BSG 4.04 and 4.05
May. 3rd, 2008 05:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
selenakYou know, if it's well told, I'm an angst fiend. Tragedy, sign me up, I'm there. And I'm not against a depression of a main character that won't be resolved within one or two episodes - the controversial season 6 of Buffy is one of my favourite seasons, actually. So if I'm reaching the point where I feel like screaming enough already, it's really not because I can't stand the heat. So to speak. The fact everyone mumbles doesn't help, either. Thank the Lords of Kobol and the Cylon God for the decision to let James Callis play Baltar with an English accent, because at least this ensures I can understand what he's saying, whereas the pilots and staff on the Galactica really make it tough for me at times.
Despite these complaints, the review that follows isn't a rant. I wasn't bored, and found some interesting character stuff in the last two eps.
Ron Moore needs Ira Behr to keep him in check. Or someone. Preferably someone with a sense of humour, and the Moore-under-Behr combination has worked out splendidly in the past. *puts off DS9 Forever hat* Combining first Tigh going to pieces with Tyrol going to pieces in one episode, and then Kara going to pieces aka Mutiny on the Demetrius with Tyrol going to pieces in the next is is just too much at one time. Especially since with Kara, it feels like she's been doing this for years now (though technically, it's only been since a season and a third), and you know, give me Buffy's post-grave depression any time. She was channelling it in destructive and self destructive ways, too, but while she was at it, she also got the job done. Aaanyway. The mutiny plot was infinitely predictable and the least interesting part of the episode. I was disappointed we didn't really see a reaction from Athena the news about the Cylon civil war. On the bright side, the Leoben and Sam encounter was interesting, and I'm happy Leoben's arrival was used for more than triggering the mutiny and Kara's Stockholm syndrome; one part of the warring Cylons getting the idea to ally themselves with the humans makes sense (from a Cylon pov!), and it figures it would be the Leobens, Sixes and Eights. Mind you, hopefully New Caprica has taught them they won't be received with open arms by people whom they had gone genocidal on before, but I'm really curious how Adama and Roslin will react once this latest development reaches them. On the one hand, yes, letting the Cylons duke it out among themselves and just hope as many as possible die before one party wins would rid them of enemies without shedding human blood. On the other hand, it's a bad long term strategy, because if the Cavil/Doral/Simon faction wins, it's going to be that much worse for humanity later.
I've seen reviews complaining that Tyrol's outburst in the previous episode contradicts his grief for Cally in this one, but both appeared to me plausible syndromes of grief and guilt and buried resentment, which is an ugly, messy thing. In Escape Velocity, he's still convinced she killed herself, wants to be punished for that and at the same time has a lot of repressed anger bursting through along with the guilt. In The Road Less Travelled, he's started to think things through and doubts the suicide explanation, but that doesn't help with the guilt or the I-am-a-Cylon related self-loathing which was there before Cally died already. Listening to Baltar's speeches despite ongoing hatred and resentment for him came across as a mixture of self-punishment and not so buried need to be told something about his life was salvagable to me. I also liked the ambiguity of their final scene together. On the one hand, Baltar originally singling out Tyrol seems to have been propelled by Tory telling him no one important belonged to his group (and Tyrol, demoted or not, is definitely a prominent person on Galactica, both as the (former) Chief and resistance leader). On the other, his apology to Tyrol took place without anyone else to impress being present. And yet, of course, he could have gambled on Tyrol coming around this way.
While we're talking about Baltar (overtaking G'Kar, John Sheridan and Jack Harkness as Least Likely Messiah): they've used crucifixion poses for him as early as s1, so the contrast of symbolism with character isn't anything new; while half of lj is fretting about this, I'm more worried about the show going the Charles Manson/Rasputin route with him, because DO NOT WANT (and check out Rasputin with his healing abilities, weird salvation-through-sin theology, near unkillability and groupie lifestyle). However, at least bloody dismemberments of film stars don't seem to be in the offering, plus playing out a rise-of-monotheism in a pagan society storyline is actually interesting and so far blessedly free from either extreme usually used when doing that. (I.e. neither the 50s version of the biblical epic: decadent pagans, persecuted, virtuous Christians, nor the late 80s onwards version: persecuted, virtuous pagans versus evil, fanatic Christians.) The attraction of a clean slate, of forgiveness is clear, whether you're Baltar or Tyrol. Or Tigh, actually, whose latest attempt to come to terms with his guilt about killing Ellen is projecting her on a Cylon woman so she can give him absolution or punishment or both. (Sidenote: was anyone else reminded of what Caprica told Baltar on the basestar about the Cylons' ability to see their environment however they want to see it when Tigh kept seeing her as Ellen?)
Of course, religion is also power. Roslin, who used it as her get-out-of-jail-free-and-win-half-the-fleet card in season 2, knows this better than most, so even if she didn't hate Baltar already, she'd be alarmed as hell. The problem is that after she already had him drugged and tortured and nearly airlocked, Baltar has gone beyond fear where she is concerned, so her intimidation visit has zero results (other than giving us another good Roslin and Baltar in a cell scene - there can never be enough of those, no matter which of them is the prisoner) in Escape Velocity. Which isn't to say that Gaius Baltar's good old survivor and coward reflexes are gone entirely, though note that after needing Head!Six to let himself getting beaten up in Escape Velocity, he seeks out Tyrol - who could have tried to strangle him again, or shot him - on his own volition, just that Roslin can't access them anymore. Incidentally, this also is true on a meta level - you don't believe Roslin will have Baltar killed anymore - and it's a good thing they found another justification than "because he's a regular as opposed to Cain", since not wanting to make him a martyr and start a religious civil war on board makes sense.
Now: can we please get a Cylon-centric episode next week, and I don't mean the Dylan Four (though they of course can appear) - I want to know how the Cylon civil war is doing, and what the Sixes, Eights and Leobens are planning next other than seeing an alliance with the humans against the Cavils & Co.; they definitely need to make a big gesture in order to convince anyone they're a) sincere and b) worth allying with. Also, minimal Starbuck angst would be welcome.
Despite these complaints, the review that follows isn't a rant. I wasn't bored, and found some interesting character stuff in the last two eps.
Ron Moore needs Ira Behr to keep him in check. Or someone. Preferably someone with a sense of humour, and the Moore-under-Behr combination has worked out splendidly in the past. *puts off DS9 Forever hat* Combining first Tigh going to pieces with Tyrol going to pieces in one episode, and then Kara going to pieces aka Mutiny on the Demetrius with Tyrol going to pieces in the next is is just too much at one time. Especially since with Kara, it feels like she's been doing this for years now (though technically, it's only been since a season and a third), and you know, give me Buffy's post-grave depression any time. She was channelling it in destructive and self destructive ways, too, but while she was at it, she also got the job done. Aaanyway. The mutiny plot was infinitely predictable and the least interesting part of the episode. I was disappointed we didn't really see a reaction from Athena the news about the Cylon civil war. On the bright side, the Leoben and Sam encounter was interesting, and I'm happy Leoben's arrival was used for more than triggering the mutiny and Kara's Stockholm syndrome; one part of the warring Cylons getting the idea to ally themselves with the humans makes sense (from a Cylon pov!), and it figures it would be the Leobens, Sixes and Eights. Mind you, hopefully New Caprica has taught them they won't be received with open arms by people whom they had gone genocidal on before, but I'm really curious how Adama and Roslin will react once this latest development reaches them. On the one hand, yes, letting the Cylons duke it out among themselves and just hope as many as possible die before one party wins would rid them of enemies without shedding human blood. On the other hand, it's a bad long term strategy, because if the Cavil/Doral/Simon faction wins, it's going to be that much worse for humanity later.
I've seen reviews complaining that Tyrol's outburst in the previous episode contradicts his grief for Cally in this one, but both appeared to me plausible syndromes of grief and guilt and buried resentment, which is an ugly, messy thing. In Escape Velocity, he's still convinced she killed herself, wants to be punished for that and at the same time has a lot of repressed anger bursting through along with the guilt. In The Road Less Travelled, he's started to think things through and doubts the suicide explanation, but that doesn't help with the guilt or the I-am-a-Cylon related self-loathing which was there before Cally died already. Listening to Baltar's speeches despite ongoing hatred and resentment for him came across as a mixture of self-punishment and not so buried need to be told something about his life was salvagable to me. I also liked the ambiguity of their final scene together. On the one hand, Baltar originally singling out Tyrol seems to have been propelled by Tory telling him no one important belonged to his group (and Tyrol, demoted or not, is definitely a prominent person on Galactica, both as the (former) Chief and resistance leader). On the other, his apology to Tyrol took place without anyone else to impress being present. And yet, of course, he could have gambled on Tyrol coming around this way.
While we're talking about Baltar (overtaking G'Kar, John Sheridan and Jack Harkness as Least Likely Messiah): they've used crucifixion poses for him as early as s1, so the contrast of symbolism with character isn't anything new; while half of lj is fretting about this, I'm more worried about the show going the Charles Manson/Rasputin route with him, because DO NOT WANT (and check out Rasputin with his healing abilities, weird salvation-through-sin theology, near unkillability and groupie lifestyle). However, at least bloody dismemberments of film stars don't seem to be in the offering, plus playing out a rise-of-monotheism in a pagan society storyline is actually interesting and so far blessedly free from either extreme usually used when doing that. (I.e. neither the 50s version of the biblical epic: decadent pagans, persecuted, virtuous Christians, nor the late 80s onwards version: persecuted, virtuous pagans versus evil, fanatic Christians.) The attraction of a clean slate, of forgiveness is clear, whether you're Baltar or Tyrol. Or Tigh, actually, whose latest attempt to come to terms with his guilt about killing Ellen is projecting her on a Cylon woman so she can give him absolution or punishment or both. (Sidenote: was anyone else reminded of what Caprica told Baltar on the basestar about the Cylons' ability to see their environment however they want to see it when Tigh kept seeing her as Ellen?)
Of course, religion is also power. Roslin, who used it as her get-out-of-jail-free-and-win-half-the-fleet card in season 2, knows this better than most, so even if she didn't hate Baltar already, she'd be alarmed as hell. The problem is that after she already had him drugged and tortured and nearly airlocked, Baltar has gone beyond fear where she is concerned, so her intimidation visit has zero results (other than giving us another good Roslin and Baltar in a cell scene - there can never be enough of those, no matter which of them is the prisoner) in Escape Velocity. Which isn't to say that Gaius Baltar's good old survivor and coward reflexes are gone entirely, though note that after needing Head!Six to let himself getting beaten up in Escape Velocity, he seeks out Tyrol - who could have tried to strangle him again, or shot him - on his own volition, just that Roslin can't access them anymore. Incidentally, this also is true on a meta level - you don't believe Roslin will have Baltar killed anymore - and it's a good thing they found another justification than "because he's a regular as opposed to Cain", since not wanting to make him a martyr and start a religious civil war on board makes sense.
Now: can we please get a Cylon-centric episode next week, and I don't mean the Dylan Four (though they of course can appear) - I want to know how the Cylon civil war is doing, and what the Sixes, Eights and Leobens are planning next other than seeing an alliance with the humans against the Cavils & Co.; they definitely need to make a big gesture in order to convince anyone they're a) sincere and b) worth allying with. Also, minimal Starbuck angst would be welcome.
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no subject
Date: 2008-05-03 06:05 pm (UTC)Pacing is off on this show again. *sigh*. Kara's Special Destiny is, in immortal internet parlance: tl;dr.
Meanwhile: you know me. I've always suspected that Gaius was going to be a genuine messiah. I feel us getting into Pullman levels of 'fuck you'.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-03 06:40 pm (UTC)Pacing: yes, exactly.
Gaius: if so, the fury that arose when last season instead of giving just the comfortable Vichy parallel went for the Iraq parallel as well in certain quarters will look like mild manners in comparison...
no subject
Date: 2008-05-03 09:05 pm (UTC)If and when that happens, I think I will have to take a vacation from the intarwebz for a few weeks just to avoid all the fury.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-04 12:33 am (UTC)Oh, totally. The amount of spooge will be duck and cover levels.
Although I find myself interested in what Moore thinks he has to say about Jesus and the disciples, because it strikes me that no one has ever done 'Jesus is a huge douchewad' as a story before. Mid-80s 'all Christians suck for destroying the earth mother', sure. I've seen 'Jesus is a fraud' and 'Jesus is a homosexual' and 'Jesus is just that dude around the corner'. I've never seen this.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-03 10:28 pm (UTC)I have to admit that I find huge parts of Kara's arc as a metaphor for (or even portrayal of) depression quite realistic, to the point where it's uncomfortable (except for her bursts of creativity, which seem unlikely, at least from my experience). Admittedly, realism still doesn't make for entertainment, and I agree with you that the storyline was awfully predictable. Maybe they just wanted to use it to get Leoben to Galactica? (And of course now I wonder if they'll collect at least a Three, too, once she is de-boxed.)
Baltar and religion in general: this is certainly going into some really bizarre directions. I was never that much on board with the more mystical aspects of BSG - and since Moore unchecked probably means something akin to the spiritual/religious aspects of Carnivale S1, I expect it to be really bizarre and probably somewhat of a letdown.
no subject
Date: 2008-05-04 08:19 am (UTC)Probably, as Leoben turning up at Galactica directly without Starbuck escort would have gotten him shot first thing.
A Three: I think so, though Cavill probably has the ship with the Threes moved elsewhere (since Natalie said they wanted to de-box them). Still, too good an opportunity to miss.
Moore's handling of religion: have you see this interview?
http://www.beliefnet.com/story/166/story_16650_1.html
no subject
Date: 2008-05-04 10:02 am (UTC)Oh, so he used to be practicing! He's right, the interest certainly shines through (and did already in DS9 and Carnivale, I'd say.).
no subject
Date: 2008-05-04 06:23 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-05 09:56 am (UTC)