The Big Picture

• Battlestar Galactica has made a comeback on Amazon Prime, offering fans a chance to relive the riveting tale of survival in space.
• The show's exploration of what it means to be human through the Cylons still resonates with today's issues of civil wars and xenophobia.
• Number Six and Sharon's complex dynamics showcase the Cylons' journey to sentience, making them just as human as their creators.

As the Cylons like to say, all this has happened before and will happen again. Once again, the classic sci-fi epic, Battlestar Galactica, has hit streaming on Amazon Prime. A reboot of the 1978 series, the reimagining of the show premiered in 2004 with an updated premise. During a galactic war between humans and robots, Cylons have evolved to look human, meaning spies could be in their very midst. Hotshot Viper pilot, Starbuck, was gender-bent as Kara Thrace, portrayed by Katee Sackhoff. All of these factors created a worldwide phenomenon of xenophobia and the horrors of war.

Battlestar Galactica has had its time on streaming in recent years but, due to streaming wars, has not been readily available. Now, it has hit one of the most popular streaming platforms, so fans can relive the trials and tribulations of the titular battleship that fights for survival. The series is still the pinnacle of television storytelling that all series should aspire to be. Battlestar Galactica was innovative and, at times, over the top. But at its core, it was about what it means to be human, which was no more obvious than in the stories surrounding the Cylons.

'Battlestar Galactica' Is Still Relevant

Originally named Cybernetic Lifeform Nodes, the Cylons are, interestingly enough, the most human of the characters. Though they incite the nuclear devastation on Caprica that sets off the events of the reboot, it’s hard not to identify with them at times. The most visible Cylon is known as Number Six (Tricia Helfer), the humanoid robot who uses Dr. Gaius Baltar (James Callis) to infiltrate the defense system on Caprica. As the show progresses, viewers see the different sides of Six and the multiple copies of her form. She, like all Cylons, has many versions, all with different experiences. This setup demonstrates how the Cylons are sentient and have become as human as the human beings who first enslaved them. Even copies of the same model have different personalities based on their memories and experiences.

One of Sharon’s (Grace Park) copies finds love with human Karl C. Agathon (Tahmoh Penikett), and they create a life for themselves, even while the humans aboard Galactica terrorize her for being what she is. This series has become a classic for a reason. Now more than ever, shows like this one are needed. Sci-fi is the perfect genre to tell allegories that connect to current events, and unfortunately, Battlestar Galactica is still relevant. Civil wars and xenophobia still exist. While it takes place in space where machines have taken over, the themes at its heart are always significant. Viewers can watch Battlestar Galactica from the beginning by streaming it on Amazon.

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