In the sixteenth episode of the second season of Battlestar Galactica, a group of terrorists take various crew members hostage, demanding only one thing: Sharon Valerii. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Battlestar Galactica.
In hindsight, the ending to “Sacrifice” was painfully obvious, but I never saw it coming. They couldn’t actually do that, could they? OH GOD, MY PRECIOUS NAIVE HEART.
It seems the writers knew they were leading to this point, as the opening of the episode directly deals with Billy and Dualla’s relationship. The lead-in to this introduces Sesha Abinell’s obsession with Sharon because of her husband’s death, and the revelation that most of the Fleet knows about the existence of Sharon on Galactica anyway. The development is off-screen, but it seems that Billy’s relationship with Dualla has inspired him to be more direct, which is seen when he tells Adama what he should do about Sharon Valerii. Even Roslin notices (and appreciates it), so there is at least this precedent for when Billy proposes to Dualla. I think to us, in the vacuum of this show, that does seem a bit sudden, and I’ll admit to feeling that when it started. I’m not sure how much time has passed since “Scar,” but there are motivations for this proposal that help it to make more sense. As I said, Billy has been becoming far more blatant and direct than he ever was before. I can’t imagine a more forward act in a relationship than a marriage proposal. Yet it is also quite reminiscent of his inability to be successful with women. Billy’s awkwardness is all over this episode.
Truthfully, though, I haven’t really put much thought into the logistics of this because the scope of the episode is so much more than a marriage proposal. It’s about Billy’s reaction to being rejected by Dualla, who herself is confused about her feelings for two men, Billy and Lee. Even if you take away the fact that Dualla still has feelings for Lee, her rejection of Billy still makes sense. I think it’s too sudden and too much for her.
Of course, this confusion and awkwardness is compounded on Cloud 9, when she, Billy, Lee, and Ellen all come colliding together in the lounge. The tension is two-fold: it’s inevitable that Lee and Billy will run into one another, and Sesha and her “friends” are being fucking weird as shit in the bar. At this point, I was still unsure whether Sesha was obsessed with the Cylons for a negative or a positive reason, and I hadn’t the slightest idea what she was planning to do. To make matters worse, it becomes clear that Ellen Tigh is totally down with Lee Adama and this is awkward. I think I’ve stopped thinking of her as a Cylon anymore. She’s just a hot mess as far as I’m concerned, yet I can’t deny how much I love it when she shows up. She’s feisty!
Thankfully, Lee notices how terrible Sesha is at being secretive, and he pulls Ellen into the washroom (LOL AT HER THINKING IT IS TO HOOK UP) right as the gunmen seal off the area and Sesha fires her gun into the air as a warning. (And seriously, thank you, Lee, for pointing out how monumentally foolish it is to fire a gun in a ship. As soon as she did that, I thought it would almost be kind of hilarious if the whole ship exploded or something when she did that, but then I didn’t want the others to die. Maybe she could get sucked out or something?) SHIT’S GETTING REAL, Y’ALL. So what does Ellen do while Lee tries to trick the oxygen sensors? She walks boldly out of the washroom and announces who she is. Sorry, I take back every negative thing I may have ever said about Ellen Tigh. Favorite new character. Who does that??? She is so goddamn fierce and self-centered and I love it.
Sesha finally reveals her demands and while I do think she’s a big misguided about a few things, Battlestar Galactica doesn’t stray from giving us uncomfortable moral realities. Sesha’s husband died because of the Cylons, and in retribution for that, she wants Sharon delivered to her. That might have been simple enough, but Sesha goes further: the Cylons are the enemy, and housing Sharon in a military ship is nothing short of a fatal risk. Adama is compromising the fleet’s security, just as the security of the human race was compromised when a Cylon infiltrated the Defense mainframe. She’s a bit off the mark, as Sharon and Six aren’t comparable in this instance. Six manipulated Baltar in order to get access, and her intentions were clearly malicious. As Sharon will point out later, she has saved the fleet and the Galactica multiple times since she was taken on board. As much as I adore Sharon and want nothing but the best for her, I am terrified that I am wrong. I would be so heartbroken if Sharon’s actions were all part of a long con to manipulate Adama and put the fleet at risk. I just can’t believe that she would do such a thing, but can you blame those who weren’t close to her for thinking that she’s merely there to carry out a Cylon mission? Fear of the Cylons has spread rampantly throughout the fleet, and I don’t imagine it’ll lessen any time soon. Yes, Cylon information is limited, which is why I agree with Billy and Adama that giving up Sharon, personal reasons aside, is a truly awful idea. They would have no resources to fight the Cylons at all without her.
So who’s right? There’s no way of telling at this point, but I am glad that at least as a basic premise, the actions of Sesha and her partners are portrayed negatively. The show continually reminds us that these people are terrorists, that taking hostages never validates whatever crusade or cause you are fighting. From a military perspective, we are also shown how the Marines will handle a hostage situation. Roslin, in this case, represents the political foundation that terrorists should not be bargained with. It sends a terrible message of weakness to the fleet, and it would be one they could never live down again. So the military’s first step is information gathering, and then infiltration. This is where Starbuck comes in, and then my heart breaks AGAIN for her. Coming off of “Scar,” this girl has been the receiving end of a whole lot of emotional trauma. Can’t you give her a break, writers?
Anyway, she “volunteers” to act as the technician sent to repair the air system in the lounge, which was tripped by Lee. I had this idea in my head that Starbuck would somehow get trapped in there, and we’d have to deal with the massive love…square? If we count Ellen having the hots for Lee, that would be a love pentagon. There need to be more of those. Because that’s what I believed the hostage stand-off would turn into: a character study on all these folks who have ~feelings~ for one another. And I know I would have liked that! It would have been unexpected. But it would not have been as unexpected as Ellen blowing Starbuck’s cover IN JUST THIRTY FUCKING SECONDS, and an eruption of gunfire breaking out, and people die, and STARBUCK ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTS LEE. oh my god are you kidding me. Hasn’t they had enough to deal with? So instead of some magical meet-up of confused lovers, it’s FUCKING TRAGEDY. Ugh, that scene where Starbuck reports to Adama what has happened, and she uses the term “friendly fire,” finally admitting that it was probably her that did it, is just too much. This show has finally made me feel too many feelings.
Admiral Adama finally decides he needs to confront what is torturing him: Is keeping Sharon alive and on the Galactica worth it? When he meets with her, she insists that this is the case. She’s proven that time and time again. But he chooses to ask her, very plainly, if she will tell him the names and locations of any Cylons on the fleet. She denies him this, and surprisingly, this is what makes him realize how valuable she is to him. Why this? Because he knows she is telling the truth? Wouldn’t that be the ultimate sign that she is not siding with the Cylons? Though I suppose I understand her reluctance. Look what’s happened to her since she was found to be a Cylon. She could trust Adama to treat prisoners fairly, but Adama doesn’t control every ship. She might be dooming other Cylons to the same fate as Pegasus Six. WHAT A STRANGE MORAL QUANDARY.
Billy is having his own moral quandary, and Dualla calls him out on it because…well, Billy’s not the most subtle man around. She can tell he is thinking of stealing a gun from one of the terrorists in some heroic stand, and she assures him that he has nothing to prove, that he’s not trained in the slightest. But you can imagine that he’s got an internal monologue running through him, telling him that the girl he loves will suddenly reciprocate those feelings if he pulls off some macho bullshit attack. It is foolish, and Dualla knows this. That’s why she specifically says that he has nothing to prove. But as the body is being brought in, Billy gets starts to get antsy. DON’T DO IT, BILLY. LET THE MARINES HANDLE IT.
For a second, I thought Adama might send Sharon’s live body and maybe have her kick ass as a Trojan horse of sorts, but when the body is wheeled into that lounge, it’s obvious it’s the first copy of Sharon. Oh, I thought, this is a really good plan. A trick! I like tricks! Oh. Sesha fired into the body. Isn’t she going to notice the lack of any blood? Oh. Kern pulled back the sheet to see the autopsy scars. Oh. OH THIS IS A FUCKING DISASTER. And you could see it a mile away: Billy was going to use this opportunity to grab a gun. He does, quite predictably, shooting one of the terrorist before he himself is shot. As the Marines and Admiral Adama pour in, I wondered why no one was heading for Billy. Obviously, the Admiral’s son is important, but no one but Dualla was going to Billy’s side.
The camera flashes to him and he’s not moving. He’s not looking at Dualla. Oh. OH FUCK. No, he’s just unconscious, right? He’ll wake up later and Dualla will scold him, and she’ll feel guilt over this, and it will further complicate their relationship. I could see it happening, and I could the various story lines that could spring from this. But then we flash to the morgue with the dead body of Boomer, and you can see Billy Keikeya in the background.
Billy is dead. There will be no more plot twists for him, and there will be no marriage. Holy shit, BSG, what the FUCK?
I slipped into shock, but it lasted all of about two minutes, because I cannot handle Roslin crying. I cannot handle her brushing Billy’s hair off his forehead and telling him it looks better. I cannot handle her breakdown when she cries out that he was so young. And now he’s gone, and Roslin has lost one of her best friends. One of her only friends. Was it worth it? Was it worth it to lose Billy in order to keep Sharon alive? There’s no easy answer to that question, and I imagine we’ll see more of this in the near future.
But “Sacrifice” ends with a reversal of roles. Dualla sits at Lee’s bedside, wishing him well, begging him to stay, while Starbuck merely watches in the background. What a haunting parallel to see, and one depressing way to end this all.
Fuck. Billy is dead. Goddamn it.
HUG PILE OVER HERE
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It's a hug but you know it won't stop the hurt. Supernatural gotta love it.
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Your gif just reminded me to check when Fringe starts back, and yay it's Friday week!
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You accidentally a word so I was thinking it's this week. 🙁 But next week is good too! I like how Kirk and Daniel Jackson (what, he's still Daniel even if there's another one) know our scifi joy.
He will forever be Daniel Jackson. I don't care what anyone else says.
Is 'whateverday week' not a term you have in America? It basically means not that day this week eg that'd be next Friday, but that day the week after that eg Friday week, or whatever day you want to use. That is really badly explained but I can't figure out a better wording.
Yeah, that's not a phrase I've ever heard before. Yay for learning new language!!!
Now I'm wondering where it stems from. Is it Hiberno English, English English or a European thing?
With Maya in that I don't think I've heard that phrase before, hence my comment. Interesting, though!
EDIT: And sorry for assuming you made a mistake.
It's always interesting finding out what common for me turns of phrase aren't used elsewhere.
(Nothing to apologise for.)
I thumbsed-up this just for "you accidentally a word." Hee.
(It's a meme? I feel like you may not know this and are possibly attributing my comment to be more originally funny than it is.)
Yes, I did know that. I just really like when people randomly use memes in conversation. Some things never get old.
OMG YAY!!
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I thought it wouldn't be back until October because of baseball! I guess Fox figured sticking it at 9pm on a Friday is bad enough!
I'm a bit selfishly glad it's on Fridays because it means I can stay up and take part in the liveblog.
This show has finally made me feel too many feelings.
You are Oshiroverwhelmed!
You get ALL OF THE THUMBS UPS FOR THIS PUN.
(Also my first comment actually using IntenseDebate instead of connecting with Twitter)
I approve so much of this pun
BILLY, DON'T BE A HERO!
Yeah, I kinda knew nothing good was going to happen when he got all of that attention at the beginning of the episode. Bye, Billy. Your awkwardness will be missed.
I thought it was interesting how Starbuck was the eavesdropper this time. And I like her hair? I dunno, I feel bad that she probably feels left out, but her relationship with Lee is so screwy that it's almost to be expected.
For some reason, the end scene with Sharon made me think of Space Baby. I know the music is completely different, but 2001 just popped into my head.
I always like Starbuck's hair.
It is consistently great, like the rest of her. I will miss the teensy rat tail to obscure her neck tattoo. 🙂
There’s a lot of things I could say about this episode, Roslin and Billy’s relationship, the Billy/Dee/Lee triangle, Sesha and her people’s motivation, Adama and Sharon’s current relationship, Starbuck shooting Lee, ‘My brother died on Picon, he was a good man too. They’re all good men.’ but really it just comes down to this:
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‘It was a calculated risk.’ ‘It wasn’t worth it’ <img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/b55kav.gif" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic">
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BILLYYYYY! I know why it had to happen but GOD DAMN IT WHY DID IT HAVE TO BE BILLY?! Sweet, dorky Billy. Univat fnvq gung, nsgre frrvat gur gurbel ba JvxvSenxe gung vs ur'q fheivirq ur zvtug unir orra bar bs gur Svany Svir vafgrnq bs Gbel V'z nyzbfg tynq ur tbg bhg abj.
Laura's breakdown in the morgue, Mary McDonnell is amazing. The hand on the wall to steady herself. That scene and the moment earlier on where she calls him "the closest thing to family I have left in this world" just, poor Laura.
Why does it make a strange amount of sense that Ellen Tigh is apparently drinking dry ice? I mean besides the visual of her with the smoking glass.
It is oddly perfect for her. Though, given that you guys are always calling her Lady McTigh, I sort of wish it was a goblet.
V erzrzore xvaq bs ubcvat ur jnf n plyba ng gur gvzr orpnhfr V yvxrq uvz fb zhpu ohg V qba'g xabj gung V jbhyq unir yvxrq uvz nf n cneg bs gur Svany Svir.
whoops almost pasted that unciphered
V nyjnlf jnagrq Ovyyl gb or n Plyba orpnhfr gura vg zvtug sbepr Ebfyva gb pbzr gb grezf jvgu gur snpg gung fbzrbar fur xabjf naq pnerf nobhg vf n Plyba. Zbfg crbcyr ba gur fubj unq gb qb gung jvgu Obbzre, ohg Ebfyva qvqa'g xabj ure fb fur arire unq gb qrny jvgu gung ba n ivfpreny yriry.
Good Bye Billy, you will be sorely missed.
And it's worse, because I get kind of mad at Billy in one of his last scenes. I agree with him that Dualla should have been more up front about the fact that they weren't exclusive. Although I also think that everything's fair until you actually sit down and say "we're exclusive". Who knows whether they had that conversation? But the part that pisses me off is when he says "You let me propose to you" Um, what? Is she supposed to be psychic? No, he proposed and that was all on him. He clearly surprised her and she said no. I think Dualla handled that particular situation exactly right.
When Starbuck admits that Lee was shot by friendly fire, all I could think was "Way to go, Starbuck. Now you've killed both of his sons." In a sarcastic, my heart is broken way. Even though I knew Lee would survive. Though I'd actually forgotten Lee even gets shot in this episode. It got completely eclipsed by Billy's death.
Also, lol at the love pentagon. This is kind of becoming a soap opera in space.
It's such a bad idea to propose to someone unless you already know what their answer will be. Otherwise it's just a recipe for hurt feelings and awkwardness.
And this is why you should never propose to someone in public.
My aunt used to be a newscaster in Phoenix. My uncle proposed to her on live TV. No pressure or anything.
Requesting permission for cross-continuity fandom canon to initiate Billy into the disco room.
yes. yes. yes.
What is that?
I want to go there and dance with him. (I have a feeling you'll decline my wishes.)
The TARDIS disco room. Where out favorite characters go when we refuse to accept their deaths. BECAUSE THEY NEVER DIED OKAY?!
Is it only for Mark Watches or a larger phenomenom? And usually only for Dr Who?
Billy is fine and dancing. This calms me. He'd be so very cute dancing.
Just Mark Watches, though I'd love for it to be bigger. I want to make a meme!
Also, Rose left her stash of drugs in the Disco Room, so it's basically paradise.
Paul Campbell wanted to leave because he was filming a pilot (which was never picked up).
"To make matters worse, it becomes clear that Ellen Tigh is totally down with Lee Adama and this is awkward. I think I’ve stopped thinking of her as a Cylon anymore. She’s just a hot mess as far as I’m concerned, yet I can’t deny how much I love it when she shows up. She’s feisty!"
The Adventures of Ellen Tigh, Space Cougar.
"Too many feelings" is an apt description for this episode! Man, what is with the stuff I've been watching lately? First the season finale of True Blood, then Doctor Who, and now this? I didn't even realized that I cared that much about Billy until I realized that he was dead and then I couldn't stop crying! I have such a weird love-hate relationships with these sorts of things because I HATE that Billy is dead and yet I LOVE BSG for killing off a main character. I hate shows that introduce someone just to kill them off and you are supposed to be so ~shocked~ by it or whatever. So bravo BSG, for further breaking my heart this week.
I marathoned my ass off this weekend to catch up with you guys on this awesome show I've never seen before (true, I also wanted to avoid all news coverage this weekend, so this goal also served my purpose). I was full of comments about the awe-inspiring arms on pretty much everybody on this show, remarks about Time Lords and Cylons, and just how much Kat annoyed me, remarkably similar to how irritated I was by Starbuck in the miniseries and first half of season 1. But I finally catch up and this is what I get???
My heart :'( It hurts. I loved Billy and now I just want him to be the 7th Cylon so I can see him again….
Roslin's comment about the price not being worth it – I don't get it. She didn't want to negotiate either (right? Or was that Tigh? All the heartbreak has confused me). Would Billy/Dualla/Ellen/Lee have survived if they followed her route?
So many good arms. And torsos. And faces.
Interesting choice to watch this in lieu of 9/11 coverage, since the show is a response to 9/11 and the way America reacted. But fiction can be easier to stomach. I avoided the news coverage, too.
So very true. There are certain gifs I just keep staring at pretty much in a loop. Everybody's so pretty…
Yeah, I've noticed some parallels, especially due to all these lovely comments! But 9/11 just hits too close to home. I'm from New York, my mom worked in the Tower One, I just can't handle it and I start crying. Plus, I didn't want to have the TV on to keep my mom from getting to upset by the images. We can both handle space battles though, it's easier to keep at a distance when all the characters live in a different galaxy or star system or wherever they do. But I cried over Billy too so who knows?
That's rough. I'm glad your mom is okay. I can't even imagine having worked in one of the towers.
Thanks. Luckily she was late that day and was still in the subway and they were able to pull away.
Billy. ;____________;
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OK, I saw this episode this weekend so I've been through my BILLYYYYYY! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WHYYYY? phase already so I'm totally excused for laughing my head of at this review. Not all of it (obviously – I'm not an emotionless Centurion, not yet anyway) but seriously Mark, your comments on Ellen Tigh? Gold. GOLD, I tell you!
If we count Ellen having the hots for Lee, that would be a love pentagon. There need to be more of those.
Oh, god, yes, please. This sounds like the best idea ever. Let's leave the tragedy behind us, BSG, and focus on the love pentagon. Hell, we can make it grow each episode, I vote Gaeta to make it a hexagon!
Like you, I didn't expect Billy to die in this episode, but it's so obvious now that this was being set up in this episode. And even though I saw his vacant stare after he had been shot, I refused to believe he had died until I saw him in the morgue. Mary McDonnel just guts me in her final scene with Billy ;_;
P.S. I will never accept Lee/Dualla.
Chewbacca is a Wookiee from the planet Kashyyyk. But Chewbacca lives on the planet Endor. Now think about it; that does not make sense!
If Lee and Dualla hook up, you must acquit! The defense rests.
A fitting use of the Chewbacca defense
Lee/Dualla would be a crime against humanity.
I always thought the term "friendly fire" was an odd one. There is pretty much never anything friendly about it, and it makes it sound waaay too happy.
Ellen Tigh continues to be bizarrely delightful.
And OK RDM, I understand you might want to limit the sides on the clearly impending Love Polygon, but killing one side is not the way to go about it!
I don't remember where I heard/read this, but I once came across the phrase: "Friendly fire, isn't." Seems apt, lol.
This comment just reminded me of one of my favorite tropes:
Murder the Hypotenuse
Which is basically what RDM did here.
Well, now this was the first episode of BSG that made me cry! I always remember that in a TV show. I basically learned an important lesson here – when Laura Roslin cries, I cry. Simple as that.
There is literally no gif sad enough for this episode.
Well, maybe one…ah, what the hell, I’m breaking out the big guns…
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The big guns you say …
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You are both terrible people, in the best way possible. If that makes any sense.
GOD DAMN IT.
Like, I can't exactly figure out how to word it, but I meant this as a good thing.
TOO MANY SAD ANIMALS!! T_T
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So many tears…
Oh yeah, Roslin’s reaction absolutely DESTROYED me. I was on the verge of tears already, but all it took was the simple little act of her adjusting his hair to push me over the edge. I’ve gotten teary eyed before, but here I was full-out sobbing (along with Laura). I know I say this about every cast member, but Mary McDonnel deserves ALL THE AWARDS.
By the way, though I didn't catch it the first time round, this time I watched this episode…when Roslin tells everyone that Billy is like family to her I was just yelling at her to stop.
Has she never watched TV before?? That's gotta be an instant death sentence! Why doesn't she just hand around pictures of Billy's family back home on the farm and tell them he's retiring next week while she's at it?!
G*******[Text Redacted]*****[Text Redaction Redacted]********N YOU KNIGHT RIDER REMAKE! WHY DO YOU OFFER OUR ACTORS BETTER CONTRACTS ON SUCKY SHOWS?!?!
Yeah. So that happened… Bleh.
I saw an episode of that show when I was in Greece on holiday once. It was an episode that took place at Halloween so all the characters were dressing up. And I was like "IT'S BILLY! Cosplaying as…Captain Jack Harkness?" Plus, Greek subtitles.
So that was weird experience.
Never saw that show so I had to go find a picture of this.
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I kind of adore Ellen Tigh too. Sure, she's a hot mess, but I'd probably be just as much of a mess and not so hot if I was on the Galactica.
R.I.P Billy.
This damn episode. I HATE this death. HATE HATE HATE. I loved Billy, and my heart breaks for him, and even worse for Roslin, cause fuck Mary Mcdonell is so fucking good it HURTS.
However. Ellen Fucking Tigh. I love Ellen. I know she's such a hot mess and makes everything 100 times worse whenever she steps on screen, but damn, she is indeed fierce.
The story goes that Paul Campbell never took his role on the show very seriously, and often took other jobs that made it hard to tell when he would be available. Finally the producers sat him down and said he could either stick with BSG or be killed off, and he chose the latter. And they got their revenge by having Billy die like a complete idiot.
Though seriously, killing him off right after he proposed? Even if it was rejected, you might as well have also had him say this was his last day before retirement and show pictures of his new ship called the Live 4-ever.
Thanks to TV I've decided that just in case, if I ever retire from somewhere, I'm always gonna say I'm retiring a week after I actually retire. Just in case.
The wiki says this:
Paul Campbell discusses the decision surrounding Billy Keikeya's death:
It was kind of my choice in a way. I was kind of given an ultimatum eventually because in between the end of season one and the beginning of season two I had actually gone to LA and booked a pilot. Because Battlestar production didn’t have me under contract, I was free to go and do that. And it was their loss if the show got picked up and I wasn’t able to come back for season two. I think that was a problem they had with a few of the cast members, that everyone was a free agent after season 1, and I think that scared them a little bit. They could have potentially lost half their cast after season 1, and I think after that, they pretty much ended up signing everyone to a contract. But I’d already been cast in another show and decided to go off on my own and see if it worked. As it turned out it didn’t work, and I ended up having a two episode hiatus after episode 4. I was gone for 5 and 6, then came back for Home Pt. 1, I think it was. Or Home Pt 2, I came back for. So after that kind of gave me the ultimatum and said sign a contract for 5 years, or we kind of need to go our separate ways. And I kind of put it off and put it off, then eventually they just said “Look, we can tell your not really committed to the show, and we can’t write story lines. So we’ve decided to kill the character." It wasn’t really a surprise, but I wasn’t expecting it to happen when it did. But I certainly wasn’t surprised that they had to do that.
I love your love of Ellen. I remember hating her in her intro episode so much and all during the beginning of series 2 arc because she just gives Tigh SUCH BAD ADVICE. But this episode pretty much turned me around on her. I love that she's just lounging on Cloud 9, drinking, and flirting with younger men. Get it, Ellen.
This comment thread is now the official "Mark Has A Wedding Coming Up To Attend And He Cannot Write Reviews Those Two Days, So He Is Creating A Cushion Of Reviews By Finishing This Week's Posts in Two Days, So Last Night He Sat Down And Watched "Lay Down Your Burderns, Part II," Because He Thought He Could Handle It And Now His Life Has No Meaning And He Is Forever Lost" thread.
Note: Just because I have seen this far does not mean others have. Keep your spoilers up to that episode here in THIS thread, keep them ROT13'd, and if you ROT13 anything beyond the season two finale PLEASE WARN OTHERS.
i'm sorry i cannot wait until monday to talk about this shit. i'm couldn't even sleep last night. what the fuck did i watch.
My feelings on Let Down Your Burdens, Part II:
RVBSATZCDR{YTXZN<"TE>RWZNE:T"YDRWZT{D"YRETZD{BRNE"TZN<RBYETZ<FTYE"RWDZE<T{BYDJSTZDJTB{YDJ"WZT<SDB{JSYWZDJ{BSYNZF{BSY{WZY:WZTVB{IYRWTZS{B"YSWXZC{FY"TSWZSYZ{Y"TWZF{B"YTSWZT:YSZMTSB{"YFZT{BYF"ETZ{BY"WR{BYTZBN{YBE"TZTY"WZDR{BWRD{BYD"RZET{YDR>ETZ{DYRTZD{ZBTYWZDRE{TYADR{TAIDR{YIPZ DR{YETZID<R{YTE>ZDR{Y"STZRD<ETY">IRZETJR{EYSTZD
(That's a rot13'd keysmash.)
Well played sir/madam, well played *totally failed to understand and rot-13'd it anyway, then felt like idiot*
When I first watched BSG I marathoned it in fits and bursts depending on how busy I was. I wasn't able to watch the start of series 3 for about a month after I saw Lay Down Your Burdens. I can't imagine how people lasted the real time gap.
Speaking from personal experience, we lasted painfully. The web series helped a BIT. But not enough. Not nearly enough.
Which reminds me: I will do the webseries after the finale. JUST SAYING.
It was the worst. The only thing that helped me bridge the gaps was watching LOST.
HOW DOES THAT HELP. Oh my god, what season was airing? Because that show TORTURED ME with some of their finales. Seasons 3, 4, and 5 had finales that just…WHAT THE FUCK.
Heh, lost Season 3 was definitely one of the most jaw dropping cliffhangers I've ever seen. It was brilliant.
I guess I can't explain why it helped but it just did.
But what about the finale of season ONE??
When they finally FINALLY opened the hatch and looked down…and then it just ENDED.
It was a long time ago but I still remember shrieking at the screen!
I didn't start watching until season two, so I didn't see that in real time. But seriously. SEASON FOUR.
GUR VFYNAQ ZBIRQ. GUR VFYNAQ ZBIRQ. JUNG GUR SHPX.
That was definitely a good one, but I have never had my jaw so far on the floor as for Season 3 cliffhanger. I never saw it coming and they had me hook line and sinker. I was actually visiting my family in Colorado and said look, "I'm watching LOST, leave me alone. So my Mom sat on the sofa(of course she never saw the show and thought it was stupid) . At the end , I just sat there with my mouth agape, and kept repeating "What the hell"! What? What? Holy crap! WHAT????!!! . She just looked at me like I had 3 heads. I told her it was a LOST thing and to carry on being a normal person.
My brother says that no cliffhangers can ever bother him again, because he went through BSG as a loyal real-time viewer, and NOTHING can ever compare.
That is beautiful.
He is absolutely right. The Season 2 cliffhanger of BSG is the standard by which all other cliffhangers are measured.
Yeah I think I have a hard time deciding if Season 2 BSG or Season 3 LOST is more insane.
Although I think I have to add Torchwood Miracle Day Season 4 finale as another WTF one but not quite on par with BSG.
You know, I rather agree with this in general, but Season 3 LOST was a complete game changer. I was NOT FRAKKIN PREPARED!
It's almost too easy to say it, I know, but YOU WERE NOT PREPAAAAAAAAAARED. 😉 That one's a real jaw-dropper.
You're making me want to watch the show again, and I don't have my DVDs anymore! Cry…..
You can totes post all those reviews up to and including "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II" tomorrow, Y/Y?! Then Thursday all of Season 3? Sorry, I'm just DYING to read these reviews!!
So I'm assuming you've seen Downloaded? I just watched that one and I'm having WTF DID I JUST WATCH? issues too. I can'timagine how the finale could top that. (She says, naiively, as the experienced watchers laugh their asses off.)
So I'm assuming you've seen Downloaded? I just watched that one and I'm having WTF DID I JUST WATCH? issues too. I can'timagine how the finale could top that. (She says, naiively, as the experienced watchers laugh their asses off.)
Screw it, I'm going to go watch Part 1 now.
tbh, experienced watchers are more likely to pre-emptively curl up in a ball and whimper because we know what's coming and HOW BAD IT'LL HURT. A bit like this (below)
<img src="http://zackthemacgeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/cute-cry-animation-4.gif">
My thought process as I went along Season Two, iirc:
Scattered: "Well, Sharon just shot Adama and all has gone to hell and they cannot shock me anymore, right? Right?"
Home: "Adama? Roslin? What are these feelings I am feeling? Why do I want you both to just love each other forever??"
Pegasus/Resurrection Ship I&II: "WHAT WHAT WAS THAT OKAY MAYBE THEY CAN SHOCK AND SCAR ME SOME MORE."
Sacrifice: "BILLLYYYYYY 🙁 🙁 :(. But seriously. That was the worst thing. They can do nothing more to me. They cannot shock me or break my heart anymore."
Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II: "LIES LIES ALL LIES, ALL BETS ARE OFF, WHAT FRESH HELL IS THIS THIS SHOOOOOOW"
Keep in mind, this was all happening the week before finals sophomore year of college, and by the time I got to the finale I couldn't spend anymore time watching the show and actually had to get down to work. So I spent all of my exams that year thinking to myself "why…why am I taking this history final right now…what does it matter…Battlestar…Battlestar…they are all frakked…"
You were not prepared. None of us were. How could we be?
Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II: "LIES LIES ALL LIES, ALL BETS ARE OFF, WHAT FRESH HELL IS THIS THIS SHOOOOOOW"
With a side of NO NO NO I REFUSE TO BELIEVE THIS WHAT ARE THEY DOING WHAT HAPPENED IT IS JUST WRONG FOR THINGS TO BE LIKE THIS NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!
It's probably masochism to be so in love with a show that leaves me feeling hollow and devastated with such alarming regularity.
I know!! But I find that I CRAVE IT.
My people! I crave the beautiful, beautiful bleakness.
On a serious note, does that mean we get the "Lay Down Your Burdens, Part II" review this week? Saturday review? I think you owe us for cheating and watching ahead! Who else agrees?!
Sorry, I had sat down a month or so ago and planned out when your reviews would be coming for certain episodes like Sacrifice, season finales etc on the notion that there'd be 5 reviews a week, completely forgetting the Doctor Who reviews would be coming back (which I love, don't get me wrong) that threw everything off going forward. At least I'm glad you got to watch Part II with Part I and not have to wait over a weekend.
FYI, I don't know if iTunes breaks up the Season 3 opener, but it aired as a two hour episode (88 minutes).
omg wait I technically did not cheat! I always write reviews on the weekends because my part time job became a full time thing, and I lost the ability to do it during the week. It's just that this particular weekend that just passed, I did ALL OF THE REVIEWS for the week.
I consider it cheating if I watch an episode or read a chapter and then I don't write the review before watching/reading the next part. I HAVE ONLY DONE THIS ONCE, AND IT WAS DURING HARRY POTTER. i'm sorry COULDN'T DEAL WITH BATTLE OF HOGWARTS
Even just skimming this thread for reactions makes me very nervous for what is awaiting me.
You are seriously, seriously not prepared.
This show's got balls, I tell you what.
Mark, since you're caught up to the end of Season 2 (and Iwonder if your face looked anything like mine in the last ten minutes or so) and are now approaching Season 3, just one tip: when you get to Season 3, Episode 9 (acronym UB), there are two versions.
Please, pretty please, watch the aired version (not the extended version) first if you can. Just putting that out there.
I don't think I have this version available. I think Netflix/iTunes only gives me the full 90-minute episode.
I'd personally rather see the whole thing than an edited version, because then I have to go back and re-watch it and does that mean I have to write a new review? It doesn't make sense for the process.
Oh, that sucks. Though the real benefit of watching the aired version of 3.09 is that it sort of kept a tighter focus on the main subject of that episode, and I think a few things in the extended one sort of contradicted things in the aired episode?
If you're looking to relive the show as its viewers did, I'd recommend the aired version – it's really a pity you can't just buy it, that is rubbish of netflix etc. And I don't think you'd want me to tell you where to go for it either.
And Mark: you are STILL not prepared. Trust us on this.
CANNOT HANDLE THAT EPISODE.
BSG sure knows how to pull off a season finale, huh?
OH GOD BILLY WHY
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/sqwonk/29e169u.gif">
<img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v603/sqwonk/opisl.gif">
When Roslin said "he was so young" AKLSJDF;ALKDJF;AJSDF;LAJS T_T
I just noticed that that gif of Ten is the teal/orange thing in reverse.
BILLY!!! NOOO YOU CAN’T DIE YOU ARE ONE OF MY FAVORITES!!! I LOVE YOUR AWKWARD SWEETNESS. AND DEE!!! BILLY AND DEE WERE MY FAVORITE SHIP SINCE THE MINISERIES!!! WHHHHYYYYYY.
OK, just getting that out of my system. Even before I started watching this one, the title alone tipped me off that this wasn’t going to end well- nothing called “Sacrifice” foreshadows rainbows and puppy dogs and everyone living to see the end credits. And I’ve always thought that Billy was high on the list of characters likely to be killed off, so the outcome wasn’t necessarily surprising, but it was still devastating. Roslin’s scene at the end on its own is possibly the most tear-jerking moment thus far. When she adjusting the little piece of his hair, and then broke down? LORDS OF KOBOL TAKE THE WHEEL.
Other thoughts:
– I don’t know if I can get behind Dualla/Lee. I like them separately, and I certainly won’t DISLIKE them or complain if the relationship progresses, but it just doesn’t seem…natural? Like, it feels very sudden and come up with to add drama, instead of something that evolved naturally. (The fact that this is one of the first and only complaints I’ve had since the show’s beginning says a lot.)
-When Adama, Tigh, and Roslin were together discussing what to do, I had the realization that the most important person to each of them was in the hostage situation.
-I also realized that I don’t hate Ellen Tigh anymore, because how can I hate anyone that FIERCE?
-Why hasn’t someone invented alcoholic drinks with dry ice?
I know I'm 24 weeks late, but I HAD to comment, because someone HAS invented an alcoholic drink with dry ice. There's a place in Addison, Texas, called the Magic Time Machine, and they have a drink called the Magic Potion. It's basically spiked punch with dry ice in it, so it bubbles and fogs and looks AMAZING. You can pick what color you get (blue, green, red, yellow, or ugly, which is all the colors mixed together). You can also get it virgin (basically every kid who goes to this place gets a alcohol-free Magic Potion) if you are so inclined.
Probably other places do dry ice in drinks, too, but none of them are as awesome as the Magic Time Machine, I bet, because you won't get your drink served to you by Princess Jasmine or The Crocodile Hunter or Superman or Buckwheat while you are sitting in a giant wizard hat or under an upside-down Christmas tree or in a bus.
Basically, I think I just talked myself into going to the Magic Time Machine for my birthday this year.
Hello, I'm new here. I'm so glad I found your site. I was looking for Torchwood reviews and love that you are watching BSG, which is my favorite show of all time. I love your enthusiasm for the show.
Also, I'd like to add that I watched it real time and yes the wait between seasons was beyond exasperating.
Thank you!!
maybe sharon also doesn't give up the names and locations of the other cylons because that's one less reason to keep her alive.
Man, I love character development episodes and stories about personal interactions. I tend to tune out when people are blowing things up in space. Just tell me who wins and move on to the kissing and intense arguments! But yeah. Sad for Billy. Such a sweet, awkward guy. 🙁
So, I have a question. I'm as unprepared as Mark is at the moment, and I'm not looking for spoilers, but there is one thing I very much want to know. Will we ever get a Gaeta-centric episode? Just a yes or no is fine; I don't want any more detail than that.
Hopefully you got your answer via email.
Other people, do not break Mark's spoiler policy just because someone asks you to. People can ask these questions, but please please put spoilery answers in rot13 (in such as a way that doesn't make the answer obvious, as in if someone asks yes or no, don't simply reply with yes or no because rot13 still gives away the number of characters in a word).
STARBUCK ACCIDENTALLY SHOOTS LEE.
There are not enough words in any language to describe how much it hurt to watch that (and the look on her face when she couldn't get herself to go to his bedside? ASDFDSGHHJJKKLSL:SL:{A{JKLS *SOB FOREVER*).
It really is a horrific, cruel joke that this is the show that turned me into a shipper. NOTHING GOOD EVER HAPPENS TO PEOPLE IN LOVE HERE. THIS IS WORSE THAN WHAT JOSS WHEDON DOES TO HIS COUPLES.
And for the final time: WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY????????? *sob*
And omg, Laura and Billy. He's the closest thing she had to a family, and NOW SHE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE HIM.
BILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLYYYYY ;________________;
Sacrifice –
I kind of hate the convention where someone says what they're writing out loud very slowly as they write it, but I get that there aren't many other ways to have the scene be accessible to the most people (including those with sight impairments or who can't read English). It's the same principle behind computers on TV always making beeps and boops when someone types on them, I suppose.
Billy, stop being so adorable 🙁
OMG DEBATE TEAM RING. OMG. NERDIEST PROPOSAL EVER? Aw. I hope someday Billy finds someone who will love his nerdiness… aw, crap. 🙁
I wish Billy and Dee could be cute and un-complicated like they were in the first couple of episodes, without all this dumb Lee stuff shoehorned in. Whatever to Dee and Lee. Their names even sound silly together.
On the other hand, Billy saying "you let me propose to you" is a bit weird. He was just like HERE HAVE THIS RING. But on the other hand, maybe he means "you should have told me about this Lee thing before it even got serious enough for me to propose to you." Which is a valid point. Dee didn't seem to be too serious about either of them, though?
Ellen seriously thinks Lee is trying to seduce her? Stop being gross, Ellen. (Hot mess is right, Mark! And yet she is so entertaining to watch. Kind of like Baltar.)
Hey, it's someone who's NOT Dee doing Dee's job! I knew there had to be someone who worked there while she was off shift. There's probably another Gaeta, too. o_O
Starbuck's hair saddens me. It looks SO CUTE when it's all short! Stop letting it grow out!
So the fleet knows Sharon is there. Do they know she's pregnant with the magical Cybrid baby? Probably not? I imagine that'd cause even more of an uproar.
DAMMIT STARBUCK, STOP SHOOTING LEE 🙁 🙁 🙁 as if Starbuck doesn't have enough to feel awful about.
Whenever someone gets shot on TV I think of the Only A Flesh Wound article and how there is really no "safe" place to get shot. Certainly not RIGHT IN YOUR CHEST.
(I think what bugs me the most about gun tropes isn't that so many people survive gun shots on TV, but that nobody ends up with permanent severe injuries/disabilities because of it. You're either dead, or you recover and you're fine.) (Spoiler: Gur Gentrql bs Sryvk Tnrgn vf tbvat gb fhoireg guvf va na njrfbzr jnl.)
It makes sense that Sharon wouldn't tell Adama who other Cylons are, because, I mean, look how they've treated SHARON. Jesus Christ.
Now Roslin doesn't have Billy. 🙁 Billy was a good foil for her. He asked the tough questions and got her to think about things from a different perspective. Now there won't be anyone to do that.
And now Dee doesn't even care that Billy's dead? She's just going to be with Lee now? WHAT THE FUCK EVER.
I hate this goddamn ship. (Lee/Dee, I mean, not Galactica.) Also I hate the resolution of love triangles by killing one of the people involved. Cop-out!
I kind of hate the convention where someone says what they're writing out loud very slowly as they write it
That alone gets you all the thumbs up ever from me. One of two words said aloud I could accept (I do that all the time) but EVERY FRAKKING WORD? No, the character looks like an idiot.
You're either dead, or you recover and you're fine.) (Spoiler: Gur Gentrql bs Sryvk Tnrgn vf tbvat gb fhoireg guvf va na njrfbzr jnl.)
Qba'g sbetrg Naqref, nygubhtu V guvax gung jnf n evppbpurg engure guna orvat fubg qverpgyl ohg fgvyy.
Lrnu, ohg gung'f fbzrguvat V pbafvqre cneg bs gur fubj'f raqtnzr, jura nalbar pbhyq qvr be or ubeevoyl vawherq be jungrire. Cyhf, vg xvaq bs gheaf vagb n Zntvpny Oenva Ohyyrg gung znxrf uvz nyy cebcurgvp naq fuvg.
as if Starbuck doesn't have enough to feel awful about.
Especially when you consider the fact that she thinks she's responsible for Zak's death. Poor Kara and her guilt over accidentally killing Adama boys, and her face at the end, OH GOD THIS SHOW HURTS ME MAKE IT STOP.
I thought this was a weak episode, and that Billy died in a pointless way that added little to the story. Would say more, but I think it would be filled with subtle unintentional spoilers.
When Roslin cries, we all cry.