Was Starbuck A Ghost? Angel? Wizard?

Just like that, right in the middle of a conversation with Lee Adama, Starbuck disappeared in the middle of an African field.

It was one of the final scenes of the critically acclaimed "Battlestar Galactica" on what was once known as the SciFi Channel, and it left viewers wondering what exactly Katee Sackhoff's character was resurrected as following her third season death.

One person who would know the answer is former executive producer David Eick. However, as candid as he typically is about aspects of the show already seen, even Eick didn't have much of an answer to this question.

"We were still on the fence on what Starbuck was, and that became the most central conversation," Eick told reporters, including Airlock Alpha, during press roundtables at San Diego Comic-Con. Writers of the show were trying to figure out exactly how to handle Starbuck right to the very end.

To make it work, however, the crew decided to take a look at another epic journey -- that of the Lord of the Rings series.

"I think we probably looked at Gandalf as a model," Eick said. Gandalf dies in the "Fellowship of the Ring," but instead resurrects to evole from a grey wizard to a white wizard by "The Two Towers."

While Starbuck was not exactly magical, her resurrection could have had some divine intervention.

"I don't think there is an explanation without getting steeped into some sort of zombie or metaphysical or mitochlorian explanation that would satisfactorily explain her return unless it was something purely metaphysical like Gandalf of Lord of the Rings, which at a certain level, you accept," Eick said.

Although "Battlestar Galactica" was known for being a very dark series, the three-part finale was at least one episode where writers and producers were looking to balance the emotional response from viewers, Eick said.

"We sort of leave Apollo ... Lee ... alone," he said. "There is a sadness to both his final destiny, and in a way to Tyrol's. I think balancing the melancholy with the hopeful, and circling to that last acknowledgement that everything that has happened before doesn't have to happen again."

Moving into a prequel spinoff can be difficult, especially when everyone knows how the story ends. But "Caprica" shouldn't have to suffer from such an obstacle.

"It's not a shower about the aftermath of a holocaust, so there is not a gun to the head of the show as you open each episode," Eick said, talking about how "Caprica" will be different from "Battlestar."

"Instead, it's like watching a World War II drama. You know the allies are going to win, you know Hitler is going down. But to see it play out and discover new truths and who the heroes are and who fucked over who ... just becomes a certain richness in the anticipation of knowing the outcome, but understanding how you got there."

And how the "Battlestar" universe got to where it ended up can be traced back to a single event featured in the made-for-DVD "Caprica" pilot.

"This is really about how a little girl hatches an egg that will one day result in the downfall of humanity," Eick said.

To see the complete video of Eick's chat with reporters at Comic-Con, including my question about how the metaphysical nature of "Battlestar" will transfer to "Caprica,"

"Caprica" premieres in January on Syfy. The final half-season -- and the complete box set of the entire series -- of "Battlestar Galactica" is now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Yup that got me guessing also. GTO

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