I Think I Might Be a Cylon

The re-imagined Battlestar Galactica is nearing its end and it is a sad state of affairs. What has been a great run since 2003 is coming to a close in mere 8 episodes. Quite how satisfactory the end will be is up for question, but I am pretty sure that it will be nothing short of phenomenal considering the quality of the series so far.

It is usually quoted as being one of the smartest show on television and I concur with that statement wholeheartedly. Even though I am a Lost fanatic like my fellow contributors of this blog, Battlestar Galactica is the only show I can go on for hours contemplating and debating (usually with myself) the philosophical questions put forward at every single episode: What does it mean to be human? Who decides who should be human? Is the notion of an omnipotent creator a merely human creation? In extreme situations - such as when mankind faces total annihilation - should our point of view concerning issues such as abortion or racism be altered to accomodate the circumstances? And so forth ...

There is a plethora of  material online that synopsizes the show, but the gist of it is that humans living on 12 distant planets created Cylons - machines, robots, toasters, etc. - to help them in their daily lives. However, the Cylons somehow evolved (not an accurate word to describe what happened, but it will do now) and wage war against the humans. After a lengthy armistice  (40 years - a clear religious allegory) the Cylons attack the humans and annihilate them all, save for a ragtag fleet. The remaining humans search for a mythical planet - the 13th colony - Earth, while the Cylons are in hot pursuit. The catch? They look like humans now.

The original 1978 series painted a very Manichean worldview and it was an escapist, shiny, Mormon-influenced Star Wars copy. Ronald D. Moore and David Eick took out all the varnish and presented us a rather pessimistic worldview with moral ambiguities hitting us left and right. I think the most important question asked by the writers is whether we are humans or Cylons. I, personally, don't share the religious beliefs of the Cylons, but I think I might be a Cylon. Or, perhaps I would like to be a Cylon. Maybe I am. And if so, watch out humans ...

The Bru