Falling Like a Rock
One frequent criticism of sci-fi space adventures is that they emphasize special effects instead of character development. The fourth episode of season three on Battlestar Galactica, “Exodus, Part II,” demonstrates vividly that the producers and writers understand how to develop characters even when the special effects are jaw-dropping.
This episode involves an essential plot point: The Galactica intentionally drops out of faster-than-light travel deep within the atmosphere of the planet New Caprica as a military strategy to avoid detection by the Cylons. The huge ship falls downward through blue skies with white puffy clouds.
We get to see this happen thanks to some stunning special effects. We watch the outer hull of the Galactica heat up due to the friction of the ship colliding with the atmosphere. It appears as if the Galactica will crash in bright yellow flames to a fateful end on the surface of the planet.
The fundamental purpose of this free fall into the atmosphere is to launch the small Vipers in which fighter pilots will battle the Cylons who occupy New Caprica. The tension created by these special effects propel the emotional intensity of “Exodus, Part II” into the ultimate victory of the humans over the Cylons.
To the credit of Battlestar Galactica’s producers and writers, the series focus on characters and their stories was not lost for even one second despite such an ambitious plot and the necessary special effects to make it happen. Others who produce and write sci-fi space adventures should study Battlestar Galactica to learn how character development can come first even in the presence of jaw-dropping special effects.
