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Finally ready to talk about it | April 11, 2007
So, any of you who watched the season finale (and the mess leading up to it) of Battlestar Galactica can probably feel my pain: I HATE this frakking show.
No, seriously. First there are boring episodes about trials and boxing matches (OK, I'll admit that one was surprisingly good) and whatever else they wanted to waste their extended episode run on (Bitter? Who ... ME?). And I could have even taken them killing off (or NOT killing off. Who knows?) Starbuck. BUT the capper for me was announcing those four Cylons in the final moments of the season (or five if you think that's why Starbuck is back and all pristine and knowledgeable).
I mean, OK, Chief. Whatever. Roslin's assistant? Who cares? But SAM?! SHUT UP! He was leading the resistance on Caprica and THEN on New Caprica. And the worst one is, of course, Tigh. No frakking way that guy is a Cylon. It changes everything we ever have known about both Cylons and Saul. I don't expect this show to adhere to the reality of MY life, but I do expect it to adhere to its own reality.
The only thing I can find comfort in is that maybe these final five Cylons are some sort of different thing. Maybe that's why all of the others won't talk about them or don't even know about them -- because they are some sort of renegade, human-loving, human-wannabe toasters.
So, after the episodes, I first said I wouldn't watch, but I have since calmed down and decided I can't just quit like that. I'll watch next season (even if it is in 2008!). No matter how mad this makes me, I have to see how it all plays out. That said, I'll be less committed and emotionally invested if they're going to frak with their characters like this.
Thoughts? Have you given up on the show yet, or do you think the new Cylons are the kick in the pants this show needed after many weeks of boredom (not counting Starbuck's death)?
5 Comments
...I do expect it to adhere to its own reality.
Maybe it is. Do you think the show has actually shown all of its own reality yet? This likely is entirely consistent with its own reality, and in fact is part of continuing to roll out exactly what that reality is.
Anyway here are my thoughts on the end of a season during which I wasn't bored.
Posted by: b!X | April 11, 2007 12:59 PM
I so have not gotten on board with the whole BG thing. My MIL, my best friend, a whole group of friends--all LOVE the BG.
What am I missing? I do. not. get. it.
Posted by: Lizzy | April 11, 2007 06:18 PM
Glad you finally watched it, Dee. As you know, I'm in the same boat. The first season of this show, and the first half of the second season, were incredible. That's when it was truly "the best show on TV."
And then it stopped. It went from "best on TV" to "pretty good," and from there to "I guess I have nothing else to do, so I'll watch it." And now? I record it and watch it while I'm working.
The writing has completely fallen apart. The writers don't know where they're going (confirmed in the podcasts) and even worse, they don't remember where they've BEEN. They forget important threads... or hope WE do.
For instance, and this is just off-the-cuff, how is the loss of Apollo as CAG a big deal? Why would they go with Helo, who only recently started sporting those Viper pilot wings, rather than... say... a hugely accomplished ace pilot? Don't have any of those lying around? You have a TON of them. But, that's right... we're not supposed to remember that the Pegasus pilots are on board, nor should we recall that they had aces with kill counts that dwarfed Starbuck's.
The bottom line is that the writers are lazy, the producers are preoccupied with other projects, and they should all thank their gods that they got another season.
The finale? Sucked. Badly. GREAT acting, OUTSTANDING f/x. Those things can't save a poorly-written script, though.
I'll disagree with you on exactly one point, though. I loved the way Sam reacted to "discovering" he's a Bob Dylan fan. As that scene played out, he was the only truly believable character there. And as the others ran out of the room, he stood there. He's WAY conflicted. I liked it.
Tigh is a Cylon? Well, either the skinjobs weren't truly descendants of the toasters, or the writers fracked up again. I'm willing to give them the benefit of this doubt, only because even THEY should be able to see how impossible it is for Tigh to be Cylon given what we currently believe. If the skinjobs were the ones responsible for the toasters gaining sentience, though, and guided all these events down to this? That may actually be cool.
I fully expect the writing staff to blow it, though. They'll TRY. But they'll fail.
Posted by: john | April 12, 2007 10:00 AM
I'm disappointed that someone like the TV Goddess could rave about Dancing with the Starts and sh!t on such a fantastic finale to Battlestar Galactica.
That was the most thrilling end to a season finale I can remember. I've watched it five times.
There's more at work here, DeAnn. The final "four" or whatever are not like the other Cylons, so it doesn't bother me that Tigh's one of them. My theory is that they're from Earth. They're probably clones of Earthlings. And when we finally reach Earth, we're going to find out that something is seriously wrong with Earth. Or that this is some kind of cosmic cycle like your friend B!X pointed out.
I think this finale sets up a wonderful premise for season 4. The "final four" still consciously believe in their goodness and their loyalty to Galactica. But they know they're Cylons. But they don't know what kind of Cylons they are, only that they remember a Bob Dylan song from childhood. A Bob Dylan song that came from EARTH!
-Troy
Posted by: Troy | April 16, 2007 02:02 PM
I HATE "DANCING WITH THE STARS"!! I watched it this season for Clyde, but only lasted a week and a half. I'm done with it, and even removed it from the TiVos!
Posted by: DeAnn | April 16, 2007 02:13 PM
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