Not so Fast

    “My name is Barry Allen, and I am the Fastest man Alive.” That’s what you’ll hear every Tuesday night at 7 if you decide to tune in to the CW. The new hit series The Flash has been catching the world by storm.  Based on the DC comics property of the same name, fans have been waiting years to see a version of the scarlet speedster on screen. Although some may consider it a success, this current iteration is far from perfect; it has room to improve, and more importantly the opportunity to do so.

Created by Andrew Kreisberg and Greg Berlanti as a spinoff to their successful CW comic-book show Arrow, The Flash had a lot to prove coming out of the gate. Luckily for them, it shot out like a burst of lightning, and caught most by surprise. If I were to pay the Kreisberg/Berlanti duo any compliment at all it would be this; they know how to create the perfect cast. And what a cast this is! Relative unknown Grant Gustin portrays Barry Allen as a likeable and relatable young hero, whose boyish charm bares resemblance to a certain web slinger.  He’s funny, he’s skillful at almost anything he encounters, and he absolutely comes across as someone who’s hyperactive enough to be secretly concealing super-speed. Other notable performers include Rick Cosnett as Eddie Thawne, who is without a doubt one of the most impressive romantic foils I’ve ever seen on television. Instead of making him a simple one-dimensional rival for the affections of Barry’s crush Iris (Candice Patton), the showrunners write him as optimistic, sympathetic and fallible. Despite being a pretty-boy, (the near-flawless equivalent to everything Barry isn’t), Eddie is ultimately a good guy, which makes poor Barry’s heartbreak ever the more painful. Further praise should be given to Jesse L. Martin as Detective Joe West, who plays the perfect confidante to Barry’s crime-fighting crusade. Then the real magic comes in with Tom Cavanaugh as the mysterious Dr. Harrison Wells; for whom there aren’t enough words to describe the caliber he gives the show.

In addition; Kreisberg and Berlanti, (and to some extent their other writing partner Marc Guggenheim), had their work cut out for them when they had to set their spin-off in Barry’s native Central City, as it had to be a world that was both fresh and separate in style from the Starling City in Arrow. In this they have achieved success; Starling City is dark, rainy and urban, so naturally the alternate could not be the same. Central City exists somewhere on the tan and off-white side of the color wheel, and feels older and yet cleaner than its counterpart on Arrow. Starling has glass and modern architecture, where Central City feels built entirely with stone and cement. It’s this more colorful environment that makes the super-powered heroes and villains of the show stand out so well. The stark contrast between cities assists The Flash in severing itself from its source series, enabling it to try to form its own identity.

All things considered, it makes sense that the casual television viewer could find the series as nothing short of well done. However, consistent flaws exist here, and couple that with the sheer amount of potential the series has, it leads me to the conclusion that we as viewers and fans must ask more challenging questions. Questions such as; “Could this be better?” And it if can be, should it be?

There are several elements of The Flash that are shall we say, less than Flashy. With over 74 years of comic book history to pull from, to create a story structure and a plot, barely any of these are used. Only the death of Barry’s mother and the subsequent arrest of his father is anywhere close to the comic storylines used thus far. However, removing this crucial part of Mr. Allen’s backstory would be tantamount to deleting the sequence where Peter Parker gets bitten by a spider in the Spider-Man series, so the producers aren’t really awarded any points except for adequately translating it to screen. Instead of using the thousands of pages of different forms of setup to choose from, Kreisberg and Berlanti decided create their own plot structure, and then pepper the series with villains from the books adapted to suit their means, most of which are forgettable and disappointing. While some of their original content is fascinating (Dr. Wells’ story), some of the ideas are just bland, or feel like they’re being done solely for fan service, such as the currently in-progress Firestorm arc, which has been poorly handled to say the least. Other plot threads such as the Weather Wizard, Plastique and Flash/Arrow crossover stories suffered similar fates. They have been designed solely for story, and don’t feel like they’re happening to actually impact the characters or help them evolve in any way. 

I could imagine that the creators felt the need to start fresh because The Flash had never been adapted before, and they were unaware of how to properly bring the fastest man alive to the small screen. But looking closer, one can see that this isn’t the case at all.

It’s difficult to NOT compare a spin-off to its parent series, especially considering the goal of a spinoff should be to stand on its own. Unfortunately, The Flash is virtually a cut-and-paste job of the formula that works so well on Arrow. The latter uses a “Team Dynamic” to assist its hero Oliver Queen with his crime-fighting, consisting of a bodyguard/father figure, a computer expert and a sidekick. In The Flash, a show that should focus on a stand-alone hero, we find a strikingly similar makeup. Here we have a genius/father figure, a computer expert, and a nerdy supervillain-naming particle physicist. On Arrow the team works because Oliver is capable and can handle himself; the team supports the hero. The problem on The Flash is we really don’t care about this team. The one in Arrow was slowly built up over the span of three seasons. Here, it exists from the get-go, like a safety net. Both series attempt to follow a procedural format, and in the first show, this works fine, what with criminals being beaten to a pulp before being left out to dry like dirty laundry. But doing this with villains with superpowers makes the antagonists feel like unimpressive stock characters. Overall it feels almost as if Barry doesn’t know what he’s doing, and needs these magic computer-whizzes to tell him everything over a headpiece, or he becomes completely lost and confused. I’d say that’s a problem for a superhero if I ever saw one.

Barry Allen’s lack of training before being thrown out to fight crime could be seen as analogous to Kreisberg and Berlanti’s handling of the show. The series, (which would likely be fresher under other hands), was rushed out prematurely before it really had a chance to discover itself. And now we have two series being run concurrently by two individuals who have too much to work with; and little time to do it. After the pair work on Arrow, they go over and write The Flash, and consequently the series suffers by having the writing feel subpar.

In fact, everything on The Flash feels second-hand. Arrow makes good use of a couple sets but in general shoots in a variety of many locations to capture the action. But conversely, besides a couple of city streets and the odd rooftop, everything that happens on The Flash can usually be restricted to the following sets; Barry’s Apartment, the West Residence, Central City P.D., the Coffee shop, and the ever-present STAR Labs, which is virtually a glorified version of the “Arrow Cave” on the parent series. Wash, rinse, repeat. This cycle has quickly become formulaic and boring, and now that the CW’s infamous soap opera angst has failed its trial run on the show, these sets now contain nothing but heartless open-ended comic book storylines that hold no substance. And all the while the show falls prey to unavoidable comparisons to another, superior one.

 Arrow’s comic book history has shifted so many times over the years, there is no definitive version to base the show off of, which is why Kreisberg and Berlanti felt the modern-day storylines needed to be freshly formed. While their gut instinct on that particular show may have been correct, The Flash didn’t require that. Potentially, it could have been truly phenomenal if the creators went for something far closer to the books and dissimilar to Arrow upon the former series inception. Sadly, this did not occur, and now we are stuck with a very different show, one rampant with a serious case of déjà vu. However, to criticize this series for not being what it could have been would be a fallacy. Unlike Barry Allen, we cannot turn back time, and must now deal with what we’ve been given. But that doesn’t mean we have to force ourselves to be satisfied.

It’s not too late to make adjustments. The Flash really does have a lot going for it; the super-speed and slow motion effects are exceptional, the character dynamics are functional, and the series is easily accessible for newcoming viewers. So why doesn’t The Flash work? Why is it that a series that has over 74 years of source material doesn’t know how to find its center? The answer is simple; The Flash doesn’t need to be Arrow, and it should forge its own identity. If future seasons focus more upon Barry, the hero we already love, less upon the characters we don’t, and possibly ditch the team dynamic, then it’s likely that this show could reach the quality of writing that exists on superior series such as MARVEL’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

While at first glance an entertaining and original show, The Flash is too similar to its parent series Arrow to leave a truly lasting impression. For fans that have been waiting so long for a live-action version of this beloved character, this is not the show they deserve. It’s hidden in here somewhere, and maybe in future seasons it’ll rear its head.

NOTE: This article written February 6, 2015.

Battlestar Galactica Season 2

Number Six: I'm so proud of you, Gaius. 
Baltar: Why? Because I've taken a life? 
Number Six: It makes you human. 
Baltar: Is it? Not conscious thought? Not poetry, or art, or music, literature? Murder. Murder is my heritage. 

Season 2 of the hit series "Battlestar Galactica" begins with a blast; with the aftermath of the attempted assasination of Commander Adama. Writers David Weddle and Bradley Thompson have a lot to deal with, what with Starbuck back on Caprica and a crashed Raptor down on Kobol. On top of all that, it seems that the Cylons are back with another fleet ALREADY. 

And so begins a season that rarely ever slows down, both to positive and negative effect. For fans of the first season, Season 2 functions as most second seasons do; it's longer, bigger, split down the middle, but not necessarily better. It's curious considering the theory I have developed after my many years of television watching; I believe that it's nearly a universal fact that every second season of a TV series is superior in almost every way to the first. The second seasons of Burn Notice, White Collar, Chuck, Doctor Who (arguably), The Office, Torchwood, and Covert Affairs were all the best of their respective shows. Some notable standouts from classic series include Remington Steele and Quantum Leap, the latter being one of my favorite season of television ever. Time and time again this rule has rung true, and yet this season of Battlestar Galactica gets bogged down from hecticity and too many plot elements, making it unable to reach the heights season 1 was able to reach. That's not to say of course these elements aren't great. This is still Battlestar Galactica we're talking about here, and every time I put in a disk, I knew I was in for a treat. 

As mentioned earlier, the season begins in total chaos, and unfortunately remains in that state for the first four episodes of the season, which really feels like a miniature story arc all in itself. The season premiere itself is titled "Scattered" which is more accurate than one would realize, and summarizes exactly what it feels like to watch these episodes. The separation is borderlined painful to watch, and you can't help but long for the relationships and characters you've come to love return to normal life in the fleet. Sadly, this doesn't truly occur until the eighth episode. Having said that, there is certainly some interest to be found in the heart of the chaos. 
When held as part of their own contained story, each of the three is still outstanding.

First off, we've got a team of crash-landed soldiers down on Kobol. Originally to be a simple scouting mission, a freak Cylon attack sent the Raptor transport hurtling to the planet's surface, stranding Chief Tyrol, Cally and Baltar and others alone on the surface. Considering this group contained two of my three favorite character's, you'd imagine I was the most drawn by that story.

And what a story it is! Led by the pilot Crashdown (is the name supposed to make me laugh?) the team struggles to survive as they find themselves pinned down by squads of Cylon Centurions. A dip back to the crash site for medical supplies ends up costing them the lives of two of their men, as Crashdown's sanity begins to deteriorate.

After Cally's life is threatened, Baltar surprises the audience by stepping up to the plate and saving her life, putting two in the back of Crashdown's skull. He's as surprised as we are; this is a big step for him, yet another sign that the soul of Gaius Baltar truly is good. Incredible performances by Nicki Clyne and Sam Witwer help sell the scene, and for a moment, we really do think Cally might actually be killed off. Assuming she isn't a Cylon of course. Thanks to Baltar, she lives to fight another day, both spiritually, and literally. But I'll come back to that. The group is eventually rescued, but one never forgets what happened on Kobol, and the scars run deep among the survivors, forever to hide the secret of Crashdown's death.

Nicki Clyne may be a phenomenal actress, but she doesn't hold a candle to who I now consider to be the legendary Michael Hogan, who really gets to stretch his acting chops this time around as XO Saul Tigh. With Adama still in the sickbay, Tigh must control the Galactica all by his lonesome, made worse by the fact that he's without the help of President Roslin and CAG Apollo, both of which he's chosen to be thrown in the brig. This decision inevitably backfires when he declares martial law and the entire fleet turns against the Galactica. One cannot blame poor old Saul for his mistakes however; he's not built for command life, nor has he ever wanted to be. In a brilliant use of flashbacks, we learn about his agreement with Bill Adama that one day they'd run a ship together, with Bill as Commander and Tigh as XO. He knew from the very beginning he couldn't handle a command all on his own; one wonders why he even pushes on. The answer is of course the old ball and chain.

Ellen Tigh was introduced late in the second season as a survivor on another ship who used to be married to Saul before the attack on the colonies. Adama hid her from him for as long as he could, for fear for her potentially being a Cylon agent. Something she very well still could be for all we know, Baltar tested her blood but never truly revealed the actual results either way. With that in mind, Ellen is a negative influence anyway. From her first episode she's been many things, all of them bad. An Alcoholic like her husband, who she used to cheat on regularly, Ellen is easily one of the most despicable characters on the show. During Saul's time as Commander, she acts as Old Georgie, Worm-tongue, a demon under the guise of Jiminy Cricket. Leave it to a beautiful blonde to whisper sweet nothings into your ear, until one day those sweet nothings turn into power grabs and poor decisions. Saul would never see the fault in her ways of course; he's so blinded by love that he barrels his way through his four episodes as Commander with arrogance and imperception, desperately trying to contain the truth that the pressure is pulling him under. His recklessness costs him the defection of Apollo and Roslin, and the deaths of four civilians during a riot onboard a hostile supply vessel. A highlight of the first half of season 2, Tigh's temporary command of the Galactica will never be forgotten. 

The riot during the supply run takes place during the fourth episode, "Resistance", which has multiple meanings, as back on Caprica, that very thing is discovered by a lost Helo and Starbuck.

Having been abandoned by Sharon, the duo find themselves alone upon the strange Centurion infested world. After a brief stint in Starbuck's old apartment, the two happen upon a wild discovery; the existence of a Resistance movement upon Caprica by a band of tough survivors called the Caprica Buccaneers. One among their number is a leading figure named Sam Anders (Michael Trucco), who bares a striking resemblance to Dane Cook and ends up in a fling with Starbuck.

They have enough in common for it to make sense; they're both rebels, fighters and are easily set off, although Anders maintains more of a purpose to his life. His rebellion can't help but remind one of the guerilla tactics of the "Resistance" against Skynet in the Terminator franchise, but it matters not. Anders is actually the most welcome thing to come out of the second season as a whole, officially joining the cast for season 3. His genuine nature and kind heart is what attracts both Starbuck and us to him, and that's only solidified by his rescue of her from a Cylon "Farm" in the fifth episode. In it we also meet the addition of a new human Cylon model to the series; Simon. Originally masquerading as a human doctor, Simon is eventually revealed to be in charge of a facility which harvests human DNA and such, where they even go so far as to steal one of Starbuck's ovaries. It's creepy as hell, and we want nothing more than for it to be over. Nothing could be more of a welcome sight than Sharon, flying to the rescue in a gigantic Cylon Heavy Raider, destroying The Farm and saving the day. As she leaves, Starbuck gives Anders her Galactica pilot tags, vowing to someday return to save all the Buccaneers they're leaving behind. 

This effectively becomes the second season's undercurrent story arc.

Back on Galactica, all hell has broken loose. Boomer has been assassinated, shot in the chest by a vengeful Cally. In a scene that I'll never forget, Boomer falls into her former lovers arms, Chief Tyrol, now fully aware of her Cylon identity, and completely confused as to his own emotions. Boomer's last words don't help much. "I love you Chief." Nice one Valerii. 

So what's the last thing the crew of the Galactica needs? Oh, that's right, another Boomer! Sharon arrives with Helo and Starbuck in the Heavy Raider, and is immediately detained by an enraged Apollo. He has good reason, after all this is a copy of the woman who shot his father. Throwing all caution to the winds, Roslin continues forward with her plan from the last season to investigate Kobol for the Temple of Athena, which supposedly contains the coordinates to the lost colony of Earth. Using the "Arrow of Apollo" Starbuck found in the Caprica ruins, the coordinates are found, and a journey is plotted, and life seems to at last go back to normal for everyone. Almost everyone.


The primary story arc of season 2 is the pregnancy of Sharon Valerii. Sharon's love for Helo has led to her full betrayal of the Cylons, elevating her beyond the heights that Boomer reached in season 1 as far as interest level is concerned. But the true reason for her loyalty to the Colonial Fleet is her unborn child, a baby girl, a human-Cylon hybrid. Sharon and her pregnancy cause a great deal of unrest among the crew and Roslin's staff, providing creator Ronald D. Moore with a phenomenal opportunity to ask the big question once more; What does it mean to be human? First off, we wonder if Sharon could be considered human if she has Boomer's feelings and memories. She remembers having Boomer's relationship with the Chief, although it wasn't her who had it. When she and the Chief first interact, (they meet on Kobol), she literally embraces him with open arms. He of course is too confused and shocked to take it all in, and this results in a later feud between himself and Helo. Another interesting question is brought upon by the release of Cally Henderson from 30 days in a holding cell, her sentence for killing Boomer being nothing more than for "unlawful discharge of a firearm". The argument made is that you can't kill a machine. This is true, you cannot truly kill something that was never alive. But how do we define "living". If Sharon has the ability to create life, doesn't that make her in essence alive? These kinds of questions couldn't be asked in anything short of this and Terminator, and this series actually has found a way to surpass the groundwork set out by James Cameron and become what I believe to be the primary authority on human-robot morality. I have never seen A.I. or Blade Runner, so I can't be certain, but from what I've seen, this is undoubtably the deepest, most thought-provoking science fiction topic of them all, and Battlestar Galactica takes full advantage of that.

The innate distrust of Sharon Valerii comes to a head in one of the series' greatest episodes, "Flight of the Phoenix. In which a Cylon computer virus nearly topples the Galactica's security, leaving it open for attack. And attack is on its way, as an entire enemy strike force barrels its way toward the Colonial Fleet. This is also the same episode in which Chief Tyrol is attempting to rid himself of the demons brought upon by Sharon's return, and to distract himself, he sets his focus upon what Apollo deems a miracle; the construction of an entire new fighter.

This episode shows the true heart of the show, with virtually the entire crew eventually pitching in to build what is dubbed "The Blackbird". Cally and Chief especially shine in this one, reflecting the very values that the series represents. Diligence; unity; the human drive to never give up. They both work tirelessly to bring the Blackbird to life, and act as one combined tool in the creation of something great. Their teamwork inspires the crew and the audience as well, proving once again that among the darkness, psychology, and drama or the series, a light burns brighter than all the rest, ticking another box on what makes the series truly spectacular.

It is the Blackbird combined with Sharon's help that saves the fleet, sending a virus back through the Cylons and tearing down their defenses, turning their strike force into a shooting gallery. But even that doesn't sway the crew to her loyalty, and once again she is locked away. Over the course of Season 2, Sharon's story encounters many an obstacle, each leading to more profound questions of their own. The midseason finale brings the existence of another Battlestar into the story, Battlestar Pegasus. While at first seemingly a blessing, the new ship actually brings more bad than good, with the psychotic Admiral Cain (Michelle Forbes) becoming the series first real human antagonist.This comes in to play with Sharon's story in a big way, when a ruthless interrogator comes aboard and attempts to rape her. In a fit of rage, Helo and Chief accidentally murder the interrogator, and their capture and ordered execution nearly cause the clashing Commanders to go to war. It all stems down to the attempted rape, which the Pegasus XO defends by saying "You can't rape a machine." Which in itself is just as curious as the rest of Sharon's situation.

The arc concludes in the latter half of the season, where Sharon's baby girl is successfully born. It's always beautiful to see a birth on film, and on television I have discovered, it is no different. Helo remains by her side throughout the entire affair, filled with a love he has so passionately displayed the whole season. I have officially decided that Helo is actually my second favorite character. I like his unchanging nature, his understanding of himself, and his sense of right and wrong. Equally impressive is his self-control, which actor Tahmoh Penikett plays with constantly. He's talented beyond belief, and I can't wait to see what he does with the character in Season 3. Unfortunately, believing the baby cannot be allowed to live with her Cylon mother, Roslin makes the questionable decision of having the child switched with one that didn't make it from another vessel. Sharon's seperation from her child nearly drives her insane, while the baby (named "Hera"), is given to the mother of the deceased child, unaware of the true identity of Hera's mother. In what is truly a heartbreaking end to a fantastic story arc, Helo and Chief scatter what they think is Hera's ashes into space, the tiny particles floating peacefully away into the distance. I suspect Hera and her mother will play an integral role in future seasons, and that the decision to separate her from her parents will come back to haunt Adama and President Roslin in earth-shattering ways.

This season's ultimate strength is its remarkable use of character development. The writing staff wisely uses a variety themes in telling the story, always presenting them through inter-personal relationships and questionable decisions from the cast. Leadership is a present theme throughout the series; the idea of holding yourself together because of those relying on you. Adama and Roslin experience this from an episode to episode basis, and this season adds Tigh's situation and Starbuck as well. Another idea frequently touched upon is civil unrest, where the public in the fleet responds to things we normally only see impacting the crew of Galactica. But above all else, the writing staff of this phenomenal series have a wonderful talent for tackling the subject of Love. 

Overall one of the greatest exhibitions of love in the series is the relationship between Helo and Sharon. Sparks fly between Roslin and Adama, the latter of which has clear fondness in his eyes every time he sets his eyes upon her. They never actually get together, but I assume it's coming somewhere down the road. The Ross/Rachel "Will they, won't they" of the series is Starbuck and Apollo, who have seemingly always held reserved feelings for one another. Starbuck's connection to Sam Anders back on Caprica puts a damper on things, so at this point it's hard to tell whether or not they'll end up together. 

But the romance I've always been particularly happy with is that of Billy Keikeya and Petty Officer "Dee" Dualla. For those unacquainted with the series, Dee is the Communications officer onboard Galactica, and she becomes smitten with Billy the moment she sees him. Billy, (played by Paul Campbell), is the personal aide to President Roslin, his first day on the job being the day the Cylons first attacked the colonies, back when she was merely the Secretary of Education. The bond between he and Roslin is strong, and he seems to be the only one to be able to truly read her emotions. He's the first one to notice she has Cancer, and ultimately is the most loyal member of the Presidential staff, staying by her side when Adama tries to arrest her. Paul Campbell plays the seemingly simple role with slight layers of complexion, as it's clear that, (like Roslin), Billy doesn't have anyone else. In a world where there's no home to go back to, and everything is truly changed forever, the lasting effects of the destruction of the colonies don't take a toll larger on anyone than Billy. The crew of the Galactica adjust because they're doing the same thing they've always done, which is be the military. The impact of the loss sustained by the near end of the human race obviously would be felt if we saw the lives of a normal family living on one of the other vessels. The closest the series ever gets to that is Billy. His entire family was lost during the Cylon attack, as well as his dog Jake. His daily life has now been reduced to doing nothing but being Roslin's aide, with no friends or family to go to. He virtually has no personal life, and his internal sadness is expressed in every possible opportunity by Campbell. He desperately wants more out of life, and doesn't see himself working in politics forever. While on Kobol in "Home", he's floored by the revelation that Roslin believes he'll become President someday. Billy Keikeya is one of my favorite characters by far, and I love every scene with him onscreen. He's entertaining, unique, and definitely interesting, all elements formed from a combination of fantastic writing and Campbell's performance. Because of his job, he's elevated to being one of the primary players on the series, even being one of the group who gets to enter the tomb of Athena. 

The group is Starbuck, Adama, Apollo, Roslin, and Billy. For the enitirety of seasons 1 and 2 it was my perspective that that group specifically were the main characters of the series. 

Billy's only personal connection beyond Roslin is that of Dee, illustrating the theme of love in an undeniably beautiful way. The attraction is genuine, and the romance is adorable. It could probably exist on any other kind of show, and is the only relationship thus far in BSG that is somewhat normal.

Once again, the realism of this series never fails to surprise me; the love between the two builds slowly, blossoming like a lone flower in the grim darkness present in the rest of the show. One especially wonderful moment is when Billy takes her on a date to forward observation lounge in season 1, where the stars that have become a grim reminder of their great losses can be seen as beautiful once again. It's there that the two have have first pure romantic scene, and is a breath of fresh air for the gloomy world of BSG. The combination of his loneliness and love is what inevitably propels Billy to finally propose. Little is he aware of a lasting attraction between Dee and Apollo, which is why she turns him down. This devastates Billy, a feeling amplified by the later discovery of the two on a date together. What follows is potentially the saddest moment in the series run so far, as the lounge where the date is taking place is overtaken by terrorists demanding the delivery of Sharon; their psychotic leader blaming her for her own husband's death. When negotiations go wrong, Billy sacrifices himself to save Dee's life, taking a bullet in the chest and subsequently dying. He gets no last words, dying heartbroken and betrayed, a wound salted even further later on when Dee and Apollo get married. It's the only episode of the series to make me shed a tear, and was done so well, I can't complain that he's gone. I will always miss the quirky smile of Billy Keikeya, and he'll always share a place in my mind as one of the greatest things to come out of Battlestar Galactica. 

Season 2 is full of so many things, from the discovery of a map to Earth, to the building of the Blackbird. Three more Cylon models are revealed, and we learn about existence of another Battlestar. From brilliant concepts like Resurrection ships to smaller, experimental episodes about a documentarian filming the daily life of the Galactica crew, the season has been chock full of interesting and powerful story elements. But there's one thing that makes this show great. One thing that reminds me why I keep watching. 

This season belongs to Gaius Baltar. 

                                                                                                                                                                         

The breakout character from Season 1 never fails to disappoint with the geniuses behind the writing of the series giving him more to do than ever before, his role becoming absolutely pivotal as the season progresses. Actor James Callis continues to both amuse and amaze, bearing the widest range of emotions I've seen from an actor in quite some time. I know the character of Baltar was present in the original series, but I honestly cannot imagine anyone else playing the role than Callis, who gives an unforgettable performance that's worthy of every bit of praise and all kinds of awards. He's charming and aloof at the same time; remaining both despicable and lovable while doing it. Just as in Season 1, any time he tries to cover up his possible insanity it's absolutely hilarious. Quite frequently, Six will try to converse with him while he's talking to someone else, resulting in Baltar attempting to talk to both parties with the same sentence, which literally feels like improv. It's fascinating that the topic of Six inside his mind can be the show's comedy outlet. If the series has any kind of comic relief character, Baltar is definitely it. No one else comes anywhere close. But as always, he's presented as a troubled and conflicted individual, and even in his worst moments, we find ourselves rooting for him anyway. Callis never crosses the line into true "Draco Malfoy" territory so-to-speak. Anytime his personal story moves towards something vile, he and the writers inject the appropriate amount of forgiving qualities to allow us to look past the 
darker shade of Gaius Baltar. 
In season 2, Baltar acts more of a medical doctor and scientist than ever before. No longer confined to his lab and the "Cylon detector", the seasons developments place the cast in need of his services, whether they like it or not.  

After returning to Galactica from his stint on Kobol, Baltar is given the responsibility of determining whether or not Chief Tyrol is a Cylon; an assumption drawn by Colonel Tigh based on the fact that the Chief and Boomer had previously been in a relationship. The scene that follows is one of the greatest examples of Baltar's brilliance, as he instead poisons the Chief in order to force Boomer to reveal how many Cylons are undercover on the Colonial fleet, to which Boomer eventually shouts, "Eight!" In order to draw out the revelation of the Cylon identities, the writing team uses Baltar's forgetfulness as a plot device, for it's only after he injects the Chief with the antidote that he realizes he could've asked Boomer who the agents are. Any other character would have asked immediately, but Baltar has too much a care for human life than to risk losing the Chief. His forgetfulness and his compassion come colliding full force in the scene, and it shows once again the strength of the character. It's especially a treat since we rarely get to see Callis play with compassion on screen. And so it's a further delight that we get an even better taste upon the arrival of the Pegasus mid-season, for onboard is none other than a living and breathing Six. She was undercover before under the name "Gina", and now has been beaten and raped by most of the Pegasus crew. He slowly nurses her back to health, declaring his love for her, and she in return provides information that he passes along to admiral Cain. That is of course until he helps Gina escape and she shoots Cain in the head. Since I absolutely despised Cain, I was of course ridiculously happy. Baltar spends the remainder of season 2 assisting with Gina's hiding on Cloud 9; the gigantic dome-covered terrarium ship at the center of the fleet. 

Now we have arrived. This is the moment, the most profound scene in season 2, and possibly the best scene in the series so far. Episode 13: Epiphanies.

At last, President Roslin's cancer attacks with earnest, leading to her hospitalization under Dr. Cottle's care. Of course, in the case of the Presidency, the job will fall into Baltar's hands upon the case of her death, which all the characters know is imminant. During the course of this episode, the character of Gaius Baltar goes through the most remarkable metamorphosis, when the fate of not one, but TWO lives rest in his hands. 

On her deathbed, Roslin's final wish is for the Cylon baby of Sharon and Helo to be aborted, a feat that she believes must be performed to save the future of the human race, as the baby is an unknown factor that has the potential to destroy everything she's worked to save. Meanwhile Baltar visits Gina aboard Cloud 9, where he attempts to seduce her, but she bites him in response, which she follows with saying she's sorry, but she's not ready. She then tries to tempt him to give up on siding with humanity, and use his upcoming Presidency to convince the fleet to turn against the military and let the Cylons find them and take over. Then one of the best moments in the series occurs. 


Baltar touches his hand to his mouth, and holds it before him. 

He stares at his hand, the fresh blood shining upon his fingertips, and for the first time, he truly accepts his humanity. 

He then turns to Gina and says the following line. 

"No. No. I am not who you think I am. And I will not be responsible for the destruction of mankind." 

Perfection.

Epiphanies presents Baltar's scientific mind in a way that no prior episode had ever accomplished. Throughout the episode, he can be seen drawing pictures of hexagons and octagons, some of which overlapping, and for awhile, the drawings are nothing more than random sketches. It isn't until after his return to the Galactica that we learn what has been going through the troubled Doctor's mind. As it turns out, Sharon's unborn child carries no blood type, an Amalgam, making its blood compatible with any other human being. 

After testing a sample of the child's blood with Roslin's, he has come to realize that since the child is virtually immune to all disease, the antibodies in its blood can counteract the cancer cells present within the President. Thus, if they were to abort the baby, Roslin would have no chance of survival. This is one of the first acts of Baltar in the series where he does something completely selfless, choosing to save the lives of both Roslin and the child, even though the former's death would mean his ascension to Presidency. He chooses directly to forego personal gain in order help another, which is a profound shift in his character's story. Unfortunately, a letter Roslin wrote before the matter leads him back into the realm of evil, whereupon he finds himself insulted by the letter, in which the President expresses a lack of confidence in his character. Being the vain person that he is, he turns towards villainy once more, and delivers a nuclear warhead to Gina to help her cause, putting himself right back where he started as a conniving trickster. This transformation is almost heartbreaking to see, and is visually propelled by him donning the same black pinstripe suit as he wore back on Caprica. I have noticed he wears this suit in his darkest of moments, which is curious that when the original Six is resurrected back on Caprica, she begins to see visions of him wearing those exact clothes. 

By the end of season 2, Baltar has won the Presidential election against Roslin; winning votes under a campaign of hope. An isolated planet capable of providing a new home for humanity has been discovered by pure accident, and he uses this discovery to his advantage, promising a fresh start that is very real, as opposed to Roslin's open dreams of finding Earth. After his triumphant victory, Baltar decrees the planet to be dubbed "New Caprica", and immediately orders that a colony be established. All seems well. In the first few days of their occupation however, Gina activates the warhead and commits suicide, destroying all of Cloud 9. It is a heartbreaking scene, and a shock to behold, the glass dome bursting into a thousand pieces and floating off into space. Then the series shocks you with another insane development by fast forwarding 3 years, where Baltar has become a lazy playboy abusing his power. Starbuck and Anders are married, as are the Chief and Cally, who is beyond pregnant. The planet is surrounded by the orbiting Battlestar's, where Adama is seeing less and less of a purpose guarding against Cylons that may never find them, and Apollo has become the overweight commander of the Pegasus. 

If things weren't different enough already, in the season's last minutes, the Cylon's jump into orbit and invade New Caprica. Realizing the fight is pointless, Adama and Apollo escape with their Battlestar's, vowing to return to save the survivors left on the planet below.  

With that, the season wraps, in arguably the biggest cliffhanger I have ever seen. Season 2 was full of intriguing elements, and while it slightly falls short of Season 1's greatness, it still holds up as a worthy successor, and continues in full stride Ronald D. Moore's phenomenal reboot.

Battlestar Galactica Season 1

"What the Frak do you want from me Helo, she's a Cylon!"

This reference, (from a BriTANick comedy video), was but one among many I have encountered over my lifetime of the 2003 re-imagined science fiction series Battlestar Galactica, broadcast on the Sci-Fi Channel for six years before reaching its end in 2009. The series was watched by over two million viewers (a network high for the Sci-Fi Channel), and spawned numerous other media, including a television film titled "The Plan" (2010), a prequel series called "Caprica"(2010), and another prequel television film in 2013 called "Blood & Chrome". It has become one of the most renowned TV dramas in the last decade.

While many people are watching award winning series such as Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Homeland, or The Walking Dead, I usually watch slightly lesser known shows such as Chuck, White Collar, and Arrow. While definitely not unknowns, they certainly don't have the following that the others do. Despite all of this, I heard enough about Battlestar Galactica to give it a chance, and I can honestly tell you now, it is lightyears better than any of the series I just mentioned.

In a faraway galaxy, the Twelve colonies of Kobol exist in harmony. Orbiting the capital planet Caprica is the famous warship Battlestar Galactica, which is to be decommissioned in a matter of days to become a museum. The Galactica is a relic of a great war with a race of robotic organisms called Cylons, who rebelled against their human masters in order to obtain freedom.

It has been over forty years since The Second Cylon War, and the Cylons haven't been seen since. On a day like any other, Secretary of Education Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell) visits the Galactica prior to its decommissioning. She learns a great deal about the old ship, as do we. All phones are wired directly into consoles, touch screens are hard to come by, and any kind of lazer gun was dispatched long ago. Fighter ships, called "Vipers", are fired out of the ship through pressurized tubes, after which air tanks zip the fighter about as it fires upon its targets with air-propelled missiles. For a science fiction series seemingly positioned as a space opera, this was about as low-tech as things can get. As it turns out, any and all technology that could've been hacked by the Cylons had been replaced with low-tech during the war.

Headed by seasoned war veteran Commander William Adama (Edward James Olmos), the Galactica maintains one hell of a crew, including the commander's talented son Captain Lee "Apollo" Adama (Jamie Bamber), Electronic Countermeasures Officer Karl "Helo" Agathon (Tahmoh Penikett), Crew Chief Galen Tyrol, (Aaron Douglas), Specialist Cally Henderson (Nicki Clyne), Lieutenant Sharon "Boomer" Valerii, (Grace Park), and Colonel Saul Tigh (Michael Hogan), the Executive Officer of the Galactica.

And of course, I would be remiss in neglecting to mention the heart and soul of the series, Kara "Starbuck" Thrace, the beautiful hotshot fighter pilot of the Galactica's crew.

She smokes cigars, curses like a sailor, and gambles like you wouldn't believe, but her enthusiasm and spirit make up for any of her personal misgivings. In the original series Starbuck was a man, and boy would that be interesting to see, considering actress Katee Sackhoff owns the role with every fibre of her being. Without her charm, the series would be considerably darker, for she is the guiding light in what quickly becomes a dimming universe, as the Cylons make their dramatic return.

On Caprica, a beautiful blonde woman known only as "Number Six" activates malware hidden in the systems of all Vipers and Battlestars, disabling them entirely, and leaving them vulnerable to attack. A Cylon fleet swarms in and quickly destroys any kind of human resistance, as one by one, the 12 colonies slowly fall prey to their vengeful robotic creations. Billions of lives are lost. To Laura Roslin's surprise, the entire government gets destroyed, leaving her, a lowly Education Secretary, the President of all that remains of humanity. Under the newfound protection of the Galactica, a fleet gathers, containing only a small handful of survivors numbering somewhere around 50,000.

With no chance of fighting the new Cylon empire, the Galactica and its fleet begin their trek into deep space. Seemingly doomed to wander the stars for eternity, hope arrives in the form of a message from Commander Adama, who claims to know the existence of a lost Thirteenth Colony, where the remains of humanity still exists to this day. His plan is to find it, and salvage what's left of civilization. This missing colony has gone by many names, most lost to legend and the tides of time, but some people know it by it's true name; Earth.

With a background in Science-Fiction, I tend to have high expectations of a series such as this, a space opera where humans battle aliens, robots and the like. But I tell you now this is not that kind of show. Battlestar Galactica is one of a kind, and it's not just a show, it's an experience, and so much more.

If I were to break the series down to its root level, from season 1 alone, I'd say BSG is as if someone took the plots of Top Gun, The West Wing, and Terminator, and set it on a spaceship. Top Gun is most definitely the biggest influence of the bunch, with much of the drama happening between Starbuck and the other Viper pilots. Indeed when the space fights happen, they do harken a bit back to Star Wars, but there's definitely no X-Wing fighters here; if anything the sequences remind one most of an aerial dogfight as opposed to some futuristic warzone. Each pilot has his or her own call sign, and like Top Gun, they are constantly addressed by that alone.

Starbuck as a whole is basically the female Maverick for that matter. They share all the same qualities; rebellious, cocky, sometimes reckless. Starbuck even does the famous upside down jet move from the film. Need I say more?

Besides the pilots, you also have subplots involving Chief Tyrol and his engineers. The crews behind the Vipers and Raptor transport crafts are the bones that hold the Galactica together, and we do get a glimpse of how much damage someone can do if the ranks of the crew are infiltrated by the enemy. One of my favorite characters is among the crew, Specialist Cally Henderson.

Cally is one of the more interesting and helpful deckhands for the Viper repair, and works closely under Chief Tyrol. She hasn't been given an incredibly deep backstory as of season 1, but her handiness on deck and ability to operate under stress is notable from some of the other characters. I'd like to see her role expanded in subsequent seasons, and I look forward to seeing where her story goes.

The reason why I bring up The West Wing is because a great deal of BSG is political, what with Laura Roslin dealing with the aftermath of the Cylon uprising and the rebuilding of society upon the fleet. After responsibility is thrust into her lap, she discovers an unfortunate truth; she has terminal breast cancer, and will not likely survive to see Earth. With this knowledge looming over her, she must undergo the most painful journey of all, and help build a world she will never truly get to see flourish, all while traveling in the deepest reaches of space. Many of the political storylines run alongside whatever A story may be happening from episode to episode. Over the course of season 1 we see Roslin and her handy personal aide Billy Keikeya (Paul Campbell) tackle problems such as a Terrorist incursion, a Vice President election, a fuel shortage, and setting up a new monetary system. All of these different issues are tackled in a similar way that the West Wing did things; with humor, great dialogue, and excellent interpersonal relationships between the characters.

One of the more interesting stories of BSG is that of Helo, who I honestly think shoulders a great deal of the series all by himself. During the first episode, he and Boomer (his partner) pilot a Raptor transport vessel down to Caprica to evacuate as many people as possible. He inevitably gives up his seat to save another, and stays behind on the planet, leaving himself stranded on a planet being scoured over by Cylons. For the entirety of season one, Helo must avoid and survive in this strange new world, unknowing the entire time that the Cylons are well aware of his presence.

Soon after he is seemingly rejoined by Sharon (Boomer), who is in fact a Cylon herself. That's the interesting thing about Cylons. While most of them are just robots, straightforward, there are thirteen different models of Cylon human forms. Each one of these models has thousands of copies, and are for some reason more intelligent than other Cylons. In the vein of Terminator, they are unassuming, and on the surface appear to be actual flesh and blood. Both male and female, they are peppered throughout the Cylon armies of robotic Centurions as authority figures. They are the leaders, and also act as sleeper agents onboard the Galactica. Only four models are known thus far, the primary one being Number Six, the beautiful blonde woman who helped destroy the Viper and Battlestar defense systems. One of her models is working with the Sharon model that is with Helo on Caprica, and slowly throughout the season, we get to see a very unique dynamic, where slowly but surely, Sharon rebels against her Cylon allies in favor of love, for she has fallen for her human comrade. The love story between Sharon and Helo is complex,  because most of the time, she is lying to him about who she is. Towards the end of the season, Helo learns the truth about Sharon, and is hestitant to trust her, even shoots her in the shoulder, but realizes he cannot kill her, for he has fallen for her as well. Things become more interesting when it is revealed that Sharon is pregnant. This is by far one of my favorite elements of the series, what I call "Helo's story"; it's a complete sidestory that never gets resolved, even by the end of the season, and I can't wait to see where it goes next in season 2.

Now why do I call her Sharon instead of her call sign Boomer? That would be because there are in fact two Boomer's on the show; the one with Helo, and the one that actually DID return to the Galactica and stayed there. Boomer's personal arc in one of the most intense on the series, considering we already know she's a Cylon, but she does not. On multiple occasions throughout the season, Boomer is "activated", and she carries out certain tasks to sabotage the Galactica and its workers. When she awakens from these tasks, she is unaware of what happened and is sometimes terrified of the results, particularly in the fourth episode "Water", where she awakens directly after the action of sabotage, catching herself red-handed so to speak.

Actress Grace Park brings a surprising realism to both characters; as Sharon she portrays a range of conflicted emotions from a confused Cylon spy who's emotional attachment to Helo overwhelms her duty towards her own race, and as Boomer, she plays a human who goes through confusion, panic, and eventually near-insanity as she slowly discovers the terrifying truth about what she really is. It definitely brings one to a profound question; What does it mean to be human? Can you still be human even though you biology says otherwise? In Sharon's case, are memories truly false if they aren't yours? Is being human a matter of flesh and blood, or is it something more?

Creators Ronald D. Moore and David Eick have made television history in developing a series remake that has surpassed its parent series in popularity. Spin-off media, comic books, novels, and endless fanfiction make up the new show's legacy, and it's genuinely impressive. The series has won numerous awards for its special effects as well. Although I have not looked into how they are done, for 2004, they're absolutely spectacular. When Cylon Raiders come a-calling, the Vipers are there, zipping about through space like the U.S. Air Force on a routine patrol. None of that Star Wars lazers and explosions stuff either. Anything we hear is what the pilots hear, all sound is muffled, just almost audible.

There is barely any sound in space, and that is definitely noticeable here, particularly during the best episode of the bunch; "The Hand of God". The entire fleet has been running low on fuel, and the situation is becoming dangerous. Luckily, a gigantic asteroid nearby contains an abundance of tylium, the element that fuels the ships. The bad news is that the asteroid is being mined by a small army of Cylons. In a moment of notable bravery, Commander Adama orders an attack upon the facility, and after some brilliant planning, the Viper pilots trick the Cylons into leaving it completely defenseless, and open to attack. What follows is the most exciting battle of the series thus far, with special mention given to the character Lee "Apollo" (Adama's son), who nearly commits suicide flying down a mining shaft and then bombing the facility from within, escaping just nearly before detonation.

Watching Lee fly off into the distance, I felt myself let out a breath I had been holding for a couple minutes. It was then that I realized the absolute truth that I had fallen in love with the series.
I had been worried Lee might die. I had become connected to a fictional character. But he's by no means my favorite character. No, that title goes forward someone far more unique.

Dr. Gaius Baltar is the sole scientific genius aboard the Galactica. Formerly the most brilliant mind in all of Cparica, Baltar spends most of the season developing a "Cylon detector", a medical procedure that is able to differentiate Human from Cylon via blood sample. Despite looking like a total asshole, he's actually timid and awkward, even if his ego shows sometimes. While usually he just kicks around the Galactica, Baltar can often be found keeping to himself in his lab, and has been dismissed by many as an odd one. In episode 11, "Colonial Day", President Roslin reassembles the government, and Baltar is appointed as Representative of Caprica, almost to his dismay, considering how accustomed he has become to his lax lifestyle. One of the reps, Tom Zarak (Richard Hatch, the original Apollo from the classic series), demands a Vice President be elected, and by the episodes conclusion, that offer is bestowed on none other than Gaius Baltar. While part of him curses the newfound responsibility, the perks of the job end up outweighing the disadvantages, and he embraces the job with open arms. All in all, Baltar is an unassuming, somewhat strange scientist who no one will ever truly understand. He may be clumsy and unaware of his surroundings, socially awkward and a bit sexist, but the crew of the Galactica accept him as one of their own, and all his little misgivings give him almost a sort of charm. Which is one of the things I love most about him.

But poor Gaius is hiding a profound secret, something that catapults him beyond the rest of the cast and into my heart as one of the most brilliant and interesting characters in television history. Baltar is followed by the vision of his ex-girlfriend; Number Six, the beautiful blonde woman who used his algorithm to shut down the other Battlestars and leave the colonies open to attack. She died in the destruction of Caprica, but somehow, someway, she returns to haunt Baltar in the most fascinating way; she's trapped in his mind, still a Cylon, but disconnected from the rest.

Only he can see her, and he's not in control of when she appears. Six comes and goes throughout his life, often appearing when he's in the middle of conversations with other people. This leads to hilarity beyond anything else in the series, as Baltar must juggle two conversations at once, responding to both Six and whoever he's talking to with the same sentence. He also must try his hardest not to look at Six, and avoid her sexual advances. She usually is wearing some form of a scandalous dress, and seems to have the ability to manipulate her appearance at will. Watching Baltar go about his life with Six constantly around him is both amusing and somewhat terrifying, as she manipulates him into doing whatever she pleases. Baltar has long since gotten over the shock of basically having an Imaginary friend, and even develops a sexual relationship with the Cylon. She's physical to him alone, and he can feel her touch every time she lays a finger on him.

Six is equally interesting as Baltar. Like Sharon, she too has developed human emotions, and believes she has fallen in love with her human companion. Considering he's the only one who knows she exists, it makes sense that he's the one she's become infatuated with. Baltar on the other hand is conflicted between wondering if there's some sort of microchip in his brain, if she's telling the truth, or if he's actually insane. This remains partially unclear to both him and the audience, but he continues to listen to her nevertheless. To an insecure genius, the concept of a beautiful woman being trapped in his mind is too interesting a concept to dismiss. It's apparent that Baltar would absolutely rather her be real, as the alternative is too difficult for him to ever accept. In the season's finale, Six claims that another will bear their child, which adds another layer of intrigue and possibly delusion to her character. Their story is left open-ended, and leaves me yearning for more. It's hard to think of Baltar without Six, and in some ways they have become one and the same. They are the sole reason I am addicted to the show, and the reason I am going to grab season 2 as soon as possible.

The finale ends with so many stories on cliff-hangers; Starbuck back on Caprica encountering Helo and Sharon; Baltar, Tyrol, Cally and others stranded on planet Kobol; and President Roslin removed from power and thrown in jail. In a last moment shock, Boomer is temporarily activated and fires two rounds into Commander Adama's chest. With the crew screaming for a medic, the screen cuts to black, leaving a whole fanbase wondering what would happen next. Unlike them, I won't have to wait months at a time for the next season to premiere. No, I can experience the world of season 2 now, all it takes is a quick jaunt to the library.

I have truly found the definition of great television, and this is it. To anyone who loves the military, Sci-Fi, politics, or just great acting and drama, I recommend this show. It's a striking series about the survival of the fittest, the beauty of humanity, and the power of love. I have never seen anything like this anywhere else, and I doubt I ever will. If you want to laugh, cry, or just smile in delight, this is hands down an excellent choice, and while shows like Game of Thrones or Breaking Bad take up time and waste away your day, after an episode of Battlestar Galactica, you'll feel like you've lost no time at all, because time really flies when you're having fun.