Watching “Battlestar Galactica”

I somehow missed “Battlestar Galactica” when it was on TV originally. Well, there’s no somehow about it — it’s not like we were cruelly tricked. We watched the original miniseries, and thought it was fantastic. Then we watched the first episode of the actual series, the episode called “33,” and our reaction was tepid at best. It just never made it onto our weekly calendar. After hearing people rave about it for years, I wanted to give it another try, but it seemed like it was a show we’d have to watch from the beginning.

Now we have Netflix streaming on the big new TV, and so we have B:G from the beginning, and so I’m starting again with the mini-series.

I’ve watched most of the first episode of the miniseries again. I like it so far. I like the mix of retro technology with starships and advanced artificial intelligence; it gives the show the feeling of being space opera from the 40s and 50s. The cast are universally excellent, particularly Edward James Olmos as Admiral Adama and Michael Hogan as Colonel Tigh, Adama’s second-in-command who may not be up to the job.

Katee Sackhoff is great as Starbuck, and not unpleasant to look at.

Tricia Helfer is outstandingly otherworldly as Number Six, the Cylon infiltrator. She’s also not unpleasant to look at although she can use a sammitch.

I’ve loved Mary McDonnell since Dances With Wolves. She’s been great on The Closer, and her character on that show is getting her own spinoff series.

I can do without the 90210 angsty nonsense between Lee Adama and Admiral Adama. Yeah, yeah, I get it, your brother died and you blame your father. Just hug it out, bitches. Oh, wait, that’s the wrong TV series.

I’m watching the show in bursts of a 10-15 minutes at a time while eating breakfast and lunch. Probably not the best way to enjoy it, but it’s not something I’m going to get a chance to watch any other way. 79 episodes looks pretty intimidating when you’re barely done with episode one.