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'Battlestar Galactica': All along the watchtower
You're forgiven if you, like me, felt like dozing during the first 45 minutes of "Battlestar Galactica's" season finale. This season, we had the death of Starbuck, the path to Earth revealed, the fleet torn apart on lines of class and collaboration, and yet the first 45 minutes of this year's last episode were a B-grade "Law & Order" retread.
And then came the last 15 minutes.
Yes, there will be spoilers. Please, if you don't want to be spoiled, back up and read our many great posts about other shows. Okay? Then let's move on.
The trial: It's always nice when characters remember the past episodes, especially this season when so many filler stories had President Roslin, Admiral Adama and others following the whims of each inconsequential plot. Tonight, Lee Adama (Jamie Bamber) took the stand for one of his better performances, reminding the judges and audiences just how many times the main characters acted, like Baltar, against what should be the main concern of the fleet: survival.
Apollo's testimony was entirely illegal, of course, based on our system of law, but (surprisingly) he's been there for the major decisions and could testify to the amount of humans killed in the name of what Roslin and his father deemed necessary. It's no surprise, then, that Gaius Baltar (James Callis) was found not guilty of the relatively mild crime of signing a death list while Cylons pointed a gun at his head.
What came next, though. Ah...
Saul Tigh, I owe you an apology. Four characters were revealed as Cylons, including Col. Tigh (plus Roslin's aide Tori, Starbuck's husband Anders and, most surprising, the beloved Chief Tyrol) and yet when the Cylons cut the power to the fleet and jumped into the same space, Tigh (knowing he was a machine and a traitor, mind you) dressed down the other new Cylons and reminded them of their duties to the fleet and the human race. His simple speech made my hair stand on end and my eyes prickle: A drunk, a Cylon, what he most loathed, he still hesitated not at all to perform his duties.
And Starbuck. Yes, Starbuck returned, Viper and all, appearing to Apollo (who, despite resigning his commission and being exiled from his family still manned a ship when the Cylons appeared) with a beatific smile and a simple statement: "I've been to Earth. I know where it is. And I'm going to take us there."
The song the new Cylons heard, by the way, and the song played over the final launch are a cover of Bob Dylan's "All Along the Watchtower." Starbuck and Apollo must be the two riders sung about, but are they also the joker and the thief? It'll be 2008 before we find out.
1. Not sure whose cover of Watchtower that was, but it was NOT Hendrix's.
2. Just because the "gang-of-four" thinks they're Cylons doesn't mean they are. The ghostly picture of the final-five that six&baltar are looking at towards the end of the show certainly does not do anything to convince me that Tyrol and the rest of that gang are indeed 4 of the final five. They just look shrouded.
3. The AATW music choice seemed odd until I gave it some add'l thought: one of the most ever covered popular songs from EARTH. It's a teaser that, cylons or not, Tigh & al, have some kind of special insight into EARTH. Or at least it seems that way to me.
LpL9 | Mar 25, 2007 9:15:41 PM | #The music Tigh, Tyrol and the others were hearing was coming from a human beacon, like the one that gave the Cylons a deadly outbreak of Meningitis earlier in the season. They could hear it because they, along with Starbuck, are descendants of the "Priests" depicted in the Temple on the Algae planet and have a link to Earth encoded in their DNA.
Scott | Mar 26, 2007 1:16:51 AM | #"I've been to Earth. I can show us the way."
Is it correct to put words between quotation marks when no one actually said them? Isn't there an editor to this site?
To quote the last line of the author of this article,
"Next year is the time we will find out what happens next."
klerik | Mar 26, 2007 1:47:17 AM | #Uh.. Starbuck said that... so... the quotes are appropriate... was someone not paying attention, perhaps?
Frontier | Mar 26, 2007 3:52:10 AM | #Last night's episode was an utterly ridiculous conclusion to a thoroughly disappointing season. First, we get the third-rate trial that turns on a completely irrelevant (though admittedly well delivered) speech by Apollo, then we get a bunch of confused people mumbling Hendrix lyrics. Oh yeah, and Starbuck, who was mercifully removed from the show a few weeks ago, is back. I call shenanigans on this whole lousy season.
Nick | Mar 26, 2007 4:35:00 AM | #omg omg ogm!!! i cant believe what just happened. while starbuck, anders, and tori werent that surprising i soooo did not see col tigh and the chief being cylons. also, can i just point out what you all missed. if the chief is a cylon then his kid is a half human/half cylon like hera. unless scott is right and theyre really just the descendants of the priests. but if thats the case im going to be soooooooo mad. it would be a total copout. but i think scott is wrong. if they aren't cylons then why would they assume they were? just cause they all heard a song doesnt automatically make them cylons. i think they knew cause they are. one last thing, i started watching the show a little late so for all those like me, do the final five have duplicates out there somewhere like the other cylons or are there only currently one of each? thanks
fanboy | Mar 26, 2007 4:45:15 AM | #I have, sadly, missed several seasons of B:G due to losing SciFi Channel just when the series was getting going; moved a couple months ago and have it again. . . . Still: could it be that those 4 are NOT actually Cylons but have been EITHER for some reason (perhaps their key positions in the fleet?) "brainwashed" (for lack of a better term) to *think* that they are Cylons when triggered to do so at some critical juncture?, OR: if they ARE Cylons, have they been all along or were they substituted for the real humans at some point (were they all in the prison camp on New Caprica? As I said, I've missed several seasons) and, perhaps as an experiment, all the memories and experiences "downloaded" into them (or at least the attempt made) to experiment with whether that was possible, whether they (the Cylons) could pull that off, and those individuals were chosen because of their key positions in the fleet?? . . . What makes me wonder that is, if I heard correctly, Tigh was saying, "40 years of service, two wars . . . "---would that be referring to the FIRST war with the Cylons? If so, how could Tigh have been a Cylon back then: I thought the Cylons being able to produce human-seeming Cylon models was a relatively RECENT event. (Again, please forgive if I'm out in left field somewhere, as I said: I've missed most of the series.) . . .
Tealady | Mar 26, 2007 5:13:12 AM | #Dozing off? The trial was amazing (the only criticsm could be that is was TOO short) and Apollo's soliloquy was unbelievable. Bamber was excellent. Yes, it was illegal, but as they always do on Battlestar, they addressed that they knew it was illegal and moved forward.
And who is everyone counting as the "fifth" of the "final five"? Kara? Didn't see any evidence that she's a Cylon... or that she's even real... I would be surprised if Kara Thrace is back on the show for good.
Brandon | Mar 26, 2007 5:13:34 AM | #definitely her. i saw a youtube video before she even died where katee sackhoff said kara will be a killed and be a cylon
Katee did say that, but she was joking. It was before Malestrom was written and the writers have made it clear that the decision to "kill" her was a rather spontaneous one made at the drafting table for that episode.
She, like we, made the assumption that Kara would be a cylon because it seems the obvious "shocker" type thing for the writers to pull.
I'm not sure why anyone thinks these characters are Cylons. They hear music throughout the ship as they approach that nebula, where they're expecting yet another clue to the way to Earth. My asumption is that these people are "sensing" the Beacon, not that they're mechanical beings.
The only character who I thought was revealed as a Cylon was Pres. Roslyn, who partially collapsed as soon as they warped into the area and all the ships lost power. The power loss seemed to affect her, too; I'll bet it affected the Cylons on the Basestars as well.
As an aside, I hope that Starbuck has used her time "away" to exorcise her demons. She used to be my favorite character, but she seemed to have been written into a corner where she was the resident "crazy".
Gregg | Mar 26, 2007 6:50:22 AM | #Boy, people brought up alot of good points. Tyrols son - half cylon?; Col. Tighe - how could he have been a cylon before the first cylon war - I too thought it was a recent development; descendant's of the priests? that's a good thought. I thought the show was fantastic - it leaves open so many questions. The biggest shocker? - to be continued in 2008!!! That's 10 months from now - what happened to Fall 2007, darn those cable stations - always screwing with what we've been conditioned to expect.
Sue | Mar 26, 2007 6:55:38 AM | #I was totally stoked over last nights season finale, excpecially since I didn't know it was going to be the season finale until last night. I love the fact that katee sackhoff's name has not been in the credits these past weeks. They do think of everything. Wasn't there a scene where Lucy Lawless's character saw the missing 5 and said something like "I am so sorry". That would make sence if she saw Tigh for what they did to him at New Caprica.
Gusty | Mar 26, 2007 6:57:28 AM | #Confirmed they are cylons. Interview with Ron Moore released today.
http://tinyurl.com/3yv6o3
I think Lucy Lawless has something to do with this....a race of Cylons within the cylons that is either hybrids, or understanding of humans. i think they will find that approaching cylon fleet to be friendly, and to be lead by a group of sympathetic cyclons (d'anna, starbuck, etc). Starbuck's destiny is to reunite humanity's children with their parents by fusing them together (hera, tyrol/cally's baby make cylons and humans linked) and then showing them to earth. i think the fourth (and final) season will be the combined fleet of cylon sympathizers (lucy lawless, kara, possibly the leoban or 6 models) and galactica struggling to find earth, while the remaining cylons trying to destroy both of them.
Nick | Mar 26, 2007 7:49:56 AM | #Apparently the Cylons are somewhat sexist. They have seven male models and only five females. I hope they bring back Lucy Lawless. I think she did an excellent job as Number Three. And now that the Final Five cat is out of the bag, there's no reason for the Threes to remain boxed.
Siansonea | Mar 26, 2007 8:23:59 AM | #The member of the final five that Number 3 was apologizing to would have been Anders and not Tigh. She injured and wanted to kill Anders in "Downloaded" - that is who she was apologizing to.
Nothing in this episode led me to believe that Starbuck is a cylon. I'm not really sure if she is even really alive. In fact, Laura Rosslin makes the most sense since she was having the dreams.
Can't wait for the 2 hour tide over movie -- I have a feeling it will be really necessary.
Another frakking great season ender.
Brian | Mar 26, 2007 8:26:46 AM | #I'm sure they thought finding Baltar not guilty would be shocking, but I think most people saw it coming. Also, Adama, voting to let him off was no big surprise. I wonder how long it will be before Baltar demands to be named President again. Of course Apollo jumps in his viper and will likely be back in uniform regularly in no time. I do wonder if those four will actually be Cylons. Kinda, funny the leadership of the resistance were all Cylons. Then the fact that the chief was a cylon and has a kid, after all the "hera is so special" stuff. One assumes that the fifth cylon would be Starbuck, after appearing among a cylon fleet in a viper without jump ability (and her other viper exploded)
jbwbubba | Mar 26, 2007 8:56:55 AM | #just like to add that i too thought those cylons ships could possibly be friendly like i asked earlier the final five probably have tons of copies out there somewhere and if kara is a cylon she would be one of them. on the otherhand good point about starbuck not necessarily being a cylon. perhaps a figment of adamas imagination? i always kinda wanted rosylyn to be one and it would go along with the five being leaders of the resistance theme. but since she didnt hear the music i kinda doubt it. though as far as i know, we dont know much about her "family" so...
fanboy | Mar 26, 2007 9:12:53 AM | #1.If the Chief is a Cylon he should not be able to reproduce, however...
2. It would make sence that one female and one male would reproduce and produce a male and female child thus creating the possibility that a new species is being created.
3. Starbuck must be the fifth Cylon how else could she have survived the explosion.
4. D'anna is shown briefly at the end recap and hopefully she will be back although she may have new series by time BSG returns.
5. Why the frack wait until 2008 for ther seies to return. Scifi really makes a point disappointing fans of their shows.
Cheryl Ande | Mar 26, 2007 9:13:34 AM | #just read that article i would say end the speculation. tori, anders, tigh and the chief are definitely cylons you have to read the article. also, he said he "thinks" we'll meet the fifth cylon in season four which makes it seem as though starbuck is not that fifth cylon. he also said shes under contract for next season so if shes not a cylon i have no idea how she could possibly be alive for real. if shes not a cylon i hope the final fifth (haha) is adamas wife, i love her shes a great actress and lee treats her like crap kinda. i hope its her and she kicks his butt, and starbucks.
fanboy | Mar 26, 2007 9:25:39 AM | #Leoben said that Adama was a Cylon.
Fifth Cylon | Mar 26, 2007 9:27:06 AM | #Thanks for that link Andy. We can definately stop speculating about some things.
Did Leoben really say that? If so, when? (and I don't believe it, not every important character can be a cylon).
Sue | Mar 26, 2007 9:37:00 AM | #Tigh and Apollo were great last night. I find it interesting that Admiral Adama is being more and more isolated by circumstances (Tigh a cylon, Lee on the outs again, the Pres apparently dying of cancer). Adama Sr. appears to be unraveling too! Could the admiral be the real threat?
Todd Fielding | Mar 26, 2007 9:45:43 AM | #"Uh.. Starbuck said that... so... the quotes are appropriate... was someone not paying attention, perhaps?"
Yes. You.
The line was:
"I've been to Earth. I know where it is. And I'm going to take us there."
Someone need to learn what "quote" means, perhaps?
Delcoro | Mar 26, 2007 10:08:50 AM | #
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