Battlestar Galactica-Final Season (4) 5/2/08--The Road Less Traveled

[satori01]

As a whole I have not been very impressed w/ BSG for this season. I know many people do not like Lost, but comparing the 2 final seasons, Lost is bringing it every episode, and BSG simply is not.

The biggest thing for me is BSG is not showing us the story, they are telling us the story.
As a viewer I am waiting for the next big revelation, but so much of what is shown is really not that useful...Adama reading to the President is nice, but do we have to see it for minutes at a time? The show is almost game showing...who will be the final model? Next week on Capricain Cylon one of the contestants gets thrown out an airlock......

The show has always had some nonsensical character decisions but so much of this seems strange....The fleet was almost destroyed and you send your best navigator, 2 of your better pilots, your Cylon intelligence specialist (Athena), out into space with your recently returned from the dead ace pilot, and the person that acted as your XO ....first off Helo and Boomer where willing to mutiny to get their daughter from the Cylons, I seem to remember discussions between them regarding safeguarding a future for their daughter, and to reduce the risk of their daughter becoming an orphan.

Is it logical to think that both would go on this mission. Moreover, Starbuck has proven time & time again, she is not a good officer. A great pilot, but an awful leader of people...so we give her a command? Would not a wiser decision be to put Helo in command with Starbuck acting as XO....after all resources are tight.

Again and again this season the theme of Cylons are the same as humans comes up, of course ignoring the bio-luminescent body parts, super strength, ability to self hallucinate as seen on the Base Star, and the resurrection. Sure some of this is to show how self deluded the Cylons are, but come on....I really do think that the writers have forgotten some previous episodes.

 

[Arnwyn]

The biggest thing for me is BSG is not showing us the story, they are telling us the story. As a viewer I am waiting for the next big revelation, but so much of what is shown is really not that useful...Adama reading to the President is nice, but do we have to see it for minutes at a time? The show is almost game showing...who will be the final model? Next week on Capricain Cylon one of the contestants gets thrown out an airlock......

The show has always had some nonsensical character decisions but so much of this seems strange....The fleet was almost destroyed and you send your best navigator, 2 of your better pilots, your Cylon intelligence specialist (Athena), out into space with your recently returned from the dead ace pilot, and the person that acted as your XO ....

Yeah, what satori01 said, above.

I just had to shake my head when I saw who was on board the sewer ship/garbage scow - both Racetrack and Hot Dog? Gaeta? Helo? Athena? Gack.

Again and again this season the theme of Cylons are the same as humans comes up, of course ignoring the bio-luminescent body parts, super strength, ability to self hallucinate as seen on the Base Star, and the resurrection. Sure some of this is to show how self deluded the Cylons are, but come on....I really do think that the writers have forgotten some previous episodes.

And this especially. If they're going to end with telling us (as they certainly have 'shown' us the opposite) that "Cylons are just like humans", even though they can do all the above and connect directly into computers, then I think that'll be fascinatingly dishonest. I'm expecting better, though.

I think satori01 has hit much of the reasons why I've found season 4 (and 3) to be less-than-compelling.

 

[Mallus]

Again and again this season the theme of Cylons are the same as humans comes up, of course ignoring the bio-luminescent body parts, super strength, ability to self hallucinate as seen on the Base Star, and the resurrection.

The theme is that the Cylons are morally, ethically, and spiritually the same as us.

They're people. Or, at least, they are as deserving of being thought of as people as human beings... Oh, and I thought the episode was very good. Less intense than the previous two, but it ended with a truly lovely scene that I'm sure foreshadows something horrible.

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

first off Helo and Boomer where willing to mutiny to get their daughter from the Cylons, I seem to remember discussions between them regarding safeguarding a future for their daughter, and to reduce the risk of their daughter becoming an orphan.

My wife's first thought when we saw the Demtrius' crew was "Who is taking care of Hera?"

I'm really enjoying the show, but I have found I need to turn my brain off a bit as there have been a number of inconsistencies between seasons.

 

[GoodKingJayIII]

As a whole I have not been very impressed w/ BSG for this season. I know many people do not like Lost, but comparing the 2 final seasons, Lost is bringing it every episode, and BSG simply is not.

Lost is not in its final season; my understanding is that they still have a few more to go. And technically, when this "season" ends of Battlestar, it'll only be Part 1. Part 2 is picking up again in the Fall.

This episode did not really do it for me (though I liked the one preceding it). I think a lot of it has to do with various characters being in different places. Adama and Rosalin are dealing with her cancer. Starbuck and crew are looking for Earth. Baltar is dealing with his cult thing. Lee Adama is giving the Quorum its balls back.

I believe these stories will converge in some way, and all of these things indicate that a climax is coming. But it's going to take some time to set up.

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

The theme is that the Cylons are morally, ethically, and spiritually the same as us.

They're people. Or, at least, they are as deserving of being thought of as people as human beings... Oh, and I thought the episode was very good. Less intense than the previous two, but it ended with a truly lovely scene that I'm sure foreshadows something horrible.

This.

Its not about Cylons LITERALLY being Human. They aren't. That's obvious to everyone. Its the question of what constitutes BEING human. Is it just physical being? If it is, then there's definitely a disconnect...but if its more, if its something more up in the air and philosophical, then things get muddled. Emotions, thoughts, etc, they seem to be the same between Human and Cylon despite the literal differences.

THAT, to me, is the heart of the show. What is the difference, really? Where do you actually draw the line? The whole point of the show that's been there since the beginning was that question, its just now much more at the forefront.

...though I do think this was a bit of a weaker episode. The podcasts are finally up now, though, and I'm catching up on them for the past episodes for this season. Its fascinating, as always, and there is definitely a different approach to the beginning of this season than they've taken with others that causes some of the feeling of not being as focused.

 

[Mark Hope]

I have been very impressed with all of the episodes this season. Even the largely character-based episode last week (Escape Velocity) was enjoyable as it showed us fresh developments for all involved. This week's episode, however, fell flat in a few ways. There were some good character pieces, but they largely rehashed what we have seen before and gave us little new. Rather than dwelling on Baltar's cult status and his relationship with Tory, the episode should have cut right to the chase with his confrontation with Tyrol.

The same applies to the scenes aboard the Demetrius - we already know that Starbuck is losing the trust of her crew. It didn't need to be rehashed in such detail. Cut to the heart of the matter with Leoben and ther mutiny.

Getting rid of the excess fat in this way would have made for a tighter, more compelling story and made room for more new stuff - instead of showing us old stuff that we already know about.

Don't get me wrong, the character pieces are well written and compelling enough. But now is not the time for them. It's the same as with the four-episode run towards the end of season three (Taking a Break... to Dirty Hands). Good episodes in and of themselves, but utterly misplaced in the series. We're running out of episodes. Get to the meat of it. Now. Please.