Battlestar L-Word

The following post contains plot elements from Season 3 of Battlestar Galactica. Do not read if you don't know who the four secret Cylons are.

Two of my favorite cult TV shows are returning for their final season this weekend. Each features hard-hitting ripped-from-the-headlines controversial storylines. Both are also complicated serial dramas with large casts and intertwining relationships that can confuse the viewer who is not up on all the backstory. While they may not seem that similar at first, they are more alike than most people realize. To the casual channel flipper, separating the two shows may be troublesome if you didn't know how to tell them apart. Here is my guide:

	Battlestar Galactica	The L-Word
Cast Photo
Premise	A motley assortment of preternaturally attractive astronauts search the galaxy for the lost colony of Earth.	A motley assortment of preternaturally attractive lesbians search Los Angeles for love and sex.
Episodes Remaining	10	8
Final Season Mystery	Who is the Final Cylon?	Who killed Jenny Schecter?
Parental Figure	As commander of the Battlestar Galactica, Admiral Adama is the patriarchal figure that everyone brings their problems to.	As the owner of The Planet coffee shop, Kit Porter is the matriarchal figure that everyone brings their problems to.
Morally Conflicted Leader	President Laura Roslin has to often wrestle with her conscious on how to do the right thing for the people whose lives depend on her.	Dean Bette Porter has to often wrestle with her conscious on how to do the right thing for her friends and lovers who depend on her.
Emotionally Troubled Second In Command	His fellow shipmates are shocked when it is revealed that he is a Cylon, but Saul Tigh continues to be a team player.	Her friends are shocked when she goes back into a straight relationship, but Tina Kennard rejoins the lesbian team.
Straight Arrow Moral Center	Lee Adama is the goody-goody hot shot pilot who is always the center of all the drama and action.	Alice Piescecki is the goody-goody hot shot journalist whose Chart is the center of all the drama and hook-ups.
Duplicitous Villain	Evil scientist Gaius Baltar uses his charm and wit to betray everybody.	Evil writer Jenny Schecter uses her charm and wit to betray everybody.
Rebel Everybody Wants To Sleep With	The hard living and tomboyish Starbuck is the best pilot in the fleet and lets everyone know it.	The hard living and tomboyish Shane is the most promiscuous lesbian in LA and everyone wants to know her.
Hottie With Amazing Powers	Caprica Six is the unbelievably beautiful manipulator that can get people do anything through her Cylon skills.	Helena Peabody is the unbelievably beautiful manipulator that can get people to do anything through her enormous wealth.
Identity-Conflicted Mechanic	Galen Tyrol is a genius engineer that can fix anything but is troubled to learn that he is a Cylon trapped in a human body.	Max Sweeney is a genius programmer that can hack anything but is troubled to learn that he is a man trapped in a woman’s body.
Airtime	The SciFi Channel on Fridays at 10	Showtime on Sundays at 9

In one short blog post I can only touch on a few of the characters in the two show, but I hope this post has been helpful as a guide to what series finale you should be watching.

BlatantCommentWhoring™: What’s your pick, Cylons or lesbians?