# The New Battlestar Galatica....thoughts. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 12, 2005, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376 "2005-01-12T12:12:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/1 "2005-01-12T12:12:19Z")
I loved the original, then again, I was a kid when it came out. I caught episode 2 last night a half our into it. I have a couple of questions: Ceylons are now human androids? The Galatica was apparently heading towards being a space museum or something? If they are trapped in space because of war and whatnot, won’t their paper supply for messages from where ever eventually run out? Is the blonde chickie, who’s name I never caught, the new Starbuck? Speaking of Starbuck, where is Dirk Benedict these days? Who is the woman who is the new President? She is very familiar too me. I thought some of the nuke graphics were good and the fighting scenes in space were pretty on par with what they looked like 25 years ago…medium budget driven by plot. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/2 "2005-01-12T12:29:24Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Ceylons are now human androids? Only a dozen of them - 3 each of 4 different models. And, apparently they’re wholey organic, not androids. Most of the Cylons are mechanical, and recognizably so. Although they’re clearly far different models than the ones from the original series. The humanoid ones are more akin to Lucifer and his like from the original series than the standard Centurians - which are equivelant to the big mechanical dudes - who you would have seen escorting the humanoid Cylon in the first episode of the mini, if you’d caught it. I THINK that’s the only time we actually see the rank-and-file Cylons in the mini. Looks like they’ll be showing more in the continuing series. > [@](#): > > The Galatica was apparently heading towards being a space museum or something? Yes. A relic of the last Cylon war. > [@](#): > > Is the blonde chickie, who’s name I never caught, the new Starbuck? Presuming you mean [this blonde chickie](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0755267/) - yes. > [@](#): > > Who is the woman who is the new President? She is very familiar too me. [She’s played by Mary McDonnel.](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001521/) She looks familiar to me, too, but anything else I’ve seen her in, she’s played a relatively minor role, so I don’t know why. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/3 "2005-01-12T13:29:42Z")
[Finally found some pretty good pics of the new Cylon units.](http://www.cylon.org/bsg/2003-cylons-01.html) (About halfway down the page shows the new Centurian.) ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/4 "2005-01-12T13:38:56Z")
You’d probably remember Mary McDonnell from _Dances with Wolves_. At least I do. ---
**Author:** ![BrotherCadfael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@BrotherCadfael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrotherCadfael)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/5 "2005-01-12T13:43:22Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > [She’s played by Mary McDonnel.](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001521/) She looks familiar to me, too, but anything else I’ve seen her in, she’s played a relatively minor role, so I don’t know why. She’s proably best known as Stands with a Fist in **Dances with Wolves** ---
**Author:** ![Snickers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@Snickers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snickers)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/6 "2005-01-12T13:44:00Z")
Aha! Beatcha! ---
**Author:** ![elmwood](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmwood/32/3060_2.png) [@elmwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elmwood)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/7 "2005-01-12T13:47:25Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Ceylons are now human androids? No. They’re now Sri Lankans. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Squire\_Of\_The\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@Squire\_Of\_The\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squire_Of_The_Bob)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/8 "2005-01-12T13:47:48Z")
I quite like the show, but have been a little disapointed with the lack of space combat, It seemed to be a little more realistic than most. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/9 "2005-01-12T13:49:19Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > the fighting scenes in space were pretty on par with what they looked like 25 years ago…medium budget driven by plot. Really? One of the things that’s has impressed me about this show (and there are many) is how the deal with the space. The vastness is caught very well and things have momentum and act like they should. Also the quality of the SFX is very high IMO. I’m loving this show. I don’t want to spoil it for you but the story arcs are very well handled. This is NOT your average ‘monster of the week’ show. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/10 "2005-01-12T14:45:06Z")
> [@Tengu](#): > > Only a dozen of them - 3 each of 4 different models. And, apparently they’re wholey organic, not androids. I had this argument with my roommate last night. It’s not 3 each of each type. It’s 12 models, of an unlimited number each. Think of the ‘blond chick’ model. One was destroyed at the beginning. Another one was destroyed on that first human planet that got nuked. There were at least three more at the end, when the humanoid cylons all walked onto that distant weapons depot. There aren’t just a total 12 humanoid Cylons, 3 each. I think there are really 12 basic different models, with who knows how many copies of each. What would be the point of only having 3 of each? ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/11 "2005-01-12T14:50:39Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > No. They’re now Sri Lankans. 😃 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Can\_Handle\_the\_Truth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Can_Handle_the_Truth)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/12 "2005-01-12T14:54:47Z")
I like the fact that the ship’s weapons are “projectile” type instead of lasers or other “beam” weapons. I think that projectile weapons will always be used, and beam weapons only in highly specialized circumstances. ---
**Author:** ![Small\_Clanger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9fc348/32.png) [@Small\_Clanger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Small_Clanger)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/13 "2005-01-12T14:58:35Z")
> [@yojimbo](#): > > . . . things have momentum and act like they should. I didn’t see enough of the show to judge the storyline, but I did like the spacecraft physics. Using reaction jets to steady a hover and actually travelling backwards while the main engine fights the momentum, I guess they’ve got some decent physics modelling going on there. First show I’ve seen where the combat craft don’t behave like WWII fighters. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/14 "2005-01-12T15:00:46Z")
McDonel also got into a lot of memories when she played the President’s Doomed Wife on ID4. ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/15 "2005-01-12T15:02:42Z")
All I caught of this show was the space battle during the last 1/2 hour. I thought it was totally cool and shot in a very original artistic style. Apollo and Starbuck’s laser guns sounded like machine guns while firing instead of the “ZAP, ZAP” i’m used to with star wars and star trek. There were some type of ballistics flying through space that left vapor trails that were really cool. The camera angles and the sweeping camera movements through space were impressive. And lastly they used as a soundtrack to the battle some pounding bass drums that were very ominous, no other instruments. Granted, I changed the channel after the battle but I still thought “wow, that was really cool and original.” ---
**Author:** ![dropzone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dropzone/32/7515_2.png) [@dropzone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dropzone)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/16 "2005-01-12T15:28:20Z")
> [@Shirley Ujest](#): > > Speaking of Starbuck, where is Dirk Benedict these days? [Montana, mostly.](http://archives.cnn.com/2002/SHOWBIZ/TV/11/05/people.watn.benedict/) I saw him on _Christina Cooks_ a while back and he looked awful, like his cancer has returned. Or maybe that’s just how you look after 30 years of macrobiotic eating. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/17 "2005-01-12T15:38:41Z")
> [@Hampshire](#): > > The camera angles and the sweeping camera movements through space were impressive. And lastly they used as a soundtrack to the battle some pounding bass drums that were very ominous, no other instruments. Agreed. The battle soundtrack really added to the tenseness (is that a word?) of the scene. I also like that they do use projectile weapons, but you have to wonder how much can they use before they’re out of ammo. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/18 "2005-01-12T15:39:23Z")
> [@levdrakon](#): > > What would be the point of only having 3 of each? What would be the point of having huge numbers of each? They’re infiltrators, not warriors. Every single one we’ve met has been masquerading as a human. They don’t need more than a handful of each. In fact, large numbers of each - or rather large numbers of each model being active at a time - would be a liability for their stealth purposes because it would increase the chances of the paths of two or more of the same model crossing. Of course, by the same token, having them duplicated at all is problematic. But this is a tradeoff - the expense and effort of ‘designing’ a dozen different models isn’t really worth it when the small numbers of organic Cylons mean they can keep dupes from needing to cross paths. The Centurians and fighters are manufactured in massive numbers of identical units because subterfuge isn’t a consideration for warriors as it is for spies and Sleeper agents. ---
**Author:** ![Finagle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@Finagle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Finagle)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/19 "2005-01-12T15:48:56Z")
So how are you seeing this? I thought the SciFi Channel was premiering it in a week or so. ---
**Author:** ![levdrakon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@levdrakon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/levdrakon)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2005, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376/20 "2005-01-12T15:57:36Z")
Good question. I have no idea why NBC showed it. They carved the heck out of it. If you’ve only watched the NBC version, you’ve missed A LOT. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-new-battlestar-galatica-thoughts/284376.md?page=2)