Where I come from, pirated DVDs are commonplace, and I am surprised that I never came across one that looks just like this particular version. Not that I am promoting the creation and purchase of these illegal items, but they do have their uses. Just take one more look at the back of the DVD cover up there, will you? It showcases the ingenuity of whoever made the cover. (According to a commenter in the original article where I found the images, the review is actually for another movie and that “Geirot Free Press” is actually “Detroit Free Press.”)

Here’s the cover of the DVD, which contains more elements that will make your eyebrows skyrocket.

With the exception of Baltar – everyone looks pretty good to me. Now I haven’t finished the entire series, so I don’t know if the end is really like “Saw.” I haven’t seen the Enterprise make an appearance as well. Stargate’s still MIA – at least in the version that I am watching, whatever that is. So tell me, BSG fanatics, am I missing out on not buying this particular version of the series? That would totally blow. Maybe I should go to the nearest bazaar and look for this copy.

Off the top of my head, I can name four reasons.

1. He was forced to go to a mixer courtesy of Raj’s Green Lantern lantern. He went further than acquiring the lantern – he actually went to the mixer carrying the lantern with him in case his ring needed to be recharged1
2. He was bribed to go out with a girl for the second time, again courtesy of Raj – this time he gave up his Hulk gloves. I really need not say more, do I? By the way, these first two reasons are from the same episode (The Psychic Vortex).
3. He has a Cylon toaster. Considering that I am in a BSG mode right now, this really ought to be number one on my list. And yes, there really are Cylon toasters out there.
4. He is smarter than everyone else; he knows it; and he will not hesitate to point it out. Isn’t this trait of his just charming? In other people, it would probably be irritating, but when Sheldon does his thing, you just can’t help but smile and shake your head.

I found a similar list – same concept, different reasons – at TechRepublic about why Dr. Sheldon Cooper is TV’s biggest geek. You might want to check it out.

Parting question for Sheldon fans: what makes him the best geek on TV for you?

See that woman in the red up there? For those of you that don’t know, that’s the amazing Tricia Helfer, and me and her have a little history together. Alright, that may be exaggerating just a tad, but there is a story here, and it’s quick. Then we can get to the news. Cool?

I was the executive editor of a magazine back in 2009, and with that lustrious title came the ability to pick and choose who was featured in the book. As a result, I had a few of my favorites picked out: Adam from Man Vs Food, Wil Wheaton, and I was really pushing for Oliva Munn – but those were all on my “future issue” list. Then a PR person dropped me a line. “Would you be interested in talking with Tricia Helfer?” Umm, yes. Yes I would.

We scheduled an interview and eventually had a 45 minute phone conversation about BSG, Human Target, and not getting recognized on the street. It was really, really cool. I started transcribing it right away and locked it in for the October issue.

Except October never came. Instead, I discovered in late August that my magazine was being discontinued and the September issue was to be the last on the stands. I was also demoted back to my old job, and I decided to move on. In October I left the company to start my own business.

So indirectly, I suppose you could say that Tricia Helfer caused me to quit my job. Or not. Either way, I wish I could’ve printed that thing, but now it’s all irrelevant data and old news. Sigh.

Unless she comes back to BSG that is. The Hollywood Reporter is reporting that SyFy is working on a spin-off of the latest BSG. At first, the article gives us a bunch of BS about another horrible SyFy show getting greenlit, but then we get the good stuff:

Syfy also is seeking to expand its popular “Battlestar” franchise.

When asked about the chances of its modestly performing spinoff “Caprica” getting a renewal, Stern was bullish. He pointed to the show recently hitting a series high in the adult demographic using Live+7 ratings, drawing 1.6 million viewers and 913,000 adults 18-49.

“We have a lot of hope for that show,” Stern said. “The (DVR data) has been very promising and growing week after week.”

The network also is looking to order another “Battlestar”-related project. Details were slim, but Stern said the title would mark a return to the franchise’s space-opera roots.

“We’re looking for other ways to spin off ‘Battlestar’ beyond ‘Caprica,’ ” he said. “That world is so rich. We’re sitting down with (executive producer) Ron Moore and his team. It would not necessarily be a traditional series.”

My only hope is that it’s better than Caprica. A sci-fi show with no action isn’t any fun for me. I might as well be watching Oprah. Let’s hope this one takes it back to space where the series belongs. Maybe even redo the very first series.

Raise your hand if you’ve ever spoken to Tricia Helfer, Six from Battlestar Galactica, for more than 10 minutes. Anybody? Oh, I guess it’s just me then. Back in September, I interviewed her for a magazine I was working for at the time. 30 minutes later, I had the best interview I ever did on MP3, and I couldn’t wait to write it. Then the magazine shut down, and I had no outlet for it. I even had exclusive pics, too. Bummer.

Six was just one of the great things about that show. The interaction between humans and cylons, the constant drama and action – it was all worth every minute. Well, except for the half-assed ending, anyways. If only there were some kind of way for me to play as a BSG character …

Oh wait, there is. NBC Universal and Bigpoint has just announced an MMO based on BSG. From the official fancy press release:

Players will be able to choose to play as cylons or humans in a constant struggle to control the universe or just survive its perils. A blend of tactical space combat, exploration, and mission-based gameplay will provide a diverse experience. The dramatic missions will define the game’s overall storyline, enabling the player to delve into mysteries of the Battlestar universe. Battlestar Galactica Online will create a new standard for web games, with beautiful 3d graphics and innovative game mechanics bringing a new level of game play to browser based MMOG. Assets from the television production will be integrated into the game to deliver an even more authentic experience.

There’s not much to their teaser site yet, but feel free to check it out and sign up for updates as they come. No word yet on a release date, but as soon as we know, we’ll let you know.

I loved Battlestar Galactica, all the way until the last episode. Then I sat there, confounded, and wondering what just happened. That, and I really wondered why they took the lame way out and had them land on past Earth, and start civilization again. Just seemed cheesy to me, and a poor way to end the series.

But I don’t want to let that last episode spoil the other 5 seasons for me, because the series as a whole was amazing. Great acting, excellent storyline, and lots of action. It was what I looked forward to every Friday night.

Now we have Caprica, the show that depicts how the Cylon race started and how they became sentient. At least, that’s how they sold the show to the series, but so far, there hasn’t been a whole lot of Cylon action. In fact, it’s more about the drama around the Graystone family, and all of the weird stuff with the Adamas. There seems to be so many different storylines going on that it’s difficult to follow who did what to whom and when.

After watching the sixth episode the other night, my wife said to me, “I don’t get it.This is supposed to be about Cylons becoming sentient and taking over the planet. Why isn’t there any action? What’s with all this spy stuff? And how would I explain this episode to someone who hadn’t seen it?”

That’s just it. There are so many plot twists, plot lines and so much confusion in general that just describing the show in itself is difficult. And there are so many characters at this point as well that it’s hard to keep track of who’s doing what. Every episode I watch, it seems like I jumped into a story halfway and now I just have to play catch up.

I’m going to give the show the benefit of the doubt for now, but there’s gotta be some changes. Something has got to happen to bring some excitement into the show, otherwise I’m gonna lose interest. It’s debatable that I haven’t already.