Science Fiction aficionados are no stranger to the name Ronald D. Moore. He is the genius behind the revamped classic Battlestar Galactica, and was also a producer for Star Trek The Next Generation, Voyager, and Deep Space Nine. Ronald D. Moore is an inspiration, and if you don’t believe me, just watch this hilarious clip from the show Portlandia.
Portlandia‘s One More Episode- Watch our heroes as they stalk the wrong Ronald D. Moore and make him write more episodes. Be sure to listen for the classic line “get those white people out my closet.”
I’m a big fan of Science Fiction in general, and Ronald D. More specifically. After Battlestar Galactica he took a break, and his followers were sad. Then we got the word that he would be returning with not one, but two new shows that he would be producing . The first Helix was to continue on in the Science Fiction genre, giving us new weirdness and taking us where we boldly didn’t want to go. The second is Outlander, based on the novels of Diana Gabaldon. The books tell of a historical romance, or several that span across the ages. I was afraid of something that looked like a Scottish tampon ad. I tried so hard not to love Outlander, but my best efforts were in vain. I love that it made me just add the word “Outlander” to my dictionary. I love that they use the clan Fraser in the show, which is one of my family’s clans. Our motto “ All our hope is in God.”
There is a Pagan Old World sensibility brought to a new realm here in Outlander. The show plays with the sacred magick of the in-between, or liminal. Highlighting the fact that there are sacred places like stone circles, and sacred times of year like Samhain, Outlander manages to place both magick and fantasy in a logical context. Here is an interview with Moore about the magick of the show –
Interview With Ron Moore about the Magic of Outlander
I think that the delightful commonality to all of these shows is their strong female characters. They are sensual, sensible and in charge. This is another one of the many reasons we love Ronald D. Moore. Battlestar Galactica has given us a lot to think about. I have already written about it’s artful depiction of Number Six in my post Wild Women of Science Fiction. Number 6 is “sensual, inspiring, and her red dress has become the sexy stuff of legend.” In Outlander, the main character of Claire Randall, played by Caitriona Balfe, is a nurse which gives her an intellectual and social advantage, both in 1945 and 1743. She enjoys not one but two grand romances, one in each era. She unapologetically takes charge of her sexuality and is orgasmically rewarded. According to the Hollywood Reporter Outlander has been renewed for a second season by Starz saying “Less than a week after its Saturday premiere, the series debut has collected more than 5 million views, including the inaugural telecast, which averaged 720,000 viewers, multiple weekend plays and a major online and on-demand sampling run. Starz noted that the series drew an equal number of male and female viewers.” So who knows what the future will hold for Moore and these new shows. The initial response seems good. I, for one, think the time is long overdue for more powerful female characters in the ‘verse, and in life itself. Thank you Mr. Ronald D. Moore, I will stay tuned.
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In