Now personally I loved this episode. I was enthralled. In particular I thought that Kate Vernon, who BTW is a very accomplished stage actress, gave the performance of her life, subtle and nuanced and understandable only by BSGs regulars, not Johnny Come Latelys.
But the job of the critic is not subjective. As a free-standing sode, it is top-heavy, it is moody, it seems to be struggling to make sense of things that may never make sense, and most of all it suggests the writers were running out of time and had too many things to say.
Am I confident the remaining episodes will be less flawed? (not seen them yet) Yes.
Am I being too harsh? No.
Even now (2015) there are writers and academics who believe the two most influential shows in recent TV history were Buffy and BSG. Oddly they have little in common. Buffy changed the very DNA of TV writing but it was a very self-centered drama, much the way Seinfeld was a self-centered comedy.
BSG always had aspirations of greatness. It was about the whole and not the parts. It wanted to both tell a story and make a point. Usually it succeeds. But this particular episode is an acquired taste.
But the job of the critic is not subjective. As a free-standing sode, it is top-heavy, it is moody, it seems to be struggling to make sense of things that may never make sense, and most of all it suggests the writers were running out of time and had too many things to say.
Am I confident the remaining episodes will be less flawed? (not seen them yet) Yes.
Am I being too harsh? No.
Even now (2015) there are writers and academics who believe the two most influential shows in recent TV history were Buffy and BSG. Oddly they have little in common. Buffy changed the very DNA of TV writing but it was a very self-centered drama, much the way Seinfeld was a self-centered comedy.
BSG always had aspirations of greatness. It was about the whole and not the parts. It wanted to both tell a story and make a point. Usually it succeeds. But this particular episode is an acquired taste.