In the eighteenth episode of the second season of Battlestar Galactica, CYLONS CYLONS CYLONS CYLONS CYLONS. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Battlestar Galactica.
BEST EPISODE OR BEST EPISODE???? I can’t I JUST CAN’T. SO GOOD. SO UNEXPECTED. OH MY GOD, A CYLON-CENTRIC STORY WHERE WE LEARN LIKE 40,000 NEW THINGS AND EVERYTHING IS SO BEAUTIFUL AND SOME OF IT HURTS, BUT THEN MOST OF IT DOES NOT. Oh god, this episode FILLS IN THE CYLON STORY LINE. IT IS A CYLON STORY LINE. CYLONS.
We get to watch a Cylon downloading session AND IT IS JUST AS CREEPY AND TRAUMATIC AS I IMAGINE IT WOULD BE. We find out that SIX DIED WHEN SHE PROTECT BALTAR DURING THE NUCLEAR BLAST IN THE MINISERIES. WTF I NEVER EVEN THOUGHT ABOUT THIS. And she wakes up to find all the Cylon models we know of staring at her, including LUCY FLAWLESS. That’s right SHE GETS A NEW NAME because EVERY MOMENT SHE IS ON THIS SHOW, SHE IS PERFECT. Oh my god, but wait, who is that model next to her?
JESUS SHITTING CHRIST IN HEAVEN, IT’S BALTAR. OH MY GOD IS BALTAR A CYLON I WOULD LOSE MY SHIT FOR A FULL YEAR. Oh my god wait. SIX. SIX CAN SEE BALTAR. NO ONE ELSE CAN. HOLY FUCKING PARALLEL, THIS IS NOW THE GREATEST SHOW THAT HAS EVER BEEN GREAT. OH MY GOD, HE’S LIKE A MORE VICIOUS BALTAR. Oh my god I will never get over how amazing this is, I have to propose to this show BUT WHAT IF IT TURNS ME DOWN AND THEN THAT VERY DAY I SACRIFICE MYSELF SO THAT IT CAN KEEP EXISTING.
oh my god SIX IS A WAR HERO AND SHIT. THE CYLONS HAVE WAR HEROES. MY MIND WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO PROCESS ALL OF THIS. oh shit WE ARE CUTTING TO SHARON AND WATCHING HER GET SHOT AGAIN MY CREYS CAN’T DEAL WITH THIS oh my god and she wakes up to fully realize that she is a Cylon. Sharon is a Cylon and she can’t deny it anymore THIS IS SOME HAUNTING SHIT, Y’ALL.
this is the best. it is the best and you cannot take this away from me.
DOES ANYONE ELSE ASIDE FROM SIX’S BALTAR FIND IT INCREDIBLY IRONIC THAT THE CYLONS FIND THE HUMANS DESPICABLE AND UNDESERVING OF LIFE, YET THEY ARE IMITATING HUMAN LIFE TO A FRIGHTENING DEGREE? Look, yes, it’s shitty that you are building a memorial to commemorate a genocide, but I also find it bizarre that Cylons even NEED MEMORIALS. OR GARDENS. Or apartments! Do humanoid Cylons need to sleep? Wait, actually, that’s a silly question since they’re clearly still ruled by human biology. But if they are so different from humans in terms of their psychology, why continue to rebuild a city in the same way the humans had it before you destroyed it all? I DON’T GET YOU CYLONS.
oh god CAPRICA SIX AND BOOMER ARE CELEBRITIES. THIS IS SO WEIRD. oh god, number Three wants Caprica Six to help Boomer transition to Cylon because she refuses to. BOOMER INSISTS SHE IS A HUMAN STILL. Or…well, I suppose that’s not entirely true. It’s more that she denies that she should simply give up on her experiences, that she should forfeit her emotions to the Cylon way of life. I LOVE THIS. Do we need any more proof that Cylons (at least some of them) can experience human life in exactly the same way? THIS IS ALL I NEED.
oh god CYLONS HAVE A THING CALLED “BOXING” THAT IS NOT THE VIOLENT SPORT, BUT A WAY OF PUTTING THEIR MEMORIES AWAY AND ENDING THE REGENERATION FOR THAT SPECIFIC VERSION. YEAH WHAT THE FUCK. Who knew Cylons were imperfect? And the language surrounding it is so terrifying, because it posits that they’re nothing more than bad software. Boomer does not believe that she is wrong, and it’s the evidence we need that Cylons can have a conscience of sorts. In this case, Caprica Six’s conscience is acted out through her hallucination of Baltar. WHO SHOWS HER THAT THREE IS MERELY MANIPULATING HER INTO GETTING BOXED EVENTUALLY AS WELL. Is it jealousy? Is it the fact that even having a celebrity Cylon is problematic because it upsets the idea of the social unity that makes up the Cylon community? OH GOD, THEY ARE BOTH GOING TO GET BOXED.
oh holy fuck in the sky ANDERS IS ALIVE. ANDERS IS ALIVE. Oh god, you are the most attractive fool ever, WHY ARE YOU GOING TO GO AFTER THE CYLONS. oh because they remember their death and you want to kill so many of them so often, they become UNABLE TO DEAL WITH THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL PAIN OF CONSTANT DEATH. JESUS CHRIST THIS SHOW. also you are probably going to yell at me for this, but the actor who plays Anders looks like Dane Cook to me AND I AM SORRY IF I HAVE NOW PUT THAT THOUGHT INTO YOUR MIND AND RUINED ANDERS BUT IT’S FUCKING TRUE. HE LOOKS LIKE DANE COOK. oh god fandom put your pitchforks away I BEG OF YOU.
I’ll make up for that by praising the fact that Anders creates a bomb trigger out of a burning cigarette. This is some McGyver shit, y’all. A cigarette and a clothespin to set off a bomb. The dude is a genius, and then this show–this fucking show–decides to contrast the unbearable tension of a Cylon Centurion walking in on Anders, and Three forcing Boomer’s hand in vacating her apartment RIGHT THEN AND THERE. Oh, this is just awful. WHY DO YOU DO THIS TO ME.
good christ THE BOMB GOES OFF. why OH GOD DID THEY DIE
and if this isn’t enough to deal with, SHIT IS SO REAL ON GALACTICA. Sharon is having her child, and Dr. Cottle has to deliver the baby by C-section and it’s born premature and it has to be put in an incubator and her name is Hera, and that is so adorable I just want to pee myself with joy. except that Roslin, Tigh, and Admiral Adama think it’s real awesome to talk about Hera as if she is a thing and not a totally awesome baby that does not belong to them. I LIKE YOU SO MUCH, ROSLIN. WHY DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS LIKE THIS. I mean, I get the predicament you’re in, and I get that it’s entirely possible that the Cylon child is some sort of secret weapon, but WHY YOU GOTTA BREAK SHARON’S AND HELO’S HEARTS DURING THE PROCESS?
but then SHARON’S BABY DIES BEFORE THEY CAN DO ANYTHING, and this is fucking awful and depressing and ALL OF THIS CHAOS FOR NOTHING. Sharon suspects that Dr. Cottle had something to do with this, ordered by Adama or Roslin, and IF SHE ONLY KNEW THE TRUTH OF IT. Dr. Cottle was one of the only people on her side, and he continues to be my personal hero, and goddamn it, now Helo is sending Hera’s ashes out into space and even Tyrol shows up to give Helo support and this show is making me feel everything a person can feel all at once and I just overwhelmed, okay?
Wait. Wait. Why are you holding a baby. Whose baby is that. WHY DO YOU HAVE A BABY. WHY ARE YOU GIVING IT TO THIS WOMAN. OH MY GOD THAT IS HERA. YOU LIED. YOUR WHOLE LIFE IS MADE OF LIES. you are giving away Sharon’s child to a stranger, and yes, practically speaking, this is kind of genius? I mean, at least you didn’t kill the child, and it will have a mother, BUT I JUST HAVE A FEW LOGISTICAL QUESTIONS HERE. Ok, first of all, DOES THE GALACTICA JUST HAVE DEAD BABIES LAYING AROUND? Where did you get a baby corpse? Also WHAT IF HERA DEVELOPS SUPER POWERS OR SOMETHING. You literally know nothing about a human-Cylon hybrid baby! What if when it’s two it develops the ability to run at the speed of light? HOW ARE YOU GOING TO EXPLAIN THAT TO MAYA. “Oh, yeah, this child is not from a Pegasus officer. It’s a Cylon baby. Ooops! Thanks for harboring the enemy all this time.” Oh god, if Sharon finds out, SHE WILL START RIPPING THROATS.
Which, by the way, is pretty much what her other version down on Caprica is about to start doing. Surviving the blast, Three, Boomer, and Caprica Six all have the most awkward experience imaginable. Three offers to kill Six out of mercy, since she has a dislocated knee, but Six knows that SHE WILL JUST GET BOXED. Oh fuck ANDERS SURVIVED AS WELL AND THE PLOT THICKENS DUN DUN DUN. By “the plot thickens,” I really mean GOOD LORD THIS JUST GOT SO MUCH MORE COMPLICATED. Boomer wants to save Anders, and Three sees this as further evidence of her weakness, but CAPRICA SIX SAVES THE DAY WITH HER BADASS LOGIC. and then Boomer is all FUCK U THREE I HAVE A CONSCIENCE and Three is all FUCK U, U SHOT ADAMA and then EPIPHANY MOMENT.
What an epiphany, and what a show-changing realization this is. Boomer and Caprica Six have had a different experience than everyone else. They are literally being singled out for being different, and that difference gives them the power to possibly change Cylon culture since they are considered celebrities. That is what Three sees as a threat: these two humanoid Cylons realize that the genocide of humans WAS A MISTAKE. Oh my god, a Cylon said this. OH MY GOD DO YOU REALIZE WHAT A HUGE MOMENT THIS IS. CYLONS CAN CHANGE. This entire time, I assumed that there was only one possible outcome with the Cylons: they would have to destroy humanity, or be destroyed themselves. In just one fucking sentence, this show has COMPLETELY CHANGED. There are so many ways this show can go from here. OH MY GOD I AM IN SO MUCH LOVE WITH BATTLESTAR GALACTICA RIGHT NOW. I mean, it might help that Caprica Six basically stones Three to death. Setting Anders go, Six and Boomer agree that they can attempt to change the way Cylons think.
And this joyous, fantastic moment is contrasted with Baltar’s Six, who is overcome with rage and fury at the death of Hera, who Baltar had promised to protect. She reveals that the child was meant to “lead the next generation of God’s children.” What is this prophecy??? MIGHT IT NOT HAVE BEEN A GOOD IDEA TO REVEAL THIS TO BALTAR EARLIER THAN THIS? I suppose it doesn’t matter because Six threatens Baltar with a dire consequence of this new development: Baltar has sinned, and all of humanity will suffer God’s vengeance because of it.
WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?
Head!Baltar is the greatest character ever created. He is Baltar, but with ten times the snark.
Seriously, my favorite episode of the entire season and possibly of the whole run. I looooove seeing behind the scenes of the Cylon culture and Caprica!Six and Boomer teaming up? GENIUS.
I haven't rewatched it in a while, but doesn't head!Baltar, like, casually make himself a martini at one point? Because that's just how boss he is while he's snarking in Six's head?
James Callis must have had a blast playing that role. I want outtakes!
He does, and then Six reaches for it only for Sharon to interrupt her. Love that moment.
Head!Baltar making the martini and Head!Baltar crossing his legs in time with Caprica Six and Three are two of my top five "Battlestar" moments of all time.
OF ALL TIME.
(someone find/make gifs plz kthx)
I loved the synchronous leg crossing, it was the best ever.
I can just imagine James Callis having a lot of fun with Head!Baltar.
<img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/o0cc1x.gif" alt="Helo and Sharon cuddling while looking at their baby">
Hey, Bill? Roslin? When I want you both to shut up and listen to Baltar, that means you're really in the wrong. (Ick, I was rooting for Baltar. I feel all dirty.) Let's not kill babies, yeah? Especially ones that saved your life? Seems like obvious advice, but apparently not.
Also, I would take Caprica-Six's head-Baltar over real Baltar any day. He's snarky and pretty fun. And I like the suit.
Minus what's going on on Galactica, I really, really enjoy this episode. Give me more of what the cylons are doing on Caprica, please. And more of Boomer and Caprica-Six interacting. (And less of continuing to make Galactica-Sharon's life hell.)
<img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/67tidj.gif" alt="Caprica Six and Boomer clasping hands">
<img src="http://i54.tinypic.com/o0cc1x.gif" alt="Helo and Sharon cuddling while looking at their baby">
Hey, Bill? Roslin? When I want you both to shut up and listen to Baltar, that means you're really in the wrong. (Ick, I was rooting for Baltar. I feel all dirty.) Let's not kill babies, yeah? Especially ones that saved your life? Seems like obvious advice, but apparently not.
Also, I would take Caprica-Six's head-Baltar over real Baltar any day. He's snarky and pretty fun. And I like the suit.
Minus what's going on on Galactica, I really, really enjoy this episode. Give me more of what the cylons are doing on Caprica, please. And more of Boomer and Caprica-Six interacting. (And less of continuing to make Galactica-Sharon's life hell.)
<img src="http://i52.tinypic.com/67tidj.gif" alt="Caprica Six and Boomer clasping hands">
I FUCKING LOVE HEAD BALTAR'S SUIT. LOVE IT. WANT ONE OF MY OWN BUT WITH ROOM FOR MY BOOBS
WANT
I am in line right behind you.
And more of Boomer and Caprica-Six interacting. (And less of continuing to make Galactica-Sharon's life hell.)
Seconded. I'm hoping this wasn't a one-off thing and that we'll see them again.
Same here. I love that Boomer has someone who can understand her feelings and relate to the situation she's in. Really the adventures of Boomer and Caprica-Six on the Colonies needs to be added to spin off list.
<3<3 for that first gif. They're so happy.
they are the cutest ever.
Oh, and you know that little letimotif they play whenever Baltar sees his Head!Six? For Head!Baltar, they play the same letimotif, but backwards.
BEAR MCCREARY STOP BEING SUCH A GENIUS.
No way. NO WAY that is BRILLIANCE ON TOAST
I KNOW RIGHT?????
WHAT THAT IS AMAZING.
That's so awesome!
HOLY SHIT WHAT. I THOUGHT IT WAS THE SAME MUSIC. BEST COMPOSER EVER.
Yep, if you listen carefully, you can tell that Head!Six's music goes "ting ting ting ting ting" while Head!Baltar's music goes "innggT innggT innggT innggT." McCreary is a feckin' super genius.
best description
Caps Lock reviews. The best reviews.
"Ok, first of all, DOES THE GALACTICA JUST HAVE DEAD BABIES LAYING AROUND? Where did you get a baby corpse?"
I figured Maya's own baby had been stillborn, so Roslin seized the opportunity to offer them an "unwanted" one, then put Maya's in the incubator.
After seeing this one the first time, my immediate thought was that I couldn't wait for Baltar and Caprica Six to meet up, and have a moment of "So do you have a weird image of me telling you stuff too?" Of course, I'm not saying if that ever happens.
I always assumed the dead baby in this episode was the aborted one from the previous episode.
Me, too. I mean, keeping corpses around has been handy before, so maybe they just have a policy of hanging onto them?
Rya was four months pregnant in the last ep, I think. Not pregnant enough for a nearly-fully-grown baby.
ANDERS! THERE WAS ANDERS! AND HE HAD THE DOG TAGS. (AND ALSO HIS SEXY ARMS AND BEAUTIFUL EYES.) HI ANDERS! HI!
Oh a less shallow note, I thought this was a really great episode. I loved getting to see things from Caprica Six and Boomer's perspective. And head!Baltar was amazing. Seeing the way things were going on Caprica for the Cylons was a really brilliant move on the writers part because slowly throughout the series the audience has been viewing the Cylons as more and more like people and less like soulless machines, so giving us this episode from their perspective is the final word in that, I think. They've been raised up to the position of equals to the humans, or at least they have been shown to have the potential for good and to make their own choices.
Also, THAT WAS A JERK MOVE, ROSLIN. I love Sharon and Helo, so seeing them so upset was just uuuugh. WHYYYYYYY?
Do you suppose Kara has a thing for blue eyes?
I think the other baby comes from the mom that ended up with Hera – she mentions losing her own child. If they were both preemies that would make sense. Poor baby. 🙁
This is definately the best episode of season 2, probably the best episode of the entire series, and possibly one of the best episodes of television. Game of Thrones' "Baelor" may have over taken it, but maybe not. I don't know. They are pretty close.
HOLY SHIT. Head Baltar! Anders McGyver! Head Baltar's SUIT! seeing Cylon society! AWESOME ALL OVER THE PLACE.
I'll give you best episode of this series. But best episode of television is in a show that Mark has yet to watch (in my opinion anyway). This episode is pretty frakking awesome, though.
rot13 which episode you think that is? I'm insanely curious.
Please don't use "insanely" on this site.
I came here to share in your "OMG BEST EVER!!!!!!" and then you said Anders looked like Dane Cook.
And you're right.
Damn it.
It's over between us, Mark. I can never forgive you for opening up my eyes to this atrocity.
Whyyyyyyy.
I'M SORRY I CAN'T HELP IT
I choose to say it as Dane Cook looks like Michael Trucco (not the other way around), because obviously Trucco has more talent in his pinky than He Who Must Not Be Funny, and you should always say the lesser (Cook) is imitating the greater (Trucco).
OMG Mark, this IS the best episode so far!!! So many mind-blowing revelations!! For one thing, I am no longer convicted about liking some of the Cylons, lol. I LOVE LOVE LOVE Caprica!Six and Galactica!Sharon. When the camera first panned over to show Baltar I literally fell off the couch (uh, I do that sometimes…). At first I too thought he was a Cylon but then I realized he was in Caprica!Six's head and OMGWTF. Yeah, this is the episode that has made me officially LOVE this show and I will be buying all of the seasons to watch over and over.
Oh, Sharon's baby!! I pretty much knew that the baby switch was coming when Doc Cottle said the baby was dead (oldest trope in the book, y/y?), but I was hoping that maybe Gaius would take the baby and give it to PegaSix on Cloud 9. HOW AWESOME WOULD THAT BE?? Ugh, I have too many feelings to even make sentences right now. Have some exclamation points instead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh man, I think taking Hera to PegaSix (is that her name in the fandom? Because it's AMAZING.) would totally have been a great Baltar move. But I'm also scared of what she might do with her. Such as, raise her to be an enemy to the humans. Oh look, it's Melody Pond!
PegaSix has an actual name, but it hasn't actually been said on-screen yet, so I think most people are not saying it so as not to spoil Mark? The fandom pretty much knew it at this point in the show because it was said in podcasts and stuff.
I have no idea, lol. I started to write Pegasus!Six and then it sounded weird so I went with PegaSix instead. I can't beleive I'm the first person to think of that though, lol. If she does have an actual name, I don't know it yet lol.
For one thing, I am no longer convicted about liking some of the Cylons, lol.
Okay, this is completely unrelated, but the typo makes me picture you (an imaginary you that I have made up in my head for the purposes of this image) being released from Galactica's brig by Adama. Look, sometimes my mind is weird. I admit this freely.
OOPS, I meant "conflicted" lol. Don't worry, my mind often goes to weird places 😛
YOU ARE TALKING NONSENSE, MARK. LET ME HEAL YOUR BRAIN. Anders looks nothing like Dane Cook. Anders looks like a bulked up Jerry O'Connell (in the muscular way, not the chubby-Jerry way). Dane Cook's doppelganger is Ryan Reynolds. See? Everything is okay now.
Also, I love you forever for "This is some McGyver shit, y’all." That phrase comes up at holiday dinners with my family all the damn time. Happy feelings.
ON TO IMPORTANT THINGS: Yes, this episode was amazing! Oh my god. Such an improvement on the last, and not only because Roslin's difficult decision didn't seem forced. I love the Cylons. I loved seeing more about them. And like you, I was totally taken aback by how human-like they were in the café scene. They're imitating humans, but they hate them. It makes no sense. That's why I actually have hope that Caprica Six and Boomer will be able to convince the Cylons that they're not behaving logically, and that they're being completely hypocritical. Please? I love Caprica Six and Boomer (as if it has to be said) and that Six has a head Baltar. He seems to be as much of an idealized version as she is, and they're so perfect for each other. Is it wrong that I hope they meet again? Please?
But there was one thing about the Cylons in particular that stood out to me. They refer to themselves as the Cylon. I've heard it a few times before this, but it really only makes sense when you see how they live. It's weird to have stand-out personalities; it's like they're a hive. And it stands in stark contrast to Boomer, Sharon, and Six's claims that they are individuals. The funny thing is, though, that the humans call them Cylons, like they recognize them as separate entities, even if they think they're machines.
And poor Sharon and Helo. I say it in like every other review, but I want them to be happy. It was so sweet watching them with Hera, and it hurt to watch them lose her. Sharon's rage was about as terrifying as Six's later, and I really don't know how they're going to get Sharon to help them in the future. This was a huge betrayal. And as much as I want Helo and Sharon to get Hera back, what about Maya? Is she going to raise this baby as her own only to have someone pop up and say "Oops, jk, need her back?" Any way you look at it, someone is going to be heartbroken.
YOU TELL LIES! Anders looks like Dane Cook and Jerry O’Connell’s love child!
I never noticed that the Cylons refer to themselves in the singular. I wonder if their hive mentality goes beyond just lack of individual personalities- like if each of the humanoid copies has a specific job and if there’s a hierarchy between the copies. Is there a Queen Bee equivalent in the Cylon world? I guess maybe their God…
I'd throw that love child out the airlock, ngl.
Oo, now I wonder if there's a Queen Bee model. Didn't Six say that Sharon's type was always emotional or weak back when Sharon was reporting to them? Maybe each Cylon model does have its own personality or role. Biers Cylon was pretty assertive, maybe even powerful, and seemed to be able to nudge Six into action. She could be it, or maybe an underboss so that the real boss doesn't have to bother. Ah, I want to see more Cylon models!
ETA: omg HERA IS QUEEN OF THE GODS SHE'S THE QUEEN BEE.
lol I morphed Dane and Jerry's face and they created a baby that looked suspiciously like Jessica Alba o_O
I hope we get to see Hera grow up and lead the Cylons :')
Don't let it fool you, that baby would come out looking like Voldemort at King's Cross.
Six wants her to lead the next generation, so let's hope Six gets her way! Minus the genocide, of course.
Someone started in with the "Cylon" as plural thing a couple of episodes ago, but I'm pretty sure it was a human? Can't remember now.
Best episode, right there. CYLONS! Show, you have answered my prayers for more info on the Cylons and you have done so awesomely. Plus, I've been wondering been wondering about Caprica Six for a while and she's become my favourite Six in just 45 mins ( and she has my favourite version of Baltar in her head, which is saying something). Brilliant. And BOOMER? Yes! I wanted to see her again! AND ANDERS? OMG, SHOW, YOU ARE MAKING ME HAPPIER BY THE MINUTE! Lucy Lawless? Xena, I missed you! Essentially everything on the Caprica side of the episode was awesome.
Everything on Galactica on the other hand…
My faith in Laura Roslin is just waning each episode. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT TO HELO AND SHARON, ROSLIN? WHY? WHY? THEY WERE REALLY FREAKING HAPPY FOR APPROXIMATELY TWO MINUTES AND THEN YOU HAD TO GO AND STEAL THEIR KID? Sharon is gonna get so mad whe she figures it out…
P.S. DANE COOK? Why, why would you do that, Mark? I don't think I'll be able to look at Anders in the same way again. Which is really sad because I actually enjoyed looking at him. I'll have to try and bleach my brain right now. XD
Well, the actor did play a detective on Castle for a short while, so imagine him and Nathan Fillion hanging out and being awesome. See, all better.
Can we get that spinoff? Please? It can air right after The Starbuck and Helo Friendship Hour.
lol that sounds like an old Saturday morning cartoon. Why don't any of these spin-offs exist? I'm sure they're better than most of what SciFi is currently airing.
HAVE YOU SEEN NATHAN FILLIONS STORY ABOUT THEM HANGING OUT IN BORA BORA! Hilarity of the most epic proportions.
Wait, is this an actual thing? Because if so, how have I lived so long without seeing it? WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!
This episode actually kinda restored my faith in Roslin. I mean, it was a terribly cruel thing to have to do, but it sure beats killing the baby, which I think most other people would have done.
It's a smart (albeit somewhat callous) move to protect the fleet from the potential danger Hera poses, without having to harm the child. Remember, to them, Hera poses an enormous threat. They know she's important to the Cylons, but they don't know why. I always found the adoption thing surprisingly leniant, and a sign that Roslin and co. are finally starting to see the Cylons as something more than just machines. They won't kill a baby, despite what it might grow up to be.
Plus, they made that Maya woman very happy after the death of her own child, so every cloud has a silver lining, right? I think this solution is the one that does the least damage and it's probably what I would have done.
Your comment makes total sense and who knows what I'd do if I were ever in a position like that (probably something similar too). But, having watched this episode almost immediately after watching The Captain's Hand when Roslin criminalizes abortion, I wasn't feeling particularly warm towards her. I think I'll feel differently once I've watched the story play out. By no means do I hate her – she's still one of the most intriguing characters to me – but her decisions have kinda disappointed me as of late. But again this is coming from someone who watched this episode just after yesterday's so I may be a bit biased 🙂
Ah yes, I do agree with you on The Captain's Hand (as you can probably tell from my frothing at the mouth yesterday). I guess two controversial choices in as many episodes does rather stack the odds against Roslin, doesn't it?
I was really sad that Helo and Sharon had to go through losing their child like that and I wish everyone could just be one big happy family with rainbows and puppies. But I guess in the end I was just so relieved because this actually seems like something Roslin would do. Harsh though it is, it at least makes sense, and is consistent with her character.
unlike criminalising abortion whyyyyyyyy???
unlike criminalising abortion whyyyyyyyy???
THISx100000000000000
Head!Baltar is my favourite Baltar.
I never even considered that Caprica Six had been regenerated after Baltar's house blew up. Why did I not think of this??? She even says it before she dies!
As for the dead baby, didn't Maya say that her own baby had died? I assumed that was her child that had been switched with Hera.
OMG I NEVER THOUGHT THIS DAY WOULD COME. THE DAY WHEN WE GET A CYLON EPISODE AND LEARN ALL (some) OF THEIR SECRETS!!! <3 Do you mind if after you propose to this show, I take a stab at it? I will wear my rejection with pride
“DOES ANYONE ELSE ASIDE FROM SIX’S BALTAR FIND IT INCREDIBLY IRONIC THAT THE CYLONS FIND THE HUMANS DESPICABLE AND UNDESERVING OF LIFE, YET THEY ARE IMITATING HUMAN LIFE TO A FRIGHTENING DEGREE?”
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THIS AT ALL. I thought they Cylons were imitating humans just to plan their attack and afterwards would return to their natural Cylon lifestyle (whatever that is) but I guess not. It definitely seems strange that they would want to live in a similar lifestyle to us disgusting humans, but I guess it’s our mindset they abhor, not anything physical. I WANT TO KNOW ALL THEIR SECRETS.
I always got the feeling that the Cylons considered themselves to be Humanity 2.0. So they kept the things they thought humanity did well, and changed what they felt didn't work. I think they viewed it more as improving upon the human race, rather than imitating it.
I get this impression, too. Mostly from Starbuck's interrogation of Leoben in the first season, but I think Six has said a few things that imply this as well. They see themselves as the children of humanity, which implies a certain degree of similarity
oooooo that makes a lot of sense! What about the poor toaster Cylons, though? Will they just be phased out? I've grown to kind of love them- they're weirdly adorable when they're not murdering people.
I LOVED THIS EPISODE. As much as I enjoy Lee and Starbuck, I needed a break for them and seeing Caprica Six and Caprica Sharon/Boomer (how do we refer to her?) was the best kind of break possible. I was wondering what happened to Six after the explosion. I assumed she used her body to shield Baltar. Plus we got to see Helo and Anders so everything is beautiful, I agree.
Faking Hera's death makes me sad. (Love that they named her after a human god – right? Or is Hera not the name of one of their gods? Anyway, it brings up that connotation since she isn't named God.) But Tyrol went with Helo to scatter the ashes, I like him.
The guy who plays Anders was in my most favorite episode of The Big Bang Theory ever. I'm glad he's alive too.
Setting Anders go, Six and Boomer agree that they can attempt to change the way Cylons think.
I know that's supposed to be "Letting Anders go…" but my brain immediately corrected it to "Setting Anders free…" and I could just imagine Caprica Six and Sharon/Boomer being in a meadow and saying, "Go! Be free and merry! Run…" In a cheerful way, not a "I'm saving your life" way. My brain, I don't even.
I love how disjointed and just pure energy your reviews have been today! Makes reading them at work so much better!
Hera was Zeus' wife. Definitely one of the gods. A petty, jealous one if you look at mythology (though none of the other gods were much better), but perhaps simply Queen of the Gods BSG's version. Awesome name, though
Ah, thanks. I always have trouble knowing which names belong to the Greek gods and which to the Roman gods. I knew she was a god, I just didn't know which belief system the name "Hera" belonged to. And, yes, awesome name.
LOL at setting Anders free. I now have a mental image of them opening a little cage with a pet Anders in it and releasing him into the wild.
There's only one problem with that scenario.
If you had Anders in a cage, why would you let him go
"I know that's supposed to be "Letting Anders go…" but my brain immediately corrected it to "Setting Anders free…" and I could just imagine Caprica Six and Sharon/Boomer being in a meadow and saying, "Go! Be free and merry! Run…" In a cheerful way, not a "I'm saving your life" way."
While the "Born Free" plays in the background. An adaptation of "Born Free"done by Bear McCreary.
Now I'm never getting this out of my head.
And I finally feel comfortable admitting this: the Cylons are my favorite. I don't mean that I'm on "their side" or Approve of Their Decisions, but THEY ARE SO FUCKING INTERESTING AND COMPELLING I CAN'T HELP IT ;____; I have spent a ridiculous amount of time pondering Cylon culture and social structures. Really, ridiculous. So this episode is BASICALLY MY FAVORITE THING OF THINGS.
Um. Yes. I don't really have the time or brain power to talk about every thing I love about this episode because it is a lot, but – Caprica's Baltar! Showing Cylon society! "Humans don't respect life the way we do" RIGHT BEFORE SHE'S ABOUT TO SHOOT HIM!!!! And Caprica scratching her face and acting all vulnerable and her and Baltar giving that little speech together – yeah, this episode pretty much kills me every time. If I were remotely coherent about it this comment would be about fifty pages long.
Though in other news, I felt really bad about it, but I laughed a lot at Ok, first of all, DOES THE GALACTICA JUST HAVE DEAD BABIES LAYING AROUND?
FLAWLESS EPISODE IS FLAWLESS. (also, it draws me out from lurkerdom, hi)
Everything about it is so fabulous. It’s my favorite. Cylons all Cylons all the time. Sharon and Helo break my heart. Caprica and Sharon break my heart (though Caprica with the Rock of Doom will never not be awesome). Futile resistance fighters break my heart. IT IS PERFECT BATTLESTAR, breaking your heart all over the place, all episode long.
(and heh, also, just FYI, it is a fact that Michael Trucco has a T-shirt that proclaims he is not Dane Cook. So you are not the first to think this! Though honestly, they look less alike now that they are both older. And hotter.)
I demand photos of Michael Trucco in said t-shirt.
I Am Posting This from Fondren Library at Rice University, Holy Crap What Have They Done to This Place It Is Kind of Cool
It's about fucking time an episode kicked ass like this.
Let's talk about this teaser, shall we? Because I love the dramatic NINE MONTHS AGO followed by a drum-accompanied CAPRICA, as we get the first part of a scene we saw back in the mini. It's so lovely that Six is telling Baltar about the fact that she can't die, she'll just go to a new body, only seconds before she basically saves his life and dies standing up because the tableau is much more aesthetically pleasing than if she'd tossed them both to the ground.
And then the editing of Six's memories? LOVE. God, it gives me chills, the flow of the fast cuts, some repeating, one or two scenes that show in real time for effect, SO AWESOME.
Then Six wakes up in Matrix goo, and her buddies are there, and it's very disorienting, as one would imagine. And then Baltar is there OMG IS HE A CYLON?! No, he isn't. OH MY GOD SIX HAS A BALTAR IN HER HEAD I FUCKING LOVE THIS. Brilliance, guys. Brilliance. If I haven't said it before, and I'm sure I have, Baltar/Six is one of my very favorite things about the show, so I adore that there is now Six/Baltar. And it's so perfect because, dude, Six died. That is a traumatic fucking experience, and I can totally buy that it triggered a psychosis similar to Baltar's. Add to that the fact that she really did love him, it seems, and it's twenty kinds of awesome wrapped in a package of awesome.
Then, suddenly, TEN WEEKS AGO. Huh? Where? Oh: BATTLESTAR GALACTICA. And…dude! They're going to go through another Cylon death! This is so damn cool! Another sweet editing job, and back to the Goo of Covering Nudity. And poor Sharon, who went through enough existential crises when she was alive, freaks the fuck out now that she's died.
After the teaser, I proclaimed that this episode just may kick a lot of ass, and I turned out to be right.
Present day, Cylon occupied Caprica! Eeee!! I just love the phrase "Cylon occupied Caprica" for some reason. It really dances on the tongue. I got a little worried here because it felt somewhat contrived that Six was still having problems adjusting after nine frickin' months. Personally, I've never died and been downloaded into the same body, but I can't imagine it would be that difficult to get used to. Now, I know Six has been having psychological issues, but that bit of dialogue seemed much more for the audience than for D'Anna. I wish we'd gotten to see a little more of those nine months for the Six and Sharon models that basically carried this episode, because I have to assume they're not the ones we saw in the MST3K room at the end of "Final Cut." Maybe the Sharon, actually, whose cute little "I told you I was alive!" would be in-character. Not the Six, though. Caprica Six is a very new, very interesting character. With a Baltar in her head who is so perfect. He fulfills a different role than Baltar's Six, but yet, he still clearly represents the parts of her she tries to deny.
I'm going to take care of the minimal Galactica stuff now. I didn't expect the baby to be born already, and so…anti-climactically. I thought it was finale material, but it looks as if they've got bigger things planned for that business. Aw, the baby's named Hera. Let's throw some more Greek mythology into the mix. But HA HA HA to the airlock talk. Roslin loves airlocks like Adama loves slow claps. It's sure going to suck if they gave the baby to a Cylon. All the possible mothers must have just recently lost babies, making it unlikely that they are Cylons, because Cylons don't go around getting pregnant. Usually. And, finally, great scene with Baltar and Six because you realize that Baltar wasn't in on the devious plan. He honestly thinks the baby's dead too, or else his subconscious wouldn't be giving him shit about it. And throwing him into walls. Baltar is SO FUCKING LOONY. I love him.
You know, Tricia Helfer has played so many different versions of Six, and she's managed to give them all distinct personalities. And it's all very subtle; it's not just in her deliveries but in the way she carries herself. They probably cast her because they wanted a hot model (pun intended), but boy, did they get lucky.
CONTINUED BECAUSE THIS EPISODE IS TOO AWESOME TO BE TALKED ABOUT IN JUST ONE COMMENT
In Sharon's apartment, we see Baltar play the role Six so often plays for Baltar. He guides her, tells her what to do, because she can't see the proper course of action, clouded by her emotions. The moment when he prompts her twice and they both speak in concert is wonderful. Baltar + Six is LOONY LOVE.
And in a great twist, Baltar makes Six paranoid, just as Six makes Baltar paranoid. Okay, maybe he does play the same role. But not exactly! He's got a very different vibe, obviously. He's not as sexually aggressive; instead, he's got a heightened sense of self-importance.
Oh man, she didn't know Baltar was alive all this time. Oh man. I want her and Baltar to be reunited. They're so my OTP for this show.
Doral serves food to Doral. Heh.
Okay, skipping to the post-explosion parts, because that's where the good shit is. First of all, D'Anna's reaction to Six's injury is very, very interesting. Because this is the Cylon view of death: whatever. Death is practically meaningless, and, hey, you get a brand new body, so why suffer in this one? Is the trauma of dying all that bad? How many times has D'Anna died to be so blasé about "putting [Six] out of [her] misery"?
Next incredibly juicy piece of dialogue: Six and Sharon are celebrities in a society based on conformity. A race of people who go only by numbers, who share those numbers, and these two are special. They are more important than the others because they were instrumental in the destruction of humanity. Heroes, these two, and that's why they're dangerous. Any time D'Anna had the gun, I was so afraid she was going to shoot one or both of them, and yet, I was confident she wouldn't because she wanted to box them, not give them new life.
Of note: historically, the Six model has been very disdainful of the Sharon model. Yet, here we see them bond over their shared status and tainted love of humanity.
Starbuck was in this episode in dog tags only, and it was nice that Anders wasn't vocally mooning over her. But someone frakked up, because Starbuck's been gone for months, and D'Anna said she was there a couple weeks ago. Anders wasn't so bad in this episode, really, and one can only imagine what was going on in his head, like, "What the frak is going on?!"
Oh man: the idea that maybe the Cylon God didn't sanction the extinction of humanity. How does that gel with Galactica Boomer's idea that perhaps humanity doesn't deserve to survive? I think these two Sharons need to have a sit-down. Also, I'll take this opportunity to stick up for Grace Park because I don't think she's as terrible an actor as most everyone else does.
Finally, their last lines: "We're alive." What does alive mean to the Cylons? It was Doral who used the word first, and clearly Sharon spun another connotation into it. To Doral, alive is simply "not dead," but to Sharon and Six, alive is something else, something connected to the humans, who really are alive, who possess life. Without death, how can there be life? Isn't death what makes life so important? The fact that it ends?
You know, I made that Matrix reference at the beginning, and it occurs to me that Sharon and Six are going to be the Neos of the Cylon. They're enlightened. They're going to show them a whole new way of looking at things.
Man. Such a great episode. And I can't wait for Jacob's recap because he's going to analyze the shit out of this.
Of note: historically, the Six model has been very disdainful of the Sharon model. Yet, here we see them bond over their shared status and tainted love of humanity.
That's a good point! I forgot about Six looking down on Eight.
People think Grace Park is a terrible actor? Who ARE these people?
only seconds before she basically saves his life and dies standing up because the tableau is much more aesthetically pleasing than if she'd tossed them both to the ground.
Because Six always does things in an aesthetically pleasing manner. 😀 (especially her cute little leaver bolero type jacket).
And again with the Tricia-love. I can't beleive how awesome she is, even years later.
FRAAAAAAAAAAAAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK Tricia Helfer is AMAZING. I can't believe she basically went straight from modelling couture and fancy knickers to, well, Six.
In fact, it sometimes boggles me just how good EVERY SINGLE MEMBER OF THE MAIN CAST IS. Not only the veterans like Olmos, McDonnell and Hogan, but Katee Sackhoff, Jamie Bamber, James Callis, Grace Park, Aaron Douglas, Grace Park, Tahmoh Penikett (Tahmoh!!! his impression of tortured dad just breaks my heart) and of course Tricia, and all of them really. How do they not have ALL THE AWARDS?
It's amazing that in a cast this size, not one of them ever hit a bad note with their characters, despite the fact that said characters are bloody minefields and would absolutely be wrong in the hands of anyone less capable, even when people are playing only one character and not two (or three, or four, or more).
This!!
This episode will always have a special place in my heart for being the first episode I ever watched. I had absolutely no idea WTF was going on (missing the first ten minutes didn't help) but I knew I LOVED EVERY FRAKKING SECOND OF IT! It almost feels like a completely different show at times, it's much more domestic than we've come to expect from this series with everyone hanging out in cafes or parks and discussing living arrangements. It's an interesting change of pace.
So many PreviousLIES though, I think the Gaius/Six "Only in your head?" scene was the only one that wasn't altered/completely new.
It's also basically the Grace Park, Tricia Helfer and James Callis show for this episode and they're all AMAZING.
Head!Gaius, why do I get the feeling James Callis had a lot of fun turning the tables and being the imaginary one for a change? He's obviously very different than the real Gaius, much harsher and more even more sarcastic but there's still traces of the real character in there. His "I rather thought yopu enjoyed sleeping with me" always makes me lol, he still has the ego of the real Gaius. I didn't pick up on it at first but he almost always has something, a drink or a cigarette, in his hands. I have no idea if it's meant to mean something but it's a nice little detail.
As for the real Gaius, the fact that he is actually crying after Head!Six yells at him for not protecting Hera always gets to me. That whole scene is beautifully handled, he knows entering the room that she's not going to react well to the news.
Tricia Helfer is amazing, it's probably a given but she is. Caprica Six is so different to every other Six we've seen and after one episode feels like a really full and interesting character.
When is the universe going to stop being horrible to Sharon and Helo?! Them talking to Hera shortly after her birth breaks my heart every single time because HOW FUCKING CUTE IS THIS FAMILY?! Tiny Hera is tiny and I'm getting choked up just thinking about that plotline so I'll move on.
LUCY FLAWLESS. That’s right SHE GETS A NEW NAME because EVERY MOMENT SHE IS ON THIS SHOW, SHE IS PERFECT.
THIS, ALL OF THIS! This show is fully responsible for my epic girlcrush on her. She gets one of my favourite moments of the episode when she's about to shoot Anders: "Humans don't respect life the way we do." ROFL thank you D'anna I haven't laughed that hard at this show in a while, also WHAT?
Self replying because for some reason IntenseDebate doesn't want my edit to take:
Close second to the above line from D'anna for my favourite little moment: Head!Gaius, D'anna and Caprica Six sitting on the bench and crossing their legs at the same time. It's random but so perfectly timed.
Do the Fives ever wear anything that ISN'T a gaudy suit? The one that digs Caprica six and Boomer out at the end of the episode looked like he had that turquoise suit on which DUDE REALLY? Is that the best thing to wear when digging through rubble? Nice timing by the Five that comes up to fanboy over Caprica Six right as D'Anna calls her a war hero.
I didn't pick up on it at first but he almost always has something, a drink or a cigarette, in his hands.
Oral fixation. 😀
*breaks out rot13*
Spoilers contained below. I really hope I'm doing this right :/ Please please delete if I've done it all wrong. *worries*
Guvf rcvfbqr ba Znex Jngpurf oebhtug hc fb znal ~srryvatf~ sbe zr nobhg fghss gung unccraf va n yngre rcvfbqr naq V arrrrq gb irag, fb V'z qbvat vg urer orpnhfr lbhe pbzzrag nobhg ubj phgr gurl ner nf n snzvyl unf oebhtug vg nyy hc ntnva.
V erpragyl erjngrq RbW naq Encgher naq tbg natel nyy bire ntnva nobhg Ebfyva naq Nqnzn'f whqtrzragny purjvat bhg bs Uryb sbe jung ur qvq gb Nguran ng ure orurfg. Sebz n syrrg frphevgl CbI V pna haqrefgnaq jurer gurl'er pbzvat sebz ohg stf, vs Ebfyva unqa'g znqr gur qrpvfvba gb gnxr gur onol sebz Uryb naq Nguran va gur svefg cynpr gura guvf jubyr punva bs riragf jbhyq arire unir unq gb unccra. Fur qbrf abg trg gb or whqtrzragny bire gurz jnagvat gb trg gurve onol onpx.
Fb zhpu shpxvat JBEQ gb guvf. V unir gb tvir gur jevgref perqvg sbe univat Uryb pnyy gurz bhg ba gung, rira vs vg vf bayl oevrsyl, ohg vg'f fgvyy n cerggl njshy zbzrag sbe Ynhen.
This is an episode where I want to be a secretary on colonial one or something so I can go yell at Roslin (who I love most of the time) and then give her a hug and tell that I have faith in her to lead the fleet and be awesome WITHOUT BEING ALL PARANOID AND SWITCHING BABIES.
Billy would have yelled at her. Too bad we have Tori now, instead.
She has always bugged me. Probably because she just isn't Billy.
Head!Baltar is the greatest twist ever! And it just solidifies Baltar/Six as the OTP of this series. They're so perfect for each other.
Love "Lucy Flawless"
WHY WOULD YOU SAY MICHAEL TRUCCO LOOKS LIKE DANE COOK? WHY WOULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?
i can't help my brain I AM SO SORRY.
Lrnu V unir, naq gung jnf n cerggl yhyml zbzrag.
Lhc. Gur Svirf ner abg gur fzneg Plybaf 😉
I have to join in on the episode love train here. BEST. EPISODE. EVER. It's so amazing that CapricaSix has her own HeadBaltar. It's like the best thing ever.
<img src=http://i947.photobucket.com/albums/ad311/Chritter710/tumblr_lic3rbQEid1qbtyiyo1_500.gif>
such a mesmerizing gif.
(hi!)
omg yes it is and it makes me miss LOST because I loved Miles so much 🙁 🙁
LOVE this episode!
And actually – maybe a controversial opinion here – I really like Roslin's decision. To me it always seemed like surprisingly compassionate move. I mean, they're all pretty much living in fear of this baby. They don't know what it is, only that it's REALLY important to the Cylons, who, let's not forget, slaughtered their entire race. I imagine most people would have straight up killed her, but Roslin instead just has her adopted. Yeah, from our point of view it's kind of awful, because we have to see our beloved Helo and Sharon in so much pain. But to be honest, I saw it as a really great compromise. Roslin is taking a HUGE risk by letting Hera live, but she won't kill a baby, no matter what it might grow up to be.
That's the Roslin I know and love – someone who has to make the most awful choices to preserve the last of the human race, but still tries to find a way to do the right thing.
Also, how hilarious is it that Head!Six has been fucking with Baltar this whole time and now we find out Head!Baltar has been doing the exact same thing? It's kind of satisfying in terms of 'at least they both have to deal with each other being really annoying'.
I loved this episode so much. I really liked Head Baltar. Also, THREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was somewhat glad when Caprica Six bashed her head in.
And now for a FAKE SPOILER TO FOLLOW!!! (YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED)
In Episode 50 of season 10, it's revealed that Caprica Six is really…………………….
…
…
A CYLON! WHAT A SURPRISE!
(sorry, couldn't resist saying that after you learned her nickname)
And no, this is not the best episode yet. I know you've seen Lay Down Your Burdens, Mark, but just so it can be said: YOU WERE NOT FRAKKING PREPARED.
As far as I know Mark knows nothing about the content of the first movie special, and you’re describing a general premise for it so I’m deleting this.
Basically Mark, the first movie special may not be considered spoilery after S2 (the deleted comment says it has “hints” for season 3), but it originally aired after S3. Make of that what you will.
No there are no spoilers after Captain's Hand/Downloaded. Basically, if you'd watch Razor NOW you wouldn't be spoiled at all about the episodes after Captain's Hand. 😉 You could ask for a general opinion anyway about that topic, within the others readers, i'm fairly sure they would agree too . 😉
Can you (or anyone else) tell me in rot13 what you meant by "hints" for S3, then? I can't remember the movie that well.
Va gur rkgraqrq irefvba bs gur zbivr, ng gur raq, naq gung’f gur bayl inthr uvag va na ubhe-ybat zbivr, gur byq uloevq gnyxf irel pelcgvpnyyl nobhg “gurer jvyy or sbhe tybevbhf va gurve njnxravat (be fbzrguvat yvxr gung) juvpu boivbhfyl ersref lbh-xabj-jung. Gung’f vg. Vg’f nyy irel inthr vs lbh qba’g xabj jung ur’f gnyxvat nobhg. Gura gurer vf gur uvag nobhg Xnen Guenpr yrnqvat lbh-xabj-jub gb lbh-xabj-jung juvpu bx, vg’f snveyl shgher-sevraqyl (ohg vg’f n ovg qrongnoyr). Vafgrnq, vs lbh jngpu gur abezny irefvba bs gur “zbivr” lbh pbhyq erznva bgure guna fcbvyre-serr, gbgnyyl uvagf-serr.;) Ruv v’z bayl gryyvat guvf sbe Znex’f fnxr naq uvf ivrjvat cyrnfher, lbhe pubvpr. 😉 Gung zbivr jbhyq yvxr irel jryy jvgu Yrr gnxvat pbzznaq bs Crtnfhf. Qba’g xabj, jung qb gur bguref fnl nobhg Enmbe va fpurqhyr? Naljnl, vg’f orra n cyrnfher.
Edited your comment to put this in rot13 (as I asked).
Mark, according to this comment the extended version of the movie foreshadows events that come after S2. (But not the original movie, if I understand it correctly.)
However, I would add there's a certain aspect included in the movie (both versions of it) that given airing order, was first introduced in S3. (rot13 if others are curious what I'm talking about: gur uloevqf)
I actually think it might still be best to view the movie in publication order (meaning after S3) because the show introduced that aspect originally on the show and I think the original introduction is probably best. But Mark, it's up to you.
I concur. I believe Mark already confirmed that his calendar has the movie between Season 4 Predictions and Season 4 Episode 1. It was part of the Season 4 production, counted as the first two episodes.
Yep! This is correct. Thanks y'all.
No, there are hints for S4 in it.
The movie aired before S4 aired so I think hints for S4 can simply be called intended foreshadowing and not the sort of retroactive foreshadowing the movie has for S3.
Sorry, I more properly mean uvagf sbe guvatf va gur raq bs F3 gung ner qrirybcrq va F4. V jnf guvaxvat bs gurz nf "F4".
Oh Roslin, why are you trying to make me not like you? The last episode and this one really bring down my opinion of her… which is ok! I don't want characters to be saints. But it still annoys me. Helo and Sharon get to be happy for one second with their adorable family before it's all torn apart. And I get it, it's a pretty good plan (other than the problems already mentioned about superpowers and what happens to Maya if Sharon finds out) and perhaps a good idea from Roslin's perspective (I suppose we should be glad she doesn't just kill the baby) considering how little she trusts Sharon. And yet how much do I wish that they'd found some other way.
I also feel super bad for Dr Cottle… he's obviously so hurt by Sharon's distress and uncomfortable with Roslin's deception later.
Gur pbafgnag frcnengvat bs Uren sebz gur Ntngubaf va gur frevrf vf ntbavfvat sbe zr, whfg yrg gur yvggyr tvey or jvgu ure cneragf! Naq lrg vg ubbxf zr va rirel gvzr.
The rest of the episode is pure awesome though. Love it, Head!Baltar, Boomer still being Boomer, Six, scheming Three, ANDERS… most of all I love the idea of individuality in a culture of conformity and how it can be seen as dangerous. And of course as far as we know the Six and Boomer (and Galactica Sharon) are the three that have spent the most time with humans which works beautifully with the idea of ignorance leading to hate (and hopefully that can work the other way around with the Sharon on the Galactica).
This has very little to do with Battlestar Galactica, but if you like Lucy Flawless (perfect name), you should watch Xena: Warrior Princess. She's a warrior in ancient Greece, attempting to atone for all the people she killed as a vicious warlord by rescuing other people from vicious warlords (and other nasties. Really, some of the best villains of all time). The show was kind of a foreunner to Buffy in terms of a female action hero and it manages to alternate the darkness with not taking itself too seriously. I'm sure you'd love it.
im surprised Frak hasn't invaded your vocabulary as much as it did for me by the time i got this far in the series haha
this is a really great episode, and now reading your analysis i dont think i ever really understood or noticed the importance of the conversation between caprica six and boomer. i was just along for the ride but now im TOTALLY in the know.
So, yeah. Brilliant episode. And your level of unpreparedness and mindblowness is only going to increase eleventy billion fold.
Fun fact: There was a deleted subplot where D'Anna Reporter Three and Gina Pegasus Six conspire to kidnap Hera. Of course, it comes to naught, as D'Anna (who has convinced Roslin to let her film the child) runs into Helo barging out of Sickbay and he tells her of the baby's death. The shot ends on her face in total shock.
This is the episode where I started loving Laura Roslin a little less. The abortion thing pissed me off, but somehow I got passed it. But making parents believe their child is dead so you can steal it? That's my line, apparently. Oh I don't hate her now, but her awesomeness is just a little bit less shiny…
SAM!!!!!!!!!! MY BB! He's so pretty. He still has her dog tag too, or as Head!Baltar calls it, 'tangible proof of one persons love for another'. ALL THE SHIPPER SQUEES.
And now for something completely different.
Maya is played by one Erica Cerra. I just got into Eureka, a show she stars on. I've become obsessed with it. Yet it took me until season 3 of that show to figure out where I had seen her before. You guys,
JO LUPO IS AWESOME OK???
<img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/vn0abk.jpg">
<img src="http://i55.tinypic.com/9s5vrq.jpg">
<img src="http://28.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lozeet2IlA1qf4cd3o1_500.gif"/ width=400>
HER FACE. Also, can you guess who I ship, lol
And yes I did just give you a mini gifspam for a minor character who has only appeared in one episode. I'm a rebel.
Erica Cerra needs to be in all the things. Well, so does Katee Sackhoff. And Claudia Black. And Anna Torv.
OK, ERICA CERRA AND KATEE SACKHOFF AND CLAUDIA BLACK AND ANNA TORV NEED TO BE IN ALL THE THINGS
Um, that post kind of got away from me a bit.
MY LIFE WAS MADE SO HAPPY WHEN JO LUPO AND I SHARED THE SAME NAME FOR A HOT MINUTE.
SO. HAPPY.
<img src="http://26.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lpzmay3GZ91qbhma4o1_500.png"/>
SHE IS THE BEST
THE BEST
Dude is that Wil Wheaton?
It is! He's been a deliciously fantastic (and semi-regular) jerk this season (4). So much love.
JOOOOOOO!
I hadn't seen this episode in ages, so when Maya showed up, I was all, omg it's Lupo! (And then I was all, Erica Cerra, why are you so pretty? But that's beside the point.)
Anyway, isn't Eureka a great show? I started watching it after 4.0 aired, and I discovered that it scratches the same itch for me as Doctor Who does, in that it's sci-fi-ish and fun and serious and positive and lovely. And I think, pretty much as soon as I caught up with the show, I rewatched the whole thing immediately, which is fairly unusual for me.
In conclusion, Eureka.
Because my internet connection is flickering in and out of life, and because I’m lazy, today’s comment will consist of my original notes.
– Lots of Cylon stuff in the “previously on”.
– OMG, we’re seeing happens when Cylons regenerate?
– Uegff9fp’Sc dvmropgpo4jt-4
– WHAT THE CRAP
– HOW
– HOW IS BALTAR THERE
– (Note: While I was watching/typing, I was sitting at the edge of my bed. When Baltar showed up I literally slid off the bed onto the floor. Closest thing to actually falling out of my chair that’s ever happened.)
– Six is seeing VISIONS OF BALTAR.EXACTLY THE SAME WAY HE HAS BEEN SEEING HER. THIS. WHOLE. TIME. MY BRAIN. IT IS BROKEN.
– BOOMER!!!! Oh god I’ve missed Boomer. How freaking disturbing must that have been? 🙁
– Six feeling guilt for her role in the attack. And Baltar is a manifestation of her guilt. (Right?) CYLONS CAN FEEL GUILT. AT LEAST ONE IS FEELING GUILT OVER THE DESTRUCTION OF HUMANITY. THIS IS HUGE.
– OMFG SHARON AND HELO’S BABY!!!
– Boxing? WTF Cylons, not cool guys. Don’t you dare box Boomer RIGHT AFTER SHE JUST RETURNED.
– OMG it’s Anders! Hi Anders! We’ve all missed your sexiness. Especially Starbuck.
– GOD I love how absolutely HUMAN everything about Boomer’s apartment is. The décor, the pictures, the music blaring. She straight up refuses to assimilate to Cylon culture. BLESS HER
– This reminds me of the scene back in season 1 with Head Six telling Baltar what to say to Adama.OMG PARALELLS.
– ROSLIN NO AIRLOCKING THE CYBRID BABY. DON’T MAKE ME COME IN THERE.
– BALTAR NO KIDNAPPING THE CYBRID BABY. DON’T MAKE ME COME IN THERE.
– D’anna go away. You’re up to no good.
– No Anders don’t blow them up now!!!! WORST TIMING EVER.
– Geesh D’anna, you’re not even trying to be subtle.”Oh, you’re NOT dead? Well, you must be in pain, want me to kill you? You sure? OK then.”
– “Humans don’t respect life the way we do.”…as clearly evidenced by the fact that we murdered billions!
– NOOOOOOOOO. Baby Hera can’t be dead!!! Poor Helo and Sharon. 🙁 🙁
– SHARON NO KILLING DOC COTTLE. DON’T MAKE ME COME IN THERE.
– OMG… That scene of Helo sending the ashes into space… :'( and Tyrol , bless you forever for being there for him.
– ROSLIN. WTF. I can kind of see how a super- secret adoption MIGHT be the best thing, but LETTING SHARON AND HELO BELIEVE SHE’S DEAD?
– Why is Head Baltar talking like a Dr. Seuss character in this scene?
– How did Six get over there so quickly? You know what, I don’t even care, that was the most BAMF move ever!
– Gah I love this so much. That scene was so beautiful, as is the idea that these two individuals are going to use their influence to change FUCKING EVERYTHING. But how the hell are they going to do that in 36 HOURS? Can Cylons be that easily swayed? WHATEVER, THE IMPORANT THING IS THAT BOOMER AND CAPRICA SIX ARE BAMF-Y BFF’S WHO WANT TO BE HUMAN AND MY HEART MIGHT EXPLODE WITH THE LOVE THAT I HAVE FOR THEM RIGHT NOW.
– Yeah, in the span of one episode I’ve gone from not really caring one way or another about Six to considering her one of my favorites. HOW does this show do it?
"- Why is Head Baltar talking like a Dr. Seuss character in this scene? "
AHahaha, I noticed that too! He was writing spontaneous poetry or some shit.
Anders looks like Dane Cook? I don't see it. I thought he looked a bit like Christian Bale, especially around the eyes.
I also love this episode and think it is one of the best so far. Yay character development!
I'm just gonna throw this right out there and say that I think Tyrol and Gaeta are the most attractive guys on this show. I just…. Yeah.
Downloaded. I feel a migraine coming on so I might not be very witty in these comments or whatever. Fuck headaches.
(There's a frost advisory tonight. Fuck winter. It's not a joke when people say that in Wisconsin, three of the seasons are Almost Winter, Winter, and Still Winter. We have a nice summer–it's just very brief. Okay, rant over.)
This is an interesting previousLIE. The Cylons are there to stay and rebuilding Caprica, eh?
Ohai Caprica Six! Your outfits were pretty ridiculous!
I like that she sacrifices her body to save Gaius. Siiix.
Resurrection Goo!
HEAD. BALTAR.
The fact that Head Baltar is a bit different in personality from Real Baltar is interesting, because it suggests that Caprica Six has a different personality from Head Six. And what we see in this episode confirms that. She's not the SUPER FEMME FATALE that Baltar sees. I likes it.
I like the idea that the Cylons programmed Boomer TOO WELL. She doesn't want to give up her human self.
Interesting the brief lines of dialogue we get from Caprica Six's and Boomer's memories: "Do you love me?" / "You're a machine. I'm not." Six wants to experience love–Boomer wants to not be a Cylon.
I like Dr. Cottle's line about upgrading the plumbing. I wonder if Cylons get menstrual cramps. (WHY IS THIS NEVER ADDRESSED. SERIOUSLY.)
It's a baby! A REAL LIVE CYBRID BABY! AND IT CRIES! AWW!
LOL LUCY FLAWLESS
Do humanoid Cylons need to sleep? Wait, actually, that’s a silly question since they’re clearly still ruled by human biology.
Remember that joke that someone made during "33" about Boomer being a Cylon and that's why she didn't seem as tired as the others? I get the impression that Cylons have human biology but are able to push it a little further than humans do. Farther? Dammit, where's Sharon the Grammar Stickler when you need her?
(Spoiler: Gvtu qvqa'g frrz gb arrq zhpu fyrrc rvgure…)
I like Anders's strategy of telling the Cylons through repeated blowing-ups that "there is no safe place." Terrorism! It works!
I love when Boomer is like "Doctor Baltar?!" Hee hee. Also, people are slowly finding out about his betrayal… first Roslin and now Boomer. Although of course Boomer can't do much about it.
"If I want to toss a baby out an airlock, I'd say so." You know she would.
Seriously though, frak Roslin and her wanting to control Sharon's body and Sharon's baby. Just stop it.
"She's our little girl! We made her!" I love you, Sharon. You too Helo.
Obviously they couldn't get Callum Keith Rennie for this one, because they keep showing "Leobens" that are suspiciously far away. Still, in this episode it becomes kind of silly that we only see the Cylons we already know about. If there are six more that we don't know, shouldn't they be hanging out with everyone else? Why is it all Sixes, Eights, Threes, Simons, Dorals, and Leobens?
[Spoiler: Boivbhfyl univat frra gur jubyr fubj, V xabj jul gur Svany Svir nera'g unatvat bhg jvgu gur erfg. Ohg vfa'g Pnivyy bar bs gur Frira? Fubhyqa'g ur or nebhaq? Bu jryy, uvf vagebqhpgvba vf nzhfvat rabhtu gung V qba'g pner.]
CYLONS AGAINST CYLONS. And now we have PROOF that the Cylons don't always agree, that they are just as capable of turning against each other as humans are, which makes their whole "humans are a flawed creation" argument kind of moot. They're just as bad!
Cottle, REFUSE TO DO THIS PLEASE. Sigh. Roslin, stop stealing babies and outlawing abortions. I don't like you anymore.
"Humans don't respect life the way we do." As she prepares to KILL A DUDE. (Seriously how fun must it have been for Lucy Lawless to do that scene.)
jakdsfj;adfkskjlasfdafjs I can't even deal with them STEALING HERA and telling Sharon she's dead. I CAN'T. STOP DOING THIS SHIT.
Don't kill Cottle! He's like the one morally respectable person on this show! COTTLE FOR PRESIDENT.
"God loves me." WHAM! Go Six!
Anderrrrssss. (He does look like Dane Cook, btw. You're not the only one who sees it. He's still hott though, while Dane Cook is too much of an asshole to be hott.)
Head Gaius telling Six he loves her made me tear up. An imaginary person telling a robot that he loves her. But it's so touching! <3.
Yeah okay this episode is pretty damn awesome.
THIS EPISODE. OMFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFG (YES EVERY SINGLE F WAS NECESSARY), THIS EPISODE MADE MY HEAD EXPLODE A MILLION BILLION TIMES. HEAD!BALTAR. LUCY LAWLESS IS BACK (ILU LUCY). CYLON SOCIETY. THE BABY SWITCHEROO (roslin y u do this, I was SO ANGRY at her for this IT IS A BABY YOU ARE S OMEAN). BOXING. EVERYTHING. OMG.
I forgot another deleted scene. Roslin looks in on baby Hera in the incubator and says, "Thank you for saving my life".
Does anyone know what the name of the music is that Sharon is playing in her Caprica apartment when Six comes to talk to her? The part where the music is blaring and clanging and Sharon says , "So are you here to kick me out?"
I have been researching this for ages and cannot find any clues. Any help or suggestions as to whact direction I might begin researching would be great.
This is one of my absolute favorite episodes.
I just wonder if they made the music up as it does have a cultural sound that might be something conceived as melodic metallic art to the Cylon ear.
It is late and I am exhausetd so my explanatory abilities are running on cracker crumbs. I hope you get what I mean in this last paragraph.
Thanks for reading.