15 Years Later, the Ending of the Most Important 2000s Sci-Fi Show is Still Terrible

Summary

• The 2009 finale of this sci-fi series did what its 1978 predecessor failed to accomplish.
• It gave some clear answers about the history of human society in this universe.
• Nevertheless, the uncertainty surrounding the fate of one of the main characters spoiled the finale forever.

Of all the sci-fi franchises released in film and television, one of the most memorable is Battlestar Galactica, which provided an incredibly interesting setting where humanity scoured the vastness of the galaxy in search of a new home. And whether you watched the original Battlestar Galactica of 1978 or are familiar with the remake, you probably know that one of the main goals of the BS-75 Galactica crew was to search for the so-called ' Earth'.

Unfortunately, the original series never showed the audience the final destination, although there was an attempt to do so in Galactica 1980, where the characters tried to influence the technological development of Earth's modern society — the result was not the best.

We saw a much more compelling twist in the 2004 series, as the plot took a more existential and even partly theological turn, bringing the end of the story to the beginning of what is now modern humanity. Of course, such a decision by the writers did not appeal to all viewers, because despite the rather mind-bending messages that were laid out, the finale turned out to be rushed in regard to the arcs of many of the main characters, including everyone's favorite Kara Thrace aka Starbuck, played by the unforgettable Katee Sackhoff.

What happened to her and who did she become in the end? Sadly, it's a question that even the writers don't seem to know the answer to.

Where Did the Battlestar Galactica Remake End Up?

Just as everyone was wondering if Tony Soprano had died in The Sopranos, BSG fans were speculating about Starbuck's fate, as that moment alone overshadowed the rest of the finale, even though it was a rather worthy one. As you probably know, the 'Earth' inhabited by the Thirteenth Colony was not the planet that turned out to be humanity's final destination, the real life Earth. The second one turned out to be a prosperous planet, inhabited by intelligent humanoids, who, together with the crew of Galactica's Colonial humanity and the Cylons, served as the basis for the development of modern human society 150,000 years later.

We were actually presented with the Earth of 2009, where Baltar and Six pondered whether human history would repeat itself with artificial intelligence and destructive interplanetary wars. It was an interesting context for the cyclical nature of human history in a BGS universe, as well as a look at the now-relevant perilous consequences of AI exploitation.

So What Happened to Starbuck?

Unfortunately, it's almost as if the writers forgot what happened to Kara Thrace. First she died in the Season 3 episode Maelstrom, then she suddenly returned in the final episode of the season to lead humanity to Earth in Season 4 under some unseen guidance that may have been celestial or even divine. Who was she in the end? A time traveler who knew how humanity could save itself? An undead being fulfilling a divine plan? Or perhaps an angel? Unfortunately, it's all up for interpretation.

But if that vagueness is enough to generate interest and intrigue, what happened to the character after that is completely unknown. Once Galagtica is on Earth, Starbuck simply disappears from the scene without explanation.

'I can tell you that in the writing room, there were multiple theories as to who Kara Thrace really was,' writer David Weddle shared in the oral history book So Say We All. 'We never answered it concretely, nor do I think we ever should. The opinions of the writers in the room are just like the opinions of the viewers.'

All four seasons of Battlestar Galactica are available on Prime, Apple TV, Vudu and Microsoft.

Source: So Say We All: The Complete, Uncensored, Unauthorized Oral History of Battlestar Galactica.