Sunday 18 January 2009

Ellen Tigh!

I was right all along! The fifth Cylon is Ellen Tigh! I may have looked like I changed my mind and went Roslin, but she was my main character guess. Also, I was totally thrown by the new trailers and stuff. Ellen had been my theory since the four were announced though. I've always been baffled as to why none of the other blogs I've read considered her a possibility, but she's remained my favourite for a long time.

Anyway, the new series of Battlestar started out brilliantly. The Thirteenth Colony were Cylons, and Ellen Tigh is the fifth! Amazing. I can't wait to see what's going to happen next.

Thursday 15 January 2009

Stargate Atlantis

I need to get this post out of my system before the kitten excitement at the weekend, so here we go.

Stargate Atlantis has been one of my favourite TV series for a long time now, and I'm gutted that it's finally over. I'd even say more gutted than when SG1 finished, although more satisfied since Atlantis had a much better ending.

So, because I feel like it, I'll start from the beginning. Atlantis had a great pilot episode. The Wraith were a scary new enemy, but it had all the old familiar Stargate stuff too. O'Neill and Daniel, for a start, and then Weir and McKay who we'd seen in SG1 too. Also Robert Patrick, which was funny, since I knew I'd know if he was a main character. I knew he wasn't, so I knew he'd die. Good idea though, getting in a known actor to come and be killed off in the pilot.

Season 1 just continued to get better after that. The main Atlantis team was pretty good. Humorous airforce man, sarcastic scientist, interesting alien...and Ford. Ford was the weak link in that team. He was nothing. Just a guy with nothing about him. Anyway, the stories got better, peaking in the last few. The build up to the Wraith attack was great. One highlight was Groden dying. If you want a British character, cast a British actor, or a foreign actor who can do a FLAWLESS British accent. If you want to cast a Canadian who can't, have a Canadian character. Anyway, great finale.

Season 2 started off really well, and just got better. Ford was suddenly really interesting. Skinner from X Files was playing a guy you started off not liking but knew would end up on your side in the end...a familiar role for him maybe! Ronon was introduced to the cast, and unlike Ford, was the perfect fourth member of the team. Kind of like Teal'c, but just enough not like him to be a great character in his own right. Season 2 also saw Michael, one of the best bad guys in sci fi, introduced. Stupid Atlantis people...they sort of deserved everything they got from him. Interesting moral stories there. Low point of this series was Grace Under Pressure. Lame excuse to include Amanda Tapping, and nothing like as good as the SG1 episode called Grace.

Season 3 was where Atlantis really peaked. Great conclusion to the season 2 finale, replicators, Richard Dean Anderson, Michael, some great Rodney episodes, "Sunday" and an amazing finale. Picking on individual episodes, the mid season one was really good. In fact, all the replicator ones were. The Asurans being replicators was totally unexpected at the time. Vengence was a great Michael episode, and actually a bit freaky. Sunday...what can I say. One of the best episodes. This is just about the Atlantis lot getting on with their lives on a day off, and then something bad happening. And Carson dies :( I feel something is taken away from this by his clone returning, because everyone forgets that the clone isn't the same guy. I still love that episode though.

The Season 3 finale was probably the best, if you also count it's season 4 conclusion. The Replicator stories were great, and what happened to Weir was really unexpected. Season 4 itself I've talked about in more detail in other posts here. Basically, Carter was a disappointment, and the team weren't always a team anymore. Great series with some great episodes, particularly the mid season one and the last few. Midway was also a highlight...who didn't want to see Ronon vs Teal'c?! It could only have ended in a draw. That was one I really enjoyed though.

Season 5 had some of the same problems as series 4, in that the team weren't consistantly together, and the Atlantis leader wasn't always present. Still, Richard Woolsey was a great character to bring in. I've liked him since his first SG1 appearance. A good guy who's too concerned with the rules, but he comes to understand how things really work while he's on Atlantis. It's a shame Robert Picardo wasn't used more, although he definitely did a better job than Carter.

The fifth season, despite it's flaws, was still great. McKay and Keller was nice to see, for a start, and McKay had a great episode in The Shrine. The mid season episodes were fantastic. Daniel was put to good use rather than just being "hey look SG1 guest star", and the Asgard being the bad guys was a fantastic twist, and one I didn't see coming in a million years. That's surely something to be built upon in a film.

Anyway, I've mentioned many of the season 5 episodes in previous blog entries, but not the finale. Wow. I've complained before about SG1 never having the conclusive ending it needed. Atlantis did. In a single part 42 minute episode, it did everything it needed to do. Everyone important was involved in some small way, including Carter, Zelenka, Beckett, Major Davis (random, but good to see old characters), Caldwell, Ellis...and other secondary characters who needed inclusion in a finale. The idea of Wraith going to Earth was the perfect final story, and beating them by taking Atlantis to Earth was genius, and totally unexpected. I actually shed a tear when I thought Ronon was dead, but I didn't feel cheated out of an emotional story when he was brought back. I was glad Todd actually helped, since he's a great character. It was also great that they mentioned General Hammond's death, and the dedication of the new ship. To top it all off, it was cool that they landed pretty much near Starfleet Headquarters. Obviously irrelevant but hey, I'm a sci fi nerd. If I had one complaint? Wormhole drive...that all seemed a bit too random and convenient. Never mentioned before, but let's invent it anyway. Still, that's just Stargate isn't it. SG1 seasons 5, Full Circle, knocking on a wall of a giant room 3 times in random places, and hey! There's the Eye of Ra. Stargate doesn't have to be sensible.

So Atlantis ended extremely well. If the films never get made for whatever reason, I'll still be satisfied. Bring on Universe!

Sunday 11 January 2009

2008

So here it is. Or there it was. 2008 was a very strange year, with some of the best moments of my life, and some of the worst.

It starts off in Boston finishing my placement. Passed my registration portfolio, had a leaving do, and it was very sad to leave it behind when I'd got just about to the stage where I was one of them. I felt like I belonged there at the time, and then it was over. It wasn't a bad thing though. I finished in January feeling proud of what I'd achieved, and for the first time in ages I didn't feel guilty about taking a break from uni work. I had none to do and I was completely up to date, and it was nice. Anyway, I'm sure there's more on what I was actually up to in the archives of this blog.

Later that month I was back at university, living with the student nurses and a friend who's girlfriend didn't like him socialising with me. It wasn't always easy living there, and the uni work really took it's toll that semester too. There were some low times for me in those few months, but also some pretty good ones. Nights out with my friends, having friends I could talk about my placement and stuff with because they'd done the same, good marks at uni, and a feeling that I understood. There was a crazy amount of tension during the dissertation write up though. Coursework has never had me that stressed. Sometimes I honestly didn't think I'd do it. Handing it in was one of the biggest moments of relief in my life. It felt like there should have been a drumroll and then a fanfare when I handed it over. And that was that, I was free again. It was a huge moment.

Finishing uni was hard. I went to the ball, which was the last time I'd see some people, and it was sad. Really good, but sad. The next day Charlie picked me up and university was truly over. The fact that I got through it all, because it wasn't always as much fun as I've made out, was a major achievement for me. It's hard to describe how I felt at the end. Mixed emotions, definitely.

In the summer, I had the best holiday I've ever had. Me and Hannah had our Scotland adventure. Two weeks of exciting activities, driving right up to the top of mainland Britain. I saw a lot of amazing things. Dolphins, mountains, Loch Ness, puffins, daylight at midnight. Fantastic. Scotland is a beautiful place. I loved every minute of that holiday. Definitely one of the highlights of the year.

The other highlight was getting my degree results and graduation. Who would have guessed in a million years after my first two years that I could have pulled off a 2:1?! It really was amazing. It's rare for me to feel proud of myself, but I did when I saw that result. Graduation was really special. It was great to see my course friends again, some for the last time, and for what we'd achieved to be recognised.

The end of the year hasn't been so good though. I spent longer than I wanted to unemployed, but then found what I thought would be the perfect job. Things started well. I found a great house to rent, so much nicer than anything else in my price ranger. I got a housemate, which made it all a lot cheaper and meant I could afford to make it a bit nicer here. The job looked like it would be as perfect as I imagined at first. And then it wasn't. It's hard and not anything like perfect. I made a mistake taking it before attending more interviews, but I wasn't to know that at the time. Things are looking up now, but when 2008 finished, I hated it. I really do believe that I'll find it a lot easier and a lot more tolerable as this year goes on, but it was a definite negative.

A bit before that, on the 27th of August, something really upsetting had happened. I'd finally lost my Sonic. Fifteen years of always being there, and then not. Everything else that's happened to upset me, not having my cat there has made it so much worse. He was my source of comfort through so much. I miss him everyday. I have photos of him on my wall, and right now I'm looking at one of him taken in 1993, just over a month old. I was seven years old then. It's still hard to believe I don't have him anymore.

This has got jumbled up in the sequence of events, but in October my Nanna passed away. We all knew she'd had health problems, but it was still unexpected. To lose her was devastating, it truly was. She was a wonderful person and the best grandparent you could ask for. It was a very tough time for my family, and very hard for me to be away from them. I had a couple of days off just after, and a couple of days for the funeral, but being here on my own was awful. I miss her so much now. Just going round and filling her in on what I've been up to, and getting the gossip on other family members. As Ant said in his reading, a cup of tea and a natter.

Losing my Nanna and not having my cat for comfort, and being alone here, left me finishing the year in a bad place, and that's carried on into 2009. All of the problems I usually bury and cope alright with were at the front of my mind. Being alone, not being good with people, job worries, worrying about other people, some other issues that despite my growing openess I still can't tell people about. I've found everything hard since October/November. That's why I'll always remember 2008 as a strange year. Some brilliant things and some of the best moments of my life, accompanied by my worse depressive phase in a couple of years.

So what about 2009. 2008 saw me make progress in moving on from my past, letting go of some demons, and understanding my problems. 2009 so far has seen me take a step backwards really. For some reason though, I feel a bit better now. It's like things are looking up a bit somehow. Alcohol solves no problems at all and I don't recommend using it to forget what's wrong, but slightly tipsy conversations with my dad last night made me realise a few things. While my social situation isn't ideal and will continue to bother me, I have a better family than most people I know. I love them so much, and I know how much I mean to them too. It's not enough forever, but it is for now. Things have to, and will, get better. If 2008 saw me beginning to understand what my problems are, 2009 will be the year where I try and figure out what I can do about them.

Monday 5 January 2009

Broken Resolutions

Well, not entirely, but I think the fact that I'm bothered by the lack of a text message reply is a bit of a step backwards. It's like this person waits until I've moved on and forgotten about them, then has to remind me, then act all distant and uncontactable again. They remember I exist for a brief moment then forget me all over again. I could be wrong. Could be that I'm the only one of their old friends they still contact and I should feel special or something. Still, I wish we could either be friends or just lose touch entirely. I'll never be the one to cut off though. Stupid me.

Saturday 3 January 2009

Christmas and New Year television

I do plan to write a more personal 2008 summary post, but to be honest I can't be bothered to overthink anything tonight, so here's some comments on things I've seen on the telebox over the last few weeks. Some are things shown for Christmas, and some are just things I happen to have been watching over this period.

Wallace and Gromit - A Matter of Loaf and Death

Starting with Christmas Day TV offerings then, Wallace and Gromit. This was brilliant, as you'd expect it to be. Good, light hearted family humour. I hope they get a few more in before Peter Sallis is too old to do it, because I don't think anyone else could take over. Gromit remains the best character though, simply because it's amazing how much emotion you get from someone without a mouth, just from eyebrow movements. This was the ratings winner on Christmas Day in the UK, and for good reason. By far the best thing shown.

Doctor Who Christmas special

This was enjoyable, as Doctor Who usually is. Still...it wasn't all that special. Good, but just like an episode. I guess I wanted a bit more from a Christmas special. None of them have quite lived up to The Christmas Invasion. David Morrissey was good though. He might have made a good Doctor if he hadn't been cast in that role. The whole thing seemed to just have the purpose of creating hype over the announcement of the new guy though.

Aaaand now we know. Matt Smith. As I've said on various forums I've commented on, I'm a bit doubtful on having someone so young. Okay so 26 isn't reeeally young, but he looks younger than me! He seems like a good actor though, and there's something a bit quirky and different about him, so he might still do a good job. I won't judge until I've seen him. I still maintain that David Hewlett would have been the best choice though. Oh well, now he has more time to practice a British accent. David Hewlett for 12th Doctor!

The Royle Family

More standard Christmas Day viewing. This was funny, but it wasn't the same as it used to be. With a couple of special exceptions, like Denise upstairs going into labour and Nanna in hospital, everything before had taken place downstairs in their house, in two rooms. This time they moved it to another house, got rid of Anthony, and it was just...different. It felt like they gave it a perfect end with the last episode, and this was just bringing it back for the sake of it. Good, but not the highlight of Christmas TV.

At Home With the Braithwaites

This hasn't been on TV, obviously, since ITV don't repeat things like this ever. I've watched it from the start again though. It really is one of the best British TV series I've seen. Series one is great, but it gets really funny at the end of that series and as it goes into series 2. I love how every series always ends in the family all bickering. The series 2 ending is one of my favourite episodes, with everyone getting back together (sort of) and everyone finding out about it. The actual final episode in series 4 I was less keen on. It was great, up until the point where only Alison gets all her story finished. Well, not totally resolved finished, and that's not how I'd want it, but I'd like to know something of everyone else's future. It's a shame they didn't do the Christmas special they intended after it finished. It's really worth watching, but sort of disappointing that it ends for good there.

Stargate Atlantis

I wanted to hate that Vegas episode. I thought the concept of an alternate reality episode was interesting, but a very bad move for a penultimate episode of an entire series. At that stage you want to see the real Atlantis people being a team and having Atlantis adventures, not an Earth based episode with the cast being different people. As it was, the episode was as good as I expected, if not better, in terms of story, and the connection to the real Atlantis reality was fantastic. This was all a build up to the finale next week. Brilliant move in the end, and I really enjoyed it. Hopefully the end will be something really special.

Battlestar Galactica

I am SO excited =D Face of the Enemy is really interesting. Who is doing the killing?! Could Gaeta be doing things for the Cylons? Maybe because he is a Cylon? Oh and apparently he swings both ways. It's really good stuff, and I can't wait for the final episodes.

The X Files

Not much to say because I only just borrowed the DVDs, but I've started season 1 from the beginning. I had originally planned to skip through and just watch the mytharc episodes, but I think I'll go for the whole thing. I've seen some of the first couple of series, a few more of the next couple, and most from season 5 onwards, but I still missed so much first time around. I think I'll probably enjoy watching all of it again. It's strange to think how old season 1 is now. Mulder and Scully look so young.


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