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What on Earth: Battlestar, Lost finales
Battlestar Galactica: Edward James Olmos by Carole Segal/Sci Fi Channel Photo, Mary McDonnell by Carole Segal/Sci Fi Channel Photo
I’ve finally come back down to Earth—or more precisely, to the world of TV (after a few weeks abroad and way out of the loop)—and am thrilled to find the planet, for all of its problems, in better shape than the explorers of Battlestar Galactica did upon the conclusion of their long and arduous journey. A powerfully downbeat, and thus hardly out-of-character, wrap for the first half of the final season of one of TV’s all-time-greatest science-fiction dramas.
Because of my long absence, I had the rare experience of devouring Lost’s first-rate season finale (capping a wow of a comeback season) and the final awesome handful of Battlestar episodes within a 36-hour time span. My head is still reeling.
What strikes me about both of these shows is how, for all of the mind-blowing fantasy and murky geeky mythology and eternally unanswered (possibly unanswerable) questions, they are essentially grounded in such rich character and intense emotion. The passionate investment in these shows is unmatched by anything else I experience in my current TV diet.
Just to recap a few significant moments: Desmond’s rapturous reunion with his “constant” Penny upon the Lost castaways’ stage-managed rescue; Sawyer whispering into Kate’s ear before he selflessly jumps off the copter; Sun watching helplessly as her beloved Jin is swallowed up by the freighter explosion, presumed (for now) dead; the look on spectral Claire’s face as she dream-warns Kate not to take her son back to the island; Locke in the coffin (whoa); and that’s just Lost. On BSG, every single moment involving President Roslyn and her devoted Admiral Adama was Emmy magic (not that the voters are likely to notice). The epiphanies each experienced after Laura vanished aboard the constantly leaping baseship, culminating in the destruction of the resurrection hub and the outing of the four secret Cylons (and the resulting sense of betrayal among the stunned humans), provided all kinds of stirring drama. I’ll never forget that image of Bill Adama floating vigil in space, alone but for the book that binds him with Laura, as the rest of the fleet jumps away. “I can’t live without her,” he tells his son and interim president Apollo/Lee. When she returns to his arms, their simply stated reunion—“Love you.” “About time.”—couldn’t have been more rewarding.
Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell really brought their A-game to these episodes. Adama’s grief and self-disgust upon learning that his sidekick Tigh was a Cylon, leading (rather abruptly) with him cradled and weeping in his son’s arms, was masterfully played. So was McDonnell’s riveting ambivalence and cool inscrutability as she observes her own death during the baseship’s many jolting jumps, witnesses Baltar’s confession about his collusion with the Cylons (leading her to nearly let him die as he bleeds from his wounds, until her visions reconnect her with her humanity) and plays hardball with the newly vulnerable, but still implacable, Cylons. (Kudos as well to Lucy Lawless for her fierce work as the resurrected queen Cylon bitch Deanna.) Only with Adama does she let her guard and hair down. They’re a marvel to watch.
So where are we left until 2009? With Lost’s mystery island mysteriously vanished, moved into an alternate location or dimension by the all-knowing Ben, and the Oceanic Six on a mission to somehow return (with Locke’s body in tow); and on Battlestar Galactica, the humans and Cylons united in a fragile alliance as they survey the blasted radioactive landscape of the mythical planet they thought would be their salvation.
What (and where) on Earth, indeed. I wish I had access to a wormhole, or one of Lost’s time-space devices, so I could jump six or more months into the future to see what happens next on these marvelous shows. The suspense is killing me. Makes me glad to be back in front of the tube.
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Jun 14, 2008 3:25 PM
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Glad to have you back Matt. I've been curious as to your response to the Lost finale, which I too loved. And BSG... Whodathunk they'd have gotten to Earth already!?! And in such a state? Crazy.
I'm happy to see you as taken by great television as I am. I sometimes feel like a fool for falling for such high drama, but you make me feel less crazy, and that's always a good thing.
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Jun 15, 2008 3:18 AM
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Welcome back Matt. I missed you. But I'm glad you finally got to get AWAY and enjoy a vacation. And I trust you did!!
Agree about the fantasticmagorical ending of Lost. Anticipation abounds and I do hope Jin ISN'T dead and wonder what's in store for us next, but I'm sure I won't be disappointed.
Don't watch Battlestar. I have too many must see shows on my list, and tapes of them I haven't gotten to yet, but I have no complaint about what's on and have even gotten over (somewhat) the end of Moonlight.
Here's to more of your insightfull commentaries, and just touch, please, on WHERE in Europe you were. Thanks.
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Jun 15, 2008 9:38 AM
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Welcome back, Matt, you were sorely missed. I checked your column every day for the last two weeks in the hopes you'd come back early.
I don't watch BSG, either; I also have a long must-see list and have never been able to squeeze it in. I may just rent the previous season DVDs sometime to tune in on what I've been missing.
On to what's probably going to go down as my favorite show of all time, Lost. As I already commented on Trish's blog--Yunjin Kim = Emmy, at least a nomination if not an outright win. What an unbelievable performance--I'm again getting chills just thinking about it. My husband had to miss the original airing, so when I rewatched it with him I cried just as hard during her excellently portrayed freighter explosion scenes. Now we know why Jin's tombstone has the crash date as his date of death. I'm with everyone else who thinks that somehow Daniel will find Jin's unconscious body and bring him onto the Zodiac speedboat.
My favorite moments:
--Rose to Miles: "I'm watching you, Shorty."
--Miles to Charlotte: "What do I mean?" in reference to why she shouldn't leave the island. Great setup for next season, should be interesting.
--Locke's facial expression when watching the videotaped Dr. Halliwax saying not to place any metal objects inside the chamber, and Ben is doing precisely that.
--Sawyer. Shirtless. Enough said.
--Sawyer finding out about the freighter explosion. Looks like the islanders will think that Jack, Kate, & co. are dead, another great setup for next season.
And best of all:
--Desmond & Penny finally being reunited. Very well done scenes, excellent acting by all. That was the "kiss that stopped f---ing time", if you ask me.
Looking forward to seeing more of your columns now that you're back, Matt, especially on all the wonderful summer series (The Closer, Burn Notice) making a comeback.
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Jun 15, 2008 11:50 AM
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The most stunning moments to me of the Lost and BSG (and let's face it) SEASON finale's (BSG is gonna milk it yknow). The departure of the island to wherever, whenever, or whatever destination (please be my backyard! please please please!) and the arrival of human and cylon ships in orbit around a deliberately shadowed past-earth, future earth, alternate earth?
I don't know if Matt watches the BBC show Doctor Who but I think the next Doctor might end up being either Gaius Baltar or Desmond, depending on schedules, how long David Tennant lasts and how much the BBC grovel.
I'd laugh if Barry Van Dyke gets added to the cast of the final eps of BSG. Then I'd throw my tv out the window. lol
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Jun 15, 2008 12:40 PM
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OMG Des and Penny romance had a wonderful development this season. Love those two. Such emotional two reunion scenes and The Constant was the best episode of the season, no doubt. Wondering what's in store for them next. Is there a chance Sonya Walger becomes a regular next season? Or will Henry Ian Cusick become recurring? I hope not. January is too far away but hey, The Closer, my other favorite show will be back in a month, yay!
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Jun 15, 2008 7:30 PM
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Now toss in Prison Break and you've got the best three shows on TV.
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Jun 15, 2008 8:06 PM
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Excellent write-ups for my two favorite shows, Matt! Thank you for that!
Couldn't agree more, CelCool -- Des/Penny are what makes Lost so grounded and emotional, all the more so this season! The Constant was one of the best hours of TV ever, and their reunion was surprising, beautiful, touching, everything! And I also hope Cusick remains a major part of the show (though Sonya's contractual obligations with HBO may prevent her from making much screen time, which is a pity, because she is great on Lost!)
I also loved BSG's finale. It was kind of getting murky throughout much of this season. For all of the confusion of Lost's mythology, I think BSG is even more convoluted, and I really hope that things tie together in the final 10 (?) eps. There are just so many loose ends. At least Lost has a few more seasons to tie it together.
But even when the mythology gets too murky on BSG, the actors and emotional complexity of the characters more than make up for it -- no show has had such rich and complicated characters as BSG, imo.
2009 can't come soon enough!
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Jun 16, 2008 10:55 AM
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Matt,
So glad to have you back; you are really appreciated for your insights and balanced approach to all things tv. I agree with your assessment of Lost. Wonderfully done season and season finales. I'm already excited about seeing where this story will go and how it will finally unfold.
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Jun 16, 2008 11:30 AM
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Welcome back Matt! I've been constantly coming to your section of tv guide to gauge your reactions to the season finales of my 2 favorite shows and here it finally is, combined in one great article.
Both Lost and BSG continue to astonish me. Whenever I watch either show, by the end, I scream you really mess me up. My brain goes on overdrive and it takes me another hour to calm down.
I can't stand the fact that we have to wait until 2009 for both of these shows, because I'm greedy and I want them now. However, I know it will all be worth the wait. I'm not a person who needs to break-down every piece of the show to criticize or even need every question I have answered, it's not my cup of tea. I enjoy them for what they are and the creators vision and just go along for the ride of my life. However these 2 shows end, I know I will be content because I got to witness them and bask in their glory!
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Jun 16, 2008 11:31 AM
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Prison Break even mentioned in the same sentence as Lost and Battlestar Galactica? You have got to be kidding!
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Jun 16, 2008 1:13 PM
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In my opinion, one of the greatest lines ever uttered on television was in the midseason finale by Baltar:
"I love living."
In all my 40-ish years of television viewing I don't think there has been a single, simple line of dialogue that so perfectly summed up a character and simultaneously explained their motivation of their every action. Had Baltar uttered the predictable and trite "I love life" or somesuch, the cliche would have overwhelmed the meaning.
But "I love living" is such an active, breathing, self-involved yet life affirming statement that it gets to the heart why someone would do anything, say anything, and even BE anything TO live.
It is through this statement that we can understand Baltar's numerous betrayals, switching of allegiances, power grabs, and transformations. We can understand exactly why he was so absolutely terrified every time his number was almost up and his rapturous relief when spared the sting of death.
"I love living." In an episode filled with momentous revelations and stunning performances (McDonnell and Olmos have been riveting), not to mention some of the best special effects BSG has ever done, this line was the crown jewel of them all.
Just breathtaking!
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Jun 16, 2008 3:33 PM
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Although I enjoyed the Lost finale (aww Penny and Desmond together at last) BSG really resonated on every level for me , I was shouting at the TV for Starbuck to get to Lee, whooping for joy when they found Earth and then sat in stunned silence with tears rolling down my face at the realisation that Earth was not how we hoped it would be. No matter how many times I watch the episode again , I still get those same feelings of joy and elation to sadness and pure disappointment of realising that the promised world was not as all hoped. This was probably one of my biggest TV moments in my life and shows that this show deserves that long awaited Emmy.
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Jun 18, 2008 8:16 AM
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mentioning prison break in the same context as lost & BSG is an insult. it's like comparing the horrible, wooden "acting" of wentworth miller to the breathtaking performances of mary mcdonnel and edward james olmos.
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Jun 20, 2008 9:28 AM
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