Politics

The New York Times, along with The American Prospect, and many blogs are all taking a look at the politics in recent episodes of Battlestar Galactica.

My view is that the story should be viewed on its own terms. The duty of any good writer is to explore contemporary themes through their art. That's what BSG is doing. A perfect example of this was in last weeks episode, Collaborators, where Roslin and Adama are opposed to what Zarek and The Circle have been doing. It's a debate about the rule of law and the rights of the accused. The show didn't preach or hand you an answer. The show asks you to consider the circumstance and think about it.

I'm sure most people watch TV shows not to explore such themes and ideas. That's why sitcoms, bland dramas, and reality shows are popular. (I don't watch much TV myself. I typically only watch Battlestar Galactica and Lost each week. Sometimes I watch Boston Legal to get a Denny Crane fix.)

But, Galactica is a challenging show for a demanding audience. I hope that BSG is appealing to people who want to have their views challenged, and who want to think about the issues presented.

There simply is no way to call BSG propaganda for either side in any given question. The show is about characters struggling with their situation and dealing with moral complexity. So, yes, if you see life in black and white, I guess the show is bothersome because of its rawness. If you see grey areas, then it's a show you can grok for being compelling and bold.

If you want propaganda and lies, watch Fox News, listen to Limbaugh, or watch ABC's trash, "The Path To 9/11" for all the comfortable fiction you want.

Science fiction has always been at its best when holding up a mirror to our own world, but putting it in a different context. Star Trek did it brilliantly in the 60s. As did The Twilight Zone. In the 1990's it was Babylon 5. Now, it's Battlestar Galactica doing worthy work. Making people think. Telling a compelling story. Exploring frail human behavior. That's why the show won the Peabody. That's why in 20 or 30 years when people want to understand how the culture examined itself in the early 21st century, they will look back to BSG to get a picture of how we see ourselves.