Unofficial Battlestar Galactica Blog

BSG accidently cancelled

Here is a funny little piece from Tachyon TV:

Battlestar Galactica has accidentally cancelled itself, Tachyon TV can exclusively reveal.

The second series had been commissioned for 20 episodes but it will all come to a premature end after the broadcast of episode seven (entitled 'Fracked'). Ronald D Moore explains: "We got to the point where we were being so gritty and realistic and not afraid of pulling any punches that we accidentally killed off the entire cast of characters. To be fair, the show was getting harder to write after episode five when we had Colonel Tigh beat his wife to death with a broken bottle directly after Adama's funeral, before shooting himself in the head, which we beautifully inter-cut with Starbuck accidentally setting fire to herself with a cigar, even if I do say so myself".

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Heh heh... when I read the title I was like "WHAT?!"...

SciFi needs to step it up with web 2.0

A quick question for the producers, writers, webmasters over at the Official BSG website.

1. Where is the podcast for episode 2.03 Fragged?
2. Where are the deleted scenes for season 2 episodes?
3. Where are the Ron Moore blog updates?
4. Where are the video blog posts?

It is important to understand that if you are going to promise "Web 2.0" content that you have to deliver on it, otherwise the entire promise is a huge disappointment to the fans. I am already hearing some grumbling around the net that, although SciFi made an effort, they are not following through.

The blog, the podcast, all of your web content has become just as big of a part of the show as the show itself. That was one of the interesting and innovative things about BSG. It created an interactive experience for the fans. By not continuing it, you are essentially saying that the fan interaction that helped make the show popular is no longer important.

BSG set an example for other TV shows... please continue to set that example! Please?

Strange content in the episode synopsis

The Quiet Geek has mad a pretty interesting discovery that I haven't seen mentioned anywhere else. Some very sensitive people might consider this a spoiler, but since it is in the episode synopsis, I am thinking it is now, but it is your call:

While working on the entry for this week, I noticed something odd in the Sci-Fi summary for ‘Valley Of Darkness’. I would think it was just a fluke, but the same thing happened in the overview for ‘Scattered’.

From ‘Scattered’:

Light-years away, on Cylon-occupied Caprica, Kara and Helo must find some way to bring the Arrow of Apollo back to the fleet — but first they have to get it back from the avatar of Number Six who has found it in the Delphi Museum.

From ‘Valley Of Darkness’:

Number Six warns Baltar that Socinus won’t be the last of the stranded Raptor crew to die — and that of all the humans, Baltar alone will live to see Earth.

Oddly enough, I don’t remember either of those events happening in these episodes.

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Strangely enough I don't remember anything from the podcasts that said anything about scene changes that might have resulted in that synopsis. Anyone have any insight as to why there is a disconnect between the content of the show and the content of the overview? I am not a big message board reader... maybe they covered it in the official forums?

Tigh and Zarek to join forces?

I came across an interesting speculation in Harry the Heir's journal:

I got this idea after watching the Colonial Day episode a couple of days ago. Ellen Tigh and Tom Zarek were making nice during that episode, and she even says that "Roslin is the past, Zarek is the future." So let's assume that Col. Tigh keeps going as he is, his political star is going to be falling very fast. Tigh's not the sort of guy to admit defeat and make nice with Roslin, I don't think. It would be a betrayal of the old man; he'd be no better than Apollo.

Going to Tom Zarek, on the other hand, isn't exactly a betrayal, because Adama and he never came into direct conflict. What's more, Ellen Tigh--if she's smart, which admittedly is a suspect assertion--would certainly prefer her husband be in bed with Zarek (um, so to speak). So my theory is that Tigh is going to have ask Zarek to use his popularity on behalf of temporary martial law; Zarek, no fool he, would undoubtedly demand some major concessions. Meanwhile, I imagine Baltar will end up twitching his way over to the pro-democracy side; he's the Vice President, after all, and thus his power is *based* on democracy which at least Six is aware of.

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I think this is an amazingly logical piece of speculation. I can easily see that Tigh's cheif priority is to prevent Roslin from "winning" the challenge against Adama... if that means leveraging the popularity of Zarek, he would do it. At the end of Fragged, you could almost see the wheels in Zarek's head turning as he struggled to find a way to turn this situation into something useful.

We already know that Ellen Tigh is interested in helping Zarek and she has successfully manipulated Tigh on numerous occasions... It would be a natural step for her to act as alliance builder between the two men.

Tricia Helfer talks Six appeal and character evolution

Chris Howell sent this link over... more great stuff over on the Great Link:

An interview with Battlestar Galactica’s Tricia Helfer (Number Six) can be located in the September issue of SFX Magazine. The former model talks about the show and Six’s wardrobe:

"The grass is always greener...I look at the cast’s flight suits and go ‘I just wanna be in a flight suit and sneakers! And the other girls look at me and go ‘Oh, I want a red dress and heels!’ But I think as we go along we’re gonna keep seeing more sides of Number Six, and the side I played yesterday was not dressed up like that. It’s a definite new side to Number Six that we’ve never seen before. It’s essentially another side to the Six that’s in Baltar’s head. But it’s not a separate clone…it’s another side of Baltar’s Six. Its another side of her."

Read the full article... spoiler warnings apply!

Easiest BSG drinking game EVAR!

BeaucoupKevin has invented the easiest BSG drinking game I have ever seen...

BeaucoupKevin Presents: The Completely Unofficial
Battlestar Galactica Drinking Game!

When Saul or Ellen Tigh drink, take a drink.

No, really, that's it.

So say we all.

I don't know about you guys, but I normally watch BSG on saturday morning... so it is probably a bit early for "drinking" although I often throw a dash of Bailey's Irish Cream in my coffee because it tastes to good!

What do you think of the game? Go leave Kevin a comment.

Thoughts on Fragged

When this show works... it really works. I just finished watching the episode Fragged moments ago and I am still reeling from the tension of the scenes on Kobol.

After two episodes of season one closure we are witness to what I am calling the first real episode of season two. The story was pushed a little forward, the characters were pushed a little forward and everyone was pushed a little over the edge. Speaking of edges, let's examine each of them:

Tigh over the edge
The alcohol is back in the driver seat for Tigh... I suppose before it gets any better, it has to get worse. The writers really make me sad for Tigh... he has had a tough life and it is only getting tougher. Coming in to this show it was Adama's ship... it was Adama's command. At the end of the episode Tigh calls it "My Ship" for the first time. He has obviously come to grips with the reality of the situation and he is no longer waiting for Adama. He is going to climb on and ride this thing through. I found the brief scene with Gaeta and Dualla mimicking him drinking over the comm to be particularly symbolic of the crews opinion and it will be interesting to see how far he can stretch them before they snap.

Helen over the edge
Helen Tigh was back for a few critical moments. She manipulates Tigh into a position where his authority is threatened. She confronts the President in a moment of weakness. It is made fairly clear that she has a hidden agenda. I am intrigued by Laura's reaction to Helen... it was almost as if Laura could sense something we are not suppose to know... that maybe she is a Cylon? Or maybe that she is plotting against them all? That she is working with Zarek? Laura's painful ear ringing had to symbolize something... it ceased as soon as Helen left the room.

Laura over the edge
This was a big episode for Roslin... it was the moment where she ceased denying who she is and proclaimed to everyone that she is the prophet... the leader... their savior. She is no longer hiding behind a hidden spiritual agenda... she is embracing it... leveraging it for leadership. I was surprised to see Zarek in an almost supportive position. This has to be quite a turn of events for him. The scene in the brig was very moving. It is always exciting to see someone stand up and provide inspiration. I don't know why but I got a small set of chills during this. Maybe a part of me is tired of seeing Roslin so weak and trapped. Just like Lee, she is accepting who she is... what she wants. Confidence by many of the main characters has been lacking in these last episodes so it stands out so much more when it is embraced.

Lee over the edge
Lee Adama continues down his path of confidence. He continues to accept his role and do his job despite what Tigh or anyone else has to say about it. He is a natural leader and has only started to show it now that he isn't constrained to the expectations of others. I predict that his father will be proud of him when he wakes up. I predict we see Lee as being instrumental in the prevention of complete anarchy. He has a good head on his shoulders. It allows him to be objective in both political and combat situations.

Crashdown over the edge
I found this to be a particularly sad moment in the series. Crashdown was a guy who was trying so hard to do the right thing, and just didn't have the experience to carry it out in the correct manner. If you look at every decision made, he made the correct choices, but a few slips of fate prevented him from getting a positive outcome. From his perspective, the deck was stacked impossibly against him.

His team was under threat and had to move out quickly. He told everyone to gather the supplies, but a med-kit was mistakenly left behind. He made the call to go back for it, but an ambush slowed them down, cost another life and prevented the saving of another. He was correct in taking down the missile battery but a clumsy dropped pair of binoculars prevented him from having all the information. I don't know if you can honestly call any of these bad decisions, but the outcomes were the result of his inexperience and inability to adapt to a changing environment.

I think at the end of the episode when Baltar says Crashdown died a hero, he was correct. It was Crashdown's idea to take down the missile battery. I can't imagine they would have tried without his leadership.

Baltar over the edge
It could be argued the Baltar has killed millions of people by collaborating with the Cylons. Sure, we still don't know the circumstances and extent of his involvement with the Cylon attack, but we do know he was a pivotal player. Regardless, he once again fulfills the predictions of Number Six and as an "instrument of God" fulfills his destiny. In the murky waters of the story though, his betrayal is actually what saves them all. That is what makes this show amazing. He is manipulated right into Number Six's hands, and yet the result of that is the death and destruction of more Cylons and the continued survival of the humans. Why do the Cylons keep allowing Baltar to be correct (with the detector, with the fuel depot strike in Hand of God, etc)? This is one of the primary mysteries for me at this point.

I was excited to see Baltar reject fatherhood. I spoke about this in my commentary of Valley of Darkness. I didn't buy his sudden devotion to his unborn child. I was glad to see him pull away from the responsibility a little bit. That is much more like Baltar.

Tyrol over the edge
It will be interesting to see how Tyrol recovers from his experiences on Kobol. I can't imagine he will be the same guy after this. In the beginning he was an extremely selfish man, worrying more about making out with Boomer than keeping the ship and crew safe. I can only assume that his perspective has changed drastically. His conflicts with Crashdown which eventually lead to confrontation and death will no doubt leave him with guilt. He knows he would have pulled that trigger. He would have saved Cally... or maybe he knows he couldn't pull it and he would have watched her die... and now he owes Baltar for doing something he could not do. There are all kinds of interesting ramifications to explore.

I have to say I really thought Tyrol was going to die in the end. He seemed set up for it so well. Nothing made me happier to see that Raptor show up. I guess that is the sign of excellent drama. I really thought the writers were going to pull the trigger on him. I am glad I was wrong.

Democracy over the edge
It was inevitable (if you have been watching the promos) but it was still surprising. We are left with the Colonialists spiraling down into the depths of dictatorship. We are left with humanity (or Baltar at least) contemplating the reality of our existence... our drive to kill... how it overrides every other aspect about us... poetry... music... art... I was impressed with how regal Tigh looked after making his announcement. The top down lighting casting dark shadows across his face. It was a perfect combination of angelic and demonic.

This was simply a fabulous episode. I liked it better than Scattered and Valley of Darkness.

This weeks principle MVP goes to Mary McDonnell as Laura Roslin. She walked the fine line between tortured insanity and regal authority. As stated before, the scene with her in the jail cell finally accepting her mission... stepping out from behind a curtain of spiritual doubt... was quite inspiring and she deserves it this week.

This weeks secondary MVP goes to Crashdown. I do not think I fully appreciated his performances on Kobol until this week. I really didn't "get it" until he was killed. I believe he IS a hero. Everyone on those rescue Raptors owe him their lives... in an indirect but essential way.

Additional Resources

• Official episode synopsis

Spoiler-free recap of the 2.02 podcast

Sorry this podcast recap is a bit late. I was attending some training this week so it threw off my entire commuting schedule and I didn't have a chance to listen to the Valley of Darkness podcast until Friday morning!

Most of the discussion continued Ron Moore's decision to split a lot of the content that was previously scheduled for Scattered into a second episode. Because of this, the entire episode was formed in the editing room. The whole premise of the episode as well as much of the content was extremely controversial. The opinion was that the first cuts were too dark... and the material too graphic. The result of this was an addition of some sub-plots (with Billy and Dualla for instance) to give it a bit of humanity.

Ron Moore calls the scene in Kara's apartment one of his favorite of the entire series so far. He talked a lot about the scene and how it is so different because they simply sit and rest. Part of the success of the show is that they are very deliberate with what they film. They give the characters their moments... they give them time. Moore thought it was important to show that... to show them finally taking a rest... even Helo who had been on the run... for him to just sit silently in the chair... close his eyes and rest. It was a pause for the entire series and it is a scene that Moore is especially proud of... a symbol of the show he is trying to make.

As expected, the scene with the infanticide was extremely controversial and they had to do a good amount of editing to get the scene approved. They put specific cuts in to hide the "bubbles" from the child losing its breath and such.

The death scene with Socinus was also interesting because it seems Aaron Douglas had just recently lost a good friend. Moore didn't know this when he wrote the scene and when he found out he felt really bad about it. I guess it is poor "writer form" to force someone to insert an experience from their life in order to leverage a good performance so they offered to take it out. Douglas objected and told them to keep it in. Moore said he was extremely impressed by this and by Aaron's professionalism about the whole thing. Moore really admires him for that and is really proud of the way he handled the scene.

There are probably a good amount of interesting things I am leaving out, but my mind is fried and I can't remember them. If you can think of any good non-spoiler things from the podcast, share them in the comments!

BSG cast party on Subject2Discussion

The radio show Subject2Discussion on LVRocks.com planned to have Aaron Douglas (Tyrol) as a guest to talk about the show. Aaron, being the nice guy he is, brought along Tahmoh Penikett (Helo) and Paul Campbell (Billy) to join in the fun.

You can get a copy of the archived show at Spankwagon.net. The BSG part starts about 40 minutes in.

Subject2Discussion Show 7/27/2005

(via BSG News)

Do you dream about Battlestar Galactica?

It seems moiety does! Check out his crazy BSG/Scifi Channel dream:

just awoke from a brief nap, and had the weirdest dream ever.

Okay, so I'm on Battlestar Galactica, right? And Adama is there, locked in some storage room thing. And he's being attacked by -- get this -- a fusion of Cylon and Wraith who looks like a vampire Number Six. (Seriously -- my brain just merged Cylons and Wraith. It was really freaky).

And she was feasting on Adama, except she was literally eating him. As in, a piece of his abdomen was missing, and she was eating it. And she gave him some to eat as well. And -- wait, yes! -- Number Six was the Cylon Queen. And... you know how they show the number of survivors at the beginning of the show? Well, that number was the number of bodies left to eat for the Cylons, and she remarked how there were precisely that many bodies in the adjoining storage room, sleeping/hibernating or something. And she said to Adama that humans taste "neutronic" (don't ask, I don't know).

Read about the rest of this crazy dream!

I know I have had a few crazy dreams involving BSG... the only one I can remember was after a long evening playing Battlefield 2 on the PC and some of the characters from BSG infused themselves with a scenario that tool place on one of the maps... it was a while back and I don't really remember the specifics.

Have you had any BSG dreams? Share them in the comments.