Humor on nuBSG

[The Wormhole]

The first two seasons actually were good with humour. In S1 we had Baltar used for comedic purposes quite a bit. I understand they wanted to take the character in a more serious direction, and indeed I do enjoy the way the character has developed. But they should have him provide some laughs every once and awhile.

I also loved how much of an asshole Doc Cottle was in the first two seasons. Particularly in the second season when Roslin had been deposed. "What I'm about to ask you to do is illeagal and in violation of the oath you swore as an officer." "You're a crappy salesman." Sadly, he hasn't had any good one-liners lately.

Cavil is pretty much consistently funny whenever we see him. "Well this is awkward. He's right, I'm a Cylon. Now, take me to your leader." "Take him to the brig!"

[DigificWriter]

Here's some of my favorite funny moments:
These two exchanges from "Tigh Me Up Tigh Me Down":
1)

Adama: Madame President, we are the proud owners of the universe's first bona fide Cylon detector.

Roslin: Well, that is great news. So... when do we begin?

Adama: Doctor Baltar would like to start widespread testing as soon as possible, but there are some serious limitations, because he can only do one person at a time and verification takes hours.

Roslin: So, who's going to go first?

Adama: The test... right. I think people in sensitive positions should go first.

Roslin: I completely agree. How about you?

Adama: Excuse me?

Roslin: If you're a Cylon, I'd like to know.

Adama: If I'm a Cylon, you're really screwed.

2)

Starbuck: What's up, doc?

Baltar: Lieutenant Thrace. It's good to see you, I'm just... I'm just keeping up with the old exercises. That should, uh, that should do me-- do me for today. Oh-- oh, I feel a lot better. Um, what brings you to the lab at this time of the night?

Starbuck: It's the middle of the afternoon.

Baltar: Yeah, of course it is, crazy workload. I totally, totally lose track of time. So, what can I do for you?

Starbuck: You can zip up your fly.

This exchange from "Colonial Day":

Apollo: Don't you think you should wash that?

Starbuck: I did.

Apollo: Like when, a month ago?

Starbuck: Do you have a problem with my hygiene?

Apollo: You have hygiene?

Starbuck: I clean up good sometimes, all right?

Apollo: Well, let me know when it's o­ne of those times.

The water fight in "Colonial Day" between Lee and Kara

This exchange from "Home, Part 1":

Apollo: I just want you to know that I'm your friend. I love you. And if you ever want to talk I'll be here.

Starbuck: What was that last part?

Apollo: What part?

Starbuck: You love me? Lee Adama loves ME.

Apollo: No...I didn't mean it like that...

Starbuck: No really...very sweet. You love me.

Apollo: You're dreaming.

Starbuck: You love me.

Apollo: Dreaming it Kara!

Starbuck: You love me.

Apollo: Dreamer!

This quote from "Resurrection Ship, Part 1":

Starbuck: Starbuck to all vipers-- do not fire... repeat, do not fire! I am a friendly, okay? We're all friendlies. So, let's just...be friendly

This exchange from "Razor":

Starbuck: You might as well hear this from me. I've asked to be reassigned to Galactica.

Apollo: Any reason?

Starbuck: You might say that I have a beef with my commanding officer.

Apollo: And what's that?
Starbuck: Motherfrakker keeps trying to get me killed.
Apollo: Oh, you ever think you might deserve it?
Starbuck: Oh! Speak for yourself, Lee, I have a destiny. Had my palm read by a Cylon, remember?

You can probably tell that I find humor in a lot of the stuff that Kara says.

[MyCylon]

^
Some of her lines are really great and very funny, I agree. You've quoted some very good examples, I think.

Here's another Baltar one which I think is fantastic and really, really black, when you get right down to it. I'm referring to the scene in the Mini where Helo and Sharon are taking aboard civilians. There's a draw, and an old lady next to Baltar can't read her number.
She asks Baltar to read it out and you can just plain SEE the thought that's crossing his mind at that very moment: Tell her she ain't one of the lucky ones, exchange tickets and go aboard himself.
Helo lets him off the hook, in the end, and gets him saved as well. It's hilarious to watch Baltar here, I think, and fun to wonder whether he'd really have lied to the old lady and saved himself had he needed to. It's very likely he would have, I dare say...

[backstept]

Justtoyourleft wrote:

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^
Some of her lines are really great and very funny, I agree. You've quoted some very good examples, I think.

Here's another Baltar one which I think is fantastic and really, really black, when you get right down to it. I'm referring to the scene in the Mini where Helo and Sharon are taking aboard civilians. There's a draw, and an old lady next to Baltar can't read her number.
She asks Baltar to read it out and you can just plain SEE the thought that's crossing his mind at that very moment: Tell her she ain't one of the lucky ones, exchange tickets and go aboard himself.
Helo lets him off the hook, in the end, and gets him saved as well. It's hilarious to watch Baltar here, I think, and fun to wonder whether he'd really have lied to the old lady and saved himself had he needed to. It's very likely he would have, I dare say...

and the really funny thing is that her glasses are on her head! and I think he even glances at them

[MyCylon]

^
Seriously? Ok, I missed that one. That's icing on the cake .

[MyCylon]

I don't know how I could forget this one:

Starbuck: "Bitch took my ride..."

[Deckerd]

I don't think any of these examples of dialogue is more than usual banter between soldiers. I'm a BSG fan but I have to say the laughs are non-existent. It's one of the big problems with the show. The best war movies have moments of (usually gallows) humour that make you laugh out loud but I don't recall any moment like that in any ep of BSG. The scripted exceptions of Madame President having one of her borderline hysteria moments with Adama seem geared to make the viewer slightly uneasy, I always think.

[MyCylon]

Well, they make me laugh (or, at the very least) smile.

[NoImpulseEngine]

Humor in BSG!?Yes there were some funny moments way back in season one but finding humor in bsg is like finding water in a desert. For the most part their is none and the show is dull as dishwater. I loved the writing in season one but find the recent attempts at humor to be corny and pathetic, perhaps its a show only manic depressives can enjoy.

[DigificWriter]

NoImpulseEngine wrote:

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Humor in BSG!?Yes there were some funny moments way back in season one but finding humor in bsg is like finding water in a desert. For the most part their is none and the show is dull as dishwater. I loved the writing in season one but find the recent attempts at humor to be corny and pathetic, perhaps its a show only manic depressives can enjoy.

Deckerd wrote:

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I don't think any of these examples of dialogue is more than usual banter between soldiers. I'm a BSG fan but I have to say the laughs are non-existent. It's one of the big problems with the show. The best war movies have moments of (usually gallows) humour that make you laugh out loud but I don't recall any moment like that in any ep of BSG. The scripted exceptions of Madame President having one of her borderline hysteria moments with Adama seem geared to make the viewer slightly uneasy, I always think.

As a general rule, humor is, by its very nature, subjective. This is particularly true of the humor on BSG. Because of the series' nature, it doesn't lend itself to what might be thought of as 'typical' humor, but there are things about the series that can be seen as being humorous. The dialogue that myself and others referenced, although not intended to be humorous, can be seen as humorous because of the way it's delivered.

[MyCylon]

^
I agree with you for the most part though I'd argue that many of these things WERE in fact meant to be humorous. IMHO it fits perfectly with Moore's type of humor which shines through in the Podcasts.

NoImpulseEngine wrote:

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I loved the writing in season one but find the recent attempts at humor to be corny and pathetic

Examples?

NoImpulseEngine wrote:

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perhaps its a show only manic depressives can enjoy.

Uhm, yeah, right...

[MyCylon]

Just came across another one:

Roslin: "I'm playing the religious card. I know exactly what to do."

*fiddles with the tape in front of the tape deck, not knowing what to do'

Roslin: "How does this thing work?"

[DigificWriter]

^ That is kind of funny.

BTW, my memory is a bit hazy, but I seem to remember RDM and David Eick indicating in their podcasts that, aside from "Tigh Me Up Tigh Me Down", they didn't consciously try and put any overt humor into the series, which would seem to indicate that a lot of the series' humor was unintentional.

[MyCylon]

^
Hmm, I don't really remember that. I'd assume they meant that they didn't want to stray into comedy territory the way that particular episode did.

Personally, I've never had the feeling the writers were actively trying to keep humor out. I think they've been careful to use it in the right places and with the right style. It has to fit into the show.
As I mentioned earlier, I find that most of the humor results from the characters or the situation. It's never about telling a joke or making fun of somebody. It's just that people can be very funny in what they do, and I think that's what they're making use of the show.
I think the writers are very observant of human nature, and this is one of the ways in which that shows.

I don't remember specific podcasts but I certainly remember Moore saying (on more than one occasion) that a given scene was very funny in his opinion, and it didn't sound as though that was unintenional at all.

Maybe somebody who knows the podcasts a little better can provide some feedback on this.

[DigificWriter]

Justtoyourleft wrote:

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^
Hmm, I don't really remember that. I'd assume they meant that they didn't want to stray into comedy territory the way that particular episode did.

Like I said above, I don't actually see how or why "Tigh Me Up Tigh Me Down" is different, tonally, from any of the series' other episodes, so that might also have colored my interpretation of what RDM and Co.'s intentions were with regards to humor in the series. I will agree with you that there's a lot of humor to be found, but I think it's the kind of humor that is dependent on dialogue and delivery, as opposed to being placed there deliberately to get laughs.