Battlestar Bros.

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

Battlestar Bros. episodes

February 25, 2018Episode 22: Pegasus
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB022.mp3
Most serialized stories have one arc that stands above the rest. An arc that people come back to and re-watch or re-read time and time again. That stands out as the series’s defining story.
Welcome to Pegasus.
This time on BSG, the Battlestar Galactica meets the Battlestar Pegasus, and Commander Adama and Admiral Cain’s different leadership styles…well, clash is putting it mildly.
In our analysis, Matt appreciates how Pegasus twists established BSG tropes to create something new.
Pat takes stock of the Battlestar Pegasus and its troubled commander.
Mike gets to discuss his second-favorite scene in the series.
And Joe(!) joins the podcast to make sure we give Tricia Helfer, James Callis, and Tricia Helfer’s incredible performances their due.
Some observations and links of note:
Battlestar ’78 did appear in theaters, apparently not to favorable reviews. But Joe liked it, and that’s all that matters to us.
Here’s that dreamlike Pegasus appearance music (which is still so strange for BSG), in case you wanted to listen to it again.
We mention a couple bits that come up in the production notes on this episode’s Wikipedia page, including the existence of the Battlestar ’78 Pegasus and some of the Bush-era inspirations for choices throughout this episode. Also, the difficulties the show’s staff had in choosing how much and what to show in that one particular Sharon scene.
Building on that, note some of the questions that come up when you Google the phrase “definition of enemy combatant”. Specifically, “Do enemy combatants have constitutional rights?” and “What are unlawful enemy combatants?”. A society at war will do what it can to twist its definition of the enemy. When the enemy starts out as robots, twisting soldiers and citizens’ understanding of them presumably gets easier.
Apparently, splitting seasons into two parts was SCI-FI’s standard practice, back in the day. Much to the Drew boys’ consternation. You, however, have only one week to wait before we discuss Resurrection Ship.
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/
0 min
February 18, 2018Episode 21: Flight of the Phoenix
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB021.mp3
“It’s a damn stealth ship, remember?”
This time on BSG, the Chief breaks down before building something new, Helo makes nice with his shipmates, and Starbuck’s got her friends’ backs. Also, Roslin somehow ends up with a ship named after her.
In our analysis, Pat points out that the Cylons bleed, just like you and me.
Mike petitions for changing Hot Dog’s call sign to Blueberry.
Matt wonders why the Chief would possibly name his ship “Laura”.
Some observations and links of note:
The story of the original Blackbird, in case you don’t get the reference.
Networking made easy.
This Reddit thread popped up on its own right after we recorded this episode: “BSG Actors, Where Are They Now?”
This is what you find if you Google “Katee Sackhoff laugh”. It is very strange, but also kind of great.
How. Many. Names. Can. One. Ship. Have?
I thought about linking to/hyping up Westworld for those who hadn’t heard of it yet, but c’mon. You’ve heard of it.
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/
0 min
February 11, 2018Episode 20: Final Cut
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB020.mp3
Phew! Last episode sure was a doozy. We better pace ourselves…wouldn’t want to run out of narrative steam before we reach Earth, right? So how about some good old-fashioned filler?
This time on BSG, Roslin and Adama have the perfect answer to Galactica’s PR problems: commissioning a “week in the life” documentary. Unfortunately, the week proves more eventful than they’d hoped, as Tigh’s life is threatened and Sharon’s pregnancy hits complications.
In our analysis, Matt wonders why the Cylons are sitting around watching movies.
Pat enjoys getting more Gaeta.
Mike stands as the podcast’s only true patriot.
Some observations and links of note:
“Ayiyiyiyiy!” Everyone’s favorite warrior princess is here!
Pat discusses similarities between this episode and some side-character focused Star Trek episodes: The Next Generation‘s “Lower Decks” and Voyager‘s “Good Shepard”.
OK, I know you’re really just reading these notes looking for a picture of Lee Adama in full beefcake mode and here you go. You’re welcome.
If you’re in the market for other well-crafted podcasts, you can’t go wrong with This American Life. Matt references the episode on the importance of sleep in the military, which is episode 634: “Human Error in Volatile Situations”.
And lest we forget, here’s Mike’s favorite part of this episode. Measure its gloriousness for yourself. Also, note that views and opinions expressed regarding national anthems are those of the speaker and do not reflect the position of the podcast as a whole (only the podcast as a third).
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/
0 min
February 04, 2018Episode 19: Home (Pts. 1 & 2)
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB019.mp3
You know that feeling you get sometimes, when you visit your parents’ house after months away? And the cookie jar has moved, or the President has been ousted and martial law is in effect? I imagine that’s how Starbuck feels at the start of these episodes.
This time on BSG, Adama gets over himself long enough to put the fleet back together, Roslin pays a price for her actions, and Lee and Starbuck play keep-away. Also, break out your star chart, because you’ll need it to find Earth.
In our analysis, Mike gets so lost in shipping, he may as well be a UPS driver.
Pat joins Roslin and Adama’s mutual admiration society.
Matt wonders whether the Cylons have already beaten humanity to Earth.
Some observations and links of note:
In a bit of self-reference, I want to make sure to define shipping in case our older listeners (you know who you are) haven’t seen the term used as it is above.
Press conferences, who needs ’em? Am I right?
Guys, Birch’s call sign is “Catman”. That is a GREAT CALL SIGN. Also, that guy’s never coming back.
Elosha was so close to getting some characterization in part one. Instead, she just got dead.
This is a pretty good representation of Adama’s emotions and actions in this episode.
What’s the exact connection between Cylon copies? How much does Sharon know about Boomer’s life? I don’t know, and don’t tell me yet. I want to keep thinking on it.
That godsdamn arrow. At least we finally resolved that one. Here’s your standard internet whining about the constellations being inaccurate somehow (no one who’s reasonable cares).
I searched so hard for a picture of “Sweatshirt Six,” but I could not find one. It’s such a shocking change in the character’s appearance and demeanor. It really set me, specifically, on edge. To make up for my failed search, here’s Batman laughing.
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/
0 min
January 28, 2018Episode 18: The Farm
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB018.mp3
No witty intro this time. Instead, a disclaimer: This episode confronts some woman-centric issues pretty head-on, and we are three dudes. We do our best to discuss these issues thoughtfully and considerately (though also with sarcasm and yelling, because it’s us).
Hopefully, we did well. If we whiffed, let us know. Part of the reason we’re doing the podcast is to open our conversations up to others and their points of view.
This time on BSG, new Cylon Dr. Simon takes Kara down to the farm, where he tries to convince her that babymaking is best. Needless to say, Starbuck ain’t havin’ it.
In our analysis, Pat wonders what would happen if Simon really was human.
Matt finds the episode’s logic, and dialogue, half-formed.
Mike takes solace in the fact Adama’s back in charge, even though the Old Man’s family is still broken.
Some observations and links of note:
Pat mentions that this episode plays into a sci-fi trope, of hooking women up to machines to make them into glorified babymakers (and examining what that means and how it’s a terrible overreach). The episode’s Wikipedia page outlines some other examples. As we mention near the end, there should definitely be male-equivalent “farms” in Galactica, specifically.
In case you need a good explainer of Statism, based on Mike’s reference.
Don’t worry, I haven’t seen K-19: The Widowmaker either.
Radiation poisoning symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, and fever, just to name a few. That hospital Starbuck’s in would not be quiet if there are as many people as Simon says, and it would smell like ass.
I checked, and yes, it’s very likely that we haven’t seen the last of Starbuck’s stolen ovary (or eggs, depending on your interpretation of the scene).
I’m just gonna dodge the whole “government shutdown” thing here. Hopefully, if you live in the U.S., you know what’s been going on. If you somehow don’t, have a Google.
The Farm is our new lowest-rated episode! Yayyy!! We actually had a good conversation about it, though, and I think there’s still a good amount of value to it.
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/
0 min
January 21, 2018Episode 17: Resistance
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB017.mp3
You know what I really need in my post-apocalyptic science fiction? Some sports. I’ve really just been hankering for some sportsball.
This time on BSG, Tigh sends a pilot to do a marine’s job, Lee and Roslin go full Prison Break, and Cally takes matters into her own hands. Oh, and meanwhile, another piece of whitebread shows up on Caprica.
In our analysis, Mike enjoys watching Ellen slink away, as Adama returns.
Matt wonders why the hell anyone would watch a game of Pyramid.
Pat examines Gaius’s motivations for messing with Boomer’s mind.
Some observations and links of note:
At 6:15, I believe Mike’s referencing the Boston Draft Riots. Which is a deep cut, even for us.
Because we must, the rules of Pyramid (complete with diagrams).
“Strong knees are important in many sports, including basketball, running, and soccer.” Also, Pyramid. And flying jets.
It’s kind of weird to introduce a character’s first name and simultaneously declare that first name too weird to include in dialogue. But here we are.
(Potential Spoilers) Apparently, it’s not just Mike and Pat who dislike Cally.
Ah, yes. The walk and talk. Dee and Apollo use it well here.
(Big Spoilers In This One) Billy’s decision to stay on Galactica was more process- than plot-based. Actor Paul Campbell had to duck out to shoot another pilot, for a show that didn’t get picked up.
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/
0 min
January 14, 2018Episode 16: Fragged
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB016.mp3
“One of you will betray the others. Or maybe, like, all of you will betray each other? That might be closer to the truth.”
This time on BSG, things get crazy on Kobol, as Crashdown gives his final order and Gaius lives up to Six’s expectations. Meanwhile, in the fleet, Tigh gets so frustrated with civilian government that he decides to tear it all down.
In our analysis, Pat delights in finding Tigh’s trigger word.
Mike is a real big jerk to both Cally and Crashdown, making a bad day worse.
Matt wonders how Kobol can evade God’s will.
Some observations and links of note:
Cally. Just. Wanted. To go. To dental school.
In case you were wondering about the episode’s title, Gaius is the one who did the fragging here.
Your Bible references for this episode: Sodom and Gomorrah, Cain and Abel, Original Sin. Pat and I are real bad Catholics, BTW.
Mike starts making a nice, impassioned case for there being something fundamentally good about humanity around 20:45, and I wish we hadn’t cut him off. Hopefully he’ll get another chance.
Humans have been around over 300,000 years, with “modern” behaviors starting to show up 50,000 years ago, in case you were wondering based on our discussion of “How long has it been since this stuff happened on Kobol?”
Roslin’s plot armor is strong here, as we noted.
In case you want to go a little deeper on the reasoning behind the separation of church and state, here’s a good starting point.
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/
0 min
January 07, 2018Episode 15: Valley of Darkness
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB015.mp3
Ever have one of those days where damn near everything’s telling you to lay down and give up? Welcome to Valley of Darkness.
This time on BSG, Adama pops up to drown a baby, Starbuck sits down to smoke a cigar, and Lee mans up to stop a Cylon boarding party. Also, Kobol is the godsdamn worst.
In our analysis, Matt wishes the Chief had been in time and questions Roslin’s cool.
Pat loves Starbuck’s place and is unsure about Billy-Dee’s stability.
Mike wants pilots to stop celebrating. Because only bad things happen when pilots celebrate.
Some observations and links of note:
Oh man, a show notes worthy reference right up front! Kitty Pryde runs through the X-Mansion avoiding a demon (just like Lee and Co. run through the ship avoiding Cylons) in Uncanny X-Men 143. It’s a real good issue. “Welcome to the X-Men, Kitty Pryde. Hope you survive the experience!” is from the cover of issue 139.
Apparently, that scene of Adama drowning the Hybrid was a bit much for many working on Galactica, but Ron Moore and David Eick fought to keep it in.
If you scroll down a bit on that same page, you’ll see that Katee Sackhoff and Thamoh Penikett did much of the interior decorating for Starbuck’s apartment. (And if you want to listen to the song from that scene again, I’ve got you covered.)
R.I.P. Flyboy. We hardly knew ye.
“Keep Your Monster Hidden” is one of horror writing’s fundamental tenets; Galactica did a very good job of it here, as Pat notes.
Please Google around and judge for yourself whether Billy is sexy now.
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/
0 min
December 31, 2017Episode 14: Scattered
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB014.mp3
Galactica’s second season hits the ground running, and we try to keep up with our scattered “heroes”.
This time on BSG, Saul Tigh takes command, Starbuck confronts Helo, Sharon nopes out, and Gaius deals with a baby-crazed 6.
In our analysis, Pat’s disappointed with Gaeta’s soap.
Matt wants to know more about Bill and Saul’s checkered past.
Mike questions how Boomer receives her orders.
Some observations and links of note:
A couple times while recording, we mixed up scenes from this episode and the next, “Valley of Darkness”. According to this episode’s Wikipedia page, they were supposed to be one episode originally. Which makes sense.
I’m not sure we focused enough on how great young Saul Tigh’s hair and young Bill Adama’s mustache are, but they really are glorious.
If you weren’t lucky enough to have seen the 90’s cinematic master piece that is Junior, I’ve got you covered. (Oh God, that did not age well.)
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/
0 min
December 24, 2017Episode 13: Kobol’s Last Gleaming
http://traffic.libsyn.com/battlestarbros/BSB013.mp3
Listen, the Colonial Fleet doesn’t get to take Christmas off. So we’re not going to either. We’ve got a frakkin’ lot to talk about this time, as the first season of Galactica comes to a close.
This time on BSG: Everything. Falls. Apart.
In our analysis, Pat wants to get Boomer help and understands Starbuck’s scream.
Matt wants Lee to shut up and is surprised at Six’s surprise.
Mike isn’t cutting Roslin, or Adama, any slack.
Some observations and links of note:
All those ratings you’ve been listening to us give? We have actually been putting them down somewhere. Note that Patrick is the stingiest rater overall, which I will continue to rub in his face until it’s no longer true. (I fully expect to be the stingiest by the time we’re done.)
Here’s some evidence that Jamie Bamber is in that opening scene, at least for a bit. On a related note, the A.V. Club’s first BSG re-reviewer exited the site after reviewing season one, which is a shame because her essays were real good. The season two guy’s not as insightful so far, so you might see less of those linked here.
“Plaything?”
If you’re calling bullshit on Boomer surviving her attempted suicide, it happens.
The Arrow of Apollo: total MacGuffin.
I can promise you’re going to miss the cut scene of the Chief getting Socinus reinstated once we get in to season two.
There are more scenes on Caprica coming, you guys. UGH.
Like I said in the episode, the plotting here was a big team effort. Perfection takes time and polish.
And one last thing: The Shape of the Face of the Things to Come.
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/
0 min

About Battlestar Bros.

From the publisher's feed

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.

Share Battlestar Bros.

Sign up to save your podcasts

Battlestar Bros.

Battlestar Bros. episodes

About Battlestar Bros.