Battlestar Galactica. Just saying those two words conjures images of pimply-faced, socially awkward teens with thick-rimmed, taped together glasses sitting inches from a TV basking in their nerdom… and understandably so. After all, the show is called Battlestar Galactica. What you don’t know is that Battlestar Galactica isn’t just for Sci-Fi geeks. No, no, no, my friends. That’s mistake #1. BSG(That’s Battlestar Galactica for short), is a show that anyone who likes engaging, character-based dramas will not only enjoy, but love. It’s smart, incredibly well-written and delivered by a group of fine actors. If you’ve never watched BSG simply because you “don’t like science fiction,” then you’ve done yourself a huge disservice. Trust me.
It’s the “science fiction” label that has kept BSG from reaching as broad an audience as it deserved. For many, the term “sci-fi” is an instant turn off, which makes sense. Most shows that fall under the science fiction umbrella are truly fantastic and a little too far “out there,” if you will, for the majority of us.
But unlike other well known science fiction series, there are no aliens, no crazy red and black space unitards/uniforms and no teleportation to be found in BSG. The overarching theme of the show is a little fantastic, yes, but the show itself keeps it’s feet firmly planted in reality. The show’s premise is dark: The vast majority of mankind has been destroyed by the Cylons, a group or robots that were build by man but eventually rebelled against them, in a nuclear holocaust. I know, I know… it sounds nerdy. Bare with me. From all this, the remaining survivors band together to escape and find a new home all while being chased and hunted by the Cylons. At the core of the fleet of survivors and their ships is a lone, aging warship(Battlestar) named Galactica. It is the sole vehicle for protecting all remaining survivors. It’s a very bleak premise that struck a chord with many. The interactions of the characters during their struggle to survive and move on is what makes this show so great. Some cope through religion, others through anger and vengeance and some try and find solace through their relationships with other fellow survivors. Like most people, the characters come with baggage, guilt and denial among many things. The writers have woven an intricate storyline that will undoubtedly resonate on some level with just about anyone. It certainly has with me.
Once you give in and give Battlestar Galactica a try, it’s hard not to like it.
If you hate Star Trek, Star Wars, Babylon 5, Seaquest DSV, Stargate Atlantis, Dr. Who and the like, then you’re like a whole bunch of other people out there. That said, just because you’re not a sci-fi fan, doesn’t mean you’ll hate BSG. Just ask my wife. She hates sci-fi. Hates it. Finally, after a lot of convincing, she sat down and watched the series premiere which came in the form of a four hour mini-series. After that, she was hooked and has since watched almost every episode of the past four seasons. Let me spell that out for you: My wife, the admitted science fiction hater, loves Battlestar Galactica. And if she loves it, there’s hope for all you other science fiction haters.
If you haven’t been keeping up with the series, tonight marks the series finale of Battlestar Galactica and it will soon only be available in re-runs and on dvd. While I’m sad to see the show go, I’m happy that it’s being ended on it’s own accord. Too often, shows continue to drag on well after the series should have ended. Anyone remember the garbage that was X-Files seasons 8-9? Yeah, they were terrible. Thankfully, that’s not going to happen with BSG. Yes, the award-winning show(it won a Peabody, y’all! Not to mention their two Emmy wins and tons of others) won’t be continuing on for the sake of continuing on. The creative forces behind the show knew that in order to keep the show’s integrity intact it needed to end this season. Hats off to Ronald D. Moore, et al for making that call.
Tonight’s two-hour finale is going to have to cover a lot of ground. I won’t give anything away to those of you who are a few shows behind or are actually considering giving BSG a go, but there are plenty of questions to be answered and it’s going to be difficult fitting that into just two short hours. Tonight’s finale promises to be some of the best tv we’ve seen in years. Let’s hope there’s limited commercial interruption.
So let’s hear it: Would you ever consider watching Battlestar Galactica? If you already do, will you please back me up here? It’s hard convincing folks that BSG isn’t as super nerdy as it sounds.
