Reply to: Battlestar Galactica

[HairyArsedBloke]

Also, was it that much of a success really?

Nah, not really. Loads of shows have had discussions hosted by the United Nations. Just like Eastenders has a regular spot on Thursday afternoon in the House of Lords.

I don't know why you lot are on about the religious stuff - in the US the last couple of seasons was regarded more as a political drama.

[jmo21]

Also, was it that much of a success really?

[jmo21]

I found the religious-type nonsense well written, because it provoked thought about parallels with our own world.

It showed you how insidious religion and the sky fairies are, how it preys upon people, and ultimately rules their lives.

I didn't need BG to tell me that......

[minestrone]

+_+_+_+_ SPOILER ALERT +_+_+_+_

IIRC, Gaius Baltar didn't set out to create his own religion.

He was ushered to safety by 3 females, who wanted him to try and heal their sick children.

Events conspired to propel him, unwillingly, to become sort sort of Messianic figurehead of a new Cult, and Baltar, being an opportunistic survival rat of the first degree took full advantage of his elevation.

What you were witnessing here was the creation of a cult, in which the figurehead was far from perfect and yet worshipped abjectly by his followers.

It did lead me to wonder about our own world's parallel example, of Jesus and his disciples, and I believe that was the intent of the writers, to demonstrate that all a cult needs in order to flourish is a charismatic and intelligent indivividual, and faith and hope from the followers will do the rest.

When I rewatch those moments, I see clearly that Baltar is reluctant to start with, but then grows in to the role with gusto. Whether he really believes or not is another matter. The fact is, his followers believe.

So, no, I don't think the Baltar "cult" was a waste of time. It had something to say to those willing to listen.

SPOILERS

The Baltar ( I was calling him baltizar, head still in the 70s ) plot was meant to be a precurser to him being one of the last cylons, implying that they could find god and that religion was a creation of imagination. Of course you will know they were told to rewrite the ending but that was what was meant to happen. In the end religion never had a part of the final story, they kind of shoe horned the series into finding earth.

Baltar was never meant to be Jesus, if he was he would have been killed. Jesus also came from nothing and was hated by the institution, baltar was the institution.

They built up the Baltar stuff not knowing how the series would end and in the end it was never used. JUst filler in the end but yes, he was meant to be the last cylon.

[Board Game Geek]

**** spoilers ****

...but the Baltizar creating his own religion was kind of pointless. That story line was never resolved, maybe that was the point, origional religions spawning derivative cults. It could have meant something but I do not think it really did.

+_+_+_+_ SPOILER ALERT +_+_+_+_

IIRC, Gaius Baltar didn't set out to create his own religion.

He was ushered to safety by 3 females, who wanted him to try and heal their sick children.

Events conspired to propel him, unwillingly, to become sort sort of Messianic figurehead of a new Cult, and Baltar, being an opportunistic survival rat of the first degree took full advantage of his elevation.

What you were witnessing here was the creation of a cult, in which the figurehead was far from perfect and yet worshipped abjectly by his followers.

It did lead me to wonder about our own world's parallel example, of Jesus and his disciples, and I believe that was the intent of the writers, to demonstrate that all a cult needs in order to flourish is a charismatic and intelligent indivividual, and faith and hope from the followers will do the rest.

When I rewatch those moments, I see clearly that Baltar is reluctant to start with, but then grows in to the role with gusto. Whether he really believes or not is another matter. The fact is, his followers believe.

So, no, I don't think the Baltar "cult" was a waste of time. It had something to say to those willing to listen.

[TimberWolf]

Does anyone remember Buck Rogers. More specifically Erin Gray when she was trying to escape by crawling through a tunnel of some kind with a skin tight uniform on? Me neither. Beedlee, beedlee.

[threaded]

Oh, and yes, I thought Starbuck has something special.

Chicks into guns. It's normal. You grow out of it. So I'm told.

[minestrone]

**** spoilers ****



I think the question of if the cylons could have a god was a central theme in later series but the Baltizar creating his own religion was kind of pointless. That story line was never resolved, maybe that was the point, origional religions spawning derivative cults. It could have meant something but I do not think it really did.

[OrangeHopper]

I thought the religious stuff was a main component of the overall story. Artificial life needing to believe in a God.

Another obvious theme was the inhumanity of humans.

Oh, and yes, I thought Starbuck has something special.

[HairyArsedBloke]

c)

And good it was too.

[HairyArsedBloke]

Now see what you lot have done.

I've gone and downloaded those two episodes overnight. Do I, a) get on with the work I need to finish, b) take advantage of the clear sky and get some exercise with a good long walk, or c) sit and watch those episodes.

Come to think of it, I didn't need to download them as I might have them already.

[minestrone]

I think, respectfully, that you were missing the point.

That was the main underlying story, as opposed to the original BG which was just about survival against a technologically superior enemy.

Had BSG:Reimagined followed the same route, I doubt it would have had the same success as the original.

When viewed from a different angle, the new BSG provoked more thought, I found. Halo and I spent many an after-episode, discussing the themes underlying the show and their significance and parallels to real world religion.

It's a bit like saying "I Claudius, bah. Hardly any action at all, all they did was talk about politics and stuff."

BSG may be about survival, but there are much deeper themes underpinning the whole series, which is why it was so successful, and these themes are not merely window-dressing and given scant consideration, but are actively pursued and focussed upon.

It's rare for a syndicated show of that calibre to delve so deeply, and those that do tend to pay "lip service" to more serious backgrounds. Here the new BSG excelled and served up a full course menu, IMHO.

The religious stuff never really went anywhere, never really had a conclusion, just something to add to the script, the writers went down that route and I think they just regretted it, the series was tied up in rather shambolic circumstances.

**** SPOILERS ****

The whole Baltizar thing, he was head of science then president then the religious stuff comes in and he is in charge of a religious cult down in the bowels of the ship. First role was good, second role was a natural progression then the third role was "ehh, he is a really good actor but where do we put him now?"

The religious stuff was good up to a point but then it started to drive the story a wee bit too much.

Still, I am a fan and these comments are more thoughts than criticisms.

[Board Game Geek]

I think the religious stuff did become a bit of a filler in many of the eposides. It pretty much became the main story for too long.

I think, respectfully, that you were missing the point.

That was the main underlying story, as opposed to the original BG which was just about survival against a technologically superior enemy.

Had BSG:Reimagined followed the same route, I doubt it would have had the same success as the original.

When viewed from a different angle, the new BSG provoked more thought, I found. Halo and I spent many an after-episode, discussing the themes underlying the show and their significance and parallels to real world religion.

It's a bit like saying "I Claudius, bah. Hardly any action at all, all they did was talk about politics and stuff."

BSG may be about survival, but there are much deeper themes underpinning the whole series, which is why it was so successful, and these themes are not merely window-dressing and given scant consideration, but are actively pursued and focussed upon.

It's rare for a syndicated show of that calibre to delve so deeply, and those that do tend to pay "lip service" to more serious backgrounds. Here the new BSG excelled and served up a full course menu, IMHO.

[minestrone]

I found the religious-type nonsense well written, because it provoked thought about parallels with our own world.

It showed you how insidious religion and the sky fairies are, how it preys upon people, and ultimately rules their lives.

I think the religious stuff did become a bit of a filler in many of the eposides. It pretty much became the main story for too long.

[Board Game Geek]

and btw Starbuck - hot????? purleeese are you into butch lesbos?????????

Starbuck ? Lesbo ?

OMG...this just gets better and better..