Battlestar Galactica It is commendable for its longevity. Now that Sam Esmail's plans to remake it have fallen through, it's debatable whether another remake of the Battlestar Galactica restart what inspired The Expansion It's realistic. One of the things a reboot would have to get right is the brilliant writing of the characters and how the fleet interacts. This adds to its gritty realism and is one of the ways Battlestar Galactica break the Star Trek formula.
A key part of the fleet's interaction is their dialogue style, which seems meaningful to them but is not explained to the audience. An example is “nothing but the rain”. This seemingly simple phrase, however, holds a surprising secret.. Although many believe it has a deep meaning, showrunner Ron Moore reveals that its true origin lies in a military tradition: the “Jodie.”
Starbuck and Adama’s “Nothing But The Rain” exchange in Battlestar Galactica was designed to sound militaristic
Nothing but the rain is BSG’s military “Jodie”
One of the best quotes from Battlestar Galactica is the iconic line, “nothing but the rain”. One of the most beloved aspects Battlestar Galactica it is its familiarity; rather than an unfamiliar group dynamic, it's similar to the militaristic culture viewers already know. This adds to the show's gritty realism. Ron Moore spoke about the meaning behind this dialoguedirectly addressing its origin. In a now-archived blog post (via Galactica fandom), Moore explained:
“I invented this in the miniseries, and it's essentially a riff on contemporary chants or marching cadences used in the military, called 'jodies.' You've seen them in movies: the peloton is marching or running and the instructor sings something like, “I woke up in the morning to the rising sun / I'm going to run all day until the race is over,” and the peloton repeats the lines or adds the next line at jodie.”
As Moore states, the line first appears in the miniseries. The second time it appears is in episode 1 of Battlestar Galactica. For many viewers, this is their first interaction with the rebooted series rather than the miniseries – although it is recommended to watch the miniseries first on Battlestar Galactica observing order. In episode 1, the exchange already seems to be an inside joke between Adama and Starbuck. This adds a layer of authenticity to the fleet dynamics. It also makes it even easier to like the characters and become familiar with them.
Battlestar Galactica left the true meaning of the phrase ambiguous
The viewer is left wondering the backstory of the phrase
Part of the writing genius of Battlestar Galactica is that the phrase “nothing but the rain” is maintained as an ambiguous “Jodie”. The most surprising thing is that even though it essentially means nothing, the repetition of this (very similar “so we all say”) throughout the series gives it an emotional poignancy without needing to know its origin. Battlestar Galactica consistently does a good job of ambiguity throughout the series. In the same archived blog post, Moore commented on this deliberate ambiguity:
“I never wrote the whole jodie, but I liked the absurd nature of the lines and thought it would be more effective to suggest the cadences without spelling them out.”
– through Galactica fandom
This allows viewers to come to their own conclusions. For example, a controversial issue between BSG viewers is the ending and the true nature of Starbuck in Battlestar Galactica. Similar to the military “Jodie”it is also the secret language of music in the series' lore. Regardless of whether or not the actual lyrics to Bob Dylan's song are All along the Watchtower are significant for Battlestar Galacticathe song's recurrence speaks to its philosophy. Repetition is used poetically to emphasize the main message of the show – that “all this has happened before and it will all happen again.”
Starbuck and Adama's line sounds like a warning to be on your guard at all times
Despite Moore's statements, a meaning can be read into the exchange
Despite the phrase having essentially no meaning, the audience still read “nothing but the rain.” This added another layer of appreciation to the catchphrase. More context is given by the engaging dialogue in the first episode. After Starbuck passes the line back to Adama, he responds by saying: “get your gun and bring the cat,” to which Starbuck responds, “boom, boom, boom.” This suggests that when hearing just the rain, there is a sense of anticipation of danger.
Their exchange implies that, upon hearing just the rain, anything could jump out and surprise the fleet. “Grab your gun and bring the cat” further supports this interpretation – it is a guideline to be on high alert and ensure the safety of the fleet. Perhaps the meaning of the phrase originated in a particular event, which then became an anecdote, then evolved into a familiar shorthand to be passed around, obscuring its meaning. The brilliance of the line is its flexibility to be both meaningful and meaningless in Battlestar Galacticadepending on the context.
Source: Galactica fandom