In the sixth episode of the fourth season of Battlestar Galactica, YOU HAVE TO BE KIDDING ME. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Battlestar Galactica.
You cannot force me to choose a favorite episode of season four. You just can’t. Every final season of a show–and I do mean every one that I’ve seen–always has a small lull before it’s full steam ahead. LOST. The Wire. Six Feet Under. The X-Files. The pieces are set in place for their final movement, and then it’s all chaos until the end.
Not Battlestar Galactica. Look, the first five episodes of season four are unbearable. There’s so much death and tragedy, so much frustration and rage, and the narrative doesn’t feel like it’s resting before one last push. This show has gradually building to this final season, and thinking back on how many times I thought shit was “real” in season one is comical.
To give a great example of how fucked up everything is, and to give evidence that this show isn’t going to slow down: Within the first couple minutes of “Faith,” Starbuck ignores Helo’s demand that she step down and tries to back the jump to the basestar on her own. When Athena restrains her and Helo orders Gaeta to make the jump to the Galactica, ANDERS SHOOTS GAETA IN THE LEG. Even this show is normally “guilty” of following a pattern with two-parters: the second episode of a pair resolves the cliffhanger, and things settle into a slower pace until the end. NOPE. NOT “FAITH.” Instead, the writers choose to give us an even more awful moment, directly defying this common storytelling trope. There’s supposed to be a lull. There is supposed to be a moment of calm, bringing the tension down from a possible disaster. It’s just how cliffhangers work.
With this tonal frame of mind, as well as a clocking ticking down from fifteen hours, Starbuck gets her way (sort of) and heads off to the Cylon basestar with Anders, Athena, Barolay, and Leoben. TENSION. THE UNBEARABLE TENSION.
But before I dive into the main plot of this show, I wanted to talk about Laura Roslin’s story within “Faith.” Everything that we see in this episode, even if it is divorced from a religious meaning, has to do with characters taking a leap of faith. It’s always difficult to watch Roslin deal with cancer because I had to watch my own mother cope with cancer twice, so all of the small details are so familiar to me. Like “Maelstrom,” this show gets so many details right that for brief moments, it stops feeling fictional at all, so even seeing Laura Roslin bald is not shocking because she has no hair, but because I know what that looks like on someone you love.
In “Faith,” we see Roslin at her most vulnerable, fearing the inevitability of her death, but still doing the best to try and survive. She has an emotional moment with Tory Foster before she gets her last two Doloxan treatments, entirely unaware that Tory has stepped up to the plate and improved around Roslin because she is a Cylon. Fucking hell, Roslin’s going to be gutted when she learns Tory is a Cylon, isn’t she?
In the sickbay of Galactica, where Roslin stays while getting her treatment, she meets a fellow cancer patient, Emily, who initially is not too keen on making friends with the President. But the women have some common ground aside from their cancer: they both have had to deal with their mortality and their coming death, though Emily finds solace in the words of Gauis Baltar. Understandably so, Roslin wants nothing to do with the man.
For Emily, though, the solace of a life after death comes from a dream she had, one that only peripherally relates to Baltar, but enough for her to shed her belief in the Lords of Kobol. I was fascinated by the fact that Emily belief in the God that Baltar spoke of because it gave her comfort; it is a familiar idea, because when it comes right down to it, that is all I wanted from God when I tried to be religious. I just wanted to feel that warm, loving presence that she spoke of. What Roslin faces in her crisis of faith relates to her own mother’s death from cancer: Roslin believes her mother did not experience a light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. She was not validated, she did not feel loved by some otherworldly spirit, and that her death was not some noble thing. (UGH THAT MONOLOGUE BROKE ME.)
I think Roslin held on to this idea that death had to be noble, or else it was pointless, and seeing Emily’s final moments and the violent way in which she had a seizure helped her at least face the fact that death is rarely pretty for anyone. The dream that she has near the end of the episode is the beginning of her acceptance of this. I was happy to finally see her mother, even if it was in such a sad context, but the dream that she has, in which Emily appears as well, does show one thing for certain: Roslin still has a few things she needs to take care of. SHE IS IN CHARGE, Y’ALL.
And even if it’s really small, the very last scene of “Faith” even shows us that Admiral Adama, who still has no interest in religion, has his own leap of faith. I had forgotten of the days when the search for Earth were just something to distract the fleet, but Adama admits that Roslin was the one who got him to make a leap of faith as well. NOW KISS. KISS YOU TWO. oh god what is this show doing to me.
It’s torturing me, that’s what it’s doing. Shall we talk about Starbuck and the basestar? HOW. HOW DO I TALK ABOUT THIS. HOW DO I EVEN PROCESS WHAT I’VE JUST WITNESSED. The mythology of this show just took a gigantic leap forward and in a HORRIFYING WAY. I DO NOT FEEL BETTER ABOUT ANYTHING AT ALL. Nevermind the constant tension of Anders being around a bunch of Cylons and always a second away from being discovered. That is bad enough. The entire story is so surreal because…look, there is no way months ago, I ever thought that the humans would be on a basestar working with Cylon rebels.
But before we even get to the basestar and my mind explodes from the final revelation given by the Hybrid, this particular episode includes some of the most beautiful and gorgeous shots of the entire series. When the Raptor jumps into the basestar graveyard, I was shocked by the attention to detail. Again, I’ve said it a million times, but the special effects on Battlestar Galactica slay me. It’s not just how detailed and crisp everything looks, though; there’s an emotional element to them all, in the way that we attach ourselves to the physical look of space, of the empty vacancy of it all. I’m so used to the dark color palates used on this show that when the crew on the Raptor comes upon the gaseous, ringed planet that Starbuck saw on her route to earth, I almost started to cry. The colors of that planet, the trail being left by the only surviving basestar…look, it is just so beautiful to me. Starbuck was right. She was here, and Leoben knew how to help her paint this scene because he had just left this place. Do I understand how this fits in with the full mythology? I don’t have a damned clue, but I was so excited to have Starbuck validated that I didn’t really care.
Oh god. The basestar. The basestar. Oh god, those fibers of muscle that help close the doors to the docking bay. Oh god, all of those Eights asking Athena to help them mutiny against the Sixes. Oh god, Anders almost touches that…wait, what is that thing called? The red thing in the water that the Cylons touch? Has it ever been named in an episode? Okay, so that water-touchy-thing. ANDERS ALMOST TOUCHED IT. What would have happened if he had? I NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS.
Oh my god, Jean Barolay. I liked you so much. And I never said it until you were gone. It’s a rather ironic way for this story to address the fact that Cylons can develop the same “feelings” that come with being human, unfortunately using Barolay’s taunt to a Six to bring forth rage. We see how the memory of a death, brought back through the resurrection of a specific model, means something to that current version of the Cylon, who died when Barolay drowned her on New Caprica.
And with no Resurrection Ship nearby, this Six’s death is permanent, and the Rebel Six’s scathing remark about justice to Anders and Starbuck hit me hard. Were they better off without that Six living? Do they feel that justice was served?
The initial moments with the Hybrid were anti-climactic, but I knew that without some sort of physical contact, Starbuck wouldn’t get the Hybrid to actually speak to her. I noticed that in this episode in particular, the idea of touch between Cylons is incredibly important. This has been the case in the past, but I never stopped to think about it until “Faith.” We see one Six kiss another before she kills her, and the kiss is not really sexual at all; it’s an act of respectful affection. We’ve only ever seen the Hybrid speak to someone when she was touched; Tigh was only comforted when Caprica Six touched him; and even one of the Eights is rejected a physical touch by Athena, and is only comforted before death by Anders. AHHHH HOW DID ATHENA NOT NOTICE THAT.
It takes an Eight being shot by one of the Centurions, who caused the Hybrid to scream when she tried to disconnect her, that almost “activates” the Hybrid. Something about that moment, the physical touch, and an Eight’s blood is the right mix. And she speaks. And my head explodes. The dying leader will find the truth about the Opera House. The missing Three will be used to find the Five. The Five come from the home of the Thirteen Tribe. Kara Thrace is the harbinger of death and will lead everyone to this.
I started flailing about and my brain melted and I couldn’t even remotely figure out what this meant because I couldn’t even devote a second of my brain’s activity to this coded message. In hindsight, it was rather obvious what this meant, so I’m glad that the show didn’t drag it out as some sort of mystery. But seriously. Seriously. Laura Roslin will find out what the Opera House means. (!!!) Three will have to be unboxed. (!!!!!) Three will help them find the Final Five Cylons JESUS CHRIST!!!!!!! AND HOW THE FUCK CAN THE FINAL FIVE CYLONS HAVE COME FROM EARTH??? We know them!!! They have lived with these people for years! EARTH IS SO OLD I DO NOT FUCKING UNDERSTAND THIS. Oh my god ANDERS KNOWS HE DOES NOT HAVE MUCH TIME LEFT.
I am simply floored by “Faith,” which combines a complex and intriguing mythology with a whole lot of believable and emotional character development. Plus, Starbuck has now brought back a Cylon basestar to the fleet. Jean Barolay was right: she is forever a badass! I can’t even think of how Adama and Roslin are going to deal with the idea of SIDING WITH CYLON REBELS. On top of that, JESUS CHRIST Gaeta’s leg. HIS LEG. Oh god, Gaeta, I love you so dearly, and your scenes in “Faith” are agonizing to watch. Did Helo inherently doom Gaeta’s leg by waiting for Starbuck to return?
AH GODDAMN IT THIS SHOW.
AND HOW THE FUCK CAN THE FINAL FIVE CYLONS HAVE COME FROM EARTH???
Amazon Prime.
I was gonna suggest Steam, and the reason why the last of the Final Five hasn't shown up yet is because s/he is downloaded, but still locked for release. (OMG that almost makes sense in BSG terms.)
Oh god, Roslin's monologue about her mother's death…someone please just give Mary McDonnell all the awards. That scene is so incredibly powerful.
Also, I love Athena's thing about picking a side and sticking to it. The Eights do seem rather capricious, don't they? I love how each model has their own flaws and personality quirks, and each Cylon within that framework has to work to overcome their nature.
Nana Visitor kicked so much ass in this ep.
I was geeking out so hard about seeing Major Kira! I love her.
At first I was all, "What is Kira doing on Galactica???" then I LOL'd.
OMG I KNEW I RECOGNIZED HER FROM SOMEWHERE
O___O ME TOO
Holy crap I never realized it was her.
Recognized Lee on yesterday's House though. And yikes did they find Bamber something much worse than the fat-suit to wear.
Damn, I saw commercials for that and meant to watch and see if I find Bamber less annoying in different roles. Or if House has gotten less terrible since I stopped watching. In the split second I saw in the commercial, I swear it looked like his skin on his chest was burned or peeling off, or that he was a shape-shifter.
He is AWESOME in Law and Order, UK.
I've been meaning to watch that for Freema, so maybe I'll give him a chance. 🙂
She is even awesomer, and in later seasons (only Series 1 is on DVD in the US right now according to Netflix), Peter Davison joins the cast to make it awesome cubed.
Also they wear a lot of scarves.
I'm a firm supporter of scarves. And funny wigs. BBCA has a few episodes from the later seasons on On Demand. It's like US L&O in that you can watch the episodes in any order, right?
Yeah, I think so. I mean, there's some subtle character arc-y throughlines, but the meat of the show is case-of-the-week.
BBCA had an ad where they translated some of the Brtisim-isms into American English, and highlighted the scarves.
What the hell:
[youtube aE3gMN97TKw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE3gMN97TKw youtube]
(Embedding, man. HOW DOES IT WORK)
You just have to click on the "embed video" link above the comment box and c/p the link to the video in the pop-up. But I fixed it for ya!
I've actually seen this before (I'm serious about having put this off for a while now!) but it was still worth a laugh. 🙂 I love the Santa Claus gowns that High Court judges wear. In the US, it's almost all black robes, except for the Court of Appeals in my state who get to rock the red (but no fur.) I'm totally jealous of the UK judges' frippery.
I'm in law school in Boston, and I would LOVE LOVE LOVE if I got to wear a wig. I WOULD LOVE IT.
No wigs for me. 🙁
You should totally just plop one on your head while writing briefs or something.
They have a well-balanced diet of sandwiches… and pens. LOL
I wish I got BBCAmerica!
Oh, you should. I really like the show, and I'm not even really a fan of the original show. Also, Freema and Bamber are great.
One thing to note, if you watch the original show — they base the UK episodes on American ones, in terms of the… crimes or whatever. So if you've seen a lot of the original show, the UK one will seem familiar, but different. (Or, you could be like me and see the UK show and then have your dad watch a L&O marathon and sit there thinking, "Oh, I liked this better when Bradley Walsh did it instead of Jerry Orbach." Doesn't matter if Orbach came first.)
Well, the American show takes a lot of stuff from actual crimes that have happened, so it makes sense that the British show would borrow the same storylines.
I watched this last night…and ewwwwwww………it was definitely worse than the fat suit.
Wait, you find Bamber annoying? whaaaaa?
I should have clarified. I find Lee annoying; Bamber is probably a really great guy. I'll admit Lee has his good moments as the voice of reason, but I can't stand him most of the time. And I can't fully explain my visceral hatred for his character, either.
Wait, Lee was on House..?? Off to watch House!
Nana Visitor shows up in my two favorite Sci-Fi shows within 3 years of each other(BSG and TW)
Makes me a happy camper.
I actually know her better as Madame X from Dark Angel (great short-lived show). She has a ton of range!
Come on, everyone, on three…
One…two….three…
Mark, you are not prepared.
I love the panic on Anders' face when he hears the hybrid say that the Final Five will lead the fleet to Earth. He has even less of an idea where Earth is than Starbuck or Roslin. What is he going to do?
This episode was excellent. I'm really excited to see how the fleet reacts to a Cylon Basestar jumping into their midst. Maybe they should give the Demetrius a head start
Same.
The final five (or the current 4) – I enjoyed the crap out of the fact that everyone had all these expectations about them while, meanwhile, they were just as clueless.
(Especially Anders. Because I loved Anders the most.)
Are you the same Caito as FW Caito?
Probably not, as I'm not sure what FW is.
Also, the 'o' in my name is actually a zero, not an oh, but the IntenseDebate font obscures that a bit
lol I thought it was a play on Cato.
Sadly I am not that clever. I just smushed my name and birthday together. Or rather my mom did, when we first got AOL, and I never changed it
I think FW is Fandom Wank? The community on JournalFen.
Man, these two parters really do not let up! The tension was so thick at that point that I'm surprised MORE people didn't get shot (omg Gaeta!). I love that Anders is the one to back Starbuck all the way, but I wish it had been Helo too 🙁
Everything that happened on the Basestar was amazing and beautiful and I am DYING to get to the end of this and have all my questions answered (I hardly believe that is possible).
The scenes with Roslin are so sad to me 🙁 However, has anyone mentioned doing whatever it was they did with Hera's blood to cure her cancer before again? That was my first thought, anyway.
And Mark, as to what you said about comfort, that is the core of religion to me. I have lately come to accept that I really do not believe in any sort of god, but at times when I am feeling particularly low or bad, it is difficult not to have that comfort to fall back on.
I assume they aren't bothering with Hera's blood again because:
A) I'm not sure Helo and Athena would go for it.
B) It obviously didn't really work the first time, since her cancer came right back.
Those are the better reasons, but there's also the issue that Roslin didn't really consent the first time, either. She's got a pretty big hate-on for the Cylons. The show never really mentions it, but I don't imagine she liked knowing that she had Cylon blood in her, even though it saved her life.
I think someone said there was a deleted scene — in the episode where she decides to have Hera switched and lie about it? where she tells baby Hera "Thank you for saving my life". Am I remembering things right or is my head just making things up?
I thought maybe to at least buy her some time? But yeah, I'm not sure if Helo and Athena would go for that either, especially after what she did.
yep, that would be pretty awkward.
"Hey, can we stick a needle into your daughter to save the life of the person who hid her from you for like 1 1/2 years?"
"Uhhh…."
I always wondered about that too. Also, Baltar seemed to be the only person who knew what was going on with the science at the time, so it's possible they didn't think it would work. Or maybe it only worked when Hera was a fetus? And I seem to remember there being a little press conference right after the reveal that it was back where reporters asked Tory or someone if there was talk about the "anonymous donor", but maybe that's just me as it's been a while since I saw this episode.
Oh god, all of those Eights asking Athena to help them mutiny against the Sixes.
I haven't had an opportunity to say this in a while but I LOVE YOU ATHENA for her speech after they approach her. It shows us just how strongly she believes in her choices and how far they've taken her. Her kissing Helo goodbye and greeting him over the wireless at the end, just <3
Oh god, those fibers of muscle that help close the doors to the docking bay.
Ugh the noise they make as they move is what gets to me *shudders*
"Plus, Starbuck has now brought back a Cylon basestar to the fleet. Jean Barolay was right: she is forever a badass! I can’t even think of how Adama and Roslin are going to deal with the idea of SIDING WITH CYLON REBELS. "
I can't help but picture her going "like my new toy?"
Starbuck brings all the best toys to the fleet. Damn right, they're better than yours. Heeee
"Anders almost touches that…wait, what is that thing called? The red thing in the water that the Cylons touch? Has it ever been named in an episode?"
The data-stream.
Tricia Helfer deserves all the Emmys for performing both Natalie and the doomed Six.
Agreed to Tricia Helfer.
Also… I'm really sorry to do this because it TOTALLY DOESN'T MATTER, also you could be right, but the geek in me can't resist bringing this up…
I think the physical interface is referred to as a "data-font" while the virtual network of information is the "data-stream."
Sorry for the nitpick!
I was referring to the network.
I watched all of BSG in about a week, simply couldn't stop. Most of the show is a blur by now, except for few moments. One of them was Six killing Jean Barolay and then being killed herself. It was such a powerful scene, and it showed, really showed the effects of war, no matter what side you're on. It's just a topic that hits close to home for me. Also I loved the idea of two opposing sides working together now. It is the hardest thing to do, to admit both sides did some terrible things and that you can't achieve common goal without working as a team. I guess it's my favourite theme in BSG.
On the other side, I'm really not a fan of Roslin's story here. It is beautifully written and played, and it's simply matter of personal preference. I think that beliefs of every person are their own, and there's no point in arguing whose are better. But I adored that scene on the river, so amazing.
Poor Gaeta, his scenes broke my heart. Ohg uvz orvat uheg ranoyrq gur znxvat bs zl snibhevgr cvrpr bs zhfvp ba guvf fubj va gur arkg rcvfbqr. Pna'g jnvg gb funer gur ybir.
All in all, I loved this episode and its power to almost kill me with worry.
I noticed that in this episode in particular, the idea of touch between Cylons is incredibly important…and even one of the Eights is rejected a physical touch by Athena, and is only comforted before death by Anders. AHHHH HOW DID ATHENA NOT NOTICE THAT.
Agh, how didn't I notice that?! Is it something to do with them being all part of THE Cylon, and wanting to have a connection with another person? That's pretty sad and lonely.
I'm glad you're enjoying season 4, but I actually thought "The Road Less Traveled" was a lull, at least until the very end. Since that tension was resolved (after, you know, ANDERS SHOOTS GAETA) at the beginning of "Faith", it seems like a basic cliffhanger. It was important for moving everything into place for this episode, but I was pretty blah while watching the first of this two-parter.
I'm used to minor characters getting killed off whenever the camera spends more than 3 seconds on them, but this episode was a doozy. Poor Gaeta, please be okay. And I watched the end about 5 times. Space parents worrying about space kids. The look on their faces, especially Adama's when he said "you" broke my heart.
Other than the sadness, this episode was really exciting for all of the reveals and potential disasters in their future. Now there's a basestar! And Athena doesn't seem comfortable around Cylons! And Three is gonna come back! I have no idea how Roslin will react to Tory being a Cylon. The easy answer is "pissed off," but she said that she's changed now that she's dying, so maybe she'll just say fuck it and not feel betrayed because she has bigger things to worry about. I'm really anxious to see how all of this works itself out!
This is one of my favorite episode, and this whole little Demetrius storyline is what turned Anders into one of my favorite characters in the show. I love that he is so conflicted about his identity and who he is. What he knows for certain is that he loves and trusts Starbuck, so he NEVER BACKS DOWN.
The scene in the Basestar when Athena cannot comfort the Eight, but Anders swoops in and just holds her? I feel like that moment told me more about Anders as a human being (lol) than the prior 3+ seasons of the show.
love it.
Agreed.
I mean, I understand why Athena did it, but it was heartbreaking to watch. And maybe her most heartless moment. But Anders is such a good guy.
MARK. YOU NEED TO STOP ASKING FOR GAETA EPISODES BECAUSE EVERYTIME YOU DO, HE ALMOST DIES. Well, I suppose we don’t know yet if he’s going to die, BUT STILL. Bad things happen!
It took me FOREVER to figure out what the hell the Hybrid was saying with the Threes and the Thirteen and the Five. Even after it was laid out and explained to us I still didn’t get it because this episode destroyed my brain and made it impossible for me to process information properly. I kept thinking the missing Three referred to 3 of the Final Five and I was like but we know FOUR of them, how can there be 3 we don’t know of? HYBRID, YOU CAN’T SUBTRACT. No, self, you can’t think straight- shit got too real.
Oh god, what’s going to happen when they get back? Will they get back? D:
I love Anders. Like a lot.
And only 40% of that is due to how hot he is.
i accept this wholeheartedly
Naturally.
lol this comment is me. Anders and Gaeta are my two favorite characters, and a large % of that is probably because of how hot they are.
THIS. He is my favorite forever man. <3
Only 40%? I like him because he's 100% hot and well 99% a great character…..
You are sooooo not prepared!! Such a good show! SUCH A GOOD SHOW!!! So, was the only episode that you (and everyone else) didn't care for the one about the Black Market? Because every episode left is amazing! I can't wait for more!
The Woman King is hated even more by most fans.
I wouldn't generalize like that.
(or maybe just because nothing beats my distaste for Black Market, and I didn't even find Woman King all that bad. It wasn't particularly good, yes, but …)
Purely anecdotal opinion, but I've perused many a BSG forum over the years and I think it's fair to say a majority of fans hated either Woman King or Black Market, if not both.
I think that "Scar" is another one that quite a few viewers panned. I believe it was one of those made to fulfill the network's request for a couple self-contained episodes each season. A lot of the BSG audience tended to be dismissive of these stand-alone-ish episodes that didn't move the main plot forward. Probably for or that reason, I believe "Dirty Hands" wasn't a terribly popular episode either. ("Black Market" is just universally loathed, regardless. In my anecdotal experience, distaste for Woman King has never approached that for Black Market. I've read many people stating that they skip BM completely when rewatching that season and people generally ignore it & its events during discussions.)
Faith is one of my favorites of the fourth season and the whole series. I just love this episode! Roslin’s scenes with Emily and Bill are poignant, touching, and seriously delve into what it means to be religious, to be let down by religion, what one does after that happens, and why. Despite the bleakness and mortality, a part of me is warm and fuzzy after watching this. Idk why… OH YEAH MARY MCDONNELL IS A BOSS THAT’S WHY. And Roslin's mommy.
AND MOAR MAJOR KIRA PLZ.
Poor Gaeta. Although I've always chalked this up to karma for perjury.
I remember when I first saw this episode, I was totally blown away (obviously by what the Hybrid said but also) by the very idea of a Cylon alliance with the humans. And then it hit me… DUH. This is totally what every episode of the whole series up to this one is leading up to. The progressive humanization of the Cylons is just so wonderful and my favorite way to view this show linearly!
AND I'M SORRY I CAN’T I RESIST ROT13
“guvf fubj vfa’g tbvat gb fybj qbja”
pbhtu-qrnqybpx-pbhtu. Naq V fnl gung nf fbzrbar jub ernyyl yvxrq qrnqybpx naq vfynaqrq va n fgernz bs fgnef. Ohg gurl jrer qrsvavgryl “fybj” pbzcnerq gb gur erfg bs gur fubj naq frnfba 4.
BZT V pna frr rirel guernq bs gur zhgval nf vg vf orvat jbira JUNG. JUNG. JUNG GUR SENX. Cyrnfr Tnrgn qba’g qb vg.
Gur Uloevq’f fcrrpu- gur qlvat yrnqre jvyy xabj gur gehgu bs gur Bcren Ubhfr. V sbe bar ybirq Tnynpgvpn-nf-gur-qlvat-yrnqre orpnhfr svefg, Ebfyva trgf gb tb qbja gb Rnegu jvgu Ovyy, naq frpbaq, vg’f fb cbrgvp naq jbaqreshy gb crefbavsl “gur byq ynql.” BZT V YBIR GUVF FUBJ GBB ZHPU.
So Say We All
So Say We All.
//"I remember when I first saw this episode, I was totally blown away (obviously by what the Hybrid said but also) by the very idea of a Cylon alliance with the humans. And then it hit me… DUH. This is totally what every episode of the whole series up to this one is leading up to."//
That's totally my reaction to the episode was well. It just hits you over the head, and you go from "WHAT?" to "OF COURSE".
So the most important thing I learned from this episode is that Barbara Bush is Laura Roslin's mother.
Alright, the following link DEFINITELY has spoilers (even the image on the first page is from the series finale, YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED). And it is awesome.
http://www.battlestarlocations.com/
Where various episodes were filmed throughout Vancouver and area! WITH MAPS. SO YOU CAN GO AND POSE AND STUFF.
Could you post this again when I finish the series? I'd love to look at it!
Indeedy! 😀
Hey Mark,
I hope you enjoy our Battlestar Locations site after you finish the show. I've only lurked here in the past (I'm as much of a spoilerphobe as you are, and really don't want to inadvertently give anything away) but have enjoyed reading as you watch the show for the first time.
Oh wow, thanks so much for the amazing shout out about our website! I've just lurked here in the past and have gotten behind, but was thrilled to run into this comment.
And yes spoilers abound!
There’s a deleted scene for this ep that has Anders and the other Eight talking while they fix the Raptor and she talks about how much dying terrifies her. Although I can see why it wasn’t deemed necessary, it’s a lovely moment that establishes a connection between them.
Also I’m forever sad for Sam who loses Jean in this episode. one of his friends, team mate, original resistance member. Plus, how much worse would it be to try to figure out your past when everyone who may remember the truth is dead? 🙁
and also I have to join in the Nana Visitor love. it was so good to see her in such a meaty role again. This is one of my fave eps!
It would have worked.
I'm sure I remember from the podcast that RDM said it would have worked. Anders would have accessed the datastream. I guess then it would really have hit the fan.
I just realized how much of a Gryffindor Anders is when I rewatched this episode the other day: Loyal to a fault, brave as hell, never thinks anything through before he does it and often regrets his impulsive actions. GRYFFINDOR, Y'ALL.
As bad as I feel for Gaeta about his leg (like seriously, I can't even imagine how much that must suck. D:), I actually kind of feel more awful for Anders (IDK WHY OKAY, IT MUST BE BECAUSE OF MY RIDICULOUS LOVE FOR HIM IDK IDK). Just think about it though, he was just trying to protect Kara, I doubt he actually INTENDED to hurt Gaeta as badly as he did. He is probably consumed with guilt, man. Ugh, Anders, I love you. <3
Also, Starbuck is a bamf.
One of my very favorite episodes of the season.
I'm always struck by the extent of Starbuck & Anders' joint leap of faith and how it manifests in little ways like Starbuck waking to Anders and Leoban surrounding and touching her together, then guiding her without anyone freaking out. Leoban coming down on the side of Team Starbuck against the Sixes. Anders' curiosity on the basestar, almost touching the data stream, his empathy with the dying Eight.
I guess I'll always be fascinated with the non-battle interactions of the humans and Cylons. They don't quite know what to do with each other and how to communicate, and both groups keep underestimating their commonalities — how similar they truly are in terms of core needs (the need for love, faith, belonging, a sense of community, a sense of home).
This episode always seemed a bit Star Trek-y to me.
"Starbuck, Anders, Athena and Jean Barolay go on an away mission. Which one doesn't come back?"
Wasn't the whole point of Kara taking the Demetrius because nobody on Galactica wanted to risk her being wrong? And now she's in the exact same situation? What even was the point then?
Yeah Anders… I love you and I support you supporting Kara, but shooting Gaeta? Not a great plan.
"Let the Cylon go." Helo, please punch Seelix in the face for me.
It's so weird to me when people wear bald wigs. Their heads look comically oversized. I know not everyone wants to shave their head, but it just looks so unrealistic. Also, shouldn't her eyebrows have fallen out as well? Or is that supposed to be makeup?
Yay, Barolay! At least someone believes in Kara and is not going to shoot Gaeta to prove it! Except… she's dead. Shit.
Poor Sam though, he has no idea what side he should be on, what he should do, and it's making him all messed up.
Soooo a woman on another ship makes scarves? Where does she get the fabric? Is there a fabric-making ship? Is there a cotton-growing ship? A ship full of silkworms? Or is it all synthetic? Yeah, I pay attention to the IMPORTANT things.
What I love about Laura's speech about her mother is that it could also be describing Laura herself. A teacher, an inspiration to those around her, a formidable woman. And it's so sad, because Laura is afraid of becoming her mother in other ways too, of losing her dignity and dying helpless and afraid and "withered away."
I'm so behind on this show because it's giving me Darkness Induced Audience Apathy, as someone so helpfully linked to in the comments to today's Hobbit post. Every episode is just… death, shooting, fighting, infected limbs, hopes crushed, despair, awfulness. It makes it hard to watch the next episode.