Let the next dumb decade begin with the binge watching of Battlestar Galactica! Brilliant commentary on civil-military relations, AI, connection between man + myth + machine, resistance, and survival. All things we need now.
But first these gorgeous pictures of the mountain west
But first these gorgeous pictures of the mountain west
The casting of this show was genius. As was the decision to score it almost entirely with taiko drums.
From the first scene, Tricia Helfer as the cylon searching for humanity is the soul of the show.
From the first scene, Tricia Helfer as the cylon searching for humanity is the soul of the show.
"It was all designed to operate against an enemy who can infiltrate and disrupt even the most basic computer systems..." If only we were so prepared with valves and unnetworked widgets.
"...Galactica is a reminder of a time when we so frightened of our enemies that we looked backward for protection" says the cylon infiltrator minutes before cylons strike & Galactica is ship best prepared to survive.
Note: Never listen to the enemy when they tell you to disarm
Note: Never listen to the enemy when they tell you to disarm
The mini-series that launched the reboot is so well written. You immediately know the characters, the culture, the atmosphere, the history. There is always the story and then the story underneath.
In the opening sequence, the interplay between Caprica mourning the accidental killing of one baby while remorseless for the annihilation of the whole planet hours later -- genius.
Lol gaius baltar, the character you hate from beginning to end, is introduced arguing for the necessity of AI, and is kind of the Mark Zuckerberg of the pre-annihilation shitshow
“I rewrote half your algorithms” says the cylon infiltrator to Zuck oops I mean Baltar.
Same same ;)
Same same ;)
The overall message of the show — it is the relics, rejects, and historians/artifacts that are prepared to fight the revanchist enemy that the modernists refuse to acknowledge — this is us.
“Those models [the walking chrome toasters] are still around, they have their uses.”
This aspect of the cylons — hierarchy, subservience, purposefully limited capacity — a warning for technologists
This aspect of the cylons — hierarchy, subservience, purposefully limited capacity — a warning for technologists
This Adama speech still A+. We haven’t gotten this any more right in the past year
So much this. 2020 will be 2016+ if we don’t get our sh*t together.
Guys where is our Adama?
Re this: the issue is mindset. Understanding the mindset of the enemy, rather than interpreting their actions through your own prism of belief.
“Who put you in charge?”
“That’s a good question — and the answer is no one.” Laura Roslin is 🔥
“That’s a good question — and the answer is no one.” Laura Roslin is 🔥
“The tactical situation is that we’re losing — right, captain?”
(Shrug) “Lady’s in charge.”
(Shrug) “Lady’s in charge.”
“We’re in the middle of a war and you’re taking orders from a schoolteacher?!?”
This statement from Adama is the essence of civilian control of the military
This statement from Adama is the essence of civilian control of the military
Does anyone else crave a crossover where Adama and Longmire are outlaws together?
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"It's the end of the world, Lee. I thought I should confess my sins"
Starbuck + Lee 4eva
"It's the end of the world, Lee. I thought I should confess my sins"
Starbuck + Lee 4eva
Every interaction between Adama and Roslin is a masterpiece of civil-military relations -- an idealized version of how this interplay should make each aspect better, each honing the other's edge.
“Are they the lucky ones? That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”
Adama on leadership:
-You're right. There's no Earth. It's all a legend
-Then why?
-It's not enough to just live. You have to have something to live for. Let it be Earth
-They'll never forgive you
-Maybe. But in the meantime, I've given all of us a fighting chance to survive
-You're right. There's no Earth. It's all a legend
-Then why?
-It's not enough to just live. You have to have something to live for. Let it be Earth
-They'll never forgive you
-Maybe. But in the meantime, I've given all of us a fighting chance to survive
In the age of streaming, waiting for a DVD to load is agonizingly slow.
S1 E1 “33” is a masterclass of stress during psychological warfare.
Also interesting this is title as show starts to explore gods vs God, fate vs choice, divine vs logic and science. That the synthetic lifeforms have embraced monotheism and divinity was always a great plot point
Also interesting this is title as show starts to explore gods vs God, fate vs choice, divine vs logic and science. That the synthetic lifeforms have embraced monotheism and divinity was always a great plot point
"If we make mistakes, people die. There aren't many of us left."
"Ok. Next crisis."
"Ok. Next crisis."
“There’s a reason that you separate the military and the police. One fights the enemy of the state, the other serves and protects the people. When the military becomes both, then the enemies of the state tend to become the people.”
“Every man has to decide for themselves which side they’re on.”
“I didn’t know we were picking sides.”
“That’s why you haven’t picked one yet.”
“I didn’t know we were picking sides.”
“That’s why you haven’t picked one yet.”
Now enters Tom Zarek — exploring themes of terrorist or freedom fighter, whether or not political violence achieves its goals, banned speech, revolution vs subversion. Maddeningly well-written character.
“Always better when the oppressed don’t fight back, isn’t it?”
The same ep juxtaposes how the chief hides the (likely terrorist) actions of Boomer, violating his oath because he loves her. Powerful commentary on our moral ambiguity based on perceptions of motivation.
Another aspect of this is how Roslin has valuable knowledge that prepares her to be president because of her prior semi-illicit relationship with the president she served.
“You must be a very special man to be called a god.”
Zarek echoes Adama, telling Lee it’s time to pick a side.
Zarek echoes Adama, telling Lee it’s time to pick a side.
Every time I watch BSG, I am so, so grateful that I never watched it until it has ended. The cliffhangers between half seasons and seasons are monstrous.
Part of the reason I love this show is the emphasis on the human — be it human or cylon in this case — being more powerful than technology and machine. The belief in and search for what is more than the code or DNA or algorithm as the factor that matters most in survival.
Meanwhile back on cylon-occupied Caprica, the cylons conduct psychological experiments on themselves and whatever humans happen to have survived — quickly learning its way more fun to be insurgents than colonizers and occupiers. “We nuked our creator, and now we’re totes bored!”
All of BSG is an exploration of the question — does survival make us worthy?
“Lord? It’s Kara Thrace. I’m runnin’ a little low on O2 and I could use a lucky break. No? Just thought I’d mention it.”
Does survival make us worthy, and can we ever make up for what we have done?
The independent tribunal on conspiracy and collusion with the cylons is just as hapless as any congressional hearing. Lol.
The moment when alternate Six shows up and accuses Baltar of being a cylon agent — when Baltar realizes the cylons aren’t on his side, that he was just a tool — is very Kremlin.
"Let's entertain the notion, if only for a moment, that you are not the woman that I see everywhere."
This is a great Baltar quote.
This is a great Baltar quote.
As is "no more Mr Nice Gaius"
“The only problem with Leoben isn’t that he lies — that would be too easy. It’s that he mixes lies with truth... He has an agenda. It’s a goal you won’t understand until later. Your job is to be sure he doesn’t achieve the goal.”
So many episodes of this show are basically one-on-one conversations — often with Starbuck — and these are some of the best ones, because they advance the philosophy.
“He puts insidious ideas in our minds, more lethal than any warhead. He creates fear.”
“If you’re a cylon, I’d like to know”
“If I’m a cylon, you’re really screwed”
“Haha. No seriously”
“If I’m a cylon, you’re really screwed”
“Haha. No seriously”
President Roslin at introductory dinner with annoying drunk loudmouth Ellen Tigh is all of us dealing with the Trump family in the WH.
Meanwhile, back on planet prison experiment, we’re left to wonder what exactly the plan was when the cylons nuked all the habitable worlds. Why occupy fallout rocks? What was the plan for the future of their race? No wonder there’s a rift within the cylons later.
“Her passion is making her more resourceful”
The Caprica psychological experiment seems designed for cylon self-torture as much as anything else, where the cylons who aren’t interacting with the humans feel stunted and inadequate.
The Caprica psychological experiment seems designed for cylon self-torture as much as anything else, where the cylons who aren’t interacting with the humans feel stunted and inadequate.
Having already dealt with a fleet-wide water shortage, we’re on to the fleet-wide fuel shortage — and the first ep where the show starts to explore how necessary but annoying the free press is among the remaining fleet.
Waiting ten eps to introduce the prophecy of survival via Roslin’s alternative-medicine visions was pretty genius, and just fuels the evolving addictiveness of the show.
Also Ellen Tigh is the worst.
Also Ellen Tigh is the worst.
The raid against the cylon fuel refinery is the first time the human fleet embraces it's new role as the insurgents and red-teams the cylons. The calculus of acceptable potential loss and risk vs objectives is very true to resistance math.
And now, back to politics, and the joys of fleet governance:
"Next they'll be calling me a fascist"
"No, I'm the fascist, you have to stay the fatuous gasbag"
"Next they'll be calling me a fascist"
"No, I'm the fascist, you have to stay the fatuous gasbag"
The imaginary Caprica 6 + Gaius dialogue is always great.
"You can have any woman you want. Just remember, I have your heart."
"Of course you do."
"I can always rip it out of your chest if I need to."
"You can have any woman you want. Just remember, I have your heart."
"Of course you do."
"I can always rip it out of your chest if I need to."
Zarek's negotiating strategy is very Russian -- completely hijack the agenda by proposing some wacko item that isn't even on it.
Actually no. Every version of Sharon is the worst.
Adama: "Politics -- as exciting as war. Definitely as dangerous."
Roslin: "Though in war, you only get killed once. In politics, it can happen over and over."
Roslin: "Though in war, you only get killed once. In politics, it can happen over and over."
“There is no Earth. You understand that?”
“It would seem that we were wrong.”
“These stories about the gods — they’re just stories, legends, myths. Don’t let it blind you to the reality we face.”
The end of S1, when the prophecy and religion come to forefront, is interesting.
“It would seem that we were wrong.”
“These stories about the gods — they’re just stories, legends, myths. Don’t let it blind you to the reality we face.”
The end of S1, when the prophecy and religion come to forefront, is interesting.
"You keep using that word. It is crazy, perhaps. But that doesn't mean it isn't true. And it may be our only chance."
This is the essence of what it is to be human, and of faith, which is why these themes can't be separated in the show.
This is the essence of what it is to be human, and of faith, which is why these themes can't be separated in the show.
If S1 is about leadership in a time of crisis, S2 is about failed leadership in the ongoing stress of crisis. Tigh, Crashdown, horrible Pegasus lady — cascading decisions and mistakes, then lies to cover mistakes and more mistakes to cover the lies.
The message is that moral clarity is essential. When you break your own rules to survive, that erosion is hard to undo — even when the cost of staying the course is also high.
Like Lincoln believed — the fire wither destroys you or it makes you stronger.
Like Lincoln believed — the fire wither destroys you or it makes you stronger.
“Everyone I know is fighting to get back what they had. I’m fighting because I don’t know how to do anything else.”
Adama struggling to reconcile his emotions about Boomer — was she a machine, how could you love a machine — is the beginning of his exploration into the nature of the cylons.
Anders seems silly but it actually one of the few who understands what resistance operations are, and that there must be objectives beyond the tactical.
He reminds Kara that hanging around plinking toasters may feel good, but so what, the war isn’t on Caprica.
The thing that’s so great about Adama is he is stubborn and he screws up a lot — but when someone reasonable points out that he is letting his people down, he listens, struggles, admits it, adapts, changes course. He is flawed but redeemable. In a constant quest for redemption.
Roslin’s religiosity makes him nuts, but he is no less a believer in seeking redemption and atonement.
“My fantasy woman, who I see solely in my head — who has stopped being my fantasy, by the way. You’re no longer my fantasy.”
Gaius’s rants at Caprica 6 are always amazing.
Gaius’s rants at Caprica 6 are always amazing.
“She thinks you’ll be president one day.”
“Excuse me?”
“She said you reminded her of President Adar when he ran for his first office.”
“I don’t really know how to respond to that.”
“Don’t let it go to your head. Adar was a moron.”
Adams’s convos with Billy & Dee always A+
“Excuse me?”
“She said you reminded her of President Adar when he ran for his first office.”
“I don’t really know how to respond to that.”
“Don’t let it go to your head. Adar was a moron.”
Adams’s convos with Billy & Dee always A+
Athena exploring the idea of emotional memory that isn’t hers (in this case Boomer’s) is fascinating. A cylon strength or weakness?
That being said, Athena Sharon is completely creepy, and is still like all Sharons terrible.
“I didn’t come here for this. I didn’t come here to navel gaze or catalogue our mistakes. We made a decision to leave the colonies after the attack. It was the right one then and it’s the right one now. Every day since is a gift.”
“From the gods.”
“No — from you.”
Adama+Roslin
“From the gods.”
“No — from you.”
Adama+Roslin
“I guess I just wanted to believe in something.”
Dee on joining the colonial fleet.
Dee on joining the colonial fleet.
"The only thing they have to look forward to is this." On the psychology of longterm resistance.
The chief builds a new viper episode remains one of my favorite. A sideways look at faith and belief as a necessary component of motivation for survival.
"I took your advice and met on common ground."
"What was that?"
"We both wanted to live."
"What was that?"
"We both wanted to live."
The best part of rewatching BSG is you know the Pegasus plot line will blessedly end soon.
The worst.
The worst.
“Don’t mistake the will to live for genuine compassion.”
The secretly cylon-led pro-cylon "peace" movement in the fleet is straight out of the KGB handbook.
"Did you really expect some utopian fantasy to rise from the ashes?"
Zarek is the cynical counternarrative to faith
Zarek is the cynical counternarrative to faith
"This isn't dueling pistols at dawn -- it's war. You never want to fight fair. You want to sneak up behind your enemy and club him over the head."
"Someone has to stay and take care of the lighthouse."
"Well I'll stay and take care of it with you."
"I appreciate that, but we both know it's only one person per lighthouse."
"Well I'll stay and take care of it with you."
"I appreciate that, but we both know it's only one person per lighthouse."
“I wanted a genuine admission of guilt.”
“That’s something you’re not going to get from someone like Baltar. He doesn’t see himself that way. It’s not who he is. In his eyes, he’s the victim, not the criminal.”
//2020
“That’s something you’re not going to get from someone like Baltar. He doesn’t see himself that way. It’s not who he is. In his eyes, he’s the victim, not the criminal.”
//2020
Oh actually I forgot — the worst character isn’t every version of Sharon. It’s actually Tory. Not for any moment is she a redeemable presence on the show.
"There's 30,000 people left and they aren't happy unless they're kicking each other's teeth in!"
“What’s the most basic article of faith? That is not all that we are.”
