THE JOURNEY BEGINS! Battlestar Galactica Season 1 schedule Sundays - KZfaq Reactions Tuesdays - UNCUT Reactions on Patreon (ep2 up now) Performance of Season 1 will determine if we continue! SO SAY WE ALL!

This is a perfect episode of television. If you never watched any more BSG, this one episode contains basically every good element of the show.

I like these guys don't realize they're going to love this show.

No rain machine, guys. The Caprica scenes (and those of another planet you’ll see later) were filmed in the Temperate rainforests of British Columbia, Canada - a natural “rain machine”

"Is this show going to be that bleak the entire time?" Viewers: ... ... ... BSG: "Hold my fracking beer."

Dreary, horrible, tragic, traumatic. Yes, this is BSG, and it fracking rocks

Battlestar Galactica = down with happiness, joy is for losers, trauma Hell Yeah! but it can be exciting and the actors and characters are amazing

Perfect timing boys, I just convinced my husband to start Battlestar Galactica with me!

the music on this show is beyond amazing

I kept checking in on the mini series numbers. I was like "dude, this one's numbers are doing great, how can they not watch this?"

gotta be said, i think the only reason that the president lady in this one didn't look quite so tired as everyone is actually reasonable... she was already covering up late stage cancer with makeup. almost everyone else was meant to look like they were exhausted and had no cosmetics on.

Edward James Olmos said "if theres a single alien on this show I'm not doing it".

You have to be mentally prepared on how to watch BSG, it's PTSD - The Show. But it's just so fraking good and well written.

Interestingly "33" and "Water" were originally broadcast on SyFy channel here in the states back to back to celebrate BSG's first season premiere. Minor historical note.

Fyi: Helo wasn't intended to be part of the show. Moore said they were asked a lot about him after the miniseries aired so added him in.

the 2003 Battlestar Galactica is genuinely my favourite scifi series, found your channel because I googled which streaming services have it at the moment and youtube was watching my search history. Hope you love it

My favourite show of all time, I hope you enjoy the ride.

One thing I didn’t catch until I saw your TNG reaction to Measure of a Man is that Maddox calls Data a “toaster”. In this series, “toaster” is the derogatory term the humans use for Cylons. I wonder if that was a callback or just coincidence?

I expect this will be mentioned but initially when Lee looks into the Olympic carriers windows he would have seen civilians waving back at him, they were cut for being too dark.

I discovered you guys during season 2 of TNG, and I really enjoy your reactions, more thoughtful than most. I'm here mostly for the trek, but this one is going to be fun too.

15:52 The original version of that scene was a lot darker. In the DVD commentary Ronald D. Moore and David Eick go into detail how originally Apollo was going to see that the civilians were still alive and on board the Olympic but he still had to give the kill order. The network basically told them that the episode was dark enough as it was and wouldn't let them do it.

I really hope you guys end up watching the whole series, I enjoy your special take coming in having watched the original 1978 show. I always knew that the attention to detail in the remake was on point, but having you guys notice and point out the little homages is just cherry on top!

Madame President didnt look tired because she doesn't have the same job as the military and ships' crew.

These guys clearly...are awesome. Also I'm curious to find out if, by the end of this series, your opinion of Mary McDonnell will have changed.

regarding the cylon talking about God: The cylons, after leaving humanity, found religion. Ironically, the Cylons are monotheistic, believing in one God, while the humans believe in many. For the Cylons, their decision to attack humanity is a holy war.

I remember Katie Sackhoff saying that Edward James Olmos was adamant that they should all be actually sleep-deprived and do some method acting, like really commit to the craft. Sackhoff meanwhile said she was young, irreverent and a little full of herself, and basically said “f that, I’ll have a nap and just _act_ instead” :)

Ron Moore said this is his fave ep The best ep of the show and it’s the first. Amazing. None of that “find our feet shit”

I heard that the actor that plays Commander Adama actually gave the idea of depriving everyone of sleep when shooting this episode, so the "everyone looks horrible" part is not makeup lol

Without a doubt this is easily one of the very best SF shows ever made.. you won’t be disappointed if you watch this masterpiece,it’s original,intelligent,thought provoking,brilliantly written and acted and action packed… yes it’s dark in places but it’s also very funny in others. Definitely worth your time.

So happy you two are doing this show - you randomly showed up on my algorithm for the mini-series beginning, and was hoping you'd decide to give the series a try.

In "33," the fleet is on the run, A relentless chase, never done. Every thirty-three minutes, Cylons appear, Bringing destruction, feeding their fear. Tired and weary, the crew holds fast, Fighting for survival, as each moment's passed. Adama leads with a steely resolve, Endurance tested. A crisis they can't solve. Sleep-deprived, tension mounts high, Lives on the line, under the black sky. Gaius and Six, in a twisted dance, Faith and doubt, in a perilous trance. A decision looms, the Olympic Carrier’s fate, To save the fleet, their hearts full of weight. With heavy hearts, they make the call, Sacrifice one, to save them all. Despair and hope, in a fragile blend, A struggle for survival, until the end. The human spirit, tested and tried, In the darkness, where shadows hide. To 33, we see the crew exhausted stuggling just to fight. Raging againt the dying of humanity's light. A tough choice, a deadly call. They made the right one. So say we all.

I watched BSG when it first came out and liked it a lot up until the final season. I had been debating whether to sign up for a streaming service just to rewatch the series despite my misgivings about the ending. Your reaction to the mini-series was what pushed me over the edge to sign up for Prime and start watching again.

@16:09.. Some of the Air Force pilots responding to the hijacked airliners on 9/11 understood that they might have ram the airliners in flight - even though the passengers and crew would be killed as well the hijackers - and the fighter pilots might not be able to eject to ensure the airliners were taken down. The fighter planes weren't armed with either missiles or ammo since it was in peacetime, and there wasn't time to arm them.

You will be in total awe of how this show slowly and subtly morphs from space opera to bona fide soap opera, on par with General Hospital, Days of Our Lives, etc, by the middle of Season Four. It is pure genius.

I am THRILLED you have decided to watch BSG! As a Star Trek fan from 1966 (I'm old), I found BSG to be an amazing show! I was glued to it for its entire run!

This episode won the 2005 Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form. It really was something else at the time.

As with all good sci-fi, this reflects the time it was made but also tells stories about human nature that are timeless.

Still in my top 3 episodes of this show, love it! Thanks for doing this series!

15:15 Everyone is so focused on the Cylons, no one has noticed TA has been infiltrated by owls.

Look carefully when they show the entire fleet...You'll find a tiny Federation ship

I'm not new. I've been with you for awhile now but I wanted to say that this was what I always wanted from a "reaction" channel. In my mind it's supposed to be like watching something with a friend and talking about it. I have tried a lot of channels that seemed solid only to devolve. So glad I found my way here and that you're watching both Star Trek and now BSG. Two of my favourites. Well...favourite franchise and one of my favourite series respectively.

Director (Michael Rymer - the key director for the show) did not force anyone not to sleep. Edward James Olmos decided on his own to consult a sleep specialist to understand the symptoms. Then he shared this with Rymer, who selected one symptom for every actor (to give variety). But Olmos and some other actors following his example decided to go further and slept only 3 hours a night during filming of the episode.

Fun fact: when Apollo looks into the windows of the olympic carrier he doesn't see anybody. The original premise was for him to see people on the ship and to have to destroy it anyways. It was changed in the script stage at the networks request for being too dark

THIS MAKES ME SO HAPPY!!! Thank you guys 😁

So glad you're giving the series a try! It's worth it. 33 is a brutal episode.

Star Trek and now BSG, viewers getting spoiled, I love it! so say we all! excited to go on this journey with you guys. If you haven't seen it, I'd highly suggest watching the tv series Stargate once you're done with the current series and keep the Sci-Fi going! have a great day

Really appreciate this watch series, it's similar to watching my dad, an original trekker, watch TNG for the first time. I've rewatched BSG too many times now, so watching it through your perspectives makes it novel again.

The shaky cam was supposed to emulate the sensation that everything was shot by some documentary camera person. That's why it's used in the space shots, as well.

I know it's only two days in but confused at the view count on this vid versus the mini series, especially given the esteem in which '33' is held! I hope this isn't a sign of things to come, wanna see these guys go the distance with this!

For some historical context: The series came out not long after 9/11 happened. So shooting down a civilian ship that might have been taken over, the Cylons as sleeper agents that don't fear death took some inspiration from the new surge in terrorism in that time.

Thank you. I'm loving ypur "natural" reaction. You will love the show for sure!!

3:25 - Dunno if anyone has mentioned this already… But there is a bit of a Trek connection by way of the VFX. Doug Drexler was a 20 something fan in the 70’s that produced a few Star Trek related poster magazines and so on. He would eventually move out to Hollywood and become involved in the Makeup FX industry. He won an Academy Award for his work on Dick Tracy in 1990. He joined the makeup team on TNG around that time. He worked all over the various art departments there. Eventually he moved over to the digital art in 1992 with DS9. He continued to work in that capacity until ENT where he became senior illustrator and CG designer. After ENT ended he was hired by former Trek VFX supervisor Gary Hurtzel to work on the New Battlestar Galactica series as CG Supervisor. He won two Emmy’s for his work. Doug is considered by many fans to be one of the most important minds in the background of Trek through the Rick Berman era along side Mike Okuda and Rick Sternbach. There guys are kinda the unofficial keepers of the lore and history of Trek. At least until the JJ/ Kurtzman Era after which all such brain trusts were willfully purged in favor of new minds and ideas.

This and DS9, Ronald D. Moore has an incredible TV legacy.

You guys almost got it right. :) It wasn't the director, it was Edward James Olmos ( Cmdr. Adama ) who kept people awake for about a day before they started shooting. I personally don't mind the shakycam and they will get better at it. It really grounds the scene and make me feel like I am actually there peeking behind a corner watching them having a situation. And If I want to be honest I personally wouldn't mind having visions of Tricia Helfer constantly trying to pull me into bed lol

It's my favourite episode of season 1, it's also in the top 3 of the whole show.

Ha, somehow missed the notification for this one. Happy to see you continue with BSG.

Two tidbits about '33'; Edward James Olmos suggested that the Cast go without sleep for two or three days to give them more of a realistic feel dealing with sleep deprivation. In the scene with Adama and Tigh at the beginning where Tigh eats part of Adama's food (which you cut), the Director asked Edward James Olmos "What would Commander Adama Eat?" to which he replied "Japanese Udon Noodles." It becomes a recurring Character trait of Adama throughout the Series' run.

"This is the situation: it sucks," pretty much sums up the whole series.

Excellent. I love your Star Trek reaction, but this.. for this TNG can wait.

One of the best features of the show was how well it stitched together 33 to the miniseries though they are produced like a year apart. Now it's common and the standard but not so much back in those days. I'm sure I missed some giveaways but I don't think there are many.

I envy those watching this for the first time, it's an awesome time and enjoy!

The photo that people were respecting near the beginning is "Lest We Forget". In universe, it was taken during The Attack as a pilot saw the destruction unfolding, and a photographer snapped a photo as they were fleeing Aerilon's capital city (Gaoth). Helo, originally, was not going to be brought back at all- but people liked Tahmoh so much they essentially made this running "B Story" with him on Caprica The Olympic Carrier 100% had its crew and passengers aboard and alive (MOST of them); the network thought Apollo seeing them (for sure) would be "too dark"; however, I'll take the director and writer's words, as well as the references later, over executive meddling... Oh, and one last WTF- imagine that poor mother who gave birth at the end of the episode- was she in labor before the 33'ing stopped?

10:48 "The Cylon CGI is not horrible." Thanks for making me remember that this show originally aired 20 years ago, guys

Love that you're doing this. And, even better, love that you say you're not like what most people would expect from 'typical reactors'. Far too often these days, 'reactors' try to hard to be reactors... Keep up the great, natural work.

You guys need to remember and keep in mind when this was made! Clearly, you guys don't get it and were talking over the dialogue, not paying attention which is why you didn't understand or missed the point of the show and I am sad you don't appreciate this. I... I couldn't help myself... Did I win the perfect ban?? 😝

No ones going to be mad about you guys watching Battlestar, its excellent

FYI it wasn't stress makeup, they made all the actors involved awake all night for good day to film it. With their permission obviously.

I don't think the director forced them to go without sleep, but there is a story that Eddie Olmos reacted to this script by saying "this is great - I'm not going to sleep for five days!" The rest of the cast were horrified and said "you can't do that, you'll kill yourself!" Eddie says in that deep gravelly voice... "you gotta get inside it!" I don't know if he skipped any sleep before filming this episode, but I imagine you're so exhausted at the end of a season of long hours making episodic TV that the last thing you want to do beforehand is not sleep for five days...

Edward James Olmos actually paid out of his own pocket for a sleep-deprivation expert to train up the cast between the miniseries and this episode, in order to scientifically-accurately depict this sleeplessness-condition onscreen. (Watch the DVD documentaries, and listen to the audio commentaries for more details), etc.

Tigh's "bad cop" routine is typical for XOs (Second in Command). At least in the US Navy, where the XO would usually be the hard ass so the CO didn't have to be.

The montages at the beginning of the episodes were inspired by the opening for Space: 1999.

I was impartial to the miniseries, though I liked the seriousness in the tone and the way we believed the characters were suffering. But I wasn’t sold But this episode “33” is what hooked me to the show.

I don’t know how far ahead on Patreon you are so I will guard my words and say: I am REALLY looking forward to ep. 4.

It’s worth noting that there were 12 Colonies, 12 worlds-Caprica was only one of the planets nuked.

"Back to to the 'A-story" Holy s*y dude...just wait until the final episode of Season 4.

Growing up, people always referred to the show as a Space Opera (Soap Opera in space lol). It's not far off but there's a lot of triumphs as well. And the acting is amazing. Glad you're starting the series~!

I had to drop Star Trek for now because life got busy for me, but I’ll catch all of BSG reactions since I’ve seen this amazing masterpiece back when it aired! Looking forward to more!

Great series with a total of 3 mistakes and that is insanely good territory. You will love it.

Let's go!!!!

You guys are in for a hell of a ride. BSG is easily one of the best shows ever made. Enjoy...!!!

I started BSG with this episode and loved it. Season 1 is by far my favorite of the entire series.

Banned phrases? Okay, that cracked me up. :D

I was an "original" fan,...and even watched "1980",...hearing that a new version would be made, I was curious, and worried,....yet, I liked it, quickly, the mini series at Xmas 2003 -I quickly got into this, and got two friends, one who was in the US Army and liked the military aspect to the series,...Frack!!!! ;)

the dream he has of hers is explained at a later date like season 3 i think its kinda crazy when we find out

I never thought BSG was "bleak". The truth is that the situation is bad and the characters are very flawed, but the show is ultimately very optimistic and that comes through in the characters inherent goodness and themes of loyalty and duty

I like how they keep updating the survivor count each episode in the OP. The showrunners could have gone the easy route and keep the number vague, but they didn't. They went the extra mile. The actors can be glad this show wasn't directed by Stanley Kubrick. I bet he'd have kept the actors awake for a couple of days to make it as real as possible. ^^ I don't know how it was for the American release, but over here in Europe, the TV run started with the mini-series recut into a multipart episode, that was just seamlessly part of the regular broadcast. I didn't even know there was a miniseries until much later and just assumed those were the regular starting episodes.

The Cylon god thing is interesting mostly in that the Cylons seem to believe in a singular, capital-G god like the Abrahamic faiths, while the humans have their Greco/Roman pantheon of deities. And of course interesting that the machines have a faith at all; they’re not just robotic antagonists. Again it’s very “of its time” to have some clash of civilizations undercurrents.

What a coincidence, when this appeared in my feed it were 33 Minutes since the upload.

The happy fun times on the good ship Galatica.

So the episodes are like this.. Cold opening scene Intro to story ( "The Cylons were created by man....They evolved...." ) Drum music with brief images of the episode ( slightly spoilery ) Next scene of episode with main cast and guest star credits Some people close their eyes during the episode spoilery images; they stop when the drums do The photo being tapped by the Viper pilots is a Colonial soldier watching the destruction on Caprica. There was a little scene or two connected to it; ended up being cut out. Not really important to the full story.

The shakeycam was part of the general lo-fi feeling of the show, not a decision by the FX studio. In the original pitch for the reboot, in fact, all space shots would have been from the point of view of a diagetic camera on one of the ships or probes.

I've watched BSG completely through 4 times. This is getting me in the mood for another rewatch. TNG is the only show I've seen more times and I couldn't even begin to guess what that number is.

16:23 That reminds me of the BSG board game. They had tiny little models of ships like Cylon Raiders and military Vipers, but civilian ships were represented by cardboard tokens (they had to be uniform, because they "carried" certain resources that could be lost, and had to be picked by random). Unlike the Vipers (or Galactica itself), where you had to roll a die to see if the ship got damaged or not, if a Cylon vessel is on the same space as a civilian ship, it would get automatically destroyed on their next turn, no ifs, ands or buts about it (unless you manage to move them it to a safe place). And since I'm already talking about the game: it also had a mechanic called Crisis Stage and the end of each turn, where players had to resolve a, well, crisis. And just like in the show, most of the time the good outcome would be that "nothing bad has happened this time".

I'm pretty sure you will be hooked by the end of the first season. And some of the better arcs take place during seasons 2 and 3. (Not that Season 4 is lacking.) I hope you plan to include the webisodes and telemovies as appropriate in release order. (Those don't really start showing up until after Season 2 concludes.)

exactly right, the same effects studios did the effects for BSG & Firefly.

I fucki g LOVE the space camera work in this!!!!

The original cut of this episode had people in the carrier. They were removed later because it was too much.

Frack Ya!! Great choice guys. New Patreon Unlocked.

The religion thing is actually very interesting. In BSG humans still believe in multiple Gods, which is generally considered a more primitive belief system, whereas the “soulless” cylons believe in the one true God, which we consider more advanced thinking about religion. It inverts what you would expect, with the cylons more like us than the humans.

Boys, anyone doing this show isn't stupid. Don't even care if you hate it, glad you are doing it!