Battlestar Galactica: waste of time

[hans030390]

Double post! What does it mean?????

 

[hans030390]

Well, I hit quote instead of edit. I guess it means I'm an idiot.

 

[ViRGE]

The whole MGM has no money story is a fail, in my book. Syfy is rolling in dough. If MGM needed the money they could have let Syfy make the movie. Considering the success of the SG1 movies Syfy would have jumped at the chance. MGM would have gotten some money without having to put any money up front. Syfy would have had the movie to keep the Stargate franchise alive and as good advertising for Stargate:Universe.

At this point, it is getting real doubtful they could assemble enough of the cast to make it look like the original Atlantis. So, by waiting MGM basically is losing the chance to make money off an Atlantis finale movie. Not good business for a company desperate for money.

Syfy surely wouldn't pony up enough cash for the movie. The movies are a few times the cost of the equivalent number of episodes; it's DVD sales that make them solvent. And in return Syfy would have asked for a cut of the profits or something for backing the movie. It's costs & profits in the first place that got SG-1 and SGA canceled.

At this point the only person who still thinks an Atlantis movie could be made is the Stargate showrunner. And he's clearly off his rocker, because he likes SGU.

 

[Rubycon]

Off the medication again, are we?

I think one needs to be sedated to actually sit through crap they have on TV today!

 

[Homerboy]

The finale wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed it. I've read most of the big reviews, and I generally feel like people were bitching and making no sense with it. Most people think BSG is a Sci-Fi show...and it isn't. It's not even soft sci-fi. It's a drama set in a sci-fi environment. RDM even said this. Hell, they started going on about angels and god(s) right from the miniseries. People were so pissed about the whole "God did it" ending, or that Starbuck is an angel, but the show was like that the WHOLE series. If you don't think so, watch it again. Watching it a 2nd time definitely cleared up any misconceptions I had about it. It was much better than time around as well.

People were expecting something "better" because they thought they were watching something that they weren't. Now, not everyone falls under this category, but generally that's what I see.

Regarding the later episodes, though, I thought "The Oath" and "Blood on the Scales" were excellent and very intense. Episodes that were filler generally weren't as bad as some of the earlier filler episodes (I'm looking at you, "Black Market"). Then again, I was always a fan of the mythology, religion, and weirdness that happened in the show (ex: Kobol episodes, Eye of Jupiter, finding earth, etc.). They touched on that a lot more later in season 4, so I enjoyed it.

You nailed it head on. BSG was never "Sci-Fi" That's why I liked it. The ending was rock solid, people just wanted something different because they were confused.

You also nailed "Black Market" on the head... so so so horrible.

 

[techs]

Off the medication again, are we?

I think one needs to be sedated to actually sit through crap they have on TV today!

I can't argue with that.

 

[destrekor]

The finale wasn't perfect, but I enjoyed it. I've read most of the big reviews, and I generally feel like people were bitching and making no sense with it. Most people think BSG is a Sci-Fi show...and it isn't. It's not even soft sci-fi. It's a drama set in a sci-fi environment. RDM even said this. Hell, they started going on about angels and god(s) right from the miniseries. People were so pissed about the whole "God did it" ending, or that Starbuck is an angel, but the show was like that the WHOLE series. If you don't think so, watch it again. Watching it a 2nd time definitely cleared up any misconceptions I had about it. It was much better than time around as well.

People were expecting something "better" because they thought they were watching something that they weren't. Now, not everyone falls under this category, but generally that's what I see.

Regarding the later episodes, though, I thought "The Oath" and "Blood on the Scales" were excellent and very intense. Episodes that were filler generally weren't as bad as some of the earlier filler episodes (I'm looking at you, "Black Market"). Then again, I was always a fan of the mythology, religion, and weirdness that happened in the show (ex: Kobol episodes, Eye of Jupiter, finding earth, etc.). They touched on that a lot more later in season 4, so I enjoyed it.

This, most definitely this!

I absolutely loved the new BSG - and it is the same exact reason I really enjoyed what NBC Universal offered up for Caprica thus far.
The show includes sci-fi, but merely as a plot-device, nothing more. BSG was intelligent, gritty, depressing. The space element actually accentuated all of this to make it far more powerful through the entire journey.

They dealt with a lot of themes -- with such seriousness and as if no one really thought about but instead went about it as if normal behavior -- in a way no other show truly has done.
The religiousness was almost a little too heavy for me, in that they really were hinting that in this show's universe, the existence of a deity or deities is most certainly true, and that it is only the number that is in question. But in the end it didn't really bother me, because the show made every moment hit with such weight it kept me glued regardless - and the story really did work out beautifully.

Caprica, thankfully, is looking to follow that same trend, and I really hope the series survives. It's smart, sometimes funny, but continues the heavy political and social tones, and quite obviously religious concepts. And how different actions have different implications for the population... how all of that comes together really is amazing.

 

[ichy]

I was really annoyed by how BSG wrote in all those plot twists that they never did (or could) explain in the last couple of seasons. "Hey look, let's have weird stuff happen that everyone assumes will be wrapped up at some point but never will." Fail-sauce.

BSG's high points were IMO early on. They did a really good job of capturing the "feel" of 50,000 surviving humans trying to piece together some sort of existence after everything else was wiped out. The Rosslyn/Adama power struggle was also really good. The very best episode was probably the one with the showdown between Adama and Cain. Edward James Olmos was freaking awesome in that.

 

[hans030390]

I was really annoyed by how BSG wrote in all those plot twists that they never did (or could) explain in the last couple of seasons. "Hey look, let's have weird stuff happen that everyone assumes will be wrapped up at some point but never will." Fail-sauce.

Some things are purposely left vague so that the audience can come up with their own conclusions. Not everyone enjoys this, but I think it generally works well in storytelling if there's a good balance. Other than that, though, name some things they didn't explain. After watching through it a 2nd time, I've realized there is very little left completely unanswered...or at least something where I could not fill in the blanks. I know most people ask what Head Six and Starbuck really are, for example. They gave us the answer about Head Six in Season 2. She clearly tells Baltar she's an angel sent from God. They basically said the same thing about Starbuck, but more that she was sent back because of her destiny. The show was talking about her destiny since season 1, so that was not pulled out of the blue. I'm still trying to figure out exactly why her body was on the original Earth, though...was it the one that died earlier? Was it the one that woke up flying around Earth? The guessing keeps me interested.

You also have the collective unconscious (quite interesting if you read about it), which plays a big part in the show.

Simply put, the show has a lot to do with myth, religion, god(s), angels, etc., as I stated before. People just didn't take it seriously when answers were given to them early on. When the finale gave them the same answers, they were confused and pissed. If most people apply the reasons they dislike the finale towards the entire series, they'd probably find the series to be similarly bad.

I do agree, though, that some of the best collection of episodes are in seasons 1 and 2. However, I feel like all seasons had their moments that make the show as a whole excellent.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

Double post! What does it mean?????

It means it just rained.

I think one needs to be sedated to actually sit through crap they have on TV today!

Community.

You lose.

 

[Wingznut]

When I started predicting what would happen next I gave up, and I don't know if I even finished the first season. It started off real good and got boring fast.

So, if you're not sure if you "even finished the first season"... How can you declare the entire series to not be good.

And if you subject yourself to trying to predict what will happen next, which is not difficult at all, you will be unable to enjoy 99% of movies and tv.

 

[shadow9d9]

Exactly. I still watched until the end. The first two seasons were focused on how 50K humans, all that's left of humanity, are going to survive when they're on a couple dozen ships, protected by one military ship, and being hunted down by machines with eradication on their mind. And all the troubles that situation entails. And they did it really well.

Then they dove into the deep end of spirituality, religion, etc. and the whole show jumped the shark. It became less sci-fi and more fantasy.

Wow, terrible memory. Season 1 had more religion than the rest combined.

 

[stag3]

i also wish they ended it with them finding earth all destroyed, everything after that was a wtf
shame caprica was cancelled

 

[gophins72]

the ending to heroes was great, it was the next three seasons that followed it up that were bad.

 

[PingSpike]

BSG rocked the shit for seasons 1 and 2. Then it went off the deep end with mythology. I just assumed that as a science fiction show we would not have gods and angels and robots all in the same series. Some one said they blabbed about the gods from the start...that doesn't mean I expected angels to actually show up.

And the writers didn't expect angels from the start either, remember when the cylons "had a plan"? Of course you do, you were reminded every episode until the writers decided they didn't.

That said, the show was so strong early on I had to watch it until the end. The desperation and power struggles in season 1-2, the interesting and well written battles that didn't generally rely on "we had a magic weapon" to have the humans win like so many other scifi shows. Even season 3 had it moments with the epic rescue fight on new caprica.

 

[PingSpike]

Wow, terrible memory. Season 1 had more religion than the rest combined.

There's a difference between having people talking about religion and Jesus showing up and clubbing you over the head with the spear of destiny.

 

[PingSpike]

the ending to heroes was great, it was the next three seasons that followed it up that were bad.

I tried to watch that until the beginning of season 3 I think, giving them a pass because of the writers strike. But every episode it just kept getting worse and worse. So fucking awful.

 

[hans030390]

There's a difference between having people talking about religion and Jesus showing up and clubbing you over the head with the spear of destiny.

I think you need to rewatch it. Having seen it twice all the way through and 3 or 4 times over half way through, I can assure you that mythology and religion is about equally strong all throughout the series. For example, Head Six CLEARLY states she is as "angel of god" early in season 2. Leoben keeps talking about Starbuck's destiny half-way through season 1. Why would you be surprised that the show actually follows through with that and builds on these things later on in the series? It's probably because you weren't paying close enough attention early on like most people.

RDM pretty much stated the show is not a sci-fi. It's a drama that's heavily infused with religion and mythology. It just happens to be set in what most would consider a sci-fi setting. If someone doesn't like the show for what it truly is, that's fine. But most people bitch about BSG because they think they're watching something they're not.

 

[PingSpike]

Head Six never "clearly" stated anything! She only became clearly an angel in what, the last episode? She very well could have been an implant or schizophrenia up until then...her motives certainly didn't seem clear. The cylons had no plan, just like the writers!

Starbucks destiny? Right, wasn't that said when the cylons had captured her as part of an eventually abandoned breeding plot line?

I maintain the magically religious ending occurred primarily because the writers had painted themselves into a corner...certainly not because that was the plan all along.

 

[Patranus]

The shield.

The Shield had a great ending.

 

[qliveur]

What the series lacked was a clear-cut antagonist. Dean Stockwell was great, as usual, but the character of John Cavil was insufficiently threatening and couldn't be taken seriously. Since the show focused so much on the religious aspect, the absence of a Satan figure left a gaping hole in the overall storyline. The Cylons had no plan because there was no Count Iblis pulling their strings.

Oh, and not only was breaking the fourth wall with a Dylan tune an idiotic idea, but that particular rendition of "All Along the Watchtower" was terrible.

 

[Dr. Zaus]

What the series lacked was a clear-cut antagonist. Dean Stockwell was great, as usual, but the character of John Cavil was insufficiently threatening and couldn't be taken seriously. Since the show focused so much on the religious aspect, the absence of a Satan figure left a gaping hole in the overall storyline. The Cylons had no plan because there was no Count Iblis pulling their strings.

Mormons worship the dark lord and believe him to be on-par with Christ... They even have a ceremony where they crawl on their bellies in remembrance of the snake in the garden.. this makes it hard for a Mormon writer to demonize Lucifer.

 

[stag3]

the mutiny episodes had me on the edge of my seats tho

 

[BoomerD]

So...if I follow the wandering path...this thread is about the ORIGINAL Battlestar Galactica show from the 70's-80's?

That one should have been renamed Battlestar Mormonia...or Mormons in Space.
The acting was poor, the sets were cheaply built, and the scripts usually had more holes in them than a fishing net...

 

[qliveur]

^Yeah, there were only a couple of episodes in the original series that I would consider good. Then again, look at the quality of television in general back then.