Battlestar Galactica 4.01

[selenak]

Or, that other season opener.*g*



The good: coming from someone who likes Kara but isn't a particular fan (i.e. Starbuck isn't among my top five favourite characters on this show) - I liked how they played out her return. That she thinks only six hours passed. Her certainty and joy over having found earth passing into horror as she realizes the sheer amount of wrongness. Everyone else's reactions to her, which all seemed to be absolutely in character. So far, Lee continues to be his interesting late s3 self and has not relaped into the quadrangle of doom era; the conversation between the Adamas was one of my favorite scenes, and incidentally, it contained one of several season 1 callbacks in this episode and used it well - Zak, and Lee asking his father and himself a question which some fans debated back then. What if Zak had gotten out of that cockpit? To conclude that it wouldn't matter, that he'd continue to love his brother and want him back even if Zak had been a Cylon from the start is a big, big step from the "death to all Cylons" attitude of yesteryear, and everyone's original (and understandable) reactions to Boomer and Athena. Also loved that Lee didn't go back to the military but sticks with the civilian life. That was on my wish list, after all.

Speaking of: a Roslin and Six scene! Yeeeeeees. Loved it. Roslin used to be absolutely consistent in referring to Cylons as "it" and to address them as machines, but here she's treating Six definitely as a person. Not a friend, of course, but a person. No idea whether Six is telling the truth when she says she has been programmed not to think about the Final Five or whether she's playing for time, but I think it's probably true, the Seven are all evasive on the subject. Except for Three, whose looking for answers on that subject got her boxed.

Another callback to s1 - Tyrol bringing up Boomer, and her shooting of Adama against all her wishes because she was programmed to. I was waiting for Tyrol to think of Boomer with his new knowledge, and this was good. However, this brings me into the region of:

The mixed: all the guilty glances of the newly self aware four were a bit too much. Also, Tigh's speech about how Boomer didn't know what she was but they did and they would never betray the humans, complete with gun, had me wondering for a moment whether he would do what Boomer tried to in Kobol's Last Gleaming, i.e. try to commit suicide and/or shoot the others in order to prevent them and himself from damaging the human cause against their will. And then I thought: why doesn't he? Seriously. Tigh has been shown willing to make any sacrifice, he's been shown willing to kill fellow humans (not so fellow anymore, but you know what I mean) if necessary and he definitely isn't that fond of his life, and it doesn't even occur to him to at least try this dead-certain method of preventing himself from doing damage? Is he really that sure he could overcome a hidden programming? Tigh, who is an alcoholic and thus knows what it's like to be out of control?

And then there was the cult. Which just happens to consist mostly of young women (though I was glad to see at least two or three men), all pretty, and all apparantly despite the general post-New Caprica even more apocalyptic situation in possession of lipstick, make-up and eye-liner. Yes, I was rolling my eyes something fierce. What saved this whole thing from ending up firmly labelled "bad" in my mind is that Baltar's reactions so far are blessedly Season 7 Crazy Dukat!free and make sense - first he's weirded out and tries to say goodbye as quickly as possible, then after getting a reality check and the unwelcome reminder that one one else would have him and most other people hate his guts realises he's in a better prison than before, but still in a prison, and then we get another s1 callback, only this time played out with everything else that happened to Gaius Baltar since then in mind. Remember, in s1, there were at least three occasions when head!Six pulled off miracles that might or might not have been extremely timely coincidences for him, and each time he had to abandon more of his original scepticism and accept her belief; every time his life was at stake. By s3, the stakes are amped to a point where he makes a suicide attempt in a desperate gamble to find out whether or not he's a Cylon. And now he comes to a point where he offers his life not for a truth about himself or a miracle for himself but for the life of an anonymous child. The lines could be better written, but I did buy it, partly because of Callis' performance and partly because it ties to a number of previous elements in Baltar's overall storyarc, such as the vision he had of Adama drowning Hera and himself trying to save her, the fact he did later save her on New Caprica because he heard a child cry in the middle of his own escape, his vision of burned children symbolizing the guilt he has to face and always will during the s3 torture interrogation session Adama and Roslin conduct, and the fact that while he's an incredibly self-obsessed man, Baltar has been shown to be capable of compassion (see his conversation with Boomer at the start of Kobol's Last Gleaming or his help for Gina on the Pegasus - he didn't start to become selfish with Gina until he saw her again free later).

That, and as mentioned, he just exchanged one prison for another. Though this one offers sex and someone who shaves the Beard Of Self Loathing And Depression of him. (I bet James Callis petitioned Ron Moore more than once about that one.) I don't think this is leading to a redemption storyline - not with a cult and Head!Six apparantly trying to use Baltar to convert people to monotheism - but maybe it won't end up as a Charles Manson storyline, either, and I'm curious to see where this is going. But still shaking my head over the gender and visual presentation issues of the cult members.

Cliffhanger: I think Lee better look into those law books from his grandfather again, because it looks like Kara could become his next client.

Comments

[mymatedave.livejournal.com]

One of my favourite things about Baltar is that he can, at times, do the right thing. One of the podcasts I listen to called Galactica Watercooler made an interesting point.

If he has a literal or metaphorical gun pointed at his head he can be good and do the right thing, but as soon as he's out of danger he goes straight back to being the weak, self obsessed man we know him as.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

True. Fragged in season 2 is another case in point. Baltar is one of those people for whom a good, more or less comfortable life is far worse than a dangerous one. Though he wouldn't see it that way, of course.

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

Also, Tigh's speech about how Boomer didn't know what she was but they did and they would never betray the humans, complete with gun, had me wondering for a moment whether he would do what Boomer tried to in Kobol's Last Gleaming, i.e. try to commit suicide and/or shoot the others in order to prevent them and himself from damaging the human cause against their will. And then I thought: why doesn't he? Seriously.

I'm guessing he is programmed not to, just like Boomer. (The Five may be different from the Seven, but I think some elements are still the same.)

The Zak conversation: I also found it interesting as a mirror piece to Kara's conversation with Anders - she was always the one who had more "personal" encounters with the Cylons and she humanized a few of them a lot more than Lee ever did, yet she thinks she wouldn't hesitate to kill Sam if she found out what he was. I guess it goes back to her imprisonment and Lee having felt the loss of Zak more profoundly, but it's still a fascinating contrast, not least because usually Kara is the one who is about personal loyalty and Lee the one who cares about principle.

OUr thoughts about the cult are pretty much identical. James Callis saved it so far, and I'm just keeping my fingers crossed that Baltar's usual way of dealing with a however altered celebrity status will keep him from falling victim to the Dukat/Brother Justin syndrome. (The chance that he survives the show is still lower than nil, is it? Such a pity.)

Cliffhanger: I think Lee better look into those law books from his grandfather again, because it looks like Kara could become his next client.

*g* I don't think I ever fumed so much at an innocent TBC...

[selenak.livejournal.com]

Aw, but you know Laura won't die. *g* Whether or not Kara will do more than point that weapon at her is less certain, of course.

I'm guessing he is programmed not to, just like Boomer.

That actually makes sense. Gina is the only Cylon whom we saw actively commit suicide, and even she tried to get Baltar to kill her first. Except for circumstances of extreme trauma, they might not be capable of it.

I also found it interesting as a mirror piece to Kara's conversation with Anders

That's true. In addition to Kara's Leoben-related issues, I think another difference might be that Lee is just a few hours away from his speech at Baltar's trial, with its acid emphasis of just how screwed up and guilty they all are. And if all this is forgivable, then maybe someone you love, if it's really the same person, is simply someone you love, regardless of physical nature.

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

Aw, but you know Laura won't die. *g*

Not yet, anyway. Not spoiled, don't worry, but I could definitely see a "rocks fall, everyone dies" end for BSG, and as much as I love her, I never believed that Laura would survive past the series finale. Until then? Most definitely.

The feeling is more "I'm just starting to enjoy it, why do you stop here, show??!"

I think another difference might be that Lee is just a few hours away from his speech at Baltar's trial, with its acid emphasis of just how screwed up and guilty they all are. And if all this is forgivable, then maybe someone you love, if it's really the same person, is simply someone you love, regardless of physical nature.

That's a lovely way to put it. His comparison with Zak of course also works because in the greater scheme of things, Kara fulfills the role of a beloved sibling to him, and of course he knows that she is like a beloved daughter to Adama.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Agreed all around, though I am enjoying the Gang of Four, or whatever we want to call them. Possibly because, with Anders, Tyrol, and Tigh, they're basically my favorite characters remaining on the show. (Also, an obligatory dose of pilot-Anders-is-AWESOME).

I agree about the cult stuff; I was confused about what was going on at first, but Callis played the reactions so well that I enjoyed most of it anyway.

I'm going to have to get more of my BSG icons back into circulation, clearly.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

wee_warrior calls them the Beatles, in which case I have to ask: who is who? Other than Tyrol being Ringo, 'cause that's obvious.

Poor Anders. I felt for him in the scene with Kara, because he obviously wanted to share, but dude, so the wrong time. Poor Anders.

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

Yes, no prizes for guessing that was my favorite scene in the ep.

Though I also loved Ringo and -- hmm, is Anders Paul by virtue of being the cute one -- getting in each other's faces as well (though Sharon showing up then was a bit obvious).

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I'm torn between Anders and Tory for Paul, but Tigh is definitely John - self-destructive and in a co-dependent relationship with his wife whom everbody hates/hated...

[likeadeuce.livejournal.com]

So does Adama = Stuart Sutcliffe, in some way?

And if Tory is Paul, then Anders is George, which I think makes Lee = Eric Clapton.

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

in which case I have to ask: who is who?

In my head, Tigh has to be John Lennon, because he is the most tortured one, and, in the structure of the show, definitely the one who is the most influential.

Tyrol as Ringo works because he is the one who is most personable and more down to earth than the others.

Tori is obviously George Harrison, as she is most closely associated with spirituality due to her position at Roslin's side, while at the same time being the one who seems subtly less famous than the others. You just know, if the comparison were Queen, she and George would both be John Deacon.

Sam, lastly, just has to be Paul. He has the same cheerfulness, and would totally provide the score for a Bond movie. The question that remains then, of course: would that make Kara Linda McCartney?

[aycheb.livejournal.com]

But who is the fifth Beatle?

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

That's the big question, isn't it?

[selenak.livejournal.com]

ROTFLOL.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I went for Tigh as John, too, but was torn between Tory and Sam for Paul - but your argument why Tory is George convinces me.

No, Kara is Jane Asher - Paul's pre-Linda steady girlfriend who called it quits because of her own career...

[greenpear.livejournal.com]

So this gang of crazy women got onto a military vessel with guards in many of the corridors and set up housekeeping in an unused portion of the ship and wander around using the public restroom facilities.

What the Frak???

Other than that, A good fourth season opener...

[wee-warrior.livejournal.com]

So this gang of crazy women got onto a military vessel with guards in many of the corridors and set up housekeeping in an unused portion of the ship and wander around using the public restroom facilities.

What the Frak???

Not that unusual - they've had civilians on the Galactica ever since they escaped from New Caprica, and it's been rather crowded, so I doubt anyone would really notice.

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

It bothered me too, but I went with it because... well. They keep losing ships and probably a bunch of military people married on New Caprica and... blah blah wank.

Re: Tigh

[hobsonphile.livejournal.com]

Also, Tigh's speech about how Boomer didn't know what she was but they did and they would never betray the humans, complete with gun, had me wondering for a moment whether he would do what Boomer tried to in Kobol's Last Gleaming, i.e. try to commit suicide and/or shoot the others in order to prevent them and himself from damaging the human cause against their will. And then I thought: why doesn't he?

After this scene, I turned to sabr_matt and said, "Suddenly, I'm fearing for Tigh's life again. That looked like an implicit suicide pact to me." Semper fi saved Tigh from complete self-destruction last year; could semper fi be the thing that threatens his life this time around?

I don't think the fact that Tigh has not (yet) chosen the suicide route has to be explained by programming (and I will be disappointed if that turns out to be so). I simply don't think he's reconciled himself to his new identity; I don't think he's convinced of its inevitability. Why should he be? He remembers the horrors of the first Cylon War and still carries all the attendant emotional baggage. He remembers going to the fullest lengths to resist the Cylons on New Caprica; the fact that Ellen no longer shares his bed is a constant reminder. As the oldest and most invested of the Fabulous Four, he's not going to accept this fully until he does put a bullet through Adama's eye - after which, for him, the logical course will most assuredly be death.

But I don't want this to happen, even though it would be a perfectly sensible direction for the plot to take. In my perfect world, Tigh, by virtue of being the most devoted, will be the one who defies destiny - the one who throws off whatever programming exists through sheer force of will. Oh, how I long for a triumph!

Re: Tigh

[selenak.livejournal.com]

I think Tigh is about due for defying destiny this time around, too. Alas, I don't know whether the writers think so!

But yes. If due to some inherent programming he does hurt Adama in any way, he'll never forgive himself and won't even hesitate. In any case, the scene from the season 2 opener where Tigh interrogates and beats up Boomer could not have a harsher irony now...

Re: Tigh

[willowgreen.livejournal.com]

Tigh's first name is Saul, and I keep thinking of that other Saul, the one from Tarsus--the one who was a prime persecutor of the members of the new religion--until he had that strange vision on the road to Damascus, and became one of them. Hmmmm..... symbolic foreshadowing, anyone? Then again there's the eyepatch, which puts him in company with Odin. Too . . . many . . . resonances! Can't . . . construct . . . coherent . . . theory!

[willowgreen.livejournal.com]

And then there was the cult. Which just happens to consist mostly of young women (though I was glad to see at least two or three men), all pretty, and all apparantly despite the general post-New Caprica even more apocalyptic situation in possession of lipstick, make-up and eye-liner. Yes, I was rolling my eyes something fierce.

We thought that was hysterically funny. My husband pointed out that it was just like the Castle of Hot Girls in Monty Python & the Holy Grail.

[selenak.livejournal.com]

The resemblance can't be denied!

[mimesh.livejournal.com]

And then I thought: why doesn't he? Seriously. Tigh has been shown willing to make any sacrifice, he's been shown willing to kill fellow humans (not so fellow anymore, but you know what I mean) if necessary and he definitely isn't that fond of his life, and it doesn't even occur to him to at least try this dead-certain method of preventing himself from doing damage? Is he really that sure he could overcome a hidden programming?

At risk of sounding dumb but can he be sure that killing himself (and the other three) would keep the humans from harm? Can't they be resurrected? Of course he would prevent killing Adama or any other human face to face but in the long run it doesn't make that much of a difference. If it weren't for Anders the fleet would have been obliterated during the last fight; the cylons obviously knew how to find them.