Anyone else watch the pilot for the upcoming Caprica series, a.k.a. the unnecessary prequel to Battlestar Galactica? Some quick thoughts: it was well acted and generally well-written. Also, the producers took advantage of the DVD format and threw in some gratuitous nudity just to spice things up. Overall, the show has potential to be an interesting exploration of class structure, racism, and the rise of monotheism.
That being said, it was too long for its own good, and the philosophical discussions never really rose above the level of a high school debate club. In other words, it's just as silly and self-indulgent as The Matrix, but without the guns and kung fu.
And if the early Christians were as annoying and self-righteous as the monotheists in Caprica, it's no wonder that the Romans persecuted them. Still, the show deserves credit for trying to approach religion in a nuanced manner. It doesn't fall into the "monotheism is inherently better" or "all religion is violent" camps. Instead, the writers seem to be using science fiction to re-tell the history of Christianity, as well as touch upon the appeal of Islamic fundamentalism in modern times.
For all the flaws of the pilot, Caprica is an interesting idea, and I hope SyFy picks it up.
Showing posts with label Galactica. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Galactica. Show all posts
Monday, June 8, 2009
Sunday, March 22, 2009
We're all gonna die because the Japanese love robots
Battlestar Galactica: Daybreak Part 2
Not perfect by any means, but I enjoyed it. In fact, it may be the best series finale I've ever seen, even if it didn't give a giant, Sorpranos-style "fuck you" to the viewers.
Spoilers ahead...
The Good:
Space battles! Robot-on-robot violence! Might as well blow the entire budget on the last episode.
Adama's plan to rescue Hera was as ridiculous and suicidal as all his other plans. Not surprisingly, it worked.
After 4 seasons, Baltar finally grew a backbone and even came to terms with his self-loathing and secret shame over his roots. His story arc with Caprica Six was resolved in a way that gave both characters as much closure as they'll ever get. As usual, James Callis and Tricia Helfer were outstanding in their roles.
Boomer's long running, oft-forgotten subplot ended in the only way it ever could, and yet the character still managed to go out with dignity.
Cavil, on the other hand, died in a completely meaningless fashion, which suits a character who ultimately believed in nothing.
Real Earth! Ron Moore and company are a bunch of lying liars, and I admit I did not see this twist coming. Linking the colonial survivors to the origins of modern humanity and (I'm assuming) our ancient pagan traditions is a much cooler idea than simply having them land in Times Square.
Furby is the seed of our own destruction!
Hoshi got to be admiral for 5 minutes. Come on, that shit is funny.
Flashback Adama threw up on himself! That's how I'll always remember him.
The Bad:
So all that shit with the opera house and the angels was just some overly-elaborate plot by God to arrange a Mexican standoff on Galactica's bridge? It's almost as if God is a hack writer on a TV series.
Apollo gives one of his big, dumb speeches and they all turn into tree-hugging hippies. The fuck? And did the survivors really have to send the ENTIRE fleet into the sun? I'm typing this blog post on a computer while sitting in an air-conditioned house. Technology rocks, and Lee Adama is full of fail.
The flashbacks became as pointless as I feared they would. I liked the flashbacks in the first part, but the longer they went on the less useful they were in examining the characters. Did we really need another story about how Lee loves Kara but their relationship will never work? 4 seasons of stating the obvious was enough.
Tyrol avenging Cally should have been dramatic, but that plot hadn't been addressed in months, and Tory was given so little character development I didn't feel much of anything when Tyrol killed her.
Rosslyn was mostly a waste of space for 2 hours, and then she died. Not exactly making good use of your most talented actress.
Angel Kara was an idiotic idea. While the show had pretty much revealed God's hand a long time ago, at least everything God did was ambiguous and open to multiple interpretations (like Head-Six being either an angel or one of Baltar's hallucinations). But turning Kara into the deus ex machina was just lazy writing and pretty much misses the whole point of faith. And her schmaltzy last scene with Apollo only made it worse.
If I never hear "All Along the Watchtower" again, I'll be a happy man.
_______________________________________________________
So what did you think? Leave a comment.
Not perfect by any means, but I enjoyed it. In fact, it may be the best series finale I've ever seen, even if it didn't give a giant, Sorpranos-style "fuck you" to the viewers.
Spoilers ahead...
The Good:
Space battles! Robot-on-robot violence! Might as well blow the entire budget on the last episode.
Adama's plan to rescue Hera was as ridiculous and suicidal as all his other plans. Not surprisingly, it worked.
After 4 seasons, Baltar finally grew a backbone and even came to terms with his self-loathing and secret shame over his roots. His story arc with Caprica Six was resolved in a way that gave both characters as much closure as they'll ever get. As usual, James Callis and Tricia Helfer were outstanding in their roles.
Boomer's long running, oft-forgotten subplot ended in the only way it ever could, and yet the character still managed to go out with dignity.
Cavil, on the other hand, died in a completely meaningless fashion, which suits a character who ultimately believed in nothing.
Real Earth! Ron Moore and company are a bunch of lying liars, and I admit I did not see this twist coming. Linking the colonial survivors to the origins of modern humanity and (I'm assuming) our ancient pagan traditions is a much cooler idea than simply having them land in Times Square.
Furby is the seed of our own destruction!
Hoshi got to be admiral for 5 minutes. Come on, that shit is funny.
Flashback Adama threw up on himself! That's how I'll always remember him.
The Bad:
So all that shit with the opera house and the angels was just some overly-elaborate plot by God to arrange a Mexican standoff on Galactica's bridge? It's almost as if God is a hack writer on a TV series.
Apollo gives one of his big, dumb speeches and they all turn into tree-hugging hippies. The fuck? And did the survivors really have to send the ENTIRE fleet into the sun? I'm typing this blog post on a computer while sitting in an air-conditioned house. Technology rocks, and Lee Adama is full of fail.
The flashbacks became as pointless as I feared they would. I liked the flashbacks in the first part, but the longer they went on the less useful they were in examining the characters. Did we really need another story about how Lee loves Kara but their relationship will never work? 4 seasons of stating the obvious was enough.
Tyrol avenging Cally should have been dramatic, but that plot hadn't been addressed in months, and Tory was given so little character development I didn't feel much of anything when Tyrol killed her.
Rosslyn was mostly a waste of space for 2 hours, and then she died. Not exactly making good use of your most talented actress.
Angel Kara was an idiotic idea. While the show had pretty much revealed God's hand a long time ago, at least everything God did was ambiguous and open to multiple interpretations (like Head-Six being either an angel or one of Baltar's hallucinations). But turning Kara into the deus ex machina was just lazy writing and pretty much misses the whole point of faith. And her schmaltzy last scene with Apollo only made it worse.
If I never hear "All Along the Watchtower" again, I'll be a happy man.
_______________________________________________________
So what did you think? Leave a comment.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Galactica is back! And more depressing than ever!
"Battlestar Galactica" returned to the SciFi Channel last night after an extended hiatus, presumably so showrunners could figure out how to write the last ten episodes in a way that wouldn't come across as incredibly anti-climatic. Prior to the hiatus, the human survivors of the Colonies had made nice with the Cylons (at least the pretty ones) and arrived at Earth. Instead of the land of milk and honey, they found an irradiated wasteland. The new episode, "Sometimes a Great Notion," begins right where the last episode ended.
Spoilers below...
Previous seasons of Galactica typically fell apart in the latter half, mainly because the writers simply lacked the material for 20+ episodes (Remember the Apollo as hard-boiled detective episode? Sorry to bring that up). However, if the rest of the remaining episodes are like "Sometimes a Great Notion," Galactica may go out with a bang rather than a whimper.
For viewers who love the show's mythology, this episode is a dream come true. We finally get some concrete information about the Thirteenth Tribe (they're fracking Cylons!) and about Ellen (also fracking Cylon). But this episode raises just as many questions as it answers. How did the Final Five download/soul-transfer from Earth 2,000 years ago to the Colonies in the present? If Kara isn't the last Cylon, what the hell is she? Do the writers have a plan, or are they just making this shit up as the go along?
In terms of personal drama, this episode doesn't disappoint either. Rosslyn goes crazy with the book-burning, Dee takes the easy way out, and Adama gets drunk again. I love me some drunk Adama, but sadly there's no drooling this time. Every character has to deal with the fact that there is no light at the end of the tunnel, and Adama's final solution is both true to his character and the spirit of the show. With nothing left to lose, he gives his people a reason to keep going.
My one slight concern is that, with nine episodes left, the writers may once again not have enough decent material to maintain the quality at this level. I don't want to sit through seven terrible episodes before getting a spectacular two-hour series finale. But like Adama, I'll keep hope alive, and get mad drunk.
Spoilers below...
Previous seasons of Galactica typically fell apart in the latter half, mainly because the writers simply lacked the material for 20+ episodes (Remember the Apollo as hard-boiled detective episode? Sorry to bring that up). However, if the rest of the remaining episodes are like "Sometimes a Great Notion," Galactica may go out with a bang rather than a whimper.
For viewers who love the show's mythology, this episode is a dream come true. We finally get some concrete information about the Thirteenth Tribe (they're fracking Cylons!) and about Ellen (also fracking Cylon). But this episode raises just as many questions as it answers. How did the Final Five download/soul-transfer from Earth 2,000 years ago to the Colonies in the present? If Kara isn't the last Cylon, what the hell is she? Do the writers have a plan, or are they just making this shit up as the go along?
In terms of personal drama, this episode doesn't disappoint either. Rosslyn goes crazy with the book-burning, Dee takes the easy way out, and Adama gets drunk again. I love me some drunk Adama, but sadly there's no drooling this time. Every character has to deal with the fact that there is no light at the end of the tunnel, and Adama's final solution is both true to his character and the spirit of the show. With nothing left to lose, he gives his people a reason to keep going.
My one slight concern is that, with nine episodes left, the writers may once again not have enough decent material to maintain the quality at this level. I don't want to sit through seven terrible episodes before getting a spectacular two-hour series finale. But like Adama, I'll keep hope alive, and get mad drunk.
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