This Addiction is Televised: An Ode to Battlestar Galactica

When I'm super busy, the one thing I still make time for is some escapism. Mostly in the form of must-see TV. I think it's because, no matter how busy I am and how crazy my life is, I need to unwind, and when you're exhausted, melting into the couch and tuning in doesn't involve much energy.


Of course, most of the shows I watch -- at least the ones I love -- aren't exactly shows designed to be escapist. Case in point: I've been re-watching the final season of Battlestar Galactica (BSG), which has been hailed by many (including Joss Whedon, ie: god) as the best show on television. Even though it's been almost a year since the series ended, if you've never seen it, now is as good a time as any to jump on board. The entire series is on DVD, and it's the kind of show you're going to want to watch obsessively from beginning to end.

BSG, like Lost (another fave of mine), takes place in a universe with a deep mythology and a rich history. It’s science fiction at its best: using a futuristic universe to tell stories that use metaphor to comment on our world.

When the series begins, the Twelve Colonies -- twelve worlds that are similar to earth, each inhabited by millions of people -- are destroyed by the Cylons: robot-like creatures who were created by humans and then rebelled against them. The Cylons had disappeared for decades, but reappeared to bomb the colonies with a new trick: a portion of them now look human.


With the entire human race almost extinct, the survivors (who happened to be in space during the attack) flee from the Cylons and set out to find a new planet where they can start again.


At its core, the show is really about the characters. There is the hard as nails commander who loves his crew, the female president who becomes president on the same day she finds out she's dying of cancer, the hot-head pilot who has a special destiny, and the exiled prodigal son who returns to his father's fleet. To name a few. Then there are all the Cylons, who may be closer to being human than they're made out to be.


Confused? Well, yes, it's hard to explain in a couple paragraphs. Read the Wikipedia article for some clarity or this blog post on why BSG is the best show ever. And trust me! Just watch it.


You don't have to commit right out of the gate. Battlestar Galactica started as a three-hour miniseries. Watch that first. You’ll know by the end of those three hours if you're going to like the series. You'll probably be completely addicted.