Battlestar Galactica Season 3 (Oct 06) (1 Viewer)

[Greg.K]

Pretty intense, for sure.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

It was weird to be back writing another of my eye-glazers. Weird in a good way. So glad they decided to bundle those two in one night; I don't think I could have waited until next Friday otherwise. The was just jampacked - I can't wait for the discussion. One final note before I post my review: those still subscribed to the podcast from last season through iTunes will notice that the commentary for tonight's episode hasn't been added. That's because they went to some "enhanced" format for iTunes this year. Use this link to subscribe to the new podcast. Scifi's website is jammed so it's only two thirds of the way done downloading. I therefore have no idea what "enchanced" means yet. Anyway, onto the review:As I watched the closing moments of tonight's two-hour premiere, I thought back to Roslin's white board. I thought back to what a hard blow it was to watch the total human population fall below 50,000 people in the miniseries. I thought of all the people that died over the course of the first two seasons. I thought of all the people that died over the course of this episode alone. And then I listened as 200 more got mowed down by toasters.
The episode started out as some sort of surreal avant garde showcase. And it ended starkly, on a field of gravel. I thought at the beginning, watching our heroes in a variety of situations so twisted and bizarre I could scarcely understand them, that the Cylons could never seem more alien. Then I watched them line the people up for the slaughter, and I knew it was all a facade. They are our children in more ways than even they realize. I saw The Last King of Scotland on Monday, and the parallels are striking. There's a line in it, that the fictional lead mumbles at Idi Amin: "You're a child, and that's what makes you so fucking scary." The same more that applies to the Cylons. Coming from an inherently homogeneous society, they've never had to govern over a fractured spectrum of personalities and backgrounds, all grating against each other. They want uniformity so bad, they'll do anything to get it. In the end, they'll end up slaughtering us all as sure as if they'd never taken a different course.
The Cylon reaction to the suicide bombings also threw me through a loop. It made sense for Roslin to be pissed and indignant. But these Cylons that are whining about how unacceptable it is for a human to blow himself up are the same ones that sent Boomer mk1 to assassinate Adama, knowing full well she'd die as a result. Beyond the hypocrisy, why do they care? Let the insurgents blow themselves up - if they blow themselves up in human areas, it'll give them PR to use against the insurgency. If they blow up Cylon targets, well, the Cylons will just download into a pool of goo somewhere. Then it hit me. They don't mind sacrificing themselves, because they know they'll just download into a new body somewhere else. But they know humans can't. And the fact that humans will come at them and blow themselves up knowing full well they don't have anywhere to download to terrifies the piss out of them. Because it's a level of courage - or desperation - that they simply can't understand. The crackdown that follows is simply their way of trying to make the world make sense again. These are the scary people, these are the ones that don't make sense. Mow them down, and we wipe out the anomalies. How childish.
As for Casey, I'm practically certain she's not Starbuck's daughter. Or if she is, the other half must be human. If she is truly a hybrid, there'd be no reason to worry about the Boomer mk2 and Helo's child. They'd have a viable program for reproduction, and she'd be notable only for being the first. I'm not sure what Leobon's up to, but if he's trying to fill Boomer mk2's role with Helo, then the Cylon's are even more ignorant than I'd thought. Love isn't the sort of thing you can force, and those scenes were among the most unnerving of the episode. They're a big part of what made the Cylons, prior to growing desperate, seem so particularly alien. The kid's a cutie though, but of course Starbuck's kid would be.
Jammer's subplot was particularly interesting. As outsiders, we can sympathize with his original intentions. He clearly hasn't been ratting the insurgency out, and his desire for safety and stability is an essentially noble one. But he should have known that things would eventually boil down to "us against them" - and that by aiding the "them" in any capacity, he has ceased to be one of the "us." I hope saving Callie took a little of the burden off his chest because, judging the by the sound effects, that burden's going to become very heavy indeed.
Baltar again proves himself to be, more than anything else, a weak and selfish human being. This episode reaffirmed that he still feels some loyalty and connection to the human species - and that that loyalty and connection pales in the shadow of his drive for self-preservation. I was hoping the scene where they gave him the execution order would be the scene from the preview where he screams, "I am begging you to shoot me!" Alas, no. The little voice in his head lets him off the hook in the ultimate betrayal of his constituency.
Speaking of being let off the hook, the Cylons proved themselves to be cowards by pushing the final decision onto Baltar. Dean Stockwell's Cylon actually said as much - except he used "they" as if he was excluded from the cowardice. They are perfectly fine with betraying the will of their God - as long as they have someone else to place the blame on.
The relationship between Boomer mk2 and Adama was the only tender note of the whole episode. Surrounded by weakness and a general military nothing like the one he had before the season two finale, it made a sort of sense that he'd be so isolated as to trust Sharon almost by default. The sheer empathy she had for Adama was proof how far she has diverged from the rest of her species (product line?). Even if she turns out to be manipulating Adama, the contrast against the Leobon method shows how much more human she has become. If the "love is necessary for reproduction" theory is to have even a whiff of scientific validity, it'd be because Cylons just copied the reproductive system wholesale without really understanding it, and the same part of the brain that handles love is allows plays a crucial role in maintaining a pregnancy. I wonder if Caprica Six could get pregnant, since she's the only other Cylon who we could really believe to have loved.
I have to say that I loved the Zarek/Roslin scenes. It's amazing how much better they get along when they both are fighting against a common foe. It was so perfectly in character for Zarek to have spent almost the entirety of the time gap in prison. He is at heart a troublemaker, and likes it best when he's got something noble to be in opposition against. Loved how freely Roslin admitted she rigged the election, and loved how Zarek told her he wished she'd gone through with it. Even as it's sending people off to their death, "Battlestar" can be darkly funny.
Good to see Apollo finally get his shit together. What he said made perfect sense, and was probably the right course of action. Fortunately for everybody, Adama puts what is noble before what is logical. Otherwise the population of the human species would plunge every time it made a mistake. (Which is often.)
In my review of the season two finale, I said it was like the finale of one series and the premiere of a loosely related spin-off, all in one. I stand by that remark, in that tonight's premiere did feel like an entirely different series. With one notable exception. The scene where the insurgency got through to the raptor was classic Battlestar. It felt like the new series making a quick, staticy connection to the old one. The fleet the raptor came from may be in shambles, but for that moment, I cheered inside. For that moment, the series was about hope again. And through that hope, I saw the season premiere of that old show on the horizon. We have a few more (great, if this one was any indication) episodes left of whatever series this one is. And then, God willing, our heroes will be back in the skies, back on their search. For a place called Earth.

 

[Patrick_S]

Actually I can’t sympathize with Jammer one bit. What’s noble about collaborating with the enemy?

I thought the episode was a great start to the season.

 

[Yee-Ming]

That was outstanding stuff. Makes the wait somewhat worthwhile.

Truly shades of Nazi occupation, that bit when Brother Cavil told the NCP to let the prisoners out for a break, when in reality they're about to be executed, reminds me of the Nazi "showers".

Are Roslin and Zarek really dead? Or will they somehow survive, given the mayhem that ensues when a mass-execution by not-too-bright firing squad tries to "get" everybody? Either way, once again the producers don't pull any punches.

Interesting the vitriol that the Chief spews towards Gaeta, not knowing that Gaeta is his source. And Ellen -- how dumb can you get? I'm surprised, though, that Col Tigh was so casual about security around her -- he must trust her completely, to the detriment of the insurgents and the Galactica infiltrators. I was half-expecting Sharon to simply stand up and order the centurions to stand down, since they made the point that the toasters can't distinguish between her and "loyal" Boomers. Perhaps we'll see that play out in the resolution next week.

I can't wait for the next episode.

 

[Shane Gralaw]

Good recap, Adam!

I agree- Casey must by all human, and if Starbuck had killed her, he would have gladly told her that.

Pretty sure Zarek's dead, but Laura isn't.

The most disturbing part for me- when the suicide bomber tells Lucy Lawless's cylon "see you soon" - how suicide bomber is that? So sure in your convictions and what you are doing you imagine a whole continuation of your personal fight- and not seeing it as your end.

 

[Shane Gralaw]

Oh and BTW, my Halloween costume based on the fatigues worn by the crash survivors on Cobol (best seen in "Fragged") is going to be fraking awesome!!! I think I'm going to have someone sew the correct black tank top- that's what's really going to sell it.

 

[Robert Anthony]

Shane: He said "See you soon, Nora." he was talking to his dead wife, not the Cylon.

There's a LOT of meat on this bone. For one--sending Boomer was a BAD idea if only because it's a given I think she's going to find out her kid LIVES down there. And holy hell is that going to be trouble. I also liked the small moment where she mentions "losing" the child and Adama stares blankly into space and gulps HARD on his drink. It might be my favorite moment of the opener.

Tigh was compelling as hell...sometimes for the wrong reasons, sometimes for the right, but ALWAYS hard to watch but impossible to look away from. And Ellen once again figured a way to frak up her semi-decent intentions. She, more than Six, is Baltar's opposite.

 

[Phil Florian]

Maybe an effort to keep the thread from becoming political was the intent but this isn't meant to be anything like the Nazi occupation, which was an internal change. This is very much a political parallel to the US occupation of Iraq mixed with some Palestinian and Israel relations. I think they did a fantastic job of not necessarily saying which side was right or wrong in their actions, either. Clearly, we want to side with the humans in this but there was enough dispicable behavior on that side to keep us on our toes. And while the Cylons have done some horrible things in the name of "peace," there were clearly some sympathetic characters in the bunch. Well balanced and very compelling television.

Some thoughts. Why was Ellen Tigh looking beat up all the time? Was the Stockwell Cylon hitting her? Or was Tigh himself? She always had a bruised or bloodied face. Was she the Cylon's main contact about the insurgency, as implied in their last tryst?

Jammer: I disagree with the idea that he isn't a sympathetic character. He clearly thinks he is doing the right thing and gave his reasons to the Chief very clearly. His thinking is wrong and it will cost him dearly (as we have already seen) but it makes sense for him to try. Everyone is trying to figure out what to do and it leads to all manner of bad decisions, suicide bombing on the one side and active participation with the enemy on the other. The crew at BSG aren't giving us the easy answers, either.

Another question: Other than a crutch for writers to give us easy exposition, why oh why would Roslin write things down in a world where there is little to no privacy and Cylons just take what they want from people?

In the Webisodes (a nearly must-watch for a lot of this episode...it gives us a lot of what motivates Tigh, Jammer, Duck, Chief, Kaeli and the rest of the insurgency in nice bite-sized but well developed bits) there was mention that somehwere on New Caprica there is a newly built city but the Cylons aren't sharing that with the humans, yet. We see bits of it on the perifery of the camp of tents, especially with the replica of what I assume is a typical apartment layout back on the real Caprica.

Apollo: nice fat suit.

Trailer: Well, I guess we know the fate of at least one person from the firing squad. By seeing this, I have to assume that more surivived. Part of me wonders if ANY died. Jammer may have had more planned than we thought. Was his staff armed?

Anyway, this was a fantastic opening that makes me fall in love with this show all over again. It isn't happy or easy television by any means but there isn't a better show on right now and especially one with the cojones to tackle real current events in a way that mainstream television can't or won't. Then again, that has always been a great strength of science fiction in general.

 

[Ric Easton]

Well, that person seen on the scenes to next week, could be a flashback. However, I do think we lost at least someone who has a long conncetion with BG.

Adam, I really enjoyed your review.

 

[Holadem]

I was very tired last night, and watched the whole thing through some kind of daze... I should have slept instead, as it just didn't really register. For instance, only this morning did I realize that what happened in the very last moments of the ep. I shall check it out again today.

--
H

 

[Yee-Ming]

When I referred to "Nazi occupation", I meant Nazi invasion of other European countries, not their internal takeover of Germany. NCP strikes me as a parallel to Vichy France on a smaller scale.

The more sophisticated thinkers might wish to draw parallels to Iraq, but this simplistic mind sees NCP uniforms and sort-of thinks SS/SA and hence sees Nazis, whilst trucking the "detainees" out to the execution ground etc evokes the Holocaust. Just MHO.

 

[Holadem]

The end of the quote I posted ealier is "...is another one's freedom fighter".

There are elements of both occupations in that ep. I mean, suicide bombings were not exactly a feature of occupied Europe. And the show made sure to discuss the ethics of the practice.

I love Dean Stockwell's cylon. The way he just showed up as a preacher in the middle of that party on Caprica toward the end of last season just cracks me up to this day .

--
H

 

[Phil Florian]

That makes more sense (the Nazi's in other Eurpoean countries part) but it doesn't take too much of a sophisticate to giggle at Stockwell's aborted line about "being greeted as liberators" by the humans. It isn't a wishful parallel at all. This show has never shied away from current hot topics from the seriously emotional ones like torture, abortion, and execution or to the more thoughtful ones about abuse of power, how military and civilian entities work together, role of the media and politics in general. Why not Iraq? You have an outside force (Cylons) with different religious beliefs (mono vs. poly theism) taking over a population of people that are perceived threat (as stated from the very first episodes of the series). When they easily take over, an insurgency begins first to attack the occupiers, using not only explosives but also suicide attacks that eventually start to involve not only the lives of the perceived enemy but also that of the people they are supposedly protecting. Then the occupiers start to empower and train people from within the occupied population and that new police force is now also seen as the enemy and is then attacked as well. What part of that doesn't scream current events, even to non-'sophisticated' people?

I don't see this show as taking sides with this, either (other than the Stockwell jab at Dick Cheney's expense). I think they have decided to take a picture of our current world, jumble up the players and spit it back at us with enough distance to be able to look at all sides of the story and come up with our own conclusions.

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

 

[Robert Anthony]

Something interesting to consider that I was kicking around with Kelly after the show, and she brought this to my attention and it made me sit up for a second.

Tigh is compelling to watch, but it's amazing how almost CORRUPTED he's become. I'm not entirely sure this is "PURE TIGH" The man who winced and shrank back when hearing of Cain's betrayal of the fleet was NOT the same man who was ordering people to blow themselves up in key places and NOT the man cheering when Cylons killing and rounding up humans increased the insurgency's profile. His methods have at least equaled, if not surpassed, Cain's--but is his reasoning any better? I WANT to say yes, but I'm not sure, as Cain's reasoning kinda holds up as well, distasteful as it may be. It's a nasty grey area in there I don't really like considering.

Which makes it all the more weird that the only way you see Tigh and Chief get REALLY pissed off is when someone on their side ventures into grey area, specifically "Cylon Sympathizers." It's hard to watch Chief scream on Gaeta and go into a controlled rage about Cylon Sympathizers when he's the same man who got thrown in the brig TWICE for HELPING one. He fell in LOVE with one.

And I even finally got to feel something deeper than notebook paper concerning Anders. When he and Tigh face off, and he stops Tigh in his tracks by bringing up "His Wife" it was damn near TOUCHING. I think it's the first time Tigh has ever called her Kara on the series.

Speaking of Kara: There is NO WAY that is her child. CylonMindFrak is what that is. If anything, I find it more plausible that Leoben (who isn't apparently at ANY of the meetings discussing policy) is one of the models trying to create NEW CYLONS. I would have no problems with him trying to create his own little Starbuck Cylon and trying to pass it off to Starbuck as a real half human baby. There's no way that kid is that big, that fast. At most, the baby should be maybe 1 year and 3 months. That's about a 2, 2 1/2 year old kid.

That baby is NOT hers. I'm not even convinced that baby is HUMAN.

 

[Sam Favate]

Terrific season premiere. Really gripping stuff. Its a true credit to the show that it can keep so many balls in the air and never lose sight of them.

What to think about the ending? It was horrifying, for one, because you knew what was coming. If Roslin is dead, could that be her Cylon replacement we saw in the preview? There has been speculation from the beginning that Roslin was a Cylon, and even if she isn't, she did get a Cylon blood transfusion from Boomer last season, so who knows? A damn shame if Zarek is gone. He was a great character.

So much great stuff going on, so many great performances. Tyrol, Gaeta, Baltar, Kara, and so forth.

Glad it's back.

 

[Kevin Hewell]

I disagree. I think, when it's finally revealed to GalacticaBoomer that her child is still alive, all hell will break loose, Helo and Adama be damned!

 

[Holadem]

I've yet to watch the premiere again, but I am having a lot of trouble wrapping my mind around the Adama-Boomer Mk2 relationship. From where I stand, it sorta came out of nowhere.

--
H

 

[Adam Lenhardt]

One of the many wonderful small moments in the episode.

 

[Robert Anthony]

I'm with Kevin--she's gonna remember him sitting in her CELL, talking to her, being COMFORTED by her and her acceptance, finally, of the loss of her baby. And she's going to realize that all this time he KNEW the truth, didn't tell her, and had no PLANS of telling her, and she is going to frakking lose it.