Create a New Forum Admin Login Member Login Contribute to Voyager Search VoyForums Help Desk VoyForums Exchange VoyForums Directory/Categories VoyForums Homepage VoyForums News FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

[ Show ]

Support VoyForums

[ Shrink ]

VoyForums Announcement: Programming and providing support for this service has been a labor of love since 1997. We are one of the few services online who values our users' privacy, and have never sold your information. We have even fought hard to defend your privacy in legal cases; however, we've done it with almost no financial support -- paying out of pocket to continue providing the service. Due to the issues imposed on us by advertisers, we also stopped hosting most ads on the forums many years ago. We hope you appreciate our efforts.

Show your support by donating any amount. (Note: We are still technically a for-profit company, so your contribution is not tax-deductible.) PayPal Acct: Feedback:

Donate to VoyForums (PayPal):

[ Login ] [ Contact Forum Admin ] [ Main index ] [ Post a new message ] [ Search | Check update time | Archives: 1, [2] ]

[ Edit | View ]

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> Re: I would look to the past for answers -- Chani, 10:29:03 08/23/07 Thu [1]

I don't know...the first series was very religious and manichaean (I remember John Steed as the Devil, the fallen being of light, seducing Sheba!), the creator being a Mormon and all. The SciFi stuff was mostly an excuse to provide a religious message.

The new one is much more complex and doesn't have quite the same tone. They may use the old stuff again but hopefully they will twist it to suit the new series. Besides in the dreams/visions, the final five are shown as beings of light so in a way, we've already seen them!

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> sure sure -- Rmartin, 21:52:55 08/23/07 Thu [1]

The new Battlestar is leaps and bounds and head and shoulders and some other two things that go together better than the original.

SciFi as a religious message? I question that thesis.

You could be right about the 'five' being the beings of light. All I'm saying is, I've noticed events of the new have paralleled the old.

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> I have been watching my Original series DVDs over the hiatus... -- anyasbuttmonkey, 00:47:31 08/24/07 Fri [1]

And just got to the "Ship Of Lights" two-parter the other day. Tell me (seeing as my only exposure to the original series are the DVDs themselves), did we ever find out what was in the ship Count Iblis (?) was discovered near that we the audience - and Athena - weren't allowed to see?

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> The short answer, no -- Rmartin, 00:13:31 08/25/07 Sat [1]

Everyone on the show, at least it seemed, got to see what was so horrific inside the ship, but alas, not us the actual viewer. I assume they did that as the "Jaws" factor. In the movie, "Jaws", the shark wasn't shown till near the end. They did that for two reasons. First, they thought it would be scarrier to just have the music and darkness, and second, they had problems with the mechanical shark and couldn't use it until almost all of the film had been shot. If they had shown us burned up bodies or something inside the ship, it wouldn't have been as horrific as what could be left to the imagination. Plus, it's cheaper to film the viewer's imagination.

If you're just at that point, you haven't gotten to what I believe was a much better arc of the light beings. I won't spoil you, but they show up again when the Galactica "thinks" it has found Earth.

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> Re: sure sure -- Chani, 11:09:50 08/25/07 Sat [1]

Here's ssomething that deedeeknowitall posted once on another board:

Excerpt from an article on the original BSG:

Glen Larson (creator and producer of Galactica) is a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and many parallels between his church's and the show's mythologies can be found.

The main characters in Galactica are the last remnants of the Twelve Colonies, which were founded by twelve tribes of humans who left their home planet of Kobol, which had become inhabitable because of either natural or man-made contamination. There was a "lost thirteenth tribe" who went a different direction than the rest and, as the story goes, ended up colonizing Earth. Commander Adama once delivered the following speech about their origins: "Our recorded history tells us we descended from a mother colony, a race that went out into space to establish colonies. Those of us assembled here now represent the only known surviving Colonists, save one. A sister world, far out in the universe, remembered to us only through ancient writings..." He goes on to assert that the "lost thirteenth tribe" colonized Earth. Something called "The Book of The Word" described the journey of the tribes of man away from Kobol.

In the Mormon church, The Book of Mormon describes the journey of a "thirteenth tribe" There were twelve tribes of Israel and the prophet Lehi took a remnant of the tribe of Joseph (creating a "lost thirteenth tribe") and somehow travelled from the middle east to North America around 600 BC. They ended up splitting into two tribes, one of whom flourished and according to the book are the descendants of the American Indians. Additionally, the name Kobol is made up of the rearranged letters making up the word Kolob, which is the star "nearest unto the throne of God," or the name of the planet where the Mormons' god, Elohim, is from.

In the TV show, the planet Kobol itself was considered destroyed or just a legend until it was found in the episode, "Lost Planet of the Gods." Adama thought there was a secret passage to Earth in the tomb of the Ninth Lord in the lost city of Eden on Kobol. He identified the tomb by the Ninth Lord's seal.

In the episode "War of the Gods," there is a "Ship of Lights" commanded by mysterious beings. In one scene, Starbuck asks the them if they are angels. The "entity" responds with, "Oddly enough, there is some truth to your speculation." When he inquires, "But why are you bothering with us? We are from a simple handful of human survivors," Starbuck is told: "Because, as you are now, we once were. As we are now, you may become."

This is interesting because the fifth LDS President Lorenzo Snow coined the expression, "As man is God once was, as God is, man may be" as stated in the Articles of Faith (pg. 430). The LDS believes that God was once a man on another planet (sometimes referred to as Kolob) who followed the Mormon teachings, died, rose to the third level of heaven and eventually became a God, just as they teach that if you follow the Mormon teachings here on Earth you may eventually become the God of your own world after death.

Commander Adama notes, "The ancient ones, the Lords who first settled our Kobol, spoke of visitations from what they in their primitive way referred to as angels. Think of them as custodians of the universe, advanced beings, very highly advanced, whose mandate it is to make certain that their powers are never abused by any one of their own."

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> I had a theory... -- anyasbuttmonkey, 14:34:18 08/25/07 Sat [1]

... based around the story of "The Ancients" on Stargate SG-1.

I'm thinking that Head!Six, Head!Gaius and Head!Leoben (from "Maelstrom") are actually the "beings of light", as it were - in that they are the next stage of evolution from the previous cycle; they're the ones who evolved beyond "human" and "cylon", so Caprica, Gaius, Leoben would be three of them - you would assume Kara, Athena and the Final Five as well (given the vision D'Anna had in Rapture). I would guess there would be 13, given that there's 13 tribes and it would not surprise me if the rumour about the three other boxed models from season 4 get replaced by three humans (Gaius and two others - Helo and Adama?).

I would say that Head!Six, Head!Gaius and Head!Leoben have come to ensure the cycle stays on track - or maybe even to break the cycle? Maybe they want things to go differently this time around, echoing the decision Caprica and Boomer made in "Downloaded" having experienced life with the humans.

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Re: I had a theory... -- Chani, 10:23:12 08/27/07 Mon [1]

I know. I'd prefer to think that Head!Caprica, Head!Baltar and Head!Leoben exist only in the characters'minds though.

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> I definitely don't want to actually find out the answer to that... -- anyasbuttmonkey, 15:52:32 08/27/07 Mon [1]

It's the one part of the show that would be ruined for me if they ever revealed the truth of the situation. At least if we're in the dark, we can wank it to fit our own personal theories... of course, that could all change come the finale!

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> Re: sure sure -- Rmartin, 02:31:29 08/27/07 Mon [1]

Well, I think writers write about things they know and care about. But to suggest Galatica has a Mormon religeous message is about as real as saying they are trying to convert the faithfull to an anceint Greek religon by giving the characters names like Appolo and Athena.

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> So -- Chani, 10:21:47 08/27/07 Mon [1]

you don't think that tv show writers ever want to convey messages whether it is about art, social messages, political messages or religious ones?

I do believe that it's first about creativity but I'm sure that, just like in cinema, they also make the most of the medium to tell things that are important for them. Joss did it with Buffy.

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Actually, no I don't -- Rmartin, 22:36:48 08/27/07 Mon [1]

I don't feel this is being cynical, because I'm an avid believer in capitalism, but I think writers and producers main interest is to make money. When they stick to the Business of entertaining, quality will follow. I'm the everyman, and I can tell you the everyman doesn't like to be "preached" to. Tell me a good story about a girl from Sunnydale and her friends, and I'll call you a god, but I have no interest in watching the infomercial selling the femminist handbook.

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> Re: Actually, no I don't -- Chani, 18:24:54 08/28/07 Tue [1]

Mmm I don't think that sticking to the business of entertaining necessarily ensures quality. Reality shows entertain many viewers (alas!), appealing to the audience's vilest instincts and yes they allow to make a lot of money yet it's -sorry for the language- pure crap. The producers of that sort of television definitely want only to make money but I'd like to believe that writers of good tv shows or good movies pursue another goal.

I never thought that BTVS was preaching, however JW obviously conveyed a few of his personal views through his show.

Entertainment and giving a message aren't mutually exclusive...as long as it's done with talent.

Charlie Chaplin was a genius, and I believe that he mostly wanted to make people laugh with his films but he also took advantage of the medium to convey his opinions on certain matters. It's obvious in "Modern Times" or in "The Great Dictator".

But we've digressed from BSG and the being of lights. :- )

[ Edit | View ]

[> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> [> I agree with all you say -- Rmartin, 02:16:19 08/29/07 Wed [1]

We have strayed, haven't we.

You make a good point with "reality" TV. But it also goes to my point that those in Hollywood chase the buck. This too shall pass. Tv seems to go in cycles; sorta like the fashion industry.

I could of said it better if I had said quality follows honesty. What I mean to say is, if a writer believes in the work, it shows. Too often, what we get are elements that are added simply for their shock value. Whether it's controversial or sugar-sweet popular, if it comes from the heart, viewers will respond. Then we will get 20 shows coping the idea.

[ Edit | View ]