Lancer Kind

I’ve got this essay about the conflict between the military that runs the Galactica and the President who presumes to represent the civilians.  I’d love to just post it below but if I do that where just anyone on the Internet can see it, then I’ll have troubling selling it to a magazine.

But I can post it in such a way that subscribers can read it.  This gives the editors comfort that only people who care about what I think would read it, and that can’t possibly be a large enough number for them to worry about the “freshness” of the article.  So the below article will ask you to register to continue reading.  I know it’s a pain, but think of the act of registering as a commitment to pretending that you care what I think.  Don’t take registering as a commitment to actually caring–maybe you love the TV series and want to make sure I didn’t screw it up.  That’s OK too.  A list of subscribers who pretend to care will make me feel loved.

Democracy through Battlestar Galactica
by Lancer Kind

The new Battlestar Galactica signaled from episode one how different it would be from the 1978 original series.  Its daring peaked in a scene with the sexy, tall Cylon named Six standing next to a human mother.  The mother allows Six to hold the baby.  Six cradles it in her arms and coos to it, making noises of admiration.  Then she puts her hand beneath its head and snaps its neck.  Soon after that, the Cylons nuke the cities on Caprica.  Contrast this scene with the opener of the original series where the largest emotional impact was seeing people dodge laser blasts and a boy’s dagget (dog) being killed off camera.  Times have changed.

The new Battlestar Galactica (referred to as Galactica from here on) didn’t stop there. [HIDEPOST]THEY HAVE SUCCESSFULLY RE-IMAGINED ITS TIRED ORIGINS OF SAVING HUMANITY FROM SPACE ROBOTS INTO A PLATFORM OF THEMES THAT WE SEE IN THE NEWSPAPERS TODAY: TORTURE/RAPE, WAR ATROCITIES, ABORTION, THE MORALITY OF SUICIDE BOMBING, AND MANY MORE.  IT’S NOT UNUSUAL FOR A SCIENCE FICTION SHOW TO TOUCH UPON ONE OF THESE THEMES EVERY TEN OR SO EPISODES, BUT THIS BATTLESTAR JUMPS INTO THE MIDDLE AND SHOWCASES THEM ON CENTER STAGE.

THE PRODUCERS MADE DECISIONS TO GIVE THE FICTION A CONTEMPORARY FEEL.  THEY REPLACED THE BLASTERS AND LASERS FROM THE ORIGINAL SERIES WITH THE WEAPONS THAT WE SEE DEPLOYED AROUND THE WORLD TODAY.  THE AUDIENCE SEES MUSHROOM CLOUDS OVER CAPRICA, BULLETS TEARING INTO A VIPER, OR MISSILES SPEEDING AT SHIPS.  THE VIEWERS GET THE FEELING THAT WHAT IS HAPPENING ON THE SCREEN ISN’T FAR FROM REALITY.

IN EPISODE 307, “A MEASURE OF SALVATION”, GALACTICA DISCOVERS A CYLON BATTLE GROUP DRIFTING IN SPACE.  GALACTICA SENDS A BOARDING PARTY AND THEY DISCOVER THAT THESE CYLONS ARE DYING FROM AN EPIDEMIC.  THEY RETURN TO GALACTICA WITH THE SURVIVORS WHO ARE ON THE BRINK OF DEATH.  ADMIRAL ADAMA DISCUSSES WITH PRESIDENT ROSLIN THAT THEY COULD USE THESE INFECTED CYLONS AS BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS TO WIPE OUT THE CYLON RACE.

HELO, A GALACTICA OFFICER, OBJECTS, SAYING THAT GENOCIDE SHOULD NEVER BE AN OPTION SINCE NOT EVERY CYLON FEELS THE HUMAN RACE SHOULD BE EXTERMINATED.  HE USES HIS OWN LIFE AS AN EXAMPLE.  HE’S MARRIED TO ATHENA (A CYLON) AND HAS FATHERED A CHILD WITH HER.  HE ARGUES THAT IT IS WRONG TO WIPE OUT A RACE OF INDIVIDUALS JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE AT WAR WITH THE GROUP.  BUT PRESIDENT ROSLIN SAYS THAT THESE MORAL CONUNDRUMS DON’T MATTER IF THERE AREN’T ANY HUMANS ALIVE TO DISCUSS IT.

ADAMA TELLS ROSLIN THAT HE NEEDS HER PRESIDENTIAL APPROVAL FOR THE USE OF BIOLOGICAL WEAPONS.  SHE ACCUSES HIM OF PASSING THE BUCK.  HE AGREES WITH HER AND SAYS, “WE START DESTROYING ENTIRE RACES, EVEN MECHANICAL RACES, WE’RE LIABLE TO TEAR OFF A PIECE OF MAN’S SOUL.”

WHEN HELO TELLS HIS WIFE WHAT IS HAPPENING, SHE SAYS SHE WILL SUPPORT THE ORDER TO EXECUTE THE BIOLOGICAL WARFARE PLAN BECAUSE HER OATH WAS TO DEFEND GALACTICA AND SHE HOLDS THAT ABOVE ALL ELSE, EVEN HER RACE.  SHE CHALLENGES HER HUSBAND: “LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING, HELO. MY PEOPLE MAY DIE. MY ENTIRE RACE MAY BE WIPED OUT…BUT THIS CYLON WILL KEEP HER WORD, EVEN IF IT MEANS SHE’S THE LAST CYLON LEFT IN THE UNIVERSE. CAN A HUMAN BEING DO THAT?”

HELO’S CONSCIOUS TELLS HIM THAT WIPING OUT A RACE IS WRONG.  THERE WILL BE COLLATERAL DAMAGE AND IT’S NOT HUMANE.  AS GALACTICA POSITIONS ITSELF TO EXECUTE THE PLAN, HELO REMOVES HIS DOG TAGS AND LEAVES HIS POST.  HE SABOTAGES THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL FOR THE CYLON’S CELL AND THEY ASPHYXIATE.  LATER THE CREW LEARNS THAT THE CYLONS HAVE BEEN KILLED.  WHEN ADAMA REPORTS THIS TO ROSLIN, SHE ASKS WHO WILL HEAD THE INVESTIGATION TO FIND OUT WHO WAS BEHIND THIS.  ADAMA SAYS “NO ONE.  I’M CLOSING THE BOOK ON THIS.”

HELO’S GOVERNMENT HAD GONE THROUGH THEIR CHECKS AND BALANCES AND HAD MADE ITS DECISION, YET HE TOOK ACTION ON HIS OWN AND BROKE HIS OATHS OF MILITARY SERVICE TO THWART THE PLAN.  IS HE A TRAITOR OR PATRIOT?  ADAMA FEARED THE CYLON THREAT BUT ALSO FEARED HIS PEOPLE COULD LOSE THEIR HUMANITY.  HE SUSPECTED HELO COMMITTED TREASON BUT HE CHOSE NOT TO INVESTIGATE.  IS HE A RESPONSIBLE LEADER?  ROSLIN PARED THE PHILOSOPHICAL DEBATE TO ITS BASIC ENDS–DO WHATEVER IT TAKES TO ENSURE HUMANITY’S SURVIVAL.  DOES ROSLIN BELIEVE THAT SURVIVAL JUSTIFIES ANY MEANS?

THROUGH THESE CHARACTERS, WE SEE THE WRITERS AND MEMBERS OF THIS COUNTRY ARGUE AND FIGHT ABOUT THE MORALITY OF GENOCIDE.  EVEN AT THE END, IT’S NOT CLEAR WHAT THE RIGHT ANSWER IS BECAUSE GALACTICA ISN’T USED AS A PLATFORM FOR PROMOTING THE “RIGHT ANSWER”, IT IS A PLATFORM FOR PRESENTING THE QUESTIONS AND ALLOWING THE VIEWER TO SEARCH ON THEIR OWN.  ON A REGULAR BASIS, GALACTICA TAKES ON THE BIG QUESTIONS THAT THIS COUNTRY WRESTLES WITH AND PUTS THEM ON SCREEN.

SHOWS LIKE GALACTICA PERFORM AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION IN A DEMOCRACY BY CREATING DIALOG ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL ISSUES.  IT’S WONDERFUL TO HAVE THIS DIALOG WOVEN INTO OUR ENTERTAINMENT BECAUSE MORE ARE ATTRACTED TO THE GLITZ AND GLAMOR OF AN ENTERTAINING STORY THAN UNFILTERED NON-FICTION.

AS MANY HAVE SAID, SCIENCE FICTION ISN’T ABOUT THE FUTURE, IT’S ABOUT THE PRESENT.  IN FIGHTING THE CYLONS, GALACTICA EXPLORES WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN, AND THESE EXPLORATIONS ARE RIDDLED WITH CONFLICT JUST LIKE THE BATTLE THAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD TODAY.

AND IF THAT DOESN’T GET YOU EXCITED, REMEMBER THIS: THE SHOW IS LOADED WITH HOT WOMEN!  AND I’VE HEARD THAT THE MEN ARE PRETTY EASY ON THE EYES TOO.

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Tags: Activist SF