Let's see, it's been a while, so I have some catching up to do. But what I really want to talk about is TV, of course.

First, my freaking DVR has been randomly erasing programs for no apparent reason. The cable company asked me all sorts of questions designed to get me to confess that I didn't know how the thing worked. Fortunately, I do understand that I can set the box to automatically delete things after a certain point in time, and I also know how to keep that from happening. After much to-ing and fro-ing, I even managed to convince him of that, and it appears that the only sure remedy would be to either replace the box or reformat the hard drive, which would involve me losing what programs it hasn't already erased on its own. So I'm trying to watch what's left as quickly as possible, to allow that to happen.

Last night saw the first halves of the season finales of Stargates SG-1 and Atlantis. The SG-1 episode was pretty dull, I have to admit. Most of the time was spent in an alternative timeline where Daniel Jackson and Samantha Carter were embarassing stereotypes of nerds. Much talking, much trying-too-hard cuteness, no real drama. And no real suspense about whether everything will be eventually restored to The Way It's Supposed To Be, either.

Meanwhile, on Atlantis, we got a pretty dark, suspenseful build-up to the climactic Wraith attack (which has been a danger since the very first episode). There was conflict, there was drama, there was humor that wasn't childish, there were ships getting blown up, and a recurring character was killed. This one, I'm honestly not sure how it's going to turn out. I really enjoy both shows, but it's become clearer and clearer as the season has worn on that I really prefer Atlantis. Maybe it's the thrill of the new, maybe it's that SG-1 is the pulpier, more fun one, while Atlantis is a bit darker and edgier (as befits their respective timeslots, I guess), but this is a rare case where the spin-off is every bit as strong as the original. (Sort of like Deep Space Nine vs Star Trek: Next Generation, only I like SG-1 so much better than Next Generation...)

Meanwhile, Battlestar Galactica continues to be as dark and nasty as ever. And I think I may be falling in love with Mary McDonnell.

And there are two episodes left for American Dreams. NBC is saying it's two episodes left until the end of the season; I'm betting that it'll be the end of the series as well, sadly. So please, while Lost is in reruns, watch American Dreams while you can. Probably won't do any good at this point, but still...