<![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck? - io9 Comments]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck? - io9 Comments]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> BSG thrives when it serializes. The stand-alone episodes are far, far weaker. Certainly better than many other shows on TV, but they're not BSG's strength. Since season 4 is the end, I'm hoping that we get much more the serial episodes and little to no stand-alones.

Season 3 was heavy on the stand-alones, so it suffered. But, I agree that the Galactica spewing Vipers was amazing. Easily one of my top 5 favorite "holy crap that's awesome" moments.

erejota

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I wouldn't say that season 3, as a whole, sucked. I would say it was wildly uneven, and often chose to rush through the best material while punctuating the wtf bad. Sure, there was shocking awful of The Woman King, but there was also Exodus Part 2.

spoogy

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Answer: No, BSG S4 will not suck.

Also, S3 was fine.

More series like this please.

Universal HD hasn't announced an S4 schedule yet - hope they simulcast alongside SciFi. Looking forward to Firefly in HD though. Missed it the first time around.

avconsumer

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Re: Season 3
The first five episodes of S3, especially Exodus, are easily some of their best work. When they broke from what we expected (ie: moving forward/returning to S1/S2 form), I think that's when some of us blinked. Always looking backwards. The Love Quad that was hard to care about. The Baltar arc. The "Battlestar Flagellant Saga" where we had what seemed like a neverending strech of self-punishment episodes. Kat. Adama. Etc.
I'm eager to rewatch S3 now that the DVD's are out. I have a feeling like it will play better when viewed in rapid sucession.

Re: Season 4
Feel free to take this with a grain of salt, but I have seen workprints of the first four episodes. From what I've seen so far, "suck" is not in this season's vocabulary. My friends and I were really impressed. April's going to be a blast. :-)

Chimaera

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @extracrispy:
Comment on Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck? I agree with ya - Galactic falling through the atmosphere spewing vipers made me jump out of my chair. Worth the whole season, right there. Seán Seattle

SasmitaScuderi

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @extracrispy: Agreed. The first four eps of season 3 are as good as anything BSG has ever done, and still way above average for sci fi TV. The middle of the series lagged a bit, but it certainly rallied as the ending loomed. Still unncertain about the Dylan song, but it could have something to do with "when is it set?" question that hangs over from BSG 1980. But since BSG has been overall the first intelligent, thoughtful, visceral genuinely *science fiction* sf series on TV for a very very long time, and that it has given me plenty of "you're fucking kidding me!" moments over the last few years, I think I'm going to suspend prejudgement and wait to see how it wraps up. Prediction - it'll be great.

tezby

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @extracrispy: today is use-mention distinction voiding day! Ergo, I ignore you.

Also, perhaps I am the only one, but the Bob Dylan cover ending in a perfectly-paced zoom-in actually rocked. Hard.

higgs_bosom

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @Macloserboy: amen to that. That is one of the many reasons I stay the hell away from the online BSG "fan" communities.

And personally I thought season three was more balanced than season 2, it certainly didnt have any "blackmarket" episodes. And it is the one of the best sci-fi shows out there these days in my opinion. I will take BSG on a bad day over alot of other sci-fi shows.

nerdgaymer

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I wouldn't say the season sucked, but I would have liked to have seen more consistent characterization with Lee "I hate my Dad this week because..." Adama, and WAY less of snitty, drunken Starbuck, who for me personally went from becoming the most interesting to the least tolerable character. So as long as season four has more going on than Starbuck flailing around on the deck screaming "WE'RE GOING THE WRONG WAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY", I'll be watching.

Chris Wren

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @Garro: I know. Nothing galls me more than the phrase 'People's Choice Award Winner Stargate Atlantis'. Well, then, the People are idiots.

taxbaby

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Seriously.

I'll be the first to admit that Season 3 was probably the most uneven so far, but BSG is still BSG.

I wholeheartedly concur with this:

I've been rewatching the show from start to finish, and the best parts of the show are the highly serialized portions. All of Season 1, then the Kobol/Arrow of Apollo arc in Season 2. When the network starts demanding standalone episodes, that's when the show stumbles. But when the story is hurtling along episode to episode, that's when the show really sparkles.

loonybin

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @Garro:
Thank you!

;)

kolacek

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I'm never going to understand how a series like SG1 get's "SciFi of the millenia" award from it's fans but BSG get's ripped apart.

Garro

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> oh yeah. and season 3 didn't have an episode as bad as black market. its the only battlestar episode i hated.

capntim

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Also meant to mention that for me, BSG is much more about the characters than the space battles and action. I loved the episode Unfinished Business even though I know a lot of people didn't like it very much. Too much "soap opera" for some people, which I think is some fans' way of saying that they want action, not character development. I seem to recall the same charges being leveled against Deep Space Nine, RDM's last big show.

Sean Beanland

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @Huxleyhobbes:
Agreed.

Sorry, naysayers. I'm the most jaded bastard in any crowd and Season 3 left me saying "Holy sh*t...WTF" at the end of pretty much each episode.

That was some good writing. Don't rain on my parade :)

kolacek

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I've been rewatching the show from start to finish, and the best parts of the show are the highly serialized portions. All of Season 1, then the Kobol/Arrow of Apollo arc in Season 2. When the network starts demanding standalone episodes, that's when the show stumbles. But when the story is hurtling along episode to episode, that's when the show really sparkles. I thought Season 3's standalone episodes were much better than 2's.

I do agree that the show should have stayed off the Basestars in Season 3. They Cylons should have stayed scary.

My hope for Season 4 is that the need to wrap everything up will keep out any standalone episodes, and that it'll just be bang-bang-bang for 20 episodes.

Sean Beanland

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> ... season 3 sucked? What? News to me. Big news. Sort of like if you told me that the world's dominant superpower is actually Latvia and it has been for the last two hundred years.

Mister Adequate

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I'm still holding out hope that most of the things in the series were planned, and that that the threads will mostly come to fruition this season.

I'm stupid-optomistic when it comes to BSG though.

Seth L

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> the only reason season 4 is the last is because NBC Universal decided it no longer wanted to "spend money" and instead show bullshit like Ghost Hunters on Scifi.

I love how people have already decided an entire season of a show "sucks" without ever seeing it.

njudah

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Season 3 sucked only if you compare it to BSG Seasons 1 and 2. Compare it to anything else on TV and it was fantastic. Even compared to S1 and S2 it was decent. After re-watching it last week, all I can really say is that it wandered a bit and had less action. And the interior Cylon Basestar was a bit of a disappointment.

CplWubby

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I actually felt that season 3 was right on par with the entire series. Granted, I'm a pretty big fan of the show.

It seems that people were disappointed with some episodes of season three because they dealt with social issues within the fleet and character growth rather than pew pew space battles and such. The first four and the last four episodes of the season were all top notch stuff and the mid-season Eye of Jupiter storyline was well done and really moved the overall series plot forward. At worst, you can only say that season three had a few mediocre episodes and frankly, even mediocre BSG is better than 95% of all of the other crap out there.

I really can't think of many recent and semi-long lasting science fiction TV shows that have been as consistently good as BSG - maybe Farscape, individual seasons of Babylon 5 and Doctor Who if your into British shows. Looking at most popular sci fi stuff recently (Star Trek and Stargate) where every third episode is total crap, BSG is a much deeper and much better show and I think that the fourth season is going to rock.

DMBainbridge

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Moore didn't lose his passion for the show-- Sci-Fi canceled it after four seasons. He HAS to end it.

At least he's getting the chance to do it, with 20 episodes. Most shows get canned without ever getting any wrap-up at all.

Daveinva

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> well, if it does suck, it will be due to a bad case of senioritis. You know what I mean. You know you're gonna graduate,so why try. That goes for actors and writers.

lucky_you

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> season 3 had a great kick off, some interesting stand alone episodes right after the exodus, and an awesome mid season cliffhanger.

The resolution of the cliffhanger wasn't as awesome as it could have been. it was merely okay.

The series weakest points came in the form of cylons that acted like squabbling teenagers while a centurion constantly played piano over the intercom system. They have a plan... an inexplicable meandering, somewhat tentative plan. They should have stayed out of the basestars.

Also the season strengthened my hate for starbuck. she used to be my favorite character, but she started acting like she was the only one with problems. most people in the fleet lost their entire families and she's drinking herself to death over which ken doll to fuck.

Luckily edward james olmos cried and broke a ship and restored a sense of gravity to her death.

The second half brought us more solid stand alones and chief and cally pulled a ford prefect/arthur dent and popped out of the airlock like corks. Luckily, they too were picked up before they died.

I think the stand alones made the season feel 'meh' because we were itching to advance the storyline. I think they will hold up better via dvd viewings.

And then the grand finale brought colonial law, impassioned speeches, bob dylan, and a great "oh shit the cylons are here and we're fucked" moment.

seriously. It was good to see the cylons show up again and have it be scary, instead of imagining that they're all inside arguing about what sort of missles they should fire via their watery light-brite control systems.

capntim

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I have high hopes. Even though I wasn't too thrilled with the New Caprica arc, I really did enjoy season 3. And from what I've heard so far about season 4, it seems as though the final episodes and storyline of the show will be relatively well plotted.

One of the things that I thought hurt the show was how the main storyline seemed to get sidetracked every few weeks by the introduction of a new secondary character. From my understanding of what's ahead, this may be cut back some because of the need to wrap things up. While on some level I think the secondary character development added to the depth of the mythology, I think the less of it in season 4, the more well put-together the season will feel.

boomer359

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Season 3 was seriously flawed. The beginning of the season on New Caprica was some of the best, most thought provoking TV in years. Then they did the boxing episode and 5 episodes about Starbuck being a whiny drunk.

If they can save the show from becoming an overly dramatic soap opera and come up with a good ending I'll be thrilled. Surprised but thrilled.

theOmegaMan

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I agree that Season 3 wasn't the pinnacle, but didn't people say that after season 2? That being said, it did go up and down throughout the season, and I hated the entire last episode until the final 5 minutes. Even when I realized what was happening, I was regretting it, then it just clicked.

I'm excited to see where they go with it. I really can't decide if it will end on a high note or a low note, which is thrilling.

dirtybacon

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Did these people not see the first half of season 3? They were amazing! Some of the best stuff seen on television. Yeah there was a great deal of crap with the love quadrangle b.s. and kat was annoying and such. But that does not negate the incredible awesomeness of the New Caprica occupation, escape and the ripples of that (Baltar's trial was amazing! The secret executions of collaborators was horrific and awesome!).

My biggest concerns with season 4 is actually alleviated by season 3. When season 2 ended with that one year jump I was frakking furious - I thought it was a jump the shark moment and I almost didn't bother with Season 3 at all. But those first few episodes blew my mind. So though I am highly skeptical of how they will deal with starbuck's resurrection and the new cylons......I am going to give them a chance to boggle my mind again.

Just please dear god let the love quadrangle crap stay in the past. PLEASE.

draconismoi

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> We all hope it will be good. We all hope anything in our favorite genre will be good. But if it's not you have choices; 1) Turn it off. 2)Keep watching, even though it is bad, I assume so you'll have something to whine about later.

If it is bad, turning it off and not watching the commercials is the only impact that the ordinary viewer can have on programming. Email the network, tell them their programming sucks and that is why you don't watch it any more. Email the sponsors and tell them you won't buy their products until they support better programming.

If we keep accepting programming geared to the lowest common denominator that is all we will ever get because it is easy money. Better programming requires effort, effort requires money to buy better writers, actors, and production crews. The money comes from the advertizers. Conversely, praise them when they do good. Everybody loves an attaboy now and then.

Repeat after me; I am mad as hell and I am not going to take it anymore.

MilesFromNowhere

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @El-Zilcho: There is a Sci-Fi HD, but I am nervous about it. They had Ogre starring John Schneider in HD (everyone needs that) the other night, but this morning BSG was on, it said it was HD, but clearly wasn't. Hey Sci-Fi... get your shit together by April 4th. I want new high res Vipers flying across my screen outrunning the camera operator.

Garrison Dean, King Awesome

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @SavannahJack: Yay, someone else hates it too!

EGN

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @B: Sci-Fi recently added an HD version of the channel. I know Comcast has it, but I dunno about other providers.

El-Zilcho

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I love the show and I thought the third season was totally on par with the first two. The thing that throws people off, I think, is that BSG covers a lot of angles, from politics to religion to simple morality and basic human rights. I appreciate the fact that its not just one space battle after another, and they take the time to slow down and explore the challenges of maintaining a society in the face of extinction. That said, I have a lot of hope for season four so long as they continue doing what they're doing. One way or another I want to know who the final cylon is!

Juba

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @B: As far as I know, it won't be week of, but they're usually not all that far behind. Don't know if it'll be worth the wait though...

PVIII

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I haven't been terribly impressed with what I've seen of the series so far, so that leaves me with low expectations.

I also doubt that they'll manage to bring the story arc to any sort of sensible conclusion (much less an awesome one), so that lowers my expectations further.

My plan regarding this show is: wait until it's over - if it somehow actually ends so well as to make it worthwhile, borrow somebody's DVDs and watch the whole thing then.
-Kle.

Klebert L. Hall

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @AhnyerKeester: I thought the rule of triologies was the third one is the worst. Except for BotF, where the second was the weakest. Although, part 3 was pretty sucky as well.

B

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @PVIII: Will it have the new episodes? I've been using that channel to catch up on the previous seasons.

B

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Hey io9... How about asking a less leading question in your title. Rather than how much will it suck... How good will it be?
@extracrispy:
Yeah... 3 wasn't that bad at all. Name one TV show that hasn't had a couple of mediocre episodes. Hell the Sopranos had 3 full seasons of them at the end and everyone still loves that. Vote Baltar.

Garrison Dean, King Awesome

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @extracrispy: Fun use of paradox, extracrispy. We should ignore your post because it contains the word "ergo", but then...

Mathmos

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @extracrispy:
Agreed. And that is because they had to extend the season at the channels request.

Though, I must say, the whole Dylan/hidden Cylon thing did piss me off.

And kudos to everyone here for ignoring the two obvious (and idiotic) trolls.

Plague

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Hopefully its as good as Galatica 1980 :P


+ Watch video

OK OK This is the only episode I really liked from that short run :/


Darkweave

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Season 3 wasn't that sucky. It just had a few boring episodes in the middle. The occupation on New Caprica was fascinating. And the scene in "Exodus" of the Galactica jumping into the atmosphere over New Caprica and free-falling toward the surface is one of the best moments of science fiction television ever.

Also, anyone who uses the word "ergo" should be automatically ignored.

extracrispy

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Season 3 wasn't that bad. And if we think of trilogies, often the middle section is the weakest as it is setting up the conclusion.

Except for Star Wars, Terminator, and The Matrix. Then the rule doesn't apply. But it did for Lord of the Rings. Mostly.

Oh hell, we'll just have to wait and see!

AhnyerKeester

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> What's that? People on the internet are opinionated and have faulty logic? Zut alors! The people in my corner of the internet are so reasonable.

taxbaby

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I'm all for withholding judgment until you've actually seen the season, but given the wretched and stupid appearance of world beat covers of Bob Dylan songs in the last season, I'm more than slightly concerned...

IntoAshes

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I would actually be for never posting user 'fan' comments in articles. Most of them are fairly moronic.

PVIII

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I thought any suckage of Season 3 was caused by Kat. (Damn, she annoyed the hell out of me.) She's really really dead, right?

Tim Faulkner

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @B: They play BSG on the Universal HD channel. Check your listings (you also need HD Cable).

PVIII

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I think that the Star Wars sequels set a new standard in lowering expectations: The first two movies were so terrible that the third one looked decent by comparison.

I expect the same thing with BSG.

edosan

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> @EGN: Ditto.

SavannahJack

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Sci Fi forums? You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villiany...

Someone should tell these folks to chill out and wait until the season premiere starts before they render a verdict, good or bad.

Oh internet, I love you, but I hate many of the people who use you.

itsburnsie

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Considering that the last three seasons sucked, why should season four be any different?

EGN

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> I have a question. Is there any way to watch BG in High Def besides purchasing the HD or Blu Ray DVDS after the season is over?

B

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> Sigh. Once again a reminder that "fan" is short for "fanatic."

Macloserboy

]]> <![CDATA[Will Battlestar Season 4 Suck?]]> S3 sucked only when it came to the triangle of death. Otherwise, I still thought it was quite good (though I guess, in retrospect, the weakest of the three seasons). Here's hoping RDM actually WRITES some of the damn scripts this season...

PVIII

]]>