Unofficial Battlestar Galactica Blog

Another annoying BSG DVD release

I dunno... i just can't get excited about this link at Galactica CIC about a strange Season 2 - Part 1 DVD release strategy:

That's right kids, you can have the Cylons over for Christmas because Universal has announced that they'll release the second season of Battlestar Galactica on December 20! Universal has released very little information regarding the set; it's 3 discs (single-sided), Anamorphic Widescreen (1.78:1), and it'll have English Dolby Digital 5.1 audio (with English and Spanish subtitles). They've made a point to call this "Season 2.0," which means it'll be the first part of season 2; 10 episodes.

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The good part about this is that the episodes will be out nice and fast for everyone who wants to watch them or are specifically waiting for the DVDs. However instead of spending all the time and money on a bare-bones half-season set, they could simply throw up the episodes for download at a few bucks a piece. If you buy all twenty, you are spending about the same for DVDs, but we can get them RIGHT NOW.

I am personally not a huge DVD buyer... I would prefer an on-demand solution for the episodes, so maybe this news isn't meant for someone like me. It just feels sort of slimy to release 10 episodes now... 10 episodes next spring... then a 20 episode set with extras... and who knows... probably a 33 episode combined season 1 & 2 set with even more extras before season three... it just goes on and on...

But, like I said, if you love watching TV on DVD, this might be good news for ya!

The SciFi Channel rules Friday

This info is coming straight from the pages of the Futon Critic, and it is great news:

SCI FI owned Friday nights during 3Q05, becoming the #1 cable network on Fridays among P18-49 and P25-54. The strength of the 'SCI FI Friday' franchise was proven with its recent summer finales. In spite of stiff competition from network premieres, the 'Stargate SG-1' finale (Sept. 16 @ 8-10pm) and a new episode of 'Battlestar' (Sept. 16 @ 10pm) were Top 2 cable entertainment programs among P25-54 that night. A week later, the summer finale of 'Battlestar Galactica' (Sept. 23 @ 10pm) drew 2.3 million viewers and became the #1 entertainment program on cable for the night among P25-54 – it was also the only non-news program to finish within cable's Top 10 among that demo.

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#1 entertainment program has a nice ring to it... I can imagine the conversation going like this from now on:

Someone: "Hey Trapper, what show do you watch?"

Me: "Why I chill with all my 25-54 bretheren watching the #1 entertainment program on cable! What do you watch?"

Someone: "I am stuck watching Monk"

Me: "That dude is jumpy..."

(no fans of Monk were meant to be harmed in the writing of this post... the one episode of Monk I watched, was decent...)

Galactica continues to evolve

There is a great article posted at Hollywood North Report by Robert Falconer about Galactica's role in a science fiction renaissance:

Make no mistake; this isn’t your father’s Battlestar Galactica. But it just may be the Galactica that your father will appreciate, now that he’s a little more seasoned. At the end of 40-something minutes you’ll not be greeted with a simple, turgid, “everything’s right with the world” ending. Not here.

This is science fiction for those who have lived a while and understand that the world isn’t a sugarcoated utopia, nor is it ever likely to be. Events have far-reaching consequences and human beings make mistakes…lots of mistakes.

And while fans of the old show cry bollocks and feign righteous indignation, lamenting that the new Battlestar Galactica has traded bell-bottoms for body bags, they miss the point entirely.

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Besides some poignant commentary on the tone of the show, the article also serves as a nice recap of a few of the best season 2 moments.

The debate: Reality or Disgusting?

Head over to the Lee Adama is a Clyon website. There is a good discussion going about a letter that was posted by the Colonial Fleets forum condemning the show for glorifying rape in the Pegasus episode. It raises the question, is BSG crossing the line when telling it's story? There are some very good comments posted in that thread.

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Update 9/28/2005 1:37p CST

The SyFy Portal has a good review of Pegasus posted that discusses many of these same issues:

Since the second season started, I have constantly been in a state of awe with the level of storytelling each episode of BSG has shown by creating an intricately woven tapestry of action, drama, political and religious intrigue and suspense. But never did I think that bringing all of it together in a single episode would be such an overwhelming success.

“Pegasus” was that success.

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Update 10/10/2005 4:12pm CST

Ron Moore has responded to the Colonial Fleets letter. I see it as a thoughtful and reasoned response. He defends his views as a writer, eliminating the assumptions made by the staff of Colonial Fleets.

Get season one on DVD for FREE!

Head over to Hollywood North Report. They are running a little contest to give away two season one DVD sets of Battlestar Galactica:

To enter simply use the below email link to send us an email with your name, address and answer to the following question.

Why do you want this DVD?

Email Us Now

Contest closes October 5th, 2005.

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BSG Pegasus imitating life

I came across this post over at 13th Colony community discussing a story ran by the BBC:

Two British soldiers were arrested by Iraqi police after allegedly killing civilians. They were locked up in an Iraqi jail, which British forces then stormed with troops and tanks to free them. An Iraqi judge has now issued an arrest warrant demanding their return to custody, and the British are naturally reluctant.

This is pretty much Helo and Tyrol on the Pegasus. We believe in law, but will ignore the law to get back "our" people. Law is in fact one of the themes that crops up in Galactica from time to time. In early episodes, Adama would display open contempt for the civilians attempting to exercise their legal rights, but later we find out that Adama's own father was a lawyer who practiced in the area of human rights. Cylons have no rights, especially on the Pegasus. The constant tension between martial law, representation, and authority... Adama demands a jury trial for Helo and Tyrol, but he certainly skips over legal formalities when he feels the need.

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It is a pretty interesting discussion and observation by dadanights.

Adama for President

Booker T. Washington makes this claim:

Asserts Dell Gines, a black moderate-conservative blogger, in discussing which character off any movie or series would one pick to be president and why: "My pick hands down goes to James Olmos as Commander Adama from the new Battlestar Galactica series. If you haven’t watched it yet, you have to check it out. I watch maybe five shows: The Shield, Family Guy, Reno 911, sometimes Smallville and Battle Star Galactica religiously. His character is by far one of the best written and well acted characters on TV.

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What character would you pick out of any science fiction series to be President? My pick would have to be Benjamin Sisko from Deep Space Nine. The guy can do it all. Maybe after a few more seasons Adama will have had a chance to grow enough to become President material, but right now he is still learning the diplomatic ropes.

Thoughts on Pegasus

The only thing that keeps going through my head is "Jeez, we have to wait until JANUARY!?" I am sure many of you are thinking the same thing.

I could really feel this show pulling me in two different directions. On the one side is the Galactica with its happy go lucky atmosphere where everyone stays true to the idealistic views of duty and honor and family. On the other side is the Pegasus where a good Cylon is a dead Cylon, everything is black and white and the ends always justify the means. It is interesting that all this time, we thought we had an accurate picture of what a post-holocaust survival situation would be like. We didn't realize what was missing until the Pegasus showed up.

I like this episode because it feels real in a way that none of the episodes have. The Pegasus is a ship that we wish in our heart of hearts never exists... but we know that it does... and a part of us wants to forgive them because in the end every Cylon deserves what they are getting. Remember that little girl playing with her doll in the mini-series? The one in the ship that gets left behind and a missile slams into it as the fleet jumps away? The Cylons killed her... they killed everyone on that ship. Remember those nuclear warheads going off on Capirca?

The Pegasus is like Col. Jessep from a few good men:

"Son, we live in a world that has walls, and those walls have to be guarded by men with guns. Whose gonna do it? You?... I have a greater responsibility than you could possibly fathom. You weep for Santiago, and you curse the marines. You have that luxury. You have the luxury of not knowing what I know. That Santiago's death, while tragic, probably saved lives. And that my existence, while grotesque and incomprehensible to you, saves lives. You don't want the truth because deep down in places you don't talk about at parties, you want me on that wall, you need me on that wall. We use words like honor, code, loyalty. We use these words as the backbone of a life spent defending something. You use them as a punchline. I have neither the time nor the inclination to explain myself to a man who rises and sleeps under the blanket of the very freedom that I provide, then questions the manner in which I provide it. I would rather you just said thank you, and went on your way, Otherwise, I suggest you pick up a weapon, and stand a post. Either way, I don't give a damn what you think you are entitled to."

Metaphor and analogy aside, I guess I am saying that in a fully rational world, I can understand the role that Admiral Cain and the Pegasus play. They are the dirty side of war... the harsh... cruel... dehumanizing side... and although a part of me deep down wants them to exist... I really, really hate them for it.

That is what stands out to me the most... how much I just despise Admiral Cain and everyone on board the Pegasus. In the episode Final Cut we saw a nice little propaganda film put together that showcased the nobility of the Galactica crew. I am sure you could make an identical video about the Pegasus... about the hundreds of Raiders they have destroyed... the countless sacrifices they have made. Everyone on that ship is equally a person... with a history... a family... Like the Galactica they are doing their job against hopeless odds. They thought they were the last ship in the fleet and yet they continued to fight (on offense) against the Cylons. But it is easy to forget these things, especially when they come into our house (this show) and treat the characters we know and love like second class officers.

This is another interesting dynamic. Remember, the Galactica was set to be decommissioned. It was an old ship full of a third-rate crew... a collection of disciplinary problems, wash-ups and reserves. The Pegasus on the other hand is a top-notch technological marvel, staffed with probably one of the most hardened and talented crews in the fleet. It is an Admiral flag ship. For you Trekkies, Pegasus is the Enterprise NCC-1701-E while the Galactica is NCC-1701-B.

Of course, Enterprise comparisons aside, the Pegasus sure as hell isn't any starship we know. It is one hell of a dark place. With rumored shootings on the bridge for a single disobeyed command, sanctioned rape of enemy prisoners, and zero tolerance tribunals, it is no wonder the crew is a little hard to love. The contrast is stark when compared with Galactica.

Honestly though, I don't think you can blame Galactica for becoming as soft as it has. The mediating factor in all of this is the Colonial fleet. The Pegasus has been able to go it alone and concentrate on maximizing their military impact. The Galactica, on the other hand, is responsible for the lives of over 47,000 civilians. This naturally makes the entire operation much more community focused. The elements of democracy pervade all ships, both military and civilian. For proof you only have to look at the relationship between Roslin and Adama. He use to be a much harder "military" man and has definitely softened his touch to allow the virtues of human society to foster within such a hopeless situation.

If you think back to a conversation Baltar had with Number Six down on Kobol, she said that humanity's desire to kill is what makes them human. The Pegasus fulfills her observation, but Adama and the Galactica disapprove it equally showing compassion towards Sharon and a genuine desire to allow the virtues of a free society to persist... even when the easier path is martial law and armed force.

In the end, I really liked this episode. It made me think a lot over these past few days about the different sides of the war against the Cylons. The truth is that we hate the Pegasus, but part of us needs it to exist. We love Galactica, but only because it is an idealized vision of how we wish the world should work. The most interesting part is that when faced with a vision of how the world is, we hate it. In science fiction, reality makes the best enemy.

Principal MVP of the week is Edward James Olmos as William Adama. He gives some good monologues about the role of a soldier, but when pressed too far, his idealism and loyalty lash out. The scene where he throws down and launches the fighters gave me goosebumps.

Secondary MVP of the week has to go to Michelle Forbes as Admiral Cain. They couldn't have casted someone who I disliked more. Every moment she was onscreen I cringed. Being that I am a "Star Trek" guy, I also enjoyed seeing a familiar face.

Additional Resources

• Official episode synopsis
• Podcast commentary with Ron Moore
• Battlestar Wiki Pegasus page

Battlestar spoof poster

Check out this spoof poster for BSG from Damageready:

Less experienced than the Pegasus

Katee Sackhoff flies Alaskan Airlines

This is a great post by Mariah about her encounter with Katee Sackhoff onboard an Alaskan Airlines flight:

Our flight ended up being delayed, and I spent all my time playing cards on my dad's laptop.  I didn't look around at all.  D'oh!  But finally we boarded, and this is where it gets good.  I'm tired, I'm bored, and I'm looking for my seat, row 21.  I look down the aisle and see a girl with blonde hair, so of course I think, "haha, she looks like Starbuck.".  But I think that about a lot of blonde people.  But then I looked at her again and thought, no, she really looks like Starbuck.  I look down at her arm, and there is the tatoo that all the fans know about.  OMG.  It really IS HER!!

I passed her to put my bag up above, and, in shock, sit behind her.  I leaned to my mom, and told her, "OMG!OMG!  It's Katee Sackhoff!!!  It's Starbuck!!!!".  This makes sense, because she lives in LA, and she's from Portland, so she would be going home to visit her parents.  But OMG.  I was in so much shock.  I suddenly scrambled in my bag for a pad of paper and a pen.  I had to ask her!  I leaned over her shoulder and went:

"Excuse me...  uh, are you Katee Sackhoff??"

"Yeah."

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It is a great post... with photo.

Being that I was born and raised in Alaska, I was happy to see Alaskan airlines getting some patronage from the BSG elite! :)