{"id":567,"date":"2011-09-01T13:00:48","date_gmt":"2011-09-01T20:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/?p=567"},"modified":"2011-08-31T19:08:06","modified_gmt":"2011-09-01T02:08:06","slug":"mark-watches-battlestar-galactica-s02e10-pegasus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/markwatches.net\/reviews\/2011\/09\/mark-watches-battlestar-galactica-s02e10-pegasus\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Watches ‘Battlestar Galactica’: S02E10 – Pegasus"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the tenth episode of the second season of Battlestar Galactica<\/em>, the fleet makes a shocking discovery and I don’t want to type anything more because SPOILERS and seriously, just read the review.<\/p>\n

(For the sake of this all, I watched the hour-long extended edition of this particular available, so I will reference scenes from that. Additionally, if you’re not watching the show and are still reading these, there’s a lot of talk about rape here, so trigger warning for that, too!)<\/p>\n

WHAT. WHAT. WHAT DID I WATCH<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

i’m like GO GET THOSE RESISTANCE FIGHTERS but Roslin and Adama are all 241 JUMPS NO THANK YOU <\/em>and Starbuck’s heart is crushed because Anders is still not around to be all badass and hot and then HOLY SHIT ANOTHER CYLON SHIP god why can’t this ship get a break. And then WHAT IT IS ANOTHER BATTLESTAR HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE<\/em>. There are more colonists? THERE ARE MORE? THERE’S ANOTHER BATTLESTAR? WHERE IS THE SPIN-OFF SHOW?<\/em><\/p>\n

And then I get all excited by this prospect and approximately a few minutes later EVERYTHING IS WRONG. THIS IS ALL WRONG. WHY DOES THIS FEEL LIKE A TRAP. Why do I feel awful<\/em> about all of this? Who is Admiral Cain? Oh god, when she and her officers step off that ship\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO PUKE FROM ANTICIPATION. And this is child’s play to the next fifty minutes of pure hell<\/em>.<\/p>\n

See, I am trying to write coherent thoughts about “Pegasus,” but it’s just not possible. It’s just not something I can do. Because ADMIRAL CAIN AND HER CREW MAKE ME <\/em>SO GODDAMN ANGRY<\/em><\/strong>. I know I am getting ahead of myself, but there has been no episode yet that has stirred in me such horrific emotions ALL AT THE SAME TIME. The thing is\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6thinking back to all of those moments with Admiral Cain before the shit hits the fan, you could tell<\/em> she was hiding something beneath the surface. She was paying all the right respects, stating her intentions outright, and doing what she could to placate others with the absolute minimum needed. Even when she is telling Roslin and Adama about how she and her ship came to escape the Cylons, I believed her, but only to the extent of knowing she was merely leaving something out.<\/p>\n

So allow her XO, Colonel Fisk, to provide one of those details: SHE SHOT HER PREVIOUS XO ON THE SPOT WHEN HE DISOBEYED ONE OF HER COMMANDS<\/em><\/strong>. Oh, but it’s a joke<\/em>. Ha ha ha ha\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6..ha! Totally good joke to tell. That’s always hilarious, you know, talk of murdering someone for disagreeing with you<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Oh, but that is just the start. i could never have known how bad this would get<\/em>. Despite that I had a father in the military, I know SHIT<\/em> about rank, so I was genuinely shocked that Cain very rapidly assumed authority over Adama, despite that it makes LOTS OF LOGICAL SENSE AND SUCH. My reaction was the same as Roslin’s: shock, and then extreme discomfort at the idea, even if Cain could easily prove to be just as good a leader as Adama. (LOL LOL LOL IF ONLY I HAD KNOWN<\/em>). It was a change, and a sudden one. It would take time to get used to, but there wasn’t any choice about it. Cain was in charge, and everyone would have to do things a little differently.<\/p>\n

Understatement of the century. What still surprises me, even in hindsight, is how remarkably fast “Pegasus” goes from exciting to utter chaos. It takes place in one scene, when Cain orders the reassignment of a huge batch of Adama’s crew, proving that she had no intentions of honoring Adama’s role. And let’s just step outside the vacuum of this episode for a second: The world has basically ended, there are just under 50,000 humans left anywhere<\/em> in all universes ever<\/em>, and Cain’s priority is to pull rank and exact her form of military rule over the entire fleet<\/em>. I understand that there is<\/em> a part of her that certainly wants to keep everyone alive, and she’s also one who is more into putting the Cylons on the offensive than those on the Galactica<\/em>. I get it. But part of me can’t help but feel that this is RIDICULOUSLY UNNECESSARY. I know that it’s unfair to me, as a viewer, because I enjoy these characters so much, but Cain is more interested in getting everyone to follow her rules than to work with what is already effective. Plus, again, it’s the end of the world<\/em>. The apocalypse happened. Do you really need to cling to the same military culture at this point?<\/p>\n

So what “Pegasus” becomes for me is one endless moment of panic and terror after another. Things get worse in a way that feels like an endless spiral to disorder. In fact, it’s as if the writers thought, “Hey, what’s a worse reveal than the one we just put in there? Oh, she shot her XO when he defied a command? Let’s demote Lee. Oh, and let’s make sure Starbuck isn’t on this mission. Oh, and let’s reveal that the Pegasus<\/em> is also holding a prisoner of war, and let’s also reveal that it’s Six, and let’s also reveal that she was horrifically beaten and tortured, and oh, don’t forget to have a group of soldiers brag to Tyrol and Help that they repeatedly raped her.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6..<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6..<\/p>\n

The obvious parallel drawn here is how rape is used in combat as a war technique and, being an American, it wasn’t hard for me to think about stories of men of our military raping their fellow women soldiers (http:\/\/www.inthesetimes.com\/article\/3848\/<\/a>) or the vicious rape, abuse, and torture of prisoners in Abu Ghraib (http:\/\/www.telegraph.co.uk\/news\/worldnews\/northamerica\/usa\/5395830\/Abu-Ghraib-abuse-photos-show-rape.html<\/a>) or the rape of Iraqi women by occupation forces or\u00e2\u20ac\u00a6I sort of had to stop looking this stuff up to provide any context. Of course, I look at this from a western lens, and rape is not something specific to the US, or to war, or to men, or to anything, really.<\/p>\n

I feel it’s too obvious to state it at this point, but I suppose it’s a good starting point. The scene that introduces this concept is so uncomfortable because the Pegasus<\/em> crew is so casual about their rape of their version of Six AND because they’re talking about doing the same to the woman that both Tyrol and Helo love. It’s hard to talk about such an unbearable plot turn because it’s so real for so many people, and “complimenting” a rape plot sounds fucking awful<\/em>, but I am satisfied that rape is not a punchline here, that it is so obviously framed as one of the most heinous acts you can perpetrate on any person, EVEN IF<\/em> it is the rape of someone who has done terrible things. There is no justification of it and there is no glorification of it, and the actions of Tyrol and Helo are presented as noble acts, Cally is shown to be disgusted by the very conversation (which probably triggers her memory of “Bastille Day”) and it’s even shown how rape is both a personal and<\/em> a systemic problem, since these men violate consent and the military culture that Cain has created enables them to do so and get away with it.<\/p>\n

Which brings me to the scene where Baltar finally confronts the Pegasus version of Six. I think Baltar’s the most fascinatingly complex character on this whole show, and his moment alone with Six not only proves that, but shows us just how talented Tricia Helfer and James Callis are. The subtext of confronting a version of the woman in your head is powerful enough, but it’s here that Baltar does not manipulate or lie to get what he wants. More than any character on the Galactica<\/em>, he fully accepts that the humanoid Cylons are their own beings and deserve to be treated so, and he has not one hesitation or act of reluctance when he speaks so openly to Six. It’s heartbreaking while also being remarkably touching for what it is. Baltar is<\/em> complicated, and his morals seem to switch to whatever suits him best, but what he vocalizes to this woman is that what was done to her was wrong, and that there are no exceptions to that. In a way, it’s almost like a love letter to Six as well, as if the sight of a copy of her has evoked all the memories of what she has done to help him. I think it’s the best monologue in the show up to this point, and perhaps the most perfectly executed scene.<\/p>\n

And then it all goes to hell. Tyrol and Helo, intent on saving Sharon from being raped, accost the soldiers and guards attacking her. In the process, Tyrol kills Lietenant Thorne. One of the ongoing themes of “Pegasus” is the fact that Cain constantly uses Adama’s own log against him. It’s an interesting way to call back to previous episodes in a way that isn’t ham-fisted or forced, and I really enjoy that. History is important, but when it’s stripped of context, it can be used to modify reality in order to support a specific point. In this case, it’s obvious to Cain why Tyrol and Helo have committed an unspeakable crime, and it’s totally within reason that there’s not one criticism on the part of anyone on the Pegasus<\/em> for the rape and attempted rape of prisoners. Of course, we know the truth, and we know why this is all a load of horse poo.<\/p>\n

And then the other shoe drops. Tyrol and Helo have had their trial in the matter of a few hours, and it’s hinted that Cain herself just handed down the verdict herself<\/em>. They will be executed. For killing a man who was about to rape someone.<\/p>\n

OH YOU DID NOT FUCKING GO THERE, CAIN<\/em>. My hatred for you has eclipsed that of the burning of a thousand dying suns.<\/em> You’re going to execute these men without a trial for something that is arguably quite honorable? THEN ALLOW ME TO HEAP YOU WITH SCORN AND HATRED EVEN THOUGH I THINK YOU ARE FIERCE AND KIND OF AWESOME IF YOU WEREN’T SUCH A SHITBAG. I mean right<\/em>. She is like a more vicious version of Starbuck, so I kind of like her character? I just don’t like what she does.<\/p>\n

And honestly, I only found out after the fact that season two was split in half and that as the two ships, Pegasus<\/em> and Galactica<\/em>, faced off for a possible attack after Adama decides he wants to get Tyrol and Helo back, IT ENDED ON A CLIFFHANGER. Four months. Y’all had to wait four months, ALLOW ME TO WAIT A FEW HOURS.<\/em><\/p>\n

Right now, it totally rules to be me. THERE I SAID IT.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"