Why You Should Watch SciFi's Battlestar Galactica

So maybe Science Fiction isn't your thing. You don't know what a warp drive is, and you don't care. Even if this describes you, give award-winning Battlestar Galactica a chance. It's not what you'd expect from SciFi.

Battlestar Galactica Breaks Genre Expectations
We all think we know what to expect from a science fiction television show. There'll be buttons, gadgets, weird looking aliens, and dialog that's nothing more than eye-glazing technobabble. But Battlestar Galactica turns those expectations upside down. The science is central to the premise of the show - that mankind has invented machines that are now trying to exterminate human beings. And it's true that much of the show takes place in a space ship. But that's about where the geekery ends. The enemy machines, the Cylons, didn't use laser beams to try to wipe out the planet. They used nuclear bombs. Guns are the weapon of choice. And the survival of the species depends upon one Battlestar Commander's suspicion of technology: he was so "old-fashioned", so afraid of computer viruses, that he refused to let his ship go on line, thus fortuitously preventing the machines from hacking in and destroying it. Battlestar Galactica has cross-genre appeal because it is a war story, a story about genocide, that happens to be set in space. It's an adult drama, where the enemy, the aliens, look just like us.

Battlestar Galactica Also Breaks Gender Expectations
Science fiction is usually the province of men. Female fans of speculative literature typically prefer fantasy, leaving the rivets, asteroids and teleporters to their male counterparts. But Battlestar Galactica took an enormous risk in transforming the original swashbuckling buddy-series into a show that is dominated by female characters. The President is a woman. The best pilot on the show is a woman. And the most dangerous Cylons on the show seem to be the femme fatales like Tricia Helfer's "Number Six." The women on the show are all sexy, but they're also smart and talented. They fit nicely with our modern sensibilities, for in a post-apocalyptic world, there's no arguing that women aren't suited to military roles. The human race can't afford to spare a single pair of hands.

The Acting in Battlestar Galactica is Often Superb
No lesser talent than Edward James Olmos plays Admiral Adama, a tight-lipped military man in whose hands the fate of humanity rests. His scarred face brings gravitas to the role and his tensed shoulders seem to carry the weight of the world. His leading lady, of a sort, is played by two-time Oscar nominated actress Mary McDonnell. She plays Lara Roslin, the former Secretary of Education who was 43rd in the line of succession but was forced to assume the Presidency after the first Cylon attack killed almost everyone else in government. Her portrayal of a woman catapulted into power through tragedy is nuanced and weighty. She is by turns, insecure and stronger than we would expect. The performances of these two powerhouses are supplemented by the riveting James Callis (who plays the unstable scientist, Gaius Baltar). The rest of the cast ranges from able to amazing, and of particular note is Katee Sackoff, who is one of the most unusual actresses in the business. She is big, brash, and beautiful - pulling off the near impossible task of playing the female Starbuck.

The Writers of Battlestar Galactica Are Not Afraid to Take Risks
The show has always been politically relevant. Highly influenced by 9/11, the writers dredge up our worst memories and fears. The tension between liberty and security is always at the forefront of the show. And it asks the kinds of questions that are likely to start shouting matches in living rooms across America: When you know sleeper agents could be living amongst you, will the paranoia cause a breakdown in society? What role should religion play in the decision-making of a leader? Can abortion remain legal when the population of humankind is ever-dwindling? Can a constitution or a civilian government function in the aftermath of a catastrophic loss of life? What acts are too grotesque to be condoned even during war? Does the morality of those acts change when facing an existential threat? And the writers are not afraid to irritate even their fan base to turn the ship in a direction they want to go. Last season's final episodes were confusing and disappointing. The writers seemed to be turning a show about refugees into a show about pioneers. But with the third season premier, it became clear that the writers turned their show inside out for a gamble that is likely to pay off. The exploration of life under an enemy occupation is adult, sophisticated television. Check out the first twelve minutes to see what I mean.

Battlestar Galactica Has Made It Easy for New Viewers to Catch Up
The story is not complicated - humankind is on the run from the machines they created. The machines are winning. The survivors are trying to find their ancestors on a shining planet called Earth; many of them think that Earth doesn't exist and it's just a story their leaders are telling them to keep them from panicking. And the show has made things even easier for new viewers. They've put together a free 45 minute recap of the entire series entitled, "The Story So Far."