Would you still recommend Battlestar Galactica, despite a weak ending?
January 23, 2010 3:55 PM Subscribe
Did the ending of Battlestar Galactica ruin the show for you? Would you still recommend it to someone who has never seen an episode?
I just finished watching the first five seasons of Lost and would like to start a new show. I've read many good things about Battlestar Galactica over the years, but I've randomly read some really snarky things about the ending lately, often in relation to the upcoming final season of Lost (people saying basically they just hope the ending of Lost doesn't suck as bad as Battlestar Galactica's, etc.).
Would you still recommend the show even if you thought the ending was weak? 75 episodes is a big commitment, I'd hate to do all of that and have the experience be ruined by a bad ending. I think I'll probably tackle this show eventually, but if the response here is lukewarm I might put it on the back burner for awhile.
I just finished watching the first five seasons of Lost and would like to start a new show. I've read many good things about Battlestar Galactica over the years, but I've randomly read some really snarky things about the ending lately, often in relation to the upcoming final season of Lost (people saying basically they just hope the ending of Lost doesn't suck as bad as Battlestar Galactica's, etc.).
Would you still recommend the show even if you thought the ending was weak? 75 episodes is a big commitment, I'd hate to do all of that and have the experience be ruined by a bad ending. I think I'll probably tackle this show eventually, but if the response here is lukewarm I might put it on the back burner for awhile.
I would say definitely yes, you should still watch. The ending was what I was expecting, which isn't necessarily bad. No matter how it ended people were so dedicated to the show that at least some were bound to be critical. I thought the ending was fine!
posted by piper4 at 4:01 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by piper4 at 4:01 PM on January 23, 2010
I liked the ending, and haven't heard too many people who hated it, so I'd say there was a reasonably good chance you won't even have this reaction - in which case it would be a shame not to watch!
posted by Kirn at 4:04 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by Kirn at 4:04 PM on January 23, 2010
Honestly, I was disapponted in the ending, but only because the first three seasons were so great. I think that if you've weathered the ups and downs of Lost, BSG will be a similar experience. As with Lost, some of the plot twists are sort of ridiculous, but the characters and relationships make the show worth watching.
posted by lunasol at 4:06 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by lunasol at 4:06 PM on January 23, 2010
Yeah, don't miss out on BSG just because the ending was a little lackluster. Watch it fast and get back on the roller coaster...Caprica just started yesterday :)
posted by crinklebat at 4:08 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by crinklebat at 4:08 PM on January 23, 2010
The ending was kind of anti-climactic and definitely had a "hurry and tie everything together" feel, but the series was oh-so-awesome. I absolutely loved it. After watching the first episode of Caprica the other night (which also looks like it's going to be good) I remembered how much I missed BSG and seriously thought about watching the whole series all over again.
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:11 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by Serene Empress Dork at 4:11 PM on January 23, 2010
I was more... confused by the ending than angry or upset about it. It in *no way* ruined the series for me, I consider it some of the best writing and acting to have ever graced the small screen. You have to watch it.
Start with the miniseries, not at Season 1.
posted by pazazygeek at 4:12 PM on January 23, 2010
Start with the miniseries, not at Season 1.
posted by pazazygeek at 4:12 PM on January 23, 2010
Hell, even if you wanted to skip the last episode I'd tell you to watch the whole series. I just dropped a couple hundred on the boxed set and am watching it for a third time, the first for my girlfriend.
posted by InsanePenguin at 4:14 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by InsanePenguin at 4:14 PM on January 23, 2010
Well, I'd put it this way: if the show hadn't been as good, people wouldn't have given a rat's ass about the ending. But because BSG was so gripping and epic (most of the time), the ending was bound to leave some people upset.
Like @floam, I was underwhelmed by the ending, but I'm glad that the show was able to go on to completion and not get cancelled like many other shows I've liked.
posted by sinderile at 4:16 PM on January 23, 2010 [5 favorites]
Like @floam, I was underwhelmed by the ending, but I'm glad that the show was able to go on to completion and not get cancelled like many other shows I've liked.
posted by sinderile at 4:16 PM on January 23, 2010 [5 favorites]
Yeah, I hated the ending pretty hard and I still wish they had gone another way with it, but I don't feel like it ruins all the wonderful things the show did up until that last episode. Definitely still worthwhile. It's still one of my favourite TV shows, period.
posted by SoftRain at 4:20 PM on January 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by SoftRain at 4:20 PM on January 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's totally worth watching. I didn't hate the ending, although I didn't love it, but it in no way ruined the series, much of which is still some of the best TV I have ever seen.
posted by biscotti at 4:25 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by biscotti at 4:25 PM on January 23, 2010
There was a lengthy thread on the blue about it in the days after the finale (kinda spoilery for a novice, unfortunately). I found the latter part of the series uneven and the finale a little lacklustre, myself, but that was because -- as a couple of people have observed above -- much of the series was stellar (as it were). I would far rather have a fantastic series and a divisive ending than a pat, trite series and a warm fuzzy ending that nobody has to think about very much. Who cared about the ending of 7th Heaven?
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:25 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by ricochet biscuit at 4:25 PM on January 23, 2010
I loved BSG and hated the ending, it was definitely weak sauce.
But I'd still recommend BSG because there are so many fantastic moments in the series. It's best to view it as series of strung together story arcs than as a cohesive whole. Seasons 1 and 2 are pretty damn good, it's after that when things slowly go downhill, but there at still many fantastic moments on that long trip to to nowhere.
Note: Don't get too hung up on what The Plan is, just a suggestion.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:27 PM on January 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
But I'd still recommend BSG because there are so many fantastic moments in the series. It's best to view it as series of strung together story arcs than as a cohesive whole. Seasons 1 and 2 are pretty damn good, it's after that when things slowly go downhill, but there at still many fantastic moments on that long trip to to nowhere.
Note: Don't get too hung up on what The Plan is, just a suggestion.
posted by Brandon Blatcher at 4:27 PM on January 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
I really liked the ending, so take that as a data point. (However, I also liked The Plan, so you're free to accept that I have no taste when it comes to BSG.)
I'd give the show a chance and not even worry about the finale. Maybe you'll like it, maybe not. But there's so much going on in the show, and you're guaranteed to like some parts and not like others. Even people who love the show don't all love the exact same parts of it the same way.
And for me, I sometimes end up liking something more just because everyone else seems to hate it.
posted by Salieri at 4:27 PM on January 23, 2010
I'd give the show a chance and not even worry about the finale. Maybe you'll like it, maybe not. But there's so much going on in the show, and you're guaranteed to like some parts and not like others. Even people who love the show don't all love the exact same parts of it the same way.
And for me, I sometimes end up liking something more just because everyone else seems to hate it.
posted by Salieri at 4:27 PM on January 23, 2010
Although the ending was weak overall, it still provided closure (for the most part) and had some nice moments. Regardless, still a fabulous show worth investing in. And if you're like me, you'll selectively forget the finale's weaker points and use your imagination to fill in your own masterpiece.
posted by dino might at 4:29 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by dino might at 4:29 PM on January 23, 2010
Although the ending surely didn't wrap up all the loose ends in my mind, I still loved the show overall. And I'm not usually a big scifi-in-space type person. What happens throughout the show is that little mysteries get revealed, and you're thinking, "no way are they going to reveal such-and-such right now," but they do. In essence, you don't have to wait for the final episodes to get satisfaction. You have to enjoy it as it goes along. The ending wasn't really bad in my opinion, just less satisfactory than the rest of the show had been all along.
posted by Knowyournuts at 4:40 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by Knowyournuts at 4:40 PM on January 23, 2010
The series as a whole is all over the place quality-wise. The good parts are really good though, and if you're watching it on DVD, you don't tend to dwell on the bad parts as much. Watching it in real-time, a disappointing episode sits with you for a week (or several months). On DVD, it sits with you for five minutes until you start the next one.
posted by smackfu at 4:44 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by smackfu at 4:44 PM on January 23, 2010
I was practically frothing at the fucking mouth at how much I hated the ending to BSG in the MeFi thread ricochet biscuit references, and I would still unhesitatingly recommend watching the rest of the series. The last Season and the regrettable ending notwithstanding, the ride through the rest of BSG was the best television experience of my life. I like to think that the plot had been so interestingly constructed up to that point that it eventually became impossible for the writers to satisfactorily conclude each thread they had begun. Take that as you will.
Go for it. (And, yeah, as Brandon Blatcher suggests, don't care too much about any, er, "Plan." Despite Opening-credits cues to the contrary.)
posted by Keter at 4:49 PM on January 23, 2010 [2 favorites]
Go for it. (And, yeah, as Brandon Blatcher suggests, don't care too much about any, er, "Plan." Despite Opening-credits cues to the contrary.)
posted by Keter at 4:49 PM on January 23, 2010 [2 favorites]
I loved the series (not just the sci-fi, but the whole-new-frontier politics, the social environment, the complex relationships, the suspense, the imagination...) and became incredibly invested in it and in the story (I say this because I recall that when a particular character died, I was really upset about it in a way that made me feel a little bit pathetic). I did not like the ending, but it didn't ruin the overall series for me at all. I would recommend it without hesitation!
posted by so_gracefully at 4:58 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by so_gracefully at 4:58 PM on January 23, 2010
The ending of the series didn't ruin anything the final season already hadn't.
posted by Aquaman at 5:00 PM on January 23, 2010 [3 favorites]
posted by Aquaman at 5:00 PM on January 23, 2010 [3 favorites]
I tried to make it through the second season. Couldn't. Apparently, it gets worse. Don't be afraid to move on.
posted by tintexas at 5:04 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by tintexas at 5:04 PM on January 23, 2010
I liked the ending. It wasn't OMG-best-series-finale-ever great, but I thought it was decent. I would definitely recommend it.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 5:06 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 5:06 PM on January 23, 2010
The ending doesn't ruin the series, it just ruins the ending. It could have been better, but since they made it all up as they went along, I guess it would have been hard to do much better.
posted by dinx2582 at 5:41 PM on January 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by dinx2582 at 5:41 PM on January 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
I loved the series and liked the ending. I recommend it. I think what happened in a lot of cases is that people spent so much time imagining how they wanted it to end that every difference between the actual ending and the one they had worked out in their head was disappointing. If you watch the show for what it is and let it lead you rather than trying to lead it then it is very satisfying.
posted by Quizicalcoatl at 5:46 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by Quizicalcoatl at 5:46 PM on January 23, 2010
If I could have thrown the final episode across the room, I would have (although there were some wonderful, very moving moments in it). But it didn't ruin the whole of the show for me, at all.
posted by rtha at 6:05 PM on January 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by rtha at 6:05 PM on January 23, 2010 [1 favorite]
I would say "meh" after having watched the whole series. It was really good at times and it definitely stays with you, but it's a slog to get through. At the end I felt like I had continued watching not because it was a compelling story but because they had stacked the deck with so many mysteries and cliffhangers that I had to find out what happened to preserve my own sanity. In fact I resented the writers because I felt like I had been tricked into watching.
posted by PercussivePaul at 6:06 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by PercussivePaul at 6:06 PM on January 23, 2010
I didn't get into BSG until after I played the boardgame a couple times.. just finished the Season 3 DVDs, and Season 3 was painfully bad at some places, but ended really strong, and I truly enjoyed the first 2 seasons a lot. I hadn't heard anything about a weak ending to the series, but I'm excited about what happens next and waiting for the next DVD set to arrive...
If you're hesitant about watching the series, try the game and see if you can resist.
posted by jozxyqk at 6:07 PM on January 23, 2010
If you're hesitant about watching the series, try the game and see if you can resist.
posted by jozxyqk at 6:07 PM on January 23, 2010
The ending of the series didn't ruin anything the final season already hadn't.
Yeah, or many other individual episodes that were not very good.
The ending was ridiculous, but then, so were many aspects of the show.
Here's the thing. Your question seems to imply that you think the show is like a mystery novel, where the success of the whole thing depends on how satisfying the identity of the villain is.
That is not the kind of show that BSG is. There is indeed a bit of a "what will happen at the end" element, but it actually isn't that important. In fact, the original series (I mean the one from the 70s) had the same basic suspense mechanism going on, and that wasn't resolved very well either, but it didn't matter, because it was understood by the viewers that the mystery was really just a gimmick anyway.
Basically, if you find yourself ending every episode on the edge of your seat about how it will all end up, then yeah, you are going to be disappointed. But you also won't be like most viewers.
posted by bingo at 6:14 PM on January 23, 2010
Yeah, or many other individual episodes that were not very good.
The ending was ridiculous, but then, so were many aspects of the show.
Here's the thing. Your question seems to imply that you think the show is like a mystery novel, where the success of the whole thing depends on how satisfying the identity of the villain is.
That is not the kind of show that BSG is. There is indeed a bit of a "what will happen at the end" element, but it actually isn't that important. In fact, the original series (I mean the one from the 70s) had the same basic suspense mechanism going on, and that wasn't resolved very well either, but it didn't matter, because it was understood by the viewers that the mystery was really just a gimmick anyway.
Basically, if you find yourself ending every episode on the edge of your seat about how it will all end up, then yeah, you are going to be disappointed. But you also won't be like most viewers.
posted by bingo at 6:14 PM on January 23, 2010
I would yes it is worth it, cause of the high quality of the acting and cause 33 Minutes hooked me so...hard. The ending is immensely disappointing, but I'll remember President Roslyn and Adama being angry and funny and smart all at once much more then the craptacular ending.
posted by The Whelk at 6:23 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by The Whelk at 6:23 PM on January 23, 2010
I am a very picky (and let's face it, snobby) person who hasn't followed a TV show regularly since My So Called Life (roughly 15 years ago). For me, BSG really got my hopes up because it was so outstanding and so different from other TV in so many ways. Then it totally dashed my hopes by having imperfect politics, and weakening writing. Therefore, I was filled with semi-irrational rage at it by the end. So if you are anything like me, I would recommend only watching season 1, maybe the first half of season 2.
If you are a regular person though, you should watch the whole thing and just be prepared that it steadily but gradually declines as it goes on, and the story lines aren't resolved in very satisfying or believable ways, but that's probably OK becuase in many ways it remains above average. (And Adama and Roslin are the best 4EVAH!!!XOXOXO<3)
posted by serazin at 6:42 PM on January 23, 2010
If you are a regular person though, you should watch the whole thing and just be prepared that it steadily but gradually declines as it goes on, and the story lines aren't resolved in very satisfying or believable ways, but that's probably OK becuase in many ways it remains above average. (And Adama and Roslin are the best 4EVAH!!!XOXOXO<3)
posted by serazin at 6:42 PM on January 23, 2010
PS - the pilot is good but not great, so if you don't LOVE it, just try "33", which is the first regular episode of Season 1, before you give up.
posted by serazin at 6:43 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by serazin at 6:43 PM on January 23, 2010
The ending was just fine, and it was worth the ride, but going back and looking at the series as a whole, I wish a lot of the early filler hadn't been there.
As an aside, I think I'm going to feel this same way about Lost once it's all said and done. Just take out the word "early".
posted by joshrholloway at 6:47 PM on January 23, 2010
As an aside, I think I'm going to feel this same way about Lost once it's all said and done. Just take out the word "early".
posted by joshrholloway at 6:47 PM on January 23, 2010
The ending was horrendous. I agree with those who state that the quality of the show is uneven overall. It has some really great episodes and some really crappy ones (and unfortunately the crappy ones tend to come together in strings). I still think it's worth watching for the great episodes. Watch the miniseries and "33," and if you're hooked, then keep watching. If not, then it's probably not for you.
posted by grouse at 7:32 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by grouse at 7:32 PM on January 23, 2010
Watch it! I loved the series and liked the ending (it could have been better, but not a disaster) - and even those who hated the ending agree that it's a great series. Watch watch watch.
posted by Xany at 7:58 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by Xany at 7:58 PM on January 23, 2010
Personally, I didn't really love the finale - but I hated, with a passion that knows no bounds, the miniseries at the beginning. The acting was terrible, the script seemed forced, and it seemed like they were really just trying to set up for a longer show. But I might be weird that way; and I know some backstory helps going into the first episode of the regular series. At the end of the day, though, I just felt like the show was much better without the miniseries.
I watched '33' before I saw a single episode of the miniseries - and was hooked right away. I doubt I would have felt that way going into the miniseries, but that might just be the quality of the later series outshining it for me.
The last few episodes? Yeah, they were a bit much. But they weren't 'evil.' Most really great shows don't know how to end it; BSG was no different in that respect, but it doesn't change the quality of what came before.
posted by koeselitz at 8:11 PM on January 23, 2010
I watched '33' before I saw a single episode of the miniseries - and was hooked right away. I doubt I would have felt that way going into the miniseries, but that might just be the quality of the later series outshining it for me.
The last few episodes? Yeah, they were a bit much. But they weren't 'evil.' Most really great shows don't know how to end it; BSG was no different in that respect, but it doesn't change the quality of what came before.
posted by koeselitz at 8:11 PM on January 23, 2010
Yeah, I gotta weigh in again and say that the last episodes were not that bad really. I mean, they were bad, but there were episodes toward the end of Season 2 that sucked a lot, lot worse, I just think that overall the quality continued to decline and then the unsatisfying resolutions were, well, very unsatisfying.
posted by serazin at 8:25 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by serazin at 8:25 PM on January 23, 2010
My opinion: Absolutely watch the first season, and then stop at the season finale.
It takes a while to get bad after that (season 2 is still good), and even when it gets bad, it's not terrible. But season one, standing alone, is the best television I've seen in my life. (Also, koeselitz is crazy. I include the miniseries in the first season.) And more important, it has an end point which is enough to fill in the blanks. Kinda like how the first matrix ends and, if you never had a sequel, you'd be fine with it. Watching the end did take away from the power of that first season.
posted by kingjoeshmoe at 8:34 PM on January 23, 2010
It takes a while to get bad after that (season 2 is still good), and even when it gets bad, it's not terrible. But season one, standing alone, is the best television I've seen in my life. (Also, koeselitz is crazy. I include the miniseries in the first season.) And more important, it has an end point which is enough to fill in the blanks. Kinda like how the first matrix ends and, if you never had a sequel, you'd be fine with it. Watching the end did take away from the power of that first season.
posted by kingjoeshmoe at 8:34 PM on January 23, 2010
The 3rd and 4th seasons ruined it for me. Mostly because the whole "Cylons have a plan" didn't really pan out and the ending sucked. As did The Plan, and Caprica. I would have preferred if they all died in the end. Every human on the show was a total bastard and they were bastards to each other. I would have loved it if the final message of the show was: "You people don't deserve life because look what you do with it."
posted by CarlRossi at 8:36 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by CarlRossi at 8:36 PM on January 23, 2010
I enjoyed the ending. There were definitely plotholes punched into the show because of it, IMO, but I still liked aspects of it quite a bit.
As for the series itself, I often find myself wishing I had not seen the series...so that I could start all over and watch it again, for the first time.
posted by Windigo at 8:39 PM on January 23, 2010
As for the series itself, I often find myself wishing I had not seen the series...so that I could start all over and watch it again, for the first time.
posted by Windigo at 8:39 PM on January 23, 2010
Nthing that the quality of the show is uneven, but the good parts make the crappy and meh parts worth it.
After you watch the whole series, also watch "The Plan" -- it ties up a few more loose ends.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:13 PM on January 23, 2010
After you watch the whole series, also watch "The Plan" -- it ties up a few more loose ends.
posted by Jacqueline at 9:13 PM on January 23, 2010
Whether you decide to watch the rest or not, the miniseries and season one (and arguably season two) are amazingly good television. Watch it as far as you enjoy watching, and you'll be glad you did -- even if you stay for the ending & "The Plan".
posted by nonliteral at 9:44 PM on January 23, 2010
posted by nonliteral at 9:44 PM on January 23, 2010
I adored the series, but I wasn't a huge fan of the ending. I do not in any way regret having watched it, and I heavily recommend it to friends who have not seen it. The weak ending does not ruin the incredible journey to get there. And yeah, Seasons 3 & 4 weren't as strong as 1&2, but I was just so hooked by that point that I didn't care.
I'm looking forward to re-watching it in a few years, when the finer details have faded in my mind.
I'm a bit surprised at how bitter CarlRossi is. I did not get that impression at all of the characters.
posted by quirks at 12:11 AM on January 24, 2010
I'm looking forward to re-watching it in a few years, when the finer details have faded in my mind.
I'm a bit surprised at how bitter CarlRossi is. I did not get that impression at all of the characters.
posted by quirks at 12:11 AM on January 24, 2010
I loved the series overall, and was satisfied with the ending. The third season is the weakest--someone once said "just watch all the two parters and skip the rest, and you won't miss anything". The fourth season, like the ending, takes the whole arc in a particular direction that I loved, but many hated with some justification.
Overall, if you stick it out through the whole thing, you'll be glad you saw BSG, and you won't regret to slow points or the ending even if you dislike them.
posted by fatbird at 12:34 AM on January 24, 2010
Overall, if you stick it out through the whole thing, you'll be glad you saw BSG, and you won't regret to slow points or the ending even if you dislike them.
posted by fatbird at 12:34 AM on January 24, 2010
OK, as a strong supporter of BSG, I will say this:
Season 1 was fantastic
Season 2 was fantastic
Season 3 started off fantastic, then sank down to being fairly crappy by the middle, and came back up to very good by the end
Season 4 was dark, very different than the first three seasons in feel, and a bit disappointing
Now the finale is something that you have to look at in two different ways. In the context of Season 4, it was really bad. It just didn't fit.
In the context of the whole show, the finale isn't very good, but it fits in OK, and helps to bring things to a close.
BSG is one of the best shows that has been on TV in recent years. Unlike Lost, which seemed like a mystery show that they were making up as they went along, BSG seems like a show that was written out before they began. No matter how many questions they throw out at you, it doesn't seem like they are there just to string you along. It feels like a well laid out journey, unlike Lost, which seemed more like a road trip planned out by 17 blind monkeys.
Watch BSG. If you enjoyed Lost, you should enjoy this.
If you like watching the extended length versions of things, be aware that some of the disks have extended length episodes, and I believe one of the season finales has an extended length version on the next seasons box (although it has been a while since we watched them, so I may be mistaken), so look over the episode listings on all of the boxes before you watch through them all. There was once or twice when we watched an episode, only to find out 2 minutes later that there was an extended version on the following disc.
posted by markblasco at 12:35 AM on January 24, 2010
Season 1 was fantastic
Season 2 was fantastic
Season 3 started off fantastic, then sank down to being fairly crappy by the middle, and came back up to very good by the end
Season 4 was dark, very different than the first three seasons in feel, and a bit disappointing
Now the finale is something that you have to look at in two different ways. In the context of Season 4, it was really bad. It just didn't fit.
In the context of the whole show, the finale isn't very good, but it fits in OK, and helps to bring things to a close.
BSG is one of the best shows that has been on TV in recent years. Unlike Lost, which seemed like a mystery show that they were making up as they went along, BSG seems like a show that was written out before they began. No matter how many questions they throw out at you, it doesn't seem like they are there just to string you along. It feels like a well laid out journey, unlike Lost, which seemed more like a road trip planned out by 17 blind monkeys.
Watch BSG. If you enjoyed Lost, you should enjoy this.
If you like watching the extended length versions of things, be aware that some of the disks have extended length episodes, and I believe one of the season finales has an extended length version on the next seasons box (although it has been a while since we watched them, so I may be mistaken), so look over the episode listings on all of the boxes before you watch through them all. There was once or twice when we watched an episode, only to find out 2 minutes later that there was an extended version on the following disc.
posted by markblasco at 12:35 AM on January 24, 2010
No, the ending didn't ruin it for me. The last 10 minutes of the season 2 finale ruined it for me.
I kept watching after that, but mostly to have something to complain about. The writers systematically destroyed every ounce of humanity any of the characters had, to the point where the cylons became more likeable. By the end I was just treating it as a comedy, and the last episode was very, very funny.
posted by mmoncur at 1:53 AM on January 24, 2010
I kept watching after that, but mostly to have something to complain about. The writers systematically destroyed every ounce of humanity any of the characters had, to the point where the cylons became more likeable. By the end I was just treating it as a comedy, and the last episode was very, very funny.
posted by mmoncur at 1:53 AM on January 24, 2010
Horrible ending, though you can see the nonsense coming about midway through the last season... pretty much everything after the, um, OBVIOUS AND CORRECT ending is junk.
The series is still worth it, though, in much the same way Sopranos is worth watching despite the awful ending. That is, until that point it's pretty great.
And yes, you MUST start with the miniseries, because otherwise you'll be starting at the nominal first episode, the one called "33 (Minutes)", which would be a really, really confusing place to start.
posted by rokusan at 2:18 AM on January 24, 2010
The series is still worth it, though, in much the same way Sopranos is worth watching despite the awful ending. That is, until that point it's pretty great.
And yes, you MUST start with the miniseries, because otherwise you'll be starting at the nominal first episode, the one called "33 (Minutes)", which would be a really, really confusing place to start.
posted by rokusan at 2:18 AM on January 24, 2010
I'll chime in with most others and say that yes, it is definitely worth watching. It was one of my favourite TV series of all time. I just bought the whole series on DVD, and am mid way through re-watching. The finale was ... disappointing, because it was basically exactly what I was expecting, there were no big suprising revelations (for me), and quite a lot of threads were left untied.
But the 75 episodes, despite a few low points, are certainly worth watching. I laughed, I cried, I winced.
The adventure is in the journey, not the destination.
posted by Diag at 4:52 AM on January 24, 2010
But the 75 episodes, despite a few low points, are certainly worth watching. I laughed, I cried, I winced.
The adventure is in the journey, not the destination.
posted by Diag at 4:52 AM on January 24, 2010
The final episode didn't ruin anything, but "The Last Frakkin Special" sure as hell did. Leave it and move on.
(Spoiler-y stuff follows.)
If you want to know why: it showed how thin most of the writing was and how the writers hadn't stopped to ask themselves "Just where is this going?" when they put in otherwise very exciting and engaging ideas [Kara Thrace's disappearance, for example]. Some of the plot elements are, unfortunately, just eye-candy with no particular meaning, and I don't mean in a good, post-modern kind of way, just a "we didn't really work this out" kind of way.
But I loved it and wish I could watch it all over from scratch.
posted by BrokenEnglish at 6:37 AM on January 24, 2010
(Spoiler-y stuff follows.)
If you want to know why: it showed how thin most of the writing was and how the writers hadn't stopped to ask themselves "Just where is this going?" when they put in otherwise very exciting and engaging ideas [Kara Thrace's disappearance, for example]. Some of the plot elements are, unfortunately, just eye-candy with no particular meaning, and I don't mean in a good, post-modern kind of way, just a "we didn't really work this out" kind of way.
But I loved it and wish I could watch it all over from scratch.
posted by BrokenEnglish at 6:37 AM on January 24, 2010
I hated the final season, and especially the ending. Hated it with the burning fury of a thousand apparently-delicious supernovas. The finale of BSG is one of those rare treasures of idiocy which actually gets dumber the more you think about it; in fact, it may actually be infinitely stupid, were I given infinite time to think about it. Given the last season, I wasn't expecting much, but I was still really, really looking forward to seeing the end... and wow, was I shocked by how over-the-top bad that last episode was. To be perfectly fair, opinions on this vary quite a bit -- I've seen some people who thought it was genius -- but consider this my warning to you: you may be on mefi almost a year later ranting about how infinitely stupid it was.
To be honest, it was bad enough to color the rest of the series for me. I get a lot of cognitive dissonance when re-watching, for instance... it's sort of impossible to recapture a time when I felt great about this show.
That said, I'm with everyone else -- I did feel great about this show, once upon a time, and so will you. The first two seasons are wonderful, the first time around, and you're not going to be able to stop there (don't kid yourself), so you may as well get the series and go wild. I also second jozxyqk about the board game... if you love the first two seasons, you will love love love that board game. I have friends who are board game nerds, but haven't seen the series, and the game is so good that they always bring it out on game night just the same. It's a total blast.
posted by vorfeed at 12:09 PM on January 24, 2010 [3 favorites]
To be honest, it was bad enough to color the rest of the series for me. I get a lot of cognitive dissonance when re-watching, for instance... it's sort of impossible to recapture a time when I felt great about this show.
That said, I'm with everyone else -- I did feel great about this show, once upon a time, and so will you. The first two seasons are wonderful, the first time around, and you're not going to be able to stop there (don't kid yourself), so you may as well get the series and go wild. I also second jozxyqk about the board game... if you love the first two seasons, you will love love love that board game. I have friends who are board game nerds, but haven't seen the series, and the game is so good that they always bring it out on game night just the same. It's a total blast.
posted by vorfeed at 12:09 PM on January 24, 2010 [3 favorites]
Season 1-3 are so over the top great that I stuck with a lot of not very good and definitely very confusing episodes to see it through to the end. The last episode was about as satisfying as it could possibly be, which is "not very much", given how deep a hole the writers dug for themselves.
Think of it this way: was "finally getting off this island" really a satisfying end to Gilligan's Island? Of course not. It's about trying but failing. Same thing w/BSG. That said, I wouldn't go back and unwatch that last episode. I would go back and unwatch most of season 4-5 however.
posted by drmarcj at 12:23 PM on January 24, 2010
Think of it this way: was "finally getting off this island" really a satisfying end to Gilligan's Island? Of course not. It's about trying but failing. Same thing w/BSG. That said, I wouldn't go back and unwatch that last episode. I would go back and unwatch most of season 4-5 however.
posted by drmarcj at 12:23 PM on January 24, 2010
It didn't ruin it, but I wish to the gods that the last five minutes didn't exist. The modern day Earth scene with Six and Baltar was possibly the latest "Jump the Shark" moment in the history of TV series.
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posted by General Tonic at 2:22 PM on January 24, 2010
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posted by General Tonic at 2:22 PM on January 24, 2010
The ending didn't ruin the entire show for me, but it did make me wish I hadn't wasted my time watching the last seasons and a half. The show started going downhill during Season 3, and limped though a mostly-bad Season 4. I only stuck it out because I wanted resolutions to some of the things raised during the show, and the explanations were either nonexistent or half-assed. I'm sorry, but after years and years of being told the Cylons have a plan, they have to have a plan. (In addition to the many unanswered questions already mentioned.)
posted by kirkaracha at 10:25 PM on January 24, 2010
posted by kirkaracha at 10:25 PM on January 24, 2010
I think it is worth quoting Blazecock Pileon from the other BSG post:
BSG is nowhere near as smartly written as Deadwood and The Wire. Their writers had several golden opportunities to ask what makes us any different from the machines we make, and squandered it on silly, cult-like religious tropes that ended up being so jarring they broke suspension of disbelief.
posted by mlis at 11:44 PM on January 24, 2010
BSG is nowhere near as smartly written as Deadwood and The Wire. Their writers had several golden opportunities to ask what makes us any different from the machines we make, and squandered it on silly, cult-like religious tropes that ended up being so jarring they broke suspension of disbelief.
posted by mlis at 11:44 PM on January 24, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by ukdanae at 4:00 PM on January 23, 2010