Battlestar Galactica is a very unique series in my opinion. It’s unique in that there’s not a whole lot of hope.
The story starts kind of abruptly, and it keeps that pace throughout the show. Within an instant and with no real plot development, all humans (except for the ones on the mythical “Earth”) are dead except for 50,000 survivors. This does a really good job of simulating how the situation would progress in real life, with noone having any time to break down or stop to think, lest they want to lose their life. The series does not shy away from death and hopelessness, and uses dramatic irony to exemplify that. Even the one semi-hopeful scene, where the commander claims he knows where Earth is, you realize that there is a cylon agent they don’t know about lurking in their midst.
Besides the pure hopelessness and all of that good jazz, the show is also unique in how it brings up a unique moral question, should we even be saved as a species? The show prompts a very deep moral debate on the subject, which leaves the viewer with doubts about their own species and their intrinsic value. I have heard the series also shows the story from the Cylons’ perspective later in the series, which shows you the other side of the debate straight up. This presentation does something a lot of shows don’t, in that it presents both sides of an issue rather than just the one they know the viewer is most likely to hold.
Galactica is a very unique and morally deep show, despite how it may look on the surface. It isn’t just another space shoot-em-up, but rather a depiction of a possible scenario if some omniscient power decided to take our fate into its own hands, and rather we are even deserving of salvation.
This was a pretty accurate depiction of how I felt after watching the first episode of Battlestar Galactica. I really loved the show and was intrigued at how I could empathize with the Cylons at times. It's interesting to me how they present both sides in their narrative and leave the watcher wondering what big thing will happen next.
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ReplyDeleteYou know, I like desperate shows with only one glimmer of hope. How do you feel about them? My husband and I debate this a lot--he thinks shows like this are soul-crushing and sad (though he doesn't always dislike them). I say, when you start with the end of the world, there's really nowhere to go but up.
ReplyDeleteI really liked the show for all the reasons that you listed too, I thought it was a new and cool take on sci fi (which, to me, can feel cliche really easily) that actually kept me engaged.
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