Mark Watches ‘Battlestar Galactica’: Miniseries, Part III

In the third part of the Battlestar Galactica miniseries, the surviving humans come to realize just how significant and invasive the Cylon force actually is.

PART III

Well, could this get any more bleak than it already is? If this is what the writers choose to do to open this re-imagining of the series, I’m actually excited to see where things could go from here. No time has wasted for things to get real on this show, and I still have over seventy episodes to go. I mean…they basically killed off seven million people in the pilot/miniseries. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.

But christ, this isn’t getting any better. This is now a time for the survivors to take a moment to reflect on the reality of what’s just happened to them, and the difficult decisions continue to roll in. The beginning of the second half of the miniseries focuses on how distant and detached everyone is, both literally and figuratively. Boomer drifts into space, hoping someone will find her. Adama is heartbroken at the loss of another crowd, the main console room silent with shock and grief, and he’s forced to continue on instead of taking a moment to mourn. Starbuck returns to learn that Prosna and Lee have both died, and that Boomer is missing.

Everyone has to move on. There’s nothing they can do.

And so Commander Adama orders the Galactica to make the jump to Ragnar, setting up the next immediate conflict that the miniseries concerns itself with. What do the remaining survivors do now? Is the rescue effort being run by President Roslin more important than the war being led by Commander Adama? Even deeper than that, is it perfectly fine to admit that they lost the war against the Cylons in just twenty-four hours? Personally, I’d side with Roslin on this one. After losing over 90% of the population of humankind, how can you possibly win at this point?

I’m not going to pretend to understand the science behind Lee’s use of the electromagnetic burst that saved the Colonial One. This is one of those moments in a science-fiction show where I just nod my head and smile, happy that these characters are still alive. YES, LEE ADAMA, I BELIEVE YOU. JUST CARRY ON.

It finally seems, though, that all of these separate story lines are going to come together, and part of that is due to Lee’s quick thinking about the Colonial One. Boomer is found by the ship, and the crew continues to work towards seeking out survivors scattered about the universe.

But Commander Adama soon discovers that he’s got a problem of his own that is going to require everyone to rethink their “war” against the Cylons. (Is it even a war at this point? It seems much more like a slaughter.) It was obvious to me that Baltar was the only one who truly knew the nature of the “upgraded” Cylons, that Cylons could look and act just like us. And, as that hallucinated Six will point out later, it’s not like Baltar can just waltz up to Adama and announce that he knows information about the Cylons without arousing suspicion. I’m now getting the sense that the writers are going to save Baltar for much bigger things; he gets to avoid that confrontation when Adama comes face-to-face with a newer model Cylon himself. It’s actually a brilliant way to have the other characters find out this unsettling development without sacrificing Baltar. Those scenes inside the Ragnar station are claustrophobic, disorienting, and tense, especially as I could not figure out why the man Adama gets trapped with, Conoy, was getting so violently ill. Adama was able to put it together a lot quicker than I was, but there’s still a brutal fight between the two of them. Is it true that the Cylons can still remember everything they experienced in their other bodies? Because that is awful. They’re like the very best kind of spies! Death doesn’t matter to them if they can merely be uploaded into a new body.

The confrontation between Conoy and Adama didn’t just help to advance the plot forward, though. It also acts to expose us to another side of Commander Adama. I knew there was no way that the show would kill of Adama in the miniseries, so I was just waiting to see how they’d get him away from Conoy, who was trying quite hard to murder this man. Would I have guessed that Adama would bludgeon Conoy to death WITH A FLASHLIGHTB? No. No, I would not have guessed that. But christ, that image of his determined and frightened face pulling up to the camera, covered in his own and Conoy’s blood is just….good god. I know now that Adama has the capacity for violence, even in terms of just self-defense, and it makes him a lot more intimidating and layered as a character.

We get to see another side of Roslin as well when her rescue plans begin to fall apart. She is perfectly capable (and quite amazing) as a President, and it seems so natural to her to do what she does. But when Boomer returns from a recon mission and a Cylon Raider scouting ship follows her, it shows us that random chance and forced brutality can render anyone helpless. It’s not that Roslin does anything wrong here, as she makes the choice that is the most sensible and logical, given the situation. But only two-thirds of the ships in the convoy she’s assembled are even capable of faster-than-light travel. There’s a great parallel to XO Tigh’s decompression choice in the previous part, in that time is a huge factor in what the end result might be. If Tyrol had had forty more seconds, eighty-five crew might not have died, but the fire could have spread. If Roslin had had more time, she probably could have transported as many survivors, but with the Cylon fighters soon arriving, she is faced with a terrible choice: save more and lose everyone, or sacrifice many to save the most. Of every decision that Roslin has had to make as the newly-sworn President, this is certainly the most challenging of it all.

Unlike Commander Adama, though, Roslin wears her emotions openly while still being in charge of the situation, and I kind of adore her for that. She doesn’t care that she’s emotional, and I’d say that is one of her best qualities as a leader. She doesn’t hide her tears as she chooses to doom twenty entire ships to certain death. Hell, how could you? The decision she just made will kill thousands of people. But to me, that’s why I’m glad she’s in charge. She knows how to make a difficult decision like this when necessary.

Upon finally making the jump to Ragnar, it is here that all of our characters come together, and I was not at all surprised that the very first meeting between Roslin and those on the Galactica was wrought with tension and conflict. I (so far) enjoy the bulk of these characters, and I do this thing in my head when this happens: when the characters start having negative interactions with one another, it’s akin to watching your parents argue. I just want it to stop. So once Tigh and Roslin clearly started to go at each other’s throats, I wanted to reach through the screen and just hug them and tell them that everything will be okay. It seems that Lee provides the final push that Roslin needs to get Tigh to agree partially to her plan, and it’s part of a larger issue at hand: No one seems to want to listen to an “inexperienced” woman, and it takes another man for Tigh to finally concede something to her. I’m guessing, though, that this behavior is going to have negative consequences for everyone. I’m still maintaining that she’s right about what these survivors need to do.

Baltar, who is quickly becoming the most intriguing character of the bunch, is learning that it is also not going to be that easy for him to escape his past. I don’t know the reason for the “visions” of Six that he is experiencing, but they are too real and too present to merely be hallucinations. Are they manifestations of his guilt? Is that why Six seems to be helping Baltar? In that sense, it can’t be an actual Cylon. I suppose it doesn’t really matter, though, because what Six helps Baltar discover is way more important: There is a humanoid Cylon on board the Galactica.

GOD DAMN IT. WHO? HOW? And if they are on board, can’t they also send any information back to the other Cylons upon death?

It’s actually a fascinating idea and a twist on a sci-fi/horror trope, somewhere in between dopplegangers and hidden infections. It’s something that can fuel a whole lot of story telling for the future, too. And based on what we do know about Cylons, it seems there are only twelve of the same version? Or something? Either way, I haven’t figured out the specifics, but Baltar’s actions upon discovering this information lead his character in a direction I wouldn’t have been able to anticipate. He’s found a way to begin his own redemption process, in a way, but it’s not entirely pure or genuine. Baltar can’t resist helping himself, so I started to worry when he brought up this entire issue to Commander Adama and Tigh. I think he genuinely does want to create a method to determine Cylons from humans, but when he pointed the finger at Doral, I was concerned. It doesn’t feel right to me! Not only is it too convenient, but Baltar didn’t sound confident enough for me to believe that Doral was the humanoid Cylon on board.

I’m guessing that the writers are exploring Baltar’s nature through this: There’s a part of him that wants to good, but it’s overshadowed by the part that just wants to stay alive and benefit from the world around him. I just don’t feel right in believing that Doral is the one. I mean, it’s just so sudden! Oh, Baltar, you confuse me. 

I think it’s also a testament to the writing that not only can I feel this strongly about Baltar’s actions, but that this early into the show, I can be touched by Lee’s interactions with both his father and Starbuck. I think the writers were smart for starting the healing process here in the miniseries, as I don’t know that I could stomach years of the same subplot drawn out. Obviously, it’s not entirely over, of course, but it was nice to see Lee have a tender (if awkward) moment with his father. I think it’s fair to say that his conversation with Starbuck is just as awkward and tender as that with Commander Adama. I think that having such a close brush with death is certainly a part of it. If the world is ending around you, you’d probably start appreciating the few people left behind. Even Starbuck seems finally willing to set aside some of her derision for Lee, though the bulk of this is set aside to be dealt with later when she reveals that SHE was the one who mistakenly passed Zak Adama, not Lee’s father. WELL. OKAY. THAT’S AWKWARD. Plus, it reveals that Lee has been harsh on his father for something he never really did. So is there now hope that Lee can repair things with his father?

This third part ends on a less hopeful note, though: Starbuck’s recon mission reveals that the Cylon forces are merely waiting outside the EM storm cloud for the survivors to come out. With everyone in the same area, are our characters going to come to a final clash when they decide what to do? Will even more get left behind in order to preserve the human race?

About Mark Oshiro

Perpetually unprepared since '09.
This entry was posted in Battlestar Galactica and tagged , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

155 Responses to Mark Watches ‘Battlestar Galactica’: Miniseries, Part III

  1. Well, could this get any more bleak than it already is?
    YES.

  2. Well, could this get any more bleak than it already is?
    How much more bleak could this be? The answer is none. None more bleak.

  3. elusivebreath says:

    Baltar is one of my favorite characters, for the main reason that he is just so complex. Sometimes I love him, sometimes I hate him, but I never fail to be *interested* by him.

  4. cait0716 says:

    I mean…they basically killed off seven million people in the pilot/miniseries. MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.

    So, Starbuck said that the population of Caprica City was seven million. That's one city on one of twelve planets. We're talking billions, probably tens of billions, of people wiped out in a few hours. Clearly you were too unprepared to even process this. But yeah, the entire human race reduced to roughly 50,000 people. Very bleak indeed.

    It's interesting that Baltar basically chooses Doral at random to sacrifice. He knows the device is cylon technology, but he doesn't have the slightest idea who the cylon might be. So he just picks someone. It's the same sort of sacrifice a few to save many logic that Tigh and Roslin both employed earlier. But Baltar doesn't seem quite as torn up about his decision, just scared he's going to get caught. At least, that's how I read this part.

    • hpfish13 says:

      Somehow it just hit me that 50,000 people is only a little more than the population of the city I live in. And its considered a relatively small city in southern California.

      • Jenny_M says:

        Yeah, there are 20,000 people at my PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. That is…holy crap. That is not many people.

      • xpanasonicyouthx says:

        HOLY CHRIST I FORGOT THERE WERE 12 COLONIES

        hold me

      • cait0716 says:

        Seriously. It's barely anyone

      • monkeybutter says:

        50,000 people is less than my tiny suburban hometown, and it's hard for me to picture that few people in isolation because I live in the hugely sprawling suburbs. The thought of scooping 50,000 out of this morass and saying: "that's it, this is humanity" horrifies me. I know that the human population was probably reduced to only a few thousand people (possibly because of the Toba catastrophe) and we survived, but I still can't conceive of living in that tiny a population. It just makes Roslin's choice to leave people behind seem even more difficult. I don't envy her.

        • enigmaticagentscully says:

          The worst part is, it's not even as if you can CHOOSE 50,00 people. You're just stuck with whoever happened to be in the right place at the right time. It makes for a fascinating premise for a show, but not so great if you're trying to save the species.
          On the other hand, maybe dumb luck is a useful survival trait to have in this situation?

          • monkeybutter says:

            True, and it'd be awful to select who gets to live. I didn't catch it in the show, but are most of the FTL ships operated by the military and government? I know there are civilians out there, but if there are a lot of soldiers amongst the survivors, at least their ages would be in line with reproductive years. God, this is getting even gloomier.

    • shoroko says:

      Baltar's decision isn't really the same as Tigh's and Roslin's. The latter two were actually faced with two very bad options, and had to choose the ones that ultimately meant they were risking less. Baltar fingers Doral to save his own skin, because he's not willing to admit his connection to the Cylons. He could have reported the device by saying he knew a Cylon on Caprica and saw that she had a similar device. Of course, it's understandable that Baltar isn't exactly leaping to admit to basically committing treason, even he did so unknowingly. But if he is accusing Doral for no reason other than wanting to report the device without admitting guilt, then it's also an incredibly selfish thing to do. Tigh and Roslin were balancing the interests of what were huge numbers of people; Baltar was looking out for himself. I'm not saying you have to hate him over it, but I don't think those decisions are really comparable.

      • cait0716 says:

        Fair. I guess I was more coming at it from the perspective of him not wanting everyone to die. He's completely selfish and cowardly, but he's not as evil as the cylons.

        • Tilja says:

          There's something else. Tigh and Rosin took a decision where they had to sacrifice many people in order to keep the enemy away from most people. Baltar simply pointed at a random guy he disliked to frame him, leaving the real enemy meanwhile very well hidden within the population of the Galactica.

          I really can't compare those two kinds of actions.

    • notemily says:

      Baltar doesn't actually pick Doral at random–he picks Doral because Doral was being a dick to him. Which is very Baltar. Also because it's convenient, since he's an "outsider" who has had total access to the ship, so it would make sense. He would have had the opportunity to plant the device without anyone noticing.

      • cait0716 says:

        Right. Not strictly at random. But he doesn't have any real evidence that Doral's a Cylon, which is what I was trying to convey. I need to work on my word choice.

  5. echinodermata says:

    I thought it was really fitting how Starbuck gets told about Apollo, where it doesn't have to be spoken to be understood.
    <img src="http://i51.tinypic.com/ajni3s.gif"&gt;
    This is the world they live in, where there's not much time to mourn and when death is going to be something everyone better get used to dealing with. Very very bleak.

    Them showing Cami (the little girl) after we realize she's going to be sacrificed is really hard to bear. But it does sufficiently portray the horrible decision these characters have to make. I think many of us are desensitized to these sorts of sacrifices in fiction, but I definitely felt the shock of it watching this ep.

    Anyway, I like how the show did the character reunions, and how different people with different relationships responded to each other. It was nice.

    And I'm in camp 'punch Baltar in the face,' btw. Yeah yeah, he's interesting and complex. But that doesn't override my urge to yell expletives when he lets selfishness win so very easily. The whole thing with Doral just does not sit well with me at all.

    • hpfish13 says:

      Exactly, I have no trouble finding Baltar interesting, but when it comes right down to it, I would never want to have anything to do with him in real life.

      • cait0716 says:

        I might have sex with him. I wouldn't spend the night or give him my number or anything, but I think a single evening with him could be fun and interesting.

      • @GalFawkes says:

        Gaius Baltar reminds me of this one ex I had.

      • xpanasonicyouthx says:

        Oh god, will I be shot for this? This is how I feel about Snape. SORRY, IT IS JUST HOW I FEEL.

        • hpfish13 says:

          No, I was actually going to use how I felt about Snape's personality as a comparison!

        • Elexus Calcearius says:

          Hmm, interesting comparison, but somehow Gaius annoys me way more than Snape. I certainly see the comparison, and there's not way I'd really want to spend time with either of them, but…Gaius is somehow way more slimy to me.

          • hpfish13 says:

            I can't respond in detail about this because of spoilers……but, yes, if I had to choose one of them to be stuck spending time with, it would definitely be Snape.

        • elusivebreath says:

          I won't shoot you, but I <3 Snape as a character lol.

        • Mari says:

          Funnny thing is, I find Snape to be very meh while I just love baltar. It might be my love for scientists talking.

      • Elexus Calcearius says:

        Thank you! Yes, exactly.

    • enigmaticagentscully says:

      I…I find it hard to really HATE Baltar. I certainly dislike him greatly, since he's basically a selfish, egotistical scumbag.
      On the other hand…he's a coward. And I'm not sure if that acts as an argument against him, or in his favour. So many characters in shows like this are completely, wonderfully selfless and brave, willing to sacrifice themselves for the greater good without question. So much so that I wonder how many people would really act like that. But here we have someone who's not like that – he's terrified of being found out and killed. And that's kind of fascinating to watch.
      He's never really vindictive or cruel without reason, everything he does is to save his own life. And I wonder if being a coward is something you can't help; not a choice but rather an unwanted thing, like having diabetes.

      I wouldn't like to have the guy as a friend, put it that way. But I'm not sure I'd want to see him killed for treason either. To me, intent is important, and however selfish his actions afterwards, Baltar never intended to help the Cylons, or for anyone to get hurt.

      Mind you, what he did to Doral was just awful. In my mind, that's far worse than inadvertently helping Six.

      • echinodermata says:

        Reading other comments, I've now tried to figure out why I love Snape but get so irritated with Baltar. And I don't have a big explanation that I feel really explains my feelings, just that I've thought of a couple of reasons that might contribute to my difference in reactions. I think my biggest reason is that we get too much of Baltar's perspective. I think it's quite possible that were we given Snape's inner thoughts all the time, his pettiness would stand out more. But without it, I think he's just a complicated bastard. Whereas with Baltar, knowing what he's thinking simply confirms that he's a sad little man.

        I do find Baltar to be a very interesting character; that's not the issue. But my disgust at his decisions and thought process leaves me cold. Basically, good character, but so far he skeeves me out too much to really be happy when he's on screen.

        (And as for whether or not I feel he should be punished isn't a question that interests me. I don't think he should be killed for treason either (yet?), but that doesn't factor into my viewing experience. The issue of his greater intentions doesn't make much difference to me when his own personal self interest seems to be his principal guiding factor to the extent he's scapegoating Doral like this. Whether or not he's helping Six and/or jeopardizing the fleet really doesn't matter to me when he as a person already turns me off.)

    • notemily says:

      STARBUCK ILU SO MUCH.

      That is all

    • Noybusiness says:

      What HungryLikeLupin said.

  6. Kate says:

    Hey everyone, this is kind of awkward. I wanted to start watching BG but I haven't been able to find any links for the miniseries available to watch online in the UK. I found the series proper on sidereel but it doesn't seem to mention the miniseries there? Help would be much appreciated!

    • cait0716 says:

      I wish I could help, but I have no knowledge of streaming sources. I still buy DVDs or rent them from Blockbuster

    • Mauve_Avenger says:

      I've been looking around, and the only non-iTunes/Netflix/Amazon Instant sources I could find were downloads.

      Then I found one site that has all BSG downloads for Megaupload, miniseries and movies included (ETA: it has episode titles listed, so if anyone wants to avoid that, don't click), which should mean that you can watch them on Megavideo, but when I clicked on the "view on Megavideo" button it wouldn't load for me. I guess you could try it, though.

      The only problem (assuming you can get it to work unlike me) is that I'm pretty sure Megavideo has a time limit on how much you can watch in a single session, so you wouldn't be able to watch it all at once.

      • Kate says:

        Oh this is great, thankyou so much! 😀 I clicked on the first one and it seems to be working for me!
        I really appreciate the effort you went through. ~Hugs and cookies~

    • Noybusiness says:

      There is an entry for it on Sidereel, as a separate series. I checked yesterday and would have posted then if not for lj openid problems.

  7. pica_scribit says:

    What I cannot understand: You know humanoid Cylons get sick after a few hours in the storm cloud. Why not just hang out there until you can positively identify any that might be on board?

    Also, it was chilling when Conoy quoted Adama's retirement speech back to him, which means there was probably another Cylon AT THE CEREMONY! If not Doral, then who?! I feel like we're being set up for a punch-in-the-gut betrayal.

    • cait0716 says:

      Stop using logic!

    • HungryLikeLupin says:

      Didn't the Cylon they found there say that more were on their way? It takes several hours for symptoms to manifest; by that time they'd be found out and, as he says, slaughtered before they Cylons got so much as a headache. It's the same reason so much has already gone wrong so far: they just don't have enough time.

    • Manself says:

      Well, it would be kinda difficult to sort out who was sick from the storm cloud and who was just unlucky enough to fall ill at the time.

    • farewelltofoot says:

      Well shoot, you just kinda ruined my enjoyment of this episode.
      My science-loving brain now won't accept the series not just doing this.

  8. Ryan Lohner says:

    Ron Moore has stated regret that he didn't make the impact of Roslin's previous decision clearer. At the end of part one of the miniseries, she decided to stay and help all the survivors rather than run, which would have gotten everyone killed if not for Lee's technobabble quick thinking. So here, she's faced with pretty much the same choice and knows full well that they probably won't be that lucky again, so she goes the other way. And all the people on those non-FTL ships pleading not to be left behind, ending with Roslin being cursed to Hell, is still one of the most haunting scenes of the entire series to me.

  9. Albion19 says:

    Leoben! I heart him, which is weird I know lol

    • Oh! I was wondering who the hell this "Conoy" person Mark kept referring to was, since I didn't remember him at all.

      People tend to heart Callum Keith Rennie, so your hearting is understandable.

      • Ever since Due South. He'll always be RayK to me, and I'll always love him.

        • monkeybutter says:

          Whaaaaat, I didn't know that was him! And now I'm going to be sad I don't have a wolfdog.

          • Aren't we all sad for that? Dief rules.

            I prefer RayK to RayV, not least because of CKR's acting chops, so when I saw him on this show… well, I about fell off my couch. And he's a Cylon! Who's going to tell Fraser? 🙁

            • monkeybutter says:

              He'll be okay, I'm sure they gave him another replacement Ray (actually, I liked Fraser and RayK together better, so that would be sad). Dammit, why isn't Due South on Instant?

    • NB2000 says:

      I heart his weird life presever…vest…thing. Yeah random I know.

      • The BSG exhibit at Seattle's Sci Fi Museum has his costume as part of the display, vest-thing included. It's fantastic (as is the whole exhibit, which I've visited three times so far). If anyone's in the area and love the show, you should visit it! It closes next March, I think.

  10. Jenny_M says:

    One of my favorite moments in this part of the miniseries is the quiet moments where Boomer and the Chief are reunited, and Dualla kisses Billy (d'awww) and Lee sees Starbuck. Because, I mean, call me a sucker for the sweet stuff, but these people have just been through SO MUCH SHIT, and so has the viewer, so it's nice to have just a minute or two to breathe before we once again begin not being prepared.

    I'm not sure that I read Lee being angry with Adama being about Adama passing Zak so much as it's about Adama pressuring both boys to join the military in the first place, even though one of them was not so much cut out for it. I don't think Zak would have been in the plane for Starbuck to pass if Adama hadn't been…gently nudging them both in that direction.

    • redheadedgirl says:

      I don't think Zak would have been in the plane for Starbuck to pass if Adama hadn't been…gently nudging them both in that direction.

      I absolutely agree. Starbuck has some responsibility (there's clearly stuff to do in the fleet that isn't being a Viper pilot, but she passed him anyway), but Zak wanted to join the Fleet and be a Viper pilot to make his daddy proud of him (Doesn't Lee say something like "because that's the only way you (Commander Adama) think it's possible to be a man"?)

      • Jenny_M says:

        I love the differences in how Lee and Adama see it. Like…Lee talks about how there was this pressure on them to be men and make their father proud, while Adama thinks that of course he would never have pressured his kids. It reminds me of some uh…discussions I've had with my own parents on the matter. I was like…your gentle nudging occasionally gave me anxiety attacks.

      • notemily says:

        Yeah, it's something like "a man isn't a man until he wears the wings." They share some responsibility for it.

  11. monkeybutter says:

    This is now a time for the survivors to take a moment to reflect on the reality of what’s just happened to them

    And that time shall be called sexytime? Everyone is relieved to be alive, so it makes sense. Boomer and Tyrol's reunion was sweet! Tyrol's growing on me the more he's on screen. Oh, you two. Not in front of the kid. By the way, is there any better name for a sad little kid than "Boxey"?

    Argh, the sexual tension between Lee and Starbuck is killing me, and it's soooo awkward because she had a thing with his brother. I assume we'll be getting tons more backstory out of them, but in the meantime i'm going to be antsy, aren't I?

    Baltar. What to say about Baltar? He has a Cylon living in his head or something, he's still pretty damn craven, but trying to keep everyone alive, so that's a plus. Was Gaeta guilt-tripping him on purpose, or was his sympathy completely earnest? Either way, I don't see how Baltar isn't going to be getting strange looks from the crew within a week due to his hallucinations or projections or whatever they are. And Mark, I was under the impression that Baltar was cold making shit up and getting away with it based on his credentials. Doral is the perfect choice, like he discussed with Six, but since he's relatively alone and has had access to the ship, it could have been him. Either way, I hope Baltar is coming up with a better Turing test for Cylons. Ask people if they think Cylons have souls. They seem to be touchy about that.

  12. Ryan Lohner says:

    Does anyone else think Katie Sackhoff looks disturbingly like Macauley Culkin? At least it wasn't as bad on 24, where she had long hair.

  13. Kaci says:

    I'm going to be a little wary with my comment here, as I watched this part on Netflix and since I didn't know when your part three stops (on Netflix, it's just parts one and two–part one on Netflix seems to be your parts I and II, and part two on Netflix seems to be this part and the next one), I just kept watching, so I've seen to the end of the mini-series now and I don't want to say anything that happens in stuff you haven't already seen, because I'm not sure where yours ends.

    So instead I'm just going to say again that Roslin can pretty much just be president of everything, as far as I'm concerned, up to and including my life, and I will be quite happy with that. I like that when she makes that decision, as difficult as it is, she doesn't try to be stone faced, or yell to come across as "tough." She feels it, and isn't ashamed to let it show just how much it hangs over her head–but at the same time, it had to be done. Same with Lee's face when the other ships were contacting him over the radio–you could see everything in his face, and yet he did what had to be done.

    I think this part helped me gain a new appreciation of Baltar that I didn't get from the first two parts, as well. I still can't say that I like him (and I love pretty much everyone else, so…) but I think I'm more…intrigued by him now.

    • Jenny_M says:

      I stopped my Netflix where it seemed like iTunes was set to stop – right after Starbuck poked her nose through the cloud and was like, "oh shit." I don't know if that helps, but it might help you be non-spoilery!

      • xpanasonicyouthx says:

        That's the point where it stopped!

        • Jenny_M says:

          I was sitting there checking the timecode like it was SRS BZNESS. I knew iTunes stopped somewhere in minute 57 and after that scene I was like, "this seems like an appropriate stopping point. I'm sure the person chopping this up for iTunes will agree with me."

          • monkeybutter says:

            lol I did the same thing. ~57 minutes, Cylons everywhere, I'm desperate to see what happens next: time to hit pause!

  14. NB2000 says:

    It's completely inappropriate to the moment but when Starbuck prays for Lee over the photograph I always get distracted by giggling at how awkward Lee seems, "No you guys go on hugging, I'll just…be over here…"

    Oh Laura ILU making the hard, yet pragmatic decisions. The ones I'd probably have a breakdown over if I was in your shoes. The shots of her sitting alone in the seats as Colonial One jump away while the voices of the other ships play over the intercom (especially the "I hope you people rot in hell for this" one, ouch) make me want to hug her.

    I neglected to mention him before but Billy you big, sweet dork could you be more adorable? The scene where he reveals he's worked out that Laura has cancer is really lovely, getting lost again while trying to guide Gaius through Galactica just makes me giggle. I'm not particularly fond of Dee but the moment in the hallway where she sees Billy again is also really sweet (Gaius' reaction is pretty lulsy), actually all of those reunions are so heartwarming. A brief moment of happiness after so much misery.

    Aaah Gaius and his imaginary girlfriend. They're such a good duo, James and Tricia play off each other so well. She's such a mysterious figure but Tricia makes her really amusing "I don't remember seeing him at any of the Cylon parties" (why do I have the feeling those would either be incrediubly fun or the most terrifying parties ever?).

    "I hate this part" Aww Cally.

    • cait0716 says:

      Yeah, the photo's a bit awkward. Why is Lee even in it?

      Cally gets all my love. She's the one I identify with the most.

      • Sadie says:

        Lee: "I will now ~awkwardly photobomb~ the affectionate couple." Even worse, why is that the one picture of the three of them that she decided to keep? It's just weird.

    • virtual_monster says:

      I reckon that Cylon parties would be both incredibly fun and the most terrifying parties ever. Although they might want more lights on the dancefloor than just the little red ones going back and forth. And as for Cylon party games?

      'Right everyone's gotta do shots. That's actual shots – to the head – and the last one to download into a new body has to do a forfeit.'
      'Oh man, this game sucks. Can't we play (literal) baby Twister again?'

    • enigmaticagentscully says:

      I want to go a Cylon party! I bet they sit around eating toast.

  15. majere616 says:

    I love President Roslin and we still haven't even gotten into the series proper. She's just so…ugh there aren't even words to describe how brilliant she is. Her, Adama and Boomer are the only major characters I like who are still obviously alive.

  16. Mez says:

    And based on what we do know about Cylons, it seems there are only twelve of the same version? Or something?

    No, Mark, you're misinterpreting this. There are twelve different VERSIONS of Cylon. So there are twelve different ways they can look. Gaius's girlfriend was model number 6, and any other Cylon would be different model numbers.

    • evocativecomma says:

      Please go read the spoiler policy. If Mark has got something wrong, and it's *explained later*, telling him is a spoiler.

  17. Maya says:

    I just love the scene with Starbuck praying for Lee. I don't know why, but something about it just gets me EVERY TIME. Probably because I love my pilots so damn much but ungh. TEARS. And then they're reunited and Kara confesses about passing his brother and tries to get Lee to reconcile with his dad. LOVE FOREVER.

    Oh man, I love Baltar and his head!Six. Tricia Helfer and James Callis are an amazing pair and they just make everything brilliant.

    Laura Roslin is the HBIC of the universe.

    I AM SO GLAD YOU ARE WATCHING THIS SHOW AHHHHHHHH

  18. chikzdigmohawkz says:

    If I remember correctly, one of the creators/writers said somewhere that Lee's technobabble explanation of the EMP was thrown in there sort of to mock the fact that a lot of sci-fi shows solve problems with 'science'.

    Also, the hallucinated version of Six is generally referred to as 'Head Six'. (And I just love how she fucks with him, constantly – talking to him, doing…other things, while people are around.)

  19. clodia_risa says:

    I cannot decide if I want to hug Baltar and tell him it’ll all be okay or to slap him upside the head and hold him down until he tells Roslin and Adama everything.

    Everything is so awkward and jagged between the characters, isn’t it? It’s nice, especially since most TV shows and movies have to have the characters get along at least most of the time. It’s refreshing for there to be this shared history even at the beginning of the show.

  20. psycicflower says:

    ‘Colonel, the war is over and we lost.’
    I love how practical Roslin is here. This isn't a matter of winning or losing any more but pure survival. As they said when deciding to leave the other ships behind this is now a numbers game, as hard as that is to have to think like that, especially with all those people begging for help. Also her face when Billy tells her Cami's ship doesn't have FTL is so sad.

    ‘It hasn’t exploded’ ‘Yet.’
    I love Six and how she messes with Gaius. I can't figure her out, I mean she's a Cylon but she did point out that device, but I do love her interactions with Gaius. The downside to Gaius making Doral the scapegoat for the Cylon tech is that presumably there's still a Cylon somewhere on the ship.

  21. NopeJustMe says:

    I don't think that Laura is being looked down on because she's a woman. Adama and Tigh's main problem with her is that she is inexperienced and not qualified, getting the office by chance of probably dozens of deaths of her superiors before it got to her. I think it grinds on them how she has taken power and is giving out orders when, as far as they're concerned, they're the experts here.

    I never got a sexist vibe off any of the people in this show. Starbuck is acknowledged as the best pilot, without anyone going 'even though she has a uterus!' Boomer is also respected according to rank. There are women in the command centre and on the docking bays, none of whom have been treated any differently (for example, women acted the same as men in the face of tragedy. There was no wailing female that had to be comforted). No-one disagrees with women being sent off to fight, Tigh even attacked Starbuck without hesitation.

    Though the main reason I think this is (and it's a pretty silly reason) is that there's no difference between the uniforms for men and women. Admit it, even in Star Trek the females were walking around in tight little skirts and heels. All these uniforms are unisex and professional looking.

    • enigmaticagentscully says:

      I think you're right, it's more about inexperience than her being female. To be honest, I always thought a lot of it was just that she was a politician – I think they would have resented any outsider coming in and giving them orders.
      As far as Tigh and Adama are concerned, they're in the middle of a war. This is their area of expertise, they're career military and they want to get back into the fight and deal out some revenge to the cylons. They don't want some newly-sworn-in President telling them to give it up.
      Roslin, for all her emotional appearances, is the one dealing in cold, hard facts here, and I think that would be hard to accept coming from anyone.

      • NopeJustMe says:

        To be fair, I can see where both sides are coming from. While there does need to be a form of government in order to let the people have a voice, the military are the ones who know what they're doing and HAVE to be obeyed straight away if there's a cylon attack in order for humans to survive.

        I have a feeling this is going to lead to alot of tension in the future. Though Adama doesn't seem the type to declare Martial Law just like that.

    • sabra_n says:

      I remember that when I watched I interpreted it largely as a military vs. civilian thing. Adama and Tigh thought they were in the middle of a war and so clearly military officers should be in charge. Roslin was like, "Guys, we can't fight this," and kind of standing in for the value of civilian political control over military forces even in emergency situations.

      • NopeJustMe says:

        It puzzled me that they didn't realise it was a lost cause. Surely saving the survivors is more important than fighting against an already successful attack?

        • sabra_n says:

          Yeah, I wasn't really getting it either, which is why I was siding with Roslin's civilian POV very strongly.

        • redheadedgirl says:

          I think it's a case of "when all you have is a hammer, all the universe looks like a nail." They're the military, and what does the military do? They fight. They didn't take a moment to do a cost-benefit analysis of the situation (to be fair, they really didn't have a chance to do one), and just went on instinct, which is fight. Until the non-Military Roslin came along and was like, "GUYS RUN SERIOUSLY."

    • monkeybutter says:

      At least the miniskirts gave us Zapp Brannigan?

      I don't think it's a silly reason. I like that the uniforms and outfits are actually suitable to whatever the characters are doing.

    • cait0716 says:

      Ron Moore has said (in commentaries and podcasts) that one of the goals of this show was to create a society without sexism. To try and explore what happens when there is no glass ceiling, no gender divisions. In his words, none of these women grew up being told that there were things they should or shouldn't do just because they were girls. And I think that's why we get so many varied female characters all over the place.

      Of course, the show doesn't exist in a vacuum and reflects our world. So some of that will probably be in there at some level. It's just not a goal of the show to have women fighting against the patriarchy. In that sense, it's a bit of a utopia (despite the fact that the world just ended)

  22. diane says:

    Note how many close escapes Baltar has already had. He escaped through the blast that destroyed his house. He got a seat on Boomer's Raptor. He's revealed that his navigation code has been compromised, without revealing his role in that. He's revealed the Cylon device, without revealing how he knew. Yes, Baltar is a snake, well beyond any clinical diagnoses you might want to make, but he's a fascinating snake.

    Boxey. Yes. Ron Moore has a thing about working with children. He hates it. On one of the commentaries, he basically said that he regards them as props.

    "How much more bleak can this get?" Do you really want an answer for that?

    • Ron Moore has a thing about working with children. He hates it. On one of the commentaries, he basically said that he regards them as props.

      Just when I thought I could not love the man more.

  23. Mark, you have to do me a favor and find a way to play the Battlestar Galactica board game once you get through seasons 1 and 2. I think it only really has spoilers for the first season, but maybe wait until the second one to be safe. (The expansions have spoilers for later seasons, so be wary of those.) It is just SO DAMN FUN. And it captures the horrible/wonderful spirit of this show SO WELL. And then you could make a post called "Mark Does Something That Is Neither Reading Nor Watching". 😀

    Anyway, this show is bananas. I love it.

    • The BSG board game is PRETTY AWESOME. I've only played it in real life once, but I've been playing it on a messageboard for months, and it's superfun. I love how the character abilities and weaknesses are so tied to the show. For instance, Helo's weakness is that for the first round of the game, he's stranded on Caprica and can't do anything.

      • It's super great IRL because of all the pokerfacing involved. It's like a game of mafia. SO MUCH FUN.

        • It was totally unfair when I played because several of us had never played before, so my brother was sort of leading the group and giving us advice on what to do at certain points.

          EXCEPT HE WAS A CYLON.

          There was so much yelling involved. So much yelling. (We were pretty much frakked from the beginning, though, because both the President and the Admiral were Cylons. And I think they figured out who their partner was very early on. We didn't stand a chance. Hell of a first game.)

          We've had some very exciting games online too. One time I died twice.

        • SO MUCH, especially if you're a Cylon.

          I've played it twice, and both times I was a secret Cylon agent. The first game, I convinced the human players to make me President. The second time, they threw me into the brig on pure suspicion, and I talked my way out to save the ship from a Cylon attack … and I defected in the middle of it, leaving them all to die while I LAUGHED AND LAUGHED AT THEIR HUMAN FOOLISHNESS.

          Ahem. Yes, I love the game. Everyone should play it.

    • enigmaticagentscully says:

      My favourite board game! We play it all the time at my house. I always play Roslin because…why not? Also, because the Quorum cards are freaking awesome.

      I did buy it too soon thought, so I got spoiled for something that happens in early season two that I hadn't seen yet. I got the card and was all '…the hell? When did that happen??'

      My Dad always ends up being a cylon though, I don't know how he does it! And of course now, even when he isn't, we all just assume he is and give him a hard time. 😛

      • enigmaticagentscully says:

        Also, my brother in law always plays the Chief because that was his nickname at school. And he's also a mechanic so we all thought it was a really cool coincidence!

        And then he spoke to some of his old school friends and they were all 'Oh yeah, that's why we gave you that nickname. Did we not say?' Turns out they were BSG fans back then before he'd even heard of it!

        Does anyone have the expansion pack (which I won't name for obvious reasons). I was thinking of buying it, does it add anything to the game really?

        • YES!

          The expansions add some very cool skill cards in addition to more characters. I haven't played the full-scale modules since I've only played with the expansions online, but they also seem to add some interesting complexity to the game. I can't imagine playing with just the base set now. I would consider the first expansion to be almost essential.

  24. enigmaticagentscully says:

    I absolutely love the scene where that guy (I don't know his name! how awful!) is walking amongst the bodies holding the dogtags of all the dead…It's a haunting visual, and the music is just so perfect and so chilling. I'm going to wax lyrical about Bear McCreary's music a LOT in the coming few months, so I thought I should just say that the soundtrack for the miniseries is pretty damn good regardless of him not doing it.

    And then of course the reunion scenes….Boomer and the Chief are so CUTE!

    • notemily says:

      Not sure if it's been mentioned onscreen or not, but imdb lists that guy as Captain Kelly.

      • enigmaticagentscully says:

        Oh thank you! I DID know his name at one point, that's why it annoyed me so much that I couldn't remember!

        Though, to be fair, I spent most of the miniseries thinking of Lt. Gaeta as 'that guy who does all the work', the first time I watched it. 😛
        Yeah, I'm not great with names.

  25. enigmaticagentscully says:

    Also, I would like to take this opportunity to mention how much I love Billy.

    I just want to give him a big squishy hug every time he appears on screen. <3

  26. HungryLikeLupin says:

    I have to say that I agree with monkeybutter about Gaius. (And wow, I just giggled so hard while typing that sentence. Hee.) It definitely seems to me that Gaius just sees Doral as a convenient fall-guy. The reason he doesn't seem confident when making his accusation is because he's not confident; he's completely making it up and counting on the fact that no one will understand what he's talking about/showing them, anyway.

    Also, I'm a little confused now; did Six actually tell Gaius that there was a Cylon onboard, or did she just point out the Cylon device? I'd thought it was the latter, and Gaius had decided to make Doral take the fall for it, but I'll admit that I was a little distracted while I was watching it. (Also, the sound on my TV is not the best with these DVDs, for some reason.)

    • Mauve_Avenger says:

      She pointed out the Cylon device, but then when Baltar starts connecting the dots and then stops mid-sentence, she sort of eggs him on ("Say it."). So it looks like she was trying to get him to notice that there's another Cylon on board, even if she didn't say (or even confirm) it herself.

      • HungryLikeLupin says:

        Okay, that's pretty much what I thought happened. 😆 But was she trying to get him to notice that, or did she just want to hear whatever he was thinking?

        See, this would be so much easier to figure out if we knew if she was in any way real. Again, I say: THIS SHOW.

        • notemily says:

          I think at this point they WANT to keep you guessing as to whether or not Six is just in Baltar's head/a hallucination/whatever. So you really don't know if Six actively helped Baltar figure shit out, or if he worked it out in his own head.

          • HungryLikeLupin says:

            Oh, absolutely. It's one of the things I love best about this show: that constant air of uncertainty. Just when you get answers about one thing, they throw a thousand more questions at you. I can't wait to finally finish the series and find out how many actually get answered. XD

  27. Mauve_Avenger says:

    Randomness, because once again my notes are mainly from the next section:

    -I like how Dr. Baltar has the same silvery desktop calculator/calendar thing my dad does. (~Important Observations~)

    -When Leoben first came on screen, my first thought was that he's going to turn into a Reaver.

    -I didn't catch it the first few times it was mentioned, but the thing the possibly-Cylon device was planted on is called a "DRADIS console."

    My only *real* comment, which has a pretty high probability of being caused by overthinking it:
    I can't help but wonder if perhaps Six's claim about a chip in Baltar's brain is true, and she just created the image of the device being in her bag right then and there and beamed it into his head. The way it was shown in the flashback-type scene, it doesn't seem like he'd even be able to see it from where he was at the time, and it seems that if the show wanted to give a clearer impression that it is a device he's seen before, they'd have shot the scene in a different way. So I'm guessing that either a) the device is really Cylon technology, but Six knows she needs to give him some true information so he'll be more likely to trust any false information from her later on, or b) the device really was something put there for the museum, and she's just doing this in an attempt to make everyone on the ship paranoid about possible Cylon infiltration.

    To that point, there was something else that seemed weird about the scene with Six and Baltar: after Doral comes up and Baltar says that someone else "might need to be implicated as a Cylon," he says that Doral has been aboard the ship for weeks with pretty much unlimited access to the room where the device was planted. But Doral only came on for the decommissioning ceremony and then came back later with Roslin and the refugees, and Baltar just arrived within that day, right? Obviously, Baltar can't know how long Doral has been on the ship, but Baltar seemed very certain about himself when he said it. He was obviously bullshitting when talking to Tigh about Doral's test results, but when talking about reasons Doral might be suspect, he's only talking to Six (to whom he has no real reason to lie) and there's not really a trace of uncertainty in his voice. So either he's desperately trying to rationalize pointing the finger at Doral (which would go with Six's comment on Baltar's "amazing capacity for self-deception"), or perhaps Six has planted the idea in Baltar's head for some unknown purpose of her own.

  28. fantasylover120 says:

    Can it get any more bleak then this?
    Having not seen the series to conclusion I'm guessing probably. These writers don't seem to hold back which is an awesome thing.

  29. Tilja says:

    And based on what we do know about Cylons, it seems there are only twelve of the same version? Or something?

    I've watched just as much as you so far and I disagree. I've been thinking about that from the beginning and my guess, from the information given by Six, is that there are 12 different models of Cylons, not 12 copies of the humanoid model. That's how Six made it sound like in the first chapter and I paid attention because at the time I wanted to know how the frak she got away from the destruction of the space station. She said she'd wake up in another body just like the one she had, something we can confirm after what happened at the opening. The appearance of Conoy also makes me think that she meant there are 12 different models of Cylons, each with who knows how many bodies.

    That's how I see it, and I've only watched this.

  30. notemily says:

    My thoughts while watching:

    Opening credits: CALLUM KEITH RENNIE FUCK YEAH
    (My roommate is a huge Due South fan. She may have made me watch most of it. I may have enjoyed it. Callum Keith Rennie is awesome.)

    Nobody names their kid Boxey.

    I really hate how Tigh keeps calling Gaeta "GUY-ta." Isn't it "GAY-ta"? I like to think Gaeta is secretly holding a slow-burning grudge against Tigh because of this. And one day he will snap and punch him in the face.

    Sad scene with all of the bodies and HUGE handful of dog-tags 🙁

    "Hope he's WORTH IT." Sorry Boomer. He's really not. HELO IS A MUCH AWESOMER PERSON THAN GAIUS. I AM JUST SAYING THAT RIGHT NOW. Did Helo cause the destruction of the human race? NOT THAT WE KNOW OF. I rest my case.

    Why yes, Gaius does happen to know a lot about the Cylons and their technology!

    "Tell Col. Tigh he's in command until I return!" Is it the chain of command that he will beat you with until you understand who's in ruttin' command here?

    Ugh, the little girl. I really hate TV show kids. YOUR PARENTS ARE DEAD. AND YOU ARE GONNA DIE. AND I HAVE NO SYMPATHY FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY A TV SHOW KID MEANT TO MAKE ME FEEL BAD.

    Boomer/Chief reunion awwwww

    Boxey is like "ew, kissing." Whatever, Boxey, your name is BOXEY.

    Dualla/Billy = hott! She's happy people are alive, too!

    Lee and Starbuck, are you guys gonna make out too? MAKE OUT! MAKE OUT! MAKE OOOOUT… dammit.

    I like how even though Adama doesn't have ANY EVIDENCE that Cylons can look human, he guesses CKR's true nature pretty quick. Maybe it was the mention of the singular God. And all that stuff about God making a mistake by creating humans, that might have been a clue, too. 😛

    How badass is Adama? He just beat someone to death with a flashlight.

    "That's part of the reason I fell in love with you! You have a clarity of spirit! You're not burdened by conscience, or guilt…" THAT'S why you fell in love with him? Really? I think you might have bad taste in dudes.

    "I think we could have a real future together!" Gaius and the Cylon woman only he can see? I GUESS.

    AWKWARD FAMILY REUNION TIME WITH THE ADAMAS.

    See Lee, now you can be mad at Starbuck for your brother's death, instead of your dad. Or in addition to your dad. 🙁 I totally understand why Starbuck did what she did and I probably would have done the same thing in her situation. How awful they all must feel about the whole thing. Adama pressured Zak to succeed at becoming a pilot like his father, and the fact that Lee, the older brother, was a pilot too probably didn't help. And then Starbuck passed him. I like this plot because it's completely understandable that everyone would have acted like they did, but it still ended in tragedy. It's just one of those things.

    "The evidence seems conclusive!" Oh Gaius, you're such a weasel. It's a good thing you're so fun to watch.

    • cait0716 says:

      I'm getting the feeling that you don't like Boxey…

      I totally agree with you about the Tigh/Gaeta relationship. And Lee/Starbuck. There's so much tension, it has to boil over eventually. Assuming they both live long enough, of course

      • notemily says:

        Ha, I just don't like kids that are obviously there to Tug Our Heartstrings but without any real personality of their own. I have no problem with well-written kids.

        I actually don't really have much against Boxey, except that his name is Boxey. The doomed girl on the spaceship who thought her parents were going to tuck her in bed that night is what really annoyed me.

    • Pseudonymph says:

      I really hate how Tigh keeps calling Gaeta "GUY-ta." Isn't it "GAY-ta"? I like to think Gaeta is secretly holding a slow-burning grudge against Tigh because of this. And one day he will snap and punch him in the face.

      I have been thinking the exact same thing! Get out of my head!

      It's interesting that the little girl annoys you because her only purpose is to be emotionally manipulative for the audience. After this rewatch I realized that the only reason Billy tells Roslin that the little girl is on a non-FTL ship is so the audience will know; if you think about it, telling her that after she just had to make such a horrible decision would normally be considered seriously shitty. You would only expect someone to say that to her if they were really pissed off at her or disagreed with her decision. I mean, "I think you should know that that little girl you met earlier is dead and it's your fault" is a pretty malicious thing to say. But Billy is obviously not being malicious which leads me to believe that the writers wanted the audience to know the little girl was going to die and decided to convey the info via Billy telling Roslin. It's such a glaring effort at emotionally manipulating the audience I'm surprised I never noticed before. I guess every other time I've watched this episode it worked and I was too busy being sad to wonder why Billy was even telling her that at all.

      Anyway, that was surprisingly difficult to word so I hope it made sense.

      • notemily says:

        Yeah, that really does seem like an unnecessarily cruel thing to tell Roslin, especially after she's made her decision. I think just cutting to the girl as they jumped away would have been enough to get the point across.

      • enigmaticagentscully says:

        YES. THIS.

        I remember thinking at the time 'Way to rub it in Billy.' Especially after she just admitted she has terminal cancer. I mean, jeez, give the lady a break!

    • StatSig says:

      Ugh, the little girl. I really hate TV show kids. YOUR PARENTS ARE DEAD. AND YOU ARE GONNA DIE. AND I HAVE NO SYMPATHY FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY A TV SHOW KID MEANT TO MAKE ME FEEL BAD.

      I so entirely share your annoyance with the YOU SHOULD BE SAD LOOK AT THIS TINY CHILD part (excellent use of TVTropes, btw). It's very Lifetime Movie and not indicative of the sort of emotional depth of which the writers are capable. Thankfully I didn't let it turn me off the series.

      Dualla/Billy = hott!

      I know, right?

    • NB2000 says:

      I really hate how Tigh keeps calling Gaeta "GUY-ta." Isn't it "GAY-ta"? I like to think Gaeta is secretly holding a slow-burning grudge against Tigh because of this. And one day he will snap and punch him in the face.

      ROFL I'm totally adding this to my head!canon.

      Ugh, the little girl. I really hate TV show kids. YOUR PARENTS ARE DEAD. AND YOU ARE GONNA DIE. AND I HAVE NO SYMPATHY FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU ARE OBVIOUSLY A TV SHOW KID MEANT TO MAKE ME FEEL BAD.

      I might have felt some sympathy if the girl they'd cast wasn't such a bad actor. She's just too flat in delivering her lines (and apparently nobody bothered to tell her how to pronounce Caprica), maybe it's supposed to show how she has no idea what's going on but it doesn't really work.

    • Your comments bring me joy. Please keep noting!

    • lyvanna says:

      Excellent comments!

  31. Mari says:

    I just want to point out the leitmotif that plays every time six appears. It's one of my favourite pieces of music in the series. [youtube DhNJAVaDl4M http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DhNJAVaDl4M youtube]

  32. Evil Midnight Lurker says:

    So there's an official map/atlas/whatever of the Twelve Colonies that was only made relatively recently. Showing how you can have so many populated worlds so close together, what the population of each was, some history and unique features of each, et cetera.

    I don't THINK there are any spoilers for the series on it.

    Should I post it or a link to it?

  33. StatSig says:

    Unlike Commander Adama, though, Roslin wears her emotions openly while still being in charge of the situation, and I kind of adore her for that. She doesn’t care that she’s emotional, and I’d say that is one of her best qualities as a leader.

    +1 billion. I love that Roslin doesn't try to pretend she doesn't have to make hard decisions. She is open and human about it. The decisions she makes are routinely terrible Catch-22s for which there is no good answer and she is not afraid to let everyone know that. I think that's part of what makes her such a fantastic leader and interesting character.

    Baltar annoyed me so much here. I disagree with you–I don't think he was at all interested in being "good" or "right." Baltar seems to be solely motivated by his own well-being (just like on Caprica he was not "Oh no I killed humanity" but "Oh no I might get caught"), and having a Cylon on board is not conducive to his living longer.

    • hpfish13 says:

      His attitude reminds me of this one character from the novel Middlemarch (which everyone should read cause its great–and like 800 pages long!) who has pretty much caused the family of the girl he loves financial ruin. His response to the whole situation is pretty much "Oh no! Now you and your family won't like me anymore." Not "Sorry, I've ruined your families future" or "Sorry, I messed up a lot, I wish I could help." It's so aggravating!

  34. StatSig says:

    Well, could this get any more bleak than it already is?

    HAHAHAHAHA Oh Mark you have no idea.

  35. plunderb says:

    "I have cancer."

    I cannot watch this scene after having seen The Room. The sudden and unexpected introduction of breast cancer just makes me giggle.

  36. @reenxor says:

    watching adama bludgeon the cylon gave me what i am sure will be a lifelong fear of ejo, which i will definitely pass on to my future children…"kids, do NOT fuck with edward james olmos, because he WILL beat you to death with a flashlight. sweet dreams!"

Comments are closed.