TV with MeeVee: Totally Frakked: "Battlestar Galactica" Bigwigs Talk About The End

Rumors about the fate and future of "Battlestar Galactica" have been flying fast and furious ever since Edward James Olmos mentioned in an interview that Season 4 would be the show's last. The new "Battlestar" shocked fans of the old series with its new, darker reimagining and drew a whole new audience into the battle between humanity and the Cylons.

Official word came Friday. The rumors are true. Season 4 will be the end of the series. Just 20 (or so) episodes to draw it all to a close. In a press conference, producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick talked about their plans for the end of the show.

The duo was very clear that the show was conceived with a clear end point in mind. Ronald Moore said that the show was ultimately about a ragtag group of survivors setting out for the nearly impossible goal of finding Earth, and arriving at that goal was the planned end. Ending a show as a creative decision is always a preferable choice to a forced ending as ratings start to slide, and both Moore and Eick were very positive and upbeat as they discussed what's in store for us in the final season and beyond.

The Return To Earth
Though unsurprisingly circumspect about the specifics, they did confirm that the show will arrive on earth eventually. Will the ending be similar to the original show? Aside from some jokes about flying motorcyles in development, no. This is a different story, and will come to a very different end. For which I think we can all breathe a sigh of relief. Of course the trip to earth is focused on Roslin as the prophet, but as to whether the semi-religious figure will see the arrival on earth, well, you'll just have to wait and see.

All Along The Watchtower?
Will there be an explanation for the sudden appearance of a contemporary American piece of music in the dramatic end of season 3? You bet. David Eick explained that the use of a piece of contemporary music was discussed as early as the miniseries, and was considered for a moment in Episode 5, but they decided that the idea was so good they would wait for a dramatic moment to give it focus. The producers promised that the reason for that musical anachronism would be explained in the course of season 4.

Special Pegasus Episode
A special two-hour episode, originally designed with DVD release in mind, will air this fall before the regular season begins. The episode will not pick up where season 3 left off; it will be set around the period of "Pegasus" and "Resurrection Ship," following some of the history of the Pegasus before it met up with the Galactica, and continuing on after the death of Admiral Cain. The story is separate from the plot of season 4, but will be tied in to the overall story.

Caprica Spinoff
There was much discussion of a possible prequel project set on Caprica and following the development of Cylon technology. Nothing is absolutely set at this point, and the SciFi channel hasn't given it the green light, but discussions are still underway. Despite the lack of any firm commitment from SciFi, Moore and Eick were both extremely enthusiastic about the possibility of a Caprica show. Note to SciFi Channel: So are we.

Is It Really The End?
When asked if there was any intention to leave the show open to the possibility of a "Serenity"-style movie, Moore was quick to say that "the plan is to bring it to a definitive conclusion" but that it was hard to know how they would feel after concluding the series. They intend to draw the relationships between characters to a fulfilling conclusion, though the added that some stories might be left tantalizingly open ended. In art, as in life, nothing is wrapped up perfectly. Response from the cast on the impending conclusion was reportedly "mixed", with some cast members agreeing wholeheartedly with the decision to conclude (I think it's safe to guess Edward James Olmos was among them) and others more surprised by the choice. According to David Eick, there's a feeling of senior year of high school on the set, with everyone getting ready to sign each other's yearbooks.

What's The Timetable
After the fiasco of mid-season breaks in the last television season, it's no surprise that the question of scheduling came up. There's no hard date for the start of season 4 yet, though they expect early '08. As to the rest of the scheduling? Moore and Eick are leaving it to the SciFi channel. "The truth is that they're awfully good at their own scheduling", says Moore. They do say that even in the final season they will make a conscious effort not to over-serialize, keeping the show approachable for casual viewers who may not catch every episode. Yeah, good luck with that.

The questions were plentiful. Will Lucy Lawless be back? Maybe. Is a Peabody award just a consolation prize for the fact that sci fi shows never get the Emmy nod? No, the Peabody is cool on its own, and who knows, maybe BSG will break out of the Emmy scifi ghetto. Why do they use deleted scenes in the "previously on" intros? Just to bug you. Did "Lost" like, oh my god, totally steal their way cool flash-forward idea? "We often think of them as thieves in the night", Eick jokes. Seriously, will there be flying motorcycles?

Only time will tell, but Ronald Moore and David Eick seem certain that they can bring the show to a conclusion that will blow the audience away. With the end in sight, season 4 promises to be absolutely no holds barred on a show that barely barred any holds to begin with. One thing's for sure; I'll be watching.

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