I am – Hercules!!

I’ve not yet gotten my hands on the new
Battlestar Galactica: The Complete Fourth Season on Blu-ray, but I did review the 4.0 DVD set, which went something like this:

Battlestar Galactica 4.0 contains episodes 4.1 through 4.10, first broadcast on SciFi between April 4 and June 13, 2008.These ten episodes began with Starbuck, just back from the dead, trying to convince everybody that she’d been to Earth and knew how to get back. They ended with Bill Adama gripping radioactive soil. In between Gaius Baltar promoted Cylon Jesus, Laura Roslin was kidnapped, Lee Adama ascended to president of the Colonies and a Dylan-quoting Saul Tigh emerged from his skinjob closet. 

DELETED SCENES: 

4.1 “He That Believeth In Me” (7:53) 1) Kara is surprised to learn Roslin’s cancer has returned since she died. 2) Sharon, too familiar with Cylon deceit, explains that Kara would already out an airlock if it were up to her. 3) Kara tells Anders about her visions of Leoben in her Caprica apartment, and wonders if the Cylons didn’t regrow her in a Caprica Petri dish. And Kara tells Sam she would “put a bullet between your eyes” if she ever discovered he was a Cylon.

4.2 “Six of One” (15:29) 1) A longer version the Husker-on-Starbuck strangling scene that ended with “We’re doing the wrong way!!” 2) Kara, in stir, begs her guards to acknowledge her. 3) Sharon Agathon gets a welcome back kiss from Six. 4) A slightly longer version of Lee’s snoggy farewell visit to Kara’s cell. 5) Bill announces he wants to fly Kara’s viper. 6) Kara learns in a particularly moving scene that she’ll be looking for Earth in a sewage-recycling ship.

4.3 “The Ties That Bind” (1:05) 1) Tyrol has a vision of strangling his wife to death.

4.4 “Escape Velocity” (3:35) 1) Right after the service for Tyrol’s wife, Tory tells Tyrol that Baltar is being persecuted because somehow the humans know he’s preaching to the Cylons. She exits telling Tyrol to think about what Baltar is telling them.

4.5 “The Road Less Traveled” (6:23) 1) Imaginary Six fades to nothingness after bidding Baltar, now a true believer in the One Cylon God, farewell. 2) Suspicious of Kara’s new alliance with Leoben, Sharon tells Helo the Kara who rescued them from Caprica is not the Kara commanding them now. 3) Kara tells Karl about the Leoben/Mother visions she had as she died.  

4.6 “Faith” (3:53) 1) Helo says goodbye to Athena. 2) As a hairless Laura tells Bill there might be something to Baltar’s preachings, Adama wonders if he’ll ever see Kara’s crew again.

4.7 “Guess What’s Coming To Dinner” (6:00) 1) As Adama discusses Kara’s alliance and Gaeta’s wounded leg, Kara flashes back to the hybrid’s prediction that Kara “will lead them all to their end.” 2) Baltar and Tory have a pillow-talk about Baltar’s treatment of Roslin.

4.8 “Sine Qua Non” (2:30) 1) Romo tells Lee he’s a solo act. 2) Romo suggests to Lee that a good replacement for Roslin might be a famous movie actor. 3) Romo and Lee debate the viability of a Galen Tyrol presidency. 4) Bill and Saul survey the damage to Adama’s model ship. 

4.9 “The Hub” (10:20) 1) Roslin and Helo have a conversation about which of Sharon’s memories the Cylons possess. 2) Roslin and Helo discuss the dishonesty of chatting up D’Anna without the other Cylons present. 3) The Agathons and D’Anna stumble upon a dead hybrid. 4) D’Anna causes Sharon to point her weapon. 5) As Roslin tends to his wounds, Baltar claims parentage. 6) On the way to bring D’Anna to Roslin, Sharon is shot dead by a Cavil.  

4.10 “Revelations” (4:43) 1) President Lee Adama asks his father if Lee can lead the Final Five negotiations with D’Anna. 2) D’Anna asks Tory why Anders, Tyrol and Tigh haven’t defected to the Cylon side as well. 3) Tigh confesses his position on the stand-off to Dualla. 4) Roslin, a captive of the Cylons, explains to Baltar why he’s not the Final Cylon. 5) Baltar pleads with D’Anna to end their conflict peacefully.  


PODCAST COMMENTARIES:

4.1 “He That Believeth In Me.” Series mastermind Ronald D. Moore.

4.2 “Six of One.” Moore.

4.3 “The Ties That Bind.” Moore.

4.4 “Escape Velocity.” Moore.

4.5 “The Road Less Traveled.” Moore.

4.6 “Faith.” Moore and writers Bradley Thompson & David Weddle.

4.7 “Guess What’s Coming To Dinner.” Moore and writer David Angeli.

4.8 “Sine Qua Non.” Moore and writer Michael Taylor.

4.9 “The Hub.” Moore, writer Jane Espenson, and editors Michael O’Halloran and Andrew Seklir.

4.10 “Revelations.” Moore, Weddle, Thompson and Seklir.


FEATURETTES:


* “The Journey” (20:54) The actors who play Six, Agathon, Valerii, Tigh, Dualla, Anders, Gaeta, Baltar, Apollo, Starbuck and Roslin discuss the evolution of their characters over the seasons. Members of the crew name their favorite characters (a lot of votes for Baltar here). The impact of the writers’ strike is discussed. Kevin Smith, moderating a panel at Comic-Con, asks Ron Moore if the final ten episodes will just feature the characters complaining, “Why didn’t we stay where we were?” Moore responds “There’s a fair amount of that,” and “then the story continues in unexpected ways. There’s just a tremendous amount of upheaval.” Writer Mark Verheiden promises “enormous surprises” in the final episodes. Some clips: 

 

* “Cylons: The Twelve” (15:56) Each of the Cylon models are examined in numerical order, predictably skipping over Seven. Learn the actors playing Tyrol and Tigh did not cotton to the revelation that their characters were actually Cylons -- while the actress playing Tori squealed when she learned. The final Cylon is graphically represented with a metal centurion. “It won’t be a guest star,” Ron Moore tells the Comic-Con audience of that final Cylon.

* “Season 4.5: The Untold Story – Untold” (1:22) Players pointedly disclose nothing of the final 10 episodes.

* “Inside The Secrets Of The Behind The Making Of The Music Of Battlestar Galactica Revealed” (billed on the DVD box as “The Music of Battlestar Galactica”) (22:34) Producers, editors, post-production supervisors and actors pretend not to know who series composer Bear McCreary is. When writer Jane Espenson learns he creates the series’ music, she declares, “He must be the most talented bear in the world!” Ron Moore tells a disappointed McCreary that “not everybody can come to the wrap party.” (I gather this was shown at McCreary’s April concerts at the Roxy in West Hollywood, Calif., where it doubtlessly elicited many giant laughs.)

* “‘Caprica’ Sneak Peek” (1:34) “Our name is not Adams,” the father of Bill Adama discloses in the trailer for the coming prequel series. 



OTHER EXTRAS:

* The entire extended, unrated “Razor” TV-movie that bridged seasons three and four, containing the same deleted scenes, commentary and other extras as the separate DVD issued Dec. 4, 2007 (currently selling for $12.98. Find an in-depth examination of the “Razor” DVD <A HREF=http://www.aintitcool.com/?q=node/34956>here</A>.

* Ten video blogs by series producer David Eick.


The final 10 episodes of “Galactica” that hit Blu-ray on July 28, 2009, are included in the new complete-season Blu-ray set as well.

 

The title of the Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season Eight Motion Comic may be misleading, as if apparently animates the first 19 issue of Buffy’s excellent eighth season, which actually contains more than 40 issues (the final season-eight issue, scripted by series mastermind Joss Whedon, actually hits shelves later this month). Another reason to be wary: word is nobody from the TV show voices these characters.

“Big Love’s” fourth season was much disparaged, but I thought Bruce Dern’s character was hilarious while awaiting “trial” at the Hollis Greene compound. Also, Ginnifer Goodwin never looked hotter and I quite enjoyed Chloe Sevigny’s character slutting it up a little (even if Sevigny herself called this season “awful.”

The endlessly entertaining Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends: The Complete Series marks the first appearance of the series’ fifth and final season on DVD. At $65.99, you’re only paying $13.20 per season. This makes a great gift, so I’m confused about the post-holiday timing of this release.

HBO has taken the acclaimed podcasts by Ricky Gervais -- Golden Globes host and writer-director-star of the BBC’s “The Office” and the major motion picture comedy “The Invention of Lying” -- and animated them. I find HBO’s “The Ricky Gervais Show” too sporadically amusing to grant it access to my DVR, and quite tame next to the more fearless American mockfests hosted by Adam Carolla (whose newer podcast almost instantly eclipsed Gervais’ in terms of worldwide popularity) and Sirius satellite radio lynchpin Howard Stern.

Herc’s Popular Pricing Pantry

Universal has season sets under $10!!

USHE is also still having a useful post-Christmas sale at Amazon; some highlights:

$14.99 The Office

$14.99 Heroes

$19.99 Psych

The third remastered season of “Star Trek,” $69.49 last month, has momentarily fallen to $33.49, its lowest price ever!!

TV-on-Disc Calendar

Last Week
Archer 1.x
Battlestar Galactica: Razor (Blu-ray)
A Charlie Brown Valentine
Jersey Shore 2.x
Jersey Shore 1.x-2.x
River Monsters 2.x
United States of Tara 2.x

This Week

Battlestar Galactica 4.x (Blu-ray)

Big Love 4.x

Bizarre Foods: Collection 4 Part 2

Buffy the Vampire Slayer 8.x (Blu-ray)

Dirty Tricks: The Complete Miniseries

Enemy at the Door 2.x

The Guilty: The Complete Miniseries

iCarly 2.x Vol. 2

Mannix 4.x

Make It Or Break it 1.x Vol. 2

The Ricky Gervais Show 1.x

Rocky & Bullwinkle & Friends: Complete Series

Sarah Jane Adventures 3.x

Next Week
Adam 12 Vol. 1 ($7.93)
All in the Family 8.x
Ben 10 Ultimate Alien Vol. 1
Ben 10 Ultimate Alien Vol. 1 (Blu-ray)
Doctor Who: Dominators
Doctor Who: Meglos
Dragnet 1968 Vol. 1 ($7.93)
ER 14.x
Funny or Die Presents 1.x
Greek 3.x (Vol. 5)
Hot In Cleveland 1.x
Mindfreak 6.x
Real Housewives of New Jersey
The Real Housewives of Orange County 3.x
Rules of Engagement 4.x
Skins Vol. 4
Sordid Lives: The Complete Series
Spin City Vol. 1
Top Chef 7.x

The Universe 5.x

The Universe 5.x (Blu-ray)

The Universe: 7 Wonders of the Solar System (Blu-ray 3D)
Voyage To The Bottom of the Sea 4.x Vol. 2

January 18
Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations: Collection 5 Part 2
Dallas 14.x
Dark Skies: The Complete Series
Garfield Show: All You Need Is Love & Pasta
Hey Vern, It's Earnest: The Complete Series
H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series
H.R. Pufnstuf: The Complete Series Collector's Edition
Justified 1.x

Justified 1.x (Blu-ray)
Last of the Summer Wine: Vintage 1987
Merlin 2.x
My Two Dads: You Can Count on Me!
Simon & Simon: Best of 2.x
Stingray: The Complete Series
thirtysomething Vol. 1 ($9.98)
21 Jump Street 4.x
Waking The Dead 5.x
 

Thanks to the holidays, the release calendar has barely changed since last week. Find the January-February releases here. Find the March, April and May releases here.