so BSG ended last night. as with any other story i am deeply, emotionally invested in, i was sad, even though it was a relatively satisfying finish. although i found a little 30 rock calmed me down quite a bit.

one of the things about the series that has always been attractive to me was how creator Ron Moore made faith a serious element that the characters had to deal with. watching them struggle with long-held beliefs and traditions in the face of terrible circumstances made them much more believable and connected me with them on a level i rarely experience, in any medium.

and for a series so beloved by skeptics/athiests, the finale’s plot relied heavily on the work of a higher power. the reaction has been pretty interesting to witness. personally, RDM impressed the crap out of me by allowing faith to be a central theme. the last intelligent sci-fi series that incorporated any element of faith was the X-Files. Star Trek was always too chicken to explore the concept.

two things stood out about the finale: one was during Baltar’s speech in the CIC. Brother Cavil asks something along the lines of “How do I know God will side with the Cylons?”. “God is not on anyone’s side”, Baltar explains. His point: the gods/God/higher power/force of nature isn’t for the humans, or the Cylons, or Vulcans, or America’s, or the Muslims, or the universe, or whatever. it’s to us to make sure we’re on God’s side.

the other: while not a part of the plot or overall theme, after finishing the finale, i got the distinct sense of the brevity of our time on this planet. i can read books or hear sermons on making the best use of your limited lifespan, but none have had the impact of seeing Bill Adama’s loss, watching Lee see his father off for the last time, and watching the survivors depart to start their new lives. i was finally shaken up and saw my heart open just a bit, ready to make more use of the idle hours i waste away.