When I sat down to start writing this review, I realized that it was going to be a hard one to do, in part because of how much there is to discuss about the BSG series finale, but also due to the reality that this would be my last time writing about this incredible series. After thinking about the various aspects of this finale that I wanted to write about, I realized that it would be best to divide this up into a multi-part review so that I could really delve into the episode’s various storylines and yet still keep the piece from becoming too weighty a read. To start off this first part of my review of “Daybreak, Part 2”, I want to touch base on two elements of BSG I haven’t mentioned previously, the work of the VFX team and the music score of Bear McCreary.

Gary Hutzel’s VFX Team and Bear McCreary – The magic behind the cameras

One of the common complaints about the last few episodes of BSG has been the minimal presence of its hallmark CG animation from the team lead by visual effects supervisor Gary Hutzel. In “Daybreak, Part 2”, it’s clear that Ron Moore and David Eick wanted to save the CG effects budget so as to create the visual feast seen in this two hour finale. Indeed, there were times where the CG sequences had more Click here to continue reading »”BSG “Daybreak, Part 2” – My Final BSG Review, Part 1″

It is often said that to reach the end of any journey, one needs to look back and see where it all began. It’s from this vantage point that the first part of the BSG series finale “Daybreak, Part 1” starts out and in doing such, provides us with some greater insight into these characters and through it, the significance of the choices they’ve made and probably will make in the final two hours of this remarkable drama series.

Watching the flashback scenes of what life was like on Caprica, we now learn that many of the series characters had in fact lost much of what mattered to them well before the fall of the thirteen colonies. The Kara we see traipsing around the apartment getting the place ready for her first dinner with her fiancé’s brother is almost unrecognizable from the Starbuck character we’ve known from the start, making the psychological impact of Zack’s death and her sense of responsibility for her part in it that much more palpable than it was before. When Adama wraps his arm around Kara later in the episode, reminding her that no matter what has happened she is still his daughter, serves to reinforce this reality, that those who knew Kara when she was engaged to Zack have seen the tectonic shift in her emotional grounding. Adama’s gentle words to Kara at this point also serves to remind her and all of us that the bond they have over that shared grief transcends any concerns over the nature of Kara’s existence, that such issues ultimately don’t change who she is or what she means to those around her.

Compare this now to the Lee Adama we’re shown during those days on Caprica. Instead of the self-assured, do-gooder we’re accustomed to seeing, we see a Lee who’s clearly lost without a purpose, Click here to continue reading »”BSG “Daybreak, Part 1” – The End Is Found In Where We Began”

In my earlier BSG post “Four More Days Until It’s ‘Frakkin’ Friday“, I described how one could approach the series as a whole much in the same way as one would a five course meal, with each season playing a specific part in the overall effect of both the meal and its presentation. With most of the episodes in this final chapter of the series now past us, it’s becoming clear that this analogy can also be focused onto this handful of episodes given the variety in character and plot arcs that were dealt with, if not also the manner of their presentation. For example, despite the prevailing disapproval among the BSG audience for “A Disquiet That Follows My Soul”, when viewed in such a context, the episode comes across much like a palate cleanser, something that was meant to wipe away the savoury tastes and textures of episodes past so that we could be prepared for the more elaborate and vibrant dishes to come in the episodes “The Oath” and “Blood on the Scales”. Watching last night’s “Someone To Watch Over Me” evokes the same idea, with its role being to remove the flat and unsatisfying impressions held over from the previous two offerings in this series countdown to what will hopefully be a decadent delight.

Continuing on using this analogy, it’s not uncommon for certain ingredients to be carried over from one dish to another in the meal plan and in some ways that’s what occurred at the start of this episode with the focus being on picking up on where we left the relationship between Boomer and Tyrol. Coming on the heels of last week’s focus on the love triangle between Tigh, Ellen and Caprica Six, it’s obvious that we’re once again revisiting the idea of viewing these characters through the initial lens of being humans – and not Cylons – and what their ability to love and feel pain and hurt means in regards to the distinction between the realities of being human or Cylon. And yet, the history that the audience has shared with Boomer and Tyrol makes their story Click here to continue reading »”BSG “Someone To Watch Over Me” – A Return to the Well Executed and Balanced Meal”

After watching last night’s BSG episode “Deadlock”, I found myself caught between enjoying some wonderful, philosophical character arcs and despising the overly simplistic, if not downright perplexing, portrayal of others. Sure, we could argue that some events were meant to set up those that are to come in the remaining episodes; but effective storytelling shouldn’t sacrifice telling a proper story in one episode for the sake of another. As you’ll see, my subtitle for this episode relates as much to the episode’s theme as it does to my own impressions of it.

In that vein, I’m going to start off picking away at those elements of this story that just didn’t work or which demonstrated a clear glossing over of some significant points in terms of the series and certain character arcs. First off, the arrival of Boomer and Ellen. I’m certain their arrival came as no surprise to any of us watching, but for me that’s still a really big issue. Why? Simple – how come Boomer was able to find the fleet so easily? Now, I’m certain we’re all anticipating the return of the Cylon fleet under the control of John/Cavil, considering his thirst for punishing his creators, all of whom are now once again in the fleet, if not also his needing the Final Five to help him rebuild the resurrection ship. Given the ease with which Boomer found the fleet, it’s not hard to imagine John/Cavil also having no issues in tracking them down. Add to this plotline they’ve created that Galactica at present can’t jump without putting the ship’s integrity at risk and yeah, this isn’t exactly a hard equation to calculate. And I’ll be honest here – if this indeed turns out to be the plot for what’s to come, I’ll be extremely disappointed. One of the hallmarks of what makes BSG such a compelling show is its unconventional approach to series television. We’ve all become used to getting a healthy dose of mind fraks simply because Moore and Eick would lead us down one path only to suddenly bank a hard right into another direction. So if John/Cavil is to return, I hope it’ll be under less obvious circumstances than what I wrote above.

Regardless, the simple fact is that when Adama et al find out that it’s one of the Sharon Cylon models aboard the Raptor, Click here to continue reading »”BSG “Deadlock” – Between Hate and Love”