There are a lot of shows that get cancelled before they reach their full potential, but Battlestar Galactica was not one of those shows. The series was able to wrap up its storyline for the most part before it went off of the air. However, hindsight is 20/20 and most of the people involved with the series still have one or two things they really wish that Battlestar Galactica had explored. During a recent San Diego Comic-Con panel, many of the cast members shared their feelings related to things they wish they had done on the show.
Producer David Eick probably had an intriguing wish related to the series. When asked if he would have changed anything, he admitted the creative team played around with which characters would end up being a Cylon or not when the show was coming together. There were plenty of drafts that considered people like President Roslin and others becoming Cylons and if he could go back, Eick said that he would like to look into other paths, noting,
There were all of these roads not taken. I often wish there were versions of the show that had mixed up who was a Cylon.
For the most part, people were pretty happy with how Battlestar Galactica turned out. Tahmoh Penikett, who played Helo on the series, admitted that he simply was happy that he got to come back after the miniseries that aired. He thought his run on the show would be finished at that point, but he got asked back to run around the planet with Boomer, and the rest is history. Still, he says he didn't really get to work all that much with people like James Callis and Mary McDonnell during his run, and if he anything could be changed, he really wishes he had gotten to work with more of the people involved with the show. He said,
The cast was so big I wish we would have gotten to share more... there were so many actors I didn't get to work with.
Some of the other cast members were a whole lot goofier with their answers. Tricia Helfer jokingly complained that she never got to say "frak," mentioning how she always wanted to say the word onscreen, and would try to sneak it into her lines improv-style. (The editing staff would always cut her attempts though.) And Mary McDonnell, who played President Roslin on the popular sci fi series, recalled the finale and ended the commentary with a frank and earnest desire for her character:
I would have liked to live.
Battlestar Galactica could have ended with Admiral Adama and President Roslin flying off happily into the sunset, but the series was never that sort of show. And although the two characters did get to fly off together, Roslin succumbed to her cancer at the end of the journey, opening a new chapter in the life of Admiral Adama and humanity in general. It was an ending that was extremely emotional and touching, and like the Six Feet Under finale, I cry every time I watch it. Ultimately, these reminders from the cast and crew give us insights into how Battlestar Galactica could have been very different if even one or two decisions had been made differently. Are you happy the series turned out how it did?
