what's with all this god in my television?

Spoilers to follow for the finale of Battlestar Galactica.

I've been a huge fan of Battlestar since the mini, and it only got better and better from there. I met Ronald D. Moore. I gave him scotch and a pack of smokes. My fan credentials are legit.

Overall I thought Friday's finale, "Daybreak," was a fitting end. However, the more I think about it, the less and less satisfied I am with the "god did it" hand-waving explanation for some of the show's long-running mysteries. There was too much emphasis, too many red-herrings, for that to be it. Yes, 'god' has been an element of the show from the beginning, so this is not a case of deus ex machina, no matter how much the fanboys like to scream that. And yes, I realize most any other explanation would probably have been unsatisfying. I can relate. In college, I created a serial for the campus TV station that had an on-going mystery central to the premise of the show, and the longer it went on, the more it got away from me. By the end, after thinking of almost every possible permutation, vague and mystical seemed the way to go. I was never happy with that.

I get a similar impression from Battlestar and where it ultimately ended up. It's clear the 'improvisational' nature of the show left too many dead-ends and loose threads to be tied up in a perfect little bow by the end. Which is fine, I suppose, I was just expecting more. In fact, I think we were led to expect more, which is the real problem.

But ultimately, I was satisfied, because in the end I gave more a shit about the characters than the 'mythology' of the show. But even in that regard, I feel the Starbuck story missed the mark. I can't help but feel cheated by her disappearing act. I really do. And I have tried to rationalize it, but I can't. I feel let down. And that sucks, but what are you gonna do, right? Though, truth be told, I can't really come up with an alternate end for her character that would be that much better.

Looking back, I think all my problems with the show can be traced back to the introduction of the concept of the 'final five' Cylons. That never sat right with me, and in the final analysis, where it took the show wasn't worth it. But you win some, you lose some. The show took many narrative chances that paid off in spades. I can't really fault them for making a gutsy call that didn't pan out completely to my liking.

The other thing that really goads my nad about the finale was the realization that the whole 'god' thing really went against the whole 'naturalistic science-fiction' that the show was supposed to embody. It's just not consistent with the DNA of the show, I think. Though I suppose that all went out the window when Roslin started having visions way back in season one. Who the fuck knows. If anything, this just puts the final nail in certain sci-fi tropes for me. I never want to write anything with prophetic dreams, ancient prophecies, or visions. I think it's all bullshit. Narratively, that is.

Anyway. BSG is over now. That's sad to me. Surprisingly, the new show Kings on NBC has really grabbed me. It's the kind of high-concept series that you'd never expect a network to take a chance on. But NBC is hurting and hurting badly these days, so I guess they're willing to try anything, including something crazy like putting some adult, challenging, ballsy television on their air. From what I've read, the ratings are in the shitter, so they'll probably can it before they finish their 13-episode run. Fuck TV.

What I realized watching the second episode last night is the not-so-subtle divine presence in the world of Kings, striking to me because of the Battlestar finale two nights earlier. Though I suppose it makes more sense for this show, since it's based on the Biblical story of David, so, I mean, what are you going to do. What's with all this god stuff in my TV lately? Are we being primed for His ultimate return?