The creators and stars of Battlestar Galactica were honored at the United Nations last night.
The United Nations let their geek flag fly on Tuesday night, hosting what they billed as a Battlestar Galactica Retrospective–a two-hour long panel that examined various issues the cult show raised during its four-year run. BSG creators Ronald D. Moore and David Eick were in attendance as well as stars Mary McDonnell (who plays President Laura Roslin) and Edward James Olmos (who plays Admiral Adama, the commander of the titular ship). All four were featured on a panel moderated by self-confessed sci-fi nerd Whoopi Goldberg and a revolving chair of UN representatives who specialized in various issues, from human rights, to children in armed conflict to terrorism. Also in the house were high-school students from prestigious schools around New York, who sat behind UN placards displaying the names of the 12 colonies from the show. (Sadly, these placards were not given away as freebies, but will be auctioned off at a later date.)
Although the event got off to a bit of an awkward start as the BSG crew tried to wrap their heads around the idea that they were actually addressing the United frakkin’ Nations, the panel took a lively turn the moment Olmos–who is one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, but also completely crazy–launched into a lengthy diatribe about, as he said, the use of “race as a cultural determinant.” After loudly declaring in a thundering voice that “There is only one race–the human race!” he then got the entire room to follow him in Adama’s signature chant: “So say we all!” Best. Moment. Ever.
While that was the evening’s high point, there were a number of spirited exchanges still to come, as well as some genuinely moving speeches about the hardships and challenges that too many individuals face in developing nations. At times, you could tell that the BSG folks weren’t always sure how to lead the discussion back to their show. It didn’t help that some of the UN representatives hadn’t seen the series before the panel–although, to their credit, they acknowledged this upfront–so they had trouble finding a way to smoothly integrate discussions of real-world issues with how they were interpreted on BSG. Still, just the fact that a respected organization like the United Nations took the time to honor a science-fiction series speaks volumes about the profound impact Battlestar Galactica has had during its time on the air. The series draws to an end this Friday night–I’ve already seen the finale (look for a quick, spoiler-free review that day) and can tell you its a must-see–but its influence will hopefully linger on for years to come.
Oh and by the way–the food at the UN? Awesome. Those diplomats sure know how to entertain in style.
