BSG: Just Knee-Jerk First Impressions (Battlestar Galactica, Daybreak Part 2)
Caution: spoilers for “Daybreak, Part 2 (4.20)
Disclaimer: These are my initial reactions only. I suspect that my feelings are going to change after a few days’ thought and a second viewing. My first experience with the episode was while I was brimming with anticipation and impatience. All through the ninety-six minutes, my brain operated in hyper-awareness and mass-calculation mode. That’s hardly the state in which to think clearly.
But I wanted to log this, so here we go:
I’m a fan who tried to stay optimistic in the lead-up to this series finale.
After the first viewing though, I must admit that I feel a bit lost and unsure. It was a presentation that I never would have expected from this team.
I can’t remember a multi-parter or a season finale that was less than good. I didn’t think them capable of creating a below-par outing.
But … for this series finale, I expected them to fall a little short—
- because they focused too much on certain aspects and didn’t hit other story lines at all.
- because some questions never got satisfactory answers.
- because they tried to shoot too high and missed their ambitions.
All this is falling short but not, necessarily, producing a bad episode.
But none of these things happened. This episode fell short, in my humble opinion, because—
- they didn’t have enough story.
- they didn’t trust my intelligence.
- they didn’t give enough time to any of the characters, even at the expense of others.
- they lapsed into Sci-Fi by the numbers rather than continuing to transcend the genre.
Certainly there were great moments. Just off the top of my head, I would say:
- Roslin and Cottle
- the space battle
- the playing out of the Opera House sequence
I’m not going to say this finale was bad. Whatever it is I do want to say, I’m going to withhold until after another viewing of the episode.
Whether or not I come to see this ending any differently though, I have loved the run of this show.
It has challenged me, both as a viewer and a person. It was a show of unbelievable quality, and they kept it up for four years. Scripts. Acting. Special effects. Scenery. Music. And everything else.
Other shows have absolutely no reason to cry about how hard it is to sustain excellence over time.
Thanks, Galactica folks. It’s been an unforgettable journey.