Why Richard Hatch Matters

By I.M. Ulysses

While not having the same cultural or emotional impact that Leonard Nimoy's (March 26, 1931 - Feb. 27, 2015) "Mr. Spock" did on the science fiction and popular culture scene, the news of the passing of Richard Hatch is still a significant blow to his many fans, friends and family members. That's because Mr. Hatch was a true hero for many of us who watched and loved his character, Apollo, on Battlestar Galactica, The Original series, which aired from September 1978 to May 1979. 

Though he went on to other roles after BSG TOS ended its very short run, his Apollo showed a whole generation of young kids how to be brave in tough circumstances, strong in the face of sadness, resolute before your enemies, and loyal to your friends and family. He also  demonstrated the nobility of self-sacrifice and how being the 'better man' could be done without appearing as the bigger fool too.

But even more than that, Mr. Hatch's Apollo showed us just how a good father-son dynamic might actually work; one I wish other show writers would take note of today. Despite current beliefs, father-son relationships really don't have to be base on  "conflicts" alone (the Apollo played by Jamie Bamber in the BSG 2003/2004 series was a bit too much a hothead for my liking, though the Adama played by the GREAT Edward James Olmos was as good (if not superior) to the one played by the LEGENDARY Lorne Greene). They can also be about "how" to be a good father and a good son even in the midsts of catastrophe, flight, and fear. 

The relationship between Hatch's Apollo and Greene's Adama did that, and did it very well!  In fact the clear chemistry between the young Hatch and the wise older Greene made the the onscreen relationship between their characters so vivid as to make one believe they were not merely acting out their parts but living them. In some ways it actually made me a a bit jealous, too, in that I did not have that same kind of relationship with my dad, something that other young kids of my era may have also felt as well. 

That's not a bad thing either. We actually need to see more of these types of good relationships on our big and small screens too, if only to model behaviours and attitudes that are sorely missing right now in the real and tv world too.

This is why Richard Hatch matters. His character could be strong, brave, manly and assertive but without being a mouthy, lippy, disrespectful jerk-off either. In other words, Apollo and Adama were a good example of a positive family dynamic, something you don't see much of in this new age of 'real' or 'gritty' television "reality." 

I guess that is what I miss most of about the original BSG, and why I hoped Mr. Hatch would succeed  in his mission to revive it, with the surviving members of the original cast returning to their original roles. Beyond that Hatch's work on the new Star Trek fan-series "Prelude To Axanar " (where he played Klingon Commander Kharn and was to appear in the subsequent fan production Star Trek: Axanar) was amazing and I had great hopes that this fine actor would be able to make this new character as relatable as he did both Apollo and Tom Zerek (in the revived Battlestar Galactica 2004-2009). Now those dreams, too, are shattered and we, as fans (to say nothing of his friends and family) are poorer, as a result of it also. 

At the news of Mr. Hatch's passing, a friend tried to compare his loss to the loss of Leonard Nimoy. The two, however, are not in the same league. That's because Mr Spock is a special and unique character that will forever be iconic; one that can stand alone (and apart) from EVERY character in science fiction going forward. Also, Mr. Spock has already been made again (and made again very well) by Zachary Quinto in the J.J. Abrams-revival of Star Trek of 2009. Likewise there have been other Vulcans, played by other actors, who did a fine job with their own 'Spock's' or Spock-like characters too. 

But Richard Hatch's Apollo wasn't, isn't, and never can be as unique (nor as culturally relevant), as Mr. Spock no matter who plays him. That is because Apollo was simply a good, loyal, son and dedicated step-father (to Boxey). He was also an efficient officer, and a great pilot who always sought to do right while dealing with his own inward pain; something that Hatch did a great job of concealing and yet revealing in small ways throughout the series.

In this regard Apollo was not very revolutionary, unlike the alien-half-breed that was Mr. Spock. Yet it is precisely because of that that Apollo also so great too. For inasmuch as Apollo represented the best of those refugees fleeing their home world's destruction and seeking the legendary planet Earth, he also came to represent, to my 11 year-old self, what I hoped, one day, would be the best of me too.

Sure there was another great character on Battlestar Galactica, the equally-loved Starbuck played by Dirk Benedict. Starbuck (the revived Battlestar Galactica version was a female character, ably played by Katee Sackhoff) was a brash, mouthy, lovable rogue; a character who was everything that Apollo was not. As a kid, a big part of me wished I could be Starbuck, even as I knew I was not. But I could be Apollo. In fact, I believed that all the kids I knew growing up could, one day, be Apollo too, if they wanted to be (and maybe some have, in later life!). 

This is what made Mr. Hatch's Apollo so good, and so important too. Unlike modern t.v. characters (and even actors), Apollo inspired us to be become better sons, fathers, students, leaders, and professionals but without the 'grit' or innate 'flaws' such characters are often represented has having today.

A lot that is because of who Richard Hatch was, as well as the "time" in which BSG TOS was written (the late 70's). But it was also because, unlike Mr. Spock, Mr. Hatch's Apollo was reachable. Spock was not. He was also human. Spock was not. He was believable, Spock was not. He was a character we could all emulate if we tried, Spock we could not.

When Nimoy died, he took the 'real' Spock with him. Before that, we saw how his Spock evolved into a more human, more relatable person, with each step making him a better a reflection of ourselves. Richard Hatch's Apollo never had to do that because he already was "us,' but in the best form possible.

This is the other major difference between Mr. Spock and Apollo, and Mr. Nimoy and Mr. Hatch. Instead of letting us watch while his character struggled to grow and imitate us (as Mr. Spock/Nimoy did), Apollo/Hatch showed us how to grow and imitate...him!

That's a special accomplishment for any actor and any character they play. It may also be why Richard Hatch worked so hard to bring back the original version of the series that made him famous; not for himself alone I believe, but for all us "kids" who never got (and now never will get) the chance to see how a good man can remain a good man, without compromise, and without apology either. 

And that, too, is why Richard Hatch matters.

God rest your soul, "Apollo" from me and a whole generation of kids you inspired

Dedicated to Richard Hatch, May 21, 1945 - February 7, 2017, best known for playing the original Apollo on Battlestar Galactica, the Original Series (1978-1979)