X-Star

X-Star: Battlestar Galactica and The X-Files

• Character-driven: Here really I think is the heart of both shows' success. This is relatively rare in the SciFi genre and the key ingredient to both BSG and the X-files rave reviews and rabid followings. What you keep hearing about BSG is what good drama it is (at least from eWeekly and those folks); you don't hear that a lot about SciFi shows. I don't know that that exactly is what was said for the X-Files, but pretty close I think for the strong performances from its two main characters, Mulder and Scully. Duchovny and Anderson both scooped up multiple awards and nominations for playing their roles so well. But if anything, BSG has the advantage here; whereas the X-files had two characters that could drive a great storyline every week, BSG has at least a half dozen that can do it just as well. So let's look at some of these briefly and compare a few, even if they are a stretch, shall we?
  
  
  • Mulder to Starbuck: If we consider that Starbuck and Apollo are really the two 'main' main characters in BSG (which I am sure is debatable to many), I think comparing Mulder to Starbuck is apt. Both are the crazy ones in a sense; the ones driven by their passions and very, very good and what they do. It was never difficult for Fox Mulder to get sent off on some half-baked crusade that would look just plain nuts to most living in the real world; likewise Kara Thrace has shown the same aptitude, in her 'errand' back to Caprica for Roslin and any of the other handful of risky missions she has led or participated in. 'Outside the box' is their way of life.
  
  
  
  • Scully to Apollo: Both are the 'straight man' to their respective counterparts from above; they are more down to earth and dependable characters. Scully and Apollo pretty much always keep a cool head and do their best to stick to business as by the book as possible. At the same time though they recognize their partner's gifts that run quite contrary to theirs but regardless have their place and value.
  
  
  
  • Skinner to Tigh: I am of course tempted to make the comparison of Mulder & Scully's boss to either Commander Adama or Laura Roslin (and I think you can in some ways), but I think personality wise (oh, okay, and hair line) Saul Tigh is a better fit. Both are in a position to issue orders to and send off our agents/pilots on missions, and both find themselves in difficult if not compromised positions given their own internal demons (Tigh) or undesired loyalties (Skinner).
  
  
  
  • Cigarette Smoking Man to Baltar: I really like this one; whereas Gaius is not as strongly defined as a dastardly villain as the CSM was, both are duplicitous to the Nth degree and tenacious survivors, only looking out for #1 and willing to do anything to protect themselves. They also both have questionable familial connections, the CSM to Mulder and Baltar to (perhaps?) the Cylons.
  
  
  
  • Krycek to Zarek: This one is a stretch perhaps, but they are both the wildcard foils if you will to our main characters and 'good guys'- not all bad in the end but always a fly in the ointment hanging around to frak things up.

Sorry, I got no one for the Lone Gunmen, and of course there are still all those other great BSG characters (Helo, Tyrol, Roslin, Gaeta, and ALL the Cylons for that matter), with no X-files equivalents, even as much as I'd like to stretch to make one (and I could probably come up with them if I was so inclined, which I am not at this point). But that's the beauty of BSG, all these strong characters to explore every week. Maybe if this gets any readers some others will see some comparisons and we can discuss ad nauseum at the SF-Fandom.com boards; little would please me more. Anyway, cheers and happy viewing.

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