I struggled with whether I should start a new thread, but decided I just wanted to add an opinion on a show.
I just recently started watching Battlestar Gallactica. I hadn't gotten around to it because I'm not the biggest "Sci-Fi" fan. I go more for the supernatural/superhero stuff, I was never into Star Trek, and I like the original Star Wars trilogy, but the whole mythology of it doesn't hold much interest for me. I felt I needed to check BSG out because of all the rave reviews, but I wasn't sure what to expect.
I was very pleased to find that I absolutely LOVE the show. I started with the miniseries, thankfully, and was very pleased that of the approximately three hours, the majority of it was character development. I'm so please that this appears to be the main focus of the show, and not the nitty gritty of how their "universe" works. It's much like Firefly in that way. They don't explain much at all in terms of the technology, aside from the very first few lines of dialog aboard the Gallactica (the technology is old as a defense - that's all). I also enjoy the liberal use of the word "frak" (frac? frack?), alla Firefly (though surprisingly the cursing in Chinese seems more effective). But it's the characters that I love about this show, and how potentially-cliched plot elements don't turn out how you'd expect them to.
I'm not very far in, but I've seen the miniseries and the first seven episodes. So far there are two things I don't like:
1) Lee Adama - maybe he gets better, and I think he's well written, but miss-cast. The writing portrays him as intelligent and occasionally wise, and in the prison-break he certainly kicked some ass, but I don't think he delivers the lines well. For example, when he first appeared, I thought he was some spoiled brat, and I really don't think that was the intention. I don't know, maybe the problem is that I had a lower voice than he does when I was 13, so it's hard to take him seriously when he says "Good hunting" like a 10 year old
My apologies to any big Lee Adama fans out there. I've been going back and forth on this one, but I'm just not sure I buy the actor in that part.
2) The beginning of each show - I don't know what the episodes were like when they first aired, but the DVD episodes are
annoying. They start off with the same wrap-up of the back-story (alla The 4400), then show you some previous scenes (which, in any show, gives obvious clues as to what's being touched on in that episode). After that you get some opening scenes, followed by the opening credits.
THEN for some unknown reason they show you clips of exactly what's going to happen in that episode! What the hell is that??
These are only minor problems, given how fantastic this show is. I can't wait to see the rest. And as much as I'm enjoying it, I'm happy that it'll be ending soon. I'd really like to see a show of this quality wrap up its story in a smart way, and not drag it on two seasons too long.