Battlestar Bros.

By Matt Ledger, Pat FitzGerald-Fleck, Mike DrewTV & Film

Battlestar Bros. episodes

April 29, 2018Episode 31: The Resistance
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB031.mp3
Are you ready to drink the Cylon Kool-Aid? Or are you gonna join up with the resistance?
This time on BSG, it’s a prelude to Season Three, as Tigh and Doral push Duck and Jammer into taking up their respective causes.
In our analysis, Pat knows there ain’t room for crybabies in the resistance, but wonders why that excludes capable, qualified women.
Matt nerds out about the process of getting 25 minutes of web content made.
Mike thinks Saul knew exactly what would happen at the temple.
Some observations and links of note:
I would surely never link you to a place where you can watch all the webisodes online. I would never do that.
DuckTales count for the episode: Six.
If you nerd out about process things as much as I do, you’ll probably want to read the entirety of the “Official Statements” section on The Resistance‘s BattlestarWiki page. Official Wikipedia lays out the release dates a little nicer.
This is probably the best place to start learning about “fridging,” though I’d also encourage you to read some of Gail Simone’s extended thoughts on the trope. (And her comics, Gail is great.)
As always, our intro/outro song is I Love Battlestar Galactica by Jonathan Mann. You can find a link to his Patreon here. Jonathan creates a song a day, which seems bananas to me, but he’s been doing it successfully for a while.
New to the show? Battlestar Bros. is a mostly-loving review of SCI-FI’s (you can’t make me spell it the other way, I’ll fight you) greatest show, Battlestar Galactica. Join Pat, Mike, and Matt as they journey from Caprica to Earth, making observations both salient and snarky along the way.
You can find the show on Twitter as @BattlestarBros. You can find Pat as @Th3Hypn0Toad and Matt as @mat_ledge. Mike doesn’t Tweet, which might be for the best.
Battlestar Bros. is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://battlestarbros.wordpress.com/
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April 22, 2018Episode 30: Lay Down Your Burdens (Pts. 1 and 2)
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB030.mp3
This is our longest episode by far, which should give you a hint about how good Battlestar‘s season two finale is. We’ve got a lot to talk about, and you’ve got a lot to listen to. So let’s get crackin’.
This time on BSG, all hail President Baltar, the man who has no morals of his own and nearly convinces Laura to toss hers out the airlock. And if you were worried about being done with Caprica, don’t worry: Racetrack found a new one.
In our analysis, Mike separates his politics and his personal preferences.
Matt compares one-liner bros Cavil and Cottle, finding more substance in the former.
Pat is the only one who wouldn’t have fixed the fleet’s presidential election (because he wouldn’t have allowed democracy in the first place).
Some observations and links of note:
Wow, not even two minutes in, and I have to define “thicc” for y’all. Of all of us, I wouldn’t have expected Pat to go there.
It’s very low quality, but I found that season three teaser Mike mentioned. Don’t watch it if you don’t want light spoilers. Also, don’t watch it if you’re Nickelback-averse.
Man, it’s been A WEEK for politics, huh? I hope you enjoyed us yelling at each other about the state of our country, spurred on by Gaius Baltar’s shitty election tactics, Laura Roslin’s willingness to match him, and Adama’s (ohmygods misplaced) faith in the electorate.
Is it ironic that Cally, who wanted to be a dentist, gets her jaw wired shut in this episode? Not a great place from which to start a relationship, Cally.
The fleet’s population has been inconsistent throughout the second season (and likely dipped quite a bit here), but we get some pretty firm numbers near the end of the episode.
Do you think Sharon knew about Cavil, or not? It doesn’t especially matter, but it’s a small bit that would give more insight into Sharon’s current mental state.
As Mike says, “hope-y change-y shit.” Personally, I find Gaius to be less “hope-y change-y” here and more “let’s take the easy way out.” Like Ron Moore says, “Democracies are about choices, some made intelligently and thoughtfully, and some not so much.”
Some rationale for how and why characters changed the way they did as part of the “One Year Later” jump.
You can see the full text of that Mario Savio speech the Chief is riffing on here.
Here’s our updated rankings spreadsheet, with everything filled in up to the end of season two. Except power rankings. We are very behind on power rankings (and should likely just get rid of them).
As always, our intro/outro song is I Love Battlestar Galactica by Jonathan Mann. You can find a link to his Patreon here. Jonathan creates a song a day, which seems bananas to me, but he’s been doing it successfully for a while.
New to the show? Battlestar Bros. is a mostly-loving review of SCI-FI’s (you can’t make me spell it the other way, I’ll fight you) greatest show, Battlestar Galactica. Join Pat, Mike, and Matt as they journey from Caprica to Earth, making observations both salient and snarky along the way.
You can find the show on Twitter as @BattlestarBros. You can find Pat as @Th3Hypn0Toad and Matt as @mat_ledge. Mike doesn’t Tweet, which might be for the best.
Battlestar Bros. is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://battlestarbros.wordpress.com/
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April 15, 2018Episode 29: Downloaded
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB029.mp3
Of course there’s a godsdamn Head Gaius. Of course there is.
This time on BSG, Boomer and Caprica Six are back, and they’re here to start a revolution. Also, we learn more about Cylon resurrection, and Anders’s re-appearance somehow doesn’t piss us all off.
In our analysis, Mike wants to know how British the Cylons are going to get.
Pat examines what the Cylon plan (or plans) might actually be at this point.
Matt is very scared of Head Six, but wonders how she can be fooled.
Some observations and links of note:
This Cylon wants to serve you coffee.
The pinstripes are back, baby. Head Gaius, we’re all so happy to see you.
If a refrigerator couldn’t save Indiana Jones from a nuclear explosion, Six’s legs probably shouldn’t have saved Gaius.
Some of the Cylons in this episode are not who they appear to be (< This sounds MUCH more spoiler-y than it is, showing that we are not immune to writing clickbait).
As a person who is very concerned with how the mind can degrade/be changed/be trapped, “boxing” sounds like the absolute worst.
Lots of new secrets and lies established in this episode. Surely none of them will come back to bite anyone in the ass …
As always, our intro/outro song is I Love Battlestar Galactica by Jonathan Mann. You can find a link to his Patreon here. Jonathan creates a song a day, which seems bananas to me, but he’s been doing it successfully for a while.
New to the show? Battlestar Bros. is a mostly-loving review of SCI-FI’s (you can’t make me spell it the other way, I’ll fight you) greatest show, Battlestar Galactica. Join Pat, Mike, and Matt as they journey from Caprica to Earth, making observations both salient and snarky along the way.
You can find the show on Twitter as @BattlestarBros. You can find Pat as @Th3Hypn0Toad and Matt as @mat_ledge. Mike doesn’t Tweet, which might be for the best.
Battlestar Bros. is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://battlestarbros.wordpress.com/
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April 08, 2018Episode 28: The Captain’s Hand
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB028.mp3
There’s no time like the present for promoting your son twice in a row. Nice nepotism, Adama. Also, there be politics in this episode. You’ve been warned.
This time on BSG, we finally get back to the Battlestar Pegasus, where an engineer has been put in charge. An engineer! Can you imagine?!? Meanwhile, on the Galactica, President Roslin makes a choice we all have mixed feelings about (especially her).
In our analysis, Mike wants Starbuck to gather all her shit, put it in a bag, and get it together. Get your shit together, Starbuck.
Pat runs the numbers and finds himself agreeing with Roslin’s difficult decision.
Matt understands Roslin’s logic, but not her execution.
Some observations and links of note:
Pat and Mike are gonna bag on Tory as soon as it becomes fashionable, so try to form your own opinion of the character now.
One. One Star Trek reference in the show notes. I draw the line here, here and no further.
Yup, Commander Garner is Peter McCallister. Score one for Mike.
I was gonna just include a reference as to why “snipes” are called snipes (and why it makes no sense within the universe of Galactica), but then I decided we can go deeper. Enjoy this godsdamn awesome poem, “The Snipe’s Lament,” which feels incredibly Galactica to me.
You can always tell a Milford man.
This is another episode where we need to specify that a) we are three dudes talking about women’s issues, and b) we know we are three dudes talking about women’s issues. Again, hopefully we did so respectfully. Let us know if you disagree.
Religiosity. Nailed it.
Pat took a very long time to find you the beautiful featured image for this post, taken from this episode’s spectacular space battle. Space battles, man. We can all agree that space battles are awesome.
Regarding my watch confusion: I blame the unnecessary bagpipes.
As always, our intro/outro song is I Love Battlestar Galactica by Jonathan Mann. You can find a link to his Patreon here. Jonathan creates a song a day, which seems bananas to me, but he’s been doing it successfully for a while.
New to the show? Battlestar Bros. is a mostly-loving review of SCI-FI’s (you can’t make me spell it the other way, I’ll fight you) greatest show, Battlestar Galactica. Join Pat, Mike, and Matt as they journey from Caprica to Earth, making observations both salient and snarky along the way.
You can find the show on Twitter as @BattlestarBros. You can find Pat as @Th3Hypn0Toad and Matt as @mat_ledge. Mike doesn’t Tweet, which might be for the best.
Battlestar Bros. is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://battlestarbros.wordpress.com/
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April 02, 2018Episode 27: Sacrifice
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB027.mp3
Put Lee, Ellen, Billy, and Dee in a room, add in a pissed-off Dana Delaney with a bunch of guns, and baby, you’ve got an episode of Galactica going.
This time on BSG, (SPOILERS, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED) it’s finally time to say goodbye to the Bill-ster, as Paul Campbell turns in his last(?) BSG performance.
In our analysis, Matt finds his favorite Galactica writer.
Mike thinks Sharon may have taken a harder turn than was necessary.
Pat springs his trap from last episode, as Starbuck shoots a friendly.
Some observations and links of note:
Linking this Paul Campbell interview again for those who might’ve avoided it due to spoilers last time. You can read it in full now, with the knowledge of poor, sweet Billy’s fate.
So, Anne Saunders writes less episodes come season three, but also becomes BSG‘s Story Editor, which seems like an awesome role for her. She’s used continuity super well in the three episodes of hers that we’ve watched.
The “consecutive flashback episodes” meter is up to four. Four is too frakkin’ high.
If you’ve been following along with us and did not know what was going to happen to Billy in this episode, let us know how the episode played for you. We all knew about the death going in, and it may have colored our perspective …
Expect a text post about “The Many Looks of Lee Adama” before we finish our run. I love his wardrobe so much. For now, content yourself with this strange, wonderful video.
Pat’s Die Hard reference, for those who have not watched the best Christmas movie.
Man, it is a tough episode to be Dee, huh? But at least there’s Apollalla?
As always, our intro/outro song is I Love Battlestar Galactica by Jonathan Mann. You can find a link to his Patreon here. Jonathan creates a song a day, which seems bananas to me, but he’s been doing it successfully for a while.
New to the show? Battlestar Bros. is a mostly-loving review of SCI-FI’s (you can’t make me spell it the other way, I’ll fight you) greatest show, Battlestar Galactica. Join Pat, Mike, and Matt as they journey from Caprica to Earth, making observations both salient and snarky along the way.
You can find the show on Twitter as @BattlestarBros. You can find Pat as @Th3Hypn0Toad and Matt as @mat_ledge. Mike doesn’t Tweet, which might be for the best.
Battlestar Bros. is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://battlestarbros.wordpress.com/
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April 01, 2018Episode 26.5: The Way We Weren’t
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB026-5.mp3
Wait a minute, there’re suddenly more muppets on this show than I remember…
For this special April Fools edition, the Farscape Fellas take a look at Battlestar‘s eccentric predecessor.
In our analysis, Mike wrestles with his feelings for puppets.
Matt enjoys flashbacks that actually serve the narrative.
Pat attempts to justify putting his friends in this situation.
Some observations and links of note:
If this is your first taste of Farscape, I highly recommend giving the show a shot. If watching straight through all four seasons seems daunting, check out this viewing guide. It tells you which episodes are required viewing and which you’re better off skipping.
Matt wasn’t a fan of the intro theme, but I swear it grows on you.
Frak! is a fine everyday curse, but sometimes you’ve got to spice things up with a good Frell!
This article by SYFY Wire goes into why Farscape was an important step towards shows like Battlestar Galactica. (See, it’s not just me saying it!)
If you have any other alliterative podcast title ideas, please share them in the comments. Not sure if “Westworld Wankers” will get past the iTunes review process.
Happy April Fools! Battlestar Bros. will return tomorrow with our discussion of BSG season 2, episode 16 – “Sacrifice”.
New to the show? Battlestar Bros. is a mostly-loving review of SCI-FI’s (you can’t make me spell it the other way, I’ll fight you) greatest show, Battlestar Galactica. Join Pat, Mike, and Matt as they journey from Caprica to Earth, making observations both salient and snarky along the way.
You can find the show on Twitter as @BattlestarBros. You can find Pat as @Th3Hypn0Toad and Matt as @mat_ledge. Mike doesn’t Tweet, which might be for the best.
Battlestar Bros. is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://battlestarbros.wordpress.com/
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March 25, 2018Episode 26: Scar
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB026.mp3
Do you have that one co-worker who just won’t get off your ass? That rubs your face in every mistake you make? Maybe they’re just afraid of being forgotten, or not measuring up …
This time on BSG, bad Cylon motherfrakker Scar is hunting for Viper pilots, and only Starbuck and Kat can take him/her/it down.
In our analysis, guest host Joe Drew is back to take a look at an episode he holds (or held) in high-esteem.
Mike thinks his ship is sinking, and he doesn’t seem wrong.
Matt is all-in for the Starbuck of Cylons.
Pat understands Kat’s fear, but finds her rage fabricated.
Some observations and links of note:
A list of many of the incredibly absurd BSG pilot call signs. Beano? Stepchild? C’mon now.
Scar has his/her/its own BattlestarWiki bio, and it contains the phrase “known for its taste for nuggets,” which is awesome.
Apparently, the flashbacks here were supposed to “increase the dramatic tension.” None of us thought that was the case. (Also at that link, some discussion of the pilot culture and quirks Joe discusses in the episode.)
The theme from The Deer Hunter, which ended this episode. Joe either did his homework or has a good ear.
I dug around for a GIF or video or something of Starbuck’s “slap, kiss, push away” move, but I found nothing. Internet, why have you failed me?
Still don’t know how this episode gets on to people’s “Top 10” or “Top 5” lists for BSG, but it sure does.
As always, our intro/outro song is I Love Battlestar Galactica by Jonathan Mann. You can find a link to his Patreon here. Jonathan creates a song a day, which seems bananas to me, but he’s been doing it successfully for a while.
New to the show? Battlestar Bros. is a mostly-loving review of SCI-FI’s (you can’t make me spell it the other way, I’ll fight you) greatest show, Battlestar Galactica. Join Pat, Mike, and Matt as they journey from Caprica to Earth, making observations both salient and snarky along the way.
You can find the show on Twitter as @BattlestarBros. You can find Pat as @Th3Hypn0Toad and Matt as @mat_ledge. Mike doesn’t Tweet, which might be for the best.
Battlestar Bros. is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://battlestarbros.wordpress.com/
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March 18, 2018Episode 25: Black Market
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB025.mp3
If you were looking forward to Lee Adama meaningfully dealing with his PTSD while solving a murder mystery and examining the gray areas of morality, boy howdy is this episode going to disappoint you.
This time on BSG, Lee takes the lead in a “detective story” that requires no detecting and is barely a story.
In our analysis, Mike watches his favorite character get dragged through the mud.
Matt joins Mike in pointing out that you don’t buy gifts for your prostitute’s child.
And 48 hours earlier, Pat examines the logistics of black markets and policing a fleet of 50,000 people.
Some observations and links of note:
Our opening’s a riff on a pretty sweet Raymond Chandler bit from “The Simple Art of Murder.” If you want a story like “Black Market” but y’know, good, you could do worse than pick up a Chandler book.
That shirt. Those shorts.
More proof that nothing good has ever come from “Heart of Darkness.”
If you want to read some other HOT TAKES on what might be BSG‘s worst episode, I’ve got you covered: io9, The Nerdist.
I got curious, so I looked up the official definition of a black market. Again, there’s a delineation between unofficial trade of legitimate goods (Which I think is a gray market?) and, y’know, child trafficking. Notice that the list of black market goods is almost entirely illegal things.
I dug up the “Black Market” song Mike mentioned. It is, in fact, pretty good. Have a listen.
Don’t worry, y’all, we’ll get into an upswing of actually decent BSG episodes soon. Stick with it (and us).
As always, our intro/outro song is I Love Battlestar Galactica by Jonathan Mann. You can find a link to his Patreon here. Jonathan creates a song a day, which seems bananas to me, but he’s been doing it successfully for a while.
New to the show? Battlestar Bros. is a mostly-loving review of SCI-FI’s (you can’t make me spell it the other way, I’ll fight you) greatest show, Battlestar Galactica. Join Pat, Mike, and Matt as they journey from Caprica to Earth, making observations both salient and snarky along the way.
You can find the show on Twitter as @BattlestarBros. You can find Pat as @Th3Hypn0Toad and Matt as @mat_ledge. Mike doesn’t Tweet, which might be for the best.
Battlestar Bros. is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://battlestarbros.wordpress.com/
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March 11, 2018Episode 24: Epiphanies
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB024.mp3
Remember meaningful character development? Serial storytelling? Plot points that build on each other and make sense within BSG‘s already established narrative?
“Epiphanies” doesn’t.
This time on BSG, a dying Roslin decides to kill Sharon’s baby, for reasons, but then decides to not kill Sharon’s baby, for … other reasons. It’s as dumb as it sounds.
In our analysis, Pat wants y’all to take to Twitter with the hashtag #NotMyRoslin.
Matt joins Sharon in critiquing this episode’s writing.
Mike ends up being right about Gaius’s motivations.
Some observations and links of note:
Did someone say teachers’ strike?
President Adar: Not a boob guy.
Sharon, in this episode. I’m surprised how exactly the promo lines up, actually, right down to “Roslin as Randy Savage.”
Here’s that “Roslin doesn’t trust Baltar to cover up the baby, so she decides to kill it.” interpretation. I still don’t think it holds water with what we see in the episode.
Y’know, if Superman can hide by wearing a pair of glasses, MAYBE Gina can lead a Cylon sympathizer movement without being recognized as a Cylon. Maybe.
On a related note: Gaius. Back the frak off. Also, for those Googling along at home, don’t search the term “juicy asshole.”
From the highest of highs to the lowest of lows, “Epiphanies” is our new lowest-rated episode. It will hold the title for only one week.
As always, our intro/outro song is I Love Battlestar Galactica by Jonathan Mann. You can find a link to his Patreon here. Jonathan creates a song a day, which seems bananas to me, but he’s been doing it successfully for a while.
New to the show? Battlestar Bros. is a mostly-loving review of SCI-FI’s (you can’t make me spell it the other way, I’ll fight you) greatest show, Battlestar Galactica. Join Pat, Mike, and Matt as they journey from Caprica to Earth, making observations both salient and snarky along the way.
You can find the show on Twitter as @BattlestarBros. You can find Pat as @Th3Hypn0Toad and Matt as @mat_ledge. Mike doesn’t Tweet, which might be for the best.
Battlestar Bros. is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://battlestarbros.wordpress.com/
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March 04, 2018Episode 23: Resurrection Ship (Pts. 1 & 2)
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB023.mp3
Is it enough for humanity to just survive, at any moral cost? Or do we need to hold ourselves to a higher standard? What kind of society is worth saving?
Those are the questions at hand in Resurrection Ship.
This time on BSG, the Battlestars Galactica and Pegasus mount a successful assault on the Cylon Resurrection Ship – but no one’s really here for that.
In our analysis, Pat sees a bit of Admiral Cain in Starbuck and thinks that Cain does too.
Mike compares the lines that Cain and Adama are willing to cross.
Matt thinks Cain may have gotten exactly what she wanted in the end.
Some observations and links of note:
Seriously, that battle though. Such great special effects for a battle that’s ancillary to the real, character-driven plot. (Sidenote: The official BSG YouTube videos have the corners cut off their thumbnails and I LOVE IT.)
Some spoilers for Razor and other stuff in here, but there’s a decent examination of Cain and the quote-unquote “juxtaposition of her feminine and masculine aspects” (which Pat touches on in this episode) at BitchFlicks (which is a kick-ass name for a blog).
I’ve been waiting to link this one for awhile, and it seems appropriate here given Helo, the Chief, and Gaius’s arcs: Wired‘s “Are We Ready for Intimacy with Androids?”. There’s a lot of Six and Gaius stuff to unpack in this episode, and I am HERE FOR IT.
“But for me, it was Tuesday.”
Admiral Cain will return in November 2018, when we review Battlestar Galactica: Razor.
As always, our intro/outro song is I Love Battlestar Galactica by Jonathan Mann. You can find a link to his Patreon here. Jonathan creates a song a day, which seems bananas to me, but he’s been doing it successfully for a while.
New to the show? Battlestar Bros. is a mostly-loving review of SCI-FI’s (you can’t make me spell it the other way, I’ll fight you) greatest show, Battlestar Galactica. Join Pat, Mike, and Matt as they journey from Caprica to Earth, making observations both salient and snarky along the way.
You can find the show on Twitter as @BattlestarBros. You can find Pat as @Th3Hypn0Toad and Matt as @mat_ledge. Mike doesn’t Tweet, which might be for the best.
Battlestar Bros. is made with Jetpack Podcast. Full show notes and every episode at https://battlestarbros.wordpress.com/
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Battlestar Bros. is a mostly-loving review of SCI-FI's (you can't make me spell it the other way, I'll fight you) greatest show, Battlestar Galactica. Join Pat, Mike, and Matt as they journey from Caprica to Earth, making observations both salient and snarky along the way.

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