Monday was a very exciting day in the Johnson apartment. We watched the season finales of Chuck and Heroes, and I made my first attempt at making Mark Bittmann’s faster no-knead bread.
First of all, I should say that Chuck has basically become my favorite show on TV. It has the right mix of humor, action, and cultural references (that I actually understand) to be supremely entertaining. I am sure my enjoyment of the show has something to do with having worked for about a year in a CompUSA. While the antics that go on in the “Buy More” go far beyond anything I witnessed, some of the character types seem extremely familiar. I also interviewed to work for the Geek Squad (before they merged with Best Buy and became a mere shadow of their former selves), so I am connected to the setting of the show on multiple levels.
The season finale was spectacular. Ellie’s wedding provided a perfect excuse to bring the entire cast together, creating excellent humor (Jeffster singing Mr. Roboto) while Casey was tearing the room apart next door. Chuck’s “upgrade” at the end was a singular moment of triumph, causing the audience in my living room to cry out in celebration.
So, it is with a heavy dose of disappointment that I heard that NBC has not yet decided whether or not to continue Chuck for another season. Certainly, in order to continue, the show needs to prove that it can move in new directions while maintaining the humor which makes the show work. But, I think the writers have plenty of room for at least one more good season.
The other thing which made Monday fantastic was homemade bread. I followed Mark Bittmann’s recipe to the letter. I had my doubts because it was much more gooey than other doughs I have made in the past. However, the end result worked fantastically well. Phyllis and I nearly ate the entire loaf of bread in one evening. Suffice it to say, I will be making this again (but not too often for obvious reasons!).
I am making another attempt to grow some herbs. This year, I thought a little further ahead and decided to start them inside. As you can see, they have sprung up out of their little pods. Another week or two and they can move outside!
It was a sad moment when the credits rolled on the series finale of Battlestar Galactica: my favorite TV show had finally come to an end. I have mixed feelings about the finale. On the one hand, I fully approve the choice of a Peter Jackson Return of the King-esque pacing, with multiple landing points that serve to unwind the show by getting to the arrival point and letting the audience see the view before finally turning off the lights. It was poignant and beautiful.
What bothers me is the decision to leave Starbuck’s character unresolved. We are given opaque hints that she is an “angel” like the Gaius and Caprica that remain at the end. For instance, it is hinted that she is the pigeon flying around Lee’s apartment, she has died and come to life again, she is placed exactly where she needs to be to bring everyone to Earth by punching in coordinates that she knows from a song, and she completely disappears shortly after accomplishing this task. In the end I don’t mind so much that her character is unresolved. A sense of mystery is fitting given the context of the other themes of show. I do mind that this ending doesn’t fit with Kara being the “harbinger of death”, as proclaimed by the hybrid aboard the base station.
The concept that Hera is vital to the future of men and cylons is also left undeveloped. Yes, we are told that she becomes a common ancestor of future generations. However, that puts her on equal footing with any of the other surviving humans from the fleet. So what?
And why was it so important for Laura, Athena, Gaius, and Caprica to keep having dreams about Hera if all they needed to do was escort her from one end of the ship to the other?
I suppose that all I am saying is that it would have been better if these elements which were thought to be so important throughout the story actually ended up being important.
Alas, what is done is done. And I liked it. It just could have been better.
It has been a very long time since I have uploaded one of these. I seem to be in a strange state where my first attempt of any given day is dramatically better than the following attempts. For instance, today, I picked up my juggling balls and immediately made 40+ throws. Then I went to make this video and couldn’t break 20 or so. In any case, you should still be able to see that my juggling has gotten more relaxed. My largest issue right now is with collisions. I think this is happening because I occasionally throw a little lower with my left hand than with my right.
