03.28.07

Looking Back on Season 3

Posted in Uncategorized at 7:20 pm by Administrator

From a certain point of view, the third season of “Battlestar: Galactica” was its most controversial. Not necessarily because of content, but because of the deep divisions that emerged within its fan base. While the critics continued to give the series credit for breaking new ground, fans began to complain about glossed-over plot concepts, poor characterization, and an apparent lack of focus.

The numbers seem to reflect the issues raised by the fans. The ratings feel dramatically in the third season, starting relatively strong but losing nearly half of the viewers by the end. Of course, the Neilsen ratings aren’t necessarily the best measure of the success or failure of a series, especially in the current paradigm of iTunes, DVRs, and legal downloads. Estimates suggest that the actual ratings are at least 25% higher than those reported. Accounting for the mid-season change from Friday nights to Sunday nights, a move guaranteed to result in fewer “live” viewers, and the numbers are less disturbing.

However, one cannot ignore the fact that the average review rating for the second season was 8.0, which indicates an “above average” season, while the third season came in at 7.6. While that’s hardly a massive drop in quality, it does reflect a softening of the edge that once defined the series. “Galactica” may not have descended into the tripe that some would claim it has become, but this was arguably the least effective season thus far.

Looking back on the third season, four main criticisms come to mind. First, the New Caprica arc came to a close far too quickly, leaving many of the interesting social and moral questions raised at that time unanswered. Second, this was followed by an emphasis on the relationship issues between Apollo and Starbuck, a decision that was very unpopular. Third, the second half of the season was derailed by the last-minute decision to abandon an entire story arc. Finally, and most importantly, the character developments were more abrupt, leaving the audience with the distinct impression that those elements had been a last-minute decision instead of the result of careful consideration.

Unfortunately, the Sci-Fi Channel has elected to wait until early 2008 to air the fourth season, which gives fans a lot of time to think about what they disliked about the third season. Unlike the second season, where most of the complaints centered on a few lackluster episodes, the weak points of the third season were distributed more evenly. That leaves one with the impression that the problems were comprehensive, inherent to the production of the season as a whole, rather than isolated to one or two installments. The slip in Neilsen and review ratings is another indication.

Ron Moore openly admits that the writers work better in shorter seasons, given the tight storytelling in the first season. He also admits that the series has entered its third and final act, and that an endpoint is in sight. There are many indications that the series will need to end with the fourth season, which will last 22 episodes (including a 2-hour event in the fall, disconnected from the rest of the season). The question is: will the demands of completing the series and giving it a strong ending overcome the challenges that the writers have with a long season?

Given the events of “Crossroads: Part II”, the writers have left themselves a difficult task. The Final Five Cylons are clearly different from the traditional Cylons, and that will need to have a satisfactory explanation. That includes the implication that the newly identified Cylons (if, in fact, that is true) have been around a lot longer than the known Cylons. The clear connections to Earth must also be explained, most especially the return of Starbuck.

Few, if any, of these answers will be answered quickly, and there’s plenty of reason to think that the entire fourth season arc will weave all the questions into one comprehensive concept that will lead into the final resolution. After waiting more than nine months for the next season to begin, will the fans be willing to let the story spool out at its own pace? This is not unlike the situation that “Lost” has been in during its third season: answers are coming, but not quickly enough to stave off impatient criticism.

If the writers manage to keep the intensity going for the entire fourth season, perhaps to a series finale, then the shortcomings of the third season could be a distant memory a year from now. However, if the fourth season seems to run into the same problems that plagued the third, the result could be an average ending to a superior television series.

Permalink