in the open space: God & culture

(via Ain't It Cool News ) I was just sayin' the other night how much I miss this 'verse . No news on its premiere date that I can find as of yet.... Update: Apparently, according to ET , NBC has pulled the trailer from YouTube and, quoting SyFy reps, ET reports that "the trailer was not officially sanctioned." It seems SyFy's plan is to release Blood & Chrome as "a groundbreaking digital series" (ie, on the Web). And while ET feels it's "unfair to be skeptical about anything this early in the process," I beg to differ. SyFy's record of late has been rather dismal when it comes to science fiction series; it appears any BSG continuation should be taken in that light.

As the result of one of those constant technological mishaps common in Eureka, in "The Ex-Files" several members of the community are seeing hallucinations of people from their past. Carter is seeing Stark, Allison is seeing Tess, and Grant is seeing a colleague from his past--who is encouraging Grant to work against his current colleagues. When Allison asks Grant who he is seeing, he conjures up a cover: Allison Blake: You never said who you were seeing. Charles Grant: Tall, leggy blond, slinky red dress. Of course, Battlestar Galactica fans geeked out at this as it is the perfect description of the Cylon model Six that only Gaius Baltar could see--Baltar being James Callis' role on BSG . BSG is also a SyFy series and references aren't unusual on Eureka , but this by far is one of the best. Must admit, I almost missed it--it was my husband who caught it first. Heh. (Images: Syfy)

There is more More than all this pain More than all the falling down And the getting up again There is more More than we can see From our tiny vantage point In this vast eternity There is more --from “More”, on Andrew Peterson's , Far Country One of the central aspects of human experience is grappling with whether there is something more or Other to the universe—and, if so, what is that Other like? After last night’s finale , we now know that Battlestar Galactica comes down firmly on the side that there is indeed a higher power or an Other, not only in BSG ’s universe but in our own as well—and there is a lot about that Other that I find surprisingly and satisfyingly familiar. (Warning: there be major spoilers below.) After seeing the finale, I am more convinced than ever that BSG ’s Other leans towards benevolence. It deems life sacred. It wants Cylon and humanity alike to survive—and it intervenes in order to make sure that happens. Life, at least in the larger sense of hum...

The Thin Red Line is a term for a thinly spread military unit holding firm against attack. The phrase later took on the metaphorical meaning of the barrier which the relatively limited armed forces of a country present to potential attackers.The first use of the expression referred to the resistance by the red-coated 93rd (Highland) Regiment of the United Kingdom in the Crimean War . . . . — Wikipedia Battlestar Galactica’s " Daybreak " marks the first of the last two episodes in the series (the last of which airs this coming Friday). This episode felt tighter, more focused, and seem to have more depth (in spite of some of those unexplained flashbacks) than the last few. But ultimately, it was the moments that touched on what it means to sacrifice and love that resonated most with me. Even if I have some misgivings about where this series might end up, BSG has indeed powerfully and painfully explored these themes over its run. And “Daybreak” does some more of that—and ...

You know, sometimes I wonder what “home” is. Is it an actual place? Or is it some kind of longing for something, some kind of connection? --Laura Roslin, “ Islanded in a Stream of Stars ” episode of Battlestar Galactica Which reminds me of this . (Image: SciFi Channel) bsgctgy

For all you Battlestar Galactica fans out there who are still a bit confused as to just what has happened over the last several thousand years or so. Heh. Click on the image above or go here . (Hat tip Peter Chattaway .) bsgctgy

In the wake of being sick this week , one of the things I didn't get around to posting on was the premiere of last Friday’s amazing line up of sci-fi: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles , Dollhouse and Battlestar Galactica . Really, it’s a sci-fi geek’s paradise, heh. Anyway, all three series shared some amazingly similar themes that brought a plethora of God-talk into open spaces. Since I didn't get around to it, I wanted to draw your attention to a few bloggers who picked up on all that. First, check out Gabriel McKee at SF Gospel , who wrote up an excellent piece on the theme of free will “with plenty of flawed creations rebelling against their makers thrown in for good measure.” Then check out Dr. McGrath at Exploring Our Matrix, who focuses on “ Machines named John and their Questions for God .” And while she doesn’t talk about Dollhouse or T:TSCC , Barbara Nicolosi at Church of the Masses gives us her analysis of BSG and where it’s headed. Check them out—and, if ...

Languor can’t and doesn’t last forever. Eventually the soul remembers. It remembers what it lives and breathes for. And it’s about time for human and Cylon alike to rediscover this, as some of them finally do in Battlestar Galactica’s latest episode, “ The Oath .” I find this concept is most powerfully displayed in Admiral Bill Adama, whose rediscovery of why he does what he does is nestled in his oath of service. For Adama, that goes beyond keeping chain of command and defending Galactica. Adama has carried the weight of protecting and defending not only humanity’s way of life but the very existence of human (and now Cylon) life itself. That Adama has done this, for the most part, with integrity is evident when Gaeta’s mutiny swings into full gear and he orders Adama’s arrest. In riviting and righteous fury, Adama warns those around him: “I want you all to understand this. If you do this there will be no forgiveness, no amnesty.” When a solider reaches out to escort him off the brid...

There is a Languor of the Life More imminent than Pain — 'Tis Pain's Successor — When the Soul Has suffered all it can — A Drowsiness — diffuses — A Dimness like a Fog Envelops Consciousness — As Mists — obliterate a Crag. The Surgeon — does not blanch — at pain His Habit — is severe — But tell him that it ceased to feel — The Creature lying there — And he will tell you — skill is late — A Mightier than He — Has ministered before Him — There's no Vitality. -- Emily Dickinson We hear the voice of Admiral Bill Adama recite the first stanza of Emily Dickinson's poem over the opening scenes of “A Disquiet Follows My Soul,” the latest episode of Battlestar Galactica . It is a coda of sorts to the intense suffering of “ Sometimes a Great Notion ,” where the humans and Cylons discovered that Earth—their “promised land”—is actually a toxic nuclear wasteland. “Disquiet” explores what we do after that relentless tsunami wave has washed back to sea, leaving us to walk day after d...

In case all you Battlestar Galactica viewers haven't seen it yet, you're invited to take a gander into the thoughts of none other than Dirk Benedict (who, in case you're not a true BSG geek and don't already know this, originated the Starbuck role in the original 1970s series ) and his no-holds-barred opinions about the current incarnation of BSG (hat tip to the Frak blog). Heh, not that most of us didn't already know that he wasn't all that thrilled with the newer version, but he really doesn't hold anything back in this Jan. 19 post at Big Hollywood (where, at the time of my posting, his post has generated 462 comments). Friendly word of warning, some of you might find it a bit offensive at points, heh. (Image: Battlestar Wiki ) bsgctgy

Battlestar Galactica has taken us to some dark places , but “ Sometimes a Great Notion ” (the first of the final episodes) pulls us into the darkest point yet. Earth—the place that would bring them life and salvation—is a planet ruined by radiation after a cataclysmic nuclear event 2,000 years before, whose inhabitants weren’t human but Cylon. The hopes of both human and Cylon for a new life and a safe place are gone. They don’t know where to go from here, and we watch them all stumble about in the sludge of that abyss. This episode, according to one of the writers , was designed to explore that darkness: We wanted to take the time to examine what happens to people when their dreams are shattered, when everything they held as true turns out to be an illusion. After a blow like that, how do you pick yourself up from the floor and go on? Are you able to pick yourself up at all? This is perhaps the most universal theme you can explore. For the people of ragtag fleet, the dream was Ear...

Tomorrow night, Sci-Fi begins airing the final espisodes of Battlestar Galactica . So far, this has been one of the best series on television ever, and it's brought more than its share of God-talk into these open spaces . While you wait for tomorrow night, check out some more God-talk in this post at SF Gospel about recent comments by producer Ron Moore (hat tip Peter Chattaway ) as well as Barbara Nicolosi's post about the questions she wants answered . bsgctgy

While my Cylon Dectector Test came back "inconclusive" (apparantly, I'm half human, half Cylon), this test put all the questions to rest, heh: What Cylon model are you ? Find out here . bsgctgy

If it doesn't play, go here . For more on Battlestar Galactica series from this blogger, go here . bsgctgy

For a link to what she rightly labels a "potentially mind-blowing spoiler" regarding the Final Cylon, go to Barbara Nicolosi's Church of the Masses . bsgctgy

Tonight’s episode of Battlestar Galactica was incredible, layered thick in its rich depths of explorations of what it means to be human: the effects of the choices we make, the reality that we are all laid bare by our sins and leveled to the same playing field when it comes to God, the struggle between following orders (or the way of self-preservation) and doing what is right—and that sometimes the heart knows what is right while other times we must be taught or reminded. And maybe I’m just getting old, but there’s also the fact that this episode rests on one of the best love stories I’ve seen in quite some time. And the part of this episode that resonated with me the most had to do with what it means to love—what it looks like to love those we care about as well as what it looks like to love one’s enemy. In that vein, tonight’s episode could very well have been titled “Why we are here” (a question raised by one of the Eights in the beginning of the episode) instead of “The Hub”—thoug...

President Laura Roslin comes to Admiral Bill Adama’s quarters after finishing with one of her cancer treatments. She tells Adama about a dream she had—one remarkably similar to that of a fellow cancer patient's—that makes her wonder if there might be Something or Someone out there who loves and cares for them. Roslin: Something is happening here and I don’t really understand it, Bill. Adama: That you both had the same dream . . . means . . . Adama stops and sips on his drink. He seems to be thinking of Roslin’s unavoidable death from cancer. Roslin: What? Talk to me. What’s going on? Adama: Kara comes back from the dead. I let her go off chasing her vision of Earth. Well she’s overdue. Lee turns in his wings. Helo, Athena, Geata—will I ever see those kids again? Adama sips on his drink again. Roslin reaches out and puts her hand on his shoulder and rests another on his arm. Roslin: Bill, look at me. I’m right here. Right here. We’re going to find it. Adama: Earth? Roslin: T...

On her blog, Barbara Nicolosi writes : It doesn't add anything narratively to be dark just because you can, or to leave the audience feeling nauseas and grief-stricken because their beloved characters have been tortured to no meaningful end. It isn't darkness that makes us love BSG, but rather the characters fundamental heroism in spite of their dark impulses. I'm just afraid that we aren't going to care for these people by the time they ever do dock on earth . . . . She pretty much hits the nail on the head for me (read the rest here ). After watching last night's episode of Battlestar Galactica , " The Road Less Traveled ," I flipped off the TV and found myself really missing the first two seasons of BSG . (The feeling could have been accentuated because I found Thursday's episode of Lost disappointing also--too much plot and filling-in of minor holes and too little character development; and is anyone else getting tired of Jack's whining? But,...

Heh, as Battlestar Galactica is on tonight, this seems appropriate. To see the entire strip, click on the portion above or go here . Hat tip to Peter Chattaway . (Image: projectkooky.com ) bsgctgy

Ack, it’s almost Friday, so I’d better punch out some quick thoughts on last week’s Battlestar Galactica episode, " Escape Velocity ". This post isn't as polished as I’d like, but I just don’t have any more time this week to get this stuff together, heh. My first thought on the episode is that it could have just as easily been titled “A Dark Downward Spiral,” a phrase Eugene Peterson uses in translating Paul's letter to Roman believers as he sums up what happens when folks turn away from truth and God ( Romans 2:1 Message ). Several key characters have toed over the line and down paths leading away from right and good, descending rapidly on slippery slopes towards ruthlessness, heartlessness, foolishness, faithlessness, deceit, malice, strife, craftiness, slander, haughtiness, wickedness, evil and the like ( 1:28-32 ). Of course, there’s the obvious downward spirals of recently-revealed Cylons Tigh, Tyrol and Tory (who’s way further downhill than the rest), but the ...