Battlestar Galactica breaks boundaries by blending the best of television
The last season of the best show on television is in full swing and most people don’t even know it. No, Jack and Kate haven’t gotten off the island yet and Meredith Grey hasn’t stopped sulking around the ORs of Seattle Grace - I’m talking about the fourth and final season of the reimagined “Battlestar Galactica.”
Regardless of its hard-hitting characters, engaging storyline and profound political relevance, there is primarily one thing keeping “Battlestar” from tapping into the mainstream: the geek factor.
The “science fiction” genre has long been considered a key facet of geek culture. Evil aliens, cheesy special effects and fancy spaceships are what most people have come to both expect and fear from the genre, but don’t let the “science fiction” label fool you. “Battlestar Galactica” appeals not only to the computer-savvy nerd locked in his dorm room for fear of social interaction, but relates to a wider, more conventional audience.
After being massacred by humanoid robot servants called Cylons who turned against them, the remnants of the human race are forced to take to space in search of the fabled ‘lost colony’ who are said to have settled on a faraway planet named Earth. The story focuses on the crew of a battlestar, a military spaceship, named “Galactica,” which travels the galaxy in a fleet with other refugees. While evil robots and spaceships still scream typical sci-fi, “Galactica” is really mainly about one thing: people.
What are more popular shows like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Lost” about if they aren’t about people? Despite differences in setting and genre, these dramas create characters and stories that are both relatable and entertaining. “Battlestar Galactica” takes that same approach and, with a spectacular ensemble cast, creates some of the most intricate and compelling character-driven drama in television today. With elements of romance, suspense, military conflict and political intricacy, “Battlestar” is a little bit “Grey’s,” a little bit “Lost,” a little bit “West Wing” and a whole lot more.
“Battlestar Galactica” uses its characters and the desperate situations they find themselves in to simulate and comment on the going-ons of today’s world. Constantly at war with the Cylons and forced to the edge of extinction, the humans are riddled with political unrest, religious conflict and suspicion that anyone could be a Cylon.
In a scene where representatives from the fleet meet in a Congressional-like forum, the President of the Colonies is revealed to have slowly gained weighted power over a supposedly democratic governmental system. While the representatives are deeply troubled by this, the President of the Colonies and the Admiral of the fleet believe the people to be in need of strong leadership, rather than democratic debate.
“It’s one thing to tell a story about the world that we live in,” actor Jesse L. Martin said, in the Sci-Fi Channel special, “Battlestar Galactica: The Phenomenon,” “It’s another thing to create a world to tell a story about the world that we live in.”
“We ask our audience to think about the world in which they live, but to draw their own conclusions,” Ronald D. Moore, executive producer for the show, said in “Battlestar Galactica’s” acceptance speech of the Peabody Award.
So throw away your misconceptions about science fiction and give “Battlestar Galactica” the chance it deserves … or Dwight Schrute will think you are an idiot.
Viewing Information
- New episodes of “Battlestar Galactica” air Fridays at 10 p.m. on the Sci-Fi Channel. They can also be seen online at SciFi.com.
- An eight-minute recap of the first three seasons and the “Battlestar Galactica” miniseries entitled, “What the Frak is going on?” can also be seen online at SciFi.com.
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on Monday, May 5th, 2008 at 11:06 pm and is filed under Arts & Entertainment, Television Reviews, Vibe.
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