Battlestar Galactica (Beware....Possible SPOILERS! read at your own risk)

[sigpig]

The woman in the tube was a 'Hybrid' and is basically the organic computer/brain running the Base Stars.  Sort of like something out of Dune.

Or Pilot from Farscape...

I think they hybrid is not one of the other 5 type of cylons - hence the term hybrid      Notice how she wasn't given a vote in the decision to jump.

 

[Trinity]

Where did you get that from?

I watched a tv special on it....  From my own M.Div training I see lots of correlations between
the show and religion....

because i'm lazy.. I'm going to simply put in the wikipedia answer to it.

Religious and mythological references

The twelve colonies are named after the astrological signs of the Greek zodiac; for example, Scorpia (Scorpio), Caprica (Capricornus), and Aquaria (Aquarius). Several of the characters in the series have names corresponding to significant characters in Greek mythology, including Apollo, Athena, and Cassiopeia. The word "Adama" in Hebrew (though pronounced, in Hebrew, "adama" with the stress on the final syllable) means earth (in the sense of soil) and is the root word for the word "man" or "mankind" ("adam").

The character Count Iblis in the 1978 series was inspired by the name for Satan (Iblis) in Islamic mythology.

In the 1978 pilot episode, the president of the Colonies referenced that they were "approaching the seventh millennium of time." Some Bible scholars assert the seven days of creation described in the Book of Genesis occurred in the fourth millennium B.C. If the universe began then, the 21st century would have marked the seventh millennium.

Less apparent are references to the mythology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (more commonly known as the Mormon church). Original series producer Glen Larson is a member of this sect. Parallels include:

    * Central to the plot of the series is a legendary thirteenth colony, somewhere far distant from the twelve that are known. In Mormonism, there is no doctrinal or cultural reference to a 'Thirteenth Tribe'. But there are some parallels that may have inspired this 'Thirteenth Tribe' idea:
          o In the Tanakh, Yisra'el had twelve sons. Yosef received a double inheritance and the Tribe of Yosef was split into the tribes of Efraym and M'nashe. When Moshe led them from Egypt back to the Promised Land, they are divided into thirteen divisions (but only twelve tribes for purposes of inheritance---due to their service in the Temple, the Tribe of Levi received no inheritence).
          o The Book of Mormon alleges during the reign of king Zedekiah (about 600 BC), two separate groups left (Helaman 8:21, 22) Jerusalem and supposedly ended up in the Americas and became the Native Americans (Helaman 6:10); a remnant (or 'thirteenth tribe') of the twelve tribes of Israel.
    * A Council of Twelve, headed by a president, governs the colonies. A president who is assisted by two counselors and a Quorum of the Twelve Apostles preside over the Mormon Church.
    * The beings on the Ship of Light say, "as you are, we once were; as we are, you may one day be", a parallel to the Mormon belief that even God was once a human being.
    * The system which is believed to be the original home of the human race is Kobol. In Mormon mythology, the star closest to the Throne of God is called Kolob.
    * The series often refers to the Gods. Mormon mythology believes in multiple gods.
    * In the 1980 series, a character says "The Glory of the Universe is knowledge." This mirrors a passage in the LDS Scriptures which says "The glory of God is intelligence", (Doctrine and Covenants 93:36), which is also one of the mottos of Brigham Young University.

Other references include:

    * The pagan gods predominantly worshipped by the people of the colonies, the twelve Lords of Kobol, appear to mirror the Twelve Olympians of Greek Mythology (the twelve principal gods in the Greek pantheon). This is drawn from references by the characters to worshipping such deities as Artemis and Apollo.
    * An important plot point in the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica is that the humans of the Twelve Colonies worship a pantheon of pagan gods, similar or identical to the Greek pantheon, whereas the Cylons worship a single god.
    * The show's concept, that of a group of refugees searching for a new homeland and led by a famed military commander, could arguably have its roots in Virgil's Aeneid, part of the mythology surrounding Rome's beginnings.
    * Colonial Warriors (Galactica's Viper pilots) wear a patch on the right shoulder of their flight jacket of a Shri chakra, a yantra.
    * "Adar", the name of Colonial President, is the final month of the Hebrew Calendar.
    * Kamala (the extract that the President takes for her cancer) is the Hindi word for lotus. The lotus, in both Buddhism and Hinduism, is a divine symbol and has many mythical associations. The chief lotus myths revolve around the lotus as a symbol of creation.

[edit] Political references 

 

[Donut]

SigPig,

I think it's been well established that the plot paralells scripture as it describes the exodus of the Tribes of Israel, and perhaps other Old Testament stories, too.  Adama is the Adam figure...there's lots of other confluences, too, but it's been too long since I took a religious studies course for me to attempt to draw them out.

Anyone?  Bueller?

edit: Thanks Trinity

DF

 

[Trinity]

No problems Med Tech...  I was too lazy to type out
the things I found.. even then I fear I wouldn't explain
them sufficiently..  AMEN GOOGLE  (or should I say.... So say we all Google)

The word Amen (Tiberian Hebrew אָמֵן ’Āmēn "So be it; truly", Standard Hebrew אמן Amen, Arabic آمين ’Āmīn, Ge'ez' አሜን ’Āmēn) is a declaration of affirmation found in the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and in the Qur'an. It has always been in use within Judaism and Islam. It has been generally adopted in Christian worship as a concluding formula for prayers and hymns. In Islam, it is the standard ending to suras. Common English translations of the word amen include: "Verily", "Truly", "So be it", and "Let it be". 

Hence. So say we all = Amen    another little religious tidbit inserted into the show
without our awareness



Incidently.. while playing and reading about BSG on Wiki
I found this

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Enterprise_in_BSG_fleet.jpg

USS Enterprise added as a joke in the miniseries episode only..... 

 

[niner domestic]

Ok, so the hybrid runs the cylon ship, have we got an inkling who is running the cylons? Is it/ Are they mechanical or organic?

My theory on the hybrid; she/it/he is the precursor to the self sustainable organic models. A MK I if you like, the 6 are a MK II, the remaining 6 are MKIIIs and I suspect they are hybrids of humans and cylon organics and the reason no one can find them yet, they are all still infants (or they are the MKIV models and were still missing the other 6 adult organic cylons).

 

[Kat Stevens]

I think the whole "we don't talk about them thing" is interesting.  Maybe they split from the whole idea of destroying humanity, a sign of an evolving conscience?  The existing 6 models are also beginning to show signs of doubt, and flagging resolve to see the job through.  or I could be verbalising via my sphincter....

 

[Trinity]

good point

I think the cylons split after bombing the humans

that's why we only see 6 cylons instead of 12

HOWEVER...  there HAS to be other models of cylons who are
on the other side of the split still wandering around the ships.....

And one can only assume their position is to still destroy the humans.

Sounds like a civil war inside the Cylons.

 

[Trinity]

What I'm really interested in seeing is what happens to Col Ty now, will he still be a prominent character or will he just slowly be phased out?

my guess... Suicide

 

[Torlyn]

Why do we keep saying 6?  We've got the identities of 7, don't we?

Sharon (booomer/athena)
Xena
Blondie
Reporter guy
Starbuck's lover (Ugly guy)
Starbucks' doctor (the black guy)
Priest (Mr. Quantum Leap)

So...  We don't know the identity of 5, right? But those 5 and the priest have buggered off?  Is that right, or am I on crack?

T

 

[Cardstonkid]

There is obviously a great deal of division amongst the Cylons. The one model being accused of not even being able to say "god", implying he is the atheist among them.

My bet is that the original 6 models were sent out as the first sleeper agents into humanity, but then refused to carry out the destruction of human civilization, as they evolved to love humans to a point that caused them to overwrite their original programming. I think Baltar and Admiral Adama are sleepers that refused to awaken. That is why Baltar can project and why Adama, even at an older age can whip a Cylon and recover from multiple gun shot wounds.

Of course I am probably wrong, but this a great series that just about anything can happen in, so we will just have to wait and see. Unfortunately I am going on weekend BMQ so I will miss the rest of the series for this season! Oh well, there is always the DVD rentals.

 

[niner domestic]

Cardston: Another member put me onto a site that you can download all the episodes for a nominal fee so keep that in mind instead of waiting for the DVD (which will probably be divided up again as Season 2 was).

Well, if the writers are following classic Hollywood script writing and hoping to get it past the censors, then they'll either have to redeem Tigh from his act(s) of murder(s) in order to let him live or he'll have to die as retribution for his evil acts.  Hollywood formula doesn't like to reward an act of evil and sponsors don't like that kind of message being given out along with their cereal's yumminess.   

 

[Shamrock]

Here's a better list of the models for you:

1.  Brother Cavil: Number Two (Dean Stockwell)

2.  D'Anna Biers: Number Three (Lucy Lawless)

3.  Aaron Doral: Number Five (Matthew Bennett)

4.  Caprica Six, Gina, Shelley Godfrey: Number Six (Tricia Helfer)

5.  Lt. Sharon Boomer Valerii, Lt. Sharon Athena Agathon: Number Eight (Grace Park)

6.  Leoben Convoy: Number Eleven (Callum Keith Rennie)

7.  Simon: Number Unknown (Rick Worthy)

Call me bonkers, I think each model will correspond with the twelve colonies and have traits expected of their corresponding sign of the zodiac.

 

[Trinity]

Cardstone....

I swear I've talked about those who CANNOT be a cylon in the thread

Adama is at the top of the list.  He can't be a cylon considering
he was alive during the first cylon war... and probably fought in them.

Adding to the fact he has a son (two actually.. one died)... he's human.


12 tribes - 12 cylons ...  interesting concept.

 

[rmacqueen]

Cardstone....

I swear I've talked about those who CANNOT be a cylon in the thread

Adama is at the top of the list.  He can't be a cylon considering
he was alive during the first cylon war... and probably fought in them.

Adding to the fact he has a son (two actually.. one died)... he's human.

Plus he was instrumental in Galatica not having all the fancy computer equipment that was the downfall of the other battlestars.

Reviewed my tape from Sat and there is a dead cylon on the infected ship that could be Ty's wife but the angle of the shot makes it hard to tell.

 

[sober_ruski]

I guess that hybrid baby is suppose to represent the 13th colony then?

 

[-Marauder-]

I guess that hybrid baby is suppose to represent the 13th colony then?

Woah.  That's deep.

I love this show...and the dialogue in this thread!  If only they'd get away from having pilots lead ground combat/boarding actions.  After all they went to the trouble to have marines...

Cheers,

Mike

 

[Trinity]

I love this show...and the dialogue in this thread!  If only they'd get away from having pilots lead ground combat/boarding actions.  After all they went to the trouble to have marines...

That used to drive me crazy on the TV show Space, Above and  Beyond.

A squadron of pilots would then be a section of ground infantry...  ???

 

[Shamrock]

I love this show...and the dialogue in this thread!  If only they'd get away from having pilots lead ground combat/boarding actions.  After all they went to the trouble to have marines...

Even a series steeped in reality still faces normal television broadcasting constraints such as budget, viewer-based problems, and character development.  Having Biff the Space Pilot become Biff the Space Marine allows more dialogue, thus further character development and viewer relation to said character.  It also decreases viewers having to keep track of multiple characters and keeps budgets lower (one actor vs. two).  This is where we are required to suspend our disbelief.

 

[Trinity]

to suspend our disbelief.

Oh.. just like being in the real army.... I get it!  ;D

 

[sigpig]

That used to drive me crazy on the TV show Space, Above and  Beyond.

A squadron of pilots would then be a section of ground infantry...  ???

That always drove me nuts about that show, and it's also the first thing I thought about when I read that quote  

I don't recall all the occurances of it on BSG but it seems to me it happened more as a result of circumstances - "The ship has been boarded, who can lead this party to repel boarders?", as opposed to the planned missions the pilots/grunts on Space A&B went on.