GEORGE RR MARTIN BASHES LOST, BATTLESTAR GALACTICA, AND BABYLON 5 - Page 2

I actually agree with Martin on almost all counts. I was a LOST uber-fan for years, but now...let's just say I'm just glad I hadn't bought the DVDs yet :) I think I will rewatch it again someday, but with greatly lowered expectations. I still think LOST was superb in terms of its characters & clever narratives, but the plot, in the end, simply collapsed under its own weight. Without that REALLY uneven S6 and finale, it could have been one of the all-time great shows. Instead, it's just a "pretty darn good" show that I don't regret viewing, all things considered.

I also must confess I should really get around to finishing BSG one of these days (I made it through S3, but was disappointed in the back half of that season and wasn't hooked enough to continue). And as a big Star Trek: DS9 fan, I've been wary of even attempting B5 (the general consensus seems to be that you either like DS9 or B5, not both). I'm with Andrew in that DS9 certainly seemed like Ron Moore's "dry run" for BSG in retrospect.

I like DS9 but it's more a normal episodic show with serial elements than most of these. Like most Star Treks it's best watched as part of your routine when you're having dinner or something. I enjoy it when it's on but it doesn't have the focus or momentum that would make me want to insatiably plow through it to see what happens next.

I think the back half of DS9 (S5, 6, & 7) straddles the line between episodic and serial storytelling pretty brilliantly. Of course the last 10 eps of S7 are one giant arc. But the show from about S3 on is mostly the best the TNG-era had to offer.

Ugh. Finding out that Ellen was the last Cylon was frustrating as hell. I practically cheered when Tigh killed her on New Caprica because she was fucking obnoxious, and she made him more obnoxious, too.

It would have been more interesting of Leoben had been telling the truth all along, and one of the Adamas had been a Cylon.

   I liked the finale of BSG. It answered all the questions: What were the in head Six and Baltar, how did All Along the Watchtower fit in, and they found Earth in a way that connected back to the original BSG. Life here began out there.

I know it was never explained how Starbuck came back. I will admit that implying it was God is kinda lazy.

   Baltar says something that I think all religious people should hear:"God is not on anybody side." I took that to mean He doesn't want anybody being suicide bombers or blow up abortion clinics.

This is a great thread.  I find myself agreeing with George RR Martin 100 % as well in regard to Lost and BSG.  I never watched B5 and I've always been hesitant to do so but some of the comments in this thread are making me rethink that.  Now that I'm older I find that I too am more capable of ignoring sub-par acting or special effects in favor of a well-structured long-form story, so maybe I should give it a shot.

As I said in the actual BSG thread, although this wasn't the finale I'd have written myself, I appreciate the balls of what Moore did. He said:"You remember all the unexplained stuff in the show, that people were atrributing to God? They were right. God did it."

I have my own fanwanky theories I've developed to bring the end more to my liking but I appreciate what he did.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris Hill 

I never watched B5 and I've always been hesitant to do so but some of the comments in this thread are making me rethink that.  Now that I'm older I find that I too am more capable of ignoring sub-par acting or special effects in favor of a well-structured long-form story, so maybe I should give it a shot.

It can be stagey and some of the CGI effects are pretty grotesque, but performances aren't that much of a problem. In fact Andreas Katsulas as Gkar and the dude who plays Lando are fantastic and nuanced and two of the best reasons for watching the show. It gets more enjoyable once the Boxleitner gets involved cos the guy he replaced didn't really have his corny charm.

Only two people alive could have pulled off the "Get the hell out of my Galaxy Speech" that ended the Shadow war. Boxleitner and Shatner.  And Londo's plan to remove the Shadow's from his homeworld is still the single most insane and awesome thing I have ever seen ina TV show.