XDA

Rome started up last week but Sunday's episode got it back on track, I think, after a shaky restart. Gaius Julius Caesar's body is burned and, as we learn from Brutus' stunned reaction and a plebian retelling, Mark Anthony's eulogy went about as well as the Shakespeare recreation of it. The mob is with Anthony and the conspirator/tyrant killers have to leave the city. Those who had to memorize Roman history in Latin class know what's to come. Anthony was clearly smitten with Cleopatra. He's sleeping with Atia, mother of Octavian and Octavia (who experimented last season with incest--euyech). SPOILER alert: How is Anthony going to get Octavia to marry him so he can later abandon her for Cleopatra? Little soap opera coming on there, as history requires.

I hear that Max Pirkis, who has played a young teen Octavian, is about to be replaced with an older portrayer of the first and possibly best Roman Emperor. That will hurt. Octavian's getting involved in the ruling of Rome is about the best thing of the Patrician story line. Back on the Aventine hill, Lucius Vorenus is a little depressed over the death of his very hot wife Niobe and his belief that his children have been horribly murdered. I might end up a month in bed with a stinking head of the murderer my only comfort with that sort of news. He's to become the underground "mob" ruler of that part of the city in order to keep the various gangs from disturbing the real trade in the area. I'm sure that the 'free Jerusalem' brother of non-observant Timon will absolutely screw things up for him. They've added some new characters, who seem OK as well. 8 episodes to go. Boy, am I going to miss this one.

Battlestar Galactica continued its 3rd season with the end of the participation of Kiwi actress, Lucy Lawless (who is looking good as a blond--Xena who?). I'm all at sea about the politics of Cylon society. Is it a pure democracy, with the 7 types voting on what to do--the type there representing, somehow, the wishes of all the others of that type (but we've seen dissent between identical members of the same type--I really am lost) or is it a republic, with each type represented by one member (but we've seen meetings where things were decided attended by multiple members of the same type) or is it a type of anarchy with any individual doing exactly what it wants, at any one time? Who can freakin' tell?

Serious soap opera coming with the possible re-shuffling of the two handsome couples. I don't really care. Is there a feeling, thinking male on Earth who even likes Starbuck? She's a completely amoral bitch--a horrible person for whom I feel not a jot of sympathy. Good pilot though. D (Anastasia Dualla), on the other hand, does not deserve what she's about to get. She's much tougher and smarter than they let her be in the early episodes. Apollo got the better part of that deal, by a wide margin.

Also, you know the humans are the good guys by the incidence of ethnic types. There is a black Cylon type but he has all but disappeared and doesn't even attend the planning sessions anymore, while the high priestess, a blast from the past pilot and D, the com girl, not to mention Mr. Gaeta, are all non-whites. Maybe the Galactica should paste on one of those rainbow stickers on the back.