Tearful goodbyes at final 'Battlestar' screening
Lee Adama and Laura Roslin sit beside each other near the middle of the movie theater.
Baltar, Romo Lampkin and Anders are together in a cluster near the top, like back-of-the-class troublemakers.
That loner Starbuck takes what most would consider the worst seat, and a handful would call the best -- front row center -- the big screen towering above her.
This is at Friday night's North Hollywood screening of the series finale of "Battlestar Galactica." It's not a media event. It's cast and crew, their families, and some Sci Fi Channel executives. The BSG family saying goodbye six years after their ground-breaking series debuted. At the same moment, viewers nationwide are watching the at home (the early ratings for which indicate a huge send-off -- 2.4 million viewers, the best performance for "Battlestar" since its season "2.5" premiere three years ago; plus the final season has also been adding about 700,000 viewers per episode thanks to DVR).
One by one, "Battlestar" players take the theater stage to introduce the last episode:
"I've never done anything like this show," says star Edward James Olmos. "We're not going to get another chance like this. This is the standard. Don't judge anything else you do by this. It's going to be hard for Ron [Moore] and David [Eick] to excel beyond this."
The crowd laughs at this apparent jab. But Olmos is both sincere and not intending an insult.
"'Blade Runner' took 25 years to become what it is today," Olmos says. "This is the same way -- 25 years from today we will have have more recognition for this show than we do today."
Executive producer David Eick praises Sci Fi Channel, and deservedly so. Fans are tough on the network, but executive vp programming Mark Stern in particular deserves heavy credit for "Battlestar." For all the notes Moore and Eick have resisted over the years, Sci Fi gave the team enormous creative leeway and have promoted the hell out of the series even as its viewership shrank.
"We had this odd agenda -- to break new ground," Eick says. "They didn't want just another space show. It was a singular opportunity. Despite some telling us to lighten and brighten it, they took their foot off the brakes and let us do what we wanted to do."
Sci Fi's Stern takes the stage and gives a lengthy speech, quoting critic reviews praising the finale. It's almost like he doesn't want the moment to pass and the show's voyage to be over.
"You don't have to look any further than the way this show is passed over by the Emmys to know the way sci fi as a genre is [slighted]," Stern says. "It's been am amazing journey. I'm not sure what I'm going to do without it."
And finally, showrunner Ron Moore:
"I really don't want this to happen," Moore says. "Tonight there is a 'Battlestar Galatica.' Tomorrow there was. I'm sure there will be reunions and retrospectives and extended cuts -- and other ways for me to make money" [laughter]. "And some solace can be found. But what has happened now. I'm looking out at faces here who are in anticipation of watching a new 'Battlestar Galactica' -- and that will not happen again."
"It was an honor," Moore says, his voice breaking, "to be your storyteller."
The crowd goes straight to its feet in applause. Many have tears in their eyes.
And with that, we watch part one and two of the finale. Time whips by. As the title "Daybreak" hints, Moore went for a well-earned quasi-happy ending. He also promised the conclusion would satisfy, and I think he delivered on that (very skimpy on logic and explanations, but its emotionally fulfilling from a character standpoint -- and beautifully shot). Most home viewers probably didn't notice, but producers sprung for a full orchestra accompaniment for composer Bear McCreary instead of the usual digitally produced arrangement for the finale. Together with the high-definition projection and the show's consistent overall quality, you'd be hard pressed to call the screening experience "watching television."
The lights come up. The crowd gives a standing ovation.
Lee and Roslin soberly hug.
Anders says, "I was the last person left on 'Galatica.' I'll be a Trivial Pursuit question."
Baltar mock-wipes a tear, but also looks legitimately a little weepy -- one can never be too sure about that guy.
And Romo, who received a battlefield promotion in the finale, says, "I'm still the f--king president."
UPDATE 3/22: Sci Fi orders "Battlestar" replacements: 'Phantom,' 'Riverworld,' 'Alice'
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