For many … hell, most fans of Battlestar Galactica, the moment the show “Blew the Hatch” was from minute one, during the mini-series. This was the moment that they knew this show was going to be really good and, hopefully, stay just as good. For me, though, the moment BSG blew the hatch was the first episode of the first regular season, titled “33.” The mini-series was really good, mind you, but “33” was when I knew this show was going to take us for an amazing ride.
Admittedly, at first, I wasn’t sure Battlestar Galactica really had a Blow the Hatch moment. With the exception of a handful of episodes scattered throughout the series, the entire thing was great. Then I asked myself if there was a specific moment when I was really hooked into the show. My answer to that was not the mini-series, but was at the conclusion of “33.” In fact, to this day I’d still call “33” my favorite episode of the series, one I feel was never quite matched by those that followed.
The feelings of hope nearly lost and the extreme sleep deprivation experienced by the crew in this episode was almost hard to watch. The thought of having exactly 33 minutes between each wave of deadly attacks was gut wrenching to imagine. To go up against an enemy that needs no sleep, meanwhile having all odds stacked against you in a time of complete despair was also incredible to watch. Knowing that this was the first episode of a season was hard to believe — how were they going to get their asses out of this?
There are a few other moments I could pick as being blow-the-hatch-like moments. For example, when Boomer shot Adama in “Kobol’s Last Gleaming.” But “33” is where the show nailed itself high up on the awesomeness scale and, for the most part, stayed up there.
Clacked by Keith McDuffee 
on May 22, 2009 @ 11:00 EST5EDT
Oooh can’t wait to read everyone’s posts. I’ll have to get back to you. Big morning.
And then sadly only about 25 episodes later it jumped the shark in season 2.
Well, I can’t say your negative comment was unexpected, but I can say that I couldn’t disagree more.
Sorry truth hurts, many fans and blogs themselves talk about how the first two seasons were one type of show and the next two seasons were another.
I agree with Oreo.
Ok, at first, I did some bad math, and was looking at Ressurection Ship as being your jump the shark moment. Which, I didn’t get. Then, I taught myself how to add again, and got to Epiphanies which made more sense.
I get where you’re coming from Oreo, but I don’t necessarily agree that it was a bad thing. Yes, the focus of the show started to change after the Cain arc. A change that gave us the New Caprica arc, which a lot of those same fans and blogs think are the best four episodes of the show.
Plus, I mean, really… Black Market… It really wasn’t that bad…. Right………..?
For me….if there is a “blowing the hatch” moment on BSG, it was the first time I beheld Boomer when she climbed out of that raptor. I was her number one fan ever since.
“33” was indeed an outstanding episode, also one of my favorites. It is difficult to pick a favorite but I would have to go with the much acclaimed “Downloaded” as my pick (with perhaps “Someone to watch over me” as a nearly equal installment in quality).
With “Downloaded” we were treated with that rare insight of how the human mind can endure the most extreme limits of mental anguish without succumbing to the despair of absolute hopelessness. In the end of this episode we see that despite the darkest prospects, Boomer (at this time in the series) gets a hopeful ending. With the pact she made with the six to forge a new cylon approach to the war, we are led to believe that brighter days just may prevail. Of course, as we all know, things just unraveled for Boomer after that but still….
Forgive me. I was starting to give a fulblown review again when this is supposed to be just a fun little poll. Sure miss posting.
And to honor Tim-1, the first Grace Park scene is my second “blew the hatch moment. ;)
….a heartfelt thank you, bsgfan2003!
Well, as I’ve written before, I loved the series even from the opening sequence, and I do agree that 33 was a very well crafted episode.
But the one that had me crying tears of joy (which for me counts as blowing the hatch) is “You Can’t Go Home Again”. As you all recall, Kara’s Act Of Contrition over the death of Zak left her stranded on that barren moon. She had to fix the cylon raider MacGyver style, then teach herself how to fly it, all the while running out of oxygen. Back on Galactica, emotions were running high, perspective was lost, and father and son of family Adama were finally swimming in the same direction emotionally (loved that!).
The end of the episode had me cheering. Lee and Kara flying together, happy. The crew’s spirits were uplifted, and we saw the beginnings of romantic love between Lee and Kara.
Wow, I am a sap. I could cry right now!
Its tough to find a moment in a show that started off so incredibly strong, and carried it through the first season. 33 sets such a high standard for the series, its hard to look at anything else as the defining moment.
If there’s anything else from that early on, I’d have to agree with BSG with the final moments of YCGHA with Lee and Starbuck. Lee’s reaction just before we see the bottom of the Raider is outstanding.
And if, IF, your Hatch wasn’t Blown by then, it most certainly was when Boomer pulled her side arm out and shoots the old man (Side Note: Its a scene that Tim-1 has never actually seen, but only heard about. He can’t get past the scene on the Baseship without going into shock. True story).
That’s so hilarious! This post reminds me of the good old days!
I’ve been working on that one ever since I knew one of these ‘Blowing the Hatch’ posts would be on BSG. I’m here for you, man!
“(Side Note: Its a scene that Tim-1 has never actually seen, but only heard about. He can’t get past the scene on the Baseship without going into shock. True story).”
Very good. I’m glad you kept that one warm in your back pocket.
Hopefully one of these new shows will pop, and we can woop it up again, together.
On the Ragnar depot during the miniseries when Adama bludgeons the Cylon (Doral?) to death with his flashlight.
That was Leoben. ;)
I thought about it a little more and I think the show jumped the shark for me when the four met in that room at the end of season three. I didn’t like those choices and I felt it was all going downhill from there. It felt off. I guess the show was still better than oh so many other shows on TV and it was more like “This has to end somehow” and no matter what would’ve been the final choice of Cylons, I wouldn’t have been ok with it. It’s like when you watch an episode of “House” and after 40 minutes you know it’s going to be over in 20 and you get annoyed. Or like a relationship you know will end soon because of the choices that lie ahead. You simply get pissed, try to enjoy the rest of it but can’t. I guess all of Season four was like that for me.
If memory serves, I believe that you watched the show straight through in a short period of time to get caught up right? Perhaps you might have better feelings about the show, in general, had you had (had you had looks funny does’nt it?) to wait. All the waiting, and discussing theories with friends online boosted my viewing experience.
bsgfan2003
Greetings and respectful observance.
Some time has elapsed since the final episode of the show that held my undivided attention. I hope you do not mind if I shared with you some subjective arrows of thought as to how I felt the writers and RM handled the canon and logical expectations of the show, with regards to the fans.
Firstly, If the following observations seem critical or nit-picking, it is not intended to be so….that is, it is not in any way a slam on (to me) one of the greatest programs ever aired. On the contrary, as my old pappy would say “Succcess always seeks a higher level”.
And personally (again to me) I was happy with the finale, as you know, Sharon got a happy ending. Of course you know how I feel about Sharon, Boomer and the eights, but for once this post is not about my own subjective complaints about how the eights were treated, or how Boomer was thrown to the fire (of course these facts will never sit right with me). As bad as they treated Boomer and the eights throughout the lions share of the show, AT LEAST the writers were consistant with their evilness in that regard, and again….to my chagrin.
What I scratch my head about, is it almost seems they did a con job on the loyal fans that trusted them to hold up their end of the bargain. When you look at the record of….say the site here, and tvsquad before this, consider all the guessing, the speculation, the fencing, even the arguing over the final five, the opera house, Starbuck’s surgery, what Starbuck was….the list goes on and on. Only to have the opera house be anti-climatic, no follow-up to the removal of Starbuck’s ovaries, and confusion about even the number of skinjobs, etc., etc. I always enjoyed reading the commenters theories about this and that and while I myself was never the enthusiast on the predicting game, I nonetheless enjoyed reading the interesting theories of my friends and commenters on the sites. Make no mistake however, the fans have everything to be proud of for the devotion, time, intelligent reasoning, and reverence to a show, that I felt, RM dropped the ball when it came to fulfilling some of the loose ends and plot outcome logic. It almost felt like a set-up in that regard, when you consider the energy the fans poured in. I felt they (fans) deserved more for their support. Again, I, personally was happy for the outcome because Athena and a few of the eights finally found peace. But for this post, I am reaching for the position from the viewpoint of the many fans that surely must have been left wanting for more decisive answers in general. This was a great show but for that one curious area, could have been greater. These are just some random thoughts that hey….at least it will give the Yancy Street Gang something to read….those poor slobs.
epiloge: But then again Grace Park was in it so it was the greatest show on Earth.
My best curstey to you Tim-1! I just spent the last hour responding to you, only to lose it to a power outage. So this will be the abridged version. ;)
I like “Success seeks a higher level.” – Already in mental file for the kids.
As stated before, I too was happy with finale. Could I have been more pleased? For certain, yes.
If it were mine to say:
I would have liked to have seen the glimpses of goodness we saw in all the characters fully realized (like Simon) and I would have liked to have seen good gone bad characters fully redeemed (Boomer, Chief).
I would have liked to have seen Kara rewarded for her sacrifices. By that, I mean that she should have had a happily ever after with Lee. So much chemistry wasted!
I don’t think I’ll ever understand the nature of Head Six. She seemed a taunting and jeering presence, not an uplifting angelic one.
I fully get that the Opera House, Ovary Steal, and Nature of Starbuck were beautiful blooms chopped at erratically with shears.
All that said, I dearly loved this show and the ending, I’m grateful for what was given to me. That’s just how I am.
I hope all is well with your little man!
Too bad about that power outage, Tim-1 world loves to read your fully detailed posts. But hark!….whatever the quantity of your missives, the quality stands out in splendor.
Thank you bsgfan2003. I have been wanting to air those views for some time and now I suppose I have a certain degree of closure in that regard. Your own post very ably re-enforced my convictions. I will miss seeing Athena and Boomers lovely, perfect face on our fine show but at least the dvd’s will live forever.
I know since I am his dad I am speaking from an extreme biased point of view bsgfan2003, but my son Tyler (Tyler-8), is really….REALLY cute. I like to stand him on my lap and get him to smile and babytalk to me. Maybe I’ll get one of my geek friends to post a picture for me (I bet Ivey would know how). I bought some baseball gloves the other day and I can’t wait when he’s big enough to play ball and tennis with me. He is three and a half months old. I wanted to have a four month birthday party but my wife said something about overdoting old fools so I will give my beautiful son some space. I think he is already in love with Grace Park because when he sees her posters in my den and home office he grins mightily.
I appreciate your response bsgfan….I and my family (and the (YSG) wish you well.
And you too Ivey.