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It's been on for a while, so I wonder if any fellow BSG fans have been watching. So I guess inside every centurion beats the heart of a teenage girl with daddy issues But in all seriousness, it's not a bad show, it certainly has that serious tone it that Galactica had. Though I heard it hasn't been doing too well in terms of ratings.
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
I like it, but it definitely didn't pick me up and run with me like BSG did, it's more like Twin Peaks, in that it's an acquired taste, not for the general audience whose attention span is too narrow for this sort of thing.
I have a few gripes; the drawn-out grief scenes with Stoltz and his wife in the first five episodes kind of stops the show in its tracks, though I understand why the director wants to establish the nature of their shoddy marriage. I also feel that the whole ethnic "Tauron" thing is a big retcon, but they're doing a lot of interesting things with it.
I'm glad they don't spare the CGI expenses. Every scene I see with Zoe in the lab, I expect to see only the robot quickly in the opening seconds and then no more, that they will force the viewer to use suspension of disbelief from then on, but they do cut back to the Cylon every so often, which is nice.
I like how they've used Virtual World so far, it's a nice cross between chatroom and MMO, I see both "eXistenZ" and the Matrix in it, and the need for destructive distractions (Battlefield 2, Call of duty). They seem to have people with actual "modern escapism" experience doing the production of those things.
The acting is as good as in BSG, I think. Stoltz' wife can be very irritating with her shrill voice, poor judgement and loony antics, but it's probably an important aspect.
The whole religious subplot can get interesting, as long as they don't just reduce it to the One God being an "Allah"-analogue. They need to tread very lightly so as not to just piss on the whole East vs West debate right now. They got through BSG ok, so...
Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
In what way are the Taurons and their culture a retcon? As I recall the only direct mention of them in BSG was just that they'd often push their luck with the Colonial Fleet. Anything that Caprica does is just elaborating on what's been established.
As for the STO/comparison, Christians and Jews have been known to set off bombs as well, so in the realms of monotheistic extremism, Muslims are hardly unique in that. If anything, most of the STO members so far look like the Bible bashing variety of nutters.
I'm glad the show is finally getting a move on from the events of the pilot and they seam to have temporarily ditched the police sub-plot, which is a good thing. I mean we know who's behind it so we really don't need to see the Caprican fuzz blindly stumbling around and scratching their heads.
posted
In the last episode, Zoey and the nerd are flying in jet planes, and Zoey calls it a Viper. Could it be the Viper mk.I?
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
Ok maybe not a retcon, just a very particular and intense development that, to me, hadn't been gleaned from BSG. The addition of the Vergis-character was nice, showing a different faction of the Tauron syndicates. I see that actor everywhere nowadays, he's on the up and up. Also, the Yakuza-yet-not tattoo tradition got some more exposure.
Regarding the religiolous elements of the STO, there was indeed an undeniable smattering of xtreme-Catholic penance going on with the Bar(n)ab(b)as-guy. Also, speaking of school locker antics, a swedish kid was caught last week with dynamite and primers in his locker. Sick.
I wish there would some day be a meaty chart detailing the changes in the Mk.III, IV, V and VI Vipers.
Registered: Aug 1999
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quote:Ok maybe not a retcon, just a very particular and intense development that, to me, hadn't been gleaned from BSG.
So you're saying they can't come up with anything new, even when BSG left them with an effectively blank slate with certain elements? That's just stupid, especially considering it's basically the same creative team behind both shows, so it's hardly a case of being disrespectful of the source material.
Given the options of expanding on a colonial culture we know next to nothing about or just having everyone be a bunch of dull, yank analogue Capricans, I'd take the former option any day.
quote:I wish there would some day be a meaty chart detailing the changes in the Mk.III, IV, V and VI Vipers.
Seams obvious enough. Wings get progressively swoopier, noses get pointier and the engines get smaller.
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Hey now wait, I'm not claiming any of those things you claim I claim. I wasn't bashing Caprica, there is nothing inherently negative in saying that the Tauron growth is a "very particular, intense and unforeseen development". I just tried to explain what made me reach for "retcon" even though it indeed isn't applicable on Taurons. I like the creative team. I'm looking forward to seeing Gemenon. I wonder if they will have people among them that look like this, or perhaps this.
quote:Seams obvious enough. Wings get progressively swoopier, noses get pointier and the engines get smaller.
Yes and by the same token, a christmas ham is just a heap of proteins, calcium and cartilage. You need to tap into the ham, become the ham. We're talking color schemes, hardpoints, canopy shapes, even those little things on the ends of the wings that go "beep". We're on a forum that catalogues the fonts of opening credits.
The Mk.I looks like a cross between a Phantom (air intakes) and a Hornet.
Registered: Aug 1999
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Edit: Actually looking at a pick of it, it has two tail fins attached directly to the engines, almost directly connected to the wings.
Registered: Feb 2005
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posted
I have to wonder if it's a good idea for the cockpit to be so far back. I mean in zero-G where the fighter can to a 180 flip and face backwards while still travelling in the same direction, it makes sense to have the pilot near the centre of mass. But for a jet...I don't know, I just presume there's a good reason why real modern jets have the pilot so close to the nose.
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There were several radial engine air racers in the 40's-50's that had the cockpit almost built into the tailfin, if I iirc correctly. Anyway, I appreciate if they want to avoid copying too many existing shapes and designs from history.
Registered: Aug 1999
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![[Wink]](wink.gif)
But in all seriousness, it's not a bad show, it certainly has that serious tone it that Galactica had. Though I heard it hasn't been doing too well in terms of ratings.
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