The Season 2 finale of Battlestar Galctica, entitled 'Lay Down Your Burdens- Part II,' was frakkin' fantastic. Spoilers follow; you have been warned...
Advancing the clock one year later was a stroke of genius by producer Ron Moore. Womanizing President Baltar has settled on New Caprica with over half of the fleet (and it looks like half the single women as well in his chambers!!!). Apparently, the Cylons have not detected them in the nebula. But complications still arise. Starbuck's husband, Anders, is dying of pneumonia unless Kara can get Pegasus Commander Lee to give up some medical supplies; Galen Tyrol is Union President fighting for the rights of his people, with a pregnant Cally by his side; and, Roslin has gone back into teaching, trying to derive some satisfaction out of her former assignment while being assisted by Maya (who has adopted the Cylon hybrid baby, now named Isis).
But all that changes when a Cylon armada appears overhead and Centurions march into the camp in Nazi-like fashion. Supposedly, when Gina blew herself up and Cloud 9 with the nuclear device Baltar gave her, lingering traces of radiation were detected by the Cylons, hence explaining their presence on New Caprica. Led by the 'changed' Six and Eight (from the earlier 'Downloaded' episode), the machine race plans to hold the humans hostage while they initiate their new plan (whatever that might be). And as the Raiders zoom overhead, all Kara can relate to Galen is that they will fight them until they can't. Wow, what an awesome cliffhanger. And coupled with the impressive special effects, this is sure to go down as one of the best (if not most controversial) episodes of the series for daring to be so different.
One would think that news would not be forthcoming so soon on Galactica's third season, but it did late this week. NowPlayingMagazine interviewed Ron Moore about the direction he would take with the next batch of 20 episodes. Included below are edited highlights of the interview.
First up, Battlestar Galactica will not be Occupation New Caprica for long. While the Cylons will hold the fleet on the planet, a resolution of sorts will occur by the fourth or fifth episode. According to Moore, "I don’t think it will take quite as long as it took us to wrap up the arc at the beginning of the second season.” The humans will return to the Battlestars Galactica and Pegasus very quickly and resume their journey to Earth.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Chris Beaumont
October!!!??? I didn't know that.... More time to rewatch the entire run thus far and prepare for the return.
2 - exBSG Fan
Frakkin' Fantastic? Are you kidding? The finale was awkward and boring. The "extra" 30 minutes were for abour 28 extra minutes of commercials. The decision to skip forward an entire year was ludicrous and took away a lot of the emotional involvment fans invested in the characters. Season 2.5 demonstrated that the writers have lost their way. Instead of dealing intelligently with global issues they took an easier and less compelling approach of writing personal stories. And then at the end it was almost like the writers gave up. Unless things change (change back to the original style and premise that made BSG great), season 3 will be the last.
3 - Jim Iaccino
Well exBSG Fan:
You are entitled to your opinion as I am mine.
And I stand by it.
It was frakkin' FANTASTIC!!!!!!
JI
4 - Jim Steele
The season finale was excellent. I'm very happy with the direction they took it. Season 3 will be very interesting...
5 - BSG addict in need of a frak
I agree that it was a brave move to time-lapse within a season finale and just carries on the originality BSG has brought to the genre. It also shows the creative control the writers have instead of doing tv by numbers with muppet test audiences shaping the plot and the short-termism that pressure from network's fear of falling ratings usually brings. To hear of a possible seven more series (as well as UK comedy Peep Show surviving the chop on Channel 4) proves there really are Gods of Kobol. I'm a bit surprised that there are season 3 spoilers out already but with the wait until October it's good to have the imagination whetted. What happened to the Sharon that was with Helo in the last year? Has she been killed and uploaded into the pissed off looking model that arrived on New Caprica? What powers wil the Cylon baby have, psychic abilities, x-ray vision or just a glowing back? There hasn't been any duff episodes so cheers Ron and keep the genius flowing.
6 - Tim Whalen
The last two episodes were just plain ludicrous. These two could have been from the creators of South Park and not BSG. They skipped answering the questions that needed answering by using the trick of jumping a year into the future. If they were going to do that they could have just left the show ending with the planet being settled and started next year on the planet. So many shows have done this already. 24 and Andromeda come to mind. I just feel so used by these last two episodes. They tore the heart out of some of my favorite characters with these shortcuts. I will still watch it because it is the only SciFi show around but the last two episodes remind me of what happened to some other shows that were about to be cancelled and tried to tie up a bunch of lose ends.
7 - prokopis, Greece
well, is anybody that can tell, in witch episode, the bsg is searching for earth?????
exept from episodes in cobol and these ones that starback is went to caprica, THERE IS NO SEARCH FOR EARTH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am a fan of Galacting from when i was 8 years old.
the storie of this serie, in my opinion is very-very weak and absolutely out of his slogan.
it is a pot-puri of something, like space running...
8 - Queequeg, France
Boy, that was a really great finale, that's for sure! Though I had never been a fan of the sci-fi genre, I gotta say BSG turned me into a real sucker. Man! Now that's some frakkin' good show !! No bug-like E.T., no over-the-top special effects, no really cheesy episodes !! Just great story telling, good characters, real good plots. And an amazing cliffhanger to end Season 2!!
No matter what others might say : Mr David Eick, you made me a fan of your show... Or should I say shows ? ;-)
9 - exBSG Fan
So what made it so frakkin' fantastic? That they shocked you by jumping ahead a year? Surprise for the shock value doesn't make a series. Or was it frakkin' fantastic that they completely switched their approach and instead of dealing with major issues intelligently and with detail they glossed over the plot? Or maybe it was frakkin' fantastic that they alienated a large number of their viewers so now only the fanbois are left to suck on whatever milk toast Messrs Moore and Eick can put out?
10 - James
Look... either you loved the end of season 2 or you hated it. Personally the more I have thought about it the more that I like it.
It seems that a lot of folks are unhappy with the time jump. More specifically, what has happened to our favorite characters during that time? I think that RM has a direction which he is going with this and some of the details will be filled in for us in season 3. Will there be flashbacks? Probably. Can he fill in the gaps? Certainly.
If this show is to survive then it cannot become stale. Staying in space episode after episode can only last so long IMO. I think taking the risk gives RM more options for the storyline.
11 - dvo47p
The Scifi Channel should have gone with Bryan Singer and Tom DeSanto, proven producers of excellent Scifi. They had already created an excellent X-Men movie, Scifi should have grabbed Singer before he had to move on to direct second X-Men movie with DeSanto. Singer is directing the new Superman movie and then a Logan’s Run movie. DeSanto is producing the new Transformer movie with Steven Spielberg, way the way to not go Scifi Channel.
12 - Jim Iaccino
Well, the DeSanto-Singer project did not go through. RDM is now doing the show & he's doing a great job. No use crying over what might have been. Either Galactica fans will like the show or not (as James indicated). And I think it was frakkin' fantastic!!!! (sorry exBSG)
The door has now been opened to introduce new stories. And while the search for Earth will continue, we can take a look first-hand into the Cylon Order this coming season (we did get a glimpse in the wonderful 'Downloaded' episode).
Unfortunately, TOS made the Cylons mindless robots and had an Imperious Leader that was hardly menacing. Take it away RDM. We new-BSG fans will follow you.
And here's to three or more seasons of what I consider to be THE BEST sci-fi show on television.
13 - stb64
When I first heard about plans about remaking BSG in 2003, I was extremely doubtful about the reimaging of the original series. I watched the original series when it came on in 1978 when I was 14 and still remember watching the pilot episode on ABC.
When I started watching the new BSG miniseries and the series last year, I was totally floored by it. It ranks as one of the best science fiction TV series ever. At least on par with Star Trek and Star Trek TNG. Maybe even better.
After watching the season finale Friday night, and watching again on TIVO last night, I have to say the writers of the series are some of the best ever on TV. I had to rewatch the season finale to really appreciate the risk the writers took in moving the series ahead by one year. Well done!
14 - Bdogz
Have loved almost every episode up to season 2 finale. I Hated it, thought it was pretty much a cop-out. Reminded me of all the laughable Star Trek episodes dealing with saving the universe through Time travel and the "magical" time line.
Just this Sci-Fi Junky's 2 cents!
15 - SloBlog
I love Scifi. I can't say that I am a fan of the last 30 minutes of the Season 2 Finale. The Colonial Fleet was disciplined and intact in a galaxy without war for for years and this all goes to pot in a year? The only story that makes sense was the Chief getting married. I would like to have seen the reasons why Gaius sunk so low. I'm hoping the last 30 minutes was a dream sequence.
Lucy Lawless in clothes is awesome. Kill the sleazy Starbuck as soon as possible.
16 - MegaDeth859
Posting your opinions is great, but don't try to make people agree with you or convert them to anti-BSG. I love BSG and love the direction that it is going. I don't mind the time jump, it did catch me by surprise, but then again that's what the show is all about, surprises. About being ludicrous, you should really ask yourself if you were even a fan to begin with. Have an open mind!
17 - cranky1c
The jump is a risk, but if the promise of what's offered in the article is fulfilled, this could be a revival for the show, which I think was spotty this season: really good when it was good, pretty bad when it was bad. The one shot episodes muddled the pacing and after a while you started forgetting what the larger motivation of the show was. These arcs with the cylon homeworld, resuming the quest for Earth, and bringing back Stockwell, who was just awesome, are hopeful signs. Also good to see Baltar evolve into a less ambiguous villian. Thanks for the info, J.I.
18 - dogo6
The mini series was so fantastic, but both seasons have had there good and bad parts.
I agree the time jump was weak for the finale and the last couple of episodes were just poor.
I mean 50,000 survivors floating on barges in space really couldn't give a hoot about presidential battles. (there seems to be more reporters then survivors sometimes)
I hope season 3 improves
19 - CaptainApollo
I think that we may be reading to far into the writers material trying to find some GREAT MEANING to the whole series thsi early in the show. The finale was just that A FINALE meant to leave us wondering. It's not supposed to give us alot of answers, or show us exactilly what we want to see. The point of these two episodes was to redefine the way we think of some characters, while we cement old relationships with tried and true characters we already know. I am willing to let the creators do what they will with their show and I will enjoy it along the way. The only advice I can give critics is just give Ron Moore and the writers a chance.
20 - natie bsgguy
I think BSG is nuch good tv show,. I like to learning. I thki n I like it very ver y muck/. I think Dr Batler is a Cylon, and There wil nebe much joog action FRAKKIN FANTASTIC!!!!
21 - NOOG
Dr. Baltar is obvioyusly a malfunctioning Cylon.
22 - mike
First off, i have greatly enjoyed the series fron the onset,it,s not 19-78 so I believe the episodes reflect the proper imagination for a science fiction series in this day and age. The use of tech. reflecting more realism and explainability, combined with a strong human element in the story line,lends strong credibility to the sci-fiction community.
keep up the great wrk!
23 - mikemos
It was an excellent finale. It allows them to show an inhabited New Capirca without going through all of the cylon-less episodes and predictable downward spiral of Baltar. I'm sure we're going to see 'flashbacks' though.
I love the vision of an occupying force coming in to "improve" humanity (a la the U.S. occupying Iraq). Kudos R.M. We'll see who doesn't come back next season. Fan-bois only? I doubt it.
24 - H0ser
The idea to halt BSG until october is crazy. They want to team it up with season 2 of doctor who, BLAH. Im already on episode 4 of doctor season 2. Why show new episdoes of BSG with repeats of doctor who. CRAZY i say.
25 - Jay
The last 30 minutes of the finale seemed so unreal. I was hoping it was Balter dreaming, and yet felt like maybe I was the one dreaming. Hated it immediately, went to bed in a huff and went on about it for hours the next day. But now that I've had time to cool my heels, I can't help but think...how BRILLIANT the whole thing was! This show has a way of "alienating" fans from the story and characters but bringing it all around (almost) full circle in a way that makes me feel all cozy and goose-bumpy at the same time. Season 3 will be the best so far!