The original Starbuck was someone who one wouldn't want their kids to be around, didn't care for authority and was highly needed in this war because of his piloting skills.
The new Starbuck's first scene, she goats her XO into losing a poker game and throwing a table by teasing him about his marriage problems (and gets thrown in the brig for knocking him on his arse), STILL smokes cigars, and is a great and needed pilot (She saved the Galactica from three nukes). Edward James Olmos did a great job in creating a character who never forgets his losses and humanity's mistakes in the past that caused those losses. "I won't forget how many lives were lost on this ship because we wanted to make things 'A little easier.'(When objecting to having networked computers onboard to a politician)"
THere were a lot of great lines and twists in this. Boomer's co-pilot giving up his seat so a top scientist could survive nuclear fallout and help fight the Cylons -a scientist who was directly responsible for the attack's success.
"There are no rookies on this ship anymore."
"You'd better leave. I suddenly have another urge to strike a superior a$$hole."
I really don't think they over"PC"d this. Quite a few smoking scenes. The reality of warfare on a ship (Closing a hatch to save the ship -and killing 87 people) hit me quite hard.
I'm glad I'm taping this.