Battlestar Cylon, Top Lesser Known Facts

Here are some lesser known facts about the Cylon Race in the Galactica series:

1. Origin of the word Cylon
   In line with the Greek historical and mythological associations of the series the word Cylon (also spelt Kylon from the greek Κύλων) is a reference to an Athenian who was associated with the first dated event in Athenian history, the Cylonian affair. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cylon_of_Athens
   
2. There are 4 Types of Cylons
   
   Centurion
   This is thought to be an entirely mechanical unit, heavily armed and armoured and seemingly intentionally less intelligent than the other types, relying on programming from the Hybrids to function. Unlike the original series these do not have the ability to speak. There is some ambiguity as to whether they may be in fact partially biological.
   
   Raider
   This is the biomechanical Cylon in the form of a spacecraft. Like the humanoid Cylons they are also resurrected in the hub after they die. The episode Scar showed at least one raider of the same name exhibiting personality traits.
   
   Humanoid
   According to the writer Ronald D. Moore there are 12 types, of which 5 were kept secret from the others. They are supposed to represent the typical human Archetypes and are the controlling class of Cylon. While present later on in the original series, they have become the main plot line in the new series.
   
   Hybrid
   Have a human appearance but are more akin to cyborgs as some body parts are mechanical conduits which interface with and control the base stars. After the centurions and the raiders this is seen as the next incarnation prior to the predominantly biological Humanoids.
   
3. The Achilles Heel
   While physically superior to humans the Cylons are in fact prone to an ancient virus called lymphocytic encephalitis. This can be transmitted to other Cylons with the exception of Centurions (mechanical), which become affected when a Hybrid contracts the Virus.
   
4. Cylon Religion
   The Cylons practice a Monotheistic religion which is essentially a fanatical belief in one god. It is this fanaticism which leads to the genocide of the Human Race at the beginning of the mini series. Some Cylons believe that the gibberish spoken by hyprids is in fact the God talking directly through them.
    

Top 10 Sci Fi TV Series

I was thinking the other day about my favourite Sci Fi TV shows, so I thought I’d put a list together. I’m sure you will all disagree so please feel free to post your comments, there is nothing like a good heated discussion!

1. Stargate SG1
   This is my favourite, although the last couple of series were not quite as good as the first 8. Richard Dean Anderson has had the dry sarcastic wit of Colonel O’Neil down pat since the very beginning and when combined with the other characters, like T’ealc (masterful control of the power eyebrow)  it  is IMHO an unbeatable combination.
   
2. Galactica
   The mini series got me hooked, with the ultra slick graphics and the breathtaking battle scenes. It retains a gritty human realism which is lacking in other series. I like my Scifi dark so it’s a difficult choice between this and SG1. It’s a real shame the series will finish soon. The spinoff Caprica will have a lot to live up to. 
   
3. Star Trek: The Next Generation
   This series really shaped modern Scifi TV as we know it, can you believe it started 20 years ago? I can still watch this over and over again. Gene Rodenberry will be sorely missed.
   
4. Star Trek: Enterprise
   This new take on the Star Trek franchise really grew on me, the story arcs were well crafted and Jolene Blalock’s portrayal of the sexy vulcan T’pol really added spice to an already great series. This was another series which should have gone on and on.
   
5. Farscape
   This Australian series really successfully managed to fuse the Scifi and Fantasy genres with it’s often outrageous costumes and alien ideas. The first couple of episodes really gave me alien culture shock. This probably should be higher in the list for it’s sheer creativity, but it did sometimes go too far down the Scifi comedy path, I can live without flatulent aliens thank you very much!
   
6. Babylon 5
   I call this the War and Peace of the scifi genre, this long running series really took story arc scifi to it’s outer limits. I also think the CG, while possibly dated now, was truly ground breaking. I think i’ll dig out the box set again and give it another watch soon!
   
7. Firefly
   Sadly this excellent creation by Joss Whelan only managed a single season. A real shame in my opinion, as the space western genre was really born with this series. Joss Whelan also managed to create a new space hillbilly dialect in the process!  
   
8. Odyssey 5
   I don’t know how I managed to miss this, but for some reason this series never blipped on my Scifi Radar. I got given it as a gift and was immediately drawn in by the pilot. Notably unlike others in the list, this series sported a lot of bad language and nudity which gave it a unique ambience and a more grown up after the watershed rating. The basic idea of the series seems to have been reworked for the recent Threshold series, but this version is in my view superior.
   
9. Stargate Atlantis
   The spinoff from Stargate SG1 really came into it’s own in the second series and it was a real shame to see it end this year (with a hastily completed finale which was a bit disappointing in my view). With 2 great forbears the new Stargate Universe series will really have a lot to live up to.
   
10. Terminator The Sarah Connor Chronicles
    This spinoff series from the terminator franchise is really growing on me and I am looking forward to the new episodes which will start airing this month. It is usually very difficult for actors and actresses to step into the shoes of existing famous characters but I really think the cast has pulled it off this time.
    

Running Out of Sci Fi

Is it just me or recently does it seem like all the good Sci fi series are either finished or finishing up?

Stargate Atlantis for example, finished this year with what looked like a rushed ending and left a bitter taste in mouth, as a fan and loyal watcher we want our favourite series to go on and on and wasn’t it the case that they used to? Take SG1 for example, a whopping 10 seasons and the Star Trek franchises.

The only news on the horizon seems to be spin off series, many of which have yet to begin filming. Granted there are some great movies in the pipeline, like the much awaited Neuromancer (good luck to the director on that, the mindscapes created by William Gibson in that particular novel and given the movie timeframe will be difficult if not impossible to pull off), the Tron sequel (please change the name Tron 2 doesn’t cut it for me!)  and the new star trek movie will be fun at least.

I have to admit that I am enjoying the Terminator Sarah Connor Chronicles series, it was a slow starter but has definitely improved over the course of the first and second series.

After the writers strike, which cut short many series last year, and the world recession beginning it’s onset, we all need our bit of escapism. So I suppose it’s time to get out our DVD box sets and settle in for a long wait, Stargate Universe and Caprica get a move on!

Blade Runner: Is Deckard a Replicant? The old argument

I don’t know how many times I have watched Blade Runner, but I remember distinctly the first time I saw it. I would have been about 10 years old and my baby sitter had rented the video. Up till then I had been a die hard Starwars fan, but this dark and beautiful film captured me and even now it has never lost it’s edge no matter how many times I watch it.

The first time I came to Japan I took the limousine bus from Narita airport into the centre of Tokyo, it would have been late November when the days were short, so the sun set early and the blue sky was replaced by an orange black glow, punctuated with neon and the strangely shaped shadows of skyscrapers crowned with communications antennae. I truly felt as if I had driven onto the set of Blade Runner, with the spaghetti like expressways giving the trip the illusion of flying through the futuristic cityscape.

Ridley Scott has called Blade Runner his most personal and complete film and originally both he and Harrison Ford denied that Deckard was a Replicant. I always found this hard to believe, as for me the numerous clues in the original version made this a certainty. The glowing eyes, dreams of unicorns and the script etc. I was inclined to believe that this ambiguity had been worked into the movie by choice and that the subsequent ruminations about it made for good press worthy material, possibly pushed by the studio (who had fought long and hard for more of an Action movie and a stronger ending).

The directors cut and more recent comments by Ridley Scott have completely set the record straight on the matter and there can be no doubt that Deckard is indeed a Replicant in this version of the movie.

So Why the Question?
Last night I watched the old version of the movie again by chance, with perhaps more objective (from age) eyes. I am now of the opinion that the hinting in this movie is an accident that that wishful thinking had me convinced otherwise.

So to anyone who may have had me pushing this point down their neck at 3am after a couple (or few) nightcaps (you know who you are!) I apologise, I now consider the case closed. It’s only taken me 27 years.

Dancing Starwars Storm Trooper

Hi welcome to the SCI FI Pod Blog! I was youtubeing the other day and found this mad dancing storm trooper in Tokyo. It had me rolling around the floor and then I saw the guy's name, Danny Choo.

After checking out his site I realised, as I suspected, that I had in fact worked with this mad man before. Nice going Danny, I'm proud of you! especially seeing as you made the suite yourself. Consider yourself the first honorary recipient of the Sci Fi Pod award for outstanding contributions to the Sci Fi Blogosphere. Keep it up feller, May the force be with you.