I don't think I can take it any more

[dreamshark]

Battlestar Galactica.

Watched the first season, and it was really good, but increasingly exhausting. We got the first DVD of the 2nd season, watched the first episode, and it was excruciating. Everybody in the cast was covered in blood most of the time, even the people that didn't seem to be wounded. Cylons tromped around eviscerating people, things blew up and people died slowly in agony, and unseen enemies that might or might not be Cylons started picking off the survivors from the trees. Back on the ship, the people who aren't being shot, sliced up or blown up are either unconscious in sick bay without a single doctor on board (WTF?), or busy pointing guns at each other. It was one of the most depressing episodes of anything I have ever seen, with no closure whatsoever, just things going from bad to worse.

Tonight we watched the second episode and it was just more of the same. When one of the ship's officers that was still standing announced that within minutes everybody left alive on the ship was going to be blown into space and die, I found myself thinking it would be a great relief and kind of hoping it would happen soon. (Spoiler: it didn't). However, nobody in the cast has even had time to wash off the blood they've been wearing for two episdoes now, and I'm beginning to fear that they're going to spend the entire second season lurching around in that Halloween-zombie makeup. Yecch.

My question is... does it just go on like this? Because if it does I might ast well quit watching right now. I appreciate the fact that the series creators are trying to get away from the action series cliches where everything goes wrong and then gets magically fixed by the end of the hour, but enough is enough. This just isn't any fun. Is there any reason to keep watching?

Comments

[barondave.livejournal.com]

If you listen to the commentaries (and there are "podcasts" for most of them on the Netflix DVDs), you get to understand that the first season's story arcs don't end until the middle of the second season. I haven't seen the third season yet (and I'm hoping they'll be out in time for me to watch them and see the fourth season in real time), but later in the second some okay stuff happens.

On the other hand, of the first two seasons, the best episodes were easily the four-part pilot mini-series. You have enough info to judge the series and if you want to stop I don't blame you. I'm interested enough in the characters and the outcome to continue, though it's been nearly a year since I've seen one.

Aside: lukeski is writing a song featuring Cthulhu and could use some help. If you could drag R to the computer to look at his latest post...

[buttonlass.livejournal.com]

I have to admit I think the answer is no, and I like the series. It seems to just get more depressing as time goes on. I'm currently in the middle of the third season and things aren't any more lighthearted or optimistic. I keep hoping the show will snap out of it and give me a nice pleasant episode. I too am tired of all the gore and angst.

[minnehaha.livejournal.com]

Between you and dreamshark, I've now been assured I don't ever need to watch this. Thanks to both of you.

K.

[buttonlass.livejournal.com]

It's definitely not for you. If I recall correctly you have no patience for the gore and ick and they show quite a bit of it.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Don't even THINK about watching this one, K. It fails every one of your tests.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

Basically this story arc ends in the middle of season 2 and then there's a little respite, followed by a shift into an entirely different set of story arcs inspired by the occupation of Iraq, followed by a third set of story arcs about troubled relationships that I find more boring and poorly acted than depressing.

We've had the rest of BSG 3 on tape for awhile, but I just am not interested in watching them except for closure.

On the other hand, I thought season 2 was great, despite the blood and depression.

[dreamshark.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the tip. Maybe I'll let Richard and/or thorintatge finish out this story arc and let me know when the next one starts. I might actually like the "troubled relationships" ones that you don't care for. The characters are interesting, and I don't really mind dark as such. I just don't like violence/action scenes, which I find simultaneously upsetting and boring, or closeups of writhing bodies covered with blood and 3rd-degree burns.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

I think such closeups diminish over time.

[lollardfish.livejournal.com]

I don't mind romantic/relationship arcs. I just think these characters are either boring or unbelievable psychologically.