There's no one ending...
How to end this season was difficult for lots of reasons, not the least of which was choosing a story. Remember that when Eddie G (the original Exec Prod) left, two of the show's writers left with him. Jackie Marchand (the only veteran of PR) had left months before, which left only myself and John Tellegen. I don't understand all of the motivations, but clearly John was unhappy at how the whole situation developed, so we weren't really in sync.
So, I walk into this mess and have to do the work of several people without the advantage of time, pre-production, studying the Japanese footage, etc. I had to hit the ground running, since the production in New Zealand needed scripts to shoot. So you see, the circumstances dictated that I moved forward so quickly that there was no time to stop and reflect thoroughly on how everything was evolving. Would there be enough material to make an ending? Yes. After all the years I had done this, I knew which instincts to trust, and this one was telling me that there was plenty.
As far as the specific ending, when I first arrived in New Zealand, a couple of the actors had offered to tell me Eddie's story plans. That was kind, but I really didn't have any interest. Besides, there was legal liability involved. So I declined to hear anything. Did I consider Dillon becoming the main villain, sure. It was logical, since the villain was a computer, and so was Dillon. I understand that some fans would have liked that better, but others would have claimed it was predictable. You can't please everyone, so you have to go with your gut.
As far as Dillon, he was not my favorite character. And the whole mysterious sister thing? Been there done that... in Space, remember? (Did I think it would surprise anyone? No, but then again, killing the shark at the end of "Jaws" didn't surprise anyone either. It's the voyage to the goal that I tried to make memorable.) I did not choose to make the season all about Dillon. But the way Eddie had set it up made this a logical choice. His was the most dramatic and dimensional character. He had all the Ranger qualities, with a healthy dose of mystery. Yes, if I'd had more time, and a staff of good writers to kick around ideas with, I'm sure I could have re-worked the story arc and made the season better. But for what I was given, I am very proud of what was achieved.
