BTVS and B5 fanfic rec, BSG 2.15 review
Feb. 7th, 2006 08:32 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakBefore I finally get my Scar review written, let me squee about fanfic in two different fandoms. Firstly, ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
hobsonphile wrote a terrific Babylon 5 story, Blood is Thicker, told by post-show Londo about a season 2 incident mentioned but not shown on screen, his inviting Vir's family to the station. Wonderful Londo voice, sad and touching Vir, and the friendship between them, that great work-in-progress throughout the show, shines.
Meanwhile, over in the Jossverse, I'm also stunned in early morning admiration.callmesandy pulls off a very tricky pairing, with style, sparkling dialogue, and plot (which always awes this lazy writer of character vignettes). And not only does she write the two leads, who happen to be two of my all time favourite Jossverse characters, with perfect voices, but she includes two other often (make that nearly always in one case) neglected characters as well. Hurry over and read Who By Accident. Technically a BTVS/AtS crossover, though set after both shows (i.e. past-NFA), Buffy/Connor, Buffy's pov, co-starring Dawn and Robin Wood. Cameo appearance in Buffy's Slayer dreams by Wesley Wyndham-Pryce.
Now, on to the latest BSG ep.
Let's get the complaints out of the way first: it would have helped if that clip from the previouslies hadn't been cut from whichever episode it was originally in. Also if we had seen a Starbuck scene in the Lee's-orgy-of-manpain episode wherein it's indicated she's depressed. Otoh, even as I write it I do recall that between the miniseries and Acts of Contrition in season 1, there was no scene referring to Starbuck's feelings about Zak's death. Anyway, I can fanwank as Cain bringing up the idea to go back to Caprica recently acted like a trigger for Kara, plus Lee's line about her having no problems with dead guys but with living ones is very useful for declaring it's not to much Anders as Kara's True Love (tm) but as someone, who, like Zak, can be safely idealized becausehe's out of reach, and can serve as a symbol for all that's lost.
I must say, I totally recovered my Kara love in the second half of the second season. It got lost after her arrival on Caprica. I mean, she was never one of my favourite characters, but I had liked her very much indeed in the first season. Early on this season, she was a bit too much superwoman for my taste. Ever since the Pegasus eps, though? Love!
As opposed to Acts of Contrition/Can't Go Home Again, which concentrated on Kara's relationships with the Adama men, dead and living ones, this one highlighted several other ones - with Kat, with Helo, with Lee. With her younger self. Kat - who of course got introduced in Acts of Contrition is and is not a younger Starbuck, but she's also, like Tigh in another season 1 ep, the kick in the behind Kara needs to move forward. Not to get into action as in the case of Tigh, but to grow up. Kara letting Kat kill Scar isn't just about wanting to live but not needing to show off her "best pilot in the fleet" cred anymore.
Sidenote: oh, and they're slashy. Ever since Cain, Starbuck suddenly has strong subtext with other women. With Boomer, too, in their one scene together, and I really didn't see it before. Huh. Anyway, if Kara/Kat doesn't become a popular pairing to rival Buffy/Faith, there is no justice.
Sidenote II: my problem with the Sharon scene is the timing, though. I mean, by itself it's good, but shouldn't Sharon be still wary and majorly pissed off by having had nearly to endure a forced abortion two episodes before instead of being all cozy with Kara?
Kara and Helo as buddies sans subtext, otoh, were also good to see. They come across as utterly relaxed with each other, and given the situation they're both in? They need that.
But I guess what makes the headlines about this episode is the almost-sex between Kara and Lee. My take? It illustrates why they'd be terrible as lovers but are great as friends, and not just because Kara isn't thinking of Lee when she drags him to the bunk. (Which, btw, is a great reversal to the Leegasm during her sex with Baltar.) There is more connection their brief conversations afterwards when Lee tries to find out what the heck is going on. And in their bitter conversation before, about the dead and impossible paradise.
The last but one scene, with Kara starting to list all the dead pilots, is great for many reasons, not least because Kara's motive isn't just to honour the dead, there is that element of a slapdown for Kat in there, too. (Which again makes for my later season 2 Kara love before this Kara is not perfect.) But mostly it's about the dead, and it's incredibly moving. It's also the only time in this episode Adama Senior is the same room with Kara, observing her from afar. I don't think that's a coincidence. Their relationship took a blow when he ordered to to commit an assassination, even if he did pull back at the last minute, and it hasn't recovered yet.
Lastly, regarding the Cylons: the previouslies made me wonder whether we were to assume Scar was the raider (downloaded, of course) Kara had shot down and eviscerated in You can't go home again. But be that as it may, Sharon's words about death being painful each time was a great insight not just into the raiders but into the human Cylon models as well. Damm it, now I want to write a story about how the Cylons experience their death and rebirth process, and I don't have the time.
hobsonphile wrote a terrific Babylon 5 story, Blood is Thicker, told by post-show Londo about a season 2 incident mentioned but not shown on screen, his inviting Vir's family to the station. Wonderful Londo voice, sad and touching Vir, and the friendship between them, that great work-in-progress throughout the show, shines. Meanwhile, over in the Jossverse, I'm also stunned in early morning admiration.
callmesandy pulls off a very tricky pairing, with style, sparkling dialogue, and plot (which always awes this lazy writer of character vignettes). And not only does she write the two leads, who happen to be two of my all time favourite Jossverse characters, with perfect voices, but she includes two other often (make that nearly always in one case) neglected characters as well. Hurry over and read Who By Accident. Technically a BTVS/AtS crossover, though set after both shows (i.e. past-NFA), Buffy/Connor, Buffy's pov, co-starring Dawn and Robin Wood. Cameo appearance in Buffy's Slayer dreams by Wesley Wyndham-Pryce. Now, on to the latest BSG ep.
Let's get the complaints out of the way first: it would have helped if that clip from the previouslies hadn't been cut from whichever episode it was originally in. Also if we had seen a Starbuck scene in the Lee's-orgy-of-manpain episode wherein it's indicated she's depressed. Otoh, even as I write it I do recall that between the miniseries and Acts of Contrition in season 1, there was no scene referring to Starbuck's feelings about Zak's death. Anyway, I can fanwank as Cain bringing up the idea to go back to Caprica recently acted like a trigger for Kara, plus Lee's line about her having no problems with dead guys but with living ones is very useful for declaring it's not to much Anders as Kara's True Love (tm) but as someone, who, like Zak, can be safely idealized becausehe's out of reach, and can serve as a symbol for all that's lost.
I must say, I totally recovered my Kara love in the second half of the second season. It got lost after her arrival on Caprica. I mean, she was never one of my favourite characters, but I had liked her very much indeed in the first season. Early on this season, she was a bit too much superwoman for my taste. Ever since the Pegasus eps, though? Love!
As opposed to Acts of Contrition/Can't Go Home Again, which concentrated on Kara's relationships with the Adama men, dead and living ones, this one highlighted several other ones - with Kat, with Helo, with Lee. With her younger self. Kat - who of course got introduced in Acts of Contrition is and is not a younger Starbuck, but she's also, like Tigh in another season 1 ep, the kick in the behind Kara needs to move forward. Not to get into action as in the case of Tigh, but to grow up. Kara letting Kat kill Scar isn't just about wanting to live but not needing to show off her "best pilot in the fleet" cred anymore.
Sidenote: oh, and they're slashy. Ever since Cain, Starbuck suddenly has strong subtext with other women. With Boomer, too, in their one scene together, and I really didn't see it before. Huh. Anyway, if Kara/Kat doesn't become a popular pairing to rival Buffy/Faith, there is no justice.
Sidenote II: my problem with the Sharon scene is the timing, though. I mean, by itself it's good, but shouldn't Sharon be still wary and majorly pissed off by having had nearly to endure a forced abortion two episodes before instead of being all cozy with Kara?
Kara and Helo as buddies sans subtext, otoh, were also good to see. They come across as utterly relaxed with each other, and given the situation they're both in? They need that.
But I guess what makes the headlines about this episode is the almost-sex between Kara and Lee. My take? It illustrates why they'd be terrible as lovers but are great as friends, and not just because Kara isn't thinking of Lee when she drags him to the bunk. (Which, btw, is a great reversal to the Leegasm during her sex with Baltar.) There is more connection their brief conversations afterwards when Lee tries to find out what the heck is going on. And in their bitter conversation before, about the dead and impossible paradise.
The last but one scene, with Kara starting to list all the dead pilots, is great for many reasons, not least because Kara's motive isn't just to honour the dead, there is that element of a slapdown for Kat in there, too. (Which again makes for my later season 2 Kara love before this Kara is not perfect.) But mostly it's about the dead, and it's incredibly moving. It's also the only time in this episode Adama Senior is the same room with Kara, observing her from afar. I don't think that's a coincidence. Their relationship took a blow when he ordered to to commit an assassination, even if he did pull back at the last minute, and it hasn't recovered yet.
Lastly, regarding the Cylons: the previouslies made me wonder whether we were to assume Scar was the raider (downloaded, of course) Kara had shot down and eviscerated in You can't go home again. But be that as it may, Sharon's words about death being painful each time was a great insight not just into the raiders but into the human Cylon models as well. Damm it, now I want to write a story about how the Cylons experience their death and rebirth process, and I don't have the time.
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no subject
Date: 2006-02-07 08:01 am (UTC)Have you read Tanith Lee's Don't Bite The Sun?
no subject
Date: 2006-02-07 10:37 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-07 12:28 pm (UTC)But the toasts at the end shows she's still not above snarking at someone she's doesn't like.
I can't wait for the Cyclon Point-Of-View episodes which might actually explain the pain of ressurection.
no subject
Date: 2006-02-07 04:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-02-07 01:38 pm (UTC)What struck me about the early Starbuck/Helo convo re: Anders was that Kara MADE Anders dead. She doesn't know that he is, but it's as though that makes it easier to love him as opposed to the potential mess of loving someone who's alive.
I really hope that the Kat v. Starbuck resolution indicates Kara deciding to straighten up and fly right, and that we're spared a "Starbuck v. the bottle" downward spiral. I thought the fact that she had the sense to ground herself (and that she knew it was a good decision) was a good sign.
I mean, by itself it's good, but shouldn't Sharon be still wary and majorly pissed off by having had nearly to endure a forced abortion two episodes before instead of being all cozy with Kara?
OK, so here's what I think: the last three episodes were created ficathon style and written w/o reference to each other explaining the virtual lack of continuity:
1. I want something about Sharon's baby, lots of Helo, and Laura is MEAN to Baltar and, oooh, Cylon baby cells cure cancer.
2. Lee wants a baby and has hooker sex! Scene with a gun. I LOOOOVE that Zarek. No icky Starbuck!
3. Starbuck/Kat tension. Lee & Kara almost hook up but not really. She misses Anders so much! If you could, throw in "toast" scene, and Starbuck falling off something.