Battlestar Galactica:Season 2 7.22.05; Part 1 NSCR

[wingsandsword]

I am glad to notice in this epsoid that the writers have returned slightly to the speech paterns with unusual curses like the BSG(1978). With the use of Frak, this makes them like us but just slightly different development.

Yeah, my only problem with new BSG is that it's too much like the here and now. Business suits and ties, humvees and deuce-and-a-half trucks, the ruins of Caprica even show Earth roadsigns (like the railroad-crossing X sign, seeing that really spoiled my suspension of disbelief for a little while, it took the "Frak" exclamations the next scene to get it back).

It's another human culture, at an indefnite time in the past or future, that has had no contact with the humanity of Earth for many thousands of years, when Earth was in the dawn of civilization, but they somehow have the same dress, street signs, vehicles and the like as early 21st century North America?

Old BSG was campy and corny, but they did go out of their way to establish that it was a completely different civilization, with it's funky vocabulary and sometimes strange cultural elements. New BSG sometimes seems almost sliders-esque with a parallell world feel since it's a completely different world and history, but some things are just strangely parallel.

I love New BSG, but that's the only real gripe I have with it, at least using expressions like "Frak" bring back a little "otherness" to them.

 

[Kobold Avenger]

Yeah, my only problem with new BSG is that it's too much like the here and now. Business suits and ties, humvees and deuce-and-a-half trucks, the ruins of Caprica even show Earth roadsigns (like the railroad-crossing X sign, seeing that really spoiled my suspension of disbelief for a little while, it took the "Frak" exclamations the next scene to get it back).

I live in Victoria, BC which is a ferry-ride away from Vancouver, and there's many places they choose to film in BSG that's so obviously Vancouver. They've already shown the Vancouver Public Library and Simon Fraser University. And I guess you would be fortunate on Caprica if your bank happened to be Scotiabank... A couple people I know who live in Vancouver even call Caprica, "Cylon-Occupied Vancouver"...

But filming in actual places around Vancouver, does sort of ground the planet Caprica as a place that's a lot like now (since they're trying to show how the colonials are much like us), and saves a bunch of money.

 

[TanisFrey]

"Just a centan, Frak, Febler-carb, Yarni" and other terms from the BSG'78 could have been used to make them more different while using the cheep items/building/filming locations from our world. I am just glad to see something that is in total control of the writers and DOES NOT COST $$ is being used, finaly.

 

[Shieldhaven]

I have kind of an odd view on the Episode 1.7 incident - in which Adama risked the whole fleet to wait for Starbuck. They'd gone out of their way, earlier in the episode, to establish Starbuck as the only person with the ability to teach new Viper pilots. It's been long enough since I first saw the ep that I don't remember why Apollo can't teach them, but I'm pretty sure that's what they said. Even though the whole fleet was at risk, Starbuck personally holds the future of all Viper training in her mind and so he couldn't possibly leave her.

*shrug*

That, and Adama has been grooming her for command.

Haven

 

[Sir Brennen]

47, 862 surivors now...

 

[Fast Learner]

I have kind of an odd view on the Episode 1.7 incident - in which Adama risked the whole fleet to wait for Starbuck. They'd gone out of their way, earlier in the episode, to establish Starbuck as the only person with the ability to teach new Viper pilots. It's been long enough since I first saw the ep that I don't remember why Apollo can't teach them, but I'm pretty sure that's what they said. Even though the whole fleet was at risk, Starbuck personally holds the future of all Viper training in her mind and so he couldn't possibly leave her.

*shrug*

That, and Adama has been grooming her for command.

Haven

They went out of their way to show that she was the best person to train the nuggets, but I didn't get that she was the only. What, Apollo couldn't train them?

 

[Steel_Wind]

If Adama was right in arresting Roslin - then Baltar is President.

Think on the implications of that for a moment.

I do agree that this is the best show on TV. Frankly - I don't even watch TV anymore. But to be honest - I don't watch this one on TV either. In Canada, Space isn't showing it until the Fall - and I am not waiting that long. So I download every episode off of Bittorent (2x03 is humming on the dl right now).

The producers of BSG can rest easily though - I'll buy each season DVD when released.

People talk about the Cylons as if they were monolithic. I don't think they are. The Toasters - yes. But the human copies have introduced a dangerous and what will prive to be a potentially disloyal element to the Cylons.

There are traitors amongst the humans - and in time - I expect traitors amongst the Cylons as well. It's X-Files meets Trek.

I really do have to commend Ron Moore and the writers of the show though. They know their craft and use all sorts of clever devices to keep the show fresh. Maintaining a presence on Caprica and now on Kobol is a brilliant piece of plotting that keeps the show fresh, opens up plot lines and never leaves us just floating in space being chased by Cylons every damned episode.

Getting rid or Roslin and Adama to get Tigh in there so it's not one happy fleet. Baltar as someone you don't know is an enemy or if he isn't. Starbuck the maverick on a hair trigger; Apollo as struggling to be his own man. Even smaller rolls like the Chief and his crew have all stepped up.

There really isn't any actor who is bad - and the vast majority bring depth to every role.

Great stuff.

 

[Shieldhaven]

Steel_Wind - good point on how they keep Caprica, Kobol, and Galactica as active locations. That's half of how they make it better than ST: TNG or Voyager. The other half, equally impressive to me, is that people at all levels of the military, from the Deck crew and the newbie pilots on up to the Old Man, are characters with depth that I really care about. All Star Treks have been bad about sending all of the highest-ranking officers on all of the adventures - so much so that it's laughable. (Don't get me wrong. I like ST too. But.)

Yeah. Best show on television. (Though I'm still bitter that Carnivale got cancelled after two seasons.)

Fast Learner - Heh. Gamer geek that I am, I'm thinking of Starbuck as being the one and only pilot with the Instruction skill, and without this skill no other skills may be passed on. Obviously it doesn't quite work like that, but we were sitting around applying stats to everyone anyway.

Haven