Battlestar Galactica "Save the...

Battlestar Galactica
"Save the attitude for someone who cares," Starbuck says to Kat right before Kat's cannon explodes. Yeah, and save the "fracking," too, OK? I just want to say once again that I hate the whole "frack" thing. It's a distracting holdover from the original show, and it's not even a necessary one, no matter how many other fans insist on using it. There. Rant over. Just that rant, I mean. You guys know I love this show, and this was yet another great episode: Roslin's memories of Baltar making out with Number Six, the whole Baltar-Number Six drama in the present, Sharon's baby being a hair away from being aborted and then Baltar's discovery that its blood could be used to cure Roslin's cancer, etc. But the best thing about Galactica is that it's always avoided the trap other sci-fi shows fall into: that of so much going on that there's no room for character development and human-level drama. (Well, that and bad dialogue like, "You do not comprehend what you trifle with when you challenge the Frith, Earthling!") The writers have managed to avoid that, and I have faith that they'll continue to do so. But still: Zarek's rebellion, the al Qaeda-like uprising that now has its hands on a nuclear warhead, Number Six in Baltar's head, Prisoner Number Six and the rebels, etc. If anyone can juggle it all, storywise, it's the Galactica crew. I just hope they don't try to put any more balls in the air for now.  Michael Peck

Monk
Is it lame of me to continue mourning the loss of Bitty Schram, aka Monk's original sidekick, Sharona? Traylor Howard as Natalie just doesn't do it for me (honestly, few things pronounced "trailer" thrill me.) The tears she wept when she found out Monk had disappeared were so annoying. If he had gone missing on Sharona's watch, she wouldn't have called Stottlemeyer weeping. She would have gone out and found Monk herself! Also, I'm a little over the six-fingered man who supposedly killed our OCD hero's wife. I think creator Andy Breckman watched The Princess Bride one too many times (although it would be cool if the murderer ended up being played by Christopher Guest in the finale). OK, let me stop whining and talk about what I liked about this episode. I enjoyed the reunion between The Silence of the Lambs costars Ted Levine and Charles Napier, who guest-starred as a Wyoming sheriff who helped amnesia-stricken Monk find his friends. Napier sure has come a long way since his Russ Meyer soft-porn days. And yay to Laurie Metcalf as one of the most terrifying (and dirty and I'm not talking naughty) potential love interests ever. She also taught me an important lesson: When searching for a mate, try to find a man with no memory; they're much more malleable. I made the mistake of marrying a man who knew himself, and worse, me. Metcalf shaped Monk into the man she wanted him to be through the power of suggestion (well, sort of). Very Stepford Wives without all the plot holes. I'm just glad they didn't actually have sex. Monk would have never felt clean again.  Raven Snook