Rent Battlestar Galactica: Series 5 (2009)

Battlestar Galactica: Series 5 review by Mark McPherson - Cinema Paradiso

The finale to Battlestar Galactica had to be a nerve-wracking experience in terms of penning the final few episodes. Think about it; this was Sci-Fi Channel’s hit show that drew a massive crowd and needed to bring it home in a big way. Showrunner Ronald D. Moore is no stranger to tackling science fiction, having worked on a number of series, and came to a simple method about how to wrap up the show. According to Moore, he wrote on a board the words that essentially amounted to “it’s about the characters, idiot.” And that’s exactly what the final season is about, for better or worse.

The very first episode finds the Galactica crew at their lowest point. They’ve just arrived on the Earth they thought would be home but found nothing. All that awaited them was a desolate world that is completely uninhabitable. A lot happens in this opening episode. Roslin loses all hope, burning the books that she thought would lead them to salvation. A key pilot, unsure she’ll ever find happiness again, commits suicide. One Cylon aligning with the fleets grows lethargic at seeing how war merely devastated another planet, deciding to stay behind and accept the cards that fate has dealt her. And, as if all that weren’t enough, we learn of the existence of the final Cylon among the Fleet and it’s perhaps one of the most unexpected characters.

As hope dwindles, some of the characters decide to stage a coup and take over the fleet, leading to Adama and Tigh feeling overpowered and outnumbered by those desperate for new leadership. The coup is bloody and bitter, where even the resolve of maintaining order leaves the Fleet more conflicted than ever before.

Edward James Olmos really stands out in this season for a commander who is finding it hard to keep up his stern approach. Throughout this season, he starts noticing that the Galactica is getting old and can’t keep up the fight. This aspect has been going on for some time but it becomes all the more apparent when he starts noticing cracks on the walls in his quarters. He tries to paint over them, to fix or hide the problem. It doesn’t work. He keeps painting and painting but it does no good. He can’t do this forever. The Galactica can’t do this forever. Realizing how fleeting their time is to find a new home, Adama breaks down in tears and viciously attacks the wall with a brush before collapsing on the floor a mess.

All of this leads up to the three-part finale of Daybreak, where the allied Colonial Fleet and dissenting Cylons mount one final assault on the attacking Cylons before finally finding Earth. The finale is a mixed bag depending on what you desire from the show. Part One does a solid job wrapping up most of the key character arcs before readying themselves for combat. Part Two is the special effects showdown everyone had been waiting for, featuring a heavy assault by the Galactica on the massive Cylon base, complete with ramming-speed tactics and last-minute FTL jumps. Part Three is one of the most divisive episodes in the entire series for when the fleet finally finds the Earth that was foretold. This last episode wraps things up almost too neatly by the entire fleet making the controversial call to abandon technology and start over as humans who will give Earth a fair shot at civilization. It’s almost as maddening for some as the shocker for what happens with Starbuck in answering the question of her return.

For the longest time, I always talked about BSG as a show which you can fully enjoy if you ignore the final episode. Just get to Daybreak Part Two and then shut it off. Having rewatched this episode after so many years, however, I’m more of the opposite opinion. The many arcs that wrap up here come about quite beautifully. I was so blinded by the fan desires not being met by the final minutes that I almost completely forgot about the bittersweet and gorgeous resolve of Adama and Roslin. I fully recognize that the BSG finale is not going to meet everybody’s expectations but it mostly hit all the right buttons for me and kept the twists coming right up to the fantastic showdown. It’s a solid capper for Sci-Fi Channel’s strongest series.