battlestar galactica | the m0vie blog

In Defense of “One Season Wonders”…

Posted on February 15, 2010 by Darren

I’ve been thinking a lot about this lately, what with the US version of Life on Mars ending on FX over the weekend and the rumours that Caprica doesn’t have strong enough ratings to secure a second season. We live in what is increasingly the era of “one season wonders” – television shows that are lucky to get a full season (or maybe a full season and a half) before being unceremoniously dumped from the schedule. It’s easy to look at shows like Firefly and Dollhouse and bemoan executives unwilling to take a chance with edge material, but part of me thinks it might really be for these best. Although maybe I’m trying to put a good spin on a bad situation.

The network may nuke Caprica early...

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: battlestar galactica, cancellation, cancelled, caprica, cult, dollhouse, firefly, heroes, joss whedon, life on mars, life on mars usa, one season, one season wonders, reruns, syndication, Television | 4 Comments »

Caprica (Pilot)

Posted on February 8, 2010 by Darren

Part of me wonders how a prequel television show is supposed to work. It’s worrying that the only other example which springs to mind is Star Trek: Enterprise, which suffered from failing to explore its premise for three years before finally engaging with the mythos in time to be resoundingly cancelled. I wonder whether I can sit down and watch a prequel day-in and day-out. In a way, no matter how good the show is, it has been spoiled for you. No matter how sharp a left turn the writers may stick into a particular episode, you just know they’ll have to straighten it out down the line. The very premise for Battlestar Galactica is a spoiler for Caprica: mankind is wiped out by the robotic Cylons, former soldiers and slaves who rose up and rebelled. As a result, there’s no suspense when Daniel Grayson finds himself up for a government contract or attempts to crack A.I. – unless the series is a gigantic red herring (and, though I wouldn’t put it past the creators, it is far too early to show their hand if it is), we know that his actions will create robotic killing machines made just a little too perfect.

Oh, the lawyer and the computer genius should be friends... oh, the lawyer and the computer genius should be friends...

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: adama, Alessandra Torresani, battlestar galactica, BSG, caprica, caprica pilot, caprica series, Eric Stoltz, joseph adama, prequel, review, sci-fi, science fiction, Television | 3 Comments »

Battlestar Galactica: Razor

Posted on December 17, 2009 by Darren

It’s strange what we carry with us past the end of the world. In The Road, it’s hope for our children carted around inside an old shopping trolley; in 28 Days Later, it’s whatever humanity we can find hiding amid the ruins. For Admiral Helena Cain, what she carries with her after the destruction of her home is what she’s carried with her her whole life: a razor she picked up as a small child to defend herself after the loss of her younger sister. She carries that until she can’t – then she passes it on to her surrogate daughter, who carries it until she can’t. The razor itself is lost with Kendra Shaw, and maybe that’s a good thing. The last member of Cain’s inner circle dies taking all that hatred and aggression and lust for validation and vengeance with her. It’s an important transition. It’s also particularly insightful – given how Battlestar Galactica has generally focused on rebuilding after the fall of society – establishing a functioning democracy, a legal system and even rebuilding Caprica in a form – that this television movie focuses on the flipside of the coin: what humanity takes with it after the fall.

Talk about retro chic...

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Filed under: Movies | Tagged: battlestar galactica, battlestar galactica: razor, galactica in name only, gino, helena cain, jamie bamber, michelle forbes, pegasus, razor, science fiction, stephanie jacobson, Television, television movie | Leave a comment »

All Along The Watchtower – The Perfect Anthem For Battlestar Galactica…

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Darren

I just published my review of the third season of Battlestar Galactica and I thought I’d keep it rather short by divorcing this aspect from my discussion of that year. Basically, anyone familiar with the show should be familiar with the use of All Along The Watchtower at the climax of the third season finale, Crossroads, Part II. Basically four members of the crew start hearing it and quoting it and humming, drawn together by some sort of invisible force, realising that they are indeed four of the five hidden Cylons (the fifth would not be revealed until the final season). What makes the Bob Dylan classic such a perfect song for this fantastic space opera?

What's the score?

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: all along the watchtower, battlestar galactica, bob dylan, meaning, song lyrics | Leave a comment »

Battlestar Galactica – Season 3

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Darren

“There must be some way out of here,” said the joker to the thief,
“There’s too much confusion, I can’t get no relief.”

– The “Mysterious” Song, Crossroads, Part II

The series continues to be one of the most interesting television phenomenon of the last decade as it enters what is, technically at least, it’s penultimate season. This is the point where mythology-based shows typically come apart, crushed under their own weight – the point where they have to start answering at least some of their own questions, rather than simply posing them to the audience. The problem is, as many shows have found out, answering questions isn’t nearly as fun as posing them. Battlestar Galactica, seemingly afraid of the potential comfort that giving those answers would offer, instead opts to delve even deeper into the rabbit hole – picking answers to questions suggested by earlier events and then using that to move the show forward in a fascinating momentum. Because of this weird combination of answers and deeper questions, the show somehow manages to increase its complexity and its fascination year-after-year.

Full of nebulous concepts...

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: all along the watchtower, battlestar galactic season 3, battlestar galactica, cylons, drama, exodus, humanity, new caprica, review, sci-fi, Television, themes | 3 Comments »

Battlestar Galactica: Season 2

Posted on November 22, 2009 by Darren

This isn’t about Sharon. It’s about something much bigger than that. It’s about the long term survival of the Fleet. It’s about the way we conduct ourselves in all of this.

Laura Roslin, Sacrifice

You know, when we fought the Cylons, we did it to save ourselves from extinction. But we never answered the question, why? Why are we as a people worth saving? We still commit murder because of greed, spite, jealousy. And we still visit all of our sins upon our children. We refuse to accept the responsibility for anything that we’ve done.

– Commander Bill Adama, Miniseries

This year, mankind is its own worst enemy. The remnants of humanity are driven to the bring of civil war not once, but twice. The series lands in its sophmore season running, though it seems to run into a bit of bother balancing itself over a full year. That isn’t to say that it isn’t still spectacular television – far from it – but that there are moments here when the series appears to lose focus (if only for an episode or two at a time). Still, it remains one of the most interesting and dynamic television dramas ever conceived.

It's some kinda storm out there...

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: adama, baltar, battlestar galactica, bettlestar galactica: season 2, black market, cylons, downloaded, drama, epiphanies, home, laura roslin, lay down your burdens, pegasus, resurrection ship, review, sci-fi, science fiction, Television | 1 Comment »

Battlestar Galactica: Season I

Posted on November 3, 2009 by Darren

All of this has happened before… and will happen again.

With that line articulated by the Cylon Leoben Conroy in the episode Flesh and Bone, the producers and writers lay their cards on the table. Time is cyclical. Maybe for the grand design of human history, but most definitely for storytelling. Battlestar Galactica is possibly the most wonderfully dense and layoured piece of popular culture which I have had the joy of savouring since first cracking open Neil Gaiman’s Sandman. It’s magical, it’s mystical, and it’s wonderful. How Ronald D. Moore turned a kitsch footnote in television science fiction history into this, I will never know. I am just thankful.

Time's Arrow is cyclical...

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: 33, adama, all this has happened before, baltar, battlestar galactic season 1, battlestar galactica, bluray, cyclic, cylons, faith, god, kobol's last gleaming, litmus, religion, review, six, the hand of god, war on terror, you can't go home again | 1 Comment »

Battlestar Galactica – The Miniseries

Posted on October 4, 2009 by Darren

I recently picked up Battlestar Galactica on bluray, the complete series boxset, including every episode and special. I’d wandered in and out of the series over the years (mainly due to the fact that I was at college during its run) and when this package was released I decided that it might well be worth my time to pick up the whole kit and kaboodle on watch it through from beginning to end. So, for the first time, I watched the 2003 miniseries which had served as launching pad for the series. While I’m not entirely happy with the bluray itself, I am very satisfied with the programme.

Guess who’s coming to dinner?

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Filed under: Television | Tagged: adama, battlestar, battlestar galactica, Battlestar Galactica miniseries, Battlestar Galactica: The Miniseries, bluray, BSG, cylons, review | 15 Comments »

Is Star Trek on Television Dead?

Posted on May 23, 2009 by Darren

I saw Star Trek last night and was quite impressed – it is one of the best movies in the franchise (albeit not the best). It riproared effectively and gave us a brilliant look at the Kirk/Spock relationship, which is one of the oddities of the show – how such an impulsive, womanising and irrational man would develop a lifelong friendship with such a stoic and logic individual was always a slight mystery to Star trek fans. Still, there is a world of difference between the television shows and the movies, and I wonder if we’ll ever see another Star Trek show back on the airwaves?