The Battlestar Galactica contingent stormed into the Marriott on Friday at 4PM with a star-packed eight-person panel. Although the title promised “Revelations,” few secrets were revealed.
Attending Dragon*Con for the first time, Edward James Olmos praised the show’s writing and Ron Moore’s devotion to telling a great story. The man who plays the Admiral of the fleet spoke of how the show is one of the finest examples of what science fiction does at its best-holding a mirror to what we as human beings are doing to one another. He also spoke of how 20 years from now, the commentary on our actions will likely be as relevant as it is today. “Adama has gone through an extraordinary story arc,” said Olmos. From a strong, imposing leader to a crumbling man lost in the depths of despair.
Also making a rare appearance at Dragon*Con, Michael Hogan enjoyed one request from the audience. A fan who did a fantastic impersonation of Saul Tigh, the XO of the Galactica, asked Hogan to “Give me an order.” When asked about the difficult scene where Tigh killed his own spouse, Ellen, he said, “What else could I do? We were at war, we couldn’t take her prisoner, and she betrayed our cause.” Olmos chimed in, “No other character has had the arc that Tigh has had on the show.”
Always a fan favorite, Aaron Douglas chatted about his character being outed as a cylon at the end of season three. From that point, he decided to play the chief as though, “suddenly it all makes sense.” He certainly is enjoying the opportunity to portray the new path his character has taken.
Tahmoh Penikett commented on how Helo acts as a “moral compass” of sorts on the show. He did mention that fans seem angry with his character’s choice to not annihilate the cylon species when given the opportunity. “As if I have a choice,” he joked.
James Callis, who plays everyone’s favorite bad-guy, Gaius Baltar, was asked about his appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman. In response, he said he’d been in hospital with a severe bout of food poisoning which tainted his enjoyment of being on Letterman. He did mention that he was provided the opportunity to change his line.
Beloved Dragon*Con regular, Richard Hatch, was eloquent and kind about his experiences on the show. “The fact that my character has lived this long is great.” Hatch played Apollo in the original version of Battlestar Galactica. His role on the new series began with a one-episode appearance as Tom Zarek, an imprisoned political activist. His character has since made a place for himself in the fleet, becoming vice president, and later President for a short time. He spoke of the depth of the show and how they have been “allowed to go to places [the original Battlestar Galactica wasn’t] allowed to go before.”
Kevin R. Grazier, the science advisor for the show, spoke of his continuing scrutiny on the workings of the raptors. When asked whether a raptor could enter the landing bay in a flat spin, he said, “This is 3-D. We can flip end-over-end.”
A last minute addition, Colin Corrigan who plays recurring marine Nowart on the show, spoke of how close he came to being a “red shirt.” Luckily, his character not only survived, but will be featured in an upcoming episode.
On the topic of the final episodes of season four, Olmos stressed the importance of watching the show from the very start, to truly experience the strength of the end. “This is not an uplifting show. The ending is hard.”
So be forewarned Battlestar Galactica fans. Though the series finale will likely not disappoint, it will be as dark and trying as we’ve grown accustomed to experiencing.
