Friday, March 20, 2009

Bye, Bye Battlestar

Tonight we reach the end of an excellent series: "Battlestar Galactica." I've blogged about it on several occasions, and it's going to leave a hole in my entertainment quilt that will not easily be filled.

Ronald D Moore, the executive producer, put together a first-rate team of TV people, and essentially produced motion pictures for four seasons. The special effects surpassed anything ever done for a TV audience, and allowed the audience to immerse themselves in the world. The stories were always imaginative and character-centered, encouraging us to empathize with many viewpoints, and keeping us guessing. The acting was, well, simply outstanding. Any one of the principles deserve praise and admiration. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell were already established actors with fine bodies of work, but they outdid themselves with these roles. I'd have never seen Michael Hogan if not for his portayal of Saul Tigh, a character I initially condemned, but who I came to appreciate and enjoy. I think Katee Sackoff has made a name for herself, as has Tricia Helfer, so I expect to see more of them, but if we never see relative newcomers such as Aaron Douglas, Grace Park and Alessandro Juliani again, it will be an injustice.

I have no doubt that the two-hour finale will leave me with some questions, but I am equally convinced that it won't make a difference, because enough answers will be revealed, and they will all make sense within the universe and the characters that I will want to start watching the series again, from the beginning. Immediately.

1 comment:

Michael Hacker said...

I did a play with Mary McDonnell back in 1989, mere months before the release of Dances With Wolves. She was, is, and likely ever shall be, the most talented actor I have ever met.