Word on the street has it that the identity of the final cylon will be revealed in tonight's episode, so for good or for bad at least we'll finally know. Also, for those of you doing the DVR thing and not watching live, don't forget to set your DVR for whatever comes after--the episode is supposed to run 3+ minutes long. This sounds like it's pretty much going to be the way it goes for the rest of the series as well, so, something to bear in mind.
Okay, so to get back to the topic of this post's title, I have to say that regardless of how one feels about science fiction or spaceships or robots, this truly is some spectacular television. It is quality stuff people. Even when the many plot threads get lost (or appear to), they are well written and well acted and rarely stop being compelling. It amazes me that there even can be so many different plot lines going on at any given moment in this show without causing viewers to just throw up their hands in confusion or frustration (take note, Heroes). Even those stray plots that seem to come out of or lead to nowhere always seem to come back into play eventually and lead to payoff. I know there are still many questions to be answered in these final episodes, and I know that TPTB can't possibly answer every question that every fan has, but I do believe they'll do their darndest to try, and that they will give us enough answers that almost everyone should be satisfied by the end.
Battlestar is a show that I usually watch each episode twice during the season (gotta love the DVR). I've watched the whole series (except for the current season) at least two or three times now, and I have to say, this is a show that gets deeper every time you rewatch. Little things that seemed not to have any real meaning, whether the show runners intended them that way or not, jump out at the viewer as nice little hints or big honking clues of the shape of things to come. I hate to admit it, but not every television series I own on DVD is going to be subject to that many rewatchings--but Battlestar is going to get worn out. It's going to be like that copy of Grease that my sister and I had on VHS when we were kids. We watched that thing until the box had literally disintegrated, and then watched it some more. I fully expect down the road to have to repurchase the entire series because I've worn out my DVDs from watching them and loaning them out to people who must be converting (or to upgrade to whatever the next "video" format will be down the road so as not to lose it). I think that's a sign of a damn good show.
Even seasons that seemed to be all over the place when watched in weekly doses, broken up with months long hiatuses (is that a word?), when they are all watched together everything seems to fall into place and make so much more sense. This is serial story telling at its finest.
Yes, there are some awesome special effects in this television show, yes there are some pretty spaceships, cool looking robots, and super spiffy scores. Those things all add points. But when it comes down to it, what makes this show so incredible is that it is a deep and true story about people--about humanity. When I say "true" I don't mean that this actually happened (heh, all of this has happened before...). What I mean is that this story shows us real people. It shows us that people (be they human or machine) are not black and white. The shining white knight is deeply flawed but no less the hero. The bitter old drunk who can barely do his job has a stronger understanding of loyalty and honor than those on the "moral highground." The schoolteacher has a spine of steel as unbendable as any battle-hardened soldier. There are no "good guys" or "bad guys" in this show. We start out thinking we know who is who, but as the series progresses it becomes quite clear that there are always at least two sides to every story, and BSG gives us the opportunity to not just see all sides to but to actually think about them and about what they mean.
For my money, this show has given us some of the best moments of television any series I've seen has ever delivered. I willl close with some of those BSG moments to date that I feel belong in this category.
Rescue from New Caprica. When the Galactica jumps back to the planet in frakking atomosphere in order to launch its vipers under the cylons' radar (or I guess I should say dradis)--that is just amazing. The whole rescue/escape is just riveting, but that moment still stands out.
Four of the Final Five are activated. I know a lot of people still haven't forgiven Ron Moore for the "All Along the Watchtower" business, but the last, what, ten or fifteen minutes of that episode are phenomenal. Watching Tory, Tigh, Anders, and Tyrol start to fall apart and not know why is bad enough. But then comes the moment where they can't do anything but follow the music in their heads and that realization when the four of them are standing in the gym--it is just insane. And then the Cylons attack, and it's a now or never instant. The four have to decide if they run and hide until things blow over or if they step up and continue to be the people they have been and the people they want to be. Tory and Tigh in the CIC and Anders and Tyron on the deck--it is just....yeah. And then it leads into...
Starbuck comes back from the dead. Okay, it's not like any one really believed we wouldn't see her again, but the way she comes back. "I know where Earth is." Poor Lee just doesn't know what to say, and then zoom in to Earth. Wow.
The Cylons call off the attack in the nebula. The season four opener, following right on the season three finale and Kara's reappearance has Anders in a viper freaking out that his programming might kick in and he'll either choke in battle or turn on the fleet. The intensity heightens when he can't get his gun to fire and then the cylon raider turns around and heads straight for him. The moment when the raider scans his viper and Anders' eye does that little red gleam, causing all of the cylons to turn and leave off the battle...well, that just may be my favorite moment on the series ever. It is just frakking cool.
The fleet finds Earth. In the last few minutes we have been given so far, and left for almost a year to chew on, the fleet, combined of humans and the renegade cylons, jumps to Earth. The constellations match up from what they found in the Tomb of Athena, and it is confirmed that they have finally, at last, found their new home. Through the Galactica and the fleet itself there is this uplifitng moment of joy and relief, one that doesn't go away even when you already know what's coming. We are shown celebrations throughout the fleet, tears of joy, and just absolute happiness for the first time in a long time. And then they cut to the stark silent scene of all of the major players as they set foot on Earth and see their new home--a nuclear wasteland. And just like that the hope is gone.
So, yeah. Clearly I like this show. I hope those of you that are also fans are just as excited as I am about its return. See you on the other side folks.
C
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