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mousmeOne of the things I really enjoy about Battlestar Galactica (the new series, not the old, which I am ashamed to say I have never watched), is the increasing moral complexity of the characters.
Yes, the story has some problems. Mostly, the directors of cinematography seem to do a lot of sacrificing realism for the shiny. For instance, flights of pigeons (doves?) on a planet where supposedly every human being has died of radiation poisoning. Umm, dude? There would be no birds. Also, playgrounds in the middle of the woods. Props that are very obviously taken from the American military.
I don't notice most of that, or at the very least, I don't care that much. I'm always in these stories for the story and for the character development.
The characters in BSG evolve in shades of grey, and they never ever fail to inspire and to break my heart all at the same time. They make mistakes, they grieve, they struggle to uphold their ideals in the face of despair and destruction. They cling to their faith, they cling to each other even while they tear each other apart. They flirt with madness, with forgiveness, with the divine.
TV shows are never perfect. They suffer from poor writing, from gaps in the story, from writers' strikes, from any number of things that can go wrong with a show. But BSG has never failed to compel me, to make me care very deeply about what happens to these people. I don't know how many shows have done that for me, but I can say that they are few and far-between.
I'm going to miss this show when it's gone, but I'm not sorry that it's ending with a bang instead of a whimper.
Yes, the story has some problems. Mostly, the directors of cinematography seem to do a lot of sacrificing realism for the shiny. For instance, flights of pigeons (doves?) on a planet where supposedly every human being has died of radiation poisoning. Umm, dude? There would be no birds. Also, playgrounds in the middle of the woods. Props that are very obviously taken from the American military.
I don't notice most of that, or at the very least, I don't care that much. I'm always in these stories for the story and for the character development.
The characters in BSG evolve in shades of grey, and they never ever fail to inspire and to break my heart all at the same time. They make mistakes, they grieve, they struggle to uphold their ideals in the face of despair and destruction. They cling to their faith, they cling to each other even while they tear each other apart. They flirt with madness, with forgiveness, with the divine.
TV shows are never perfect. They suffer from poor writing, from gaps in the story, from writers' strikes, from any number of things that can go wrong with a show. But BSG has never failed to compel me, to make me care very deeply about what happens to these people. I don't know how many shows have done that for me, but I can say that they are few and far-between.
I'm going to miss this show when it's gone, but I'm not sorry that it's ending with a bang instead of a whimper.
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Date: 2009-02-09 05:33 pm (UTC)emotionopinion :Dno subject
Date: 2009-02-09 05:41 pm (UTC)I am very much looking forward to seeing the other half of Season 4 (no spoilers, please, for those of you who've already watched it!). I assume it'll be out on DVD in the fall, or maybe closer to Christmas.
Realism. The cockroaches would have predators in a post-apocalyptic world.
Date: 2009-02-10 12:50 am (UTC)BSG Final Season
Date: 2009-02-10 05:51 pm (UTC)Because he's been busy/tired, Savant and I have not seen any of it, but it's all loaded up in the DVR for whenever he's ready.
American military gear? But I thought... filmed in Canada?
The original series was apparently as dopey and sexist as you'd expect any show of that era pitching itself to young males to be. I don't think you've missed much.
I'll mourn when this is over. The story lines about infidelity chopped me up, particularly those about forgiveness and moving on. Haven't ever seen that on any other television series. Tigh's wife, Starbuck's loving husband, Dee's suffering, Callie's confusion over the secret her husband was keeping. Very moving.
BSG's writing has suffered from the goofiness of its contract negotiations. BTVS, on the other hand, suffered from a severe decline in the quality of the writing staff. The final episode was JUNK, and has soured my memories of the entire show. Ptui. Also pissed at the lazy, insulting "ambiguity" of the end of the Sopranos.
Hope BSG does better.