some fatalities among the characters. "Oh, there're some changes in the air," Moore said at the 64th World Science Fiction Convention, or WorldCon, in Anaheim, Calif., over the weekend. "We're going to lose some people this year. Not all of our friends are going to make it all the way." Moore declined to be specific, but said that the show's writers have finished breaking the story arc for the end of the upcoming third season.

Moore added that the upcoming season 2.5 DVD set will include a special 90-minute version of the episode "Pegasus," which ran only 60 minutes in the original broadcast. In addition, fresh material in the form of specially filmed "webisodes," Battlestar Galactica: The Resistance, will air on SCIFI.COM's SCI FI Pulse broadband network twice weekly, starting Sept. 5. The two- or three-minute shorts will serve as a lead-in to the new season and, although not essential to the plot, will enhance the viewing experience.

Moore was joined at WorldCon by executive producer Mark Verheiden, supervising producer Michael Taylor, story editor Anne Cofell Saunders, producers David Weddle and Bradley Thompson and SCIFI.COM senior vice president Craig Engler in screening a trailer for and talking about the upcoming season.

When asked whether the show was still true to his initial vision, Moore said he felt it was on track, but that there had been surprises along the way, from both writers and actors, that made both the storyline and the characters richer.

"One of the great things about writing for Ron is you do feel empowered to try things, and it doesn't have to be ... what was in the story outline," Weddle said. "I'm sure many of you remember in season two, where Callie shoots Boomer. That was never in an outline. That wasn't a planned moment. ... [Writer] Toni Graphia called Brad [Thompson] and [me] one day and said, 'You know, I think I want Callie to shoot Boomer.'"

Moore agreed: "There's nothing like reading a script and being surprised," he said of his reaction to the change. "It's the experience of watching the show." Season three of Battlestar Galactica begins airing Oct. 6. Galactica will air Fridays at 9 p.m. ET/PT

posted by Blade Runner @ 17:25

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