BSG is back!

[alexiscartwheel]

Battlestar Galactica returned last night, finally, and there were quite a few surprises.

First off, Kara, because she's my favorite. If Kara crashed into Earth and died, who the heck is this Kara? What's really bizarre is that she's not only identical and has the same memories, but she also has all the same stuff: the dog tags, the viper, etc. They cylons downloaded memories, but they couldn't download a brand new viper. It seems like there most be some other party or other force at work that's responsible for replacing Kara and sending her back from Earth, but who? And why? All I know is it's not a good thing when crazy stalker Leoben's suddenly afraid of you.

I really want to know what she was about to tell Lee at the end there. She's hiding the discovery of dead!Kara from everybody else, which is understandable. Everyone's already freaked out by her, and that'd really pump up the suspicion. But was she going to tell Lee? That's what I assumed she was referring too. She doesn't have even more secrets, right?

Is Ellen Tigh really the last cylon? But she's dead! I don't understand how that would work, because there don't seem to be extra copies of final five. In the Earth flashbacks, it seemed like all the Cylons were unique. So five of these unique cylons were reincarnated somewhere among the other 12 tribes, meanwhile different cylons had been created by the humans--the other seven models? Seriously, the mythology of this show gets more and more confusing. d4ni also suggested that Tigh might have been hallucinating about Ellen, which he has a prior history of doing, and she's really someone else. Six? (Though that doesn't mesh with my previous theory at all.)

Dee's death really surprised me. I never really cared for her as a character, but still, whoa. I thought they getting her and Lee back together, than bam. And poor Lee, destined for more emo. I don't entirely understand his position now. Now that Roslin is back, is Lee VP? If so, what about Zarek? Or does Lee just get demoted back to being Caprica's representative to the Quorum.

And, oh, Adama and Roslin. They're both losing it but good. If Adama already wants to end it all, what will happen when Roslin dies? Waaah! :(

Final thoughts:

• On the whole, there were a whole lot of questions and not a lot of answers in this episode. They're certainly keeping things interesting, but we're getting close to the end here. How will they resolve everything?
• I hope the credits and the teaser are back next week. The teaser is so uniquely BSG.
• Man is this show ever depressing. More Baltar comic relief next week? Or Lee Adama in a towle again?

Comments

[sagacious-c.livejournal.com]

I know, I thought it was actually over-the-top depressing. I'm having a hard time because I didn't remember much from the previous season -- and it's been so long I'd also stopped caring -- so I was essentially hoping the new episode would draw me in. But it was so dark and confusing I started wondering why I like the show so much...

I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt that they're pouring on the angst so the payoff at the happy (I HOPE) ending will be more powerful, and because in terms of dramatic conflict there's got to be some kind of uphill battle but... GEEZ, when Dee killed herself and Adama seemed like he was going to also I just kind of checked out a little.

I also am getting X-Files flashbacks, to when the show's mythology got so confusing that even as a loyal fan I had a hard time following it, and when they'd "reveal" things I'd automatically be suspicious that they were messing with us. Like with Ellen Tigh as the final cylon. But I'm going with it, because I like it better than Dee or Starbuck being the last cylon -- I was so anxious during the episode and kept declaring that if either one of them was the 12th then I'd barf. I don't know what the deal is with Kara. I really, really want her to be a human since all through the show she's been such a human... Maybe she's a totally different category of person, in light of her special destiny...

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I know how you feel about not remembering all the threads from last season. I watched the recap video, which helped some, but there was a whole lot going. There were definitely some good things amid all the confusion, though. I'm glad we're finally starting to get some answers about Starbuck and that they're pointing toward her not being a cylon. There's still a lot of confusion there, but at least she's making progress (and processing it rather calmly) instead of threatening people and screaming a lot. But I really don't want her special destiny to be leading every to their doom. I hope that's just metaphorical somehow.

I think there should be a happy, or at least bittersweet, ending. I'm sure plenty more bad things are going to happen and more people are going to die, but there should be some sort of payoff for four years wandering around the universe. I think especially since the half-season finally concluded with "we found Earth, but it sucks" it doesn't make narrative sense to end the series on a complete downer. Showing the lost hope this episode was necessary, but hopefully they'll move on past that now and find a reason to keep going on. Maybe Lee needs to make a passionate speech?

You're so right with the X-Files comparison. I thought elements they introduced, like the cylon tribe on Earth, were really interesting, but they just complicate things more. And what about some of the older stuff? Hera belonging to Six and Baltar? That thing with Laura Roslin and the opera house? And as far as the last cylon, now that the cylons and humans are allies, why is that person's identity even important? Do they have some crazy mythological role to play too?

[d4ni.livejournal.com]

The nitpicky thing that really annoyed me about the whole body-in-a-viper thing was the stupid blonde wig that they put on the charred corpse. Wouldn't hair be one of the first things to get burnt up if you were on fire? It was just waaaay too obvious for me. The audience would get it when she grabbed the dogtags and/or started acting crazy.

Other than that, I'm just so damn confused and I am really hoping things haven't gotten so convoluted that the end result doesn't make sense.

Also, I need more Baltar/Head!Baltar interaction!

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

You are so psychic. That was my first thought about the blonde wig, I think especially since I've been watching so much Bones. Nuh, uh, that'd be all charred and ugly too! Plus, anyone can have blonde hair; everyone does not have "Thrace" dog tags.

We really need to start getting some explanations ASAP, cause although I think the 13th tribe = cylons thing is actually a very interesting development, it doesn't fit with anything we know so far.

You know, of course, that I think Baltar is a tool, etc., etc., but I do appreciate him when he's being interesting. Even though it was only for a few seconds, I really liked seeing him be a scientist again. They need more of that, less political/religious leader. That's where his real expertise, and his real narrative usefulness, lie, I think. And they don't lose any of his moral conflict by making him actually be Doctor Baltar again.

And yes, more head!Baltar. (In Baltar's head or in Six's.)

[carrotgirl.livejournal.com]

I need to start watching this show.

[alexiscartwheel.livejournal.com]

You really should! Such an epic tale of humans and sentient robots in Vancouver space. You have to go back to the BSG mini-series though, cause all the story builds from there.

[carrotgirl.livejournal.com]

Yeah...I think my brother might own it on DVD. Not sure.