SPOILER SPACE





















Looking back on the fourth and final season of "Battlestar Galactica" is
difficult, thanks to the bizarre decision to split the season over such a long
period of time. It almost feels as if the fourth season was actually two
shorter seasons (which, supposedly, was one way the SciFi Channel wanted to
market it). Even so, the season works best when viewed as a whole.

After Starbuck's return and the revelation that she had come from Earth, the
fourth season was obviously going to be all about the final push. Thankfully,
the writers didn't make it a simple situation. Not everyone trusted Kara and
her semi-crazy mission from "God" (quite literally, as it turned out), and that
led to a lot of the tension in the second half of the season. There was also
the emergence of Baltar's little cult as a power to be reckoned with, a story
direction that seemed to be going nowhere until it gained momentum later in the
season.

It's hard to remember that the unveiling of the Final Five only took place in
the third season finale, and much of the first half of the fourth season was
devoted to Tigh, Tyrol, Tory, and Sam and their process of dealing with their
true nature. In the background, there was also the Cylon Civil War, which
ultimately led to the situation that allowed the Colonials to survive. All
things considered, the first half of the season was more about the truth behind
the Cylons than the Colonials themselves.

Even with all the dramatic twists and turns, the season seemed to be struggling
to hit all cylinders until the mid-season cliffhanger and its resolution. The
revelations about "Earth", the truth about the Final Five and Kara Thrace, and
the effect on the fleet provide the impetus for some stunning storytelling. The
mutiny on the Galactica was a high point for the season and the series as a
whole.

The season never quite hit those highs again, even as the writers drove towards
the series' finish line. The final several episodes were devoted to either
exposition regarding the Cylon backstory (more of which will come with "The
Plan") or pulling together the various character threads to bring them towards
conclusion.

Ron Moore never hid the fact that "Battlestar Galactica" has always been a
product of improvisation. The third season is proof enough of that; the entire
second half of the season was derailed when the writers realized that their
original ideas weren't panning out, and they had to adjust on the fly. What
makes Moore a great showrunner is his ability to pull together a writers' room
with the ability to make the pieces fit, even when they were never intended to
do so.

Moore chose to make the end of the season and series more about the characters
than the plot, which is perfectly fitting, when the tone of the series as a
whole is taken into consideration. This decision was largely controversial
because of how the plot was then resolved. Most of the mysteries were
attributed to a higher power, ostensibly the Cylon "God". This led many to
believe that Moore and his writers took the easy way out, rather than making an
effort to resolve the dangling plot threads rationally.

However, I take a different view. From the beginning of the series, there was a
strong spiritual presence, from the constant talk of the Lords of Kobol and
"God" to endless prophecies and visions. All of that has to come from
somewhere, and the only difference is that the identity of this particular
higher power is kept anonymous. Pointing to an entity or a "Ship of Lights" is
just more tidy; conceptually, it's the same.

For all the perceived excesses of the series finale (and the final hour was a
bit of a muddled mess of denouements, from an editing perspective), the fourth
season was strengthened by the inevitability of the end. The writers took
things much further than I thought they would, and that added to the breathless
anticipation for each new episode, especially in the second half of the season.

The fourth and final season of "Battlestar Galactica" earned a Critical Myth
rating of 8.1, which is a full half-point improvement over the third season, and
comparable with the second season. It also bring the series as a whole to a
solid 8.0, which is well above average. Considering the critical acclaim,
excellent acting, and inspired creativity, calling it "above average" seems a
bit of an understatement. Acknowledging that it was one of the finest science
fiction television series of all time would be more fitting.



John K
Reprinted with permission
Original source: c. Critical Myth, 2009
All rights reserved
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