Criticize This!

TELEVISION: Battlestar Galactica, Season 4, Episode 1

**WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD**

I’m not ashamed in the least to admit that I’d looked forward to last night’s return of Battlestar Galactica for months. Indeed, I planned my Friday night around it, and I don’t do that for just any TV show. (I think the last time I was so devoted was back in high school when Twin Peaks had me glued to the set each week.)

After an excellent first and second season, BSG’s third season lost me a bit. Some of the stand-alone episodes, where the story drifted off to matters of union rights in the Colonial fleet and the like, my interest waned. I wanted the show to get back on track – the search for Earth and the unmasking of the final five human model Cylons.

Then the season three finale shocker – four of the final Cylons (apparently) revealed. Tory. Anders. Chief Tyrol. And the biggest Cylon-hater of them all, Col. Tigh. All very surprising, to the characters as well as the audience – and I’ll admit I was more than a little upset to see that my favourite character, the lovable Chief, was one of the bad guys. How could it be so?!

TELEVISION: Apple Brings TV Shows to iTunes Canada

On the heels of Microsoft launching the XBOX Live Video Store in Canada this week, Apple has released its iTunes Canada television section. It's a good start even if I can't see myself paying $1.99 CDN for an episode of the Rick Mercer Report or Dragon's Den (most of the content is from the CBC at this point).

Hopefully they will add some classic shows like Kids in the Hall or SCTV along with the American content we all crave.

Check out the press release below for more details and a list of available content.

Not everyone's "favourite content", but it's a start!

TELEVISION: Battlestar Galactica: Razor

**WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD**

Battlestar Galactica fans, myself included, have been champing at the bit to catch Razor, the two-hour extended episode that serves to bridge the gap between season three, which ended earlier this year, and the show’s fourth and final season, which premieres in spring 2008, barring any Hollywood writers’ strike issues.

Airing Saturday at 9pm EST on Space in Canada and Sci Fi Channel in the U.S., Razor won’t provide many answers in regards to the stunning season three finale – the ending of which I won’t go into here for those who haven’t caught it yet. However, it’s a well-crafted and entertaining movie that stands up on its own even for non-fans of the superbly written and acted program. The only difference is that BSG watchers will get the more obscure references.

TELEVISION: Heroes - Season 2 Premiere

It took me a while to get into Heroes – in fact the first season was nearly over when I caught the premiere (lent to me by a friend). I proceeded to watch the following episodes in quick succession on DVD, just in time to catch the “Exploding Man” finale when it aired. Now, I’m hooked. It’s a clever show, with impressive effects, great characters, and plenty of intrigue. And though the concept of ordinary people with extraordinary abilities has been done before, notably with X-Men, it’s interesting to see how the various individuals deal with their powers.

The phenomenal Volume One left off four months ago with Hiro (Masi Oka) disposing of the villainous Sylar (Zachary Quinto) with a sword, while Nathan Petrelli (Adrian Pasdar) finds his inner ‘hero’ and flies his about-to-detonate brother Peter (Milo Ventimiglia) into outer space in order to save the world. Moments later there’s an intense burst of light as, we assume, Peter explodes. Meanwhile, time-travelling Hiro suddenly finds himself in 17th century Japan facing down warriors poised to perforate him with arrows.

TELEVISION: Bionic Woman - Series Premiere

**WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD**

Lights flicker on and off in an underground facility as men with guns run down a hallway strewn with corpses. Entering a room they find a shaking, bloodied woman (Battlestar Galactica’s Katee Sackhoff), who turns and tells them she’s “not in control.” She then focuses her troubled gaze on the man in front (Will Yun Lee) and begs him to tell her he loves her, which he does, before blowing her away.

Such is the intriguing opening scene for the pilot of NBC’s Bionic Woman remake (premiering Wednesday at 9/8c). Unfortunately the episode goes downhill from there, muddied with awful dialogue, bad special effects, and too many unanswered questions, and despite a few interesting interludes never recovers. It’s too bad because the cheesy but beloved ‘70s show starring Lindsay Wagner was due for an update.

Michelle Ryan as Jaime Sommers in Bionic Woman

TELEVISION: The Hills - Season 3 Premiere

I've been spending a little more time in front of the tube since having a baby two months ago, and it allowed me to finally catch up on the entire second season of The Hills that I had stashed on my PVR. I'm almost embarrassed to admit this, but I was PUMPED for last night's Season 3 premiere! The show has a remarkable ability to draw in the most unassuming crowd, from your average teenyboppers and pre-teens, to frat boys and middle-aged women.

Season 3 opens with Lauren talking to new roommate Audrina about the rumours of a sex tape that have surfaced on the internet featuring her and Jason. Lauren suspects Heidi and Spencer (or "Speidi", as some fans call them) are behind the malicious attack, and she discusses how glad she is to have Heidi out of her life.

Lauren is shocked over the sex tape rumours

TELEVISION: Weeds - Season 3, Episode 1

**WARNING - SPOILERS AHEAD**

Weeds is one of my favourite shows on television and, next to Entourage, it is the only show I have to watch when it airs (no TiVo or downloading). For the last two seasons it has delivered adult comedy like no other show on television. The absurd plot of a woman who becomes a drug dealer when her husband dies does not sit well with some. For me, I love it. It's unbelievable believability sucks me in to each episode and I can't get enough. Season two got more serious near the end, and the "drug dealing is cool" attitude of the show shifted to "drug dealing is dangerous and not cool". Is this the direction the show is taking?

TELEVISION: Your fall season - Chuck

I need to begin this post with an awful, hideous truth. I was a fan of The O.C. I know, please pick your jaws up off the floor, but the stories (while silly) were a welcome break from life, and the characters were good...at least for the first season...maybe season and a half, and then the show got stupid.

That being said, I bring you Chuck ,created by McG Josh Schwartz, the guy who created The O.C. I didn't know what to expect from this show when I heard about it. A geeky guy (YES! Another geeky guy. Bet you he likes comic books and there will be hot women) gets the databases of the NSA and CIA dumped into his head. How does he deal with it? What zany stories will he be able to tell? Will there be hot women?

**SPOILERS AHEAD**

HOT! Those things in her hair can kill you though!

TELEVISION: Your fall season - Cavemen

First I have to make two things clear. 1) I hate most sitcoms. 2) I do have a sense of humor but most of this stuff is just dumb. If you like unimaginative jokes we’re not going to get along.

Our first show for the fall lineup is Cavemen, brought to you by Geico (don't worry, none of the characters are insurance salesmen …sorry, insurance sales-cavemen). To start with, any show that is based on a commercial that wasn’t funny to begin with isn't likely going to be funny!

Cast of Cavemen