Wednesday, March 25, 2009

What the frak?

What the frak? That pretty sums up how I felt about the end of the Battlestar Galactica series. At least at the end of the show. I've had a couple of days to think over the finale and decided that it makes some sense and takes a bold stab at certain perceptions here on Earth. So this is my review of the finale.

First the main character resolution was well done. It was real life in that people who deserved to die lived and people who deserved to live died. That said the one that blew me away was Kara Thrace (Starbuck). For the last few episodes she had been trying to figure out what/who she was. I have to admit I didn't catch the reference to Kara in Baltar's monologue about Angels. It didn't click until She up and disappeared when talking to Lee Adama. Then it clicked. She was the only "Angel" that was able to be seen and touched by everyone involved. The other two "Angels" (Baltar and Caprica 6 only seen by the real Baltar and Caprica 6) did not have that "privilege".

Now for the part that left my head scratching until I thought about it. At the end of the show it flash forwards to our time on the planet where the human and Cylon alliance members land and start without technology. This was a bold maneuver because it gave a theory of human advancement that I have not heard. It is basically this:

  1. Humans were created on Earth by a being who doesn't like to be called God
  2. In order to help their evolution "God" led the Humans and Cylons to this Earth in order to "breed" with them
  3. Humans are therefore a mix of evolution and "alien" DNA


Now whether or not this is correct is up to the Ronald Moore and David Eick, but this is my understanding.

There was one more theme that was put into this season that is a message to all of us. "This has all happened before and will all happen again." Basically stating that if we aren't careful we will destroy ourselves. The cycle has happened before (even in our own history, Rome, Mayans, etc). The point of the Human and Cylon alliance was to give a chance to the humans on Earth the opportunity to break the cycle.

Lastly it was interesting to see the take on God. That there is someone in charge of things, yet he only does enough to show that he is there and watching. That sometimes he guides man's destiny in order to ensure that mankind survives.

All in all I thought it was a good ending to a great show and that it will be one people look to as a benchmark in Sci-fi TV.

2 comments:

TopSurf said...

I have seen/heard a lot of talk about this show and how excited loyal viewers were for the finale. I don't watch the show but I have to admit from your review and what others have said, I'm intrigued and might have to catch a rerun.

Rob said...

Beeg,

I loved the finale. I can accept some of the other blog-criticism that Moore overused "God," but in the end religion has always been one of the major themes of the show.

I think your review is fair and enlightening. Thanks.

-DigitalRob