Battlestar Galactica (2003)
Battlestar Galactica (2003)
When an old enemy, the Cylons, resurface and obliterate the 12 colonies, the crew of the aged Galactica protect a small civilian fleet - the last of humanity - as they journey toward the fabled 13th colony, Earth.
Callum reviewedOctober 22, 2025
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(out of 5) Battlestar Galactica (2003) – Humanity’s last stand among the stars, where faith and circuitry collide.
“Battlestar Galactica” (2003) is what happens when classic space opera grows up, looks in the mirror, and realises the stars aren’t quite as bright as they used to be. Reimagined from the 1978 series, it takes the campy adventure of the original and rebuilds it into something darker, sharper, and far more human. This is science fiction stripped of fantasy’s polish — all rusted metal, political tension, and moral ambiguity drifting through cold vacuum.
Unlike Star Wars, which mythologises space as a place of destiny, or Firefly, which romanticises it as a frontier of freedom, Battlestar Galactica treats it as a prison of survival — a journey through despair where humanity clings to scraps of civilisation and sanity. Every decision feels weighty, every death lingers, and every moment of hope feels like it’s paid for in blood.
Edward James Olmos anchors it beautifully, bringing his steady gravitas back from the original series — not as a relic, but as a reinvention. His Admiral Adama is the embodiment of resilience: flawed, grounded, and burdened with impossible choices. The early seasons are gritty and uncompromising, exploring the dangers of overreliance on technology and the fragility of human morality under pressure.
But as the story barrels toward its conclusion, the show drifts into philosophical and religious overdrive, with divine intervention stepping in where tighter writing once ruled. It’s not enough to undo the brilliance that came before — just a reminder that even great series sometimes lose themselves in their own mythology.
Despite its stumbles, Battlestar Galactica remains one of the finest pieces of televised science fiction ever made — a rare blend of spectacle and introspection, as thrilling in its dogfights as it is haunting in its questions about what it truly means to be human.