Battlestar Galactica

[whiskeytown]

I just finished watching the miniseries and am wading thru season one right now - halfway thru it...

this may be simply the best written sci-fi series I've ever seen - the angles and storylines they are playing are awesome, and the vibe feels more like reality - like it could really happen - I love it -

awesome...

RB

[ononimo]

it's a great show ... season two isn't quite as consistently good as season one (some shows seem to drag) but the best of episodes of season two are phenomenal. glad to see there are other fans among the OOTiots.

[PLOlover]

Google battlestar galactica podcast, and download them they are the commentary by the producer. I think they start with season 1 episode 9 or 10.

[Piz0wn0reD!!!!!!]

red dwarf!!!1

[AngryCola]

I've missed the last two weeks of episodes. How very bad of me. Still, I always record them on DVD, so I still have Home Pt. 1 waiting for me. I actually forgot to record Home Pt. 2 last Friday, so it's important for me to get it during tonight's rerun.

I really don't think season 2 has been dragging, but other people thinking that is understandable to me.

[diebitter]

Yeah to Red Dwarf. Series 3-6 are the daddies of Sci-Fi, except maybe first 2 series of the original Star Trek.


Hell, Blake's 7 and Doctor Who (well, the first 4 of em) are pretty good too if we're talking UK SF, and are willing to overlook microbudgets. Oh, and Hitchhikers.

But to stay on topic, yeah, the new Battlestar Galactica is pretty darn good, and probably will be considered a classic in the near future.

[ononimo]

given your avatar, i'm assuming you and i will disgree on how interesting Col. Tigh's subplots have been this season. IMO, his character requires interaction/confrontation with his wife or Starbuck to be even remotely interesting.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
given your avatar, i'm assuming you and i will disgree on how interesting Col. Tigh's subplots have been this season. IMO, his character requires interaction/confrontation with his wife or Starbuck to be even remotely interesting.

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I COMPLETELY disagree with you. I was also pretty sure you fit right in there with the folks who couldn't appreciate watching the first few episodes that didn't really include Olmos.

I'm not saying you said this, but it was funny to read all the comments from people who complained about a "lack of plot" in the first four episodes. Obviously those episodes were packed with plot and interesting stuff, and the people who said that really only cared about one storyline: Adama

[ononimo]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm not saying you said this, but it was funny to rad all the people who complained about a "lack of plot" in the first four episodes. Obviously those episodes were packed with plot and interesting stuff, and the people who said that really only cared about one storyline: Adama

[/ QUOTE ]

i'm glad you're not saying i said that because i completely disagree with that notion. the episodes without Adama allowed many other characters to get much needed additional character development -- Starbuck, Chief, Helo, both Sharons, etc ... even the soldier that guarded the President's cell in the brig -- seemingly everyone EXCEPT Col. Tigh. What did we learn about Tigh during those episodes? That he's a a drunk who never wanted to be in charge and can't handle the pressure of command? Um, we knew that in the first episode of the first season. How has Tigh developed from then until now?

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]
What did we learn about Tigh during those episodes? That he's a a drunk who never wanted to be in charge and can't handle the pressure of command? Um, we knew that in the first episode of the first season. How has Tigh developed from then until now?

[/ QUOTE ]

So... it's only interesting if his character goes through some big change in which we learn more about him? Seriously, Apollo is a lot more underdeveloped than Tigh. The old man's son is somewhat fickle and hard to understand most of the time.

As for Tigh, I think what we got to see is how things would be if the old man wasn't around. This was very entertaining to me. Just because it's not a new thing that he's a drunk doesn't mean his character isn't interesting to watch. Micheal Hogan's performance in those episodes was very very good.

I also somewhat disagree with your assertion that everything we saw about Tigh in those episodes was previously known. The first episode of the season provided us with a lot more insight into just how far gone he once was and just how much he didn't want a command. Also, the last Tigh episode showed him starting to question his relationship with his wife a lot more than he had previously. I know you excluded the stuff about his wife in your post, but it's an important part of Tigh's development.

Clearly I love the Tigh heavy episodes. The actor does a great job, and he is one of the more consistent sources of humor on BSG, which is something the show always needs. With Baltar headed down a progressively darker path, Tigh may be one of the best sources for humor in the coming episodes.

The fact that coffee was what pushed Tigh over the edge is something I will never forget. Fantastic.

(Note: As I said, I haven't seen the last two episodes yet. So try not to post any spoilers, or at least mark them as spoilers. Thanks.)

[ononimo]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
What did we learn about Tigh during those episodes? That he's a a drunk who never wanted to be in charge and can't handle the pressure of command? Um, we knew that in the first episode of the first season. How has Tigh developed from then until now?

[/ QUOTE ]

So... it's only interesting if his character goes through some big change in which we learn more about him? Seriously, Apollo is a lot more underdeveloped than Tigh.

[/ QUOTE ]

Bingo. Which is why Apollo is even less interesting than Tigh. Apollo DEFINITELY needs conflict to be remotely interesting to watch. If Starbuck ends up with Apollo, I'll call "BS" on the entire series (this is NOT a spoiler, btw).

My only point was that Tigh needs conflict to be interesting - whether he's trading barbs with Starbuck or arguing with his manipulative wife. Left to his own devices, however, Tigh's character doesn't bring all that much to the table on its own.

None of this is meant to take away from Hogan's performance. I think Hogan, as well as all the characters of BSG, do a terrific job of bringing realism to their roles. I just happen to think that the writers haven't given Hogan much to work with.

You know what would make Tigh's alcoholism actually interesting instead of merely repetitive? Have him really screw something up because he was drunk ... something so big that even Adama couldn't fix it. Have him deal with the consequences. I'll even settle for him allowing his wife manipulate him into doing it. But please spare me yet another episode of Tigh seeking solace in a bottle whenever the pressure starts to rise ...

We'll just have to agree to disagree on Tigh.

[AngryCola]

[ QUOTE ]

My only point was that Tigh needs conflict to be interesting - whether he's trading barbs with Starbuck or arguing with his manipulative wife. Left to his own devices, however, Tigh's character doesn't bring all that much to the table on its own.

[/ QUOTE ]

I just think, from what I've seen, he mostly has been in conflicts. In fact, that's almost the entire basis for his character. No matter what he does, he always ends up as one of the most abrasive and unliked people in the fleet. Possibly no one is hated more than Tigh. Whenever you see him drinking, it's always a very short little bit that fits into the mix of whatever episode it's in. It's something about his character that deserves and needs to be shown to add consistent context for the multititude of conflicts in which he always gets himself involved.

"Tigh Me Up, Tigh, Me Down" is one of my favorite episodes of the first season. It's the one in which his wife shows up, and everyone has dinner together. Even in this setting, Tigh is in conflict. As far as I'm concerned, he is Mr. Conflict. /images/graemlins/grin.gif

Also, of course he needs conflict to be interesting! That's true for every main character of every movie, TV show, and book. Conflict is always what drives every plot that has ever been come up with. Well, all the interesting plots anyway. A plot without conflict can only be the creation of writer who has lost his way.

[ononimo]

[ QUOTE ]
Also, of course he needs conflict to be interesting! That's true for every movie, TV show, and book. Conflict is always what drives every plot that has ever been come up with. Well, all the interesting plot's anyway. A plot without conflict can only be the creation of write who has lost his way.

[/ QUOTE ]

You're right, of course. But I wasn't talking about "conflict" in the generic literary sense of the word when I was talking about Tigh ... I meant it in the very literal sense: arguments and altercations. There are many other characters in the show that don't rely on this single method of interpersonal relations in order to remain interesting.

but again, we'll have to agree to disagree.

[PLOlover]

What we learned about Tigh?

1) His experience with Cylon boarding parties saved the ship.

2) He made the tough decision to link the computers to rejoin the fleet, although arguably he screwed up the jump in the first place.

3) After the tactics, he showed himself to be a totally unfit political leader.

I think that's character developement.

[ononimo]

[ QUOTE ]
What we learned about Tigh?

1) His experience with Cylon boarding parties saved the ship.

2) He made the tough decision to link the computers to rejoin the fleet, although arguably he screwed up the jump in the first place.

3) After the tactics, he showed himself to be a totally unfit political leader.

I think that's character developement.

[/ QUOTE ]

1) he's the ranking officer AND only conscious person who fought during the first cylon war ... i'd say his actions are what you would expect from someone in his situation: competency. given similar background, would Apollo (who I think largely sucks) have done any less? Starbuck? even the Chief?

2) see #1

3) again, nothing unexpected here.

[PLOlover]

[ QUOTE ]
1) he's the ranking officer AND only conscious person who fought during the first cylon war ... i'd say his actions are what you would expect from someone in his situation: competency. given similar background, would Apollo (who I think largely sucks) have done any less? Starbuck? even the Chief?

2) see #1

3) again, nothing unexpected here.

[/ QUOTE ]

The point though is that it gets him away from a cookie cutter character, ccc.

In other words, he has his good points, and his bad points, and he makes good decisions, and bad decisions.

One of the best scenes that was talked about in the podcast was where Adama gets back and Tigh tells him how he (Tigh) has totally blown it as a commander, and Adama's response.

[whiskeytown]

to summarize -

great series - I might wait for Season 2 DVD's rather then catching up halfway thru the season - I'm already down to the last two on Season One (for those doing the math, that's the 3 hr. Miniseries and 11 hrs of episodes all within about 48 hrs...)

damn...and I never would have thought it, but Starbuck is HOT...must be the tomboy thing..

RB

[ QUOTE ]
...and I never would have thought it, but Starbuck is HOT...

[/ QUOTE ]

You ever seen a grown man naked?

[ddubois]

I'm confused. Wasn't this a show in the 70s?

[AngryCola]

I should've paid more attention to the fact that you weren't even finished with the first season yet. My apologies for any spoilers that I may have posted. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[PLOlover]

Post deleted by Mat Sklansky

[AngryCola]

Post deleted by Mat Sklansky

[whiskeytown]

goddamn it - I did not know that....

ah well - I'll buy it again -

RB

[whiskeytown]

I was gonna make a couple comments -

then I realized this was a gimmick account - so now I'm just blocking it - /images/graemlins/smile.gif

RB

[whiskeytown]

nah man, once I got into spoilier feel, I didn't read any further -

I figured Tigh might get some extra coverage next season, but no big spoilers revealed...no sweat...

(what on earth did you write that Mat deleted...LOL)

RB

[PLOlover]

He had the gall to suggest that Lee was in fact a gay Cylon.