Lay Down Your Burdens, Part 2

Okay, yes I know I already did a post about Battlestar Galactica, but its such a good show that I couldn't resist. Recently the show ran its second season finale, and we were totally floored.

I know that some of you are fans and have already seen it, iTunes downloads is making me want to buy a video iPod, and since some of you haven't so I wouldn't include any explicit spoilers. In some ways the finale was what I expected. We saw more get character development, some things we knew were coming and some things we weren't expected, especially the ending. Many shows feel it proper to end a season on a cliffhanger or to end a multi-episode story arch and then pick up a few months and/or years later. BSG's finale did all three in one episode. It ended a major story arch, in a way, it fast forwarded in time (okay minor spoiler) and it ended on a cliffhanger. Do I really have to wait until October to find out what happens next? Guess so, I now officially have a love/hate relationship with producer Ronald Moore.

The last season ended with Adama being shot and the Cylons on the offensive. It was an explosive finale that left us dying for more, and when season 2 began, it picked up right at that moment, the cliffhanger effected the next 7 episodes in the season. These guys know how to write a story, and now that they have the creative freedom they didn't on DS9, we are seeing really good stuff.

It has been said that we, as a species, define our reality by understanding suffering and pain. A perfect would not work with us. In the past sci-fi has always been happy and cheerful, replent with bright shining visions of the future. Star Trek and many sci-fi writings of the 30s and 40s are examples of this. Shows like Battlestar Galactica, and its predecessors, Deep Space Nine, Bablyon 5, Dr. Who, Farscape, are paving the way in this newer version of a more real future.