Battlestar Galactica

Probably the best show on television.

Picture this, boring 8th grade me slaving away my days swamped in tedious school work, looking for something better, greater than myself. I lived in a loop of insanity, watching the paint dry in school, grinding through sports practice, and never-ending homework. However, I found hope! This show was the first of many binges I took during my “non-school” hours. Regardless of criticism, subjectively, I believe this is the best show on television. Clearly, I may be blinded by nostalgia.

Battlestar Galactica follows the near annihilation of the Human race at the hands of Cylons (robots they built for the betterment of society) in a far away galaxy and its survivors as they escape across the endless voids of space. Although this was a completely different society, I felt a part in it. I learned more about politics, government, the military (space military), decision-making, and human emotion than I would ever learn in school classroom. And that was only the tip of the iceberg.

Released in 2004, Battlestar Galactica reinvented what it meant to be sci-fi, especially for a TV show. Exploring the deeper meanings of the Universe, topics came up such as religion, mythology, all combined into space, something I refer to as a “mythological playground.” Through Season 1 and 2, it was one of the most-watched shows on television. Times were simpler in the show. The show runners continued to hang over the viewers head, the idea of another human civilization in a distant galaxy on another planet, called “Earth”. Specifically, the viewers, including myself, were curious for answers, and that drove a passion for the show. Continuously, episodes were topped by brilliant action sequences, portraying a group of people, fighting for hope and literally their lives against an unbeatable, unmeasurable force, and a product of their creation.

Ultimately, the show was canceled after its 4th season. Personally, I felt the show accomplished what it set out to do. The problems directly came with the writers. They blatantly ran out of ideas and they couldn’t answer all the questions the viewers wanted answered. Throughout the show, religion and science were put on a seesaw, with the problems of having too much of one ideal. Eventually, science wasn’t enough to explain all the outlandish actions taken by characters, so they turned to full-on religion, wrongfully. Some grew adamant by the 4th season of the show and stopped watching, whereas others were enraged by the ending. In ways, the show did feel somewhat of a “cop out” with the likes ABC’s Lost, but I held onto what made the show good in the first place.

My Rating: 9/10

IMDb Rating: 8.7/10

Rotten Tomatoes: 94%

Common Sense Media: 4/5