Battlestar Galactica (BSG) is finished. It has been a long road from the miniseries that started it all way back in December of 2003 to the final episode which aired today. Today, however, BSG was able to do something few series ever do. It provided a true ending.
I have to admit that when I watched the miniseries in 2003, I was skeptical. I mean, they made Starbuck female! But, I was also hopeful. The show had a grittiness and realism that was lacking in the original 1978 series that inspired it. There was an air of desperation and devastation throughout the entire miniseries which was only an afterthought in the original series.
When BSG was picked up for a series, I was thrilled. I wanted to see what they could do with the story. Would they mindlessly parrot the original plot lines or create something new? It became apparent very quickly that something new was the choice of the producers. Yet it was clear through that first season that they had kept the fans of the original in mind.
The discovery of Kobol at the end of the first season marked the end of even the remote adherence to the original 1978 series’ plot. From there, BSG struck out on its own. From the occupation of New Caprica at the end of the second to the revelation of four of the final five Cylons and Starbuck’s death and later return at the end of the third season to the discovery of a ruined and uninhabitable Earth in the middle of the fourth season to the ultimate ending, it has been a rollercoaster ride.
During that time, we have come to feel for the characters as we watched them react to the ever bleaker reality facing them. We saw as some broke under the strain while others grew stronger. We saw the strong ones grow weak and find strength again. We saw characters of dubious mettle ultimately come through in the end. In short, it was a story about the people.
Even so, there were mysteries. Why did the original Cylon war end? What was up with Baltar’s hallucination? What was with the opera house hallucination on Kobol? What about the shared dream of the same opera house? Why was Hera so significant? Why the mystery about the Final Five? Why was Starbuck so tied up in prophecy, even in the first season? How did she resurrect at the beginning of the final season? Six had a Baltar just like Baltar had a Six? Indeed, there were enough mysteries to keep everyone guessing.
Then, the final three hours of the show manage to pull the story together in an ending. Each surviving main character receives a personal ending. Yet not everything is explained in a nice package. Starbuck’s return is not explained. The Cylon centurions are sent out into the universe on their own.
I think, however, the best part of the ending is that it makes at least some attempt to make sense. Sure, the survivors end up settling on our Earth 150,000 years in the past. But there were already humans on the planet. This, at least, does not fly in the face of established evolution.
All told, the ending deserves to be called brilliant. There were no cheap tricks used to suddenly tie everything up in a neat bow, even if some are going to think so. The story at hand was finished; the survivors found a home. The primary characters each found some personal ending. Yet the survivors’ stories continue. In fact, it’s as close to "and they all lived happily ever after" as this story could possibly come.
To those of you who have not seen the show, I highly recommend watching it. Even with what I have revealed here, I have spoiled nothing about the story. The story is not about the destination but the journey. And it was one hell of a ride. My hat’s off to you, Messrs Eick and Moore.