Steve's TV Reviews

Outstanding. The original BSG remixed to "make it real".

Of course, you would have had to seen the original, and the consistently starched flightsuits, the spit-polished ships and landing bays, the "walking chrome toasters", and the sexual issues/graphic violence, kept to a minimum, to make a comparison

If you’re new to the BSG world, just jump in - each episode has a mini-history intro that will get you at least up to speed on what happened at the start of it all, and where things are now.

It’s not quite for children, anymore - nor is it just a “guy thing” (more on that later).

It is far more realistic in the gritty-yet-hope-filled reality of it all.... from the actual dirt and grime on people and equipment, to the dirt and grime of human nature.

The new BSG is spectacular in showing the full spectrum of humanity’s nature – it’s almost as if the Cylons, the battles, and that whole side of the equation are exclusively there to reveal more of humanity to themselves.

From the dark side - Col. Tigh’s alcoholism, his trollopy wife’s betrayal(s), and her resulting murder, Starbuck’s secret(s) - even the morbid simultaneously planned assassination of Adama and Caine... a short list of one side of the coin.

The bright side of the coin is played equally well – hope, courage, love, faith. Tyrol’s creation of the Blackbird, Apollo’s awakening from a utopian sense of duty and honor to the harsh realities of politics and command - and his ensuing period of pseudo-apathy, to a wholly new character - again, just a short list..

This is one of the few Sci-Fi shows that has a “middle” side of the coin as well - the drama of monotony, dullness, boredom, apathy... It’s one of the things that makes BSG special in TV land - you get a full spectrum universe, not a binary one (right/wrong, good guy/bad guy, win/lose).

Only a few things throw off my suspension of disbelief from time to time...

Space travel is common in the Galactica universe, even faster than light travel. Pretty advanced!

Ok, I can get absorbed in that possibility - then cut to a scene where they're driving regular diesel type trucks, or smoking cigars that look like they're boxed in Havana, circa 1970... or using canvas tents and wooden storage crates - it yanks my mind around a bit.

There is also some occasional episode-to-episode discontinuity, where the Battlestar Galactica prelude does not match the previous BSG episode.... “Kobols Last Gleaming” is an example of that (e.g., “… a certain Captain Apollo”). Also, why do some regular-bullet-type weapons blow holes clean thru Centurions, while Colonial Marines had to resort to explosive rounds when the ship was boarded by Centurions?

These are minor issues on the pro-con list.

BSG is a 99.5% Pro - 0.5% Con show. It rocks.

The muted space travel/battle sound effects add greatly to the realism compared to the original (reflecting the reality of almost null sound in space) - they paid attention to a lot of detail items for the special effects - they are spectacular.

As for the characters, and drama – it’s right up there too.

BSG covers all the darker and brighter (even duller) moments of humanity in an entrancing manner. Every episode shows a new piece of the human puzzle in the characters, and it covers a lot of ground.

The complexity of character development and interaction mostly absent in the original series is overwhelmingly present in this one - and well played - right down to bit parts. It is the complexity of the characters that make the show “Rock”.

I got a kick out of Playboy’s recent cover – “Tricia Helfer Sheds her Cylon Suit” (#6, Caprica 6, whatever 6)...

That is something she does anyhow, in almost every episode - just not to the same degree. I found some irony in the near-redundancy there - “Run to the shelves - get to see the last 4 square inches not revealed in Galactica!”

As attractive as she is dolled up, it really added to the show when she modded out to plain Jane for the “There is no chip in your head Baltar - wake up and smell the insanity” scene in Season 2 (Home - Part II). It was just a bit scene - but an example of many that adds to the complexity of the character development in BSG.

Some of the adult nature of BSG may be why it’s being moved to 10 pm on a school night, eh? I don't think this show is appropriate for pre-teens, but parenting should be left up to the parents.

Sexual themes aside, the complex interactions, frailties, strengths, and weaknesses are all well played - probably the best sci-fi drama I’ve seen - some episodes involve no guns, battles, or violence at all - and are still entrancing.

Katee Sackhoff (Starbuck) has done an incredible job of acting - given Starbuck’s very deep persona that is slowly revealed from the Mini-series, to the revelation of her childhood abuse in “The Farm” to her wildly unbalanced mental state at times, to falling in love and falling from grace, and climbing out again

I’d nominate her for first place as an actress in the series, given the huge spectrum of mental, physical, and emotional turf she has to cover.

Starbuck as a cigar-chomping, feisty, female fighter jockey has been criticized by some of the Original BSG fanclub - but given the roles played, issues and spectrum of personality covered - I see why a “she” was a perfect match for the new 'Buck.

I hate soaps. Yet, in some ways BSG is one, far more maxed out than your noon-till-five stuff.... it’s more than that though, mixing the best of all genres (including some not even defined yet) and laying it out almost flawlessly. I have read raves from all walks of life, and think it's a show everyone would enjoy.

To the whole crew of BSG, keep it coming – and thanks. Oh, and tell the studios, now that you’re a frackkin’ total worldwide success, to give you a raise.

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Review Disclaimer:
You should see the way my mind... sometimes works