In the thirteenth (and final) episode of the first season of Battlestar Galactica, everyone was unprepared for absolutely everything. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Battlestar Galactica.
Well, that might just be the best season finale I’ve ever seen. In the process of rapidly moving the plot ahead, we were also given visions of what the future of this show will be like. (Only sometimes, I suppose, as one particular vision was left out of our view.) Were you worried about a cliffhanger? Oh, don’t be. Because BSG is going to give you THREE OF THEM.
I must commend the writers for weaving so many intense, intricate plots together so skillfully over the course of forty-five minutes. Well, they’ve all been doing that since the beginning of the season, but we only had to generally focus on two plots: Caprica and the fleet. But now we’ve been introduced to a third setting: the planet of Kobol. In the process, more than any other story, we learn that the Cylon “plan†is not at all what we probably guessed.
Continuing directly from the end of the last episode, I think a great deal of what happens on board the Galactica and the Colonial One involves two people making desperately poor choices, and then refusing to back down from them. While I think it was presumptuous and dangerous for Roslin to convince Starbuck to head off to Caprica, it’s equally as terrible for Adama to react by storming the Colonial One to arrest the President. Yeah, so….HOW THE FUCK IS THAT GOING TO BE DEALT WITH?
Okay, I’m jumping way ahead of myself here. I’ll deal with predictions in a separate post. But there’s a lot left for us to wonder about at the end of “Kobol’s Last Gleaming,†and I’m happy that this show is making me ask so many questions. It’s a sign that I’m deeply engaged in what I’m watching, and that I’m interested in it beyond just a superficial level. Truly, though, this is already becoming one of the best-executed serials I’ve had the honor of experience, certainly more so than anything I’ve done for Mark Watches.
And yet I still can’t deny just how much I live in the moment while watching this show. Once it was over, a million questions seemed to plunge into my mind, but while the show was actually on? I was thinking of nothing else but the very next second that I was about to see. It helps that we are introduced to two brand new worlds–Kobol and the inside of a Cylon basestar–and that I was totally shocked that we’d get to see both of these so soon. In my head, Conoy’s words to Starbuck in “Flesh and Bone†were meant to be fulfilled much later, something we’d just keep in the back of our minds. But we find ourselves on Kobol just a few episodes later, and Roslin is already dealing with the Pythian prophecy.
It’s not a complaint that this show is moving so rapidly. None of this feels unnatural and, if anything, it just makes me excited to see what is coming next.
The first thing I noticed about the presentation of these three main stories is the use of color. We’re used to the dark, drab confines of military ships and the blackness of space. We’ve seen other worlds, but even in the case of Caprica, things are still much more subdued than they were before. In this episode, though, the lush greens and blues of Kobol wash over the screen, giving an almost Biblical, naturalistic vibe to contrast with the reds and blacks of the crashed Raptor ship, where death lingers among the surviving crew. On Caprica, we’re given yellow and gold hues overtaking everything else. Even within the Delphi Museum of the Colonies, things are much brighter than they usually are, and the presence of Starbuck is certainly helping that. It’s not that the gold is specifically used as some sort of grandiose commentary on Starbuck even being there, but it’s also not lost on me that Starbuck’s appearance is Helo’s first real hope of escaping the planet. On top of that, she find’s Apollo’s Arrow; is she now the hope for humanity’s journey towards earth?
It’s, of course, totally possible that the people creating this just wanted to give everything a look and feel that differentiated wildly between them all, so I don’t want this to come off as if I somehow ~know the true meaning~ or anything. But it’s fun to think of the show in these terms, especially when you consider that the darkest locations in this show–on board the Colonial One and the Galactica–are also where the darkest behavior is located.
Speaking of such, it’s fascinating to see the parallel behaviors between Roslin and Adama, and I suppose that’s the greatest irony about their characters: if only they’d take a moment to think about it, they actually want the same thing, and they actually are operating from the same moral base. But that’s not actually what we witness here. Roslin, increasingly sure that she is part of the Pythian prophecy, takes matters in her own hands, believing it is her destiny that she bring the human race to Earth. Adama believes that taking out the Cylon baseship and rescuing those who crashed on Kobol will also keep the fleet safe, and is a necessary maneuver in a military sense.
It simply became a matter of time and a matter of prioritization. There was only one Cylon raider, and there were two Cylon forces that required use of the raider in order to pass. Which was more important to Roslin? Of course, it’s understandable that she’d go after the course that not only would “protect†the human race, but the one that also exalted her in a way. For Adama, it’s obvious he’d choose the military objective. I love that this conflict is not just a religious one: it’s about the government and military clashing in their objectives. Who is more important? Who deserves the right to command decisions? Which one is more vital to the function of a government that is essentially composed of a mass exodus, a flight from an enemy force?
There isn’t an answer here, and the mess is complicated enough to give it all an ambiguous turn, so the writers choose to focus on something else: Lee Adama’s own personal morality when it comes to the collision of these two forces. We know that, naturally, he is much more prone to his life in the military, understanding the difficult decisions one must make while in that position. Over the course of season one, though, the writers have been building to this point (and quite subtly, I might add) to give us this new direction for Lee. When he and Colonel Tigh stand aboard the Colonial One, face-to-face with the President and her security team, guns drawn, he can see that there is something deeply wrong with what’s happened here.
For me, it seems that Lee has begun to realize that there is a sense of duty and honor outside of the military life that he was brought up, that obeying orders is noble up to a point. In that room, he finds himself far past the point of what is right and just, and he turns on Tigh. And I was very happy to see that he gives Tigh an important reason for doing so: they cannot just arrest the President and dismantle democracy because she made a poor decision. He doesn’t bring up the issue of religion, nor a personal affectation for the President. (He is still her military consult, right?) Even knowing what he is doing amounts to mutiny, he refuses to relent.
UGH. LOVE YOU, LEE.
This episode is nothing without a great deal of strangeness, and perhaps that’s another reason I enjoyed it so much. From the ruins on Kobol (and that bizarre hallucination), to the inside of the Cylon basestar, to the confrontation inside the Delphi museum, this episode gives a whole lot to just feel weird about. I suppose I should have come to this conclusion, given what the inside of the Cylon raider was, but I was still completely shocked by the revelation that the inside of the basestar was made of organic material. I believed that once the nuke mechanism jammed, Boomer would sacrifice herself as some sort of redemption, a way of showing that a Cylon could resist their programming.
Yeah, it was so much worse than that. We’d seen her struggle with her identity and morality in the previous part of the finale, and her survival seemed like a chance for her to completely follow her heart, as Baltar had told her do. She was on a mission to destroy other Cylons, and if she could pull that off, then maybe she was her own person.
And then an entire group of copies of herself present themselves to Boomer. And it is FUCKING CREEPY and overwhelming. Oh god, poor Boomer. After everything she did, these copies tell her that she cannot escape destiny, and all her attempts at saving herself are destroyed. Still! She blows up the basestar! Why didn’t her copies try to disarm the bomb or do anything about it? Isn’t it still a negative thing to allow it to happen? Or did they simply wait, knowing they could activate Boomer upon the Galactica once she got back?
I have a lot of questions about the Boomer on Caprica, too. She confides in Helo that she is pregnant, that she has some knowledge of the importance of the Arrow of Apollo, and that her conceiving a child with Helo is part of the Cylon plan to get closer to God. Yeah, I don’t understand this even a little bit. If the gods of Kobol are real, and it is apparent more and more that there’s something important about Kobol in the grand scheme of things, then where does the Cylon God come in to all of this?
I have a feeling that’s not going to be addressed for a long time. In the very immediate future, though, there’s something else to be dealt with. Starbuck finds the Arrow of Apollo, but is confronted by a version of Six, and they have a BRUTAL fight. Oh christ, it’s intense. After suffering a particularly ridiculous beating on behalf of the Cylon, she manages to kill her by charging her and taking her off the side of a landing. Which….holy shit. And after all of this, she is surprised to find Helo there, too, and it is one hell of a reunion. You can see the joy in Starbuck’s face. She is alive. A man she thought was dead is right next to her. She turns to see Boomer standing above them, and ALL OF THE AWARDS TO KATEE SACKHOFF. There’s no better performance than hers in all of season one, as the panic, rage, and terror consumes her. The worst is that she simply processes just how defeated they all are, and she breaks down in tears. Someone she considers a friend is a Cylon, and she knows that Boomer is back on the Galactica, and that this is not going to end well. It’s just so heartbreaking to watch.
Yet it is NOTHING compared to the other two cliffhangers this season one finale give us. It seems that the Cylons waited until this final moment to activate Boomer, and when Adama goes in to congratulate her with a handshake, SHE SHOOTS HIM TWICE. In the GODDAMN CHEST. It is so exact, and you can see that Boomer seemed to have been turned on and then off. She stares at the body of her Commander, and she’s confused. Even worse, as the crew rushes to help their seriously wounded Commander, whose blood is pouring out generously on the table, we see Lee, stripped of his uniform and in cuffs, screaming helplessly into the lifeless face of his father.
GOOD GOD.
But I am at a complete loss to understand what the FUCK happened on Kobol in that opera house. I imagine that an actual opera house used to stand in that location, but what the hell was inside of it? Have Six and Baltar repaired their relationship? Fuck it, I have a way more important question: WHAT WAS INSIDE THE CRIB? A sign for the new generation of “God’s childrenâ€? So God wants Cylons and humans to mate? WHAT THE FUCK. It’s Boomer and Helo’s baby, isn’t it? OH GOD. But I am so fucking lost. Why is Baltar so enthused to see it? A;LKSDFJDF;LKSJASDF;LK AS;LDKFJ ;ALKSDJF; FKL
WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON? oh god I am actually glad I am watching this show like this, because I could not wait half a year to start the next season.
Just…holy shit.
Space Mommy and Daddy are fighting…
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OH MY GODS THAT ENDING CLIFFHANGER THOUGH. I quite literally screamed the first time I watched this episode when Boomer shoots Adama. It’s so sudden! And then I had to wait so long until I could watch season two…
You don’t know how lucky you are Mark!
Space Mommy and Daddy are fighting…
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OH MY GODS THAT ENDING CLIFFHANGER THOUGH. I quite literally screamed the first time I watched this episode when Boomer shoots Adama. It’s so sudden! And then I had to wait so long until I could watch season two…
You don’t know how lucky you are Mark!
Anything Lilo and Stitch related makes my day, regardless of context
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that gif is my feelings about Space Mommy and Space Daddy exactly. They shouldn't be fighting! What will happen to the kids if they do? And now Space Daddy is shot and Space Mommy went to jail, NOOOOOOO!!!!!!
That gif also sums up the way I feel about my hot Space Pilots at the end of Kobol's Last Gleaming Part 1. They shouldn't be fighting with each other *sob*
It is a testament to how boring I found the Helo-on-Caprica storyline that I honestly thought they could have gotten away with Starbuck discovering Helo and Boomer in the museum and having Helo give a short recap of his boring fifty-day journey.
It is a testament to how surprising I found Boomer's shooting Adama that, even though I had mainlined the entire first season in one day and it was four o'clock in the morning and I was having trouble staying awake, my heart skipped a beat.
I knew it was coming and I still jumped when it happened. It's such an excellent shot. She really does look like she's just going to shake his hand and then you see the gun a split second before she shoots it. Brilliant editing.
Fun facts:
Katee Sackhoff and Tricia Helfer did all their own stunts in the fight in the museum. Talk about taking a level in badass.
Early versions of the script had Dirk Benedict aka original Starbuck aka major asshat playing "God" who would appear in the Opera House scene. Good thing they took that one out.
Boomer shooting Adama = WORST CLIFFHANGER EVER. God Grace Park is fabulous.
Asshattery aside, I'm glad they didn't do that because if they did I'd have spent the entire hiatus thinking "omg parallel universe crossover with the original!!!!11!"
I thought I'd read somewhere that Katee and Tricia did all that by themselves, especially Tricia considering she can't be wearing any padding on her arms. That's some nice work from them, it looks so real and so painful.
aka major asshat
ROFL seriously. So glad they didn't go there tbh.
They did not jump of from there. There is a video somewhere in which the two joke about it, saying that they were talking big words that totally horrified the crew ("You can't jump down there") but the thing was, they would have never dared really doing it. Which is normal, really. But the fight, yeah, that was them.
Awesome about them doing all their own stunts. That entire fight is just amazing and now I know that they're even more amazing than I previously thought!
I don’t even know what to say about this episode. THAT ENDING. I literally jumped up and screamed. AKDJF;LAKJ;FASJK. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT’S GOING ON. I REALLY hope we learn EVERYTHING about the Cylons because I seriously do not understand how they can reproduce with humans. I’m also curious to see if there’s a Cylon hierarchy. Like how do the human clone-y ones view the toaster-y ones? Do they see them as equals or the way we see animals? Or do they treat them the way we treat computers?
I also don’t know what to think about Roslin’s acceptance as a prophet. It didn’t really hit me until this episode but I’m not sure how I feel about it. Maybe it’s because I’m not religious so my default stance is well, that’s just ridiculous you’re not a prophet stop it. For the majority of the series Roslin came across as pretty rational so her actions in the finale seem kind of out there. But then again, I am not living on the brink of extinction. Maybe if I was I’d be more open to religion and maybe I’d see Roslin’s actions as hopefully rather than ridiculous.
I was pretty surprised that the whole prophecy/religious thing didn't bother me so much. I mean, usually my stance is the same as yours, and I would be annoyed that they made my favourite character make such religiously motivated decisions, but this time…
I don't know, I think it's because we've seen that their religion clearly does have a basis in fact. It's more like a romanticised history than complete myth. Adama might say that they're just stories, but the evidence is against him – they FOUND Kobol. It's real. The Arrow of Apollo is obviously also a real artefact. So I don't think Roslin is being at all irrational here. I can easily suspend my disbelief and trust that their religion is based on historical fact. And I think that's why it doesn't bother me as much as it should.
Moreover, this is the first chance they've had to actually find a way to Earth rather than just blindly fleeing the Cylons for the rest of their days. I can see why Adama didn't think it worth the risk, but in this case I tend to agree more with Roslin. What else are they going to do? What's their long-term plan? If this is the only chance they have to find Earth, they have to take it. As she says 'Just because you and I don't know where it is, doesn't mean it doesn't exist'.
I think the real problem is that Adama just hasn't had the experiences Roslin has been through that convinced her what to do. And that the two still don't entirely trust each other, so at their first disagreement, they don't sit down and talk about compromise, they just do their own thing and to hell with the consequences.
I have to say, this show is really good at making these two main characters completely against each other, and yet I don't feel compelled to really 'side' with either of them.
I want to know more about Cylon biology, too! I wonder if it's just that they're biologically human, but with cybernetic enhancements. Their cells are alive, and I don't think Baltar was able to determine any differences in their genome, was he? I forget what his test looks at, lol. I'd like to think that the humanoid ones think of them as animals, as Boomer seemed to be fairly caring about the raider on Galactica, but Six also said her model is a softy, so maybe different Cylons have different attitudes about them.
I agree, I'm a little surprised by how quickly she accepted her role as prophet, and I think their extreme situation plays into it why, but she's just steaming ahead with this thing. At least she backed down eventually and it didn't come to bloodshed? I really wish that she and Adama were a little more amenable to talking things out. But it's how the series began, they both have different duties to humanity, and they each think their individual way is the most important. Those two. 🙁
The…plutonium? in the warhead reacted with the "synthetic molecules" of cylons. I remember that cause it's so fucking vague. Synthetic? That's all we get?
lol, that's what I remembered, but I thought, nah, that's too vague and nonsensical. Come on, writers! Give me something to work with here!
I know I nitpick stuff, but c'mon, I'd think one Dr. Gaius Baltar would take the opportunity to be as specific as possible to prove, lest anyone forget, that he's a genius. In my experience, arrogant bastards tend to pontificate, at length, with specifics.
Synthetic is just a technobabble word that doesn't generally say too much about the actual makeup of a substance. Synthetic chemicals can still have the exact same chemical makeup as the naturally-recurring ones.
Why yes I've been holding that in since that scene we learned this.
I know I nitpick stuff, but c'mon, I'd think one Dr. Gaius Baltar would take the opportunity to be as specific as possible to prove, lest anyone forget, that he's a genius. In my experience, arrogant bastards tend to pontificate, at length, with specifics.
Synthetic is just a technobabble word that doesn't generally say too much about the actual makeup of a substance. Synthetic chemicals can still have the exact same chemical makeup as the naturally-occuring ones.
Why yes I've been holding that in since that scene we learned this.
lol, it's okay, let it all out. Everything you're saying is true. It just seems like a lazy way to imply "artificial" to the audience, so I wish they had been more creative.
I tend to agree about the religious aspect of the show, which is a bit strange because (while I'm an atheist) I'm almost completely certain that I wouldn't have this much of a problem with it if this was fantasy fiction rather than science fiction. I think for me there's just a disconnect between what I can accept in this genre as opposed to what I can accept in fantasy, and so it feels weird.
It probably also helps that unlike a lot of fantasy fiction, there are skeptical characters here who aren't just playing the role of Agent Skully where they're obviously set up to be completely wrong in every way ever, so it's a lot harder to dismiss their opinions (especially since pretty much everything else in the story is rooted in realism).
I’m not religious so my default stance is well, that’s just ridiculous you’re not a prophet stop it. For the majority of the series Roslin came across as pretty rational so her actions in the finale seem kind of out there. But then again, I am not living on the brink of extinction. Maybe if I was I’d be more open to religion and maybe I’d see Roslin’s actions as hopefully rather than ridiculous.
Just very very well put. I feel the same way, and couldn't sum it up so well. I'm willing to accept it as reasonable in the storyline, especially given the intense stressors and incredibly unique situation the characters are experiencing, but in my world, the concept seems rather ridiculous, so I'm a little stuck on it.
Life has a melody, Gaius.
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Bear McCreary knocks it out of the park again with The Shape of Things to Come.
I love the Opera House scene because it’s gorgeously done and really intriguing. There are clearly some larger implications going on with Gaius seeing the opera house that Roslin saw in the aerial pictures as opposed to some injury induced hallucination. What exactly does what Six said mean for Gaius and the cylons? Why are the cylons apparently so into having children and why would Gaius need to act as protector?
Space parents are fighting and the kids have sided with Mam. ’We cannot sacrifice our democracy just because the President makes a bad decision.’ Lee I love your idealism. Roslin made a bad call in going behind Adama’s back to get Starbuck to do what she wanted but Adama has no right to get rid of a member of the government because he doesn’t like one of their choices.
<img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/28mpdmc.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"> ‘We love you Sharon.’ ‘And we always will.’
Oh Boomer. After what she went through in Part 1 she’s accepts a huge mission, she’s brave getting out of the raptor to detach the bomb herself and it all goes horribly wrong. Similarly Starbuck, who kicked ass against Six, has a heartbreaking reaction to realising Boomer’s a Cylon. Is there a worse way of finding out someone’s a Cylon? Actually yes, the end of the episode. (Although I did lol at Adama scolding Lee in the way he praises Boomer)
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Nothing is beautiful and everything hurts.
I have to admit, I kind of laughed at the scene with the multiple Boomers. It was really creepy but at the same time…lol really convenient shadows covering their breasts.
Even when one of them crouches down by the bomb there's still some well placed lighting and shadows going on.
Lampshaded by RDM in the commentary. I think he even laughs a bit about it. Oh, show.
I don't see much reason why they had to be naked in the first place, so if you have to make the physics super convenient in order to shoot it this way, maybe reconsider why you make them naked in the first place showrunners?
Just saying, I doubt a male character finding out he's a cylon would be filmed this way at all.
Yeah, weird how we haven't seen Leoben or Doral either naked or dressed in something slinky.
Oh, wait, that's not weird at all. Grrr.
I am actually angry at the show makers for not having incorporated random scenes of Leoben naked.
V zrna, lrf, gurer'f Znryfgebz, ohg …
DO NOT ARGUE WITH NAKED LEOBEN.
I would never stand up during such a scene and scream "but the plot doesn't warrant it!" Naked Leoben warrants itself.
Space parents are fighting and the kids have sided with Mam.
lol so true!
Oh gods that last gif *crying forever*
The worst part (even worse than Lee's soundless screaming) is Dualla clutching his hand.
That last gif 🙁 I agree, the irony was great until she shot him. And then it was painful.
argggggh you just had to gif the last one with Adama.
Aw, Dee. I wish we got to see more of her relationship with Adama.
I may also have giffed Lee's reaction (Dee's is already floating round in the comments) because clearly being bored makes me a glutton for punishment.
Yvsr unf n zrybql naq vg unccraf gb or "nyy nybat gur jngpugbjre."
I actually gasped out loud when Boomer shot Adama. WHAT? WHY? NO! HE'LL BE OKAY, RIGHT? RIGHT?!
This episode was such a mindfuck. My head feels numb and I am watching the clock until I can leave work and go watch the next episode because NEED CLOSURE OMG. This is awful. EVERYTHING HURTS.
Yeah, my brain flipped it's shit when that happened. I was like, "Wow, that was one hell of a finaleadfafdsfadsfadsfsad! OH MY GOD SHE SHOT ADAMAAFASDFDSFSFAS!" All coherent thought went out the window for a few seconds, I haven't had a TV show do that to me in years. Even though it was about 2am I had to watch the first ep of season 2 just to find out what happened next! I'm soooo looking forward to watching the rest of it now!
I was not prepared!
You are so not prepared….
This season finale is totally gut-wrenching. The only wish I have is that they had built up more of a relationship between Starbuck and Boomer (have they even had a scene together?) before now. Starbuck is clearly devastated to learn that one of her crewmates is a Cylon agent, but I think a previous rapport between them would have done so much more to highlight that.
I don't know, we saw a couple of card games with the two of them. Eh, it would have been nice, but I guess there just wasn't time.
They play poker together, and there was some joking around in the first episode, 33. But it would have been nice to have a more established relationship between them
To me, it really felt like she reacted so quickly to seeing Boomer. I kept thinking, "Did she already know that Boomer's a cylon?" It just seemed like the reaction was too fast.
I kind of wonder why she didn't automatically assume Helo was a cylon, too. Or why Helo accepted Starbuck as human for that matter.
I was thinking that it would make sense for Helo to accept that Starbuck's human given that he saw that she's obviously fighting with Six, but then I remembered how he met Boomer again and…yeah. Obviously I wasn't thinking that through properly.
Didn't Starbuck see and greet Helo before realizing that Boomer was there? Even if she didn't, though, her lack of suspicion made more sense to me for some reason. Perhaps it's just because she isn't as used to being in enemy territory and being bombarded with thoughts on the Cylons as Helo has been, so it's more natural for her to come into that situation without doubting him? Plus the fact that she's probably too exhausted and beat up to process much more than "ouch" and "bonus Boomer = not good."
At the same time, I think it'll be strange if she doesn't show some suspicion of him in the upcoming episodes, when she's more recovered both mentally and physically. I mean, he tried to keep her from killing someone they both knew to be a Cylon agent. And while she might naturally assume that the fact that Helo didn't just kill her on sight proves that he's human, I'm guessing her weird experience with Leoben would also make her think twice about that.
The thing is, she knew Helo'd been left behind on Caprica in the miniseries, Boomer came back without him. So of course she assumes the guy she sees is her friend, and not a Cylon.
As for Helo's assumption that Starbuck really was Starbuck, she was fighting a Six at the time and I'm guessing he was relying on the Caprica-Sharon to tell him about people she recognised as Cylons. If she didn't raise the alert on Starbuck, then that probably meant it really was Starbuck and not a Cylon copy.
Like they said, we saw some card games, a bit of joking around in 33. And they do seem to get on well enough, Boomer's the one who covers for her when she quits a card game after having flashbacks to Zak, and Starbuck knows about her and the Chief (miniseries, Kara asks him about whether he's had any word from Sharon) . But yeah, it'd have been nice to have more.
OH GODS BILL! Okay putting aside the flaily panic, I love how Tigh and Gaeta react to the shooting. Tigh's immediately got his hands on Bill's wounds to try and help him while Gaeta's straight on the phone, presumably to get Cottle up there asap. They're both clearly freaked out but still getting shit done.
Poor Boomer, of all the ways for her to have it confirmed that she's a Cylon being confronted by half a dozen naked copies of herself is probably one of the most mindfrakking. I do have to lol slightly at the oh-so-convenient way the light just manages to fall on their faces and not expose anything we shouldn''t be seeing.
Sharon telling Helo to shut the frak up and listen to her about the arrow and how they can get off Caprica…I've been avoiding this so far but I think now I can say how much I LOVE HER FOREVER and how she's one of my favourites? Because that was an awesome moment from her.
That is one hell of a way to end the season, Mark you are so not prepared for the next one.
I love Dee's reaction. We haven't really seen a lot of her with Adama, but you can tell that the old man obviously means a lot to her as she just tearfully holds his hand. My creys.
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I love how Dee's and Lee's reactions are at opposite ends of the scale. Lee is shouting, crying and panicking while Dee is more a quiet, numb sort of shock.
BLUB!
dee is my favorite. and callie. dee and callie i hearts them for EVER and for all time.
I love Sharon forever, too. YANA
OH GOD WHY? NOT COMMANDER ADAMA! There had better be some miraculous healing in the next episode. That's Apollo's purview, right? Either his son or that arrow, and then bam, everything is sunshine and rainbows.
Please?
I liked the idyllic setting on Kobol, and the golden light on Caprica, too. Aside from it being nice to get some new scenery, I like how light and color are being used to used to communicate the importance of the scenes. Like, Apollo is the god of light and the sun, so a warm, glowing setting on Caprica as Starbuck's looking for his arrow is perfect. By the way, wouldn't it be hilarious if that was just a replica, and they keep the original in the Caprican Archives or whatever for safe keeping? I would cry.
Man, Sharon and Helo are my favorite soap opera couple — the way he snaps his head around when she tells him she's pregnant! Beautiful! Their relationship is so weird and unhealthy, what with her initial lies, and his attempted murder, but I just want things to work out for them. I'm glad they found Starbuck, and maybe they can all get back to the fleet, and Helo can help explain that Boomer/Sharon are Cylons, but they aren't necessarily evil and can change. Because even though Boomer shot Adama, I feel awful for her. She looked so confused. I want her to be okay. 🙁
I forgot to mention yesterday that Starbuck's plan reminded me of Independence Day (give the Cylons a virus!), and then the messed up bomb made me think that Boomer was going to have a Major Kong moment. These sorts of things make me happy.
I have no idea what was in that crib, but given how gleeful that narcissist Baltar was upon looking at it, I imagine it's a swaddled baby with his head. It's the only thing that could make him so happy.
I have no idea what was in that crib, but given how gleeful that narcissist Baltar was upon looking at it, I imagine it's a swaddled baby with his head. It's the only thing that could make him so happy.
Literally laughed out loud. Why don't I have manip skills to make that?
I'm tempted to make it, but imagining it in my head is already horrifying. I'M SO TORN.
The written is already nightmare-inducing enough for me, thank you very much.
I have no idea what was in that crib, but given how gleeful that narcissist Baltar was upon looking at it, I imagine it's a swaddled baby with his head. It's the only thing that could make him so happy.
Oh gods I will never get that image out of my mind!
In my head he's really wide eyed with this huge creepy smile and his hairs all scraggly around his face.
Thanks for that image. Thanks a lot.
Yes! That's exactly how I see it, too! Like, his blissful face after he decides he's an instrument of God. I'm glad we're on the same page.
AAAAAH Someone pass the brain bleach please!
Now imagine Gaius holding the Gaius baby with a similar look on his face 😛
Y u do this?
<img src="http://i437.photobucket.com/albums/qq100/nebula908/Gifs/DoctorWho/296k945.gif">
Mine is an evil laugh!
<img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/2hcnpq9.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
Old Spice Guy makes everything better.
And he probably smells a lot better than Brain Bleach
Damn you Gauis Baltar if only you had outed Boomer as a Cylon none of this would have happened.
Won't someone please just punch him in the face?
Does Six smashing his head into a mirror count? Cause I've always enjoyed that moment.
<img src="http://i56.tinypic.com/o1zle.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
(never going to stop using this)
I really love the little moment that Dualla and Billy share when they're communicating for Roslin and Adama. It's so sad that they found themselves on opposite sides of the schism.
I love that Lee finally chose a side – and it's not his dad's side. Way to stand up to Colonel Tigh, even if it is mutiny.
I think Sharon's line about her pregnancy being a way to get closer to God references Six's line from the miniseries that one of procreation is one of God's commandments. Who knows if the Cylons can procreate? Given that there are only twelve models, it doesn't seem likely. And it also speaks to some of Six's issues with Sharon (which you can see in the scene where she beats the everliving fuck out of Sharon in an earlier episode on Caprica). Six wants that baby. She wants to be the one chosen to conceive a child and get closer to God. But for whatever reason Sharon was chosen (maybe because she chose Helo while Six chose Baltar). Six's jealousy is almost a physical force.
On a slightly unrelated note, Smart Pop's essay today argued that we, the audience of BSG, have more in common with the Cylons than the humans. The humans of the fleet have rejected the internet and most advanced technology while the Cylons (like us) have embraced it. I thought it was an interesting read. Be careful, though. There are spoilers for the entire run of the show. And, sadly, it's only up for a week. The article is here: http://www.smartpopbooks.com/1331
That's an interesting point about procreation. Maybe because there are only 12 of them, they need to make babies with humans to widen their gene pool. Or like you said, maybe they can't procreate on their own and are for some reason limited to 12 models, so to expand their population, they need humans. That would mean that their synthetic parts could be passed on to the next generation, which is a little weird to me, but whatever. Or maybe because their progressing to more humanoid or organic states, a human-Cylon hybrid is their goal. I have a lot to think about.
I love Six's seething jealousy. Tricia Helfer plays it out so well.
Six said that in 33. Just a minor nitpick, good comment.
Ah, thanks. It all tends to run together a bit in my head because of how serialized the show is.
I like your thoughts on Six and Sharon, and on Helo and Baltar. That maybe if Baltar had been a different kind of guy, he would have wanted to have a child with Six and she could be in Sharon's place. It fits with Six's personality, how she's the one who wants to feel, to be as alive and as connected to others as possible.
Oooh, seconded on the little Billy-Dualla moment! You feel so much for them, lovers on opposing sides and powerless to do anything about it.
I know it's gonna happen, it shouldn't surprise me but every time Adama offers that hand shake I tense up D:
Also:
[youtube 4lW5YUmF54I&feature=youtu.be http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lW5YUmF54I&feature=youtu.be youtube]
Starting at 5:32 is a stunning, full orchestral version of “Shape of Things To Come.” Beyond amazing.
Ack, embed didn't work.
Link: http://youtu.be/4lW5YUmF54I
Use the embed youtube video function on intensedebate (found right above the comment text box) rather than the youtube-supplied embed html.
Thanks! Will do next time 🙂
One of the things I love about this show, and this was deliberate on the part of RDM, is that women get into these knock down, drag out fights and they get messy and dirty and beaten up and it's SO RAW and real. It's a deliberate subversion of the Beauty is Never Tarnished trope (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/BeautyIsNeverTarnished) and I LOVE IT.
Also I love how Tricia Helfer just dives in and goes at it tooth and claw. I loff her so much.
In other news, Crashdown is the yummiest. I want to do unspeakable things with him.
And she'd never done screen-fighting before! She really trained well. It's a great fight because it's so dirty and realistic and because you can see that it's really them giving and taking the blows.
Crashdown! It's so easy to forget about him because there's SO MUCH going on. But I love the dynamic between him and Chief Tyroll down on the planet. Crashdown is clearly the one in charge, but Chief clearly has more experience. It's so fun to watch.
You linked to tvTropes!
Damn you! Damn you all to hell!
yeah, I thought about warning for it, but… these replies are always so much fun. See you in about 6 hours!
6 hours? I s it really possible to get in and out of tvTropes that quickly? *loses months at a time*
I also like how the show firmly established that Helo, Boomer, and Starbuck were all in the same place at the same time, so we wouldn't be able to forget that during the fight scene. From the very beginning it was set up for us to see Six beating the frak out of Starbuck and think that Helo's going to swoop in at just the right moment to save her, but lol nope. Starbuck swoops in to save her own ass.
I'm not a viewer who reacts much while watching something. A smile here, a tear there — that's about it. I'm too busy figuring out how they set up a particular shot or predicting where the current plot is going to go (or just thinking about how nice everyone's hair looks, heh). My emotions just don't engage more than superficially with the majority of my TV and film experiences.
I tell you this so that you'll understand what happened when I watched the S1 finale. I remember it crystal-clearly: what I was wearing, how the furniture looked, even the angle and color of the sunlight through the half-closed blinds. (I had to watch it the next day because of a prior commitment.) I sat in my IKEA armchair, knees curled up comfortably, with the remote balanced on the chair's arm, and watched all the shit go down onscreen with tension coiling ever tighter in my chest.
And when Boomer shot Adama, I flung out my arms and legs so violently in shock, the remote flew off the chair's arm and ended up in the kitchen.
I've never had that reaction to a show before or since, so good on ya, BSG. You got me.
I was watching it with my friend at home when my parents were on holiday. We had the week off school because of snow and we watched all of season one in a few days.
And we both just SCREAMED when Boomer shot Adama.
It's one of the two times I've ever screamed out loud at a TV show like that (the other being when I watched one scene from 'The Descent' because I can't handle horror and fuck that movie)
Lee jumping around in handcuffs and a tanktop after the shooting is so very, very sad . . . but . . . his arms look amazing.
ngl I noticed his arms too. The sleeveless top with the way the cuffs make him hold his arms a certain way … yes please.
SECOND. More more MOAR NOW PLZ
At first I thought it was weird how he was holding his arms so straight at first…then I realised it meant we got a REALLY good look at his muscles. I'll just assume Jamie Bamber did it on purpose.
How nice of him. 🙂
I do love his arms.
RIGHT.
Personally, the relationship I was most invested in throughout this season was the one between Lee and Adama. So the ~drama between Lee and Kara in the last episode mostly resulted in me rolling my eyes and yelling at Lee to grow up and stock acting like a jackass, but this episode had me feeling so tense when Lee backed up Roslin, defying his father. I JUST WANT YOU TWO TO GET ALONG. COMPROMISE AND BE FRIENDS, OK? And then that moment at the end where Adama is shot and Lee runs to him? MY CREYS. OMG. YOU HAVE TO BE OK, ADAMA. AND THEN YOU AND LEE HAVE TO KISS AND MAKE UP. AND THEN I COULD BAKE A CAKE FILLED WITH RAINBOWS AND SMILES AND EVERYONE WOULD EAT AND BE HAPPY.
The other moment that makes this episode for me is Helo and Kara meeting up again. My poor pretty Helo who has spent this whole season isolated from everyone except for Sharon, whom he later discovers a Cylon. And now he sees a famiilar face! It'll be ok, Helo! Kara will save everyone!
Anyway, those were the two things that stuck out to me in this episode, even though there was obviously a ton of other stuff going on.
Like I said before, I love Lee because he is an idealist who fights for justice even in a story where cynicism is clearly the more viable option. He knows right and wrong and isn't afraid to stand up for what he knows to be the right thing to do, even when it gets him in serious trouble. I'm so glad you love Lee too!
Also, he is very pretty. I may or may not own a signed photo of Jamie Bamber.
The Cylon baseship was FAR creepier than I ever anticipated. Not necessarily in the "oooh spooky and deserted and OHGOD ALL THE BOOMERS" sense, more the organic nature of the ship itself. I suppose it reflects the nature and biology of the human-esque cylons, but the fleshiness of it all just creeped me the frak out, like I expected to find the cylons literally growing out of the walls or something.
It's interesting. I wonder if it's supposed to parallel the humans–they surround themselves with machines, while the Cylons surround themselves with organic material?
That scream/yell that Starbuck lets out when she sees Boomer on Caprica is just…painful. Says it all with no words. Katee Sackhoff did an amazing job with that reaction, and she deserves all the Emmys.
Totally agreed. It was so raw and real.
Katee just sold it, from frame 1. I can't believe she never scored an Emmy nom while the show was on, because her performance as Starbuck was one of the best I've ever seen from an actress on film or TV, and that is not hyperbole – she was really that good.
My immediate reaction on seeing the crib was, wait do Baltar and six have a baby. Because that would be the cutest kid in the universe. I also thought the scene at the opera house was absolutely adorable.
The thing that makes me grin when re-watching the scenes with Six and Starbuck is the idea that in real life, Tricia Helfer and Katee Sackhoff are, like, best buds. I've seen photos of them off-set and it's just _cute_ how much they're clearly enjoying each other's company, and yet: AAAAH COGNITIVE DISSONANCE WTF. 🙂
This was, indeed, one hell of a season finale — I was awfully glad at the time I was watching on DVD and could go straight to Season 2, so I KNOW HOW YOU FEEL.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON? oh god I am actually glad I am watching this show like this, because I could not wait half a year to start the next season."
Heck, by the time season four rolled around we would have been overjoyed to only have to wait the six months that went by between the January '05 'cast of Kobol's Last Gleaming II and the July '05 debut of the S2 opener. Then another reasonable four-month midseason break (end of september, 05 to beginning of january, 06), followed by a seven month summer break between the s2 finale (YANP) and the s3 opener (now just October of '06), then season 3 proceeded to go pretty regularly until the following spring (March, 07), when it's YANP finale left us waiting for THIRTEEN FRAKKING MONTHS for season four (April, '08. Yeah). But wait, it gets better: ten episodes into season four, they go on their midseason break (YKYANP) (this is now june of '08) and don't come back until the following january, 2009, another seven months…
Long story short: I hate your guts for not having to wait like the rest of us.
Part of the delay for season 4 was the writers guild strike, but was TOTAL AND UTTER AGONY, but they did toss us a movie-shaped bone (titles are still spoilers, right?) to tide us over, which only gos so far.
Mark you are SO SO SO SO lucky that you are not watching these in real time!! It is so tortuous to have had to watch this show in parts. And SyFy Channel definetly tortured us to death with our wait times inbetween seasons and parts of seasons. I still remember my shock and the shock of my husband when Boomer shot Adama… SO FREAKING UNPREPARED!!!!!!
My notes for this one ended up being way too long, and consisting largely of keysmashing and “OH MY GOD (character’s name), so I’m just going to include a few highlights:
-Wait, what? Adama, you want the President of the colonies to resign? Good plan! Too bad you don’t have any authority to do that!
-“The Next Step? “ Caprica Sharon, are you the one to finally tell us what the cylon plan is?
-“We stand with our President.” Billy, ILU.
-OH CRAP SHARON SHE’S GOING INSIDE THE SHIP. THE CYLON SHIP. IS SHE GOING TO SEE HERSELF THERE? SHE IS, ISN’T SHE.
-Um, Baltar? Six didn’t save your life. Crashdown did.
-Why is Six leading Baltar into the meadow of bright greenness? (ETA: I love the contrast in color, but seriously, that is bright.) I think a spontaneous “Sound of Music “ homage would be slightly out of place, but you never know.
-What a conveniently located ancient relic.
-“We love you Sharon.” GAAAAHHHHH! Yeah, there goes any chance of me having pleasant dreams tonight.
-“We stand with our President.” Billy, ILU.
I love him shaking his head before she's even finished. Billy you are so loyal and adorable <3
(Cont.)
-HELL YEAH STARBUCK! Takin’ Six dooowwwnn. BADASS FOREVER.
-LEE!!! I mean, I totally agree with you, but WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!
-LET US TAKE A MOMENT FOR BEAR MCCREARY APPRECIATION.
-What. What. WHAT. A Baby?!? Is that Helo and Caprica Sharon’s future baby? She can’t mean it’s THEIR baby, right? Because HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE.
-Gee Adama, not being very subtl
-WHAT THE FUYFC^%C LUIK>BIO:^CVUXCL>K KOIBB
-ADAMA. HOLY SHIT. IS ADAMA DEAD HOLY CRAP WHHHYYYYY
-I stand corrected. THIS is the worst cliffhanger ever.
ADAMA! NO! ;coughs; Um yeah. I'm okay really. It's just Adama (and Roslin) have pretty much become my favorites on this show so I may be slightly upset about this developement…
As I was watching this, my husband was wandering in and out of the room. He's only watched the series once, and this time he got sucked into watching this ep. He totally jumped when Adama was shot. Whereas I had been waiting for it all season.
Re-watchin' thoughts:
Aaaand we have the crashed-vehicle-is-about-to-blow-up trope.
"Shove it up your ass!" FRAK YEAH SHARON.
Now I need a pilot for a suicide mission. HOW ABOUT THE ONE WHO TRIED TO COMMIT SUICIDE.
"I loved what I thought was you." Harsh.
The look on Dee's face when she has to order an attack on Colonial One… where Billy is. 🙁
Crashdown, you're a pretty man, but right now you look like shit.
This is an interesting scene, where Tyrol is obviously more experienced in these things than Crashdown, but Crash outranks him.
Now Dualla and Billy have to relay things to each other 🙁 all the sads
STARBUCK AND SIX! FIGHT! FIGHT!
SHOWDOWN ON COLONIAL ONE! …please don't fight!
I'm really not sure why the Boomers in this scene feel the need to be naked.
"Starbuck?!" Hee hee. LAST PERSON HELO EXPECTED.
Lee! Lee! Lee!
I love the look on Starbuck's face after Helo says "she's pregnant." It's equal parts "NOOOO" and "Wait, WHAT??"
Hey, it's Gaius, wandering around someplace vaguely stonehengey! Doesn't anyone wonder why he's wandering off alone?
BOOMER SHOOTS ADAMA. WHAT NOW! THERE IS BLOOD ON THE LIGHT TABLE! Aaaand END OF SEASON ONE.
Znex, OFT vf abg orggre guna Ningne 🙁 Oh well, sigh. Ng yrnfg ur unfa'g jngpurq Ohssl lrg.
I have no interest in BSG so I've not visited the blog for a bit, so I decided to mosey on over today and whoa, everything looks like Mark Reads now =O *le gasp~*
Anyone recommend this series? From what I've heard it's supposed to be pretty good.
Avatar, where did you go 🙁
I think I speak for everyone here when I recommend it.
So say we all.
No spoilers of course, but I was just wondering how you were planning to do the webisodes that aired between seasons? I don't think there were any between season 1 and 2 (though I could be wrong), but there are eps between future seasons, and they usually are set between the seasons, so I was just curious if you planned on watching them as well?
SO UNPREPARED. The funny thing is that I should have been spoiled for Boomer shooting Adama: I came into the BSG show having played BSG: The Board Game several times, which in its various materials A) makes it clear Boomer is a Cylon (so I wasn't surprised by the mini-series reveal) and B) has a close-up of Boomer with a gun. So I should've been expecting something like this, especially knowing that the board game was mostly based on Season One. But JESUS I ABOUT DIED when she shot Adama. I had thought shit was real on the show for awhile but this made me realize that I HAD NO IDEA HOW REAL SHIT COULD BE.