Battlestar Galactica

A good friend of ours walked into our house the other night and announced, "DAMN YOU for giving me a series that does not go anywhere!"

He was not speaking of Battlestar Galactica but of Firefly, another household favorite.  The first (and only) season of Firefly was on sale at Target for $20.00 in December and we promptly bought multiple copies as holiday gifts for our friends, in a selfish attempt to get them to stop looking at my husband strangely when he quotes Captain Malcolm Reynolds at dinner parties.

Firefly is the legendarily short lived Joss Whedon "space western," a series that gained most of its fans after it was off the air and whose characters and stories continue to ignite the imaginations of fans three years later.  It was cut off just as it was warming up, leaving fans wondering why Shepherd Book knows more about weapons than a preacher ever should, and how River Tam’s frakked up brain will help or hurt the rag tag group of rebels.

While our friend loved the gift, and the show, he was understandably frustrated at the way the series cuts off in the middle.

So why mention this in connection with Battlestar Galactica? 

Because I sometimes wonder, as I encourage people to start watching the show, if I am leading them to a similar fate.  Season Four is only partially filmed, and while the last ten episodes have been mapped out and Executive Producer Ron Moore has assured the fans they will be completed come hell or high water … is this a practical assumption?

I used to operate on faith that everything would be okay with BSG, and that we would eventually learn the identity of the fifth Cylon and their infamous plan.  But as people continue to e-mail me about their doubts about the show being able to finish due to the writer’s strike, I confess my faith is fading a bit as well.  The practical reality is that life goes on, and all of the talented folks involved in the show will eventually be contractually released and (if they are lucky) will move on to other projects.  Getting them back may be difficult, if impossible, once the strike ends.

So is it responsible to encourage people to get into the show, knowing they may watch three addicting seasons and be left without a resolution?  Writing this post made me realize the answer is "yes." 

BSG is still great TV, no matter what, and the reality is that even if all twenty episodes of the final season are filmed we will likely be left with some mysteries at the end.  Ron Moore has been very clear about his love for ambiguity, and the stars seemed committed to the idea of a realistic ending that does not wrap up everything in a pretty and perfect package. 

People still love Firefly and it is an amazing show in a unique universe, even if production on that verse went dark much too quickly.  So what if we never know what the Cylons were planning to do to the humans of Battlestar Galactica?  I don’t regret watching the series, nor do I regret encouraging new fans to discover the dark corridors of the ship or the flawed characters who live there.

What do you think?  Will you feel like your hours of watching BSG were hours wasted if something happens and Season Four is never completed, or will you still be a fan no matter what happens with production on the show?