Battlestar Galactica

This is a great show. As a teenager, I was a big fan of the original Battlestar Galactica. Later in life I watched some reruns and learned the awful truth. It was really just another Glen A. Larson TV show. Perhaps I'm being a little defensive here. I was a fan of a lot of Glen A. Larson TV shows. He was the executive producer of most of the popular TV shows while I was growing up. I watched a lot of his TV. I'll admit I was entertained. Now, I'm twice as old as I was when those shows first aired. My tastes have developed. When I was that age I enjoyed grape juice. Now I enjoy a nice Pinot or Cabernet. That is the difference between the original Battlestar Galactica and the new Battlestar Galactica. One was a sugary indulgence and the other is a complex bouquet.

Yes, Starbuck is a girl. If I were Dirk Benedict, I'd be irritated that my writers didn't give me nearly as much to work with as Katee Sackhoff got. Sackhoff just pulls off an amazing performance. I'll admit I was skeptical about the female Starbuck. Starbuck was my favorite character from the original show. But, Sackhoff sold it perfectly. There's all the stuff that I enjoyed from the original Starbuck in there, but there's a layer of complexity sewn on top of it.

Then there's Baltar. It was always difficult for me to understand the motivations of the original Baltar. Why did he sell out humanity? So he could ride around in that baseship and make snide comments to his Cylon sidekick? Now, if Tricia Helfer had been on the battlestar, I could understand his motivation. And so, I can understand how the new Baltar got into the situation he's in. I particularly enjoyed the bit of artistry the writers employed working Baltar's dialogue with Number Six into the conversation Baltar was having with the people actually present in the room.

Then there's Edward James Olmos. Ever since the Bushido episode of Miami Vice, there's been a special place in my heart for Edward James Olmos. He's dead on for playing the new more complex character of Commander Adama. I love that the quest for Earth is just a myth that Adama resurrects as a focal point for his intrepid band of refugees.

I've told the TiVo to record it. I'll be watching...