Battlestar Galactica

[aubergine]

The series may have ended, but the thread must live on.

The final part of the masterpiece revamp of Battlestar Galactica (http://battlestargalactica.me/) was at long last released in late July.

For God's sake, if you are going to write anything specific about ANYTHING from this show, please use spoilers tags [spoiler ] [/spoiler ] for the sake of some poor fool who's only just ABOUT to learn that this show exists.

I'd been going nuts for the conclusion to this surprisingly awesome sci-fi drama for what, a year? Tried downloading a few eps from iTunes but had download limit issues and was sick of the idea of paying $30 to watch shitty res versions that I knew I'd buy on DVD eventually anyway.

Most people on this site who already knew about how great the new BG is probably already viewed the end through other means, but for me, spending all this time forbibly reading nothing about the conclusion of the show and the inevitable spin-off prequel-whatevers has been exceedingly difficult.

Apart from what seemed to be a massive continuity error in the final episodes with Ty's wife somehow ressurecting AFTER the resurrection ship was destroyed? or did I get that mixed up? didn't they destroy it in season 2 and she dies in season 3? the conclusion of the show was so utterly satifying for me. You always fear with this kind of show that alludes to secrets and that "there is a plan" that maybe they are actually making it up as they go and hoping to somehow make it all make sense in the end. No, there is a plan for the series and, though I'm sure that a second viewing would turn up some continuity errors, the drama of the show and the way it ties together at it's conclusion is fan-****ing-tastic.

For people who are totally new to the series, you can pick up the "telemovie" first part for I think $15 if you look around, and most of the seasons seem to be around for $30 each. The initial movie will either suck you in or, if you are some kind of total weirdo, you can decide not to spend more on it.

This is not like your grandpa's sci-fi show, the show is perfectly cast, the characterisation is astonishingly good, I'd put it with shows like Deadwood and The Wire - BUT IN SPACE! the show is mysterious, unexpectedly raunchy, amusing, action packed and there are stand-out performances from moment-to-moment. The series is almost perfectly paced, with literally only a few episodes for the majority of it's run which don't actually further the 'meta-narrative', constantly introducing new concepts that turn events on their head. It's not a show you can simply watch an episode of, it's one, incredibly engaging movie with a beginning middle, and conclusion, which is something that unfortunately Deadwood and several other great shows actually lack.

Go watch it.

[Slippery]

Whats this you say about a late july prequel thing?

I thought my days of loving BSG were over!

I feel I should forewarn people that read your post Aub that I personally didn't get jack out of the start movies or the first series in general. The second season and fourth season are absolute gold though. Third season got a little bit episodic, but still generally good stuff. One day I'll go back and re-watch it all if I ever have time.

[texta]

Apart from what seemed to be a massive continuity error in the final episodes with

Nup. Definitely not a continuity error.
Ellen is resurrected well before the destruction of the resurrection ship.
1. She's killed on New Caprica and resurrects shortly after. This is roughly a year before the resurrection hub is destroyed.
2. At about the 47 minute mark of "No Exit" Ellen is told that the resurrection hub has been destroyed.

Furthermore the resurrection hub is destroyed in season 4 episode 9. What you're thinking of is the destruction of a resurrection ship in season 2, ep 12. The difference between the hub and a ship are explained in Season 4, episode 7

Whats this you say about a late july prequel thing?


I don't know where you're pulling July from (given it's August now), but the prequel: Caprica; is intended to air around the end of January next year. The pilot/first episode is already out and is brilliant. Even though it's set some 40 years before the Cylon war and tells a totally different story it still really fits in well to the BSG Universe and it really does feel like the next logical place for the show to go in.

[aubergine]

Nup. Definitely not a continuity error.

Ahh, cool.

I started a mate on watching it and briefly caught a reference from season 2 as he watched it about destroying the resurrection ship.

I had just finished Season 4 part 2 at the time. Probably should have watch s4 part 1 again beforehand but thought I had it all remembered pretty well.

I don't know where you're pulling July from (given it's August now), but the prequel: Caprica; is intended to air around the end of January next year. The pilot/first episode is already out and is brilliant. Even though it's set some 40 years before the Cylon war and tells a totally different story it still really fits in well to the BSG Universe and it really does feel like the next logical place for the show to go in.

Yeah, I was just referring to the local dvd release of Season 4 Part 2, the last ten episodes of the main series. It's pretty damn significant for me because I feel like I've been waiting a year or more for it.

I'm surprised (pleasantly) to hear that Caprica could actually be good.

[Dark Wader]

And The Plan comes out later in the year. . .the TV movie directed by Adama himself. Looks set to be really cool, to answer unfinished threads in the earlier seasons. . .not that we need it, but who am I to complain?

[aubergine]

I actually found The Plan even more questionable than Caprica - it's meant to be the events leading up to the war at the start of BG right? or the events from the Cylons point-of-view...

Just sounds like Star Wars Prequel shit to me. All the Star Wars prequels did was spoil the three real movies for anyone foolish enough to watch the prequels first.

Hopefully they can surprise us but seriously, how could it possibly be as good as the proper series unless they have something truly awesome to reveal in it?

On that note, I had this idea that in the end it would turn out that EVERYONE was a Cylon, and the whole series of events was something each generation of Cylons was put through to make them feel the gravity and loss of their total annihilation of humanity.

I don't want them to go and try to explain EVERY loose thread, as (again like in Star Wars Prequels) some questions just don't beg to be answered, like I don't want to know for certain if Kara Thrace was really the 13th Cylon that gets refered to, the artistic one that "john" was jealous of, and whose genes were corrupted before his whole line was destroyed. I figured the intimation was that the somewhat mannish painter Starbuck (replacing, as she did, a male character from the original series) could have been this Daniel.

It's far cooler to speculate about that stuff that have some executive trying to squeeze every penny out of it force a new story around scraps like that.

[texta]

Yeah, I found Razor to probably be the weakest part of the whole series, so I'm not exactly all over The Plan. But it should be a nice stop gap until Caprica which will be awesome.

[aubergine]

I don't remember Razor barely at all, which is a bad sign, although I thought the Lloyd Bridges replacement was fantastic, stunning bitch yet with complexities like all the other characters, it was great to see a bit more of her.

[HiredMan]

The Caprica pilot was great. Looking forward to the series premiere.

[aubergine]

I'll have to see if it's on itunes. I'm moving tomorrow so want to get in any last minute downloads on the house account here he he.

[Australian Ninja]

Yeah, I found Razor to probably be the weakest part of the whole series, so I'm not exactly all over The Plan. But it should be a nice stop gap until Caprica which will be awesome.

I only ever watched The Razor at the begining of S4, as it was "added" into the DVD release. As an extended episode that fills in side stories and adds some background info from the begining of the show, it was rather excellent.

As a stand alone feature however, The Razor = FAIL. I have no clue what they intended it to be, but giving it a seperate release on DVD was misleading and pointless. Fine if you see it on Foxtel or whatever, but a complete waste on money on DVD, especially when it came free with S4.1 anyway.

FYI - The show is so great to watch on DVD the second time around, when you KNOW who the secret characters are, and what's going to happen - you notice so many layered subtle clues and double meanings. Enjoyed it the 2nd time far more than the first time. I even ignored the first season entirely because I thought "oh look, shitty remake of some stupid sci-fi junk that my mom and sister watch, that is probably lame and cliched like most crappy drama shows"

HOW MUCH MORE WRONG COULD I BE?

Now I'd say my all time fav syndicated show's would be...

MP Flying Circus
Futurama
Deadwood
The Shield
Battlestar Galactica

*Currently watching 2nd half of S4, having avoided all spoilers and conversations with my family (who saw it on foxtel months ago, and complain about "the ending", but I think they miss the whole point of the show, it's the journey, bot the conclusion that matters). I even resisted importing the DVD of S4 seeing as the various international releases were too close together to make it worthwhile, and I was not going to buy S1-3 again just to get 4 slightly earlier.

[aubergine]

I was satisfied by the conclusion. In fact, thought it was an awesome way to wrap it up. there's a lot about the final fates of the characters which is highly melancholy, but such is life. Not pulling a ridiculous "Spielberg War-of-the-Worlds" bullshit happy-ending is total respects from me.

[Ashmaran]

If you read interview with the writers though, they pretty much were 'making it up as they went along' with only a few vague ideas for the feel of how it would end. Still I enjoyed it and felt they managed to keep a certain consistency.

The impression I get is that Starbuck was an 'angel' character with a specific role to play in the same way that the 'head' versions of caprica 6 and Baltar were agents of some higher power influencing events.

[Araenel]

Caprica 6 >_>

But I got the same impression to Starbuck too.

[Ashmaran]

Haha ok my bad, fixed it. I'll have to track down the Caprica pilot and see if it's any good.

[texta]

I was satisfied by the conclusion. In fact, thought it was an awesome way to wrap it up. there's a lot about the final fates of the characters which is highly melancholy, but such is life. Not pulling a ridiculous "Spielberg War-of-the-Worlds" bullshit happy-ending is total respects from me.
I was satisfied too, but I would say that it's definitely not the best BSG episode or even a particularly good episode. But in the context of it concluding the whole show it had enough.
My favourite bit is finding out that Hera must have died not long after they finally arrived. GG

[aubergine]

Hmm, I'll have to go back and watch the final moments again as I'd watched the last 8 episodes back to back.

was the news item that they'd discovered the mummy of a child was it? I thought the implication was meant to be that we are all descended from cylon/human mixed blood, but perhaps hera's whole part was to act as a maguffin the whole series through so prompting the final "opera house" showdown on the bridge which lead to the final destruction of ressurection and the human-good-cylon fleet arriving at new Earth.

I try and analyse the series from the point of "what is the God character trying to achieve with this?" but if Hera really died before procreating as you seem to suggest then it alters how I read the conclusion.

[Creedy]

I'll start watching this show on Blu Ray when my boxset arrives, Can't wait as I have never seen it before.

[drzaius]

I Didnt get the vibe that Hera had died young. Wasn't she the common genetic ancestor for everyone or whatever?

and creedy - you are in for a treat! But STAY AWAY from this thread in case you catch a glimpse of something that may ruin it! AWAY!

[.StaticA.]

GREAT SHOW!

Also, apparently Glen Larson wants to do a feature film of BSG. Except based on the original series.

FFS things are going to get confusing.

[aubergine]

I Didnt get the vibe that Hera had died young. Wasn't she the common genetic ancestor for everyone or whatever?

Yeah that's what I thought. Unfortunately I don't have the DVDs at hand to be able to confirm that, but it was the impression I got.

that she ****ed a caveman and this lead to us all being part alien-human, part cavemen, part biobot.

and creedy - you are in for a treat! But STAY AWAY from this thread in case you catch a glimpse of something that may ruin it! AWAY!

I have to agree, I tell people NOT to look it up online, and DO NOT look at the packets for later seasons as they spoil events from the previous season.

[drzaius]

So yeah - Hera would have had to have reproduced.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitochondrial_Eve
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hera_Agathon
so yay! she survived for a while!

ALSO -

hotdog is adamas son IRL. whacky.

[aubergine]

When you know that and see how he is presented specially in the credits... For a pretty bit part...

[drzaius]

Yeah I thought it was strange but only just confirmed!

[.StaticA.]

Hotdog (Bodie Olmos I think his name is) looks quite a lot like Edward James Olmos towards the end of the series. When he first came in you couldn't have picked it.

[Australian Ninja]

Speaking of avoiding spoilers, I even go to the extreme of closing my eyes or looking at the start of each episode when they play the drums, with the clips of "what is about to happen" flash fast before the show begins. I even refused to look at them on repeat viewings, becuase it ruins my enjoyment of the show.

Did the creators assume that everyone now has some sort of attention deficit disorder?
It's the only thing I don't like about the show, so I don't watch those preview bits.

[Slippery]

I like those because I go "oh holy shit some bad shit is going down" getting me all excited and then instantly forget about it when the show starts proper, however excitement is still lingering keeping me pumped for the rest of the episode.

[aubergine]

The worst thing about the dvd design is that they should have set a new chapter at the end of the opening credits so you could easily skip them. Was so annoying fast forwarding through them constantly (I'd watch the show in blocks of 3-4 episodes usually, sometimes more)

[texta]

I Didnt get the vibe that Hera had died young. Wasn't she the common genetic ancestor for everyone or whatever?

I don't think so.
That suggests that when the 39,000 people split up and populated Earth, only the children of Hera survived. I think referring to her as Eve was only symbolic rather than literal.

Secondly, the news report refers to them finding the remains of a "young woman". I took that to mean she died relatively young, but you're welcome to interpret that another way if you want.

[aubergine]

I don't think so.
That suggests that when the 39,000 people split up and populated Earth, only the children of Hera survived. I think referring to her as Eve was only symbolic rather than literal.

Secondly, the news report refers to them finding the remains of a "young woman". I took that to mean she died relatively young, but you're welcome to interpret that another way if you want.

Oh, from what you said I thought she died as a child. A "young woman" is still an adult.

Compared to life 150,000 years ago, and the lifespan of the average BSG character, 20-30 years would be a full life span.

I don't think too much should be read into the strict logic of the series either. If God wanted only Hera's offspring to survive, then that's what he gets.

[texta]

I think "young woman" has a broad range that it can mean, certainly not limited to an adult. I've chosen to read that phrase down, but you're obviously welcome to read it another way.

[drzaius]

But in the last scene they specifically state that the recently discovered 'mitochondrial eve' was hera. I dont think they left any room for interpretation! Wikipedia defines mitochondrial eve as 'the matrilineal most recent common ancestor for all currently living humans'. Which means that hera would have had to have reproduced (and had daughters!). So yeah. I'd imagine that she survived long enough.

And as previously stated, what we define as 'young woman' would be 'very old woman' to a primitive society. Even 1000 years ago life expectancy was only to the mid 20's! nature has no use for menopause. http://mjperry.blogspot.com/2007/05/life-expectancy-1000-1999.html .

[texta]

1. The news report isn't proof of anything. It's just a suggestion. If you want to get technical/pedantic, scientists estimate that the true mitochondrial eve would be at most130,000 years old, so clearly at 150,000 years, Hera is too old.

2. The information you've provided regarding life expectancy is not accurate or useful in considering the hypothetical situation in front of us. And I totally reject your definition of "young woman" as being the only valid one.

3. I've given my interpretation and you're of course welcome to disagree with it. But I don't think you're on the cusp of achieving anything at all

[drzaius]

of course the science doesn't hold up - it's battlestar galactica!
My point is that the show specified that hera was mitochondrial eve, and no matter how confused they got regarding definitions, timelines or actual science - that's their internal logic.

Also - if hera is the mitochondrial eve of modern humanity, it doesn't mean that only hera's offspring survived the colonisation. It just means that hera had some daughters and that their mitochondria were propagated. Any other character could have had children and they may be our genetic ancestors, but they may not have contributed to our mitochondria.
And that is the finales assumption, as much as you may like to ignore it.

[aubergine]

There's no point arguing a point with Creedy. The writers of this sci-Fi fantasy show clearly want us to conclude that Hera was mighty eve whatever. Leave him alone to believe nothing he ever says is even slightly in error and instead pity him the brain damage that sours his otherwise good contribution to the thread.

this is the MOST SECRET THREAD EFAR!

[drzaius]

i know. its a spoiler minefield.

but why creedy?

[texta]

That's just Aub being bitter

Here's the exact line that's used:

...At a Scientific Conference this week at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, the startling announcement was made that archeologists believe they have found fossilised remains of a young woman who may actually be mitocondrial eve.

Given the way the show's greatest strength was the ambiguity it presented even in the closing scenes of the last episode. I don't think they'd make something like that so clear cut, given the implications it has for the other characters: ie that their attempts at colonisation all failed.

I choose to believe that the other people, such as Lee, Baltar and Caprica 6 and Tyrol were all also successful.

[drzaius]

Ok sure, but then the six and baltar 'angels' have a conversation that confirms the body was hera. But yeah, I also follow the interpretation that the other characters would have been successful in breeding. Hera being 'mitochondrial eve' doesn't mean that they weren't successful!

[texta]

Yeah Baltar and C6 confirm that it was Hera, but they don't confirm that the archeologists are right.

Mitochondrial eve means all modern day humans are descended from ME. So it means that the other people weren't able to pass their non-common dna on until the present day.


EDIT: Perhaps we could change this thread to something like "The Post BSG Thread" and put a warning at the front and do away with all the spoilers.

[.StaticA.]

Maybe the thread itself should be subtitled "Don't enter if you haven't already watched the whole show."

There's pretty much no non-spoiler posts in this whole thread.
(Except mine, which don't really bring much to the table anyway because I cbf. :p)

[drzaius]

dont want to break the trend.

No - just our mitochondria! They are wacky in that they have their own independent genes which are passed on from your mother. So basically adama, baltar, caprica etc could have had kids, and they could be our genetic ancestors, but hera is our mitochondrial ancestor.

From my limited understanding of genetics:
lee's son could have married baltars daughter and they could have had a son.
Hera may have married a caveman and had at least one daugther. Heras daughter may then marry a caveman and had at least one daughter.

So if Hera+cavemans granddaughter marries Lee+Baltars Grandson you will be left with someone who is the genetic ancestor of Hera, Lee, Baltar and cavemen but who has hera as their sole mitochondrial ancestor.

So anyway, it works as long as hera had a daughter.

Its a stupid theory but it's what the writers of the show went with!


but yeah - this should be the battlestar galactica finale discussion thread.

[aubergine]

Maybe the thread itself should be subtitled "Don't enter if you haven't already watched the whole show."

There's pretty much no non-spoiler posts in this whole thread.
(Except mine, which don't really bring much to the table anyway because I cbf. :p)

This is true actually, you can't even discuss the first episode / movie thing without it being rife with spoilers.

If a mod could add "SPOILERS!!! WATCH SERIES FINALE FIRST!" that would be great, then we can dispense with the endless spoiler tags.

[AranchineD]

New Battlestar Galactica movie to revisit an old franchise and bring it to a new audience (http://hollywoodinsider.ew.com/2009/08/13/bryan-singer-battlestar-galactica-movie/)

I'm glad, it's been so very long since the original series ended (which I loved, personally) and I'm glad people who didn't get to see it will finally get a chance to see what a modern imagining of the series would look like.




...wait, there's something wrong here.

[.StaticA.]

That's just going to get CONFUSING for the general audience.
Which is bad.

[St@ckboy]

I only just realised the Battlestar Galactica box set is out, gotta start saving.

I'm a touch slow.

[Ashmaran]

I remember when I first started watching the series, I picked up the first DVD box set from JB on the cheap, but they didn't include the 'movie / double episode' intro. So the first few episodes were rather confusing.

Going back and watching it later, it filled in a lot of information that would have helped immensely. But on the other hand, some of the twists and turns were more pronounced for me because I hadn't seen the movie that laid the groundwork and foreshadowed so many things.

[Araenel]

I remember when I first started watching the series, I picked up the first DVD box set from JB on the cheap, but they didn't include the 'movie / double episode' intro. So the first few episodes were rather confusing.

Going back and watching it later, it filled in a lot of information that would have helped immensely. But on the other hand, some of the twists and turns were more pronounced for me because I hadn't seen the movie that laid the groundwork and foreshadowed so many things.

Yeah it was thoroughly confusing throwing the first disc in and putting on what I thought was the first episode of the show and having it go "PREVIOUSLY ON BATTLESTAR GALACTICA".

[McChimp]

I remember when I first started watching the series, I picked up the first DVD box set from JB on the cheap, but they didn't include the 'movie / double episode' intro. So the first few episodes were rather confusing.

Just hired series 1, coming into it fresh with no idea what it's about and I figured there must've been a movie/ mini-series leading into it (DUH factor: The first episode has 'previously on B.G.'), but I got through the first ep. Like it, but yep, confused.

[aubergine]

Bit dumb of them to release series 1 without the telemovie.

At least they got it more right when the put Razor in with series 4. I would have been pissed if I'd bought Razor seperately though.

I'd have bought the set last year with series 1, 2 and 3 but I couldn't tell from the packet if the telemovie came with it or not.

[Ad-Rock]

I want to watch it. Are there movies to watch first, or should I go directly to season 1?

EDIT: nvm. went back and read a few posts. Is the "movie" available somewhere?

[drzaius]

i got mine at JB as a standalone DVD a few years ago.
I think they are increasingly hard to find...
i'd get the booyah boxset if i were you.

and also - i bought razor separately when it became available in the US. grrr.

[McChimp]

I'll just keep-on with series 1, then move-on to the others as I go, now that I've started.

[Sweating Bullets]

Finally had the courage to check this thread. I am still making my way thru season 1 and enjoying it immensely and will now start posting thoughts about the series in here.

Good to see that there are spoiler tags in here.

I bought the entire series but as individual sets. I should have waited and gotten the bundled set.

I am near the end of season 1 at the moment. Will probably finish season 1 by the end of tonight. Will post more thoughts on the season with spoiler tags tonight

[aubergine]

I'm going to have to watch it all again from the start I think, luckily I'm old now and starting to forget things.

[Surgeon.]

Given how horribly average the first season was, I'm blown away at how good the second season is.

Even got people at work into watching BSG with my enthusiasm. :p

[Creedy]

My boxset arrived and damn the boxset is overly large, unneedidly large I'd have to say. Will start watching a few episodes tonight before Inglorious Basterds.

[Sweating Bullets]

Pics of the boxset?

My thoughts on Season 1


I was getting very frustrated that Chief did not of blow Boomer's head off. I mean the 2nd episode with the water tank explosion is very obvious and Chief is too much of a pansy to notify anyone. Then when she has the rant about the Cylon Raiders being wild creatures and he still doesn't do anything.

My random bitching aside - I thought it was a very solid season however the religious overtones are beginning to annoy me somewhat. The season ending was awesome tho. I did not see Boomer doing that at all.

I am now just a few episodes into Season 2 and will continue my ramblings here. I very much doubt that I will read *any* of the spoiler posts until I finish the series.

[adam_91vn]

Just finished season 1. I started it 18 months ago. :o

Think I will watch the rest of it a lot quicker.

[aubergine]

I was getting very frustrated that Chief did not of blow Boomer's head off. I mean the 2nd episode with the water tank explosion is very obvious and Chief is too much of a pansy to notify anyone. Then when she has the rant about the Cylon Raiders being wild creatures and he still doesn't do anything.

Mate, if I looked like him and was tapping that, I'd probably lie to myself as much as possible.

[.StaticA.]

You'll notice that Chief Tyrol is a lot like that through the whole series. He's a bit of a tough guy at tiems, but at the same time he can be a complete wimp and he hides from a lot of truths repeatedly throughout the show.

The same thing that makes Babylon 5 so good; flawed characters.

[Dark Wader]

He was in love with her. Would you dob in the person you were in love with over a suspicion you were not even sure of yourself?

[Sweating Bullets]

He was in love with her. Would you dob in the person you were in love with over a suspicion you were not even sure of yourself?

I would if I knew she was a freaking robot who is bent on killing mankind and part of the a mass genocide!

Also my Dad happened to accidentally ruin a part of the series for me. I will not be talking to him at all about BSG related materials. I knew I shoudn't have told him I was watching the series.

[Dark Wader]

But that's the thing. . .he didn't know for sure at the time.

Btw I don't think you need spoiler tags. . .I'm pretty sure everyone who has come into this thread is aware she is a Cylon since it was revealed in the first episode lol

[Sweating Bullets]

Yeh good point on that.
But after her ramble about the Cylon Raider - I would have been a bit more that suspicious.

[drzaius]

ooh - caprica is actually out in america already!!!
it seems like only one dvd though... is it a series or a movie or is this just the intro movie before the series (ala galactica).
in any case - unless someone points me to an australian release date asap i am going to order it from amazon tonight!

[Hemish71]

Its the pilot for the series
The series supposed to be out next yr
I didnt mind it, there is definately room for it to grow.
Casting is pretty much great cept for the girl
You will see what I mean when you see it.

[Slippery]

The girl being Zoe? Seemed fine to me

[Sweating Bullets]

Just hit the end of season 2 - I am pretty pissed a year has passed so quickly :/

[texta]

You'll notice that Chief Tyrol is a lot like that through the whole series. He's a bit of a tough guy at tiems, but at the same time he can be a complete wimp and he hides from a lot of truths repeatedly throughout the show.

The same thing that makes Babylon 5 so good; flawed characters.I disliked most of the characters for most of the seasons. But that's what made me like the show.


My thoughts on Season 1


I was getting very frustrated that Chief did not of blow Boomer's head off. I mean the 2nd episode with the water tank explosion is very obvious and Chief is too much of a pansy to notify anyone. Then when she has the rant about the Cylon Raiders being wild creatures and he still doesn't do anything.

I think you'll find that as the characters develop over the four seasons and you start to learn their back-stories etc, you'll get a much better picture of why they behave like they do. I'm not sure I agree with you on this one, but as I say, I definitely found a lot of what the characters did to be especially infuriating to begin with.

[Araenel]

I hated Baltar for about 90% of the show, he just kept getting away with too much (or God was letting him get away with too much). But he just got more and more wretched and abused as the show went on that he started to grow on me.

I thought Tyrol was great though

especially his chokeabitch reaction at the end, that was fantastic

[Sweating Bullets]

Just started on Season 3. Enjoying it so far. Will post more thoughts at season end.

[aubergine]

I hated Baltar for about 90% of the show, he just kept getting away with too much (or God was letting him get away with too much). But he just got more and more wretched and abused as the show went on that he started to grow on me.

I thought Tyrol was great though

especially his chokeabitch reaction at the end, that was fantastic

Baltar is awesome, one of the best characters ever and perfectly cast, the actor who plays him is amazing. Such an oily, cowardly and endlessly engaging performance.

[Australian Ninja]

I was about to post the same thing. When I told my sister that Baltar is one of the best characters by far, she just screwed her face up. How rare to get such well developed characters on TV.

[ThePhotoshop]

Baltar was great until he became a pseudo profit with his own harem. What total shit.

[Araenel]

Baltar is awesome, one of the best characters ever and perfectly cast, the actor who plays him is amazing. Such an oily, cowardly and endlessly engaging performance.

I did like his phenomenal multi-tasking skills though.

[aubergine]

Baltar was great until he became a pseudo profit with his own harem. What total shit.

Spoiler tag that please.

We didn't see much of him by that stage I don't think, his best stuff was in the first 3 seasons, but what's interesting about the harem part is that even though, by then, he'd finally seemed to accept God or something, but was still a weaselly rootrat, is pretty cool.

[Sweating Bullets]

Someone help me!

Just at the end of season 3. Want to start watching Season 4 but the first disc is Razor. Can I skip Razor? Or do I need to watch it?

[aubergine]

Razor is pretty unnecessary, although I liked getting a bit more of Admiral Bitchcheeks or whatever her name was.

[.StaticA.]

Watch it anyway, it's decent. There's no reason to skip it.

[texta]

Someone help me!

Just at the end of season 3. Want to start watching Season 4 but the first disc is Razor. Can I skip Razor? Or do I need to watch it?Chronologically Razor is set during season 2 and it won't really mess up the story to miss it.

[.StaticA.]

...But you should still watch it.

[Australian Ninja]

Baltar was great until he became a pseudo profit with his own harem. What total shit.

That you have such a strong reaction is further proof of what a well written character he was.
When I say he is one of the best (if not the best) character on Battlestar, I'm NOT saying I want to be his friend or anything. He's a despicable human being, but I love the character.

[Sweating Bullets]

Hit the end of the series. I can now carry out with the rest of my life. Time to hit the uni books or something :/

Thoughts on the series:

What was the big secret that Felix Gaeta did during Baltar's reign? They didn't seem to give answers on that.

Also to me it looked like D was murdered. The person holding the gun had a white hand. Or I saw something wrong?

I quite liked the ending - especially when Chief pwned that girl right at the end. Didn't have a bam in your face type ending but I think they pulled it off quite well. They all settle and live out the rest of the their lives. Still some uncertainty about the Cylons out there. Overall pretty damned good series. Will be chatting to mates at work tomorrow about it as a few of them were big fans. Interested to see their thoughts.
I might try to get the gf to watch it - I am tempted to slowly go thru the series again.

[texta]

Sneaky bump.

The last movie: The Plan is out to answer a lot of questions. Hunt it down.

[Dark Wader]

To answer the Felix Gaeta related question:


They did answer it, just they answered it in the web episode series "Face of the Enemy" which is very much worth watching. Basically, the secret is that Gaeta was manipulated by an Eight on New Caprica to basically make a list of names of important people. . .which would become the death list that Baltar would sign.

Something like that anyway, but basically that he had come up with the names on the death list, making him more responsible than Baltar.


And The Plan is awesome. Mostly a very expensive clip show, but fills in a lot of gaps.

[ThePhotoshop]

Does it actually explain their plan? Because I dont recall them actually having one.

[texta]

Who is they? It's about the Cylon's plan that started with the attack on the colonies in the mini series.

[ThePhotoshop]

Right, and I was referring to the fact that, though it seemed like they were working to some kind of plan in the series, about halfway through it became evident that they have no idea what they're doing.

[Hyperblau]

I found The Plan interesting but ultimately unnecessary. There wasn't any real need to go back and reveal what happened from the other side, but at the same time it kinda makes you go AAAHHHHHH. Watch it if you got time, but there isn't any real need to hunt it down.

[texta]

I guess that depends on how great you think BSG is.

[Australian Ninja]

It's pretty F***ing GRRRRREEEEAATTTTT! Even better with Frosties.

So if there is a DVD of The Plan yet or what?

[Dark Wader]

I think the Blu Ray is out today or tomorrow?

[Hyperblau]

I guess that depends on how great you think BSG is.
Well I think its pretty f***in great so take that as you will.

[Dark Wader]

So I got the country wrong. December in Australia. So just order it through Amazon or something and you can have it sooner.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

Finished BSG a week or so ago. I thought the series really took off in the second half of season 2 and didn't stop til the end.

I liked the story that the Final Five ended up with. It wasn't over the top, but had great story elements. I felt sad for what happened to Anders and I'm still trying to work out what the hell Starbuck's character was supposed to be. At least the mental vision versions of Six and Baltar were explained.

I also like the fact that the humans/good cylons just faded. No rebuilding a city, just bending in with the locals and giving them 'the best part of us'.

I never really got Boomer as a character either. She just always seemed messed up and never made any real advancements. It was like she was there to make stupid decisions then try to seek redemption by changing her mind. At least Athena made her choice and stuck with it.

[texta]

Finished BSG a week or so ago. I thought the series really took off in the second half of season 2 and didn't stop til the end.

I liked the story that the Final Five ended up with. It wasn't over the top, but had great story elements. I felt sad for what happened to Anders and I'm still trying to work out what the hell Starbuck's character was supposed to be. At least the mental vision versions of Six and Baltar were explained.

I also like the fact that the humans/good cylons just faded. No rebuilding a city, just bending in with the locals and giving them 'the best part of us'.

I never really got Boomer as a character either. She just always seemed messed up and never made any real advancements. It was like she was there to make stupid decisions then try to seek redemption by changing her mind. At least Athena made her choice and stuck with it.If you haven't seen it yet, you're going to love the Plan.

[Araenel]

While I enjoyed the Plan because I love BSG, the pointlessness of it all was only slightly eclipsed by the pointlessness of all the nudity in it. I mean really guys?

[.StaticA.]

Nudity?
Nudity?
Pretty sure I'm going to watch The Plan now.

[aubergine]

I was just watching s4 with people who complained about the LACK of nudity.

Mainly because there was a sex scene but the woman had a bra on, which I've never believed could happen in real life.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

I watched The Plan last night. Made me like Boomer's character a bit more. Maybe that was the reason there wasn't more sleeper agents. One of the things I loved about BSG is that, even though the bad guys were machines, they weren't robotic and had more depth than this is what we're doing so we're going to keep doing it until it's done (even though there's one human model cylon that tries to do that). It was a good watch.

[ThePhotoshop]

I just watched The Plan; what a pointless movie. I guess it saves you going back and re-watching the series again with all the knowledge the finale gives, but it's kind of mitigated by a gratuitous zoom-in shot of some dude's wang.

The end credits music is great but!

[aubergine]

Whose wang was it?

Just weighing up if it's worth the money.

[ThePhotoshop]

It was just a random pilot's wang, Not Adama's, unfortunately

[aubergine]

I imagine Admiral Adama's wang looks like a mini-Skeksis.

[ThePhotoshop]

I think it might look like a mini Galactica, but the pock-marked one from the end of the series.

[/backslash]

*bump*

So I started watching ep1 of Season 1 that I bought today. Is it important to see the mini-series beforehand? Felt pretty weird watching it start off in the middle of a battle. I'm a total newcomer to this show (never saw the old one either) but didn't expect to get a "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" intro

Should I be watching this with 5.1 sound too? The spaceship battles sounded really weird coming from 2 speakers

[AranchineD]

The spaceship battles are meant to sound kinda weird because they're actually trying to convey the feeling of space battles in a vacuum, not just airplane dogfights with a different backdrop.

[/backslash]

Vacuum or not it still should've sounded like Star Wars :p

[Ali G]

*bump*

So I started watching ep1 of Season 1 that I bought today. Is it important to see the mini-series beforehand? Felt pretty weird watching it start off in the middle of a battle. I'm a total newcomer to this show (never saw the old one either) but didn't expect to get a "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" intro

Should I be watching this with 5.1 sound too? The spaceship battles sounded really weird coming from 2 speakers
I recently started watching the series as well, and I only saw the miniseries when it first aired (so 6-7 years ago, I think). I just read a recap of it and was fine, you should be able to pick up on most things quite quickly.

[texta]

It probably doesn't make a great deal of difference to miss the miniseries, but it'd help you understand the characters a little better. Though the Baltar plot really does have its genesis in the miniseries and that stays as an issue for quite a while.

At least read the wiki of the plot for them.

[^gR]

My arm tattoo is Starbucks tattoo. BSG best show I've ever seen. Will post here when I'm not blind drunk

[/backslash]

Thanks guys, still a shame I have to even bother to read a readcap :( Really didn't see it coming & its annoying when characters are thrown at you with no intros

[AranchineD]

Yep, there's my new signature.

[Hyperblau]

Yes watch the miniseries, its good and important.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

Thanks guys, still a shame I have to even bother to read a readcap :( Really didn't see it coming & its annoying when characters are thrown at you with no intros

I thought the miniseries was quite important. It reveals a few things that sort of get thrown at you in the series like

Human form Cylons, how the Cylong destroyed the 12 colonies, how a 'teacher' became the president and the reveal of Boomer as a Cylon sleeper agent

[Ali G]

Thanks guys, still a shame I have to even bother to read a readcap :( Really didn't see it coming & its annoying when characters are thrown at you with no intros
What's more annoying is that the American Season 1 boxset includes the miniseries.

[^gR]

Yep, there's my new signature.


LOL I do not remember this. Wtf.


Anyway, I didn't know this thread was even here.

I'd never even watched an episode of BSG, then I saw one of the very last episodes on Foxtel at my ex-gf's house one day. It seemed pretty awesome so I went out and bought the first season - then the second, third, fourth, fifth

then the 2-3 mini series in between.

Absolutely, 100% in love with the show. I've only watched it from start to finish once, and it was the best sci-fi, if not best series I've ever seen.

i loved it so much, in fact, that I just recently got a tattoo from the show

http://www.tifaux.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/katee1.jpg



http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a355/NickosW/photo-1.jpg?t=1281232426

Photo is pretty pox, it looks much better IRL, get a lot of compliments on it. Could talk for hours and hours and hours and hours about this show, absolutely in love with it. Think I might rewatch the whole thing, starting with The Plan first..

LOVE BSG

[Cubby]

*bump*

So I started watching ep1 of Season 1 that I bought today. Is it important to see the mini-series beforehand? Felt pretty weird watching it start off in the middle of a battle. I'm a total newcomer to this show (never saw the old one either) but didn't expect to get a "Previously on Battlestar Galactica" intro

It would be like missing the first 2 eps from any new show.

[aubergine]

Leaving the first 4 episodes out of the season 1 box was total bullshit, they are completly essential!

[Ali G]

Leaving the first 4 episodes out of the season 1 box was total bullshit, they are completly essential!
You'd think if they were going to do it, they'd at least make the miniseries DVD more available - I've never actually seen it in stock anywhere (apart from online).

[texta]

I picked up the DVD box set of the first three season and the miniseries from JB a couple of years back.

[/backslash]

Leaving the first 4 episodes out of the season 1 box was total bullshit, they are completly essential!
I guess that also answers my question as to why the first boxset only has 4 discs & then the next season has 6 :(

[Ali G]

I picked up the DVD box set of the first three season and the miniseries from JB a couple of years back.
I mean the miniseries by itself.

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

I guess that also answers my question as to why the first boxset only has 4 discs & then the next season has 6 :(

It seems to be a marketing thing that a few shows are doing now. SGU did it with Air (its 3 part premiere). They're starting to split the complete seasons into 2 parts as well. Kind of annoying. I'd rather purchase the whole season.

[Ninjalada]

I loved BSG but I had only one question afterwards:

WTF was with Starbuck?

[Halt, Hammerzeit]

I reakon. What the hell was all that about?

So she died but came back then finds her own body in a crashed Viper? What the hell was up with that?

[Cubby]

Magic.

It seems to be a marketing thing that a few shows are doing now. SGU did it with Air (its 3 part premiere).

SGU was completely different to this though. SGU released the premiere "Air" as an extended ep on DVD/Blu. The Battlestar mini was done completely seperate to season 1, it was to see if BSG would be popular enough to make a fully fledged show. The first season was short as lots of shows are, usually it's a popularity thing. They don't want to commit to 20 eps if it ends up being unpopular.

I have no idea why season 4 & 5 were only 10 eps though. I don't care who says it's 1 season, they were shown a year apart, so it's 2.

[9warbane]

She had already died. She's an angel.

[aubergine]

Season 4 was split because of the writers strike action occurring in the US at that time. Among other things, the strike affected Quantum of Solace, which is why that film has vastly less intrigue-to-explosions as Casino Royale had.

[Ninjalada]

She had already died. She's an angel.

Yeah, that makes sense.

:confused:

[texta]

I mean the miniseries by itself.I have also seen the miniseries for sale by itself at JB.

[Araenel]

Yeah, that makes sense.

:confused:

As opposed to the Six that Baltar kept seeing throughout the whole series, the one who physically interacted with the world?

[Ali G]

I have also seen the miniseries for sale by itself at JB.
Really? I've checked in about five different places and haven't seen it.

Anyway, I just watched the Season Three finale, amazing.

[aubergine]

I bought the "miniseries" as a standalone. You might have to order
it to get it now.

[Vindik8or]

I'm finally getting around to watching this show all the way through from the start. I watched the pilot and whole first season when it was first aired, but didn't follow up on it for whatever reason, and I've been buying all the season boxed sets as they've come out.

[aubergine]

I wish I could watch it all again from the start with your gift of ignorance.