i remember the day i first saw battlestar galactica.
i was vacationing on zakynthos island in greece, enjoying a quiet evening on a beautiful veranda with a gorgeous view of the sea. it was idyllic but i felt a little bored. no fear -- i had my laptop! i started to play a video a friend had given me. i wasn't expecting much -- i used to watch the original BSG as a kid, but as so many people say, it was cheesy so i wasn't expecting much.
suddenly my eyes were riveted on the sophisticated imagery, my mind started processing the intriguing storyline and my heart pounded with emotion that the show was artfully designed to invoke.
the destruction was immense! the cylons were horrifyingly cool! ... and some looked like us! and the ships were anything but streamlined and their trajectories and jumps were believable! the colors were dark! the music was exciting and heartbreaking! this was science fiction but it was real!
'what the fuck was that?' i shouted.
that first episode left me hungry -- no, starving -- for the next. with one dose, i was hooked -- addicted to what was the most exciting science fiction television i had seen in... decades. fridays became the most important day of the week because BSG was broadcast.
BSG mirrored our world. humans, machines, good, evil, criminal, noble, beautiful, repulsive, successes, failures, superstition, logic, friendship and betrayal -- everyone was everything.
yes. this is how we are. we are each everything.
BSG was well crafted, with thought, passion and attention to detail. and we were forever assured, they had a plan.
great science fiction is not about the spaceships or special effects. you can have that, but it's icing. great science fiction is a commentary on the state of humanity. BSG started as great science fiction...
...and ended indifferently. disappointingly. the final season kept sinking confusingly lower and the grand finale was a kick in the stomach.
i don't understand the rave reviews. i don't understand how people can utter the words, 'i was satisfied.'
really? you were satisfied with the dangling storylines? with the spray-and-wipe explanations? this is what you wanted and expected?
... and they have a plan.
in BSG, as in life, plans are made and soon abandoned. the intelligence of the show and the intricacy of the story arcs eventually gave way to fatigue and ragged fringe that led to nowhere.
the fringe was gathered up in unbelievable and unsatisfying wrapups. the remaining gaps in knowledge were filled, as in 'real reality', with 'goddidit', angels, god, fairies and miracles -- the easy, brain-dead escape from thought. the opportunity to delve deeper into the great questions of our existence and to produce a truly great work of art for intelligent viewers were wasted on soap-opera resolutions and creationist answers.
the finale featured an awesome final battle. the imagery was, as always, thrilling. the acting was skillfull and utterly convincing. there was much excitement, emotion, heartbreak and optimism. yes, it was a kick-ass episode -- or it would have been, if it didn't have so much to answer to.
BSG was one of the best science fiction shows, ever... mostly. my fandom was rewarded many hours of true enjoyment and i'm immensely grateful to its creators. i can understand not being able to keep everything on a level caliber -- even my favorite star trek TOS had some crappy episodes and a tiresome third season. but star trek, while it ran, didn't have the following and enthusiasm BSG did, and had a lot more network and sociological barriers to overcome.
i don't know if the paraBSG productions, films, webisodes, spinoffs will explore this new universe more intelligently.
but this particular finale was a rare opportunity, lost.
I agree with your perspective and and I am going to share your fine post...
ReplyDeletethe final episode it was irritating,annoying...and it was far far away from the spirit of the series...
the Latins said
"o tempora o mores"
I felt the same experience when i found and saw "Six Feet Under" for the first time.It blew me away,it was different, dark and beautiful at the same time.
ReplyDeleteclara, i've never seen six feet under.
ReplyDeletemost of the great stuff doesn't get played in greece and i have to actively... acquire it.
Good wrapup here as well - I agree about the laziness leading to the typical silly fare :)
ReplyDeleteI like your style of writing and thinking...
IO9 had an entry about 12 plotholes the finale needed to address. Sadly, I don't think any of them were answered. My favorite: What was that plan the Cylons supposedly had? Most of the time it seemed they were flying by the seat of their pants.
ReplyDeleteAnd another thing: What the heck was the deal with Baltar? For virtually the entire series he had been a sniveling opportunistic weasel, and suddenly undergoes some magical transformation into some all-knowing wizened sage?
ReplyDeleteI don't know why, but that's what bothers me more than anything else about the finale.
yes... completely ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteRonald D Moore and company always admitted they had no complete story developed at any point. It started as a standalone mini-series, then they got a season, then stopped halfway in the next, a go for a tv movie, a bunch of webisodes, and another mid-season stop. I'm impressed they maintained their cast and crew through this, nevermind a complex arcing storyline. While still not excusable, I was well-prepared for a finale that would be missing more than a thing or two.
ReplyDeleteI have to say though, I don't understand the problem with Baltar's development. Ever since his "harem" he was obviously trying to become something else. It came to a head when Lee had him admit aloud that he "wouldn't trust himself either". When the line was drawn down the deck, I was disillusioned that he didn't volunteer, which made his last minute choice really click. As far as his "wisdom" goes, he had more than mere visions, he's a brilliant scientist with angel Six providing divine insight at every turn. He makes Jesus look like an amateur.
i don't mind a few pieces missing -- what i mind is taking the easy way out. having key issues fluffed away with little more but supernatural mystic nothingness is simply not worthy of this show.
ReplyDeletebaltar started from one of the most intriguing characters on BSG -- embodying extremes of the best and the worst of humanity. he developed into a cringe-worthy soap-box preacher, not even fun enough for comic relief.
I realize now that an Atheist would have additional reasons to dislike the finale. It was essentially the first and only episode that confirmed their beliefs as real. Even worse, the reason it was done mirrors that of religion itself--it's the easiest explanation.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree that old Baltar had me at the edge of my seat, and was somewhat replaced by Cain, Gaeta, and Zarek. The fact that new Baltar's religious beliefs made him seem pathetic didn't exactly resolve in a way that satisfies.
Yep, I agree. The 2nd half of the series finale fell short.
ReplyDeleteI started watching BSG about half way through season No.2 (but caught up on DVD) and got hooked. The plot-lines throughout most of the episodes in season 1-3 was solid minus a few bumps. The final season felt rushed. Don't get me wrong I totally understood it, "it" being the connection between the final five, Earth, Kara, the musical notes on the paper from Hera....all of that, I get it. But Gaeta committing mutiny, Dualla offing herself, Tigh hooking up with a Six and making a baby??? In fact, I'll say that loosing Dualla, then Gaeta almost made me bail-out on the remainder of the season. I felt as if they were just slinging plot-twist at viewers in the final season as a distraction to hide the fact that Ronald D. Moore (and other) were simply too busy ramping up other projects (Caprica) to write a well though out final season and series finale.
Kara Thrace is really an angel and "Poof!", she's gone just like that. Head-Baltar and head-Six as puppet masters during this entire journey only to turn up again thousands of years later to see the results of their handwork? With the exception of the well played final battle between the Cylon base ship and the Galactica, I felt cheated and left holding a paper bag full of useless rock in the final 45mins of the finale.
Thanks
See-Ya
Dred242
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