Commander Adama as portrayed in the movie Saga of A Star World on the DVD box set is a markedly different character than the Commander Adama presented on SOASW on television and in the later Battlestar Galactica TOS episodes. His character is NOT the pillar of strength leading the colonials against the odds with hope, faith, and strength. He is a beaten man who is making only a superficial effort to lead his people. He has an idea of what needs to be done but little will to make it happen. Throughout the show it is Apollo forcing Adama to do the right thing not Adama that is the real force behind moving the colonials on. It would appear that Larson's original intent was to give us the good but dark and flawed leader. SOASW with the deleted scenes is the more adult darker Battlestar we have heard about.
Adama takes the Battlestar Galactica away from the initial battle and heads toward his home planet. He decides to go down not to lead but to check out his house and family. He originally wasn't going down with any security. He goes down to cry. It is Apollo and Tigh that understand the situation. It is Apollo that gets him ready for the civilians that are coming. Adama wasn't down there to meet civilians. When the people show up he turns on the politician mode and tells the people what they want to hear. Whether he believes there is an Earth I seriously wonder. (Look at this as a free standing movie which is what it originally was.)
Adama ignores the food problem even though he obviously is aware of the situation and what is going on aboard the Rising Star. Once again Apollo the real driving factor in leadership steps in the fix the situation.
Going to Carillon would never happen as Adama was being meekly steamrolled without the intervention of Apollo.
Adama's inadequate leadership and defeatism throughout the movie is the cause of the confrontation scene between Apollo and Adama. If Apollo was the father and Adama was the son I bet Apollo would have slacked him and told him to stand up like a man. We even see the seed a similar "we deserved to be destroyed" talk people have about the mini in Adama's expanation of how he had voted for Sire Yuri to be on the Council.
Adama's later scene with Athena is another "I do not want the burden" speech.
We later see that Adama has little control over what is going on as it appears he has abdicated much of his power to Sire Yuri who sends half the population down to Carillon.
Larson's dark flawed Battlestar Galactica which inspired Ron Moore can be found right here. SOASW Adama just like Moore's Adama is questioning what he has done and whether humanity is really worthy. To a great extent Moore's Adama is far more decisive and more willing to lead. If TOS was not rushed into production and Larson had his way I wonder what Commander Adama would have really been like. The Commander Adama I watched last night was not the same character I have come to understand.
I actually think the second half of SOASW as presented in the DVD box set is superior to the version originally aired. Most of my issues with SOASW were removed. This was a great movie, all the way through. I do now however think that to some extent I need to view Commander Adama of SOASW as separate from the Commander Adama of later TOS episodes.
Moore's themes with William Adama are a lot closer to Larson's true version then I thought. For the first time I came to view Moore's Adama and President Roslin (as opposed to Sire Yuri) both to be stronger and more decisive characters than their basis in SOASW. The TOS (or more correctly the original Larson) theme is a bit deeper than I think many recognize.
If you haven't seen SOASW as it appears on the DVD box set you need to buy it or rent it. It is NOT the SOASW you know and love...It is better!
