My kinda villain

Yesterday, while I was eating lunch, I happened to turn my TV over to a Sci-Fi network rerun of the original Battlestar Galactica. In the episode I was watching, John Colicos (Baltar) was being his usual smug, evil self, and that got me reflecting on something.

I've not been watching the "new" BSG. I watched the miniseries when it came out, and found myself sadly disappointed. Part of it was my "purist" point of view. However, honestly, I can deal with Lady-Starbuck, humanoid Cylons, and even Cylon-Boomer-Asian-female.

Wierd, but all right, I can buy it.

What couldn't I get past? Baltar.

Perhaps he's been changed in the ongoing series, but I found him enormously disappointing.
"So, Baltar, why exactly did you betray humanity?"
"Well, actually, I didn't think I was betraying humanity. Anyway, she was a REALLY good lay."

Yay.

I know that there will always be fools and patsies about. Villainy requires that there be those sorts around. However, in the original, Baltar was both at the same time. Yes, he was a fool and a patsy, but he was also a villain in his own right. He knew exactly what he was doing, and was trying to reach his own goals. Sure, he was outmanuvered by the Cylons, but that's his bad luck (or idiocy showing through.) That's what a villain should be, one who has his own goals and is trying to follow through on them. He may not think of himself in the terms of being a villain, but he is, pure and simple.

In alot of ways, the "old" Baltar was much like the Enron folks. Willing to destroy countless lives for their own gain and purposes. Yeah, Baltar was willing to go the extra mile to genocide, but the overall mindset was the same. A supremely self-centered desire to gratify ones self, willing to run over anyone or anything in your path.

Isn't that better than a goofball who gets caught thinking with his hormones? To me it sure is.

I have much the same problem with Toon Terra from the Titans as opposed to the one from the Judas Contract. If I'd never read the Judas Contract, I would like Toon Terra alot more. As it stands, it's always a touch grating.

Perhaps some day I'll get the new BSG DVDs. I probably will. Still, unless they've improved greatly over the miniseries, I'll always be a touch disappointed over Baltar the hormonal weeine.