"It's the end of the worlds as we know it."

I just began re-watching the BSG mini series and season one. I saw this when it first aired back '03 and really liked it. Mind you I was a huge BSG TOS fan growing up, but this updating took a little getting used to. Gone was Lorne Greene, the crazy Egyptian inspired flight helmets, centons, felgercarb, Cassiopia, daggits and the imperious leader. Instead there was a female Starbuck, a drunkard XO, a dying school teacher president, human looking cylons, a female Boomer and Battlestar Galactica museum ship. That's just the beginning, Ron Moore the executive producer for the series, updated the show with familiar situations and characters of the same name but otherwise completely different scifi stories. A character driven occupational drama that just happened to be set in space.

The Story: Man created the cylons. They rebelled, after a long and bloody conflict an armistice was created and the Cylons departed for parts unknown. Over 40 years have past and the colonies have not heard from their mechanical adversaries. Until today, the last battlestar from the Cylon War is being decommissioned and converted into a museum ship. Her name is Galactica and she represented the world of Caprica. I should say that the twelve colonies of man are planets based on our real life astrological calender: Caprica, Picon, Tauron, Gemenon, Airelon, Sagitaron, Libran, Leonis, Scorpia, Virgon and Canceron. They are known as the Twelve colonies of Kobol. The Galactica is an old ship over 50 years old and resembles an aircraft carrier in space. She does not use interlinked computers and has manual valves and switches. She is ancient compared to modern technology of the colonies. Her commander is retiring along with his ship, one Commander William "Husker" Adama who like the ship is analog in a digital world.
At first no one suspects anything carrying out their everyday tasks and preparing to hand the vessel over to the civilian government. A message comes in that contact has been lost with a colonial unit at Armistice Station but is dismissed as a vehicle malfunction. Meanwhile on Caprica, a nuclear bombing has begun of her major population centers has begun.
Caught in this nightmare is Dr. Gaius Baltar, a popular scientist and big proponent of advancing computer science despite the government's ban. Baltar is a self obsessed man, who in this society is treated like a celebrity. Terrified that someone will find out his complicity in the downfall of humanity, Baltar escapes off planet. The colonial fleet has been decimated by the Cylons Adama takes control of what is left of the fleet and they rendezvous at a safe location to reload and regroup for a suicidal last stand against the machines. Civilian space craft regrouped as well, and head to Ragnar Anchorage to seek protection from the Galactica. The civilian fleet is under the command of newly minted president Laura Roslin and advised by Adama's estranged son Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama. While at the station they discover two cylon agents aboard. Leoben a arms dealer hiding on the station, and Doral whom Baltar chooses to deflect any suspicion from himself. For those who have not seen this mini series or the regular series that followed, I will not spoil the rest of the story. Go watch this, or re watch it again after you have seen the finale of the series. I watched this right before the final Daybreak aired.
The actor that were casted now seemed like they were born to play these parts. Edward James Olmos brings an amazing gravitas to the role and really is a father figure to the crew. As a fan of the original I was a huge fan of fellow Canadian actor Lorne Greene's portrayal of Adama to me he was the voice of god. EJO's gravelly voice and steely gaze had me forgetting comparisons within a half hour of the mini. This man could read the phone book and make it sound gripping and epic. The dedication to his craft and fellow actors helped the show attain another level of believability and dramatic tension. Micheal Hogan's Colonel Tigh is an unlikable drunkard. Over the years you like his harsh hard as nails style. The fact that he had a vice and a hard time controlling his demons made the characters growth all the more interesting. The way he swaggers around and growls out orders reminds me of an old sailor who is too long in the tooth but won't be put out to pasture. Him and Adama have great chemistry and chew up the scenery in every scene they are in together. Hogan is a veteran of Canadian TV and throws himself into the role so completely that the viewer does not know where character ends and actor begins. Mary Mac Donell plays school teacher turned acting president Laura Roslin. Giving her breast cancer ties our world with theirs and gives her alot of heavy drama right away. The fact that she buts heads with Adama and holds her own gives the Roslin character a determination that makes her rise above her personal problems and self-doubt.

End of Part One

The Future Begins!

New Trek movie Superbowl ad here. Pretty freakin cool! I like the Obi wan meet Anakin moment between Bones and Kirk.