In honor of this long-awaited event, I thought I’d discuss the “10 things you need to know about Battlestar Galactica” that Moore & Eick detailed in a half-hour special this week on SciFi.
1. The fate of the human race is in jeopardy.
This is the central underlying theme of BSG. It colors all their interactions with the Cylons and, maybe, makes their extreme actions sometimes more bearable. If you’re fighting for your very existence, you get a little more leeway, no? I.E., airlocking Leoben in Season 1 or, in the pilot, leaving behind all the colonial ships that didn’t have FTL. Sacrifice many to save at least a few.
But they are determined not to lose their humanity in the process – thus the actions of the folks on the Atlantis (sorry, brain cramp, Pegasus, of course) seemed beyond the pale to those on the Galactica. Only when we watched Razor did we realize that the Atlantians Pegasus crew felt even more than the Galactica fleet that they were alone in the universe. Without having a civilian fleet to protect from the start, the Atlantis (hey, at least I was consistent) and its crew felt extraordinarily isolated, in ways those on the Galactica actually can’t begin to imagine.
2. Admiral Adama leads the colonists in a search for Earth.
Look, whatever they were going to change from the original series, they weren’t gonna change this. What I like about the new Bill Adama is (besides the fact that he has a first name) that he’s flawed. In the original, he never did anything wrong. Sometimes the civilians didn’t listen to him, but we the viewer always knew that every decision he made was correct.
Bill Adama is human and makes mistakes.
3. The Galactica crew is a family.
Just like a family, they may fight like the dickens with each other, but when faced with an outside threat – Cylons or Adm. Cain and her crew – they rally together. You may make fun of your parents or siblings or cousins, but if someone else tries to say something nasty about them? They’d better run.
4. Cylons look like us now.
I do wish, however, that we had more time with the Centurions. I found it fascinating that they’re capable of the same kind of advanced thought and consciousness as the skinjobs, but the skinjobs had just suppressed it.
I’m very curious about all that, and how the Centurions really spend their days.
5. The president is dying.
I’ll admit it, for a while I figured they’d never kill her. And when she was “cured” by Hera’s blood, I was all, “aha!!!!” But it looks like she’s a goner for sure. I mean, she’s really sick.
6. There are Cylons within the Galactica crew.
At first, no one knew they were in the crew; the revelation that Boomer was a Cylon was devastating, and then there was that PR guy, Brother Cavil and suicide bomber Leoben.
But now? We have the Athena Sharon as a full-fledged crew warrior and the Sixes, D’Annas, Sharons and Leobens working with the fleet, even going to Earth with them.
7. Starbuck has a destiny.
I guess Kara’s mom was right about something. But wtf is it already?!?!?!??!?!?!
8. A civil war has split the Cylons.
The Cylons are far more human than we ever imagined.
9. Enemies have become allies.
The enemy of mine enemy is my friend. Even when my friend is my enemy. Hell, if these Cylons are willing to give up the ability to resurrect, they’re pretty serious about cooperating.
10. They found Earth.
Wasn’t exactly what they expected. So what now?
