Saturday, February 28, 2009

two roads diverged in a sea of stars

The more I read the wonderful post-game interviews with the BSG writing staff and the Chicago Tribune's Mo Ryan, the more I realize that there's a huge disconnect between the show's staff and the show's audience. I read the staff's personal insights into the story I just watched, and find the things they were trying to tell me got lost, or weren't made clear enough. In fact, I think the majority of these final 10 episodes have benefitted greatly from the post-games, because apparently I'm not watching with the right eyes and ears.

Indeed, it's been said the show itself isn't as enamored with its own mythology as the audience is. For every giant leap forward in storytelling, there's two steps backwards with misplaced character pieces -- a plague of the show since it was expanded to 20ish episodes a season.

If you were to go the itunes route, I don't think you'd even buy this full final season. I think "The Final Season" would actually be 6 episodes long, and not 10, and that's a shame.

Like Buffy season 7, I wonder if Battlestar has gone into finale panic, knowing that they're leaving the world behind and start exploring every nook and cranny they can, when they should really be focusing on the main cast and plowing towards the finish line with amazing speed and strength.

In my mind, last night's episode was 20 minutes long, and last week's was 10, because that's the information I needed. I craved.

Lost is eyeing its finish line right now, and so far has been firing on all cylinders. I don't think they're going to be rewatchable episodes (unlike BSG's mutinary arc), but I think its an amazing ride and I have no complaints.

These sci-fi/supernatural serials are rides, and I hate when they stall.

2 comments:

Viewtiful_Justin said...

I can't watch them. I get too attached. And with no regular access to television, it's hard to be attached to a show. I can't be watching TV at the laundromat every night.

Box Office Bananas said...

I agree with BSG. Lost however suffers from the same. Last week's Lock episode should have been ten minutes long in a better episode. I wish they had negotiated for 2 regular sized seasons instead of three 16 episode ones as the bloat is still there.