Okay, I’m ready for stuff to start happening on Battlestar Galactica.
I mean, yeah, plots are developing, but the progress feels so very, very slow right now.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still loving the show, but all of this better be the calm before the storm, because through five episodes this final season, not much has happened.
Friday’s episode was called The Road Less Traveled.
It’s Day 58 of the Demetrius and Starbuck’s mission to find Earth, but so far all she’s done is alienate her crew. The only one standing up for her at the moment is Helo, and that’s only because he’s bound by his orders.
Starbuck has a “feeling” though, and goes out on a Viper mission for the first time since her arrival. This feeling comes true when they cross paths with a Cylon Heavy Raider, carrying the one and only, Leoben.
They bring Leoben on board, and he right away sees a difference in Starbuck’s eyes. She’s not the same person he saw on New Caprica.
It sort of confirms what we suspect. She’s not a Cylon, but…is she still even human?
On a site note…IO9 posted a cool little article about possible clues that are shown in the paintings Starbuck has done.
The gist of it is…there was a ship in the Original Battlestar Galactica series called The Ship of Lights, and it was helmed by Seraphs, glowing beings with technology well beyond both human and Cylon. In the old series, the Seraphs raise Apollo from the dead.
One of the paintings Starbuck did has a star that REALLY looks like The Ship of Lights (see below). Is it possible she died, and was resurrected by the Seraphs, who restored not only her, but her ship? Would explain why her Viper looks brand new.
And Leoben calls her an Angel in this episode.
Back to The Road Less Traveled, Starbuck finds out from Leoben that his Basestar is in trouble and they desire an alliance with the humans, just as I figured was coming a few episodes ago when the Cylon Civil War broke out.
I do love the Kara-Leoben storyline, because it’s been around since the first season and really feels like it was something the writers had planned all along.
So Kara orders the ship to rendezvous with the Basestar, but finally Helo comes to his senses. The ship is almost out of fuel, and jumping to the Basestar would be a one-way ticket. He relieves Kara from duty.
And marine Erin Mathias, a long time character on the show, dies while inspecting the Heavy Raider outside. This continues the bloodbath this season with side characters being killed off.
One curious moment with Leoben and Anders happened, where Leo knew who he was back on Caprica, the star of the Buccaneers. He tells Anders, “You always knew you were destined for more, you were just waiting for your singular moment of clarity.”
I don’t think Leoben knows that Anders is a Cylon, but he certainly can read people.
Meanwhile, back on Galactica, Chief Tyrol is slowly losing his mind. He is torn over Cally as he tries to figure out WHY she killed herself. He stands in the airlock just staring, trying to solve the puzzle. She was on anti-depressants he found out, so why would she kill herself?
Tory finds him in the airlock one time and tries to explain why Cally did what she did, even going as far as suggesting she KNEW they were Cylons.
Now, I have to admit here, the religious stuff going on with Gaius Baltar and Tory, and now to a certain extent, Tyrol, is confusing me. I know Baltar is trying to convince everyone that there is only one, true God, and that they’ve all been praying to false gods forever. Tyrol has been listening to Baltar on the radio and standing in on his meetings.
He gets mad at Baltar for presuming he knows who Cally is, and then goes to his barracks, pulls out his gun and almost kills himself.
Why is Baltar paying close attention to Tyrol? He is trying to earn his trust or friendship…by having him take his hand?
Perhaps he just sees in Tyrol what happened to himself?
They have a moment at the end, and Baltar apologizes for his mistake about Cally, and confesses that he is guilty of awful crimes. He has chosen to accept his fate, not fight it anymore.
And then Tyrol offers his hand, and they clasp…
Is Tyrol done fighting his fate?
What did you think of the episode? Good? Bad? Slow?
It was a “to be continued” ending, so hopefully next week wraps things up or “reveals” some things.
Good. It was a little slow, and it’s again a bunch of build up, but we’re now half way through this set of episodes and I have a feeling we’re going to need this slower start in order to deal with the whiplash of the next five. I imagine we’re going to see a *lot* of action between now and the 4.0 finale.
I just thought back on the episode and realized that not once did we see Adama, Roslin, or Lee. We didn’t see any of the seven but Leoben, either. That’s kind of a weird episode, where we get more of Hotdog than the Caprican elite or the Cylons. I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest that *someone* we saw tonight was definitely the final Cylon based on the unusual apportioning of screen time. Since I’ve thought Gaeta was a Cylon since season one, I’m happy with that current theory.
And was it just me, or did it seem like Tyrol was channeling Pvt. Pyle from Full Metal Jacket?
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So I haven’t watched it yet, because Friday nights at 10 are a terrible time slot for me so I DVR it each week which I’m sure helps the ratings.
But I did read the first three paragraphs and totally agree. If I didn’t have so much faith in the writers and talent on the show Id be worried.
I will come back when I have something worthwhile to say.
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@ Porter – Don’t remember FMJ much, saw it too long ago.
I’ve read that the final Cylon will be someone who arises because he wants to redeem him/herself? It’s something like that, I need to find the quote from a podcast somewhere.
I just don’t know if Gaeta strikes me as the guy, but maybe. I still think it’s going to be someone huge, that’s the only way it makes sense. Roslin, Lee, Bill or Baltar. It’s gotta be one of them.
Or, Tom Zarek, which is who Adam thinks it is. I kind of agree with that.
They say clues have been left along the way as to who it is…I wish we knew what they were.
Anyways, I was planning on writing in this recap the same point you brought up: No Lee, Roslin or Bill Adama. Interesting.
Porter, here it is:
…the hybrid says “…the fifth is still in shadow, drawn toward the light, hungering for redemption, that will only come in the howl of terrible suffering.â€Â?
That is very telling…
This blog post has a nice outline of some of the clues so far:
http://www.webomatica.com/wordpress/2008/04/25/battlestar-galactica-who-is-the-last-cylon/
@Mike, that’s an interesting breakdown. I especially liked the Tom Zarek theory as I’d never even considered him before. That would be interesting, though I don’t know how much dramatic punch it would have. I disagree with the author that Gaeta’s as dull as Dualla. He’s done more to help the Cylon cause than almost anyone since the destruction of the colonies:
- stopped Roslin from stealing the election
- aided and abetted Baltar at every turn
- if you’re a crazy nut like me, you think he handed Boomer the pistol she used to shoot Adama…really, watch the camera work in that scene in CIC again
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Nice recap Mo… thorough as always bud!! It does seem a bit slow, like I said orginally, they used the entire budget in the first episode with the Cylons attacking.
I’ll stick to my original pick, the final Cylon is Roaslin, you know shes gonna die from cancer then they are all going to see her again…
In the past 3 seasons in 5 episodes more was happening, so it does seem slower, and everyone is losing theri mind. The previews for next week gave away quite a bit for next week though, so it didnt feel like a cliff hanger much…
@ Porter – I agree about Gaeta, he’s not dull-walla, he’s just not as used as he was before. He was definitely involved in a lot of things, and now you make me want to go back and watch that scene.
The one thing about these final five Cylons, we don’t really know what their purpose is and who’s side they will be on. So saying Gaeta has done a lot for their cause may not mean as much. Do we really know they will turn out to be WITH the other Seven?
@ Cap’n – Yeah, the previews for next week really sucked in my opinion…I wish they’d hold back a bit.
@Mike, +1 or “dull-walla”.
R.A. Porters last blog post..Friday Night Sketch War: Round Thirteen
Damn that Bear McCreary!!! I just read his post on this episode and he closed with this:
On a side note, a few days ago I finished composing what is probably the greatest piece of music I’ve ever written for this series. I can’t talk about it now, but you’ll hear it soon.
Better than his “All Along the Watchtower”?!?!? What the hell is coming up?
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Agreed Porter, I just read his blog post, good stuff, but that ending line…damn, what scene is it for? Will we know it?
@Porter – I got the FMJ thing right away, but AnaDVR couldn’t remember the scene so I let it go.
I liked the episode but I have to admit it was kind of slow in parts. I actually fell asleep for a couple of minutes. Hey, it’s been a long week and Friday at 9 is late for me… I’m old now.
I think I went to bed around 10:30 on Friday night, and that’s WAY early for me…I’m getting old too, and a kid is on the way.
I think the show wains a little when all the cast is split up on different missions/places… i.e. Lost. Once they get them all back to the fleet, then the new final 5 drama could be played up more, but right now everyone’s so disconnected from each other… Lee, the Starbuck-earth-squad, even the Cylon civil war. It will pick up soon… I hope. Friday nights are tough for Jina to make it through a slow show!
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