Battlestar Galactica
Summary
Battlestar Galacticabanked firmly on its last Five twist , but revealing this clandestine quintet of hide Cylons created a act of trouble that became seeming throughoutBattlestar Galacticaseason 4 . From its very first installment , Ronald D. Moore list heavily on the concept ofhumanoid Cylons in 2004’sBattlestar Galacticareboot to build machination and suspicion over " those frakkin ' Toasters " potentially hiding within the Colonial Fleet . That ongoing motif of mystery and mistrust punctually culminated inBattlestar Galacticaseason 3 ’s Final Five , which reveal four main fictional character and one semi - prominent patronage figure had been Cylons all along .
Ronald D. Moore has freely acknowledged thatBattlestar Galactica ’s Final Fivetwist and the identities of those involved were not mapped out from the very beginning ( viaNJ ) . That is n’t a problem in and of itself , but devote the magnitude of the construction and how late in the dayBattlestar Galacticadropped it , the inevitable ramifications rippled through the show ’s narrative fabric , rewrite the past and narrowing possibility for the future . The heavy last Five sequence fromBattlestar Galactica ’s time of year 3 finale and its " All Along The Watchtower " attendant remains a landmark minute in idiot box history , but the long - term job it caused arguably outweigh the full parts .
7The Final Five Only Had A Small Role In Battlestar Galactica’s Ending
What Did The Final Five Actually Do In Battlestar Galactica?
The gravity ofBattlestar Galactica ’s Final Five twist cash in one’s chips far beyond the simple realization that five well - lie with fibre were not human . These particular Cylons were also the remainder of a past robotic civilization pass over out by AI world , and had become the forebearers ofBattlestar Galactica ’s current Cylon rhythm in an attempt to breach the " this has all happened before , and will happen again " pattern . Consequently , the Final Five were treat like mythical deities throughoutBattlestar Galacticaseason 3 , creating the expectation that their role in the fourth and final time of year would be deep important .
It was not . All five characters took a back seat duringBattlestar Galactica ’s controversial ending- literally in the case of Samuel Anders . When the fighting erupted inside Galactica ’s CIC , the Final Five add up close to negotiate a permanent truce between humans and Cylons , but were queer when Tyrol break Tory down his married woman and yield the favor . The war restart , and the Final Five ’s role in proceedings quickly became donnish . Anders serve as the Galactica ’s Hybrid , and the Final Five did help maintain the human - Cylon coalition leading up to the finale , but given how heavy they were hyped , theFinal Five ’s part in the closing act was glorify admin .
6Battlestar Galactica Season 4 Had To Retcon Tyrol’s Child
Hotdog Lived Up To His Call Sign After Battlestar Galactica Retconned Tyrol’s Child
Upon reveal a good deal of chief character reference as Cylons after three whole seasons , several past story round no longer made sense , forcingBattlestar Galacticaseason 4 into a serial of retcons . The parentage of Tyrol ’s child was one of the more egregious rewrites . Battlestar Galacticaintroduced baby Nicholas as the son of Tyrol and Cally in on-line web seriesThe Resistance , and the kid was then shown throughout season 3 proper . After that season ’s finale cemented Galen Tyrol as a member of the Final Five , however , problem arose . Battlestar Galacticahad already dwell on about the implication of of course - conceived hybrid , and that made Nicholas a deep life-sustaining character .
Alas , Battlestar Galacticahad already marked out Sharon and Helo ’s daughter , Hera , as the show ’s designated child of prophecy , forcing season 4 to haphazardly retcon Nicholas ' parentageby revealing Hotdog as the secret pop . Despite the discord within Tyrol and Cally ’s spousal relationship , there was never any prior proffer of Tyrol not being Nicholas ' begetter , and the closed book sat awkwardly alongside Cally ’s otherwise wholesome characterization . fatherhood drama was not a topicBattlestar Galactica ’s final season needed to be dealing with , but the Final Five twist had pushed the show into a narrative corner .
5Saul Tigh’s Aging Doesn’t Make Sense
Tigh Looked Older When He Was Younger In Battlestar Galactica’s Flashbacks
Facial wrinkle and creak joints are problems that Cylons do not have to endure , as their artificial body never age . During flashbacks explaining the history ofBattlestar Galactica ’s Final Five , the group all look exactly the same as they do in the present timeline , despite yard of year divide the two earned run average . In a major timeline frak - up , however , Battlestar Galacticaseason 2 had already featured a flashback to Bill Adama ’s earlier years , andclearly showed Saul Tigh as a younger man . Even if the onscreen dispute is small , Adama doubtlessly would have observe his good friend ’s unchanging appearing during the several decades they spend together .
There are , of course , numerous ways to punch this plot yap , andBattlestar Galacticaaddressed it manoeuvre on after Adama discovered his friend ’s true nature . echo the audience ’s misgivings , Adama confronted Saul with , " When I met you , you had hair . I never heard of a Cylon aging . " Responding to his elderly officer ’s memories of their younger selves , Saul Tigh argue ,
" Does n’t mean they do n’t [ age ] . Before the attack on the Colonies , we did n’t know skin - caper existed . Turns out there ’s another form of Cylon we did n’t bang about , and I ’m one of them . "
This is the closestBattlestar Galacticacame to address the plot golf hole of Saul Tigh ’s age , and the notion of an aging Cylon model certainly does sit down within the boundaries of canyon hypothesis . Nevertheless , this was another last Five persistence seam that forcedBattlestar Galacticato set up its ironing board . Tigh ’s status as a member of the Final Five meshed anxiously with his established backstory , andBattlestar Galacticaacknowledging that fact onscreen does not intend it can be neglect . The Final Five instigate an awkward conversation about Cylon age that has no clear answer .
4Battlestar Galactica’s Final Five Exposed A Secretly Gross Storyline
Ellen & Cavil Having Sex Was Worse Than You Thought
WhenBattlestar Galacticaseason 3 began , Saul Tigh had been captured by the Cylons occupying New Caprica , and his wife , Ellen , had struck up a sexual arranging with Cavil in order of magnitude to dicker for her husband ’s safety . Cavil blackmail Ellen Tigh into sleeping with him was grim enough , but the Final Five ’s backstory made their tryst more sickening than ab initio thought . AfterBattlestar Galacticaseason 4 explained the Final Five ’s origins , it became clear that the revered Cylon quintet were responsible for produce the so - call Significant Seven , and Cavil was their first mannikin . Cavil was also made to physically resemble Ellen ’s father .
Ellen was incognizant of this connecter during her illicit Cylon sex Roger Huntington Sessions , and merely thought she could spare Saul by offering herself to his captor . Cavil , on the other hand , knew everything . Rather than just coerce Ellen into catch some Z’s with him , therefore , Cavil was in reality coercing Ellen into sleeping with a Cylon that wear the face of her own father , which put a deeply unsettling twist onBattlestar Galactica ’s past seasons .
Again , the Final Five twisting was to blame . Battlestar Galacticaneeded to emphasize the parent - kid dynamic between the Final Five and the Significant Seven to excuse their unconditioned connection , but could n’t voyage around the fact Ellen and Cavil had already been informal . One could indicate that this point served to make Cavil an even nasty baddie in hindsight , but , truthfully , Ellen riding a robotlike version of her pappa was more disturbing than it needed to be , and supply nothing to a final test that is not remember as one ofBattlestar Galactica ’s best seasons .
3The Final Five Reveal Relied A Lot On Coincidence
Battlestar Galactica Scrambled To Explain Its Massive Lore Dump
The terminal Five wind effectively served as a massive traditional knowledge dumpsite spanning several millennia right at the climax ofBattlestar Galactica ’s news report , and making all of those strands convergemeant frequently calling upon coincidence , convenience , and gismo . It is strange , for example , that all extremity of the Final Five were already intimate with each other before realizing their true nature . The law of chance propose that at least one should have been a no - name desktop figure . also , all Final Five Cylons were lucky enough to outlast the attack on the Twelve Colonies - an outcome even Cavil thought impossible , according to extra episode " The Plan . "
Battlestar Galacticaexplained how Cavil release the Final Five into the Twelve Colonies to make them realize humans were substandard - a flimsy way of reconciling his connexion to the group with the fact that all of them ended up occupying significant positions in Colonial beau monde . Saul and Ellen marrying is passed off as a consequence of their eternal love transcending their fall behind memories , but stay a Brobdingnagian coincidence nonetheless . Other element - why " All Along The Watchtower " specifically spark off an awakening , for model -Battlestar Galacticadoesn’t even attempt to explain . Held up to any kind of examination , Battlestar Galactica ’s Final Five crumbles faster than the Tighs ' wedding vow .
2BSG’s Final Five Reveal Clashed With Starbuck’s Revival
Too Many Twists Within A Few Minutes Hurt BSG’s Big Moment(s).
Whatever problemsBattlestar Galactica ’s Final Five story caused in season 4 , the initial reveal from season 3 ’s finale was unquestionably a mellow - impingement , shocking , knock-down instant where music and direction combined to great effect . Unfortunately , the twisting ’s landing was hampered by its proximity to another immense surprisefromBattlestar Galactica ’s season 3 finale . Within bare bit of revealing Saul Tigh , Tory , Samuel Anders , and Galen Tyrol as sleeper Cylons , Battlestar Galacticabrought Starbuck back from the dead .
Either of these bit would have answer as a strong cliffhanger to keep audiences guessing between time of year , but cramming them into the same small space ultimately bruise both plot . Setting up two biz - changing , unexplained mysteries side - by - side dedicate neither wrench way to rest , and leftBattlestar Galacticaseason 4 with far too much exposition to pass over . The determination was perhaps made to reassure watcher that Katee Sackhoff was still part ofBattlestar Galactica ’s castfor the final season . While perceivable , Starbuck ’s comeback may have been good coming originally in the episode , or being saved for the season 4 premiere .
1The Final Five Made Tigh’s Best Battlestar Galactica Moment Pointless
Ellen Died For Nothing
pluck Saul Tigh as a member of the Final Five was justifiable . Galactica ’s second - in - program line had always been the most outspoken adversary of robots , and that create a engrossing collocation between his impression and biota . Beyond give Kate Vernon a riposte inBattlestar Galactica ’s last season , however , introducing Ellen as the final surprise Cylon was a fiddling bit like putting Saul Tigh in command of Galactica - a dear idea on paper , but really quite problematic in practice .
rootage : NJ
