Battlestar Galactica - the new series

[ktm]

Anyone else watching this series on the SciFi channel? I can’t get enough of it. Plus it gives me the perfect Friday penance since the show is on Friday and I can “fast” from it by waiting till Saturday to watch it on tape.

 

[Edwin1961]

I can’t imagine watching the ‘new’ version.
I grew up watching the original and still prefer the original because:

By today’s standards, it’s your typical cheesy 70’s bad tv, and it’s more funny to watch now and it was in 1979.

WIth the new version, is the show more filled with ‘social messages’ and filled with ‘PC nonsense’?

 

[Bill_A]

I like watching it but the fact that each charcter has a fatal flaw, in the first episode bothers me. Its that, hey were only human attitude that really hurts me deep inside. I cant afford cable so I havent seen any of the new episodes, just the first ones.

 

[Timidity]

Edwin1961:

WIth the new version, is the show more filled with ‘social messages’ and filled with ‘PC nonsense’?

More filled? You mean more than the original’s nod-and-wink to prostitution, anti-polution, and all those other social issues it was filled with?

Dunno. I haven’t seens anything particular PC’ish. IN three episodes there’s been a short conversation about the nature of police and the military. The last episode (Bastille Day) was socio-political nonsense, but it was portrayed that way, too. I don’t recall any social messages in “33”.

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

Timidity:

More filled? You mean more than the original’s nod-and-wink to prostitution, anti-polution, and all those other social issues it was filled with?

Dunno. I haven’t seens anything particular PC’ish. IN three episodes there’s been a short conversation about the nature of police and the military. The last episode (Bastille Day) was socio-political nonsense, but it was portrayed that way, too. I don’t recall any social messages in “33”.

I got a socail message from “33”.

The message was loud and clear. Its not a good idea to go over 78 hours without sleep!

But a bit more serious, wasn’t “33” where Starbuck took Apollo to task for his “Let’s be safe out there” comment after the pilots briefing?

 

[FightingFat]

We had the final episode of series 1 last night…I love anything like this so have really enjoyed it. A couple of points;

1. Not enough spaceship fighting cylon action type stuff.
2. Why do they keep saying ‘frack’ all the time? Are the trying to invent a new swearword?
3. Interesting issues on humanity/ God/ when is machine as sentient as man and who does God belong to type stuff.
4. Good idea about the cylon’s looking like us, but the robots look really cool and I wish we could see some more of them (preferably being blown up).
5. Did I mention there’s not enough spaceship fighting action type stuff?
   

 

[Marauder]

FightingFat:

1. Why do they keep saying ‘frack’ all the time? Are the trying to invent a new swearword?

Frack is one of the nods to the original series. In the original series it was the Galatica universe equivilent of a swear word. They also had their own words for different time intervals. They don’t seem to be using them in the new series.

It was interesting seeing the original Apollo talking to the new Apollo in the last episode.

 

[Timidity]

ByzCath:

But a bit more serious, wasn’t “33” where Starbuck took Apollo to task for his “Let’s be safe out there” comment after the pilots briefing?

Yes. I didn’t see that as a social message, though.

 

[Timidity]

1. Not enough spaceship fighting cylon action type stuff.

I view this as a plus. The Cylons being a dark, menacing force who lurk in shadows adds more intrigue then shiney toasters who show up week after week just to be blown up.

2. Why do they keep saying ‘frack’ all the time? Are the trying to invent a new swearword?

As Marauder pointed out, this is a “swear word” from the original series. In 1977, everyone thought part of Star Wars success was that it was dirty and gritty. Things didn’t work all the time, and Hans Solo was a rogue-sort of character. Larson sought to duplicate this in BSG, so he had people swearing. But being a family show on network television… So he invented “frak” and “feldercarp.” Feldercarp was used to indicate that the speaker doubted the veracity of a recently heard comment. Almost as if a felder was a bovine of some sort…

 

[camby]

I have watched it a few times. Yes it has far better graphics and technology. I have to admit though, it is too dark and PC. I still like the original better, more upbeat and more like what you hope a more advanced civilization would be like. WHo knows.

 

[wabrams]

This is an awesome show. I love how it’s more drama than campy sci-fi. The real life physics add alot to the realism. My favorite thing they changed from the original is the launch process of the Vipers: they are hooked into a catapult and with a launch officer to to activate the catapult; and then the view of the counter wait being pulled back as the fighter is pulled down the tube. Just really cool stuff.

 

[camby]

I tend to like the original better. Mor upbeatr and more civilized. The new version is a bit to PC and dark. Technology and filming cool though. The weapons are more impressive in some ways, though the 1st episode was a bit odd. The Galactica had to go get ammunition. How are they going to make some on their long journey to Earth. Energy based weapons would be more plausible and impressive.

 

[FightingFat]

Anyone see a theme like subversion and acceptance in the series? Almost like they’re addressing the issue of terrorism and resolution? It will be an interesting progression…Are you guys on series 2 over there?

 

[wabrams]

camby:

Energy based weapons would be more plausible and impressive.

In an interview, Ron Moore talked about how energy weapons aren’t really that pausible. A solid object in a vaccum (a energized bullet) will travel indefinately in space until it hits another object. Energy (lasers, etc.) will eventually lose power and intensity after discharge.

 

[Timidity]

wabrams:

In an interview, Ron Moore talked about how energy weapons aren’t really that pausible. A solid object in a vaccum (a energized bullet) will travel indefinately in space until it hits another object. Energy (lasers, etc.) will eventually lose power and intensity after discharge.

Which is why energy weapons make better choices than physical weapons. With physical ordinance, after a major battle you will have huge clouds of deadly bullets flying in every direction. For ever.

Energy discharges become “safe” after leaving the combat zone.

 

[wabrams]

Timidity:

Which is why energy weapons make better choices than physical weapons. With physical ordinance, after a major battle you will have huge clouds of deadly bullets flying in every direction. For ever.

Energy discharges become “safe” after leaving the combat zone.

They don’t stay around, they will have long since left the area.

 

[Timidity]

FightingFat:

Are you guys on series 2 over there?

It depends how you count.

If you’re counting the oringal pilot “mini-series” as series 1, then yes.

If not, then, no.

The production company considers this to be Season 1.

So far, here in the US, we’ve had:

• The series pilot (4 hours)
• Episode 101: “33”
• Episode 102: “Water”
• Episode 103: “Bastille Day”

This Friday will be episode 104, “Act of Contrition”.

 

[Timidity]

wabrams:

They don’t stay around, they will have long since left the area.

That’s my point–they leave the combat zone–still as deadly as ever. Years later and long forgotten they sudden “drift” across a shipping lane…

Imagine if, for every gun on earth, the bullets did not stop, but kept travelling around the planet at a height of 3 feet until it hit something.

 

[wabrams]

Timidity:

That’s my point–they leave the combat zone–still as deadly as ever. Years later and long forgotten they sudden “drift” across a shipping lane…

Imagine if, for every gun on earth, the bullets did not stop, but kept travelling around the planet at a height of 3 feet until it hit something.

Big difference is this: Earth has gravity to stop the bullet and a finite amount of space to travel in. Though gravity doesn’t stop a bullet in space, there is an infinate amount of space for it to travel through.

 

[Timidity]

wabrams:

Big difference is this: Earth has gravity to stop the bullet and a finite amount of space to travel in. Though gravity doesn’t stop a bullet in space, there is an infinate amount of space for it to travel through.

Again, you’re making my point. Some amount of the bullets will be a hazard to someone in the future, because there’s just wizzing along… And because, in a dogfight, they’re being fired in every direction it’s almost assured that some of them will hit an innocent ship ferrying hundreds wide-eyed innocent little girls holding teddy bears on their way to see mommy in Caprica 20 years after the orginal battle is over.