The Battlestar Galactica finale
March 16th, 2009 at 4:00 pm by David FarrarHave just watched Part I of the series finale for the amazing show that is Battlestar Galactica. Part II which ends it all shows next weekend.
For those who are not watching the latest episodes, I’ll carry on after the break as there are major spoilers.
The human-cylon baby Hera was kidnapped a couple of weeks ago. However Adama has learnt the location of the Cylon home colony where she has been taken.
The plans were to abandon Galactica as it was falling apart, but now he decidedsto have it perform a final almost certain one way suicide mission to try and retrieve Hera by jumping to the Cylon home colony. The idea is that enough people may board the base star on which she is held, that some of them may escape with her on a raptor. But most are likely to perish.
Adama makes it a volunteer only mission, and warns it is basically one way. Most of the crew opt not to go, but there are some incredibly emotional moments as Apollo is the first to volunteer, reappearing later in uniform for the first time in ages. The tear jerker is when the cancer ridden Laura Roslin turns up looking near death, but insisting she not be left behind.
The other stellar moment is when Adama asks Kara Thrace if it is true that she found her body on Earth, and that DNA tests proved that it was her body. She answers that it is true and she doesn’t know what she is. His reply is “I know what you are, you are my daughter” is just so powerful. If you don’t follow the show you won’t get it, but it is seriously good.
It all ends next week, and the amazing thing is no-one has any idea of how it will end. Most expect there to be a lot of deaths, but no real idea on how it will all come together.
I probably rate this the best sci-fi show of all time, it is that good. Partly because it doesn’t so much focus on the technology, but it is based on amazing writing and strong acting. The attempted coup a few weeks ago, and the execution of Gaeta and Zarek was masterful.
Tags: Battlestar Galactica
March 16th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
So she’s Lee Adama’s sister? How Luke & Leia…. (ok, just kidding – I watch the show & I don’t get the daughter comment – although I’m a series behind you).
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 4:28 pm
Captain Kirk will rescue them all, I just know it !
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 4:32 pm
Buck Rogers & Twiki to make a special guest appearance in next episode.
And Llew he treated her like a Daughter as she was originally shacked up with his other son.
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 4:37 pm
I has erased Twiki from my memory until you said that.
Of course! Thanks for that.
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 5:04 pm
I do wish they would speak more clearly. It’s bloody hard to hear all the mumbling.
Without reading the spoiler, I suspect they are all Cylons and there is some morality play going on.
llew
You may be able to erase twiki from your memory but I will never forget Wilma in a jumpsuit…
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 5:27 pm
Daybreak (part II) isn’t quite the end of it all.
We still have the EJO-directed prequel film to look forward to, plus the 20-episode prequel “Caprica” which starts next month.
Daybreak (part I) was the first decent episode in a season-and-a-half in my view. Too many filler episodes, too much namby-pamby turned Galactica into “Falcon Crest” with a space backdrop.
It’s a shame, the first couple of seasons were terrific.
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 5:32 pm
I probably rate this the best sci-fi show of all time, it is that good.
Perhaps to the Star Trek, Star Wars and Falcon Crest set. For the connoisseur of the genre, it doesn’t stack up against Firefly, Red Dwarf, Max Headroom, Space: Above and Beyond, Babylon 5 or even Lexx.
[DPF: I put it ahead of Babylon 5, and Babylon 5 rocks. But each to their own]
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
Daybreak (part I) was the first decent episode in a season-and-a-half in my view. Too many filler episodes, too much namby-pamby turned Galactica into “Falcon Crest” with a space backdrop.
“Sometimes a Great Notion” was filler? The Coup episodes were namby-pamby? As for the complaints about filler episodes in which nothing happens – that’s been intentional starting all the way back to the first season. If you wanted encounters with Cylon basestars every episode, go watch the original.
OOB: For the connoisseur of the genre, it doesn’t stack up against Firefly, Red Dwarf, Max Headroom, Space: Above and Beyond, Babylon 5 or even Lexx.
Red Dwarf? Max Headroom? Yeah right.
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 6:22 pm
I love this series. It is so cool but it sucks it is not on a mainstream channel, especially when you consider what rubbish is!
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
“OOB: For the connoisseur of the genre, it doesn’t stack up against Firefly, Red Dwarf, Max Headroom, Space: Above and Beyond, Babylon 5 or even Lexx.
Red Dwarf? Max Headroom? Yeah right.”
For some reason I just felt Sledge Hammer should’ve fitted in there somewhere
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Only saw the the first series, cool, but have had TV issues since. If you luck onto a good one at the Warewhare, you truly are lucky!! Same goes for vacuum cleaners. I’ve spent a fortune on those items at the Warehouse the last couple of years, thought I would’ve learnt my lesson!
Babylon 5, Terminator:Sarah Connor thingy & Earth:Final Conflict (until it lost it’s way then got cancelled) were my faves. Liked Lexx too especially with the original blonde German girl or whatever nationality she was.
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 11:06 pm
Liked Lexx too especially with the original blonde German girl or whatever nationality she was.
Both Germans. Initially by Eva Haber;
http://www.icelebz.com/celebs/eva_habermann/images/photo1.jpg
..then by Xenia Seeberg;
http://www.imdb.com/media/rm765435136/nm0781462
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 11:12 pm
My favourite Martian, or Mars Attacks?
Sorry, but did you not get ‘V’ over here?
Vote:March 16th, 2009 at 11:18 pm
The Coup episodes were namby-pamby?
Yep. That’s the most pleasant insurrection in episodic history, if you don’t count Star Trek. Where were the reprisals? Where were the Jammer-like characters facing Kangaroo Courts in launch-tubes? I’m surprised they didn’t simply sit down and resolve their dispute with a nice cup of tea.
Actually, that is what they did, metaphorically. Along with a bunch of namby-pamby gens una sumus shit with the toasters.
Red Dwarf? Max Headroom? Yeah right.”
Go watch Max Headroom again, including both the U.K. and U.S. pilots. It’s sensational near-future dystopian SF. Stands up pretty well with the time lapse too.
If you bag RD again, I’m going to be awfully cross.
Vote:March 17th, 2009 at 5:56 am
“I probably rate this the best sci-fi show of all time, it is that good. Partly because it doesn’t so much focus on the technology, but it is based on amazing writing and strong acting.”
But does this mean it is good scifi, or alternatively (just) good drama?
While the crafting of dialogue and the performance of the actors have always been strong, there has been an obvious ignorance of science amongst the writers. The fact that it was so difficult to find water, for example, was moronic and nothing more than a plot device. Similarly we had a computer system that suddenly become vunerable to virus infection when any two computers are networked (here’s a tip how about you just dont wire up the communications antenna to the computers you are networking). Machine guns as effective space weapons? LOL. I wont spend any more time nitpicking, but suffice it to say it sacrifices realism to serve plot almost as frequently as star trek: the only difference is that Battlestar Galactica (usually) doesn’t bother trying to rationalise its divergences with technobabble or portray quasi-communist economics in a good light. In short battle star galactica may be very good fiction, but doesn’t really get the science part right (then again neither do many so-called scifi shows). It does nothing to the aid in the enjoyment of a show when one’s disbelief exceeds its limit for suspension.
PS How come no one has mentioned Blake’s 7 yet? That has to be one of the most similarly toned programs to BSG, and will probably turn out to be similar in finale too
[DPF: I loved Blake's 7. Avon rocked]
Vote:March 17th, 2009 at 7:18 am
The finale could end up being a Blakes 7 – The Finale moment. Nice.
Vote:March 17th, 2009 at 9:09 am
And for those that liked/loved Red Dwarf.
Keep an eye open Easter Weekend, there’s a special 4 3arter (+1 making of) screening in the UK, called – Red Dwarf: Back to Earth
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Dwarf:_Back_to_Earth
Vote:March 17th, 2009 at 9:24 am
coventry – nerdlicious, I will try and dial into that geek-a-thon over the anniversary of baby jesus’ nailing
Vote:March 17th, 2009 at 12:10 pm
Blakes 7 was awesome. BSG is pretty cool. Amazingly addictive – especially given I really just wanted to see the old series redone with decent special effects and a few less silly plots involving Boxy’s dagget running off or Boxy running off after his Dagget. Gaeta executed? Harsh.
Vote:March 22nd, 2009 at 12:23 am
OK just saw it now (yes a week later that you lot).
Ep 19 was crap, but there were heaps of other good eps in series 4.2
Looking forward to Ep 20. [You lot probably have seen it already]
I alway thought they should have done a retro episode – flashback to the old style Cylons. And no the Razor special didn’t cut it. Maybe that’s what the Caprica series will be.
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