Conscience in Extremis

I gather some of you are fans of the retooled Battlestar Galactica, which remains one of the more intelligent and compelling science fiction series. Given the issues raised during the last three seasons and their real world resonance, law professors Daniel Solove, Deven Desai and David Hoffman have taken an interest and interviewed BSG’s creators, Ronald D Moore and David Eick.

Part 1 deals with the trials and legal systems of the human survivors. Part 1-B explores the depicted use of torture. Parts 2 and 3, on the series’ treatment of politics, cylons and religion, will follow shortly.

Those of you unfamiliar with BSG can watch the episode 33 below.

Link: sevenload.com

(h/t, Volokh.)

Comments

[clazy]

Thanks--that was fun. I'm still jonesing for the next season, seems like it's been forever. Interesting to hear them talk about bringing current events into the show, but in a neutral way. I remember being annoyed at what seemed too obvious--I think it was the "resistance" groups, when half the population had been captured on that planet they thought was a haven. Particularly when the suicide bombers showed up--there didn't seem to be a social context to rationalize that. Diabolus ex machina?

[David]

Clazy,

Yes, I agree. The cylon suicide bomber was much more dramatically credible – and more shocking. On the whole, the New Caprica episodes weren’t the strongest, with too many misjudged attempts to play the other side of the argument, as it were. The show depends a lot on claustrophobia and momentum - it’s an elaborate lifeboat drama - and departures from that can be tricky. Though the escape from New Caprica did provide some memorable scenes, including Adama taking the phrase “dropping in unexpected” quite literally…

http://en.sevenload.com/videos/NviETZk-hH3p/Battlestar-Galactica-Die-Adama-Taktik-aus-Exodus

I don’t recall Picard ever doing that in Star Trek.

[clazy]

Yeah, that was a very cool scene. One thing it reminded me of, though--there's a shot of a viper pilot with his helmet on. I know one has to make certain compromises for the sake of storytelling and to accommodate the medium, but every time I see a pilot's face glowing blue, nice as it looks, all I can think is, He can't possibly see beyond his facemask.

[David]

The FTL drive you’re okay with, but the helmet illumination is a problem? If I were a BSG writer, I’m sure I’d mutter something about special polarising plastic and proprietary technology.

[clazy]

Touche. But you know, I wouldn't even have thought of the reflectivity problem if I hadn't wondered why there was light inside the helmet in the first place....

[David]

Ah, that’s to make the pilots look fabulous. It gives them an edge in high speed combat manoeuvres. Basic physics, really.

[TDk]

I seem to recall reading somewhere that the original series was "wagon train" in space. The convoy rolled on forever under constant harassment by Indians/Cylons.

In my mind I confuse it with Buck Rogers. Both had creaky special effects. Both introduced the cute character to bolster ratings. Both had too many long haired lip glossed women.

I thought the first two episodes of the new series which set the scene were pretty good. A lot happened and the story was sharp. However later episodes where the character may or may not be a cylon and the character may not know, left me cold.

[Johan W]

One of my favourite shows, and I think in the same class as the likes of The Wire, The Sopranos.
As political drama it makes the West Wing look glib. As philosophical and ethical rumination there is very little else that comes close - at least in a visual medium. The story telling is addictive, the characters avoid becoming archetypes or stereoptypes in service of a theme, but for all that there is a coherence to each of their arcs that play against the the big arcs that can be traced from the mini series to the end of the 3rd season.
Perhaps the biggest risk lay in imagining the society of the Cylons, beyond frightening and utterly alien and evil genocidaires. Against BSG pretty much all other fictional imaginings (at least in film or TV) of what an alien civilization, or even mind, would be like look no more deeply though out than your average planet of the week.

Whilst I cannot wait for the 4th and final season, I have some trepidation as well, the truth is that there have been a few stumbles in the shows quality, when it has overreached, or tried to rush a storyline or theme. The challenge of bringing the series home after all that has happened is immense, and I really hope the writers are up to it.

[Gort]

Awesome episode. One of the best.