Dec 30th Meeting Agenda

We will be meeting on Dec. 30th at my place. 5:00 PM.

Agenda:

Discuss ALTERED CARBON and MINDSCAN.
.....How is John Varley holding up to the head-to-head competition with Morgan and Sawyer?

Schedule a CREATION BOOK on the HMTP.
..... I suggest GENETIC ENTROPY & THE MYSTERY OF THE GENOME by J. C. Sanford (ISBN 1-59919-002-8).

Decide when to start reading SHERLOCK HOLMES.
.....Arthur Conan Doyle's detective is already on the HMTP, but several years out.

Discuss how deeply to persue ESCHATOLOGY in this group.
.....perhaps this is not the appropriate format.

Redeem the Time

DAY BREAK CANCELLED

The best new TV show of the season, ABCs DAYBREAK, has been cancelled. The ratings were so low that ABC is replacing it with reruns of THE WORLD ACCORDING TO JIM.

ABC will make unaired episodes available in streaming video on their website ABC.com.

Watch them each week while you have the chance to see how this mystery plays out. They may never again be available in any other format.

DAY BREAK 1.5 IS GREAT TELEVISION

DAYBREAK episode 1.5 “What if they’re stuck?” is great television.

Only in its fifth episode the new ABC show Daybreak has reached the pinnacle of fine TV. The show where Taye Diggs is stuck reliving the same dreadful day over and over, really hit its stride this week. We have seen the character Brett Hopper experiment with several variations in his actions this day trying to gather clues as to why he is being framed for the murder of Assistant District Attorney, Alberto Garza. In episode 1.5 he resorts to taking his ex-partner Chad hostage trying to locate his father’s critical murder case-book he hopes will tie everything together, and learns more than he hoped about Chad and himself.

I have been an Adam Baldwin fan ever since his spot-on portrayal of meathead mercenary Jayne on the superb SF show Firefly. In Daybreak he is Internal Affairs Officer, Chad Shelten. His relationship to Hopper is complex. They were partners for two years and now Hopper is living with Chad’s ex-wife Rita, whom Chad still cares for. In episodes 1-4 Chad has been a thorn in Hoppers side, but in this latest, we get to see a different side. Baldwin so convincingly portrayed Chad that, I had no difficulty I believing that Chad has a deeper side to his character. The hostage scene is really fun to watch.

The rest of the cast is also solid. There have been episodes featuring both Hopper’s girlfriend Rita Shelton, played by Moon Bloodgood, and Hopper’s current partner Andrea Battle, played by Victoria Pratt. So far Rita has played the perfect ingénue: a nurse with a need to help strays. His partner Battle has already showed her mettle and loyalty to Hopper in the last episode 1.4, where she changes the day for the better, and in episode 1.5 this underlying certainty of her character is evident.

Brett Hopper is reminiscent of many honor-bound characters. Even though he thinks he will have to relive this day again, he will not break his personal code of honor, and resort to unscrupulous deeds to gather his information. He has been placed in a desperate situation, but refuses to despair. He is always working for a solution to the problem. He sees this day as both a form of divine punishment, and as an opportunity to avert tragedy. And he intends to win.

The climatic scene is so perfect I found myself exclaiming aloud, “Yea.” And I was watching it alone. I had to go back and immediately watch the episode a second time. It would be pointless to reveal just what happened; better watch it for yourself, and thank me later. Suffice to say that I am now giving this show my personal stamp of approval, and my recommendation that you place it on your MUST-SEE list.

DAY BREAK Episodes - Season 1 + HEROES

It is no secret that I watch far too much TV.

My wife and I are following HEROES, but it's starting to lose me. It reminds me of TWIN PEAKS, THE X-FILES, and LOST; all shows that make a living of promising to reveal the big secret, but never do. Now I think HEROES could break the mold and start the big reveal, but I fear that there is no substance to the show, just the perpetual carrot on a stick. I could be wrong, they could have a larger plan for the characters, but so far there is no clue. The episode "Save the Cheerleader, Save the World" was billed as the show where we would find out what is going on, but all we know is that the Cheerleader got saved; no hint as to how this was saving the world. I suspect that this will be the pattern. It is also based on the ludicrious idea that these people are the next step in human evolution, the hopeful monster theory (a bird hatches a reptile). Anyway, there is only one more episode of HEROES this year. It is in the same time-slot as 24, so I may not be recording it after that. Unless we buy a second recorder.

There is another new show I really like: DAYBREAK, starring Taye Diggs (of Equlibrium fame). The premise is like Bill Murray's GROUNDHOG DAY; the protagonist is stuck reliving the same day over and over again. Bill Murray's movie was a comedy with character development. Taye Diggs' show is like 24 (my favorite show) in that it is action driven. Each day Taye's character, Brett Hopper, has to try to solve a little piece of the mystery of why he is being framed for murder. The difference is that for Hopper the day has consequences. The only things that carries over from one day to the next are his memory and his body damage. I find myself trying to solve the mystery and planning Hopper's different moves for the following day. The show is planned for a 13 episode run, by which time the producers have promised that Hopper will have solved the crime. I don't know if a second season is planned.


Below is the episode guide from IMDB. They list the titles, which are not given in the show credits. Episodes 1 and 2 were run back-to-back as the 2 hour series opener.

DAYBREAK airs on Wednesday nights on ABC.



Season 1, Episode 1: Pilot Original Air Date: 15 November 2006A Los Angeles police officer falsely accused of murder flees from the law to find out who framed him.
Season 1, Episode 2: What If They Run Original Air Date: 15 November 2006Brett takes Rita on the run to try and change things, and Andrea's approached by the detectives.
Season 1, Episode 3: What If He Lets Her Go Original Air Date: 22 November 2006Brett manages to prevent a crash, but in the process loses Rita with some unexpected consequences, and he uncovers a betrayal.
Season 1, Episode 4: What If He Can Change the Day Original Air Date: 29 November 2006
Season 1, Episode 5: What If They're Stuck Original Air Date: 6 December 2006
Season 1, Episode 6: What If They Find Him Original Air Date: 13 December 2006
Season 1, Episode 7: What If He's Not Alone Original Air Date: 20 December 2006
Season 1, Episode 8: What If She's Lying Original Air Date: 27 December 2006
Season 1, Episode 9: What If They're Connected Original Air Date: 3 January 2007
Season 1, Episode 10: What If He's Free Original Air Date: 10 January 2007
Season 1, Episode 11: What If He Walks Away Original Air Date: ????
Season 1, Episode 12: What If She's the Key? Original Air Date: 2007
Season 1, Episode 13: Episode #1.13 Original Air Date: ????