Well, the much-anticipated Battlestar Galactica episode “Maelstrom” aired tonite and Kara Thrace went down in flames—literally. And I’ve got mixed feelings about how that happened.On one hand, the episode dealt effectively with the anxieties and brokenness that occurs from the piling-up of suffering and pain, fears related to death as well as the experience of finding peace through the realization that there is something (or Someone) beyond pain and death. And those are wonderful opportunities to bring God-talk into open spaces.
Which I would do if I wasn’t feeling so darn cheated! I can’t help thinking this episode smells a lot like the one where Eko was killed off on Lost. Where the writers eventually came out and admitted that they killed off the character earlier than they intended (officially due to Adewle Akinnuoye-Agbaje’s desire to be let out of his contract, but rumors abound on personality conflicts).
So, is Starbuck gone for good? (It looked like she was reaching for her escape lever at one point, but Apollo didn’t see a chute; and then you’ve got the whole destiny thing that doesn’t seem settled—but if that episode was supposed to settle it, it was pretty weak.) Mark Verheiden, a writer and co-executive producer for the series says “if you think you've guessed where we're going -- guess again!” Let’s hope so. But, oiy, with interviews like this, it’s got the stench of spoiled creativity due to writing-off-characters-because-we-can’t-get-along-with-the-people-who-play-them deaths.
BSG remains on my TiVo’s Season Pass list, but here’s hoping it doesn’t get Lost.
(Image: copyrighted by Sci-Fi via Wikipedia) bsgctgy
