Battlestar Galactica

[murlough23]

I was just wondering if anyone else watches this fine show. A friend of mine who used to be a big Trekkie got me into it - in a lot of ways it's like the best of Deep Space 9 combined with what Voyager should have been (maybe a bit of Babylon 5 as well), but also very non-Trek in its use of retro technology and more of a gritty, documentary sort of feel. I just finished watching the first season on DVD last week, and I'm pretty enthralled with the series so far. It works well even just as a solid drama, aside from the sci-fi elements and cuckoo religious stuff that make it feel like a little more of a fantasy world (in much the same way Lost often feels believable with those elements notwithstanding - though BSG's writing may actually be tighter than that of Lost). I think at this point, it's my second favorite show on TV.

Of course, I never watched the original, which from the looks of it was a bit more lighthearted and campy, so I can't comment on things that have been changed from the way they used to be. But a lot of the original detractors who didn't want the series to be redone have apparently come on board by this point.

My favorite character at this point is Sharon (Boomer). She plays both of her roles well - one as the bad guy who knows she's a bad guy and maybe doesn't want to be, and one as the sleeper agent who doesn't know she's a bad guy. Lots of my favorite dramatic moments have involved this character - she's cute as hell, but also a real tough cookie who won't take any crap from anybody. Runners-up include Starbuck, Adama Sr., and Tigh.

If there was any character I could do without, it'd probably be Six. I like Baltar, and I get that Six maintains control over him by basically being his irresistuible fantasy woman, but the immediate ominous music and sexed-up atmosphere every time she pops into his head starts to get repetitive after a while. The actress is a hell of a good fighter for just having learned how to do fight scenes, though.

(Oh, and if anyone who wants to discuss the show could mark Season 2 spoilers, I'd appreciate it, as I'm not caught up to those who have watched it in real-time yet. I've only watched Season 1.)

NP: "Goodbye for Now", P.O.D. feat. Katy Perry

[Aaron]

The original made me want to puke so much that I have refused to give the new version a chance.

[MJanke]

Forget the original.

Battlestar Galactica is not only the best sci-fi on TV but one of the best drama's on TV. I was skeptical at first, but ultimately couldn't deny the quality of the writing. I love Trek, but Battlestar blows the best of what Trek ever had to offer out of the water.

I too have only seen Season 1, since I didn't have the Sci-Fi channel up until last month, so I can't comment on Season 2, but from what I hear it's even better than the first. Which is remarkable, to say the least.

[murlough23]

The original made me want to puke so much that I have refused to give the new version a chance.

They kept most of the character names and the same basic premise (Cylons wipe out most of humanity; humanity is on the run from the Cylons and in search of Earth), but upped the drama quotient a lot and toned the campiness way down, from what I've heard. I guess it depends on why you disliked the original, but I'm fairly certain that the new series is more different than it is the same.

[bloop]

I love Trek, but Battlestar blows the best of what Trek ever had to offer out of the water.

I'll have to watch it based on this statement alone.  I doubt it's true (Trek gets interesting philosophically), but it still has me intrigued.

[Josh Powell]

Meh. I've never really been able to get into it that much. It's decent, but I'd take Stargate SG-1 over BSG anyday.

I'll give season 2 a shot though.

Josh

[murlough23]

[bloop]

It's on my netflix queue.  I was just saying that it's a little hard to imagine any sci fi series blowing Trek away when it was playing its A game, but I might be getting a little hung up on the words themselves, which may have very well been a tad exaggerated for effect.

[murlough23]

[bloop]

I guess I don't mind the standalone nature of TNG as much.  I'm not much of a trekky, really, or a sci fi fan in general, but I remember being impressed when I wasn't expecting to be with the series after some initial hiccups.

The original cast's best moments is on film rather than on television, IMO.  "The Wrath of Khan" is still a favorite of mine.

Don't get me wrong.  Based on what I've been told by people here, my expectations are high.  I'm not going to go into watching the series with any significant bias, and I go into everything I don't know expecting to like it.

(I never got into DS9.  My friend's obsession with Seven of Nine - is that right? - struck me as a little creepy.  I couldn't be there when he watched it)

[murlough23]

We probably watch for different things. I'll take ongoing intrigue and open-ended questions over a plot that gets wrapped up within the time frame of a 2-hour movie most of the time. But I can't fault a movie for its format, and I'll agree with you that a number of the Trek films have been excellent (#5 notwithstanding... I haven't actually seen #1 yet, so I can't comment on that one). Try the BSG miniseries that basically functioned as the show's pilot; it'd work pretty darn good as a standalone feature film. Great way to establish the characters, solid drama and acting from nearly all of them (Edward James Olmos plays the lovable curmudgeon quite well)... really nothing I can complain about there, other than the character Six occasionally getting on my nerves and seeming a bit gratuitous.

[chariotoffire]

Battlestar Galactica is my 2nd favorite t.v. show, when the new season starts it'll be tivoed and watched religiously unless i forget to tivo it then itll be downloaded from bittorrent and watched religiously, either way the word religiously will be used and ill be watching battlestar. Lost is my number one in case you were wondering, and sharon is also my favorite charachter (shes so tragic).

  WATCH IT

[murlough23]

I actually finished watching Season 2 right before I left for my trip a week and a half ago, so unless anyone else is worried about remaining spoiler-free and isn't caught up yet, we can discuss Season 2 in detail if anyone would like.

My favorite character? I liked Sharon a lot in S1; her role has been changed around a bit now that everyone knows she's a Cylon. I'm gonna have to go with either Tigh or Cally for current favorite character.

[spacebrat311]

The season finale was absolutely ridiculous. In the best way possible I thought.

Season 3 is going to be a very different show...

[murlough23]

[murlough23]

Not much action in this thread, but I thought I'd bump it just to show off my new avatar and witty comment underneath it to the, like, two other BSG fans in the room.

[AldaForPresident]

For what it's worth, Entertainment Weekly has a cover story about this show in the issue that released Friday. It's the first time I've bothered to really read anything about it and it sounds really good and like something I would enjoy, but all I need is another TV show to watch, and I don't have time to catch up before season three starts. I would love to rent the DVDs sometime, though.

[murlough23]

For what it's worth, Entertainment Weekly has a cover story about this show in the issue that released Friday. It's the first time I've bothered to really read anything about it and it sounds really good and like something I would enjoy, but all I need is another TV show to watch, and I don't have time to catch up before season three starts. I would love to rent the DVDs sometime, though.

See if you can just rent the mini-series, which aired before Season One. That'll probably be enough to tell you whether you like the show or not. I too gave the "another show is the last thing I nee" argument when a friend tried to get me to watch it, so I agreed to just watch the mini-series, and I was highly skeptical, but by the time I got through the first hour-and-a-half segment (part one of two), I was so hooked that I just had to sit down and watch the rest of it right then and there.

NP: "Concrete", Plumb

[AldaForPresident]

That's a good idea, and probably what I will try to do once we've moved and I have more time/money. I noticed there's a recap show airing on Sci Fi next week, but we probably won't have cable at the new residence yet and I hate to go into something without seeing all of what's come before.

[murlough23]

Wow, you were right, that was a dark season premiere. Loved it, though. That was some of their best work yet, and they got nearly every important guest star to appear!

Brother Cavil is fast becoming my new favorite character. I still love Tigh, but that missing eye is seriously creeping me out.

By the way... like my new sig?

[Josh Powell]

Great sig :D

[AldaForPresident]

In a move that can only be described as royally stupid, I bought the miniseries today without having seen a minute of it. I kept forgetting to borrow my friend's Blockbuster card to rent it, and I need seem to have the necessary paperwork to get an account myself, so there it is. Oh well! If I hate it I can always kick myself and sell it later.

[murlough23]

In a move that can only be described as royally stupid, I bought the miniseries today without having seen a minute of it. I kept forgetting to borrow my friend's Blockbuster card to rent it, and I need seem to have the necessary paperwork to get an account myself, so there it is. Oh well! If I hate it I can always kick myself and sell it later.

That was royally stupid. You should have bought Season 1 without having seen a minute of it, since it includes the miniseries. Now if you like it, you'll end up buying the miniseries twice.

[AldaForPresident]

My plan, if it could be called that, was, or is, to get the miniseries by itself because it was all they had- heh- and it didn't matter because it was all I could afford anyway, and then take it to the used DVD store if I didn't like it. Although I guess I could do that anyway.

[murlough23]

My plan, if it could be called that, was, or is, to get the miniseries by itself because it was all they had- heh- and it didn't matter because it was all I could afford anyway, and then take it to the used DVD store if I didn't like it. Although I guess I could do that anyway.

Actually, yeah, that sounds like a pretty good plan.

[AldaForPresident]

Actually, yeah, that sounds like a pretty good plan.

In retrospect, it was not, but I am a terrible impulse buyer because I have a sense of whether or not I will enjoy something ahead of time. I hate that it takes me so long to get into things, because now I've watched the miniseries but I'm all spoiled and everything for the actual series because I've read things. But I'm excited. I pretty much love it so far. (Starbuck's so annoying, though. Blah.)

[murlough23]

In retrospect, it was not, but I am a terrible impulse buyer because I have a sense of whether or not I will enjoy something ahead of time. I hate that it takes me so long to get into things, because now I've watched the miniseries but I'm all spoiled and everything for the actual series because I've read things. But I'm excited. I pretty much love it so far. (Starbuck's so annoying, though. Blah.)

Kind of sounds like what happened to me, except that you're further behind, and I downloaded the Miniseries from a friend (I've never paid for BSG episodes that I haven't already watched).

Oh, and I like Starbuck. She's cocky, but the character grows on you. So does Colonel Tigh.

[AldaForPresident]

Oh, and I like Starbuck. She's cocky, but the character grows on you. So does Colonel Tigh.

Colonel Tigh didn't bother me in the miniseries, really. Starbuck is the only one I don't like even a little at this point. I expected to hate Six, and while it would feel weird to say I like her, I do think she's interesting and I'm not bothered by her at all.

[murlough23]

Colonel Tigh didn't bother me in the miniseries, really. Starbuck is the only one I don't like even a little at this point. I expected to hate Six, and while it would feel weird to say I like her, I do think she's interesting and I'm not bothered by her at all.

Six was the only character that really annoyed me once I got to the point you're at. I get how she's designed to appeal to Baltar's most base desires and all, but there are times during the series when she randomly appears and the ominous music plays (known as the "Six Fugue" by the good folks at TWoP) and it feels like they're trying a little too hard to shoehorn bombshell sexuality into the series. (I know, too many compound words in that sentence.) Sometimes Six feels like a Deus Ex Machina to provide Baltar with info he shouldn't otherwise have, or a way to get away with stuff they can only get away with 'cause it's cable.

My favorite character at the point you're at was Sharon/Boomer/Number Eight. Because when you hit that reveal at the end of the miniseries, you're just like, DAMN, where do I get more of this crack you call a TV show?

Apollo bugs me sometimes for the same reasons that Jack bugs me on Lost. He can get whiny and sanctimonious at times.

[AldaForPresident]

Six was the only character that really annoyed me once I got to the point you're at. I get how she's designed to appeal to Baltar's most base desires and all, but there are times during the series when she randomly appears and the ominous music plays (known as the "Six Fugue" by the good folks at TWoP) and it feels like they're trying a little too hard to shoehorn bombshell sexuality into the series. (I know, too many compound words in that sentence.) Sometimes Six feels like a Deus Ex Machina to provide Baltar with info he shouldn't otherwise have, or a way to get away with stuff they can only get away with 'cause it's cable.

The music did start to bug after a couple times! From what I had read in the EW cover story, I had expected Baltar to be a lot more socially awkward and even kind of pathetic and I figured Six would maintain control over him because she's so far out of his league. But he cheated on her! So I can definitely appreciate how much more multifaceted things are than I expected. I found Six and Baltar kind of charming together- maybe not the best word to use, but in any case I like them. Even though the whole thing is pretty much his fault and she's a baby killer. (Did she kill the baby just to kill it, or so that it wouldn't have to suffer later?)

My favorite character at the point you're at was Sharon/Boomer/Number Eight. Because when you hit that reveal at the end of the miniseries, you're just like, DAMN, where do I get more of this crack you call a TV show?

I wish SO BADLY I hadn't know that Sharon's a Cylon before I ever watched, but it was still very cool. (In addition to reading the EW article and this thread, I taped an episode a couple weeks ago and kind of skimmed it.) I really am dying to see seasons one and two, but that'll have to wait until payday. Which is only a couple days away, but still.

Apollo bugs me sometimes for the same reasons that Jack bugs me on Lost. He can get whiny and sanctimonious at times.

Apollo bugged me when he first showed up, but I liked his support of President Roslin and the last scene with him and Adama. I bet he can be really annoying, though.

[murlough23]

(Did she kill the baby just to kill it, or so that it wouldn't have to suffer later?)

I would assume the latter, but it's still creepy. EVery time I see a new episode that's really dark and I think, "They really pushed the envelope this time", I remember that they killed a friggin' baby in the miniseries. Hard to top that!

I tend to think the physical copies of Six are more interesting than Baltar's imaginary one. I like seeing how the Cylons works behind the scenes. You'll see some of that in S1. Trisha Helfer does a hell of a job with the different incarnations of Six, even if I greatly dislike one of them. It's pretty extraordinary to consider how she's grown as an actress - before this show, she was mainly just a supermodel.

Apollo bugged me when he first showed up, but I liked his support of President Roslin and the last scene with him and Adama. I bet he can be really annoying, though.

Some of his best stuff in S1 is with President Roslin, and how he plays her against his father, or vice versa. You'll see what I mean. Also look for the character Tom Zarek, who shows up a few episodes in. He's a former terrorist played by Richard Hatch, who played Apollo on the original series. Funny to see the old and new Apollos together.

I have a love/hate relationship with the Apollo/Starbuck dynamic. I could do without the UST between those two, but I kind of like it when they're riding each other's asses about something.

And you won't get to it for a while, but there's a great Starbuck-centric episode in Season 2 called Scar. It's basically the female version of Top Gun.

[AldaForPresident]

I ordered season one from Amazon today. I looked at Circuit City, Best Buy, Target, and as a last resort, the evil den that is Wal Mart, but all any of them had was season two. Blaaah.

[AldaForPresident]

Finally got season one in the mail and I watched the first two episodes this evening. However wrong it may be, I love Six. She cracks me up. "Have you always been a multi-tasker?" Ha! 

[murlough23]

Finally got season one in the mail and I watched the first two episodes this evening. However wrong it may be, I love Six. She cracks me up. "Have you always been a multi-tasker?" Ha! 

Wow, we are so opposite in the characters that we are drawn to.

I know you haven't gotten to Bastille Day, but that's an early episode that began to establish my love for Cally. I'm guessing that's about where you'll start despising her.

NP: "Way Back Home", The Wreckers

[AldaForPresident]

I know you haven't gotten to Bastille Day, but that's an early episode that began to establish my love for Cally. I'm guessing that's about where you'll start despising her.

Hmmm, Cally is such a fringe character that I am mostly apathetic toward her, but she does annoy me.  She strikes me as incompetent most of the time. Like her faking being asleep in Bastille Day, and the half-assed lies she (and the rest of the deckhands, actually) came up with in Litmus. Why even bother? But I don't hate her.

Made it through Litmus today- I'm finding that the stuff with Starbuck/Apollo/space action stuff is least interesting to me, although I still like it. The two Starbuck-goes-missing episodes are my least favorite. I sort of wish she would've stayed missing. She's growing on me, though. I love the stuff with the Cylons, and the way the Caprica scenes look. Six and Baltar are definitely my favorite characters at this point, followed closely by President Roslin. I like Sharon a lot too. I go back and forth about Adama- I always like him, but I find myself thinking "LISTEN to President Roslin!!11!" at least once every episode. Apollo annoys the crap out of me in a lot of ways but I still like his relationships with President Roslin and Adama. There are times, however, when I would be fine with the Cylons blowing him and Starbuck to Kingdom Come.

[murlough23]

What, you didn't think it was awesome when Cally bit the dude's ear off? (She was actually supposed to die in an early draft of that episode.)

Apollo kind of annoys me because he can get very holier-than-thou at times, which becomes especially troubling in Season 2 when you get to see what a truly frakked-up kid he's become. But he's had his moments. I loved the whole interchange where he basically forced Adama and Roslin's hands after the whole prisoner incident, and Roslin just looks at Adama and says, exasperated, "He's your son".

Roslin's a great character and Mary MacDonnell is a fine actress, but the character does hit some trouble spots for me later in the season when she starts to get a little kooky. It's mostly the Kaballah - er, I mean chamallah - talking.

Litmus got a lot of criticism for being too preachy and anvilicious about how we treated suspected terror suspects post-9/11, or something like that. I liked it OK, but thought Tyrol and his guys were kind of being dumbasses (especially Socinus, who you won't see again until the season finale b/c he went and got his ass thrown in the brig). Six Degrees of Separation has been one of my favorite episodes for Six thus far, just because the way she gets back at Baltar in that episode is priceless. That's an episode which deftly mixes absurd humor and the very real threat of a Cylon presence aboard the Galactica.

Act of Contrition was never one of my favorites, either. I like Starbuck just fine and I appreciated learning the back-story between her and the Adama family. But jeez Louise, they were way too flashback-happy with that one. There was Starbuck flashbacks within Starbuck flashbacks, and mass confusion about whose funeral was whose, and then other characters doing stuff on Galactica during Starbuck's flashbacks? They tried too hard to come up with an unorthodox dramatic presentation in that episode. This tactic gets kind of annoying in Season 2, when episodes will frequently open with the patented "48 hours earlier" device, though I don't ever recall the non-linearity being as frustrating as it was in Act of Contrition.

One thing I really love about re-watching those early episodes is how some characters, who appeared at first to just be redshirts in the background, start to become familiar faces that we actually care about, like Kat, for example, who was just a nugget pilot in Act of Contrition. Cally is another one of these, as is Crashdown. Billy and Dualla start to become more of an important item later on, too. Helo was actually supposed to be lost and gone forever in the miniseries, but there were so many fan inquiries about him after it aired that they decided to give him more of a permanent role, so that's how the whole Caprica story with the Sharon copy came about. Doc Cottle (I don't even know if you've seen him yet) is another memorable character who becomes more strangely endearing as time goes on.

And then you have your guys like Hot Dog (who is actually played by Edward James Olmos' son), who just kind of hang around and do what they're told and don't really start any trouble. I guess you always need a few yes-men hanging around.

I'm really curious to see what you think of Ellen Tigh when she's introduced around 8 or 9.

NP: "Fair Weather", Michelle Tumes

[AldaForPresident]

On the one hand I really, really can't wait to watch all of season one, but on the other I feel a need to stretch out the last few episodes because there's no way I can afford season two next payday.

Last night I watched Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down- I really didn't know if I was going to watch an episode at all because I worked yesterday and I was sort of like, Do I want to watch something that dark after a long day? I was shocked at how light it was for the most part- at first I didn't like it because it didn't feel like Battlestar Galactica, but I finally clicked into it and really enjoyed it. I loved this exchange:

Tigh: She thinks you're a Cylon.
Adama: I know.

  I don't know what to think of Ellen. I can't decide if I'm amused or annoyed by her. She's walking a fine line. I was kind of annoyed because there was no sign of the Galactica Sharon after Baltar found out she's a Cylon. I don't really understand why he just won't tell Adama or Roslin, but I liked the little reveal at the end. I also really liked one of the more serious moments, when Doral said he wondered what it would be like to be in love or some such thing to Six, and the look she got on her face. Poor Cylons. I love them!

[murlough23]

Last night I watched Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down- I really didn't know if I was going to watch an episode at all because I worked yesterday and I was sort of like, Do I want to watch something that dark after a long day? I was shocked at how light it was for the most part- at first I didn't like it because it didn't feel like Battlestar Galactica, but I finally clicked into it and really enjoyed it. I loved this exchange:

Tigh: She thinks you're a Cylon.
Adama: I know.

My favorite exchange (which I think was in that same episode) was when Roslin mentioned to Adama that they should be first in line in terms of checking to see who's a Cylon, and Adama remarked, "If I'm a Cylon, you're really screwed." Aside from the LOL aspect, it showed how they're becoming more comfortable and familiar with each other.

Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down wasn't originally supposed to be a humorous episode, but the saw the potential and just went for it. It's one of S1's weaker episodes, mostly due to Ellen's flirting, but the dinner scene is pretty hilarious aside from that.

I don't know what to think of Ellen. I can't decide if I'm amused or annoyed by her. She's walking a fine line.

Just wait; it gets weirder with her.

I was kind of annoyed because there was no sign of the Galactica Sharon after Baltar found out she's a Cylon. I don't really understand why he just won't tell Adama or Roslin, but I liked the little reveal at the end.

Wait, was that the reveal where Ellen's test results come out green? I forgot how that episode ended. I do remember him saying to Six something about life being easier when everyone's results come out green, or whatever, so he may have just changed the test results to obfuscate Sharon's results.

Baltar knowing that Sharon is a Cylon will play into a future episode, just not in the way you'd expect. Right now I think he's just afraid that if he unmasks Sharon, his ass is grass - either Six or some other Cylon hiding in the fleet will decide to come regulate.

I also really liked one of the more serious moments, when Doral said he wondered what it would be like to be in love or some such thing to Six, and the look she got on her face. Poor Cylons. I love them!

Now you're feeling sorry for Cylons? Gods. You're buying into it hook, line and sinker. Season Three is not going to be easy for you.

[AldaForPresident]

Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down wasn't originally supposed to be a humorous episode, but the saw the potential and just went for it. It's one of S1's weaker episodes, mostly due to Ellen's flirting, but the dinner scene is pretty hilarious aside from that.

Yeah, even though I liked it, I felt like it's probably my least favorite. But, it was still great.

Wait, was that the reveal where Ellen's test results come out green? I forgot how that episode ended. I do remember him saying to Six something about life being easier when everyone's results come out green, or whatever, so he may have just changed the test results to obfuscate Sharon's results.

Yeah, Six said something about how everyone got green now, and he basically said yes, because it's less complicated that way. I can't believe how different Baltar is from what I had in my head after I read the EW cover story. It's much, much better.

Now you're feeling sorry for Cylons? Gods. You're buying into it hook, line and sinker. Season Three is not going to be easy for you.

Oh dear. I always like the wrong people. Wonder when season three will be released on DVD? I guess I'm getting way ahead of myself, though, as I'll most likely have to wait to get the season two DVDs as Christmas or birthday gifts, or after Christmas to have enough money to buy them. Which is so, so wrong.

[murlough23]

Wonder when season three will be released on DVD?

Probably next fall, since only six or seven episodes of it have aired at this point.

Too bad you don't live near me; I'd happily loan you the Season 2 DVDs.