User Reviews

BSG is a wonderful sci-fi series! In the midst of the battles between the human kind and the robots, the dark sides of the people are exposed whereas the robots display in themselves what humanity should be. The desire to survive, the yearning for the Earth, and the hope for the future drive both the humans and the robots as the distinctions between them gradually disappear.

The casting was exceptional and the performances were more than convincing. The actors did excellent jobs in expressing the emotional struggles within and without. The dynamic and unpredictable story lines demanded feats of acting skills and they all performed to high standards. There were a lot of breath-halting cliffhangers, palm-sweating suspense, and eye-widening surprises.

At times, some of the narrations seemed to be a bit preachy. There were times when the decisions of the people on the ship were too predictable and childish. I had an impression that the ending was rather rushed.

BSG kept asking us the same question "What makes us human?" In this regards, this TV series reminded me of a book called 'Somewhere carnal over 40 winks'.

I hope for more of realistic sci-fi series like BSG in the future.

Before "The Expanse" appeared on my radar, I would have called BSG the best SciFi series without competition. Now it gracefully shares the throne.

This show is also referred to as the "reimagined" version of Battlestar Galactica, and I think this is an accurate description considering that one cannot really call it a remake. I have to admit that I never watched the original BSG series from the late 1970s. If I'm being honest, I don't think I ever will. However, it's interesting to see how both shows managed to address the geopolitical context of their time in their own, unique way. The original BSG was known to be a parable of the Cold War (with the robotic, swarm-intelligent Cylons clearly representing the Soviets). In contrast, the reimagined BSG has tackled its post 9/11 context and explores themes like religious fanaticism (the monotheistic Cylons), which is juxtaposed with the more liberal, polytheistic society of the human colonies. It speaks volumes that the main threat to the human colonial society is not just the incessant pursuit of the cylons, but the militarization, securitization, and decay of democratic institutions amongst the human survivors. One of the most interesting parts of the show looks at the problem of occupation from the perspective of the occuppied and the collaborators in their midst - some scenes are characteristically filmed with the greenish tint of night-vision cameras that could as well show CNN footage of raiding houses in Fallujah, Iraq.

It is much to the credit of the show that none of these political allusions are entirely obvious or unequivocal. BSG is not a show that aims to make political statements, it's rather a show that draws attention to the fact that things are never as easy or clear-cut as we would like them to be - and that in political and military affairs, the road to hell is often paved with the best of intentions.

On this note, the genre of BSG is not just science fictions, it's (more specifically) military science fiction. The creators of the show seem to have developed an entire body of theory and doctrine on ship-to-ship combat in space. While I don't want to enter any endless discussion of "realism", I personally found the way BSG portrays combat in outer space very fascinating and (within the confines of the show) consistent. Suffice it to say, it is heavily influenced by a meticulous study World War II naval battles. While CGI technology was not what it is today, most of the scenes in space are aesthetically very pleasing and the space battles are amongst the most engaging I have ever seen in this genre.

On a more general level, the looks and visual atmosphere of BSG are just as impressive as the complex and well-crafted storyline. Ships feel appropriately claustrophobic, they are heavily armored hulks of steel with wires, metallic bulkheads, and flickering neon lights - in many ways the exact opposite of what you might find in "Star Trek". The few planetary surfaces of the show are equally unique, from the over-saturated green of the fallen Garden Eden of Cobol and the sickly yellow tint of irradiated Caprica to the barren planes of New Caprica and the bubbling miasma of the "Algae Planet".

The entire storyline of the show is truly remarkable. After the existential shock of the opening episodes, which depicted nothing less than the nuclear holocaust of an interplanetary human civilization, the show remained thrilling and very tense - almost as if there was a dark, constant undercurrent running through every single episode. At the same time, the introduction of both mystical and mysterious elements - BSG later became famous for it's "circular view of history" - captured my imagination. I still shudder thinking about the strangely meaningful, yet utterly senseless, dadaistic poetry of the human-cylon hybrids who have gone mad from what was never meant to be fused ("End of line"). The different models of the "skin jobs" are equally fascinating, especially after it dawns upon the viewer that each of these (slightly different) non-individuals follows the same patterns and maximes of behaviour (e.g. Lioben always lies).

The same fascination extends to the human characters: One of my all-time favorites was William Adama, the intransigant patriarch, sometimes a fatherly caretaker, sometimes a ruthless military commander with tyrannic tendencies. (Take note of some of the later scenes where Adama and his XO Tigh engage into serious orgies of boozing that usually degerate into the spiteful ramblings of disappointed old men). The brilliantly acted Kara Thrace, whose inner struggles and desparation were almost palpable, is another great example of this show's memorable spectrum of characters.

Bottom line: This show is a must-see for every fan of intelligent science fiction. It is also warmy recommended to anybody who does not fit this description.

BSG is an extremely well-acted and appropriately-casted sci-fi mil opera. Not a single role is miscast, not a single scene (even if farfetched) is badly acted. The show uses the old Galactica for names, setting and ship shapes, but the lore is all new (here the cylons were created by humans and have an assimilation plan). Since the show was not scripted with a long arc in mind, some short arcs are slow, convoluted or not interesting (Helo on Caprica, Baltar the Prophet) but when the writing room nails it, BSG is solid gold (Miniseries, 33, Pegasus, Razor, first discovery of Earth). CGI still good after some years, even if on 4K TV some effects seem naive (dead Sharon, all in-atmosphere explosions). Still worth your time!

It started off with a great season one, but gradually deteriorated over time. Season three was the worst.

Kara and Apollo were the worst characters. They were the "star" characters and got the most screentime. They both were domestic abusers of each other, and the writers tried to write that as romantic. Yeah, frak off. Kara was a bully and an idiot most of the time. Apollo was the most boring character on the show. He was so vanilla, that he was a yawn. The writers didn't know what to do with him and kept giving him new job titles until eventually, he devolved into a politician. These two were both a drain on the show, especially in season 3.

Hate that Caprica Six lost her mojo after resurrecting. Remember how the mini series began? She killed a baby and orchestrated the genocide of the human on Caprica. Later she got involved with Saul which was forced, awkward, and stupid. This relationship was completely swept under the rug late in the last season.

The Final Five seemed like an "omg, what a shocking twist," moment. Then went downhill after that. Ellen as the final one seemed like a joke. So she's a part of the scientists that created the resurrection? LMAO. Gimme a break. Speaking of which, I had to go online to read some sites in order to understand the Cylon history and how the Final Five were explained. The show didn't do a good job of it. Everything went so fast that I didn't have time to think about it and connect the dots when Sam, Ellen, and Cavil explained everything. Of course, they only made this up in the last season. Sheesh.

The Opera House scene at the end of season 4, seemed kind of anti-climatic. The repeating vision and all that build-up for that? Kind of weak. Tho I did appreciate Baltar's reasoning with Cavil. My favorite character is Baltar. Great acting by the actor. Baltar was interesting, funny, and introspective. His philosophizing and squirming "not to get caught" made him fun to watch. Not to mention all the scenes with Six in his head.

Sharon/Boomer should have been the most compelling characters on the show. Unfortunately, I found her too vanilla. Even when Boomer was deceptive and doing bad stuff, she was still vanilla. The actress wasn't very charismatic, and I think that's what made the characters ho-hum to me. Helo was great. He was one of the humans I really liked. A voice for the underdog, and yet stayed true to the commands he received.

D'Anna Biers was my favorite Cylon. She was different from the rest which were either rebels or the colony. She had her own path. I found her intriguing and fun. I wished they had more of her in the show. Imagine having Lucy Lawless and not utilizing her more. Great actress. She has a huge fanbase that would have stuck with the show through thick and thin just to see her. Another character that I really liked was Lampkin. He was fun and interesting. A charismatic character and actor. Definitely wished there was more of him in the show.

What the frak happened to you Chief? For the first three seasons, you were a pretty decent character. Then they made you a Cylon. They got rid of your wife. They got rid of your kid. Last I saw of you, you were sitting on the ground after killing Tory. We didn't even get to see what path in life you were heading into on New Earth.

I only started liking Laura sometime in the third season. Same with Saul. Imagine Saul is one of the final five. So he was a scientist? Seems so laughable. They never should have made him a Cylon. Kara was an angel? They made it up in the last season. That was just poor writing. I think it would have been better if Laura and Kara had been Cylons. With Laura being the top-dog Cylon. Also, I love the idea of Adama falling for a Cylon.

Adama wasn't my favorite character. But he was in the least the top five or six. I think more importantly the actor had a presence that dominated the screen. He brought a certain gravitas that worked for the character. I definitely like Adama, but sometimes was annoyed by him. Such as when he didn't listen to Helo about the Sagittarian situation or ignored the prophecies Laura mentions. I didn't care for drunk Adama. And the father/son stuff between him and Apollo got tired.

As for the ending, well it makes sense in a lot of ways. "This had happened before and will happen again." Seems like a dire warning about AI. But is the problem really with AI, or is it with human beings? I'd say the latter. The ending seemed a little kumbayah for my tastes. I kept waiting for the other foot to fall but it never did. Seemed kinda dumb Apollo's idea to give up their technology. I mean they know about the Cylons. The planet would be without protection. Neo-Luddism for the Capricans. Seems similar to the Sagittarians. No, I believe the answer was to learn from their mistakes and go forward and evolve. The answer stared them right in the face from the beginning. The Cylons including the Centurians were sentient beings and they needed to work together, not make war with each other. Also what about the people that were left behind on Caprica? No way that the few survivors Starbuck came with were the only ones. She was only at a small location on the big giant planet. No one wants to rescue/help them? Also when the Cylons all went to New Caprica to occupy it, did they all leave old Caprica? I'm kinda confused about that.

I found the show compelling to watch at times. The idea of it is so interesting. The worst thing for me was the "Kara and Apollo show." That was such a drain, especially in season three that despite the show being compelling I almost quit. But I wanted to see how the show would wrap up, so then it became a chore just to get through it to reach the end. As far as I'm concerned they ruined the show in many ways. I think that's why people probably walking away from it when it aired. Oddly enough, I loved Apollo and Starbuck in the old 78' version. Anyway, I gave this a 7/10.

After watching the whole series, I must say this was a total disappointment, and the ultimate proof about how things are done in Hollywood: good contacts, speaking loud, and making the audience believe they are smarter than they really are because the series it's "intelligent".

From the very beginning there were lots of things that didn't add up, but we let them pass, such as full-election process in a refugee fleet, including public debates and such, as if anyone of the 48.000 survivors could care about politicians after their worlds, friends and family had just been killed. Boomer's sabotages to the fleet didn't make much sense, but they were interesting. Cain's "reimagining" was just a one-dimensional creation, a square warmonger who -as always happens with writers who dislike the military- is ultimately proved wrong in almost everything she does. Things got gradually worse, starting with the one-year jump, and the introduction of the "final five", a concept that most likely was spurned by fans who were asking themselves who were the remaining "models", instead of writers who actually had anything planned for those characters.

While the show garnered critical acclaim, viewers left in droves. Those who remained could be ultimately divided into two groups: the fanatics, for whom anything with the brand "Galactica" (excluding the old show) was God turned into television, and regular viewers who were giving the show the benefit of the doubt, hoping that things could be salvaged at the end with a plausible explanation.

The show's decline, however, became even more pronounced in the last seasons. Instead of fixing the glaring problems of the previous seasons, they introduced new ones, contradicting a lot of stuff, and creating whole story lines -the aforementioned "final five", for example- that in the end turned out to be just a big red herring. Even worse, they committed the worse sin for a show supposedly grounded in reality, even being sci-fi: they resorted to "divine intervention" to explain the whole plot and most of the central story lines. Two characters, one barely seen, suddenly became "angels", while another was turned into a "divine creature", without even the most basic explanation. The whole epilogue for the characters was a disaster, pulling the "emotional strings" while throwing logic out of the window.

To add insult to injury, the show's lack of appeal forced a number of obvious budget cuts, but at the same time, the number of episodes per season was increased from 13 to 20. As a result, we ended up with a sci-fi show with little sci-fi at all, with almost no action to speak of (space or otherwise), and tons of episodes to the top with filler. Of course, that filler was filmed as if it were "relevant" and "dramatic", with hand held cameras and dramatic lighting, no matter if it was just two guys speaking about nothing in a corridor.

As always, a number of fanatics claimed, as they will always claim, that the show was about the characters, about "drama", and never about space battles and such. They are wrong. Battlestar Galactica was sold as a sci-fi drama, not just "drama", and that's the reason it was green lit in the first place. Those who claim that Galactica was always what it turned out to be in the last disastrous seasons should take a look at what it was in the beginning.

In the end, the problem was one person -Ron Moore- with too much power and ego to make "just" a sci-fi series. He had the means, and ultimately proved his detractors right exactly about what they were trying to say from the beginning: that Moore, and Galactica, were all show and no substance, with soap-operish drama, weak actors -with a few exceptions in Olmos, McDonnell and a couple more-. Not only that, but by trying to write himself out of his corner, Moore's writing turned most of the events in the earlier seasons totally unnecessary, ruining the series as a whole.

So farewell, BSG 2004. You went the way of the do-do at the end, and just like the X-Files, managed to survive as long as you could avoid giving answers. I doubt anyone would want to re-watch the series knowing how useless everything turns out to be.

I have read many other reviews and find points of many that I agree with and others I disagree with, to wit... I saw other mention of the bullets issue, and I agree, a civilization, and technology, with Faster Than Light drives, and seamless artificial gravity would NOT use guns that not only fired bullets, but were obvious current day handguns. The Cylon Fighters (Raiders), I can even accept the redesign of the Cylon Fighters, as if they got rid of the crew area, and put the Cylon face on them to signify the fact that the ship IS the Cylon, kinda makes sense, even, and they are not too different than the originals in motor and weapon placement and overall shape (minus the crew area). The Cylon Base Stars, what, was a order given that they cannot look ANYTHING like the originals?, the 5 sided round double angular saucer of the originals is not that boring, terrible, or unimaginative of a ship design! They could have enhanced that design, like they did all the other ships (kinda), the new double three sided star looking Base Stars have not even a hint of the originals, but the interiors, with their "Alien" organic look is nice. Speaking of the Galactica, and the recent Pegasus, I can accept them in a similar manner as a refitted WW II aircraft carrier or battleship. But, does the non networking philosophy of the new Galactica (which again actually makes some sense, and tries to explain the corded handsets) extend to the doors?, is it somehow illegal to have any that slide? I guess again a FTL technology can't make compact slider motors hid in walls, or is Ron just making sure you don't mistake this for Trek, or even Babylon 5?

The Cylons , or most of them, the human looking ones, I see as rather a cop out, ST:TNG had "The Borg" and now this, one might begin to think that Ron is just scared of, or incapable of, making truly alien looking aliens, or robots? The re-imagined CG Cylons are cool looking, but what of them have we seen, maybe a total of 10 mins. of screen time? Will they ever talk?, even if the original Cylon Centurions sounded rather like a cheap "Darth Vader", or a 1980s vintage Chrysler Lebaron that featured a canned on a chip synth voice, they at least could talk! More importantly, will these new CG Cylons ever be portrayed as anything other than short screen shots with no real personality, or purpose, other than to shoot their bullet firing guns?

Now for the acting, I think Edward James Olmos is great, I loved the few Miami Vice episodes he was showcased in and his Blade Runner performance, his trademark hard line seriousness is a better Adama than Lorne Greene ever was, sorry. I could never stop thinking of Greene as Ben Cartright, I kept waiting for him to get on a horse! I also like Mary McDonnell as President Laura Roslin, and I don't remember seeing her as anything other than the small part of the president's wife in Independence Day, and was unimpressed with that, so I don't have a bias for her. James Callis is good as Baltar, and although I think the original Baltar (John Colicos) was a much better villain and more interesting character, I have grown to like the re-imagined Baltar, and his subplot. I thought, BTW, that Callis was just silly in ST:DSN. The new Col. Tigh is interesting as well, but I again liked the original Tigh better (and I must say I think the only reason Tigh is not black is because they are too politically correct to have a drunk black) the rest, well, the others I consider interchangeable with 100s of other so-so actors in B-grade TV shows, and the Cylon/Human Number Six (Tricia Helfer) is a obvious name rip off of Seven of Nine in ST:V, and the character is just a bimbo whore, but one who happens to support the (Cylons looking for God? Cylons wanna have a baby?) subplot connected to Baltar. I also think the feminization of Boomer and Starbuck is pointless, except as maybe another politically correct move. I liked all the original pilots better. Speaking of old pilots, I am glad they gave SOMETHING to Richard Hatch (Apollo in the original, Tom Zarek in the re-imagining), after his hard work and even mortgaging his house to make the pilot for his idea of a continuation of BSG, he certainly deserves something, more even, like do his vision, maybe? One other character I must comment on, Admiral Cain, (Michelle Forbes) is very different than the original's Commander Cain (Lloyd Bridges) of the Pegasus, but I like her performance, at least on Jan. 5th, before I see part 2 tomorrow, I also liked her as Lt. Ro on ST:TNG and she plays a similar role, a believable strong female, so her "persona" has continuity, and I like that.(Yea, sure, call me the type cast loving kook!)

I could go on, but I will end with this, I LOVE some elements of the re-imagined Galactica, and I find other parts VERY distasteful, and for me it's very much a Love/Hate attitude I have about the show, but I have grown to kinda like the show, and will continue to watch it. It has drama, the camera work I happen to like, some of the actors are very good, it has interesting plot twists and questions yet to be answered. So for now I'll overlook the distasteful elements.

And of course I loved the original, and really wish that a character like the "IL Series" Cylon Lucifer (voiced by Jonathan Harris, "Lost in Space's" Dr. Smith) was included, and hope (I'm sure quite pointlessly) that a episode similar to the original's "The War of the Gods" would be made in future