Battlestar Galactica (2003-2009) 1 1

[Chip Cataldo]

This quote from our favorite Balls Doctor...

Quote

It reminds me a lot of Ron Moore's Battlestar Galactica, where by the time 4th season rolls around, the characters are so wrought with fatigue and disappointment, their personalities in the show have changed.

...spurred me to start this thread to discuss the show. There probably was one long ago, but I'm going to rewatch it and comment as I go along. I welcome all opinions and analysis.

I think it's the greatest sci-fi show of all time. Brilliant acting and storylines throughout.

[Axelrod]

It was great.  Until it wasn't. 

No points for guessing exactly what moment that was.

[Ken Aldred]

I have the complete Blu-ray box set.

Amazon had it deep discounted for ages at £30 over here. Quite a bargain.

Really good series.

Edited June 29 by Ken Aldred

[Beige]

The original was brilliant.

 

This one - nah.

 

 

Utter garbage as soon as this happened...the Gaius "I'm really Caprica Six' was probably the worst moment in Sci-Fi history. Sorry Chip - this was pants.

 

 

 

These guys though....

 

 

I'm off on the high Seas to re-watch! Thanks Chip!

[Qalyar]

I realize that people have strongly polarized opinions about the 2003 show. Here's mine.

Season one of the 2003 Battlestar Galactica is some of the best small-screen science fiction to air this millennium. The cast is strong. The characters are on point. The plotting and action are tight. Mary McDonnell's Laura Roslin is a solid new character, and her ongoing tracking of the number of human beings alive in the fleet is a continual source of dramatic tension that really underscores the series's themes.

The longer the show ran, the less and less it came to resemble the first season. That wasn't always bad -- the two-part season three opener ("Occupation" and "Precipice") is really good -- but it often wasn't good at all. Increasingly so, over time. A lot of the reasons for that fall at the feet of showrunner Ronald Moore, who notably did not have the entire show's arc preplanned in advance. Famously, he wouldn't even always have key plot elements planned more than a script or two at a time, wanting to allow the story to develop organically. And, okay, that's fine in a show that's built from that foundation, I guess. But it makes the show's late-game, where it's frankly a study of mystic philosophy and not a hard science fiction franchise, feel like a betrayal of the tight pacing of the first season. And so we have decisions like turning the pragmatic Roslin into a drug-inspired religious prophet, made in service to that "organic development" and not to how the characters and setting were initially characterized. Somewhere along the way, unless I'm very much mistaken, everyone just sort of stopped paying attention to the survivor count entirely; that wasn't what the series was about anymore.

The fact that, by the actual end, the show was touting "All Along the Watchtowers" as some sort of metaphysical, epigenetic thread that connected these putative alien ancestors to the modern Earth in order to hammer home the idea that history moves in cycles, well... beyond the fact that that is the sort of "clever" you expect from freshman philosophy students, it's also almost literally as far away from those first season episodes as you can get within a single continuity.

[Mr Sneeze]

Love this show!

[vheflin]

 

[Gatsby77]

I think this show is not only one of or the best science fiction title of the last 20 years, but that season 2 was the high-water mark.

Several of the actors (ahem Starbuck and Apollo) were *really* weak in the beginning, but improved markedly later on.

The blending of politics, theology and the ongoing struggle with the Cylons really elevated it among comparable shows (before and since).

Add in some top-tier actors (including McDonnell and Olmos) and then-groundbreaking cinematography and editing - it was phenomenal.

I can't pinpoint when it lost its way but I lost interest midway through Season 3 - so much so that I didn't even finish Season 4, and can't recall with certainty who the Final 5 were.

Some stand-out episodes that have stuck with me decades later:

• 33
• Fragged
• Final Cut
• Scar
• Sacrifice
• Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2

Edited July 3 by Gatsby77

[Chip Cataldo]

On 6/29/2024 at 4:13 PM, Axelrod said:

It was great.  Until it wasn't. 

No points for guessing exactly what moment that was.

Elaborate, please.

[Chip Cataldo]

On 6/29/2024 at 8:25 PM, Beige said:

Utter garbage as soon as this happened...the Gaius "I'm really Caprica Six' was probably the worst moment in Sci-Fi history. Sorry Chip - this was pants.

I think I eventually just ignored this as I went through the series because I initially had a big issue with it and thought it was dumb as well.

[Axelrod]

On 7/1/2024 at 3:17 PM, Chip Cataldo said:

Elaborate, please.

Two words:  "Final Five."  

[g-man]

started watching this series and currently on season 2....some episodes are a struggle. The interactions between Gaius and Six are  but some are better than others. As said above, the cast is strong, CGI is eh...but I get it. 

[Dr. Balls]

Next to STTNG, this is my all-time favorite sci-fi show, and I never took issue with the things people bring up about the show. For me, I might argue that the meandering people felt it was doing in the show was really about finding new perspectives for the characters and bringing their development a lot closer to representing what humans might deal with under the stresses of constant tragedy and uncertainty - all this to keep the show from being stagnant.

Was this Ron Moore's vision or just me plugging an explanation into it as an afterthought? I don't want to know, because I just love the series and the characters. Every one of them ended up in almost a different place than where they started, and that might be the best thing I like about the show.

The "Final Five" was a really satisfying cliffhanger for me, with Tigh's reaction being one of my favorite reactions in the entire show. We had had many slow rollouts of the other Cylon models, I like how they jumped into the Final Five and gave them a different leadership backstory. I enjoyed how it came together and changed the philosophy of the cylons who were becoming more self-aware. I think it was a great tool to keep the series from getting stale with the concept of fleeing from a relentless foe. I can see where it was a gamble and that some fans didn't like the direction - but I thought it worked out well.

As for regular season openers, 33 is one of my favorite episodes of all time. Sets the stage for everything and they did it well. The secret tribunals after the Battle of New Caprica were also a favorite, with Gaeda finally being exposed as the guy who was helping the Resistance was a high point in showing just how crazy and frenzied the survivors had gotten.

The 4th season did drag, but I felt that the mutiny aboard the BSG was a worthwhile conclusion. A lot of people hated this chapter of Kara-in-space (it was reeeeeally drawn out) but I toughed it out. And I'd wager most people in here disliked the ending, but I quite enjoyed it. The panic and stress of the final confrontation, and the conclusion with the characters were enjoyable. I'm cool with the human race descending from Colonials and Cylons. And seeing Caprica 6 in a tight red dress in the last scene of the show was totally worth it.

Top Five Moments:

5. Adama taking back the BSG after the mutiny.

4. Tigh giving the "terrorist" speech to Roslin when she objects to using suicide bombers:
"I've sent men on suicide missions in two wars now, and let me tell you something - it don't make a godsdamn bit of difference whether they're riding in a Viper or walking out onto a parade ground. In the end, they're just as dead."

3. The courtroom scene where Tigh has to finally admit he killed Ellen, after struggling with it for so long.

2. When Starbuck returns at the end of season 3.

1. The standoff between Adama and Cain, when Helo and Tyrol were being held in Pegasus' brig. Words can't express how much I enjoyed EJO as Adama in this show, he was ever bit as nuanced as Adama as Patrick Stewart as Picard.

Honorable mention: When Dee killed herself. Unbelievably shocking, sad and sorrowful.

 

[Dr. Balls]

On 6/29/2024 at 6:25 PM, Beige said:

The original was brilliant.

I have to credit the original BSG for turning me into a scifi nerd. My mom took me to Star Wars when it came out (I was 4 and the only recollection was being in the theater and playing with the curtains on the side because it was standing room only) but by the time BSG showed up on TV, I was old enough to watch it and zoom around on the playground like we were flying Vipers with my best friend Jeff (I was Apollo, he was Starbuck).

My dad also worked on some of the marketing for the original show - he was best friends with Jim Colla, who's brother Richard directed the first episode. I was given all sorts of press photo type stuff and an entire set of the Mattel BSG toys when they were released.

The rumblings of another BSG reboot are also fine with me. I love the show and the world it created - I'm totally up for seeing a new iteration of it. I'm also stoked Chip started this thread, would love to talk about episodes as you watch them.

[Beige]

When the 'new' show started with '33 mins' - I was hooked - I thought, great...exciting sci-fi

 

That was soon dispelled sadly.

 

Sometimes change works, sometimes not.

 

When it does, it can still be trashed.

 

In my opinion, Stargate Universe was utterly brilliant - but canned by fanbois and dumped after 2 seasons.  Such a shame.

 

The new Battlestar G (2003) didn't meet the same fate - which was quite strange.

 

Stargate Universe should absolutely get another shot. 

 

The history of sci-fi is littered with great shows that never made it commercially sadly.

 

Stargate Universe

Firefly

Farscape

Sanctuary

 

All great shows, but I doubt if 5% of people have even heard of them, let alone watched them.

 

SGU was brilliant.

 

 

 

[Dr. Balls]

I am surprised at the fact that Hollywood will reboot or continue damn near anything, except for Stargate and Firefly.

Granted, Firefly smoked some cast members in Serenity - but you can't tell me that the Browncoats would not welcome a couple new cast members just to see Mal, Kaylee, Jane and River again. Even that milquetoast Simon.

Stargate is not something I watched with regularity, but wow - what a fanbase. I've met some huge SG fans, and I am surprised that hasn't got a reboot or continuation.

It almost seems as if Hollywood will only accept A) a new show pitch that leans heavily on the idea that the fanbase could be huge based on crackpot demographic projections and expandable marketing projects or B) preexisting billion-dollar franchises that were created in a perfect storm and they've somehow convinced themselves they can get lucky again.

There doesn't seem to be much room to revisit solidly-executed shows that satisfied a core audience. It's like they want 200 million views the first week, or they won't do it. Star Wars and Star Trek have that sector locked down, but no other show can seemingly can get inside.

I love new SciFi shows, but there's also a bunch that have some great storytelling left in them. And with the success of Picard - especially the last season - you'd think they'd be willing to make that jump.

Edited July 6 by Dr. Balls

[Beige]

Agreed on all points @Dr. Balls  Stargate was 8 seasons of brilliance (i always pretend the last two didn't exist) - Atlantis grew quickly and ended too soon IMHO.

 

SGU was sheer brilliance.

 

Firefly - Kaylees thighs, A man called Jane - and the most terrifying 'bad-guys' since the Borg...

 

Nathan Fillion and Morena Baccarin are still OK to come back, but who replaces Summer Glau?

 

She's too old - and her character revolved around her age and memory.

 

I'd be down for Fillion and a new crew - depending on budget there's some decent actors out there - finding an old Firefly class hauler, with a long-lost disc, showing that River was not the last..........and the Reavers had only just begun.

 

If people hadn't watched Serenity, they could just strap in after a reshot prelude episode AKA  'The Train Job' - and kick on.

 

Is Whedon still on the nose to write it though?

 

A new Firefly and SGU - hell shut up and take my money!

Edited July 7 by Beige

[Rip]

I watched this show until the end. Watched all of the original as well.
I thought the newer first 2 seasons of BSG blows away the older 1970's series, and is some of the best Sci-fi TV of all time.
Well,... until around mid season 3, and season 4 when it becomes as bad as Galactica 1980.
The ending was truly garbage with the

Spoiler

angels and s&*^.

However there were still some late occasional good stand out episodes in season 4 with "Blood on the Scales".

This reminds me, I've been wanting to show my kids this series.

Edited July 9 by Rip

[Chip Cataldo]

Two things so far : Gaius/No.6 are very VERY annoying already.

Second...I feel so very very bad for Dee. She's so cute, yet carrying such a weight emotionally right from the jump.

[Dr. Balls]

On 7/8/2024 at 7:49 PM, Chip Cataldo said:

Two things so far : Gaius/No.6 are very VERY annoying already.

Second...I feel so very very bad for Dee. She's so cute, yet carrying such a weight emotionally right from the jump.

I found myself fast-forwarding a lot of Gaius/6 interactions - a lot, but not all. I do like the ones where there is some semblance of wisdom or perspective that Gaius gleans from it.

Yeah, I get sad when I see Dee in the early episodes, but it's also a reminder that she was a good enough actress to put forth a sympathetic performance with the few angles they gave her. Dee and Gaida are the two characters in the show that stood out as having practically no negative traits but are subjected to and victimized by the flaws of everyone around them.