On why Battlestar Galactica is good

About a month ago, I was at a party when Battlestar Galactica came up. Someone commented on how awful the current television series must be since the original movie was infamously bad. I responded with, "No! The series is really good! Really good! In fact, it's even better than Star Trek: The Next Generation!" My fervent outburst was greeted with silence. That's when I realized that I had just revealed what a nerd I am.

Like a nerd, I've stewed over my statement and the reasoning behind it. I can't go back in time to either retract my statement or expand on it until everyone's eyes glaze over, so my only recourse is to list my arguments in Xiao Pangzi.

1. Absolute power does corrupt absolutely on Battlestar Galactica. On Star Trek: TNG, both crew and audience gave themselves over to Captain Picard happily. He was always so good and so intelligent that the only way he could do wrong was by force via the Borg. On Galactica, absolute power corrupts, especially those with the best intentions.
2. There are no clear cut heroes and villains. Sure, the mechanical Cylons seem bent on wiping out mankind but as one character asks, is mankind really worth saving? And when humans dehumanize Cylon agents in order to torture and demean them, are they any better than the machines they assume superiority over?
3. The possibility of death hangs over everyone. This is actually something that can make watching Battlestar Galactica a stressful experience. There is rarely a light moment that isn't quickly overtaken by the reality of the situation. Main characters are killed off suddenly and without fanfare.
4. There are no easy answers. Hard decisions were the basis of the series pilot, which saw leaders repeatedly faced with sacrificing a few thousand civilians in order to save 40,000 others. Tough choices continue as the formerly pro-choice president bans abortions in order to help increase the colony population from the current 49,593.

The series is hardly perfect. I wish there were more character building episodes and at least one light hearted episode that didn't involve stressful action of some kind. But I believe Battlestar Galactica definitely reflects the uncertainty and paranoia of our times more accurately than the comforting escapsim of Star Trek: TNG.