I suppose I should disclose a couple things about me, in particular, writing this article. The first is that I haven’t watched the last couple seasons of 24. Furthermore, for all the fanfare the show gets, it prescribes to the same cookie cutter formula every season. That’s why I dubbed the show “twenty-formulaic.” Every season is just as good as the last; which basically means the series has been exactly the same since season two. Oh, I can just hear angry 24 fans starting to write emails to me.
The second point is that I’m still pretty angry from the laughable conclusion to Battlestar Galactica. Yes, I’m one of those guys who thought Ron Moore and company pretty much gave up trying to provide logical closure to the show in favor of whatever you want to call that mess that was the end of the show. Again, I can hear you typing.
Now, even with those points noted there’s nothing to say I can’t provide a very objective take on Katee Sackhoff’s new gig on 24. Alright, maybe not the most objective but I’ll give it my all. Which is to say, I’ll limit my ranting because I could go on forever.
While there was a lot of unnecessary controversy about Sackhoff playing Starbuck on the new BSG (a role originally played by clearly all-man Dirk Benedict) I thought she did a great job with the character. Even when the story got derailed some Sackhoff was faithful to her role, even if she herself wasn’t sure what she was. This is clearly evident in the somewhat labored explanation she provides to the show’s end:
“So when she at the end was saying goodbye to [Anders], I think that she was saying goodbye to their bodily forms,” she said. “I think she knew, especially if he says, ‘I’ll see you on the other side,’ I think she’s with him. I think they’re both dead, but I think she’s with him.
That was a decision that we made, because I selfishly wanted her at peace, and the only way to do that was to have her with someone at the end, or to be with the person she wanted to be with. I don’t know. That’s kind of where I think she is. She’s with Michael Trucco playing pyramid in the sky somewhere.”
Now, count the number of times she says “I think” in that explanation. Yes, six times. That’s a whole lot of guess work for a show highlighting antagonists who we were told very specifically had a plan from the very beginning Whoops, I said I wouldn’t rant didn’t I?