What was on TV? Fri, Jan 28, 2005

20 years ago, it was snowing all over the world. Even in Algeria! Let's see what was on TV.

8:00 Carnivale (recorded)

2x01 "Los Moscos" and 2x02 "Alamagordo, NM"

Available on Max

Watching Carnivale in 2025 is weird. Because this feels like a show from the peak tv era. It started off as a movie script, and you can tell. The production values (especially in the first season) are great The cast is full of crazy talented actors playing characters who too often feel a little underdeveloped. The mythology is dense and confusing. It feels like it takes forever to get to the point, and often seems happy to delay, to marinate in the world it's created.

All this really annoyed most people back when Carnivale aired, judging by contemporary reviews, not to mention the ratings. But the culture kind of caught up to Carnivale. In a world in which so many tv shows feature Carnivale's flaws, it's easier to appreciate its virtues. The community it depicts, the big ideas it embraces, its frank and empathetic treatment of sex work and disability. And these things are possible in large part because Carnivale is content to marinate in the wonderful world it creates, and to postpone the fireworks factory more often than not.

The season opens with a big info dump that explains what's going on, and in general the pace is faster, there are more "answers." But eventually we get back to some of that old Carnivale shagginess and strangeness. I was glad to see it.

10:00 Battlestar Galactica on Sci-Fi

1x04 "Act of Contrition" (record Monk on USA)

Available on Prime

Starbuck was the breakout character of BSG. She was the thing that broke through. So I was surprised to find that the first three episodes of the series were light on Starbuck. We got Gaius, Boomer, Adama (both son and father), and Laura Roslin. But Starbuck is definitely a supporting player.

But in this episode she is front and center. And you can see why she was such a breakout character. What grabbed people's attention was the gender-swap from the original: now the hard-partying hotshot pilot is a lady? Look at this strong female character (TM), wow! But once people were paying attention, they discovered a complex and lovable character. This episode explores Starbuck's backstory in depth (and gives us another glimpse of pre-war Caprica in the process). Her love for Adama's son, her guilt over his death. Her talent, her compassion, her pride, and her fears.

My favorite scenes are the ones where she trains the new pilots. She's trying to do her best Full Metal Jacket routine, but she's laying it on so thick. Sackhoff is so good in these scenes, playing Starbuck's overcompensation and insecurities. And when she fails them, afraid that they'll all perish and it will be her fault again, it's so tender and moving even though it's also stupid. And it all culminates in a big space battle when she puts everything on the line to save the man she saddled with the humiliating name "hot dog" in an attempt to assert her authority. And she's still calling him Hot Dog, but no it doesn't feel like a mean nickname anymore. After this episode, I love Starbuck, and I'm can't wait to see how she gets off that moon next week.

TiVo Status

The Masterpiece Theater miniseries He Knew He Was Right and The Lost Prince, and one episode of Monk. 9 hours total.