Well I really tried to be objective while watching the new Battlestar Galactica mini-series. I loved the orginal series, but am not fanatical enough to think it was perfect and truth be told, it could have used an update. But this new version, isn't what I had in mind.
I was also disappointed in the story and the characters as a whole. I give the writers credit for attempting to provide backstory to the Cylons, Colonies, and practically every character featured, but some of the ideas worked and some didn't. The origin of the Cylons lies within the Colonists is an idea that makes sense, but has become a bit cliche - the "rise of the machines" featuring a hot blonde sex robot gone bad, now where have I seen that before?
The concept of the Galactica being the oldest ship in the fleet, is interesting but doesn't fit within their own newly created continuity. They say the ship is 20 years old, just like the vipers and other vehicles featured in the original series (now on display in museums), but the new version of the Galactica itself doesn't at all fit with the look of the original series. In fact, I am really disappointed with the new design of the Battlestar.
I was not disappointed in the new Cylon fighters. Not only did they look very sleek and menacing, but I LOVE the idea that they are robotic fighters sans pilots. That makes a heck of a lot of sense! The only complaint I have is the red eye feature which make them look a little silly.
As far as the characters go, Adama is by and large the best of the bunch. Edward James Olmos is an excellent choice and had some great character moments throughout. My second fave is the now female Starbuck. I don't agree with the decision to make the character female, but I don't hold it against Katee Sackhoff - she energizes the scenes she's in. I also liked the character of Chief Petty Officer Tyrol (Aaron Douglas).
There were two characters that they really dropped the ball on IMHO. The first is Apollo, who is played by the rather bland Jamie Bamber. In the first part of the mini-series, he's just not likeable at all, and in the second half, he does very little except give his dad grief. The second, and perhaps the greatest injustice done to any of the original series players, is the new version of Baltar. He used to be the "Great Deciever", the betrayer of the entire human race. Now he's a spineless sack that doesn't even seem capable of planning what he'll have for breakfast tomorrow. What a waste!
It was a bit too obvious that the producers want this to be continued. There were way too many plot threads left exposed, most notably the announcement of Boomer as a "sleeper agent" at the end, which I found to be unnecessarily sensationalistic. If it does continue in some form, I'll be there to watch, but I hope it gets better from here.
Ms. Cornioley, who was 29 when she was sent to France in 1943, commanded troops who killed 1,000 German soldiers and wounded many more — while suffering only a tiny number of casualties themselves. She presided over the surrender of 18,000 German troops.
Ms. Cornioley received many honors, but the one that stuck in her mind was the one she turned down. That was Member of the British Empire, or M.B.E. She had been offered the civil version, not the military one.
She sent an icy note saying she had had done nothing remotely “civil.”
