It’s not exactly a poll, but what are some of your favorite visual moments and images from the series?
The Hub being nuked and exploding is beautiful.
The Razor webisode battle above the Frozen Larry Planet was great, and I’d love to see that on a big screen. The chaos around the Battlestar exploding was totally awesome.
And from the miniseries and opening credits, Baltar hiding from the enucular explosion by embracing Caprica Six (and being killed in the process, or so I believe) is a wonderful image.
And, of course, the final sequence from Revelations – the blackened Earth/f.
For me it’s got to be the scene AFTER that, after Adama tells his crew, “that’s it then. It’s been an honor.” The shot where we pull back away from Galactica as it’s being bombarded by the four baseships is heartbreaking…
…only to have it change as we see the missiles flying from the surprise arrival of the Pegasus.
I also like the raid on the Cylon mining colony. Especially, Lee’s flight right through the tunnel.
What’s great about all three is that they involve a complex battle sequences on multiple fronts that is impeccably translated onto the screen. In each case there is some outline of exposition to let the viewer know what is going on, but each also has their surprises and yet are amazing easy to follow.
For comparison, I’ve watched Band of Brothers multiple times and have read about some of the battles and skirmishes and still have difficulty following the plan of attack at times.
Kudos to the visual effects department not only for providing great images, but for also being able to tell a great story…
I didn’t say it wasn’t badass, Pike. It’s pretty close up there with me too, don’t worry.
As for the Sharons…well, yeah, that was pretty nice too, though I’m not that into Grace Park.
Some of my favorite visuals are also some of the gentlest and quietest: Starbuck’s viper and the wounded cylon raider spinning out of orbit at the end of “Act of Contrition;” The juxtaposition of Kara’s vision and the wounded base ship flying past (Jupiter?) in “Faith;” Starbuck in a dress…
I am a minimalist. The OGG grabbing Kendra Shaw’s arm and the GGG yelling “JUMP” to get away from The Fleet.
Oh - and the one I wish I had framed - the expression on Bill Adama’s face as he is hanging up the phone in his quarters right after being told that the Cylons were attacking The Colonies.
Also in the episodes where Starbuck is crashed with the wrecked raider, the reaction Lee gives when Adama states, “If it were you we’d never leave.” That always gets me…
to me there have been four titanic battles in bsg.
The Battle of Ragnar Anchorage
The Battle of the Resurrection Ship
The Battle of New Caprica
The Battle of the Ionian Nebula
All have been incredible - although I’d have to say the most amazing explosion was the resurrection hub.
The end of Crossroads 2. Right after Apollo finds Starbuck, she looks at him, I’ve found Earth, I know where it is and I’m going to take us there… then ships, nebula, planets flashing by with All Along The Watchtower playing, then zoom in on Earth. For me that was a quintessential BSG moment.
I do agree with Old Timer… the GGG yelling JUMP is also one of my favorites.
Apart from this wonderful visual splendour, it also contained, in my opinion, one of the greatest-ever scenes shown on television.
Of course, I refer to Saul Tigh’s execution of his wife. Ellen betrayed him and the colonials purely out of love for him. And Tigh knew this. Everyone knew this. The noblest of motives, the very essence of humanity, representing everything that the Cylons did not.
Thus, Tigh’s impossible conflict: he knew Ellen’s betrayal was because of him; he knew that the Resistance, the opposition to the Cylons, the clinging-on to the shreds of humanity, their whole purpose was to maintain the very principles Ellen exemplified. Yet he also knew there was no alternative: she had done what she had: there was no going back. This was guerrilla war, nothing but execution would suffice. And still he loved her, unconditionally, unconventionally perhaps, but totally. She complemented the other significant lady in his life: Galactica.
Subsequent events and revelations have only further highlighted the poignancy of Tigh’s decision. It is a credit to his character as a man (and Cylon) that he hasn’t completely cracked up and disintegrated under the strain.
The scene with Saul finally resting his head on his wife’s still body is heart-rending, and to me epitomises everything great about BSG.
What he said - I’d say if anything that scene rather than a space battle, if push came to shove, would be the one I’d use to be the one that illustrates the ‘nature’ of BSG, if that makes any sort of sense.
(of course without knowing the context someone looking at that scene wouldn’t have a clue what’s going on, but that, also, is rather a key element of BSG - try and treat it like like hermetically wrapped standalone episodes - a-la most of Trek NextGen for instance - and you miss about 90% of it)
