Battlestar Galactica

We made the Cylons
You’d think they’d be more grateful.
You’d be very wrong.

Unlike World War II, I’m not a huge sci-fi fan. More accurately, I’m not a huge sci-fi TV show fan. Star Trek never really did it for me (though the Next Generation had its moments). It might have something to do with special effects, or the lack thereof; TV just doesn’t compare to the insane film budgets.

But the special effects aren’t what makes Battlestar a great show. It’s a great story with multiple arcs that keep perspectives fresh and each episode gives each character more depth. The only thing that’s a bit lacking is the acting. For the most part, the acting is really good, but there are those moments where you cringe at a line’s delivery, and you’re reminded that you are indeed watching a TV show. Oh yeah, make sure you watch the mini series first. It’s still rough around the edges, but it gives you some background info that you’d otherwise have to piece together from bits of dialogue.

The best part about the show is that you don’t have to be a huge scifi geek to enjoy it. There are no green aliens or phasers or teleporters. In fact, even though the story takes place in the future, there are many subtle suggestions that maybe it’s not that far into the future after all: pencils and paper are still used, as are headsets that still have wires dangling from them. And yet, it all takes place on a spaceship able to jump into hyperdrive. It sounds odd, but it works to great effect for me; I like how these familiar moments make the whole story a little easier to relate to.

And then there are the Cylons, a “race” of (super hot, scantily-clad) cyborgs that have gone all Ahnold and become aware and are determined to wipe their makers off the face of the planet. Sound familiar? If you’ve seen Blade Runner and the aforementioned Terminator, I’m sure it does. Does that make it bad? Far from it. Imitation is the greatest form of flattery, after all, and Battlestar does a wonderful job of honoring its predecessors and upping the ante with storyline tweaks to keep things feeling original.

Do I like it? Frak yeah, I like it. Stay tuned for the Season 2 review.