You may have noticed this is appearing a day later than originally planned. My schedule has gotten a bit hectic this year, so you can probably expect more delays in the future. However, better late then never, here's Week 3 of Khyron's Sci-Fi Showdown:

Sci-Fi Showdown - January 20

I talk a lot about tough calls and hard decisions here in the Showdown, but there's really no other way to describe the choice I had to make regarding last week's lineup.

Coming back strong this season has been Stargate Sg-1. The show felt like it was really starting to slip in quality, but now its starting to improve; in a big way. But on the other hand, Battlestar Galactica has been and remains to be a very solid show, with each episode keeping a consistency in quality.

So, do I give it to the underdog for trying its heart out to keep itself fresh and enjoyable after 9 seasons? Or should the prize go the the young champ with a record of consistency? Tough call.

Stargate Sg-1 - Ep. Ripple Effect

The lasting impression I had of this episode is that this is how I remember Sg-1. Just as last week's episode went for a one-off story mode, Ripple Effect was a nice break from the intergalactic do-or-die situation building up in show's main plot.

In episode 9.13, Ripple Effect, Sg-1 returns through the Stargate to find that something is amiss. It's Earth as they remembered, but something is different. Soon another Sg-1 comes through the gate. Then another. And another. Soon a veritable army of Sam Carter's (Amanda Tapping) must find a way to solve were these alternate teams are coming from and put a stop to it.

What a fun episode this was. Unlike the very serious tone of Battlestar Galactica (and Atlantis, if you'd believe it), Ripple Effect was light hearted to the extreme. Frankly, I can't remember an Sg-1 episode in recent memory that I've actually laughed out loud so many times. The new cast is really starting to click with me, and Ben Browder couldn't have been funnier. Even Amanda Tapping, who has taken a bit of a backseat on the show lately, was back with a few jokes of her own.

Though that's not to say this was entirely a nonsensical episode. It was also very nostalgic for long-time Gate fans. Not only did they make reference to some of the more dubious or memorable shows in Sg-1's past, but a couple old cast members made an appearance. Most notably, of course, is Teryl Rothery as Dr. Fraiser.

All in all, just a damn fine episode.

Stargate Atlantis - Ep. Critical Mass

You may notice that in my tough decision, I made no mention of Stargate Atlantis. That's not to say that I don't like this show (far from it), but this week, it was kind of shadowed by the 2 heavy-hitters.

In episode 2.13, Critical Mass, the Atlantis team gets word that a member of the Trust (an enemy organization from sister show, Sg-1) has managed to plant a bomb in Atlantis. Now Rodney McKay (David Hewlett) and Weir (Torri Higginson) must find out who planted it and where it is. But with 2 Wraith cruisers approaching, how far will Weir go to get information from their lead suspect?

As I hinted at above, Critical Mass was probably one of the heaviest, more serious Atlantis' episodes, yet. Perhaps taking a bit of a cue from Battlestar Galactica (or Star Trek the Next Generation, a show Atlantis already has similarities too), it has started to incorporate many real-world situations into its fantasy environment.

In this episode, those situations were assisted suicide and prisoner torture. And I don't know, but I really wasn't looking for a bunch of serious thought or societal examining from Stargate Atlantis. I suppose searching for deeper truths and meanings made Star Trek TNG good, but I think that there's a difference in the way these two shows present their material. Whereas Star Trek tried to look at the bigger picture of life, death, right, wrong, and what have you, Atlantis more went for the Nightly News approach--ripping topics from the headlines, as it were.

There's a difference, and I think that's what kept this particular Atlantis episode from achieving a win this week.

Battlestar Galactica - Ep. Epiphanies

I had been waiting for this episode for a while now, as the inevitable spoilers during the off-season revealed to me what it would entail. It promised to be a big show for the series, putting an end to at least one of its bigger plot lines. Sure enough, it did--but it kind of left me with a few doubts as to where they'll go from here.

In episode 2.13, Epiphanies, President Roslin (Mary McDonnell) is near death on account of her cancer. While being cared for in the Galactica's medical bay, she begins to flash back to the days before the Cylon genocide. Meanwhile, the most unlikely of people for the job, Vice President Gaius Baltar (James Callis) prepares to take command. The President's last order is to abort the birth of the to-be first human/Cylon hybrid. But what secrets could this mysterious child hold?

First off, my biggest concern was how they were going to handle Roslin's cancer. It had already been revealed a while ago that Mary McDonnell had signed on for at least 2 more seasons, so it was pretty obvious she wasn't going to die. As I saw it, they could have gone 1 of 3 ways: made her a Cylon (a pretty crappy path, really), used the Cylon Resurrection ship from past episodes to clone her (something no longer possible due to that fact the ship was destroyed), or use the Cylon baby's blood/DNA/stem cells to cure her (something that just seemed a bit far fetched for this new BSG).

Sure enough, they went for the stem cell approach. Seeing as how BSG has taken topics from the headlines in the past, I guess this fit with the tone of the show. I guess. I was a little turned off by the 'super baby' cure, but I think the show's biggest obstacle is were they take this plot from here. Will Roslin be all fine and dandy now? Has she been tainted by Cylon nano-bots? And how will she react to being saved by the child she ordered to be aborted?

I think what not only saved this episode, but in fact made it great, was James Callis' performance. Wow. I voted him as the best actor in a supporting role last season, and he's well on his way to clinch it again. I noted above that Sg-1 was rather funny this week over BSG's serious tone, but Callis definitely brings humor to the show. Its a very different kind from Sg-1's, as Callis' character, Gaius Baltar, brings a very dark humor fitting for this darker show.

Results -

Winner: Stargate Sg-1 (Ripple Effect)

Tough call, but it's made. With Sg-1 nearing the end of its existence, true fans really need to appreciate these golden late-season episodes. Kudos to the writers and actors for keeping Sg-1 enjoyable and a force to be reckoned with in Sci-Fi television programming.

Memorable Scene: I love what the writers are doing with the Asgard (the Grey aliens). As opposed to being just high-tech benefactors in the past, now they're kind of a comic relief aspect to the show. In one such scene (very similar to one in Atlantis) leading man Ben Browder makes a comment about the alien's lack of pants.

Standings:

Stargate SG-1: 2
Stargate Atlantis: 0
Battlestar Galactica: 1

Stay tuned for next week's Showdown.

~Khyron, 2006