Battlestar Galactica (2004–2009) User Reviews

What makes us human?

[morethanwho · 10/10 · 27 December 2010]

BSG is a wonderful sci-fi series! In the midst of the battles between the human kind and the robots, the dark sides of the people are exposed whereas the robots display in themselves what humanity should be. The desire to survive, the yearning for the Earth, and the hope for the future drive both the humans and the robots as the distinctions between them gradually disappear.

The casting was exceptional and the performances were more than convincing. The actors did excellent jobs in expressing the emotional struggles within and without. The dynamic and unpredictable story lines demanded feats of acting skills and they all performed to high standards. There were a lot of breath-halting cliffhangers, palm-sweating suspense, and eye-widening surprises.

At times, some of the narrations seemed to be a bit preachy. There were times when the decisions of the people on the ship were too predictable and childish. I had an impression that the ending was rather rushed.

BSG kept asking us the same question "What makes us human?" In this regards, this TV series reminded me of a book called 'Somewhere carnal over 40 winks'.

I hope for more of realistic sci-fi series like BSG in the future.

A Cult Classic, I'd choose over GoT

[prateekgupta-91531 · 10/10 · 15 June 2019]

This is a cult classic, that I believe everyone should watch. I was in the middle of the third season when GoT final season aired, and I couldn't put this down long enough to watch GoT!

It's intense, deeply philosophical, and felt like something I was willing to commit more energy into than into any relationship I've had, ever! (While that says a thing or two about me, it definitely says A LOT about this series)

Quite simply the best sci-fi show ever made

[Ghostbusterx · 10/10 · 6 November 2009]

When George Lucas announced that he was to make the Star Wars prequels I had this preconception of a darker, better acted, and more more grown up version of the movies that were made in the late seventies - early eighties. Instead we got a bunch of kids movies, littered with some of the most terrible cinematic decisions ever put on celluloid.

And then the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica came along, which I must add, I watched from start to finish only after the show had made it's debut on mainstream television.

I was initially sceptical of whether this would be any good, but after having reached the finale I can honestly say that this is quite simply the best sci-fi show ever made. The scripts are top notch, the acting superb with a real heart and soul, and characters that, even with their faults, will be remembered with great affection by the viewers for many years to come.

This is the template for all future TV shows. I't does not overstay it's welcome, knows when to stop, and constantly delivers fresh, new ideas as the seasons progress.

Series 1 was a great introduction; series 2 built on the initial success and delivered some of the shows highlights; season 3 was awesome for the first half (until the writers strike kicked in just after half way - but still highly entertaining); and season 4 put the icing on the cake with what I consider to be a tremendous and satisfying end to this great series.

The only downside was that I wished it could have continued, but I guess it is better to exit on a high and leave the crowd wanting more.

For me this has stripped Star Wars of it's crown and raised the bar where although it may one day be equalled, will never be bettered.

Awesome

Sci-fi for Grown-Ups

[Iok · 10 December 2004]

Before I proceed, I'll just add a quick comment for those slating the series without seeing it: please, stop it. Instead, wait and see what the new show is about and give it a chance. Unless of course, you want to miss one of the best dramas currently airing...

BSG is a very human story. Yet unlike Star Trek, they're not resolved by the end of the episode. Here the characters are real people who make mistakes, grow and learn from their errors. Or maybe they don't...

The point is that in the new BSG, the impact of the loss of the Colonies is something everybody must deal with, be it on a resource-management level to dealing with the loss of their families. The impact of the Cylon attack - never explored in the original series - is a major emphasis in the show and the viewer genuinely does get the feeling of the "rag tag fleet."

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the original series as much as anybody, but it was a product of its time and audience-slot. The new BSG is a much more adult production, both in terms of the writing and performances and the intended audience.

Additionally, the show is very non-sci-fi, but in a good way. Whenever any "science" turns up, it's integrated in such a way as to have minimal impact on the plot and, unlike Star Trek, it isn't used as a Deus Ex Machina to simply resolve the "crisis of the week." In fact, I'd go as far as to say the show is closer to 24 or The West Wing than it is Star Trek or Babylon 5, with the focus being much more on the people and their individual actions, rather than a wide-scale "space opera."

Performances are all strong, with James Callis being the real star. His tortured performance as the guilt-stricken Baltar are a joy to watch as he flips from near-hysterical lunatic to scheming toad to smooth womaniser. Olmos has the presence to give Adama the air of authority required. Sackhoff's performance as Starbuck is "subtly obvious" - she plays the brash, cocky pilot a little too well, something that's explained in later episodes. And Bamber's Apollo is a mix of heroic action and self-doubt which balances well. Mention must also go to McDonnell's President Roslin who, over the course of the series, has grown in stature and presence in a very subtle manner.

Quite simply, Battlestar Galactica is one of the most consistently strong shows I've ever seen. Considering this is only the first of (hopefully) many seasons, it's amazing to see how the show has "hit the ground running," with each episode being an improvement on the last. And considering the high standard of the first one, that's quite the achievement.

Watch it. You won't be disappointed.

Still the King of the Genre

[Felis_lynx · 10/10 · 5 August 2019]

Before "The Expanse" appeared on my radar, I would have called BSG the best SciFi series without competition. Now it's just the best SciFi series with competition.

This show is also referred to as the "reimagined" version of Battlestar Galactica, and I think this is an accurate description considering that one cannot really call it a remake. I have to admit that I never watched the original BSG series from the late 1970s. If I'm being honest, I don't think I ever will. However, it's interesting to see how both shows managed to address the geopolitical context of their time in their own, unique way. The original BSG was known to be a parable of the Cold War (with the robotic, swarm-intelligent Cylons clearly representing the Soviets). In contrast, the reimagined BSG has tackled its post 9/11 context and explores themes like religious fanaticism (the monotheistic Cylons), which is juxtaposed with the more liberal, polytheistic society of the human colonies. It speaks volumes that the main threat to the human colonial society is not just the incessant pursuit of the cylons, but the militarization, securitization, and decay of democratic institutions amongst the human survivors. One of the most interesting parts of the show looks at the problem of occupation from the perspective of the occuppied and the collaborators in their midst - some scenes are characteristically filmed with the greenish tint of night-vision cameras that could as well show CNN footage of raiding houses in Fallujah, Iraq.

It is much to the credit of the show that none of these political allusions are entirely obvious or unequivocal. BSG is not a show that aims to make political statements, it's rather a show that draws attention to the fact that things are never as easy or clear-cut as we would like them to be - and that in political and military affairs, the road to hell is often paved with the best of intentions.

On this note, the genre of BSG is not just science fictions, it's (more specifically) military science fiction. The creators of the show seem to have developed an entire body of theory and doctrine on ship-to-ship combat in space. While I don't want to enter any endless discussion of "realism", I personally found the way BSG portrays combat in outer space very fascinating and (within the confines of the show) consistent. Suffice it to say, it is heavily influenced by a meticulous study World War II naval battles. While CGI technology was not what it is today, most of the scenes in space are aesthetically very pleasing and the space battles are amongst the most engaging I have ever seen in this genre.

On a more general level, the looks and visual atmosphere of BSG are just as impressive as the complex and well-crafted storyline. Ships feel appropriately claustrophobic, they are heavily armored hulks of steel with wires, metallic bulkheads, and flickering neon lights - in many ways the exact opposite of what you might find in "Star Trek". The few planetary surfaces of the show are equally unique, from the over-saturated green of the fallen Garden Eden of Cobol and the sickly yellow tint of irradiated Caprica to the barren planes of New Caprica and the bubbling miasma of the "Algae Planet".

The entire storyline of the show is truly remarkable. After the existential shock of the opening episodes, which depicted nothing less than the nuclear holocaust of an interplanetary human civilization, the show remained thrilling and very tense - almost as if there was a dark, constant undercurrent running through every single episode. At the same time, the introduction of both mystical and mysterious elements - BSG later became famous for it's "circular view of history" - captured my imagination. I still shudder thinking about the strangely meaningful, yet utterly senseless, dadaistic poetry of the human-cylon hybrids who have gone mad from what was never meant to be fused ("End of line"). The different models of the "skin jobs" are equally fascinating, especially after it dawns upon the viewer that each of these (slightly different) non-individuals follows the same patterns and maximes of behaviour (e.g. Lioben always lies).

The same fascination extends to the human characters: One of my all-time favorites was William Adama, the intransigant patriarch, sometimes a fatherly caretaker, sometimes a ruthless military commander with tyrannic tendencies. (Take note of some of the later scenes where Adama and his XO Tigh engage into serious orgies of boozing that usually degerate into the spiteful ramblings of disappointed old men). The brilliantly acted Kara Thrace, whose inner struggles and desparation were almost palpable, is another great example of this show's memorable spectrum of characters.

Bottom line: This show is a must-see for every fan of intelligent science fiction. It is also warmy recommended to anybody who does not fit this description.

10 reasons why you shouldn't watch Battlestar Galactica

[lamiable · 10/10 · 1 January 2010]

1. If you want mindless techno-babble, then this show isn't for you. 2. If you don't manage to appreciate what good... no, let me rephrase that for you: exquisite acting is, then you definitely shouldn't watch it. 3. If you expect to have a crew of four, including a science doctor, an alien, a military and some random Indiana Jones guy, all of them solving new let's-save-the-Earth-before-lunch problems, then skip BSG, is not for you. 4. If you're afraid of seeing real human stories put into a SF shell, perhaps you should go back to Star Trek (and I'm a trekkie too, but...) 5. If you crave to hear 'shields up' or 'engage' or other classic one- liners, then you should rather settle for "frak". Or is it "frakk"? 6. If you're unable to follow a 4 season-long story arc with every episode adding something precious to it without having withdrawal symptoms, then you should really don't give it a try. 7. If all that you want is see people in tight suits flashing laser pistols and teleporting from harms' way, then change the channel. 8. If your interest for spiritual quests, tough sexy girls and people really dying and not returning is something like zero. Oh well, you might skip that 'dying and not returning part' :P 9. If you don't like space battles rendered so real (and with as most care for real physics as a TV SF show can take) that you feel you ARE there. 10. Finally, if you have a mind so closed that you cannot appreciate what the best SF show ever made is all about.

In my opinion, any problem that somebody would have with this show would be his/her problem, not the shows. For the rest of us, BSG raised the bar so high, we almost cannot enjoy other SF shows anymore.

But then... we can always re-watch it, and hope others will learn from it, too.

Re-imagined..some well, some pointless, some plain wrong!

[imaginary-two · 5 January 2006]

I have read many other reviews and find points of many that I agree with and others I disagree with, to wit... I saw other mention of the bullets issue, and I agree, a civilization, and technology, with Faster Than Light drives, and seamless artificial gravity would NOT use guns that not only fired bullets, but were obvious current day handguns. The Cylon Fighters (Raiders), I can even accept the redesign of the Cylon Fighters, as if they got rid of the crew area, and put the Cylon face on them to signify the fact that the ship IS the Cylon, kinda makes sense, even, and they are not too different than the originals in motor and weapon placement and overall shape (minus the crew area). The Cylon Base Stars, what, was a order given that they cannot look ANYTHING like the originals?, the 5 sided round double angular saucer of the originals is not that boring, terrible, or unimaginative of a ship design! They could have enhanced that design, like they did all the other ships (kinda), the new double three sided star looking Base Stars have not even a hint of the originals, but the interiors, with their "Alien" organic look is nice. Speaking of the Galactica, and the recent Pegasus, I can accept them in a similar manner as a refitted WW II aircraft carrier or battleship. But, does the non networking philosophy of the new Galactica (which again actually makes some sense, and tries to explain the corded handsets) extend to the doors?, is it somehow illegal to have any that slide? I guess again a FTL technology can't make compact slider motors hid in walls, or is Ron just making sure you don't mistake this for Trek, or even Babylon 5?

The Cylons , or most of them, the human looking ones, I see as rather a cop out, ST:TNG had "The Borg" and now this, one might begin to think that Ron is just scared of, or incapable of, making truly alien looking aliens, or robots? The re-imagined CG Cylons are cool looking, but what of them have we seen, maybe a total of 10 mins. of screen time? Will they ever talk?, even if the original Cylon Centurions sounded rather like a cheap "Darth Vader", or a 1980s vintage Chrysler Lebaron that featured a canned on a chip synth voice, they at least could talk! More importantly, will these new CG Cylons ever be portrayed as anything other than short screen shots with no real personality, or purpose, other than to shoot their bullet firing guns?

Now for the acting, I think Edward James Olmos is great, I loved the few Miami Vice episodes he was showcased in and his Blade Runner performance, his trademark hard line seriousness is a better Adama than Lorne Greene ever was, sorry. I could never stop thinking of Greene as Ben Cartright, I kept waiting for him to get on a horse! I also like Mary McDonnell as President Laura Roslin, and I don't remember seeing her as anything other than the small part of the president's wife in Independence Day, and was unimpressed with that, so I don't have a bias for her. James Callis is good as Baltar, and although I think the original Baltar (John Colicos) was a much better villain and more interesting character, I have grown to like the re-imagined Baltar, and his subplot. I thought, BTW, that Callis was just silly in ST:DSN. The new Col. Tigh is interesting as well, but I again liked the original Tigh better (and I must say I think the only reason Tigh is not black is because they are too politically correct to have a drunk black) the rest, well, the others I consider interchangeable with 100s of other so-so actors in B-grade TV shows, and the Cylon/Human Number Six (Tricia Helfer) is a obvious name rip off of Seven of Nine in ST:V, and the character is just a bimbo whore, but one who happens to support the (Cylons looking for God? Cylons wanna have a baby?) subplot connected to Baltar. I also think the feminization of Boomer and Starbuck is pointless, except as maybe another politically correct move. I liked all the original pilots better. Speaking of old pilots, I am glad they gave SOMETHING to Richard Hatch (Apollo in the original, Tom Zarek in the re-imagining), after his hard work and even mortgaging his house to make the pilot for his idea of a continuation of BSG, he certainly deserves something, more even, like do his vision, maybe? One other character I must comment on, Admiral Cain, (Michelle Forbes) is very different than the original's Commander Cain (Lloyd Bridges) of the Pegasus, but I like her performance, at least on Jan. 5th, before I see part 2 tomorrow, I also liked her as Lt. Ro on ST:TNG and she plays a similar role, a believable strong female, so her "persona" has continuity, and I like that.(Yea, sure, call me the type cast loving kook!)

I could go on, but I will end with this, I LOVE some elements of the re-imagined Galactica, and I find other parts VERY distasteful, and for me it's very much a Love/Hate attitude I have about the show, but I have grown to kinda like the show, and will continue to watch it. It has drama, the camera work I happen to like, some of the actors are very good, it has interesting plot twists and questions yet to be answered. So for now I'll overlook the distasteful elements.

And of course I loved the original, and really wish that a character like the "IL Series" Cylon Lucifer (voiced by Jonathan Harris, "Lost in Space's" Dr. Smith) was included, and hope (I'm sure quite pointlessly) that a episode similar to the original's "The War of the Gods" would be made in future

Different? Yes, Better? Absolutely!

[sktrucking · 10/10 · 4 June 2006]

As a child of the 70's I can say that I loved the original BSG and always wanted a proper return to the story, not that lame attempt called "Gallactica" with the guy from "Adam 12". However, I was skeptical about this new show because of the core changes, like making Starbuck and Boomer female, for example. It didn't matter. This is one of the best TV shows ever made. It's dramatic, funny, sad, extremely dark and immensely engrossing. By changing the character of Baltar from a ruthless power hungry madman in the original to the witless and sympathetic patsy that he is at the beginning of this show creates a whole new dynamic to this character and his development. Adding the president to be a counter balance to Adama instead of the commander automatically ruling over everyone was far more believable than the council full of wusses that were supposed to be in charge in the '78 version.

Bottom line, the stories are more intense, the characters are stronger, the suspense can drive you mad. This show is addictive to say the least. The creators have brought a realism to this idea that just wasn't there in the original. In '78, the show was a campy attempt to capitalize on the Star Wars phenomenon that was definitely entertaining, but was also a little too convenient in its "everything works out by the end of the episode" theme. Life isn't like that. This new version completely escapes from the happy family sweetness of a '70's TV series. Battlestar Gallactica(2004) is a more believable life and death struggle because people actually die in this series. The only noteworthy death in the original was that of Serena, and that was in the first 3 to 5 hours of the series. These people are fighting for their lives. They're not all going to make it. The last scene of season 1 had me and all my friends jumping out of our seats yelling "NOOOOO! They didn't just do that!!! They can't leave it like that!! When does the next season start?!?!?!?!" Not many shows have had that kind of effect on me in my life, and I watch way too much TV.

In closing, BSG(04) is a fantastic show. If you were a fan of the original, savor it for what it was, but give this reincarnation a chance, I think you'll love it.

One of the best SF Series ever

[rhob1960 · 10/10 · 1 October 2009]

When I heard that the Science Fiction Channel (I refuse to acknowledge their new name), I was less than thrilled. The original series was, to put it bluntly, crap. They took a great idea, the near genocide of a species and let it rot. Rather than keeping it within the boundaries they set, Glen Larson and company made it basically, the fugitive in space. I won't go into how there was no science in this at all, no jump engines, no warp, no FTL of any kind. Of how they knew nothing about any astronomy, or the stupid measurements that meant nothing. The writing was horrible, many episodes were just rip offs of movies, the acting barely tolerable. So I was less than thrilled. However, when I heard that Ron Moore, one of the geniuses behind Deep Space Nine, the best of all the Star Trek spin-offs, was doing it. I was interested. Then, when I saw the miniseries, I was hooked. Galactica is a brilliant show that brought humanity back to Science Fiction. As the show went on and more and more plot threads were revealed, the show was shown to be complex, the kind of TV that's been lacking and can only be held up with excellent shows like Dexter and Breaking Bad. Brilliant in every aspect, Galactica is the kind of show that cannot be understood in one viewing, it has to be watched again and again. Galactica led the way for a resurgence of intelligent Science Fiction, with shows like Fringe and Flash Forward following it's example. Four seasons was for some, too short, but for me a perfect length. I eagerly await THE PLAN.

The Greatest Sc-Fi show ever, So say we all.

[PeterWorthers · 10/10 · 5 May 2008]

I am a die hard devoted Trekker. No other show can come close to the series I hold so dear to my heart.... or can it? I watched the mini series on sci-fi expecting to be disappointed. What happened in reality was a show I will honestly say is second to none, the best science fiction out there. The story lines are top notch, the struggles make you feel for the characters, you really get into this show. (that and I have never found a robot so hot before. Did I just say that out loud?) The way the camera moves makes you feel like you are looking out a port hole at the action outside. Its not like other shows, this is hard hitting, nitty-gritty sci-fi. Unlike what we have been led to think the future is not all bright and promising , the future is bleak, hard and depressing. The technology we thought would make our lives easier will in fact be the end of our lives (FEAR THE MACHINE!!) Bad toaster. It is 4 seasons (and final sadly) in and still as entertaining as ever. It will be a sad day for geeks everywhere when the series finale airs. But at least we can live in the knowledge that we were here to see the series to end all series. So Say We All.

Just a wonderful series

[eightman-06788 · 9/10 · 12 August 2019]

If you are a sci-fi fan, it a must watch. The writing and casting is fantastic. Great ensemble, great plot.

Sci Fi series is one of the best of ALL Time.

[johntaylor-64782 · 10/10 · 29 August 2019]

This TV Sci Fi series was brilliant when I first saw it. It's matured like "Ambrosia" the drink the characters imbibe often.

All characters in the series are absolutely amazing and professional. There are some amazingly beautiful performances by all. The casting was superb.

It's a heart rendering series that seriously beats even my favourite "Star Trek". Takes a lot for me to say that but BSG is warm, heartfelt politically correct, sad, hope, Faith, Good and the bad. No spoilers but a brilliant series. I will watch again.

Some of the best TV ever

[Thirdover4 · 10/10 · 8 June 2006]

I was a fan of the original and a fan of science fiction, but more so I am a fan of great cinematic television. This show went beyond my wildest dreams. Some people have a hard time with certain dramatic and artistic choices made by the producers, but to me those choices only make the show stronger and gutsier. The new Battlestar Galactica concentrates on characters, drama, and the human condition and shies away from the fantasy, serial elements of the original and others of the genre. A first rate cast with real acting chops help ground the story and characters in a universe where the audience cares what happens to them. This is the antithesis of the original that relied on caricature villains and cartoon story lines. The new show tackles real life issues about human rights, religion, and the moral ambiguity of war. It's no wonder Battlestar Galactica has garnered glowing reviews from Time Magazine, Rolling Stone, TV Guide, and the American Film Institute.

Terrific

[max-421 · 22 February 2005]

I watched regularly the original Battlestar Galactica and I liked it when I was a teen, but it was not one of my favorites. Nevertheless I didn't like the idea of a remake, in general I don't like the idea of remake at all, it's typical of Hollywood to be willing to film something again, to adapt it to current taste, or moral. But why do you have to do it? Would be like re-writing Moby Dick every 20 years to adapt it to changes of the readers. It's ridiculous, be imaginative and film something new.

So, I watched the first episode of this new Battlestar Galattica with more than prejudice, I was pretty sure I would have not liked it. I actually watched the making of, before to watch the very first episode, and I listen to the producer Ronald Moore and I didn't like him either, I thought he was phony.

That's why while I was watching the first two episodes (the pilot), I found myself with mouth open thinking... Gawd... He just know how to write. He really does.

It's not without flaws, of course, as life is... But Ronald Moore just really know his job; this new Battlestar Galactica is terrific. The stories are so well written, few of the actors are unbelievable. Edward James Olmos is gorgeous. And all the cast is extremely good.

Let me just spend a word for Starbuck, maybe Katee Sackhoff is a kid, but she's obviously talented, and she just fit the role like a glove.

The casting is terrific, the stories are... The acting is...

You will just forgive what you will not like, because, overall, this is a terrific show.

I've done what most of you asked and tried the new Battlestar Galactica.... but....

[jayoung-4 · 13 September 2005]

I have just spent the last hour looking through several posts that tell fans of the original Battlestar Galactica to give the new "improved" series a chance.

Well I HAVE given the new BSG a huge chance... I even bought the miniseries sight unseen excited at the prospect of falling in love with the characters all over again (regardless that Starbuck and Boomer are now females). I then recorded every episode of season one (this was the only way to ensure I didn't miss an episode as I work shift work). I've tried and tried and tried to even LIKE the new BSG but unfortunately I have to say that IT IS BORING....I'd rather watch paint dry! I'll give you my reasons:

1) The writers/producers seem to be relying on the fact that viewers want to see the main characters in compromising positions with each other almost every time the scene changes (just turn the channel and you'll see that sort of thing on just about every other program - ranging from "sex in the city" to the common late night movie). The blond "bimbo" cylon is only there to try entice the male viewers. She does absolutely nothing for female viewers...apart BORING them to death and making them wish she would go away so that the story can advance.

2) There is also very little depth to the characters...you'd think that by the end of season one you would have some favourite characters that you want to see winning the battle over the "evil cylons" - BORING

3)The long and drawn out process of trying to discover who may be cylon or not. "Just cut to the chase" and get on with the story! If I wanted to watch a series based on conspiracy, backstabbing, and following every thing that the president says to try and catch the cylon impostors....I'd watch "24". The fact that it takes an entire series of this BSG just to clarify some simple story lines is BORING

4) There are far too many references to modern day Earth in the form of language, fashion, technology and religion. These are supposed to be a race of humans that are living in the distant regions of the universe! I find it extremely hard to believe that a society who's distance so far removed from our own could evolve in a completely parallel and uniform fashion! You just have to look at how diverse our current societies are (ranging from Christian to Buddist) and the cultural differences of the countries on this Earth. Are the writers that narrow minded that they want us to believe that the only way Humanity evolved in the far reaches of the universe is the same as modern day America??? This isn't boring it is STUPID!

I could go on for ages about why this "new improved version of BSG" is BORING, but, short of trying to watch both the miniseries and season one all over again to find some redeeming qualities, I'm going to go and turn on my DVD player and loose myself in the PURE ENTERTAINMENT that is the REAL "Battlestar Galactica - The original series" After all I did what most of you asked...I tried the new BSG and it is BORING! BORING! BORING!!!

Wow, now reviews in 9 years... this is an old show worth discovering, Fantastic!

[jwscott-home · 10/10 · 25 September 2019]

I've just finished Season one on Amazon Prime and I must say this is the best sci-fi show I've seen in years. And I've seen all the SyFy channel shows and new SciFi movies of the last few years. I cannot wait to watch the remaining shows. Better by far than the original Star Trek series or movies... it makes Expanse, Dark Matter and other new shows look inept (and I'd resigned myself to fact that those were about as good as we were going to get)... if you haven't seen this series, let me tell you the writing and acting is first class. It's even a little sexy, something you rarely see in SciFi. I'm loving it!!!!

Well. I liked the ending.

[robinhhart · 10/10 · 20 September 2019]

"What was that about?" Nope!

I'm also fascinated by 'ancient human' ideas like, in Stargate? This was the most annoying possibility to consider. An endless cycle; like we're robots, TOO!

Hmm.

;)

So much of my review will be spoilers to the public about my new tv series I'm in production on. I have ten dollars in the bank right now. It will work. I know it will. :):):):)

BLACK: The Dust Wars.

Here's a hint. Launching space vehicles might involve 'blinking' away from the supercrafts.

Or a mixture!

The horrible thing is the guns can do that, too.

Love this show

[jennparis-05929 · 10/10 · 17 September 2019]

This show was and still is overrated, got to complete it eventually and it was fracking awesome. The ending a bit confusing but overall very good show.

Lame, dull and pretentious all the way to the end!

[anacleto_biloba · 6/10 · 21 March 2009]

This show is so messed up that the writers had to pull a "Deus ex machina" to tie up loose ends in the finale!!!

The producer of the show wants us to believe that it is a very deep scifi drama when in reality is just a pretty dull drama with some robots in it. I believe that the show was written as they moved along without a clear idea of what to do next. The series has interesting concepts and ideas. Sometimes the series gained some momentum, but it fizzled away very quickly.

The people from this far far away planet called Caprica celebrate what they call "baby-showers", drink "wine" and "champagne", suffer from some strange sickness called "cancer" eat sushi etc etc. There is no creativity in the writing!!! Everything looks and feels like today Earth!!! Even the characters behaviors!! If I want to see an earth like drama I'll watch 24, ER or The Bold and Beautiful

I did not feel the characters struggle to survive. Starbuck and Apollo tried tooo much to be "cool" and "tough". I hated both characters. Adama cried tooo much for a seasoned commanding officer.

The couple of seasons of Babylon 5 http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0105946/ dealing with the Shadow war kicks the whole galactica series ass.

I really wanted to like this show. I watched every episode, but at the end I still cannot recommend it.

Pretentious and ponderous, but ultimately very weak

[jmgindiana · 1/10 · 14 April 2009]

After watching the whole series, I must say this was a total disappointment, and the ultimate proof about how things are done in Hollywood: good contacts, speaking loud, and making the audience believe they are smarter than they really are because the series it's "intelligent".

From the very beginning there were lots of things that didn't add up, but we let them pass, such as full-election process in a refugee fleet, including public debates and such, as if anyone of the 48.000 survivors could care about politicians after their worlds, friends and family had just been killed. Boomer's sabotages to the fleet didn't make much sense, but they were interesting. Cain's "reimagining" was just a one-dimensional creation, a square warmonger who -as always happens with writers who dislike the military- is ultimately proved wrong in almost everything she does. Things got gradually worse, starting with the one-year jump, and the introduction of the "final five", a concept that most likely was spurned by fans who were asking themselves who were the remaining "models", instead of writers who actually had anything planned for those characters.

While the show garnered critical acclaim, viewers left in droves. Those who remained could be ultimately divided into two groups: the fanatics, for whom anything with the brand "Galactica" (excluding the old show) was God turned into television, and regular viewers who were giving the show the benefit of the doubt, hoping that things could be salvaged at the end with a plausible explanation.

The show's decline, however, became even more pronounced in the last seasons. Instead of fixing the glaring problems of the previous seasons, they introduced new ones, contradicting a lot of stuff, and creating whole story lines -the aforementioned "final five", for example- that in the end turned out to be just a big red herring. Even worse, they committed the worse sin for a show supposedly grounded in reality, even being sci-fi: they resorted to "divine intervention" to explain the whole plot and most of the central story lines. Two characters, one barely seen, suddenly became "angels", while another was turned into a "divine creature", without even the most basic explanation. The whole epilogue for the characters was a disaster, pulling the "emotional strings" while throwing logic out of the window.

To add insult to injury, the show's lack of appeal forced a number of obvious budget cuts, but at the same time, the number of episodes per season was increased from 13 to 20. As a result, we ended up with a sci-fi show with little sci-fi at all, with almost no action to speak of (space or otherwise), and tons of episodes to the top with filler. Of course, that filler was filmed as if it were "relevant" and "dramatic", with hand held cameras and dramatic lighting, no matter if it was just two guys speaking about nothing in a corridor.

As always, a number of fanatics claimed, as they will always claim, that the show was about the characters, about "drama", and never about space battles and such. They are wrong. Battlestar Galactica was sold as a sci-fi drama, not just "drama", and that's the reason it was green lit in the first place. Those who claim that Galactica was always what it turned out to be in the last disastrous seasons should take a look at what it was in the beginning.

In the end, the problem was one person -Ron Moore- with too much power and ego to make "just" a sci-fi series. He had the means, and ultimately proved his detractors right exactly about what they were trying to say from the beginning: that Moore, and Galactica, were all show and no substance, with soap-operish drama, weak actors -with a few exceptions in Olmos, McDonnell and a couple more-. Not only that, but by trying to write himself out of his corner, Moore's writing turned most of the events in the earlier seasons totally unnecessary, ruining the series as a whole.

So farewell, BSG 2004. You went the way of the do-do at the end, and just like the X-Files, managed to survive as long as you could avoid giving answers. I doubt anyone would want to re-watch the series knowing how useless everything turns out to be.

about Sharon

[z-08626 · 10/10 · 2 January 2019]

I always can not forget Sharon,or boomer,she is so beautiful ,and tragic

Brilliant sci-fi series

[gav_c · 10/10 · 15 June 2019]

Just finished this series for the 3rd time and I absolutely love it. Great acting and great story. Even though I'm not a very religious person I did enjoy how they entwined the religion of the twelve colonies and our our theology and made a good story out of it.

A series I recommend to any sci-fi fan

Open your mind and reap the rewards!!

[polemistis-1 · 20 November 2004]

As a long time fan of the original series of Battlestar Galactica I was apprehensive at best when I heard of the new 're-imagining'. However, I always like to keep an open mind and decide for myself, not take what the critics say as gospel!

I am very glad I do this!

The new series of Battlestar Galactica is excellent!! It's well directed, produced and acted. It's got a new depth and excitement to it. It's visually stunning, and has the ability to completely absorb the viewer into each episode. In short, it's a breath of fresh air!!

I beg other fans of the original series to give it a chance. Okay, so Starbuck and Boomer are women, so what!?! The new Cylons are cool, the ships are fantastic, the characters are wonderful, the relationships are very interesting and, as it's basis is the original story line, there's an oddly comforting familiarity there too. Anyone with doubts should give it a go. It won't disappoint!

Jumped the Shark

[mrohlee · 2/10 · 14 December 2008]

The show started out as one of the greatest, best written shows I have seen. Some where along the way they either ran out of ideas or had a fear of success or something. The original concept, that the Cylons were fighting a genocidal war against humans was thrown out when it was revealed that several key humans were actually cylon sleeper agents. If they had been activated the war would have been over the first week. It was one of the changes that completely negated the earlier, excellent episodes. It was similar to when the movie Aliens 3 starts starts off with meaningless deaths of key characters from Aliens2 or when Brad Ratner had Xmen start killing each other off in Xmen3. These things are bad by themselves but also taint all the earlier episodes. How can you go back and enjoy the first seasons of the show knowing that most of the actions by key characters are lies and completely illogical since you now know they are cylons. A bitter, bitter, disappointment.

Who cares if Humans are good or Cylons are bad if the plot sucks vacuum?

[tfc · 5/10 · 6 February 2005]

Alas, after reading the comments, most users believe the new Battlestar Galactica (BSG) is fantastic and riveting, I must have missed something. Having seen almost every episodes of the new BSG series, I have come to the following conclusion. The new BSG has been re-imaged and reinterpreted so radically from the old BSG that it is mostly futile to debate which series is better or worse. The new BSG will stand on its own merits and we should totally ignore the old BSG. That being said, what do I think about the new BSG? It is a nice scifi show. It's not great, it's not bad, it's just . . . nice. There are some nice computer FX of battles, Space ships, robots, and scenes. There is just enough action, angst, "love", humor, death, and misery in each episode. The actors are doing a nice job with the materials given. The story plots are nice scifi formulas with scifi type words added to the nice dialog. The humans are nice and the Cylons are nice. Oh, how nice. Another hour of my life, gone.

To be blunt; each new BSG episode to date is like big servings of meatloaf plots (with bits of FX bell peppers added) selected from the vast smorgasbord of scifi. Scifi with little thought or plot. Scifi lite. This belief comes from several items I have noticed since the beginning. The main one is, in the attempt to make the new BSG a very human, realistic, gritty, and "adult" (i.e. sex/language) story, I now could care less about the antihero characters personal problems, their quirks or their dismal fate. In an attempt to make the Cylons more mysterious, insidious, and enigmatic (yet some how threatening), they are tedious at best. If the new BSG sets become any more low tech, bleak and grey, the new BSG might as well start filming indoor scenes in an old steel mill and save some money. In the fight between the Human and Cylons, I would cheer for a double kill and, if the Cylons won, oh well. This laissez-faire attitude comes from BSG's general lack of a interesting or defined good vs. evil struggle. It is my opinion that virtue and morals are best shown when contrasted against their opposites. The greater the evil, the more an average person seems heroic (i.e. Lord of the Rings). This may seem simplistic but, it's the bad guys who make the story. Having antihero types fighting former pleasure robots who found God and want laid, does not inspire heroic epics but apathy. I wonder, what if we are really suppose to like the Cylons? And, humans are really the bad guys? Going out on a limb, I bet the God of the Cylons is some big omniscient mainframe. Nevertheless, if this series happens to come near a point, or plot, could someone let us know. In the future, I hope this show succeeds in proving me wrong and I need to recant my words.

If I had a wish list to improve the new BSG:

Commander Adama: lighten up, crack a smile, and get a dog for a friend rather than Tigh. Read a "Book." President Roslin: Enjoy your power, delegate your light work, leave Adama alone for five seconds and get a new doctor with some modern equipment. Starbuck: Relax, take a bubble bath, we know you're tough. Quit trying to out drink Tigh, out do Number Six, and out fly Apollo. Apollo: Nothing really comes to mind. Baltar: Stop letting Number Six play with your slide rule and get to work you sissy! Number Six: Stop being a fashion model, leave Baltar's naughty bits alone, and be an evil Cylon. Boomer: Stop pouting and get a life outside the hanger. Col. Tigh: When all the booze runs out and you stop being salty, go find God, the Cylons did. Cylons: Show me the money! If you Cylons have evolved, prove it. So far there seems to be enough Cylons to fill a bus and there are only a few Basestars. CG FX can do multiples robots and basestars at little or no extra cost. Cylon/Human babies, I hope this idea does not die in the crib (ha-ha). Writers: Tell me a entertaining SCIENCE FICTION "what if" story. Not some revamped soap opera that happens to take place in space with special effects, CG, and strange words tossed in as an after thought. Show some color, get rid of the ties, do not over use "frak" or off the shelf technology. Every time you try to cut corners, it shows.