Friday, January 16, 2009

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 GalacticaThe 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
108
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 MechanicGalen 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?

7 comments:

2fs said...

BSG - but no thanks for the lack of spoiler warnings...

Unknown said...

Can't look... Behind on Galactica... Must resist...

I see the TV ads for "The last cyclone will be revealed," and my head is going to explode.

We're in a recession. I can't afford Showtime.

yellojkt said...

2fs,

Sorry about that but nothing in my post wasn't revealed in the Season 3 finale and we are now half way through Season 4. There is a statute of limitations on spoilers of about 90 days.

Anonymous said...

I stopped watching the L Word a couple of seasons ago. One of the main reasons was the character of Jenny, who has to be one of the all-time most annoying characters in a TV show. Not even the sex scenes could make up for that. Glad to hear she's been violently exited from the show.

yellojkt said...

Jenny is dead, but all the motives of the other characters are being shown in flashback so she will still get plenty of airtime for good or bad.

Anonymous said...

Hahahahaha...
I also want to sleep with the rebel gals... She is hot...
Thank you for sharing my friend.

Anonymous said...

What's a Cylon?

And if they look like Caprica Six, what's the problem?

DLD