Battlestar Galactica

[Al]

So... wow.

When it hits the fan on Galactica, it *really* hits the fan. This episode was absolutely awesome for so many reasons. Gaeta taking command of CIC. Laura getting off her duff and being presidential. Starbuck and Lee playing Butch and Sundance. Saul Tigh with dual-wielding action? Frackin' A!

I am so psyched for these last seven episodes.

EDIT: And poor Laird! I know he was only in, like, two other episodes but I always liked him.

EDIT: Ooh, and Starbuck's gunslinger moment in the hanger! "I can do this all day!" lol

[Lissa]

This episode completely broke my heart. In both a good way and a bad way.

See, back when the 4.5 trailer was shown at one of the sci-fi cons, people reported on the contents, and the scene with Gaeta and Zarek arguing after the slaughter of the Quorum came out, although no one knew that's what it was. And I got thinking about how Tom Zarek and Felix Gaeta must have known each other on New Caprica, given their respective positions, and what kind of relationship did they have? If Felix felt comfortable enough to argue with Tom, it might have actually been close.

So, I indulged in my bad habit. I started writing fanfic about the two of them. And I started seeing parallels. Because although Ron Moore insists Zarek is a black-hat, power-hungry only villain, I disagree. I've always seen him as someone who truly believes what he preaches, but is willing to use any means to accomplish his vision. Still violent. Still a terrorist. Still willing to do some pretty terrible things, but all in the name of the society he thinks should exist. Tom Zarek is an idealist who believes the ends justify the means.

And what I started seeing is that Tom was what Felix could become, if he went down the wrong road. And given how he can be blinded to what people do, determined to believe that life is a meritocracy and everyone plays by the rules, he could be led there. And I was thinking of Tom seeing what he once was in Felix- a passionate, caring idealist who believed you can change the world, before he got backed into a corner and only had violence left open to him. (I've read the summary of his backstory, which explains a lot.) And so I ended up writing this huge long story where they actually cared about each other in a very father-son sort of way, especially since it seemed like Adama never cared all that much about Gaeta, for all that he considered him one of his "kids".

And then it almost felt like Ron Moore decided to make it canon, and give me a beautiful ending, albeit completely tragic.

I really loved the dynamic between Zarek and Gaeta. I loved that Gaeta was in no way Zarek's puppet, and that although they didn't agree, they did still stick it together, to an extent. I loved that Zarek demonstrated more courtesy to Gaeta than anyone on the Galactica ever did, slowing his pace, actually looking concerned when he was in pain, and still not drawing attention to the fact that Gaeta was down a leg. I love that they did both understand they had their own vendettas to grind, and that Zarek actually let Gaeta give Adama a "trial". (Although, Gaeta sweetie? YOU KNOW BETTER.) And I loved that they died together, and that Gaeta didn't die with nothing like Adama promised. They still believed they were right in principal (and Zarek even more than that), and they were still together in this. And the smile between them completely broke my heart.

Even though it's been entirely in my head, they've been my favorite relationship on this show, and I couldn't have asked for a better exit.

I have to admit, I ended up fairly pro-mutiny. I knew they'd fail, but they really have some points, and I really hope Adama realizes it. I also hope he really got what Gaeta was saying when he said Adama doesn't care about the people on the ship. I can see (especially after the webisodes) how Gaeta's come to the conclusion that Adama only cares about his favorites. I just hope that there is a point to all this, and it wasn't just "kill of two characters, everything goes back to normal." I REALLY hope we see some sort of reaction from Adama on this, especially since he just had to execute one of his "kids".

I liked Zarek in this, but I have to say Alessandro Juliani totally knocked it out of the park, especially in the scene where he sat in Adama's chair (you could see that that was something you Do Not Do) and the last scene with Baltar.

Yeah, and Roslin was pretty scary. Oh, and Roslin- putting the Cylons in the middle of the civilian fleet? Using the CIVILIANS as shields for the CYLONS? Okay, tactically brilliant, but you have lost any moral high ground as well. Zarek and Gaeta had a POINT.

(Look. I'm okay with the Final Five, and I'd trust them- especially the guys. (Tory jumped ship pretty quick and we haven't seen Ellen since her death to know what she's like now.) But although the rebel Cylons DID give up the Hub, every single one of them was still involved in NUKING HUMANITY. The mutineers have a very, very valid point here.)

So, yeah. This one broke me. My favorite character is dead, and wow, did he get an arc to go out on.

I so love this show.

[DTH]

Ok, so i'm caught up on BSG.

SPOILERS!

I'd theorized that 13th tribe had figured out human resurrection technology, hence the planet being filled with corpses registering as cylon. It's so nice when your theories aren't far off

I hadn't even considered that it is this technology that was being applied to the biological cylons. That's an interesting twist.

I also liked the fact that Dean "Johnny One" Stockwell was the first biological cylon and that he's as mental as anything. The "Five" being the creators of the biological cylons as a way to buy peace for the cylons was a really cool revelation.

What I'm wondering about is, if resurrected humans can reproduce biologically, why can't the biological cylons? Is that a limitation built in to them by their progenitors or is it something more mystical, to do with the soul?

I think it pretty obvious that Number One felt betrayed by the Five which led to the cylons attempting to wipe out humanity. The problem is that the cylons were all pretty on board with this and it wasn't until he decided to lobotomize the raiders/centurions that there was any real division between numbers 1 through 7.

But this division was also about the cylons who had embraced their biological nature and those that hadn't. For starters, the former were/are "infected" with love or the ability to do so. That was the empathy and, dare I say it, humanity that Ellen had hoped would bring peace between human and cylon.

There are still many more questions raised by this, most important of which is the "One True God", which appears to be a very real entity, the nature of which eludes me at this time. Is it a computer virus? Is it an actual being? Is it some kind of Super Cylon AI? Is it actually God?

I think the answer as to how Starbuck can be alive has been answered, the technology for her to resurrect having already been acknowledge to exist. However, HOW she managed to do that AND travel to Earth and back in a brand new Viper, well, I think we'll find that out when we know more about the One True God.

There are lots of other questions (what's with "All Along The Watchtower?" and who put the temple there, if it was already there when the 13th tribe turned up?) but they don't niggle me as much.

[Al]

The Battlestar Galactica we almost had

An interesting teaser trailer from one of Richard Hatch's many attempts to resurrect BSG. This is from 1999, where is appears to have almost happened.

[remaxwell]

Oh dear god. It's like those stories you see on the History channel about 70 year old Russians in the silos being told there's a nuclear war by the computer because a bird hit the radar dish, and the guy averts the launch by just seconds.

That's how close we came to disaster, and I don't mean to disrespect BSG by comparing it to something as trivial as nuclear war, believe me.

[DTH]

Now I've got images of Richard Hatch sleeping in his Battlestar Galactica PJs, tucked up tight in his BSG bedspread with a BSG nightlight softly illuminating the BSG wallpaper of his bedroom, all the while dreaming of how great he was in Battlestar Galactica and how it should never have been cancelled.

[Al]

So, anyone else catch the finale?

I saw it with Lissa, so I already know what she thinks. How about you guys?

[DARTHMADLER]

I was quite pleased despite a few unanswered questions.
Namely What the hell was Starbuck if not a harbinger of death?

[DTH]

My feelings were up and down all the way through it.

UNASHAMED SPOILERS!

1. The rescue of Hera went too smoothly and it was all over too quickly. It felt rushed. And throughout the plan, I was waiting for an "oh sh1t" moment which never came.

Not a patch on the rescue at New Caprica.

2. Starbuck. What the frak?

3. It wasn't dark enough. Come on, this is BSG. Where were the hard decisions? The surprising deaths!?

4. Too many unanswered questions. But we still have The Plan etc to answer them...

Despite that, I really liked it!

The very, very end was great and put the epitaph on the whole show. Indeed, all this has happened and will happen again... its a dour note that the "One True God" (whatever "It" might be) wants humanity to grow up and break the cycle of creating artificial life as slaves which in turn breaks free and destroys humanity for being slave masters. Ultimately, proving that humans are pretty rubbish for wanting slaves to do all their dirty work and that "cylons" aren't any better for wanting vengeance.

Some of the emotional moments were lost on me...like when Hoshi was made Admiral, I was like "Who?"

Adama and Rosilin. It was good.

But Baltar and Caprica was better! Finally getting together right at the end of the show after everything that had happened to them both...and Baltar's final moment...which pretty much summed up everything that had happened..."I love you", "I'm so sorry", sadness, guilt, regret ...all that and more in a single gesture (and the only real glimpse that Baltar was actually human!)... that's how you end a show

[Lissa]

I'll probably have more to say in the article Al and I are writing, but overall, I was very satisfied. It's not my favoritest episode ever (aka it's not Exodus I and II, which are THE BEST TV EVER!), but I was okay with it.

I was absolutely shocked Helo and Athena lived. But even though I was convinced they'd die and leave Baltar and Caprica Six to raise Hera, I still smiled when they were walking around. Although Athena really needs one of those leash things for Hera because seriously? That kid runs off at ANYTHING.

The Opera House was gorgeously done, though.

I made my peace with Adama, which was hard after he offed my two favorite characters (I don't CARE if they committed mutiny), and Laura's death was just... perfect.

I should feel bad that Chief killed Tory, but I'm like the one internet fangirl that loved Cally, so I don't. Al and Duckie can testify to the fact I sat there hissing "yes! yes! YES!" as Chief choked her.

The moment that Baltar and Caprica Six saw their head!people was fantastic and cracked me up. And both Al and I burst into laughter at Admiral Hoshi and President Lampkin (although I'm not sure that's what we were supposed to do.)

Some of the emotional moments were lost on me...like when Hoshi was made Admiral, I was like "Who?"

That's cause he got all his personality in the webisodes But he really is a sweetie. (Although very forgiving and chummy with the guy who offed his boyfriend less than a month ago.) And he finally got decent hair! To be honest, I would have liked to see Admiral Dee

The more I think on it, the more I didn't like the whole ending with Lee's "no cities" plan and the Eve bit. For one, (and I'll probably use this line in the article, but I don't care) I find it pretty ironic and hypocritical that a guy whose special effects budget is bigger than the GNP of a small impoverished nation is preaching the evils of technology, y'know? For another, that Eve? Yeah. There are some nasty racial undercurrents if you decide to read it wrong. Personally, if I'd been writing the show, I would have had the colonials found Atlantis.

I do feel a bit like the scales got tipped. BSG was always very good at writing things as you could easily read them that God had a hand in them, or you could read them that it was coincidence. Like Gaeta saving Baltar way back in Six Degrees of Separation, or Baltar picking the exact spot of the tylium refinery, or stuff like that. I liked that, because for the most part we on Earth have to make our own decisions about God. I didn't mind the angel idea, I think I just would have preferred Head!Six and Head!Baltar having their own agendas. (Although, hello Good Omens fans. Sheesh. And Ron Moore's cameo was REALLY distracting. Bear McCreary's was MUCH better.)

But I also didn't feel like there WAS a perfect way to end BSG. It just wasn't going to happen, because expectations were too high and people had too many different theories. Someone was going to end up annoyed no matter what, just like with the seventh Harry Potter book. So, I count myself a winner on it. I got some great explosions, my favorite characters were already dead anyway, and Racetrack continues to have the best luck in the universe, even when she's dead. And would I be happy if I DIDN'T have something to complain about? Probably not. So, yeah. Not Exodus, but that's okay. I'm happy anyway.