Themes From Blade Runner by Emily LaBrie

After watching the move Blade Runner in class, I was reminded of the recent remake of the show Battlestar Galactica. Other than starring Edward James Olmos, it tackles the issue of human made robots that are used for slaves. It also deals with these robots getting sick of their slave duties and rebelling against humanity. I went home during Spring Break and watched the made for TV movie that developed into the TV show that lasted four season on NBC and the Sci-Fi channel. The make-up of the Battlestar Story was able to address some other elements of humanity that are relatable to the religious experience that Blade Runner did not.
In BSG, the “skin jobs” as they are also called used to be shaped like, what we would consider robots. They had a red eye that looked like the eye on Kit from Knight Rider and had shiny metal bodies. They were then able to develop THEMSELVES to be able to look like actual human beings. And while the human race in the show has a pagan religion, the robots have able to gain a sense of religion or what we have learned to call the “Wholly Other.” They have a way of accessing immortality (unlike in Blade Runner). It is also interesting, that the writers kept these beings searching for the approval of a God or “Wholly Other.” They believe in one god. They believe they are god’s true children who deserve to wipe out their pagan and thus less than builders and claim their home worlds. This draws many parallels to the development of Western Judeo-Christian culture and its claimed dominance over lesser than pagan religions.
It is humanity, that is demonstrated in the speech made by Admiral Adama at the beginning of the movie, to not only find a new home, but to, in a way, search for that transcendent reasoning to why they deserve to be the winners in this struggle against the robots (or as they are called in the show, cylons). The creators took much from different religions like paganism, Judaism, Christianity, even Islam at points, in telling the four season long story. It is interesting to think about how the story would have continued in Blade Runner if Ridley Scott and the other creators had an opportunity to do expand their story.