Source: Saturn Awards

The Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror films has announced the nominations for the 33rd Annual Saturn Awards. Leading the pack is Bryan Singer's homage to the superhero mythos "Superman Returns" with 10 nominations. Garnering 6 nominations each, are "X-Men: The Last Stand" and Guillermo del Toro's "Pan's Labyrinth," which received its nod in the restored category of Best International Film. Following closely behind are an eclectic mix: "Casino Royale," "Mission Impossible III," "Perfume: The Story of a Murderer," "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest," and "Stranger Than Fiction," receiving 5 nominations each.

Warner Bros. Pictures flexed its muscles and led all film studios with a total of 21 nominations. Also with strong showings were Sony Pictures and 20th Century Fox with 15 and 13 nominations, respectively. Buena Vista plundered 11 nominations and MGM had a new license to kill with 8, followed closely by Picturehouse with 6 nominations and Lionsgate and Universal with 5 nominations each.

In the television categories, "Lost" continued to find nominations, receiving a total of 6. NBC's newcomer "Heroes" burst onto the scene, earning 5 nominations, followed closely by Sci Fi's "Battlestar Galactica" and Showtime's "Dexter," each garnering 4 nominations, while TNT's "The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines" discovered 3 nominations.

A Special Recognition Award will be presented to the imaginative children's book "Alien Xmas" written by Stephen Chiodo & Jim Strain, and published by Baby Tattoo Books.

This year marks the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films' 35th Anniversary. The non-profit organization was founded in 1972 by film historian, Dr. Donald A. Reed. The Academy is currently headed by Robert Holguin, who serves as President of the Academy.

The winners will be announced at this year's 33rd Annual Saturn Awards which takes place on Thursday, May 10, 2007 in Universal City. Hosting the event will be actor Greg Grunberg and comedian Jeffrey Ross. Grunberg is one of the stars of the highly popular NBC Universal television series, "Heroes" (and is nominated for his work on the show). Jeffrey Ross is one of the leading stand-up comedians whose brand of humor shines in roasts. Special Award recipients will be announced shortly.

Source: Bear's Blog

This was a tricky episode. It centers on Adama as he remembers (and "speaks with") his ex-wife, Carolanne, on their anniversary. This plot makes way for Tyrol and Cally's life-threatening situation in an airlock. The challenge was to integrate the stories together, since they are related: Adama's guilt about his own family is magnified when he sees the loyalty and love between Cally and Tyrol.

We've never gotten a good look at Carolanne before (her only previous appearance was in an Act of Contrition funeral flashback, sobbing behind a veil... it wasn't even the same actress), but I wanted it to seem like her spirit had always been present, on the back of Adama's mind. If I wrote a brand new theme from scratch, it would feel jarring and awkward, as if this were some random character being forced into the story. Instead, I incorporated Richard Gibbs' theme from the 2003 miniseries:

This simple theme (essentially a mixolydian scale) has been heard once or twice on the new series, but it never really fit in with the dark aesthetic of the show. However, it's longing and warm tone fit this episode perfectly. It would also be distantly familiar to all the fans, and help unite Carolanne with the series. This was music we haven't heard for several years, being used as Adama thinks back about a woman he hasn't seen for years.

I also used a very simple musical device to create the impression that Carolanne is more present in Adama's mind than the cameras can convey. I created a transitional motive with claves and wood sticks, an accelerating and then decelerating pattern that was used to introduce her flashbacks:

(A quick contemporary music lesson: This technique is called "Feathered Beaming." It's used to imply changes in speed, without being rhythmically precise. I also used this rhythmic effect in "Fragged" as well as the film "Rest Stop.")

Once this unique sound and rhythmic pattern had been established for Carolanne, I could then use it in scenes where we don't actually see her face, to imply that Adama is still thinking about her. For example, we hear it echoing in the distance as Adama watches Cally and Tyrol embrace in the airlock.

Essentially, the entire score to A Day in the Life was built from Gibbs' 2003 miniseries theme and the Tyrol / Cally Love Theme (click here for musical details), with the "Carolanne" claves rhythm providing transitions and accents.

Next week's episode, Dirty Hands, has a fun original theme featuring dobro and electric bass. And I just today finished composing the last cue for Maelstrom. That episode is going to blow you guys away!

So Say We All,

-Bear

Source: TV Blend

To paraphrase Voltaire, the enemy of the great isn't mediocrity; the enemy of the great is good enough. Living each day, and going through the monotony can be the greatest detriment to your job, relationships, or life. This week on 'Battlestar Galactica' we see how potentially devastating such a mindset can become. As the fleet goes through the same routine for 40 plus days, things are bound to slip. The episode also takes place on the anniversary of Admiral Adama's wedding to his ex-wife Carol Ann. Even as things enter a deep rut, we see for a brief moment that Lee is truly stepping up as his father's son.

Chief, bored with the banality of duty, simply wants to spend time with his wife. The life they had dreamed of, and the family they wanted to have is just not working out the way the Tyrol family planned. Of course, anyone should be able to tell them that sometimes that's the way life goes. In the moment, you're not analyzing your actions. So, when Chief orders Callie to join him in the repair of Hanger Bay 12 there's really no need to question the call.

While in the Hanger Bay, the airlock doors close. This signals that a pressure leak has occurred, which in turn means the men who did the patch job on the hull got lazy. As the couple struggle for life, Adama and a team come up with a daring rescue plan. Because of the damage to the ship, the manual override for the doors is not responding. The only way to get them out before they die is through the front door. A Raptor is sent out to wait with open arms. The hatch is blown open, and Chief and Callie are sent out the airlock. Instead of the desolation of space, they are caught by the Raptor. Chief is the first to begin recovery, and when he takes Nicky over to see his mom in the hyperbaric chamber he promises his wife that they will find a balance and raise Nicky together.

For most of the day Adama is preoccupied with thoughts of his ex-wife. The woman we meet throughout the episode is a part of his imagination, and the Admiral's thoughts are of the loving kind. We don't get a true sense of who this woman was, but we do glean a bit about how she affected Adama. When Lee tells his father that after Adama abandoned them things were not great, the Carol Ann in the great Commander's memory shifts. Apollo lets us in on her other side, that she was a heavy drinker and prone to wild mood swings. As much as he loved his wife, the chaos she brought was intolerable to him. I enjoyed watching as Adama reminisced about they're time together, even as he realized that it wasn't all good. It really brought forth the relationship that is beginning to develop between Adama and Roslyn.

If Carol Ann was uncontrolled, then Roslyn is her polar opposite. At the end of the episode as the two leaders sit and talk about their fondest memories of New Caprica there's a real connection between them. But it's when Roslyn acknowledges that at the moment they have duties to perform where I think Adama consciously begins to realize that this woman is not the mess his ex-wife was. The President of the Colonies knows when and where duty takes precedence over personal matters, and that's something Adama can respect and understand. It'll be interesting now that they've begun this journey to see where it takes them, if anywhere. The pressing needs of the fleet may keep them apart for the foreseeable future. Then again, Roslyn does want to have that cabin.

Throughout the show's run we've seen examples of great leadership from both these characters. The requirement of putting aside their personal lives can weigh heavily on any leader. We see, this week, that Adama takes at least one day of the year to reflect on his own life. Even though there isn't the time right now to do what you want, there's hope that at some point there will be. When Admiral Adama sends his son the law books that belonged to grandpa Adama he includes a note that says, "For that day when we all have the time." It's a touching moment where we see in Lee's face the truth of his father's love. Most of us try and strike a balance in our lives, for people like Roslyn and Adama the scales will always be tipped. Yet, there's always a mystery novel to get them through or the promise of one day letting themselves enjoy a day together at a cabin, and all that entails.

This week's episode of 'Battlestar Galactica' was a nice personal one. Not much really happened, but we did get to enjoy some familial moments. Unfortunately, I did feel the whole thing came across as a bit wishy-washy. Hey, I thought the episode was good but I can't help but remember some older episodes where such a storyline was handled a little more expertly. Seriously, I'd like the show get back to the space chase. It's the episodes that blend the sci-fi with the real world problems which work the best.

In terms of moments, for me the best was Lee's speech to the pilots. He berates them for counting the days since Cylons were last seen (not counting Six and Athena of course). "One is the only number you should be thinking of," he tells them. It was a small thing, but in the face of the boredom that's come over the fleet seeing Major Adama's comprehension of the disaster that may occur tomorrow and stopping it today was great. As Admiral Adama said, Lee is really coming into his own.

What did you think of this week's episode? Are you ready for the chase to get back under way? Do you think that someone should draw a glaring eye on Col. Tigh's flesh colored eye patch?

Source: Tachyon TV

Featuring the vocal stylings of Cylon Dion

The producers of Battlestar Galactica have seized upon the recent renewal for a fourth series by announcing their most ambitious and surprising project yet - BSG: The Musical. Provisionally opening on Broadway in June 2008, the all-singing, all-dancing spectacular hopes to follow in the footsteps of such unlikely spin-off musical successes as The Producers, Spamalot and Stargate on Ice: The Sequel. Musical director Ron Moore is tight-lipped, but Tachyon TV can confirm that the show will be a condensed version of the television narrative, and that existing pop songs will be adapted lyrically for the show. The following tunes are already in the can:

* 'My Heart Will Go On (As Long As I'm in Range of A Resurrection Ship)'
* 'Tigh Your Motherfracker Down'
* 'Les Miserable Frackers'
* 'The Hills of Caprica Are Alive with the Sound of Nuclear Explosions'
* 'Helo, Is It Me You're Looking For...?'
* 'I Lost My Heart To A Colonial Trooper'
* 'Viper at the Gates of Dawn'
* 'Billy, Don't Be A Hero'

In addition to these break-out pop-hits Adama will growl his way through 'Wanderin' Battlestar' ("I'm in command, of a wanderin' Battlestar/ I'm in sole command of a wanderin' Battlestar/ Cylons try to shoot me, think I'm gonna crack/ I've never seen a Base Star that didn't look better lookin' back...").

Adama will also sing a heartfelt love song to President Roslin ('Tell Laura I Love Her') and Colonel Tigh will serenade his dead wife Ellen with 'Don't It Make My Brown Eye Blue'. Meanwhile, Baltar is set to croon a medley of tracks - 'You Were Always In My Mind'. 'I Can't Get You Out Of My Head' and 'Lady in Red' - to Number 6, while 'Boom-Bang-a-Boomer' is set to bring the house down when when Sharon shoots Adama at point blank range.

Moore has confirmed that the musical has lost none of the parent show's edge: "We are warning patrons that the first 16 rows may be covered in entrails".

Source: BoxofficeProphets

In the Battlestar Galactica's second and third seasons, with the Humans still on the run from the Cylons, we watched them deal with the discovery of another Battlestar crew, more infiltrations from Cylon spies, the discovery of a potential new home, and one of the biggest and more daring reboots of a TV series we've ever seen.

Show runner Ron Moore was also unafraid to tackle the big questions, turning the show into a sometimes maddening ethical debate. And the slippery, morally ambiguous character of Gaius Baltar continued to show us why James Callis is one of the best actors on TV. This is what great sci-fi is meant to be and the reason Battlestar Galactica is our choice for Best TV Show.

Sliding in just behind it is NBC's The Office, which moves up one slot from last year. The adaptation of the brilliant BBC series really came into its own this year, with Steve Carell's boss from hell role as Michael Scott becoming the breakout comedy character of television. His cartoonish antics have made the show "Must See Through Fingers" TV, as we cringe in anticipation of his next incredibly insensitive or just plain buffoonish remark. The strength of the show remains the ensemble, though, filling it to the brim with "blink and you'll miss it" hilarity. Additionally, the Jim/Pam romance expanded to the Jim/Pam/Karen love triangle, providing the show with a realistic heart seldom seen elsewhere on TV.

Third place goes to another NBC show, Friday Night Lights. Based on the 2004 movie, which was in turn based on a 1990 book, Friday Night Lights follows the lives of the Dillon Panthers, a West Texas high school football team. Much more than a simple high school and sports series, it gets into the heart of a dead-end town. Are they obsessed with football because there's nothing else in the town, or is there nothing in the town because they're so obsessed? It's not an easy answer. It's raw human drama and features some of the most real, recognizable characters on TV today. This show may not be long for this world, so catch it while you can.

Fourth place is taken up by My Name is Earl, yet another show from NBC. Earl Hickey, played by Jason Lee, continued on his quest to make up for all his past wrong doings, exploring the wide world of karma on his way to become a better man. Few sitcoms are as inventive as Earl, which this year flashed back to Y2K, deported one of its main characters to Mexico, and sent another one to jail as a part of a wildly misguided revenge-inspired theft. Something akin to a live-action version of the Simpsons, My Name is Earl is a brilliant but heartfelt satire of American life with more laugh-out-loud moments than just about anything on TV.

The first pay cable series on our list comes in at fifth. Entourage's third season saw Vinny Chase rise to superstardom with the record breaking Aquaman movie (Hey, it's fiction. Anything can happen), then quickly throw it all away by refusing to sign on for a sequel. His turbulent rise and fall through Hollywood, along with his crew of childhood friends made for some of the best "inside baseball" of the year, and who doesn't enjoy Jeremy Piven's Ari Gold?

Veronica Mars slipped a bit in our rankings to sixth spot after being our runner-up last year. The brilliant first season proved a tough act to follow, and the conclusion to the second season provided a bitter split among BOP staffers as to its satisfaction. The third season sent Veronica to college and continued her on-again/off-again/on-again (...well, you get the picture) romance with Logan Echolls, once her bitter enemy. A gripping mid-season finale proved that Rob Thomas's show still had the right stuff and gave us hope for the lone CW show that made our list.

The third member of NBC's Thursday night comedy lineup to make our list is Scrubs (and we're warming up to 30 Rock). There hasn't been this powerful a comedy lineup since Jell-O Pudding Pops were popular. While the antics of the doctors at Sacred Heart Hospital remain outlandish and JD's fantasy sequences as wild as ever, Scrubs has matured as a series, along with its characters, and is capable at times of delivering a punch to the stomach, something uncommon for a show that has featured a song about poo.

Eighth spot goes to The Wire, a newcomer to this list. One of the most critically acclaimed shows that almost no one watches, it's the HBO series that gets lost in the hype surrounding The Sopranos, Rome, Entourage, well, you name it. Even Arli$$ got more press than The Wire. A gritty crime drama set in Baltimore, from the makers of Homicide: Life on the Street, The Wire gets down and dirty into the world of drugs and inner-city crime. It's style stresses realism to sometimes devastating effect. Those who do watch the show almost invariably end up calling it the best thing on TV.

Last year's number one show on our list, Deadwood, slips to ninth spot this year. After the positively brilliant and at-times Shakespearian heights of its second season, it was bound to have a bit of a letdown. However, the adventures in rough and tumble 19th century South Dakota, with the operatic profanity of Al Swearengen and crew, still made for fantastic viewing.

Rounding out our list of ten is Aaron Sorkin's return to TV, Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, and NBC's fifth show to make our list. Going behind the scenes of a Saturday Night Live-esque variety show, Studio 60 brought Sorkin's sparkling dialogue into the world of sketch comedy. At times a frustrating show, it has nevertheless reached incredible heights during its brief run so far.

Some of the shows that just missed the cut here include the superpowered Heroes, the medical drama Gray's Anatomy, the serial killer drama Dexter, the increasingly frustrating Lost, and Doctor Who, a staple of sci-fi.

Top 10
Total Points
1 Battlestar Galactica 53
2 The Office 50
3 Friday Night Lights 43
4 My Name is Earl 38
5 Entourage 37
6 Veronica Mars 36
7 Scrubs 34
8 The Wire 33
9 Deadwood 30
10 Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip 27

Source: Scifi.com

SCI FI Channel announced that it has renewed its Peabody-winning original series Battlestar Galactica, ordering 13 new episodes. Production will resume this summer in Vancouver, Canada, with an eye toward a January 2008 premiere.

The decision comes after the series' successful move to a new 10 p.m. timeslot on Sundays. Since moving, Battlestar Galactica's audience has grown over its third-season average by 8 percent in total viewers, by double digits in female viewers, by 19 percent in the show's target demographic of adults aged 18-49 and by 14 percent in adults 25-54. The Jan. 28 episode, "Taking a Break From All Your Worries," delivered 2.5 million total viewers and 1.6 million adults 18-49, the largest audience for any episode since the season-two premiere.

"We're thrilled to bring Battlestar back for another season," Mark Stern, SCI FI's executive vice president of programming, said in a statement. "This series has delivered on every level, from the writing to the acting to the production values. SCI FI is proud to be the home of the best show on television."

The series is from NBC Universal Television Studio and is executive-produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick. Its cast is led by Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park. Battlestar recently returned with the second half of its third original season, immediately following SCI FI's newest original series, The Dresden Files.

"While we never had any doubt that SCI FI would get behind a fourth season of Battlestar, it's thrilling to finally make it official, and for Ron and I to continue using this great genre to investigate the darker corners of society, politics and humanity," executive producer David Eick said in a statement.

Source: Sarah Kuhn, Back Stage West

"Battlestar Galactica," the Sci Fi Channel's gritty reimagining of the 1970s classic, is known for sinking its teeth into big, soul-altering issues ... life, death, religion, war ... and exploring the darkest corners of the human heart. The show somehow manages to rip our guts out each and every week, and yet none of it would work if it weren't anchored by two of the most deliciously complex performances currently gracing the small screen.

As Admiral William Adama and President Laura Roslin, Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell are the series' tent-poles, leading humanity's dwindling band of survivors in the quest for Earth. Both actors were, of course, well-known before their turns on "Galactica," which is currently in its third season. Olmos' credits range from his scene-stealing, Emmy-winning role on "Miami Vice" to films such as "Blade Runner" and "Stand and Deliver," for which he received an Oscar nomination. As a director, he recently helmed the critically acclaimed HBO movie "Walkout." McDonnell, meanwhile, has been nominated for two Academy Awards: for her breakout role in 1990's "Dances With Wolves" and for her searing, prickly performance as a wheelchair-bound soap star in John Sayles' "Passion Fish." Her wide array of credits ranges from "Independence Day" and "Donnie Darko" to an Emmy-nominated recurring turn on "ER."

Recently the duo chatted with us about chemistry, close-ups and leaving the intense world of "Galactica" behind at the end of the day.

Back Stage West: Were either of you familiar with the original "Battlestar Galactica" when you heard about the new series?

Mary McDonnell: I was not familiar with it; I was only familiar by name, because it was airing during a time when I lived in New York without a television. I was doing plays at night, and I never saw it. Certainly I was familiar with the cult of it.

Edward James Olmos: I was in the same (boat). I was doing theater. I was doing "Zoot Suit," and I did it for three straight years. We were onstage six nights a week, only off on Mondays, and I don't think it was on on Mondays. (Laughs)

McDonnell: I've still never seen an episode. I've decided not to look, because my character didn't exist in the last one. I felt it would really be more beneficial to my character and her perception to have every single one of these ideas new to her. I didn't want to have any ideas of Adama and Starbuck (characters featured in both series), because (Roslin) didn't have any connection to them at all. They sent (the first script) to me, and they told me that Eddie was reading it. I heard about it at Sardi's at lunch, that they had sent me it, and it just made me giggle. I didn't put myself together with it at all.

Olmos: I didn't either.

McDonnell: But I always read an offer. And I read it that night, and I went, "Oh, dear. I have to do this." I found it so compelling. And I eventually found out Ed was agreeing to do it, so that made a huge difference to me.

Olmos: I was the same, basically. There was a story that drew me in, especially with the mindset that one has after 9/11. You had a whole different perspective on the end of the world, that whole philosophy. What Ron Moore ("Galactica" executive producer) did before you read the piece, he put three pages at the beginning. It was like a mission statement, kind of. It told you a little bit about how it was going to be shot. The script was very powerful. It was completely different. It was very much in the realm of "Blade Runner," rather than in the realm of the kind of "Star Wars," "Star Trek" opera that I was used to seeing in the genre, that had really permeated the genre since the early '70s. So when I talked to Ron and David (Eick, executive producer), we talked about "Blade Runner," and I said, "There was a door that was opened there that nobody ever walked in. Everybody walked through the door of 'Star Wars,' but nobody walked through the door of 'Blade Runner.'" I said, "If you really want to do that, then I'm game to join up, but I'm going to be very honest: The first four-eyed creature I see, I'll faint. I will faint on camera, and I will be off the show." I just didn't want to go that route. I didn't want to act against those kind of situations; I didn't have the time to do that. So we went into this with a 9/11 perspective and mindset with a very strong understanding of "Blade Runner."

This third season has been truly the best television I've ever been involved with in my life, to date. I can't even compare it to anything I've ever done. The closest thing is "American Family," actually. "Miami Vice" doesn't even compare. It's a whole different intent; there's no way of comparing the drama of "Miami Vice" and the drama that we're trying here. This is closer to, say, "West Wing" or "ER" or "NYPD Blue," where the human drama is so intense that you're just sucked into the story. This one, it's even more poignant than that because the stakes are so much higher. I've never seen a show like this in my life, ever.

I love the chemistry between your characters, not just romantically, but as colleagues and friends. Is that something that happened naturally between the two of you?

Olmos: I think that the chemistry is natural, of course. You're supposed to be professional enough and have the technique to induce any kind of feeling that needs to be worked on. But you better have some kind of a feeling for the person you're working with because inevitably it's going to come out in your performance.

McDonnell: Good or bad.

Olmos: Good or bad, it comes out, and you can feel it. In this case, I was very, very grateful that they got Mary and that Mary allowed herself to do this kind of program. We both went outside of ourselves to do it. I mean, her (and I coming) together under the banner of "Battlestar Galactica" makes no sense at all. You don't associate Mary McDonnell or Edward James Olmos with "Battlestar Galactica." The chemistry that I felt being involved with Mary and then watching her work, it was beautiful. It was so easy to get real with this whole scene and just lock into what I do, the kind of work that I like to do and I find myself most effective in, and that's a real strong sincerity and a commitment that's 100 percent. It happened in "Miami Vice"; that was a crazy cop show, and they allowed me to create this character. And here they did the same thing, they gave me artistic control of the character, so that's been pretty nice. And Mary has total control of her (character), too.

McDonnell: Well, I take control. (Laughs) I think one of the things I enjoy about this chemistry is that Ed is powerful enough for me. But given the character I had to play, there had to be somebody opposite me who allowed me to be interested in them on every level in order to have this relationship and these power plays that go on. So I'm really deeply grateful that it's Ed, because he's a powerhouse. I would not be able to maximize this situation if I wasn't playing opposite someone that powerful. For me, it's been a real gift.

Do either of you have a favorite scene from the series so far?

McDonnell: I have arcs that are favorites. I don't really have favorite scenes. Except, in terms of scenes with Ed, I do have a favorite scene, and that was the last scene we had together at the end of last season (in which Roslin confesses to rigging the presidential election). We sat there, the two of us, with everything that had happened up until that point, in the room. I could feel the whole two years leading to that moment, sitting there in the room. I just felt the reality of the series in that scene. So I'm particularly tickled by that. To me, they're all so interesting a lot of the time, but when the story, the big story, somehow plunks itself into the chemistry of the scene and this whole thing starts to vibe, that's when I get very excited.

Olmos: I would agree. I've had some extraordinary scenes, real human, dramatic scenes that I've never experienced before in any show. Scenes with Mary have always been very rewarding, very fulfilling in all respects. I don't care if it's just me coming in and asking her for something; it's always very interesting, what happens. Because we bring along everything. As seasoned artists, you bring in all that you've learned and everything you're experiencing right at the moment. The (scenes) that I think have been most difficult for me have been a couple of major deaths that have happened. There's some very tragic, tragic things happening (on the show), you just can't get around it. I think one of the strongest emotional experiences I've had has been with Katee Sackhoff (who plays Starbuck), when she decided to tell me that she had actually put my son Zak into the pilot's seat without him being really ready for that, that she's responsible for his death, and I just couldn't take it. I lost it. I came within inches of literally tearing her apart myself from anger. And you see it. She didn't expect that. She expected something more fatherly than that kind of a knee-jerk reaction. It was very difficult to do.

Who didn't expect it ... Katee or Starbuck?

Olmos: Starbuck. Well, Katee didn't either, because we only did it once. In scenes like that, we shoot all of our close-ups first, and that's sometimes opposite of how most people like to work, but I don't see us being able to do this for 10 takes or 20 takes. I just don't know anybody that wants to go there that many times.

This show explores such dark territory. How do you leave that behind at the end of the day ... or do you?

McDonnell: Well, sometimes these people are easy to leave behind because they are so intense and the situation is so awful. So by the time you jump in the car, you're so happy to be free. And quite often, he and I are dashing to the airport, so within an hour, we're on a plane on phones, doing our home lives, being back as parents. Fortunately we're both parents, and we're lucky that we are. We both have beautiful, beautiful families that are very much alive and well in Los Angeles (the show shoots in Vancouver, B.C.) and very much need us. It would be awful to be playing these people without that. I get back into my family life so fast, and I don't think about (Roslin) again unless I have to read a script while I'm at home. The first year, though, I have to say, she permeated my dreams. The apocalyptic nature of the situation got into my dreams. I had a very hard time. I went to therapy a little bit and just did a little bit of work on it to figure out how to let her get stronger while I got further away from her. It's easier now, for me.

Olmos: It's never easy (for me), because once you've opened that emotion, you've opened up a can of worms. You went there. It's in the now; you've done it. As much as you want to say, "It's an act," really, the whole reason for doing this is to be in the now. Moment to moment, it's all there and you're really there. I've found this year extremely hard to leave behind. I'm on the verge of emotional breakdown. I'll be watching my daughter or I'll be watching my sons or whatever, I'll be talking to somebody, I'll be watching a film, (and) boom, my emotions just come pouring; I just can't keep them down. Because I'm so in need of that to do the work that we're doing that I can't just turn it off and then walk away from it and then have to regroup to have to get back into that feeling. So I stay there. Not that I stay thinking about it, but emotionally I'm as vulnerable right now as I am when I'm working. It's not easy, because you're constantly emotionally taken aback by these feelings. I can't walk away from it anymore, so I don't try.

McDonnell: You know, I think it's very interesting to listen to you. Because your emotional reality is so appropriate to your character and mine to mine. It's so wonderful to watch actors do their things.

Source: Film and Video

Sci-Fi Channel's hit space opera Battlestar Galactica isn't your ordinary VFX show. The big effects sequences are carefully integrated with the story, and the stylistic mandate is jumpy, handheld camera that imparts a sense of immediacy.

"That's been Battlestar's motif from the very beginning - that very kinetic, almost battlefield camerawork, with the whip pans and the snap zooms," says Jeremy Hoey, co-founder of Vancouver's Atmosphere Visual Effects, which handles duties on the show along with the production's in-house FX department. "It really brought a new energy to TV visual effects. Sci-fi visual effects had gotten stuck in a sort of rut of long, sweeping camera shots of spaceships flying just overhead, that kind of stuff. Battlestar, from the miniseries, set a new tone. The camerawork is largely responsible for that."

Along with matte painter Hoey, Atmosphere's other principals and co-founders are Andrew Karr, who supervises 3D, Atmosphere's largest department, and Tom Archer, who supervises compositing. Using Lightwave for 3D animation and Digital Fusion for compositing, the crew takes its cues from the show's VFX supervisor, Gary Hutzel, who specifies the look for each shot and provides detailed animatics illustrating the gist of every scene. For a Season 3 two-parter, "Exodus," which aired October 13 and 20, Atmosphere handled scenes that included a space battle sequence taking place on an unprecedented scale. Atmosphere executed the sequence in Lightwave.

The animatics given to Atmosphere specified the basic camerawork and layout of each shot, even including some particle work. "But, obviously, their animatics didn't have all of the missiles and all of the explosions," Karr says. "Our shots have hundreds of raiders flying around, attacking the Pegasus, that were not in the animatics at all, and each individual raider was keyframe-animated. Some of the backgrounds could have been done using particles, but the foreground stuff was all hand-animated. So a lot of work had to be done, and those all had to get approval from the production."

The key to getting the work done on a TV schedule was keeping the compositing and CG teams working in tandem, Karr explains. "Compositing would jump ahead and work in some of their practical explosions," he says. "Then the shots would go back to CG, where we'd work on the lighting and try to enhance some of the composites. The CG department would put in some missiles and CG explosions, and comp would get those and enhance them with practical elements. It's about going back and forth, using multiple layers. We'd have as many as seven or eight CG artists and several compositing artists tackling different elements of a single shot."

Organizing the work requires foresight, because the CG department will be making decisions about what layers need to be rendered first based on whether the compositing department will be using them to start working on its own elements. "It's not just the time to composite and actually set up the renders," notes Jeremy Hoey. "The rendering time itself is extraordinary. We have almost 200 CPUs of render nodes, and they were going 24/7 for weeks just rendering layers for this one episode. It's hundreds of gigabytes of data. And that adds another factor of uncertainty, because if there are any problems with a render, that brings the entire process to a grinding halt. Suddenly everyone has to stop and wait for the render farm to chew through re-rendering those frames. Careful management of all the layers becomes really critical, especially as we get toward the end of our deadlines."

Atmosphere uses Muster, a render manager from Virtual Vertex, to take frame-specific control of its renders. The system allows precise adjustments to be made, depending on how busy the overall render farm is. "We have to be very creative, sometimes, in what we render and in what order," Karr says. "Muster is actually new software for us. We were using a different render manager last season, but Muster works quite well. It has its issues because of the size and the amount of material going through, but we wouldn't have been able to get through the show if it was flaky."

All of the renders are at HD resolutions - which means, Hoey notes with a little laugh, some of the old shortcuts no longer apply. "Blur, add lens flare - you could really abuse the shot in NTSC," he recalls. "You can't get away with that kind of fudging in HD."

"You'll have some fella at home watching this in HD on a 60-inch television, and it has to hold up," agrees Karr. "HD is very clear, and every little detail shows up."

And HD isn't even the upper limit for an HD show. "It's not uncommon that sometimes if we're working in HD we'll render in double-HD resolution," notes Tom Archer. "If we have very fine detail of antennas or other very small things, and we find that we're getting buzzing in those details, we'll just double the HD resolution to solve that problem. The sky's the limt, as long as you've got the rendering power."


Click the Film and Video link to download the podcast and video. Use VLC to view

The future is toast

The figures are basically the same, though they do have different parts and paint. The main, most notable difference is the hands, which in the Cannon Centurion and the Battle Damaged Centurion have been replaced by three-pronged cannon weapons, as often seen in the series. The other three figures have hands composed of three long, spiky fingers and a thumb.

The other major difference is in the paint. Four of the figures are painted essentially identically, in dull gray, but with differing details. The fifth, the Downloaded Cylon, is painted in shiny silver to represent a new, untarnished body. This is meant to reflect the unique ability of Cylons to download their personalities and experiences into new bodies after dying.

"Valley of Darkness" Cylon (named after the episode) has a blood-red handprint on his chest and other bloodstains on his head and hands.

Battle Damaged Cylon, contrary to his promotional prototype pictures, does not have multiple bullet marks, but does have a more subtle dark paint to indicate battle scoring. This effect is a bit too subtle, though probably more accurate than the original plan, which appears to show bloody bullet holes.

The Cylon Centurion and the Cannon Centurion have no battle damage and differ only in their hands.

Some of the parts can be removed and interchanged if desired. Most of the joints are either on simple pins or ball joints that aren't sealed in any way.

Fans of Battlestar Galactica (and they are many) will enjoy getting their hands on these mini "toasters."

I have to say that generally the Minimate concept baffles me somewhat. Originating almost as Lego figures, they have evolved to have more free-moving joints, but these days there is barely a licensed science fiction character that doesn't have a Minimate version. -Sean

Source: SciFi World

Bodie James Olmos was only seven years old when he made his first acting appearance in The Ballad of Gregorio Cortez. Once a triathlon athlete (swimming, biking, running) and cross country runner, Bodie still runs, but surfing has remained his favorite sport for nearly twenty years. He is also musically inclined and is an accomplished drummer. Bodie attended and graduated in 2000 from UCLA School of Theatre in Los Angeles. He took additional courses in acting and received a degree from the Sanford-Meisner Center. He enjoys live theatre and has performed in a revival of the Luis Valdez play Zoot Suit. He also performed in War at the Latino Theatre Company in the Los Angeles Theatre Center. In 2001 he joined the cast of "American Family" in the role of the young Jess Gonzales. Bodie has also completed several short film including the UCLA Graduate short film Capped. Since 2004 he plays a reccuring character in the TV show Battlestar Galactica with his father Edward james Olmos (Commander/Admiral Adama).

Linda Craddock: Thank you for taking the time to interview with The Scifi World. Tell us a little about your character Brendan "Hotdog" Constanza on Battlestar Galactica?

Bodie Olmos: The character of Hotdog is very interesting for me because it's one that was really wide open for me to develope. He is a washed out fighter pilot, from flight school, who was really a hotshot type of pilot, which ends up getting him thrown out of the academy. That being said, he always thinks he is a little better than he actually is. He is a little cocky, and careless at times. Takes chances and a lot of the time doesn't know what the results will be. He really wants to be good, and recognized but always seems to be out of his league at times. So with that being said I think he is a wonderful character to play, one that is a risk taker, and a guy who doesn't always know the outcome, but means to do good!

Linda Craddock: You appeared in 21 episodes of Galactica. Which shoot was the most challenging?

Bodie Olmos: Interesting enough, probably the first episode I was in, "Act of Contrition". I was so excited, nervous and amazed that I was on the show. That for me was a rough day, let me tell you! I could hardly sit still and the day seemed so long. I just wanted to be good, and make sure I knew what this character was all about, which is very difficult. I think it evolves. One minute you may think he is like this but then you see that he actually believes something else. So I was definately glad to make it through that one.

Linda Craddock: Which episode to you feel is a particular favorite or memorable for you as an actor?

Bodie Olmos: My most memorable, was probably, "Unfinished Business". The reason I liked this one so much was because, one I got to work with Robert Young, who I have admired and love to watch him work, with actors. Second, this show a lot of us were on set that episode and it is just fun when we are all there. Many times, we are all kind of seperated and don't really work together on the same day even. So it was just nice being with every one, and also I have never done a boxing sequence before and is something I always thought would be interesting to see how they are done. Not to mention the fact that I get knocked out by Starbuck, that was pretty fun!!

Linda Craddock: So "starbuck" gets KO'd on "hot dog" in "Unfinished Business"? Tell us how you felt when you received the script for this scene?

Bodie Olmos: Oddly enough, I was a little annoyed, but then I was all "What the heck, take one for the team." She's pretty tough anyways!!

Linda Craddock: Can we expect much more from "hot dog" in future episodes of Galactica?

Bodie Olmos: I am not too sure of that cause here on the Galactica, nothing is for certain, and thats the only thing that I am certain about.

Linda Craddock: What is the most outstanding feature in the story line of the new Galactica that was not present in the original series?

Bodie Olmos: Ohh I am not too familiar with the original series, so I am probably not to qualified for this one. But the thing I like most about it is, the way the concept of humanity is portrayed in the story and how we as a human race deal with the problems we create, which in this show is destroying us.

Linda Craddock: Battlestar Galactica is not your first work as an actor with your father. Share your experiences with your working relationship, what you have learned from him in your craft, and how he has influenced your career thus far?

Bodie Olmos: My experiences working with my father is incredible. He is such a big influence in my life and I have always tried to grab things from him and see how they work in my own craft. The difficult thing is that sometimes they are not so easy to grab. He has always been supportive in my wanting to learn this craft and has encouraged me to follow my dreams. I have been watching him work all of my life and I still am learning something new that each and every time that I get to watch him work. Working with him in a scene is pretty incredible too. I see my father, at the same time he is the character, and then in some ways we are two actors expressing ourselves artistically. And so, this all comes to play when doing a scene. It makes it very fun and also very familiar and is so comforting to me. It reminds me of when he used to coach me in baseball, and that sense that he is there and everything will be ok. So I am so fortunate and glad that I have been able to train and study so that this day would come and I would be prepared. I am so fortunate and blessed in many ways.

Linda Craddock: What is your view on the war of man against machine, and the evolution of technology and man kind's inability to harness that power?

Bodie Olmos: I think it is very scary. In todays age, we have a very strong sense of the developement of technology at a very rapid pace. And how it can be beneficial to humankind. And when we misuse it in anyway, whether it be through overindulgence or to harm another. I think it becomes very problematic and in this case can become something that is irreversible and destructive.

Linda Craddock: You were recently cast in two projects, "Resilience" and "Splinter". Tell us a little about the role you played in each
.
Bodie Olmos: Resilience, directed by Paul Bojack and starring Steve Wilcox, was difficult because of the subject matter. It was two kids who ran a skateboard shop, but it was a front for another business they had, which was selling sex. When you start to understand the material I find that it's very crucial that you understand totally what you are trying to achieve in the piece. And for me, it was to bring an awareness to people that this may or may not be going on today. And how does something like this be stopped. The character in Splinter, was that of a Forensic Scientist. That was great to explore and try to grasp what Foresic scientists do. How they survay a dead body at the scene of the crime. What they are looking for and how to find evidence. This was also great to work on because it was directed by my Brother, Michael, which was his directorial debut.

Linda Craddock: In the movie "Walkout", which is based on a true story, you played Moctesuma Esparza. Does this inspire you as an actor moving forward to perhaps pursue writing?

Bodie Olmos: The movie inspired me in many ways, as far as writing, I think I will and am starting to write. It is not something I am most comfortable with but think it is very important. This movie was very special to me and everyone that worked on it. It is a film that took a very long time to make and a story that needed to be told.

Linda Craddock: Do you have any plans to return to theatre?

Bodie Olmos: I love the theatre and really would love to do more of it. I feel that theatre is the root of acting and is where I go to learn the fundamentals, the history of acting, and the true core of oneself. I love to hit those boards.

Linda Craddock: What motivated you to audition for Galactica? Did the fact that your father played on it influence you?

Bodie Olmos: I do believe my father had an influence on me wanting to read for it. I felt that he had such intrigue by it that it was so infectious. It really made me want to be a part of it and be a part of it. Any chance I get to work with my father I would!

Linda Craddock: Outside of acting, what do you like to do?

Bodie Olmos: I have been surfing since I was a young kid and always loved the ocean. I really enjoy the connection with the water. There is something very unique and calming about riding a wave that really hasn't left me since the first time I did it. I enjoy waking up really early 4:30am, checking the surf and paddling for a couple of hours before work. Nothing like it in the world.

Linda Craddock: Cylons have a plan ... and you, what are your plans for the future?

Bodie Olmos: My plans for the future is to be doing the exact same thing I am doing today. Looking for stories, acting, helping others and surfing!

Linda Craddock: Did you ever imagined being in the place of Jamie Bamber, playing Apollo, who is playing with your father as "father & son" on the screen?

Bodie Olmos: I have but at the same time, I really enjoy being Hotdog. I think Jamie does a terrific job, and is a great person. He is well trained as an actor and I believe he is great for the role. I am right where I am supposed to be, and I truely believe that.

Linda Craddock: If given an open choice, is there any other TV show on today that you'd like to be a part of?

Bodie Olmos: Ugly Betty or the George Lopez Show!
Thank you so much Linda, I really had a great time with these and I hope they are what you are looking for. Thanks a bunch!

Source: SyFy Portal

Rumors around the Internet are that Katee Sackhoff will leave "Battlestar Galactica," and the character she plays, Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, may die. A new interview in Dreamwatch magazine neither confirms nor denies these rumors, but she does share her thoughts about working on the series and its success.

"I didn't think we'd go past the miniseries," Sackhoff told the magazine in what appears to be its final issue, as reported by Sci-Fi Pulse. "I'm extremely lucky that I am allowed to do my hobby on a daily basis as my job. It is the thing I love to do more than anything in the world, but I don't think my brain can wrap around the magnitude of what this is, how much success is behind it, and how much people love the show."

For her, as a woman who grew up in Oregon, she calls the entire experience on the hit SciFi Channel show "very surreal," and there are aspects of her job that she really looks forward to, like the toys.

"All I know is as soon as I get an action figure, that's what everyone is getting for Christmas," Sackhoff said. "I might wallpaper my wall with the comic books."

While Sackhoff says that the writers continue to surprise and challenge her, the one aspect that she is very critical of is Kara's tendency to bed hop, which reminds her more of a soap opera plot than something found in science-fiction.

"I've called it '90210 in space,' and a soap opera, which is completely the opposite of what [showrunner] Ron Moore actually said at one point that we are not doing '90210 in space,'" the actress said. "I've sat down and watched soap operas with my mother and they are extremely entertaining, but these women sleep with every single man and love every single man. I just thought, 'It is a soap opera! It makes complete sense!'"

Sackhoff also talks about how she hates with a passion any scene where she has to spend an extended amount of time in the cockpit of a viper.

"I despise them. It is very uncomfortable in that tight space," she said. "All of a sudden, you're claustrophobic, you're hot and sweaty, and then you're cold, you have to pee, you need water, but you can't drink it because you'll have to pee again! You're like, 'Break my knee again, please.' That was the best thing that happened to me in Season 1."

Sackhoff addresses the Season 2 episode, "Scar," in which Kara and rival fighter pilot Kat (Luciana Carro), spent most of the episode in the viper cockpits.

"'Scar' was really tough. It was all those scenes of technical mumbo jumbo so Luciana and I decided to add it all together and do it as one big long scene," Sackhoff said. "We were in and out of the vipers all day long. It is exhausting."

Whether these remarks indicate a motivation to leave BSG or are merely honest accounts of what it's like to work on the show is unknown. The rumors of her leaving were fueled when Sackhoff reportedly told the "Cort and Fatboy" show on radio station KUFO-FM in Portland that she was leaving the show, but wouldn't say if her character will actually die. Still, as Michael Ausiello of TV Guide conjectured, "If you ask me, this whole thing carries with it the stench of a highly coordinated foiler. I mean, Ron Moore would be out of his frakkin' mind to deep-six Starbuck, right?"

While it has been teased that a major character will die, there has been no announcement or confirmation that it will be Starbuck from any of the folks at "Battlestar Galactica" or SciFi Channel.

"Battlestar Galactica" airs Sundays at 10 p.m. ET on SciFi Channel.

By ROBIN BROWNFIELD

Galactica Station is proud to present Ragnar Wireless, the first ever podcast for this site. It will be available for all visitors to this site sometime after the airing of The Woman King episode. If you would like to know more about this latest adition to the Galactica Station portfolio please e-mail us at ragnarwireless@googlemail.com. Starbuckrocks will be your host for the podcasts , so if you want to get your weekly dose of galactica news, reviews, spoilers and the colonial thought of the day stay tuned for Ragnar Wireless.

Source: Broadcasting Cable

Wrestling and jump rope helped USA Network and Disney Channel to a near tie win in cable's January ratings. USA eked out a win with 2.74 million total viewers in prime, its WWE wrestling accounting for nearly ten of the month's 20 most viewed shows, according to Nielsen Media Research. Non-ad-supported Disney came in with 2.72 million viewers, on the strength of Jump In, its original movie about jump roping that premiered Jan. 12.

With 8.46 million viewers, Jump In became Disney's most-watched original movie premiere ever - besting the now cultural phenomenon High School Musical - and ranked as January's top cable program. It was followed by the premiere of Disney's new live-action series Cory in the House, which averaged 7.7 million viewers.

Top finishers after USA and Disney for the month were TNT with 2.03 million viewers in prime, TBS with 1.76 million and A&E with 1.68 million.

For the week ending Jan. 28, NBC Universal's USA and Sci Fi both had reason to celebrate. Sci Fi's Battlestar Galactica and The Dresden Files saw ratings bumps in their second weeks on Sunday night (Jan. 28). Dresden averaged 1.89 million viewers (up from 1.73 million for its series premiere) and Battlestar averaged 2.05 million (up from 1.8 million last week). The shows' Jan. 21 premiere numbers may have been diluted by competition from the AFC Championship game on CBS, which drew nearly 50 million that night.

At USA, both Monk and Psych posted solid numbers for their second week of episodes on Friday (Jan. 26). With 5 million and 3.71 million viewers respectively, each drew an audience just smaller than their season premieres.

In other cable news, VH1 will run a marathon and an unaired episode of Armed & Famous, the reality show cast off by its corporate sibling CBS, this Saturday (Feb. 3). Armed, which follows C-list celebs as they train to be police officers, was slated for seven episodes, but only five have been made and four aired by CBS. VH1 will run the last two episodes if producers get the greenlight on making them.

Source: TV Recap

If all of your fears and worries were laid bare, would it liberate you? This week on 'Battlestar Galactica' Gaius is coerced into finally admitting his sins during the human genocide by the Cylons. The episode, capably directed by Edward James Olmos, enlightens the human leaders to Baltar's true fears and the state they've left him in. It's about time we get a full episode devoted to one of the greatest characters on television. A man who is so flawed he himself can't distinguish the truth in his intentions. Is Baltar a Cylon? This week we get a clear answer, now let the debate begin on how definitive that answer is.

In addition to the Baltar plot, we saw the Lee and Kara storyline furthered. As Lee struggles with his own emotions, he seeks solace from a bottle and a bar. He's been going to a colony bar, and while there one night he meets up with Chief. There's a nice juxtaposition between the two men as we learn Callie and Tyrol had a fight. One that he claims was worthy of selling tickets for. In acknowledgement of this Chief proposes a toast, "To marriage. Why we build bars." This lighthearted statement says a lot about how Chief sees his marriage as opposed to Lee. Lee struggles because he loves another woman. Chief knows whom he loves.

Another night Lee bluntly brings this up to Tyrol. "Do you ever think of Sharon?" Lee asks. Chief tells him he doesn't, and follows the statement up with a shot. Maybe he does at times, but truthfully Chief has put that behind him. It's difficult, and occasionally a shot of hard liquor may be needed to push those feelings back down. For Lee, no amount of alcohol will help. A fact Dualla knows well.

When Lee comes home drunk she confronts him. She tells her husband that she knew how he felt about Kara. Dualla also gave him her reason for saying yes to his proposal, "I knew I was lucky to have you for as long as you, or Kara, would let me." Dualla loved him so much she was willing to have him for as long as possible, even if it meant tremendous hurt later. She lets him know that she understands what's going on, and now the choice is his to make.

On the other side, Anders and Kara have a post coital discussion about Lee. Anders questions what Leoben said about her destiny. He believes that it wasn't coincidence that he stayed alive all those months on Caprica waiting for her. Or that she endured so much to rescue him. Anders asks his wife if she loves Lee, and she tells him maybe. He looks at Kara and tells her she should go to him then.

When Kara and Lee meet she asks him if he'd still leave Dualla if she left Anders. He voices a very real concern that she'd just turn around and abandon him. Knowing Kara as we do, and what she did to him the night before marrying Anders, Lee's point is valid. He doesn't want to throw away a marriage on the mere hope Kara will reciprocate his love. So, he goes back to Dualla. Pleading and apologizing with everything he has, he tells her he loves her and wants to be with her. Maybe it's what she needed to hear, or maybe she loves him so much she'll deal with the fear a little longer, but Dualla accepts his apology.

Baltar, literally and figuratively at the end of his rope, sits in his cell preparing to commit suicide. For a man who's tried to hide so much, and been unable to absolve himself of his sins, he cannot simply admit the truth. Baltar fears bearing his soul more than death, but not by very much. So with noose around his neck, the Six in his mind pushes the bed out of the way and he hangs. As he struggles for breath and passes out, Baltar is awakened on a Cylon Base Star. He is elated that all his past sins are washed clean; he did not betray his people. "I always knew I was different. Special. Maybe a little gifted," he tells the Six's surrounding him. They tell him he's human and push him back under the goo. Baltar is saved because Gaeta woke up in the night and needed to speak with him. The lieutenant never gets the chance, but now that they know Gaius is ready to kill himself Roslyn wants answers.

President Roslyn visits Baltar in his cell and demands answers. She asks him about Caprica Six and if he colluded with the Cylons during the genocide. He denies involvement in their plans. Frustrated and angry, not to mention desperate for answers, Roslyn orders Colonel Tigh to throw Baltar out an air lock. As the marines drag him through the halls Gaius screams and pleads for his life. It was an amazing scene to watch as this man, who hurts so much inside, struggles for his very existence. Something he was nearly willing to give up not long before. Self-preservation is what drives Gaius in all his choices.

Unable to frighten him into a confession, Admiral Adama recommends a drug interrogation. The drugs will allow them to strip away the façade Gaius puts up, but it's also risky on a man who is so unbalanced. This method is the only way Adama and Roslyn could possibly get the truth from Baltar. He is so afraid of his truths that there's no choice but to continue the deception.

What is interesting about all this is he did not collude with the Cylons, at any time. On Caprica he was unaware of what was happening. Caprica Six seduced and deceived him, playing to his lust for sex and power. On New Caprica the Cylons forced his hand at every turn, easily manipulating Baltar who feared death and capture by the humans equally. Baltar is spineless, but it's fun to watch him as he squirms.

During the interrogation Baltar reveals that he did know Caprica Six before the attack on the colonies. Rosyln has always suspected this, but she had no proof. Now she does, and she has his reasoning. Whether he's truly culpable for what happened is not for her to decide, by episode end she formally acknowledges that. Baltar also tells them he is not a Cylon. Because the drug strips away everything but his core, it's hard to deny this proof. There is the lingering question of how the drug would work on a Cylon though. I'll accept the answer for now, but I'll still put a question mark next to his name in my mind.

Roslyn still wants to know what information Baltar can provide, but feels it's time to entice rather than threaten. Gaeta is sent in to get Baltar to help with the projections to Earth. Gaeta is unconvincing in his role, going so far as to stupidly look up at the camera. When Baltar realizes he's been betrayed, he turns on Gaeta. Baltar makes accusations about the Lieutenant's role on New Caprica, and when he leans in to whisper a dark secret he threatens to reveal, Gaius is pushed back by Gaeta. Gaeta then stabs Baltar in the neck with a pen. Admiral Adama is able to hit Gaeta and Doc Cottle says Baltar will live. Roslyn tells Adama it is time for Baltar to get his trial.

As he lies in the hospital bed Caprica Six climbs in next to Baltar. She asks if he confessed he is the "Chosen One." "Everybody's got to have a secret," he tells her. Which is exactly how you got yourself into this mess. It's nice to see that no matter what happens, Gaius Baltar is going to continue being the self-serving git we know and love.

So, another week gone by and another fantastic episode. Baltar is such a fascinating bad guy. You can't help but understand exactly where he's coming from, and feel the fear he has in confessing. We know the truth of his involvement in the genocide. Even though he is not responsible, he did play a part. This small truth forces Baltar to hide his sins. After the interrogation he commented that now he feels liberated. It's not liberation he seeks though, or else he would tell Adama and Roslyn everything else he knows that wasn't asked.

What did you think of the episode? Is Baltar definitely not a Cylon? How would you feel about Lee and Kara if they left their spouses to be together?