Battlestar Galactica is GENIUS
The third season opener of BSG does not disappoint. (Confession: I am a sci fi geek, let's move on, no need to dwell on this point) I am two weeks behind the third seeason, but never mind -- this show sets into play all of the ideological contradictions of the present, and achieves the narrative and psychological complexity of the nineteenth century novel -- all in a politically charged relation to our present situation.
1. Military/civilian conflict in an alleged democracy that has been historically colonial/imperial -- but fighting for its survival
2. Cryptic cyborgs, here called cylons who are monotheistic, religious fanatics, searching for love in all the wrong places...and totally dismissive of death, since their downloaded into new bodies (sound familiar?)
3. The question of torture and illegal detention occur again and again in the perpetual state of war that is humanity's condition.
4. Corruption as an ambiguous progress of radical self-preservation -- Baltar, the so-called genius being the avatar of this principle.
5. Terrorism posed as the acceptable strategy of the desperate -- New Caprica, the Cylon occuped settlement is like an interplanetary Gaza Strip.
And last, but not least, the development of Cylon singularity or individuality is perhaps one of the MOST interesting problems here and will give us more narrative richness. This is not to mention the richness of each human character's flawed, but fascinating response to the situation in which s/he finds herself.
1. Military/civilian conflict in an alleged democracy that has been historically colonial/imperial -- but fighting for its survival
2. Cryptic cyborgs, here called cylons who are monotheistic, religious fanatics, searching for love in all the wrong places...and totally dismissive of death, since their downloaded into new bodies (sound familiar?)
3. The question of torture and illegal detention occur again and again in the perpetual state of war that is humanity's condition.
4. Corruption as an ambiguous progress of radical self-preservation -- Baltar, the so-called genius being the avatar of this principle.
5. Terrorism posed as the acceptable strategy of the desperate -- New Caprica, the Cylon occuped settlement is like an interplanetary Gaza Strip.
And last, but not least, the development of Cylon singularity or individuality is perhaps one of the MOST interesting problems here and will give us more narrative richness. This is not to mention the richness of each human character's flawed, but fascinating response to the situation in which s/he finds herself.
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