Plot; When a mysterious virus befalls a majority of the Galactica's Viper pilots, a group of inexperienced female shuttle pilot trainees are forced to take their place.
Girls can't be Viper pilots!... unless it's a reboot, then they all are. Actually, nothing is really made of them all being female, which is surprising. If you're going to go that route, why not make it a plot point? There are a number of ways you could play it. I'm just glad they're all drop-dead gorgeous (seriously, I kept expecting to see a robed Hugh Heffner wander in frame), because there's nothing worse than an "average" looking female pilot.
Acting as the first episode proper after the pilot movie, little to no effort is made to reintroduce the characters or recap the plot thus far. Even the voice over that precedes the opening credits touches on everything but the actual premise. Not that it's that complex, but I would've thought a little context this early on would be par for the course.
The actual episode is moderately entertaining. On one side you have Baltar (John Colicos), the human face of the otherwise robotic Cylons glaring from beneath permanently arched eyebrows. A traitor to humanity spared by the Cylons for his knowledge of his brethren, he makes for a deliciously 70s arch-villain while never hamming it up. On the other you have Commander Adama (Lorne Greene), stoic leader of a ragtag fleet of ships that represent the last of what remains of the original twelve human colonies. Greene brings a much needed dose of gravitas to things, giving the events a gravity they would otherwise lack. The rest of the cast fill in around them nicely. Leads Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict are hand and glove fits for their odd couple roles, and strong actors like Terry Carter make the most of supporting roles.
Having watched the pilot movie a couple of months back, I'm now about to make my own voyage through the universe of the original 'Battlestar Galactica'. I certainly have fond memories of the series from my childhood, though the bulk of that came from watching it during various marathons and in syndication during the early-to-mid 80s. This first of a two-parter sets up a solid enough plot, mixing in humor, mystery and action with top-notch production values. I'm looking forward to my journey with the crew of the Galactica.
Girls can't be Viper pilots!... unless it's a reboot, then they all are. Actually, nothing is really made of them all being female, which is surprising. If you're going to go that route, why not make it a plot point? There are a number of ways you could play it. I'm just glad they're all drop-dead gorgeous (seriously, I kept expecting to see a robed Hugh Heffner wander in frame), because there's nothing worse than an "average" looking female pilot.
Acting as the first episode proper after the pilot movie, little to no effort is made to reintroduce the characters or recap the plot thus far. Even the voice over that precedes the opening credits touches on everything but the actual premise. Not that it's that complex, but I would've thought a little context this early on would be par for the course.
The actual episode is moderately entertaining. On one side you have Baltar (John Colicos), the human face of the otherwise robotic Cylons glaring from beneath permanently arched eyebrows. A traitor to humanity spared by the Cylons for his knowledge of his brethren, he makes for a deliciously 70s arch-villain while never hamming it up. On the other you have Commander Adama (Lorne Greene), stoic leader of a ragtag fleet of ships that represent the last of what remains of the original twelve human colonies. Greene brings a much needed dose of gravitas to things, giving the events a gravity they would otherwise lack. The rest of the cast fill in around them nicely. Leads Richard Hatch and Dirk Benedict are hand and glove fits for their odd couple roles, and strong actors like Terry Carter make the most of supporting roles.
Having watched the pilot movie a couple of months back, I'm now about to make my own voyage through the universe of the original 'Battlestar Galactica'. I certainly have fond memories of the series from my childhood, though the bulk of that came from watching it during various marathons and in syndication during the early-to-mid 80s. This first of a two-parter sets up a solid enough plot, mixing in humor, mystery and action with top-notch production values. I'm looking forward to my journey with the crew of the Galactica.