mysteries that Battlestar Galactica never really answers, and the unknown reason why every sheet of paper has its corners cut off particularly bugs me.
The Battlestar Galactica franchise encomes a wide range of media, from TV shows and books, to comics and games, so there is a lot of detail in its world-building. The cut-off, diagonal corners of paper within the show is an interesting design choice for Battlestar Galactica because it stands out, and one would reasonably expect that such a strange visual quirk would carry a good explanation. However, while there are plenty of theories and official comments on the famous prop choice, the real reason for Battlestar Galactica's corner-free paper has been left up for debate.
An Unconfirmed Story Claims Battlestar Galactica's Corner-Free Paper Was A Joke About The Show's Production
The Theory Talks About How Battlestar Galactica Literally Cut Corners
There is an unconfirmed story that Battlestar Galactica's paper was a joke about the show's production having to literally cut corners. In a 2010 interview with Wired.com, Patrick Di Justo was asked about the paper. Having co-authored The Science of Battlestar Galactica with the show's science adviser, NASA scientist Kevin Grazier, Di Justo knew a lot about the show and its practicalities. When jokingly asked if the corner-free paper helped civilization to develop spaceflight, Di Justo said: "To the best of my knowledge, no. I think that was just a joke about having to cut corners on the show."
Now that's one of the deepest mysteries of the entire show. That is the Da Vinci Code of Battlestar Galactica.
– Ronald D. Moore
Conversely, in a 2009 National Geographic interview with executive producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick, Moore claimed that the cornerless paper is "one of the deepest mysteries of the entire show. That is the Da Vinci Code of Battlestar Galactica." Eick added that it was "purposely left unsolved just to torture fans," and that the prop guy for the Battlestar Galactica miniseries is infamous due to the hassle caused by the decision. It's unclear whether it truly is a dig at the studio or just a harmless design choice, but either way, it became something the whole show had to commit to.
What we do know is that Battlestar Galactica's decision to remove corners from paper and other physical objects was deliberate and made while producing the original miniseries that launched the 2004 reboot. We know there is no in-universe reason for corner-free paper, nor a practical behind-the-scenes reason. That suggests the design feature is either an in-joke, as often theorized, or simply a way of demonstrating a difference in culture between Battlestar Galactica and real life, like saying "frak." Either way, the show would spend its next four seasons trimming the corners off every single paper item that appeared onscreen.
Battlestar Galactica's Weird Paper Ended Up Being A Big Part Of Its Visual Worldbuilding
Corner-Free Paper Became A Part Of Battlestar Galactica's Lore
The unusual paper became another part of Battlestar Galactica's science fiction visuals, demonstrating how the show focuses on the little details as well as big ones, like the designs of the Battlestar Galactica spaceships. Furthermore, the angular paper corners are so notable that viewers cannot help but theorize a possible meaning, especially when the feature is also used on bizarre items such as toilet paper. From ensuring papers don't get frayed edges, to waste reduction, to the ease of grabbing books from shelves, there are many fun world-building theories about Battlestar Galactica's corner-free paper.
Its distinctness makes audiences take a step back, reminding them just how different the universe is, functioning as a wider statement on the overall science fiction aesthetic of Battlestar Galactica.
Unfortunately, Battlestar Galactica's corner-free paper theories were never confirmed to be true, so fans will never truly know the reason for that particular design choice, and the creator of Battlestar Galactica's paper will remain a mystery. Nevertheless, the paper surprisingly became an important visual feature of the show because it enabled Battlestar Galactica to show off its wacky designs and sci-fi strangeness. Whenever the paper features onscreen in the series, its distinctness makes audiences take a step back, reminding them just how different the universe is, and functioning as a wider statement on the overall science fiction aesthetic of Battlestar Galactica.
Why Does Battlestar Galactica's Technologically Advanced World Still Need Paper Anyway?
Unlike The Paper, This Mystery Does Have An Explanation
While Battlestar Galactica's unique style of paper will likely remain a mystery forever, it raises a question over why Adama and his crew are still using physical sheets of paper in the first place. Battlestar Galactica takes place in an era where faster-than-light travel is possible, androids are indistinguishable from humans, and nuclear weapons come as standard in any self-respecting arsenal. At a glance, it would seem that the inhabitants of Battlestar Galactica's world should have outgrown the need for paper, whichever shape it comes in.
It saved the series a massive budgetary headache by allowing for the inclusion of paper and books over holograms and giant screens.
An explanation for this is helpfully provided in Battlestar Galactica's opening minutes. As a group of civilians are led on a tour around Adama's ship shortly before the decimation of the Twelve Colonies, it is explained that the Cylons' ability to hack networked machines forced humanity's military to deliberately downgrade their technology. The clunky machines and manual paper printouts are all in service of protecting against Cylon espionage. An online computer file can be secretly accessed from afar, but a sheet of A4 cannot.
With this single line, Battlestar Galactica skillfully avoided a plot hole so many sci-fi movies and TV shows must tackle. Such stories are often set in times when technology has developed far ahead of the real world, yet these same movies and TV shows invariably begin looking dated once real-world tech starts progressing. In both the Alien and Star Trek franchises, for example, prequels that released more recently, such as Star Trek: Discovery and Prometheus, exhibit higher-tech set designs compared to the likes of Star Trek: The Original Series and 1979's Alien, which released earlier but take place later in the story.
The Real Reason The Battlestar Galactica Cast Looks So Tired In The Pilot
Thanks to this unconventional approach to filming Battlestar Galactica’s pilot episode, SyFy ordered it to series and changed the future of sci-fi.
Battlestar Galactica skirted around that issue expertly by providing a logical, in-story reason that the Galactica's technology looks so retro. Not only does this help futureproof Battlestar Galactica for younger generations, it would have saved the series a massive budgetary headache by allowing for the inclusion of paper and books over holograms and giant screens.
Sources: Wired.com, National Geographic
Battlestar Galactica
- Release Date
- 2004 - 2009-00-00
- Network
- SyFy
- Showrunner
- Ronald D. Moore
Cast
Edward James OlmosWilliam Adama
Mary McDonnellLaura Roslin
WHERE TO WATCH
- Directors
- Wayne Rose, Michael Nankin, Rod Hardy, Sergio Mimica-Gezzan, Edward James Olmos, Robert M. Young, Jeff Woolnough, Félix Enríquez Alcalá, Jonas Pate, Allan Kroeker, Anthony Hemingway, Jean de Segonzac, Marita Grabiak, James Head, Paul A. Edwards, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Brad Turner, Ronald D. Moore, Bill Eagles
- Writers
- Carla Robinson, Michael Taylor, Bradley Thompson, David Weddle, Jane Espenson, Mark Verheiden, Michael Angeli, Anne Cofell Saunders, Jeff Vlaming, Michael Rymer, Dawn Prestwich, Nicole Yorkin, Seamus Kevin Fahey
- Franchise(s)
- Battlestar Galactica
- Creator(s)
- Glen A. Larson, Ronald D. Moore
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