Battlestar Galactica

[number8]

Awesome. It's pretty much my favorite moment of the entire series.

Same. Absolute brilliance.

[Raiders]

Oh and yeah, this is glorious in Blu-ray.

[Watashi]

My favorite moment is still in Unfinished Business when Adama tells Tyrol to get his "fat, lazy ass" into the ring.

I can watch that on a loop forever.

[Acapelli]

Blah

Most cringe-inducingly lame tv moment I can remember seeing - At the end of the third season when the four cylons were fully revealed and they traded off singing lines from All Along the Watchtower. That's about when the show came completely off the rails, for me
i hated this moment too, but mainly because it was such a terrible new age-y sounding cover. ugh

almost as bad as the firefly theme song

[number8]

almost as bad as the firefly theme song

All right, then.

[Qrazy]

Indeed Adam, that scene sucked.

[Mara]

almost as bad as the firefly theme song

You're the kid who threw rocks at hornets' nests, aren't you?

[number8]

Battlestar Rhapsody (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JMgWaxtLbwE)

[D_Davis]

Awesome. It's pretty much my favorite moment of the entire series.

Me, too.

Brilliantly done. Sent shivers up my spine. It was one of those media moments I'll never forget; like finding out about Darth Vader, or who killed Laura Palmer, or finishing up The Dark Tower series. Just a great moment in entertainment.

Loved the entirety of S4.

Watched Caprica last night - awesome. Can't wait for that series. I love how it's diving even deeper into the religious angle.

[Dead & Messed Up]

I did forget one thing, though. I absolutely hated Roslin's theatrical reaction to her family dying: ponderously walking out to a public pool and baptizing herself under the blessed relief of a fountain. I think most people just sit down and sob.

[[ETM]]

Watched Caprica last night - awesome. Can't wait for that series. I love how it's diving even deeper into the religious angle.

It caught me completely off guard. I feel the BSG foreshadowing would only be hampering it, but it is inevitable because most of the initial audience will be BSG fans. I hope the writers can balance the "fan service" with true substance and originality.

[number8]

I did forget one thing, though. I absolutely hated Roslin's theatrical reaction to her family dying: ponderously walking out to a public pool and baptizing herself under the blessed relief of a fountain. I think most people just sit down and sob.

I think that is literally the only moment in the finale I didn't like. The only one.

[D_Davis]

;228565']It caught me completely off guard. I feel the BSG foreshadowing would only be hampering it, but it is inevitable because most of the initial audience will be BSG fans. I hope the writers can balance the "fan service" with true substance and originality.

Yeah, I wasn't expecting anything remarkable and it totally won me over. I am dying to know what direction they'll be taking the general plot. I was under the impression that what was revealed at the end of the pilot was actually going to be big idea of the plot - basically, the pilot ended where I thought the series was going to. So I have no idea what they'll be up to.

[Qrazy]

Watched Caprica last night - awesome. Can't wait for that series. I love how it's diving even deeper into the religious angle.

http://www.lovehkfilm.com/blog/roninonempty/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/no-darth_vader.jpg

[Thirdmango]

Most cringe-inducingly lame tv moment I can remember seeing - At the end of the third season when the four cylons were fully revealed and they traded off singing lines from All Along the Watchtower. That's about when the show came completely off the rails, for me

Yeah I'm also on the other side of you. This moment was one of my most goosebump intensive awesome moments of the whole series, but mostly because I felt the Cylon reveals were the strongest moments of the show and the reasons why I was so invested in it. I just loved it.

[Raiders]

Just re-watched "Sacrifice."

Billy... :sad:

[Sycophant]

SEASON 2 SPOILSPOILSPOIL:

Billy's death really felt cheap to me. I've read that the writers had plans for him, but the actor wanted to leave the show, so they had to kill him. It feels it. In a show where people are constantly being injured and shot near-fatally and surviving, to have a character actually be insta-killed by a bullet feels like bullshit.

It was that episode right after "Scar" and "Black Market" that I began to really question whether I liked the show.

Hai guyz, I'm bitching about BSG in your BSG thread again.

[Mara]

I've been catching up on the Buffy Season 8 comics, and there's a traveling montage where one character goes through about a dozen pop culture references in three panels, including:

"...but the worst part was that Lee got really fat, and Dualla was proabably all, COME BACK BILLY, but he couldn't come back, because he was dead, so now she was stuck with FAT Lee, and that was NOT what she signed on for, believe me."

:lol:

I love that Joss Whedon watches all the shows that I watch.

[number8]

Joss is a big fan. He was in one of those BSG documentaries. He said he answers his phone with "Joss actual."

[Mara]

Joss is a big fan. He was in one of those BSG documentaries. He said he answers his phone with "Joss actual."

NERD.

He also watches Glee, and The Office, and Veronica Mars (which gets named-checked in season 8.)

Quick look, in that three panel montage, they reference:

Star Wars
Superman
BSG
V for Vendetta
Dungeons and Dragons (I think?)
Terminator
A proposed pilot show ("See, the idea is that Helen Keller becomes like a secret agent for the government, which makes her Helen Killer, get it?")
Heath Ledger ("...and sometimes I'm just so mad at Heath Ledger, but just for a minute, then I get sad again.")
Mad Men
P. Diddy and... Making of the Band? I think?
Star Wars and Superman, again
Jem (!!!)
Bond

...he knows his audience.

[number8]

Well, obviously he watches Glee, since he's directing an episode. :P

[Raiders]

SEASON 2 SPOILSPOILSPOIL:

Billy's death really felt cheap to me. I've read that the writers had plans for him, but the actor wanted to leave the show, so they had to kill him. It feels it. In a show where people are constantly being injured and shot near-fatally and surviving, to have a character actually be insta-killed by a bullet feels like bullshit.

The shot hits him in the area of his heart (rather poetic considering the rest of the episode). Adama, for instance, got his two in the abdomen.


It was that episode right after "Scar" and "Black Market" that I began to really question whether I liked the show.

The concept of "Scar" is hokey, but the execution is pretty damn terrific.

[Thirdmango]

I didn't like Scar or Black Market but I was too invested in who were the Cylons that i didn't care.

[D_Davis]

I didn't like Scar or Black Market but I was too invested in who were the Cylons that i didn't care.

The series does take a slight dip during these few, and in a couple of other places, but the whole thing is generally so good that it doesn't bother me a bit; I typically don't like throwing the baby out with the bath water.

[Sycophant]

And I don't despise the show entirely; I think that it's deeply flawed. And while television shows can be viewed as large bodies of work, they're also 30-60 minute episodes. Some of these episodes suck. So it's a flawed and troubled series, with some truly brilliant moments and episodes, and some extremely flawed and troubled/troubling moments and episodes.

Though if this weren't the 21st century and I hadn't had every episode of the show right in front of me, though, and had to make a point of tuning in every week at a specific time, that string of three episodes could've been enough to prevent me from keeping up with it.

[[ETM]]

On the contrary, I think availability has made us less forgiving - many of the shows that we today consider classics, even in the same genre, had more "bad" episodes overall than Galactica. I can't imagine a development that would have me not want to see how it ends. I was grateful for every minute I got, because I recognize what a small miracle that show was.

[Qrazy]

Yeah while I have huuuge criticisms of Galactica I'd still consider it the second best sci fi show I"ve watched.

[Sycophant]

I'm beginning to think that, as a general rule, I just don't like television shows.

[Winston*]

OLMOS could have been sitting on the bridge of a different spaceship. "When they remade 'Star Trek' in the 1980s they called me about the lead," Olmos said, referring to the Enterprise command that went to Patrick Stewart. "I wasn't interested. Science fiction wasn't really where I wanted to be, not since 'Blade Runner.' "
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/tv/la-ca-battlestar30mar30,0,7400143.st ory?page=2
Hmm.

[Sycophant]

I'd say BSG may well be the best live-action science fiction show I've ever watched. I also don't care much about that fact.

[D_Davis]

Yeah while I have huuuge criticisms of Galactica I'd still consider it the second best sci fi show I"ve watched.

Yep. With the 1st being Twilight Zone.

[D_Davis]

I'm beginning to think that, as a general rule, I just don't like television shows.

I don't care for television much when it's on - I hate having to plan a night around a show, and will not do so. But I can get into some TV on DVD, or on demand or whatever.

[number8]

I hate having to plan a night around a show

I find this to be my favorite part. A great excuse to plan a weekly party.

[Qrazy]

I'd say BSG may well be the best live-action science fiction show I've ever watched. I also don't care much about that fact.

Ahh good call with the live action bit. I do prefer many sci fi animes.

[Qrazy]

Yep. With the 1st being Twilight Zone.

Nope, the first is Babylon 5. It trumps BSG because despite it's own flaws it doesn't lapse into a never ending cycle of melodrama and love triangles and because it doesn't have all that God crapola tying everything together.

[[ETM]]

B5 was a completely different beast... the fans were/are pretty uniform in their enjoyment and understanding of the show, and Straczynski always held all the strings storywise.

I know a LOT od Sci-Fi fans who absolutely loved the "melodrama" in BSG and wouldn't have it any other way... the times have simply changed. I think it's one of its strengths - people found in it what they wanted and needed, and it worked well enough as a whole.

But B5 - didn't it have "God crapola" tying it all together in the end? The huge forces that clashed on that show had powers and reach unimaginable to even the people in the time depicted, and directed events most often in ways no different than those in Greek myths. I never saw the "divine intervention" in BSG as anything more extreme or damaging to the overall story.

[number8]

Uh, the melodrama was the main reason I watched BSG.

[D_Davis]

Nope, the first is Babylon 5. It trumps BSG because despite it's own flaws it doesn't lapse into a never ending cycle of melodrama and love triangles and because it doesn't have all that God crapola tying everything together.

Really? I thought B5 was terrible. It employed all of the tropes and conventions of bad space opera without any solid human drama. Never seen the whole thing, but the few episodes I watched did nothing for me.

[number8]

Maybe Qrazy is Derek...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVl_Z0cGKGs#t=1m23s

[Qrazy]

;240751']B5 was a completely different beast... the fans were/are pretty uniform in their enjoyment and understanding of the show, and Straczynski always held all the strings storywise.

I know a LOT od Sci-Fi fans who absolutely loved the "melodrama" in BSG and wouldn't have it any other way... the times have simply changed. I think it's one of its strengths - people found in it what they wanted and needed, and it worked well enough as a whole.

But B5 - didn't it have "God crapola" tying it all together in the end? The huge forces that clashed on that show had powers and reach unimaginable to even the people in the time depicted, and directed events most often in ways no different than those in Greek myths. I never saw the "divine intervention" in BSG as anything more extreme or damaging to the overall story.

BSG used God as a deus ex to tie a bunch of narrative threads together. B5 wrapped up it's story with well planned plotting. If you disagree that's fine but we've been over this countless times in this thread already. I see no reason to do it again.

[Qrazy]

Really? I thought B5 was terrible. It employed all of the tropes and conventions of bad space opera without any solid human drama. Never seen the whole thing, but the few episodes I watched did nothing for me.

It's not a show that you can watch in select episodes. The first season is very weak and I almost abandoned it. Season 2-4 are great with great characters and a great story. The CGI has dated and it's not formally remarkable but it's still better than BSG. B5 Season 5 is a waste of time although it does have one interesting plot arc.

And you are 100% wrong about the solid human drama. The stuff with Londo and G'kar, their arc, is heart breaking stuff.

[[ETM]]

BSG used God as a deus ex to tie a bunch of narrative threads together. B5 wrapped up it's story with well planned plotting. If you disagree that's fine but we've been over this countless times in this thread already. I see no reason to do it again.

I was just commenting in relation to B5 and how I found the "divine intervention" made much of the character's actions even less consequential than those in BSG. But yeah, no need to bring that discussion up again.

[Qrazy]

;240783']I was just commenting in relation to B5 and how I found the "divine intervention" made much of the character's actions even less consequential than those in BSG. But yeah, no need to bring that discussion up again.

I'm not sure what you're referring to here.

[[ETM]]

Never mind. I can't do it right now.

[Qrazy]

;240785']Never mind. I can't do it right now.

Nooo just spoiler text the moment.

Are you referring to the First Old One who comes in and helps? That's not divine intervention in my mind. That's the power of an ancient alien being and it's only used once (giving him life) and for the main leader to significantly change the course of events. The species is given a backstory. He is immortal but can be killed. He also has his own goals and isn't God himself. Furthermore the human characters actions are still enormously significant. The time travel bit definitely complicates and convolutes the storyline in terms of free will but ehh what can you do. At least the time travel bit is handled decently forming a closed loop.

In the case of BSG we have a large series of events that something or other was beyond but we don't know what and we don't know why we just know that he wants a couple of humans to survive. He'll (alien/God/what have you) will even bring back Starbuck to life only to cast her away at the end. The motivations there are entirely vague. If the power behind the scenes is another alien being it's goal in all of this doesn't really make any sense. If the power is God it's role still doesn't make sense because why would the creator itself have a vested interest in any of this... but then we're on the issue of my own beliefs about personal and anthropomorphized gods etc.

[D_Davis]

I don't know - a show with 2 of the 5 seasons being bad doesn't sound very appealing.

[[ETM]]

I don't know - a show with 2 of the 5 seasons being bad doesn't sound very appealing.

5th season can be discarded completely as it was an afterthought - this was thoroughly discussed and documented. I haven't seen the latter half of it still.
Season 1 sets up the universe and is a bit shaky, but is still essential and can't be separated from the rest. The three seasons are damn near perfect in my mind.

Consider other shows - Star Trek:TNG, for example, is highly regarded even though most of the first 3 out 7 seasons, and a lot of the last season, are not good to awful. It's highly segmented so episodes can be judged on their own, which is in contrast to the huge story arc Babylon 5 followed consistently from start to finish.

[Qrazy]

I don't know - a show with 2 of the 5 seasons being bad doesn't sound very appealing.

Well the first isn't bad per se it's just very weak (in my opinion, other people actually like it). It improves by it's end. It's probably worth watching for certain plot points if you were to watch the show. You just have to plow through it to get to the good stuff in 2-4. I don't see anything wrong with just ignoring season 5 but if you get into the show enough you may want to watch it. The major storyline wraps up at the end of Season 4 and provides a completely satisfying conclusion.

[Qrazy]

;240791']5th season can be discarded completely as it was an afterthought - this was thoroughly discussed and documented. I haven't seen the latter half of it still.
Season 1 sets up the universe and is a bit shaky, but is still essential and can't be separated from the rest. The three seasons are damn near perfect in my mind.

Consider other shows - Star Trek:TNG, for example, is highly regarded even though most of the first 3 out 7 seasons, and a lot of the last season, are not good to awful. It's highly segmented so episodes can be judged on their own, which is in contrast to the huge story arc Babylon 5 followed consistently from start to finish.

The latter half of season 5 is actually quite a lot better than the first half ETM. I'd recommend a watch.

[[ETM]]

The latter half of season 5 is actually quite a lot better than the first half ETM. I'd recommend a watch.

I know. I just can't seem to find time to watch large chunks of a single show lately, but I'll see it soon.

[Adam]

Though if this weren't the 21st century and I hadn't had every episode of the show right in front of me, though, and had to make a point of tuning in every week at a specific time, that string of three episodes could've been enough to prevent me from keeping up with it.

See, I don't know is this is true. I think I got tired of the show quicker than I would have because I was watching like three or four episodes every day. Pretty sure I'd remember it more fondly if I had watched it as it was intended - one 45 minute chunk per week

[Thirdmango]

See, I don't know is this is true. I think I got tired of the show quicker than I would have because I was watching like three or four episodes every day. Pretty sure I'd remember it more fondly if I had watched it as it was intended - one 45 minute chunk per week

I think I agree with this. I did enjoy the show a lot more when I was watching it week to week then when I did it in chunks. Mainly because I got to experience the long wait in each of the reveals instead of feeling like they were done and over with. I know many complaints of the show is after something big they just forget about it like the end of season 2, but waiting 6 months did make it feel like a long time. (Though for me since it was on dvd it was more like 2 weeks)

[number8]

Found this album of songs inspired by Firefly and BSG.

Not great, but I like it enough.

http://mariancall.bandcamp.com/album/got-to-fly

[Duncan]

Pretty late to the party, but I finally finished watching this today. It was alright. My opinion is very similar to Qrazy's and Sycophant's. I really do think it should have been about 15-20 episodes shorter overall, as others have said.

Seriously the worst coda I've ever seen. They ended that series with a shot of a bald dude's shiny noggin. I mean, for real? That's your last shot?

[[ETM]]

Katee Sackhoff sings "Freebird"... (http://kateesackhoff.com/wordpress/?p=827) I had no idea she could do this. Very, VERY nice.

[number8]

Maybe you have to be friends with me first (not sure), but:

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=536458561906&set=a.506485882396.2016717.132 500557

[[ETM]]

Bear McCreary is posting videos of him playing favorite BSG tracks, solo piano, on his Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/bearmccreary

[number8]

By the way, how do you guys feel about Blood & Chrome?

[[ETM]]

I'm trying not to feel about it at all. I'm not convinced there's potential there, beyond cashing in on the legacy, but I'm open to surprises.

[[ETM]]

The finale aired three years ago today.

I think it's time for a re-watch.

[Raiders]

iMUezhpuEoE

[Sxottlan]

By the way, how do you guys feel about Blood & Chrome?

I'd have an opinion if they actually aired the damn thing. It's getting to the point that I forget they even shot it.

Would breaking it up into a series of webisodes really be better than simply airing it on television during a sweeps period? Even if no series ever came from it?

I've long given up trying to figure out SyFy. At this point they seem content to go the "reality" series route with shows that strangely seem to revolve around genre filmmaking. It's even worse when you realize these shows are just on-air auditions to continue fueling SyFy's in-house production company of terrible "sci-fi" films.

Kind of like the Food Network. Most of their competition-based reality shows are just ways to cultivate future celebrity chefs.

[Dukefrukem]

Adding this (http://blastr.com/2012/10/battlestars-helfer-and-sa.php#7)here for fans.

[Mara]

Adding this (http://blastr.com/2012/10/battlestars-helfer-and-sa.php#7)here for fans.

One picture NSFW. Some semi-NSFW.

Do not like that hair color on Helfer-- it's too harsh. She looks best with the softer honey-brown they occasionally gave her on the show.

[dreamdead]

Just starting season 4. Halfway through the season 3 finale my mind was blown.

Athena and Helo are awesome. Hoping that they don't fracture too much as the series winds down.

[D_Davis]

Helo's the best. Such a fantastic character arc.

[Raiders]

I still think the third season of this show is magnificent. It goes for broke in so many dramatic and thematic narratives and character arcs. I also agree with Davis, Helo is an under-appreciated character. He is many times one of the central hearts to the driving force of the series.

The fourth season is more problematic, but for sure the show had a determined vision and it saw it through to the end. Few series will ever equal this one for how much it held my attention and made me consider and discuss the character choices and narrative turns. To this day, I discuss it with friends and even strangers on occasion.

[[ETM]]

Whenever I think of it, I want to see it again. 'Nuff said.

[Skitch]

I just finished this a month or two ago. The season two ender blew my damn mind. Season three was the only dip in quality in my opinion, but it was all still fantastic.

[dreamdead]

Through episode 5 of season 4 now. After an AVClub reviewer satirically noted that he tells a friend that Hot Dog is the last Cylon, I now break into giggles whenever he's shown.

Rather surprised that Helo is willing to break rank, even if that led to one of last season's best episodes. The President is starting to appear a bit bitchy and short-fused this season, which feels a bit off. And why none of the people commissioned to record all of Six's actions in the brig don't report to Adama when Tigh sends them away is a bit of a mystery... Not sure why Athena is going all Lady Macbeth on Helo to break rank anyway--it rings false to her character currently.

I WANT ANSWERS.

:twisted: All that to say, still quite enjoying this, even if it's starting to rely on plot shortcuts to get to where we need to get to.

[Dukefrukem]

Just starting season 4. Halfway through the season 3 finale my mind was blown.

Athena and Helo are awesome. Hoping that they don't fracture too much as the series winds down.

Heh, I remember us talking about this when you were up here in Boston. Sounds like you're making good progress! If I remember correctly you were only on Season 2 then.

[slqrick]

One of the things I look forward to about being married is making my wife sit down and watch this with me. I've been meaning to rewatch it for the longest time and it'll be the perfect opportunity. "Yes, they're humanoid!"

[dreamdead]

Just finished Season Four's "No Exit," which beautifully reconfigures so much and allows us to position ourselves in John's declaration of wanting answers about why he was created. So ballsy to place our narrative perspective in him.

From the last few episodes, though, I'm left trying to figure out how much we're meant to resist Rosilyn's tiredness. The Gaetta insurrection would never have occurred if she hadn't abdicated her responsibilities in self-wallowing about Earth's fate. Certainly a lot of people responded to the loss of Earth in different ways, but she's never really abdicated her responsibilities until this season. That felt contrary to her character--or, at least, it necessitates that someone call her out on it. No one really has yet, and that feels off to me.

[dreamdead]

And... finished. Love the arc of Helo throughout the series--he's more interesting than Lee ever was, more professional, and just far more nuanced about trust and righteousness (that is, save for the infidelity in the final season with Boomer). I don't know if anything in the series rivals the transcendence of the season three cliffhanger reveal, which qualifies for me as one of the most perfect moments of theme and content, but I thought the show's refusal to answer Starbuck's fate is ultimately a good decision.

Gonna enjoy thinking through all of this. Just wish the Gaeta had been given a little more time on his arc, and that the Chief hadn't been as wildly veering between positions in the final few episodes, even if Tory was totally due for her choices.