Moved discussion:
RedFive said:
http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/Last-web-series-tv-show-seen/post/514695/#TopicPost514695Bingowings said:
There is the author's intension and a reader's interpretation and as we know from 'Lucas Watching' both are movable feasts with no set menu but if you go back to the original inspiration (the Classic series) and the NuGalactica pilot (mission statement of the new interpretation) the God thing is there right from the beginning.
So where is the surprise?
THIS! I always make this argument. And "Head Six" said (or at least implied) from very early on that she herself was an angel, so why all the complaining at the end?
In this OP I'll explain my point of view on the parts of 2ndBSG I do not like. Essentially it's not so much the supernatural element. Afterall, many aspects in LOTR boil down to "A Wizard Did It". However, I still like those movies. It's just easier to pick a point in the show to have as a catchphrase to express dislike over it. "Han shot first", "nuke the fridge", and "jump the shark" are all examples where if it really was just that it really would be petty to argue over it. We all know though that if say, Lucas were to only fix Han shooting first for the Blu-ray there would still be the problem.
Okay, "a God did it". Okay, I ask "why?" The show in it's early 2 seasons welcomed such questions. It is a great sci-fi exploration of the human condition and, welcomes us to ask questions about each episode. Just prior to Season 3 though it changes. "Why wasn't the cylon hybrid blood explored more in story? You basically tell us it's a cure all. Why aren't other humans benefiting from this? Why aren't they making a stockpile? Why aren't they saving more human lives?" The show now doesn't welcome this questioning "Shut up! We're hand waving it away to keep our actress on the show. Shut UP!" is basically it. I heard there was some kind of explanation but, it was deleted for being too technobabbley. So the show as stands just basically asks us to shut up about it.
After that it brought up even more questions. Questions we're just meant to take at face value and, just go with it. Kara returning from the dead with a corpse in a trashed viper and, scattered memories of elsewhere. The incident with the Cylon virus. Admiral Adama being absolutely right during the mutiny. All these things and, more we're just meant to take at face value or, subsitute "God did it" for the answer and, be done with it.
Well if a vast majority of the answers are going to be "God did it" then "why???" Then seconds later the most stupid phrase in the whole show is uttered out "Let a complex system repeat itself long enough eventually something surprising might occur." What that tells me is that billions or, more lives could've been saved if someone gave BSG God a card that states the following on both sides "Wait for it!
If you want to see something exciting... Wait for it!
Turn the card around!!!!"
We're essentially not given any indication of what might be BSG God's motivation for any of this. Other then possibly it's a stupid idiotic moron. Who can't tell the difference between a hole in the ground and, television set. Meanwhile in other sects of fiction we are given motivation for the characters actions. Gandalf's motivation here:
is clear. He wants to save the fellowship. A wizard still did it but, we know why and, it's understandable. Unless BSG God is a complete idiot who suffers from mental retardation it doesn't make much sense at all.
Furthermore the tone of the show changed and, it carried that same tone into Caprica. It became a more "day in a life" type show. In it's effort for realism they took it way too far. Showing mundane stuff that doesn't move things along at all. Adama crying many times, looking at paint dry, painting a single color on a wall. Well yeah that's realistic but, it's not the type of show I was watching prior. Joseph essentially being a deadbeat neglectful father who ignores his real life kid to chase a computer file. Went on for 9 episodes... Yeah it's realistic but, it's not entertaining to watch on any level. I say "entertaining" not because, I just wanted more fighting. No it wasn't that at all. If I'm engaged on an intellectual level in something I feel it's entertaining. Such as "Moon" or, "Intersections in real time" - Babylon 5 episode. Only "Moon" has a fight scene and, yet I'm entertained by both.
" You Can't Go Home Again" I feel is an excellent BSG episode. They showed all the important things that were needed for that episode. They didn't delete important scenes just to have Adama stare at the wall some more which did happen in "Deadlock".
Another thing where Caprica failed at is the fact the show is set-up around a faulty premise from a viewer point of view. Caprica starts introducing us to Zoey. She's somehow a computer prodigy, creates an avatar of herself, shows some bitchy qualities then dies. . . Okay bye character that was only a unappreciative jerk for the few minutes we saw you! *waves* ... Wait what? The entire show is going to be grieving over this girl??? WHY???? She's the type of character you're glad dies in horror movies!!! WHY SHOULD THE SHOW REVOLVE AROUND HER???? The audience didn't get to know her. Fast forward past the grief with a "2 years later" title card and, get on with the story!!!! No her avatar does not count as "being" her anymore then Athena "being" the same character as Boomer. It's uninteresting to watch a show revolving around the grief of a character we never got to know. Everything about her from then on is told via hearsay or, conjecture. Which means if you question the validity of any of it all you're going to (metaphorically) get from the show is "Shut up!"
I think I know what they were going for though. Attempting to recreate a BSG type setting on a smaller scale. Throwing us into the aftermath of a sudden death. The problem largely lied in the fact that Zoey wasn't a character to appreciate at all. She's a rich, healthy, technically smart person. With all the opportunity in the colonies given her birthplace and, she's a complete ass to her parents and, wants to run away to some cult? Mabye she had some redeeming qualities but, she wasn't around long enough to show it.
Back on to BSG God. It essentially forces us to except the fact the characters have no free will. By the whole repeated cycle/plan thing. It's like those "it was all a dream" type endings.
Finally it doesn't matter what the hell you call BSG God. Call it Jamaharon for all I care. The problems still stand no matter what it's called.
So, yeah, my opinion...
