a5c7b9f00b The second war against the Cylons is over, and The Twelve Colonies have been destroyed. Now Commander Adama of the Battlestar Galatica and President Laura Roslin lead a ragtag fleet of refugees in a supposed search for the fabled lost thirteenth colony, Earth. However, the dangers they face are many, which compound an already difficult situation. In addition to the Cylons hunting and attacking the fleet in space and their infiltrator units carrying out sabotage--even as their former unwitting pawn, Gaius Baltar, helps in the hunt for them while hiding both his own guilt and the strange presence that haunts his every thought--the fleet also faces internal political conflict in which the rabble-rousing figure Tom Zarek is merely the loudest dissenting voice, not to mention recurring shortages of food, water, and even oxygen. In the midst of these trials, however, clues begin to appear to suggest that Adama's bluff about finding Earth might hold more truth than anyone could have guessed. When an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protect a small civilian fleet - the last of humanity - as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth. I love science fiction, and the more 'out-of-the-box' it is, the more I like it. I also enjoy a good character-driven drama, once I believe deep, believable characters are essential for a good show. Moreover, I am not into action flicks, so I don't care about amazing special effects, electrifying soundtrack, explosions, etc.<br/><br/>My friends know my tastes, and so they recommended me to watch Battlestar Galactica. One of them even said it was the best sci-fi show he has ever watched. I decided to read some IMDb reviews and the sentence 'the best sci-fi show ever' was written in many of them.<br/><br/>Of course I got excited. Of course my expectations were very high -- and I know that high expectations often lead to higher disappointments... And I must say: I got really disappointed.<br/><br/>At first, naturally, I tried to blame pm my high hopes. As the episodes progressed, though, I started to notice that it was not my fault. This show is actually pretty lame and pretentious, and the fandom created by this series puzzles me. I think I just watched it until the end as a failed attempt to understand why people actually enjoy this.<br/><br/>I will try to make my point without spoiling anything, as a warning to other newcomers.<br/><br/>1. It is clear that the characters were supposed to be complex and believable, but they are just inconsistent, irritating and, in some cases, hateable -- and I am talking about main characters, the ones we were supposed to care about;<br/><br/>2. I know people are sometimes contradictory, but in Battlestar Galactica they are way too often. Someone just changing his or her mind is a recurrent used artifice for a plot twist, which is really cheap, to say the least;<br/><br/>3. The backstory of most characters is very inelaborate and badly explored;<br/><br/>4. Battlestar Galactica is a battleship, and it's got the worst army the universe has ever seen. These soldiers don't follow orders and entirely lack proper discipline. They keep on fighting with each other, partying, having sex (there are men and women in the army), playing cards (including a variation of strip poker), and getting drunk with whiskey (where the hell do they get all of that?);<br/><br/>5. Most annoying romances ever;<br/><br/>6. In most cases, the plans of action are pretty pathetic and laugheable;<br/><br/>7. There are some moral, religious, and political debates. I usually would enjoy that. Unfortunately, most of them are pretty lame and almost dumb;<br/><br/>8. Direction is not as phenomenal as stated by some reviewers. In addition to several notable continuity issues, some really important plot revelations were done in a very sloppy fashion. And I don't want to be picky, but the appellant exaggerated facial zoom in is quite annoying;<br/><br/>9. The main plot is interesting, but more predictable than I expected. Interestingly, all unexpected things are so senseless that they are just left unexplained;<br/><br/>10. At least for me, the notably Americanized culture doesn't fit well in the plot. Kudos for the original 1978 series;<br/><br/>11. The soundtrack is different, which is a good thing. However, it is forgettable and, at some moments, it doesn't fit the mood of the scene; <br/><br/>12. There are too many unimportant episodes;<br/><br/>13. It is scientifically inaccurate.<br/><br/>However, there are some positive aspects:<br/><br/>1. There are some really talented actors (and sometimes I felt really bad for them);<br/><br/>2. Aesthetically, there are more positive than negative aspects, despite cylon taste for high fashion and that every piece of paper is octagonal (what a waste!);<br/><br/>3. As I stated before, the main idea is pretty interesting (even though the key elements are not exactly original). I wish they didn't move away from it so often.<br/><br/>I probably forgot some things, but these are my general impressions on Battlestar Galactica. Just watch it if you are really curious and plenty of time. I also suggest you to look for some guide containing which episodes are skippable (there are some around the internet). Not being a sci-fi fan, I was a bit weary when my husband asked me to watch the show with him. I was hooked in a matter of seconds. Gripping, dramatic, thought provoking, controversial and certainly NOT "cheesey" (as I expected), this is well filmed and well written. The characters are each well rounded and very convincing. Plots are well thought out, and the scenes are filmed in a documentary fashion giving them a more "life like" feel. Gone are the days of tin can robots and plastic modeled spacecraft. Aside from the names, this isn't your old Battlestar at all. It's stronger, more realistic, scandalous and suspenseful. Give it a chance, you'll be hooked. Yes, although it's producers call it a "reimagined" series, due to some slight differences. A battlestar is a very lage spaceship, kind of a cross between a battleship and an aircraft carrier. Cylons are humanoid robots created by mankind as servants and laborers. Eventually, they rebelled and declared war on their human masters. Miniseries - This 3 hour miniseries acts as a pilot for the weekly series and introduces the characters and situations.<br/><br/>Season 1 - Contains 13 episodes.<br/><br/>Season 2 - Contains 20 episodes.<br/><br/>Season 3 - Contains 20 episodes.<br/><br/>Battlestar Galactica: Razor - This 2 hour TV movie ( officially the first two episodes of Season 4 ) takes place during Season 2, with flashbacks to the miniseries and earlier, but should be viewed here.<br/><br/>Season 4, Part 1 - Contains 10 episodes ( also known as "Season 4.0" on DVD ).<br/><br/>Season 4, Part 2 - Contains 10 episodes ( also titled "Season 4.5" or "The Final Season" on DVD )<br/><br/>Battlestar Galactica : The Plan - This is a post-series prequel TV movie which depicted selected events of the miniseries and series from the Cylons point of view.<br/><br/>There are also two spin-off prequels:<br/><br/>Caprica - A 19 episode prequel series set 58 years before the events of Battlestar Galactica. The series deals with the creation of the Cylons, and stars Eric Stoltz as Daniel Greystone, creator of the Cylons, and Esai Morales as Joseph Adama, father of Battlestar's William Adama. Released on DVD ( and Blu-ray in certain territories ).<br/><br/>Battlestar Galactica : Blood & Chrome - A 2 hour prequel movie that is set during the first Cylon War, 40 years before the events of Battlestar Galactica and around 18 years after Caprica. The story follows a young William Adama ( future commander of the Galactica ) as a new recruit in the Colonial Fleet, and shows his first experience of battling the Cylons. Released on DVD and Blu-ray. Yes, the miniseries acts as a pilot, and sets up all of the events, characters, and themes of the series. If you start with episode S01E01, you will be very confused!