InsaneJournal

Finally started watching Battlestar...
Asides from eating chocolate all weekend, we also finally watched the Battlestar Galactic miniseries, which William lent me ages back, but was intimidating in its three hour long-ness. I am very glad I watched it, and did not just go to bed.

My favourite character at this point is Starbuck. I knew that it the original series, that character was male, and what impressed me with the show was that it was still a typically male role, but a woman. It's her insane piloting skills that rescue Lee at the end; when Tigh offers her an out for her insubordination, she doesn't take it, and insults him some more. Which is something you expect from a male character, but not so much from a female one. Joanna Russ wrote an essay about the things females can do in stories (pretty much just, you know, fall in love), and whilst we may have come a long way, Starbuck still really struck me.

Even retiring, unathletic, geeky girls like me secretly want to pilot spaceships. Really. Even if we're not entirely sure that 'spaceship' is the right word, but then neither is saying fighter plane, because it's in space. (Have to say though, the Vipers are bloody ugly.) And isn't it odd to think that no-one's ever actually fought a battle in space? Yet the imagery is so familiar.

My immediate reaction to Lee was, wow, I really want to punch him. It was just the way he looked. He did grow on me, particularly in his interactions with Roslin. They had good chemistry, and I liked how he immediately accepted her taking charge. Because she was good at it, dammit! She got things done, and she wouldn't take that military crap. I am all up for surviving, rather than going down with a bang.

I also wanted to punch Baltar, although that wasn't straight away, and his amoralism continued to startle me the whole way through. Really, if I were 'seeing' a cylon who wasn't there, I'd be worrying about chips and wondering if maybe getting on that plane to possibly endanger everybody more was such a good idea. But that's just me. And carrying a cylon in your head does appear to have its benefits.

Should cylon be capitalised? Is it like a brand name? (Yes, the AIs will love me.) Did they develop a bunch of different robots, but the Cylon was the brand that really took off, and eventually just took over the market. Why am I even thinking about this? I am very impressed with that Cylon technology though. They must have really good wireless, to do that conciousness-uploading thing.

What kind of scientist is Baltar, actually? It seemed to me he was a computer scientist, but then he was analysing compounds (presumably, or else he was just making crap up) and really, does being a genius mean you someone own all the fields? I hope not, because you don't just get generic scientists. (I'm sure even Rodney can't do everything.) At least he's a selfish womanising bastard of a scientist!

I'm really looking forward to watching the actual seasons now. Yay for science fiction television. Sometimes you are depressing, sometimes you are cool, but we love you anyway.

I am rather concerned now that I have the urge to go reread my sister's Star Trek Academy comics, I am not sure how exactly it came up? Damn the licencing issues that left them unfinished!