After several weeks of floating in a gaseous nebula populated by perfunctory holiday cheer and long-anticipated corporate media mergers, a new episode of Battlestar Galactica is arriving this weekend to brilliantly distract us from the decline of our own civilization by showing us a band of human refugees escaping the utter destruction of their own futuristic society. The last episode of 2006, entitled "The Eye Of Jupiter" saw the fleet go toe to toe with the Cylons over a planet hosting a sacred temple left behind by the 13th tribe of humanity as a sort of guide post pointing to the lost colony, Earth. As I recall, Admiral Adama was ready to nuke the whole site (and a bunch of his crew, on the planet's surface), rather than let the toasters lay claim to this coveted prize. "Rapture," which airs at 10 PM on Sunday, January 21st promises to be heavier than Apollo at the start of Season 3!

Those in need of something to hold them over until Sunday night should be able to find solace in other ways. Canadian Tricia Helfer, who stars as Caprica 6 on BSG is on the cover of Playboy this month. She is an  amazing woman, and this classy nude spread, shot in Acapulco, is, I daresay, frakkin' gorgeous. But back to the show...I urge all fans to actually tune in this Sunday, so we can help lay those ugly rumours about BSG not being renewed for a 4th season to rest once and for all.