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LTTP: Battlestar Galactica - How to frak a Cylon

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GF and I started watching this a couple months back, and we're on S4E14 and wow, the person who said to stop after Season 2 is nuts! This show just continues to get better imo. I really enjoyed
Baltar's trial and the magic-man lawyer. Seriously expected to not see him again after he left.

We hate Roslin so very much. But I think that's what she's there for. :/

Romo Lampkin deserved his own series.
 
Ah memories.

Does anybody remember the hilariously inappropriate commercial that ran during S4 E13

HUGE SPOLERS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN SEASON 4 EPISODE 13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEDjAFi7oJ4

I saw that live and couldn't decide if I wanted to laugh or cry.

Now, imagine that transition IN A THEATER FULL OF 600 people. That's how I experienced it.

The combination of 600 people spluttering/coughing/bwuh-ing/laughing/groaning made for a truly unique noise.

Season 4 Spoilers

So which of the final five do you think it is that D'Anna sees in the Temple of the Five? I think it was Anders.

I don't know if it's been definitively answered, but my thinking was always that

It was Tigh. Both because he's essentially their dad (although I guess she wouldn't know that yet) but mostly because she was probably in on the decision to pull his eye out of his socket.
 
ALSO: Regarding Starbuck, and Sam.

We interviewed Katee on-stage at one of our last screenings, and she let drop that her and Trucco became REALLY good friends in real life. Not on THAT level, but still, really good friends. And I guess the original ending of the show had Lee and Kara getting together. But at some point, Katee thought this was raw deal not only for Anders, but for Kara as well, considering what she'd gone through, to have her abandon Sam just to return to Lee, who she'd already pretty much chumped as thoroughly as you can chump another person. She made an argument that Sam and Kara living on Earth together while Sam gets put in a bathtub and flown into the sun would have shit on Sam's character unnecessarily.

So instead, Kara chooses Sam, Lee ends up learning to appreciate himself for who he is, and not whose son he is or whose husband he is - and Sam gets put in a bathtub and flown into the sun. But what do you do with Kara and Lee? How do you achieve any semblance of closure?

Kara disappears when Lee isn't looking. That's what they came up with.

edit: I might have a detail or two fudged there (It's been awhile) but that was the general gist of it.

I remember in an interview that Katee said her perfect ending was that after Starbuck disappears,
she reappeared with Sam as the Galactica flew into the sun
. This jives with what you described.
 
I also tried to find any evidence of those stupid KFC Frak Pak commercials that ran for all of like, one or two weeks, but I can't turn anything up on YouTube.

edit: Here's a link to the whole ridiculousness, from KFC not knowing what they're doing, to finding out what they're doing, to changing the name to the "Can't say that word on television" sweepstakes (which doesn't make any sense, because you CAN say "Frak" on television), to getting an uptick in sales/attention anyway.
 
For you guys doing rematches, do you watch the extended episodes? Never seen them myself.

Only annoying thing is that in the blu-ray set they don't pair them with the regular episodes...kinda weird. Like the season 1 extended episodes are on the first season 2 disc.
 
They put them on the proper discs later in the run. The extended versions of Pegasus & Unfinished Business are where they should be.

I usually watch the extended episodes. Razor I've only watched like, twice (I don't think it's bad - save for the blatant ALIENS shout-outs, which are kinda jarring) but I preferred the extended cut.
 
They put them on the proper discs later in the run. The extended versions of Pegasus & Unfinished Business are where they should be.

I usually watch the extended episodes. Razor I've only watched like, twice (I don't think it's bad - save for the blatant ALIENS shout-outs, which are kinda jarring) but I preferred the extended cut.
Ah, okay. Good to hear.

Going to start watching this tonight I think. As much as I love the series, I've only been through it one and a half times. And never on blu-ray yet.
 
Always watch the extended versions, the way I view them is that the extended version is what the writers/producers wanted to show but were limited by the way TV is scheduled, you might be missing out by watching the aired versions because those few extra minutes can add so much to story.
 
If I remember correctly, on the few instances where they had to cut something that ended up being referenced in a later episode, they would cheat that footage into the "Previously... on Battlestar Galactica" recap. I know I remember, once or twice going "I don't remember THAT bit from before" but figuring I was just forgetting shit.
 
I think a lot of people fronted on it out of general principle. They were having a hard enough time dealing with the mystical elements becoming more blatant - and then there's a SPORTS episode? They're just gonna... DO SPORTS? The fuck is THIS shit?

It really is one of the best episodes of the whole run.
 
Any Breaking Bad fans in here remember "The Fly" episode? Very odd change of pace for the series and unlike any other episode, but also a very interesting examination of Walt and Jesse (the two main characters in Breaking Bad).

That reminds me a lot of the boxing episode in BSG. It's a weird episode upon first glance, but I think it's pretty great under the surface.
 
A friend of mine recently started watching this show. I'm not a fan; I enjoyed the first season well enough, but 2 was a drag and 3 got me to quit entirely. I watched season 4 after hearing all of the hullabaloo about the way it ended, and came away feeling hugely unsatisfied. It (spoilers, obviously; general rather than specific)
felt like a very unearned "twist/crazy" pseudo-theological ending to me.

The funny thing with my friend though is that, over drinks, we were discussing what he'd seen so far (most of season 1) and he said "I'm going to be really upset if it turns out that the twist is _______." I'm sure people who've seen the show can fill in the blank. Now I'm in this incredibly awkward spoiler catch-22, where my silence might ruin his experience as much as confirming that his deduction is correct.
 
A friend of mine recently started watching this show. I'm not a fan; I enjoyed the first season well enough, but 2 was a drag and 3 got me to quit entirely. I watched season 4 after hearing all of the hullabaloo about the way it ended, and came away feeling hugely unsatisfied. It (spoilers, obviously; general rather than specific)
felt like a very unearned "twist/crazy" pseudo-theological ending to me.

The funny thing with my friend though is that, over drinks, we were discussing what he'd seen so far (most of season 1) and he said "I'm going to be really upset if it turns out that the twist is _______." I'm sure people who've seen the show can fill in the blank. Now I'm in this incredibly awkward spoiler catch-22, where my silence might ruin his experience as much as confirming that his deduction is correct.

Season 1? Which "twist" are you talking about?
 
I don't think the ending could retroactively ruin the series for him. Even if he thinks it's really dumb (which I would argue) there's too much goodness throughout all four seasons.

I mean maybe if someone is barely enjoying themselves from the get go and they limp to the finish line with S4 it could be ruined, but I don't see it if someone is enjoying themselves before the finale.
 
Wait, he's not even done with season 1 and he thinks he knows what the "twist ending" to the WHOLE SHOW is?

I'm not buying that. I mean, there's plenty of foreshadowing and hinting (and Moore's said he knew what the final shot of the show would be before he finished writing Season 1, if not before he STARTED Season 1) but it sounds more like he's been spoiled and he's fishing for confirmation.

And if he DID pick up on that - this early in the run, why would he be so pissed? He's got like, 10 episodes under his belt. After 2 or 3 seasons, I can see someone making the claim that the show isn't going where it wants to go. But after 10 episodes?

I wonder how many people trying to jump on now don't already have an inkling of where it's going, though. The split on the ending isn't really 50/50 (It's probably closer to 65/35) but the people who dislike it are REALLY loud, and those complaints have echoed quite a bit through pop-culture.
 
Well, that and the fact that it actually centers around interpersonal relationships, letting the characters hash out their issues through boxing - most notably, the
Lee/Kara
romance, of which I'm sure many people are not fans for understandable reasons. But damn, because the acting there was just so good it hurt and because it just had some of the most emotional moments of the series up to that point - "I miss you" - I was completely blindsided by it when it aired.

I mean, damn, I just thought it was gonna be a dumb fucking boxing episode!

It also gave the world my absolute favorite version of Bear McCreary's Passacaglia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhMw0HLeaDo

The Violence and Variations!

There was a lot in that episode that was just gut-punch (hurr) level great:

Lee totally playing himself without knowing it. "I LOVE KARA THRAAAACE" As he STARTS doing it, it seems romantic and funny, and somehow, by the time he finishes, it feels juvenile and silly, and the grand gesture has ALREADY fallen flat, and you can start to see Kara regret and shrink back into herself for indulging in it. Kind of amazing. One of more realistic depictions I've seen on television of a person deciding to break up with someone.

Contrast that with the moment of Dee and Sam, watching their fucking SPOUSES bleeding on each other, hugging each other, and knowing that what they have is better, healthier, but still sad/jealous/hurt that what Lee and Kara DO have runs that deep. It's a depth neither of them is ever really going to know with their significant other.

And maybe my favorite bit is Laura and Bill getting stoned and falling asleep in the silt

The extended version is great for the sequence between Kara and Saul. I still laugh when he tries to contain the laughter, and then fails.
 
But that's explicitly stated in the miniseries, and brought up multiple times during the first season. You don't have to guess that.

Oh, is it? I never watched the miniseries, I started with the 2004 season. Reading up on it
it states Adama and Boomer are, but are the rest of the reveals telegraphed?
He'll at least (maybe) enjoy the end of season 3 spoiler free.

Maybe I should give it another chance. I'm busy with TNG and DS9 though!
 
Oh, is it? I never watched the miniseries, I started with the 2004 season. Reading up on it
it states Adama and Boomer are, but are the rest of the reveals telegraphed?

It's more of a low-level paranoia thing:

The Miniseries ends with Adama finding a note in his quarters that says there are 12 models. Leoben, Boomer, Six and Doral are all seen before the credits roll.

The rest of season one deals with basic mistrust as they try to hide that Cylons can look like anyone, and then everyone finds out, and nobody knows WHO could be a Cylon

Even if you missed the miniseries, I remember Adama and Roslin discussing that they know that Cylons look like people, and they know there are 12 models. I believe Six & Baltar talk about it, as well. At that point in the show, the Ones, Threes, and Fours hadn't been revealed yet, either, so your friend shouldn't be upset that main characters might be revealed as Cylons, as that threat is a large reason why Seasons 1 and 2 have the dread they have. It's not even subtext, it's straight up text.
 
The Violence and Variations!

There was a lot in that episode that was just gut-punch (hurr) level great:

Lee totally playing himself without knowing it. "I LOVE KARA THRAAAACE" As he STARTS doing it, it seems romantic and funny, and somehow, by the time he finishes, it feels juvenile and silly, and the grand gesture has ALREADY fallen flat, and you can start to see Kara regret and shrink back into herself for indulging in it. Kind of amazing. One of more realistic depictions I've seen on television of a person deciding to break up with someone.

Contrast that with the moment of Dee and Sam, watching their fucking SPOUSES bleeding on each other, hugging each other, and knowing that what they have is better, healthier, but still sad/jealous/hurt that what Lee and Kara DO have runs that deep. It's a depth neither of them is ever really going to know with their significant other.

And maybe my favorite bit is Laura and Bill getting stoned and falling asleep in the silt

The extended version is great for the sequence between Kara and Saul. I still laugh when he tries to contain the laughter, and then fails.

yeah, I love how all of this is depicted.
 
It's more of a low-level paranoia thing:

The Miniseries ends with Adama finding a note in his quarters that says there are 12 models. Leoben, Boomer, Six and Doral are all seen before the credits roll.

The rest of season one deals with basic mistrust as they try to hide that Cylons can look like anyone, and then everyone finds out, and nobody knows WHO could be a Cylon

Even if you missed the miniseries, I remember Adama and Roslin discussing that they know that Cylons look like people, and they know there are 12 models. I believe Six & Baltar talk about it, as well. At that point in the show, the Ones, Threes, and Fours hadn't been revealed yet, either, so your friend shouldn't be upset that main characters might be revealed as Cylons, as that threat is a large reason why Seasons 1 and 2 have the dread they have. It's not even subtext, it's straight up text.

I think it's less of a worry that characters could be revealed as Cylons and more of a worry that they're going to run that reveal into the ground. Which, to be fair, they do spend a lot of time revealing characters and their boopy red lights and whatnot.
Keep in mind I haven't watched this show since it originally aired.

(S3 finale)
But I guess all isn't so bad, All Along the Watchtower will still be a big ~oooooh~ moment.
 
I remember many people hating it at the time it aired, but it's one of my favorite episodes of the show, too. Who knew that a boxing episode of a space opera, of all things, could actually be good??
It was an incredibly good character episode. Easily one of my favorites of the series.

When I did my series run recently, this episode was quite long. Was I watching the extended edition, or did the original episode also go well beyond the usual length?
 
Oh and I will say - while most of the soundtrack is fantastic, the show's version of (major spoilers)
All Along the Watchtower
is terrible. Overproduced, plodding, lacking in melody or complexity. It's the exact opposite of what renditions of that song should be. Definitely a low point for the music.
 
Oh and I will say - while most of the soundtrack is fantastic, the show's version of (major spoilers)
All Along the Watchtower
is terrible. Overproduced, plodding, lacking in melody or complexity. It's the exact opposite of what renditions of that song should be. Definitely a low point for the music.

It's not even the same song, though, really.

getting further into it:

I agree that that music, which ends up becoming one of THE major plot points going forward, maybe the most important plot point, honestly, works better without words. It's pretty complex, though. Maybe not as melodic as Jimi's/Bob's, but those versions weren't the most melodic things either.

But I thought as I was watching it for the first time, that the reveal scene in season 3 would work better if the 4 cylons weren't mumbling lyrics to themselves as they stumbled towards the deck. I like the song for what it is, but I feel that forcing the words over the top of it lessened the scene/impact just a little.

I love the versions of those cues: Kara Remembers, Heeding the Call, Kara's Coordinates - way more than I actually like "All Along the Watchtower" itself
 
It's not even the same song, though, really.

getting further into it:

I agree that that music, which ends up becoming one of THE major plot points going forward, maybe the most important plot point, honestly, works better without words. It's pretty complex, though. Maybe not as melodic as Jimi's/Bob's, but those versions weren't the most melodic things either.

But I thought as I was watching it for the first time, that the reveal scene in season 3 would work better if the 4 cylons weren't mumbling lyrics to themselves as they stumbled towards the deck. I like the song for what it is, but I feel that forcing the words over the top of it lessened the scene/impact just a little.

I love the versions of those cues: Kara Remembers, Heeding the Call, Kara's Coordinates - way more than I actually like "All Along the Watchtower" itself

The lyrics are definitely what kill it for me, mostly because of the vocal production. I really don't think the music itself is that good either. The Hendrix version in particular is an instantly recognizable song - that opening six-note riff just has more impact than the sorta noodly, loud, muddy version has at any point.

I get that they were probably just trying to keep the music consistent throughout the show, but I think that scene would have been so much better with one of the original versions of the song rather than the cover.

I get that it's not really the same song, but they sort of invite comparison by using a cover of an established classic in the first place.
 
The Woman King wasn't bad. It definitely didn't feel like the bad fanfic material that was Black Market.

Also, laughed hard at Helo reacting to Hot Dog's rash
 
The Woman King wasn't bad. It definitely didn't feel like the bad fanfic material that was Black Market.

Also, laughed hard at Helo reacting to Hot Dog's rash

None of the show is bad.

There are episodes better than others (some of them hilariously so), but none bad. You want bad TV? I've got dozens of episodes of Smallville, Buffy, or even Caprica to point you to.

It's just that this shows highs really make the lows stand out.
 
Nah - Black Market & Woman King are legitimately bad television. I'd put them on the level of Star Trek season 3's bad episodes (Not Spock's Brain bad, but bad) - Large chunks of Voyager, most of Smallville, Daleks in Manhattan, etc.

Most shows, even the greatest of the great, swing and miss at least once or twice. Maybe the only one I can think of that doesn't cough up a clunker is The Wire - the argument you made I think better applies to a show like that (or Deadwood, now that I think of it) - episodes I would judge as BAD compared to the rest of the show, when held up to the best episodes of other shows (The Shield, 24, LOST) still stand above.

But those two episodes of Battlestar are just legitimately bad hourlongs, for me. Not just Bad for Battlestar, but straight-up BAD.
 
Nah - Black Market & Woman King are legitimately bad television. I'd put them on the level of Star Trek season 3's bad episodes (Not Spock's Brain bad, but bad) - Large chunks of Voyager, most of Smallville, Daleks in Manhattan, etc.

Most shows, even the greatest of the great, swing and miss at least once or twice. Maybe the only one I can think of that doesn't cough up a clunker is The Wire - the argument you made I think better applies to a show like that (or Deadwood, now that I think of it) - episodes I would judge as BAD compared to the rest of the show, when held up to the best episodes of other shows (The Shield, 24, LOST) still stand above.

But those two episodes of Battlestar are just legitimately bad hourlongs, for me. Not just Bad for Battlestar, but straight-up BAD.
Then there's a chance I just don't remember the episodes or only remember notable moments from them.
 
I'm pretty good at ignoring crappy and just focusing on the good.

I did watch Smallville for ten years. Technically many more if you count repeat viewings.
 
The Woman King wasn't bad. It definitely didn't feel like the bad fanfic material that was Black Market.

Also, laughed hard at Helo reacting to Hot Dog's rash

The non-main plotline episodes were really one of the major weaknesses of the series, which was a shame, because episodes focusing on daily life/problems with the fleet potentially could have been really interesting.

I think one of the big problems with them was the need to try and tie a main character thematically to these episodes, even if it didn't feel right, eg. Black Market
the fact that Lee feels a personal connection with the prostitute/black market because he had a wife on Caprica that needed pills, but she's never mentioned again in the entire series.
 
I don't know if it's been definitively answered, but my thinking was always that

It was Tigh. Both because he's essentially their dad (although I guess she wouldn't know that yet) but mostly because she was probably in on the decision to pull his eye out of his socket.

Ahh, that makes sense. My reasoning for Anders is that she is sorry for almost killing him on Caprica when he is part of the resistance.
 
I just finished disc 1 of S2 (5 eps), getting real interesting.

Adama is back to fix Saul's fuck ups, the whole "farms" thing that's has just come up, Callie shooting Boomer, Gius shooting Crashdown, Lee and Roslin trying to overthrow martial law,
it's all happening!

Great fucking show, I'm going to start disk 2 tonight.
 
Having marathoned the show recently, I love the show. The Guise story season 3 forward was totally lame, I never cared for him a single bit and the cult stuff in 4 were bad. All the filler episodes were not good :/ Like they could have tried more to make them interesting but whatever. The series finale was amazing, both parts. :D
 
I just finished disc 1 of S2 (5 eps), getting real interesting.

Adama is back to fix Saul's fuck ups, the whole "farms" thing that's has just come up, Callie shooting Boomer, Gius shooting Crashdown, Lee and Roslin trying to overthrow martial law,
it's all happening!

Great fucking show, I'm going to start disk 2 tonight.

Oh yes, my favorite part of the show. Episode 10 is the best, so get ready for some awesomeness.
 
Oh yes, my favorite part of the show. Episode 10 is the best, so get ready for some awesomeness.

Aj4lqkQ.gif
 
Season 2, Episode 10 was a motherfucker of an episode, made worse upon airing by realizing, just before the screen went to black, that there were four months before the season resumed.

Some of the most underplayed badassery in Eddie Olmos' entire career happens in this episode.

I don't take orders from you.

Call it whatever you like. I'm getting my men.

You are making such a mistake.

I'm getting my men.

Click.

Cally's eyes go so, so wide.
 
Season 2, Episode 10 was a motherfucker of an episode, made worse upon airing by realizing, just before the screen went to black, that there were four months before the season resumed.

Some of the most underplayed badassery in Eddie Olmos' entire career happens in this episode.

I don't take orders from you.

Call it whatever you like. I'm getting my men.

You are making such a mistake.

I'm getting my men.

Click.

Cally's eyes go so, so wide.

Yeah, he rarely does it, but when he does, it's the shit.

Another example in S4:

During the mutiny, the scene with two Marines: "You piece of shit Maldonaldo!".
 
So this thread got me watching the series again, and the first season is pretty much perfect. It sets up everything really well, and then from there it consistently ups the tension until it feels like it's almost too much.

Makes me sad what happens to the later seasons (although my feelings my change after doing this marathon) as well as Caprica and Blood and Chrome, which both seem kind of pointless.
 
Ah memories.

Does anybody remember the hilariously inappropriate commercial that ran during S4 E13

HUGE SPOLERS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN SEASON 4 EPISODE 13

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CEDjAFi7oJ4

I saw that live and couldn't decide if I wanted to laugh or cry.

Finally watched this episode. Funny, I must have watched that video before because I recognized the scene lol. Good thing I forgot it long enough to not know it was coming. I remember (not having seen the show) assuming that the male character in that scene was always like that.

I can't agree with anyone who suggested stopping after S2. Maybe it was different watching it as it aired, but I felt S2, while having great moments, was the weakest season overall by far. Yes, Black Market left that much of a bad taste in my mouth, and Scar wasn't exactly the best episode to follow it. That moment in the series dragged the most for me.

I'm having mixed feelings about the most recent "reveal" but I'm looking forward to finishing the series!
 
Bumping this thread because I'm way LTTP on BSG, just finished watching Season 2, Episode 4.

I hate hate hate the internal politics drama thats going on at the moment, it drives me nuts that theres ~50k people left alive with very few resources struggling to survive and they choose to give so much weight to this shit. Apart from the XO every character seems rather one dimensional about it too. It feels really unrealistic and frankly lazy writing to get around the challenges of writing about a fleet in space without the crutch of various homeworlds to devote episodes to. I also hate the mystical, religious, propethic nature of Roslins character. She is the worst part of the show by about a mile.


Does this stuff resolve itself fast enough/well enough and is the payoff worth continuing?
 
Bumping this thread because I'm way LTTP on BSG, just finished watching Season 2, Episode 4.

I hate hate hate the internal politics drama thats going on at the moment, it drives me nuts that theres ~50k people left alive with very few resources struggling to survive and they choose to give so much weight to this shit. Apart from the XO every character seems rather one dimensional about it too. It feels really unrealistic and frankly lazy writing to get around the challenges of writing about a fleet in space without the crutch of various homeworlds to devote episodes to. I also hate the mystical, religious, propethic nature of Roslins character. She is the worst part of the show by about a mile.


Does this stuff resolve itself fast enough/well enough and is the payoff worth continuing?

Probably not in the way you want if it's already too much for you. The end of season 2 is kind of where the the colonial politics stuff reaches its apex and is personally some of my favorite episodes.

The spiritual/religious stuff never goes away and only becomes more prominent.

I think it pays off (it's a hell of a long road to get there) but I'm crazy.
 
Um...I guess it does fade eventually. The politics part, though never completely. And the religious stuff never goes away either.

I really liked all of that, so I dunno...have a feeling it won't get any better for you, though, if it's bugging you.
 
I'm actually in the process of rewatching the show right now with my friend. Currently halfway through season two. It's my first time rewatching season two, but my third time rewatching season one. Just love this show so much. The past three friends I've introduced it to have all been really hesitant to watch it at first, but quickly became hooked.

Although my favorite characters list has changed pretty dramatically. I've gained a huge appreciation for Starbuck, Colonel Tigh, and the Chief, primarily because all the actors are just fantastic.
 
One of my brothers was watching this while it was on TV, I didn't pay much attention since I usually don't get into sci-fi shows. After the series ended he bought the bluray.

One day I decided to boot up the bluray disc, and my other brother (who was studying for exams at the time) and I pretty much marathoned the whole series in 5 days, LOL.

Loved it. But yeah, the grainy filter was disappointing at first, I actually wanted to watch it on the projector as most blurays benefit from the larger picture, but it was actually a downgrade to watch it on the projector rather than the TV (well at least the first 2 discs of the set).
 
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