Battlestar Galactica - The TV show

[Sheridan]

Quote:

---

I'm surprised that this thread is as quiet as it is... especially with the last episode and all. The "revelation," I mean.

---

Not sure where they've reached in the USA so I don't want to say anything that might spoil it, have they shown the season finale yet?

Willow: ...I have to tell you....

Tara: No, I understand you have to be with the person you l-love

Willow: I am

[TyRex316]

No, we're only about half way through the season here in the U.S. Latest episode dealt with Starbuck interrogating that Cylon prisoner and the Doctor finding out his cylon detector actually works. Really love these Starbuck-centric eps. One question I have, because I love spoilers, does the cylon Raider become Starbuck's ship of choice sinse she appears to be the only one who can pilot it and they're devoting a lot of time trying to figure out how it works.

[Sheridan]

Quote:

---

cylon Raider become Starbuck's ship of choice sinse she appears to be the only one who can pilot it and they're devoting a lot of time trying to figure out how it works.

---

Well without going into details Starbuck will get to fly the raider again and the strangest and most disturbing events are still to come...

Willow: ...I have to tell you....

Tara: No, I understand you have to be with the person you l-love

Willow: I am

[TyRex316]

I have to agree with #6. I tape BSG and I found myself just FF'ing to the Starbuck scenes. so it would seem that not only Gaius but #6 as well have taken an interest in Starbuck. Other big surprise, Boomer #2 actually falling in love with Helo. The Caprica side story is getting interesting now too.



P.S. Thanks for the info Sheridan

[Sheridan]

What I'm finding odd is that some of the fans of the old Galactica who dissed the new show for being too different before it started and are now saying it's not really that different, which leaves me bewildered. the whole feel of the show is different. The original Galactica was a great concept straitjacketed by the limitations of 70's television, the new BG is the idea fully realized.

Willow: ...I have to tell you....

Tara: No, I understand you have to be with the person you l-love

Willow: I am

[SySnootles]

I didn't realize that was happening, Sheridan. I certainly do find that odd, too.



I'll be honest and say that I was leery of this new incarnation, but have very quickly grown to love it. It is really nothing like the original show (thank goodness). The 70's series was good for what it was, at the time, but not updating the story or the constructs for today's audience would have been suicide. I welcome the new Galactica, gender/racial changes and all.



I do anxiously await this Friday's episode, as it is the 10th of the season, which you mentioned to be especially intriguing. I'm a spoiler-phobe though, so I'll just have to sit back and watch it all unfold in due time.

Catie



When I'm 130 years old, I want a pill that makes me so happy and so unself-conscious and so randy I'm willing to make love to my fuzzy bed slippers on my front lawn and yodel at the same time. -- Scott Adams from Dilbert and the way of the Weasel

[Warduke]

Enjoy!

---

Firefox: One Browser To Rule Them All.

[Sheridan]

Very entertaining photos. and the section in the interview where she discusses the scene with Helo is quite amusing as well.

Willow: ...I have to tell you....

Tara: No, I understand you have to be with the person you l-love

Willow: I am

[Gatito Grande]

GG Thanks, Brian! Out

[Hemiola]

There is something very interesting about this new "incarnation" of the series: it's emphasis on the "religious" angle--especially as it regards the cylons.



I don't remember anything like this in the original series (which was, as another poster has already noted, originally intended as a simple "Star Wars" rip-off ). What's very interesting is that the "good guys" (i.e. humans) are depicted as "pagans" who worship (apparently) the ancient Greco-Roman deities (Mars, Apollo, etc. as well as the mysterious "Lords of Kobol"), while the cylons are the "monotheists", who seem to revere something like the Judeo-Christian-Muslim concept of the deity.



I wonder where they are going with this?

[darkmagicwillow]

Whether consciously or subconsciously, the Cylons reflect the enemies of the US at the time of the series. In the 70s, they reflected the emotionless evil empire that the US pictured the USSR to be, while today, the Cylons look human and are religious, reflecting fears of terrorist infiltration.

--

"Omnia mutantur, nihil interit." -- "Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost."

[Gatito Grande]

I agree, Hemi, it's very interesting.



I was thinking: are the humans of BG like, some sort of branch human evolution that split off, say, in the time of Greco-Roman supremacy? (the ol' "kidnapped by advanced aliens and set adrift light-years away from their Terran homeworld" hypothesis! )



Or, if this is the far future (which it didn't sound like?), could Terran society revert to a Greco-Roman belief-system sometime in our future, from which the BG society descended? (Note, I use the term "revert" in a purely historical sense: I'm not judging G-R polytheism in any dogmatic way)



GG Like a certain other show ---that one set in the "past"---the new BG might have me reviewing G-R mythology again! (I actually got the one about "Pythia": woo hoo! ) Out



Try this one on: Starbuck = two parts Tasha Yar, to one part Callisto?

[Sheridan]

Quote:

---

I was thinking: are the humans of BG like, some sort of branch human evolution that split off, say, in the time of Greco-Roman supremacy?

---

Well from the original and the current version Earth was colonized by a group from Kobol who went off in a different direction from the groups or tribes who founded the other colonies. Now whether they found an existing human species on earth and simply integrated themselves, passing along their culture and beliefs, or whether they settled an empty earth has never been established but since at the time of the original series the 'ancient astronauts' theory was a hot topic I would guess the writers envisioned the former, what exactly they will do in the current version probably won't become clear for a season or two, I mean they could turn up on earth somewhere in the BC period...

Willow: ...I have to tell you....

Tara: No, I understand you have to be with the person you l-love

Willow: I am

[TyRex316]

O'kay it's taken a while but the writers have actualy got me interested in this sub-plot. I think I'm digging the Romeo/Juliette-esque take on their relationship. Helo has to come back. 'cause was that morning sickness Boomer 2 was experiencing the previous ep? And Gaius is one Cylon induced accident away from becoming President. It just seems everything is coming to a point where Galactica may be come a ship not only at war with Cylons but also a government it can no longer trust.

[Gatito Grande]

Um, TyRex, you've raised questions about which only spoilers can answer (which I only know from what TV Guide's coverstory discussed . . . which wasn't that much).



Suffice to say: the key phrase, re the Cylons, is "they have a plan".



As w/ any good genre TV show, I find myself referencing back to other good genre TV shows. Specifically, re Boomer(s? I'm not sure how much one is like the other): is she gonna be like Talia Winters on B5, wherein her human-like sympathies will just be erased at some point (and then she'll be as . . . detached as Number Six: "Wipe out millions and millions of humans? Ho hum, it's God's Will")?



Or, as is being suggested (re Boomer2-on-Caprica anyway), are human sympathies re-writing her original programming? Can Cylons really be more than "toasters"? Good, bad, or indifferent, the "Plan" of the Cylons is just software if any individual Cylon can't deviate from it.



GG If I *must* see Starbuck w/ a guy, PLEASE let it be Baltar? Their relationship would at least be interestingly kinky. Apollo has a very nice body (and Jamie Bamber's American accent is excellent) . . . but there's *nothing* about him which says "good fit for Starbuck." Seeing Starbuck in a dress, w/ Apollo, reminded me of that other show on Friday (currently skating close to cancellation, I understand), which undid itself in EXACTLY the same way. Keep strong, blonde women IN leather, and away from BORING het relationships! Out

[aceivan]

I've only just had the chance to watch the Miniseries on DVD. Really good show. I loved the 'Oh Fuck!' moment at the end. Unfortunately I won't be able to see Season 1 until its released on DVD.



I really hope they don't de-butch Starbuck. She is definitely one of the show's main attractions.



Len

"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made a victim. Accept no-one's definition of your life; define yourself" Harvey Fierstein

[BBOvenGuy]

Quote:

---

Were the cylons essentially slaves in human society? How many of them died before they lost the war to the humans?

---

As is stated at the beginning of each episode, the Cylons were originally created by human beings. They were worker machines - robots. I don't think it's ever said how many of them died in the war. The Cylons that fought in the first war were all of the "chrome toaster" variety aka what we saw in the original 1970s version of the series. There's one in a museum display at the start of the miniseries.

Quote:

---

I also don't buy Starbuck's assessment of the cylons during her interrogation of the one humanoid cylon. It's clear from observing the humanoid cylons that they're persons to at least the degree that humans are.

---

Throughout human history, we have always been very good at convincing ourselves that one type of person or another (gay people, Jews, conservatives, fill-in-the-blank) is less human than the rest of us. If we do that with our own kind, how much more likely are we to do it with an entirely different species? I think that's one of the points that's being made.

"...what we leave behind us is, in fact, not our opinions but our examples." - Christopher Isherwood

Edited by: BBOvenGuy  at: 3/30/05 3:09 pm

[darkmagicwillow]

I don't see Number 6 as detached, but rather angry. She has quite a temper and from her treatment of Boomer 2, I suspect she hates humans, which makes me wonder how the first human-cylon war went. Were the cylons essentially slaves in human society? How many of them died before they lost the war to the humans?



I also don't buy Starbuck's assessment of the cylons during her interrogation of the one humanoid cylon. It's clear from observing the humanoid cylons that they're persons to at least the degree that humans are. There are even hints that they may have a deeper level of awareness than we do.

--

"Omnia mutantur, nihil interit." -- "Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost."

[darkmagicwillow]

As is stated at the beginning of each episode, the Cylons were originally created by human beings. They were worker machines - robots.

Marshall Brain, the founder of How Stuff Works, is accumulating evidence on the gradual robotization of industry and home, and has some insightful thoughts on the potential societal effects.

Throughout human history, we have always been very good at convincing ourselves that one type of person or another (gay people, Jews, conservatives, fill-in-the-blank) is less human than the rest of us. If we do that with our own kind, how much more likely are we to do it with an entirely different species? I think that's one of the points that's being made.

It's a point I see in the series too, especially in Boomer's pregnancy, and last night when I saw the finale, in the Galactica Boomer's actions, both in killing her sisters (well, perhaps not killing, as the humanoid cylons seem to be anthologized information intelligences, capable of finding a new body after one has been destroyed) and in her attempted assassination.

--

"Omnia mutantur, nihil interit." -- "Everything changes, but nothing is truly lost."

[Sheridan]

I think the thing with the Cylon humanoids is that they are attempts to capture some 'essence' of being human but each has wound upbeing only a partial reflection of the human condition. After all when you have machines that start to believe in god they are bound to wonder about the soul, it seems to me that's part of what they're looking for.

Willow: ...I have to tell you....

Tara: No, I understand you have to be with the person you l-love

Willow: I am

[Gatito Grande]

New eps starting July 15! (in the U.S.)

GG Lucy Lawless guest starring in September! Out

[sam7777]

It's always nice to see Lucy lawless get work.

I recorded some of the eps on the July 5th marathon. Tried getting through the first 3 but no dice. I guess it's just not my cup of tea. The show isn't really scifi. The situations are "ripped from the headlines" ala JAG, Law & Order and "The West Wing". In fact having the President have cancer is really reminiscent of a similar plotline on "The West Wing". Having the Cylons look human brings up the idea of who or what is human and the paranoia of where is the enemy but Phillip K. Dick has made a whole career on this theme. I can't help thinking that the cylons look human to save on sfx. I felt like I was coming into the middle of a larger saga with little chance of catching up. No idea who the legions of folks in the cast are beyond Adama and the President. Olmos seems to be chanelling his grim character from Miami Vice here. Don't care for the terrorist and political aspects of a barely veiled 911 analogy. That tragedy is just to raw for me to enjoy on TV. It's seems an amalgamation of alot of ideas that just don't gel for me. It's just not my thang.

[SySnootles]

I can't help thinking that the cylons look human to save on sfx.

I have to disagree with you there. If the cylons had not "evolved" to look human, several (arguably, most) of the plots and stories would not have been able to unfold the way they did. I think having the cylons look human adds another dimension to the show... one of suspicion and mystery.

I understand the show doesn't appeal to you, and I'm certainly not changing my mind. I'm just sharing a personal opinion/observation as a fan of the show (by the way, I was also a fan of the old one).

[Gatito Grande]

The show isn't really scifi.

Huh???

The situations are "ripped from the headlines"

But sam, science fiction has ALWAYS done that! (I'd actually much rather watch ripped-from-headlines plots set in sci fi settings: I find it far fresher, and more thought-provoking that way. Shows like The West Wing and Law and Order quickly get too preachy for my tastes. YMMV.)

Olmos seems to be chanelling his grim character from Miami Vice here.

I guess I benefit from never having watched it.

It's just not my thang.

To each their own! (I'd watch for the HOT CHICKS alone . . . Fortunately, there IS more than just Hot Chicks to it, though!)

GG "It's always nice to see Lucy lawless get work": at least we agree on something! Out

NB: the final 3 eps of S1 will be, this Saturday night, on NBC of all places (for people who don't get the Sci Fi channel).

[aceivan]

I can't help thinking that the cylons look human to save on sfx.

I got that impression too, but I've only seen the miniseries so far, so I might change my mind. I'm waiting for them to release the Region 1 DVDs of the first season.

What I like about BG is that although its a dark show I don't find it depressing, something other shows have not been so successful at.

[sam7777]

Aceivan: Agreed on the cylons but the show is a downer for me.

If the cylons had not "evolved" to look human, several (arguably, most) of the plots and stories would not have been able to unfold the way they did. I think having the cylons look human adds another dimension to the show... one of suspicion and mystery.

Sysnootles: Yeah but as I said having the Cylons look human brings up the idea of who or what is human and the paranoia of where is the enemy but Phillip K. Dick has made a whole career on this theme. Been there. Done that. BTW didn't car emuch for the original either.

science fiction has ALWAYS done that! (I'd actually much rather watch ripped-from-headlines plots set in sci fi settings: I find it far fresher, and more thought-provoking that way. Shows like The West Wing and Law and Order quickly get too preachy for my tastes. YMMV.)

GG: SciFi (and genre shows) can deal with themes ripped from todays headlines but for my taste I prefer to see it wrapped in metaphor. BG plays like a contemporary drama and is preachy as well. It's not SciFi to me because it doesn't have any larger ideas about the human condition that are not completely rooted in this time. Make it an aircraft carrier and planes and this show can easily be set today.. OMMV of course. OTOH agreed it's always nice to see Lucy Lawless.

Well that was my 2 cents. Glad that folks are enjoying.

[BBOvenGuy]

The first season premiere episode, "33," has won the 2005 Hugo Award at this year's World Science Fiction Convention in Glasgow, Scotland. Galactica beat out the pilot episode of Lost, the two-part episode "Heroes" from Stargate SG-1, and two different episodes of a certain show beginning with the letter A and made by a certain someone we all know too well...

[Hemiola]

WOW!!! Super appearance by Lucy Lawless on BG last night, along with terrific performances from everyone else. And I was floored by the surprise ending!

It was nice to see LL in her natural blonde hair color and using her real accent.

[SySnootles]

I thought LL's natural hair color was more of a medium brown, not blonde.

Nevertheless, it was an intriguing episode, though I have to say that #6 kinda gave away the twist not 10 minutes into the show. It was still a very good episode, though. Especially the scene where Starbuck is kickboxing.

[xita]

Lucy

OMG, she's hot.

And the ending was a fun surprise.

Oh yeah, starbuck kickboxing