Battlestar Galactica is especially persuasive in the way its characters are defined and how they are shown in their day-to-day lives. Episodes deliberately depict intense realism of military engagement, never shying away from blood and battle scars. The young male and female fighter pilots, especially, are a focal point for a compelling emotional connection with the Battlestar Galactica audience.

For example, a young lieutenant with the callsign “Crashdown” (portrayed by the talented Samuel Stewart Witwer) is an electronic countermeasures officer that has an integral part in the story told in Season 2, Episode 3, first aired July 29, 2005 on Sci-Fi.

His innocent, youthful face is marred by recent wounds received in deadly field encounters. Yet, he is portrayed as valliant and unrelenting in completing his military mission.

Nobody watching Battlestar Galactica could view this depiction of battle-ready valor while remaining neutral about “Crashdown” or his importance to the lives of the people around him. This fighter pilot demands attention from the audience because, although he appears to model heroism and courage, in truth he has fatal flaws because of his youth that cannot be glossed over.

We see the lieutenant as aggressive and tough, creating a false impression about his apparent determination to win in battle. He certainly looks like a man who is in charge of himself and his unit. Plus, he is especially handsome in his uniform. This guy could be a poster boy of military readiness–an icon for the red, white, and blue all-American fighting man.

Is Battlestar Galactica serving a function as a not-so-subtle recruiter for the United States military by portraying such a fine young figher on the field of battle?

This might be true were it not for one detail: Our handsome military poster boy gets killed in action rather shockingly. This Battlestar Galactica episode is entitled “Fragged,” which means the assassination of a member of a military unit by someone who is in that unit.

The tragedy of this lieutenant’s death, and most especially the unflinching look at how and why he was murdered by someone within his own unit, is an emotionally difficult thing to watch. Just when you expect a heroic and happy ending from such a rugged and seemingly unbeatable man, the rug gets jerked out from under you so suddenly. Being caught off guard like this emotionally teaches you to expect the unexpected from Battlestar Galactica. You learn that the military role models in Battlestar Galactica–especially those characters whose lives are violently ended right before your very eyes–must never be underestimated nor taken for granted.

The youthful and passionate appearances of both male and female fighter pilots alike are emphasized in Battlestar Galactica for their high audience appeal. Just don’t expect the typical and cynical “live fast, die hard, and leave a good-looking corpse” theme that you can easily find elsewhere in television shows and in major motion pictures. Battlestar Galactica is not unsophisticated like that. However, the camera lingers on the face of the assassinated lieutenant. These images probably will remain with you for awhile. That’s deliberate to force you to remember how and why “Crashdown” lost his life at such a young age.

This is but one example of how there is a deeper message under the skin of the visually appealing characters on Battlestar Galactica. How characters live–and sometimes how they die–especially when juxtaposed with their visual appeal, is a powerful way to stimulate the audience. Because characters are visually appealing, the audience just might pay closer attention to them. This makes it possible for the producers and writers to jar an unsuspecting audience with surprising and emotionally powerful stories. What Battlestar Galactica strives to accomplish with its characters is the pinpointing and showcasing of individual and collective motivations as to why human beings keep fighting against the enemy Cylons, who always are smarter, more powerful, and are the most likely to prevail militarily.