I have only seen the first series of the new Battlestar Galactica on DVD, but the sheer intelligence and relevance of the stories it tells has struck me like no other show. It seems I’m not the only one – people are talking about the value of BSG as social commentary at Crooked Timber, seedlings, and even Entertainment Weekly. The analysis of the conflict between Colonials and Cylons as it relates to the United States, Iraq, terrorism and World War II is a testament to the contribution good television can make to the level of debate in our society, and is a refreshing break from the overload of reality TV and the expanding rotation of “another week, another crime” police procedurals (remember when John Munch was a character?). Ron Moore has created a setting that starts with a fairly basic and well-trodden premise (machines turn on their creators and war between the “races” ensues) but is using it as a platform to examine a sophisticated set of issues. Anyone who likes science fiction probably already watches it, but the fact is that anyone with a brain should get into this show.
Wednesday, 11 October, 2006 at 12:44 am
Congratulations on discovering BSG. Fans of the original eagerly awaited the new series from the time of the original rumors right up to the miniseries and subsequent weekly drama. I don’t think any of us were quite prepared for just how good the series truly is.
If you already like the first season, you’ll enjoy the second season even more. It invokes varying degrees of outrage, disbelief, and even the occasional bout of tears. You may even have a gasp or two.
Season three, which is currently airing on SciFi, seems to be ripping storylines right out of today’s headlines. They’re right on target for another memorable season.
Wednesday, 11 October, 2006 at 1:43 pm
Scott, I am itching to work my way through the second season and keep on moving into the third. I was a fan of the original as a youngster, although I have to admit that I got the “classic” series on DVD and found the cheese factor a bit overwhelming. But this new show is the real deal, and it goes against the grain in terms of everything else I am seeing on TV these days.
In addition to the links between the show’s themes and today’s big political issues, I have found plenty of other social commentary in specific episodes. For instance, “Bastille Day” left me thinking a lot about how we view prisoners and their rights. Some characters seemed to take the view that because they were criminals they had an obligation to do whatever “society” required of them, such as going into dangerous conditions to obtain water. Others put forward the view that they retained a fundamental level of autonomy and self-determination, and that they should be rewarded for any good work they chose to do.
Unfortunately, poor programming by our local network and my own flaky schedule meant that I missed too many BSG broadcasts, so I decided that a DVD-viewing approach was the way to go. Now I just need to get the money together for Season 2 and hope that they keep the DVD releases for future seasons on as short a delay as possible.