I just finished watching the final episode of my (current) favourite show on television: Battlestar Galactica.
When I was a kid, I was a big fan of the original series, and even though it was bad 70’s Sci-Fi, it still holds a nostalgic place in my rather nerdish heart. Despite having serious doubts about the new “Re-Imagined” series, I fell for the new stuff hook, line, and sinker.
I think the writing, direction, acting, music, and effects are all top-notch. As a complete package I definitely feel that there hasn’t been a better television series produced in at least the last 10 years.
That being said, I was a little bit wary about the final episode. Don’t get me wrong, I think the idea of going out “on top” is great. It was all still relatively fresh so it made a lot of sense instead of dragging things on and on until you end in a way you don’t have control over. I was wary because of a lot of disappointing final episodes I’ve seen (Cheers, Night Court, the various Star Trek series, Buffy, Angel, … , the list goes on).
I’m not exactly sure whether or not I liked the final episode. On one hand, it did answer most of the questions and tie up all of the threads brought up in the last four seasons. Some of the characters got what they deserved, some didn’t. Some things fell right into place while other things seemed to be like square pegs pounded into round holes.
Ultimately, I don’t think it was a fitting ending for the show. I don’t think the overall mood of the episode fit with the rest of the series. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of when I compose music: I can do the openings and the middle just fine, but coming up with a proper ending is a struggle. I guess that’s why I usually just fade out ….