What will happen when Battlestar Galactica gets to Earth?

Cafe Society
1

Okay, I guess I really mean, what do you think, or want to happen? And when do you think they’ll get there? As far as I know, this is totally new territory for the BSG series (did it ever happen before?) and besides, even if there was precedent, then what?

As far as I can tell, they can’t make it “our” earth, because that would simply ruin the Sci-Fi element of it. I suppose it would be interesting watching the Earth and the Colonials team up to kick some cylon ass, but still. I think there are a lot more interesting things to consider. But still.

Firstly, we have to realize that it would be easiest to set it in our time. But that doesn’t mean it has to be a remake of Star Trek IV. That was a great flick, btw. Secondly, how will they deal with the language issue? I have an idea here, and I’ll get to it later, but it seems that having the earthlings speak a single language will be taking things a step in a strange direction. That would make it not “our” earth, in particular.

And finally what time-period will they come in? So I’ll get to these in reverse order. Basically, according to what I could gather, the original colonials left for earth about 5000 years ago in BSG time. I feel like this was done to put them on earth sometime around 3000. Now there’s really no arguing with historical evidence here with regards to evolution and the fossil record. It obviously goes much further back, but I would be willing to pretend that the original colonials were the first humans on earth. 5000 years ago isn’t a lot of time for that, but whatever. But if they were arriving 5000 years after the emergence of Homo Sapiens on Earth, then they won’t be seeing a lot of civilization.

Or they could come in the future! I would love to see Captain Kirk, quickly dispatch of all of the remaining cylon basestars with a few quick proton torpedoes. The fact that Cylon has rhymes with Klingon ought to be reason enough for him. Of course he would have to get romantically involved with one of the humanoid cylons at some point, but I digress. The point is that it’d be nice to see the earthlings with advanced technology, but I doubt it will happen.

If they are going to make the languages the same, then they’d have to dig further into the reasons why through the original earth colonials route. An alternative option would be to reverse the tables and have the Earthlings speak an unintelligible language.

Finally they have the option of having it in a completely different universe, but I think this misses the point. They have to connect it to our Earth in some way or it will be totally insignificant. If they say that the colonists came to earth and then created another planet like Caprica with absolutely no semblance to our earth at any point then it will be stupid.

What do I see hapening? Well, you have to remember, we had a huge cureball at the end of the last season. I’m going to get into spoilers now, so don’t read if you don’t want to. I am not going to use the box, because if you haven’t seen it yet, then it’s not my fault.
Basically we learned of 4 of the remaining 5 cylons. We were all shocked. The only thing I can see coming out of this is that there will be an emphasis on the humanity of the cylons and how they, like Sharon, can choose to live a human life. I believe this will be the focus of the next season, with a possible discovery of earth. But seriously, when they heard Bob Dylan’s “All along the watchtower” I thought, “okay 40 light-years from earth.” They must be getting close. Although I’m not sure how fast they actually go.

What do I see happening? They obviously have to keep it as an interesting series, but on the other hand they have to make it different enough too. If they did decide to make it “our” earth, the closest I see them getting still involves them changing the people involved. I see no GWB in it, for example. It could involve the Colonials coming to earth and fighting the cylons together.

On the other hand, and what I see as being much more likely would be that arrive on Earth in what would be the future for us, after some big nuclear war. Like in First Contact. They see an earth that has no political system and is basically in anarchy. This would allow them to continue the series for much longer.

But when do they get to earth? How many seasons do you think?

2

If history is any indication, they will somehow be transported to the Delta Quadrant and start over again.

3

a scorched Earth? little band of survivors

4

The problem is that in fictional terms, finding Earth is a singularity- the point at which the narrative breaks down. For all intents and purposes, the series is over once they find Earth. (Which is why Galactica 1980 sucked donkey balls). Now I"m really, really hoping that the show’s creators have something incredibly clever planned for the series end, but I fear a cop-out of galactic proportions.

5

I dunno, I don’t see it as being a total cop-out. It could be similar to the way that New Caprica was handled. They simply speed up the clock, add mustaches and fat where appropriate and then kick things back into gear. But they can’t land on an earth where it is like it is today. That would be boring, it would completely change the nature of the show. Then we’d have the Colonials living in some city, somewhere in the world, doing nothing. I think the series can get past landing on earth, if they exploit the blurring lines between cylon and human, and make the earth be in far worse, and much more depopulated than it is now.

6

They can always find a depopulated Earth, with a sign thats says “We waited for you, then got bored. Heading towards the Rim. Taking the dog.” -signed, The People of Earth, except Leon. He wanted to go towards Galactic South, the cheeky bugger.

7

Well, we need to think out the possibilities.

The Kobolians knew where Earth was - they knew because they were able to create their holomap in the Tomb of Athena. That means that everyone originated at Earth, migrated to Kobol, and put the data into the Tomb OR everyone abandoned Kobol, a tribe went to Earth, and then that tribe sent someone back to Kobol to make the map.

However, “Watchtower” has to be taken into consideration. I don’t think the Four were picking up a radio broadcast. If they were, then actual, you know, radios might have been picking it up.

So, it HAS to be the future. Either that, or Dylan was a Cylon with a time machine.

I think Earth is either empty (everyone left Earth for a reason - the 13th Colony is where we came from, fools!) or the Cylons will get themselves an asswhipping of epic proportions - because the Earthlings of nowadays will make the Lords of Kobol look like a bunch of primitive pussies.

-Joe

8

I think Troy and Dillion will try and slip advanced technology to earth’s scientists without us knowing about it.

9

It already happened.

10

If BSG is really set in “our reality” then it must be set several thousand years in the future. Four thousand years since Kobol was abandoned, Kobolian civilization likely existed for a few millenia before that, and since we’re centuries away from intersteller travel BSG could be set circa the 12th millenium.

11

I can hear Adama grumbling even now, “Who the hell is Leon?”
:slight_smile:

12

Not necessarily.

Once you mix “gods” into things, we have no idea what’s going on. Maybe FTL is relatively new - salvaged from the Lords of Kobol or something.

If nothing else they seem to be some sort of lostech society. If not, their technology from the time of Kobol to the time of the miniseries seems to have had absolutely no progression. That’s 3,000 years of no real tech advances.

I find that hard to believe. More likely, the colonials were packed into ships by the Lords of Kobol and dropped onto their respective colonies. Think about it - if FTL was easy, common, and old the divisions between the colonies would be a hell of a lot less prevalent than they are.

Or, maybe, they left Kobol on generation ships. Either way, FTL doesn’t have to be that old.

-Joe

13

Meh. We’re just one good dilithium find away! Star Trek is set only 400 or so years in the future. :smiley:

14

The fleet jumps to the outskirts of a small system. Raptors are sent to investigate. They receive a transmission, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

THE END

15

LOL, incredibly lame and incredibly feasible way that BSG will end

16

They get to Earth and find that the Cylons have beaten them there, and slaughtered the Earthlings. Nobody’s left. Angst aplenty.

But they (the Colonials) haven’t been discovered arriving, either.

So they set down on Mars, tunnel into the dead planet, and hole up, intending to wait the Cylons out. They establish listening stations, long-range DRADIS, telescopes, and other means of monitoring their enemies’ activity.

No one would have believed, in the last years of the twenty-second century, that Cylon affairs were being watched from the timeless worlds of space…

17

Why not? It was the way the original series ended. :smiley:

18

My fear is that everyone will be a cylon, save for perhaps Admiral Adama. :slight_smile:

I did trick Mrs. Plant into watching once by telling her NCC 1701 would be in orbit when they found Earth.

19

Except nobody actually heard the transmission! :wink:

20

Just wait for sequel series, Galactica 2010.