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RSS'Battlestar Galactica': Choose your side
"Battlestar Galactica" wants to know: What's the measure of a man (or woman)? What made Gaius or Lee or Kara or Roslin into the characters they are now, facing the vast unknown on a crumbling ship? What's at the core of their decisions?
[These spoilers began as something much simpler.]
Another "bridge" episode, but this one served a valuable purpose: It showed some of our favorite characters on Caprica before the nuclear ambush, with some insight into how they've handled humanity's entire fight to survive.
The Past
Roslin and Gaius got the bulk of the flashbacks: Gaius, canoodling with Caprica Six, is called away with the sort of urgency that can only mean family problems. Sure enough, Baltar's father Julius has accused yet another live-in nurse of stealing -- the third -- and she quits. Julius, incidentally, talks like a pirate: "This be the new one ye be bangin'." Despite that, Gaius ridicules and virtually disowns his own father. Leave it to Caprica; despite the coming holocaust, she manages to find Julius a heavenly full-care facility... while Baltar indulges his baser appetites.
Roslin, meanwhile, has her family ripped from her. After a cute baby shower with her little sisters, Laura gets the bad news that a drunk driver has killed not only them but her father as well. She wanders to a nearby park and stands under the fountain, trying to find redemption. (We also see the beginning of her affair with President Adar.)
Apollo, meanwhile, has dinner with a too-in-love Kara and Zack. The next flashback, presumably post-dinner, finds him drunkenly chasing a pigeon through his home... like Kara, prey he can never catch, a prize he can never win.
As for Anders -- and is he related to the "Mrs. Anders" Roslin mentioned? -- he gives an interview where he reveals his love of the game is really a love for mathematical perfection. Cylon!
The Present
The cannibalization of Galactica is in full swing. Adama is almost done packing his home; outside his quarters, even the memorial wall is being stripped down. Left is a picture of Hera and Athena, which Adama himself takes.
Starbuck has been jotting down mathematical equations and musical notes, but even Adama can't make sense of them. What he can do, when she confesses that she did indeed find her own corpse on her Earth, is remind her: "You're my daughter. Don't forget it."
Baltar's lieutenants, meanwhile, have surprising news: His religion has spread so wide that they'll have enough adherents among the fleet to score a seat on the Quorum. Baltar brings up the idea with Apollo, who thinks Baltar has an angle. Lee rightly points out Baltar has never committed one truly selfless act. Selfless act in 5... 4...
Adama and Starbuck take to the packed flight deck with an announcement: They're going after Hera on The Colony. Anyone who wants to go along can volunteer, though it's most likely a suicide mission. Everyone else can rejoin the fleet, no hard feelings. The usual suspects join Adama, including Apollo, the Final Five (sans Anders) and a clearly unwell Roslin. Baltar steps across the -- wait, no, he doesn't. Even as the cancer-ridden president hobbles past, all he can do is stare as if unable to will his feet into motion. Even Doc Cottle volunteers, though Adama sends him back to the fleet, which lacks good doctors.
With the sides chosen, all that's left is to find the Colony. Which a Raptor patrol does, thanks to Anders' directions, hovering on the edge of a black hole. There's only one safe path through the hole's gravity well, and surely the Cylons have all their guns on it. Anyone order up a suicide run?
So, here we are with just the finale left. Could there be a glimmer of hope? Are we to believe humanity dies out? Will we be left unsure of their fates? Or can the Powers That Be truly resolve the story, ending the Cylon threat and finding a new home for the alliance in just two hours? My guess: Laws of physics be damned, the black hole will prove to be a gateway to an alternate, livable Earth.
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Zap2it Twitter Talk 
I'm highly anticipating the coming action spectacle(s), but what I want most is resolution to the show's varied mythology. Will Starbuck find her purpose? Will we get to SEE Daniel's (the 7th Cylon) story? What was the point of the Opera House visions and the link between Athena, Caprica Six, Roslin and Hera? Who or what is orchestrating events?
I hope this flashback/present-time dichotomy continues through the final 2 hours, because it opens up lots of opportunity to show us the answers we seek; for example, I'd love to see events on Earth prior and during the nuclear attack in real-time, and more of our favorite characters on Caprica.
I'm not a regular blogger, but simply someone who can't wait for the finale. I'm sure we all have our predictions on how everything will end and I wanted to share mine with you and see if it makes sense to anyone else out there.
It's actually quite simple, minus the details. lol. The whole series has been about the "Opera House". Hera being the central figure (who hasn't really been in play until the end is inevitable) and is everyone's last hope of peaceful co-existence between Human and Cylon. Each are chasing after her and life's answers through the labyrinth.
Athena/Boomer represents the Cylon's chase for what ever they seek. Helo (not in the dream) provides the "love that has no boundaries" that created Hera.
Roslin represents the Human's journey/chase even while it crumbles and its eventual death/extinction. She is connected to Hera (by blood) and what happens to Hera will happen to her as well during this journey.
Caprica Six is the rescuer (***uming she's on the side of good) and carries her to a new beginning of joined "Humanity".
All three are on Galactica for its suicide mission and rescue of Hera.
Baltar stays with the rest of the alliance/fleet and waits for Caprica Six to return. He/they then closes the doors on the violent past and "author" the final chapter, its sacrifice and the beginning of a new dawn/day. (DAYBREAK)
Other visions and their roles.
Starbuck I believe is the daughter of a god of Kobol (who has been looking out for humanity's evolution) and a mortal mother. She will LEAD the fight to END the violent cycle and probably be the most heroic sacrifice of the upcoming battle.
The "Final Five" had their own visions on Earth of angels that ultimately send them to warn their "brothers and sisters" of the 12 colonies. Unfortunately their actions cause devastation for all. BUT, force everyone to realize their mortality and need to change and love to survive.
Well, that my guess for the series finale.
Wow. Now this was a good one. At least all the scenes on Caprica were.
C'mon finale, blow me away!
They've made a big deal about the fact that Starbuck was dead and then came back. What about her ship? It was destroyed and came back factory-fresh. I was surprised the crew didn't spend more time on Earth trying to find a way to give the Galactica the whole "Overhaulin'" experience as well.
Another guess would be that the lords of Kobol created humans much like humans created Cylons and thats where the "this all happened before and will happen again." comes from, including rebeling and the ensueing violent cycle.
I bet the Lords of Kobol will show up (Starbuck's dad or maybe even Zack) in some form of "light" as the miricle Sam was talking about. The Gods provided Starbuck (reincarnated self) a brand new viper to return her to the fleet to help them on the path. I still can't figure out how she got to Earth to begin with.
BUT, we all know this would all be too easy or obvious for the finale. So don't expect that to be answers we are looking for. lol.
For all those that are interested, I found a pretty great article on BSG about why people should watch the show. It's a really entertaining read and I think fans would love it.
http://www.examiner.com/x-4972-Seattle-TV-Examiner~y2009m3d13-What-you-should-be-watching
I loved all the Caprica City bits, especially Gaius, his troublesome father and Caprica Six. (I think Gaius's father's accent is rural Yorkshire rather than pirate though.)
I'm sorry that Gaius didn't step over the line because Baltar wants to redeem himself. I don't think that it's fear that was holding him back; I think it was self-knowledge. He doesn't trust himself any more than Lee trusts him. He knows how selfish and weak he is.
There's more than one possible interpretation of the scene where Lee chases the bird. A bird in the house is an omen of death - we know that Zach dies soon and that the destruction of the Colonies is coming.
I HATED the music score for this episode, especially all the Irish pipes and the way the score swelled with maudllin emotion every time the camera did a close-up shot of James Olmos's face. It should be up to the actor to convey his feelings to the audience, not the musical director.
Loved it, yes Gaius' dad is NOT speaking Pirate, c'mon, Gaius alluded to his accent in season 2. As for Gaius' role, he reminds me of Golum. Despised, but necessary.
@Sean:
Well, one of your requests (kinda sorta) will be shown this summer. "The Plan" a TV movie will show the invasion from the Cylon's perspective, according to an article in Friday's USA Today:
"Battlestar will live on in various forms. Universal is developing a feature film, a new version not connected to the series. And Moore will be working on the Sci Fi Channel prequel series, Caprica, which begins next year and looks at Adama's family history and the origin of the Cylons. And there's a TV movie, The Plan, directed by Olmos and airing this summer, about the initial destruction of the human worlds from the Cylon perspective."
Full article here:
http://www.usatoday.com/printedition/life/20090313/battlestar13_st.art.htm
Did any one else catch that when Baltar was yelling at his father and Six he said f**k and not frak ?!? LOL It totally got by all the censors.