BATTLESTAR GALACTICA - Season 2 FinaleA very important episode in the show's lifespan and another example of why BSG is such a great sci-fi series; the characterisations, relationships and story-arcs are exemplory. I still think the show drags if the plot isn't addressing the central Man-versus-Cylon premise, with some of the worst episodes this year being the standalone stories -- such as Black Market.
Standalone episodes are the bread and butter of any show. You can't expect every episode to have direct relevance to your overall plot -- well, unless your show is designed that way like 24. BSG's standalones are always worth watching, and tend to have some great character motivations and dilemmas in them, but they pale into insignificance against mythology episodes so much it's frustrating to viewers when one comes along these days. I think this could be fixed by atleast having every standalone have a subplot that pushes the mythology along better, but that's just me.
The finale though. Wow. Well, perhaps wow isn't the word actually. Lay Down Your Burdens Part II certainly contained a lot of amazing developments, but I'm not sure if the changes mde to the show now are in BSG's best interest. But I'm willing to go along for the ride.
SPOILERS BEGIN
The main revelations and developments were as follows:
- Dean Stockwell's character is revealed to be a Cylon. Okay, I didn't see that coming last week, but it's still an overused ploy by the writers.
- Baltar wins the Election and becomes President of the Colonies. Well, after the attempted "fix" by Colonel Tigh is uncovered by Gator and Adama talks Roslin into accepting this fact. Great little twist, boosted by a fantastic scene between Adama and Roslin. Just brilliant. However, quite why these people vote a scientist into office is quite beyond me. We're led to believe Baltar is the most brilliant man who ever lived, but nearly everyone he comes into contact with see him talking to himself! He also has no actual experience of politics prior to becoming Vice President (something that was also a bit silly). I'm sure there are genuine politicians in the fleet who are a bit annoyed that their own careers seem stifled by a crackpot scientist and ex-school teacher!
- They decide to settle on New Caprica! Uh-oh. Even more amazing is that the show then jumps ahead by one year and shows us how their new homeworld is progressing. The two Battlestars are in orbit around the planet as protection with the other ships, while Baltar apparently abuses his office by sleeping with women aboard Colonial One -- currently parked beside a shanty town. WHAT? We then see all the characters in their new situations -- Adama is bored with his life (he shows this by sporting a terrible moustache), Tigh is resigned to his duties but forced to leave for New Caprica, the Chief is a Union Leader with Callie, Starbuck has longer hair and lives on the planet with Enders (who has pneumonia), Roslin has gone back to teaching kids, and Lee looks a bit chubbier aboard the Pegasus!
- Of course the final punch for the viewer comes in the dying moments, when the Cylons manage to trace the humans after a year of searching. The orbiting ships, now understaffed, are forced to retreat (yeah, great protection, guys!), and the inhabitants of New Caprica watch as dozens of Cylon Raiders whizz overhead and Baltar accepts defeat in his ship from Sharon (No 8), Number 6 and, er, that bald guy. Final shot: hundreds of metal Cylons marching up the shanty town. Victorious. Well, until season 3 most likely...
So there you have it! Quite an amazing finale, full of great moments and a stunning final 20 minutes. But... I don't know... the changes made to the show are quite enormous. I'm not sure I like what they've done so early in the show. But it's certainly going to mean a very unpredictable third season -- which I guess it what they wanted to happen.
I'll certainly be watching...
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