Olmos: BSG Finale is “Devastating” March 28, 2008
Posted by Chris in Battlestar Galactica (Re-imagined).Tags: Battlestar Galactica, BSG, Edward James Olmos, Ronald D. Moore
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According to Ronald D. Moore, the writers’ strike gave the BSG team the chance to re-think the second half of the fourth and final season of the series, and Edward James Olmos says, “It’s devastating…don’t watch this program; it’s not an easy ride.”
So while this was reported by io9 as a cue that this means the finale will be “depressing,” this geek is licking his chops with anticipation for some delicious sci-fi TV drama.
Sci-Fi TV Geek 
Depressing can be good, especially when a show has made you really care about the characters–look at “The Body” episode of Buffy, for example.
But, I’m with you…very excited!!!
Exactly…by the way, if you haven’t checked out io9 before, you might get a kick out of it. It’s definitely in my “top 10” even though it seems to be a commercially-driven blog site.
I must admit that I’m a sucker for io9’s polls. And I probably entered their Sarah Connor Chronicles caption contest about a dozen times. *Sigh*…such a sucker for Summer Glau, too….
Oh yeah…I’ve been doing the polls when I see them too. Summer Glau is definitely a charmer. I loved Firefly (as my blog should attest) but I thought that her character was sort of one-dimensional after a while…the crazy River thing started to get old for me. Kym tried to set me straight on this, but she could only do so much. Summer can act — that’s not where the problem was for me. More like the writing for River just sort of seemed to wear on me. Oh well…
I can see how you might think she was one-dimensional, but I think it was an intended one-dimensionality. If Firefly had been allowed to go on for 3 or 4 more seasons, I think we would have seen River’s character expand quite a bit more. We got a little hint of that in Serenity.
Wait, wait…
BSG, guys! Depressing is not good. I want happily ever after or at least a possibility.
And Summer Glau is a fabulous actress, Chris. In Safe, where she dances, is almost the most joyous piece of acting I’ve ever seen. How can you call her one dimensional? Child, Genius, fragile, killer, loving sibling, etc.
Oh and as an actress, her sense of comedic timing in Jaynestown especially blows me out of the water! She wasn’t my favorite character (who can resist Kaylee) but, she far out stripped Inara and Zoe as well rounded characters.
nyahh!!
I could watch an entire episode with just Kaylee and River. Summer Glau’s facial expressions alone convey more than actors three times her age (maybe I’m exaggerating a little here).
And, since BSG has been a pretty dark series from day one, I have no problem with a depressing finale. It’s when shows make tonal shifts for no reason that I get cranky.
I don’t think your interest in watching Kaylee and River is entirely asexual so I’ll (mostly) refrain from commenting 🙂
True, BSG is dark. Sometimes at the end of an episode, my family just sits there. Finally, someone will get up and turn off the tv. Then as we gather our stuff, one quiet voice will say, “Well, that was depressing. . .”
Ooopsie…tripped the River-wire again. I am a baaaad boy.
Well, I’m beyond redemption at this point, but I will say that I think her acting is very good. I just get a little tired of the crazy-River thing. I know, I know it’s central to the series plot-arc thingy, but I can still say I love the series but River wears on me….ahem….right?
BSG dark…yes…true. I love a dark show, though. Deadwood (as Dan and I discussed earlier on his blog) is pretty dark too. They’re similar in that regard and I guess it’s no suprise that I love both shows.
As far as sexual attraction goes, I am, of course, above such concerns….ahem.
Dan: I agree that Serenity showed what could have been with River’s character. That was part of what appealed to me about the movie. Interesting that Kym (I think) didn’t like the movie as much, even though River comes into her own more in it. Any thoughts on that, Kym?
Movie–very little Jayne, Kaylee and Book—’nuff said.
Wait, not enough. Major horrors like “Character sacrificed for action” thru minor annoyances like “Kaylee shriveled into a Hollywood version of an attractive female (ie twenty pounds too light)”
Still, I enjoyed the whole thing but I’d prefer the series back to more movies. Though, as I’m unlikely to get either one, I’ll just go cry in my bunk.
Hold on….still thinking about Kaylee and River. Oh, and what’s this? Look everyone, Starbuck’s come over for a game of poker. Nice!
The major problem with Serenity was that it was basically the entire second season boiled down into a single 2 hour movie, and with Joss the glory has always been in the details and the nuance, which suffered when he had to cram 22 hours into 2. That being said, it’s probably the sci-fi movie that I could watch at a minute’s notice.
Jewel Staite actually gained that weight for the series. I think when the movie was announced, she and Joss reached some kind of mutual decision that she wouldn’t have to regain the weight for the film.
True: I never realized it but you’re right. Kaylee did lose some weight. That seems to go against the grain of her character, doesn’t it. She is certainly one who would, as I heard Whedon once said, “enjoy a cheeseburger.” Too bad she got pulled into the Hollywood vortex.
I think it’s a serious bummer that Wash and Book were offed, but I totally think it was a gutsy move on Whedon’s part.
Man…I really hate moving….I’m avoiding packing right now.
I even came up with the justification for the weight loss. The added stress of the Government chasing River and Simon which has made Mal more bitter and hard has worn on the “family.” This, in turn, stresses out Kaylee and has made her “fall off her feed.” Also explains the somewhat greasy haired look she had in the movie–depression.
Chris, you’re not moving–you’re living a free gypsy existence. Be at one with your cardboard box.