#9: Fire in Space

[Croft2014]

I don't recall my thoughts on first transmission but when I saw it again in 2003 on DVD and again in 2014 on BD I found it agreeable if silly. The hard facts are that all they had to do was evaculate the sections and vent into space. But, we're dealling with science fantasy space opera and it manages to be a solid survival,tale. The only bits that stand as awkward are the inserts from a theatrically released disater film shot in 2.35:1 squashed to the 1.33:1 ratio.

[Cylon-Knight]

*BOOM*
#Excellent

I really like this one, the "minor" characters got a lot of screen time. And, mine hero, Muffit II
For Daggit building this episode is quite the goldmine.

I thought they couldn't open the rejuvenation area to space. To deep within the ship? Or they were blocked from evacuating the section to open it up... This episode could have really fleshed out the Galactica itself - as in the internal setup - but it didn't do much mapping, however it did give us new areas to see, though. That's cool.

[Croft2014]

The point of the stories is to flesh the characters out and not show us more of the ship or SPFX. Sometimes, it seems to me that fans of BG are more concerned with the spaceships and Cylons that the story.

[Cylon-Knight]

I'm not so much concerned with how many bolts are in bulkhead #6 on deck 4 - or even how many decks there are.
The Galactica is a massive ship. The story needs to account for that. Omitting or glossing over it detracts from the story. All the parts we see should make sense, or the story falls apart.

Getting to the rejuvenation center from the bridge can't be a simple task of a door, one short hallway (since less than 60 minutes in the show), and another door. Magically there. True, the Galactica is basically just a setting, but it is also a character of sorts... and so should be fleshed out as well, but again, not to a crazy minutiae level.

Muffit in the air ducts helped express the size of the ship. Along with fire crews deep inside the bowels of the ship. Star Trek really made use of the Enterprise's size via turbo-lifts... so much cool story and character interaction/development and plot progression happen just getting around the ship. Galactica didn't get time to do that really. Seeing other areas gave minor characters a chance to be fleshed out (Athena & Boomer in particular). No more on the bridge, "Yes Commander" swivel in a chair - or exit to pop up in a Viper.

As for the Cylons, they are at the heart of the story... what makes them tick is essential to establishing them as a valid antagonist.
"Killer robot, run!" only goes so far.

[Cylon-Knight]

Case-in-point... the idea to evacuate the sections and vent the fire into space calls for knowing the ship better. From what we saw ducts connect the fire location, the rejuvenation center, and the bridge. Based on what we see in the show, you couldn't let in the vacuum of space in to suffocate the fire without also suffocating the bridge crew and everyone in the game room.

[Croft2014]

It's a spaceship so would have cutoffs and isolation doors everywhere for just that reason.

[Cylon-Knight]

That is very true, but I'd imagine you couldn't isolate off too much of a space ship or you'd loose life support and perhaps power in some spots. Unless every possible cutoff combination had individual gravity, power and life support systems. That would be a lot of equipment. Sadly, they didn't outline the story's setting (ship) enough to know for sure what was possible in-universe, or not for this poor fan-boy. I mean they fly Vipers wearing zero life support... what if a cockpit window gets even the slightest crack all the way through or the seal is damaged!? Colonial spacecraft wouldn't pass a NASA checklist. lol

To make Fire in Space believable for me, I think, the Galatica probably suffered from the reality the best engineering expectations are often spoiled. As in, Titanic had 16 watertight compartments... except... they weren't watertight compartments.

[bishopdonmiguel]

The burning question for me has always been... what did those mushies taste like? I mean, for a robot dog to follow the mushy scent trail, they must be something truly special. I’m disappointed the episode didn’t delve in to this culinary mystery.

[Croft2014]

I always wondered why a robot would be remotely interested in any kind of human food.

[bishopdonmiguel]

Probably because they are delicious.

[Croft2014]

Don't forget to cast your vote!

[johnnybear]

In the UK this episode was shown after The Young Lords and then footage from it, a lot of footage I mean was added to The Living Legend two parter to make Mission Galactica:The Cylon Attack which we got after Hand of God on Thames TV although ATV showed it as a complete movie between it's run of BSG sometime after Murder On The Rising Star one Christmas in 83!
JB