BSG is a great show—superb even—and awful. So if you’re watching it for the first time on DVD here is what I suggest: watch the first two seasons in their entirety. They’re great. In season three, watch through episode 42: Exodus Part 2. Then stop. Make up your own ending. Go rent something else. I hear Mad Men is good.

You’re still here? Fine. Just come by later so I can say I told you so.

If you continue, you’ll have to decide if you’re going to slog through the remainder of season three, which was like watching reruns of General Hospital but with more love triangles and less action. I recommend skipping most of it, watch Crossroads 1 & 2 (the last episodes of the season), and then start season four. [SPOILER: The only important things we learn in season three are that there are five dormant and unknown Cylon models in the human fleet who know the way to Earth and that Apollo is almost certainly in denial about being homosexual.]

BSG jumped the shark at season three, episode 47: Unfinished Business. Worst. Episode. Ever. I watched it and kept thinking, “Ok, any second now…” But nothing happens. And it’s mostly down hill from there.

Which brings us to season four. Four was better than three if only because it was shorter and more focused. It too had almost no action. In some ways it’s like watching a sci-fi version of Plato’s dialogues. Remember how Neon Genesis Evangelion ended? It’s not quite there yet but, yah, it’s headed in that direction.

Honestly, just stop after Exodus. Up to that point, Battlestar Galactica was a fun, exciting, action-packed sci-fi drama. Even those “webisodes” were pretty good. But season three was frackin’ terrible and season four was disappointing at best.

Comments

1. christine on 2008-07-18 14:06:29 wrote: you are such a guy.

2. woo on 2008-07-18 23:35:55 wrote: in my mind, it hasn’t been good since they blew up pegasus. razor was good, too. ron moore decided to give the big f-u to fans during season 3…

3. Phil on 2008-07-22 16:43:36 wrote: I thought I was the only one who felt this way. Season 4 made me lose interest, which is weird because Seasons 1 & 2 actually rejuvenated my love of good storytelling on TV. It was like night and day, and all I could think was that the producers had their minds on other projects this past year.