Battlestar Galactica (re-imagined)

[Jaggyd]

I disliked the "mid-season finale" that just aired. Spoilers abound, so if you're new to the show (DSF, Moony), I'd advise you don't click the spoilers.

Spoiler

So, the tenth episode of season 4 aired. They've spent the past several episodes tying up plot-lines that have been dangling since the beginning of the show. And they tied up the biggest one of all in this episode: it ended with them finding Earth, and landing on the planet (with the Cylons after a cheesy "truce"). The only problem is, its an Earth of an indeterminate future of our own, and the planet is devastated and irradiated. Earth has apparently been destroyed by nuclear war. At least, the city-like region they main characters landed by has been. I'm guessing they either discover portions of the planet that are safe and habitable in the remaining ten episodes airing next year, or spend those episodes searching for another habitable planet. Perhaps one that the surviving Earthlings themselves escaped to? Maybe...Earth 2!

DUN DUNN DUNNNNNN!!!!

But yeah, I was unimpressed. Very disappointing, as I had enjoyed the majority of this season so far. And now we have to wait at least 6 months to see the remaining ten episodes. I hate Sci-Fi Channel's mini-seasons. Well, not really, just right now, as I was extremely let down by the ending I was given that has to tide me over to 2009. Grrrrrrr.

HAHAHAHA!!!!


Stupidest show.... ever....


I swear to god, they're humping their M. Night Shamylan dolls going "oh... gods... twist!!"

 

[DIrishB]

HAHAHAHA!!!!


Stupidest show.... ever....


I swear to god, they're humping their M. Night Shamylan dolls going "oh... gods... twist!!"

The entire goal of the show, up in an atom bomb. I have zero hope they can pull off a suitable ending now.


And stupidest show ever...no, no way. Just from previews alone that goes to the new 90210.

This episode definitly qualifies, though.

 

[ProjectX2]

I have started watching this after skipping the mini-series. It is intriguing.

I have read some of the stuff that has been posted in this thread and have no idea what's going on. I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

 

[Foolsfolly]

First half of it was awesome. The last half not so much.

 

[DIrishB]

I have started watching this after skipping the mini-series. It is intriguing.

I suggest watching the mini-series. It really helps establish the characters and explains a lot about why they are the way they are, as well as covers the Cylon annihilation of the Colonies...really good stuff.

I have read some of the stuff that has been posted in this thread and have no idea what's going on. I don't know if that's a good thing or not.

Probably good. Just watch the show and formulate your own opinion.

 

[Jaggyd]

First half of it was awesome. The last half not so much.

I have to admit, it helped me understand and actually feel sympathy for Tigh.


Then Edward James Olmos promptly hammed it up, and that kinda killed the moment for me.

 

[moonmaster]

I didn't think last night's episode was that bad.

Spoiler

The ending certainly had a big 'WTF' quality to it, (Moreso because of how quickly they find Earth rather than what Earth is like.) but the end of Season 2, with the one year later thing, had me just about as surprised.

And I've been predicting that there would be something wrong with Earth since I started watching the show. This is the "kill of thousands of people a week" show. They're not going to just find Earth and everything is going to be dandy.

 

[DIrishB]

I didn't think last night's episode was that bad.

Spoiler

The ending certainly had a big 'WTF' quality to it, (Moreso because of how quickly they find Earth rather than what Earth is like.) but the end of Season 2, with the one year later thing, had me just about as surprised.

And I've been predicting that there would be something wrong with Earth since I started watching the show. This is the "kill of thousands of people a week" show. They're not going to just find Earth and everything is going to be dandy.

I never expected Earth to be ok when they arrived. I expected something like this honestly. I think I just expected it to be handled differently in terms of how they got there. We get a deus ex machina moment with the Viper 3/4 of the way into the show pointing the way to Earth, and them landing on Earth. It just seemed last-minute and forced in terms of trying to tie in the Final Five...er, Four...or in the case of discovering the Viper, Three at the last minute.

I am interested to see how they approach finding a new planet in the remaining ten episodes. Wondering if they'll find portions of Earth that are habitable (unlikely given the nature of the show) or if they'll leave Earth to search for another habitable planet (possibly one the survivors of Earth, if there were any, might have fled to). I'm thinking they'll discover markers pointing the way, and we'll get a re-hash of them following those to their new home. It just seems like an unimaginative way of prolonging the story.



Didn't you just start watching the show? I remember you saying you had just started checking it out a little while ago. Did you already tear through all the seasons, or are you just glossing over them (watching certain episodes, ignoring others)?

 

[ProjectX2]

I did three Sudokus while watching an episode last night. It was definitely a boring one. I'll probably keep up with this series on DVD just because everyone says it's great, but I don't think I'll actively hunt down the rest of the episodes because I'm not that interested.

 

[moonmaster]

I never expected Earth to be ok when they arrived. I expected something like this honestly. I think I just expected it to be handled differently in terms of how they got there. We get a deus ex machina moment with the Viper 3/4 of the way into the show pointing the way to Earth, and them landing on Earth. It just seemed last-minute and forced in terms of trying to tie in the Final Five...er, Four...or in the case of discovering the Viper, Three at the last minute.

I am interested to see how they approach finding a new planet in the remaining ten episodes. Wondering if they'll find portions of Earth that are habitable (unlikely given the nature of the show) or if they'll leave Earth to search for another habitable planet (possibly one the survivors of Earth, if there were any, might have fled to). I'm thinking they'll discover markers pointing the way, and we'll get a re-hash of them following those to their new home. It just seems like an unimaginative way of prolonging the story.

They need some more cylon drama.

It would suck if everyone just hugs and makes up and that's it. I bet finding Earth as a big ****hole is going to cause them to turn back against each other.

I can't imagine how else anything interesting will happen in those last few episodes.

Didn't you just start watching the show? I remember you saying you had just started checking it out a little while ago. Did you already tear through all the seasons, or are you just glossing over them (watching certain episodes, ignoring others)?

Nope, I caught up on the whole show before Season 4 started.

 

[DIrishB]

They need some more cylon drama.

It would suck if everyone just hugs and makes up and that's it. I bet finding Earth as a big ****hole is going to cause them to turn back against each other.

I can't imagine how else anything interesting will happen in those last few episodes.

Agreed. I don't see the Cylon/Human alliance lasting more than the first few minutes of the next episode...which we have to wait until 2009 to see.

*sigh*

Nope, I caught up on the whole show before Season 4 started.

What'd you think overall? Any particular favorite episodes/season? Also, did you see the Razor TV movie? Its good stuff, especially if you liked the season 2 Pegasus storyline.

 

[Dr.Strangefate]

I am now halfway through Season 2, not the giant drop in quality everybody had me expecting.

Should I watch Razor at the end of this season, or wait until where it actually aired with the series?

 

[DIrishB]

I am now halfway through Season 2, not the giant drop in quality everybody had me expecting.

I think I meant Season 3 (if you were referring to my post). Most of early Season 2 was good, but a few filler episodes in the latter half left me disappointed (mainly due to the extremely high level of quality of the majority of Season 2). So no, Season 2 is definitly good. And certain parts of Season 3 are good, they just occur less than they do in Seasons 1 and 2.

Should I watch Razor at the end of this season, or wait until where it actually aired with the series?

I'd watch it at the end of Season 2 (chronologically as opposed to how it aired). It occurs between the Season 2 episodes "The Captain's Hand" and "Downloaded". There are a couple of hints of things to come in Season 4 revealed at the end of Razor, but since you don't have to wait till they air to watch them (and thus wait months for the storylines to pay off), I recommend the chronological approach. I am the timeline guy, after all.

Speaking of which, I really enjoyed Razor. If you liked Cain's character in mid-Season 2, you'll love her in Razor. Fleshes out her character more and helps act as both a present day story occuring between episodes, interspersed with flashbacks to the Cylon attack and the lead-up to the Pegasus meeting the Galactica. Also features some webisode material that flashes back to a young Adama and Cain in the first Cylon War.

 

[Dr.Strangefate]

Just finished season two, watching Razor before "Downloaded" like a good little boy. Damn good stuff. Damn good series. I am worried about the drop of quality here-onward... I mean, I'm dedicated enough to finish the series, but the low episodes in this season ("black market" in particular) make me wary of what's to come.

i'm guessing the line about Starbuck leading humanity to its destruction is the bit that's foreshadowing season four. Hopefully it's not too literal, otherwise that's one hell of a spoiler.

 

[DIrishB]

Just finished season two, watching Razor before "Downloaded" like a good little boy. Damn good stuff. Damn good series. I am worried about the drop of quality here-onward... I mean, I'm dedicated enough to finish the series, but the low episodes in this season ("black market" in particular) make me wary of what's to come.

Season 3 has a few stinkers, but it also has some stand-outs as well. The first four episodes of Season 3 are a hell of a lot of fun, and the fourth features one of the coolest things I've ever seen on TV:

The Galactica jumps into the atmosphere of New Caprica (during the rescue mission) only a few thousand feet in the air--I won't reveal the why or outcome--but the sheer awesomeness of the scene itself probably had me at my most please with the series.

Thats the thing about Season 3, at least for me. It offered some of the best (maybe not in terms of best overall episodes, but certainly in terms of plot twists--successful or not) and also some of the worst (pointless and plot-hole type plot twists, ie, see the good). For me it went either way depending on the episode. Like I said, the first four or five I enjoyed, then Unfinished Business, The Passage, A Day in the Life, Dirty Hands, were all great to decent, and the last three episodes especially (Son Also Rises, Crossroads I & II) were well done overall--despite the pull it out of nowhere explanation for verdict in the trial at the conclusion of Season 3. Despite that, the character of Romo Lampkin makes up for any of Season 3's faults in my eyes. He's awesome in those last few episodes as Baltar's lawyer.

So, Season 3 is hit or miss. But I haven't been as blown away by a season finale cliffhanger ending as much as I was by BSG Season 3's. The trial, The Final Four reveal (seems contrived at first, but makes perfect sense when you look at their positions in the human fleet/population), All Along the Watchtower, the Earth Zoom! Good stuff.

i'm guessing the line about Starbuck leading humanity to its destruction is the bit that's foreshadowing season four. Hopefully it's not too literal, otherwise that's one hell of a spoiler.

It hasn't really been revealed yet. Some of that is touched on in Season 3. Either it'll be explored further, or it could be explained as a misinterpretation and Kara led the fleet to "Humanity's Destruction", as in Earth itself. Humans destroyed it, after all. Its either that, or later in Season 4 she accidentally leads them into a blind jump into a star or something... One of the two.




Oh, and one more thing. Before starting Season 3, watch The Resistance webisodes. Its on the Season 3 DVD set, or you can just download them (even easier now, since they were on the Season 3 DVD set ). Its not required, but it does flesh out the secondary characters that've been on the show since the first season, and helps explain what and why some third tier characters do what they do in the first 5 episodes.

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Just watched the initial 3-hour miniseries. Damn good stuff.


I can now see why Sci-Fi Channel's shows kinda suck. All their budget is tied up in Galactica.

 

[DIrishB]

Just watched the initial 3-hour miniseries. Damn good stuff.


I can now see why Sci-Fi Channel's shows kinda suck. All their budget is tied up in Galactica.

:lol:

Does this mean you'll give the rest a try? Season 1 and most of Season 2 is even better than the mini.

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Oh I already put the entire series on my Blockbuster queue. There is nothing else that interrupts the sequence. No random new release movie...no old film that I haven't seen in a while....nothing but Galactica. Until I'm all caught up (with what's on DVD anyways).

 

[DIrishB]

Oh I already put the entire series on my Blockbuster queue. There is nothing else that interrupts the sequence. No random new release movie...no old film that I haven't seen in a while....nothing but Galactica. Until I'm all caught up (with what's on DVD anyways).

Cool beans. I'm interested in your thoughts about it, especially your take on the military aspects of the show (as well as the more philosophical).

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Just from the initial miniseries, they seem to mirror the Navy alot in customs and operations. I was impressed....especially on how faithful they remained to certain ideas while still tweaking it for their purposes so as not to take me outta the show because they did something wrong (like Incredicle Hulk movie kept doing).


Now I'm no scientist but I think perhaps the biggest gripe I had about the show was that there is no air in space....so how can there be fiery explosions and smoke trails from the missles? But that's stupid petty stuff.

I really can't wait to see how all this plays out. Especially on whether or not that female Cylon is a figment of his imagination or she actually put a chip in his brain that makes him see her? Very well thought out.

 

[DIrishB]

Just from the initial miniseries, they seem to mirror the Navy alot in customs and operations. I was impressed....especially on how faithful they remained to certain ideas while still tweaking it for their purposes so as not to take me outta the show because they did something wrong (like Incredicle Hulk movie kept doing).


Now I'm no scientist but I think perhaps the biggest gripe I had about the show was that there is no air in space....so how can there be fiery explosions and smoke trails from the missles? But that's stupid petty stuff.

Actually, it can be theorized that a propulsion system for the missiles burns fuel/oxygen to propel itself, and the fire we're seeing is an exhaust of said combustion. So even in space, fire can exist with a fuel source. And as for the fiery explosions: same idea. The fire remains as long as the oxygen source (from inside the burning ships, etc) remains.

I really can't wait to see how all this plays out. Especially on whether or not that female Cylon is a figment of his imagination or she actually put a chip in his brain that makes him see her? Very well thought out.

Four seasons later I'm still wondering about that.

It'd probably have been better for me (personally) if I'd started watching the show now as opposed to when it started. Less waiting and all.

Anyway, you're in for some great television in Seasons 1 and 2. The Season 3 finale is still one of my all time favorite tv episodes...ever. And Season 4 has been fun and moved at a steady clip overall so far. I hope you enjoy it!

 

[Victor Von Doom]

Blockbuster is slow to ship my DVDs so I'm almost done with Season 1. I'm on Disc 4 now.


What really has me going right now is the mystery I stated above.....and the idea that these machines are preaching about religion. And constantly wanting to be "alive". Almost a jaded/jealous Pinocchio kinda thing going on with them.

Weird.

 

[Dr.Strangefate]

Just finished season three, and i'm still enjoying it, though I am aware of a general drop in quality.

 

[moonmaster]

Just watched the initial 3-hour miniseries. Damn good stuff.


I can now see why Sci-Fi Channel's shows kinda suck. All their budget is tied up in Galactica.

Oh I already put the entire series on my Blockbuster queue. There is nothing else that interrupts the sequence. No random new release movie...no old film that I haven't seen in a while....nothing but Galactica. Until I'm all caught up (with what's on DVD anyways).

I'm not at all surprised that Doom is loving BSG.

Anyway, you're in for some great television in Seasons 1 and 2. The Season 3 finale is still one of my all time favorite tv episodes...ever. And Season 4 has been fun and moved at a steady clip overall so far. I hope you enjoy it!

The end of Season 3 was ruined for me by the special thing they did about the show's effect on pop culture. Just, without warning. It was like, back from the commercial break,

Spoiler

THESE GUYS ARE ALL CYLONS

.

I was quite pissed.

So, word of warning to Doom: IF YOU SEE A HALF HOUR SPECIAL ABOUT THE SHOW ON SCI-FI OR BRAVO, FOR THE LOVE OF GODS, DON'T WATCH IT. Unless you love to hear crazy, balls-kickingly insane spoilers before you get to watch the episode where they're revealed.

Just finished season three, and i'm still enjoying it, though I am aware of a general drop in quality.

I think watching it all at once somehow gives a better impression of BSG's overall quality. I also noticed a slight drop in quality, but I think the show has still been pretty great through most of it's episodes.

 

[Victor Von Doom]

I've been staying away from all spoilers. I don't even read half the stuff in this thread just to be safe.


I finished Season 1 and I'm upset that I have to wait like 1 day for Season 2 to come. I have to say...I didn't see the ending of Season 1 coming at all. It just happened and I was all "ZOMGWTF!?!?!?"

 

[Dr.Strangefate]

I just finished episode four of the fourth season. I'm seriously bummed there are only four more episodes until i'm caught up.

 

[ProjectX2]

I just realized my friend said an off-topic remark about this show yesterday and it spoiled the whole thing...

 

[DIrishB]

The end of Season 3 was ruined for me by the special thing they did about the show's effect on pop culture. Just, without warning. It was like, back from the commercial break,

Spoiler

THESE GUYS ARE ALL CYLONS

.

I was quite pissed.

So, word of warning to Doom: IF YOU SEE A HALF HOUR SPECIAL ABOUT THE SHOW ON SCI-FI OR BRAVO, FOR THE LOVE OF GODS, DON'T WATCH IT. Unless you love to hear crazy, balls-kickingly insane spoilers before you get to watch the episode where they're revealed.

Sucks for you (I'd be pissed too), but from where I'm standing thats actually kind of funny (at your expense...sorry).

I think watching it all at once somehow gives a better impression of BSG's overall quality. I also noticed a slight drop in quality, but I think the show has still been pretty great through most of it's episodes.

Definitly. Watching it all in one go makes it harder to sit and analyze each episode one at a time for mistakes...UNLESS YOU'RE BASS! Therefore, its easier to forgive the extremely occasional shoddy writing that sometimes creeps in (ie, Season 3).

I've been staying away from all spoilers. I don't even read half the stuff in this thread just to be safe.


I finished Season 1 and I'm upset that I have to wait like 1 day for Season 2 to come. I have to say...I didn't see the ending of Season 1 coming at all. It just happened and I was all "ZOMGWTF!?!?!?"

Yeah, the show has some great cliffhangers from season to season (just imagine waiting 8 months for the resolution instead of a day or two...it was torture!). Just wait until you see the cliffhangers for Season 2 (pretty good, though maybe a bit predictable), and Season 3 (unpredictable as hell even though it should've been predictable). Honestly, I haven't been as excited to see the next episode for any other show as I was after watching the BSG Season 3 finale...I was like "HOLY ****! How are they gonna top this!?!?"

I just finished episode four of the fourth season. I'm seriously bummed there are only four more episodes until i'm caught up.

Actually there were ten episodes aired so far in Season 4 (the other ten starting in early 2009...gggrrrrr!), so you should have another 6 episodes to go. Not a big difference, but thats another 80 minutes (without commercials) of BSG you haven't seen yet!

 

[Dr.Strangefate]

Where I was watching them only had up to episode eight, so I figured that's where it ended, but I had to go elsewhere for number five, and now I see the full batch...

Watching Episode five right now.

 

[DIrishB]

Where I was watching them only had up to episode eight, so I figured that's where it ended, but I had to go elsewhere for number five, and now I see the full batch...

Watching Episode five right now.

Gotcha.

But for others' sakes, just so we're clear, Season 4 so far has aired ten episodes (and the Razor movie). The remaining ten episodes will begin airing in early 2009.