There is something ineffable and slippery about Battlestar Galactica's Gaius Baltar (expertly played by James Callis). He can be self-assured in his rhetorical lapidary powers; a neurotic wreck as he tries to untangle himself from his Id's web of conflicting desires and selves; a staunch humanitarian as he can draw upon the law and poetic legal rhetoric to justify his "rights" and various positions; he can be a wanton sensualist, vulnerable to a woman's seduction even when his surrender endangers himself and others; he can be a scientific genius, making inroads that no other scientist can; he can play the role of the populist or elitist as it suits him and he is indeed the consummate chameleon; he is in many ways a narcissist and a cunning self-preservationist; at times he can be downright odious; but he can also be touching, hilarious, and vulnerable. In other words, more than any character he is the most complex and compelling and while occasionally some of the Battlestar's scenes fall flat, there is not one flat scene--not one--with Gaius. He is the heart and soul of the show. He is the reason, above all else, that I--usually one who shuns science fiction--am a huge fan of Battlestar. I will even go out on a limb and say that a strong case can be made that Gaius, along with Benjamin Linus from Lost and Don Draper from Madmen, is one of the three most compelling characters in the history of television.
What about George Costanza? Where would you place him?
Posted by: Carrie | April 07, 2008 at 07:12 PM