Thoughts on BSG finale.
Mar. 11th, 2006 01:21 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieMmmmmm, good solid ep. Not my favorite of the season (that still goes to "Downloaded") but pretty good. People seem to either love or hate it, but I am in the minority that did neither. I liked it but no passionate OMG either way.
OK, to start off with the most important thing: hair!!! WTF? The only thing I can imagine is that the atrocious hair state (Adama's pornstache, Apollo's pompadour, Tyrol who has something die on his face) is supposed to symbolize the general malaise of the colonists in settling on this desolate world under useless leadership. Because otherwise the only explanation is their stylist has gone insane after feeding Apollo all that lard that gave him a beer belly and a bloated face.
Oh, and Cylons at the end? I was cheering. The 'living on planet in boring primitive conditions with all the cool military types doing boring stuff' would have made for a dull show. But now that the Cylons are back we'll get more conflict and drama and fights. Yay. Plus, we have Leoben looking for Kara (I guess torturing someone really does create bonds where they want to follow you like a puppy), and Sharon, Tyrol's Sharon is back (of course, meanwhile Tyrol got Cally knocked up, hmmmm), and Baltar's Six, the one he's been seeking ever since and trying to recreate so disastrously, is back too.
I also foreseee that Anders is not long for this world, what with pneumonia, no meds, the need for Kara angst, and the fact that he is a guest actor. They might as well buy him a red shirt. He's cute but I won't miss him.
OK, now to everything in the show itself.
Helo/Boomer continue their theater of angst. She didn't say that the elderly priest was a Cylon. Do I blame her? Not one bit. She did tell Adama earlier, face to face, that she knows what the fleet Cylons look like and she won't turn them in. How much less likely is she to betray one of her species now that she believes (not without reason) that humans killed her child. Though I don't think it's active planning on her part, she just doesn't care. That scene with Helo and her and the cell again and the phone was painful. I don't blame Helo for losing his temper (though I still think he was naive to think that after this mission Adama would let her roam. But then the boy's always been an optimist) and Sharon's telling him she cares about nothing, not even him, because her baby is dead? So painful and real and .... And I love Helo telling her he is not giving up on them. Every ep I love that man a little more.
Planet settlement didn't bother me. In fact, it was a logical conclusion of everything that came before. They had to go there, and in addition doing nothing but being chased all the time would get tiresome. Also, the show loves to split up its cast. The year-forward was a risky thing to do, and we'll see next season whether it paid off, but kudos to RM & Co. for daring to rewrite the framework and try something different.
And now on to Kara. I generally like the girl, but I wanted to smack her so hard during the scene with Anders and Lee. I can see why she and Apollo haven't talked since. If someone behaved that way to me, there'd have to be nice long talks and apologies before a friendship could resume and Kara is not the girl for either. I am all for PDAs, but there is a limit what you do with someone standing right there: you don't ignore him like he's a statue, especially when he is your best friend meeting your boyfriend for the first time. You do NOT insult his girlfriend to his face. You don't go to second base with him right there. And that's just if he is your friend. It would have been truly rude if the guy was (e.g.) Helo. To do this if the friend in question is someone you were trying to frak on a table a month or so earlier, and someone you know has or had some feelings for you is just...it's not just rude, it's really thoughtless and lousy. Kara's tendency to drink and to not realize the effect of her thoughtless actions on others really finally caught up with her. That scene was kinda horrible to watch.
Also? If you are going to frak, lock the damn hatch!
Anders? My impression of him as cute but dumb as a box of bricks continues. He is also not on the same playing field as Starbuck. watch him trying to catch on what Kara means when she wants to do the suicide pact.
At the end, Kara got Anders and is on the planet and she is not happy. When she is extatic to see Tigh and Ellen, you know she is desperate. And no, I don't think it's because of Anders (though I think daily living killed off any giddiness she had for him. Hmmmm, I wonder if his character is like Zack's. Plot bunny!) She is not meant for peace and living on the ground. She is an adrenaline junkie, a pilot. And this is not working out for her. I wonder how she ended on the ground and not in the skeleton crew.
Roslin: it was logical she would try to fix the election. She's been getting more and more 'I am right" and giving off autocratic vibes as the season progressed. It's a dangerous thing to truly believe you are the best alternative out there. But when the push came to shove and Adama 'shamed' her, she did the right thing. Oh, and I can definitely feel the OTP between Adama and Roslin.
But of all the storylines, the one most interesting to me was Baltar's. Not just the self-importancy of the weak man new post election manner either. I was interested to note he still had illusions about Roslin and her honor. All his few remaining illusions (Roslin and Six) were shattered in this ep: he found out that Roslin fixed the election and Gina? Well, I think the best acted scene the whole ep was when he found out Gina blew up Cloud 9. Even though his brain might know the Sixes are different, he keeps seeing them as his Six. But they are not, even though Gina has her reasons for latching on to him (gratitude) and that is why she sleeps with Baltar I think: she cannot shuffle off this mortal coil without paying her debt (and look at Baltar with her: he is like a suitor, uncertain, eager to please).
Of course, now he knows he is in position of destroying humanity not once but twice. And the first time it was (somewhat) forgivable as he didn't know who she was. But this time he knew who she was and gave her a nuke with his own hands (why? Cause the boy is all about pleasing his significant other). And with that nuclear blast not only did Gina call Cylons on their head yet again (something else Baltar must live with), but I think it killed any chance his presidency had of being effective. He wouldn't have dealt well with pressure anyway but after this, there was no chance. Any sanity Baltar has is probably leaving by the back door after all of this.
OK, to start off with the most important thing: hair!!! WTF? The only thing I can imagine is that the atrocious hair state (Adama's pornstache, Apollo's pompadour, Tyrol who has something die on his face) is supposed to symbolize the general malaise of the colonists in settling on this desolate world under useless leadership. Because otherwise the only explanation is their stylist has gone insane after feeding Apollo all that lard that gave him a beer belly and a bloated face.
Oh, and Cylons at the end? I was cheering. The 'living on planet in boring primitive conditions with all the cool military types doing boring stuff' would have made for a dull show. But now that the Cylons are back we'll get more conflict and drama and fights. Yay. Plus, we have Leoben looking for Kara (I guess torturing someone really does create bonds where they want to follow you like a puppy), and Sharon, Tyrol's Sharon is back (of course, meanwhile Tyrol got Cally knocked up, hmmmm), and Baltar's Six, the one he's been seeking ever since and trying to recreate so disastrously, is back too.
I also foreseee that Anders is not long for this world, what with pneumonia, no meds, the need for Kara angst, and the fact that he is a guest actor. They might as well buy him a red shirt. He's cute but I won't miss him.
OK, now to everything in the show itself.
Helo/Boomer continue their theater of angst. She didn't say that the elderly priest was a Cylon. Do I blame her? Not one bit. She did tell Adama earlier, face to face, that she knows what the fleet Cylons look like and she won't turn them in. How much less likely is she to betray one of her species now that she believes (not without reason) that humans killed her child. Though I don't think it's active planning on her part, she just doesn't care. That scene with Helo and her and the cell again and the phone was painful. I don't blame Helo for losing his temper (though I still think he was naive to think that after this mission Adama would let her roam. But then the boy's always been an optimist) and Sharon's telling him she cares about nothing, not even him, because her baby is dead? So painful and real and .... And I love Helo telling her he is not giving up on them. Every ep I love that man a little more.
Planet settlement didn't bother me. In fact, it was a logical conclusion of everything that came before. They had to go there, and in addition doing nothing but being chased all the time would get tiresome. Also, the show loves to split up its cast. The year-forward was a risky thing to do, and we'll see next season whether it paid off, but kudos to RM & Co. for daring to rewrite the framework and try something different.
And now on to Kara. I generally like the girl, but I wanted to smack her so hard during the scene with Anders and Lee. I can see why she and Apollo haven't talked since. If someone behaved that way to me, there'd have to be nice long talks and apologies before a friendship could resume and Kara is not the girl for either. I am all for PDAs, but there is a limit what you do with someone standing right there: you don't ignore him like he's a statue, especially when he is your best friend meeting your boyfriend for the first time. You do NOT insult his girlfriend to his face. You don't go to second base with him right there. And that's just if he is your friend. It would have been truly rude if the guy was (e.g.) Helo. To do this if the friend in question is someone you were trying to frak on a table a month or so earlier, and someone you know has or had some feelings for you is just...it's not just rude, it's really thoughtless and lousy. Kara's tendency to drink and to not realize the effect of her thoughtless actions on others really finally caught up with her. That scene was kinda horrible to watch.
Also? If you are going to frak, lock the damn hatch!
Anders? My impression of him as cute but dumb as a box of bricks continues. He is also not on the same playing field as Starbuck. watch him trying to catch on what Kara means when she wants to do the suicide pact.
At the end, Kara got Anders and is on the planet and she is not happy. When she is extatic to see Tigh and Ellen, you know she is desperate. And no, I don't think it's because of Anders (though I think daily living killed off any giddiness she had for him. Hmmmm, I wonder if his character is like Zack's. Plot bunny!) She is not meant for peace and living on the ground. She is an adrenaline junkie, a pilot. And this is not working out for her. I wonder how she ended on the ground and not in the skeleton crew.
Roslin: it was logical she would try to fix the election. She's been getting more and more 'I am right" and giving off autocratic vibes as the season progressed. It's a dangerous thing to truly believe you are the best alternative out there. But when the push came to shove and Adama 'shamed' her, she did the right thing. Oh, and I can definitely feel the OTP between Adama and Roslin.
But of all the storylines, the one most interesting to me was Baltar's. Not just the self-importancy of the weak man new post election manner either. I was interested to note he still had illusions about Roslin and her honor. All his few remaining illusions (Roslin and Six) were shattered in this ep: he found out that Roslin fixed the election and Gina? Well, I think the best acted scene the whole ep was when he found out Gina blew up Cloud 9. Even though his brain might know the Sixes are different, he keeps seeing them as his Six. But they are not, even though Gina has her reasons for latching on to him (gratitude) and that is why she sleeps with Baltar I think: she cannot shuffle off this mortal coil without paying her debt (and look at Baltar with her: he is like a suitor, uncertain, eager to please).
Of course, now he knows he is in position of destroying humanity not once but twice. And the first time it was (somewhat) forgivable as he didn't know who she was. But this time he knew who she was and gave her a nuke with his own hands (why? Cause the boy is all about pleasing his significant other). And with that nuclear blast not only did Gina call Cylons on their head yet again (something else Baltar must live with), but I think it killed any chance his presidency had of being effective. He wouldn't have dealt well with pressure anyway but after this, there was no chance. Any sanity Baltar has is probably leaving by the back door after all of this.
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no subject
Date: 2006-03-11 06:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-11 08:19 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-12 06:13 am (UTC)And Tyrol needs to bathe his face in nair.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-12 06:18 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-12 06:28 am (UTC)I saw the word 'fat' and automatically thought you were posting about BloatLee.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-12 06:32 am (UTC)Poor plump Lee.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-12 06:39 am (UTC)It's not as if he'd be getting less physical exercise now. He was a CAG and a pilot not a professional runner.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-12 06:47 am (UTC)Compulsive noodle eating is how Lee deals with the terrible depression caused by Kara's marriage to that boneheaded (but tall!) jock, while the settlers down on the planet starve on a steadydiet of lichen and bark.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-12 06:50 am (UTC)the terrible depression caused by Kara's marriage to that boneheaded (but tall!) jock,
Yes, Lee obviously hasn't heard of Napoleon and is thus upset that he basically reaches to Anders' navel. He knows he can't grow taller so decides to grow wider. "There will be as much of me as there is of him! Only sideways."
settlers down on the planet starve on a steadydiet of lichen and bark.
Hey, it's orgnic food. Plus, they could always eat Baltar. Which would be a good thing.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-11 07:04 pm (UTC)I'm convinced it has something to do with the rift between her and Lee.
I really don't feel like that one scene Lee/Kara/Anders scene was the cause of the rift because Tigh wouldn't know about it, Kara was being cruel, but was so drunk that she was completely unaware that she was being cruel, and Lee wasn't angry, just sad and wistful and resigned.
I think that something else happened between them in the intervening year and it was (at least partly) public and very ugly. Tigh seems to think that it's not enough to cause lasting antipathy what with his insistence that Lee'd obviously give meds to Kara. But Kara being so clearly doubtful that Lee would even do that much says to me that there was a lot more going on there.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-12 06:12 am (UTC)That's true. Of course, she could have still stayed with Papadama after fight with Lee because different ship. Hmmm. So much room for fic (or for S3 stuff, if they go there). Because you are right. Now that I think it's over, the drunken meanness isn't enough to break them up.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-11 07:23 pm (UTC)BUT - O my poor heart! Lee/Kara rift!!
no subject
Date: 2006-03-12 06:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-12 05:42 am (UTC)>>> Between him & Helo, maybe Kara & Sharon could form a support group -- Nobel Blockheads & the Women/Cyborgs That Mate with Them =P
no subject
Date: 2006-03-12 06:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 03:02 am (UTC)I got the same impression, and it's a really powerful statement of both her own ambiguity toward humanity and her terrible depressive apathy. Helo's desperation, because he may not be the brightest guy but he can obviously feel her slipping away, was really terrible to see.
All his few remaining illusions (Roslin and Six) were shattered in this ep: he found out that Roslin fixed the election and Gina? Well, I think the best acted scene the whole ep was when he found out Gina blew up Cloud 9. Even though his brain might know the Sixes are different, he keeps seeing them as his Six.
This is an excellent observation. It makes me see that final sex scene between him and Gina as him finally thinking he's been able to fit Gina into the mold he knows, being able to physically recreate the familiar relationship he had with Six, and her giving him that illusion, knowing that it was a parting gift.
no subject
Date: 2006-03-14 03:33 am (UTC)Helo's desperation, because he may not be the brightest guy but he can obviously feel her slipping away, was really terrible to see.
I really wonder how they are going to deal with this/resolve it. Helo is clearly on board the Galactica, but where is Sharon? What changes has the year wrought on her?