Gotta Love the Sci-Fi

Warning: This post will have spoilers for Battlestar Galactica's Maelstrom episode.






The last couple of days has brought two reminders why I love sci-fi/fantasy TV and movies.

First, I have discovered a South Korean mutant monster movie called "The Host." The trailers look spectacular and it has been years since I've seen a new mutant monster movie of any kind that looked like anything more than a new opportunity to splash computer generated gore across the screen. I grew up watching all sorts of mutant monster flicks from the 1950's and 1960's. The monsters were almost always created by human arrogance mixed with ignorance and, most often, a bit of atomic growing juice. They were usually very difficult to wound and almost impossible to kill. The best, of course, were actually tragic figures. Two of my favorites are "Them" featuring giant mutant ants and starring the same actor who played Kris Kringle in "Miracle on 34th Street" and "Gorgo" about a little baby mutant monster that grows and grows and grows.

No need to look for great meaning in such tales. Humans have long loved good monster stories. The mutant ones are simply rarely done with any skill and I am excited that the South Koreans may have arisen to the challenge with "The Host."

The second reinforcement for my love of sci-fi came from "Battlestar Gallactica" March 4 episode. STOP NOW IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ SPOILERS.

Sci-fi/fantasy is a genre were death is merely a plot point. If Shakespeare had written sci-fi, the characters would all met their end with, "Am I really dead?" Then the curtain would go down and he'd make the audience wait for the next play to find out. The comics have "killed" Superman, but no true fan of Lois Lane's favorite flyboy thought that was real. Recently, the grim reaper has come for Steve Rogers, a.k.a. Captain America during a "civil war" in Marvel Comics. Look for his return as soon as his movie gets the green light. Star Trek "killed" Spock then let Leonard Nimoy direct his character back into existence in the next film. And now it is Battlestar Galactica's turn.

The latest version of the 1970's sci-fi camp classic, is much more serious, better written, better acted then the original but it is still sci-fi. Therefore, when I watched the belligerent, alcoholic, but brillant viper pilot Starbuck "die," I did not fear for the actress's future paychecks. Though the producers are pulling her from the opening credits for the last three episodes, I have no fear that "new and improved" Starbuck will return next season. It's sci-fi. And though TV producers can be incredibly stupid they never throw away well-developed, well-liked, and full of storyline characters unless the actor really dies; heads for lengthy rehab; or runs out the contract and then asks for too much money to re-sign. None of these things has happened to this actress, therefore, Starbuck will return. Battlestar Gallactica's "powers that be" are already dangling "major changes" across the geek invested websites where sci-fi fans wander. The speculation that Starbuck will become a Cylon is rampant. No one is saying the character is really gone. Nope, not in sci-fi land, we just await the next season and see what happens.... Then we complain about it on message forums.

That's a post for another day.