Battlestar Galactica **Spoilers** discussion

[CNCRaymond]

Well now, time for the old CNC to chime in with his thoughts and opinions on the New BSG. (Note my avatar)

I have been a big fran of BSG since I was a kid. I thought it to be one of the most original concepts for a sci-fi show to ever come along. Star Trek was a nice original, but I believe Gene got his idea for Star Trek from the Forbidden Planet. Glen Larson, who wrote the original tele-play for BSG also did work on Buck Rogers in the 80's.

When BSG came out, they did not have the big a budget or the technologies for special effects that shows of today have. In fact, they did not even have the basic technology that were used in Star Wars at the time. That being said, the special effects, especially for the premier, were excellent for the time. Granted by today’s standards they are laughable, but back then and through much of the 80's, they were not. So judging the special effects of BSG by today’s standards is really a crime. If they had the technology of today back then, imagine how good it would have been. (The same could be said for the original Star Trek.)

My thoughts on the new BSG are a little mixed. I liked the Loren Green Adam better, a good father, good husband, and a spiritual man. The new Adama is also good, but in a different way. Elmos (sp) does an excellent job with the character, and I really enjoy watching him. I am a bit saddened however by how they are portraying the new Adama, a broken father, a divorced man, a flawed human. This new Adama character is much darker than its predecessor, however the new character traits lend themselves very nicely to the new story.

The new cylons. Well I am a big fan of the old Cylons, and to me they do not look like walking chrome toasters, and it really angers me when actors and people dis them as such. They looked cool and have always looked cool. They were impressive and awe inspiring and still are. They were very recognizable as being Cylon than the new Human models, or their metal counter parts, and they had a romantic appeal to them that the new models lack. They truly represented Man vs Machine far better IMHO than the new ones. And for the record, BSG came before Bladerunner so it was Bladerunner who copied the premis from BSG and not the New BSG copying Bladerunner. The New BSG has inherited the right to use this story in any way the writers see fit as far as I am concerned. Human vs Machine, or Cylon vs human, weather god made the cylons or man did, makes no difference to me.

About the human Cylons, well we saw them in the horrible series BSG 1980, and that in my opinion cleared the road for them now. I think it is a possible and entirely plausible expectation for a race of machines created by man to eventually want to become as human as they can. Ala Data of course. (Any one remember Lore? He would make a nice Cylon here. I should also note that in STNG they had an episode where Data, a human looking machine, right to be treated as a living being, or property was decided. Imagine if it had gone the other way? Would he, being sentient, wish to continue being a slave, or would he to rebel and seek vengance as his brother Lore had?)

A female Starbuck and Boomer what a concept. At first I was a bit turned off by this, but then I began to warm to it. I like the idea of having Starbuck as a women, although the lady playing the character I really do not care for. Boomer is an excellent match, but her being a Cylon sleeper really mucked it up for me.

The new ships are great. I love the new Basestars, Cylon raiders, and vipers. The new Galactica is nice as well, a bit more ribby than I would like, but still a very nice looking model.

All in all, I have enjoyed the new series a lot. I loved the old series, and no it is not campy, if you want campy lost in space will do just fine, compared to the new series. They are of a different flavor and I happen to enjoy both.

[ December 13, 2003, 02:24: Message edited by: CNCRaymond ]