'Battlestar Galactica': The coup's fatal flaw

So many people dislike "Battlestar Galactica's" Felix Gaeta, that you know Alessandro Juliani and the writers must be doing a pretty good job with the character and the whole coup situation.

The insurgency, and Gaeta's misguided attempt at justice, was a great way to reignite the fires that were a bit dormant at the cores of a lot of the characters.  Roslin's leadership, Adama's toughness, Baltar's instability, Tigh's loyalty, Zarek's shiftiness, Tyrol's resourcefulness and Lee's soldiering and devotion to his dad were all qualities that caused us to follow this show unflinchingly.

And Starbuck. Oh Starbuck. She wasn't looking at colorful patterns or questioning who she was and why she was here. She was walking up behind guys at a urinal in space and smashing their heads up against the wall when they looked down to do their business.

'Battlestar Galactica': Felix Gaeta did what?!?!

The coup on "Battlestar Galactica" helped bring back a sense of danger and intrigue that we may not have realized was lost. Starbuck is back to being awesome, Lee has picked up a gun again, Adama and Tigh are back-to-back in the trenches, and despite her objections, Laura Roslin again has taken up the mantle of leadership.

The catalyst for the trouble? A disgruntled Lt. Felix Gaeta. It's understood, to a point. A hero during the occupation, he was almost executed as a traitor. While helping to find Earth, he was shot and lost his leg in a faux mutiny. The Earth was found to be a nuked wasteland, his fellow CIC officer Dee committed suicide (that one still hurts), and there was suddenly an olive branch extended to the murderous Cylons who started this whole thing. Yeah, the reasoning is there. Frustration had built.

But taking over Galactica by force seems a bit extreme.

'Battlestar Galactica': Did you know SHE was the Cylon?

The misdirection on "Battlestar Galactica" was probably all in our minds when it came to who the final Cylon was.  Deanna (Lucy Lawless) was the only one who knew for sure.  Well, she and Ron Moore, who had some interesting things to say about the developments on this"Sometimes a Great Notion" episode over at Chicago Tribune's The Watcher column.

Maybe the Cylon was Laura Roslin (Mary McDonnell).  The cancer eating away at her could've been some sort of clue.  Many likely took it as a sign. "... And the Lord annointed a leader to guide a caravan of the heavens towards Earth."  Nope.

For Kara "Starbuck" Thrace (Katee Sackhoff), it was all too obvious.  Supposedly blown up, then comes back to life unscathed.  Has weird visions, can 'feel' her way toward Earth and just got increasingly scatter-brained as the season went on.  But not her.

Gaius Baltar (James Callis) saw a Cylon who wasn't there.  All the time! Talked to her, interacted and even fantasized about sex with her. But he's just crazy.

Admiral Adama (Edward James Olmos).  That would be crushing. Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber).  How? Helo (Tahmoh Penikett). Heck no. Doc Cottle (Donnelly Rhodes)? Hmmm.

Dee? Anastasia Dualla (Kandyse McClure).  That was my choice.  Communications officer, always close to the main power (Adama) in crisis situations, even married Lil' Adama, Lee.  And the episode didn't let me down ... until the end.  We'll talk more about her later.  SPOILER AHEAD!!!

'Battlestar Galactica' countdown: Visual effects with Gary Hutzel

The review has already been written for "Battlestar Galactica," and we have only a day left until we find out the answers to many questions, and are probably presented with many more.  Over at Hero Complex, an exclusive photo of Katee Sackoff and some fans was posted today, and the site is gearing up for a major scoop tomorrow night.

It's been said that the show is a multi-layered drama -- like "The Sopranos" or "Mad Men" -- that just happens to be a science-fiction program.  Well, that "happens to be" is probably a huge draw to many who swear by the genre.  And usually, like music scores and sound, a major part of sci-fi shows is the tone that the visual effects help set.  That's where visual effects supervisor Gary Hutzel comes in.

We were able to have a chat with him about the show, and how it stacked up against his former employers in the "Star Trek" family.  Effects guys sometimes have some long answers!

JP: How similar or different are the visual effects for "Battlestar Galactica" versus those on "Star Trek?"

GH: Well, "Star Trek" was a completely different environment.  Completely different in the way it was structured.  When we started on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," we were shooting miniatures. There were no CGI ships or any capability of doing CGI like that at the time. The technology just wasn't available. So the requirements of shooting miniatures and compositing on a television schedule pretty much drove the whole process.... It was me and three other guys.

'Battlestar Galactica' countdown: Alessandro Juliani's Felix Gaeta

Alessandro Juliani's Felix Gaeta is an understated but integral character in the "Battlestar Galactica" universe.  He's come through in many tough situations (hot-wiring Galactica, spotting all those frakking Cylon Basestars, saving the whole human race by helping during the occupation), and now he has what seems to be a permanent limp to show for it.

We caught up with Alessandro for a quick Q&A as the season premiere nears.

Pick two moments during the show's run that you would call "defining," for both your character and the show overall.

For Felix — "The Stump Serenade" and a moment yet to be aired that will be extremely obvious once viewed.

For "Battlestar" — Eddie's ad-libbed "So say we all!" in the miniseries.

Question from commenter Jordan: How do you think "Battlestar Galactica" has affected the real world with its portrayals of life's tough issues (i.e., abortion, Iraq war, terrorism, etc.)?

I'd like to think that it may have sparked a few discussions or debates on any or all of these issues. That's really all one can hope for.

'Battlestar Galactica' countdown: Exclusive photos

Over at our Hero Complex blog, Times staff writer Geoff Boucher was able to score some exclusive images from the set of "Battlestar Galactica," complete with photos of the CIC and many actors. Here's one:

In this photo: From left to right in the foreground, Michael Hogan (Col. Saul Tigh), director of the episode Michael Nankin (in dark T-shirt), James Callis (Gaius Baltar) and Edward James Olmos (Adm. Adama). You can also see Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Felix Gaeta) and Grace Park (Sharon Agathon) chatting in the background.

And for those with a little extra cash in their pockets, parts of the CIC (not sure about the ones shown above) will be on sale on EBay (started Monday) and at a live auction (that streams live) on Saturday and Sunday.  A portion of the auction’s proceeds will benefit United Way, and actors' contributions (Tricia Helfer's red dress, Michael Hogan's liquor bottle and more) will benefit other charities.  So, if you want costumes, props or set pieces, log on now, or save up for the weekend!

Tomorrow in the countdown: Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Felix Gaeta)

— Jevon Phillips

'Battlestar Galactica' countdown: Rekha and embracing the inner Cylon

In "Battlestar Galactica," the only newly discovered Cylon that seemed to embrace what she discovered was Tory (Rekha Sharma). While the Chief pondered and Tigh looked lost and Anders seemed to take it in stride, Tory grabbed her opportunity when it presented itself. The character and actress were also involved in what could be considered one of the show's most defining and surprising scenes (Cally — airlock — gone).

We were able to catch up to Rekha and ask a quick five (or so) questions:

When last we spoke, you talked about getting back on stage.  Have you been able to do that much, and what would be an ideal stage role to play?

Ah yes, the stage ... I had hoped to do something right away, but it's taking a little more time. I have settled on a great little theater here in Vancouver [Canada] called the Beaumont Stage. The artistic director and I are currently on the search for the right play for me for the next season.

They have consistently strong productions there, and I am very excited to work with this director, so I think it'll be well worth the wait.

Rekha seems to be a lot more fun-loving than Tory. What personal qualities, if any, did you infuse your character with once you knew her direction?

Well, thank you ... it helps that I haven't had my planet blown to smithereens ... he he : )

'Battlestar Galactica' countdown: Michael Hogan, surprised to be a Cylon

In "Battlestar Galactica," there is no other character that is more grizzled, more black-and-white straightforward (yet conflicted), more in-your-face (yes, even more than Starbuck) than Col. Saul Tigh (Michael Hogan).

The guy was pushed into an XO role that, though he was qualified for it, he was maybe not prepared for it.  He battled alcoholism, though it won most of the time.  He was tortured (apparently) by Cylons, killed his wife for colluding with them, then found out that he was one of them.  A lot to go through in 3 1/2 short seasons.

We got the chance to have a quick talk with Michael Hogan about the role.

We like to hear how actors responded to hearing the news that they were Cylons. How did you take it, and did it change how you approached your character?

Yeah, I was surprised. Initially I was not happy about it. Over the time of shooting "Battlestar" I'd often thought, 'Am I ever glad I'm not a Cylon,' because it never really occurred to me while we were shooting it that we were shooting a sci fi. I guess on other Sci Fi shows like "Andromeda" or something, you're very aware that you're doing sci fi. It never entered in my research with "Battlestar." It's always been military or personal or something like that

When they said that they were making Tigh a Cylon, I initially just didn't think it was right. But then neither did I think it was right that Tigh would get sent down to the planet, which led to the occupation. When I voiced my concerns about that, they heard them, but then I went on down to the planet, and look what Tigh was given to do during the occupation.

So I voiced my concerns about being a Cylon, and that's what it was. It's not really like all of a sudden Tigh clicks over and says, 'Oh, I'm a Cylon.' ... Tigh's been through so much with his alcoholism and his war wounds and having to kill Ellen, after the occupation and what he'd been through there — now they call it post-traumatic stress ... so when he hears the music, it's like he hears music often. He doesn't really think about the music and then go, 'Oh, I'm a Cylon.' I treated it more as mental illness, almost like schizophrenia. Not just like, 'Oh, I'm a Cylon. What do I do?'

'Battlestar Galactica' countdown: Facebook was possibly built by Cylons

OK, so "Battlestar Galactica" is fiction and Facebook is all too real, but just go with it. And yeah, I know -- "But I've got so many friends...." What better place to gather the sociable human race and then spy on its every saying and action?

Take, for instance, the Battlestarbook. The Times' Technology blog wrote about this, and included a chat with the application's creator, Tara Gelsomino.

You really have to read it. To read friend events like "Kara Thrace is sick of telling these frakking tourists to MAKE A HOLE!" and "7 Million of your Friends and Family attended the event: The Destruction of the 12 Colonies" is educational (a quick jaunt through the history) and lots of fun. And the relationship status updates are, well, complicated.

"I couldn't help thinking that if they were all on Facebook, every single one of them would have an 'It's Complicated' status," Gelsomino says.  Other Facebook pages include the Science of Battlestar Galactica and products like the Cylon Bubble Machine.

-- Know what else is complicated? Figuring out who the final Cylon is. Sure we all think we know: Adm. Adama, President Roslin, Capt. Starbuck and Dr. Cottle seem to be popular choices.

But if you want to reason it out a bit, and love March Madness, then Entertainment Weekly's Pick the Final Cylon bracket challenge is for you. It has brief, smart descriptions of the characters' role in the fleet and odds (William Adama is 15 to 1).

'Battlestar Galactica' countdown: Jane Espenson and the 'Buffy' connection

"Battlestar Galactica" co-executive producer Jane Espenson has worked on two of the best shows in TV history (to me): the aforementioned "BSG" and "Buffy the Vampire Slayer." Sure, there were "Gilmore Girls," "Jake in Progress" and episodes of "Eureka " and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" -- and even an arc on "The Batman" animated series -- but nothing like the first two.  We had a five-question chat with the writer/producer about her past and present.

I'll get this out of the way: I'm a HUGE "Buffy" fan. I assume there are similarities between working on the two shows. Good casts, good stories, etc.? What different challenges did they present?

There are big similarities -- you've listed two good ones -- and big differences, you're right. Some of the differences have nothing to do with the shows other than happenstance, really -- the fact that BSG shoots in Canada results in a different experience for the writer/producers than you have on Buffy or Dollhouse where the set is right over there. Other differences were more inherent -- Buffy had longer scenes, more dialog and more humor. BSG has a quicker pace, shorter scenes and darker, sparser humor. "Buffy" episodes tended to get most of their shape in [writer Joss Whedon's] head, while BSG eps were more likely to draw on collaborative efforts extending even as far as the stage in Vancouver where an actor might have had an observation that changed a pivotal moment in a pivotal scene. Both methods work really well because both shows are built on amazing characters and charged situations and have the loving care and attention of two geniuses: Ron Moore on BSG and Joss Whedon on Buffy.

'Battlestar Galactica' countdown: Richard Hatch didn't throw popcorn!

We're counting down to "Battlestar Galactica's" final episodes. But you know that. May as well start off with the only real bridge to the original series that Ron Moore cultivated: Richard Hatch.

The original Apollo, Richard Hatch crusaded for a very different "Battlestar Galactica" than the one most critics now praise.  Never actually against Ron Moore's re-imagined version, he was a strong proponent of just continuing the old series.  He was not alone, and though many may not recall the angry e-mails, protests and threats by fans to Ron Moore and any others who plotted to 're-imagine' such a great, albeit short-lived, cult favorite, Hatch does.

"I was producing the 25th 'Battlestar' anniversary for mostly the original fans at the time, and they were very angry that I was inviting Ron Moore," said Hatch. "It was a very, very difficult convention because of all the controversial feelings, and people had gotten bags of popcorn to throw at Ron Moore because Ron had made a statement — he'd taken so much criticism and had gotten a little frustrated with everything — and said, 'If you don't like it, throw popcorn' or 'eat popcorn' or something like that ... I can't remember the exact wording, but I was sort of terrified that they we're going to throw this popcorn at Ron."

Had to get that story out of the way. Many of those who wanted to throw the popcorn (Mr. Hatch calmed the crowd by preaching a tolerance of ideas) are probably erecting popcorn ball statues of Moore as the series ends. We asked Mr. Hatch five questions, and he had a lot to say ...

'Battlestar Galactica': Questions for the cast

As you're snuggled at home by the chimney with care this holiday season, think about others, think about the troops, and think about the fact that we have only three frakking weeks until "Battlestar Galactica's" final episodes air!!!!

We'll do our best here at Show Tracker to talk to some of the magic makers, including Ron Moore and everyone in the cast that we can get to. Yes, they've moved on to other shows, like Jamie Bamber in "Law & Order: UK," Mary McDonnell in "Grey's Anatomy," Grace Park in "The Cleaner" and Tahmoh Penikett in "Dollhouse." But they've still got their hands in the Cylon bowl with projects like "Battlestar Galactica: The Plan," upcoming telefilms and online story lines.

Speaking of webisodes, if you haven't been watching Sci Fi's "Battlestar Galactica: The Face of the Enemy," starring Grace Park and Alessandro Juliani, then you've been missing out on a good "Galactica" fix.  Even a simple ship-to-ship raptor run on this show can be dramatic.

If you have questions to ask the cast or favorite characters you want us to go after, please leave them in the comments section below and we'll see what we can do. So say we all. (You've seen the following promo, but it's just to refresh your memory. Though Sci Fi's 13-minute "Catch the Frak Up!" summary is better. And, isn't Laura Roslin pretty scary here?)

-- Jevon Phillips

-- James Callis on the final episodes
-- << A chat with Tory Foster the Cylon, a.k.a. Rekha Sharma
-- Tricia Helfer, Katee Sackhoff rev up their motorcycles
-- Hollywood A-Z: "Battlestar Galactica"