Frakked up and ready to go

Battlestar Galactica's resident Cylon: Six, played by Tricia Helfer

I don’t know why I have never had the inclination to watch Battlestar Galactica (the TV series) before, but after some people suggested I watch it, I figured, hey what do I have to lose (except, as it turns out, much sleep, because this show is awesome). I heard that it has some good writing and that it’s got a nice cast of characters, so I figured it can’t be half bad. I started watching the pilot episode for the miniseries and was completely blown away.

Basically the premise is that the human civilization is divided into 12 colonies, all ruled by one President. There was the creation of the Cylons, who started to go bad and attacked their human inventors and an attempt at a truce was never resolved. However, after some time the Cylons had stopped attacking and for about 20+ years the humans have had peace. After such a long time without an attack, the humans decide to shut down their space military operations, assuming that the Cylons have either annihilated themselves or that they were simply not hostile anymore. The Battlestar Galactica is the last operating battleship around and it has been turned into a “museum” of sorts after several years of no attack. And then, as you may have guessed, the Cylons attack.

There are some very interesting characters on the show, and unlike other sci-fi shows, this one doesn’t really bother with the kiddie stuff. They don’t try to sugarcoat scenes or try to dumb down the show so non sci-fi fans will like it. This is a show made for sci-fi geeks (like Yours Truly) and even if you weren’t a sci-fi fan I don’t think you would be at all bothered by all the gizmo-talk that the characters do on the show.

Capital D for drama! Battlestar Galactica's awesome cast. From left to right: Tricia Helfer, James Callis, Katee Sackhoff, Edward James Olmos, Jamie Bamber, Mary McDonnell and Grace Park.

The concept of the Cylons seems like Terminator meets Star Wars, though. For one, the older Cylon models look like storm troopers. And then the 12 advanced Cylon models are basically Terminators (cybernetic robots made of synthetic material), except you can uh…have sex with them (don’t ask me how, I don’t know). So far, I have only seen a handful of episodes, but the show already is pulling me in with its unique plot twists and the interesting characters. Although let’s admit that Edward James Olmos is not the most good-looking actor, he definitely brings something extra to his portrayal of Commander Adama. It’s also pretty action-packed, and it’s a pretty nice-looking show with intricate CGI and cinematography.

However, I have learned that this show is on its final run and is currently showing their fourth and final season. I think it’s a shame I only caught it as it was finishing up, but it’s a great show all the same. I wish Firefly was given the same chance as this show has been given, but hey. What the frak can you do, right?