Fat Ninja

The Galactica

I remember having heard rumblings about the miniseries when it was set to air for the first time, but I never got around to watching it. In fact, I don’t even think I had access to the SciFi channel at the time. The only other real exposure I had to the series was via a series recap that SciFi threw out on the Xbox Live Marketplace, just prior to launching their third season. I downloaded it and watched much of it. My interest was piqued, but I quickly forgot about it.

It was only after months of pawing and pestering from my pal Ozzy that I went out and rented the first disc of the Season 1 box set, which consisted of the miniseries that kicked off the whole re-imagining of the short-lived 70’s series. Within the first 30-minutes, I was thoroughly entranced. From that moment on, I couldn’t stop watching BSG. My appetite for the show’s unique, yet familiar brand of serial sci-fi goodness was insatiable. I tore through Season 1 with a savage glee. Any friend and co-worker who would listen can tell you that I just would NOT shut up about the show.

It was going into Season 2.0 (it confused me at first, too) that I hit my first roadblock. My local DVD rental facilities did not carry Season 2.0. The library had it, but the waiting list for it was nearly infinite in nature. This just would not do. I needed a fix, and I needed it now. Laura tracked down a copy through half.com and ordered it for me, most likely to get me to shut up about the whole thing. It arrived about 10-days later and I ripped into its cellophane casing like some wild-eyed child on Christmas Day. But it wasn’t long before human nature had depleted this boon of its resources, so I quickly ran out and bought Season 2.5.

Once more, I flew through the four-disc set quickly, only to find myself well past the halfway-mark of Season 3 without a box-set to satiate my hunger. But my needs would not be abated. I used questionable methods to get caught up on Season 3.0, but it had to be done. There was simply nothing for it. Unfortunately, now that I’m caught up, I, like every other faithful fan of the series, have to wait patiently for each week’s episode to air.

You’re probably wondering what it is about this show that makes it so wonderful. There are a number of different answers to that particular question. Honestly though, these various answers really coalesce into one neatly packaged show that excels on almost every level.

BSG relies very heavily on its storyline, telling the story of the final days of the Twelve Colonies of Man. A utopian society, the Twelve Colonies created self-aware robots called Cylons to make life in the Colonies easier. But when the Cylons rebelled, war ensued. Eventually, an armistice was declared and the Cylons went to find a home of their own. Some 40 years of peace followed, until the Cylon once more returned to exact their own brand of justice, effectively wiping out the Twelve Colonies in one fell swoop.

The series chronicles the struggles of mankind’s only survivors as they struggle to stay alive and search for a new beginning on the fabled Thirteenth Colony, Earth, while the Cylon threat hounds them across the galaxy. All that stands between the human race and extinction is the last of the Colonies’ defenses, the Battlestar Galactica and its crew.

While the general story might not sound entirely thrilling on paper, rest assured that it plays out brilliantly onscreen. Its rich narrative is held together by twisting plots and sub-plots. What really makes the story work, however, is its utter believability. The amount of attention paid to the simplest of details is mind-boggling at times. The passion of the design team for making the world of BSG really shines through in the tiniest of things. There’s just no way to measure the impact of immersive details like the way retro-rockets fire along the nose of a Viper starfighter during maneuvers. You watch it and you say to yourself, “These guy’s thought of everything!”

Moving through the story is a host of well-crafted characters that pay tribute to humanity’s own flawed nature. Each character is unique, yet palpably human. You can relate to the characters and their emotional struggles. There are times where you will hate even those characters whom you love the most; not because they act uncharacteristically, but rather because they are so bull-headedly steadfast in adhering to the qualities and values that they stand for.

Yet, no matter how much attention is devoted to character development, it’s all for naught if you haven’t got the right people to play them. Led by the likes of Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonald, BSG features a highly talented crew of actors that manage to perfectly harness the series’ potential. Between the cast and the screenwriting, one easily finds themselves emotionally invested in the show and its outcome.

BSG has a little bit of everything. Its dramatic elements serve as perfect vehicles for establishing the characters and their motivations. The larger storyline delivers a great deal of suspense and intrigue. But BSG also tends to deliver an action-packed hour of television. Whether in the form of Colonial Marines staging an assault, or a squad of Vipers engaging a swarm of Cylon Raiders, BSG has action in spades.

In closing, I’ll apologize to the three of you who actually read this entire post. I know it was a lengthy one, on a subject you could most likely care less about. But I’ve been wanting to put my feelings about the show down on “paper” for quite some time. BSG is easily my favorite show out there, and I implore any one of you to check it out. Rent it on NetFlix, or call your local rental place. Just give it a shot. I think you’ll be impressed. The more of us that watch it, the longer it will stick around.

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