Battlestar Galactica

If there was ever a reboot that was actually far better then the original, Battlestar Galactica is definitly it.

While the original was a good space opera, followed by a very bad spin off series, the reboot began life as a 4 part mini-series detailing the fall of Caprica and the Galactica leading the survivors to a mystical planet called Kobol.

But the mini-series was received so well, that it expanded in a military drama series in a sci-fi setting, that spanned 75 episodes over 4 seasons, a web miniseries and a few tie-in television movies that connected the dots.  It also had a one season, to short lived origins series with Caprica, but that was probably to intellectual for most popcorn viewers (BOOH HISSS).

The central part of the series handles about the return of the machines mankind had created in the form of the Cylons, who also adapted human looking hybrid clones.  These turn out not to be unique but a model type, and have infiltrated the human society and the fleeing fleet on various levels, including very unlikely ones once the truth of who they are was revealed.  including the very gruff, cylon hating Saul Thigh, the XO of Galactica.

The Pegasus arc was a very refreshing take on the original one, but though porlongued, it ended in the same way during the liberation of the humans in Cylon run prison colonies, and then the continuing voyage to a new home.

Perhaps the most fascinating character is Starbuck, who not only became a love intrest for male AND female viewers all over the world, but also played a very strange role.  She died.  She came back.  But she didn`t, she turned out to be a guiding angel to bring the whole fleet to Earth.

While the series is set in a science fiction setting, it is in the end not a die hard space combat show.  The essence of the show is at it`s core a political show, with machinations driving behind the scenes on who to put in power and what course to take, while family and relation stresses determine the feelings and moralities.  Add to that a layer of internal strife, a mystery of who has infiltrated them and a conflicting belief of polytheism versus monotheism, and you have a very intense, highly intelligent show on your hands.  And the fact the `science` is rather believable helps as well of course...

I loved it!