Battlestar Galactica: The new movie + pre-Season 4 thread

[Shryke]

Bah No Aliens, but endless metaphysical dribble. "All this has happened and will happen again" sounds like a line from Wheel of Time for fuck sake.

I don't understand why I should care, so maybe the "insert race here" built the Colonials who built the Cylons. WTF ever, sounds like generic crappy fantasy circle rammed into a sci-fi triangle.

It means there is NO difference between the Colonials and the Cylons. Which seems to be the theme their going for. We start off with the Cylons as an implacable enemy we can't understand and slowly as the show goes along, we begin to see how they think, how they work, and how their not all that different in many ways from humans.

But really, what's so un-sci-fi about this concept?

SPOILER: Rampant Speculation

I mean, maybe Head Six IS an angel of God. God in this case being someone (let's say on Earth) trying to stop the war and break this cycle it's own creations are stuck in. In that way, the Hybrids ARE the future. Their the mingling of the 2 races that would lead to peace between them.

The series ends with them coming to Earth and discovering real humans or what's left of them. Which leads to the ultimate and indisputable realisation that their all the same, both colonials and cylons.

[Myrddin]

Do we need to keep using spoiler tags for something that was aired weeks ago and is now on DVD? I avoided this thread until I watched it and then find out that everyone was using spoiler tags.

Here's the prophecy the hybrid gave:

At last they've come for me. I feel their lives, their destinies spilling out before me.

The denial of the one true path, played out on a world not their own, will end soon enough.

Soon there will be four, glorious in awakening. Struggling with the knowledge of their true selves. The pain of revelation bringing new clarity.

And in the midst of confusion, he will find her, enemies brought together by impossible longing, enemies now joined as one. The way forward, at once unthinkable, yet inevitable.

And the fifth, still in shadow, will claw toward the light, hungering for redemption that will only come in the howl of terrible suffering.

I can see them all. The seven, now six, self-described machines who believe themselves without sin. But in time, it is sin that will consume them. They will know enmity, bitterness, the wrenching agony of the one splintering into the many.

And then they will join the promised land, gathered on the wings of an angel. Not an end, but a beginning.

It's as clear as any prophecy (fantasy or sci fi), but it'll be interesting how the writers handle it. Straight forward (most bad fantasy) or twisted to be resolved in a unforeseen manner (ala Martin or Herbert). Or ignored by the writers (most likely scenario...)

I just wonder who the "he" and "she" are (in the statement bolded above). At first thought, I figured it would be Starbuck and Leoban.

[Shryke]

I view the "mysticism" as nothing more then shit we can't explain right now. Head Six is prety fucking mystical. And she's been there since the mini-series. Religion has always been a part of the show because it's a part of both the Colonials and the Cylons.

Although, I agree those oracles were stupid.

[Crow's Eye]

My greatest concern is that the explanation is going to be extremely lame - I see no reason to think its going to be otherwise after SALAD.

Razor gave me some hope, at least, but I think I'm really just deluding myself. I'll take more Black Market over SALAD anyday, though.

[Werthead]

Owch.

That's gotta hurt.

[Werthead]

Anyone catch the DVD? I just ordered it (pleasently cheap from Amazon) but apparently the most interesting thing is the extended speech by the Hybrid:

SPOILER: DVD Razor

They're blessed, if they've come for me.

I feel their lives, their destinies, spilling out before me.

They will deny me the one true path, played out in a world not their own.

Soon there will be four, glorious on awakening,

struggling through knowledge of their true selves,

repaying the revelation, bringing new clarity.

And in the midst of confusion, you will find her.

Enemies brought together by impossible longing.

Enemies now joined as one.

The way forward.

At once unthinkable yet inevitable.

The fifth, just a doomed shadow turned toward the light,

hungry for redemption that will only come in the howl of terrible suffering.

I can see them all.

The seven, now six, self-described machines who believe themselves without sin,

but in time it is sin that will consume them.

They will know enmity, bitterness, a wrenching agony, the one splintering into many.

And then they will join the promised land, gathered on the wings of an angel.

Not an end, but a beginning.

Sounds like the story arc for Season 4 is being set up even more blatantly than I previously thought:

SPOILER: BSG

So the Cylons and humanity unite as one. Couldn't see that coming. The seven becoming six is interesting though, as it indicates that the Hybrid knew a good 18-odd months before it happened that Three would be boxed.

[Lord of Oop North]

The Season 3 DVD Release has been announced. I'm interested in the 15 hours of bonus material including deleted scenes. Perhaps they'll improve the quality of some of the episodes that seemed really choppy. How many hours have the podcasts generally taken up before?

[Werthead]

The podcasts are commentaries for each episode, so 20x44=880 minutes or 14 hours.

I hope they're not including the podcasts because that means the featurettes and other special features on the DVD set come to about 60 minutes, which is lame. Wouldn't surprise me if they tried to pull that kind of stuff though

[Relic]

There's absolutely no way I'm paying 60 dollars for that season.

no shit

[Flayed Man]

Perhaps they'll improve the quality of some of the episodes that seemed really choppy.

Only possible if they delete them entirely. Which would leave a single really cool intro sequence looping for 15 hours - actually that would be much more enjoyable, wouldn't it?

[Werthead]

Some interesting spoiler tidbits from AICN. Which ones are real spoilers, which ones are foilers and which ones are total fanwank invention are unknown:

SPOILER: Season 4 MAJOR spoilers

In no particular order:

Cally commits suicide upon learning that Tyrol is a Cylon. Roslin may be setting Tory up as her successor (or at least is treating her with the utmost confidence and giving her far more responsibility and power than before). Ellen Tigh reappears in flashbacks. Romo Lamkin will be back for at least one episode. Starbuck thinks she's a Cylon. The Simon, Cavil and Doral Cylon models are utterly wiped out in a civil war between the 'chrome jobs' and the humanoid Cylons brought about by the revelation that the Final Five are living in the fleet. The civil war may end with the unboxing of Three in the mid-season cliffhanger. The Final Five were apparently born and raised as humans, strengthening the theory that the Five are 'spirits' of some kind. Earth may be found as early as the mid-season cliffhanger. The CGI team have been told to hold back plenty of time and money to work on the series finale, which is going to contain some hardcore effects work. The survivor count may drop to 21,000, possibly by the mid-season break, indicating something pretty horrendous happens to the fleet. The Six-Baltar relationship and how it develops has apparently surprised RDM. Both Tyrol and Anders use Caprica Six as a guide to working out their own identities as Cylons; Six and Anders may become involved. It looks like Head-Leoben is back. RDM claims that we will find out how the Final Five got into their positions of power.

[Werthead]

New test film for the Hi-Def models in Battlestar Galactica: Beyond the Red Line.

Awesome.

[potsherds]

New test film for the Hi-Def models in Battlestar Galactica: Beyond the Red Line.

Awesome.

[oneeye]

nice music even in that test film

well I finally got hold of razor on dvd, and liked it, reminded me of season 1-2 and early 3.

I still have doubts on season 4 but we'll see.

[Matrim Fox Cauthon]

Wow, Wert, those spoilers sounded pretty terrible. I think I'll just continue watching Seasons 1-2 and pretending that 3-4 don't exist.

[Aemon Stark]

So when is Season 4 starting now? April? Why does it keep getting pushed back?

[Werthead]

It was originally mid-April, but then got pulled forwards to the last week of March and now seems to have been pushed back to 4 April.

[Werthead]

Intriguing.

A hint-tastic publicity photo for Season 4 based on the Last Supper. Among other things, it apparently has a humongous clue as to who the last Cylon is;

SPOILER: BSG

Assuming I'm interpreting RDM correctly, it cannot be anyone else at the table. Thus Roslin, Starbuck, Adama, Lee, Baltar and Helo are all ruled out. That really only leaves us with a new character (but I think RDM's basically said it's an established one), Zarek, Gaeta, Dee, Cally, Romo or one of the pilots.

[Werthead]

All of a sudden, Season 4 is looking awesome.

SPOILER: Season 4

Looks like they don't wimp out on giving us a humongous space battle at the start of Season 4. Looks like several civilian ships get blown apart and the Space Park - among other ships - is heavily damaged. Guess this is where the ten thousand new casualties take place with the first full-on battle taking place right in the middle of the civilian fleet. Interesting that a Raider has Anders in its sights but breaks off. Also interesting that we get to see part of the new title sequence as well.

[Lord O' Bones]

Who is

SPOILER: BSG

Romo again?