Post by Forever Xena on Sept 13, 2005 8:18:15 GMT -6
Darker, More Adult And Totally Addictive Viewing
Author: Alan Stanley Blair
Date: 09-11-2005
Source: SyFy Portal
"Battlestar Galactica" made a shocking return to the screen last year and accomplished something that was previously thought of as next to impossible -- re-imagining a classic series for today's audience.
Previous efforts to achieve similar feats have failed, but Ronald D. Moore's BSG series can only be classed as a complete success. Sure, there are some hardcore fans of the classic series that find it hard to accept, and that is understandable. However, this series is not a remake nor is it a replacement for the original 70's version which has obviously captured the hearts of millions.
This is a whole other ball game. The new BSG is very dramatic, very dark and very new. But above all else, it is very human. All the things that most science fiction shows are not no matter how hard they try.
And that is perhaps why BSG has become such an overwhelming phenomenon. Just the other day, I was reading an interview with Tricia Helfer (alter ego of the delectable Number Six) in issue #134 of The SFX Magazine, where she mentions some of the elements that she believes were the key to the shows triumphant debut.
"The success of the first season proved that people are willing, are ready, for more of an adult-themed science fiction show and tougher issues to deal with," she said.
And you know what? She's exactly right!
How many science-fiction shows do you know that feature a bunch of characters watching the destruction of their home, fighting for their lives whilst also battling their inner demons? There have been a few, but next to none of those include the hair-raising realistic form of BSG. There certainly aren’t any that do it with the sheer level of theatrical savvy demonstrated by the cast. Each episode is nothing less than an epic motion picture meant for the small screen.
I'm sure a great deal of that darkness is not owed so much to the creative depths of the writers, but perhaps to real life events. It's no secret that there is a push to find parallels to the Al-Queada network on the series with terrorists, marshal law and insane amounts of death and destruction. At first glance, it seems a little too near the line. Part of what makes science-fiction so popular is the fact that is exactly that: fiction. Having said that, the real life connections are nothing short of a Roddenberry-esque macrocosm for exploring the inner natures of humanity through the exorbitant pressure placed on the characters, the situations they find themselves in and is now serving to further root the political intrigue that is coming to bloom this season.
So why has BSG been able to achieve this state of being that was once native to Star Trek? Take, for example, "Star Trek: Enterprise." The show is unbearably plain when compared to BSG. Bland characters, average storylines and virtually none of the dramatic grit you will find in "Galactica." The series is twisted in ways that only human characters can survive and is fittingly sinister at points, bringing a respectability most of the Trek franchise has thus far been lacking. "Enterprise" is the opening cartoon but "Galactica" is the main feature.
So perhaps "Enterprise" is the wrong show to compare the series to. Many people believe that "Firefly" is the heir to sci-fi entertainment, proclaiming Joss Whedon's space western as the "anti-Trek." But to me, it’s the new BSG that is the future of the genre. Sure, the "Stargate" franchise is out there too and in terms of spin-off’s it's a shoe-in, but it is "Galactica" that is constantly pushing the boundaries. The stories are darker, the characters are very VERY human and thus very flawed. But most of all, these are not self contained stories.
I think when anyone hears a network press-release stating that any show will have more self-contained episodes you can't help but cringe. What fans like are good ol' story arcs. The kind of long drawn arcs that make you drool when the end is finally in sight with little hints, nudges and winks toward the final endgame throughout the journey. And that’s exactly what "Galactica" provides. And it does it with some of the most stylish and entertaining writing ever to hit the screens.
But what helps to separate "Galactica" from the rest of the sci-fi herd is the stories that unfold week after week. Unlike a great deal of other genre series, these stories all revolve around the characters rather than some external event. We’ve had a lot of Star Trek over the last thirty years, and while it has kept us entertained, it does seem that it set what has become a worrisome trend for other shows to follow.
The best way to look at it is this: Trek characters seem to always be secondary. There is always some war breaking out, a conflict to resolve or a flirtatious diplomat for the captain to escort. These elements are always so dominant in these weekly adventures. Now if each story gives a small glimpse into a main character then it’s considered an overwhelming success. BSG on the other hand has reversed this formula completely and given it a fresh new treatment.
What is different about BSG's entertainment recipe? The characters come first, pure and simple. The stage was set in the miniseries, and so each week feels like a day in the life of a survivor or a refugee. But each day has repercussions for the everyone involved. Just like real life. Each day features a predominant singular problem (usually even multiple problems) and those problems aren’t resolved neatly in the space of forty-five minutes. Nor do they become the sole focus of the episode. They aren't wrapped nicely in a bow cast out and airlock and forgotten. There is no silver lining here! These are real people with real problems. And best of all, it has been done without any of the technobabble that damaged the genre in the nineteen nineties.
Now after just a handful of episodes from the second season, I can safely say I am now very comfortable just sitting down and waiting for everything to come together. Because sooner or later it will. I will admit, there have been moments where I have had to question the logic behind certain decisions. Most recently, Starbuck's (Katee Sackhoff) semi-permanent relocation to Caprica for example. Last season I was simply in awe of Sackhoff’s abilities, and so an episode without her running through the Galactica assaulting her superiors would be like Star Trek without warp drive or Stargate without the, erm, stargate.
It may have taken five episodes to bring her back to the fleet and back to the company of Apollo (Jamie Bamber). But during those five episodes I realized something -- I didn't care. I didn't care if Starbuck was returned to the fleet, I didn't care if she met up with Apollo again and above all else, I didn’t care if the series would return to the format of the first season. Not because I've lost interest in the series but because no matter where the characters are, they will shine like never before. And as long as Ronald D. Moore is in command, "Galactica" won't fail to entertain.
"Battlestar Galactica" Season 2: Episodes 1 - 7
Grade: A+
Alan Stanley Blair is a writer for SyFy Portal, contributing from his home country of Scotland. He can be reached at ablair@syfyportal.com.
Author: Alan Stanley Blair
Date: 09-11-2005
Source: SyFy Portal
"Battlestar Galactica" made a shocking return to the screen last year and accomplished something that was previously thought of as next to impossible -- re-imagining a classic series for today's audience.
Previous efforts to achieve similar feats have failed, but Ronald D. Moore's BSG series can only be classed as a complete success. Sure, there are some hardcore fans of the classic series that find it hard to accept, and that is understandable. However, this series is not a remake nor is it a replacement for the original 70's version which has obviously captured the hearts of millions.
This is a whole other ball game. The new BSG is very dramatic, very dark and very new. But above all else, it is very human. All the things that most science fiction shows are not no matter how hard they try.
And that is perhaps why BSG has become such an overwhelming phenomenon. Just the other day, I was reading an interview with Tricia Helfer (alter ego of the delectable Number Six) in issue #134 of The SFX Magazine, where she mentions some of the elements that she believes were the key to the shows triumphant debut.
"The success of the first season proved that people are willing, are ready, for more of an adult-themed science fiction show and tougher issues to deal with," she said.
And you know what? She's exactly right!
How many science-fiction shows do you know that feature a bunch of characters watching the destruction of their home, fighting for their lives whilst also battling their inner demons? There have been a few, but next to none of those include the hair-raising realistic form of BSG. There certainly aren’t any that do it with the sheer level of theatrical savvy demonstrated by the cast. Each episode is nothing less than an epic motion picture meant for the small screen.
I'm sure a great deal of that darkness is not owed so much to the creative depths of the writers, but perhaps to real life events. It's no secret that there is a push to find parallels to the Al-Queada network on the series with terrorists, marshal law and insane amounts of death and destruction. At first glance, it seems a little too near the line. Part of what makes science-fiction so popular is the fact that is exactly that: fiction. Having said that, the real life connections are nothing short of a Roddenberry-esque macrocosm for exploring the inner natures of humanity through the exorbitant pressure placed on the characters, the situations they find themselves in and is now serving to further root the political intrigue that is coming to bloom this season.
So why has BSG been able to achieve this state of being that was once native to Star Trek? Take, for example, "Star Trek: Enterprise." The show is unbearably plain when compared to BSG. Bland characters, average storylines and virtually none of the dramatic grit you will find in "Galactica." The series is twisted in ways that only human characters can survive and is fittingly sinister at points, bringing a respectability most of the Trek franchise has thus far been lacking. "Enterprise" is the opening cartoon but "Galactica" is the main feature.
So perhaps "Enterprise" is the wrong show to compare the series to. Many people believe that "Firefly" is the heir to sci-fi entertainment, proclaiming Joss Whedon's space western as the "anti-Trek." But to me, it’s the new BSG that is the future of the genre. Sure, the "Stargate" franchise is out there too and in terms of spin-off’s it's a shoe-in, but it is "Galactica" that is constantly pushing the boundaries. The stories are darker, the characters are very VERY human and thus very flawed. But most of all, these are not self contained stories.
I think when anyone hears a network press-release stating that any show will have more self-contained episodes you can't help but cringe. What fans like are good ol' story arcs. The kind of long drawn arcs that make you drool when the end is finally in sight with little hints, nudges and winks toward the final endgame throughout the journey. And that’s exactly what "Galactica" provides. And it does it with some of the most stylish and entertaining writing ever to hit the screens.
But what helps to separate "Galactica" from the rest of the sci-fi herd is the stories that unfold week after week. Unlike a great deal of other genre series, these stories all revolve around the characters rather than some external event. We’ve had a lot of Star Trek over the last thirty years, and while it has kept us entertained, it does seem that it set what has become a worrisome trend for other shows to follow.
The best way to look at it is this: Trek characters seem to always be secondary. There is always some war breaking out, a conflict to resolve or a flirtatious diplomat for the captain to escort. These elements are always so dominant in these weekly adventures. Now if each story gives a small glimpse into a main character then it’s considered an overwhelming success. BSG on the other hand has reversed this formula completely and given it a fresh new treatment.
What is different about BSG's entertainment recipe? The characters come first, pure and simple. The stage was set in the miniseries, and so each week feels like a day in the life of a survivor or a refugee. But each day has repercussions for the everyone involved. Just like real life. Each day features a predominant singular problem (usually even multiple problems) and those problems aren’t resolved neatly in the space of forty-five minutes. Nor do they become the sole focus of the episode. They aren't wrapped nicely in a bow cast out and airlock and forgotten. There is no silver lining here! These are real people with real problems. And best of all, it has been done without any of the technobabble that damaged the genre in the nineteen nineties.
Now after just a handful of episodes from the second season, I can safely say I am now very comfortable just sitting down and waiting for everything to come together. Because sooner or later it will. I will admit, there have been moments where I have had to question the logic behind certain decisions. Most recently, Starbuck's (Katee Sackhoff) semi-permanent relocation to Caprica for example. Last season I was simply in awe of Sackhoff’s abilities, and so an episode without her running through the Galactica assaulting her superiors would be like Star Trek without warp drive or Stargate without the, erm, stargate.
It may have taken five episodes to bring her back to the fleet and back to the company of Apollo (Jamie Bamber). But during those five episodes I realized something -- I didn't care. I didn't care if Starbuck was returned to the fleet, I didn't care if she met up with Apollo again and above all else, I didn’t care if the series would return to the format of the first season. Not because I've lost interest in the series but because no matter where the characters are, they will shine like never before. And as long as Ronald D. Moore is in command, "Galactica" won't fail to entertain.
"Battlestar Galactica" Season 2: Episodes 1 - 7
Grade: A+
Alan Stanley Blair is a writer for SyFy Portal, contributing from his home country of Scotland. He can be reached at ablair@syfyportal.com.