Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Battlestar Galactica

Miniseries 2003
Series 2004-Today

Staring: Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Grace Park, Tricia Helfer, Katee Sackhoff, Aaron Douglas, Michael Hogan, Tahmoh Penikett

Created By: Ronald D. Moore and David Eick

Battlestar Galactica, Copyright Scifi


What a ride. With Rome ending just this past Sunday, and Arrested Development long off the air, the current best show on television label has passed on, to this series. Battlestar Galactica is a sci-fi series, there’s no getting past that. Fortunately, this is yesteryear’s Sci-fi, the more realistic, less “tech-y”, word jumble filled storytelling that little sci-fi has successfully pulled off for over 2-3 decades. Looking at it, it is more drama than anything else.

Genocide, sex, Machiavellian political intrigue, it really bears little similarities to the original show beyond the initial premise, the last remaining human beings have escaped their home solar system, in search for the lost colony, Earth. They are constantly perused by the Cylons, who were originally machines which were created by humans. They eventually rebelled and have “evolved” into humanoid shapes. They are nearly indistinguishable from normal humans. And as we soon find out, some are programmed to believe they actually are.

The atmosphere, direction, and writing are top of the line. The acting is top of the line as well, with so many great people in the series such as Olmos and McDonnell.

The miniseries was a little slow, but where the miniseries is lacking, the first season makes up for it in the first episode “33” and then “Water.” This in particular is one of the best seasons of any series ever made, hands down. The end of the season is a particular shocker.

Baltar gets violent, Copyright Scifi


Season 2 is almost as good, but has a few clunkers in the second half of the second season, Scar and Black Market are two that just didn’t work that well, even though alone, they’re actually pretty decent.

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Season 3 is controversial; the first half of the season is an allegory to both the Iraq war and Vichy France. This turned off quite a few people, who are so blind that they took the entire thing as a political slash, instead of just a TV show. It’s TV people. Now, we’re at the end of season 3, and boy… this season was great. I won’t spoil this for the people I know read this and haven’t caught up, but you’ll be surprised and shocked about many of the twists that occur in each season.

At the very least any season that ends on a musical montage with “All Along the Watchtower” playing can’t be all that bad.

Verdict **** ½ /*****

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