Battlestar Galacticia (new series)

postman · Post by **postman** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 4:21 am

I think this was brought up just as the old forums were sick and passing on, but after watching the fifth show of the new series, I gotta mention that this show absolutely rocks. It's a far enough stretch from the old series that it feels new, and keeps just enough elements to still be BG. Overall it's just good solid storytelling with solid plots: every plot so far seems to be about making a really tough decesion, and how each character deals with their choices.

And this show has an extremely "shmuppy" feel to it, with lots of space combat. Hell, the ships are called Vipers, that alone should do it for most people.

It's on the sci-fi channel Fridays at 10 pm for those who aren't familiar with it just yet.

IlMrm · Post by **IlMrm** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 5:56 am

You're absolutely right. The amount of advertising Sci-fi put out for the show made me have to watch it. I watched that four hour intro movie, and it's pretty damn cool. And now I am watching the series.

I'll take on one of those Cylon Base Star with a fully powered up Colonial Viper.

That would be a cool shmup level. Take out the Base Star piece by piece, and shooting down the Cylon drones.

So is that Asian chick a good guy or bad?

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 1:24 pm

This show is good? Interesting, I'll have to check it out.

The original series was sweet, considering what they had to work with.

postman · Post by **postman** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 5:04 pm

The real Asian chick (Boomer) is on the planet trying to survive the Cylons, and the one on the ship is a Cylon clone, but she's a sleeper, and doesn't even realize that she herself is a Cylon (she's the one who blew up the water suppily in the 3rd episode but can't remember it).

Notice that the toned down the Cylon ships in recent episodes.......At first they looked like Knight Rider with corny red beams in the front, now they look more traditional.........

dok_industrial · Post by **dok_industrial** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 11:22 pm

i've TOTALLY been diggin on this show. the atmosphere of the show is almost suffocatingly oppressive, and the character work seems to be coming along quite nicely. edward james olmos as adama....good times by all.

i especially like how they use that chop n zoom camerawork during the space special effects (ala firefly)--it makes what are probably really crappy shots look a lot better, and adds a lot of visual dynamism.

oh yeah, and the chick they cast as starbuck...i didn't think she was all that initially cute, but there's something about her look that makes her just a little bit hotter each time i see her. it's weird.

anyway...two thumbs up. check the show out; it's quite money. (and shmuppy)

The n00b · Post by **The n00b** » Sat Jan 29, 2005 11:44 pm

I really like the ship design and the modern update of the cylons but whenever I see Admiral Adama, I want to say Admiral Jaime Escalante!

Damocles · Post by **Damocles** » Sun Jan 30, 2005 3:00 am

Good show, it seems.

Thunder Force · Post by **Thunder Force** » Fri Feb 11, 2005 4:27 pm

So I rented the four hour Battlestar intro movie this week. I was pleased that they themed the Cylons as cunning A.I. foes. The way they framed the situation of the new Baltar was also interesting. They were even subtle enough with the current events parallels to never push that angle too hard. Pacing was slow and it lacked the "fun" of the original, but I respect the changes. And of course, the best special effect in the show was Tricia Helfer...

IlMrm · Post by **IlMrm** » Sat Feb 12, 2005 7:53 am

^^ Oh yeah.

I kinda had a feeling after the special effects extravaganza in the intro movie, and the first couple of episodes(the one where they made 23? FTL jumps - cool episode) they'll probably cut down the space combat scenes. I don't think today's episode had any. I guess they can't lose any more Vipers in combat. Still a great show.

DEL · Post by **DEL** » Mon Feb 14, 2005 2:17 pm

I've only seen the 4hr Pilot Episode, and I'm looking forward to the series. It doesn't have the charaters like Mr A-Team Dirk Benedict, but still its good!

The space opera battles remind me very much of Border Down ST3Green. The Cylon ships' missile spreads are identical to the enemy homing missiles in Border Down.

Oh, and I agree with Thunder Force. I'm not one of those guys who goes silly when he sees a blonde, but Tricia Helfer....

judesalmon · Post by **judesalmon** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 3:07 pm

Boomer on Caprica is a Cylon too.

postman · Post by **postman** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 8:13 pm

Wow, you need a scorecard to tell who's a Cylon now and who isnt. Do not miss an episode from week to week, because they really build on the previous storylines.

I loved this weeks episode too, I wonder how the blond cylon in Dr. Batlar's head made herself real.........

Every week after I watch this it leaves me wanting more, which is a rare thing in television these days. I also miss the space shoot em up action that I hope will return once the Cylons find the colonies again.

judesalmon · Post by **judesalmon** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 8:27 pm

Have you seen the mini-series?

postman · Post by **postman** » Sat Feb 19, 2005 10:12 pm

Yeah, I caught it from the beginning (though I forget most of the 2 hr miniseries). But since the real Boomer has been captured (killed?) and now has 2 cylon imposters, it's kinda confusing.

IlMrm · Post by **IlMrm** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 6:42 am

Kinda amuses me that they mastered space travel, but can't cure bad eyesight.

I really like Baltar's character. This week's episode when he saw his picture on the computer screen and he wasn't sure what to, how he was fumbling around was great.

Starbuck has to use that captured Cylon Raider to do a recon mission.

judesalmon · Post by **judesalmon** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 3:09 pm

We don't actually now if there ever was a human Boomer.

Oh and I live in the UK, so have seen all the series now. It finished about a month ago.

Ord · Post by **Ord** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 4:39 pm

judesalmon wrote:We don't actually now if there ever was a human Boomer.

Oh and I live in the UK, so have seen all the series now. It finished about a month ago.

Ohhhh man! I've missed it? I was looking forward to that! I saw the Pilot movie and quite enjoyed it. I'm a bit pissed of now. Was it on Sky One?

judesalmon · Post by **judesalmon** » Sun Feb 20, 2005 4:58 pm

Yeah, it was on Sky One. Hopefully Terrestrial will pick it up because it was an amazing series.

postman · Post by **postman** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 6:56 pm

Hey jude (always wanted to say that.........) -

They just aired the episode where Starbuck had to interrogate the Cylon, and next week is the second in command's wife's visit to the Galactica. Do you know roughly how many shows are left in the series? I've never been this hooked on a show in a long time.........and please don't give any plot items away!

IlMrm · Post by **IlMrm** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 7:12 am

This last episode was great. I didn't think the President had it in her to order the death of the Cylon.

I wonder why they call her Boomer.

I really would like to see some space action though. The only space action recently is during the intro credits.

postman · Post by **postman** » Sun Feb 27, 2005 6:52 pm

Boomer has got to be a sexual reference..........at least I hope so.....she's not featured in combat much...........

I loved how the Cylon being interrogated was playing mind tricks - I thought early in the show too that spreading the fleet out that thin would be a poor move - you can see the minupliation unfold during the show......It would be cool if what he predicted about finding Earth was true.....then later in the series when they get to Earth: Cylon occupation! The battle to liberate Earth begins!

Also planting the seed of doubt in the president's head about leadership? Brilliant!

Since there are so many hidden Cylons about the BG fleet, why can't they just home in on their position and attack? I want more space battles too....

judesalmon · Post by **judesalmon** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 7:15 pm

It's thirteen episodes. There is some space combat in later episodes, but the series is more about the people than the space battles.

Boomer is only a Raptor pilot, so doesn't actually do any combat, just recon.

GaijinPunch · Post by **GaijinPunch** » Mon Feb 28, 2005 11:49 pm

That asian chick is in this months' Maxim, and is absolutely filthy. I love her. Gotta watch this show!

IlMrm · Post by **IlMrm** » Mon Mar 07, 2005 7:48 am

And the plot thickens...

This episode is funny and serious. That part when Ellen said "boo!" was great. Also when Starbuck walked into the lab and seeing Baltar "with his pants down".

You'd think the Galactica would have some sort of Closed In Weapons System like they have on Navy ships, so no kamikaze attempt can be successful. And if the Galactica can survive a direct nuclear missile, it better survive a Cylon Raider hitting the bridge. That's why the movie was great. The part when the Galactic's guns and turrets were firing and knocking out Raiders and incoming missiles.

IlMrm · Post by **IlMrm** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 9:15 am

Sweet episode.

Baltar is king. Every episode he gets to do something good with Tricia Helfer.

Just a thought, 90 + 50(give or take a few) Raiders can take Galactica. I am not sure why they would retreat, since they are robots programmed to kill.

dok_industrial · Post by **dok_industrial** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 1:09 pm

just wanted to check in on this thread to say that:

1) yes, i'm still watching this show religiously,

2) i end up liking it more and more.

random thoughts:

i'm really glad that the creators got the go-ahead for a second season.

not an episode goes by that i'm not completely blown away by edward james olmos--i hope that this show sticks around long enough for him to get at least an emmy nomination, if not an award, for the superior job he's doing.

this is gonna be the first show that i'm going to actively hunt down and buy when the first season hits DVD.

dr. baltar is the most despicable character i may have ever seen on television. why? not because he's "evil", but because you can't even respect him for his integrity or strength of will--he's self-servingly, passive aggressively spineless, and thus completely contemptuous. overall in sci-fi movies and film, he's only outstripped by paul reiser's character burke in _aliens_ and cole houser's character [the cop] in _pitch black_; like them, you can truly believe the old cliche that he'd sell his mother to his worst enemy just to save his skin.

on that note--why in the hell does everyone keep chalking up baltar's increasingly loony behaviour as "eccentricity" and letting it slide? plot convenience, i suppose, b/c he left eccentric behind a loooong time ago.

i'd tell the uninitiated to definitely check this show out, but given how complex and twisting the storylines and characters are starting to get, i don't think someone would get a whole lot out of it at this point. if you choose to start watching the show now, take note that there's a LOT of substory/backstory going on which the show is not going to explain.

let's put it this way: if the sci-fi channel runs a marathon of all the episodes, DEFINITELY watch it.

The n00b · Post by **The n00b** » Sat Mar 12, 2005 8:51 pm

Regarding people "putting up" with Baltar: He's a freakin genius. In normal circumstances I'm sure the survivors would have left Baltar on a small asteroid all by himself but they are in dire need of people who have even an ounce of Baltar's intelligence. He also comes through for them every once in awhile which makes him a lot more valuable than some more "sane" survivors. For example the Commander would probably give up a platoon of Marines before giving up Baltar.

Take a look at Colonel Tye. He's an unstable alcoholic that should have been removed from command a long time ago. Trouble is, who would they replace him with? The chief mechanic has also had his share of problems but again who would they replace him with?

I really like this aspect of the show because it is so intensely realistic. You really start to get the idea that the people the survivors depend on are not really the best of their civilization. It's another problem that everyone just has to work around if they want to survive.

judesalmon · Post by **judesalmon** » Sun Mar 13, 2005 1:00 pm

Baltar is not a bad person, just a slave to his penis, and unfortunately that had/has some dire consequences...

postman · Post by **postman** » Sat Mar 19, 2005 7:32 pm

I like Baltar's character, much better here then in the old one.......he's the most booty-gettinest schizophrenic I know.......

Yet another great episode that left me wanting more last night, as the president almost gets assassinated. Only the 2-part season final left....then the long wait for season two

I thought for a second that Starbuck could be a cylon - remember when she found the blood on her jacket that she supposedly cleaned off? Reminded me of the water episode where Boomer found herself disoriented in her room and wet from placing bombs. But if Starbuck was a cylon, I'd be too pissed to ever watch the show again.......

IlMrm · Post by **IlMrm** » Sun Mar 20, 2005 7:25 am

Starbuck is hot. In that blue number I didn't even recognize her.

Looking forward to the season finale. Looks like they are gonna dance with a Base Star. I wonder if Baltar will leave(since in the commercials Tricia Helfer was telling Balter he isn't safe on Galactica) and join the Cylons like in the old series.

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Battlestar Galacticia (new series)

Battlestar Galacticia (new series)

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