Battlestar Galactica
Just to be perfectly clear, this post probably has spoilers, or links to spoiler materials, so if you've not watched the first season, take it from me and go buy it then come back a week later and read the post.
Seeing as we don't seem to agree on comic book movies (you are soo wrong), I thought it was weird that I effectively bought into the new Battlestar Galactica series based on his 'recommendation'. I mean Mike's a space geek (and proud of it), so he was bound to like it. When I saw the ads for it a while back on Sky I was intrigued, but unfortunately I don't do TV, with the odd exception (Smallville, F1 and Lost). It's not so much that I didn't want to watch it on TV, it's just that because I'm actually not programmed to wait for a program it slipped off my radar, and by the time I remembered it, it was like 3 episodes into the series, and I hate playing catchup.
So Michael's recommendation and a small throwaway blurb in Wired and I was well up for this series. I started watching it something like 2 week ago, half way through the mini-series, Sylvane comes in and see the pyrotechnics and decides to stick around and see what's going on.
For the next week we'd watch a couple of episodes a day, that's how addicted we got to the program.
Storyline
The storyline is a very simple one. However all story are enhanced by the way they're told. It's a fact. Some of the most fascinating ideas for a story fall flat on their face due to poor exectution. In the case of BG, it's succeeds.
If you're reading this because you're still on the fence here's a quick synopse of the first 10 minutes of the mini-series. There's a lot more to it but this sets the scene for you, then go out and rent/buy whatever and watch the series:
The story centres around the 12 colonies. They exist somewhere in space, and they are very advanced humans. 40 years ago the man-made Cylons (read: robots) revolted against the humans, their masters. The war waged for a while (can't remember how long) but a stalemate was reached, and the Cylons gathered themselves and left. A space station was made to act as a port where Humans and Cylons can talk things over. Every year the Humans send a representatives, every year the Cylons send no one...until now.
What follows is an intricate plot through the complete extermination of the human race. I'll leave it at that because I've said too much already.
Characters
Apparently the original Starbuck was a man, oh the controversy. So in re-imagining this series some of the pilots and the president are women. I love Starbuck. She's insane, she's tough and she's got some classic lines in the series.
Now I'm probably in the minority here, but I really love Gaius and his relationship in his head with Number 6 is great fun. Sylvane and Archie got really bored by these scenes and annoyed at the music in the background that would always play whenever these two decided to talk to each other. Can't really say that it bothered me, since I was enjoying the dialogue that was being exchanged. The good Doctor also had the most memorable lines and scenes in the series... and not all of them were with Number 6 directly.
Obviously I love Commander Adama, lots' of presence on the screen and his face is just fucked up enough and wrinkly for you to believe that he's been through war. His voice is just like the guys in the cinema trailers, you know the ones that have been smoking since they were 5 years old, so it's this harsh voice. He shows a lot of inner anger and the role of a man with the world literally on his shoulder. The nice thing about this guy in direct comparison to say Sheridan in Babylon 5 is that he's not the hero Commander, in that he gets into the fighter and tries to act like he's 20 years old. He knows his place, and knows where he has to be and that he makes the decisions, while others execute; if they're good soldiers they do as they're told. Definitely adds a bit of realism to the whole situation.
Special FX
Just a little history, I'm not a Star Trek fan, I've seen my share of Generations, but just bored me to tears, and well the storyline was a bit too generic for my liking. I'm a Babylon 5 nut. I love the series to bits. Admittedly it does look a bit dated now that I've gotten into Battlestar Galactica, but B5 set the pace for all other television space operas; what being the first to use CGI properly, compared to the models that were used for all previous space operas.
So how are the fx in BG? Astounding is the word that comes to mind. It reminds me greatly of Robotech, in what they've done with the sheer amount of Cylon ships that are sent one after another. The missiles also have that trailing gas effect best seen in the Macross Plus series.
One thing that I wasn't really impressed with, which makes Firefly that more special, is the fact that there is sounds in space. We all know in space no one can hear you laugh. Sound doesn't travel, so that was a bit disappointing, at least because I got pretty excited about that. Also let's not forget that while Babylon 5 actually explained how artificial gravity was created in space, these finer points in the BG universe are just glossed over as with most space operas.
Final Word
I love the ending, great little cliffhanger that makes me anxious as all hell for October to get here right now so that I can get into this series again. It's only been a couple of weeks since I saw it, but damn it I miss it already.
I have to disagree on the sound in space issue. I of course agree that its always irritating as hell to watch Star Trek and hear the hum of the warp engine from outside the friggin' ship. However; with BG the sound is always muted quite a bit. It's not dead silent, it's just enough of a rumble to add to the scene with out ripping me from the moment screaming "there's no sound in a vacuum!"
October? OCTOBER!?... You'd damn better not be right!
But yeah, BG is by far the best series I've seen in years. And Chris makes a good point, they managed to make the sound-in-space not be silly or space-opera-like.
Here in the states we're only up to episode 207 (season 2, episode 7). The next episode is the one with Lucy Lawless (as a blonde! how hot is that?).
Have you been listening to the podcasted commentaries? They're pretty interesting. BG, the only sci-fi with replay value. :)
"Have you been listening to the podcasted commentaries? They’re pretty interesting. BG, the only sci-fi with replay value. :)"
Can someone tell me, where to find that podcast?
About the SiS (Sound in space): I nearly freaked out, when the first space combats engaged. It was somewhat amazing - and at first irritating - when the sound was muted and mumbled. I also love the idea of the missile trails, the extreme manouverability of the Vipers and the Raiders not having "pilots". Those combats are somewhat well executed and intense - always remembering me of the Wing Commander-series: Advanced technology, but not over-advanced - giving the combats a WWII dog-fight touch. I only hope, they can keep up with the quality of the series...
bq. Can someone tell me, where to find that podcast?
By your command.
http://scifi.com/battlestar/downloads/podcast/
Oh bloody heck! Turn on textile. :)
Ummm... you do know that you can 'aquire' all of these episodes via bittorrent... right?
I am speaking from what I have heard of course, not that I have all 7 of the released episodes from season 2 sitting on my computer at home... not me, no sir.
I've been caught torrenting shows. My ISP sent me a nasty gram and turned off my service once till I pleaded I had no idea how that episode of dead like me got on my computer.
Well since technically torrenting tv shows is NOT illegal... I am not sure they had the right to do that.
If I can grab a show on tape from a friend, I am able to download it from a friend... or 56 friends.
I would dump your ISP like a hot potato. Their job is to serve you, not some lawyer schmuck from California.
And yes, Battlestar Galactica is the coolest sci-fi I've seen in a long time. All downloaded over BT, since there's no other way for me to see it.
BG has got to be one of the best - finally! I was so sick of Star. You've gotta have SiS - I'm sorry, but for pure effect.
Impressive use of non-words :D
Hmm amazing what some people will jump on :). Personally I see the lack of SIS in Firefly to be one of the greatest additions to the Space Opera genre. I like it when a program breaks the norm and tries to question how and why things are portrayed the way they have been historically.
So for example I love Babylon 5 because it was the very first sci-fi series to actually use cgi rather than models. In addition they answer specific questions about how these machines in space actually work.
I love Firefly because it provides a completely different take on the whole travelling in space genre, and adds the little twist of no SIS.
So whenever I see a program going back to old convensions I can't help but wonder why? It's not so much to follow something, but when something makes so much sense it's a bit bad IMHO to not pic them up. Like rotating parts to create gravity etc.
Do I think BG is perfect? Hell no, but it's damn entertaining, and good sci-fi.
As for bittorrenting, while I honestly wouldn't have ANY problem with that, morally or whatever, I do actually think watching it with Sylvane (my housemate) made it more enjoyable, because we could chit chat about it and analyse it, ask each other questions. It was like a team effort, watch all '14' episodes in a week type thing.
Once we setup my old PC in the living room then we'll probably get to watch it and a slew of other series.
Michael, the UK premiere has apparently been pushed back by another 3 months till Jan 2006, which is weird since BG aired over here 3 months before anywhere else in the world, so I have no idea what they're playing at...
I'm watching the Internet broadcast... What do you mean there's no such thing? What do you mean MPAA?
Seriously, there is no way in hell I could wait for a European release of BG, it's just too good!
Anyhoo, while it's of course worthwhile to mention B5 for historical reasons, fact of the matter is, the series suck ass. Sorry B5 fans, but I'm right.
Firefly on the other hand is top-dollar, kickass and BG-worthy :)
"the UK premiere has apparently been pushed back by another 3 months till Jan 2006"
So at least the UK get an official release. But what about the german-speaking countries Austria, Germany and Switzerland? Any dates for them?
Oh no Michael, you've just gone and done it buddy, you're going to make me write WHY B5 was the GREATEST sci-fi series ever filmed, and that in 10 years time when they make a remake and you go back to the series and see that it was not about the acting or the sets but about the characters and the storyline you'll kick yourself. This post will take a while to compile though.
Ralph, no idea; the UK premiere was something I read on one of the BG fansites, whether or not it's true I have no idea; the original October release was on the BBC Cult website, which has now been taken off the BBC network I believe...
Haha, yeah you're right about that, it sure as hell wasn't about the acting or sets or effects or scripts, haha :D
Wait a minute, I never said scripts? The scripts were BRILLIANT. Don't you be distorting my words :).
LOL!
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