Plot Details: This opinion reveals minor details about the movie's plot.

Man, am I a geek. At one time or another, I've been obsessed with: Star Wars, Star Trek, The X-Files, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (and Angel), Smallville, Firefly, and now, Battlestar Galactica. It doesn't help that Battlestar Galactica has been revamped and is now on the Sci-Fi Channel, and is better than any revised/revisionated show since Star Trek the Next Generation; it doesn't help that it's a friggin' sexy show with a white-hot cast; it doesn't help that the sci-fi elements are cool, and the battle scenes are better than anything George Lucas has come up with since 1983...this is just a darn entertaining show, and if you're even a fraction of the geek I am, you're gonna love it.

The old clunky 1970's "Battlestar Galactica" TV series is a good jumping-off point, with a good basic storyline--the human race is a group of colonies, attacked by a race of sentient robots, "Cylons." The Cylons push humanity to the brink of extinction, and the humans band together in a flotilla of spaceships, searching for that legendary ancient homeworld, Earth. This was the premise for the old tv series starring Lorne Greene, Dirk Benedict, and some sort of Muppety robot/dog-thing; it's also the premise for this series, which has thankfully cut out the cheesier elements in favor for more contemporary ones.

The first season DVD set includes not only the first thirteen regular episodes, but also the miniseries that kicked off the series. The miniseries sets the stage for what's to come: conflict between the Colonial Government, headed by President Roslin (Mary McDonnell). She starts out as the Secretary of Education, but is promoted to President when everyone else is killed--and we see her growing into her office over the course of the season. She's got a fragile alliance with the military, under the command of Commander Adama (Edward James Olmos). Olmos (and Adama) also grew on me over the course of the season--at first I thought he was too rough around the edges, but the gritty qualities of the veteran leader really come out through the 13 episodes, and he stands out among the stellar cast. I've spent a lot of time daydreaming about which starship captain I'd like to serve under (Kirk, Picard, Sisko, Solo, Janeway, Reynolds, etc....), and Adama has put himself at the top of that list. More than the grandfatherly Lorne Greene, we see the hardship of the fleet's situation, his strained relationship with his son Apollo (Jamie Bamber, also excellent) and the courage to lead humanity under a false premise that he's painfully hiding, all reflected in Olmos' worn face. Not a beautiful man, but a fantastic actor. Love him.

We learn more about the threat of the Cylons, who now have the ability to look like (and feel like and taste like and sex like) humans. Traitorous scientist Gaius Baltar (James Callis) moves up in this brave new world, while still being the whipping boy of the military and the fortunate sire of a Cylon chickie, played by the incredibly hot Tricia Helfer.

There are a few cases where the crew is separated from each other, and although some of them feel as temporary as any single "Star Trek" episode, others are part of a larger arc with an uncertain end. The uncertainty, the politics, and the paranoia are all wonderful parts of this wonderful series, and I'm not sure where it's headed. It's darker than other science fiction series I've fallen in love with, but the characters, the action, and especially the tense relationships between everyone have me on the edge of my seat. I've only finished the first season of this new favorite series, but I'll be sticking around.

DVD extras include commentaries on key episodes, some short featurettes, some art and design galleries, and a few deleted scenes. Nothing fantastic, nothing nearly as good as the episodes themselves, but worth the time to take a look at.

Battlestar Galactica: the Miniseries

Recommended: Yes

Viewing Format: DVD
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older