The original didnt have stuff like:
1 One person's continuing dialogue with a seductive (imaginary or somewhat mental) female cylone hybreed clone that haunts, and has a sort of domanitrix sort of relationship. Yet we find later is having his child. And his uncertainty and fight with what is real, and what is not. (She shows up in physical form).
2 One character's (actually playing a cylone imbedded sleeper clone, and a clone travelling with the surviver of a crash two roles, lol, she parts the hair different sides), conflict to realize that she is the one actually planting bombs, sabotaging the mother ship, and leading others either astray, or against the cyclones (cant tell yet). And dramatic conclusion of simultaniously being pregnant with a human in one role, and shooting Commander Adama point blank.
3 One father's relationship with his son vs a the son he mourns. His expectations, fears, and sometimes lack of confidence in his current son.
4 One lady's fight, to lead the last humans towards safety against overwhelming odds, dieing of cancer, but with a almost paganistic belief that she is the one prophesized in the ancient legends to lead them back to earth. Although few others believe in the legends.
5 A love, hate, denial and best friend, co worker, boss / subordinate, lover/never will love relationship between the two main characters.
6 A rebel leader's / criminal's inspiring fight against organized government, and fight against structures that are divorced from the people.
7 Space battles that have meaning and purpose, interlaced into the complex plot.
Yes it is a soap opera in sci fi genre. The characters and acting excel over Stargate Atlantis which has no sense, few believable characters, and little great relationships nor connections. The command structure is disorganized, but has evolved. Remember the ships where brought together by chance, the last survivors of a destroyed planet, that joined a military battlecruiser on the edge and barely able to convince the commander to flee instead of fighting and impossible, loosing battle. The show did show them attempting to create a governing structure, election, and coexistence with the military. And also showed a rebel attempting, and successful causing an election that created a new government.
In all of this the flaws are shown in each character. The original Adama was almost flawless. Even Lt. Kara Thrace (Starbuck) now played by a female, wrestles with her inner turmoil of having been at least part fault in the death of Adama's son. This is a different show than the original. More soap opera like. Even the music to me is touching.
I dont watch much tv; it doesnt interest me. At least I found one thing that I like, in the last 5 years.
