Battlestar Galactica (TV-series Re-Make)

[John Dailey]

~ Finally, the series became 'rental' and I found that I saw ONLY the original pilot (thought I'd seen a follow-up program or two; nope.) It was not only as interesting as I remember originally, but, even more confusing than I'd 1st thought (Cylonesque-advanced 'evolutionized' robot-clones, some of whom are 'programmed' to 'think' that they are human; shades of The Prestige prob which I meandered over!)

~ Regardless, definitely as interesting as I remember, and now I can (while awaiting other DVDs of noted TV-series) catch up on this sucker I've taken pains to avoid catching the latest 'episode' about. -- I hate reading book chapters piece-meal; same goes for watching cinema the same way (SW was an exception, but one which addicted me to its style requiring 'waiting'.)

LLAP

J:D

[John Dailey]

Addendum:

~ Oh, yes, um, re my caption ref to the thread's title. Not to worry about 'spoilers', but, does anyone (who's familiar with the series) see any socio-metaphoric meanings in the series? Often such is intended whilst trying to appear 'toned down.'

~ Though started in 2003, nostalgic that I can be (when memory serves), I did like (though didn't like the original '78 series; too 'cliche') that it did give a kind of remembrance 'nod' to the original TV-series in the 'retirement ceremony', using the original music-theme of the Or-Se. Respectfully...'cute'...I thought.

LLAP

J:D

[John Dailey]

~ Well, 'Great'

~ Reached the last ep of S-1 (Kobol's Last Gleaming-P/2). Nm Adama's laying there with blood pooling out his back after being shot twice in the chest point-blank by a schizo-cylon pilot just back from a super-risky mission to help the Galactica group, but, I STILL have a mess of questions nowhere near hinted at even possible answers.

~ This series is way more 'interesting' in all the questions it brings up, and thence, thereby (!), horribly disappointing in how it handles (rather, doesn't!) them, but worse, ignoring later consequences OF such...just in the 1st S! (Adama, the mil-commander and Roslin, the 'President's, constitutional and personal 'conflicts'; Baltar and [humma!] 'Number 6'; the supposed 'dif' 'twixt humans and 'new'-cylons, the concern about 'God' and myths, etc.)

~ Still, hoping for coherence (as I said: shades of The Prestige)...I'm addicted to catching S-2.

LLAP

J:D

[reason.on]

~ Still, hoping for coherence (as I said: shades of The Prestige)...I'm addicted to catching S-2.

They don't hit coherence until mid-way into season two, but from there--WOW! For my money, BSG is one of the most intelligent, interesting and engaging tv show on right now (right behind 24 and Lost).

RCR

[John Dailey]

RCR:

~ Thanx; I really, REALLY needed to hear (er, see) that.

~ *@#$!^%!!! --- Now I REALLY can't wait for S-2 rental!!!

LLAP

J:D

P.S: I'm still working through the 'special features', esp the 'episode-commentaries.'

Edited March 16, 2007 by John Dailey

[John Dailey]

~ Well, in lieu of doing BIOSHOCK, I picked up B-G/S-2, and, RCR, you were correct...more or less. --- Lotsa hanging strings got (yeah, 'coherently') cleared up, but, others just clearly became more unclear, like, the nature of Baltar's alternate-reality lover, 'number 6'...nm her relation to (amongst other Cylon-'clones'!) the Cylon-prisoner escaped from (and leading a 'peace'-group against Adama) the Pegasus.

~ That, DVD-wise, they split this season up into 'Season 2.0' AND 'Season 2.5' didn't help much in appreciating this series 'depth'. When did DVD's split TV 'seasons' into decimals? When I rented I carelessly picked up 2 of the 1st 1/2 and 2 of the 2nd 1/2. Like, the series, with its varied convoluted and byzantine cross-connecting conflicting agendas isn't complicated enough...one needs season-decimals. --- Mewonders if 'Season 3.0' will be followed by 'Season PI.'

LLAP

J:D

[BaalChatzaf]

~ Finally, the series became 'rental' and I found that I saw ONLY the original pilot (thought I'd seen a follow-up program or two; nope.) It was not only as interesting as I remember originally, but, even more confusing than I'd 1st thought (Cylonesque-advanced 'evolutionized' robot-clones, some of whom are 'programmed' to 'think' that they are human; shades of The Prestige prob which I meandered over!)

~ Regardless, definitely as interesting as I remember, and now I can (while awaiting other DVDs of noted TV-series) catch up on this sucker I've taken pains to avoid catching the latest 'episode' about. -- I hate reading book chapters piece-meal; same goes for watching cinema the same way (SW was an exception, but one which addicted me to its style requiring 'waiting'.)

LLAP

J:D

BSG (the new series) and Firefly are the best ScFi Series ever produced for T.V. BSG tells us what we must do to survive when attacked by determined evil people. It bears a superficial resemblance to our struggle with Islam, but the answer is the same -- kill them all.

Firefly is really about how nasty governments really are. Mal Reynolds and the crew of Serenity do not want to overthrow the government, they just want to "stay below the radar" and be let alone. Next to Islam, government is the enemy of Mankind. The main difference: government is a necessary evil, Islam is totally unnecessary -- it can be dispensed with to the general benefit of Mankind.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[John Dailey]

Baal:

~ Interesting perspective/interpretation. O-t-one-h, no argument.

~ O-t-other... :devil: I note an attempt in B-G to consider the Cylons as ones who resent humans, yet, in an almost suicidal fashion, show a...misguided(?) attempt at understanding them; as well, Adama, a bit 'changed' since his being shot by a 'close' compatriot-cum-Cylon ('Sharon #?')...trying to 'understand' the hate from the Cylons...and trying to use his understanding of this for conflict-avoidance, whilst ntl, staying totally ready to "nuke 'em."

~ Where 'number 6' and Baltar figure in all this is anyone's guess.

LLAP

J:D

[John Dailey]

~ Re FIREFLY, no argument: GREAT series.

~ However, I must add the rarely commented upon one: SPACE: ABOVE AND BEYOND. I'd say it's 'a hair' (black-hole gathering-wise, as S-Hawking might say) more interesting in its non-episodic epic-mini-series' story-arc (akin to B-G) orientation...and its :shifty: having a 'closure' (tragic, unfortunately; purposefully so, methinks, the writers knowing THIS is 'it') that was quite fitting.

~ If you get a chance, as Indy says "Trust me" --- Check it (the whole series) out.

LLAP

J:D

Edited August 26, 2007 by John Dailey

[John Dailey]

~ Ok. Finished S-2, audio-commentaries (er, 'podcasts' now) and all.

~ Great cliff-hangar ending! >The Nazis rule all! (Well, almost... ) <

~ The old, original, clankingly intimidating 'Centurions' and their new-improved-version human-looking bosses arrived, and have taken over the settlement of the last remaining humans on Caprica; but, rather than exterminate them, the new-Cylons keep the humans around to 'study' the new-found perplexity the Cylons now have re their ancestral-creators re 'love' (individual) and 'Gods' (reverence?).

~ Adama, with only 'skeleton' crews remaining (and near no fighter-pilots) on the orbiting ships, just about ready to bring all ships/crews down, sees the Cylons arrival on 'radar' (or whatever that'd be in space) and orders all ships to 'jump'...elsewhere.

~ And so..."To be continued". (The series, also, I mean...)

LLAP

J:D

Edited September 3, 2007 by John Dailey

[John Dailey]

~ But, I have a prob. It was noticeable in the 1st season, and is more so in this one: the writers are constantly 'winging it.' I'm sure they have a 'story-arc' concept, but, I'm just as sure it's nowhere near fleshed out as in BABYLON-5. I'm marvelling a bit that they still avoid painting themselves into a corner, episode-to-episode.

~ It brings up great issues (martial-law/democracy, machine/human, trust/betrayal, exterminate/understand), but somehow leaves too much then ignored in later episodes. Also, Its clear they've got this ancient Greek-'myth' orientation (from the original's cliched symbolic names 'Adama'/'Apollo'/'Caine'/etc) and pushing this idea of mythology as the depth of the show's purpose re considering religious beliefs; interesting, granted.

~ Lastly, the 'machine' idea re the new-Cylons who can't physically be distinguished from a human (Sharon's shooting of Adama appeared more Manchurian Candidate than 'enemy') beyond killing-behaviour is getting overdone in contemporary social-'commentary.'

LLAP

J:D

[BaalChatzaf]

We are about to see the final season of Battle Star Galactica-. Overall I think this series rocks! It is the best science fiction series I have seen including -Firefly-. If Firefly had lasted a few more seasons I might change the order.

In any case Battle Star Galactic got pased Lorne Greene wearing a cape. In the modern version, these folks dress pretty much as we do. The way the series has developed, we may well ask if the current human races has Cylon genes along with primordial human genetics. Hmmm..... .

In any case I have really enjoyed the series, faults and all.

My overall ranking of sf series is:

BSG

Firefly

Babylon 5

Star Trek and its derivatives.

The most moving ep was on the original Star Trek

See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708414/

-A Taste of Arageddon-.

Here Ahnon defends the policy of pseudo (or virtual war) but with real casualities on the grounds that man is a natural born killer (a variant of Original Sin).

Kirk responds (and this still gives me goose bumps).

Yes - we are killers. But -today- we will not kill.

It was a nifty praise of Free Will over Determinism.

Yowza!

Ba'al Chatzaf

[Alfonso Jones]

We are about to see the final season of Battle Star Galactica-. Overall I think this series rocks! It is the best science fiction series I have seen including -Firefly-. If Firefly had lasted a few more seasons I might change the order.

In any case Battle Star Galactic got pased Lorne Greene wearing a cape. In the modern version, these folks dress pretty much as we do. The way the series has developed, we may well ask if the current human races has Cylon genes along with primordial human genetics. Hmmm..... .

In any case I have really enjoyed the series, faults and all.

My overall ranking of sf series is:

BSG

Firefly

Babylon 5

Star Trek and its derivatives.

The most moving ep was on the original Star Trek

See http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0708414/

-A Taste of Arageddon-.

Here Ahnon defends the policy of pseudo (or virtual war) but with real casualities on the grounds that man is a natural born killer (a variant of Original Sin).

Kirk responds (and this still gives me goose bumps).

Yes - we are killers. But -today- we will not kill.

It was a nifty praise of Free Will over Determinism.

Yowza!

Ba'al Chatzaf

I always enjoyed it when Spock was "practicing a peculiar variety of diplomacy" in that episode by exploding the disintegration chamber.

Bill P (Alfonso)

[BaalChatzaf]

I always enjoyed it when Spock was "practicing a peculiar variety of diplomacy" in that episode by exploding the disintegration chamber.

Bill P (Alfonso)

Yup. There is a multi-legged creature on your tunic. The guy looks down and Spock gives him the old Vulcan nerve pinch.

Ba'al Chatzaf

[syrakusos]

We do not watch television, but we do rent DVDs, sometimes on recommendations, otherwise just fishing. We found Battlestar Galactica and have been following it from the beginning by renting DVDs or getting them from the library. We downloaded the episode guides from a fansite. Over all, this is a show that deserved the PEABODY AWARD it has been granted. As John Daily noted in Post #3, the show does highlight ethical challenges, but resolutions are few and far between. Therein my wife and I find the intrigue of character development -- subject, as always to the limitations of the writers.

The power of science fiction includes the ability to create "people" who are "just like us... but different..." Thus, Isaac Asimov'e robots are physically constrained by altruist morality. In those same robot novels, we meet the Spacer societies of Solaria and Dawn that are so individualistic that people rarely meet in person, each estate being self-sufficient to serve one human. Constrasting that is Lije Bailey's Earth.

Battlestar Galactica constantly and continuously displays similarities and differences to our own society. Consider that the pilots live in mixed barracks, and as sexually active as they seem to be, rape is never a problem -- clearly different from our own context, especially in the military. When we argue abortion we never consider that the human race could be in peril for the lack of children. What if it were? And what does that really say to us about the people who choose fewer children as against those who allow themselves more?

What is "free will"? We Objectivists argue it long and well. Humanlike Cylons give us the opportunity to see those theories in action. Some are programmed to think that they are human -- what happens when they discover that they are not? The Cylon rulers experiment with giving free will to their centurians. That does not work out so well. The problem is real for us here and now, constantly in the threat of totalitarianisms left and right. Do you have a right to be wrong? If so, how wrong?...

The Cylons also raise deep questions about individuality and individualism Galactica-Sharon shoots Commander Adama. Caprica-Sharon must insist, "I am not her!" Really? What is it that makes a "person" unique?

We are living in a police state, engaged in another generatation-long war against an external enemy whose agents have infiltated our society to betray and destroy us. It is nice to quote Benjamin Franklin about not trading security for freedom, but death is the total lack of freedom, the lack of human action. How much of other people's latitude ("freedom" is such an emotional word) would you allow to be proscribed in order to marginally (how marginally?) improve your chance for survival? We have cameras everywhere now. Would you give up elections? What if the election were rigged? We can discuss that when it is President Roslin with much more intellectual objectivity than when it was President Bush.

The elements of fiction are plot, plot-theme, theme, and characterization. After a devastating attack, a handful of humans seek safety pursued by their destroyers. As the quarry and game interact, their roles change. The quest for safety becomes the question of defining what it means to be human. The characters are stark, strong and integrated which gives depth to the internal conflicts each discovers when faced with problems of personal identity and loyality to one's values ultimately defined by ones definition of self qua self.

Emotional distress can become cloying and cliched ... but what if you were attacked every 33 minutes for days on end?

Actors are professionals, or so we like to think. Inevitably, some are better than others. I have watched dramatic scenes in freeze-frame mode, one eyeblink at a time. I am always impressed with the controlled delivery of depths of expression via gesture and pose. While the SteadyCam does allow mere motion to stand in for thoughtful camera work, the fact remains that the editing is cogent in support of action and character.

Battlestar Galactica engages the mind of the viewer, demanding full focus to integrate the details of fact and value.

Edited November 6, 2009 by Michael E. Marotta

[syrakusos]

Adam Selene did not know about Number Six.

So, to help with the orientation process...

1 There's a new crew in town:

2. The Letterman "Top Ten List" ahead of Season 4.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YatjlSJNRHM

[Selene]

Adam Selene did not know about Number Six.

So, to help with the orientation process...

1 There's a new crew in town:

2. The Letterman "Top Ten List" ahead of Season 4.

http://www.youtube.c...h?v=YatjlSJNRHM

Thanks - Mike

I was never a fan of the show though.

Adam

looking for naked redheads