Scenes you didn't care for
 

OK, you loved the show but when you watch the tape for the xth time, you skip which scenes?

For me-

1. Adama beating the Cylon. Really, really badly. Yes I get the subtext, (Zack and Apollo dead, disasterous attack etc) I just don't care to view it over and over (as I do watch the miniseries about once / twice a week).

2. The endless and loud "So say we all" choruses. I think the phrase was repetitious although I certainly understand what Adama was doing- unifying and boosting his crew.

3. Starbuck shouting "I'm alright!" during the dogfight. A. No one was asking, and B. just about everyone was dodging bullets at that time. Although, I suspect her reaction was her normal combat mode and it really is no big deal.

Loved everything else!

Hmmm. . .

I really liked the first two scenes that you mentioned.

Adama beating the cylon I felt was a key moment for the character. He'd been so reserved and good at suppressing his emotions for most of the rest of the show, that you really got a sense for the inner rage he was experiencing during that scene. The scene showed that even the indomitable Adama was ultimately only human.

As far as the blood and violence factor on that scene, it didn't disturb me at all. I felt it was fairly tame by contemporary standards. Just enough to convey the subtext as you mentioned.

The "So say we all" choruses were exactly the right number, I thought. One as part of the ceremony that tips him off to the mind-set of the crew. Three before he makes his speech establishing his anger with their state of dejection. Three after as builds on the momentum of the inspiration he's given them. And one final one to indicate to the priestess that she can continue. 1-3-3-1. Just fine.

The third one I didn't particularly notice one way or the other.

Most of the stuff I would skip would just be the character-establishment stuff in the 1st 1/2 hour. Once you're familiar with the characters, you don't need it.

Thank you Soulmage for your well-worded reply. It's great how different scenes appeal to different people.

The beginning. Not only did it not make sense, but I think it started the show off on the wrong tone.

'Six the Sexpot' scenes. The groping, tearing the clothes off, cleavage cam, and romps in the hay were overdone. The emphasis on sexuality in the first parts of the mini, cheapened later scenes where sex was involved.

Tyrol and Boomer in the equpment closet. I think this scene was set up perfectly with everything from them arguing about the gimble, to Helo smirking as he watches them walk off. When they started ripping each other's clothes off, however, I was already disgusted by the Six's humpathon, so it didn't work for me. I think they could have written the introduction to the relationship so love was still expressed, but toned down. Later on, when they did the Boomer and Tyrol reunion scene well, in the back of my mind I was still bracing for something more saucy.

I'm not a prude, I just expected from Moore's statements that he was intending to create a good drama. These were just the scenes that, to me, went against his efforts.

I for one thought the beginning was very neccesary. The sex between #6 and Baltar was key character building. 'Nuff said.

The only scene that was overdone was the rabid groping between Tyrol and Boomer. Though it really didn't bother me either. It actually was kinda funny.

There was nothing that disappointed me. I only want MORE!

the sex was a bit over the top... they could have made just as good a show by 'implying(as they did in the Tyrol/boomer scene)... thats just my opinion tho

Actually, my lady said it right when she called it, Battlestar Orgasmica! It's a cheap shot at a proven title to sell to the public, sex sells and they were attempting to push that issue. The show sucked. Bring on the original cast to blow these guy away!!:devil:

Sex scenes
 

Still no credible explaination about the glowing spine.
Believe me,it is something I would have noticed in Baltar or Tyrol's shoes.

No s$%t! I would have noticed it also. This is one suckey and flawed script that is not believeable to me. Or to anyone else that I know. We even watched it at Shorty Smalls bar here and people that did'nt even know what Galactica was supposed to be about thought that it was crap! That tells the tale!:D

I liked it.
 

The Tyrol and Boomer scenes were steamy but clean.......I am glad they did the scenes.....I think it showed the intensity of the emotion between these two fanstastic characters.

Oh it showed emotion all right!:D

The Opening Scene was really the worst of the worst, IMO.

A good summary of my Initial Impressions are that the series ended too abruptly. And I don't mean that I wanted to see more*, I mean that for a four hour mini-series it did not manage to establish much of anything. In fact, if anything, I felt it squandered too much time, which means it wasted the viewers time.

First 15 minutes we got a premature shot-gun blast of character sexcapades that did nothing for plot advancement, informed the viewers of nothing, and worst of all set a bad tone for a commercial TV series. (You know they can't deliver on anything, so why bother to attempt to titilate? And to fumble so badly!!) The opening scenes should provide set up, establish background, help the viewer to get into the story to properly suspend disbelief. Those first 15 minutes did none of this.

Overall the portrayal of the military was sub-par and inept. The fraternisation between ranks with Boomer and Tyrol was bad enough, but the unprofessional interaction of Starbuck and Tigh. . . laughable at best, proof that someone doesn't like the military and had a axe to grind at worst. Also, since it is obvious the military was patterned after Western naval forces. . . where's the reserve fleet? There is always a active reserve fleet comprised of auxillary vintage older vessels. The U.S. Navy operates one, and some of the ships in the active naval reserve fleet are SAILING vessels!

Let's Review: The Galactica is mothballed, about to become a museuem, but where? You don't just set up a museum in the middle of nowhere. . . usually mothballed vesseled are together with other mothballed vessels, usually in a port. Where were they? Where was the port/stardock?

The strongest elements of the series were Olmos and McDonnel. As long as you don't think too deeply about the logistics involved the series is fine. Problem is the devil is in the details. And there just was not enough supporting detail provided.

Want to see more? Sure. But I'd like them to actually take some of the money they blew on the inordinate amount of hype and use it to take more than 50 days to shoot the series. Even Corman, I think, takes longer to shot most of his stuff.

Don't get me wrong I liked the mini-series, except for the bits I didn't. ;)


(*) A good series leaves you wanting to know more about the characters. When the mini-series was over the only thing I wanted to know more about was how the original managed to do in 1 hour what the mini-series laboriously streched out into a fumbling four hours of trite, slow as molasses in mid-winter, barely SF tropes presented with average CGI effects.

Wha? Not only did it not waste my time, I've since watched it a half dozen times. Watching the network drivel... now THAT would be a waste of time.

Ummm... Hello! The first 15 minutes set up the motivations and method behind Baltar's actions. He was in lust with a Cylon who rocked his socks off in bed which motivated him to give her access to military databases, etc. Why? Becuase wanted more of that sublime nookie!! DUH! It sets his character up as someone with a brilliant mind for science but who thinks with his privates. It was a logical, real explanation to his deeds. He wasn't evil, just horny! How can you possibly say it didn't advance the plot or characters? It also set up the circumstances behind why the Galactica and older Vipers survived the Cylon sneak attack. It ALSO gave the viewer a real reason to HATE the Cylons. Aside from wiping out the colonies, there was the baby murder which also showed remorse in #6's face. That was not only good writing but good acting as well.

Somehow, I don't think we watched the same mini.

I disagree here too. I spent 4 years of my life as a paratrooper in the 82d Airborne Division(currently in Iraq and Afghanistan). During "business hours" there was always a respect for rank. But there were times when a lowly enlisted man like myself who turned wrenches could go skydiving for the day with Green Beret officers then tip back beers afterwards. Sometimes things got out of control a bit because during these times, we took our rank off.
This is no different from Starbuck playing cards with the XO and ending up in a fist fight. I will admit it was a bit exaggerated but it IS TELEVISION! It has to be somewhat entertaining.
As far as a reserve fleet goes, well, now we have a possibility for future storytelling in new episodes.

OK, I'll grant you THAT one. But I was far too enchanted with it to think that far into it. I guess you could say my belief had been suspended. LOL

Yes, Olmos and McDonnel were outstanding. No argument here.

You're not fooling me. You hated it.
The hype wasn't sufficient for the quality of the production.


Yup, you hated it alright. The FX were innovative and told a story. They were everything Lucas wishes he had. Well OK, Lucas is no slouch. I loved the scene in Ep 2 with Obi-Wan chasing Fett through the asteroid field!
I have to admit, your post is a troll. HOOK UP! I bit it hook, line and sinker.

:salute:

Mothballed fleet
 

As a museum display,the old gal would not have been sent to spacedock,but trotted around to take on new loads of schoolchildren for indoctrination..um,make that education.

Once the colonies were attacked with total surprise,what would the reserve fleet matter?

Corman,eh...maybe detractors of the mini should make an MST3K version of it.

I have to agree here. I didn't really care for the opening scene.

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First 15 minutes we got a premature shot-gun blast of character sexcapades that did nothing for plot advancement, informed the viewers of nothing, and worst of all set a bad tone for a commercial TV series. (You know they can't deliver on anything, so why bother to attempt to titilate? And to fumble so badly!!) The opening scenes should provide set up, establish background, help the viewer to get into the story to properly suspend disbelief. Those first 15 minutes did none of this.

For all the complaints about the sex there wasn't much of it. In the entire four hour mini there was right a five minutes of sex, and that includes only kissing (where nothing else is implied) and break away shots during those scenes. In the mini there were only six "sex" scenes, and that is using the term very losely. Each of those scenes (with the possible exception of the opening kiss) furthered character and plot development. Any given epsiode of Farscape has more sex than that.

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Overall the portrayal of the military was sub-par and inept. The fraternisation between ranks with Boomer and Tyrol was bad enough, but the unprofessional interaction of Starbuck and Tigh. . . laughable at best, proof that someone doesn't like the military and had a axe to grind at worst. Also, since it is obvious the military was patterned after Western naval forces. . . where's the reserve fleet? There is always a active reserve fleet comprised of auxillary vintage older vessels. The U.S. Navy operates one, and some of the ships in the active naval reserve fleet are SAILING vessels!

I sometimes wonder if people were in the same military that I was in. About the only thing that wouldn't ring true for me is if Boomer wasn't having sex with someone on that ship. The only part of the Boomer/Tyrol relationship that struck me as wrong was their having sex while on duty. However, I look at that as legimite artistic deviation (where the details change, but the spirit stays the same). I also didn't really see anything wrong with the Starbuck/Tigh exchange. Sure it was unprofessional, but that is not unrealsitic. When off duty things can get unprofesional very fast, especially when there is alcohol involved. While I've never seen anyone deck a superior officer, it has been known to happen.

About the reserve fleet. How do you know that there was not a reserve fleet? There was nothing mentioned either way. The entire battle took place in about a 24hr time period. The thing about reserve fleets is that they are in reserve. They are not fully crewed, armed and ready for combat at all times. If that were the case then they would be part of the active fleet. Those ships probably never had a chance to get into the battle.

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Let's Review: The Galactica is mothballed, about to become a museuem, but where? You don't just set up a museum in the middle of nowhere. . . usually mothballed vesseled are together with other mothballed vessels, usually in a port. Where were they? Where was the port/stardock?

I got the impression that the Galactica was going to its final mooring place, not that it was already there. I assume that it final destination was Caprica.

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The strongest elements of the series were Olmos and McDonnel. As long as you don't think too deeply about the logistics involved the series is fine. Problem is the devil is in the details. And there just was not enough supporting detail provided.

The logistics of the series was a lot better than any sci-fi show I've ever seen. True there were problems in the details (I could make list after list about the details), but most of those really have to do with the logistics of making a show. TV simply cannot supply the supporting detail of the real world. The only shows that can come close are those based in the present day. Shows like JAG can do it because at need they can actually use billion dollar sets (it must be nice to be in the good graces of the US Navy). A show with a budget of only a few million (less than $50 million I believe) simply cannot hope to meet that level of detail.

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Want to see more? Sure. But I'd like them to actually take some of the money they blew on the inordinate amount of hype and use it to take more than 50 days to shoot the series. Even Corman, I think, takes longer to shot most of his stuff.

What money? Sci-Fi may have spent a million dollars on advertising (though I really doubt it), but that wouldn't have changed enough if it was put into the production budget. Besides advertising is important. That is how most people learned about the mini.

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Don't get me wrong I liked the mini-series, except for the bits I didn't. ;)

Wouldn't it be more accurate to say that you hated the mini-series, except for the bits that you didn't. :)

For me the only "sex scenes" (they weren't, really) that you cuoldn't prune away and make the series better are those between Baltar and Six. The rest are superfluous and could be easily excised with no great detriment to the flow fo the story.

[b]

Bingo.

Take a closer look at that scene, BTW. I don't think it was edited right. I think they were suggest to be "interrrupted" when Adama made his announcement. Anyone get that impression?

Scene just doesn't work as presented. IMHO YMMV


How do I know? For that exact reason, it wasn't mentioned, nor was it seen. But, more to the point, because I am pretty sure the folks behind the mini-series didn't think that deeply about it. Had they done more than just civilian traffic would have shown up at either the rendevous point with Colonial 1 and, most definately, put in an appearance at Ragnar. No battle plan survives contact with the enemy, and no surprise attack has ever totally obliterated an opponents fleet. Take Pearl Harbor (which one could argue this story was loosely based after) . . . 1) the Carriers were away from anchorage. 2) the submarine fleet was largely untouched. 3) many smaller auxillary vessels and support craft in the field (and even in port) were not destroyed.



That's also what I assumed, but it is never explicity stated. That's a glaring omission. It wouldn't have taken much to provide a bit of dialogue, even if just a throwaway sentence uttered by a day player, to set up what is going on.


Disappointed is what I'd say. Disappointed.

Personally, and I know a lot of folks here will probably not like it, I think that the BG property weighed this production down. This either should have been totally filmed as it's own mini-series, free of any IP (because, at times, it felt like lines were included strictly to meet a quota) or they should have taken more time in pre-production. Or something.

It could have been better, then again it could also have been worse. At least it wasn't Galactica 1980! ;)

Re: Mothballed fleet
 

Remember the scene with the newly dubbed Colonial 1?

Rescue operations.

Certainly there should have been some older vessels out there, probably a few craft re-designated as cadet/training vessels. Not just civilian liners.

Too, what about space stations? Off world mining operations? Science stations for monitoring of various celestial/solar phenomenon? The Galactica has hyperdrive capablity, where are the off world outposts? The offworld patrol craft?

Granted it is highly cost effective not to have to shoot such things, but you can also save a lot of money (and save having to endure nitpickers) by providing a few simple lines of dialogue that talk about such things. Could have been done, should have been done, but wasn't.

Why?

Nitpicking for a better series
 

Greetings,


[faux Magenta voice]
But I though the sci-fi channel was a network?
[/faux Magenta voice]

;)


Actually, if memory serves, that took a wee bit longer. But let's go with that. . . this series is not (supposed to be) about Baltar or Six, much less their relationship. It is supposed to be about the story of the 12 colonies of man and their destruction.

Frankly I don't care if they shot this for cable and decided to do the full monty. . . so long as they take the time to have, say, a vid-screen playing in the background providing sereptious detail. It is not enough to just have a good scene in the first 15 minutes, you need to inform, this is the chance to draw the audience into the setting. IMHO this was not done to full effect.

Want to have Boomer play with Tyrol’s happy stick? Fine. Add a comm device to the broom closet and have it playing some news program that, on the sly, informs us of something about the setting.

See where I am going with this?


Bingo!

That's the kind of a-head thinking that, IMO, seemed to be lacking here.

More should have been shown. The fact we are talking about such sniggling details shows that, on some level, we have alread become invested in the series. We want more, and we want it better. Nothing wrong with that.

Problem is without such glimpses, even if just in background comm traffic where the comm officer has a scene where they are shown to be picking up "possible" comm chatter with fleet vessels, there is no expectation instilled in the viewer. No reason to want to continue to watch, should a series be forthcoming.

Such background details are plot hooks. We didn't get many. :(



No, just disappointed. I've seen better CGI done by Corman style productions. (Granted such flicks make the actors in the mini seem like a Shakespeare troupe by comparison! :) ) The CGI Cylons were dreadful, it was obvious the editor even realized the fact, else they wouldn't have been relegated to cameos at the beginning and end.

Also there was not a lot of CGI. And, bringing up Star Wars, IMO, shows just how bad some of the VFX were.

Granted I enjoyed how vessels in space were portrayed. The effect of going to not total silence but near total silence in cut-scenes to space was very well done. But the shaky faux docu-cam bit was more of a distraction than anything else.

edit: I also liked how the Galactica is now shown to be able to retract it's pontoon carrier decks. That was a bit of inspiration, IMO.

And how is one supposed to respond to this: It takes one to know one? :rolleyes: ;)

Not trolling. Just pointing out the glaring errors, uhm, in case anyone that may be involved in a future BG series might read these threads so, uhm, they can take note and prepare to create such a tight story that nitpickers will be left with nothing to pick . . . but the chips outta their teeth! Yeah, that's the ticket. :D :salute:


Kind Regards,

Kester Pelagius


P.S. If I really hated the series would I have bought the official mini-seies magazine? And recommend others buy it?

Long thread! LOL! But the votes are in.....Bring on the real story and cast.:D

Re: Sex scenes
 

I've been waiting 25 years for credible explanations for just about anything the Colonials do vis-a-vis the Cylon "peace ceremony" (I'm assuming that someone in the government must have had a triple-digit IQ other than Adama, no?). Next to those implausibilities, I can let the glowing spine go. ;)

There were only three scenes that were not with Baltar and Six in them with regard to sex. Only one of them is an actual sex scene (Boomer/Tyrol), and that was only 11 seconds. True is could have been excised, but then there is no development between Boomer and Tyrol.

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Bingo. Take a closer look at that scene, BTW. I don't think it was edited right. I think they were suggest to be "interrrupted" when Adama made his announcement. Anyone get that impression? Scene just doesn't work as presented. IMHO YMMV

I didn't get the feeling that they were interupted. It seemed like a regular fade out with the story picking up sometime later.

As to the sex on duty. I doubt it would have really happened like that, but given the constraints of making a show I think it was done well.

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How do I know? For that exact reason, it wasn't mentioned, nor was it seen. But, more to the point, because I am pretty sure the folks behind the mini-series didn't think that deeply about it. Had they done more than just civilian traffic would have shown up at either the rendevous point with Colonial 1 and, most definately, put in an appearance at Ragnar. No battle plan survives contact with the enemy, and no surprise attack has ever totally obliterated an opponents fleet. Take Pearl Harbor (which one could argue this story was loosely based after) . . . 1) the Carriers were away from anchorage. 2) the submarine fleet was largely untouched. 3) many smaller auxillary vessels and support craft in the field (and even in port) were not destroyed.

First of all there are many differences between Pearl Harbor and the Cylon attack (leaving aside that one is fake :)). Pearl Harbor was an attack designed to cripple the US Navy. The cylon attack was aimed at total destruction. The Japanese did not have complete access to the inside of the US Navy (deployment orders, communications, etc). The cylons did have that access. The Japanese could not cripple the combat capability of the Navy before starting combat. The cylons were able to simply shut down most combatants before combat started. There was simply no way (even assuming they wanted to) for the IJN to launch an attack like the cylons did. In fact it would have been impossible for the cylons to do it except for the information (and viruses) that Six was able to get.

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That's also what I assumed, but it is never explicity stated. That's a glaring omission. It wouldn't have taken much to provide a bit of dialogue, even if just a throwaway sentence uttered by a day player, to set up what is going on.

Maybe that will be in the DVD. I understand that they cut a bit over two hours to fit it into the time slot. Although I don't really think that is needed. If you take all of the little details that could be fixed by throwaway lines and put them into the show, then you could easily add an hour or more to the show. That kind of information is not in any way necessary to the story. I would like explicit answers to the details myself, but I think that it would be better for those to be in a companion book (like a tech manual).

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Disappointed is what I'd say. Disappointed. Personally, and I know a lot of folks here will probably not like it, I think that the BG property weighed this production down. This either should have been totally filmed as it's own mini-series, free of any IP (because, at times, it felt like lines were included strictly to meet a quota) or they should have taken more time in pre-production. Or something. It could have been better, then again it could also have been worse. At least it wasn't Galactica 1980! ;)

I agree that it could have been better, but I still really liked it. If the mini is a stand alone four hour show, then I agree that the BG property weighed it down. A stand alone movie about a sneak attack by ancient enemies done in that style could have rocked. However, Moore was always looking to do a BSG series. The central element is the lone Battlestar. Somehow Moore had to get down to that one warship, and frankly I think he did a much better job of that than Larson did in the original.

BTW if it goes to series I don't think they could have called it anything but BSG. Humanities survivors fleeing their genocidal enemies in a fugitive fleet IS BSG. Had they called the warship anything else (or even had more than one warship) the show would have been called a BSG ripoff. If the label is going to be given anyway it makes sense to use it to the best advantage.

Re: Re: Sex scenes
 

Hmm... I think I can give you a credible explanation :)

Everyone wants to believe in peace.

I'm sure alot of Arabs were stunned to see Egyptian President Sadat making peace with Israeli Prime Minister Begin. I'm sure that seemed implausible prior to that.

I saw the Berlin Wall fall down. And later the US and the former Soviet Union working together on many global issues.

Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland trying to make peace.

I'm sure it seemed implausible to Iraqi's that their oppressive dictator Saddam would ever be found cowering in a hole and then be checked for lice.

I believe one day Palestinians will live in peace with Israelis.

Great implausible things do happen.

I can easily imagine a peace conference happening. One would assume a machine would behave logically. And that you could convince it of the futility of war. Though this was really glossed over in the pilot.

So how's that for a credible explanation? You shouldn't have waited 25 years, you coulda just asked!

Actually, with the spine glowing I think that would be pretty obvious. Besides the fact that you would see the spine glow from certain "positions" there is the simple fact that in a darken room, you would have to wonder why it was suddenly very bright red. The only answer would be that she can not glow if she chooses. After all, I'm sure our buddy Tyrol woulda noticed Boomer being a happy glowing red.
:)

The only real question, which may come out later, is if the spine does glow, couldn't you create some sort of lab test to screen the spinal area to detect a humanoid cylon?

Re: Re: Re: Sex scenes
 

And very, very rarely do they let down their defenses without reason.

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I'm sure alot of Arabs were stunned to see Egyptian President Sadat making peace with Israeli Prime Minister Begin. I'm sure that seemed implausible prior to that.

Neither nation unilaterally lowered their defenses on promises of good will from the other side.

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I saw the Berlin Wall fall down. And later the US and the former Soviet Union working together on many global issues.

As the result of the economic and military disintegration of one of two heavily-armed global camps, not as a result of unilaterial disarmament by one of the two nations.

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Great implausible things do happen.

Not as ridiculous as "Saga Of A Star World".

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I can easily imagine a peace conference happening. One would assume a machine would behave logically. And that you could convince it of the futility of war. Though this was really glossed over in the pilot.

It wasn't so much "glossed over"; it was ignored because there was no way to address it. Sure, the Cylons behaved logically -- when their enemies lowered their defenses for no reason, they slaughtered them all.

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So how's that for a credible explanation? You shouldn't have waited 25 years, you coulda just asked!

Well, that's good rhetoric but it doesn't come anywhere close to saving the puerile illogic of "Saga". Thanks, but I think we've had this discussion before. ;)

What "Saga Of A Star World" proposes is equivalent to the U.S.S.R. having persuaded the government of the United States, at some point during the Cold War, along these lines: "Well, we're tired of fighting. We'll make you a deal: we'll sign a peace accord if you'll disarm all of your nuclear weapons, line up your Navy in the middle of the Atlantic on a certain day and at a mutually agreed place, and meet us to sign a treaty. Now, please don't launch any of the planes off of those aircraft carriers while we're doing this, okay?"

What actually happens at the beginning of "Saga Of A Star World": the twelve colonies, who've been at war like forever with a bunch of killer robots who are bent on genocide and whose motivations are entirely and simply understood by Adama, line up all of their ships and lower all of their defenses on a day prearranged with the Cylons on the say-so of one human being.

They are warned against it by Adama, of course -- they'd be cautioned against this kind of nonsense by any bright eight-year-old who's been in a playground fight -- and they ignore every bit of evidence that things might not be what they seem, and when things go badly and obviously wrong Lou Ayres continues to listen to Baltar and only Baltar against all common sense until, essentially, his own ceiling begins to fall in. And it's not just this one fool of a Colonial ruler -- no one speaks up against any of this silliness except for Adama.

Oh, and this Machiavellian genius who's outwitted the leadership of twelve planets -- this Baltar guy -- is so brilliant that he's sold out his entire species because the killer robots who are about to wipe out every human being in existence have promised him that they'll make an exception for him.

I mean, they've promised.

Uh.

Huh??
 

JUST THE OPPOSITE.....

Boomer and Tyrol's scenes where the ones with the most humanity of the characters.....it really made the characters act like real people...

Baltars and Number sixes sex scene...was kinda by the numbers...


Boomer and Tyrol had more impact emotionally.

Regarding Tyrol and Boomer, I'm not convinced that showing two people humping in a closet suggests some depth of feeling. The only impression I got was that they were horny.

The second scene where Tyrol and Boomer meet again in the corridor with Boxey hit the mark and that was a good scene.

I liked the mini, but it was the uneven writing that prevented me from loving it.

The first scene established immediately that the two had an established romantic and sexual relationship. That, and juxtaposition with the Baltar/Cylon sex scene -- thus foreshadowing and raising implications about the revelation at the end of the miniseries -- were what it accomplished quickly and effectively.

Superhumans and fraternization
 

They ruined Battlestar 1980 when they gave the colonials superhuman strength compared to us and put the brainiac boy on the Galactica. One of the few things I didn't like about TOS was the humans that couldn't live on the Galacatica because of the atmosphere, pressure, or whatever. Once you take away the basic humanity of a character you just don't care for them or believe in the plausibility of their characters as humans.

I see the possibility of this problem with the human-cylons. I don't think the writers can have it both ways. Either they are machines or they are humans. If they can't be distinguished in an autopsy than get rid of the scenes where they don't appear physically human. I thought both the Six red spine scene and the super human strength of the cylon fighting Adama at Ragnar detracted from the concept that the human-cylons are artificial versions of us. If you're human you don't lift a 200 lbs. man by the neck with one hand off the ground and you don't glow in the dark. If you can do either a doctor should notice something "different" about you.

The Tyrol-Boomer fraternization gives me some problems also. An earlier poster, an enlisted member of the 82nd ABN failed to distinguish the difference between having beer with the troops and sleeping with them. I know that in some cases female officers do have affairs with male NCOs. I can tell you this however, these affairs are either VERY discreet or they have a negative impact on the career of the officer involved. Usually you see these affairs among the "lower class" officers in junior grade who do not plan on making a future in the military. Most of these situations are now against UCMJ and even when technically OK are certainly not allowed in an area where one has life or death maintenance abilities with their lover. Tyrol is a CPO and near the peak of his career. He would be an idiot to have an affair with a relatively new officer like Boomer. If Boomer is an orphan who has never been raised in a miltary background and has little integrity she may initiate such an affair. I don't however think this is the character the writers are trying to build. If as a cylon spy she just wants to control the head of maintenance than it all makes sense.

In conclusion: 1) Either Boomer is a cylon spy and knows it or her character is a stupid fool. If she is neither get rid of her sexual exploits with Tyrol.
2) Either Tyrol was about to retire from the fleet and was just taking advantage of a naive young officer on his way out or he is an idiot. If neither is true end the fraternization storyline.

I vote for - Boomer is a cylon spy and Tyrol is being played for a fool just like Baltar and Six.

wasn't the fact the humans oculdn't live on the Galactica was because those particalar ones had been born on a moon? So they weren't used to heavy gravity and a thick atmosphere?

Also whose to say their military is exactly like ours? Id say it isn't and that probably the fraternization between soldiers is allowed. (especially after the cylon attack... since they need to "make babies" and all)

Given that everything presented in the series is patterned after the Western military, right down to the jargon, I'd have to say the writer.


The latter has nothing to do with the former.

The comment about needing to "make babies" is meant as fatalistic commentary on the status of current events, namely how the 12 colonies have just been nuked out of existance. IOW: If the Human race is to survive those lonely survivers will have to work over-time to provide said population.

Moon men
 

I remember that the reason for the weakness was being born and raised on a moon in TOS. I just didn't like the concept. At any rate I would think this idea wouldn't have been new to a space faring people. If it existed, the Galactica people seemed unfamiliar with the concept. The scale of the "moon" in those Hector/Vector episodes sure seemed more like a planet anyway. I just thought the whole concept added nothing to the show. In fact it even could have begged the question: If Earth people could be so different (at that point they didn't know who they were) maybe the whole expedition is a waste of time. If I want to watch Superman I will stick with Smallville (a show I like) on the WB not Battlestar.

Since Boomer and Tyrol appeared to hide their affections in public I assume their military is comparable to ours on the fraternization concept. Since the actors appear of a similar age it looks natural and dare I say Cool. A CPO like Tyrol is in reality probably in his late 30's. Boomer would be a new officer in the 22-25 year range. I think realistically the head of maintenance on a warship if he was a professional wouldn't touch a young pilot. It would just cause him too much potential grief. As a seasoned leader he wouldn't tolerate it among his subordinants. In general I think it detracts from the positive character Tyrol appears to be.

With the situation now I could see some of the walls on these relationships coming down. "Live for today for there is no tomorrow" but that was not the situation at the start of the mini.

If Boomer is a knowing cylon plant from the beginning I will cut Tyrol some slack. Maybe Boomer seduced an unsuspecting Tyrol for future access to the maintenance bays. For all we know the cylons knew Tyrol liked hot Asian women and designed Boomer just for his weaknesses. Maybe he never had a chance!