TV Review: Battlestar Galactica - Season One.

So I finally got around to seeing Battlestar Galactica. And, dear God, it has to be one of the most addicting shows I've ever watched. It starts with a 3-hour miniseries that depicts, basically, the end of the world by the Cylons, a robotic and/or android race. But there's a group of people--military and otherwise--already in space, some of which are aboard the Battlestar Galactica, an old warship that is being turned into a museum. Running the Galactica is Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos), and his second-hand, Colonel Tigh (Michael Hogan). But there are tons of characters in this show, from the pit crew to pilots to  to communications to medical to press to criminals to government (including a newly appointed President, Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell)).

I'm not sure where to even start. The characters are phenominal, and it's hard to pick a favorite. From Starbuck to Gaius to Billy (the President's helper), I love any spectrum of character. There are just so many characters to choose from--it's almost like a Harry Potter situation in the scope.

Besides the characters, obviously, the story is where it's at. There are so many twists and turns, especially at the end of the miniseries. I was a bit iffy throughout the miniseries until the end of it when the first major twist is revealed. That blew my mind. But the story itself is a total space drama (with a bit of comedy here and there), but it has deep themes. There is all the Greek Mythology that surrounds the story (which I love). But then there's the budding Christianity, too. Interestingly enough, I love how the humans are connected to Greek Mythology, while the Cyclons (technology) are connected to the Christianity aspect.

Then there's the visuals. From the metallic Cylons to the space flight and/or battles, the SFX are pretty top notch for a television show. The action scenes are fantastic, and I wish there were more of them. And the camera work is unique, too. For a sci-fi space drama, you wouldn't really expect the more documentary feel that you're given. It's not documentary like The Office. But the way the camera moves, from quick movements to zooms in and out, there's a real raw feel to the camera.

You really get into the whole universe of the show (no pun intended). You quickly learn how things are run, what the names of the planes are (Vipers and Raptors), the religious mythologies, etc.  It really just pulls you in and refuses to let go. It really does hang on the shoulders of the characters. And even though there are so many characters, it never feels like there are too many (like in LOST or Heroes, for instance). There's probably just as many characters as those shows (if not more), but this one still found a way to show almost every character in every episode and still not feel convoluted. Everybody and everything works together organically. And that's the real trick to how this show works: it's a futuristic space drama, but it still feels organic, still feels all real.

I don't want to continue rambling on and on, so I'll leave it here. It's a brilliant show, and I didn't expect to be as addicted to it as I became. I've gotten the first disc of the second season already, so I'm about to start that one soon, and I can't wait. I know I didn't talk as much about this season as I usually do, but there's just so much that happens that it'd be impossible to talk about it all in one post. And I don't want to deprive y'all from going through the journey surprise-free like I did. If you haven't checked out this show yet, you should. It's great fun.