Dr Who 4x06:

I wonder if it was intentional that The Doctor's hand wound was a mirror image of the hand wound received by the victims in The Empty Child/Doctor Dances?

OK, I shouldn't be in here, since I'm way behind on BSG. But would this be the place to discuss Avatar: The Last Airbender?

I know there's been occasional posts about it in Natter, but very little discussion. I wouldn't be opposed to discussing it in here, personally. It certainly qualifies as "sci fi or fantasy."

Zap2it reviews the pilot scripts from Fringe and Dollhouse.

More specific about Fringe than Dollhouse - but more general than specific in terms of what each show is about rather than what happens in the episode.

Sarah Connor Chronicles dvd news - no release date but excellent prices for HD and bluray versions.

OK, I shouldn't be in here, since I'm way behind on BSG. But would this be the place to discuss Avatar: The Last Airbender?

Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!11111111

I'm only 4 eps into Avatar (with a smattering of more recent episodes), and I'm wondering how the various cultures map to the real world.

I get that Aang is based on the Dalai Lama. At first I thought the Fire Nation was the Japanese (shogun-style helmets, WWII style warships), but now I'm pretty convinced they are the Middle Kingdom. Their martial art looks a lot like kung fu, for example.

I would have made the Water Tribes the Japanese, but having them be the arctic tribes is more interesting. Haven't seen their martial art (if any) yet.

Just watched the episode on Kyoshi, and that culture is extremely Japanese, from the warrior makeup and hakama uniforms to the aikido. Since they produced an Avatar, and wear green, I guess they are Earth?

Anyway, if this mapping is consistent and intentional (i.e., rather than just taking appealing elements from classical Chinese history, the writers want me to understand that the Fire Nation = China), there's some interesting political subtext going on.

Their martial art looks a lot like kung fu, for example.

It is. Northern Shaolin kung fu, to be exact.

I would have made the Water Tribes the Japanese, but having them be the arctic tribes is more interesting. Haven't seen their martial art (if any) yet.

Waterbending is TAI CHI!

Just watched the episode on Kyoshi, and that culture is extremely Japanese, from the warrior makeup and hakama uniforms to the aikido. Since they produced an Avatar, and wear green, I guess they are Earth?

Yep.

Anyway, if this mapping is consistent and intentional

Hm, I don't know whether the nations are actually supposed to represent countries entire since there is a lot of "taking appealing elements from classical Chinese history" for the Earth Kingdom as well.

there's some interesting political subtext going on.

Dear God, wait till you get to the second season.

Sarah Connor Chronicles dvd news - no release date but excellent prices for HD and bluray versions.

Hopefully, if they release it in August, like the article suggests, people will buy it and maybe the ratings will go up in the Fall.

Cool. I pretty much love this show so far.

And I can watch it with Mal, who's in it for "the big flying dog and 'Gitarra'."

I'm going to guess that Chinese and Japanese history and culture both contribute to both Fire and Earth. I don't know how expansionist Earth Kingdom ever was, but my "knowing nothing about the 'verse" hunch is "expansive." Reason: you have two Water Tribes, one of which is decimated. The Air guys seem to be pretty thin on the ground (heh) too. So the rest of the world is Fire and Earth.

I kind of wish they'd used the Chinese elements and included metal, but that's another whole essay.