Concepts, Ideas and a dream: 1 long time fans look at the "ReImagining" of BSG

[Kaith Rustaz]

I'd like to start this with a comment I made back in June, on the Toronto Trek BBS.
"Me personally.... All I want is 5 minutes alone with Ron Moore, and 1 pencil.

I dont ask for much.
"

At the time I wrote that initially, my desired use of that pencil was quite different from my current one. :)

Let me start off by stating that I still agree with the 'purists'. This wasn't the BSG I grew up with. It was something different.

Yes, this is flawed. Yes, it had more rouch spots than a sheet of sandpaper. It was still good.

I point you at this thread : http://blaser.tzo.com/tcon/viewtopic.php?t=1790 for some outsiders perspectives. (For those checking, I post there as Silent Bob...)

Day 1:
I watched.

I wasn't impressed.

Yes, the effects are nice...but it lacks a 'soul'. The characters all seem 2 dimentional, and forced.

The 'old' cylon, pyramid cards, diagrams, etc were all cute, but all felt like tokens. And, I have to ask, just WTF was up with the bloody StarFleet like medal worn by 'Adama' during th ephoro shoot scene?

Sigh...hope day 2 is better.

Day 2:
OK, Part 2 has just finished....

I'm in the middle at this point.

The space combat is very B5 like, though seeing a Viper do StarFury type manuvers was 'different'. The military technology isn't 'lasers', but 'super machine gun' and 'rockets', reminds me a bit of the old SFB game. Adamas request for 'bullets' makes more sence now, as the weapons are hyperaccelerated mass projectiles, not 'laser beams'.

There were some really interesting plot twists, some stuff that will most definately have the fan community going WTF, yet, as big a sceptic as I am, I can definately see some serious potential here. Pt 2 did do some good fleshing out of the characters, though they still had some serious 2D feel at times, sorta a "OK, now whatta I do.".


All I can say is, if this does go to series, I'll be interested in what they do next.


Now, at day 3 and time to really reflect, I come to additional thoughts:
Y'know.... at this time, I hope it does go to series. Give em 13 episodes, lets see where they can go with it.

I'd also like to see someone give Larson and/or Hatch shots at doing a movie. There is easily room for this.

BSG-Reimagined
BSG-Classic-Continued
BSG-TNG

These corporate folks get all gooey on themselves with the merchandise tie ins....think of it.... BSG's fan base is so rabid they make Trekkies seem sane. Think of the bucks. (Not StarBucks, though the nipply SB2 at the end was interesting....sorta....but I like the new Boomer better. )

Its NOT the BSG we know and love....its quite different. Its got the 'pilot episode' problems. But, its got potential.

We just have to step back from what we 'know' and give it a chance. Afterall, Each Trek series pilot was rather 'sucky' too. EAFP, well, stunk and was harmed by stiff acting, bad dialog and a rather corney plot. 7 years later and to many TNG is Trek. Same was true of DS9, Vger and EP. (Personally I still think the later 2 suck, but hey, EP dies at 4 seasons so its all good.)


and

I would be interested in seeing where they would go with the characters. The original seemed at times to be little more than "Apollos in trouble on a wild west world", "Oh Starbucks in trouble on a oldtime world", 'Gee SB and AP are in trouble", "Opps, the fleet faces miore cylons than took out the 12 colonies, what can save em now?" Mind you, they were good episodes, but got a bit redundent when looked at as a whole.

This is my problem with the STTOS and STTNG novels...seems every book had Kirk or Picard losing the ship...I stopped reading after a while...

With this new look, we have some interesting directions. The Galactica seems to be the last battlestar. But is it? I don't recall them saying specifically. Is it the only military ship left? Again, left a bit open. Its not a rag-tag fleet anymore. These ships all have FTL drive, where as in the original, only the Galactica had it.

They cylons are interesting too. Not just 'machines', these feel, so it gets more interesting. #6 is both responsible for the destruction, yet also is helping Baltar. Why? Is it love? a Game? something else? What about the sleeper? Is she "Imperious Leader"? Note, she spoke, and the others did the 'by your command bit". So, is IL onboard Galactica too?

What is the "Red Line"? Known space? Is beyond it the unexplored area? Who will they find? Kobol? The Pegasas? More survivors? Lost exploration expositions?

They lost the agro ship, and many others due to lack of FTL. How will they find food? Ammo will be a challenge too, as they are shooting 'bullets', not 'lasers'. Will alien ammo be compatable? Can they make their own? Will they develop energy weapons, say Ion Cannons to scramble Cylon brains?

Will they build new Mark 7 vipers, or older Mark 5s?

There are lots of questions here.

All in all, I agree with both sides. This wasn't BSG that we grew up with, have loved, nurtured, kept alive, writen about and fantasized about. This is something else. Right now, let us hope that this 'new' approach leads to new fans discovering the old. More fans means more $ for the studios. More $ means, they -may- go all out. Oldfans, share your stashes with the new. SHowe them the original. New fans, check out the old. Its ALL good. Keep buying Richards books, so he will continue to write. Support Larson in his vision. Its all BSG, even if the interpretations differ.

I say, give em 13 episodes and see what they can do with it.


References:
http://blaser.tzo.com/tcon/viewtopic.php?t=1790
http://blaser.tzo.com/tcon/viewtopic.php?t=1063
http://rustaz.com/bbs/index.php?&showtopic=862
See http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?&threadid=5022
Then see http://www.martialtalk.com/forum/showthread.php?&threadid=11922

[Spectre]

CHEERS to a totally SANE summarization !

I agree 100%...thank you !


:D Spectre

[GreenBear]

Nicely said.

I have said again and again, let's see what they do with this AND have a new movie by De Santo. We should demand both and forget the "zero sum" mentality.:thumbsup:

[Belloby]

I just hope your open-mindedness doesn't come back to bite you.

[Kaith Rustaz]

It could, but here I don't think so. Regardless of how the mini does (and so far the ratings sound good, even if there are conflicting news coming outta scifi), I think we all win.

Look at it this way, the mini (like it or not) has brought a great deal of publicity to BSG. The original series, movie and pilot are all out now on DVD. There are new toys and other tie ins floating around. Richard continues to write his novels. Both the remake and the original are enjoying a greater exposure to old and new fans alike. Our community will expand. The more we grow, the more power we can present as a marketable group. Since its all about the $ in the end, the more of us there are, the more potential $ for them, so things will be more likely to improve.

We screams, ranted and bitched about everything in this remake, Larsons ideas and even Richards. They all listened, some more, some less, but they heard us. And now, after this, our numbers will grow. New fans will look at the original. Old fans will take heart from the new.

Its all good, even the parts that make us go 'Aw crap".

(Now remember....6 months ago I wanted to kick butt..as pissed as many folks here. Now, I can step back and see where good may come, even if I don't agree with many of the 'changes'.)

The BSG community is more tightly nit than the old Trek community. Folks here drive cross country to do cons, like what John Colicos did a few years back. Hell, I was at Toronto Trek the 1 year when he just stopped in, unannounced, to hang out with Richard and Anne and the fans. I feel that this kind of faith, manages.

Something good will come.

Maybe, all 3 ideas will see film. Then we can bask in a major 'wow. Worst case, we now have the full series on DVD, the original movie, pilot and Richards books.

So, love it or hate it, the remake has helped us at least get clean, unedited cuts of the original that we all love.


Peace.

[Micheleh]

You know, I agree with all of you in principal.

I think one point worth raising at this time is this:

People who have supported the original series in a direct reincarnation, usually a reflection of real life for us- grown, children, facing things from a new pov- have on the whole remarkably little actual animosity toward the show itself.

The anger, the feelings of betrayal... come from a different yet related source. I don't know how many of you fine folks who have braved the reputation of the den of the purists (lol!) know the real story, but I'll put down as much as I can remember, and maybe others will help me.

From the moment the miniseries was a glimmer in someone's eye, there has been a small group of 'fans' whose sole purpose has been misinformations, deception, attack (on and off the boards), character destruction, board disruption... and worst of all, reveling in the fact that they could concoct these strategies to get the OS fans going, then revel in the destruction.

Most of these schemes and attacks were instigated by a tiny number of persons pretending to be a great many. A favorite tactic was to join the boards as a false identity, manouver the moderators into a position of looking like vicious fanatics for trying to enforce any rules whatsoever, and then attack in false self-justification. I know from where I speak.

You can only be lied to, misled, fed false hope, false people, and attacked so many times before you start to get angry. All my friends here are kind, wonderful people who have just had enough. Unfortunately, becuase of these attacks, new members get viewed with less trust than they deserve.

All I am asking is to please try to take this into acocunt, and have jsut a touch of patience if you get a reaction that doesn't immediately add up. Come to a mod and ask us.
Everyone is welcome here... I just want you to know how very much some had to put in the past to say that sincerely- and it is.

Be welcome.

[Kaith Rustaz]

I've been giving things a lot of thought lately. Theres been some bitter arguments. The emotion in this area runs strong, and rightly so. It was a darn good show, and we fell in love with it. Yes, in hindsite, it was cheesy at times (Classic Trek was just as bad, worst sometimes...sure hope they don't take away my Trekkie permit now. :D)

Disinformation surrounds things. I heard they were going to use CGI to bring back Lorne Greene, and a thousand other things.

With this remake, I'm just as angry as the next fan, but rather than vent and rant, I'm hoping to find the light. Good can come out of this. We just need to hang together and as they say 'relax'.

In the mean time, I have to go sew an original series patch on my jacket. :)