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Battlestar Galactica - Season Four Reviews:
Jeesh, lots of longwinded reviews...
2008-08-26 - I love this show. I can't believe they killed it. It is the best thing to come along since 'The X-Files' and the ONLY thing I watch besides 'The Venture Brothers' which will soon takeover as "the best show on TV." It's too bad. I would have watched this show for another 5 years.

Do human beings deserve to survive?
2008-07-22 - Battlestar Galactica, as its producers intended, has succeeded at reinventing science fiction.

It has done so both in terms of cinematography and in terms of creating a science fiction narrative that resonates by analogy with our current global situation, where we humans have created ruthless human-looking group minds and "profit machines" that are attempting to subordinate all life to the logic of the corporate bottom line and that have driven Earth already deep into its sixth great Extinction Event. Like those aboard Galactica, we too are now pursued by our own creations and forced to search for our own survival. Without being too direct or "preachy," Galactica's quest for Earth in many ways echoes our own quest for Earth Community, and this indirect analogy makes it, for me, the most gripping and "politically relevant" science fiction program on television.

The series as a whole grips the viewer cinematically in its action scenes and, psychologically, by the gritty "realism" and depth of its characters and their conflicts and hard personal decisions. It explores almost every type of personality and personal relationship under crisis pressures.

It is gripping also because of the teeter-totter tensions and interplays it portrays between the necessity of military discipline in a time of war and the countervailing need for the rule of law and civilian democracy.

This is all, of course, in addition to the central conflict between natural and artificial life, "organic" and "machine," human and Cylon, an issue whose wanted resolution propels the entire series forward and an issue that futurists and transhumanists like Kurtweil and Vinge tell us we ourselves are on the verge of having to deal with in relation to machine intelligence.

Some questions implied by this distinction are:

(1) Is there any "bright line" between a human being and an intelligent machine, and what rights should attach to such machines in a human society, particularly one at war? Is it OK to torture a machine? Does it really feel pain? Or does it simply mimic human behavior patterns?

(2) Is there any objective reality to the "sacred," to the many Lords of Kobol that the humans believe in or (ironically) the One God that the Cylons believe in? In any case, what are the ethics of "playing the religious card"? Is it OK for political leaders to phrase their visions in theological terms that cater to superstitions that the leaders themselves reject?

Finally,(3), do we humans really deserve to survive? Human nature seems so incurably warped and self-destructive. Should we not in fact be replaced by an ethically superior race?

The human-looking Cylons have passed the Turing Test in spades, even to the point of planning to mate with humans and have fertile offspring. Are they not then at least "human," and do they not then have the same rights and dignity as humans? In fact, with their collective minds and ability to "resurrect," are they not really superior to humans in many ways? Some Cylons think so, and that they should just wipe the humans out in a "preventive war" -- shades of the Bush Doctrine and the war in Iraq.

Season 4 brings some of these questions to a penultimate climax. In the first three seasons, the goal was seemingly simple: for the humans to find Earth and evade or destroy the Cylons. President Laura Roslyn plays the "religious card" and is led by scriptural prophecies and religious visions in the desired direction. Conflicts break out in the ranks of both the humans and then the Cylons too.

In Season 4, now forced for survival's sake to make a truce and work together, the Cylons and the humans at last find Earth -- but, in an enormous anti-climax that brilliantly allows the series to continue open-endedly, they find, not an Earthly paradise, but an Earth ruined by a nuclear war and environmental devastation. In addition, the Cylons have now lost their Resurrection Ship, and, just like humans, when they die, they will be "really dead." For almost all intents and purposes, they and the humans are in exactly the same ontological and psychological boat. Their equal vulnerability sets the stage for mutual cooperation and the possible unification of the Cylon and human societies.

The overall message, which is always nicely subordinate to the action lines flowing from the characters themselves: Wisdom lies in balance and moderation. Too much disunity and conflict is lethal. Sentient beings must work together, and maybe we humans are simply machines of a certain kind too, and prejudices about "artificial" versus "organic" or about religious faith can be just as deleterious and stupid as prejudices about skin color, gender, or any other ethically irrelevant distinction.


3 stars ... for now ... [SPOILER WARNING!!!!]
2008-07-17 - I agree that there are plot holes, but if you watch all the little mini episodes on SciFi's website (also on the DVD's somewhere), they explain a lot of what happened on "new Caprica" and with the baby. I believe there may be more to Hera than what they have revealed so far. She's got a lot of responsibility already as the first Cylon-Human hybrid.

[WARNING ... SPOILER FOLLOWS ...!!]
I agree with the "wait and see what happens" idea, too, because it really is only half-way thru the final season. I mean, I NEVER expected "Earth" to be destroyed by nuclear blast! What happens now?? I'm sitting on the edge of my seat (literally!) just waiting to see how everything works out!

This series has won a PEABODY award for its writing, so they MUST know something about how to write it.

And, we MUST remember that there was a "writer's strike" that interfered with every freakin' (frakkin'??) show on TV at the time. Other shows have recovered from that debacle, and I have faith that BSG will recover their pending fumble - or at least we are all HOPING they recover it! And it's not really a "fumble", because there are so many ends they have to tie up. Rowling did it with the Harry Potter books, so can BSG.

So, that's what I am doing ... waiting to see. Then I will come back and edit/finish my review.

It's sci-fi, Jim, but not as we know it., 8 January 2007
2008-06-25 - Most people would be slightly weary of the idea of a new and re-invigorated version of the spectacle Science Fiction Drama series Battlestar Galactica (1978-1980) being up to the year in which the series became 'Galactica 1980', which lead to its thoroughly trashed downfall, was a bit of a surprise that a network had decided to re-fashion the show with a more updated and far more interesting story. Many fans would, should insist that this is a re-imagining not an intrinsic remake of a cheesy lovable, and to use a pun for a modern show, "That 70's Show". Many of the sci-fi fan-boys, and girls, were in need of a successful sci-fi drama series that had the ability to keep fresh interest and action with drama to top.

The show comes from that concept of a 2003 mini-series, a somewhat thorough and enjoyable close to 3 hr pilot. The principal point, machines are made by man, evolved, rebelled, and a war began.

Sci-fi rubbed off on this show, and it pays to respect it with homage's. With elements from novelist Philip K. Dick from his earlier works of "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep" now known as the film adaptation "Blade Runner" along with the dark twisted parallel of the humanoid Cylons, and that mirrored `skinjob' reference. It also manages to match the dark allegory of P. K Dick' "Valis" a unique exploration of plethora's and universal metaphysics.

The virtuous and glamoured imagery bears the likeness of Kubrick' "2001: A Space Odyssey" with cross-cut scenes of Baseships in the sunlight of a nearby star, with a score to match. The score itself is very cinematic, in that it mixes and mingles with the imagery of the show to great exertion; continuously trying new techniques and new ways to give the eye candy. The score feels very dark, operatic and at the same time very tautly tense; it again has mirrored Vangelis' score in "Blade Runner" with the deep drum sound to hard hitting acoustics.

Battlestar Galactica is the best character drama that has the real dexterity of raw emotion; the acting shapes plot and vice versa. The characters are flawed and they should be, the situation creates the drama and evidently shapes the characters actions. It perhaps is the only show to bludgeon the scene with taut and well crafted dialogue and sharpest whit, measured writing that current shows like LOST and Heroes could benefit from. The dialogued scenes are spot on quality, the actors all themselves have unique range; perhaps currently the best acting troupe on TV. They have unique ability to play different parts of their personas during the course of a single episode, and still bring a sense of morality, logic and whit to the role; very much unlike a "space opera".

The acting troupe has characters including Edward James Almos' brilliant depiction of Commander/Admiral Adama; easily being a favourite. His slightly depressed attitude yet experience make him capable, if not slightly down heartened. His display as a commander of the pride of the fleet does show why he is the best person to have control of a superior vessel. He is quick to think, act and knowing what the cost is with the troubles of his confounded life. Two other characters change form and gender, the two now female, where the Galactica predecessor had two male characters, (when fans should not complain) Katee Sackhoff as Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace, is born into the role of a hard-headed female Viper pilot. As well as the other female candidate played by Grace Park nicknamed 'Boomer'.

One thing this show does well is giving the most unexpected outcome possible, real credit to the writers that show they have a lot of grenades to go certain ways and that their bold spontaneity will either be accepted or judge by audiences. The writers of this show are very clever, in that you might think they plan out the show years in advance a la "Babylon 5" or "Lost" however you could not be more wrong. The show is written by boldly engaging the big issues currently on TV. You wonder how does a rag-tag fleet survive in the most logical and pragmatic way, scripted to show you that the real evidence of this is present in stories inspired by recent history and current events.

Truth is that many aspects of futuristic life may well be reflected on the current stand stead of today's socio-political and ethical conflict, that's if we decide to create robots that want to kill us. The themes themselves also reflect the big issues: drama, love, personal betrayal, post-9/11 parables, death, rape, murder, greed, religious extremism, depravity and also the antonyms when the situation lightens up (there is humour). In addition, unremittingly keeps putting forth the notion of what is exactly human. It's about genocide, war and the abyss after the precipice.

The special effects are not the only thing that shows high production value, it would put some of the current Trek franchise to shame. Everything is luscious, from the pure spot-on script and unexpected plots to the character actions and the big explosions going on outside.

The imagery splits from sporadic to perpetual, the effects are full of ardour CGI and digital FX, 'in the mind of the pilot/documentary' shot sequences. The new breed of improved and scary Terminator influenced Cylon centurions and human-looking Cylon infiltrators who's brutal degradation towards mankind reflects the worst parts of humanity. Is it pure hate, spite, jealousy or maybe because they have found a god to kill for; sound familiar? Moreover, what you have been waiting for, yes it does have graphic scenes of a sexual nature, but it's not for everyone.

Verdict:

The World is over. The Fight has just begun. 10/10.

What the Frack
2008-06-24 - When I watched Season One of BSG I was totally hooked. The deep storyline, great acting and effects made the show seem like a perpetual Hollywood block buster. As you watch Season Two you see the writers drawing out the main story adding more complexity. Season 3 hits and we see the story spiraling in different directions; which generates confusion and frustration for the viewers. Then Season Four arrives...

All of the depth and complexity is dumped right out the window. The writers make a straight shot to summarize the entire series in a hand full of episodes. The entire series was completely ruined for me with the last season. Example: For 3 seasons I had been pondering what the significance of the little girl was and in the end it turned out to be nothing.

I don't know what is going on with these TV shows anymore; but, they are one epic disaster after another. They start off fantastic, with a great fan base. Then suddenly the series seem to drop off a cliff. This series will go down as a martyr like many other great shows that had substantial promise; but were inevitably nerfed to death.