Blow Me Away

I know I have occasionally raved about the new Battlestar Galactica. Season 4 is about to start, but I have had to force march my way through Season 3 because I had had the show in my queue for about 2 years to watch at some point, but finally started to work my way through back in the fall.

Last night, I happened to be up to episode 5 of season 3 and I was completely blown away. They did a South African Apartheid allegory, even surrepticiously quoting from Desmond Tutu at the end of the episode before the President created a "Truth and Reconciliation Commission" to pardon all the humans who collaborated with the cylons during the occupation.

I was about to hyperventilate because I did not see it coming because the writing was so good. The very last scene was a particular collaborator who was somewhat darked skinned and had just been pardoned and sitting uneasily next to the deck chief who was white and had sat down as a token of friendship. And then the credits rolled. That was sheer cinematic brilliance. Subtle but so powerful.

Tell me of any other TV show that would dare to delve into issues of revenge and grace and forgiveness like that. Talk about substance.

The new Battlestar Galactica is rapidly moving up my list of all time best TV shows.

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