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Underground > Film, TV & Theatre >

Battlestar Galactica Season Three

  
  

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dmj2012
02:10 / 17.12.06
I hope this isn't too off-topic, but I didn't feel it warranted its own thread. BSG cast drawn as Simpsons characters:

Link

My faves?

Adama and Roslin:



Specialist Cally and Chief Tyrol



Tigh and Ellen:



More good ones at the link above.
 
 
dmj2012
02:10 / 17.12.06
Woops. messed up the link for the above post.
 
 
some guy
02:27 / 17.12.06
she doesn't feel like she deserves one, which is leftover trauma from her mother abusing her and from her guilt over zack's death. pushing the limits of herself and her morality is how she punishes herself.

Rhetorical question, sorry!
 
 
sleazenation
08:31 / 17.12.06
Mr Disco - interesting - I'm not sure that I buy that BSG is operating like an action movie, but I agree with the underlying principle that it is frequently slightly disappointing and this is cause for frustration because it is also consistently interesting - 80% of an utterly fantastic show with stuff that keeps letting it down. I just don't think that a lack of constant action and revelations are the problem as much as the moments of action and revelation mask an array or consistant yet fixable minor problems elsewhere.

Looking at the tightness of the writing and plotting in stuff like Ultraviolet and The Wire and comparing it to BSG I'm wondering whether it's maybe a problem that any TV show producing more than 13 episodes a year has to face...


Some comments on this week's episode -

Re: sweetening the pot - I think this is how they'll get Baltar back onboard the Galactica and is probably a set up for some kind of trial for war crimes (as hinted at in the Scifi.com roundtable podcast).

Where were the algae? At the end of the first establishing shot on the planet there was a CG image of a beach, but I guess bugetary reasons restricted the show's ability to film near the sea and, really, the algael blooms were a bit of a mcguffin to get us to a planet with the temple on it.

What is the Eye of Jupiter? I have an uneasy feeling that it will turn out to be a person, a member of the 13th tribe who has been frozen and left in the temple to act as a guide to those that would follow.
 
 
Seth
12:45 / 17.12.06
Where were the algae?

I felt let down by this. After the build up of the previous episode I was looking forward to an episode that properly explored the algae, but yet again this is a BSG plot-thread that's been sidelined for an as yet unknown number of episodes.

There's every chance that we'll get a decent in-depth algae episode in the second half of the season, but it just feels to me like the writers have got their priorities wrong yet again. The last thing they should do is move the plot on and then flash back to it after six or seven shows like they did with New Caprica: it's just too long to wait and too much will remain un addressed.
 
 
Keith, like a scientist
14:56 / 17.12.06
is the algae important, though? isn't it kind of enough that they say it's there and they say that people are working on it?

eye of jupiter - i have a feeling it has more to do with the imminent supernova...something that will be revealed in the moment when the star goes supernova, before they have to get out of the system. 'the heavens opened up and the eye of jupiter was revealed' was something that they said during the episode. Has more of a ring of fate/destiny.
 
 
some guy
15:14 / 17.12.06
Looking at the tightness of the writing and plotting in stuff like Ultraviolet and The Wire and comparing it to BSG I'm wondering whether it's maybe a problem that any TV show producing more than 13 episodes a year has to face...

I completely agree. BSG didn't stumble for me until somewhere in season 2.5 which would fit your thesis. A solid run of 13 followed by a solid run of 10.

Where were the algae?

Perhaps things looked different projected on a cinema screen, but you could see the ocean in the background of the camp in several shots. The sea was an odd color and I took this to imply that the entire surface was covered in floating algae.
 
 
sleazenation
16:03 / 17.12.06
Just some pics for Seth and the other algae-lovers





And for more of you algae needs, this link should sort you out.

Yeah, maybe it's because I saw this episode on a laptop rather than on the silver screen, but given how visually stunning algal blooms can look, I figured it was a bit of a missed opportunity. But, yeah, like I said, I realise that the algae was a bit of a McGuffin - it just could have been a more spectacular McGuffin is all, and one that could really sell the idea of, you know, harvesting huge multi-coloured tides of algal blooms. For anyone that ever read the old Marvel Star Wars comics, I was picturing something like Iskalon, but I guess the buget constraints on comics and TV are rather different. Still, more money for space battles and CGI cylons I guess.
 
 
Spaniel
08:16 / 18.12.06
Seth, are you being serious? You really, really want a show all about the algae? Really, really, really, really?
 
 
kowalski
11:12 / 18.12.06
Interestingly, the big circular symbol on the column in the Temple of the Five was also something Starbuck had painted on the wall of her apartment, which we saw when she and Helo visited it way back when.
 
 
some guy
13:49 / 18.12.06
The algae is actually there.The camp is ringed by mountains on one side and a digital ocean on the other - you can see it several times and it's definitely colored in a way meant to indicate algae blooms.
 
 
Seth
14:11 / 18.12.06
I want a spinoff show about the algae.

BATTLESTAR ALGAE.
 
 
Seth
15:54 / 18.12.06
 
 
Grey Cell
16:06 / 18.12.06
ALGAELACTICA!

"it's maybe a problem that any TV show producing more than 13 episodes a year has to face..."
"I completely agree. BSG didn't stumble for me until somewhere in season 2.5 which would fit your thesis. A solid run of 13 followed by a solid run of 10."

Agreed.

Maybe I'm just suffering from Battlestar fatigue... no matter how good the show is overall, I'm beginning to wonder how much longer it can go on. I used to believe they had the main plot completely lined out, but in the past season I've had several moments where I suspected they really just keep piling on new developments for as long as they can keep the show going. I really, really hope I'm wrong.

(And if I am, I really, really hope it doesn't turn into a second Battlestar Galactica 1980...)
 
 
Keith, like a scientist
18:17 / 18.12.06
there is an interview with RDM (conducted by Harlan Ellison, no less) in which RDM says that they didn't really know where they were headed until the latter half of Season 2, and now he feels like he has a good handle on where it should end up and vaguely how to get there. I found that somewhat distressing, but then Season 3 started out so strong, I kind of was happy with it. Now it's definitely wandering a bit...

the "they don't have it mapped out" thing is basically true of all shows of this type, even something like 24 is still week-to-week, to some degrees. and they freely admit it. they let the story evolve as they see it and let the success of how things are pulled off drive what stories are evolved. to my knowledge, B5 is the only series that claimed to have it all mapped out from the outset. and, as much i loved that show, it certainly suffered.
 
 
PatrickMM
19:34 / 18.12.06
For me, the two best things the show's done are the miniseries and the New Caprica arc, and the rest of the episodes have always been somewhat inconsistent. I really liked the first season, but it had a bunch of weak episodes, and not until the season finale did they reach the level of the miniseries again.

What made the miniseries and New Caprica so great was the extreme odds against our characters. The show has been very reluctant to play out negative consequences for its people. There's changes, but seemingly there's always an attempt to bring us back the old status quo. This means that there's not that much tension in the standalone episodes, or even the cliffhangers. I didn't find it particularly egregious to show the result of the cliffhanger in the promo because this isn't the kind of show that has the courage to put the main characters in real danger.

Compare that to something like 24, where there's a lot of tension because pretty much anyone could did at any time. Alternatively, you could do something like Buffy where the stories all have major consequences and lingering character arcs. The BSG people go through stuff, but there's not that same sense of consistent forward progress. In this season, Tigh went through some truly fantastic stuff, but it's pretty much done now, same for Starbuck.

Basically, the show just isn't willing to play out the consequences of storylines that will detach it from the status quo. Going into this season, I assumed New Caprica would be the new status quo for the show and last for at least a season. The episodes there were riveting, and it really did feel like anything could happen. This new cliffhanger we've got is the same kind of thing that could have happened in season one or two.

There is some forward progress, but not enough. It's possible to do a lot of standalone episodes and have them accumulate in character development, as in Angel or The Sopranos season five, but these standalones seem to happen, then be forgotten. I think it was a huge mistake to end New Caprica so quickly, and part of what made the show seem to lag in the second half of the season is that it feels old next to the bold new stuff in the first half.
 
 
Planet B
00:18 / 19.12.06
I used to believe they had the main plot completely lined out, but in the past season I've had several moments where I suspected they really just keep piling on new developments for as long as they can keep the show going.

This is what really bothers me about the direction of the show. There are so many opportunities to explore the mythology, the characters and the plot as it is, yet they seem to continually add new threads while dropping others. The Eye of Jupiter thing was the most interesting part of this episode, and I hope that they actually do something interesting with it in part II.

I feel like the show should have an arc similar to that of ST: DS9 with Sisco fulfilling the prophecy (minus all the stand-alone episodes). There should be nuggets of info in almost every episode which furthers the larger story, and every 3-4 episodes I think there should be some decently-sized reveal. Instead, it feels like we're still waiting for reveals that were set up two whole seasons ago. No wonder ratings are dropping.
 
 
some guy
03:45 / 19.12.06
I feel the opposite in a way. I am completely uninterested in the "mythology" of the show and mainly drawn to the characters themselves. I'd far rather watch 20 episodes of "Unfinished Business" or "Act of Contrition" than advance the larger plot. I much prefer the BSG to be on the brink however; my favorite episodes are the sheer terror of "33" and things like Tighe completely falling apart whilst in command.
 
 
Planet B
01:24 / 20.12.06
well, I agree that some of the best episodes are ones where we actually see characters reacting to their situations instead of just action sequences. for instance, I had no problem with the boxing episode (except the retarted clapping sequences) because it actually showed us something "real" about quite a few of the characters, and specifically Kara and Lee.

I was watching Arrested Development today and it was after Buster lost his hand, and he was having a bad dream and woke up to see this big plastic hand chair that had actually shown up in two previous episodes over a decent stretch.

This is the kind of thing I think BSG is missing -- little hints that eventually reveal themselves. It's pretty odd that a comedy show can plot things out a season or so in advance, but a sci-fi drama can't (or at least, apparently, doesn't).
 
 
some guy
04:07 / 20.12.06
I agree - it would go so much toward making crap like Black Market or Passages palatable by making the character "revelations" more organic. The difference between exposition and payoff.
 
 
Mouse
17:09 / 23.12.06
I'm posting with my blinkers on so I don't see any spoilers:

I'm trying to catch up with the show, and I'm starting at what I thought was the beginning. Was there something before the TV series? It seems to start in the middle of something, with them jumping every 33 minutes to avoid the Cylons. Is there a TV movie I need to rent as well or something?
 
 
PatrickMM
22:25 / 23.12.06
Yup, there's a three hour miniseries before the start of the first season proper. It should be included as the first disc of the first season boxset, in the US at least. But, that's essential viewing, and IMO, one of the high points of the show so far.
 
 
PatrickMM
22:44 / 25.12.06
Planet B, I'm right with you on the AD continuity comparison. It makes no sense to have the major point of one episode be Adama is too close to the crew, he has to treat them as soldiers, not family, and then the very next episode have him say that he sees Kat as the daughter he never had. Now, maybe he's just saying that to her, but the episode gives us no indication that he's not genuine. It's not only sloppy continuity, it also makes development of the character impossible because he's got shifting motivations from week to week.
 
 
MJ-12
12:24 / 26.12.06
I'd have to say that the motivation for his wanting to keep a distance from the crew is that it was impacting his decisions. Given that Kat is on the way out, I don't see a disconnect at all. If anything, the situation drives home somewhat the notion that distancing himself is a conscious decision he feels the need to make as the CO, and when he's freed from that constraint we can see that it is a result of his being conflicted. If anything, I find that the two bits dovetail quite nicely.
 
 
Our Lady Has Left the Building
07:04 / 09.01.07
I've been thinking for a while about race in BSG, the black Cylon (I forget his name, Simon?) is the one that seems to be around the least, most of the cast is white, both Bill Adama and Athena seem to have children of a different ethnic group to them and, as Read Less, More BSG said a few months ago, they fell into the trap of having a number of the more 'spiritual' characters in the show be black. Anyone have any opinions on this or is it just me being crazy?
 
 
Keith, like a scientist
12:29 / 09.01.07
Athena?

there are a number non-white characters: Dualla, Gaeta, Kat (well, not anymore), and there are a lot of background characters who are not white. I don't disagree that the big stars seem to all be white, and they could use some more diversity.

regarding Adama, we don't actually know what his wife looked like, do we? As I recall, Zack was a little more ethnic looking than Lee - who knows how the traits will fall.
 
 
some guy
16:47 / 09.01.07
Zac was played by a Latino actor if I remember correctly. Adama might be the first Latino SF lead.

Athena's child is played by an Asian actor in the upcoming episodes.

Roslin gets my vote for most spiritual character. There was the black priestess but on the other hand there was the seer on New Caprica. I'm not sure it's as unrepresentative as you make out.
 
 
Phex: Dorset Doom
15:56 / 11.01.07
From ominously named Chicago Tribune TV Blog 'The Watcher'- important BsG news: Something important happens to Starbuck in the forthcoming episode 'Maelstrom'! A major character will die! There will be a Galactica film to bridge the gap between series 3 and 4! The show will go in an unexpected direction after the end of series 3!
 
 
Our Lady Has Left the Building
17:56 / 11.01.07
A Major character will die! I'm guessing it will be either Dualla or the fella Starbuck's married to. I'm also aware that they might not be considered 'major'. Or maybe all the 3s will die, trying to find out what those visions mean.
 
 
Keith, like a scientist
18:27 / 11.01.07
i read that stuff, as well... scary. does this thread have a Spoilers policy? that's the kind of thing that some purists might not want to even be exposed to... i was little pissed at myself for reading it yesterday.
 
 
Disco is My Class War
09:42 / 21.01.07
BUMP

I'm excited.

And on the ethnicity of the characters, um, Edward Olmos isn't white, either. Is he? I don't think we're necessarily meant to read his character as 'white'. (Although we've never really been shown how discourses of ethnicity/race within the 12 colonies work.) It strikes me as difficult for anyone to read Olmos as a white actor, though, given his acting history. Stand and Deliver? Zoot Suit?
 
 
Disco is My Class War
09:44 / 21.01.07
I just reread the posts above and realised no-one was claiming Olmos to be white, so my comment doesn't entirely make sense. Oops.
 
 
Seth
22:04 / 22.01.07
Enjoyed that. I'm a sucker for episodes where characters have to act against what they'd usually want. Apollo and whatever-his-name-is-Starbuck-husband, Dualla, Helo - all making hard decisions.
 
 
Planet B
04:38 / 23.01.07
That was a pretty good episode, I can't even complain about much except for some minor inconsistencies - like whether or not Cylons communicate with each other when they download. I've been reading some of the BSG message boards on SciFi.com and it seems no one knows because they've always been so vague to fit their plots, basically having it both ways.

I also let out an audible groan when I saw the preview for next week (great! more Lee and Kara).
 
 
Our Lady Has Left the Building
17:47 / 26.01.07
Hmm, that was either a really good or really bad episode and it's driving me crazy that I can't tell which.

I really liked the way that they resolved the stand-off at the end of the last episode. It didn't feel like a cheat to me. I also liked Athena's plan to get on to the Base Star, I think I worked out what was going to happen about five seconds before it did. There was good interplay between the various human characters, I expected some heart-to-heart between Dualla and Starbuck and was glad that we didn't have to sit through that.

However, it all went a bit wrong in the second half of the episode, I think they tried to do too much in too little time. Was it established last time that a Cavil was going with Deanna and Baltar? And precisely why don't the Cylons want to know who the final five are? Cavil's "there are things men, sorry Cylon am not supposed to know!" routine was rather irritating.

Would people like to vote as to whether they think Ron and the other producers know who the final five are? I suspect that they haven't decided yet, though there's a clear implication that Starbuck is one of them. Seeing as the Cylons believe in a cyclical wheel-turning universe I wonder whether the final five are something to do with the original colonists, could they have been sent off to create the Cylon civilisation at the same time the other colonists were sent off to what would be Earth? I've always been uneasy as to how theology and sci-fi mesh in Galactica, not because all the signs and portents rather need some theist deity overhead ensuring people get the necessary signs and visions but because I'm not sure you can have a religious war with the Cylons while having an actual war.

(Gah, ignore the last. I'll come back to it when I can work out what I mean)

I'm surprised that Hera is back on Galactica, but I suspect that the writers are struggling to find anything intrinsically interesting to do with the child. Whilst presumably Helo and Athena will be wanting words with the President it remains to be seen whether there's anything that can be done with the baby other than stick it in a time-warp that's escaped from Star Trek and turn her into a foxy eighteen year old that kills Cylons while wearing tight clothing.

I'm also a little annoyed on the names front. All the Three's seem to be called De'anna. Yet Six is Six. But there is also Caprica Six who is the model that seduced Baltar back in the miniseries, who is called Caprica. She seems to be an individual amongst the Cylons, along with Boomer amongst Eights. Why don't any of the other models take names, or individual names? It's a small point, but I think a ball has been dropped.

The decision to box Three is fascinating, as opposed to trying to take the Three that went down to the temple out of the mix. I suspect that by the end of the season we'll have a Cylon society fighting a human society, both as fractious as one another and likely to tear each other apart as destroy the other. Did the Three's perform a unique function in Cylon society that will now be missed?

We've now got to wait for a few months to see how the writers get Baltar out of this fine mess...
 
  

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