BostonTV: Five Reasons Not to Be Scared of Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica is heading into the distant sunset, meaning there’s no better time than right now to catch up with Dwight Schrute’s favorite show. Here are five reasons to watch.

1. There are real characters with real problems.
These characters are realistic and relatable: they deal with grief, relationships, and pressure from their crappy jobs. Sure, maybe “being on a huge spaceship under attack by humanoid robots” isn’t a problem most of us face. But when one semi-major character committed suicide a few episodes ago, even casual fans were upset and took to the interwebs to discuss their reactions.

2. Major eye candy hangs around the fleet.
Let’s spell it out: torrid affairs, forbidden love, half-Cylon/half-human babymaking, and some good old-fashioned bootknocking ensure the show is never boring.

3. The effects are genuinely spectacular.
This is not your typical low-budget CGI extravaganza. Each episode looks like a mini movie, with high-quality fight scenes, lonely interplanetary landscapes, and explosions. Even the metal Cylons are creepy.

4. The writers create absorbing storylines.
The event that started everything—the holocaust on human civilization—was bloody and horrifyingly realistic. Since then, spies and imposters have besieged the fleet. We’ve wondered about the identity of the last, unknown Cylon and we’ve worried about the fleet’s survival after some major obstacles.

5. It’s not as geeky as you think. Okay, it’s pretty geeky.
The show’s set on a space ship. There are robots. It's called Battlestar Galactica. But the nerds are laughing at you because you’re missing a pretty cool show. Fans of Star Wars or other big budget movies have nothing to fear by renting the first season on DVD and giving it a try. It’s on Friday at 10PM on, yes, Sci-Fi Channel: tell your friends you need an extra hour to pregame alone before your exciting night in Allston. Just try not to adopt the word “frak” into your vocabulary.