Last week when I suggested that people should watch Battlestar Galactica, I was a little scared that lots of people would watch, but then the season premiere would be sucky, and people would take my recommendations on television programming like I take music recommendations from my parents, ie not often and with lots of reservation. Thankfully, the season premiere of Battlestar Galactica kicked some ass, especially for people that knew what to expect, from season one. It was a lot to take in, but let's try and set things up for a very exciting season.
There are some people who call Battlestar Galactica nothing but a soap opera in space and question some of the science fiction aspects and whatnot. I have not been to a Star Wars convention or dressed up as my favorite character from Star Wars/Lord of the Rings/The Matrix while waiting in line to see them the first day, so I could give a shit about some of the more arcane and trivial details that bug some people. Just enjoy the show and those things won't bother you.
For those of you who were kind of wondering what was going on at the beginning of the program, here is the basic premise. Humans created robots, robots got fed up with humans and evolved. Some of the robots now look human. All of the robots want to kill the humans. Robots nuke human worlds into oblivion, leaving alive only the people who happened to be flying in space at the time. Being outnumbered by about 10,000 to 1 and having only one military ship, Battlestar Galactica, in existence, they decide to run. While on the run from the robots, lots of shit happens, like prison ship riots and assassination attempts. Since some of the robots (they are called Cylons) look human, they can do shit without being detected, although the Cylons aren't necessarily doing all the bad stuff. In fact, some Cylons don't even realize that they aren't human. That is the case with Sharon "Boomer" Valerii.
Boomer believes she is human, and even has a boyfriend (a couple actually, but we'll get to that). Seemingly against her will, she has been at the center of many a ship disaster, including the loss of the water supply, various bugs placed around the ship, and the big one, shooting the captain. She was so good at what she did, not even her own suicide attempt (gun to the mouth) could stop her. But how did we get there?
Well, it's basically because the President of the colonies has cancer. I want to explain it in some other way, but that is the gist of it. The President was Secretary of Education before the nuclear holocaust took care of the first 20 or so in line for succession. Considering what she has had to do, you have to give her credit for keeping people together. There was a point where she kind of lost her way, however. When morale was particularly low and people thought that the human race was doomed to fly listlessly through space, Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos) said that they were going to go in search of Earth, which in their religion is a homeland that the thirteenth tribe of mankind inhabited. I would think of it is some sort of Atlantis: some people believe in it absolutely, while some people think it is a bunch of bullshit.
Anyway, Adama told the President that the legend of Earth was fake, but a funny thing happened while he was lying about the legend. It turned out that more and more of the legend has started to come true. As more things that were supposedly legends came true, the President started believing in more of these legends, including one prophecy which seemed to say that an ill leader (cancer is an illness, remember) would lead the remainder of the colonies to Earth. All she needed was to find Kobol, the planet where their holy texts say mankind originated, and Apollo's arrow (I believe it was Apollo, I am slightly sketchy on some of these details, feel free to correct me) and they would be taken to the promised land, Earth. The only problem was that the Arrow of Apollo was on Caprica, which had been nuked fairly heavily by the Cylons in their original raid on mankind.
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Comments (5)
J-Unit:
That was an excellent and entertaining synopsis of season one and the beginning of season two. I'm just going to nitpick two things:
Dr. Baltar did not help create cylons. The first cylon war was 40 years before the time of the series (Ron Moore, the exec producer of the show, says this in one of his podcasts, I believe). What Baltar did do was create and work on programs for the networked defense mainframe for the colonies and the fleet. He then allowed his cylon girlfriend to get into the defense mainframe; and that's how the fleet and the colonies got destroyed without a shot.
The other thing: Starbuck did not have previous knowledge that Boomer was a cylon. Upon seeing the Caprica version of Sharon, she put two and two together and figured out that Sharon was a hot asian cylon.
This is such a great show. Critics who say it's only a soap opera in space don't quite understand the whole concept of the show. It's all about the human condition and relationships. It's not the usual kind of sci fi, and that's what makes it great.
1 of 5 | Posted by Jeff V | Posted on July 22, 2005 4:33 AM
The firewall did not hold up. Gaeta's screen is completely red just as he is yanking the giant compu-cords out of their sockets.
2 of 5 | Posted by Mr. Teeny | Posted on July 22, 2005 9:49 AM
Jeff V,
Thanks for the clarification.
Mr. Teeny,
The firewall had several levels. It held up long enough for the task, and yes, they tanked it afterwards.
3 of 5 | Posted by J-Unit | Posted on July 22, 2005 9:55 AM
I really enjoy this show, and When I first watched it I went in with soem trpidation. I mean c'mon, a scifi channel tv show remake of the cheesy 70's show starring edward james olmos? But I admit its hooked me. I feel like those thousands of annoying girls at work who keep telling me I MUST watch desperate Housewives. Except im recommending good TV.
The first season holds a record for # of times ive repeated and slo mo'ed m TIVo. WHen Boomer lands on the huge cylon base and a bunch of naked boomers come out. I mustve watched that thing closer than the zapruder film just to get a chance to see Boomers boomers. ANd man they were there aight.
Titties aside, I enjoy the psychological levels involved with some of the cylon humans conflicted emotions, the flawed humans on the galactica (the alcoholic, the washed up captain), and I especially like the power struggle of having a military coup, with the captains son taking the other side. Its good TV. Its, dare I say, Must See TV.
For a good intelligent review (with nary a tittie joke in sight) check out this review:
http://www.salon.com/ent/feature/2005/07/09/battlestar_galactica/index_np.html
4 of 5 | Posted by Eddiebosox | Posted on July 22, 2005 12:47 PM
J-Unit,
The firewall had 5 levels, and while Gaeta reached to unplug the system when 4 levels were red, all 5 were red, briefly, by the time he unplugged the cords. In the episode broadcast yesterday the 22nd ***SPOILER REMOVED***
YOU IDIOT SOME PEOPLE HAVEN'T WATCHED IT OFF THE TIVO!! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE???
5 of 5 | Posted by Mr. Teeny | Posted on July 23, 2005 11:56 AM