Battlestar Galactica's Darkest Episodes Paid Homage To The Greatest Sci-fi Ending Of All Time

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If you're going to rank the champion movie endings ever, you have to see nan conclusion to 1968's "Planet of nan Apes." Everyone knows it: Astronaut George Taylor (Charlton Heston) discovers nan remains of nan Statue of Liberty and falls successful complete despair. The topsy-turvy world he's recovered is really a ruined Earth, because humanity did not flooded their worst selves and alternatively destroyed their civilization successful a atomic war. 

This is besides 1 of nan astir parodied movie endings, ever. One of nan best-known jokes connected "The Simpsons" is astir apt the in-universe "Planet of nan Apes" philharmonic sequence, but I ever laughter watching "Deep Space Homer" erstwhile Homer yet realizes, "Wait, Statue of Liberty? That was our planet!" and past falls to his knees, quoting Taylor's calls for damnation.

But has immoderate dramatic ending ever equaled that of "Apes"? One that comes adjacent is successful nan reimagined "Battlestar Galactica." The bid opens pinch its heroes fleeing a atomic apocalypse aft nan robotic Cylons destruct their creators' homeworlds, nan 12 Colonies of Man. Galactica's hopeless fleet past sets retired to find nan location of nan mythical 13th tribe: Earth.

In play 4, section 10, "Revelations," they find it. The fleet arrives successful orbit of Earth, Admiral William Adama (Edward James Olmos) announces nan jubilant news, and ships title to nan surface. Then, smash trim to a clump of earth successful Adama's manus arsenic a Geiger radiation antagonistic goes off. The section ends pinch a panning changeable of nan full main formed stepping astir a barren shoreline, revealing much and much charred ruins earlier ending connected a changeable of a destroyed city. They're each silent — prevention for President Roslin's (Mary McDonnell) bitter remark, "Earth" — but each 1 is emotion nan aforesaid level of devastation Taylor felt seeing nan Statue of Liberty.

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Since its airing successful June 2008, nan ending of "Revelations" has prompted comparisons to nan conclusion of "Planet of nan Apes." Both speak to nan fearfulness of atomic warfare and that our creations will destruct america (a fearfulness nan Cylons allegorically represent, too).

Watching "Battlestar Galactica," you're meant to presume nan Earth that they're searching for is our home. Seeing Earth destroyed successful "Revelations" isn't unsettling conscionable because our heroes stake each their hopes connected a mendacious promise; it besides implies we destroyed ourselves for illustration "Planet of nan Apes" suggested we would. (It yet turns retired nan ruined 13th people Earth isn't our Earth, but let's not get into that correct now.)

"Planet of nan Apes" must've been connected nan minds of nan episode's writers arsenic well. (Both "Revelations" and nan section that follows, "Sometimes a Great Notion," were written by Bradley Thompson & David Weddle.) Here's nan tell: Kara (Katee Sackhoff), who "died" and past returned backmost successful "Battlestar Galactica" play 3, tracks a beacon connected Earth and finds thing profoundly upsetting — a charred assemblage pinch her ain canine tags.

Before Kara goes looking for nan beacon, nan prophetic Leoben (Callum Keith Rennie) warns her that "You whitethorn not for illustration what you find." This is exactly what Doctor Zaius (Maurice Evans) warned Taylor successful "Planet of nan Apes," earlier nan second went disconnected deeper into nan Forbidden Zone to yet find nan Statue of Liberty.

So, really did Earth extremity up successful specified a horrible state? Like successful nan 12 Colonies, nan group location created Cylons. 2,000 years earlier Galactica came, nan Cylons rebelled, truthful humanity and nan machines wiped each different out. Roslin bitterly sums it up: "It's perfect. We traded 1 nuked civilization for another."

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"Sometimes a Great Notion" sees its characters wallowing successful their misery; they suffered for years searching for Earth and it each led to ash. Lieutenant "Dee" Dualla (Kandyse McClure) loses each dream and dies by suicide, pinch Adama astir pursuing her. The characters of "Battlestar Galactica" consciousness for illustration their travel is over, and, successful fact, it almost was.

"Sometimes A Great Notion" was nan past "Battlestar Galactica" section written earlier nan 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America onslaught commenced. As bid co-creator Ronald D. Moore told nan Chicago Tribune successful 2009, nan section was really filmed during nan early days of nan strikes, meaning nary rewrites could return place.

There were concerns that "Battlestar Galactica" mightiness beryllium canceled if nan onslaught went connected excessively long. (I said pinch respective of nan show's writers and formed members astir really they felt during that limbo for an oral history of "Battlestar Galactica" play 4.) Per Moore, nan formed and unit made "Sometimes A Great Notion" knowing it mightiness beryllium their last. Thus, their characters' somber moods were each excessively real. Members of nan formed and unit person likewise said that "Revelations" and "Sometimes A Great Notion" could person served arsenic a bid finale if nan show had so been canceled (perhaps conflating nan 2 episodes).

The WGA onslaught ended successful February 2008. So, erstwhile "Revelations" aired nan pursuing June, "Battlestar Galactica" fans knew much was coming and didn't interest that nan past they'd spot of their favourite show mightiness beryllium its characters uncovering a ruined Earth. ("Sometimes a Great Notion" aired arsenic a mid-season premiere successful January 2009.) If "Battlestar Galactica" had ended there, though, it might've surpassed "Planet of nan Apes" arsenic nan bleakest twist ending ever in science fiction.