Welcome to Binge Watchin,’ where we take a look at some of the best TV shows available on streaming or disc that have a great catalogue of seasons to jump into and get sucked into the beautiful bliss of binge watching! From crime, action, comedy, drama, animation, etc., we’ll be evaluating an assortment of shows that will hopefully serve as a gateway to your next binge experience.
Series: Battlestar Galactica
Number of Seasons: 4
Where to watch: Netflix, Blu-ray/DVD
What's the show about?
Man created machines, the Cylons, to better themselves. When the Cylons rebelled against their masters, war broke out among the 12 colonies. After a long and bloody struggle, an armistice was declared and the Cylons left to find a world to call their own. 40 years later, the Cylons have returned to claim their home worlds. Having created 12 models that look identical to humans, they were able to infiltrate with relative ease. Nuclear strikes leave the humans desolated and on the run from the Cylons. The populace has dwindled to a mere 50,000 spread across a few dozen ships. The last remaining commander, William Adama (Edward James Olmos) leads the survivors to makind's greatest kept secret; the 12th colony. A world that can sustain life called, "Earth."
Why should I watch it?
Series creator Ronald D. Moore had put in his time writing for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Despite learning and excelling in his craft, he found that he quickly tired of the usual sci-fi tropes and pitfalls. He felt restricted by the guidelines of what he was able to do with the likes of Picard and Co. and yearned for a science fiction experience that embraced its characters and humanized them. Despite the name, Battlestar Galactica is a drama first and foremost, punctuated by science fiction, action and some really bad ass characters.
Battlestar is also one of the first re-imaginings to hit (before it was cool!) and while I don't know what compellted Ron Moore to take a cheesy Star Wars knock-off and completely restructure it, I'm glad as hell he did. With most Sci-Fi (especially Trek), there's a threat introduced early on in the episode and by the episode's end, everything is back to normal and nothing has changed. What's refreshing about Battlestar is that there is a natural and organic movement from episode to episode. The story progresses, characters advance and when there's a loss, you feel it. Battlestar was Game of Thrones before Game of Thrones! I love a show that not only makes you care for its characters, but is not afraid to do something with them.
Speaking of characters, the cast assembled for this show is ridiculously top-notch. Right off the bat, you've got Edward James Olmos has the highest ranking officer of the fleet. Eddy Olmos lends a great deal of weight to any role, and when he really has something to chew on, you'll see why this is one of the most coveted roles he's ever played. Acting opposite him is the President of the Colonies, Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell). The two have a back and forth that feels believable. While it's rocky at the start, the two form a friendship that feels as real as anything I've seen in TV. Their arc from the beginning of the show to the series' end is one of the most rewarding I've seen on television. That's just the tip of the ensemble ice berg, with officers and civilians each having fleshed-out and fully realized stories.
There's Gaius Baltar, the sole civilian most likely repsonsible for the downfall of human kind, who sees a supposedly imaginary Cylon in his head almost at all times. Lee 'Apollo' Adama is straight man, striving to do what's right in a world that's been all but destroyed. Then you have, without a doubt, one of the most badass characters introduced in any medium, Starbuck. Kara Thrace is a great pilot and stands toe-to-toe with any character she comes across. However, she's given a rich backstory and some raw emotion that feeds her strength. She's not a f*cking robot, and I love that about her. It's too easy to make badass females caricatures or two-dimensional, but Starbuck is a joy to watch at all times thanks to actress Katee Sackhoff.
The struggle is most definitely real as the Cylons seem to be on top of the humans every stop of the way. Having occupied the original colonies from wence they came, why do they pursue the humans? As each episode states, the machines have a plan and it's a real doozy (people still say that, right?). Having turned most of the Cylons into human look-alikes gives the show a quality similar to John Carpenter's THE THING. There's a state of mistrust, and when you or a character discovers who may be a Cylon, there's real hearbreak. It makes for great drama, which the show absolutely excels at.
There's a lot of cool, sci-fi bits involving giant space battles and human vs Cylon mash-ups, but the show never loses sight of taking it's stories and characters to interesting places. There are allegories aplenty, from the very 9/11-esque opening of the show to validity of suicide bombings. Masking these ideals under the guise of science fiction forces the viewer to think about them in a new light, and it's a genius move on the part of the writers. If you're fan of film and TV scores, composer Bear McCreary gives the listener some absolutely breathtaking music. From the heart-pounding, adrenaline-pumping taiko drums to the violin themes that tug at the heart strings, the score is one of the best I've ever heard and improves in quality with each season.
The masterstroke of the show is that they decided to end it on their own terms. Too often these days shows either get worse over time or are cancelled due to ratings. The creators chose to make season 4 their last, and with that in mind, were able to create an arc that was compelling and felt true to the characters. I've watched the show at least 4 times through now the replay value is off the charts. It's just as rewarding the first time as it is the last.
Best season:
As you no doubt have noticed, I've been careful not to divulge too much plot in this article. Everything you've read thus far is established in the mini-series that kicks off the show. I'll be honest and tell you that the mini-series is a hurdle, clocking in at over three hours. There's a lot of backstory to be established and even more characters. Once you get through that into the seasons (with most episodes clocking in at around 40 minutes), you're hooked.
While season 1 is fascinating in establishing its universe and characters, I'll give the edge to season 2 for taking its premise and running with it. At that point, you're fully invested in the characters and their plight. Furthemore, the Cylons are actually painted in shades of gray, asking its audience who the real enemy is. There's no doubt that season 3 is the weakest (trying to cave in to fan expectation) and season 4 it's most divisive, but you really can't wrong with the show as a whole.
Final thoughts:
Admittedly, I'm not a fan of watching TV on TV. I love to watch a show at my leisure. There are few shows that I've watched week to week, but Battlestar was one of those shows that I could not stand to go without. Discussing theories with my friends and pondering from week to week was great, but now that the entire show is available to watch at any time, you owe it to yourself to give it a go. When I knew I'd be writing this article and talking to you about Battlestar, I was giddy to pull out my Blu-ray set and revisit this universe. There was so much care and attention put into it. It absolutely shows. It's a great f*cking series and I love sharing it. Whether you've seen it before or never had a chance to check it out, now is a great time. Battlestar Galactica transcends the genre it was built for and solidifies itself as a great work of art.