BSG Finale (Warning: SPOILERS)
Last night my sweetie and I watched the last episode of Battlestar Galactica. I have to say that I was simultaneously satisfied and a little disappointed.
Lemme explain:
SPOILERS BEHIND CUT
I loved the final battle. It was everything I expect military SF to be. I actually liked the idea that the nuked Earth was not our Earth and humanity got a chance to start over here. Cool. People got to say goodbye to each other. I thought that the idea of Galen going off to live the rest of his life as a hermit in what would one day be Scotland was terribly sad but somehow appropriate. Galen was never a man at peace from day one. Maybe solitude is the only way he could gain at least some measure of peace before he died. Also, Harmoni and I knew that the only way for Boomer to redeem herself was to save Hera and that it would probably mean her death. We were right.
I learned at an Aggiecon that the show was cancelled due to "poor ratings" but it was still making enough money that the SciFi channel execs gave Ron Moore one final season to wrap things up. I seem to recall that he wanted to do a 5 season show (a-la Babylon 5). I could definitely feel the absence of that 5th season. Things seemed a little rushed all through these last 10 episodes and especially the last half of the finale. The cancellation brings up a whole 'nother conversation about the networks' antiquated ratings system and how it is completely inadequate to tracking the viewing habits of a technically sophisticated audience who use Tivo, DVR, and Web showings to keep up with their favorite shows. (SciFi fans, anyone?)
The whole "God" angle seemed especially forced at the end of BSG. While they were bulding up to it the whole show, the way Baltar made his speech about God's plan and the way the atheistic Cavil was so quick to consider his ideas was a bit jarring. The idea of an independently evolved human population on (our) Earth that was genetically compatible with the Colonial humans was also too deus ex machina for my comfort. It would've been better if the revelation of the Six and Baltar in Baltar and Caprica's heads as "angels" had been eased into more. I can see how the "God" angle could work if given enough time to develop. The original show was starting to go there with it's "Ship Of Light" story arc but the show ended to quickly to develop it. The reimagined show ended too quickly to properly develop it.
I think that one of the brief comments made by the "angel" Baltar at the very end deserved at least a whole episode by itself. "Angel" Six said something about God's will or plan and "angel" Baltar interrupted her saying, "You know He doesn't like that name."
Hmmmm...
That worthy of examination. Think of an infinitely powerful and knowledgeable superior being. Maker of Heaven and Earth. Creator of Mankind (apparently more than once), object of Cylon worship, and influencer of both species' destinies. Then imagine saying to this being, "OH! You must be God!" and having that being answer...
"Not from my point of view. No."
Fascinating! While that answer tells me nothing about the nature of God if, indeed there is a such a being (and I'm not fully convinced there is), it tells me a great deal about the nature of my assumptions.
Gods damn you, you frakking SciFi suits, and your need to force Ron Moore rush an otherwise outstanding series to an awkward conclusion.
Lemme explain:
SPOILERS BEHIND CUT
I loved the final battle. It was everything I expect military SF to be. I actually liked the idea that the nuked Earth was not our Earth and humanity got a chance to start over here. Cool. People got to say goodbye to each other. I thought that the idea of Galen going off to live the rest of his life as a hermit in what would one day be Scotland was terribly sad but somehow appropriate. Galen was never a man at peace from day one. Maybe solitude is the only way he could gain at least some measure of peace before he died. Also, Harmoni and I knew that the only way for Boomer to redeem herself was to save Hera and that it would probably mean her death. We were right.
I learned at an Aggiecon that the show was cancelled due to "poor ratings" but it was still making enough money that the SciFi channel execs gave Ron Moore one final season to wrap things up. I seem to recall that he wanted to do a 5 season show (a-la Babylon 5). I could definitely feel the absence of that 5th season. Things seemed a little rushed all through these last 10 episodes and especially the last half of the finale. The cancellation brings up a whole 'nother conversation about the networks' antiquated ratings system and how it is completely inadequate to tracking the viewing habits of a technically sophisticated audience who use Tivo, DVR, and Web showings to keep up with their favorite shows. (SciFi fans, anyone?)
The whole "God" angle seemed especially forced at the end of BSG. While they were bulding up to it the whole show, the way Baltar made his speech about God's plan and the way the atheistic Cavil was so quick to consider his ideas was a bit jarring. The idea of an independently evolved human population on (our) Earth that was genetically compatible with the Colonial humans was also too deus ex machina for my comfort. It would've been better if the revelation of the Six and Baltar in Baltar and Caprica's heads as "angels" had been eased into more. I can see how the "God" angle could work if given enough time to develop. The original show was starting to go there with it's "Ship Of Light" story arc but the show ended to quickly to develop it. The reimagined show ended too quickly to properly develop it.
I think that one of the brief comments made by the "angel" Baltar at the very end deserved at least a whole episode by itself. "Angel" Six said something about God's will or plan and "angel" Baltar interrupted her saying, "You know He doesn't like that name."
Hmmmm...
That worthy of examination. Think of an infinitely powerful and knowledgeable superior being. Maker of Heaven and Earth. Creator of Mankind (apparently more than once), object of Cylon worship, and influencer of both species' destinies. Then imagine saying to this being, "OH! You must be God!" and having that being answer...
"Not from my point of view. No."
Fascinating! While that answer tells me nothing about the nature of God if, indeed there is a such a being (and I'm not fully convinced there is), it tells me a great deal about the nature of my assumptions.
Gods damn you, you frakking SciFi suits, and your need to force Ron Moore rush an otherwise outstanding series to an awkward conclusion.