BattleStar Galactica - SPOILER WARNING

[Hakan]

Unless they pull a rabbit out their hat with the story I can't see the final 5 angle being very good. It just seems very ad-hoc that these 5 important characters are now suddenly cylons. To my knowledge there were really no good instances throughout the first two seasons that alluded anything to this. Seems tacked on and subsequently stupid.

Then again, they may prove me wrong. I just have a feeling I'm going to get pretty damn bored of that story line sooner than later.

[Grunt]

If you listen to any of the podcasts from Ron Moore (developer/exec producer), he admits that his style of making a show has a large element of improvisation involved. AFAIK, they only determined who the final four were near the end of season 3.

IMO there are pluses and minuses to both a) a completely planned out series from start to finish, and b) a rough outline of how the series will go, with room for mass improvisations along the way.

The biggest problem with a) is that a lot of times a story looks absolutely perfect on paper, but just doesn't work once you put it on the screen - or an idea seems great at the beginning of a season that you realize later on really doesn't fit. Unless you write a perfect story, start to finish, there's a pretty good chance that you're going to mess up somewhere, or that a story ends up being a lot more stale than you thought it would be. The major plus w/ this method is that things that happen throughout the series -should- make sense, as they were planned that way from the start.

The thing I like about the improvisational method is that you can change gears along the way. Although the reveal of the final 4 seems "tacked on", I'm pretty sure that the producers/writers of the show were smart enough to really drill the idea to make sure that it actually makes sense that these characters could be Cylons and I think that will become more clear as season 4 progresses.

Of course I could be completely wrong, but the quality of this show has been so high from the beginning that it would really surprise me if they completely messed up at this point. Can't wait til Friday!

[edn88]

So, it is just me, or does Mary McDonnell look like she had plastic surgery (and bad surgery at that)?

She looks freeky!

[Hack&Lube]

I never liked this series. Glad it's ending. Looking forward to the prequel that is more true to the original war.

Stop with the conspiracy invasion of the body snatchers Cylon clone people plots and just have a good old intergalactic war with aliens in real metal (and not CG) suits!

[Antithesis]

Originally Posted by FlamesAllTheWay

Wouldn't the final 4 (or maybe 5...) re-spawn in a resurrection ship, or am I missing something here? Unless they are programmed to do something at a certain time that requires them to remain on Galactica I suppose.

Along with Cap's explanation, I'd add that they'd have to be within a certain distance of a resurrection ship in order to be downloaded ... it was established in the earlier half of the series. I think the episode might even have been called 'Downloaded'.

While on the surface the choices of the final four seem pretty weird I think they all have a point and open up a lot of interesting story ideas ... from the President's aide, to the second-in-command of the military complex (and how do they explain Tigh's memories of his time during the first war?), to the Chief Engineer (not to mention the 'person' whose visions have helped them on the path to Earth). Anders seems like the most misplaced but I think it's obvious that they are setting up a story with Starbuck believing she is a cylon compared to Anders finding out he is while Kara wallows in self-pity.

Par for the course with the show, this reveal opens up all kind of awesome possibilities re: self identity, intrigue, etc ... not to mention that they kind of need to keep their nature secret from the fleet at all cost. I'm really excited to see where they go with it. What I'm scared about is the reveal of the last cylon model. I don't see a way that it's not disappointing and anti-climactic.

[JiriHrdina]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I never liked this series. Glad it's ending. Looking forward to the prequel that is more true to the original war.

Stop with the conspiracy invasion of the body snatchers Cylon clone people plots and just have a good old intergalactic war with aliens in real metal (and not CG) suits!

Well why the heck are you reading a thread that is about it then?

If you don't like the show let others that do talk about it.

Sheesh.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I never liked this series. Glad it's ending. Looking forward to the prequel that is more true to the original war.s!

Phew, thank god you've stated that. After 29 pages and several seasons finally I find out that Hack&Lube doesn't like it.

PS - Stop being an idiot.

[Yeah_Baby]

Interesting twist with the Baltar/Baltar addition as opposed to the usual Baltar/Six.

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

Interesting twist with the Baltar/Baltar addition as opposed to the usual Baltar/Six.

That had to be one of the funnier exchanges in show history.

[CaptainCrunch]

Originally Posted by Yeah_Baby

Interesting twist with the Baltar/Baltar addition as opposed to the usual Baltar/Six.

They're pushing the Baltar is a cylon misdirection play. But we all know that Boxy is the 5th cylon..

You can't tell me that this isn't the face of evil

[Hemi-Cuda]

aside from the Baltar exchange and the cylon on cylon stuff, i found last episode to be very boring. the Lee retirement stuff was way overdone and had me fast forwarding the show for the first time i can remember. hopefully now that they've set Starbuck on her mission and Lee is done it gets a little better

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

They're pushing the Baltar is a cylon misdirection play. But we all know that Boxy is the 5th cylon..

You can't tell me that this isn't the face of evil

It totally makes sense, and everyone's favorite robotic daggit Muffit is one of the new self aware centurions.

[Antithesis]

That was a dark, dark episode. Wow. I mean, obviously that had to be the end result but you'd also think at some point the colonials will figure out there are four cylons among them.

Maybe I'm watching it wrong but I'm already bored to tears with Kara. Maybe they threw that in there just to remind us that she's there.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by Antithesis

That was a dark, dark episode. Wow. I mean, obviously that had to be the end result but you'd also think at some point the colonials will figure out there are four cylons among them.

Maybe I'm watching it wrong but I'm already bored to tears with Kara. Maybe they threw that in there just to remind us that she's there.

And to explain why Gaita, Helo, Athena, Anders are all MIA on Galactica. I have a feeling (blind faith?) that its a slow set up to something more interesting later on. Kinda like how the Lee fairwell was dragged on last week and now the political stuff starts.

[CaptainCrunch]

I thought it was a very well done episode, that shows that the Cylon's for the most part don't have feelings of true guilt and remorse in some models and others have them.

I wonder where the Chief sits in this one.

The Starbuck thing is kinda meh, but they're certainly making her their Captain Ahab.

The Cylon civil war is now in full effect with models dying for real. I'm wondering if the Number 6 model on the Galactica is going to be the last one in Resistance, Kind of like the Athena one that voted against her model might be the only one left of hers.

[Yeah_Baby]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

I thought it was a very well done episode, that shows that the Cylon's for the most part don't have feelings of true guilt and remorse in some models and others have them.

I wonder where the Chief sits in this one.

The Starbuck thing is kinda meh, but they're certainly making her their Captain Ahab.

The Cylon civil war is now in full effect with models dying for real. I'm wondering if the Number 6 model on the Galactica is going to be the last one in Resistance, Kind of like the Athena one that voted against her model might be the only one left of hers.

The Cylon Civil War almost interests me more right now more then the Cylon Club on Galactica. But I'm sure it will all come together at some point.

[BlackEleven]

Fantastic episode. Best one in a long while.

I like the parallels of how the cylons turned on each other much like they did the humans. This has all happened before, this will all happen again.

[Hemi-Cuda]

good episode except the Starbuck stuff, i just wanted to pull a Monty Python and yell "GET ON WITH IT!" during her whole introspective thing with Anders. it seems they're drawing out that sidestory just for the sake of filling time, really drags the whole show down. hopefully it picks up more next week

[MrMastodonFarm]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

good episode except the Starbuck stuff, i just wanted to pull a Monty Python and yell "GET ON WITH IT!" during her whole introspective thing with Anders. it seems they're drawing out that sidestory just for the sake of filling time, really drags the whole show down. hopefully it picks up more next week

Yeah I really don't get it.. for a show in it's last season, there seems to be alot of filler.

I enjoy the political stuff with Lee though, and Callie hasn't ever looked that hot, she was pretty smoking at times in that episode.

[underGRADFlame]

I guess I'm the only one who doesn't mind the Starbuck stuff, it intrigues me because wtf is she? She blew up! She says she has seen earth which is where the series is heading for the conclusion, her husband is a freakin cylon, yeah its been a little slow but theres a few variables in that sub plot that could be huge!