The Weekend Is Over

Why does my weekend always feel so short? Oh, I know. Because I never get everything done! The weekend is for doing the things you can't do or don't have time to do during the week, and for relaxing, and for playing. And there's simply not enough time to do it all.

Our weekend was gloomy, cold, and snowy for the most part, which left me feeling totally drained. Normally I love this kind of weather because it's great for staying in your pjs and reading and napping all day, bit I always have a nagging sense that I should be using my time more wisely.

And this week I was extra bad because when I wasn't glued to my book, I was glued to the tv (or the computer watching tv).

I watched some movies from my queue and caught up on tv shows like Project Runway and CSI. Yes, sad but true, I am very much hooked to my tv. Even I recognize that I get much more read during the off season, but let's face it, I read a ton during the tv season as well. I do know I could have gotten more read if I hadn't decided to try my hand at the new Stargate spin-off, though.

Yep, I'm a geek. I'm not smart enough to actually READ most sci-fi (a lot goes over my head, sadly), but I can certainly watch the heck out of it.

Stargate the movie was fantastic. I remember seeing it at the theater with my mom when it came out. We weren't sure what it was because we hadn't seen or heard anything about it, but we were going to see something and it was the only thing under R (I wasn't driving age at that point). Fortunately for both of us, it turned out to be a fantastic flick (we stumbled into The Fifth Element the same way and it paid off, too).

When the first Stargate spin-off hit the airwaves, I was not one who tuned in. I'm not even sure if I knew it was on and by the time I saw it playing on Sci-Fi channel (SyFy) it was way too far along for me to jump in. So then, when Atlantis started, I really had no interest.

I can say pretty much the same thing for the new show, Stargate Universe (SG-U) except for the fact that it was playing while I was home last week: mom turned it on and left the room and I haven't been home enough to figure out all the new tv remotes over there (yes, I feel old) so I couldn't turn it off.

I was surprised to find that I was pretty interested in it. Curious, I tracked down the full episodes available thus far online and had myself a little mini-marathon today (and added SG-1) to the rental queue after finding episodes on Hulu.

Universe, if you're curious kind of stands alone as a series. You don't have to have seen any of the others, or even the movie if I'm totally honest. Frankly, it's pretty cool so far (no, I'm not totally unbiased considering my fondness for the film, but as I said, I've never seen the other shows at this point so I wasn't a guaranteed tuned-in fan).

How can they have so many spin-offs, you might ask? Well, in the film you might remember that it took James Spader's character to figure out the 7th symbol to open the stargate. SG-1 takes place a year later. In Stargate Atlantis, if I'm to understand the synopsis, they discover that entering an 8th symbol will take them to another galaxy. So, in Stargate Universe, Robert Carlyle plays Dr. Nicholas Rush a scientist who is trying to figure out how and where entering a 9th symbol will take them.

David Blue (who I recognized from Ugly Betty) plays Eli Wallace, a smart gamer who solves a puzzle in an online game that just so happens to be Rush's attempt at getting help figuring out the 9th symbol. Wallace is beamed onto a ship where the project is taking place. Unfortunately, everyone on board soon finds themselves under attack. Rush, in his egotistical wisdom (so far he's egotistical) decides that rather than opening the stargate and sending everyone back to Earth, he should try out his newfound 9th symbol. Everyone jumps through, only to find themselves on an abandoned ship that's billions of light years away from Earth, and falling apart.

Trust me, it's cool. I was very easily hooked.

Check out the link if you don't believe me. Watch the first ep. And if you do believe me, just remember, I'm looking for something to fill the Doctor Who hole until "Waters of Mars" premieres in November : )

I'm reveling in my geekdom right now. Forgive me if you don't share in the enthusiasm. I would totally understand. TV on DVD is addicting and after so many BBC shows, the Sci-Fi effects don't really bother me anymore. And thank God the powers that be at most networks have decided to post full episodes online. I'll be tuning in to SyFy on Friday nights now since I've had a chance to get into the show.