Battlestar Galactica - newby.

[Jim_Campbell]

"No it doesn't. The assault on Babylon 5 by Clark's forces in "Severed Dreams" set the base mark for TV SF battles."

It did indeed. None of this "Shields at 40%" rubbish, just fucking great spaceships manoeuvring round each like Elizabethan warships tryng to get into the best position for a broadside.

Absolutely fantastic.

Cheers

Jim

[Bico]

"And yet in your previous post you said that you had literally "no idea" of his motivation. So, now you're saying you did realise his motivation but disagreed with it. There's a big fucking difference.  Why don't you make up your mind what you really think before you post. These moving goal posts are making my head spin."

Seriously, man - it's only a TV show.  Calm down.
You're right, of course, as I pretty much moved the goalposts rather than just explain myself - I was watching the show so I know what Tigh's onscreen motivation was, but wasn't convinced to the point where I could say I knew why he did what he did, just like I know Apollo was seeing a hooker in order to gratify himself sexually in exchange for monetary recompense - but I don't know why that was happening in the context of the (admittedly slight) character.  Unless I'm convinced of motivation, I can't really say after the fact that I know why a character acts in the way they do - perhaps I should have gone into more depth and explained as much in my earlier post, so sorry if it's wound you up.

"That was philt�s post, not mine,"

Whoopsy daisy - sorry, Eldrich.  And I was indeed backpeddling like a motherfucker - because - as above - I admit my initial words were poorly-chosen and my post badly worded (I'm famous as the only guy on the internet who doesn't think things through before posting on a forum).  'Misogynistic' was a step too far on my part - misanthropy ('chauvinism' at a push) probably being closer to the mark, and even then, only really applicable in this context  because BSG claims a higher standard than other sci-fi shows.  I wouldn't, for instance, lay the same claims at the feet of Bikini Cyborg 5 with a straight face.

As for the 'realism' thing, I did say they were geeky things to be pointing out - in upper-case lettering, no less.  I'm vaguely curious how they have a collective idea of days and hours and stuff across different planets, but it won't keep me up nights, and it's probably something like they got together in a Battlestar Galactica version of the EU and standardised everything after lengthy debates.  I don't really want to watch a tv show about that, though.  One Children Of Dune was enough.

[Bico]

And because someone WILL - don't bother checking Amazon or IMDB, because Bikini Cyborg 5 isn't a real film.

[paulvonscott]

Has any of this had any influence on you DXB?

[SamuelAWilkinson]

It's a bit late now, but can we all watch the spoilers, even the teensy tiny ones? Not that I'll be touching the thread from here on till I watch Season 3, but even so...

[worldshown]

Bikini Cyborg 5 isn't a real film.


Isn't it the new Uwe Boll film then. ;)

[Eldritch]

No harm done. You made what I thought were spurious, politically correct & insubstantial points which you have â?? to your credit - cheerfully admitted to be hollow. I respect that.

I second the "Severed Dreams" episode as the best space battle yet filmed. Astonishingly visceral, still impressive & packing an emotional wallop 11 years later.

[Goaty]

and those too from Deep Space Nine, when they battle to re-take the Deep Space Nine station, and guess what? many ships here dont used the shields!!! how weird!

Link: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=wMSSOcB1QxM" target="_blank">Battle to re-take DS9

[Bico]

Oh god, I'm about to shamelessly geek out here, so normal people may leave the thread - the shields on the ships in DS9 were supposed to be ineffective against Dominion - then later Breen - weaponry, which I suppose was an effort by producers to downsize Starfleet and make the Dominion a credible threat against a centuries-old military force.  The spacefights were good fun, though, even if they did cop out a bit by shamelessly reusing quite a lot of footage in the final episode - even some stuff from the movies- but I imagine they needed to have as many whizzes and bangs as possible by that point.

Stargate has had some decent space-borne carnage.  The season 9 finale was good.

[Goaty]

Stargate season 9 finale was really good

Link: http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=fBiALNRI9Dk&mode=related&search=" target="_blank">Stargate season 9 finale

[TordelBack]

"None of this "Shields at 40%" rubbish, just fucking great spaceships manoeuvring round each like Elizabethan warships tryng to get into the best position for a broadside."

While lots of B5 was hard to swallow, when it was good it was unmatched.  No Surrender, No Retreat is my absolute high watermark for edge-of-the-seat TV space battles, the ships looked and felt solid, the tragedy dial was set to 11, the motivations of all the characters were crystal clear, anything could happen... what a payoff for four years of build-up. And then there was Season 5.  Ah well.

[Funt Solo]

::"No Surrender, No Retreat"

I notice from the clip provided above that one side retreats.

[TordelBack]

That said, show me a better example of dramatic tension in TV SF than BSG's opener "33".  

[Goaty]

oh shite! i so so totally forgot about BSG "33"! That was so brilliant episode!!! Have to watch it again!!!

[The Adventurer]

Battle to re-take DS9

You've got the entire vastness of space to maneuver in, but instead you pack your entire fleet in like sardines so they can't maneuver. Great strategy guys.