Battlestar Galactica - The TV show

[Willowlicious]

I caught a couple episodes of a Battlestar marathon that SciFi put on right before the second season premiere, and, try as I did to resist, I got sucked into the show. I then rented the mini-series and I dowloaded several episodes from the first season, so I'd have a clue what was going on.

I didn't think last night's episode was terribly original (it seems most shows have used a documentary or diary format at some point and it's just lost its freshness for me), but Starbuck was kickboxing so I didn't care. ( I love that woman!) Truth be told, I like most of the women on the show. I kinda feel like a whore every time I watch it. Something about all those girls running around sweaty in their halter tops and fatigues. Sigh.

[SySnootles]

I'm expecting some very devisive discussions on this last episode, so I'd like to throw in my two cents before everything hits the fan.

I thought it was hands down the best episode of this season yet. I was uncomfortable through out the entire episode, not just 'that' part. Excellent casting of Michelle Forbes as Cain, in my opinion. And as much as I hate cliffhangers, I think I'm going to enjoy the wait.

On a different note... Sharon said that there were eight cylon agents in the fleet, right? We know that there are 12 different human-like models. If Lucy Lawless' character was indeed a cylon (I'm not 100% convinced that she is), that means we (the audience) know 6 of the models (Number 6, Sharon, Lucy Lawless, the black doctor, the dude who was shot out of the airlock, and the dude who blew himself up (the former P.R. guy)). Unless I'm missing something here (which is entirely possible), some of those known cylons must be in the fleet somewhere. I mean, if there are only 6 models unknown to us, and 8 left in the fleet (be it a civilian or a military person), there has to be at least 2 "repeats." Hmm.....

[BBOvenGuy]

Grrr... ignore this post...

[BBOvenGuy]

Move along, move along... nothing to see here...

[BBOvenGuy]

The only copy of the black doctor we've seen was on Caprica, and Starbuck was the only one who saw him. So there could be one or more of him scattered around the fleet. And we saw another Number Six once last year.

All through last night's episode, I kept thinking, "Where's the freakin' president? Isn't she the commander-in-chief? Wouldn't she be the one deciding who was in command of the military, and how the military was to operate?" Maybe that's not how the Colonial government is organized.

As for that scene, well... I've been disturbed by the way the "good guys" treat their "bad guy" captives since last season. I think the show is doing that on purpose.

Overall, I thought the Pegasus crew was just a bit over-the-top. I mean, yes it's good to contrast the uber-military Pegasus against what the Galactica has become, but we could have gotten the same message at about half the volume. Still, that's a minor point in a really good episode.

[Hemiola]

Yes, an interesting episode indeed....

I can't help but wonder if it has to with the "religion" thing, i.e., that the humans are Greco-Roman-style polytheists while the Cylons are "monotheists" (although we haven't been given many details about their "religion"). I have been watching the excellent HBO series "Rome", in which they point out that the republican and imperial Romans, having no "Christian" hang-ups about morality, thought nothing of torturing or abusing prisoners in any way they felt necessary to obtain information or intimidate their enemies (cf. Pliny the Younger's famous letter about the Christians). I think it not unlikely that the "pagan" humans of the 12 Colonies do not have any "Christian" moral constraints, much like their Greco-Roman predecessors!

Could it be that the "plan" that the Cylons have is to convert the "pagan" humans to a more "humane" religion? That would make for a very interesting show....

[BBOvenGuy]

I can't help but wonder if it has to with the "religion" thing, i.e., that the humans are Greco-Roman-style polytheists while the Cylons are "monotheists" (although we haven't been given many details about their "religion").

Hmmm... I wouldn't have thought of that. Certainly monotheists have done their fair share of torturing people throughout the ages.

My first thought was Abu Ghraib - although there weren't any women at Abu Ghraib, but that seems to be what comes to mind when people talk about the abuse of prisoners these days.

[werewolf123]

If you cannot go to the mountain, then piss off the mountain making it come to you. The play is the thing to cause the ire of the king..

[BBOvenGuy]

From a recent interview with Katee Sackhoff:

If you add up the amount of time Dirk Benedict spent playing the character, not the years obviously but the number of episodes, I’m more Starbuck than he is, so put that in your pipe and smoke it.

You may recall that at one point Katee and Dirk were being pretty chummy for the cameras, but apparently Dirk turned around a month later and started trashing the new series. Katee's not too happy about that.

More details at The Great Link

[Warduke]

From Zap2it...

Galactica' Battles on at Sci Fi

Wednesday, November 16, 2005


The Cylon war won't be ending anytime soon.

The Sci Fi Channel has picked up its acclaimed series "Battlestar Galactica" for a third season, making official what has been suspected for some time. The cable network has ordered 20 episodes of the show, which will begin production early next year.

"Galactica's" pickup comes a few weeks after the renewal of the channel's two "Stargate" series, ensuring that the network's strong Friday-night lineup will remain intact for at least the next year. All three shows will resume their current seasons in early January.

The entire principal cast of "Battlestar Galactica," including Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell, is set to return for season three. Executive producers David Eick and Ronald D. Moore, who developed the show from the late-1970s ABC series, will also remain with the show.

"Battlestar Galactica" has been both a critical and ratings success for Sci Fi. Original episodes consistently draw close to 3 million viewers, and along with the "Stargate" shows helps Sci Fi lead all of cable on Friday nights in the all-important adults 18-49 demographic.

[SySnootles]

Hmm... that was kinda spoiler-ish. I'm not complaining... just commenting.

And no, I'm not going to tell you why it was spoilerish. You'll have to figure out that one for yourselves.

[bytrsuite]

There's been two new eps in January, I think. I don't know why they split the season like they did. I think it just makes people forget to tune in.

Anyway, I only started watching about 5 episodes til the end of last season and this season. Something tells me I should get the DVDS.

Tricia Helfer is awesome.

[BBOvenGuy]

There's been two new eps in January, I think. I don't know why they split the season like they did. I think it just makes people forget to tune in.

It's the SciFi Channel's way of avoiding the times of the year when the broadcast networks are running most of their new shows. They think they can improve their own ratings by saving their first-run episodes for times when people are more likely to be looking for something new to watch. From what I've seen of the ratings figures, I believe you're in the minority, so we can probably expect SciFi to keep the practice going. Sorry.

[billy]

I had avoided watching the new BSG thinking it would be much too dark for me, but after someone gave me the DVDs to watch I'm really enjoying it and hoping that we don't have to wait too long to find out what links the colonies with Earth. The DVDs include some really good commentary tracks mainly dealing with the writing and the characters, but it's such a pity that the producer's do their best to ruin it by badmouthing the fans of the original show. It seems that TV producers and writers who can accept criticism are getting very rare.

I've only skiimmed the thread, wanting to to avoid spoilers, so don't know if Ron Moore's original ending for season one has been mentioned: Baltar walks into room. Dirk Benedict is standing there. "Hi, I'm God." I'd have loved that.

The best reason for watching BSG : Starbuck.

[Gatito Grande]

Oh yeah, billy, as was evident in tonight's ep: Starbuck rules!!!

GG Oh, but if only if there were some grrl-on-grrl lovin' on this show---that would make it about perfect... Out

[Giftofamber]

Starbuck is TOTALLY hot. :-) Is it just me, or would the last 3 episodes have been better if the 3 main storylines were woven together instead of separate stand alone episodes?

I don't think I'd trust the creators with girl on girl action, so I guess I'm happy enough as is :-)

[Hemiola]

While continuing to immensely enjoy the series (which is, I reiterate, a considerable improvement on the original), I too have problems with some of their storytelling/editing methods.

I think that this most recent episode might have been better if it been told directly and in sequence, instead of in jerkily edited flashbacks.

[xita]

Just read that Lucy Lawless will become a regular on the show! Yay!

[SySnootles]

Really? I read that she'll be on the Feb 24th episode, and in 10 eps of season 3, but nothing about her becoming a regular. Interesting.

[Kieli]

Really? I read that she'll be on the Feb 24th episode, and in 10 eps of season 3, but nothing about her becoming a regular. Interesting.

CREATION just announced it in their newsletter.

[SySnootles]

Very interesting. According to zap2it.com...

Spoiler:

Lawless will join the cast of the Sci Fi Channel's "Battlestar Galactica" for its third season, reprising her role as D'Anna Biers. She's scheduled to appear in 10 episodes of season three, which begins filming in the spring.

Fans of the critically hailed show won't have to wait to see her again, though -- she's set to make another guest appearance in an episode scheduled for Friday, Feb. 24.

[Gatito Grande]

Is this a question of the difference between "10 eps" and "cast regular"?

Not even the "Big 7" (Heh: just like ST:TNG?) appear in every episode, so I'm not sure that it's much of a distinction (whereas characters like Tammoh Pennikett {sp} "Helo" and Kandyse McClure "D" appear in many eps, but they're not among the Big 7 listed upfront)

GG The important thing is---added to how great this show ALREADY is---at least 10 eps of LL yumminess! Out

[SySnootles]

It can be considered a semantic arguement, but it's one that has definite rules to it. I'm pretty sure you'll see "Guest Starring Lucy Lawless" in the "supplimental" credits, not just a "Lucy Lawless" in the cast credits.

[sheila wt]

The press release from the Sci-Fi Channel:

Lucy Lawless Joins the Cast of Battlestar Galactica For 10-Episode Arc in Its Upcoming Third Season

New York, NY - February 6, 2006 - SCI FI Channel has added Lucy Lawless to the cast of its white-hot original series Battlestar Galactica. Lawless will reprise her role as D'Anna Biers in a 10-episode arc in the show's eagerly anticipated third season, which begins production in Vancouver in April.

Originally appearing in the episode "Flight of the Phoenix," D'Anna Biers arrived on the Galactica as an investigative journalist doing an expose on alleged crew misconduct that resulted in the death of four civilians. Surprisingly, her documentary generated sympathy and respect for the battlestar's crew - healing the growing rift between the civilian and military populations within the fleet. Eventually, the audience learns that D'Anna was actually one of the deadly human-looking Cylon agents, who was sent to Galactica on a covert reconnaissance mission.

Lawless' second guest appearance will air on Friday, February 24, in the episode, "Downloaded,"

Spoiler:

which gives viewers their first real glimpse into the Cylon world.

Lawless joins Battlestar Galactica's stellar ensemble cast, led by Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Tricia Helfer and Grace Park. The series is executive produced by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick - who was instrumental in originally casting Lawless in the role of Xena.

Battlestar Galactica is from NBC Universal Television Studio.

[SySnootles]

Again, I say interesting. I still have an issue with the wording as she's contracted as a special guest and not a series regular, but I'm over it. And I have to give a very sarcastic kudos to the Sci-Fi Channel not even fact checking their own press release. D'Anna first appeared in "Final Cut," not "Flight of the Phoenix."

The last few episodes ("Epiphanies" and "Black Market") really made me begin to worry about the show. It's as if the producers hadn't expected on being on the air so long and had no decent story lines in the cooker to fill in non-arc episodes (main arc, that is). "Scar" was better, but not by much, in my opinion. Here's hoping they'll be getting back on track soon.

[Giftofamber]

From what I've heard in the spoiler community, the eps should get better from here. Scar, Epiphanies, and Black Market would have felt more up to par if they had occurred fairly simultaneously--switching between stories, like BSG typically does. Anyone else wondering what's going to happen between Apollo and Starbuck after this past episode?

Now I'm not typically a person that goes for blondes, but Starbuck, wow.

[Gatito Grande]

Apropos Downloaded---

Does this show completely Kick Ass, or what?

GG I'd be sorry to see LL---aka "Number 3" go---if I didn't know she'd be back next year! Out

[Hemiola]

I absolutely agree about the quality of this new version as compared to the old version: real characterization as opposed to "Help, we're running from the robots!"--that got old real fast.

Great to see LL again, with her natural hair color and real accent.:-)

Sooooooo, numbers 6 and 8 have been "corrupted" by the time they spent with humans--this could make for some interesting developments. I really didn't expect 6 to be "haunted" by Baltar in exactly the same way that Baltar is haunted by 6. I wonder what implications this has for the Cylon "Grand Plan"? Incidentally, I think this is a good place to bring up something that I mentioned a few pages back: it is a source of endless fascination to me that it is the Cylons who are the "monotheists" (although they are supposed to be the "bad guys"), while the humans are the pagans! I wonder where the writers are going with this.......

Now, I wonder what happens to the hybrid baby, and to the "Sharon Valerii" who gave birth to her????

[werewolf123]

I think part of the plan , is to make the cybrid the cylon's godhead.Because of it's lack of anti-gen it is a universal donor of blood(life) , i think it may be a universal receptor of life.

[Anactoria]

Also a big LOL at all of the L word/BSG crossover minor actors. Did you guys notice that Uta was the hybrid baby's adopted mom? And last week the other viper pilot who helps Starbuck decipher the distress call from one of the raptors is noneother than the flower girl/prostitute that Mark hires second season to seduce Shane. Also Tyrol and Helo's actors had minor roles on The L Word season 1.

There are a bunch of others too, pretty much every episode now. Kindof a fun minigame to play while watching.