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I am honestly shocked about all the griping over the series finale of "Battlestar Galactica." Really, I'm shocked.

When "Star Trek: Voyager" ended, fans were mad because it seemed the writers were more interested in giving us action and adventure to end the series, and not much character wrap-up. In fact, the return to Earth lasted all of what, 60 seconds?

"The 4400" seemed to end on a cliffhanger of sorts, as did "Carnivale." And people still complain about "The Sopranos" ending, but that's not entirely science-fiction there.

But yet, after all that, with Ronald D. Moore and others listening to the cries of fans in the past, those very fans have turned around and told the "Battlestar Galactica" producers, "Just kidding! We liked the old endings better!"

Of all the finales for the Star Trek franchise, for instance, my favorite is from "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." Yes, I know, I should love "All Good Things" from "Star Trek: The Next Generation, and I do ... but "Deep Space Nine" stands out for me because the finale wasn't just about bringing the storyline to and end. It was about giving us closure on the characters we have followed and loved, even many who were not part of the opening credits.

Of course, that wrap-up included Sisko becoming a dead-beat dad just so he can hang out with the prophets in the wormhole, but it seemed that characters -- the real reason we watch drama, seriously -- got great sendoffs, and the overall story was just a secondary plotline.

Say what you want about the "Battlestar Galactica" ending, but it's pretty much the same thing. Yes, the episode did a "Lord of the Rings"-like ending where we spent a lot of time in epilogue with the characters, but "Battlestar Galactica" -- like "Lord of the Rings" -- is character-centric, and had been from the start. Although we had the overall universe where humanity is practically destroyed by a bunch of robots, many of the best stories for "Battlestar Galactica" were centered around the people. The father-daughter relationship between Bill Adama and Starbuck. The sexual tension between Starbuck and Apollo. The same tension between Bill and Laura Roslin. The struggle of Boomer accepting who she really is. The "children of humanity" trying to find their place in the universe.

I could go on forever, and become the darling of shippers across the galaxy. But this is the way "Battlestar Galactica" was supposed to end. Give us quick closure on the overall story, but then spent an hour or so wrapping up each one of the characters. As exciting as the action scenes were in the second part of the three-hour finale, the most moving was how we left the Colonials. And by far, the most amazing scene that makes me cry everytime I think about it (just like when Tigh has to poison his wife) are those final moments in the Raptor with Bill and Laura.

Call me a shipper if you want, but that's what "Battlestar Galactica" has been the whole time. A lot of people have slammed the show, saying it had become more soap opera than space opera, but since when has science-fiction not been about the characters?

I admit that I don't read very much anymore unless I can find it online and it's less than 500 words, but as a kid, I read voraciously. Mostly because I was waiting for Al Gore to invent the Internet so that I would have something to do. But in reading those books, especially some of the great classic authors like Isaac Asimov, Ray Bradbury, Phillip K. Dick, Jules Verne and many others, I got to experience great stories, but at the same time, I had a chance to explore the nature of humanity through great character work.

It's the characters we connect to, not just the story. We have become so accustomed to action and adventure, and we begin to believe that that's where science-fiction starts and ends. If you believe that, then you should watch SciFi Channel on Saturday nights because I hear they make some original movies that should be right up your alley.

But real science-fiction is the science-fiction that focuses on people (or sometimes extraterrestrial people), and showcases the real adventure -- not of what's happening around them, but what's going on inside their hearts.

And in that respect, the series finale of "Battlestar Galactica" hit a solid home run.