Is Battlestar Galactica Doomed?

[Ian David]

by John Brownlee, with Lore Sjöberg and Annalee Newitz
Monday, 4 December 2006
Is Battlestar Galactica Doomed?



It is with a heavy heart that I am forced to confront the possibility that the once-great show Battlestar Galactica may be heading to fraktown. After Friday's head-clutchingly bad episode, which combined boxing scenes with barfy romantic flashbacks, my sense of foreboding has escalated into franchise panic. Will our beloved show go Star Trek:TNG season 7 on us? Or, worse, Buffy season 6? Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. Read on for the ten signs that Battlestar Galactica is turning a dangerous corner . . .

10. Show co-creators Ron Moore and David Eick are both developing multiple other projects. Moore is working on BSG prequel show Caprica, and Eick is working on both Bionic Woman and Them.

9. Crucial subplots, such as the fate of Sharon and Helo's hybrid baby, are left dangling for more than three episodes.

8. Rather than developing characters via personal transformation, character development is charted via hair length, presence/absence of beards, and weight gain/loss.

More:
http://blog.wired.com/tableofmalcontents/2006/12/is_battlestar_g.html

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

1. Seems to me the show is stronger than it ever was.

Apparently this guy has completely forgotten the bad episodes from seasons 1 & 2.

[architect359]

2. Well, what do YOU think?

I think that the blogger's denouncement is rubbish. I don't really see the show being in decline at all. We've seen greater character development for most of the principal cast. The Tigh arc has been the most impressive thus far. And what about Baltar? He is now positioned among the Cylons and I'm eager to see how his presence will impact them. We are introduced to the start of an intriguing arc with 3's quest to see what exists between life and death. I mean, come on! I'm really puzzled by the blog's comments. :shrug:

[Ian David]

3. I agree with you. Although the last episode was awful, I don't see it in decline.

I think the blogger was just looking for an excuse to be clever and cynical.

On a completely different note, you know what would be fun?

I'd like to see a computer game where you can have huge space battles between the vessels of Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Stargate and Star Wars.

[architect359]

5. Ha, ha! That WOULD be awesome!

You know, there are fan movies out there that depict those scenarios. There was one maybe not to long ago that pitted Imperial Star Destroyers against a fleet of Battlestars - complete with their respective fighters duelling with each other. I don't thnk they showed the outcome - I don't remember it if there was one.

[Stargazer09]

14. I agree

The story arc with Tigh has been awesome. Sad, but awesome. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with character development, especially if the episodes are cheap enough to help keep the show on the air.

No matter how good the show has turned out to be, it is still expensive to make. It's also science fiction, and that automatically turns off a large segment of the television-viewing public. BSG just won't get the same sponsorship as "Desperate Housewives" or something along those lines.

[YankeyMCC]

4. The outside projects are possible cause

for concern but I'm still hooked, I'm still waiting to see what happens next, I'm still concerned about the characters. I'm still riveted.

I think it's far from doomed, overall it's still the best fraking thing on TV.

BTW: Is it "frak" or "frack" :)

[architect359]

6. Not to show the fanboy-ness side of me

but I believe it is spelt "Frak". That's what I remember from the old series.

[YankeyMCC]

8. Ha...BSG in Dilbert

and spelling of Frack/Frak

[architect359]

9. Awesome! :-D n/t

[jayfish]

7. Hmmm... I Must Be The Only Person Who Thought The Episode...

was good. At first I wasn't so sure but by the end it all came together.

Jay

[architect359]

10. You're not the only one. n/t

[Stargazer09]

12. I liked it

But then again, I prefer character-driven episodes vs. a bunch of hack-and-slash stuff. A good show can't be all special effects and space battles. If you don't feel something for the characters, and what motivates them, you won't get attached to them and you won't care what happens to them.

I was wondering what had happened to Apollo and Starbuck. They always did have a lot of chemistry between them, then season 3 starts with both of them married to other people and Apollo all fat and unattractive. That would explain it. He nursed his broken heart by overeating and being lazy, and a lot of us can relate to that!

[Beetwasher]

11. Heh, WTF Is He Talking About???

That episode was GOOD. It had a GREAT revelation! I was like "OH SHIT! THAT happened on New Caprica!!! No WONDER they (Starbuck and Apollo) are at eachother's throats!"

The episode was all about character development and in a GOOD tv show, those are necessary. The episode finally put some of Starbuck's recent behavior into context.

[Stargazer09]

13. Starbuck has always been a bit unbalanced

We keep getting snippets of information about her. The Cylon doctor talking about her childhood abuse, etc. She's been through a LOT of stuff, and Apollo has a hard time figuring her out. It seems to me that Apollo had a fairly normal childhood, while Starbuck's was just the opposite, and they have a hard time understanding each other because of those differences.

They do make a cute couple, though, except when they are covered in blood and bruises.

[porkrind]

15. I've been getting the same vibe. I think it's toast.

[Stargazer09]

16. Something has to give

Their choice for the song playing during the preview for next week's episode seemed like a bit of foreshadowing to me. "It ends tonight." What ends? It could be any number of things. Starbuck's marriage. Apollo's marriage, especially after he sends his wife to rescue his mistress--not good! The beginning of the end for the show. Who knows?

I do think they have to do something about the Apollo/Starbuck relationship. Either something happens with their spouses (death or divorce), or they walk away from each other for a while. I can't see them continuing their affair after this, but I could be wrong.

Personally, I think the show is still really good, and I'm hoping that the move to Sunday nights will turn out to be a good thing. I guess time will tell.