Galactica
January 31, 2009Yesterday’s Battlestar Galactica episode?
The best thing I’ve ever seen on TV. There’s no debate as far as I’m concerned: BSG is better than every other television series ever made. The mutiny, the treason, the pain it causes to see Adama being betrayed by his own men. Some find the mutiny hard to believe (trained soldiers? Mutiny against the admiral?) but let me ask you this: would the Jewish people, in the middle of the Holocaust, suddenly join forces with the Nazis? Because that’s the only fitting analogue in our own history.
Of course not. They’d rebel - necessity or not - they would rebel. The mutiny is 100% understandable and very, very believable. I would have found it idiotic if the alliance with the Cylons had been accepted without a fight. They just slaughtered 50 billion people!
Dear baby Jesus, I just can’t believe people prefer Lost or Heroes over BSG. They really need a brain check.
Film | 
Yes, it DOES make sense, if these Nazis were not the same ones like the other Nazis who wanted them dead, or they had a change of heart.
I would definitely side with Adama, not the rebels. I am a person who would do what’s necessary to get things done and save our collective skins, and if that includes a deal with the devil, I’d have no problem with that. And the reason for this is because it’s my belief that when it comes to the survival of the species, ANY measure is acceptable. Ethically moral or not.
So at least for my psyche and the way I see the world, BSG doesn’t represent me. Also, Baltar suddenly being a religious symbol (I would have castrated him myself), or all the other religious crap that don’t go well with scifi, they just piss me off. BSG is simply not my kind of scifi show.
The fact that the writers made the Tyroll son being not his son last week, was only done because when they made Tyroll a Cylon, there was a plot hole, because Hera is supposed to be the ONLY cylon-human child. The writers themselves said that they were trying to plug their own holes, and that makes for some weak writing and planning ahead in my opinion. Lost has some logic/prop errors from time to time, but not plot holes that are essential to the overall story (as Hera will be, according to spoilers).
Last night, while I was watching BSG on DVR (I didn’t even watch it live, didn’t care enough), I would pause it every 10 minutes to do other things. I just didn’t care about it. With Lost, I don’t even breath.
I know that you wrote this for me Thom. You always are trying to push my buttons for some reason, but I don’t care, because Lost remains a better written story. The mystery in it and its twists, and its complexity, can’t be compared with the dullness of BSG and the stupidity of its inhabitants. If you don’t agree, it’s cool, but don’t tell me that I need my brain checked.
Comment by Eugenia — January 31, 2009 @ 11:54 pm
Huh? No, I didn’t write that for you at all. I had a very lengthy conversation with my friends last weekend about TV series, and we all agreed that stuff like Heroes and Lost are simply VERY lacking. This has NOTHING to do with you.
Comment by Administrator — February 1, 2009 @ 12:00 am
I see that someone else has discovered Harry Turtledove’s series….
–bornagainpenguin
Comment by bornagainpenguin — February 1, 2009 @ 2:18 am
SIGH…obviously I fail at links. Could you please fix it for me Thom? It was supposed to be the Wikipedia link to the series your comment reminded me of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Worldwar
Thanks!
–bornagainpenguin
Comment by bornagainpenguin — February 1, 2009 @ 2:20 am
You know Eugenia, taking everything personally and believing that everything is about you is one of the main symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
And just because you’re an obsessive Lost fangirl doesn’t mean you have to hate everything that isn’t Lost. I can see why you would feel that BSG threatens your beloved Lost, though, since they’re probably the two most overrated series to ever air.
Comment by Irony is thy Name — February 1, 2009 @ 5:05 am
Hmmm…BSG. Havent watched it much, didnt look very interesting the few times I caught it. Nice atmosphere and well done sets but it never did grip me and Starbuck annoyed me right away. On the other hand, it has Edward James Olmos and that’s always a plus in my book.
I take your word that it’s better than Heroes and Lost though. Heroes is just unbelievably stupid and boring and Lost was only interesting for a season or so before it tried to be too clever for it’s own good.
Then again, I watch Burn Notice and Psych and I liked Threshold so I guess I’m not smart enough to appreciate Lost.
Comment by Soulbender — February 1, 2009 @ 5:33 am
Irony, go and frak yourself. Thom and I have a past discussing BSG vs Lost over IM on a number of occasions, so what I wrote did not come out of nowhere — no matter if Thom meant that for me or not. So don’t jump like a fart here just to discredit me without having a context, and without knowing the extend of what Thom and I have discussed privately that made me write that remark.
I don’t hate everything that isn’t Lost. It’s just that it has to be better than Lost to get my blessings. BSG isn’t the kind of show I like; and I simply professed that, the same way Thom professed the exact opposite position. Thom is not alone liking BSG more than Lost, and I am not alone liking Lost more than BSG. It’s how it is with cult shows.
Comment by Eugenia — February 1, 2009 @ 10:11 am
OK,
This is it. I’ve read a lot of stuff from Thom and Eugenia and I cannot
hold back anymore. So here are my thoughts :
thom> Dear baby Jesus, I just can’t believe people prefer Lost or Heroes
thom> over BSG. They really need a brain check.
Nop ! They don’t. I don’t like heroes, but since you have this attitude
towards other series, I can tell you for sure that LOST _rocks_ !
Yep ! Galactica Blows and LOST is the best series I’ve seen on TV.
Yes, it’s slow, but then again BSG is slow and apart from the conspiracies
and concoctions every week IT DOESNT GO ANYWHERE ! You know why ?
Because the People who do BSG these days are the people who
directed and invented Star Trek DS9. Now this was the most BORING series
i’ve ever layed my eyes upon.
In the words (loosely adapted) by Stanislaw Lem,
a wonderfull writer that wrote a wonderfull book that TRIED to make sci-fi
a better place (Solaris, the movie directed by the russian Tarchovsky, then
another holywood production in 2002, I think, with George Clooney as the
“Stellar Accountant” - Chris Kelvin), who writes in his book :
“we are not looking for other worlds, we are trying to find copies of worlds
that resemble ours”.
Holywood and the western world has the tendency to adapt the present to
the future. All western writers try to do this and I HATE IT ! I hate it with
a vengeance. By doing this, you give the world a false idea that nothing
is going to change (politicaly / sociologically / ethicly) and things are only
going to get worse. Maybe this is true, but I DON’T want to think like that.
I, for one, have hope for the future, eventhough I see everything going to
hell every passing day.
But enough of me.
You want to watch BSG in its finest ? Watch the pilot (mini-series) episode.
That’s a pure 2h50m of the FINEST Sci-Fi ever. Close to Scotts’ Alien and
Bladerunner. A most-promising start of BSG, that kept it’s part of the
bargain up until, oh I would say the end of the second season. Then all
went belly-up.
So, yes, I think these days BSG blows. And I say that by used to being a
fanatic follower of the show.
thom> would the Jewish people, in the middle of the Holocaust,
thom> suddenly join forces with the Nazis? Because that’s the only fitting
thom> analogue in our own history.
Leave the Jewish issue alone Thom. It has _nothing_ to do with it. And
eventhough I truly respect the Jewish struggle (or any other minority being
butchered in the hands of others), in the words of the Turkish President,
Mr. Erdogan (again loosely adapted and no , I am not Turkish I am Greek and proud of it), “the
jewish people have done a wonderful job these last days butchering a whole nation”.
eugenia> I know that you wrote this for me Thom. You always are trying
eugenia> to push my buttons for some reason, but I don’t care, becaus
eudenia> Lost remains a better written story.
Eugenia. It’s been some time since we last spoke back in Surrey, U.K.
Believe it or not girlfriend the world does not revolve around you (or
anyone else for that reason). So quit whimping about Thom giving you a
hard time and so on. Yes ! You are a brilliant mind and a serious
writer when it comes to all things digital (and then some), but please get
off your high horse and try to communicate with others. How many times
have I wrote you messages and you turned your back (for no particular
reason). But then again, the world doesn’t revolve around me either.
All in all : Get a grip.
Lastly, my thoughts (if anyone is interested in the first place).
BSG :
BSG started the myth back in 2003. When I watched it for the first time
on Satellite (Sky Movies), it took my breath away. The stellar physics, the
CGIs, the direction, the plot. It seemed real enough.
I liked E.J. Olmos (but then again I like him since “Bladerunner”) in the role
of the cool-healed and cautious commander Adama.
I also liked Jamie Bamber (does anyone remember him on “Hornblower” ?
If you haven’t watched this, go to the torrents NOW and get it !) as the
younger adama.
All in all for 2h50m I was watching it without taking my eyes off the screen.
Then Season 1 came. Then the religious crap started. Still it was a good run
but not as good as the pilot episode.
My opinion is this :
Directors should stop depicting real-world events through Sci-Fi series/movies.
YOU ARE KILLING THE GENDER PEOPLE. FRACK OFF! EITHER WRITE SOMETHING
CREATIVE or leave the gender alone.
But it’s no secret that the whole series kick-started again due to the 9/11
events.
Threshold :
And, yes, “Threshold” was a very good series (again, 9/11-related) and I
enjoyed the first (what was it 11/12 episodes?) thoroughly.
However, it didn’t reach numbers, so off it went.
Lost :
A slow-going series that sometimes , piss me off with how slow it progresses.
However, it’s going somewhere, the plot is good and there are no US-Style
marines playing on it (at least for the time-being).
Star Trek DS9 :
In Sci-Fi conventions, this is the series that should be shown as an example
to avoid. This, people, truly is the most BORING series on TV and Sci-Fi.
Star Trek “Voyager” :
Top quality Sci-Fi. Eventhough sometimes they over-stretched it too.
However, Captain Janeway rules !
This is my opinion. My life. :-)
Best Regards to everyone,
spyros
Comment by Spyros Tsiolis — February 1, 2009 @ 10:23 am
I never said Lost was bad. Lost is a very good TV show - it just does some crucial things wrong in my opinion. Eugenia has the exact opposite opinion - she never said that BSG is bad, she just thinks it does some crucial things wrong. And that’s fine with me. I can certainly see how the religious element of the story bothers some. Personally, I really like it, I find it a crucial element of the mystery.
Err, right. How am I supposed to take someone seriously who prefers VOY over DS9…? :)
Comment by Administrator — February 1, 2009 @ 10:29 am
Girlfriend, hey?
While you were writing your long comment, I was also replying above explaining why I wrote that remark. It was between me and Thom, because we are the only ones who had context about what I was talking about. Read my reply above to Irony, that you obviously missed.
I never, ever, turn my back on IM or emails. In fact, this is what I do all day: replying to people, as I get a lot of questions (regarding video primarily). If I haven’t reply to you, it’s either because somehow my IM client blocks you, or your emails never arrive.
Comment by Eugenia — February 1, 2009 @ 11:01 am
My main crit of BSG can be summed up in the following comment (which I did not write but simply agree with).
“‘They have a plan’ Maybe this season the Cylons will share it with the writers…”
What was the freaking plan? What did the Cylon child have to do with it? What happened to the psychic connection between Baltar and the 7 (And with the 7 and the president for that matter)? Are they really going to tie all of this up, or were they making it up as they went along? Having been burnt by shows such as X-Files in the past, I am suspecting the latter.
I guess we’ll find out soon enough.
Comment by Tom Magee — February 2, 2009 @ 5:44 am
Thom,
I would be interested to hear why you consider Battlestar Galactica to be superior television to Babylon 5. Personally, I find the latter to have a better developed overall plot with fewer “holes”, more “big ideas”, and a more diverse, well-developed group of characters.
Comment by James Parker — February 2, 2009 @ 9:52 pm
You people are awesome for fighting over TV shows. BTW, Galactica rules, Lost blows.
Comment by David Adams — February 6, 2009 @ 8:57 am
Yeah, ok David…
Here’s something funny for the road btw.
Comment by Eugenia — February 7, 2009 @ 7:30 am
Eugenia: haha, good one :).
Comment by Administrator — February 7, 2009 @ 10:31 am