BSG 4.20 - "Daybreak II"
Is anyone still in the mood to read meta? :) While I'm still not as (understandably) frustrated as many of my friends, I'm not entirely sure how I feel about it. So, as always, I've tried to sort out my thoughts by writing ridiculously long meta -- this one clocks in at almost 6,000 words. Yikes!
I feel like I'm going through the full Kubler-Ross spectrum.
Denial: Oh, that didn't just happen! No! Kara has to die while these other people get to live?
Anger: … the fuck? I spent much of Saturday and Sunday alternating between tears and bitterness.
Bargaining: How the hell can I fix this via fic?
Sadness: All my joy in the show is gone. I can't bear to even look at it. I just don't give a damn anymore.
Acceptance: Okay, I think I can finally rewatch it. If nothing else, I can just ignore the finale because I've loved the overall show so much.
That's where I am now - well, the rewatching part. Still haven't accepted many things about it, though. Since then, I haven't listened to the podcast or read much meta on my flist, so I'm probably echoing things that have been said elsewhere much more eloquently. Apologies if I step on any toes!
I think my style of meta comes from when I was an English major back at university (and I know that few other English majors are like this). I tend to take the text presented to me and analyze what it all might mean. I have a hard time making value judgments or even forming hard opinions of whether I liked or disliked something. That's not necessarily a good thing! I wish I could be more critical and didn't always take the text at face value. So, I've been really interested to read all the reactions to the finale. They have certainly opened my eyes to some serious problems that I hadn't noticed upon first glance. Didn't look deeply enough, I guess. And yes, there are some huge issues with the finale's characterization, themes, and simply the plot. taragel, for one, has a very thorough list of her problems with what happened, and I agree with many of her rants. I guess I'm saying all this as a disclaimer: I'm not about to be an apologist for all of those rage-inducing problems. I'm just trying to make sense of the text we were given. ;)
Whew. Enough meta-wankery!
Flashbacks
Overall, I liked the flashbacks, with some serious misgivings that I'll talk about below. I love that establishing shot of Caprica City, lit in neon and gleaming glass/metal that reminds me of tourist brochure photographs of some Asian cities. Granted, the idea that all these characters just happened to be in that city on this one particular night is a bit much to accept, but I'll allow the dramatic license. If the flashbacks are meant to show “the” most significant moments in the main characters' lives, then I can't decide whether that holds water. Overall, I suppose they work due to narrative economy, even if many of the choices are very, very frustrating.
Kara, Lee, and Zak: So, so very frustrating because I loved their flashbacks up until that ridiculous and out-of-character final scene. While I adore Academy!Pilots, I never really bought into the dynamic that had become fanon. (Though, I swear, the parallels with elzed and elly427's “Decline and Fall” universe are uncanny.) I like that the two of them met over wine and dinner that a strangely-domestic Kara prepared. That they got drunk and silly while talking about life and death and politics, plus a bit of tension over the Adama family drama. That Zak laughs and says of his brother, “Beneath that romantic exterior lies the heart of a true cynic.” I can easily see this Lee sliding into the one we meet in the Miniseries, embittered for many reasons that have Zak's death as a focal point but don't begin or end there. I love Kara as semi-sweet and silly and clearly in love, but with enough of an edge to become the woman we know now; granted, her childhood was hell, but I can believe she would seize upon this lifestyle thinking that she can be normal, only to slide into self-destruction when she makes a horrible mistake. Granted, it's only one night, but it's such a fascinating glimpse into who they were back when they didn't have such heavy weights on their shoulders.
And then RDM had to go and frak it all up by overthinking. The flashbacks were apparently meant to show that Lee fell at first sight for this woman whom he could never truly have, and that this strong attraction between them often caused others pain. Fine, I can deal with that, even if it's not the way I see their relationship. (Yes, Ron, we get it.) But if that was the intent, then the same effect could easily have been achieved by deleting that last scene of them making out on the table; the point had already been made, except Ron just had to push it that much further into an area that simply does not make sense for them or even the relationship that has been established over the past four seasons. (I really dislike them kissing, as it negates the slow build of their love affair and the way they realize and deal with it through “Unfinished Business”. So much for Kara's leegasm and Lee's surprised “Did I just kiss her?” in “Home”. Grr.) Instead, we get what amounts to character destruction - Kara and Lee are libidinous, amoral cheaters! - in the name of hammering home a point - Kara could never be his! And thus the loveliness of the previous scenes is gone. Should've quit while you were ahead, RDM.
Adama and the Tighs: Strip club? Yuck. I can see two career soldiers doing that to celebrate retirement, though. Just wish we hadn't seen him vomiting; realism is nice, but please. I liked the dynamic between Ellen and Saul, though it's obviously retcon; how would they get from that to him burning her photo in the Mini? Adama's obstinacy isn't very surprising. He has often had an “either your for me or against me?” attitude when questioned like this. He demands to be taken at his word, which makes sense except that he changes that word and attitude far too often, especially when it comes to relationships with other people. Ah, well.
Roslin: Sometimes even the smallest, most random things can push us over the edge. I don't like that her arc here boiled down to, “Her family got killed, she frakked a former student, and then joined the campaign.” I can see where her mind would progress that way, though. Three months after her father and sisters have been killed, she's not holding up well, nor should she be expected to be all right. I'm assuming that her mother was either close to the cancer diagnosis (the timeline is fuzzy in my brain) or had already died. She has a nice and apparently lucrative career in education, skirting the edges of politics. Then she meets this young man who is quite interested in her, but he's a relic of her past that makes her suddenly feel old. I'd assumed in the earlier flashbacks that she was in her late '30s, but if she taught Sean in kindergarten, then that's a big leap. Hell, I am in my thirties, and I still have a hard time dealing with the fact that my students when I first started teaching are now college graduates! But I digress. It's not so much that her mental equation is “This man makes me feel old = I must now work for Adar's campaign” as it is her needing to walk off the path she has been on, which suddenly feels like it's smothering her. As with many things on this show, Sean is a catalyst rather than a cause. And sometimes that's the way life works, even if it seems frustratingly random at the time.
Boomer: Ugh. Very uncomfortable to watch. I must say that my initial reaction to her saying, “I'll pay you back someday, when it really means something” was “Oh, by pumping two bullets into his chest?” Whether or not his intentions are pure, Adama really, really sucks at the Tough Love thing. He laughs at Boomer. He tells Lee to suck it up and deal. He shoves Kara and all but says she's dead to him. Tough Love can work sometimes, yes, but only when the person on the receiving end can see the genuine care behind it. That's just not evident in his scenes throughout the series. As for Boomer herself... aside from Adama and Tigh's obnoxiousness, I completely buy into her here. It's all about choices and their repercussions, and it underscores just how these small little things can change the course of history. What if Boomer had washed out? Much of the Cylons' plan would've fallen apart.
Plot and Themes
Kara and Destiny: The Kara Thrace I fell in love with died in “Maelstrom”. I'm finally ready to accept that, though I hate that she died in such pain. But I also loved the Kara Thrace who came back to us, even if she hasn't felt like herself all season. If it walks and talks like a Kara, I'm going to love it regardless. It's strange how we don't see her face during the Raptor scenes; the shots could've easily been framed to include her. Same with those scenes on the Demetrius, when she seemed otherworldly and almost always in shadow. She has seemed so close to who she was before, but not quite there, as if she was playing a role but flubbing a few of the lines. Her heart was all over the place: she was such a genuine friend to Lee at a few points when he needed it, but she was also so brittle lost at other points. She had a mission, and then the rug was yanked out from under her. But, in a strange way, she also seemed to know herself much more than she did before, even if she had no idea who this person truly was. Once she returned from the Demetrius, she accepted things more readily, such as her failure to find Earth the first time, her corpse on the planet, Sam's braindeath, her lack of control over others, and the revelation that she had somehow died and returned. And then we learn that she is An Angel.
When her Viper exploded in “Maelstrom”, I was convinced that she was Aurora. The anvils fell all over the place. In that sense, this explanation shouldn't be a surprise. Maybe this part of the problem is as simple as giving her a name, an identity. Aurora, instead of an angel. One of the many problems with it is that the Aurora thing was so fascinating because it tied her to something larger, something specific. Accepting Kara/Aurora as one of the Gods or a Lord of Kobol sent here for a greater purpose is much easier to understand than her simply being a generic “angel” with no real foundation. Chalking it up to “God” just doesn't work for me. (Though, to be fair, I say this as an agnostic, so I don't have that sense of the Greatness of God. Hell, I'm just going to ignore the whole God plotline, because I can't begin to explain any of it.)
Destiny is, of course, another problem. Yes, she was instrumental in guiding them to Earth, which is a huge accomplishment on its own. She essentially saved humanity. I am so very proud of her for that. But it feels too much like she was there to serve the ending, rather than the fate serving the character I love. In the flashbacks, she says, “If I have a fate, it's set. And thinking about it isn't going to make it happen any faster.” The show wants us to believe that this was in the works from the moment she was born, that destiny was something she could not escape. But that takes away all of Kara's free will, no matter if the woman who does execute it in the end isn't the same one who was born to Socrata and Dreilide all those years ago. It's an interesting dichotomy for Kara. On the one hand, she has always had a fatalistic streak: “It happened. What are you going to do - cry about it?” But she also insists that she's in charge of herself, and nobody is going to tell her what to do. Despite how fate is constructed in the show's universe, I prefer to think that it was more a case of the Gods seeing the future: this was always what Kara was meant to do, and her choices along the way are what led her to that point. Unfortunately, that's not how it played out onscreen.
Several people have ranted that Kara never received any recognition for her accomplishment. I agree, to a point. I never expected anyone to throw her a parade, nor would Kara want that. I have to believe that they did celebrate her in their own small (offscreen) ways. BUT. Gods, that's just so tragic for her. She has given her life over and over for humanity. And in the end she blinks out of existence without any cathartic resolution or even simply a few lines of dialogue about her. Her last scenes are almost entirely about someone else, even if those others are the people she loves. All we get is, “I just know that I am done here. I've completed my journey, and it feels good.” That's simply not enough for a character I love so, so dearly, who was the first person we ever saw on the ship in the miniseries and who has affected SO much of the show through her own actions and her effects on others. On a surface level, I can accept that she did something so amazing, and I never expected her to have a happy ending or even to live. But I just wanted more for her. When I saw the nameless remnants of humanity walking across the fields at the end, my selfish reaction was, “They all get to live, yet Kara has to die?” A huge, epic, tearjerking goodbye scene wouldn't be authentic for Kara Thrace, but she still deserves better than to go *poof* while Lee laughs about climbing mountains.
Ultimately, I'm going to just keep remembering that pained smile on her face as she listens to Lee, because that image is so very much my Kara.
Pilots: I guess that I'm just numb to it all, and that's one area where I can't come to terms with what happened onscreen. I've been watching this show since the fourth episode of season one, and while Kara has always been my singular focus, her relationship with Lee Adama was always a key part of that because it said so much about her as a person - and because it was just so fascinating and gorgeous and, yes, romantic. I never expected a happy ending, but I was always so utterly convinced that they would somehow end up together, if only in the last five minutes of the finale episode; hell, I'm pretty sure I can find quotes about that in LJ entries from years past. I sloughed away all the bad parts of the 'ship and found positive spins on the doomsaying because of course it would happen this way. It was the only ending that made sense. So, this ending feels like a “screw you” to four seasons of history. I can accept how their relationship shifted in S4 from a passionate, often-destructive love story to this too-tepid platonic love/friendship. But still! Hell, their last scene played as if she was saying, “It's been fun. See ya later.” And no way would Lee just shrug and say a wistful, “Goodbye.” That's ridiculous and patently inauthentic to the narrative that had been constructed up to that point. Even if RDM chose not to play the love affair at the end, then a simple “I love you” and/or a textual acknowledgement of the love they shared would've gone a long way before she disappeared. And this storyline was far too important to leave me saying, “If only.”
Several friends have suggested that the last scene was meant to show Kara at peace with her fate and that she stayed around long enough to make sure the ones she loved would be okay. That she finally disappeared when she saw that Lee was happy. That the shift from romance to friendship was her way of setting him free. While I don't wholly agree with that interpretation, I almost have to believe it because the alternative is just so tragic and infuriating.
Another big frustration for me is that although I'm a Kara girl first and foremost and find value in all her relationships, I do love writing Kara/Lee fic. So where does that leave me? I have no idea, and that doesn't help with my grieving process. Sigh. I've already read quite a few lovely post-eps that magically resurrect Kara or show Lee coming to terms with her death in a much more authentic way than what happened onscreen, so I probably won't write that as well. A friend mentioned that at least a week or two has passed between when they land on Earth and Kara's disappearance, which leaves me some wiggle-room for fic about her setting him up for her fate. Maybe I'll try that. I also considered an idea in which the Gods allow her to return, but they mentally bring her back to where she was in “Maelstrom”, thus setting her up for having to deal with all that fallout again. (And, strangely enough, those flashbacks have me wanting to get back to the Kara POV version of the “Decline and Fall” universe, which I abandoned because I couldn't get it to work.) Hmm. I don't know what I'll do. It's just so sad for me because fanfic has always been one of the strongest - and most enjoyable - ways that I respond to the show itself, but now I feel like that has been taken away.
The Battle: I'll admit that my eyes glazed over during much of the battle sequence. While that type of thing has never interested me, many fans are really into the guns 'n spaceships blowing shit up. Fine, whatever. This type of show always has one last grand battle. Adama's line about throwing rocks is apt. They had nothing else left. Go out in glory or die trying. The storyline had many significant problems. They charged into the Colony and retrieved Hera far too easily, if we're meant to assume that this massive ship is full of Centurions and Skinjobs. We were thrown into the plot without much context or explanation. It should definitely have been planned better by the writers. But I suppose they had painted themselves into a corner. Something had to give. They didn't have many other options, and while the denouement felt too simple, it might've been the only way to frame it within a two-hour finale.
We have gotten many answers over the course of the season, which is a good thing. Well, aside from the glaring issue of what the hell happened to Kara Thrace. While I can buy RDM's apology that Daniel was never meant to be more than a one-off line, having him be Dreilide would've been such a good way to give more weight to Kara's resurrection and background. Sigh. Anyway. I'm going to come out and say it: I loved the Opera House. Was it cheesy and convenient? Did it reek of Eau de Retcon? Sure. But as I watched it, I said aloud, “Oooh, the Galactica is the Opera House! This is awesome!” That sense of wonder is what I want from the show, even if my need for it makes me accept things I shouldn't. I think that this choice was the best way for it to play out. It gave a grander scope to what would've otherwise been tedious scenes of various characters playing chase-the-toddler. Plus, the OH has always been part of the show's religious themes. By that token, using it any other way would've sent the episode even further into the mysticism that was already hard to palate with the whole “Let's all chalk it up to God” explanation. I like the idea of it as a prophecy: that the Gods always knew that the potential end of humanity would play out as searching for a little girl. And, on a more simplistic level, it brought Roslin into the storyline in a key way that a woman barely breathing from cancer would otherwise not be able to do. Those scenes had so much weight to them that they seemed to elevate what could've easily been prosaic and silly.
And now we come to Baltar's speech about God and choices and blah blah whatever. I honestly don't really care enough to get angry about it. Same thing with Tyrol totally frakking it all up via his need for vengeance. Whatever. I did like that Tigh, of all people, offered resurrection to Cavil, given that he has always been so pragmatic. I also loved the shot of the four of them up on the balcony with Sam, mirroring those creepy-but-gorgeous shots of the Final Five in the Opera House.
Which brings me to Sam and Earth. I wish I could be more angry about his fate, and I say this as someone who really does adore the character, even if I'm not a huge K/S shipper. (I like their relationship and believe they genuinely loved each other; I just prefer her with Lee. :) I guess I always expected him to die; even back in New Caprica, I was certain that he wouldn't recover from that pneumonia, and there were so many times throughout the series where he was a scapegoat, a catalyst instead of a character in his own right and with his own agency. Poor guy. They didn't always treat him well... but I think they did him justice in the last few episodes. While it was painful to see Sam just lying there (especially given the real-life reasons), he went from just an ordinary guy to something greater than himself. Yes, the hybridization took away his free will. Yes, the “perfection” flashback was shoehorned in. But it's just so lovely, in my opinion, to see this man become an integral part of the show's universe, the one who guided them into the sun.
Yes, I loved the music. I loved the Opera House. I loved the hokey, retconned, what-the-fuckery explanations behind it all. And I loved that sequence of Kara's life/death flashing before her eyes as this hotshot viper jock changed music into numbers and took them to Earth.
Earth: This choice works for me, albeit with some serious reservations. (That should be my theme for this post.) I truly expected this series to end with epic tragedy, and for me the shot of the ship panning up from the moon to show Earth was a kind of emotional catharsis. Maybe things would work out after all. Of course, now I can see the huge problems with that resolution. So, they fight and frak and die only to be brought to this prehistoric Earth where they will most likely die off altogether in a couple of generations? Lovely. It's more of a curse than a benediction. I guess that if I'm going to come to terms with the episode, I have to take this part at face value and chalk up the problems to narrative construct, even if it means ignoring most of what has been set up throughout the series - in other words, look at this specific place and time. Just as a way to explain it to myself. Otherwise, my brain will probably melt down from frustration and anger!
As a fleet, their options are limited. The ship is falling apart. They've been searching for a habitable planet, and some (stupid) miracle presents one at their feet. This is it. Nowhere else to go. They have to make the best of it, because anything else means game over. Roll the hard six, etc. However, that doesn't ameliorate the bizarre choice to abandon civilization and spread out over the planet; I suspect RDM made that choice as an easy setup for his “Look! It's happening again 150,000 years in the future!” Sigh. Whatever the case, this is the choice they made in this (stupid) narrative. They make a point of referencing Sam's flashback comments about “the perfection of creation”. As the opening credits used to remind us, the Cylons were created by man. They were designed to make life on the twelve colonies easier, using technology as a way to bring us closer to an easier, more perfect life. And look where it got them. If the adage that “all this has happened before, and it will happen again” is true, then here is the chance to slough away technology and break the cycle. I still don't even remotely buy that Lee Adama would be the one to suggest it, but I suppose I have to reluctantly set that aside. When someone mentions the prophecy, he replies, “Not this time.... Our brains have always outraced our heart. Our science charges ahead. Our souls have always lagged behind.” At this point, they've been on the planet long enough to set up camp and send out scouting parties, so I have to assume that they're fully aware of the living conditions. And it's a beautiful planet. The answers to all their prayers. They're flush with optimism, almost blind to everything else as a coping mechanism after thinking that they were done for. Technology has been their curse and salvation for so long, but why not seize upon the chance to start over on a perfect planet? It's the same type of thinking that got them to New Caprica - which might not have turned out so badly were it not for some very bad decisions by those in charge (especially Baltar.)
It's frustrating, though, because we have the benefit of hindsight. We know that they are doomed as a splintered civilization without the means to use technology to better their situation. All the human know-how and farming skills won't get them very far. Not to mention the issue of having to “civilize” the primitive tribes. Ugh. Plus, there's something tragic about a great civilization that spanned twelve planets being brought to bones and dust because of their own idealism. I really dislike the choice knowing what I do, but I can understand it. As I've said too many times tonight, it's definitely not what I would want or even expect for them if things had gone differently over the course of the season, but I think I can live with it.
Random Thoughts
I love the goodbye scene between Roslin and Cottle. Unlike many of the other goodbyes (sigh), it respects and celebrates the characters and their particular bond. I also loved the “goodnight, moon” feel of the final roll call over the loudspeakers. I'm a bit iffier about Roslin's place in it. Granted, she would want to feel a part of the action, and they couldn't exactly just have her in a sickbed throughout the series finale. But she's all but on death's door, yet they expect her to be She Who Wields a Sharpie in sick bay during a very intense battle? Not to mention having a dying woman be the one to choose who lives or dies.
When the basestar's hybrid's face broke out into a beatific smile once the link was established, I became a Basestar!Hybrid/Sam!Hybrid 'shipper. ;) They can lie in their tubs of goo and be all mystical and make beautiful brainsalad together. And while I'm at it, I like seeing little bits of Sam come through in his babble, but “You betcha, Galen” was too cheesy. Maybe they should've just dropped the “betcha”.
Another moment of cheesiness: Baltar saying, “I'll just take the girl”, to which Cavil growls, “Not a chance.”
Good dialogue, though: gotta love Kara snarking, “Can we not tell her the plan?”
Admiral Hoshi is a good thing. They needed a sympathetic character who wasn't going on the mission and who could plausibly become Admiral. President Lampkin is not a good thing. Ugh. Setting aside the fact that he ain't exactly the most popular (or mentally stable) guy in the fleet, there were many other familiar-but-tangential characters who could've filled the role. (And yes, this is partly my own bias talking, because I am not a Romo fan.)
Almost everyone looked great in the episode. Mostly. I'm one of the few who loves Lee's longer hair. He looks fabulous there on Earth, with his tousled curls and stubble. Mmm. But good lord, could they have pretty please just kept the helmet on his head during the Basestar attack? That wig was dreadful.
I know that the Dead Helo fakeout was meant to give an emotional payoff when we see him with Hera at the end. Fine. But although I do like Helo, I was GLAD to see him apparently bleeding out in that corridor, having sacrificed himself for his daughter and humanity as a whole. A huge battle like this would have significant casualties, and this show should've had the guts to go there instead of playing a “gotcha”.
In fact, I'm almost disappointed that the battle ended without any real casualties... except for Galactica herself. (Okay, and nearly the entire Cylon race.) When the camera zoomed out on the ship post-jump, my heart skipped a beat at the sight of it jangling around, this close to falling apart at the seams. That has been a theme all season, yes, but it was still so sad. I went into the finale fully expecting fiery deaths for nearly everyone involved; a story like BSG doesn't end happily, right? Seeing the ship like that was a bittersweet confirmation of my expectations... until I glanced at the TiVo and saw that we still had 45 minutes left.
I like that Adama says, “The piloting will be done by Mr. Anders.” Something about the “mister” just feels so poignant.
I also liked the way the ships jumping into Earth's orbit mirrored that lovely bit in “Revelations”; wasn't the music also the same?
As I've mentioned before, I was in Vancouver in mid-June of last year. Because of where I was staying, we happened to drive past the studios several times, and yeah, I got a giddy thrill from seeing all the trailers parked outside. On Monday morning, though, they were all gone, and a friend dropped a small spoiler that the crew had headed up to Kamloops. I had absolutely no idea how that would fit into the finale; I'd assumed it would have to do with the algae planet, but that didn't make any sense. So, it's fun for me to remember that as I watch the episode.
Oh, and while I've never seen any photos of Kamloops, did they have to CGI-away all the mountains? Was that small grove of cypress trees also thanks to CGI? Either way, it looks like a gorgeous place.
Also, I am so glad that the show finally looked gorgeous in hi-definition. Sure, it has (supposedly) always been broadcast in HD, but previous seasons were somewhat grainy despite the HD cameras. In S4.5, though, everything was crystal-clear and beautiful. Well, as beautiful as this show can be.
Baltar says, “And that's it? That's all God wants of us?”, to which Head!Six replies, “God's plan is never complete. But I think it's safe to say that from now on, your lives will be less … eventful.” Reminds me of the old proverb of being cursed to live in interesting times.
One silly thing I noticed in the flashback of Lee and the stupid bird: there's a black chair-like thing barely visible outside his front door. Did Lee Adama have a porch swing?
The last five minutes are still so ridiculous and ham-fisted that I haven't even rewatched them since the original broadcast. As far as I'm concerned, the episode ended with Hera running through the fields. And a part of me wants to just end the entire series with Lee staring at the space where Kara Thrace once belonged, because that's where my heart is. Alas.
So. Where do I stand now? I have no idea. Yes, my initial reaction to the finale was that I was “okay” with it, even peaceful. It gave me a sense of closure … that evaporated once I really thought about it and read some truly excellent rants about how awful it was. At several points on Saturday, I couldn't stop crying or grinding my teeth at how spectacularly it failed to do justice to my Kara and my Pilots and my show. A rollercoaster of emotion over the past five days, to say the least! I'm still not quite back to my earlier state of Zen Fandom, but I'm coming to terms with it. Maybe I'm just an apologist! Maybe I just need to ignore the final episode and mentally construct my own. If that's what it takes for me to cope, then I can live with that. I've spent the past four years utterly obsessed with this show. It brought me Kara Thrace, whom I love almost unconditionally. It brought me so many friends that I treasure dearly, and it led me to start writing (ridiculously long) meta, whereas in the past I'd just read what others said. And now it's over. The finale has tainted many of my former assumptions and interpretations. I'm so sad that it went out on a low note, when four years of this show deserved something better. But, in my opinion, the “low note” isn't a make-or-break for me. I still treasure this show and everything it brought to me, and I'm so glad that I took a chance and watched it back in January 2005.
Over and out. Much love to everyone who suffered through chose to read this! :)
I feel like I'm going through the full Kubler-Ross spectrum.
Denial: Oh, that didn't just happen! No! Kara has to die while these other people get to live?
Anger: … the fuck? I spent much of Saturday and Sunday alternating between tears and bitterness.
Bargaining: How the hell can I fix this via fic?
Sadness: All my joy in the show is gone. I can't bear to even look at it. I just don't give a damn anymore.
Acceptance: Okay, I think I can finally rewatch it. If nothing else, I can just ignore the finale because I've loved the overall show so much.
That's where I am now - well, the rewatching part. Still haven't accepted many things about it, though. Since then, I haven't listened to the podcast or read much meta on my flist, so I'm probably echoing things that have been said elsewhere much more eloquently. Apologies if I step on any toes!
I think my style of meta comes from when I was an English major back at university (and I know that few other English majors are like this). I tend to take the text presented to me and analyze what it all might mean. I have a hard time making value judgments or even forming hard opinions of whether I liked or disliked something. That's not necessarily a good thing! I wish I could be more critical and didn't always take the text at face value. So, I've been really interested to read all the reactions to the finale. They have certainly opened my eyes to some serious problems that I hadn't noticed upon first glance. Didn't look deeply enough, I guess. And yes, there are some huge issues with the finale's characterization, themes, and simply the plot. taragel, for one, has a very thorough list of her problems with what happened, and I agree with many of her rants. I guess I'm saying all this as a disclaimer: I'm not about to be an apologist for all of those rage-inducing problems. I'm just trying to make sense of the text we were given. ;)
Whew. Enough meta-wankery!
Flashbacks
Overall, I liked the flashbacks, with some serious misgivings that I'll talk about below. I love that establishing shot of Caprica City, lit in neon and gleaming glass/metal that reminds me of tourist brochure photographs of some Asian cities. Granted, the idea that all these characters just happened to be in that city on this one particular night is a bit much to accept, but I'll allow the dramatic license. If the flashbacks are meant to show “the” most significant moments in the main characters' lives, then I can't decide whether that holds water. Overall, I suppose they work due to narrative economy, even if many of the choices are very, very frustrating.
Kara, Lee, and Zak: So, so very frustrating because I loved their flashbacks up until that ridiculous and out-of-character final scene. While I adore Academy!Pilots, I never really bought into the dynamic that had become fanon. (Though, I swear, the parallels with elzed and elly427's “Decline and Fall” universe are uncanny.) I like that the two of them met over wine and dinner that a strangely-domestic Kara prepared. That they got drunk and silly while talking about life and death and politics, plus a bit of tension over the Adama family drama. That Zak laughs and says of his brother, “Beneath that romantic exterior lies the heart of a true cynic.” I can easily see this Lee sliding into the one we meet in the Miniseries, embittered for many reasons that have Zak's death as a focal point but don't begin or end there. I love Kara as semi-sweet and silly and clearly in love, but with enough of an edge to become the woman we know now; granted, her childhood was hell, but I can believe she would seize upon this lifestyle thinking that she can be normal, only to slide into self-destruction when she makes a horrible mistake. Granted, it's only one night, but it's such a fascinating glimpse into who they were back when they didn't have such heavy weights on their shoulders.
And then RDM had to go and frak it all up by overthinking. The flashbacks were apparently meant to show that Lee fell at first sight for this woman whom he could never truly have, and that this strong attraction between them often caused others pain. Fine, I can deal with that, even if it's not the way I see their relationship. (Yes, Ron, we get it.) But if that was the intent, then the same effect could easily have been achieved by deleting that last scene of them making out on the table; the point had already been made, except Ron just had to push it that much further into an area that simply does not make sense for them or even the relationship that has been established over the past four seasons. (I really dislike them kissing, as it negates the slow build of their love affair and the way they realize and deal with it through “Unfinished Business”. So much for Kara's leegasm and Lee's surprised “Did I just kiss her?” in “Home”. Grr.) Instead, we get what amounts to character destruction - Kara and Lee are libidinous, amoral cheaters! - in the name of hammering home a point - Kara could never be his! And thus the loveliness of the previous scenes is gone. Should've quit while you were ahead, RDM.
Adama and the Tighs: Strip club? Yuck. I can see two career soldiers doing that to celebrate retirement, though. Just wish we hadn't seen him vomiting; realism is nice, but please. I liked the dynamic between Ellen and Saul, though it's obviously retcon; how would they get from that to him burning her photo in the Mini? Adama's obstinacy isn't very surprising. He has often had an “either your for me or against me?” attitude when questioned like this. He demands to be taken at his word, which makes sense except that he changes that word and attitude far too often, especially when it comes to relationships with other people. Ah, well.
Roslin: Sometimes even the smallest, most random things can push us over the edge. I don't like that her arc here boiled down to, “Her family got killed, she frakked a former student, and then joined the campaign.” I can see where her mind would progress that way, though. Three months after her father and sisters have been killed, she's not holding up well, nor should she be expected to be all right. I'm assuming that her mother was either close to the cancer diagnosis (the timeline is fuzzy in my brain) or had already died. She has a nice and apparently lucrative career in education, skirting the edges of politics. Then she meets this young man who is quite interested in her, but he's a relic of her past that makes her suddenly feel old. I'd assumed in the earlier flashbacks that she was in her late '30s, but if she taught Sean in kindergarten, then that's a big leap. Hell, I am in my thirties, and I still have a hard time dealing with the fact that my students when I first started teaching are now college graduates! But I digress. It's not so much that her mental equation is “This man makes me feel old = I must now work for Adar's campaign” as it is her needing to walk off the path she has been on, which suddenly feels like it's smothering her. As with many things on this show, Sean is a catalyst rather than a cause. And sometimes that's the way life works, even if it seems frustratingly random at the time.
Boomer: Ugh. Very uncomfortable to watch. I must say that my initial reaction to her saying, “I'll pay you back someday, when it really means something” was “Oh, by pumping two bullets into his chest?” Whether or not his intentions are pure, Adama really, really sucks at the Tough Love thing. He laughs at Boomer. He tells Lee to suck it up and deal. He shoves Kara and all but says she's dead to him. Tough Love can work sometimes, yes, but only when the person on the receiving end can see the genuine care behind it. That's just not evident in his scenes throughout the series. As for Boomer herself... aside from Adama and Tigh's obnoxiousness, I completely buy into her here. It's all about choices and their repercussions, and it underscores just how these small little things can change the course of history. What if Boomer had washed out? Much of the Cylons' plan would've fallen apart.
Plot and Themes
Kara and Destiny: The Kara Thrace I fell in love with died in “Maelstrom”. I'm finally ready to accept that, though I hate that she died in such pain. But I also loved the Kara Thrace who came back to us, even if she hasn't felt like herself all season. If it walks and talks like a Kara, I'm going to love it regardless. It's strange how we don't see her face during the Raptor scenes; the shots could've easily been framed to include her. Same with those scenes on the Demetrius, when she seemed otherworldly and almost always in shadow. She has seemed so close to who she was before, but not quite there, as if she was playing a role but flubbing a few of the lines. Her heart was all over the place: she was such a genuine friend to Lee at a few points when he needed it, but she was also so brittle lost at other points. She had a mission, and then the rug was yanked out from under her. But, in a strange way, she also seemed to know herself much more than she did before, even if she had no idea who this person truly was. Once she returned from the Demetrius, she accepted things more readily, such as her failure to find Earth the first time, her corpse on the planet, Sam's braindeath, her lack of control over others, and the revelation that she had somehow died and returned. And then we learn that she is An Angel.
When her Viper exploded in “Maelstrom”, I was convinced that she was Aurora. The anvils fell all over the place. In that sense, this explanation shouldn't be a surprise. Maybe this part of the problem is as simple as giving her a name, an identity. Aurora, instead of an angel. One of the many problems with it is that the Aurora thing was so fascinating because it tied her to something larger, something specific. Accepting Kara/Aurora as one of the Gods or a Lord of Kobol sent here for a greater purpose is much easier to understand than her simply being a generic “angel” with no real foundation. Chalking it up to “God” just doesn't work for me. (Though, to be fair, I say this as an agnostic, so I don't have that sense of the Greatness of God. Hell, I'm just going to ignore the whole God plotline, because I can't begin to explain any of it.)
Destiny is, of course, another problem. Yes, she was instrumental in guiding them to Earth, which is a huge accomplishment on its own. She essentially saved humanity. I am so very proud of her for that. But it feels too much like she was there to serve the ending, rather than the fate serving the character I love. In the flashbacks, she says, “If I have a fate, it's set. And thinking about it isn't going to make it happen any faster.” The show wants us to believe that this was in the works from the moment she was born, that destiny was something she could not escape. But that takes away all of Kara's free will, no matter if the woman who does execute it in the end isn't the same one who was born to Socrata and Dreilide all those years ago. It's an interesting dichotomy for Kara. On the one hand, she has always had a fatalistic streak: “It happened. What are you going to do - cry about it?” But she also insists that she's in charge of herself, and nobody is going to tell her what to do. Despite how fate is constructed in the show's universe, I prefer to think that it was more a case of the Gods seeing the future: this was always what Kara was meant to do, and her choices along the way are what led her to that point. Unfortunately, that's not how it played out onscreen.
Several people have ranted that Kara never received any recognition for her accomplishment. I agree, to a point. I never expected anyone to throw her a parade, nor would Kara want that. I have to believe that they did celebrate her in their own small (offscreen) ways. BUT. Gods, that's just so tragic for her. She has given her life over and over for humanity. And in the end she blinks out of existence without any cathartic resolution or even simply a few lines of dialogue about her. Her last scenes are almost entirely about someone else, even if those others are the people she loves. All we get is, “I just know that I am done here. I've completed my journey, and it feels good.” That's simply not enough for a character I love so, so dearly, who was the first person we ever saw on the ship in the miniseries and who has affected SO much of the show through her own actions and her effects on others. On a surface level, I can accept that she did something so amazing, and I never expected her to have a happy ending or even to live. But I just wanted more for her. When I saw the nameless remnants of humanity walking across the fields at the end, my selfish reaction was, “They all get to live, yet Kara has to die?” A huge, epic, tearjerking goodbye scene wouldn't be authentic for Kara Thrace, but she still deserves better than to go *poof* while Lee laughs about climbing mountains.
Ultimately, I'm going to just keep remembering that pained smile on her face as she listens to Lee, because that image is so very much my Kara.
Pilots: I guess that I'm just numb to it all, and that's one area where I can't come to terms with what happened onscreen. I've been watching this show since the fourth episode of season one, and while Kara has always been my singular focus, her relationship with Lee Adama was always a key part of that because it said so much about her as a person - and because it was just so fascinating and gorgeous and, yes, romantic. I never expected a happy ending, but I was always so utterly convinced that they would somehow end up together, if only in the last five minutes of the finale episode; hell, I'm pretty sure I can find quotes about that in LJ entries from years past. I sloughed away all the bad parts of the 'ship and found positive spins on the doomsaying because of course it would happen this way. It was the only ending that made sense. So, this ending feels like a “screw you” to four seasons of history. I can accept how their relationship shifted in S4 from a passionate, often-destructive love story to this too-tepid platonic love/friendship. But still! Hell, their last scene played as if she was saying, “It's been fun. See ya later.” And no way would Lee just shrug and say a wistful, “Goodbye.” That's ridiculous and patently inauthentic to the narrative that had been constructed up to that point. Even if RDM chose not to play the love affair at the end, then a simple “I love you” and/or a textual acknowledgement of the love they shared would've gone a long way before she disappeared. And this storyline was far too important to leave me saying, “If only.”
Several friends have suggested that the last scene was meant to show Kara at peace with her fate and that she stayed around long enough to make sure the ones she loved would be okay. That she finally disappeared when she saw that Lee was happy. That the shift from romance to friendship was her way of setting him free. While I don't wholly agree with that interpretation, I almost have to believe it because the alternative is just so tragic and infuriating.
Another big frustration for me is that although I'm a Kara girl first and foremost and find value in all her relationships, I do love writing Kara/Lee fic. So where does that leave me? I have no idea, and that doesn't help with my grieving process. Sigh. I've already read quite a few lovely post-eps that magically resurrect Kara or show Lee coming to terms with her death in a much more authentic way than what happened onscreen, so I probably won't write that as well. A friend mentioned that at least a week or two has passed between when they land on Earth and Kara's disappearance, which leaves me some wiggle-room for fic about her setting him up for her fate. Maybe I'll try that. I also considered an idea in which the Gods allow her to return, but they mentally bring her back to where she was in “Maelstrom”, thus setting her up for having to deal with all that fallout again. (And, strangely enough, those flashbacks have me wanting to get back to the Kara POV version of the “Decline and Fall” universe, which I abandoned because I couldn't get it to work.) Hmm. I don't know what I'll do. It's just so sad for me because fanfic has always been one of the strongest - and most enjoyable - ways that I respond to the show itself, but now I feel like that has been taken away.
The Battle: I'll admit that my eyes glazed over during much of the battle sequence. While that type of thing has never interested me, many fans are really into the guns 'n spaceships blowing shit up. Fine, whatever. This type of show always has one last grand battle. Adama's line about throwing rocks is apt. They had nothing else left. Go out in glory or die trying. The storyline had many significant problems. They charged into the Colony and retrieved Hera far too easily, if we're meant to assume that this massive ship is full of Centurions and Skinjobs. We were thrown into the plot without much context or explanation. It should definitely have been planned better by the writers. But I suppose they had painted themselves into a corner. Something had to give. They didn't have many other options, and while the denouement felt too simple, it might've been the only way to frame it within a two-hour finale.
We have gotten many answers over the course of the season, which is a good thing. Well, aside from the glaring issue of what the hell happened to Kara Thrace. While I can buy RDM's apology that Daniel was never meant to be more than a one-off line, having him be Dreilide would've been such a good way to give more weight to Kara's resurrection and background. Sigh. Anyway. I'm going to come out and say it: I loved the Opera House. Was it cheesy and convenient? Did it reek of Eau de Retcon? Sure. But as I watched it, I said aloud, “Oooh, the Galactica is the Opera House! This is awesome!” That sense of wonder is what I want from the show, even if my need for it makes me accept things I shouldn't. I think that this choice was the best way for it to play out. It gave a grander scope to what would've otherwise been tedious scenes of various characters playing chase-the-toddler. Plus, the OH has always been part of the show's religious themes. By that token, using it any other way would've sent the episode even further into the mysticism that was already hard to palate with the whole “Let's all chalk it up to God” explanation. I like the idea of it as a prophecy: that the Gods always knew that the potential end of humanity would play out as searching for a little girl. And, on a more simplistic level, it brought Roslin into the storyline in a key way that a woman barely breathing from cancer would otherwise not be able to do. Those scenes had so much weight to them that they seemed to elevate what could've easily been prosaic and silly.
And now we come to Baltar's speech about God and choices and blah blah whatever. I honestly don't really care enough to get angry about it. Same thing with Tyrol totally frakking it all up via his need for vengeance. Whatever. I did like that Tigh, of all people, offered resurrection to Cavil, given that he has always been so pragmatic. I also loved the shot of the four of them up on the balcony with Sam, mirroring those creepy-but-gorgeous shots of the Final Five in the Opera House.
Which brings me to Sam and Earth. I wish I could be more angry about his fate, and I say this as someone who really does adore the character, even if I'm not a huge K/S shipper. (I like their relationship and believe they genuinely loved each other; I just prefer her with Lee. :) I guess I always expected him to die; even back in New Caprica, I was certain that he wouldn't recover from that pneumonia, and there were so many times throughout the series where he was a scapegoat, a catalyst instead of a character in his own right and with his own agency. Poor guy. They didn't always treat him well... but I think they did him justice in the last few episodes. While it was painful to see Sam just lying there (especially given the real-life reasons), he went from just an ordinary guy to something greater than himself. Yes, the hybridization took away his free will. Yes, the “perfection” flashback was shoehorned in. But it's just so lovely, in my opinion, to see this man become an integral part of the show's universe, the one who guided them into the sun.
Yes, I loved the music. I loved the Opera House. I loved the hokey, retconned, what-the-fuckery explanations behind it all. And I loved that sequence of Kara's life/death flashing before her eyes as this hotshot viper jock changed music into numbers and took them to Earth.
Earth: This choice works for me, albeit with some serious reservations. (That should be my theme for this post.) I truly expected this series to end with epic tragedy, and for me the shot of the ship panning up from the moon to show Earth was a kind of emotional catharsis. Maybe things would work out after all. Of course, now I can see the huge problems with that resolution. So, they fight and frak and die only to be brought to this prehistoric Earth where they will most likely die off altogether in a couple of generations? Lovely. It's more of a curse than a benediction. I guess that if I'm going to come to terms with the episode, I have to take this part at face value and chalk up the problems to narrative construct, even if it means ignoring most of what has been set up throughout the series - in other words, look at this specific place and time. Just as a way to explain it to myself. Otherwise, my brain will probably melt down from frustration and anger!
As a fleet, their options are limited. The ship is falling apart. They've been searching for a habitable planet, and some (stupid) miracle presents one at their feet. This is it. Nowhere else to go. They have to make the best of it, because anything else means game over. Roll the hard six, etc. However, that doesn't ameliorate the bizarre choice to abandon civilization and spread out over the planet; I suspect RDM made that choice as an easy setup for his “Look! It's happening again 150,000 years in the future!” Sigh. Whatever the case, this is the choice they made in this (stupid) narrative. They make a point of referencing Sam's flashback comments about “the perfection of creation”. As the opening credits used to remind us, the Cylons were created by man. They were designed to make life on the twelve colonies easier, using technology as a way to bring us closer to an easier, more perfect life. And look where it got them. If the adage that “all this has happened before, and it will happen again” is true, then here is the chance to slough away technology and break the cycle. I still don't even remotely buy that Lee Adama would be the one to suggest it, but I suppose I have to reluctantly set that aside. When someone mentions the prophecy, he replies, “Not this time.... Our brains have always outraced our heart. Our science charges ahead. Our souls have always lagged behind.” At this point, they've been on the planet long enough to set up camp and send out scouting parties, so I have to assume that they're fully aware of the living conditions. And it's a beautiful planet. The answers to all their prayers. They're flush with optimism, almost blind to everything else as a coping mechanism after thinking that they were done for. Technology has been their curse and salvation for so long, but why not seize upon the chance to start over on a perfect planet? It's the same type of thinking that got them to New Caprica - which might not have turned out so badly were it not for some very bad decisions by those in charge (especially Baltar.)
It's frustrating, though, because we have the benefit of hindsight. We know that they are doomed as a splintered civilization without the means to use technology to better their situation. All the human know-how and farming skills won't get them very far. Not to mention the issue of having to “civilize” the primitive tribes. Ugh. Plus, there's something tragic about a great civilization that spanned twelve planets being brought to bones and dust because of their own idealism. I really dislike the choice knowing what I do, but I can understand it. As I've said too many times tonight, it's definitely not what I would want or even expect for them if things had gone differently over the course of the season, but I think I can live with it.
Random Thoughts
I love the goodbye scene between Roslin and Cottle. Unlike many of the other goodbyes (sigh), it respects and celebrates the characters and their particular bond. I also loved the “goodnight, moon” feel of the final roll call over the loudspeakers. I'm a bit iffier about Roslin's place in it. Granted, she would want to feel a part of the action, and they couldn't exactly just have her in a sickbed throughout the series finale. But she's all but on death's door, yet they expect her to be She Who Wields a Sharpie in sick bay during a very intense battle? Not to mention having a dying woman be the one to choose who lives or dies.
When the basestar's hybrid's face broke out into a beatific smile once the link was established, I became a Basestar!Hybrid/Sam!Hybrid 'shipper. ;) They can lie in their tubs of goo and be all mystical and make beautiful brainsalad together. And while I'm at it, I like seeing little bits of Sam come through in his babble, but “You betcha, Galen” was too cheesy. Maybe they should've just dropped the “betcha”.
Another moment of cheesiness: Baltar saying, “I'll just take the girl”, to which Cavil growls, “Not a chance.”
Good dialogue, though: gotta love Kara snarking, “Can we not tell her the plan?”
Admiral Hoshi is a good thing. They needed a sympathetic character who wasn't going on the mission and who could plausibly become Admiral. President Lampkin is not a good thing. Ugh. Setting aside the fact that he ain't exactly the most popular (or mentally stable) guy in the fleet, there were many other familiar-but-tangential characters who could've filled the role. (And yes, this is partly my own bias talking, because I am not a Romo fan.)
Almost everyone looked great in the episode. Mostly. I'm one of the few who loves Lee's longer hair. He looks fabulous there on Earth, with his tousled curls and stubble. Mmm. But good lord, could they have pretty please just kept the helmet on his head during the Basestar attack? That wig was dreadful.
I know that the Dead Helo fakeout was meant to give an emotional payoff when we see him with Hera at the end. Fine. But although I do like Helo, I was GLAD to see him apparently bleeding out in that corridor, having sacrificed himself for his daughter and humanity as a whole. A huge battle like this would have significant casualties, and this show should've had the guts to go there instead of playing a “gotcha”.
In fact, I'm almost disappointed that the battle ended without any real casualties... except for Galactica herself. (Okay, and nearly the entire Cylon race.) When the camera zoomed out on the ship post-jump, my heart skipped a beat at the sight of it jangling around, this close to falling apart at the seams. That has been a theme all season, yes, but it was still so sad. I went into the finale fully expecting fiery deaths for nearly everyone involved; a story like BSG doesn't end happily, right? Seeing the ship like that was a bittersweet confirmation of my expectations... until I glanced at the TiVo and saw that we still had 45 minutes left.
I like that Adama says, “The piloting will be done by Mr. Anders.” Something about the “mister” just feels so poignant.
I also liked the way the ships jumping into Earth's orbit mirrored that lovely bit in “Revelations”; wasn't the music also the same?
As I've mentioned before, I was in Vancouver in mid-June of last year. Because of where I was staying, we happened to drive past the studios several times, and yeah, I got a giddy thrill from seeing all the trailers parked outside. On Monday morning, though, they were all gone, and a friend dropped a small spoiler that the crew had headed up to Kamloops. I had absolutely no idea how that would fit into the finale; I'd assumed it would have to do with the algae planet, but that didn't make any sense. So, it's fun for me to remember that as I watch the episode.
Oh, and while I've never seen any photos of Kamloops, did they have to CGI-away all the mountains? Was that small grove of cypress trees also thanks to CGI? Either way, it looks like a gorgeous place.
Also, I am so glad that the show finally looked gorgeous in hi-definition. Sure, it has (supposedly) always been broadcast in HD, but previous seasons were somewhat grainy despite the HD cameras. In S4.5, though, everything was crystal-clear and beautiful. Well, as beautiful as this show can be.
Baltar says, “And that's it? That's all God wants of us?”, to which Head!Six replies, “God's plan is never complete. But I think it's safe to say that from now on, your lives will be less … eventful.” Reminds me of the old proverb of being cursed to live in interesting times.
One silly thing I noticed in the flashback of Lee and the stupid bird: there's a black chair-like thing barely visible outside his front door. Did Lee Adama have a porch swing?
The last five minutes are still so ridiculous and ham-fisted that I haven't even rewatched them since the original broadcast. As far as I'm concerned, the episode ended with Hera running through the fields. And a part of me wants to just end the entire series with Lee staring at the space where Kara Thrace once belonged, because that's where my heart is. Alas.
So. Where do I stand now? I have no idea. Yes, my initial reaction to the finale was that I was “okay” with it, even peaceful. It gave me a sense of closure … that evaporated once I really thought about it and read some truly excellent rants about how awful it was. At several points on Saturday, I couldn't stop crying or grinding my teeth at how spectacularly it failed to do justice to my Kara and my Pilots and my show. A rollercoaster of emotion over the past five days, to say the least! I'm still not quite back to my earlier state of Zen Fandom, but I'm coming to terms with it. Maybe I'm just an apologist! Maybe I just need to ignore the final episode and mentally construct my own. If that's what it takes for me to cope, then I can live with that. I've spent the past four years utterly obsessed with this show. It brought me Kara Thrace, whom I love almost unconditionally. It brought me so many friends that I treasure dearly, and it led me to start writing (ridiculously long) meta, whereas in the past I'd just read what others said. And now it's over. The finale has tainted many of my former assumptions and interpretations. I'm so sad that it went out on a low note, when four years of this show deserved something better. But, in my opinion, the “low note” isn't a make-or-break for me. I still treasure this show and everything it brought to me, and I'm so glad that I took a chance and watched it back in January 2005.
Over and out. Much love to everyone who suffered through chose to read this! :)