When I returned home last night, a package awaited me that I later knew would most definitely define a good portion of the near midnight hours of my night; a large, thin, hard bound book containing beautiful pictures, text and DVDs for the first four episodes of Battlestar Galactica's third season.It's extremely difficult to tell you too much about the new season and the episodes I watched without spoiling things for you, especially when I'm such a hardcore member of Spoilers Anonymous as it is. Sorry in advance if I'm giving too little or too much away, but I think this will be a good start to get you even more excited for the new season, which starts Friday, October 6.
Let me start by saying that you won't be disappointed. I admit I was afraid things were going to be pretty sketchy this season, with the show's creators taking a leap of faith by transplanting the series a year into the future. I'm extremely pleased at how well it's working, and there are lots of hints of promise for what's to come.
The opening scenes of the two-hour premiere (called "Occupation / Precipice") are almost poetic, and they definitely give you that excited feeling that "holy crap, BSG is back!" That haunting, ethereal music, teasing shots of people we've come to know on the show. It only keeps getting better.
The opening credit scenes, though they looked a little unfinished, are a bit different than last season. In the opening "they have a plan" intro, they've thrown in a few scenes from last season. During the opening credits scene, they've stuck with the format of teasing us with future scenes from the episode, while also changing the scenes prior to those teases. Nothing major, but they're there.
My tired eyes only allowed me to watch the two-hour premiere, the following episode and about ten minutes of the next. Oh, you can bet your ass I'll be finishing up the last two episodes tonight. But here's some teases I can give you from what I did see without giving anything too spoilery away:
We start about 134 days later than we last left the show. I'm reasonably sure this isn't news, but I can now confirm it. The colonials have been living amongst the Cylons for all this time, and you'll see all that's changed because of it. And I think there are things that will surprise you.
Someone who many suspected to be a Cylon last season looks not to be one. It's not explicitly stated, but when you see just the opening minutes of the two-hour season premiere, you'll likely come to the same conclusion.
Starbuck's situation will surprise you. Not only will her whereabouts surprise you, but when Starbuck meets someone named Casey, you may be surprised at her reactions toward her.
Lee Adama's state of body and mind is a bit shocking. Remember, he's back on Galactica and Pegasus with his father and a paltry skeleton crew. He hasn't had a whole lot of motivation, to say the least.
Colonel Tigh isn't taking things laying down. Maybe it's just me, but I've always felt Tigh acted very much like an old seasoned sea captain, who'd take no crap from the bad elements thrown at him. I was disappointed when we saw a lot of his weak side on Galactica in the past two seasons, especially when he couldn't do a whole lot without Adama around. He's acting more like that seasoned sea captain now, along with the battle scars to earn it. Put it this way -- the promo pictures for season three showing Saul aren't quite accurate (yet, at least).
There are dogs on New Caprica. Not really a spoiler, but I found it odd that there was a domesticated dog on the planet, when they've only been there less than two years. Did they really have dogs on Galactica?
I'll leave you with that for now. I'm sure there will be more to mention once I watch the two-parter I've already started (and then the following episode after that). I'll leave those for my next Spoilers Anonymous entry, though I'll be just as cryptic if not moreso.
So yes, be excited for season three. Very excited.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
8-31-2006 @ 11:17AM
Akbar Fazil said...
"There are dogs on New Caprica"
im sure someone in the fleet had an animal or two as pets.
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8-31-2006 @ 11:49AM
Lacey said...
36 days and counting.
I can't wait.
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8-31-2006 @ 12:22PM
BG said...
Remember, there were civilian ships in the fleet. If people travel on planes with their pets, I'm sure people travelled between the colonies with them, too. I'm sure some of those civilian ships had dogs.
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8-31-2006 @ 1:19PM
Jimmy said...
I don't think there is a single series I've been looking forward to as much as Battlestar Galactica. I've commented on this many times before, but this series is one of the most well-written and well-acted dramas currently on television. I am so looking forward to watching new episodes.
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8-31-2006 @ 1:48PM
Jason P said...
If you watch the original Battlestar, you'll remember that Boxie had a daggit (i.e. dog) on Caprica and it was killed and/or left behind as he and his mom (hottie!) left the planet.
He generally pouted and whined and so they gave him the experimental new robo-daggit.
Frankly, if I had to choose between a dog and a midget in a costume, there's NO question as to which I'd choose.
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8-31-2006 @ 2:15PM
David said...
Yeah, me too! I would totally pick the midget in a costume. Just think of all the fun you can have.
I saw some previews of BsG during Eureka and I got goose bumps. This is THE BEST SHOW ON TV. I tell everyone to watch it and they laugh. But I'll learn 'em though. I'm going through Season 2 again with two convertees so when we're done, we'll be ready to go for Season 3.
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8-31-2006 @ 3:08PM
Akbar Fazil said...
"and a midget in a costume"
Sorry Jason P, you are wrong on there.
Muffit in the original series was not a midget in a costume. It was a chimp.
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8-31-2006 @ 4:27PM
chris said...
Keith McDuffee: You are the luckiest guy in the world!!!! I envy you, dammit!
BSG is the best show on the television today. The writing, acting, production, etc. are all top-notch. There is so much momentum building for this show, I know the ratings will be great for the 2 hour premiere.
And it isn't such a stretch of the imagination to believe that the dogs were a part of the fleet. I'm sure we could see some cats, or pet birds in future episodes. Hell, the doc could have a pet monkey he keeps in his quarters that we've never seen, who knows.
Anyways, BSG RULES!
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8-31-2006 @ 4:47PM
erroneous_nick said...
BSG is far and away my family's favorite show. And to think I had to drag my wife, kicking and screaming, to the television to watch when it premiered. Now, she's a bigger fan than I am, if that's even possible.
Tennis Channel? Shopping Channel? Weather Channel? Bah! How 'bout BSGN: The Battlestar Galactica Network?
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8-31-2006 @ 5:14PM
Marsha said...
I did the same thing with my husband. Practically had to drag him to the TV and force him to watch. Now the man loves the show. I'm working on people from work. I'm so jealous. You really are the luckiest.....
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8-31-2006 @ 5:35PM
chris said...
I'm taking a WILD guess here, but could "Casey" be the girl Leoben is holding in the Season 3 preview?
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8-31-2006 @ 10:10PM
Joey Geraci said...
What are you talking about, "someone we thought was a cylon actually isn't". We only know the identity of five cylons right, and those have been confirmed in the various episodes, and seen on the cylon homeworld. The two guys (one beat up adama on the other ship, and I don't remember where we were introduced to the other one), and the three girls (xena,boomer,and baltar's babe). Are there any I am forgetting? If not, how could any of those not be cylons!!???
Damn you Keith, damn you to hell!!!! for planting this seed in my head that is going to torture me until the season premiere! You better reveal who the hell you are talking about, or my head will explode, and it will be your fault!!!!
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8-31-2006 @ 10:28PM
Chris Devers said...
I think "someone we thought was a Cylon" means someone that is currently "officially" human, but due to their behavior is suspected to be a Cylon sleeper agent. The two obvious candidates for that, I think, are:
* Tigh's wife: she always seems shifty; bad things always happen when Tigh follows her advice; she came back under mysterious circumstances after having been presumed dead in the original Cylon attack.
* Gaeta: just something about his attitude seems robotic -- very officious, very good with computers, etc. He'd be a well-placed agent, which would make sense, and his behavior doesn't rule out the possibility.
I'm taking it to mean that something will happen to make someone, probably one of these two, probably Tigh's wife, come down as being truly, unarguably a human. I can't imagine what would prove that, but watching and finding out will be part of the fun of the new season... :-)
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8-31-2006 @ 11:11PM
Lacey said...
Joey Geraci:
We know about 7 Cylons.
6, 8, and 3. The ladies.
Then there's Doral, who we found out was a cylon early on.
Then there's Leoben, who we've seen a few times, because we've only seen him in that episode, and I don't think we've ever seen any copies of him.
And the doctor from the "the Farm"....unless he's the one who's not a cylon.
And finally, there's Cavill, who we found out was a cylon in the finale.
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9-01-2006 @ 12:25AM
Chris Devers said...
Starbuck killed the doctor who was attending to her, then escaped the hospital and encountered another version of the same man, unwounded. Definitely a cylon.
Leoben was interrogated and thrown out the airlock, so that version is definitely dead. Another copy of him was with the cylons invading the planet at the end of last season ( http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Lay_Down_Your_Burdens%2C_Part_II ). So, again, definitely a cylon.
Here's more detail on the known cylons: http://en.battlestarwiki.org/wiki/Cylon_agent
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9-01-2006 @ 7:49AM
chris said...
I agree w/ an earlier post. The person we thought was a Cylon isn't--that would be Tighs' wife. I mean, when she showed up, almost everyone initially was suspicious of her still being alive. Then, throughout the season, her motives were very self-serving(she wanted Adama out; she screwed over Laura when she was in the brig, etc.). I have always thought she could be a Cylon. Now, maybe, we'll find out that she is just a slimy, low-life human being.
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9-01-2006 @ 8:35AM
Lacey said...
You're right about the doctor, Chris Devers, I forgot about that.
I suppose I should pull out my season 2.0 DVDs and start brushing up while I wait for season 2.5 to come out on dvd. lol
And that part at the end of my Leoben description was supposed to go after the doctor....I added it when I was done, and just wasn't paying attention.
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9-01-2006 @ 9:25AM
Lacey said...
oh, and one more thing.
Ellen is NOT a Cylon and we already know that. "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part I, in a deleted scene she and Saul celebrate their 7 Year anniversary...
And the cylon infiltration took place 2 years before the actual attack.
She's not a cylon.
So, since we already knew that, I'm assuming it's someone else.
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9-01-2006 @ 1:07PM
Tucker said...
Actually, I don't envy Keith all that much... All this means is that he has to wait even longer to see new episodes instead of getting one a week :)
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9-01-2006 @ 1:09PM
Tucker said...
On the "not a cylon" thing, I know a lot of people around teh internets have been talking about the possibility of Baltar being a cylon... Maybe we find out he's definitely human? Just another possibility, personally I've always thought he was human, but you know how people talk.
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