Happy 10th Anniversary, NuBSG

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by DigificWriter, Dec 9, 2013.

  1. DigificWriter

    DigificWriter Vice Admiral Admiral

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    That's right, everyone. RDM's phenomenal 're-imagining of Glen A. Larsen's 'Sci-Fi Exodus', the original BSG - which itself celebrated its 35th Anniversary this year - premiered exactly 10 years ago tonight.

    Even though I know many fans feel like the series ended with somewhat of a whimper, it will forever remain my absolute favorite television series in history, and is a series which, like its 1970s namesake, left an indelible mark on the television landscape.

    To celebrate the anniversary, I thought I'd emulate IGN and count down my favorite (5) moments from the series, and also invite others to do the same.

    #5: The discovery of Kobol
    BSG's first season needed something that would keep viewers interested and talking enough that they'd return for its second run of 20 episodes, and the writers delivered exactly that when they had the fleet discover the ancient birthplace of humankind, Kobol.

    Everyone cites the New Caprica arc that closed out Season 2 and opened up Season 3 as one of the series' best arcs, but I'd put the Kobol arc ahead of it because of its duration and the way in which it more directly impacted the first several story arcs of Season 2 than the New Caprice arc did Season 3.

    #4: Dualla's suicide
    The devastating news that Earth was a nuclear wasteland was the breaking point for so many of the show's characters, but one of the most shocking and surprising consequences of that revelation was the suicide of Dualla, particularly since it came practically out of nowhere.

    #3: Kara's death, resurrection, and disappearance
    For all of the flack that it received online, the decision to turn Dirk Benedict's beloved Captain Starbuck into a female character - Kara Thrace - was one of the reimagined BSG's numerous masterstrokes, resulting in the creation of one of the most complex and flawed female characters in TV history.

    Beyond just making Kara a phenomenal character, though, the writers then proceeded to give her one of the best story arcs in the series, capped off by her fiery death in Maelstrom, miraculous resurrection in Crossroads P2, and mysterious disappearance in Daybreak P3.

    #2: Zarek and Gaeta's mutiny
    RDM and Co. hit the proverbial jackpot when they created the character of Tom Zarek and were able to convince the 'original Apollo', Richard Hatch - who had himself been a vocal detractor of the decision to reimagine the show in the first place - to portray the character.

    Although he wasn't a series regular, the writers clearly enjoyed writing for Zarek as much as Hatch enjoyed playing him, which gave us the brilliantly written and acted mutiny instigated and led by Zarek in the aftermath of the devastation found on Earth and the 'truce' with the Cylons that had led the fleet to Earth in the first place.

    #1:Cylon Earth
    For 60+ episodes, BSG had been about the search for a new home, and in Revelations - halfway through the series' 4th and final season - it appeared as if that search was at an end... only for RDM and the other brilliant creative minds behind the series to drop one of the biggest bombshells in TV history: instead of being the characters' salvation, their new home - Earth - was a dead world that had been destroyed - and inhabited - by the very enemy they'd been seeking to find refuge from: the Cylons.

    Those are my favorite moments from the new BSG. What are everyone else's?
     
  2. Agent Richard07

    Agent Richard07 Admiral Admiral

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    Spoilers...





    #1: The Twist
    I loved it when after the Galactica made its final jump, the camera panned up to reveal a new world with the African continent. The Earth they were looking for was never our Earth but their alternate and ultimate destination turned out to be. I'm surprised that this big moment doesn't get more mention among fans and I can't imagine any future incarnation of BSG topping it.

    And happy 10th. Can't believe it's been a full decade since the mini series.
     
  3. Savage Dragon

    Savage Dragon Not really all that savage Moderator

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    I really need to re-watch the series. I watched all but the last season in SD so it would be nice to watch it over again in glorious HD. It is definitely one of my favourite series of all time.
     
  4. Admiral2

    Admiral2 Admiral Admiral

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    This is my number one moment too. The reason it's not widely mentioned is because lots of watchers hated it, along with everything else about the finale. (Personally, i just think they were all hoping Galactica would arrive in modern times so everybody could tweet and instagram about it. :rolleyes:)

    The rest of my list:

    5. (mini) Adama sees Dualla and Billy together and comes to a realizaton: "They need to start having babies..."

    Tigh: "Is that an order?"

    4. (S2, "Home") Head Six sheds all the Marilyn hair/slut dress crap and shows up in a ponytail and sweats to tell Baltar "Wake up and smell the psychosis!" (I swear that was the sexiest Tricia Helfer looked the entire series! I was like, "OMG, why don't they let her look like that all the time???")

    3. (finale) Galactica piloted by Sam into the sun followed by the rag-tag fugitive fleet accompanied by the original theme. Nuff said.

    2. Galactica plunging through the atmosphere of New Caprica to come to the rescue of the settlers, burning all the way down until jumping out again right above the city. Sweet!
     
  5. Agent Richard07

    Agent Richard07 Admiral Admiral

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    A lot of people hated the finale itself but I never knew that some hated the actual twist. The best I've heard is that the characters had become so reprehensible and the finale was such a letdown that they just didn't care.
     
  6. Savage Dragon

    Savage Dragon Not really all that savage Moderator

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    That is my all-time favourite Sci-Fi F/X sequence. I even turned the sequence into an animated gif.

    [​IMG]
     
  7. Ethros

    Ethros Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Let's hope this thread doesn't so quickly turn into a Daybreak debate so quickly please. (for the record it's my favourite episode)


    I wouldn't say its my favourite moment of the whole series, but probably the most memorable for me is the revelation of the 12th Cylon at the end of 'Sometimes A Great Notion'
    I was kinda wondering if they'd reveal it early in the season but was entirely sure. I think that was the most "oh my god!" *huge sharp intake of breath* moment for me, mainly just FINALLY knowing after 5 years who all the Cylons were.
    "Ellen... Ellen, you're the fifth."



    Strange to think its almost 10 years since I blindly bought the Miniseries DVD (remembering getting it in January 2004) just to see what it was like. Not knowing it'd become my favourite show of all time.
     
  8. davejames

    davejames Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Have to admit, as much as I loved the show and never missed an episode, I never really obsessed over it enough to be able to name individual episodes, or remember all the ins and outs of the story over the years.

    Although the Galactica dropping out of the sky and jumping away at the last minute would definitely be up there in the Top 10. :)

    Edit: Ah, I see someone just posted the gif of that.
     
  9. Savage Dragon

    Savage Dragon Not really all that savage Moderator

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    I think I literally said "holy shit" when I saw it the first time.
     
  10. DigificWriter

    DigificWriter Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I personally loved BSG's finale, but have never really felt like the fleet finding OUR Earth was that big of a twist. To me, it felt like an inevitability... a really cool inevitability, but an inevitability nonetheless, which is why I don't have it in my top 5 favorite moments from the series.
     
  11. Agent Richard07

    Agent Richard07 Admiral Admiral

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    ^ Thing is, I thought that Cylon Earth was our Earth so I didn't know how things were going to end. Before the finale aired, there was talk that there might be another Earth but I didn't pay too much attention.

    Love that gif Seeker. It was a great moment. :bolian:
     
  12. CaptJimboJones

    CaptJimboJones Vice Admiral Admiral

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    The entire "All Along The Watchtower" sequence was perfect. I can rewatch it today and it just gives me chills.
     
  13. Admiral2

    Admiral2 Admiral Admiral

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    Still awesome after all this time.
     
  14. Lindley

    Lindley Moderator with a Soul Premium Member

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    I'm afraid I found Kara's later storyline deadly dull. She was more fun early on in the series.
     
  15. Ethros

    Ethros Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I remember assuming that 13th Tribe/Cylon-Earth was our Earth, as I presume we were meant to? So at the first time I saw Daybreak, at the end of that act break where Galactica is over our Earth, I remember thinking "well they've already been there? So they've gone back?" And when they went down and it's all green and lush I was a bit like "huh, how did it get better?" Took me a little while to get it first time.

    Was that just me?
     
  16. RoJoHen

    RoJoHen Awesome Admiral

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    This is the only scene of any show that literally had me standing up out of my chair. It was so damn intense.
     
  17. WillsBabe

    WillsBabe Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Wow! Seems my life is slipping by so fast and I'm marking it with the major anniversaries of the shows I love. I don't know BSG well enough to recall all the moments I've loved watching the show. But, that's okay. It means I can go back and watch it again to find them! :)
     
  18. Darth_Daver

    Darth_Daver Captain Captain

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    My favourite show of all time as well!

    My list

    #5 The Kobol arc, especially the Boxing match montage at the beginning.
    #4 The All Along the Watchtower sequence. Can you tell that Crossroads part II is my fav episode?
    #3 I'm taking my men back. I was shouting "FRAK YEAH" at the tv.
    #2 Rescue from New Caprica. As many said, that was the best SFX sequence in any scifi ever.
    #1 Apollo's Courtroom Speech. Gives me the chills everytime
     
  19. Savage Dragon

    Savage Dragon Not really all that savage Moderator

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    I thought it was pretty clear that the first "Earth" they went to wasn't really our Earth. :shrug:
     
  20. Ethros

    Ethros Vice Admiral Admiral

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    ^ Well I remember at the time, when Revelations aired, everyone was assuming it was. I definitely remember a lot of people on here saying how they were sure that last shot was meant to be the New York skyline, with the Brooklyn bridge etc (or whichever bridge it would be, not an offhand expert on NY bridges)