Poll: Battlestar ending - what do you think?

[Elim Garak]

Whether or not you truly believe what you're saying (which I think that you do), it is dishonest to initiate what is purported to be a discussion of the value of the last episode of BSG, from the point of view that BSG itself is a waste of time, or a bad show in general. Think... KKK hosting a forum on the topic of Affirmative Action? Dishonest.

Huh? Do you know the meaning of the word "dishonest"? I did not disseminate or lie about anything - I stated my opinion and I explained why and how I came by it. I did not tell you that I watched every single episode, but said how many I've watched up front.

[sarcasm]The greatest downfall of a democratic system is the power given to large numbers of idiots.[/sarcasm]

I have no doubt that there are many people (even more than 30%, if we were getting a full population sampling, given the ratings/viewing numbers that BSG received) who don't enjoy Battlestar Galactica. Are any of those people qualified to discuss the worth of the last episode? Not many. To argue the merits of the show as a whole? More so. Note the title of the thread, and re-evaluate why I seem irate.

You have to get a degree in order to argue a point? Especially on the internet? Wow, I've never thought of that! Of course that would shrink the population of the newsgroups and sites by 99.999%, but that just may be worth it.

You may think that it is necessary to see every single minute of a show in order to be able to argue its merits, but I disagree. I've tried to watch the show on multiple occasions. I gave it many chances. Couldn't get attached to it - it was just too repulsive. Thus I think it sucks.

 

[the captain]

They're "people", even the skinjobs. That's the POINT.

I wanted to watch a show where people (and robots) made tough decisions that weren't always right. Not everyone made rational decisions.

Why would I watch a show where everyone made sane rational decisions all the time? What would the conflict be?

Everyone is flawed, even the 'perfect' machines.

This is one of the things I really liked about this show in comparison to Star Trek. The humans evolved and explored space on BSG but they didn't suddenly all become wise and rational and perfect. They still had all of the flaws that make us human. That was one of the big things that always pissed me off about Star Trek. After 300-400 we have suddenly lost all of our human weaknesses and everything that they do is in the interest of improving themselves and the universe.

BSG wasn't about that. The humans were technologically advanced but each and every one of them was as fucked up as any random person you might meet living in the world today whether they are drunks, preverts, corrupt, ultra religious, narcissistic, or any other things that are wrong with everyone.

 

[Seldon2639]

I'm confused. It appears that you voted for "I didn't even watch the show, but I definitely didn't like the last episode, and now I'm looking for internet validation of my incompletely informed notion" but I don't see that option in the list.

Nope. I watched enough to know that it is dumb. Too much trippy religion, too much melodrama, not enough cold hard logic. Visions, prophecies, and really annoying characters. If I wanted to see that, I would go to a bible theme park.

haha awesome, the series just wen right over your head.

One of the best series in Years. Ending was perfectly fitting. Nice wrap up.

Okay, no, it's possible to say "this shit is bananas" without it having gone over ones head. I get that it's a sci-fi retelling of the book of mormon, that doesn't make it better. If I read a book and conclude that it's overwrought tripe which focuses on an intellectual wanking by the author rather than on actual entertainment (see: the Sword of Truth series), it's not because I missed something.

I felt the series could have culminated in something fantastic, and ended up being a pretty good series with way too much of a philosophy and religion wank at the end. I liked it when Baltar was just hallucinating, and we didn't know why. I liked that the Cylons had a trippy religion which dictated they do trippy things. I didn't like that they crowbarred "yeah, god did it all" into the end. Instead of honestly explaining anything (or even leaving them as mysteries) they copped out with "god works in mysterious ways and can do spooky stuff", and left it. That neither leaves us to honestly contemplate what might have happened, or answers anything.

I liked the ending, up 'til about the last half hour. If you started off thinking that the religion stuff made sense, you loved it. If you started off with "okay, I get it, it's like DS9: people have religion, but behind it there's a reasonable explanation. Maybe Baltar's just a magnificent bastard", you thought that the end was a complete asspull.

If you find religion offensive, you'll find the ending offensively religious

 

[Seldon2639]

They're "people", even the skinjobs. That's the POINT.

I wanted to watch a show where people (and robots) made tough decisions that weren't always right. Not everyone made rational decisions.

Why would I watch a show where everyone made sane rational decisions all the time? What would the conflict be?

Everyone is flawed, even the 'perfect' machines.

This is one of the things I really liked about this show in comparison to Star Trek. The humans evolved and explored space on BSG but they didn't suddenly all become wise and rational and perfect. They still had all of the flaws that make us human. That was one of the big things that always pissed me off about Star Trek. After 300-400 we have suddenly lost all of our human weaknesses and everything that they do is in the interest of improving themselves and the universe.

BSG wasn't about that. The humans were technologically advanced but each and every one of them was as fucked up as any random person you might meet living in the world today whether they are drunks, preverts, corrupt, ultra religious, narcissistic, or any other things that are wrong with everyone.

That part I liked, but I would have liked to see the real conclusion of that. It's like any good story: both sides are actually human. But, instead of seeing the clash of these groups of interests and ideals, we got a deus ex machina of gigantic proportions. Ignore that if all of it was god's plan, he's a sadistic jerk, the ending was no better than Star Trek. The characters who had legitimate depth (Baltar, most especially) end up trading in their humanity for religion.

The ending should have been a real knock down drag out right 'til the end. And the characters should have been forced to make difficult choices. The most difficult choice I saw was when Starbuck believed in herself *cough*the force*cough*. How about a real choice between the girl and resurrection? How about someone choosing to shoot the girl and eventually end the Cylon race? Those would have been real nail-biting experiences, and forced the characters to really step up.

BSG was a good (maybe even great) show right 'til the end. I could accept the religious bullocks, because I always saw it as "well, that person believes it, but it doesn't make it right". Then the writers decide "oh, no, they were totally right, it's the people who didn't believe who suck".

 

[Captain_Caveman]

BSG was a show I kept watching, because i hoped it would eventually make sense.

It doesnt make sense.

They can build ships that can break the time-space barrier, but they cant develop full body armor to fight robots?

And Gias was a cylon, wtf? the very end just confused the hell out of me.

Reminds me of a t-shirt i saw once. it said WTF in BSG font and said on the back What The Frak

 

[Antidamacus]

I think they did, but the unstoppable killing robots just made better bullets.

 

[SullyE]

Yes, much better - because that explanation would be rooted in reality. "God" is not an explanation - it is an excuse to not explain things. Why is the sky blue? God wants it to be so. Why does it rain? God did it. Etc.

You are a complete and total moron, or at least someone who is trying his damndest to assault religion. You're presuming that religious people aren't scientists. Isaac Newton, one of the greatest scientists of all time (there are more, but he's my favorite), was a religious man. He didn't just say gravity existed because God wanted it to, he came up with mathematical proofs and theories that we still follow today.

To say that religion removes curiosity is complete and utter bullshit. You are saying that atheists are the only people that can be good scientists, but the fact that many, if not most, of the scientists who influenced science in major ways were very religious individuals.

But then again, you're a disciple of Dawkins, so I guess it makes sense. As much as I respect the man for his work with memetics, he's also proven to be one of the most close-minded individuals I've ever seen.

Riiight. How much religion was there in Star Trek?

A ridiculous amount of Eastern philosphy was written into Star Trek. Same with Star Wars. 2001? Oh hell yes, lots.

 

[starbuck12345]

HAAAA!!!!

 

[starbuck12345]

I'm confused. It appears that you voted for "I didn't even watch the show, but I definitely didn't like the last episode, and now I'm looking for internet validation of my incompletely informed notion" but I don't see that option in the list.

Very, very funny!! I just spent an hour reading the back and forth with regard to this, and I must admit, I really believe it's a waste of time to debate a show's merits or lack thereof if you haven't actually watched every episode.