What a season finale should truly be.

[Demerzel]

The collapse was so small looking that I was surprised by the idea that it killed even a single person. I was just expecting them to have to get out of rubble and dust next season, not that anyone would die. On relection, I guess a few redshirts will.

I agree that the end of Crossroads, Part II was more suspenseful and exciting in the extreme than the end of 'The Last Man', but to be charitable, Galactica is aimed towards a definite conclusion and Atlantis is going to at least try to run as long as possible.

Well put, I can't find anything to add to that.

[Demerzel]

I think they killed exactly the right characters. Weir brought very little to the table and Beckett, while fairly likable, wasn't missed by me in the slightest. So, I don't think it's a "simple" matter at all. For every "Save Elizabeth Weir" fan, I think there's a "I never really liked her" fan.

Weir was a good leader, if maybe too close to her subordinates. But that's what gave the show a feeling of family.

You're okay with killing Beckett? Don't blame me if you come back from work tomorrow and find your house torched by fans.

Carter is useless as leader. She had one shining moment and it was when she told Ellis to STFU.

Woolsey? I'm not even saying anything about THAT. ~Shoots himself with a stunner.~

[PG15]

But what I meant wasn't that part of the story, it was the whole nebula thing and one of my fav characters coming back after being thought to be dead. Just the music gives me shivers every time I watch the episode.

I'm sure the Beckett fans felt the same way about Kindred I (those who didn't get spoiled before hand, anyway).

And nobody knows if Atlantis will have a sixth season. We barely got a fifth and considering the ratings and all, I have my doubts that there will be another season. That the storylines end or not doesn't matter, they shut off SG1 despite being in the middle of a major storyline.

I don't see how that has to do with anything. Point is, BSG is planned to be over, and thus they can do whatever they want with their characters because they won't be on the air for much longer. We don't know how long SGA will last, so they can't fool around with the characters too much, or else they'll end up paying for it down the line.

[KindlyKeller]

Weir was a good leader, if maybe too close to her subordinates. But that's what gave the show a feeling of family.

You're okay with killing Beckett? Don't blame me if you come back from work tomorrow and find your house torched by fans.

Carter is useless as leader. She had one shining moment and it was when she told Ellis to STFU.

Woolsey? I'm not even saying anything about THAT. ~Shoots himself with a stunner.~

I've preferred Carter because she has behaved with far less pomposity than Weir did. I always thought she was a character that really wanted to be strong, but wasn't. She tried too hard and it made her look silly. I kind of compare her to Teyla, who IS strong and together, but doesn't feel the need to try to convince you of it every time she speaks.

Regarding Beckett, lol, I know! They take their Beckett very seriously. My position is: I don't blame them for being broken up about him, because I'd feel the same way if McKay, Shep, or Keller disappeared from the show. But from a personal perspective, I didn't miss Beckett at all; I was actually a tiny bit glad when he left. Plus, it set up Kindred II, where Paul delivered easily his best performance of the series.

Regarding Woolsey, we'll have to wait and see. It could create interesting tension, but I think they'll take it way too quickly in the Woolsey-does-something-good-and-earns-mutual-respect-with-Shep-or-Rodney direction.

[Mitchell82]

The more I think about The Last Man, the more I realise how the writers think too much about themselves.

Malozzi said we'd be ripping our hair off when The Last Man ended. All he found for an ending was to collapse a building on top of a team we know will all survive? What kind of suspense is that?

Well I know I was. I screamed "Holy ****!" Right at the end. They truly did a great job.

Then tonight I re-watched the last episode of season 3 of Battlestar Galactica. The very last scene, the space combat scene in the nebula. And how the season ends. Now THAT's a HELL of a suspense, that you would literally kill to see the next episode. Whoever saw it knows what I mean and how incredibly intense it was, visually, musically and emotionally. A scene that makes you shiver, tremble and keeps you on the edge of your seat. And nobody's in any danger of dying. Sort of.

I really can't accurately comment since I gave up on BSG around mid season 3, however in the 2 1/2 years I watched not once did I ever get a feeling of "OMG We are so screwed" like I did here. And the threat of loss of a main character or dare I say actual loss adds to the drama.

So, for TPTB, please learn from much better writers and learn how to end your seasons so the people will beg for the next.

ROTFLMAO! Better writers?!!! Well then they bettter not look at BSG's writers.

TLM was a good episode, overall. The end was bad, very bad. We know they'll survive, we know they'll find Teyla alive. There is no mystery and no suspense. I keep hoping Atlantis will get better, and it simply doesn't. I stopped caring and I watch it only because Stargate has been one of my passions for 10 years.

Maybe that's your problem you don't care for the characters because the end was very dramatic and well done.

It used to be my absolute favorite show, and now I enjoy House more than SG. That's kinda sad. Can't wait for season 4 of BSG, for real sci-fi.

/rant off

I love house but BSG real scifi? Not in my eyes unless you mean the original.

[Demerzel]

Well I know I was. I screamed "Holy ****!" Right at the end. They truly did a great job.


I really can't accurately comment since I gave up on BSG around mid season 3, however in the 2 1/2 years I watched not once did I ever get a feeling of "OMG We are so screwed" like I did here. And the threat of loss of a main character or dare I say actual loss adds to the drama.


ROTFLMAO! Better writers?!!! Well then they bettter not look at BSG's writers.


Maybe that's your problem you don't care for the characters because the end was very dramatic and well done.



I love house but BSG real scifi? Not in my eyes unless you mean the original.

BSG is military/character-driven, but it's sci-fi nonetheless. At least in BSG, the characters are not one-sided and they actually change, have flaws and we can relate to more than one of em. In SG? John, the super hero who never fails and who lays every woman in Pegasus, McKay, the super genius who knows everything, Teyla, the warrior woman who is so cliche and who dramatically was born without a personality, and Ronon, who...well...I love Ronon.

Sorry, but. The end was very dramatic? An atrociously poorly made CGI sequence of a building collapsing on top of a team we know will survive for the next season? Oh how dramatic! John flying a nuke-equipped jumper into a hive ship at the end of season one was more dramatic and felt less forced. I know everyone has tastes and all, but here I am seriously questionning yours.

If you saw the last episode of season one of BSG, when Adama gets shot by Boomer, now THAT was dramatic and left you on the edge of your seat. As did Crossroads Part 2. No matter how you look at it, the ending of TLM was poorly done in every way, story-wise and also visually.

Ever seen SG nominated for an Emmy for anything but music? Didn't think so.

BSG had nominations for visual effects and also for some of the actors, on top of actually winning one. Oh, and it's the highest rated show on IMBD. So I'm not sure you know what good writing is.

But you'll argue that nothing I said is relevent, so, what's the point?

[jenks]

BSG is military/character-driven, but it's sci-fi nonetheless. At least in BSG, the characters are not one-sided and they actually change, have flaws and we can relate to more than one of em. In SG? John, the super hero who never fails and who lays every woman in Pegasus, McKay, the super genius who knows everything, Teyla, the warrior woman who is so cliche and who dramatically was born without a personality, and Ronon, who...well...I love Ronon.

Sorry, but. The end was very dramatic? An atrociously poorly made CGI sequence of a building collapsing on top of a team we know will survive for the next season? Oh how dramatic! John flying a nuke-equipped jumper into a hive ship at the end of season one was more dramatic and felt less forced. I know everyone has tastes and all, but here I am seriously questionning yours.

If you saw the last episode of season one of BSG, when Adama gets shot by Boomer, now THAT was dramatic and left you on the edge of your seat. As did Crossroads Part 2. No matter how you look at it, the ending of TLM was poorly done in every way, story-wise and also visually.

Ever seen SG nominated for an Emmy for anything but music? Didn't think so.

BSG had nominations for visual effects and also for some of the actors, on top of actually winning one. Oh, and it's the highest rated show on IMBD. So I'm not sure you know what good writing is.

But you'll argue that nothing I said is relevent, so, what's the point?

I do.

[KindlyKeller]

"Good writing" is subjective. With respect, I don't decide the hierarchy of good television based on a cumulative IMDB rating. I would say, though, that the issue is open for debate. I think SGA is an all-around better show in every respect, but that's just an opinion.

[ShadowMaat]

I thought Atlantis won for visual effects at some point and didn't the joke at the end of Wormhole X-treme! kind of imply that was SG-1's usual category, too? Nominated, at least.

I heard a CGI Guru say once that there's no such thing as bad visual effects, just a lack of money and/or time to do it right. Given the high performance Atlantis usually delivers, I'd say any failings were probably budget/time related.

As for the rest of it... meh. I'm not interested in comparing Atlantis and SGA since they have different goals and different priorities. I do think Atlantis tends to squander resources, though. Plots, characters, CGI, etc. Sometimes it's a feast or famine thing- and sometimes it's both. I think TLM could have been made a lot more powerful than it was and I think that with all the possibilities the ep had to offer, ending it all with a building collapse was a bit silly. And wasteful.

[majorsal]

Like I mentionned, TLM was a strong episode, up until the end. That building thing was a weak cliff hanger, one I didn't care for and I wasn't excited or impressed. I mean there is SO many things that could have happened! .

i thought 'the last man' was quite agonizing already, so i welcomed the simple building collapse on the team by that point.



sally

[Demerzel]

I do.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0374455/awards

Share what you're smoking, please. I just ran out. =)

[Demerzel]

i thought 'the last man' was quite agonizing already, so i welcomed the simple building collapse on the team by that point.



sally

I read that when taking a sip of tea and well...let's just say you owe me a new keyboard. =P It's oh so true in many ways. lol

[ToasterOnFire]

BSG definitely wins when it comes to "wtf just happened?" season finales. And if a season finale is meant to keep your anticipation level high over the season break then BSG also wins for me.

BSG had nominations for visual effects and also for some of the actors, on top of actually winning one.

Won a Peabody too.

[Demerzel]

I thought Atlantis won for visual effects at some point and didn't the joke at the end of Wormhole X-treme! kind of imply that was SG-1's usual category, too? Nominated, at least.

I heard a CGI Guru say once that there's no such thing as bad visual effects, just a lack of money and/or time to do it right. Given the high performance Atlantis usually delivers, I'd say any failings were probably budget/time related.

As for the rest of it... meh. I'm not interested in comparing Atlantis and SGA since they have different goals and different priorities. I do think Atlantis tends to squander resources, though. Plots, characters, CGI, etc. Sometimes it's a feast or famine thing- and sometimes it's both. I think TLM could have been made a lot more powerful than it was and I think that with all the possibilities the ep had to offer, ending it all with a building collapse was a bit silly. And wasteful.

Atlantis got two Emmy nominations, both for the soundtrack. They got three Saturns nominations, one for best actress, Tori Higginson, and two for best show. The other awards simply don't matter.

As for the whole budget/time thing, I kind of agree. But I thought the writing has been getting worse and worse lately and that's not budget related.

And I fully agree about the ending and how the episode could have been better. Mind you, I did watch it 4 times so I like it quite a bit, but I just watch the Ronon/Todd and Sam's death moments all over again.

[Demerzel]

BSG definitely wins when it comes to "wtf just happened?" season finales. And if a season finale is meant to keep your anticipation level high over the season break then BSG also wins for me.


Won a Peabody too.

Glad someone agrees at least on that point. =)