(Note: This is me hitting my geeky maximum. If you aren't into BSG and want to skip right past this, I completely understand. But before you do, just know that Battlestar Galactica is as good as television gets. And if you have any interest whatsoever in good television, you should watch the premiere of the final season this Friday at 10/9 C on the Sci-Fi Channel. ETA: And Matt would also like to remind me that you should watch the rest of series first, preferably.)
Frankly, I'm a bit unsure as to how to go about this post. It's been something of a whirlwind obsession for me, spanning roughly six weeks. I could've done it in less, but you know, life had to get in the way. Stupid life.
I wish I had the time to write about the role of humanity in BSG or take a closer look at Bear McCreary's score in comparison to classical composers or discuss feminism in the fleet or examine their storytelling techniques. (ETA: Ooh, I also want to write one on the connections between Mormonism and Cylon Theology because there are a TON of similarities. It freaks me out a little.) But I don't have that time. Any of those would make for great thesis topics, though, don't you think? I know what I'm doing in grad school.
So instead you get a non-comprehensive list of things I love about the show. Spoilers through 4.0!
Things I Love About Battlestar Galactica
1. Adama and Roslin. The connection and chemistry between those two is astonishing.
2. These propaganda posters
3. This Los Angeles Magazine article says everything I want to say about the show except they have a bigger vocabulary than I do.
4. D'Anna and Natalie. Best. Cylons. EVER.
5. I love BSG for making me do that thing I do where I get too wrapped up in the lives of fictional characters.
6. I love that Anders is a Cylon. Heck, I love Anders no matter what. When he first came on, I was like, "Has there ever been a hotter guest star in the history of television?"
7. The Producer's Cut of "Unfinished Business" is some mighty fine work by RDM.
8. I love being able to use "frak!" as an acceptable substitute for other words.
9. All of the edges are cut off on everything. That kind of set devotion is quite the accomplishment.
10. "No more Mr. Nice Gaius!" Maybe the greatest line on the show.
11. Things I Am Not Allowed To Do Aboard The Galactica
12. I adore it for bringing up heavy topics like abortion, suicide bombings, infidelity, racism, capital punishment, and martial law. It feels weird to say that I adore it for those things, but I really do.
13. And by the same token, I love how the central themes of the show are equality, understanding, love, duty, family, and home.
14. Lee Adama is a gorgeous man. He's not my favorite character, but he's sure nice to look at. Unless he's overweight. Fat Lee for the fail! His love for Kara (and her subsequent love for him) and their tumultuous relationship is played out beautifully.
15. I love how Season Two jumps ahead a frakking year and completely changes everyone's character with the new setting. I like to refer to them as Hobo Tigh, Mommy Kara, and Hot Gaeta.
16. I think it's great how they make webisodes.
17. Katee Sackhoff. I just want to be her best friend so badly. (Fun fact: Her IRL best friend is Tricia Helfer, who plays Six.)
18. In the span of 65 or so episodes, I can think of three that I didn't really like. Three! And even those were better than most other shows! (In case you were wondering, those episodes are "Black Market," "The Passage," and "The Woman King.")
19. The divine Jane Espenson works for them. I have a great deal of respect for that woman.
20. There is nothing writers want more than a devoted fanbase and BSG has an amazing group on the internet. Everyone who watches automatically gets everyone else. It's awesome.
21. The show offers constant surprise. The plot twists never feel contrived and have a tendency to punch you in the gut.
22. The characters you love to hate are really, truly hate-able. Admiral Cain is awesome because I love her character and I can't stand it when she's on screen. (There was a point when my dislike for Tigh reached a Dolores Umbridge level of intensity, but he's cool now.)
23. Mary frakking McDonnell is so incredibly underappreciated by the critics. Stunning actress, not to mention the fact that she's freaking hot for her age.
24. It's caused me to think a great deal about the purposes of humanity and what makes us human. BSG is an interesting way to tell our Post-9/11 story and it needed to be told.
25. I love how Battlestar Galactica is not only deep and dark, but it's a heck of a lot of fun. I'm so excited for tomorrow night and I can't wait to see where they take us during these last ten episodes.
What do you guys love about BSG? Anyone got any guesses on the Fifth Cylon?
Thursday, January 15, 2009
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15 comments:
First, I will preface my comments with the fact that my roommate knows who the final Cylon is. She is torturing me with it. BAH!
1. Adama + Roslin = LOVE
4. Hear, Hear.
7. True story: "Unfinished Business" is the best episode ever aired on TV in the history of television.
14. Fat Lee makes me laugh.
17. We should, like, get together, track that woman down, and make her be friends with us.
18. "Black Market," "The Woman King," and "Dirty Hands" are mine. I'm pretty sure there's universal consensus about the first two, including from the Producers.
23. Sigh.
25. TOMORROW! You're so lucky you haven't had to wait very long because it's been INTERMINABLE.
Ditto. ON EVERYTHING!
Instead of writing those essays, you should check out So Say We All. It’s a collection of essays that encompass all of those things you wish you could discuss. For that matter, you should also get Frak You!, the unofficial companion guide to BSG. My roomies got those books for me for my birthday. They love me! They really love me!
Ah, I like you two.
Ashley--When I watched Unfinished Business, I wondered where it was going to fit in your top 25. I didn't like Dirty Hands much, but I hate Kat more, so....The Passage win outs. When do we get to stalk Katee?
Belle--Thanks for the book recs! I'm definitely going to check them out.
Well, now you are one of two people who know my #1. Shhhh. Don't tell anyone. And also I hope no one else reads your comments. Whoops.
Oh, P.S. So Say We All is indeed a great read.
"Ooh, I also want to write one on the connections between Mormonism and Cylon Theology because there are a TON of similarities. It freaks me out a little." ....You know what this means, right? ;)
Boo. Fat!Lee for the fail, indeed.
I'm so psyched for tomorrow night! :D
Ashely--Your secret's safe with me. :) I figured it'd be in the top five and it is entirely deserving of #1.
Cass--I know, I'm totally a cylon.
You are wrong about both Dirty Hands and The Passage. They were phenomenal, especially Dirty Hands. And how could you not like Kat? You're some kind of wrong person. Have it looked into.
Nice thing you say, but I'd also like to point out, that you shouldn't encourage people to watch the last ten episodes of Battlestar without... you know... seeing the rest...
Good entry, though!
Matt--Haha, I'll edit accordingly for your encouragement. And I am SO not wrong about Kat. I found her to be completely unoriginal and I couldn't stand her acting and I didn't like how Starbuck was so hung up on her. She was NOT worthy of being hung up on. Agree to disagree?
Two things: first, I think it was Kat that was hung up on Starbuck, because Starbuck rules, and Kat wants to be her, and Starbuck just gets upset because she doesn't want her territory of awesome infringed upon.
Secondly, it isn't a coincidence that some of Mormon theology has leaked into the BSG reimagining, as Glen Larson, who did the original, was a Mormon and based most of the show on his beliefs. Trivia is fun.
That makes complete sense about Glen Larson. How cool!
Okay, so here's more about why I didn't like Kat...I think they made a huge mistake with Kat's character in that she was TOO much like Starbuck. The main difference is that Starbuck is very steely and Kat had more fire. Otherwise, they're basically the same--disregard for authority, raw talent, and a difficult past, to name a few--and there was only room for one Starbuck on the show. (I understand that's why Starbuck felt affection towards Kat and why Papadama took her on as a substitute daughter during Kara's recovery, so I guess she had some value there.) They wrote themselves into a corner and that's why they had to kill her, which is the best choice they made regarding her character.
It makes sense that Kat idolized Starbuck because she is so awesome, but I'm not sure what Starbuck actually gained from their relationship in the end.
I'll concede that her problem with stims in "Final Cut" was actually interesting in showing one of the ways that pilots cope. With "The Passage," I groaned when I realized it was going to be All About Kat because as a viewer, I had no interest in learning more about her. To cap it off, it became apparent very early on that she was going to die in the end and then it was like, "Okay, why even bother bringing back an ex-lover and telling us about her sordid past?" From a TV writing perspective, she was an easy way to build on the algae planet storyline and I think it's weak that they went with the easy plot. There was no emotional investment for me during that episode (and I know others feel the same), which is sad because that's one of the things that BSG does so well. (Same goes for Black Market and The Woman King.) I understand that not every episode can be perfect, but they could have handled it a LOT better.
I think you're spot on. As for Starbuck, I think she gained by using Kat as a kind of mirror. Like, this is you, don't be this way. That's part of what Scar is all about. She was forgiving herself a little by forgiving Kat.
But yes, I never liked Kat much ever. The closest I ever came was in "Final Cut," but then nothing after that.
You know what's really fun? Watching "Black Market" with the sound off at 4X speed, and narrating it. ("Lee sleeps with trash hooker; probably has STD. Lee abandoned pregnant girlfriend; Lee is a jerk." Etc etc.) Much more pleasurable that way.
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You must've hated Scar. =p
i heart BSG. I look forward to when my kids are old enough for me to force it upon them.
I haven't seen ANY of this season. I really love being able to get the DVD and watch it all in one crazy nail biting week. But the wait is killer.
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