The last chapter of the reimagined Battlestar Galactica series aims to answer the questions you didn’t know you had.
“2, you come with me. Let’s get this genocide started.”
This is NOT an entry point for #BSG. This is for the fans, and bravo to the makers for having the sense (and bravery) to make something for the fans. Even steeped in the BSG mythos, it does make sense within itself, containing enough expository ‘refreshers’ to keep both die-hard fans and occasional fans up to speed and engrossed. Remember the people you forced to watch the occasional episode with you? You can subject them to this movie without them talking over the first half (“Who’s that guy again?”). That being said, a seasoned BSG veteran will want to watch this more than once to really get a feel for the story. Much like Battlestar: Razor, this deepens an already profound mythology while raising some new questions and issues along the way.
“This has happened before…”
Not: LOST clip show recap, old clips with new narration and focus.
Not: Star Wars prequels, adding too much story and muddying the waters, deflating the characters retroactively.
The Plan is, quite simply, a mastery of writing by scribe Jane Espenson; it is written as though to spite the challenges put before it. It takes the events plot and doesn’t just fill in the gaps, but actually weaves a new narrative within said gaps.
The characters central to BSG, the ones we have watched for four seasons, are all represented, but The Plan focuses on lesser characters Simon (cylon model 4) played by Rick Worthy, and the infamous John Cavil (cylon model 1). With new characterization for Cavil and Simon, Espenson is able to tell their own stories within the film’s grand context through new scenes intermixed with old footage. Dean Stockwell carries this flick, and he is absolutely fantastic. Period.
BSG regulars like Starbuck, Apollo, and director Edward James Olmos‘ Admiral Adama are relegated primarily to the old footage, which makes sense since we already watched them for 4 seasons and they’re not what this movie is about, but they are of course involved in the same events.
“You can’t declare war on love.” – 6 ”I think I already did.” – 1
For the hardcore BSG Geek like myself, this is a return to where it all began. Fifteen minutes into the main feature, I was already blown away. Full-on destruction of the colonies is frakking AMAZING. We’re revisiting the most apocalyptic events in the BSG timeline with renewed vigour and SFX–not just the destruction of Caprica, but of each the 12 colonies as carried out by a multitude of basestars and cylon invading forces. It’s as if they condensed all the important events of the first season (the duration of the initial cylon ‘plan’) but continually branch off into the cylon point of view, as opposed to the human-centric view we watched religiously. Perhaps the point, which may be lost on some, is the simple fact that the two stories are so deeply intertwined. The fundamental themes that were explored for four season from the perspective of a dwindling humanity are the same themes we explore from the new light of a race of cylons–immortal and limitless, but still driven by the same basic ‘human’ emotions of love and wrath.
You can also enjoy Jane Espenson's fantastic writing on the upcoming Caprica
“Love will outlast death”
The failed cylon Plan is still a Plan, and underneath the surface we glean tidbits of a much grander design, much as we saw throughout the series and the finale. We see the motivations and driving factors behind the cylon apocalypse and the backlash it has leading to the toaster-schism and ultimately civil war and destruction.
The same can be said of this last installment to the Battlestar Galactica series, perhaps the last chance before other versions come around. Some might see this as a failure on the part of the producers; that this isn’t easy answers to WTF happened to Starbuck? or that this isn’t some cheesy continuation for the sake of cash-grabbing. Instead they had the courage and integrity to delve deeper into the events that started the whole epic story to begin with. The true value will be more obvious on the next rewatch, as those subtle changes we see in The Plan give new insight into the BSG universe.
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