Galactica and Heroes
Last Friday’s 2-hour season premiere of Battlestar Galactica was perhaps the most painful hour of television I’ve seen this side of the episode of Six Feet Under when David was abducted and tortured. Maybe more painful. But I mean that in a good way.
Four months into the Cylon’s occupation of the humans on New Caprica, and Colonel Tigh is mounting an insurgency. But barring access to military hardware and faced with a superior force, Tigh resorts to terrorism and suicide bombers to try to beat back the enemy.
Galactica has never been an easy show to watch — it’s always been dark. But things are significantly bleaker on the outset of Season Three. The Cylons, who were softened and made somewhat sympathetic since the original mini-series, are now indefensible as they fight back with an iron fist, rounding up the families of suspect insurrgents and planning the mass-executions of those that resist. And Baltar, the humans’ collaborator President, is now completely irredemable, caving completely to Cylon control. There are plenty of parallels to be made between BSG and the U.S. occupation of Iraq, but I’m also reminded of Vichey France during World War II, and the Japanese occupation of the Philippines.
I don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t seen it, yet, but I will say that while things have been bad in the past, I’m unsure of how the humans will get out of this intact. No doubt, Adama will manage to liberate some of his people and get them moving to Earth again, but not without a significant body count.
The other show I’ve enjoyed this season is NBC’s Heroes. With a sprawling cast, a dash of sci-fi and fantasy, and a focus on characterization, Heroes can easily be compared to ABC’s Lost. But unlike Lost, the production team (which includes comic book writer Jeph Loeb), clearly has a plan for where this is going. An apocalyptic event is coming in five weeks, and only a group of strangers with emerging super powers can stop it.
By far, the best character on the show is Hiro, a Japanese salaryman who develops the ability to control the space-time continuum. His joy at discovering his powers, as well as his drive to be a hero like the American superheroes he idolizes makes for an interesting and endlessly likable character. It doesn’t hurt that the actor is also extraordinarily charming.
Rumor has it that Battlestar Galactica will be moving from SciFi to NBC. If this happens, let’s hope they have the good sense to pair it up with Heroes on Monday nights.
Sci-Fi/Fantasy Television | jeff | 10 October 2006 |
