Mark here... bam! This episode is the season finale and leaves on quite a cliffhanger. Spoiler alert for anyone who doesn't know...we're about to talk about some revealing moments!
The episode picks up where the last left off and there's a crew stranded on Kobol with the Cylon basestar above. Back on Galactica, the plan is to infiltrate the basestar using a Cylon device Lt. Gaeta crafted from the captured Cylon Raider. The device allows Cylon Sharon to get onboard the basestar to deliver a nuclear weapon. But while onboard she encounters several versions of herself...
Meanwhile on the fleet a civil war is happening after Roslin's decision to send Starbuck back to Caprica. Adama sends troops to invade Colonial One and arrest Roslin. Apollo backs the President and they both end up arrested to avoid bloodshed. Starbucks mission on Caprica ends up with her fighting with another Cylon Six over the Arrow of Apollo. She's rescued by Helo only to recognize the Caprica Sharon...
On Galactica, Adama is congratulating that version of Sharon on successfully destroying the basestar...only to have her pull out a gun and shoot him in the chest! End of episode and a perfect cliffhanger...leaving you wanting more! and not knowing what will happen to Adama? Roslin in the bring? Starbuck and Helo on Caprica? and the crew members left on Kobol?
Laurel here..nothing much to add except OMG! Sharon shoots Adama?!?! I thought when Sharon encountered, like, 27 versions of herself it was going to increase her resolve to reject her Cylon side and commit completely to the humans but then she shoots her human leader?!? It makes me wonder whether this was the Cylon plan all along, or if she has a change of heart when it is confirmed for her that she is in fact a Cylon. Then maybe turning against the human race seems and inevitable conclusion for her as an individual?
I also think it's awesome that Apollo goes against command in order to defend the President. Earlier in the episode Adama tells him that he needs to follow his instincts, which he sites as his reason for his personal mutiny against the military.
OMG what a cliff hanger!! It's going to be really hard to wait until we cycle through the rest of the 1st seasons of shows we want to do before we finally get into season 2 of Galactica to find out what happens!
Saturday, July 21, 2012
Kobol's Last Gleaming Part 1
Mark here...Laurel and I are settling in with some steak, a pear, arugula and bacon salad, and a butternut squash and kale dish, all courtesy of Laurel.
The episode, "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 1" starts off with a whole lot more Baltar than I remember and he's super annoying. First we see, out of the blue, he and Starbuck are hooking up. Clearly she's a bit damaged and he's a bit narcissistic in this hook up. She mistakenly calls out "Lee" (Apollo) in the midst of it, pissing off Baltar.
Also in the episode, Galactica discovers planet Kobol, a legendary home of the gods. The shows history states that humanity left Kobol to found the 13 colonies, including Earth. So, in theory, Kobol could lead them to Earth. Roslin's visions, from the drug she is taking to treat her cancer, further this theory. Of course Adama and her aide Billy find this crazy talk. Roslin however is convinced this will lead them to Earth. We know from the pilot though that Earth is a myth. One that the fleet believes, but that Roslin and Adama know to be just that. If Kobol is to lead them to Earth they will need "the Arrow of Apollo"...the god not the character. Way confusing and not well established yet...essentially this arrow is a sort of compass back on Caprica. It took some time and I needed to explain to Laurel that it was a physical thing. In any case, Roslin persuades Starbuck to steal the captured Cylon Raider and jump back to Caprica to get it. The only way she can persuade Starbuck is by revealing that Adama has lied about knowing where Earth is...so at the end of the episode Starbuck, seemingly testing the raider, jumps away.
The other plot point is that Kobol has a Cylon basestar orbiting around it and Cylons shoot down the Raptor force sent to investigate Kobol. Baltar is in this crew and aboard the surviving Raptor that crash lands on Kobol. His acting is so over the top and crazy-eyed its a wonder anyone listens to him!
There's also a bit going on with the 2 Cylon Sharons...Galactica version tries to kill herself and fails...Caprica version is with Helo, who claims he's only staying with her to find a way off Caprica...
Laurel here...thank god Mark was here to explain this one to me because I would have totally lost!!
Just a couple of little details I noticed...One is that in the opening of this episode Adama and Apollo are litlerally having a boxing match with each other (well ok they are sparring partners but still) metaphor much?
Also Apollo figures out that Starbuck and the crazy doctor have hooked up, because the doctor acts like a total freak (of course) when he sees her. Apollo and Starbuck get into an argument about it - at one point Starbuck loses her shit and punches Apollo in the face, and he responds by punching her, in the face, right back. Hard. So awesome! I love this idea of men and women being on equal footing without anybody being worried about how men are "supposed" to treat women or vice versa. Listen if a bitch punches you in the face her face is fair game!
The episode, "Kobol's Last Gleaming, Part 1" starts off with a whole lot more Baltar than I remember and he's super annoying. First we see, out of the blue, he and Starbuck are hooking up. Clearly she's a bit damaged and he's a bit narcissistic in this hook up. She mistakenly calls out "Lee" (Apollo) in the midst of it, pissing off Baltar.
Also in the episode, Galactica discovers planet Kobol, a legendary home of the gods. The shows history states that humanity left Kobol to found the 13 colonies, including Earth. So, in theory, Kobol could lead them to Earth. Roslin's visions, from the drug she is taking to treat her cancer, further this theory. Of course Adama and her aide Billy find this crazy talk. Roslin however is convinced this will lead them to Earth. We know from the pilot though that Earth is a myth. One that the fleet believes, but that Roslin and Adama know to be just that. If Kobol is to lead them to Earth they will need "the Arrow of Apollo"...the god not the character. Way confusing and not well established yet...essentially this arrow is a sort of compass back on Caprica. It took some time and I needed to explain to Laurel that it was a physical thing. In any case, Roslin persuades Starbuck to steal the captured Cylon Raider and jump back to Caprica to get it. The only way she can persuade Starbuck is by revealing that Adama has lied about knowing where Earth is...so at the end of the episode Starbuck, seemingly testing the raider, jumps away.
The other plot point is that Kobol has a Cylon basestar orbiting around it and Cylons shoot down the Raptor force sent to investigate Kobol. Baltar is in this crew and aboard the surviving Raptor that crash lands on Kobol. His acting is so over the top and crazy-eyed its a wonder anyone listens to him!
There's also a bit going on with the 2 Cylon Sharons...Galactica version tries to kill herself and fails...Caprica version is with Helo, who claims he's only staying with her to find a way off Caprica...
Laurel here...thank god Mark was here to explain this one to me because I would have totally lost!!
Just a couple of little details I noticed...One is that in the opening of this episode Adama and Apollo are litlerally having a boxing match with each other (well ok they are sparring partners but still) metaphor much?
Also Apollo figures out that Starbuck and the crazy doctor have hooked up, because the doctor acts like a total freak (of course) when he sees her. Apollo and Starbuck get into an argument about it - at one point Starbuck loses her shit and punches Apollo in the face, and he responds by punching her, in the face, right back. Hard. So awesome! I love this idea of men and women being on equal footing without anybody being worried about how men are "supposed" to treat women or vice versa. Listen if a bitch punches you in the face her face is fair game!
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Colonial Day
Mark here...so this episode, "Colonial Day" was a switch, from being sort of an action episode to an episode where the action was more political. The fleet decides to reconstitute the Quorum of the Twelve, essentially the Senate/Congress, which has been missing since the cylon attack. In doing so Tom Zarek from a previous episode shows up again. He is a former terrorist/political radical and his first move is to become nominated for Vice President. Roslin switches into political mode and refuses to allow him a role in her administration. First she nominates her aide as a nominee. When he proves to be not popular enough she promptly dumps him. This shows us her political savvy, as does her new nominee, Baltar. He ends up winning the role in a tight vote. Clearly, this is a writing device to once again give Baltar a role in the show. While it makes sense he's popular, this gives a reason for why Roslin and Adama put up with him. As Roslin says, "the devil you know."
On Caprica, Helo starts to figure out the Cylons can take human form and in a cliffhanger finds out Sharon is a Cylon...
Laurel here...not much to add except to elaborate on a point that Mark explained to me... We already know Roslin is a capable leader. She's fair, just, moral, and capable of making hard choices. But in this episode we find out that she is a super good politician too. Hopefully her gamble of picking a vice president to hitch her wagon to who she knows is a sketchy character will pay off politically so she can be in a position to do more good for the people in the long run. We also are lead to suspect that colonel Tigh's wife is quite the politician, and that she may be in league with Zarak in some way. Some heavy looks are exchanged.
OMG! The way Helo finds out that Sharon is a cylon is that he witnesses her killing one of her replicas!! I was hoping this would make him realize that this robot he is in love with is rejecting her program but when he realizes what's up runs away from her...
Side note, there is a political ball where we see many of the main characters dressed up in civilian party clothes. Starbuck by her own claim is supposed to "clean up well" and when Apollo encounters her in a dress and makeup at the ball he seems stunned by how awesome she supposedly looks. In reality she looks like an inexperienced drag queen. I feel like this may be the only time during the whole series that we will see her in civilian clothes, and she is in the most unflattering dress and the most unflattering hairstyle possible. Boo on the wardrobe department! Boo on hair and makeup! She is a perfectly good looking woman and they could have actually made her look stunning instead of just making Apollo act like she looked stunning. Poor thing.
On Caprica, Helo starts to figure out the Cylons can take human form and in a cliffhanger finds out Sharon is a Cylon...
Laurel here...not much to add except to elaborate on a point that Mark explained to me... We already know Roslin is a capable leader. She's fair, just, moral, and capable of making hard choices. But in this episode we find out that she is a super good politician too. Hopefully her gamble of picking a vice president to hitch her wagon to who she knows is a sketchy character will pay off politically so she can be in a position to do more good for the people in the long run. We also are lead to suspect that colonel Tigh's wife is quite the politician, and that she may be in league with Zarak in some way. Some heavy looks are exchanged.
OMG! The way Helo finds out that Sharon is a cylon is that he witnesses her killing one of her replicas!! I was hoping this would make him realize that this robot he is in love with is rejecting her program but when he realizes what's up runs away from her...
Side note, there is a political ball where we see many of the main characters dressed up in civilian party clothes. Starbuck by her own claim is supposed to "clean up well" and when Apollo encounters her in a dress and makeup at the ball he seems stunned by how awesome she supposedly looks. In reality she looks like an inexperienced drag queen. I feel like this may be the only time during the whole series that we will see her in civilian clothes, and she is in the most unflattering dress and the most unflattering hairstyle possible. Boo on the wardrobe department! Boo on hair and makeup! She is a perfectly good looking woman and they could have actually made her look stunning instead of just making Apollo act like she looked stunning. Poor thing.
The Hand of God
Mark here... Laurel and I are watching the next episode, called "The Hand of God". Laurel made us a delicious nicoise sandwich with tuna and an arugula and corn salad. This episode finds the fleet running out of fuel, so they are searching the galaxy for a source of tylium (fuel). When they find some, of course its on an asteroid with a cylon base. They craft a plan of destroying the cylon base. There are a few twists in the episode...first the original plan is a fake out. More importantly, the key pilot is not Starbuck but Apollo. Starbuck is still recovering from a leg injury which renders her benched for the attack. It's a nice action episode which shows us Apollo is a good pilot as well. Starbuck is left to helping plan the attack. As it's a tv show with limited budget, the space scenes are few but awesome.
Separately, Roslin is starting to have visions as a side effect of the kamala extract she is taking to treat her cancer. We've already been told this is a side effect of this alternative treatment, hallucinations. Her visions, however, tie in to the predictions from the scriptures of the twelve colonies, adding a bit of mystery to them. The scriptures predict a dying leader who leads them to a new home...and we know Roslin has untreatable cancer...
Back on Caprica, Helo and the cylon-Sharon he is with are still on the run from the cylons. Cylon-Sharon has not checked in so the search is on...and so is the romance between them...
Laurel here...this episode is sort of like a mini-movie in an awesome way. They have a clear dangerous mission, which at one point you are sure is going to fail, then...plot twist! They overcome and are triumphant.
One of the things I really like about this one is that we see another side of Apollo. He is normally super straight laced, by the book...but in this episode we see that he can also make the tough choices and take risks when necessary. During the attack against the Cylons he does a super sketchy move and flies through a Cylon tunnel in order to get to their fuel supply and bomb it, and in turn the whole Cylon base blows up. Way to go Appollo! Anyway it was refreshing to another side of him, to see that he is not always such a goodie goodie and can take risks when necessary.
Separately, Roslin is starting to have visions as a side effect of the kamala extract she is taking to treat her cancer. We've already been told this is a side effect of this alternative treatment, hallucinations. Her visions, however, tie in to the predictions from the scriptures of the twelve colonies, adding a bit of mystery to them. The scriptures predict a dying leader who leads them to a new home...and we know Roslin has untreatable cancer...
Back on Caprica, Helo and the cylon-Sharon he is with are still on the run from the cylons. Cylon-Sharon has not checked in so the search is on...and so is the romance between them...
Laurel here...this episode is sort of like a mini-movie in an awesome way. They have a clear dangerous mission, which at one point you are sure is going to fail, then...plot twist! They overcome and are triumphant.
One of the things I really like about this one is that we see another side of Apollo. He is normally super straight laced, by the book...but in this episode we see that he can also make the tough choices and take risks when necessary. During the attack against the Cylons he does a super sketchy move and flies through a Cylon tunnel in order to get to their fuel supply and bomb it, and in turn the whole Cylon base blows up. Way to go Appollo! Anyway it was refreshing to another side of him, to see that he is not always such a goodie goodie and can take risks when necessary.
Saturday, July 7, 2012
Tigh Me Up, Tigh Me Down
Mark here...so not that much happened this episode.... Col Tigh's wife shows up. She had apparently been knocked unconscious and woke up. Adama was secretly aware she was aboard the fleet, which told us a bit about him. Roslin remained suspicious about Adama, but I think that ended by the end of the episode. Otherwise, the episode played a bit like comic relief. Tigh's wife Ellen shows up a bit like dropping Kim cattrall in the middle of Battlestar Galactica. The other characters treat her a bit comically, but then also suspect her of being a Cylon. By the end Baltar tests her and she comes up clean, although we're led to believe that Baltar will fudge the results for anyone, as he did for Sharon in the previous episode...
Hi Laurel here...not much to add except that in the beginning of the episode we witness a weird couples lounge that neither Mark or me were sure what to make of...A bunch of couple sitting in a stadium style seating situation, looking at a view of the universe out the window, making out with each other. As the next group comes in we realize this is how couples on galactica go on dates? Super depressing but I guess makes sense considering their limitations in terms of space. Most of them live in communal bunk rooms where you would never really get a minute to yourself?
Mark here...on what Laurel said, it's the end of the human race, maybe they need to make some conjugal rooms available?!
Hi Laurel here...not much to add except that in the beginning of the episode we witness a weird couples lounge that neither Mark or me were sure what to make of...A bunch of couple sitting in a stadium style seating situation, looking at a view of the universe out the window, making out with each other. As the next group comes in we realize this is how couples on galactica go on dates? Super depressing but I guess makes sense considering their limitations in terms of space. Most of them live in communal bunk rooms where you would never really get a minute to yourself?
Mark here...on what Laurel said, it's the end of the human race, maybe they need to make some conjugal rooms available?!
Flesh and Bone
Hi Laurel here..This episode focus on a captured cylon (my favorite cylon Leonben) and the episode hinged on a bomb that has been supposedly planted in the galactic fleet somewhere and it fell on Starbuck to question him and find out where the bomb was...
So Adama was ordered to send someone to question the cylon who was the least likely person to allow the prisoner to get into their head...Starbuck seemed like the perfect person for the job but as the episode unfolds both Starbuck and us as viewers find ourselves questioning his motives. I think we are all prepared to believe he is a cylon because we have seen the same model of him as being confirmed as a cylon in the past, but he does such a good job as being seen as a charismatic human that we all question our own judgment.
Also of note in this episode we learn that the president's cancer is progressing, and that her medication is causing her to have hallucinations...hallucinations or premonitions? We still don't know...
Mark here...I think this episode was much better than the previous. As Laurel said, Starbuck is sent to interrogate a Cylon (Leoben) who is known because he is the same model Adama encountered in the pilot. He succeeds in getting in Starbucks head a bit, despite her torturing him (water torture in a nod to current politics). She goes in thinking he is a machine but he is able to show human feelings, which causes her to doubt herself. As this happens, Roslin storms in, having grown frustrated with the lack of information. She immediately breaks off Starbuck's interrogation. In a quick moment, Leoben is able to grab Roslin and whisper "Adama is a Cylon" in an attempt to plant a seed of doubt. Roslin is unmoved however and in an awesome scene, orders him thrown out the airlock..which at that point seems drastic to Starbuck (who had been torturing him).
Separately, Sharon, who is the Cylon who only suspects she's a cylon onboard Galactica...she is strangely drawn to the Cylon raider that Starbuck brought aboard. So much so she goes to Baltar for a Cylon test. He claims the test isn't ready yet, but then tests her. When the test confirms her being a cylon, he lies to her and keeps the truth to himself...confirming his shadiness, and treason I guess!
So Adama was ordered to send someone to question the cylon who was the least likely person to allow the prisoner to get into their head...Starbuck seemed like the perfect person for the job but as the episode unfolds both Starbuck and us as viewers find ourselves questioning his motives. I think we are all prepared to believe he is a cylon because we have seen the same model of him as being confirmed as a cylon in the past, but he does such a good job as being seen as a charismatic human that we all question our own judgment.
Also of note in this episode we learn that the president's cancer is progressing, and that her medication is causing her to have hallucinations...hallucinations or premonitions? We still don't know...
Mark here...I think this episode was much better than the previous. As Laurel said, Starbuck is sent to interrogate a Cylon (Leoben) who is known because he is the same model Adama encountered in the pilot. He succeeds in getting in Starbucks head a bit, despite her torturing him (water torture in a nod to current politics). She goes in thinking he is a machine but he is able to show human feelings, which causes her to doubt herself. As this happens, Roslin storms in, having grown frustrated with the lack of information. She immediately breaks off Starbuck's interrogation. In a quick moment, Leoben is able to grab Roslin and whisper "Adama is a Cylon" in an attempt to plant a seed of doubt. Roslin is unmoved however and in an awesome scene, orders him thrown out the airlock..which at that point seems drastic to Starbuck (who had been torturing him).
Separately, Sharon, who is the Cylon who only suspects she's a cylon onboard Galactica...she is strangely drawn to the Cylon raider that Starbuck brought aboard. So much so she goes to Baltar for a Cylon test. He claims the test isn't ready yet, but then tests her. When the test confirms her being a cylon, he lies to her and keeps the truth to himself...confirming his shadiness, and treason I guess!
Six Degrees of Separation
Mark here...Laurel and I are back after a bit of a break doing our real jobs. We are enjoying a Fish Pie, recipe of the 2 Fat Ladies and a white wine, selected by Silver Lake Wine. Tonight we are starting off with the next episode of Battlestar Galactica, "Six Degrees of Separation". This episode is a bit of a let down, not much happens. A version of Cylon Six shows up and accuses Baltar of being a traitor. We know he is a traitor, but not throughout the actions she accuses him of. We also know, as he does, that she is a Cylon, which is something the others at first do not know. In any case, the episode feels like an attempt to acknowledge the fact that Baltar is a weirdo and why do they trust him and not suspect him. To that end, the whole plot just seems like a roundabout way of justifying his continued presence. Personally, I believed that neither the President nor Adama trusted him, they just had no choice, as he was their only scientist.
Laurel here...I agree. Supposedly this stunt is to exonerate Baltar of any wrongdoing and cast aside any doubts about his work on the "cylon detector" but I always say where there's smoke there's fire, and there's a ton of smoke here. I'm inclined to think that the commander and the president feel the same but we will see how it goes.
Also In this episode the 2 soldiers that are trapped on Caprica, Helo and the Caprica version of Sharon finally hook up. Long overdue! Are you kidding me you've been running from Cylons for a month barely surviving and you've never hooked up? Good job for finally getting down to business.
One final note from me about this episode...we discover that even in the future men and women should never share the same public restroom. Enough said.
Laurel here...I agree. Supposedly this stunt is to exonerate Baltar of any wrongdoing and cast aside any doubts about his work on the "cylon detector" but I always say where there's smoke there's fire, and there's a ton of smoke here. I'm inclined to think that the commander and the president feel the same but we will see how it goes.
Also In this episode the 2 soldiers that are trapped on Caprica, Helo and the Caprica version of Sharon finally hook up. Long overdue! Are you kidding me you've been running from Cylons for a month barely surviving and you've never hooked up? Good job for finally getting down to business.
One final note from me about this episode...we discover that even in the future men and women should never share the same public restroom. Enough said.
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