The End of BSG
Some television shows die slow and painful deaths as they linger far past their creative high point. Shows like Twin Peaks, Xena: Warrior Princess and The X-Files petered out over time until they were mere shells of their former selves. Then there are shows that, either by their own hand or by external forces, go out on a high note. Shows like Star Trek: The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Futurama and Farscape all ended while fan interest was high and characters had room to grow. For me, Battlestar Galactica is somewhere in between.
While I throughly enjoy watching Galactica each week, there is a big part of me that wants the show to end. With the ever-increasing delays between seasons, and the unresolved nature of some of the basic plot lines (Baltar, Kara, Earth), I think I’m finally ready to bid this rag-tag fleet goodbye. Don’t misunderstand me on this point. When the series finale airs on Friday, March 20th one of the finest dramas on television will go off the air. But I’d much rather have Adama, Six, Kara and the rest of these wonderful characters go out in a blaze of glory than spend the next 2-3 years limping along like President Roslin on Kamala.
From the moment it was announced, Battlestar Galactica burst onto scene with a hail of controversy thanks to Ron Moore’s “re-imagining” of the series. Fans and network execs didn’t like the idea of cylons looking like humans, or Dirk Benedict’s cigar-smoking, chauvinistic character Starbuck, being played by a woman. It’s amazing how petty those arguments seem now. Put simply, Moore took the best aspects of the original Galactica and jettisoned the junk. The result was a gritty, dark and often realistic look at how human beings react when under enormous stress. Moore gave us a universe filled with deception, sex, cool swear words and mythos that will be looked to as the science fiction TV water mark for years.
I don’t know how the show will end, but I do know that no matter what happens, Battlestar Galactica has been that rare gem in the vast wasteland that is episodic television. From week to week, each episode felt like cinema instead of boob tube. Incredible writing combined with imaginative and detailed art direction, fine actors, compelling music and convincing SFX to keep us tuning in and on our toes. In the end, what more could anyone ask from a TV show?
So say we all.
You’re so right about The X Files. I was a huge fan of that show (even went to a convention!), but by the end I was embarrassed to admit that. Scully but no Mulder, then neither! Plus the smoking man would die and later return over and over.
While I’m bummed to see BSG end from a selfish perspective, I’m happy to see it go out while it’s still firing on all cylinders.