print
One of the greatest difficulties in analyzing something is the constant interplay between personal affection and the quest for objectivity. Is it possible to maintain an unbiased distance from a television show that you’ve spent four years following? And what happens when a show purposefully banks harder on that nostalgia than the actual strengths to carry the series finale?
The first hour of the Battlestar Galactica finale plays those strengths to the hilt with an epic space battle and a daring strike deep into enemy territory. The rescue plan is one set-piece event after another, with the Galactica jumping in for a frontal assault on (as in, ramming) the Colony while a boarding team retrieves Hera. Boomer, evidently not finished switching sides yet, absconds with Hera and delivers her to Galactica’s rescue team, right before Athena guns her down.
Gaius Baltar finally has the change of heart we saw coming from a mile away and chooses to stay on Galactica to help with the mission. He and Caprica Six have a brief rendezvous in a corridor where they’re confronted with visions of their guardian angels, Head Six and Head Baltar. Ah, but this time they can ALL see each other.
Recognizing that the Cylons’ chances at survival are quickly slipping, Cavil orders a counter strike against Galactica to retrieve Hera. Hera gets separated from the rescue team on Galactica for a moment before Six and Baltar scoop her up and take her to the CIC. And as everyone emerges into the bridge, with the final Five perched on the upper mezzanine, the vision of the Opera House is at last fulfilled.
Cavil, meanwhile, manages to get a gun to Hera’s head, and everything goes silent for a moment. And then Baltar finally has his moment of redemption. At long last, he doffs the mantle of the rational skeptic and embraces the unknowable, otherworldly forces that have been guiding them all: “I see angels. Angels in this very room... Our two destinies are intertwined.”
God, or whatever one might call it, has been guiding them not to conflict, but to peace. Cavil asks how Baltar can be sure that God is on the humans’ side. God, Baltar explains, doesn’t take sides, he’s (Nietzsche alert) beyond good and evil. The only way to follow God’s plan is for the humans and Cylons to end their war and break the cycle of creation and destruction.
An uneasy truce is brokered. Tigh says that the Five can all link in to Anders’ tank and provide Cavil with resurrection technology if he’ll agree to end the war. Tori is uneasy at the prospect. By plugging into the tank, all of the Five’s memories and secrets will be laid bare, which means Tyrol will find out how Callie died. He does, and predictably goes apeshit, strangling her to death. And Racetrack, dead in her Raptor, nudges the trigger for a nuclear strike against the Colony.
Cavil, mistaking the ruckus for betrayal, recognizes that there’s no way out of this one and hollers one last “OH FRAK” before swallowing the business end of his pistol. Starbuck has to enter the coordinates for an emergency jump, and conveniently uses the numbers she assigned to Hera’s arrangement of “All Along the Watchtower.”
And here’s where the plot totally jumps the rails. The coordinates Starbuck entered turn out to be the location of Earth. Well, not the postapocalyptic Earth we glimpsed at the beginning of the season. It’s a different Earth, somehow - a verdant world populated with early humans. How and why this version of Earth is habitable (or even exists) is never really answered, but deus ex machina has kindly intervened to provide resolution.
The survivors are seeded throughout the planet, and Adama and Roslin share some tender last moments before she succumbs to cancer. Apollo and Starbuck say goodbye, and Starbuck vanishes entirely. The rebel centurions are allowed to take the last basestar and find their own destiny, a spinoff or sequel in-the-making if ever there was one.
As the foundations for New New Caprica are being laid, Apollo soliloquizes his vision for the future: abandon technology entirely and start civilization over. “Our brains have always outraced our hearts. Our science charges ahead, our souls lag behind. Let’s start anew.” Everyone seems keen on the idea, so Anders takes control of the entire fleet and steers the ships to the heart of the Sun, forever breaking the humans’ last link with their old lives.
This crux the finale hinges on (the glorification of anarcho-primitivism) falls totally flat. Yes, the humans’ meddling with technology was what originally birthed the Cylons and led to war. Doubtlessly, there’s a valuable lesson in ensuring that science does not outpace morality. That said, the show’s presentation of technology as the linchpin in a Manichean struggle between survival and extinction is fundamentally amoral and dishonest, namely because the idea of 38,000 galactic pilgrims having the agricultural and survival skills to eke out existence on prehistoric Earth is laughable.
Are we to believe that the fleet is so eager for tabula rasa that they had no qualms in throwing the proverbial baby out with the bathwater? Would the Colonists who settled in, say, sub-Saharan Africa really be perfectly fine with abandoning medicine and electricity? Aren’t the last remnants of the human race worth protecting? Wasn’t that the point of the whole show?
The concept smacks of panicked writers searching for an easy way to braid together loose plot strings in the name of “all this has happened before,” which is a terribly disappointing notion for a show with the nuanced and thoughtful writing Galactica usually demonstrates.
The show’s other mysteries will go half-answered, or unanswered, for the time being. The big reveal of the second Earth made very little sense. We didn’t get any better an understanding of just what God or his emissaries are. Starbuck never comes to grips with the nature of her mysterious resurrection either, making her departure smack (again) of deus ex machina. Even the Opera House revelation felt contrived.
Flash-forward 150,000 years into the future, present day New York City. We see Galactica creator Ronald Moore leafing through a copy of National Geographic about humans’ oldest known ancestor, the mitochondrial Eve, strongly implied to be Hera. Head Six and Head Baltar prowl the streets, exchanging knowing glances. Technology has begun to run amok again, but our destiny is not yet written. And we’re treated to a series of clips of friendly robots as a lead-in to the credits.
The message couldn’t be clearer: humans must treat all their children, mechanical or otherwise, with respect. If we’re willing to slow down and wait for our hearts to catch up with our heads, if we’re willing to accept redemption in any of its many forms, we might have a chance at realizing heaven on Earth. The alternative is Armageddon.
Ultimately, it comes down to how accepting the viewer is of “God did it” as an answer to the series’ major questions. Think of it as part of the struggle between the Star Wars and Star Trek sides of your brain; those who yearn for techno-jargon about tachyon fields as answers to weighty problems are going to be unhappy with the way things wrapped up (at least until The Fall, the upcoming spinoff movie about the attack on the Colonies from the Cylons’ perspective.)
Yet with these questions (perhaps purposefully) left dangling in the air, the series’ larger mythology was well served by the finale, even lacking the minutae that was inevitably going to be glossed over anyway. Galactica was never a space opera, even if it managed to shoehorn in more than a few Star Wars references. It was never really about spaceship battles and conflict write large either, though the faithful representation of the military tradition helped those moments leave indelible marks on our memory.
Galactica is about human drama. It is the age-old story of humanity, cut loose from the garden and searching for a new Eden. It’s about the goodness and potential (chalk it up to God or evolution, take your pick) that’s innate in all of us. And even though this particular episode may not have been able to clear the yawning chasm of our expectations, it was an appropriate conclusion to one of the most poignant, smart and relevant television shows of the last decade.
Be nice to your toasters, people. The stakes could be higher than you know.
Delocated Review: "Skins" (Episode 3.02)
Walking Dead Creator Sued Over Royalties
Archer Review: "Drift Problem" (Episode 3.7)
The Munsters Reboot Changes Title, Gets Pushed…
The 50 Best Movies of 2011
The 50 Best Movies of the Decade…
The 20 Best Movies of 2011 (So…
17 Musicians Share Their Favorite Cocktails
Album Stream: Eisley - Deep Space
Video Premiere: Rhett Miller - "Tower of…
Live From CMJ: Robert Ellis
Song Premiere: Milagres - “Quiet Street”
I suppose we have to recognize the limitations. The writers were after all human. But I really had difficulty with the idea of a "God" with "Guardian Angels" no less planning out the future. Where's the science in that? I think the ending/beginning over suffered because of this very aspect of the story. It is unbelievable. Only John D. McDonald could have made this "Ballroom" work.
Still, the last scenes, in New York City are worth contemplating. We have technology and we "Twitter". We have religion and we go to war. We have a history and we ignore its messages. We have this literature and we don't appear to be able to understand what it means.
Wow well done Michael, this is by far one of the best Battlestar reviews I have ever read. You have really captured the last episode perfectly and put the entire show in perspective at the same time. Thanks for this brilliant piece of writing!
Wonderful review, thank you!
My wife and I were disappointed with some of the points you touched upon:
1. A rash decision to jettison their technology into the sun? What? How many episodes did we watch where the inhabitants from each of the ships, like separate States, had to voice their opinion? If the 38,000 were that desperate to get rid of technology, we would have seen it outside of Apollo's proclamation.
2. Starbuck's ascension? Come ON! That's lazy/desperate writing (listen to the disappointment in my voice). Head Baltar saying about "God" in the final scene: "He doesn't like being called that." Great point, overall, but we should be introduced to this character, God. The show was immersed in livid detail; why leave these details out? We would have stuck around for another hour! The final wrap-up felt like another weak summation of our existence: "We were created by God, who we know little about." No kidding! But in this world you, the writers created, humans and cylons now participated in creation, and you, the Writers, made up this world, so you can certainly wrap your arms around it in a more creative fashion.
3. I think it more likely the final volunteers would have gone up against the Cylon Colony for more than just Hera, some other motivation, some additional threat!
4. Oh, how we loved the drama, but wished for more firefights in the final episodes! Kaboom!
Absolutely awful ending to a great series! I can tolerate the ambiguous God and Angels resolution, but I agree that the idea that the survivors would dump all their technology is laughable and naive. With no medicine, no weapons, spoiled by modern living, most with no basic survivorship skills, and especially no familiarity with the ecology of this new Earth - most of them would be dead in days, or suffering horribly from disease and starvation, or at the worst, extremely uncomfortable and crying for their modern comforts that they burned up in the sun. These people struggled so hard for so long and now they purposefully decrease their odds of living based on some last-minute idealogy?? The preaching about forgiveness vs justice was also naive and inconsistent. We get to enjoy the catharsis of killing off Boomer and Tory. How about justice for all the blood on Baltar's hands? Even if he made a mistake on Caprica AND New Caprica and don't hold him accountable, he knew exactly what we has doing when he gave that nuke to the Six and killed untold number of people. Of course, the cylons themselves killed even more people. Basically, BG seems to tell us that one murder deserves justice, IF we have a personal connection to the victims, but if x thousands of STRANGERS are killed, we have to forgive the criminals and break the cycle.
I agree heavily with all of the points laid out by the people above. I think the fact that I haven't seen any voices of disagreement yet show just how much the writers have really let their fans in the final episode.
One of the things that I truly loved about Battlestar Galactica was its ability to shift and keep an equal conflicting conversation between the topics of religion and science/technology.
There is no reason the writers could not have continued this course of ambiguity, so that the viewers could say "to each there own" in the end.
What we get instead was really a preachy pro-religious rant instead. I'm all for learning a lesson about the dangers of technology, but not at the expense of having to say that religion is the answer.
Though an amazing show up to season 4.5, I as well thought BSG thoroughly copped out at the end.
I had always found it fascinating how BSG toed the metaphorical line
It was dark; it didn't give you a happy way out. And it constantly raised fundamental philosophical questions which where not given a definitive answer.
The judgment on morality or practical wisdom of actions taken by the characters was usually up for grabs. Most questions and scenarios the show presented could be argued either way. And in these arguments, as in the best dialectical debate, there was deep and profound material to be explored
Science fiction offers the opportunity to create a hypothetical within which to thoroughly and consistently explore deep questions;
The attempt and success of doings so is the mark of great science fiction
An excellent example of the fundamental questions the show asked, was:
Do actions have a moral weight in and of themselves, independent of their consequences?
In our culture we judge in the affirmative.
The show presented a premise that formed a basis of an excellent counter argument to justify any means: the end of the human race
When the Colonials came into position of the anti-Cylon plague, they where instantly offered the possibility to end the Cylon race.
Was whatever term tops genocide justified in this war for survival? Could it qualify, ironically, as a “crime against humanity”? To what degree did one have to be sure of this threat to act?
These where all deep moral questions.
Were there other options for the Colonials to best negotiate the value of an existential tool?
Now we entered the field of practical questions, of how to think about such critical decisions
But what does it mean to be human? How does one define humanity?
The similarity of the Cylons to humans, and their ability to breed with us, disputed if we could even consider them truly different.
Now we had added critical nuances, diving even deeper into the possible space of inquiry, launching yet another, perhaps greater round of introspection
Its addressing of religion was yet another amazing aspect of the show.
It constantly toed the line between validating and refuting religion.
Baltar’s experiences with Head-Six where strong emotional experiences, rays of light in the dark reality that was the Colonial’s post apocalyptic existence.
Indeed, this is an important aspect of how western religion has functioned, a source of hope in dark times
However, up to the end, the show never in fact definitively explained the source of these experiences.
Instead, we kept encountering highly improbable scenarios: when he decided to reject God, there was evidence discovered of him sabotaging the Colonial mainframe (while Head-Six leaving him, and being accused by none other than a Six! … I havn’t pondered the implications of this beautiful juxtaposition) Was this coincidence? When he declared his acceptance of God, it was discovered that the evidence was fake. Was this just another fateful accident?
Head-Six insisted she was an angel. When he was being tortured by a Four, he cooperated with Head-Six, was spared the pain, and was shown a way to regain his freedom. Was this another game his mind played on him?
In the Old Testament God showed his presence by acts of miracle, by grants of favor to chosen groups and individuals. He intervened in the affairs of men, proving his true existence.
Now scientific inquiry suggests that among these events that actually occurred, they were only fortunate coincidences.
Perhaps both these positions are true?
Faith has been defined as the hope that something is true, in the lack of evidence proving one way or the other.
Baltar started a scientist, and a pure empiricist
Using the skeptical Baltar as its subject, BSG began exploring this space, using events that could both be described as coincidence and as miracles, exploring to what extent and in what way his own character affected his journey, and in the end, more than anything, opened the door for us to reflect on our own ideas of God
A key element that allowed the show to explore all these questions was its abstention from deux de machina;
There was no technobable time-space-soileddiaper field which could stop the hole in their dimension;
There was no arrival of miraculous beings to save the day
The decisions made by the where always dictated by the nature and preconditions of the character, not by what would make a satisfying resolution
The dogged determination to stay consistent within its own universe was what allowed the creation of a useful hypothetical by which to explore the questions asked;
After all, I can't learn military strategy playing chess if every few moves, for the sake of convenience, I add a novel piece or rule.
By the end of the show, any ambiguity about the source of Baltar’s “miracles” was removed; Why Hera had to be the only survivor to repopulate Earth was unanswered (other than “it made the ending work”), the Cylons spontaneously decided to abandon their quest for procreation; the Colonials decided to drive their ships into the sun;
I leave it to the other dissatisfied to add to this list of cop-outs the show ended up using.
And though this last criticism is the most subjective, I must include it:
The exciting elements of power in the show, Hera’s unique role, Starbuck’s melody, the origins of the Final Five, ect.; they were not tied in the resonant chorus I felt the had the potential for, linked by necessity through a final overarching theme.
I had always felt as if the show was cut out of the cloth of William Gibson or Frank Hebert
For a while, I was vindicated.
But in the end, I suspect the producers found themselves having created a grand ensemble they where not prepared to address; given time and budgeting constraints, they chose the financially and professionally practical solution. One cannot fault them for staying grounded in our own real work.
It is unfortunate though, that staying immediately practical, this beautiful text resigned its last and maybe greatest stanza, loosing a reflection on something indirectly greater
To understand the finale of Battlestar all you have to do is read Ezekiel...it is the anti-story, a retreat into the wilderness (away from the city and civilization) to live by God's commandments/will. The ending is classic religious narrative.
I have read Ezekiel.. You right, it is an anti story. If by that you mean unsatisfying. BSG was a wonderful experience that jumped the shark halfway through the final episode.
I thought the show was fantastic and the ending was fantastic. People are so keen to criticise.... write your own show?
I enjoyed seeing the writers ideas pan out in the way they did. I enjoyed the religious questions. They did not in fact preach any particular religion, leaving the finer points vague, which was appropriate for creating a mythology in the way BSG did.
I though it a nice "what if.." story that allows us to examine our own choices - collective and personal.
Of course there are holes and mysteries and loose ends... but what are we expecting on a four year show with multiple writers?
Besides, life is full of the unknowable. The stranger who passes smiling in the street... why? We get hints and glimpses, and so to not explain everything, to not tie every loose end for viewer convenience is, in my opinion, a more mature approach to storytelling. Allowing us to fill in some blanks.
Great work BSG. My life was enhanced through watching the show. It allowed me to explore certain thoughts and emotions I'd otherwise not have visited. Kudos, salutations and thanks.