The End of: Battlestar Galactica

It's been a long while since this finale aired, but I've had a busy semester abroad and want to try to check in with every show as they wrap up their seasons. Thus, it's only fair to go chronologically and begin with those shows that checked out for good.

***SPOILERS below for the entire series of "Battlestar Galactica"***

The final season of "Battlestar Galactica," officially considered the second half of the fourth season, was all-around pretty damn great. There were a few weak spots to be sure (the Tigh-Ellen-Caprica dynamic didn't do it for me, Hot Dog's paternity, also some of Baltar's stuff earlier in the season), but overall it was a whole lot of fun. The first episode, "Sometimes a Great Notion," was a terrific start to the season, and Dualla's suicide in particular was a strong sign of the fact that this season was going to be really intense, and not everything was going to be gloriously happy. The end reveal that Ellen was the fifth Cylon was extremely cool, especially because, even though I read this was never the intention, the writers actually left the door open for Ellen to be the fifth. In the first season, Gaius tests Ellen's blood or DNA with his Cylon detector and whirls around on his chair at the end of the episode and says, "I'll never tell..." I love that her being the fifth Cylon actually works. Her return worked wonders for the Cylon side of the story as well, but first - my favorite episode of the season.

"The Oath" was possibly the best "Battlestar Galactica" episode I've ever seen. The end of the previous episode revealed that Gaeta, the number one fan-loved character, was planning to conspire with Tom Zarek to mutiny. I loved the times that came up on screen to mark the progression of the rebellion, and it was all done so well. Tom Zarek has always been one of my favorite characters, and I'm so glad they gave him so much to do here. Adama was awesome, and Edward James Olmos was a huge asset of this season. Everything just got so intense in this one episode, and provided for an incredible ending I won't forget: Tigh and Adama make a last stand and shoot at the door in order to protect the departing president. Part two of that same episode, Blood on the Scales, was also excellent. Zarek's cold-blooded assassination of the entire Council of Twelve, Adama reassembling his forces was a particularly great moment, and the ending with the execution of both Gaeta and Zarek were pretty mind-blowing. The best part of the episode, however, is the scene that in my mind should win Mary McDonnell an Emmy. I go back and forth on her performance, but seeing her get so angry and determined and threaten Tom Zarek was more than convincing, and quite moving. These characters have come so far from the start of the series, and I've loved the progression.

The Cylon element of the final season was quite intriguing. I was confused at first with the whole business with Cavil and the final five's actual origins. Once Sam started remembering things, it became much clearer and I enjoyed it all a lot better. The time when things really got heated started with Boomer helping Ellen escape, but really blew up when Tyrol let Boomer go. The last fifteen minutes of that episode were immensely suspenseful, and seeing Boomer appeal to Tyrol through Cylon projection, get revenge on Athena, and jump within the ship were simply incredible. There's something about series finales being "events" that often put undue weight on some arbitrary plotline which has suddenly become major, but has no clear relevance to the series as a whole. Here, that wasn't really the case.

The show has always been about the war between the humans and the Cylons, and about the quest for Earth. Both were resolved in the finale. Rescuing Hera was not too tangential from the main themes of the show, and uniting Cylons and humans for a greater good was also important. I loved the first part of the three-hour series finale. I was into it from the first moment, when flashbacks to "Caprica before the fall" provided some wonderful context for the development of these characters. All the tension building up in the finale led up to an awesome ending to the episode, with Starbuck and Adama taping a line down the middle of the deck for those who wanted to participate in the mission to get Hera back. The second hour was also great, especially in its revelation of Roslin's often-seen dream. I've read about how Roslin is so weak and unstable compared to how she looks in the dream, and that's certainly true, but for me the best part was Gaius and Caprica, reunited one last time in their unlikely heroism. The ultimate resolution of the conflict with Tyrol killing Tory and thus ruining any chance of an alliance was probably inevitable, but it was all so worth it for the whole episode and its battles, particularly the ones between the human-loyal Centurions and the Cylon-loyal Centurions. This show really evolved from what used to be a much more black-and-white picture of the Cylons.

Part three of the finale was a bit different. I'd sort of rather not acknowledge that they just landed on a planet and settled among the tribal peoples and the gazelles, especially since I never really found the "search for Earth" element terribly interesting, as compared to the other themes of the show. Kara's disappearance was also rather hokey, and I was more impressed by the send-off for Roslin. It's just somewhat underwhelming for a science fiction show to end on such a non-science fiction note. The flash-forward to present-day Times Square tries to put things in perspective regarding the show's timeline that I don't think really need to be addressed. I'd be happy ending in the middle of the action, knowing that they're still struggling to survive. The journey was pretty cool, but I'd rather the episode have ended before the third part. Nonetheless, it was a pretty great ride.

This season was really good overall, and performances from Edward James Olmos, Mary McDonnell, James Callis, Jamie Bamber, Katee Sackhoff, Tricia Helfer, Alessandro Juliani, and Richard Hatch were all excellent and deserve those elusive Emmy nominations. I think McDonnell is the only one who could manage it, and hopefully the expansion of the categories to six nominees should allow her to get in, and represent the show well. How cool would it be if she actually won? I think I'll have to settle for having enjoyed the show tremendously. I still haven't watched the pilot of "Caprica," but I will soon, and look forward to a show that's hopefully as good as this. Farewell, "Battlestar Galactica."

Series finale: B (1st part: A-, 2nd part: B+, 3rd part: B-)
Season grade: A-
Series grade: A-
Season MVP: Tricia Helfer
Series MVP: Tricia Helfer

Summing Up: Battlestar Galactica

I stopped reviewing this show less than halfway into the season, so I have a lot of catching up to do here. I don’t actually have that much to say about the majority of the episodes, but here goes. Episode five (“The Road Less Traveled”) was a very plodding hour, trying to emphasize the subsequent mental breakdowns of both Tyrol and Starbuck. The ending felt very contrived, with the “I’m removing you of command” coming from Helo right after Starbuck just removed him from command. I get lost just thinking about it. Why would Adama have put her in charge? It makes much more sense for Helo to have been put in charge, considering his wealth of experience, his higher rank, and the fact that he’s not under suspicion of being a Cylon/hearing voices in his head telling him which way to Earth. The follow-up episode, on the other hand, was a good deal better. Mary McDonnell turns in a good performance in her Emmy-submitted episode, but it’s the Cylons I’m much more excited about here. The idea of an alliance between the humans and the Cylons is entirely cool and interesting. I was intrigued from the beginning, and now that the season has had its chance to play out, I’m glad they went with it. “Guess What’s Coming to Dinner” was a pretty great episode, chosen by many of the performers, including the excellent Tricia Helfer, playing so many different roles. Gaeta’s singing provided a nice dramatic feel for the episode. The ending was by far the best part, with the shocking instant jump executed by the just-activated hybrid.

The next episode, “Sine Qua Non” was really just filler, and quite dull at that. Edward James Olmos chose it as his Emmy submission, and in a season of sparse material, I can see why, especially given the ending where he opts to stay behind by himself in a raptor (spelling?). That was the only truly great part of the episode, as I could really care less about deciding who will become president (Lee = shocker? No!). Mark Sheppard’s fun to watch as the wacky attorney but he overplays the role just a bit in my mind. When this episode aired, all I wanted to know about was what happened on the other ship. This just wasn’t terribly interesting. Again, filler. The following episode, this season’s penultimate installment, made up for this one for sure. The destruction of the resurrection hub was a bit underplayed, but how significant! It’s fascinating to hear the Cylons talk about how they don’t want immortality so that their lives can have meaning. The entire episode was really solid, and seeing the human pilots and the Cylons about to fly together was cool. Of course, the most exciting aspect of this episode was the reactivation of D’Anna, certainly the most anticipated character return I’ve ever personally experienced. And what a way to come back – complaining right away then killing Cavil. Her telling the President that she was the final Cylon and then laughing was a relief – I thought that the previews had given away the surprise of the century. Much as I would love for everything to work out, I suppose it’s only fair that she wants to save her own skin by bartering a bit first. Gaius was quite entertaining in this episode as well, trying to convince the centurion that it should be entitled to more in life. It was a good moment between the President and Gaius when he finally comes clean, even though that was a LONG time coming. Great that she almost let him die and then changed her mind.

Now on to the finale. I may have been too excited for it (it’s possible) but regardless of the hype I gave it, it still felt like an episode that just existed to move things along like this season’s weak installments “He That Believeth in Me”, “The Road Less Traveled”, and “Sine Qua Non”. It was a fair deal better than those episodes, but the action was all very rushed, too much too fast. After a season which built up questions and anticipated momentous events, everything seemed to dissipate too quickly. Much like season one of “Heroes”, the episode before the finale was the one that really got things flowing, injecting some much-needed adrenaline into the show and getting everyone pumped for the next episode (I would also submit the final two episodes of “The Sopranos” here). D’Anna’s move to execute hostages seemed to come out of nowhere, and was happened rather early on in the negotiations process. They did, however, circumvent the far-too-often-used plotline of killing off all the cast members who aren’t regulars first by not ever revealing who was executed (it was one of those guys, though – I promise). Tigh giving himself up was a bit of a letdown, as was Starbuck’s pretty much nonexistent reaction to Anders or Tyrol being Cylons. After an entire season of keeping their identities secret, the only one who really made an impact was Tory, in a brief moment of defiance to the President and pledging allegiance to her newfound family/race. Adama breaking down was significant, but I would have liked to see more of a reaction from anyone and everyone.

Watching the finale and many of the episodes leading up to it, I realized how strange the hierarchies and chains of command seem. Both Adama and Dualla address Lee stoically as Mr. President, even though he is son and ex-husband to each of them, respectively. Perhaps it’s a lack of familiarity with military conduct or life, but the whole system feels very inbred. Starbuck especially fits in, as far as her relationship with Anders, Lee, Adama, and Helo are concerned. I’m not saying it’s a huge problem – it just might not hurt the show to branch out a bit. Introducing a host of new characters might not help, but maybe let Gaius or Tom Zarek have a chance to shine in the political arena or give the other Cylons more of a place in the chain of command, especially given the recent direction of things. Going from executing hostages one minute to a steady alliance the next seems like quite a jump, but it should be nice to see what things are like next season on that front, especially for Tory who wants to be with the Cylons and the other three who aren’t ready to leave their supposedly human lives behind (yet).

So they found Earth. I guess it makes sense in the grand scheme of things given where things were left off at the end of last season with Starbuck declaring that she knows the way there and such. But does it have to be over in five or so minutes? Everyone’s cheering and so excited to get there, even though it was accomplished simply by some weird Cylon sixth sense or maybe even just luck. Did anyone else see Lee leap up and jump on to something in the CIC? Anyway, Earth is not the paradise everyone thought it would be, and appears to have been devastated by nuclear war. Next season should be really good, but I would rather have not left off this way. The big revelation at the end of this finale should have been the final Cylon, not Earth. The direction of the show has to change in a major way now that one of the driving forces has been resolved, or rather reshaped. I’m sure it will be great, but at this point I’m feeling a bit disappointed. The season as a whole was uneven, but did have some sparkling episodes (“Six of One”, “Guess What’s Coming to Dinner”, “The Hub”). I watched the first three seasons in marathon form on DVD, so I’m not sure I was ever convinced that this show was entirely excellent or that those seasons were any better. What I can say for certain is that I do really like this show and since I started watching the mini-series, I am officially hooked. It’s a great show as a concept and when you look at it as an entire series, there are just some nooks and crannies along the way that need a little cleaning out. Season four’s second half doesn’t begin until January 2009 at the very earliest, but the good news is that there may be an eleven installment tacked on to the previously announced ten final episodes.

Season grade: B
Season finale: B
Season MVP: Tricia Helfer

What I'm Watching: Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica: Season 4, Episode 4 "Escape Velocity" (B-)

Wow, Tyrol really railed on Cally in this episode! That was pretty tough to take. I'm absolutely thrilled to see the secret Cylons tear the fleet apart with stuff like this. For the moment, however, this show needs a bit of an adrenaline shot. Last week provided it with Cally's super intense death but failed to follow up this week. The episode was by no means bad, it was just a bit slow. I guess the big reveal in this episode was supposed to be that people are really listening to Baltar and he's gained a lot of influence, though we sort of knew that already. I am happy to see Lee doing good work as a political man and I think it suits him well.

What I'm Watching: Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica: Season 4, Episode 3 “The Ties That Bind” (B+)

I was holding my breath during that last scene. Though it might have been obvious that Tory was going to send Cally out the airlock, it still came as quite a shock to me. That super-strength push that sent Cally flying was the first time any of the final four have demonstrated any Cylon-like activity, and I’m sure this is only the first in a series of crazy-intense freak-outs by all of them. I can do without the messed-up relationship between Sam and Kara and any of the political meetings. It is great to see some good speeches by Adama and especially by Roslin. Additionally, it is always a pleasure to see Richard Hatch guest-star as Tom Zarek, though I wish they would give him more to do. The Cylon civil war is pretty frakking awesome, but I still can’t hope to figure out who’s on the good side and who’s on the bad side.

What I'm Watching: Battlestar Galactica

Battlestar Galactica: Season 4, Episode 2 “Six of One” (B+)

Now this is more like it. It’s great to see the head Cylon models again, especially the most underused and one of my favorites, the model played by Rick Worthy. Dean Stockwell and Tricia Helfer are fascinating to watch together; I just hope we can see them again with Lucy Lawless if the D’Anna model does in fact get brought back as rumors seem to suggest it will. Number Six’s decision is interesting, but a bit puzzling. Maybe I’m just not following, but I’m not certain if she’s trying to help the humans, however inadvertently, or to ensure the survival of the Cylons by whatever means necessary. Back on the Galactica, the final four Cylons have a wonderful dynamic. Tory in particular is finally getting a real plot, and watching her interact with Gaius and his ego are cool too. I don’t quite understand why he’s now imagining his own image talking to himself rather than the red dress-wearing Number Six. Katee Sackhoff really is going all out – “We’re going the wrong waaaaaay!” but I think her new mission should be a good direction for the show.

What I'm Watching: Battlestar Galactica (Season Premiere)

Battlestar Galactica: Season 4, Episode 1 "He That Believeth In Me" (B)

Is it bad that I'm disappointed after all this time? I've only waited six or seven months for my first ever fresh episode of BSG while most fans have waited about a year. Regardless, I guess I wasn't prepared for everything still being in the middle of the action, and with the exception of the final four who are freaking out about being Cylons and Anders getting scanned by the raider, there wasn't too much overly exciting about this installment. I am pretty confident that future episodes will live up to my expectations, and this is more of a warm-up, just to get the blood flowing and prepare everyone to be floored soon. Like with that ending - what is Starbuck thinking?!!

What I'm Watching: Battlestar Galactica (Razor)

Battlestar Galactica: Razor (C+)

What a supreme disappointment! Reading several reviews, it would seem that most diehard BSG fans enjoyed the episode, but I cannot in good conscience agree. The flashback scheme of the two-part episode only works well if it is providing any previously unknown information or telling a compelling story. In this case, new character Kendra Shaw is wholly uninteresting, and there is only one minor interaction between Lee and Kara, which should have taken up a much larger portion of the episode, especially given the tension they had and the declaration of love they made to each other on New Caprica. We know from the very beginning that every regular character on the show has to survive, and there are precious few cast members in this TV movie anyway (Adama, Lee, Kara, and a cameo by Roslin). What we do learn in this film is very little and not terribly exhilarating. Cain is in no way a sympathetic character because she advocates destruction and suicide over militarily intelligent strategic thinking. Shaw goes over the edge and follows her blindly, or worse, becomes her, but she dies without ever appearing in any of the regular series episodes so her sacrifice is truly in vain. The revelation that Cain and the Six onboard Pegasus were lesbian lovers come out of left field and does not add much to the story. This presentation even lacks a climactic scene where Cain talks to the Six about how hurt she is and then tries to hurt the Six herself instead of just letting the torturer rape her. The hybrid Cylon experiment would be interesting, if it was covered more deeply and used somewhere else in the series. The brief surprise appearance of the Cylons from the original series is fun but seems unwise, as that show is almost universally hated and considered to be irreproachably awful.

Worst of all, the title seems forced. The razor Cain carries around with her and then gives to Shaw makes for a slightly decent but not terribly impressive metaphor. This two-hour special does not serve as an effective bridge between the third and fourth seasons of “Battlestar Galactica” but rather gets me more excited because I know that the fourth season will go forward in time rather than flashing back to events that have been explained. The promo for season four is awesome, and I personally cannot wait until March (!) when the show returns for at least the first part of its final season. I believe ten episodes out of twenty are filmed, and I personally do not mind if the series is split between two years in its presentation. I say that now, but I am hopeful that the mid-season finale next May makes me regret that statement.

TV on DVD: Battlestar Galactica (Season 2.5)

Some spoilers to be expected.

The first two episodes of this season boast some remarkable scenes towards their closes that help create a fascinating picture of the dynamic between the vicious Admiral Cain and Commander Adama. The story here progresses admirably, despite the fact that a large number of the episodes contain stand-alone, one-shot plots. The "48 hours earlier" scheme is used possibly a bit much in these episodes. The election campaign is intriguing, and I am impressed that the whole crazy Dr. Baltar thing has been preserved so long without getting stale. There is a general feeling of yearning for the "good old days", that being the time of the mini-series and the first season before everyone underwent all these ordeals and became so hardened, especially with the frantic and extreme direction-changing finale, about which I have not fully decided how I feel. The episode "Downloaded", however, is a stunning and captivating look at the Cylons on Caprica and the shocking revelation that Six a.k.a. Caprica also speaks with an imaginary projecton of Gaius.

"Battlestar Galactica" Season Two Point Five: B+

TV on DVD: Battlestar Galactica (Season 2.0)

Minor spoilers contained below.

Ten episodes in two days means that there has to be something good in this show. The season opener's title, "Scattered", very well describes the second season of the show, which finds its characters all off in different places fighting different evils. I am not completely behind all the creative decisions made for the show, but I feel reassured that it is heading somewhere good and that this may merely be buildup. If nothing else, it is entertaining and addictive. I really like the new character played by Lucy Lawless and think that any scene with Richard Hatch (Tom Zarek) is worth watching again. The mythical religious aspect is really being amped up, but I am not sure that I mind. Sustaining the whole insane Dr. Baltar plot has sure gone on longer than I ever would have expected, but the result is commendable and does not get as old as it should. The plotline concerning Sharon is all very-well played out, and the midseason finale (the finale of 2.0, leading into 2.5) presents a disturbing side of the good guys and should lead to some awesome confrontation in the second part of the season.

Having now gone more than 24 hours without "Battlestar Galactica" for the first time in a few days, I cannot imagine what it will be like when I have to wait over a month to start watching Season 3 (I have already found repeats of the third season, which will begin airing on Sci-Fi at 2:00am on Friday nights in September). Though I will not see BSG's nominated episodes until at least five days after the Emmy awards, I am so rooting for them to win.

TV on DVD: Battlestar Galactica (Season One)

Minor spoilers herein regarding events which occured during the miniseries prelude to this season,

This is easily one of the most addictive shows on television, right along with "Lost" and "24". The overall concept is amazing, and while the pursuit of Earth and that whole aspect is a bit bizarre, it really works well. Humanizing the Cylons is one of the most intriguing parts, and watching Helo try to survive on Caprica is fascinating. The religious component of the show, especially the Cylons' strong convictions, is interesting without being invasive. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell serve as great leads as Commander Adama and President Roslin, respectively. The best members of the cast are Jamie Bamber, as Captain Adama, and Katee Sackhoff, as the likeable Starbuck. The show takes a familiar concept, technology rising up against its creator, but really works with it to make it original and fun. With the exception of the messy and off hour "Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down", the first season shines. It is not quite as good as the miniseries, but I am pretty sure it will get there. The ending is a whopper, and I am already into the second season.

"Battlestar Galactica" Season One: B+

TV on DVD: Battlestar Galactica (2003 Miniseries)

Alright, I am hooked. I watched about a third of this miniseries about a year ago, and cannot remember why it was that I stopped watching. I liked it pretty much from the start. While there is an awful lot of seemingly random making out, it is made up for by the excellent characters and impressive writing. I understand why this show has such a cult following, and I am eager to become a full-fledged member as soon as I make my way through the rest of the show so far. My hope is that I can finish the first two seasons before the end of the summer and that the third season will be released before the premiere of the fourth and final season of the show at the end of November. This is truly great science fiction and I love it.

Battlestar Galactica Miniseries: A